Tony Iommi at Saint Vitus (more by Samantha Marble)

After a round of leaks and denials early this year, Tony Iommi stepped away from promoting his book for a minute today and confirmed a Black Sabbath reunion of the original lineup (Ward, Osbourne, Iommi, Butler) for an appearance at the Download Festival in the UK on 6/10/12 in addition to a new record produced by Rick Rubin (their first with this lineup in 33 years) AND plans for a world tour to follow. The announcement came at 11:11 PST on 11/11/11 along with scant details and the below video.

Continue reading "Black Sabbath announces (another) reunion"

It feels like a while since we've heard from the Gossip. The Beth Ditto-led band are releasing their fourth studio album, Music For Men, on June 22, 2009 in the U.K. and digitally on June 23, 2009 in the U.S. via Columbia Records (in stores here October 6). You can stream the whole Rick Rubin-produced LP, right now, at AOL.

[Gossip guitarist] Brace admits that the band's experience cutting Music For Men at Shangri-La Studios in Malibu marked "the first time we ever had access to a studio like that. I can see if you let a musician loose in this big studio to just ride all this stuff, I can see why somebody would just come up with this huge thing. Having restraint was so important. I hate the over-production sound."

"We wrote a lot of this album in the studio," Brace continues, again referring to Shangri-La. "The Band built it in 1976 and Bob Dylan's old tour bus was in the back. It was empty so I turned it into my own little studio with my computer with GarageBand and my guitars and stuff. I loaded up all my gear into Bob Dylan's 70s tour bus and that's where I wrote. Beth would come in and I would play her demos. All the vocal lines are hers, the lyrics are hers. I do the sounds and she sings over it. She'd come in the Bob Dylan bus and we did a lot of demoing on our own during the day because it was more comfortable. She'd come in and sing into GarageBand. I'd write some things to her vocals. 'Dimestore Diamond' was actually her humming the song and I started playing bass to it."

The band will spend the summer touring Europe to promote the release there. They return here for shows around the time the physical CD is released, and that includes an October 9th show at Terminal 5 in NYC. Tickets for that show go on AmEx presle at 11am today (general sale starts Friday).

The rest of the North American dates haven't been announed yet. European dates, new album tracklist, and their new video for "Heavy Cross", below...

Continue reading "Gossip - new album (stream), video, tour dates (Terminal 5) "

Details below...

Continue reading "Clipse playing a free NYC show (text RSVP required)"

The Avett Brothers @ Jam on the River 2008 (more by Kyle Dean Reinford)

To our dearest fans,

Since we first performed as The Avett Brothers, we have been fortunate enough to find and build a genuine and mutual respect with those who care to listen. It is this kind exchange that champions our music, and allows us the forum to continue on our path, with this work, this art. We believe this to be an appropriate time for a brief update, as we would like for you all to know of the most noteworthy of present developments.

We have recently begun working on a new full length album with Rick Rubin. The recording process has been,and will no doubt continue to be,an experience defined by heightened levels of commitment and conviction. It is our distinct pleasure and honor to be in such fine company as we build and bring this most current chapter of songs to fruition.

With this union has come another, as we have just completed and signed an agreement with American/Columbia Records,the label with whom we will proudly release our next record. It is our sincere hope, in regard to this news,that our ongoing relationship with Ramseur Records is understood. There have been, and will be no hard feelings or abandon-based resentment from either party involved. The Avett and Ramseur camps remain strongly and truthfully connected, both personally and professionally. There has been no change in these matters through this momentous transition.

For all of you who have gone to such great lengths to show your appreciation, we continue in our most sincere efforts to return the sentiment. The music would go nowhere without you. Our hearts and our minds are on the recording of this next album, and we look forward with great anticipation to sharing it with you all. Until then, thank you as always, and we will see you somewhere on that open road...

Sincerely,
The Avett Brothers
July, 2008

The Avett Brothers are playing a free show at Rockefeller Park in NYC this Wednesday July 9th. Some videos and all tour dates below....

Continue reading "the Avett Brothers sign to Columbia, FREE SHOW, tour dates "

Mike Devlin put together this list....

Continue reading "a list of the "Top 10 musical geniuses""