Matt Pinfield @ RXP concert in 2009 (more by Tim Griffin)

Last month it was announced that "RXP TakLiberty Festival" would take place on September 18 at NJ's PNC Banks Arts Center with Coldplay, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, and more. According to RXP's website, the show is now cancelled "due to unforseen circumstances". Refunds are available at the point of purchase.

According to "Barry",

"It was so strange that the concert was announced a day before the news that WRXP was being sold. Then it was promoted for over a week. I'm surprised Emmis let this happen. This must represent a lot of work down the drain for some of WRXP's staff. I feel bad for them."

Back on June 21st the Daily News reported:

The future of New York's only contemporary rock radio station, WRXP (101.9 FM), was tossed into the mosh pit today when Emmis sold a controlling interest to a new radio group run by ultra-colorful radio entrepreneur Randy Michaels.

WRXP has been a rock station since Feb. 5, 2008, when Emmis terminated its former smooth jazz format. The station has struggled to find an audience in a town not known for rock radio, but in recent months had shown significant ratings gains.

Merlin Media, which is paying $110-$130 million for a controlling interest in WRXP and two Chicago stations, made no announcement today on the format at WRXP.

Leslie Fram, program director, said that for now the station will continue rocking.

The Village Voice then said that, "It's not too much of a stretch to assume....that the station will change formats before the RXP Takliberty Festival's scheduled date of September 18, hence the cancellation."

Well, they were right. The Daily News has reported today:

Don't tell Leslie Fram a contemporary rock station can't work on New York radio - even though the one she has programmed for the last 3-1/2 years ends its run Thursday, apparently to be replaced by news aimed at soccer moms.

WRXP (101.9 FM), which switched from smooth jazz to rock in February 2008, is being sold by Emmis to Merlin Media, and while the deal hasn't closed yet, Merlin takes over the programming Friday.

Listeners will hear music for a couple of weeks until Merlin launches its new format, expected to be all or mostly news targeting women in their 30s and 40s.

On the surface, this change might seem to again support the often-heard mantra that when it comes to radio music, New York is a rhythm town, not a rock town.

Fram, a WRXP host as well as program director, says she sees every indication that's not true.

She notes that for the last three months, an average of about 2.3 million people per week at some point tuned to WRXP. While that's about half the audience for WHTZ, WLTW or WKTU, it's not a small number.

"There are a lot of rock fans in this area," Fram says. "[Classic rock] WAXQ is a fine station, but there was room for us, too.

"We wanted to be the heritage rock station for people who grew up in the '90s or later, and we could have. Without us now, where will you hear a new Eddie Vedder or Mumford and Son?"

RIP WRXP

The RXP TakLiberty Fetival will take place on two stages on September 18 at PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, NJ. The radio station (current home of Pinfield) festival features performances by Coldplay, Richard Ashcroft (The Verve), Two Door Cinema Club, The Kooks, Graffiti 6, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart and more to be announced. Ticket pre-sale begins Tuesday (6/21) and general sale starts Friday (6/24) at noon.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart also have upcoming shows including August 8 and 9 at Terminal 5 with The Kills and A Place to Bury Strangers. Tickets for both shows are available. The Kooks play a sold out show at Bowery Ballroom on June 27th. Richard Ashcroft recently played Bowery Ballroom.

Coldplay play Austin City Limits two days before the NJ show. They're also on the lineup of Lollapalooza. All of their other dates are overseas at the moment.

Coldplay have a new single awesomely named "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall." According to Coldplay's YouTube account, the song contains compositional elements of "I Go To Rio" by Peter Allen, and was produced by Markus Dravs, Dan Green and Rik Simpson with additional composition by Brian Eno. Listen to the song below...

Continue reading "Coldplay, TPOBPAH, Richard Ashcroft, The Kooks & others playing RXP TakLiberty Fest in NJ & stuff"

photos by Dana (distortion) Yavin

For United, Richard Ashcroft recruited hip-hop producer No I.D., best known for Jay-Richard Ashcroft singles like "D.O.A." and "Run This Town." At its best, it kind of sounds like Big Audio Dynamite, and mixes up Jigga-worthy beats, noisy guitars, and cinematic strings courtesy of Barry White arranger Benjamin Wright.

That hip-hop ethos came through in New York, as Ashcroft -- wearing a hip-hop-appropriate puffed out, multi-pocketed jacket and backed by a crack outfit dubbed the United Nation of Sound -- uncorked the thick, rattling rhythms of new songs like "Are You Ready" and "Born Again" with excitement. Sometimes too much so, actually, as there were many instances of him making awkward b-boy hand gestures (aggressively pointing to the crowd, pointing to his eye, and then pointing up wards) while performing. -[Spin]

Richard Ashcroft played a sold-out Bowery Ballroom last night (3/23) with The Postelles, a day after he performed his new single "Are You Ready?" on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon. In addition, the former Verve frontman recently made a stop at RXP for an in-studio performance.

Ashcroft's new LP, United Nations of Sound is out now and currently streaming in full.

More pictures from Bowery (including the setlist) and video from Fallon & RXP, below...

Continue reading "Richard Ashcroft played Bowery Ballroom, Fallon & an RXP thing (pics, video & setlist)"

by BBG

Richard Paul Ashcroft is back with a new LP entitled RPA & The United Nations of Sound due March 11, 2011 via Razor & Tie. You can download the lead single from the LP, "Are You Ready", for the price of your email address. The ex-Verve frontman will head to the United States later that month for a tour. The full set of dates isn't announnced yet, but we know that he'll be in NYC at Bowery Ballroom on March 23. Tickets go on AmEx presale Wed at noon (2/15), and on genersal sale Friday. Richard also has a Boston date scheduled the next day. All dates so far, and some recent live videos, below...

Continue reading "Richard Ashcroft releasing 'RPA & The United Nations of Sound' & visiting the U.S. in March"

The Verve [Madison Square Garden Theater / 04.28.08] (Ryan Dombal)

The Verve played their first of two shows last night at the WaMu Theater @ MSG in NYC. The second show is tonight and tickets are still available. Last night's setlist below....

Continue reading "the Verve played NYC & will again tonight - pics & setlist"