Time Out's Greatest New York Musicians (Of All Time)

When a print publication/blog/online magazine dares to feature a best-of list, they always run the risk of the glaring omission and/or the constant criticism from readers that follows immediately after the publishing date.

That said, we're no exception to that rule; we received a slew of nasty messages for neglecting to include TV On The Radio on ANY of our top 10 lists last year. And now's your chance to shove it to TONY!

Here's #1-10:
1. The Velet Undeground
2. Duke Ellington
3. Chic
4. Miles Davis
5. Public Enemy
6. Billie Holiday
7. Tito Puente
8. Run-DMC
9. Al Jolson
10. Ella Fitzgerald

Now, that list surely has plenty of legendary artists, but am I the only person who regularly associates NY music with Beastie Boys, Blondie, The Ramones, Notorious B.I.G., Television & The Strokes? The Strokes didn't even make the top 50! Totally ludicrous!

To check out the rest of the top 50, check out TONY's feature on their site. Which exclusion are you most bitter about?

MP3: Beastie Boys - Brass Monkey (via Daun's Dolls)

What Happens When Beirut Meets Final Fantasy?

No, unfortunately, it's not MUD WRESTLING OF THE STRAPPING STRING INSTRUMENTALISTS!

Well, maybe it will be but we'll never know as Zach from Beirut and Mr. Final Fantasy himself, Owen Pallett, will be locked up inside the studio working on Final Fantasy's new LP, this May (via Bitchfork) in Canada.

I'm intrigued! I would have never paired these two together in my head natually, but the collaboration truly sounds astonishing!

My review of Final Fantasy's show last summer at Mercury Lounge can be found here, while Jen's recap of Beirut's Pool Party gig at McCarren be read by following this link!

(photo via Mariel Kelly)

MP3: Final Fantasy - Took You Two Years To Win My Heart

Wanna Live With A Grizzly Bear?

No, not Ron Jeremy, fools! I'm talking about Dan from Brooklyn's Grizzly Bear! The band just put up the cutest little MySpace plea to get Dan some housing.

Can you help out?

Here's the gist of what he's looking for, as extrapolated from the bulletin:

Please message him on Myspace if you know of a cheap apartment below 700 a month he could rent a room in in NYC or Brooklyn...Help this guy find a home. He's been couch surfing for OVER a year now, it's time he find a place to rest his weary head

If you can help out, then please pop over to the band's MySpace page and shoot an e-mai/message their way!

Grizzly Bear has 2 sold out shows at Bowery next week, 3/6 and 3/7 with Papercuts.

MP3: Grizzly Bear - Lullabye

Arcade Fire: Uhhhhhh

Isabel from Neat and Polite sent over the rips of Arcade Fire's performance on SNL last week to us.

Now if only someone had the vid of the after show the audience was treated to...

Thanks Isabel!

Download: 'Intervention' and 'Keep the car running'

And that's about all the Arcade Fire information I have for you today, other than I stopped reading reviews of the NYC shows because I just couldn't take it anymore. I was losing my will to live.

Razorlight & Mohair @ Bowery 2/27: Majorly Distracting

An invitation to see the sold out Razorlight show at Bowery? Um, yes please. Since falling for the song ‘Golden Touch’ in 2005, I’ve been dying to see the group live.



Thoughts on a night at The Bowery Ballroom with Razorlight and 600 British fans:

SCORE! Just got the coveted front parking spot right in front of the venue. I want to climb on stage and lead everyone outside to look at my primo space. This means I can leave my coat in the car and run inside.

Got here just in time to see the openers, Mohair. The lead singer looks as if he belongs in the film Withnail and I (“We want the finest wines available to humanity. And we want them here, and we want them now!”), has a v. Roger Daltry look to him.



With The Darkness caput, they seem to be taking over for them a bit, though their music floats somewhere in-between Razorlight and The Darkness, definitely not a glam rock revival band. They are very charismatic, very charming, very young and very very good. The entire crowd seems to be all on board.

As per usual when a British band plays New York, every Brit in the city has come out to see the show. Mohair’s Withnail tells us they are from Watford and is greeted with a surprising round of applause. The Englishman behind me says to his girl, “Watford is a shit town.”




Huge applause when Razorlight comes out. They open with ‘In the morning’ and by the third song have already played, basically, the reason I have come, ‘Golden touch.’ ‘Golden touch’ is a great, poppy, very quintessential British radio BBC 1 song, which doesn’t make it any less brilliant than it is. There is a massive sing-a-long at the final chorus and Johnny stops singing to hold the mic out over the audience.

The next eruption from the full house is when ‘Fall to Pieces’ starts up 5 songs after ‘Golden touch’ and soon the band is back on track, blazing through ‘Somewhere else,’ ‘America,’ and ‘Kirby’s house.’ Before that, the crowd’s attention had begun to wane and the security guard standing next to me even whispered into his walkie talkie, “The crowd’s not feeling it.” He’s right, I wasn’t. Though Johnny Borrell is a great, very spot on, live singer, he is not the most charismatic, or even likable, on stage. Razorlight’s songs are good, but not great enough to warrant a close mouthed singer (a la Julian Casablancas). That being said, the two incredibly irritating English girls next to me who would not stop shouting “Johnny, it’s my birthday! SAY HAPPY BIRTHDAY!” seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely. All I kept thinking was, “maybe if I punch them in the head, they’ll shut up.” They were very distracting and rude, ruining the experience for a fair amount of people. This is not cool, please consult your concert going handbook next time ladies.



Label mates, The Noisettes, were in the balcony looking utterly fabulous, stylish and oh so cool.



The NME were in the crowd and chatted to Johnny afterward about the supposed quarrel he had with his bandmates on stage in Lyon earlier this month, starting rumours that the band are only really together for financial gain. The story is not all that interesting in a shrug of the shoulders type of way.



Go here to see a jpg of the setlist (via a MusicSnobbery commentator).

Overall, it was a good show. Razorlight are popular because they consistently put out singles people can't seem to get out of their head. They aren't turning the musical world upside down with their innovation, they are simply making music you can sing along to in your car.



MP3: 'Golden touch'

Ryan Adams' Favorite Topping Is Pepperoni

It's been a little while since Ryan Adams has gone and done something totally ridiculous and absurd, hasn't it? In fact, he's kept pretty low on the crazy since posting those dozen albums of varying genres, under a multitude of monikers late last year.

Well, he's struck again. For absolutely no reason whatsoever, Ryan has decided to include a floating pizza on his web site today. How long it will be up for is anybody's guess.

Will it land on the moon, lose its slices as the week progresses, swallow the web site? We haven't the slightest clue.

Thanks to Quarter Life Party for pointing out the new addition to Ry's site. God bless Ryan Adams.

MP3: Ryan Adams - The Rescue Blues (live)

UPDATE: Is this some sort of weird marketing strategy to help promote his new LP, out this June?

Explosions Sit Down For Q & A With MTV

MTV's The Urge recently sat down with one of my favorite acts, Explosions In The Sky, for an in-depth interview focusing on the formation and recording process of their epic tunes, Friday Night Lights, and their curious love of hip-hop. Here's some snippets from the full transcript:

URGE: In terms of the writing and recording process, how do these songs come together? On one hand, they're incredibly precise, but there's also a very organic, loose feel.

Chris Hrasky: We don't have a very good process of "Here's how we do it." It's a lot of trial and error. This album took quite a while to do. We spent six months working on it and wound up throwing it all away. It can be fairly arduous. There are certain patterns where we do one thing that leads to another, but typically, it's fly by the seat of our pants.

URGE: So then, if writing can be squeezing blood from a stone, what's the recording process like?

Hrasky: We mostly record live, and that has its own set of problems. You'll be playing an 11-minute song and you get to the eighth minute, and you start thinking, "F**k, don't mess this up." And we screw up a lot. I mean, some of these songs are hard to play! There are flubs everywhere on albums. We just try and use the more charming mistakes, but we're dedicated to recording live. We might overdub tambourines or something, but we really try to keep it as us in the room, and that can be kind of scary.

URGE: Is there any kind of razzing that goes on if the same guy keeps screwing up a take?

Hrasky: Hah -- not really. We're getting better at it. You get in a sour mood after the sixth take. Then you gotta get a pizza or something. You can't get mad. We all screw up. There were points on this album where I simply could not play the drum parts. You get to a point where you're on whatever take and you just know you're gonna screw it up.

URGE: You've talked about how the expectations are tangible now. Ever since Friday Night Lights, people probably associate certain songs with a paraplegic football player. Have you had to let go of some of your personal relationships with these songs? In a larger sense, do these songs have meaning to you guys? Are they about something?

Smith: In terms of people equating things to Friday Night Lights... that's always been a tough decision for us. We don't want, in five years, for people to say, "Oh, that's the Friday Night Lightsband." That's not why we wrote those songs.

Hrasky: We have a song in a car commercial. I'm completely embarrassed by it. The only reason we did it was financial security. It was a time when it was kind of necessary to get some help, but that was really hard. My parents will call and say, "We saw the commercial again!" They're parents, they get excited, but I don't even want to see the thing. We just sold it. There's nothing beyond that. We did it for money and it sucks. At the same time this is our job now. You do start thinking about if you get married or have kids, then the band has to support that. So, we're only just coming to terms with the idea that this is what we do.

URGE: But with the TV show, there definitely seems to be a pretty complimentary relationship between the music and the narrative it's scoring.

Hrasky: I make a huge distinction between the commercial and the show. I haven't actually seen all the episodes of the show, but it's been pretty acclaimed critically. I don't have the same guilt with the show; I just don't want to always be associated with it. And up until now, that hasn't happened. We haven't had that at all, and it has introduced our stuff to tons of people who wouldn't have [previously] listened.

URGE: You're heading out on tour, and I noticed there are few alternative venues, not just rock clubs, listed as destinations. You guys certainly don't seem to do the Sigur Ros thing where you only play, like, cathedrals filled with ice sculptures.

Hrasky: [laughs] Right. We're not playing the New York Public Library. We're a band. We totally love playing different places, but for the most part, we play wherever people want us. We'd like to play more offbeat places. I heard Arcade Fire is playing five nights in a church in New York ... we don't have that kind of clout yet! But I like it when bands do that kind of stuff. I saw Low once play at the Johns Hopkins Library in Baltimore, and that was incredible.

URGE: The band has a really cohesive, singular sound, but what are your individual tastes as listeners like?

Hrasky: Well, the record we all love is Sunset Rubdown. It's the solo record from the guy from Wolf Parade. That was my favorite album from [2006].

URGE: Do you listen to much music that sounds like Explosions in the Sky?

Hrasky: I like Mogwai. I don't listen to them that much anymore, but they're a huge reason why we exist. It's funny though, none of us are really that into Mogwai or Godspeed You Black Emperor. None of us listen to that much instrumental stuff -- weird composers here and there, but not a lot of stuff that you'd think as influences and our sound.

Smith: I've been listening to a lot of Clipse recently. That's the best record I've heard in a long time. I listen to a lot of hip-hop, but that's really a cut above.

*See the entire interview here!

Jamiroquai: Virtual History

It's a sad sad say for oversized hats everywhere.

Pop legend Jay Kay has admitted he is giving up music after getting bored of touring with JAMIROQUAI. The SPACE COWBOY singer has claimed he is sick of the industry, despite recently breaking the world record for the highest gig after performing in a Boeing 757, 35,000ft in the air.

And JAY KAY, who has sold over 27 million records worldwide, says that he is now interested in meeting a "good woman" and having kids. Speaking to the Mirror at the mile-high gig, JAY KAY admitted he hasn't been happy for a while. He said: "I've had some ups and downs but in the end the downs were just too many. When we talked about me leaving, I jumped at the chance."

The singer, famed for his love of fast cars, funky tunes and big hats, added: "I'm bored. I don't want to go back on the road. We all need a rest to be honest. I don't need the money or a deal." And the 37-year-old is also getting broody, after seeing his guitarist recently have a baby, but is still looking for his COSMIC GIRL. Nevertheless, JAY KAY hasn't completely closed the door on his career, adding: "I might be back if I get my inspiration again, but who knows." (via ContactMusic)

To this day, I still love the videos for 'Virtual Insanity' and 'Canned Heat'. Sue me!

MP3: Jamiroquai - Canned Heat

On Sale Today At Noon, 2/28

Bowery Ballroom:
April 18 - Ghostland Observatory - $13
**April 25 - Kristin Hersh - $15
May 14- Mando Diao - $15
June 23 - Panda Bear - $15

And not a single show at Mercury or Webster, this week.

Bizarre, indeed.

*Read Skye's review of Kristin's latest album, here!

MP3: Mando Diao - Sheepdog (via The Crutch)

Postal Service Halfway Done With Next LP

Winter release? I surely hope so! That's the band's plan, as well, although Sub Pop isn't holding them to anything and the guys are surely taking their precious time...

Punk News has the dirt on Jimmy and Ben's next album. Jimmy (aka Dntel) tells the site: If we don't make the deadline we set for ourselves, we can extend it. Sub Pop has never given us a deadline, and we're trying our best to make it in the same environment we made the first one: We have to keep reminding ourselves that we're doing it for fun and trying to keep things casual," he said. "And that's pretty difficult to do, to be honest. I have to keep reminding myself that it doesn't have to sound like a giant mainstream pop record just because the last one got to so many people. I have to remember how the last one sounded — lo-fi and in my comfort level of production — and I want to stay that way.

Just over the weekend, we shared with you Ben Gibbard's solo tour dates. Definitely a show not to miss this spring!

MP3: The Postal Service - Nothing Better

CSS In NYC!

Yay!

Best news I've heard all day.

Following their European tour and a slot at Coachella, CSS will make a proper visit to 5 select cities in the States and Canada. And here they are:

06-01 New York, NY - Irving Plaza
06-02 Cambridge, MA - Middle East
06-04 Toronto, Ontario - Horseshoe Tavern
06-08 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
06-09 San Francisco, CA - Mezzanine

See you at Irving!

MP3: CSS - Let's Make Love & Listen To Death From Above (DFA Spank Rock mix)

Anti-War Song By Unsigned Band To Reach Top 10!

This is why I heart the UK.

Via NME: An anti-war song by an unknown band looks set to crash into the UK singles chart this weekend. A cover of Edwin Starr's 'War (What Is It Good For?)' has been recorded by a band named after Tony Blair's student group Ugly Rumours.

Organisers of a recent London peace march urged supporters to order the song via their mobile phone. Ben Grey, who produced the track, told BBC News: "We wanted to try and reach the people who might be more into watching 'X Factor' than listening to politics. Marches and rallies can be dismissed and ignored but a hit record will mean everyone is talking about this issue."

The song now looks set to enter the Top Ten following chart rule changes at the start of the year which allow digital sales to count towards a chart position.

Brits, take this to #1! Lord knows in the US, this would (sadly) barely crack the Top 100, much less the Top 10.

*More on Ugly Rumours over at thier Wiki page.

Or, watch the video below.

Review: Tracey Thorn - Out Of The Woods

Last month I gave you, our dear readers, the heads up on Tracey Thorn (frontwoman for Everything But The Girl)'s new solo project. Last week, I received the promo CD in my mailbox and could not be more excited to give it a spin! I'm thrilled to report that the high hopes I had for this release, were not only met, but surpassed.

In similar fashion to Portishead, it's been ages since I've heard anything from Everything But The Girl. Another semi-permanent-but-unofficial extended hiatus, I gather. Tracey Thorn's last solo venture came out in '82. I guess that would make this album 25 years in the making, right? Well, if that's so, it's been well worth the wait.

Out Of The Woods is the type of album you throw on at 2am on a rainy Saturday evening, as it battles for your attention over loud nearby thunderstorms. It's gentle, beat-driven and stunning. Tracey's voice is as soothing as ever on each of the album's eleven tracks. While some selections go the mellow route, and work just beautifully, the album truly shines when Tracey's voice is intertwined with the pounding basslines, such as the album's first single 'It's All True'.

Other album highlights include the centrepiece, 'Easy' and the gorgeous closer, 'Raise The Roof'. Out Of The Woods will be out - via Astralwerks, next week internationally.

MP3: Tracey Thorn - It's All True

Is The US Finally Embracing Festivals?

With the recent annoucement that Coachella has sold out (2 months in advance!), a highly impressive line-up at this year's Sasquatch! Festival, and now some news that Bonnaroo has very very limited tickets available (that will probably be all gone by the beginning of March), it seems as if Americans have finally started to welcome 'musical jamborees'.

Of course, one reason for the increased ticket sales could be the amazing line-ups this year (The Police, Arcade Fire, Bjork, reunions of Jesus & The Mary Chain, Rage Against The Machine, etc), but another could be the whole 'bang for your buck' adage. While Police tickets are running $50-$200+ each on their respective tour spots, Bonnaroo (which will feature Sting, Stewart and Andy) ticket prices range from $150-$215 depending on time of purchase and include a bevy of other bands in addition to the 'Roxanne' hitmakers.

Americans, will you be headed west/south this spring for any of the aforementioned mass gatherings?

Europeans, how are we doing? Would you still rather be at T In The Park?

MP3: The Jesus & Mary Chain - Snakedriver

Daft Punk: Kleptomaniacs?

Prefix has directed The Music Slut to a new YouTube feature highlighting the sample techniques of Daft Punk, French electro-pop extraoridnaires. It appears as if most of the band's biggest hits have been direct samples, or, er, replicas of disco hits from the '70s/early '80s. Hmm. While this doesn't make Daft Punk any less amazing (find me one person who can honestly say they don't bust a move to Homework or Discovery's singles), it perhaps puts their credibility/orginality in question.



Your thoughts?

MP3: Daft Punk - Digital Love

Review: Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat

Falkirk's favourite miserabilist Malcolm Middleton hasn't let much time go by since Arab Strap disappeared into oblivion and he split from longtime bandmate Aiden Moffatt; A Brighter Beat made it into stores as the successor to 2005's spectacular Into the Woods.

As with the earlier solo record, Middleton's work is a bit more upbeat than much of the Strap's output, although it shares the same earthy tone. In some ways, the new record is much softer (especially on tracks such as Stay Close Sit Tight, and Four Cigarettes; there's even a quasi Teenage Fanclub melody underpinning the excellent Up Late at Night Again); the second half has a gentler balladic quality that kicks off with the observational Fuck it, I love you and manages to remain more optimistic despite the slower arrangements.

The first half, on the other hand, has a more upbeat sound, but this is combines with gloomier subject matter ("today's as black as a white Scottish sky"), as on the oddly upbeat We're all going to Die. Hitting disco-stomp and reflective folk stylings on the way to the epic Superhero Songwriters ("I've even been banned from the smile party"), A Brighter Beat manages to encompass the melancholy and the joyful - and, of course, five pints of heavy...

mp3: We're all going to die
mp3: Superhero Songwriters

Amazon: Malcolm Middleton - A Brighter Beat

The Pipettes Get Some Major US Attention

Quite literally, I should add.

Long-loved UK 'modern girl group' the Pipettes will finally sign a US deal this week, with none other than Interscope. Can a mash-up album with AFI or 50 Cent be far behind? Well, actually, yes, let's hope so!

Billboard reports that Cherrytree, which is also home to Feist, a subdivision of Interscope, will release We Are The Pipettes this summer. The girls have 2 sold out shows at Brooklyn's Luna Lounge and a joint sold out show at Bowery Ballroom with Amy Winhouse, both next month. That's not including a string of highly anticipated dates throughout SXSW!

You go, girls!

MP3: The Pipettes - Magician Man

The National Become Boxers In May!

After months of anticipation and speculation, The National have finally announced the tracklisting and release date for their next LP. Boxer will be out on May 22nd and a short stint of dates will follow (expect a full tour over the summer). I cannot wait; been really itching for this one for quite some time now. Check out the song titles and tour dates below. FOUR nights at Bowery, y'all!

Fake Empire/Mistaken for Strangers/Brainy/Squalor Victoria/Green Gloves/Slow Show/Apartment Story/Start a War/Guest Room/Racing Like a Pro/Ada/Gospel

Tour Dates:
May 22nd London - Astoria
May 23rd Paris - La Maroquinerie
May 25th Berlin - Magnet
May 28th New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
May 29th New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
May 30th New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom
May 31st New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom

MP3: The National - All The Wine

Portishead LP3: 10 Years And Counting...

My own personal 'Chinese Democracy' would have to be the third studio release from Portishead. The wait is simply draining.

Portishead aficionados know very well that the band's last album (not counting the live from Roseland LP from '98) came out all the way back in 1997. Yes, people, Portishead is experiencing the longest pregnant pause in the history of modern quality music (sorry Axl).

Sure, Beth Gibbons released a sort-of solo album a few years back but Portishead brilliance, it did not possess. Bitchfork is reporting that Beth and the boys played an impromptu mini-set last night in Bristol, after DJing over the course of the evening and even performed a new track, if you can believe it. The band has been teasing us for quite some time now yet insist that they have their hearts set on releasing the third album (Dummy was the debut, while the self-titled release was the second) by the end of the year. Don't hold your breath, folks!

Keep up with the band's progress on their MySpace page!

MP3: Portishead - Only You

James Blunt RUNS OVER Overzealous Fan!

Yikes!

James Blunt is apparently, a force to be reckoned with! Or, probably just a shitty driver.

WENN reports: British singer/songwriter James Blunt was caught up in a car accident after attending a pre-Oscars party early yesterday morning. The 'You’re Beautiful' singer and his model girlfriend Petra Nemkova were leaving the party at Hollywood agent Bryan Lourd's home when the accident happened, leaving an unidentified man injured.

Blunt was not hurt and it's still unclear what role he played in the accident. As WENN went to press, Los Angeles police could only confirm that Blunt was involved in an accident "in which a man's foot was run over".

MP3: UNKLE feat. Thom Yorke - Rabbit In Your Headlights

The Stills Heart Cartwheels

One of my favorite Canadian exports, The Stills, are back with another great video from their sophomore release, last year's Without Feathers. This time the guys get all grayscale, as they cause some major havoc in the mini-mall/office complex! Intrigued? MySpace is hosting the video for 'Helicopters' below.



Add to My Profile | More Videos

*Check out our review from their last NYC visit to Bowery Ballroom, here!

MP3: The Stills - Helicopters

Sigur Ros Split Miami In Two

A few months back, I warned you that Sigur Ros was headed to Miami. Why, you ask? Well, to re-celebrate and re-create Merce Cunningham's 'Split Sides' (experimental dance) project, of course! Featuring unrehearsed original music from Radiohead and, obviously, Sigur Ros!

Unlike the first performance of the show, at BAM, Radiohead didn't make an appearance this time (in the UK recording LP7), but Sigur Ros did and we hear it was amazing. For those curious, Radiohead's 20-minute track was played via a CD recording of the Brooklyn show, 3 years back.

The accompanying shot and review from a poster at the Sigur Ros boards:

the show was great. music for both sigur ros + radiohead was fantastic. the dancing was pretty cool too. my favorite part came during 'Di Do' because throughout the entire performance, there were dancers coming in + out from backstage, but during 'Di Do', they all came out + just started going crazy. they were all doing the same moves, but this was different. it was like each + every one of them were in a trance + some sort of magic had them moving the same way. in other words, they were out of tune, but all in sync + it was amazing. i'm happy for all of you who were able to make it. by the way, the opera house is phenominal!

Iceland's finest will be at Carnegie Hall tonight to perform one song for the Tibet House benefit show. If you're going, please let us know how it is, and which song the guys choose to play! (I just couldn't justify spending $75 for this show, even if it is for charity and Sigur Ros will be there, as I was highly disappointed the last time around).

MP3: Sigur Ros - Milano (via The Sproge)

The Silent Years Make it to Round Four...

of the Spin Artist of the Year Contest. Why this contest is still going on when we are already nearly 3 months into 2007, I have no clue but the news that one of our favourite groups are in the final four is pretty exciting. The Silent Years are up against Boys Like Girls while The Rewinds vs. Sam Roberts Band. You can go vote now.

Spin is giving a lot of love to the bands in our Spring Fling showcase actually. Locksley have an adorable full page photoshoot and article in this month's issue.

Speaking of Spin, they named O'death their artist of the day on the 20th. O'death, the little band that could. They have just been signed to Gigantic Records and all those heading to SXSW can catch them in the label's showcase there. Did I ever tell you that I used to be Greg O'death's managing editor on our high school literary magazine? Um not to brag or nothing, but we won the top prize for best HS literary magazine in the country that year...I'm just saying.

Travis Touring Forests

To support the new album we mentioned a few days ago, The Boy With No Name, Travis are embarking on a British tour come this May. They are kicking it off in Grimsby (where?) and then heading to Dundee (big up Dundee!). Tickets go onsale TOMORROW at 9am GMT and I believe you can purchase them on NME.com but according to the Travis message boards, people are already purchasing tickets on SeeTickets. The endearing Scots will be ending their tour by playing four forests- for this, I have no reason. Perhaps to raise awareness about the ever dwindling forest areas in Britain? Perhaps because it is just too darn adorable? Perhaps it is just the cool thing to do and I had no earthly clue? Who knows, but if I were to pick a show to hit, it would definitely be Sherwood Forest. Let's hope the boys follow through on their G8 pledges and don't make a mess of things there.

Grimsby Auditorium (May 15)
Dundee Caird Hall (16)
Glasgow Barrowlands (17)
Newcastle Academy (21)
Manchester Apollo (22) Bournemouth International Centre (23)
Birmingham Academy (25)
Plymouth Pavilions (26)
Reading Hexagon (27)
London Hammersmith Apollo (29)
Thetford Forest (June 8)
Bedgebury Pinetum (10)
Dalby Forest (23)
Westonbirt Arboretum (29)
Sherwood Pines Forest Park (30) - Tour dates via the NME.

Win Scissor Sisters Tix!

The fine folks over at Gothamist are giving away a pair of tickets for this week's (surprisingly NOT sold-out) Scissor Sisters' show at The Theater @ MSG!

All you have to do is answer their question regarding which soap the band recently appeared on (massive hint here, if you need it) and give them a sob story why you need the tickets. Not a bad deal. Good luck!

Enter the Gothamist contest here!

MP3: Scissor Sisters - I Can't Decide

The Coral's New Album: Zappa Sharing A Jazz Omelette With Gnarls Barkley

Hmm, that's either a recipe for: a) disaster or b) extreme amusement.

Let's hope for the latter! The Coral shares info on their upcoming album (recorded in Noel Gallagher's studio) via their MySpace:

"We're just ending the album process with a few of us off to New York next week for 'mastering', then if all goes to plan then the latest long player from The Coral should be in your grubby little hands very soon... Zappa sharing a jazz omelette with Gnarls Barkley!"

MP3: The Coral - Liezah

Manic MP3 Monday, Week 47

Lovedrug - Doomsday & The Echo
Kate Havnevik - New Day
KT Tunstall - Black Horse & The Cherry Tree
Uncut - Dark Horse
The Chemical Brothers - Galvanize
Riddervold Samsing - Another State Of Consciousness
Wintersleep - Insomnia
Reykjavik - All Those Beautiful Boys
Vincent Van Go Go - Do U Know
Bjork - You Only Live Twice

Damien Rice Announces North American Spring Tour!

He's back! Pre-sale starts tomorrow (click here for more info from Ticketbastard); no word on what the password happens to be, but our sources tell us that for the European tour, Damien opted for 'COCONUT'. UPDATE! PASSWORD FOR PRESALE IS 9CRIMES!!!

Seems like the premium seats will run you $50ish plus surcharge, yikes!

*Read our review of the Hiro Ballroom acoustic gig, here, or check out all the upcoming tour dates below!

24 Apr Canada Vancouver, BC - Center for the Arts
26 Apr USA Portland, OR - Roseland
28 Apr USA Oakland, CA - Paramount
1 May USA San Diego, CA - Spreckles
2 May USA Tucson, AZ - Music Hall
4 May USA Salt Lake City,UT - McKay Center
5 May USA Denver, CO - Paramount
7 May USA Dallas, TX - Majestic
8 May USA Houston, TX - Verizon
9 May USA Austin,TX - Bass Hall
11 May USA St.Louis, MO - Pageant
13 May USA Kansas City, MO - Uptown
14 May USA Chicago, IL - Opera House
15 May USA Minneapolis, MN - Northrop
17 May USA Detroit, MI - State Theatre
18 May Canada Toronto, ON - Massey Hall
20 May Canada Montreal, QUE - Olympia
21 May USA New York, NY - Radio City Music Hall
22 May USA Boston, MA - Opera House
24 May USA Philadelphia, PA - The Mann Center
25 May USA Washington, DC - Constitution Hall
26 May USA Louisville, KY - Palace
29 May USA Indianapolis, IN - Murat
30 May USA Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
31 May USA Memphis, TN - Orpheum

MP3: Damien Rice - I Remember

The Hourly Radio @ Luna Lounge: See The Lights That Have Guided Me

Jen: Last night, Matt and I ventured into the burgeoning South Williamsburg (is that what we are calling this area?) to see for the fourth time, one of our favourite acts, The Hourly Radio, and check out the newly renovated Luna Lounge. The Luna really surpassed my expectations. The space is very large with the perfect amount of tables and seating. The bar is equally as huge, a fact which makes me rather happy with (joy!) barstools. The upcoming shows the venue has booked, unfortunately, don't really match the amount of people the room holds. Hopefully, this won't be discouraging to bands when they get up on stage and see a half empty crowd, hopefully it wasn't discouraging to the bands last night.

And now, I am sitting here trying to figure out how not to sound gushy when talking about The Hourly Radio, but it is proving difficult. What really should be said about the band is that they put on one of the most well thought out, consistently beautiful and compelling shows I have seen. Though last night we were not treated to the usual fog and coloured lights, THR did reveal a new light pattern that was designed to match their music- it was throughly gorgeous.

Their set included all of our favourites from the album, ending with 'Crime does pay' and 'Deaf ears.' The crowd was also treated to a new song, which certainly fit within their vein of dark, post-rock, dance, drum-driven songs but had a slightly poppier feel to it.

There is a reason we keep coming back to this band, folks. Go see them while you can. Full tour dates here.

Matt: With fond memories of early gigs from The Kick, Mooney Suzuki and most notably, Stellastarr*, Jen and I headed to Luna Lounge - the Brooklyn version, that is. For those unfamiliar, Luna Lounge was a Lower East Side haven for unsigned bands in the late '90s and early parts of this decade. After the announcement that the venue would be closing in exchange for a high-rise apartment complex, Luna Lounge became a distant memory.

Last month, after many spiralling rumors, Luna Lounge found its new home on Metropolitan Ave in Williamsburg. While the capacity of the former Luna was in the neighborhood of 200 people, the new Luna is enormous in comparison, with a standing room that holds nearly 600 concert goers. What better way to check out the new space, then by witnessing another stellar show from one of our favorite acts, The Hourly Radio.

Opening with History Will Never Hold Me's instrumental 'Travelsigns', I knew the set was going to be brilliant, and it was. Highlighting nearly all of their debut (and one new track), The Hourly Radio lit Brooklyn on fire.

Even though Jen, Skye and myself have all seen The Hourly Radio multiple times, their sets never grow old. Their live shows are instantly memorable, intense and fearless. Taking the best parts from '80s moody/dark alternative (think Cure/Psych Furs/Joy Division) and melding it with modern layering and passionate vocals (a la Interpol), the combination is undeniably sensational.

The band will be touring all over the country for the next month or so (check out the tour dates and ALL of The Hourly Radio coverage since the beginning right here!) and I can't urge you enough to shell out the cover charge and SEE The Hourly Radio! They're simply remarkable.


The final band of the night was The GoStation. That's all.

Now Lily Allen Is Broke & Depressed

Poor baby!

British pop star LILY ALLEN is struggling with money and can't even afford to buy a basic one-bedroom flat in London.

The SMILE hitmaker, 21, dismisses claims she has made fortunes from her burgeoning career, insisting high London property prices have left her homeless.

She says, "It's depressing to be young in Britain. Money is a massive issue. I've been doing what I do for a few years now and I've been paid pretty well for it, but even I'm not in a position to buy a one-bedroom flat in the city I grew up in... how much harder is it going to be for other people my age?" (via PR Inside)

MP3: Lily Allen - Not Big

You Missed Arcade Fire On SNL, So Did The Sluts

Here's what we both failed to catch, enjoy!

'Intervention'


'Keep The Car Running'


That didn't take very long now, did it? Furthermore, Six Eyes has the MP3s of both performances!

Badly Drawn Boy Featured In New Hummer Commercial

Say it ain't so!

Oh, but it is. Badly Drawn Boy's 'Something To Talk About' (from the soundtrack to About A Boy) is the theme to the new Hummer commercial. I just saw it for myself with my own two eyes.

It's actually not as awful or out of place as you may think...

However, check out all the negative reactions to the clip over at the BDB message board. Interesting choice, eh Damon?

MP3: Badly Drawn Boy - Silent Sigh (via Parker Young)

Bright Eyes Gets It In The End

Bright Eyes haters, your day has come. In this brand new clip for Cassdaga's lead single 'Four Winds', Conor gets jeered, taunted, pelted in the face and forced to leave the stage. Bright Eyes lovers, it's shot in a classic black & white frame and Conor looks fantastic in it. I guess the video has something for everybody! Without any further hold-up, here's the clip:



*Our review of Bright Eyes Four Winds EP, here! The short-player's second track, below.

MP3: Bright Eyes - Reinvent The Wheel

The View: Wasted Little Musicians!

Oh no! This is where the Pete Doherty/View references must end! Seems like The View's frontman, Kyle Falconer, was found in possession of cocaine in August (when he was 11 16) and is facing a pretty serious drug charge!

If you recall, just a few weeks back, The View was forced to cancel their upcoming headlining tour of the US due to visa issues.

It's a very bad month to be Scottish, underage, and have a top 10 album.

MP3: The View - Superstar Tradesman (demo) (via Voets Joeba)

Ben Gibbard Flying Solo This May

Foolishly, I missed Ben (Death Cab For Cutie/Postal Service frontman) on his last solo jaunt, two years back, and as the story goes he was not only amazing, but he also performed MULTIPLE Postal Service tracks!

I'm thrilled to hear that he's playing Town Hall this time around, as it continues to stay one of my top venues in the city.

Potential conflict: Arcade Fire is touring in May as well, at almost identical tour spots (those dates here)! Ben/Win surprise duet? Hey, one can always hope... Full tour dates for Ben's safari though the States below.

Thu 05/03 | Minneapolis MN @ First Avenue
Fri 05/04 | Chicago IL @ Metro
Sat 05/05 | Detroit MI @ Majestic Theatre
Mon 05/07 | Sommerville MA @ Somerville Theatre
Tue 05/08 | New York NY @ Town Hall
Wed 05/09 | Philadelphia PA @ Theatre Of Living Arts
Thu 05/10 | Washington DC @ 9:30 Club
Fri 05/11 | Carrboro NC @ Cat's Cradle
Sat 05/12 | Atlanta GA @ Center Stage
Sun 05/13 | Nashville TN @ City Hall
Mon 05/14 | Dallas TX @ Granada Theater
Tue 05/15 | Austin TX @ Emo's (Outside Stage)
Thu 05/17 | Los Angeles CA @ Royce Hall
Fri. 05/18 | San Francisco CA @ The Fillmore
Sat. 05/19 | Portland OR @ Roseland Theater
Sun 05/20 | Seattle WA @ Showbox

MP3: The Postal Service - Against All Odds (Phil Collins cover)

Indie Top 5 Wrap Up, 2/24

Soundfix:
1. Peter Bjorn & John
2. The Shins
3. The Apples In Stereo
4. Field Music
5. Menomena

Other Music:
1. Peter Bjorn & John
2. Beirut
3. Deerhunter
4. Deerhoof
5. Bloc Party

Insound:
1. Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
2. Explosions In The Sky
3. Bloc Party
4. Peter Bjorn & John
5. Menomena

Elbo.ws:
1. Explosions In The Sky
2. Blonde Redhead
3. Bright Eyes
4. The Arcade Fire
5. Andrew Bird

Hype Machine Most Blogged:
1. The Arcade Fire
2. Modest Mouse
3. Feist
4. Of Montreal
5. The Police

MP3s: The Arcade Fire - Crown Of Love (White Session) + Andrew Bird - Measuring Cups

Fresh Friday: Winterkids

The last time I threw in a cd and loved it right away was when I first heard Locksley, the first time I wrote this column actually. Since then, nothing has quite grabbed as much...until now. Enter Winterkids, whom my admiration for has grown throughout the course of writing this review from mere adoration to slight obsession.

A group of bright young things from Guilford, England, they look as if they may have stepped out of a foppish Oscar Wilde play. Their sound may be distinctly English, with their unapologetic accents blaring throughout the Britpop infused album, while their tone of hope and happiness is all but. Their music is reminiscent of American emo, such as Fall Out Boy or Panic! At the Disco, but with lyrics such as "If I had all the money in the world, then I would change a few things," they could never really fit in with those teary eyed boys turning all the young kid's hair black.

They have been equated to early Pulp, The Wedding Present and Blink-182 and yeah, they are a bit of all that but what they really are is something you have yet to hear. A mixture of punk, Britpop created by intelligent, artsy, musicians with a sense of the past and the aesthetic to make a whole and beautiful album.

The second single 'Tape It' from their new album Memoirs is so good that my eyes well with tears of excitement just listening to it. Other songs not to be missed are 'Somebody elses clothes' (which sounds as if it could be the darker remix of a Boy Least Likely track infused with the night of Young Love) and '2 Nights 2 Days' (think The Jam at it's poppiest with rougher drum beats of Arctic Monkeys).

The 'kids are on an unrelenting tour from London to Austin to New York to Edinburgh. Go see them now before you end of begging, borrowing and stealing to get your hands on a ticket later.

Tour Dates:
Feb 26 2007 7:45P
The Social - 'End of the Road Festival' London
Mar 1 2007 9:00P
DJ Set @ 'New Slang' - The Works Nightclub w / Good Shoes (Live) Kingston
Mar 2 2007 8:00P
Marquee Club - 'Strange Place Club Night' Hertford
Mar 3 2007 8:00P
Tunbridge Wells Forum Kent
Mar 9 2007 8:00P
Proud Galleries London
Mar 11 2007 8:00P
The Lei Lounge at Niagara New York
Mar 13 2007 8:00P
Live From London @ Mercury Lounge w / The Holloways, Pop Levi & Tunng New York
Mar 14 2007 8:00P
SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 15 2007 8:00P
SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 16 2007 1:00P
SXSW Day Stage Cafe @ Austin Convention Center Austin, Texas
Mar 16 2007 8:00P
Whisky Bar @ SXSW Austin, Texas
Mar 17 2007 12:00P
Habana Calle @ SXSW Austin, Texas
Apr 5 2007 8:00P
'New Slang' - The Works Nightclub w / Young Knives Kingston
Apr 15 2007 8:00P
Best laid Plans @ 93 Feet East London
Apr 29 2007 8:00P
Black Sheep Bar Croydon
May 11 2007 8:00P
Buffalo Bar London
Jun 7 2007 8:00P
The Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh
Jun 8 2007 8:00P
Escobar Wakefield

MP3: 'Tape It' and 'All the Money'

'All the Money' Vid:


'Tape It' Vid:

Amy Winehouse Meets Britney In YouTube World

And it's a friggin' riot! Enjoy! Funniest 30 seconds of your day, guaranteed.



Amy has a VERY sold out show at Bowery Ballroom scheduled for March 13th!

MP3: Amy Winehouse - Rehab (Hot Chip mix) (via The Yellow Stereo)

Nightmare On Arctic Street

Uncut tells us that Arctic Monkeys new LP, Favourite Worst Nightmare feels a little more 'art-rock' than Whatever, in a feature that was just posted on the magazine's blog today.

Also, of particular note, since The Music Slut hearts Moz so dearly, the reviewer claims that the new CD has a heavy Smiths (Strangeways era) feel to it! Here's another snippet from the review:

"Favourite Worst Nightmare" is a whole lot bigger-sounding than "Whatever People Say. . .", but not in a lame stadium-wannabe way. It doesn’t feel bloated like so many follow-up albums by successful indie bands - the ropey new Kaiser Chiefs album being a case in point. Instead, it really is more ambitious, heavier – Jamie Cook’s guitar-playing resembles that of Josh Homme more than Carl Barat in many places – and with a fiercely bright production from James Ford, who did such a good job on The Klaxons’ debut.

I can't wait! Read the rest Uncut's take on the album here!

Favourite Worst Nightmare will be out internationally in late April. A world tour is expected to follow shortly afterwards.

MP3: Arctic Monkeys - I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor

Joan As Police Woman @ Tonic 2/22: Punch Drunk Love

Matt's take on the evening:

Joan played a truly beautiful show last night down at Tonic. This is the second time I've see her there; whereas the last time I saw her she was showcasing tracks from her debut LP, Real Life, this time around she decided to test out the waters with just about ten new tunes and only two tracks from her album ('Real Life' & 'Flushed Chest').

The new songs are mostly love songs, as Joan was explaining to us that she recently has found love, overseas, while on tour. She closed the set with a stunning number dedicated to her mom and suddenly 60 minutes felt like 15. Her diatribe about Milanese models and they way they strut their bodies down the runway was truly one for the books. I hope somebody recorded this show because Joan was in rare form last night, I was chuckling so hard at points, that I had a difficult time containing myself! For those curious, Joan's Real Life will FINALLY see the light of day here in the States on June 12th (nine months after its initial UK release), look out for it! Hopefully a summer tour around the country is not too far away!

Jen: Lack of sleep due to transcontinental flights does indeed make for some funny moments. Hearing Joan extrapolate on Milan's fashion week, where she was asked to play for Truusard (how does one spell that?) and given a bright red, patent leather hand-bag for her efforts which she held up for the crowd to take a look at, was especially humourous.

Joan as Policewoman does indeed put on a lovely show. Her emotions are almost too much as she sings each song, there were parts where I thought she may even start to cry. Her music is definitely reflective of her friends, Antony and Rufus Wainwright, in that they are driven out of pure emotion and introspection. Her piano skills are really where Joan shines- I could not keep my eyes off of her fingers all night

There were some celebs (and psuedo celeb) sightings during the night. Grant of Fiasco and Antony minus the Johnsons were in the crowd. TV on the Radio were unloading equipment outside as the crowd filed out and Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) walked by on his way up Norfolk.

OTYI Post #7: Even More Reason To Go Vegetarian...

I just finished reading this highly disturbing report that describes (and includes a horrifying video!) of rats munching away at the fried chicken and biscuits over at the KFC in NY's West Village!

CBS reports that: Some frisky fellows even jumped up on the food trays, leaping from table to table like they were on an obstacle course and trying, but having trouble, climbing back down the chairs. One was even perched on the ATM right by the front door!

Eww eww eww!

In somewhat related news, although a lot less gross, Prince was voted sexiest vegan last year by PETA. Who will take the trophy this year? Could it be our very own, Brooklyn Vegan??

MP3: The Walkmen - The Rat (via Free Indie)

Great Britain: nul points

Morrissey has apparently announced that he's going to have nothing to do with the UK's entry into this year's Eurovision Song contest. After last year's embarrassment, Morrissey exclaimed "I was horrified but not surprised...Why didn't they ask me?"

A spokesperson for Auntie revealed:

"The BBC approached several artists and Morrissey was one of those that expressed an interest.

"Unfortunately, we were unable to go ahead with him being involved and we can now confirm that he definitely will not be taking part in this year's competition."

For shame! This disappoints me greatly, for several reasons:

1) I didn't even know he was considering it, and I have lost much opportunity for enjoyment and mockery;

2) Morrissey. At Eurovision! Come on! We'd be guaranteed to win, even with all those conspiracies against us due to foreign policy blunders!

3) It would have made for some great banter from Wogan. "The Queen is dead? - more like Mozza's self-respect!"

Ah well.

mp3: Morrissey - I'll never be anybody's hero now

Did Ace Frehley Commit Suicide This Morning?

Rumors are swirling (quite loudly) this morning that original Kiss member, Ace Frehley, took his own life at 2am today, but there's not one official news source that validates this info.

Anybody know/hear of anything? Apparently, Hal Sparks (of all people) was the first to break this story on his MySpace blog just a few hours ago.

Ace's new solo album was to be released this spring. We'll keep you udpated during the day, should we hear anything (and if we get word if this story is true or false).

UPDATE: The story is baloney!! Phew!

MP3: Kiss - Detroit Rock City

KCRW Gets Half Million Dollar Grant

I guess mornings will be staying eclectic indefinitely, which, we have no problems with whatsoever. Hands down, the two best American-based internet radio stations out there are WOXY (based out of Cinci) & KCRW (based out of Santa Monica).

HITS is reporting that KCRW has been awarded a $600,000, three-year grant from the Annenberg Foundation to develop business models to sustain the station’s webcasting activities and to further its online music service.

Believe it or not, KCRW averages close to 2 million live streaming hours per month and its on demand audio/video service received close to 500k hits in January alone. That combined with 1 million podcast downloads and it's safe to say that KCRW will remain a driving force behind internet radio for many years to come. Hallelujah!

MP3: Hedwig & The Angry Inch - Midnight Radio (via Hildebeast)

Ian Brown Gets Orchestral On New Album

He'll really try anything to stay relevant, won't he? I just hope the former Stone Roses frontman's new album, The World Is Yours, is better than his last few solo projects, which have been extremely disappointing.

According to Ian, chatting to NME: "I started thinking about which songs I'd used in February to April last year, then I started on writing the music and working with my producers Black Ox, working on it all July, August... by October/November, I had a clear idea of what songs I wanted to do and then we went into the studio in December, so I've done a month now. I recorded with a 30-piece orchestra last week. It's going to sound amazing!"

Rumor has it that he's also been trying to get a hold of former Smiths bassist Andy Rourke and Paul Friggin' McCartney for some assistance on the new record. Let's keep our fingers crossed for Ian!

MP3: The Stone Roses - I Wanna Be Adored

Is 'First Day Of My Life' The Most Covered Tune In YouTube History?

Seems like everybody, their mother, and their sister (and their girlfriend) has their own rendition of Bright Eyes '05 single, 'First Day Of My Life' on YouTube. What? No love for 'Let's Not Shit Ourselves'? After skimming through MANY of the covers, here are our favorites. Seriously though, there are HUNDREDS of covers of this song. Crazy! For added fun, play all the videos simultaneously!

User: mynameismeghan


User: Mac1302


User: moremidnight


User: roxiface


User: azimuth457

Ash Plays Hangman + Brand New Track!

Oh, Ash. How I love thee. The fine Irishmen are back with another stellar album, the follow-up to 05's Meltdown.

It will be out this spring and the band wants YOU to guess the title. It's not as easy as it sounds.

I've been staring at this puzzle all morning and the best I could come up with is 'Elevated To The Raincloud'. As you can see, I need some help. Anyone? Guesses?

While you struggle, take a listen to the first single from the unnamed album, below!

It's brand spankin' new and one of the most entertaining & energetic songs we've heard thus far, this year.

MP3: Ash - I Started A Fire

What the F*ck is Your Problem?

Seems like everybody has something to say about Robbie heading into rehab. I think rehab might be this month's cause celeb.

After the Brits, Liam Gallagher obnoxiously put his two pence in: "What's his fuckin' problem, man? We all know what it is - he's a fucking drama fucking queen. If you've got a fucking problem why do you want the whole world knowing about it?"

He went on: "He has to be in the front fucking pages doesn't he? Just sort your fucking self out."

He was then handed the award for personal achievement for using the word Fuck as many times as possible.

Damon Gough aka Badly Drawn Boy: "I empathise with what Robbie is going through. I've met him a few times and he seemed to be dealing with his level of fame. Everyone looks at someone like him and says, 'He's just a show-off and loves attention.'

He goes on: "Talking about yourself incessantly in interviews, being onstage where you are the centre of attention, writing songs that are going to be scrutinised, being famous and being spotted in the street - it all makes you feel really strange." Thanks.

From camp David Beckham: “David is ready to do anything he can to help Robbie. As a top athlete, he firmly believes exercise can go a long way to helping him overcome his addictions and depression. Keeping active will help take Robbie’s mind off his ­problems and stop him sitting around dwelling on things.”

Posh Spice supposedly also sent him a “get well soon” message as soon as she heard he had been admitted. "Fame - it's just a weird thing and it does psychologically affect you."

The other potty mouthed Oasis brother Noel also commented on Robbie's stint in rehab, saying: "We've all been there, but if you can't stand the heat..."

And finally Mark Owen, a man certainly not commenting on Robbie just to gain media attention- oh no never, revealed to Reveal magazine: "I felt bad at the Brits because there were some jokes said about Robbie that made it look like he was being mocked. When I heard about him checking into rehab I felt really sad - I just want him to get happy again. I'll do anything I can to help him. If he wants me to see him, I'll be straight on that plane. Rob was always my mate and I always felt very close to him. I'm so worried about him. I'm gutted and devastated things have ended up like this. I think he should come back to the UK." At which point he whispered "And join the Take That tour."

Well, Robbie's latest album Rudebox might not have done as well as expected but I still love it. And Mark Ronson is claiming that so does Mos Def: "I ran into Mos Def at an Amy Winehouse show in America and he said, 'that Robbie Williams shit is amazing.'"

mp3: 'My culture' by 1 Giant Leap featuring Robbie Williams and Maxi Jazz

Muse Fans Announce Massive Singalong!

Yes, you are reading correctly! The hardcore Muse fans across the sea will be holding a 3-hour singalong prior to the band's two upcoming Wembley shows in June.

On June 15th, the fans will gather and sing sing sing. To participate, you must first register with MuseLive.com (they mean business!) and then next month, 10 songs will be selected for the singalong. That gives you 3 months to practice, all!

Aching for even more info? Then I would suggest a visit to TrafalgarMuseFans.com. You know this is going to be ALL OVER Youtube on June 16th.

In related Muse news, some final tickets have just been released to the Wembley shows. Get 'em while they're hot!

MP3: Muse - Invincible