David Byrne participating in special Merge Records compilation
Pitchfork has an interesting story this morning about Merge Records, the indie-rock imprint that has released tons of great music over the years, giving hot bands their start. To celebrate the company’s 20th year in music, they’re releasing a compilation of their hottest songs–but they’re doing it in a pretty unique way. Rather than just one disc, it’s a whole series of 14 discs. Various celebrities have been chosen, mostly within the music industry (naturally) to select which songs go on which disc. A few of them are already known: Amy Poehler of SNL and UCB fame, chef David Chang, and director Phil Morrison among them. Probably the best known celebrity compilation maker will be the former Talking Heads frontman, David Byrne.
Byrne simply can’t avoid the spotlight these days, touring to support a new album (his first collaboration with Brian Eno in 30 years) and hitting cities across the country. If you haven’t got concert tickets yet, you’d better move fast. Go to Stubhub.com and look up some David Byrne tickets.
Hold Steady frontman to appear on ESPN
Fans of The Hold Steady are pretty excited these days, with the band going back on tour and concert tickets being eagerly snapped up. But in case you can’t make a show–or even if you can, but need that extra does of The Hold Steady to get you through your day–you can tune in to ESPN and see frontman Craig Finn giving his opinion on the sports front.
On Sept. 10, Finn is expected to be on ESPN’s The Show at 3 p.m. EDT, talking about Twin Cities sports (he’s a huge Minnesota Twins fan) and how things are going in the world of music. Should be interesting to hear some sports commentary from someone who doesn’t usually appear on the cable sports news shows. Being a hardcore baseball fan, he should have some pretty cool insights.
If you can’t wait to see the band live, then head over to Stubhub.com and get yourself some The Hold Steady tickets.
Andrew Bird on tour again
Multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird is on tour again, according to Pitchfork, and you can bet his fans will be off after reading this seeking out concert tickets. Unfortunately, the tour is kind of limited to a variety of east coast dates, mostly in New York, with some others sprinkled in Chicago, San Francisco and Vancouver. Well, his New York fans will b happy, anyways.
The trouble with having a name like “Andrew Bird” is that journalists love puns, and especially love bad puns. So he’s really asking for it by being scheduled at a New York venue called The Egg. Incidentally, The Egg looks like a pretty cool venue (though the resemblance is more to a lop-sided spaceship than a massive egg).
Anyways, if you’re looking for a way to see Bird (or The Egg), get Andrew Bird tickets at Stubhub.com.
Jonas Brothers score their first number one album
With the Jonas Brothers’ faces plastered all over the television and Internet, they’re clearly doing well. But the mighty music deity Billboard decides how well–and the answer is number one.
The Brothers Jonas released their third album this week, called A Little Bit Longer. So far, it’s sold 525,000 copies. That’s pretty amazing for a group of teen heartthrobs that seem to get bigger with each record they put out. Their second album is still on the charts, and has reached number 10. As of this past Sunday, it had sold 31,000 copies. What a massive difference!
Now if only we had data for the number of Jonas Brothers tickets being sold. Surely it’s quite high, and fan had better buy concert tickets fast at Stubhub.com if they want to see them live!
Elton John On Tour!
Get ready to rock around the clock with Elton John because he is heading out on tour come this fall! Elton John is scheduled to appear in several different cities starting in September and he will continue his journey through the end of October. Some of the places you are scheduled to stop include: Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary and Las Vegas. If you live near one of these cities you should definitely make plans to see Elton John live on the stage. He always puts on a lively and energetic show and sings songs that are incredibly easy to sing along to.
Elton John has been performing for years now, eliciting excitment wherever he goes. Now is the time to show your support for this well known musician that has captured the hearts of people around the world. Tell your friends and family members to make a date with Elton John, you will not be disappointed with his concert at all! Get your own pair of Elton John tickets as soon as possible.
Oasis tickets for UK sell out
All Oasis fans across the pond who haven’t already procured tickets for the band’s first tour in two years are out of luck. According to the NME, 180,000 tickets were sold this morning–all of the tickets being offered for the Brit-rockers U.K. tour dates (that’s 18 dates). Fortunately, plenty of Oasis tickets are still available for their United States tour. With the band releasing a new album, Dig Out Your Soul, excitement over their performances is immense.
Also according to the NME: Fans were apparently queuing up at ticket booths for hours hoping to score some tickets. Now they’ll have to queue up at the airport if they really want to see the band.
If you live in the states, you’d better move quickly and make sure tickets don’t sell out here. Get concert tickets at Stubhub.com.
John Mayer Puts On a Great Show!
John Mayer has certainly redefined his style and has emerged as a serious guitar player and not just an artist that appeals to the teenage crowds. His concerts are filled with amazing guitar riffs and a bluesy sort of feel that are well blended together. Mayer is a talented artist who has been on the music scene for several years now and he constantly draws in plenty of fans. One of his most popular songs today is “No Such Thing” and the crowd always jumps to their feet.
John Mayer has a sort of guitar proweress. And his new songs stand up there with the best of them. He also took his guitar and played his familiar tunes like “Your Body is a Wonderland,” “Waitin’ on the World to Change” and “Daughters.” Seeing John Mayer live is a real treat, so tell all of your friends and family members and be sure to purchase your own pair of John Mayer tickets as soon as possible.
Great Bloc Party interview
If you’re a Bloc Party fan and missed the news, brace yourself for this surprise: The band has a new album out (called Intimacy, which sounds more like a fragrance) and will be available for download tomorrow via their site. Few fans were prepared for this announcement, which came on Monday, and caught many in the indie-scene by surprise.
So why keep everyone in the dark about this? Pitchfork had the chance to interview the band’s bassist, Gordon Moakes. According to Moakes, the band was just being extra careful. They didn’t want to promise an August album, then have to push the deadline back. So instead they played it safe, and it turned out they finished working on it early. They did leave a buffer there, announcing it Monday but releasing it a little later as a way to generate some pre-orders. It’s cheaper as a digital download, and the choice to go digital before physical as far as a release is the band’s way of adjusting to an increasingly changing marketplace.
Best of all, with a new record out, you know they’ll be performing their songs live while on tour. You’ll need concert tickets to hear that, though. Get Bloc Party tickets at Stubhub.com.
Decemeberists have some new singles coming out
Some news has come in at Pitchfork about the Decemberists, who are releasing a series of singles, with some live performances that they’re sure to be featured at scheduled for sometime in November. One of the one’s that’s gaining the most attention has been “Valerie Plame,” about the CIA operative whose identity was outed several years back. It’s apparently written from the point of view of “one of Plame’s inside contacts upon discovering her true identity.”
The other singles are called “O New England,” “Days of Elaine,” “Days of Elaine [Long],” “I’m Sticking With You,” “Record Year” and “Raincoat Song.” They’ll be released on a singles series called, appropriately, Always the Bridesmaid: The Single Series.
You can be sure to hear those songs live if you get yourself some concert tickets now. Decemberists tickets are available at Stubhub.com.
Beck’s tour officially starts tonight
Beck fans living in Reno better have already secured concert tickets. The amazingly eclectic alt-rocker is playing their city tonight at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino, kicking off a tour that runs through October. The tour, naturally, supports his new album Modern Guilt, which has received abundant praise for being a return to form for this artist.
It’s not the most extensive of tours, unfortunately, so if you don’t live near a major metropolitan city, there’s a good chance you might miss out on seeing Beck. But Canadian fans should be pleased; four of their stops will be up in the Great White North.
Beck will be playing a number of festivals, as well, including Street Scene in San Diego, Bumbershoot in Seattle and Austin City Limits in Austin. There’s a variety of different opening acts, so depending on what venue your Beck tickets are for, you might end up seeing another favorite band, such as MGMT, Spoon, Band of Horses or Cold War Kids.
Get tickets now at Stubhub.com.