New York Concerts on Sale: Muse & Metric; 311 & The Offspring; Goo Goo Dolls; Crosby, Stills, & Nash; Adam Lambert; More

Above: Muse (shown here playing at the 2006 Leeds Festival) is performing two gigs in the NYC area in October.

It's getting harder to keep up with all the new concert on-sale info coming out each week, but here goes. As always, there are many more on sale than I can list here. And of course, these listing reflect shows that I think are going to be in high demand (and thus sell out quickly), as well as shows I'm interested in seeing.

Most of the concerts go on sale Saturday, May 1st, but there were a few popular shows that had tickets available Friday, April 30th (links provided):

* She & Him - Terminal 5 - Tues., July 6
* Goo Goo Dolls - PNC Bank Arts Center - Tues., July 27
* Goo Goo Dolls - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Fri., July 30
* Muse with Metric - Nassau Coliseum - Sat., Oct. 23
* Muse with Metric - Prudential Center, Newark - Sun., Oct. 24

On Sale Saturday, May 1st:
* Band of Horses with Grizzly Bear and Karen Elson - Williamsburg Waterfront - Sun., June 20 (on sale: May 1, 11 a.m.)
* 311 and The Offspring with Pepper - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Fri., July 9 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)
* 311 and The Offspring with Pepper - PNC Bank Arts Center - Sat., July 10 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)
* Crosby, Stills, & Nash - PNC Bank Arts Center - Thurs., Aug. 19 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)
* Crosby, Stills, & Nash - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Fri., Aug. 20 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)
* Tim McGraw with special guests Lady Antebellum and Love and Theft - PNC Bank Arts Center - Thurs., July 15 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)
* Adam Lambert with Orianthi and Allison Iraheta - Nokia Theatre Times Square - Nokia Theatre Times Square - Tues., June 22 (on sale: May 1, 10 a.m.)

In NJ This Weekend: Weezer, Ke$ha, and More at The Bamboozle; Fountains of Wayne in Hoboken

There's some great live music in North Jersey this weekend, and some of it's even free. First off is the not-free event, the annual NJ edition of The Bamboozle festival in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford.

The Bamboozle takes place Saturday and Sunday, May 1st and 2nd, and they've got a great lineup of acts on both days. The May 1st show features Paramore, Drake, Something Corporate, Ke$ha, Angels & Airwaves, The Maine, and more. The May 2nd lineup has Weezer, MGMT, Ke$ha, OK Go, Matt & Kim, and Girl Talk, among many others. You can buy NJ Bamboozle tickets here.

You can get a FREE Spin 2010 Bamboozle mixtape download, with 13 songs by Bamboozle artists including Saves the Day, Say Anything, and Wale.

Set times and a map for The Bamboozle in NJ are posted here. 

A few miles away, the May edition of the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival takes place on Sunday with a strong headliner in Fountains of Wayne (which features at least two NJ natives, as far as I know). Also on the bill is a favorite singer-songwriter of mine, Freedy Johnston, who is originally from Kansas but lived in Hoboken for a time and has played at Maxwell's in town many times.

Freedy Johnston goes on at 3 p.m.; the Fountains of Wayne set is scheduled for 4:30. There are local acts performing as well. (Schedules and links to artists for the Hoboken Arts & Music Festival.)

MySpace Opens "Glee" Auditions for One More Day (This Wed.)

Although I've never seen the TV show "Glee" (I seem to be about the only person in the world who hasn't), I know many people love it. So this post is for everyone who wants to be on the show (or has a young friend or relative who wants to be on it).

By popular demand, MySpace is having what it calls an "encore" of auditions for "Glee." The new casting call will begin on Wednesday, April 28th at 12 Noon Pacific Time (3 pm Eastern) through Thursday, April 29th at 11:59 am Pacific (2:59 pm Eastern). You can submit a "Glee" audition during this time window if you haven't done it already.

See the official "Glee" auditions MySpace page, www.myspace.com/gleeauditions, for details. And make sure you read the "Glee" terms and conditions of submission before taking part in the process. Among other things, you must be at least 16 years old, must not be under any contract that prohibits you from giving exclusive services to "Glee," and must be a registered MySpace user.

To keep up with all the latest news on "Glee" auditions and other happenings related to the show, sign up with the various official "Glee" social networking sites. There's the "Glee" community on Fox TV, the "Glee" Twitter page, and the "Glee" Facebook page.

Free Album Streaming: New CDs from New Pornographers, Josh Ritter, Jesse Malin, The Fall, More

Some new albums start streaming at NPR Music today from artists who have gotten great acclaim in the past: The New Pornographers and Josh Ritter (both of whom have come on the scene in the last decade) and two veteran artists: The Fall (didn't know they were still around, or had reformed) and Kris Kristofferson (a set of late 1960s - early 1970s demos). And there are a bunch of new albums being previewed on Spinner.com as well.

The full free album previews from Spinner.com's Listening Party can all be accessed from the same page, www.spinner.com/new-releases (select the album you want using buttons under the album art). It's unclear how long each album will be available for the free preview.


Spinner.com's Listening Party currently features about 20 albums including:
* "Subiza" by Delorean
* "Trans-Continental" by Gogol Bordello
* "In the Music" by Trashcan Sinatras
* "This is Big Audio Dynamite" by Big Audio Dynamite
* "Love It to Live" by Jesse Malin and the St. Marks Social

NPR First Listen (all streaming from April 26 to May 4, except as noted below):
* LCD Soundsystem (streaming April 23 to May 18)

* "Future Our Clutter" by The Fall

* "Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends: The Publishing Demos, 1968-72" by Kris Kristofferson

* "So Runs The World Away" by Josh Ritter

* "Together" by New Pornographers (also streaming at KRW.com until May 9)

The National - New Album Streaming Free Online

 

Above: Part of the New York Times Magazine's article on The National, as it appears on the paper's Web site. 

Popular indie rock group The National is streaming its new album "High Violet" for free online (click on link). Free music streaming online is one of the best ways for a band to get its music heard, and it's wildly popular with fans.

What's different about The National album streaming is where it's taking place: The New York Times. We're used to seeing free album streaming on Spinner.com, KCRW.com, and other music sites, but I can't remember the Times ever doing it. (The free album streaming of "High Violet" is in conjunction with an article on The National in this week's New York Times Magazine.)

"High Violet" on the Times sounds just as good as any other album streaming I've found online, and actually doesn't have the stops and starts and buffering I've found on other album preview sites.

Will this free streaming of The National's album bring younger readers to the Times's Web site? Or introduce older listeners to The National? Hard to tell. But it's an interesting experiment for the paper. And as a music fan, I'm glad to see more sites letting listeners sample entire albums.

New York Concerts on Sale: Squeeze & Cheap Trick, Jackson Browne, Carrie Underwood, Sting, Hole, More

Above: L.A.'s Silversun Pickups play two shows in the New York area, in Montclair and NYC. Shown are Brian Aubert and Nikki Monninge. Photo: Flickr user Brian Teutsh.

Tickets to see a lot of veterans musicians are on sale this Friday and Saturday: Phil Collins, Squeeze and Cheap Trick, Faith No More, Foreigner, Jackson Browne, and more. And Sting, who'd previously announced shows with the Royal Philharmonic at the Metropolitan Opera, has now added a couple of outdoor concerts.

Here's a sampling of what's coming up (there are many more, too many for me to type in, including O.A.R., Tears for Fears, and Pearl Jam), grouped by on-sale date:

On sale Friday, April 23: 
* Erykah Badu - Roseland Ballroom - Tues., May 25 (on sale: April 23, 10 a.m.)
* Phil Collins - Roseland Ballroom - Tues. to Fri., June 22 to 25 (on sale: April 24, 10 a.m.)
* Silversun Pickups - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - Thurs., June 24 (on sale: April 23, Noon)

* Hole - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - Fri., June 25 (on sale: April 23, Noon)

* Faith No More - Williamburg Waterfront - Fri., July 2 (on sale: April 23, Noon)
* Squeeze and Cheap Trick - Beacon Theatre - Tues., July 13 (on sale: April 23, 9 a.m.)
* Foreigner - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - Thurs., August 26 (on sale: April 23, Noon)
* Jackson Browne - Beacon Theatre - Tues., September 14 (on sale: April 23, 10 a.m.)
*** UPDATE: 2nd Jackson Browne show added at Beacon; will add link when I can find it
***2nd UPDATE: Tickets for both Jackson Browne Beacon shows available here

On sale Saturday, April 24: 
* Silversun Pickups - Williamsburg Waterfront - Fri., June 25 (on sale: April 24, Noon)
* Creed - PNC Bank Arts Center - Sat., August 21  (on sale: April 24, 10 a.m.)
* Squeeze and Cheap Trick - State Theatre, New Brunswick, NJ - Sun., July 18 (on sale: April 24, 9 a.m.)
* Creed - Nikon Jones Beach Theater - Tues., August 24 (on sale: April 24, 10 a.m.)
* Carrie Underwood - Nassau Coliseum - Fri., Nov. 5 (on sale: April 24, 10 a.m.)
(with special guests Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia)
* Carrie Underwood - Prudential Center, Newark, NJ - Mon., Nov. 15 (on sale: April 24, 10 a.m.)
(with special guests Billy Currington and Sons of Sylvia)

On sale Monday, April 26: 

* An Evening with Sting - PNC Bank Arts Center - Wed., July 7 (on sale: April 26)

(featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra) 

* An Evening with Sting - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Tues., July 27 (on sale: April 26)

(featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra) 

Intriguing Music Films at 2010 Tribeca Film Festival

Above: Andy Serkis stars as late punk rocker Ian Dury in the biopic "sex & drugs & rock & roll."

The annual Tribeca Film Festival opens today (or tomorrow, officially) and as usual there's an interesting assortment of music-related films. As a TFF volunteer, I'm hoping to see free screenings of some of these movies in between my shifts. Here are some of the 2010 Tribeca Film Festival music films that I'm most interested in seeing.

"sex & drugs & rock & roll" stars Andy Serkis as the late British punk rock singer Ian Dury, best known for his wacky songs "Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick," "Reasons to Be Cheerful, Part 3," and of course "Sex and Drugs and Rock & Roll." 

I've been a fan of Dury since my days as a college radio DJ, when I played those and other songs by Dury and his band, The Blockheads. I didn't know anything about his battle with polio or the effects his musical success had on his life, so I definitely want to catch this movie. 

After first hearing Serge Gainsbourg's songs a decade ago, I've become fascinated with his life and career. "Gainsbourg, Je t'Aime... Moi Non Plus" examines the French crooner's life, from his youth in wartime Paris to his emergence as a provocative, sometimes scandalous cultural figure in the wild 1960s. Gainsbourg is best known for his breathy, erotic duets with his wife, British actress Jane Birkin, and with Brigitte Bardot (with whom Gainsbourg had an affair).

Another feature film that sounds interesting is "The Last Play at Shea." The TFF description got my attention: "The intersecting histories of a stadium, a team, and a music legend are examined in a documentary that charts the ups and downs of the New York Mets and the life and career of Long Island native Billy Joel, the last performer to play Shea Stadium." The film includes concert footage and interviews with Joel and guests as diverse as Tony Bennett and Roger Daltrey. 

"Straight Outta L.A." is another film that examines the intersection of music and sports, in this case between rapper Ice Cube (who directed the film) and the Los Angeles Raiders (who were previously, and are now, the Oakland Raiders). Ice Cube's pioneering group N.W.A. "embraced the Raiders' image, swagger, and style, forever linking the Raiders' heyday in L.A. with the emergence of gangsta rap," says the TFF description. 

The film was produced with or by ESPN, which probably explains its short running time of 51 minutes.

"Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage" looks at the four-decade career of the Canadian rock band, from its beginnings in Toronto to popular, if not critical, success. The film is said to include backstage footage and interviews with musicians including Gene Simons of Kiss, Kirk Hammett of Metallica, and Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins.

As for fictional music films at Tribeca, "My Own Love Song" caught my eye. Besides being directed by Olivier Dahan, who won Oscars for his Edith Piaf biopic "La Vie en Rose," this road movie stars one of my favorite actresses, Renée Zellweger, as a wheelchair-bound ex-musician who is convinced to make a cross-country journey by an "endearing oddball" (played by Forest Whitaker). The cast also includes Nick Nolte.

There are more music films, including a number of shorts that look interesting. See the full lineup of 2010 Tribeca Film Festival music films here. 

Free Music Downloads: Exene Cervenka Live Set; New Tracks from Blur, Sam Phillips, Tallest Man on Earth

If you're looking for free, legal music downloads, here are some great choices today:

* Exene Cervenka live studio set: free podcast download of the lead singer of the L.A. punk band X performing live for KCRW's Morning Becomes Ecletic
* Also at KCRW, singer-songwriter Sam Phillips has the Today's Top Tune free song download with her offering "Lever Pulled Down"
* Blur is offering "Fool's Day," its first new single since 2003, free at its Web site
* "The Wild Hunt," the title track from Swedish artist The Tallest Man on Earth, is today's Current Song of the Day free download from Minnesota Public Radio

For the KCRW downloads, you can usually stream the songs/live sets online even after the download is no longer available. The Current Song of the Day downloads tend to be available for a few days after they're posted.

Special Beatles Remastered 7" Vinyl to be Released in U.S. in May

Record Store Day is over, but the specials continue. The RSD Web site has what it says is "Breaking Beatles News," namely the release of a limited-edition Beatles 7" vinyl to indie record stores in the U.S. next month (the release was made available to independent record shops in the U.K. yesterday as part of its Record Store Day celebrations.) The announcement on the RSD site:

"The Beatles want to extend your Record Store Day high, and to do that they’re releasing THE FIRST PIECE OF REMASTERED VINYL to participating Record Store Day indie record stores on May 18. It’s a LIMITED EDITION 7” featuring “Paperback Writer” b/w “Rain” and it’s coming to the United States in May." 

They suggest that you read their disclaimer, which says among other things that since independent record stores are, well, independent, they alone decide what special items to carry and how much. In other, words, RSD can't guarantee that your local indie store will be getting the Beatles limited-edition 7" vinyl, so contact them directly to find out if they're participating. 

So how was everyone's Record Store Day? I hit up two stores (Other Music in New York City and Tunes in Hoboken, NJ) and was glad to see that they were both doing brisk business. In fact, Other Music has a small-ish line, so I didn't actually go inside. 

As usual, Record Store Day has motivated me to visit local indie stores more often, which in fact I will - Tunes sells tickets for concerts at Maxwell's, the famed Hoboken restaurant, so I'll be popping in there at least a couple of times in the coming weeks.

Record Store Day 2010 - Events, Special Releases, More - Sat., April 17th

Record Store Day 2010 is Saturday, April 17th, and stores throughout North America (and the world) are holding special events, including live bands, DJ sets, one-day-only sales, and more. (See the complete list of stores participating in Record Store Day.)

Some artists really get into the event; a Flavorpill article on this year's festivities notes that Excene Cervenka, frontwoman of X, is going on a tour of free events in California in honor of Record Store Day.

One of the big draws of Record Store Day is the many exclusive releases that artists put out, including previously unreleased versions, live tracks, limited-edition packaging, and special vinyl editions. You can find a list of Record Store Day 2010 releases here.

What's happening in New York for the occasion? Other Music in Greenwich Village, named one of the 17 best record stores in the country, will be celebrating with giveaways, special Record Store Day releases, and live music and DJ performances at night. The store will have special hours of 11 a.m to 8 p.m. Saturday. (Listing of Other Music Record Store Day events.)

J&R Music World, the sprawling city of music, electronics, and computer shops in lower Manhattan, will be having a busy day of events for Record Store Day, including musical performances and signings, giveaways, and more. See their Web site for a list of J&R's Record Store Day events.

Another NYC shop participating in Record Store Day is midtown's Rock & Soul, which sells recorded music but whose main business is DJ and recording equipment. They say they'll be releasing hundreds of rare and discontinued records, and have DJs playing on Saturday.

Happy Record Store Day! Go out and show your local shop some love... and business.

New York Concerts on Sale: Sting at the Met, Public Image Ltd. (2nd Show), Modest Mouse, John Mayer, More

Above: John Lydon (Johnny Rotten) and Public Image Ltd. play a second show at Terminal 5 on May 19th. Photo: Flickr user Ed Vill.

More summer concerts are going on sale, and more summer festivals are showing up on the schedules. Here's a look at some of the in-demand events and other shows of interest going on sale this weekend, along with a few that went on sale today or recently.

Now on sale: 
* Diane Birch - Highland Ballroom - Tues., June 1 (went on sale April 16)
* David Johansen - Highland Ballroom - Sun., June 27, (on sale now)
(Performing the songs of the New York Dolls, David Johansen, Buster Poindexter, and more)
* B-52s - Highland Ballroom - Tues., July 6 (on sale now)

On sale Friday, April 16: (times in parentheses, if known)
* Public Image Limited (PiL), 2nd show added - Terminal 5 - Wed., May 19 (on sale 12 p.m.)
* Toby Keith's American Ride Tour - PNC Bank Arts Center - Sat., June 19 (on sale 10 a.m.)
(with Trace Adkins and James Otto)
* Sting with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra - The Metropolitan Opera - Tues., July 13 and Wed., July 14th (on sale 10 a.m.)
("Performing his most celebrated songs," the site says)
* Modest Mouse - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - Thurs., July 22 (on sale 12 p.m.)
* Modest Mouse - Williamsburg Waterfront - Fri., July 23 (on sale 12 p.m.)
* Rockstar Energy Drink Festival - PNC Bank Arts Center - Wed., July 28 (starts 2:15 p.m.) (on sale 10 a.m.)
(featuring KORN, Rob Zombie, Lamb of God, Five Finger Death Punch)
* Lyle Lovett - Wellmont Theatre, Montclair, NJ - Sun., Aug. 15 (on sale 12 p.m.)
* Heart - Hammerstein Ballroom - Tues., Aug. 3 (on sale 10 a.m.)
* Dirty Projectors - Terminal 5 - Sat., Sept. 11 (on sale 12 p.m.)

On sale Saturday, April 17:
* John Mayer - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Wed., July 21 (on sale 11 a.m.)
* John Mayer - PNC Bank Arts Center - Tues., Aug. 3 (on sale 11 a.m.)

Free Streaming of New Albums: LCD Soundsystem, Broken Social Scene, Hold Steady, Merle Haggard, The Fall

Above: Broken Social Scene is one of the groups with a new album available for free streaming ahead of its release. Photo: Flickr user sfllaw.

Some tasty new albums are being streamed for free online in their entirety. LCD Soundsystem is streaming their new release "This Is Happening" from their Web site; the other free album streams are from NPR Music (and one from KCRW) and include Broken Social Scene (one of my favorite bands), The Fall (didn't realize they were still together), and Merle Haggard, as well as The Hold Steady.

For the NPR Music streams, the dates they're available are listed (with the last day of streaming being the album's release date). LCD Soundsystem doesn't say how long their album will be streaming.

* LCD Soundsystem, "This Is Happening" (release date: May 18 in U.S.)
* Merle Haggard, "I Am What I Am," April 13-20 (release: April 20)
* The Fall, "Future Our Clutter," April 19-May 4 (release: May 4)
* The Hold Steady, "Heaven Is Whenever," April 19-May 4 (release: May 4)
* Broken Social Scene,"Forgiveness Rock Record," April 19-May 4 (release: May 4)
* Minus the Bear, "Omni," April 19-May 18 (release: May 4)

More NPR Music streams will be available the following Monday, April 26.

Music News: Roger Waters 2010 Tour, Supergrass Breaks Up, Lilith Fair Sched Complete, CD Baby & MySpace Connect, No Cream Reunion, More

* Former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters will tour in 2010 to perform the band's album "The Wall" live in its entirety. You'll find Roger Waters tour dates here.

* U.K. pop group Supergrass is breaking up after almost two decades together. They produced six studio albums, according to the linked article, including the anthemic "Alright."

* Online music retailer CD Baby is partnering with MySpace Music to sell tunes from CD Baby artists on the widely used social-networking site. Though MySpace has lost momentum to Facebook and Twitter as a go-to social-networking destination, it's still a potent force for musicians and fans to reach each other.

* Lilith Fair has announced its complete list of 2010 tour dates. The all-women touring festival, begun by Sarah McLachlan a decade ago, returns this summer. McLachlan is once again headlining every event on the tour, which otherwise has a different line-up of 11 performers at each date.

* Jack Bruce, best known as the bassist for 1960s supergroup Cream (with Eric Clapton and Ginger Baker) and West, Bruce, & Laing, has confirmed that Cream will never reunite again. Which makes me very glad that I saw them in 2005 at Madison Square Garden. Even though that ticket was the most money I've ever spend for a concert ticket, it was well worth it.

* And finally, the highly influential Malcolm McLaren died last week, and KCRW music librarian Eric J. Lawrence offers a brief remembrance here. McLaren is best know for managing the Sex Pistols, but he also recorded his own albums and had a hand in fashion and cinema. 

BREAKING: Conan O'Brien Returning to Late Night at TBS

Conan O'Brien will be returning to late night TV in November, according to news reports and the comedian himself. But Conan's return won't be at Fox, as many people guessed, but at at TBS. That network currently has George Lopez's talk show at 11 pm; when Conan O'Brien arrives, he will take over that time slot and Lopez will move to midnight.

In a statement O'Brien said, "In three months, I've gone from network television to Twitter to performing live in theaters, and now I'm headed to basic cable. My plan is working perfectly."

Apparently Fox thought it might have trouble convincing its affiliates to go along with Conan O'Brien at 11 pm, because the stations make good money from the reruns they air at that hour. TBS had initially been cool to the idea of going after O'Brien, but talks heated up in the last few weeks.

Godspeed You! Black Emperor to Reunite for Shows, ATP Festival

The progressive/experimental/"post-rock" collective Godspeed You! Black Emperor will reunite later this year to curate the All Tomorrow's Parties Festival (ATP) in England, and to perform some shows as a band. 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor has been on hiatus since 2003, NME.com says, and it's believed they haven't performed live for about a decade. 

In a somewhat cryptic message posted online, the Montreal collective announced that "after a decade's retreat, god's pee has decided to roll again. We are, as always, stoked, stubborn and petrified." The event that Godspeed You! Black Emperor will curate is called "Nightmare Before Christmas" and will take place from December 3rd to 5th at Butlin's Holiday Centre in Minehead, U.K. 

Godspeed You! Black Emperor will perform all three days, in addition to choosing about 40 acts that will also be on the bill. The lineup as of now includes: 

Bardo Pond

The Ex

Deerhoof

Tim Hecker

Mike Watt (of the Minutemen, fIREHOSE, and the Stooges)

Scout Niblett

Tickets for the Godspeed You! Black Emperor-curated "Nightmare Before Christmas" are on sale now.

As for the band's other plans, the online statement says, "current plans = a.t.p.u.k., a handful of british and european shows, and then 9 american towns."

music, canadian music, godspeed you black emperor, all tomorrow's parties

New York Concerts on Sale: Rihanna & Ke$ha, Jack Johnson, Maxwell, Crowded House, The Hold Steady, Wolf Parade, More

The spring and summer concert season continues to heat up, with concert tickets for more outdoors venues, like PNC Arts Center and the Nikon Jones Beach Theatre, going on sale. Here are some choice events, listed by on-sale date:

On sale Friday, April 9th:
* Patty Griffin with Buddy Miller - Town Hall - Tues. & Wed., June 8 & 9
* Rihanna with Ke$ha - Madison Square Garden - Thurs., Aug. 12
* Goldfrapp - Hammerstein Ballroom - Wed., June 23
* Maxwell - Madison Square Garden - Sat., June 26
* Willie Nelson - Grand Ballroom at Manhattan Center - Fri,. May 6
* Crowded House - Bowery Ballroom, Mon, Tues., & Wed., July 19, 20, and 21, and Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ), Fri., July 23

On sale Saturday, April 10th:

* Jack Johnson - PNC Arts Center (Holmdel, NJ) -  Tues., July 13 and Madison Square Garden - Wed., July 14

* Yes and Peter Frampton - PNC Arts Center, Fri., June 25, and Jones Beach Theater, Sat., June 26
* Get Your Sting and Blackout World Tour 2010 with Scorpions and Cinderella - PNC Arts Center, Fri., June 18, and Jones Beach Theater, Tues., June 22

* The Hold Steady - Beacon Theatre - Thurs., Oct. 7

* Wolf Parade - Terminal 5 - Tues., July 13

Lollapalooza 2010 Lineup is Out: Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, Phoenix, May More

The Lollapalooza 2010 lineup has been announced here. On the bill: Soundgarden, Green Day, Lady Gaga, Arcade Fire, The Strokes, Phoenix, Jimmy Cliff, and many more.

Others in the Lollapalooza 2010 lineup:
Social Distortion, MGMT, Hot Chip, the Black Keys, The National, Spoon, Devo, Cypress Hill, Cut Copy, the New Pornographers, Erykah Badu, Slightly Stoopid, Grizzly Bear, Gogol Bordell, Chromeo, Wolfmother, Yeasayer, X Japan, MUTEMATH, Metric, Dirty Projectors, AFI, Mavis Staples, Matt & Kim, the xx, Drive-By Truckers, Blues Traveler, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, and a few dozen more.

Billboard.com talks about some of the Lollapalooza 2010 acts and what music they'll be performing.

Note on Lollapalooza 2010 tickets: the $190 advance three-day pass is sold out; the regular three-day pass is still available ($215), as well as VIP passes and travel packages.

Music News: Dylan Cancels Asian Tour; Albums from Elliott Smith, Peter Wolf, & Sharon Jones; Rihanna & Neil Young Tour Dates

Left: Kill Rock Stars is releasing two albums by the late Elliott Smith this week.

There's lots of music news this week, from tour dates to new albums; from hot new artists to veteran performers:

* Bob Dylan has canceled his tour of Southeast Asia after Chinese officials declined to let him perform in Shanghai and Beijing. Dylan, who has never performed in China, is thought to have been kept out of those cities for fear the sometimes-rebellious performer might make some controversial comments, a la Bjork's shoutout to Tibet at her concert in Shanghai a couple of years ago.

* Northwest indie label Kill Rock Stars will re-release Elliott Smith's first and final full-length albums, "Roman Candle" (1994) and "From a Basement on the Hill," according to the Wall Street Journal's Speakeasy blog. The first had never been mastered; the latter is a release Smith was working on at the time of his suicide in 2003. Both are out tomorrow, April 6th.

* I hadn't thought about Peter Wolf, longtime singer for the J. Geils Band, for years, but he's coming out with a new album. Both the Wall Street Journal and NPR talked to the blues-rock group's frontman about his latest effort, "Midnight Souvenirs."

* The Journal also has a nice article on the new album by Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, the soul group that uses tape machines and analog equipment in a Brooklyn studio to give its albums a retro-soul sound. "I Learned the Hard Way" drops on April 6th.

(Update: Amazon.com is offering a free MP3 download of the title song from "I Learned the Hard Way." Site doesn't say how long it'll be available.)

* Rihanna is spending her summer on tour, and taking along Ke$ha with her. On-sale dates for the Rihanna/Ke$ha tickets are posted; New York shows are August 12th at Madison Square Garden and August 15th at Jones Beach.

* Neil Young has announced some new May tour dates, with concerts slated for Buffalo, Connecticut, Kentucky, Atlanta, South Carolina, and Nashville.

Apple iPad Reviews - Views from the Tech Press

Above: Using the on-screen keyboard of the Apple iPad. Photo: Flickr user matt buchanan


There's been lots of talk and hype about the Apple iPad, but now the tech reviewers have actually gotten their hands on the device and had a chance to put it through its paces. So what are the iPad reviews so far? 


* Walt Mossberg, the influential personal technology columnist for the Wall Street Journal, is quite impressed. He says the iPad is "a 'game changer' that makes browsing and video a pleasure."
* PC World offers a handy iPad FAQ that answers a lot of the questions about the iPad that have caused much confusion among potential buyers, such as the differences between the 3G and Wi-Fi models, how easy the on-screen keyboard is to use, whether you can use an external monitor, etc.
* If you just want articles that give brief reviews from a number of tech folks (including Mossberg), another PC World column supplies a round-up of iPad reviews that offer the good and bad of the device, along with opinions on battery life and a one-sentence summary. (There are links to the full original reviews, of course.)
* Wired.com offers a similar summary of iPad reviews but with one- to three-sentence excerpts from the original columns (with links to them).


All in all, the reviewers seem impressed with the new Apple iPad. If consumer response is just as positive, Apple will be able to laugh off all those "iTampon" jokes people were making when the product was announced.

New York Concerts on Sale: Black Keys, Broken Bells, Buzzcocks, Phish, Metric, and More

Above: Metric (featuring Emily Haines, pictured) plays at Terminal 5 on May 16th. Photo: Magnus Manske

The summer concert schedule is heating up and tickets are going on sale now. Lots of concert tickets are going on sale tomorrow (and a few on Saturday); here's a list of some of the shows that will be in big demand:

On sale Fri., April 2nd:
* Phish - Nikon at Jones Beach Theater - Tues., August 17th & Wed., 18th
* The Black Keys - Central Park Summerstage - Wed., July 28th
* Metric - Terminal 5 - Sun., May 16th
* Josh Ritter & The Royal City Band - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Sat., May 22nd
* Camera Obscura - Manhattan Center Grand Ballroom - Mon., June 7th
* Jay Farrar - Bowery Ballroom - Sat., June 5th
* Delta Spirit - Bowery Ballroom - Wed., June 30th
* Delta Spirit - Music Hall of Williamsburg - Thurs., July 1st
* Tears For Fears - Wellmont Theatre (Montclair, NJ) - Sat., Aug., 21st

On sale Sat., April 3rd:
* Broken Bells - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza - Sat., June 5th
* The Buzzcocks - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza - Thurs., May 13th