Archive for March, 2010
Eddie Vedder Joins the Who for Powerhouse “Quadrophenia” Show
March 31st, 2010
Photograph by Fleur Neale
There was an elegiac quality to the Who’s performance of Quadrophenia at London’s Royal Albert Hall last night, which marked the 10th anniversary of benefit shows in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust charity. Roger Daltrey, the prime mover behind the benefit, has said that this is the last time the Who will stage their 1973 rock opera (they first toured it in 1996), and Pete Townshend, who is suffering from ...
Usher Guests, Bowersox and DeWyze Score on “American Idol”
March 31st, 2010
Photo: Becker/FOX
Newly single Usher, promoting his latest album Raymond v. Raymond, pulled an Andrew Lloyd Webber on Tim Urban during last night’s American Idol, instructing “Teflon Tim” to sing to him as though Usher was an alluring lady (it wasn’t quite the come-on Webber presented to David Cook two seasons ago: “I’m a gorgeous 17-year-old girl from the chorus”). Still, Usher oozed star power and the 10 remaining hopefuls largely did not. The R&B/soul night ...
“Glee” Gone Wild: The New Issue of Rolling Stone
March 31st, 2010
Photograph by Mark Seliger
With its group dance numbers and earnest covers of songs like Journey’s buoyant “Don’t Stop Believin’,” Glee seems like the sunniest show on TV. But darkness lurks just barely below the surface — the series also seamlessly weaves in plots about teen pregnancy, scheming wives and the most hard-hearted cheerleading coach to ever grip a whistle. Rolling Stone’s Erik Hedegaard ventures into the Fox hit’s most controversial corners, uncovering the stories behind ...
News Ticker: Michael Jackson, Record Store Day, Madonna, Pearl Jam
March 31st, 2010
Joe Jackson plans to file a wrongful death suit against Dr. Conrad Murray, the man charged with Michael’s death, within the next 90 days, his attorney tells Reuters. “The continuous administration of drugs … that is Russian roulette, that is loading six bullets into a gun with only six chambers,” lawyer Brian Oxman said.
The Flaming Lips, Sonic Youth and Pavement have announced new contributions to April 17th’s Record Store Day, which as RS reported, will ...
Tour Tracker: Nas and Damian Marley, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Colbie Caillat
March 30th, 2010
Nas and Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley will hit the road together in support of their joint album Distant Relatives, due out May 18th, making stops at Bonnaroo and Gathering of the Vibes along the way. Plus, Charlotte Gainsbourg surrounds her Coachella performance with a bunch of April shows on both coasts and Colbie Caillat plots a summer-long tour around her appearances at the roving Lilith Fest. Full dates for all three treks below.
Damian Marley & ...
New Reviews: Erykah Badu, Meth Ghost Rae and Usher
March 30th, 2010
Erykah Badu’s New Amerykah Part Two: Return of the Ankh, the eccentric Dallas soul singer’s follow-up to 2008’s New Amerykah Part One: 4th World War, leads this week’s pack of new releases. While Part One found Badu dipping into electronic sounds, “Part Two revives Badu’s romantic side, and at its best it places her on a sun-splashed day in 1972,” Jody Rosen writes. “On the gorgeous “Window Seat,” [Check out the NSFW video here] her ...
LCD Soundsystem Reveal Cover for May 18th LP “This Is Happening”
March 30th, 2010
Just when we were growing fond of calling LCD Soundsystem’s upcoming album “TBA,” James Murphy and Co. revealed today on their DFA Records site that the band’s third album will have a proper title, This Is Happening. Accompanying news of the title was Murphy’s Twitter announcement, “Well, we finally made a cover…,” which is that sideways portrait up top of Murphy dancing. The cover image features a stylistic motif reminiscent of David Bowie’s Lodger, and ...
Jane’s Addiction In the Studio With Duff McKagan on Bass
March 30th, 2010
Photo: JanesAddiction.org
One of the worst-kept secrets in rock is no longer hush-hush: thanks to news posted on guitarist Dave Navarro’s Twitter, we can officially report that Guns n’ Roses/Velvet Revolver bassist Duff McKagan is in the studio working with Jane’s Addiction on the reunited group’s next album. Navarro posted a photo on his Twitter today of Jane’s in action, with Duff alongside Perry Farrell and drummer Stephen Perkins. “Another day of writing and creating ...
Strokes, Libertines In Demand: Has 2000s Nostalgia Already Begun?
March 30th, 2010
Photo: Winter/ImageDirect (Strokes), Allan/WireImage (Libertines)
The announcement that the Libertines are reforming for U.K. gigs this summer got us thinking: is the world already nostalgic for the music of the 2000s? We realize we’re not even four months into this new decade, but the evidence seems to be there — especially when you consider that the Strokes are also returning for big shows this summer. “Should I say the truth [about why we're playing gigs?],” ...
Guess the Next Cover of Rolling Stone: The Second Hint
March 30th, 2010
Yesterday, we revealed this bit of plaid from our new issue, which hits newsstands tomorrow, and your bets ranged from Bruce Springsteen to the cast of The Runaways to MGMT. Here’s another hint — and we’re not even going to tell you what it is. Continue the guess-a-thon in the comments, and check back tomorrow morning to see the new cover and a preview of what’s inside our latest issue.