This letter, signed by a ton of artists and pictured above, is set to appear in an ad in Billboard:

We are big fans of Pandora. That's why we helped give the company a discount on rates for the past decade.

Pandora is now enjoying phenomenal success as a Wall Street company. Skyrocketing growth in revenues and users. We celebrate that. At the same time, the music community is just now beginning to gain its footing in the new digital world.

Pandora's principal asset is the music.

Why is the company asking Congress once again to step in and gut the royalties that thousands of musicians rely upon? That's not fair, and that's not how partners work together.
Congress has many pressing issues to consider, but this is not one of them. Let's work this out as partners and continue to bring fans the great musical experience they rightly expect.

Pink Floyd, Down, Primus, Dead Kennedys (with our without Jello?), Nas, Alabama, Sheryl Crow and many more big major label names signed this (or someone signed it on their behalf). Check out the full list below, and head to fairpayforartists.com for more information on their point of view..

The issue is that Pandora is supporting the Internet Radio Fairness Act which they say will "help end the long-standing discrimination against internet radio". Artists are mad because that possibly means less money for them, but Pandora and other Internet radio providers argue they can't stay in business the way things are now.

Continue reading "A bunch of artists wrote an open letter to Pandora who support the Internet Radio Fairness Act"

photos by David Andrako

Flaming Lips in Yonge-Dundas Square, Toronto - 6/16/12

As previously mentioned, The Flaming Lips will "attempt to break a Guiness World Record by playing the most concerts in multiple cities during a 24-hour period, a record currently held by Jay-Z. They've got eight shows scheduled to take place on June 27 and 28 in Memphis, Clarksdale, Oxford, Jackson, Hattiesburg, Biloxi, Baton Rouge, and New Orleans. Each show is with a different band. Openers include Grimes, Neon Indian, Gary Clark Jr., Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, GIVERS, and more." Those shows begin on 6/27 at 4:30pm PT aka 7:30 ET aka now, and the whole thing will be streamed live at the O Music Awards site on three channels (the bus, the venues and the control room). The list of shows and bands they're playing with is below.

A little over a week earlier, on 6/16 to be exact, the Flaming Lips played a huge free show in Yonge-Dundas Square in downtown Toronto as part of NXNE. I don't know if it set any records, but the outdoor square was PACKED with people, many who were supposed to be at Radiohead, but ended up having some free time on their hands. At the show, Wayne Coyne and crew paid tribute to Radiohead by doing covers and constantly sending their love to Radiohead family during stage banter. Our pictures from that show are in this post too, and continue along with the 24 hour shows schedule, below...

Continue reading "Flaming Lips streaming 24 hours of record-breaking shows NOW, played Yonge-Dundas Square in Toronto (pics)"

The Newport Festivals Foundation continues to celebrate the festival's historic past by featuring emerging young artists alongside some of folk music's most venerable names. This year's festival features: My Morning Jacket, Jackson Browne, Conor Oberst, Iron & Wine, Patty Griffin, Guthrie Family Reunion, Dawes, The Head & The Heart, Deer Tick, Punch Brothers, City & Colour, Preservation Hall Jazz Band, The Tallest Man on Earth, tUnE-yArDs, Tom Morello, Trampled by Turtles, Gary Clark, Jr., Alabama Shakes, Blind Pilot, Of Monsters and Men, original music from: Jay Farrar; Will Johnson; Anders Parker; & Yim Yames set to the lyrics of Woody Guthrie, Sharon Van Etten, First Aid Kit, Sara Watkins, Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires, Brown Bird, Jonny Corndawg, Jonathan Wilson, Spirit Family Reunion, Deep Dark Woods, Carl Broemel, Ben Sollee, Robert Ellis, Frank Fairfield, The Apache Relay, Spider John Koerner & His Rag Tag Boys, Joel Rafael, Joe Fletcher & The Wrong Reasons, Elizabeth Mitchell, honeyhoney, Sleepy Man Banjo Boys, The Kossoy Sisters, The Berklee City Music Choir and very special guests to be announced.

The 2012 Newport Folk Festival lineup has been announced.

Dawes & Jackson Browne @ Zuccotti Park today (photo via ATO)

A picture from this afternoon's festivities above. A video from that, and a video of Dawes playing a recent AV Club Holiday Undercover session, below...

Continue reading "Dawes played Zuccotti Park w/ Jackson Browne, covered "Christmas Time Is Here" (via Charlie Brown)"

Is anything still going on at Zuccotti Park? Regardless, Jackson Browne and Dawes, who have collaborated before (just ask Lefsetz!), will perform for Occupy Wall Street at Zuccotti Park today (12/1) sometime between noon and 1:30pm (I've seen it listed as 12, 12:30 and 1). Oh and Third Eye Blind, who wrote a song for the movement, will be there too! How's it going to be? How's it going to be...

Later tonight the movement will be at Lincoln Center with Philip Glass.

Dawes begin a run of proper NY and NJ shows on 12/3.

More info about Music For Occupy, the above-pictured album that features music by Jackson Browne, Yo La Tengo, Devo, Third Eye Blind, Lucinda Williams, Ladytron, and more, HERE.

photos by Jim Brueckner

Emmylou Harris

Day two (7/31) of Newport Folk Festival featured performances by The Cave Singers, Wanda Jackson, Justin Townes Earle, Middle Brother, Elvis Costello, M. Ward, Emmylou Harris and others. If you missed the fest, you can listen to archives of the sets at NPR.

Like they've done in the past, Emmylou Harris and Elvis Costello performed together on one of Elvis's songs. She performed guest vocals with him and The Imposters on "Scarlet Tide."

Mountain Man also played day two of the fest. Pictures of their set are HERE. Pictures from the first day are HERE. The rest from day two, below...

Continue reading "Newport Folk Fest 2011 - belated Day 2 pics & audio (Emmylou Harris, Middle Brother, M Ward, Elvis Costello & more)"

Ray Davies has a new LP on the way entitled See My Friends due on November 1st. The release will see The Kinks frontman pairing with multiple bands to re-record, and sometimes re-imagine, Kinks songs. And these bands have names like Bruce Springsteen, Bon Jovi, Spoon, Black Francis, Metallica, Mumford & Sons... and the legendary Alex Chilton (RIP).

"This project came about almost by accident," says Davies of the project, which was kick-started when he recorded a version of 'Till The End Of The Day' in the summer of 2009, with Alex Chilton.

The full list of collaborators is below.

Davies is getting back on the road as well, though so far he just has scattered dates in Europe, and a newly-announced show in the United States. He'll be performing his 2009 LP The Kinks Choral Collection with the Dessoff Chamber Choir at the Wellmont Theatre in Montclair, NJ on November 26th. Tickets go on sale at noon today (10/8). NYC got that show in 2009.

All dates, the See My Friends tracklisting, and some video are below...

Continue reading "Ray Davies re-recorded Kinks songs w/ special friends, playing NJ & other dates "

Bruce Springsteen & Tom Morello @ MSG (BMoreSweet)

U2 closed the second night of the MSG Rock & Roll Hall of Fame shows on October 30th. At the first (10/29), it was Bruce Springsteen & Billy Joel (before one big group sing on Jackie Wilson's "Higher and Higher")...

After "Badlands" much of the drained audience began leaving and then rushed back to their seats when Billy Joel sat down at the piano and launched into "You May Be Right," "Only The Good Die Young" and "New York State Of Mind." (The pair were uniting the kindred spirits of New Jersey and Long Island, Springsteen explained.) "Higher and Higher" wrapped up the night. The official set list had the show ending at 11:36:55 (yes, they thought they had it down to the exact second), but the final notes rang out at 1:31 a.m. Six straight hours of music, and that was just the first of two nights. [Rolling Stone]

Bruce was actually there both nights (one of many possibly "filling in" for Eric Clapton, who canceled last minute on the second). Those in attendence on the 30th got to see U2, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Smith sing together on "Because the Night." (And U2 + Mick Jagger (another unannounced guest) + Fergie + Will.i.am sing "Gimme Shelter"...). Ray Davies, Lou Reed, and Ozzy Osbourne all performed with Metallica. Many played with Stevie Wonder. Full setlists below.

HBO will be airing four hours of highlights on Thanksgiving weekend.
(November 29th at 8PM ET).

Bruce's current tour wraps up November 22nd in Buffalo. He was at Giants Stadium earlier this fall, playing the last concerts ever there. U2 also played the venue for two nights in September, and will be back in Jersey in 2010 as part of their just-announced tour.

Set lists for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame shows are below...

Continue reading "Rock & Roll Hall of Fame hosted 2 very long shows @ MSG (setlists), will air on HBO Thanksgiving weekend"

Singer/songwriter Jackson Browne has resolved his lawsuit against the Ohio Republican Party ("ORP"), the Republican National Committee ("RNC") and Senator John McCain. The lawsuit arose from a web campaign video produced by the ORP in support of Senator McCain's campaign for President of the United States which incorporated portions of the song Running On Empty, a song written and recorded by Mr. Browne.....

....The ORP, RNC and Senator McCain issued the following statement: "We apologize that a portion of the Jackson Browne song 'Running On Empty' was used without permission. Although Senator McCain had no knowledge of, or involvement in, the creation or distribution of the web campaign video, Senator McCain does not support or condone any actions taken by anyone involved in his 2008 presidential election campaign that were inconsistent with artists' rights or the various legal protections afforded to intellectual property. The ORP, RNC and Senator McCain pledge in future election campaigns to respect and uphold the rights of artists and to obtain permissions and/or licenses for copyrighted works where appropriate." [PR Newswire]

Jackson Browne plays Prospect Park in Brooklyn tonight (7/21)

With shows billed as "An Evening with Jackson Browne," the summer 2009 dates-following legs in Australia, New Zealand, the U.K. and Europe-bring the world tour full circle. It launched with an initial U.S. leg last September coinciding with Browne's 60th birthday and the release of Time The Conqueror, his first studio set since 2002. The new album is out on the artist's own independent label Inside Recordings, and was produced by Browne and Paul Dieter. Upon its release, MOJO wrote, "Browne delivers elegantly considered weight and truth...His grand yet unpretentious imagery shows why he's admired by such diverse peers as Springsteen and Randy Newman...Throughout, his band plays with subdued beauty and Browne sings with resonant grace."

As previously mentioned, Jackson Browne's tour includes a show at Celebrate Brooklyn's Prospect Park Bandshell on July 21st. Tickets for that show are now on MusicToday presale and Live Nation presale (password = strings) and Venue presale. Tickets go on regular sale on Monday at 10am. All dates below...

Continue reading "Jackson Browne - 2009 Tour Dates (Brooklyn presale now) "

Here's what I know so far...

Continue reading "Who is playing Summerstage & Celebrate Brooklyn in 2009?"