<![CDATA[Broken Social Scene]]> http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/broken_social_scene/artist.jhtml (c) 2007 MTV Networks. (c) and TM MTV Networks. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/mtvinfo/terms.jhtml for terms and conditions. http://www.mtv.com/sitewide/images/u/mtv-logo.gif MTV http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/broken_social_scene/artist.jhtml 65 44 Music en-us 15 <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene Tire Of Sprawling Lineup; Look To Solo Projects, Soundtracks]]> Indie-rock collective wants to scale down for more manageable tours.
By Rodrigo Perez with additional reporting by John Norris


Broken Social Scene's Brendan Canning and Kevin Drew
Photo: MTV News

Broken Social Scene are tired of their logistical nightmare: the cramped living quarters, the massive guest lists and the dinner bills that inevitably come up short — essentially all the trappings of hauling a band of 16-plus people around the country in a tour bus.

In addition to these obstacles, the Toronto indie-rock collective has had to rethink its lineup, having lost members of Stars and Metric, guitarist Jason Collett and vocalist Feist to their own touring and recording obligations. On certain days the group seems like it could collapse at any moment. But this is a band that has announced its last show more than a few times, and the machine has kept chugging along.

Changes are on the horizon, though. BSS recently played at the Sundance Film Festival and have already scored two films: Canadian director Bruce McDonald's "The Love Crimes of Gillian Guess" (2004) and the upcoming "Snow Cake," starring Carrie-Anne Moss and Sigourney Weaver.

Devotees can expect more cinematic excursions. "That's the [direction] we're heading in," singer Kevin Drew said. "When you have kids and homes, you don't want to make your living touring. Plus, I came into all this trying to do music for films."

Another film, the Brooklyn-based indie "Half Nelson" (starring Ryan Gosling), also features Social Scene songs, albeit not tailored compositions. The filmmakers asked to use a whopping 16 songs from the first two BSS records, Feel Good Lost and You Forgot It in People. Naturally, the band was a bit dubious at first.

"I thought it was absurd to take all this music," Drew said. "But it's a really honest film."

"Parts of [the film's story] were inspired by the music we did years ago, so in that regard it's an honor," said bassist/singer Brendan Canning.

The rockers had a rough summer in 2005, pulling out their hair and making last-minute decisions about the mixes, title and artwork for their third album, which eventually was released as a self-titled effort (see "Broken Social Scene's Agenda: Two LPs, Touring, Hating On Audioslave").

Various members were missing in action, and the record leaked early, all causing tensions to run high. "At the time it was all very personal — a very, very difficult record to finish," Drew said. "It was a frustrating time." The band actually recorded two albums during that period, one with producer David Newfeld (Broken Social Scene) and one with Toronto post-rockers Do Make Say Think's Ohad Benchetrit (now a more integrated member of BSS).

The original strategy was for the Benchetrit-helmed record to come out in 2006, but that album has been put on hold for now (see "Broken Social Scene's Hard Road To Windsurfing Nation"). Instead the band is thinking about solo-driven Social Scene records — essentially scaled down, more manageable versions of the collective.

"I'm gonna do a solo record, [Brendan and Ohad] are gonna do solo records," Drew said. "If we tour, it's gonna be so amazing just to [hit the road on a small scale]. Going into a restaurant, I've never been able to ask for a table for three, and that would be nice one day."

However, like all of their ever-evolving schemes, Drew warns that it could all change at a moment's notice. "We always do this — we put our feet in our mouths and regret it later. Then all of a sudden people are like, 'Solo records!'

"Realistically, Broken Social Scene have to change a little bit, because we're really fortunate, but to have the big crew — it's expensive," he continued. "Creatively, people want a little bit of freedom, so maybe we'll do a [solo] Social Scene series. Then afterwards I think it would be good to be a band again."

The cooperative hopes that Broken Social Scene will have a long shelf life, because a slew of videos is being planned. The band recently shot a clip with Micah Meisner (K-OS, Metric) for "7/4 (Shoreline)" that features vocalist Leslie Feist. Additional videos for "Fire-Eyed Boy," "Swimmers," "Hotel" and "Windsurfing Nation" are also in the works.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524960/20060227/broken_social_scene.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1524960/20060227/broken_social_scene.jhtml 27 Feb 2006 03:05:00 EST <![CDATA[New Releases: Franz Ferdinand, Twista, Trina, Simple Plan, Nickelback, Fiona Apple & More]]> Also due Tuesday are new releases by Deftones, My Morning Jacket, Broken Social Scene.
By Kurt Orzeck


Franz Ferdinand's <i>You Can Have It So Much Better</i>
Photo: Sony

Yes, You Really Can Have It Better: Franz Ferdinand take us out for a second time with You Can Have It So Much Better, and while early birds who did the preorder thing were gifted with a bonus B-sides EP, the DualDisc has some treats of its own, including a 5.1 surround-sound version of the principal 13 tracks, plus studio and interview DVD footage. Tracks include: "Eleanor Put Your Boots On," "I'm Your Villain" and "Outsiders."

Smell Of Success?: Trina's putting plenty of promotional power into her new fragrance these days, but you've probably also gotten a whiff of her new album via the heavily rotated "Don't Trip" (featuring Lil' Wayne). The Diamond Princess already has a second single for the clunky titled Glamorest Life, "Here We Go" featuring Kelly Rowland, and she also teams with Trey Songz and Darren Philes on "Reach Out" and "Shake," respectively.

A Golden Opportunity: Twista is great at nabbing Grammy nominations, but he seems even more skilled at attracting Grammy (and Oscar, for that matter) winners. The MC hooks up with Mariah ("I'm a Winner"), Jamie Foxx ("So Lonely") and Pharrell ("Had to Call") on The Day After, not to mention high-shelf producers Timbaland, the Neptunes, David Banner and — surprise! — Scott Storch.

Right On: Chad Kroeger has proven himself to be one of Canada's more, uh, straightforward hard-rock songwriters ("Hero," "Someday," "How You Remind Me"), and fans of his conventional approach probably won't be disappointed by All the Right Reasons, the latest by his Nickelback. Tracks include: "Follow You Home," "Photograph" and "Animals." (One more thing: The band revisits the highway-themed artwork it used for 1996's Curb, but this time there's actually a car on the road.)

Pure And Not-So-Simple: The latest release by Simple Plan is anything but: The standard MTV Hard Rock Live has three live-video enhancements, but what's being dubbed the special "Mega-Fan" package is bundled with three acoustic bonus tracks ("Perfect," "Welcome to My Life," "Crazy"), a DVD of the entire concert in 5.1 surround sound, a 30-page color booklet and some secretive "special" merch items.

Best-Of Bonanza: Rack 'em up — The Best of Beta Band, The Best of C-Murder, Served Up Texas Style: The Best of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band, The Best of Master P (reissue), The Best of Silkk the Shocker, The Best of Snoop Dogg, Tina Turner's All the Best: The Hits, The Best of Urban Knights and The Very Best of Jesse Colin Young. Oh, and that's not to mention Melissa Etheridge's Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled and Essential Harry Belafonte, Ravi Shankar and Frank Sinatra With the Tommy Dorsey Band comps.

Frontmen Frontin': The solo itch is especially strong this week, what with new opuses by American Music Club's Mark Eitzel (Candy Ass), Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson (Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull) and Depeche Mode's Andy Bell (Electric Blues). But there's another guy stepping away from his team, too, so to speak: Boston Red Sox pitcher Tim Wakefield, who makes an unlikely backup-singing appearance on Dream #29 by Grammy nominee (and Grease castmember) Cindy Bullens. Bullens, who used to sing for Elton John, also knuckles down with Captain Fantastic and Delbert McClinton.

Song Titles Of The Week: "Puke a Pitch Black Rainbow to the Sun" and "Oh Celebrate Your Vague Words and Coquettish Sovereighnty" (Boduf Songs' Boduf Songs).

Other Notables:

Broken Social Scene's Broken Social Scene Vs. Liz Phair's Somebody's Miracle: A few curious connections here. Both the Canadian ensemble and alt-rock queen take to the breeze with "Windsurfing Nation" and "Wind and the Mountain," respectively; for another, BSS' "Superconnected" and "Handjobs for the Holidays" sound, if only titularly, like classic Phair, while her "Stars and Planets" and "Lost Night" recall BSS' 2002 track "Stars and Sons" and 2001 record Feel Good Lost. BSS win on the extras, front, though: Limited versions of their new one come with a seven-track bonus EP.

Deftones' Rarities & B-Sides: Rhino is doing this odds-and-sods collection up right with 25 tracks spread over a CD and DVD, including Cure, Helmet and Jawbox covers. What might worry fans, though, is the fact that it's coming out on Rhino, a reissue label, and not Deftones' primary label, Warner cousin Maverick — could this be a hint?

My Morning Jacket's Z: The Louisville sluggers continue with their tradition of gorgeously decorated releases (this one features a vibrant pencil drawing of some aquamarine creatures), which is one reason to consider nabbing Badman Recording Co.'s simultaneous double-LP release; the other is that it has a bonus track, "Chills," which has appeared as a B-side in Europe and comes with Z's Japanese pressing.

New Releases:

  • 1349 - Hellfire (Candlelight)
  • Aiden - Nightmare Academy (enhanced; Victory)
  • Fiona Apple - Extraordinary Machine (also available as DualDisc; Epic)
    Read: "Fiona Apple's Long-Delayed LP Slotted For October 4 Release"
    Buy Now: Extraordinary Machine (Epic)
  • Arild Andersen Group - Electra (ECM)
  • Ian Anderson - Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (Benz-Street)
  • Atmosphere - You Can't Imagine How Much Fun We're Having (two CDs; Rhymesayers)
  • Anita Baker - Christmas Fantasy (Blue Note)
  • Andy Bell - Electric Blues (enhanced; Sanctuary)
  • Clint Black - Drinkin' Songs & Other Logic (Equity Music Group)
  • Black Label Society - Kings of Damnation: 98-04 (Spitfire)
  • James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (Custard/Atlantic)
  • Boduf Songs - Boduf Songs (Kranky)
  • Ronnie Bowman - The Mountain (Koch)
  • Jim Brickman - The Disney Songbook (enhanced; Walt Disney)
  • Broken Social Scene - Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
    Read: "Broken Social Scene's Agenda: Two LPs, Touring, Hating On Audioslave"
    Buy Now: Broken Social Scene (Arts & Crafts)
  • Alex Bugnon - Free (Narada)
  • Cindy Bullens - Dream #29 (Letsplay)
  • Chris Cagle - Anywhere but Here (Capitol Nashville)
  • Chevreuil - Sport (Sickroom)
  • Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (Reprise)
  • Cross Canadian Ragweed - Garage (with limited-edition DVD; Universal South)
  • Deadly Snakes - Porcella (In the Red)
  • Deftones - Rarities & B-Sides (two CDs; Rhino)
    Buy Now: Rarities & B-Sides (Rhino)
  • DJ Dan - Lift (Thrive)
  • DOO - Cold Shower (Dreyfus)
  • Will Downing - Soul Symphony (GRP)
  • Dr. John - Live at Montreaux, 1995 (Eagle)
  • Dwele - Some Kinda (Virgin)
  • Ebony Eyez - 7 Day Cycle (Capitol)
  • Linda Eder - By Myself: The Songs of Judy Garland (Angel)
  • Mark Eitzel - Candy Ass (Cooking Vinyl)
  • Sara Evans - Real Fine Place (RCA)
  • Exodus - Shovel Headed Kill Machine (Nuclear Blast)
  • The Fall - Fall Heads Roll (Narnack)
  • Rosie Flores - Christmasville (Emergent)
  • Flyleaf - Flyleaf (Octone)
  • Franz Ferdinand - You Could Have It So Much Better (also available as DualDisc; Domino/Epic)
    Read: "Set A Man On Fire, Name Next LP — Franz Ferdinand Do Whatever They Want"
    Buy Now: You Could Have It So Much Better (Domino/Epic)
  • Béla Fleck - Crossing the Tracks (Rounder)
  • Kirk Franklin - Hero (Gospocentric)
  • Paula Frazer - Leave the Sad Things Behind (Birdman)
  • Ghostface Killah - 718: Stapleton to Somalia (Koch)
  • Robert Glasper - Canvas (Blue Note)
  • The Go! Team - Thunder, Lightning, Strike (Columbia)
  • Kevin Gordon - O Come Look at the Burning (Crowville Collective)
  • Delia Gonzalez and Gavin Russom - The Days of Mars (DFA/Astralwerks)
  • Sara Groves - Add to the Beauty (INO/Columbia)
  • Eric Hansen - Across the Universe: A Beatles Journey (Narada)
  • Reverend Horton Heat - We Three Kings: Christmas Favorites (Yep Roc)
  • Marcos Hernandez - C About Me (TVT)
  • Bruce Hornsby - Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz Radio Broadcast (Jazz Alliance)
  • Hyatari - The Light Carriers (Earache)
  • The (International) Noise Conspiracy - Armed Love (American)
    Read: "(International) Noise Conspiracy Prefer Armed Love To Hippie Love"
    Buy Now: Armed Love (American)
  • Jemima James - Book Me Back in Your Dreams (Tomato)
  • Jimmy Eat World - Stay on My Side Tonight (EP; Interscope)
  • Anders Jormin - Xieyi (ECM)
  • Journey - Generations (Sanctuary)
  • Kiss Me Deadly - Misty Medley (Alien 8)
  • Kenny Lattimore and Chanté Moore - Uncovered (Jive)
  • Ladytron - Witching Hour (Rykodisc)
  • Les Nubians - Les Nubians Presents Echos (Triloka)
  • Let Go - Let Go (Militia Group)
  • Lichens - The Psychic Nature of Being (Kranky)
  • Little Feat - Barnstormin' Live: Volume Two (Hot Tomato)
  • Living Things - Ahead of the Lions (Jive)
  • Look What I Did - Minuteman for the Moment (Koch)
  • Loose Cannon - Who Do U Think U R? (KGB)
  • Steven Lynch - The Craig Machine (What Are)
  • The Magic Numbers - The Magic Numbers (Capitol)
  • Make Believe - Shock of Being (Flameshovel)
  • Master P - Ghetto D (Priority)
  • Metric - Live It Out (Last Gang)
    Read: "Metric Make It Through A Blue State To Live It Out"
    Buy Now: Live It Out (Last Gang)
  • Mugison - Is This Monkey Music? (Ipecac)
  • My Morning Jacket - Z (ATO/RCA)
    Buy Now: Z (ATO/RCA)
  • Nickelback- All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner)
    Read: "Nickelback Go The John Mellencamp Route For New Video"
    Buy Now: All the Right Reasons (Roadrunner)
  • O.A.R. - Stories of a Stranger (Lava)
  • Sinéad O'Connor - Throw Down Your Arms (Sanctuary)
  • Jeffrey Osborne - From the Soul (Koch)
  • Paths of Possession - Promises in Blood (Metal Blade)
  • Liz Phair - Somebody's Miracle (Capitol)
  • PorkBelly Futures - Way Past Midnight (Wildflower)
  • Randy & the Bloody Lovelies - Lift (Cheap Lullaby)
  • Enrico Rava, Stefano Bollani and Paul Motian - TATI (ECM)
  • Herlin Riley - Cream of the Crescent (Criss Cross)
  • The Ripple Effect - Hybrids (Kindred Rhythm)
  • Bobby Rush - Night Fishin' (Deep Rush Visuals)
  • Sa-Ra - The Second Time Around (Sound in Color)
  • Sean T - Ain't Playin (Sumday)
  • Jake Shimabukuro - Dragon (Hitchhike)
  • Shinedown - Us and Them (limited edition also available; Atlantic)
  • Si*Sé - More Shine (Mob)
  • Simple Plan - MTV Hard Rock Live (deluxe edition with DVD also available; Lava)
  • Soulfly - Dark Ages (Roadrunner)
    Buy Now: MTV Hard Rock Live (Lava)
  • Sound Tribe Sector 9 - Artifact Perspectives (System)
  • Sponge - The Man (Idol)
  • The Standard - Albatross (Yep Roc)
  • Straylight Run - Prepare to Be Wrong (EP; Victory)
  • Ticonderoga - The Heilig-Levine LP (54º40' or Fight!)
  • Tokyo Rose - New American Saint (Sidecho)
  • Tragedy Khadafi - Thug Matrix (Fastlife)
  • Trina - Glamorest Life (Atlantic)
    Read: "Snoop Dogg Seduces, Lil' Wayne Spends On Trina's New LP"
    Buy Now: Glamorest Life (Atlantic)
  • Tunnel Rats - Both Sides (Thump)
  • Twista - The Day After (Atlantic)
    Read: "Twista To Reunite With Kanye And Jamie Foxx On Kamikaze Follow-Up"
    Buy Now: The Day After (Atlantic)
  • Richard Vission - Automatic (two CDs; Thrive)
  • Kirk Whalum - Performs the Babyface Songbook (Rendezvous)
  • Why? - Elephant Eyelash (Anticon)
  • Various artists - 2K6 Basketball: The Tracks (Decon)
  • Various artists - 40 Years: A Charlie Brown Christmas (Peak)
  • Various artists - Armageddon Over Wacken: Live 2004 (three CDs; Cleopatra)
  • Various artists - Destination Lounge: New York City (two CDs; Revive the Soul)
  • Various artists - Goth Electro: Tribute to Depeche Mode (Cleopatra)
  • Various artists - I Believe to My Soul (Rhino)
  • Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Celtic Crossroads (Putumayo World Music)
  • Various artists - Queensbridge Project (Fastlife)
  • Various artists - The Sound of Young New York & Toronto (Plant)
  • Various artists - Show D.I.T.C. Presents: Street Talk (Lumberjack)
  • Various artists - WOW Hits 2006 (enhanced; Chordant)
  • Various artists - "Wipeout Pure" soundtrack (Distinctive)

Notable Reissues:

  • Chuck Berry - The Definitive Collection (Universal)
  • Harry Belafonte - The Essential (RCA)
  • Beta Band - The Best of Beta Band (Astralwerks)
  • Blood, Sweat & Tears - Blood, Sweat & Tears (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
  • Byrds - Mr. Tambourine Man (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
  • C-Murder - The Best of C-Murder (Priority)
  • C-Murder - The Tru Story: Continued (Koch)
  • Digable Planets - Beyond the Spectrum: The Creamy Spy Chronicles (Blue Note)
  • Melissa Etheridge - Greatest Hits: The Road Less Traveled (Island)
  • Fates Warning - Still Life & Chasing Time (limited edition; three CDs; Metal Blade)
  • The Human League - Crash (Astralwerks)
  • Iron Maiden - Death on the Road (live; two CDs; Columbia)
  • Smokin' Joe Kubek - Served Up Texas Style: The Best of the Smokin' Joe Kubek Band (Bullseye)
  • Gerald LeVert - Voices (Rhino)
  • Master P - The Best of Master P (Priority)
  • Master P - Ghetto D (Priority)
  • Master P - Ice Cream Man (Priority)
  • Paris Combo - Living Room (DRG)
  • Paris Combo - Paris Combo (DRG)
  • Elvis Presley - Hitstory (BMG)
  • Propaganda - A Secret Wish (ZTT)
  • Screeching Weasel - Weasel Mania (Fat Wreck Chords)
  • Ravi Shankar - The Essential (Private Music)
  • Silkk the Shocker - The Best of Silkk the Shocker (Priority)
  • Frank Sinatra - The Essential Frank Sinatra With the Tommy Dorsey Band (RCA)
  • Snoop Dogg - The Best of Snoop Dogg (Priority)
  • Talking Heads - Talking Heads Brick (eight-CD DualDisc box set; Rhino)
  • Peter Tosh - Talking Revolution (two CDs; Pressure Sounds)
  • Tina Turner - All the Best: The Hits (Capitol)
  • Urban Knights - The Best of Urban Knights (Narada)
  • The Edgar Winter Group - They Only Come Out at Night (limited-edition hybrid SACD; Mobile Fidelity)
  • Jesse Colin Young - The Very Best of Jesse Colin Young (Artemis)
  • Various artists - Air - LateNightTales (Another Late Night)

DVDs:

  • America - Live (Eagle Vision)
  • Ian Anderson - Ian Anderson Plays the Orchestral Jethro Tull (Benz-Street)
  • Blondie - Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • Body Count - Cypress Hill's 6th Annual Smoke Out Presents: Body Count Featuring Ice-T (Eagle Vision)
  • Cream - Royal Albert Hall: London May 2-3-5-6 2005 (Reprise)
  • Cream - Farewell Concert: November 26th 1968, Royal Albert Hall (restored extended edition; Image)
  • Dio - Evil or Divine (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • Dr. John - Live at Montreaux, 1995 (Red Distribution)
  • Einstèrzende Neubauten - Liebeslieder (Navarre)
  • Hall & Oates - Live (Eagle Vision)
  • Happy Mondays - Live in Barcelona (Music Video Distributors)
  • Ian Hunter and the Rant Band - Just Another Night: Live at the Astoria, London (Music Video Distributors)
  • Iron Maiden - Death on the Road (live; two DVDs; Columbia)
  • Jesus Jones - Live at the Marquee (Music Video Distributors)
  • Jethro Tull - Nothing Is Easy: Live at the Isle of Wight 1970 (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • Murphy's Law - Up With Us ... Down With Them (Music Video Distributors)
  • Ned's Atomic Dustbin - Shoot the Neds! In Concert (Music Video Distributors)
  • Paths of Possession - Promises in Blood (Metal Blade)
  • Pink Floyd - London 1966*1967 (Navarre)
  • Pixies - Sell Out: 2004 Reunion Tour (Rhino)
  • The Police - Synchronicity Concert (A&M/Universal)
  • Scorpions - Moment of Glory: Berliner Philharmoniker Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • Cat Stevens - Majikat: Earth Tour 1976 (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • George Thorogood and the Destroyers - 30th Anniversary Tour: Live (collector's edition with bonus CD; Eagle Vision)
  • Tupac - Live at the House of Blues (Death Row)
  • Tina Turner - Live in Amsterdam/ One Last Time (collector's edition; two DVDs; Red Distribution)
  • Twisted Sister - Live at Wacken: The Reunion (Eagle Rock)
  • The Wonder Stuff - Construction for the Modern Vidiot (Music Video Distributors)
  • Bobby Womack - Soul Seduction Supreme (Music Video Distributors)
  • Various artists - "Extra: A Selection of Outstanding Electronic Music Videos (Navarre)

Coming Attractions:

October 11:

October 18:

October 25:

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1510835/20051003/franz_ferdinand.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1510835/20051003/franz_ferdinand.jhtml 3 Oct 2005 09:25:00 EDT <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene's Agenda: Two LPs, Touring, Hating On Audioslave]]> Band is releasing two albums and a seven-song EP in next few months.
By Rodrigo Perez


Broken Social Scene
Photo: Arts & Crafts

Broken Social Scene have a strained relationship with the road.

It pays the bills and keeps their ever-expanding membership fed, but the Toronto indie-rockers aren't exactly excited about heading out on tour this fall in support of their third album of new material, which is due October 4 and was originally titled Windsurfing Nation but is now a self-titled release.

"Just because you're a band doesn't mean you should be in a tour bus touring," bassist/singer Brendan Canning said. "It's fairly archaic, and there's a reason why someone like Tom Waits doesn't tour very much: It's slightly uncivilized."

The band is also somewhat resentful because its constant touring wreaked havoc with the recording of the follow-up to its 2002 breakthrough LP, You Forgot It in People. Regardless, the road-wary collective will embark on a 21-date North American trek that kicks off October 19 in Kingston, Ontario, and wraps up on November 18 in Winnipeg, Manitoba; December dates are expected to be added. Leslie Feist, a member of the sprawling band's extended family, will open up most dates and also sing with BSS.

After a recent appearance at Germany's Hurricane Festival, it seems likely that one act the rockers will never play with again is Audioslave. Canning said he was appalled by what he considered the band's pampered touring lifestyle. "Backstage, five [of their roadies] are on walkie-talkies going, 'There's a set list change! There's a set list change!' It's like, just cross out a song and put another one there."

"They're disgusting!" singer/guitarist Kevin Drew exclaimed. "[Audioslave singer Chris Cornell] makes you feel like an idiot for buying [Soundgarden's 1991 classic] Badmotorfinger." And what of Audioslave covering Rage Against the Machine songs? "Where's [Rage singer] Zack de la Rocha in all this?" Drew said. "Why is he not starting some charity movement to shut that sh-- down?"

However, the Social Scenesters have had issues of their own, not least how to package the 220 minutes of recently recorded material they've deemed worthy of release. A double album was discussed, but ultimately the band decided to release two separate albums (the second is slated for release next year — see Broken Social Scene's Hard Road To Windsurfing Nation). Just recently, another eleventh-hour decision was made: to include a seven-song EP entitled EP to Be You and Me with the first pressings of Broken Social Scene.

Though the band intentionally left single-worthy material off the noisy Broken Social Scene — an album Drew describes as an "ethereal, distorted garage-pop record; people are gonna think their speakers are busted" — the EP includes more direct material, including the vaguely political rocker "Canada vs. America"; the acoustic lullaby "All My Friends"; and a countrified, uptempo version of "Major Label Debut," a different rendition of which is on BSS.

The group made videos for six songs from People, and Drew — who directs the band's videos with filmmaker George Vale under the moniker the Experimental Parachute Moment — said he already has five clips in mind for songs from Broken, including "Superconnected"; the tentative first single, "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)," "7/4 (Shoreline)" and "Major Label Debut (Fast)" are also in contention.

Not that it really matters. "Singles don't really exist for our band, we don't live in that world," Drew shrugged. "You don't wanna open your live shows with [your equivalent of] of 'Detroit Rock City' every night, you know what I mean?"

EP to Be You and Me track list, according to the band's label:

  • "Her Disappearing Themes"
  • "Canada vs. America"
  • "Baroque Social"
  • "No Smiling Darkness/ Snake Charmers Association"
  • "All My Friends"
  • "Major Label Debut (Fast)"
  • "Feel Good Lost (Reprise)"

    • Broken Social Scene track list, according to the band's label:

  • "Our Faces Split the Coast in Half"
  • "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)"
  • "7/4 (Shoreline)"
  • "Finish Your Collapse and Stay for Breakfast"
  • "Major Label Debut"
  • "Fire Eye'd Boy"
  • "Windsurfing Nation"
  • "Swimmers"
  • "Hotel"
  • "Handjobs for the Holidays"
  • "Superconnected"
  • "Bandwitch"
  • "Tremoloa Debut"
  • "It's All Gonna Break"

    • Broken Social Scene tour dates, according to the band's label. (*Indicates dates with Feist.)

    • 10/19 - Kingston, ON @ Queens University
    • 10/20 - Ottawa, ON @ Capital Music Hall
    • 10/21 - Montreal, QC @ Metropolis
    • 10/22 - Boston, MA @ Avalon Ballroom *
    • 10/24 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
    • 10/26 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
    • 10/27 - Detroit, MI @ Majestic Theatre *
    • 10/28 - Chicago, IL @ Cabaret Metro *
    • 10/29 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue *
    • 10/31 - Lawrence, KS @ Granada Theatre*
    • 11/1 - Boulder, CO @ Boulder Theatre *
    • 11/3 - Austin, TX @ Stubb's *
    • 11/4 - Dallas, TX @ Gypsy Ballroom *
    • 11/8 - Los Angeles, CA @ Henry Fonda Theatre *
    • 11/9 - San Francisco, CA @ Grand Ballroom *
    • 11/11 - Portland, OR @ Roseland Ballroom *
    • 11/12 - Seattle, WA @ Showbox *
    • 11/13 - Vancouver, BC @ Commodore Ballroom
    • 11/15 - Calgary, AB @ MacEwan Hall
    • 11/16 - Edmonton, AB @ Reds
    • 11/18 - Winnipeg, MB @ TBA

    Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508297/20050824/broken_social_scene.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1508297/20050824/broken_social_scene.jhtml 24 Aug 2005 08:58:00 EDT <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene's Hard Road To <i>Windsurfing Nation</i>]]> Group's labored-over third LP is finally set for release on October 4.
    By Rodrigo Perez


    Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning
    Photo: MTV News

    Broken Social Scene just can't do things the easy way.

    The Toronto indie-rock collective has no permanent lineup, instead relying on a loose assembly of 15 or so friends, nearly all of whom are in other bands. They recorded their long-awaited third album, Windsurfing Nation — then recorded an additional LP for good measure. And they decided not to include the most commercial songs.

    Due October 4, the follow-up to the band's 2003 breakthrough LP, You Forgot It in People, had a difficult birth. Trying to synch up the schedules of the band's many members (which revolve around the core of shaggy singers/songwriters Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning and drummer Justin Peroff) was a scheduling nightmare that, combined with BSS's incessant touring, wreaked considerable havoc on the album's writing and recording.

    "We didn't really know what happened to our album," Canning said. "It's like making a movie and looking back on footage months later and going, 'What happened to that scene? Did we lose it?' The answer is yes."

    When the 2004 edition of Lollapalooza, which BSS were slated to play, was canceled, the exhausted and overworked band looked at the setback as a blessing in disguise. "We celebrated!" Drew laughed. "We were already so tired and burned out that we were so happy."

    The group used the unexpected downtime to record an album with longtime producer David Newfeld, but sessions ground to a halt owing to the producer being "depressed and having to shut the studio down," according to Canning. The group then migrated to the studios of producer/multi-instrumentalist Ohad Benchetrit of Toronto post-rockers Do Make Say Think, and completed another album's worth of songs later that year.

    With soaring ambition and unlimited studio time (a perk of both producers owning their studios), the sessions were marked by creative excess: The material was labored over to the extent that, at one point, the group recorded a song with more than 170 individual tracks. "This record will never be done in our minds, and we're still coming to terms with that," Drew said. "People don't even remember what they played on it!"

    With more than 50 songs to choose from, the group had its hearts set on releasing the more recent material, but decided to issue the Newfeld sessions as Windsurfing Nation — a title derived from the "gliding" feel of some of its songs — and will release Benchetrit-helmed material some time in 2006.

    "You get emotionally connected to certain songs done at a certain time," Drew said. "It was hard to let go of the [newer material], but ultimately we felt a responsibility to release the Dave Newfeld experience."

    Having gained a respectable amount of commercial success and critical praise with People, BSS are poised to break into the mainstream — but, characteristically, they've chosen the more challenging path.

    "It's not a record that's going to the masses," Drew said candidly of the 70-minute album. "We're not going to the 'next level.' We made a dirty-sounding, right/wrong record. We [eliminated] the catchiest singles from the record. We don't live up to what label and promotion people want us to be — we're not about that."

    "Are you a brand or are you a band?" Canning added. "That's what it comes down to."

    The bandmembers consider this self-imposed removal of commercial potential to be an act of self-preservation for their often dysfunctional extended family.

    "As a band, we hang on by a thread and with love," Drew said, referring to the fragile nature of the collective's existence. "We could break up in two weeks if we're not careful. We're all best friends — and you'd think that would make it easier, but it's not."

    Those friends constitute a sort of all-star team of Canadian indie rock: bassist Evan Cranley and singer Amy Milan from Stars (see "Stars Wear Hearts And Politics On The Sleeves of Fire") , singer Leslie Feist (a.k.a. Feist), Metric's Emily Haines and James Shaw (see "Metric's System: Beats, Political Subtext And No Hangovers", Charles Spearin and Julie Penner (Benchetrit's bandmates in Do Make Say Think), Jason Collett, Apostle of Hustle's Andrew Whiteman, Raising the Fawn's John Crossingham, the Weakerthans' Jason Tate — and Toronto rapper k-os makes a cameo on the new LP (see "K-Os Rewrites Hip-Hop's Rulebook With Joyful Rebellion").

    Songs slated for the album include the longtime live staples "Shoreline (7/4)," "Major Label Debut," "Superconnected" and the 10-minute epic "It's All Gonna Break," and newer tracks like "Fire Eyed Boy," "Close to Ireland," "Handjobs for the Holidays" and "Ibi Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)." The band recently completed a handful of dates opening up for Dinosaur Jr., and a North American tour is scheduled for the fall.

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1505808/20050715/broken_social_scene.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1505808/20050715/broken_social_scene.jhtml 15 Jul 2005 01:20:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene's Hard Road To <i>Windsurfing Nation</i>]]> Group's labored-over third LP is finally set for release on October 4.
    By Rodrigo Perez


    Broken Social Scene's Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning
    Photo: MTV News

    Broken Social Scene just can't do things the easy way.

    The Toronto indie-rock collective has no permanent lineup, instead relying on a loose assembly of 15 or so friends, nearly all of whom are in other bands. They recorded their long-awaited third album, Windsurfing Nation — then recorded an additional LP for good measure. And they decided not to include the most commercial songs.

    Due October 4, the follow-up to the band's 2003 breakthrough LP, You Forgot It in People, had a difficult birth. Trying to synch up the schedules of the band's many members (which revolve around the core of shaggy singers/songwriters Kevin Drew and Brendan Canning and drummer Justin Peroff) was a scheduling nightmare that, combined with BSS's incessant touring, wreaked considerable havoc on the album's writing and recording.

    "We didn't really know what happened to our album," Canning said. "It's like making a movie and looking back on footage months later and going, 'What happened to that scene? Did we lose it?' The answer is yes."

    When the 2004 edition of Lollapalooza, which BSS were slated to play, was canceled, the exhausted and overworked band looked at the setback as a blessing in disguise. "We celebrated!" Drew laughed. "We were already so tired and burned out that we were so happy."

    The group used the unexpected downtime to record an album with longtime producer David Newfeld, but sessions ground to a halt owing to the producer being "depressed and having to shut the studio down," according to Canning. The group then migrated to the studios of producer/multi-instrumentalist Ohad Benchetrit of Toronto post-rockers Do Make Say Think, and completed another album's worth of songs later that year.

    With soaring ambition and unlimited studio time (a perk of both producers owning their studios), the sessions were marked by creative excess: The material was labored over to the extent that, at one point, the group recorded a song with more than 170 individual tracks. "This record will never be done in our minds, and we're still coming to terms with that," Drew said. "People don't even remember what they played on it!"

    With more than 50 songs to choose from, the group had its hearts set on releasing the more recent material, but decided to issue the Newfeld sessions as Windsurfing Nation — a title derived from the "gliding" feel of some of its songs — and will release Benchetrit-helmed material some time in 2006.

    "You get emotionally connected to certain songs done at a certain time," Drew said. "It was hard to let go of the [newer material], but ultimately we felt a responsibility to release the Dave Newfeld experience."

    Having gained a respectable amount of commercial success and critical praise with People, BSS are poised to break into the mainstream — but, characteristically, they've chosen the more challenging path.

    "It's not a record that's going to the masses," Drew said candidly of the 70-minute album. "We're not going to the 'next level.' We made a dirty-sounding, right/wrong record. We [eliminated] the catchiest singles from the record. We don't live up to what label and promotion people want us to be — we're not about that."

    "Are you a brand or are you a band?" Canning added. "That's what it comes down to."

    The bandmembers consider this self-imposed removal of commercial potential to be an act of self-preservation for their often dysfunctional extended family.

    "As a band, we hang on by a thread and with love," Drew said, referring to the fragile nature of the collective's existence. "We could break up in two weeks if we're not careful. We're all best friends — and you'd think that would make it easier, but it's not."

    Those friends constitute a sort of all-star team of Canadian indie rock: bassist Evan Cranley and singer Amy Milan from Stars (see "Stars Wear Hearts And Politics On The Sleeves of Fire"), Metric's Emily Haines and James Shaw, singer Leslie Feist (a.k.a. Feist), Charles Spearin and Julie Penner (Benchetrit's bandmates in Do Make Say Think), Jason Collett, Apostle of Hustle's Andrew Whiteman, Raising the Fawn's John Crossingham, the Weakerthans' Jason Tate — and Toronto rapper k-os makes a cameo on the new LP (see "K-Os Rewrites Hip-Hop's Rulebook With Joyful Rebellion").

    Songs slated for the album include the longtime live staples "Shoreline (7/4)," "Major Label Debut," "Superconnected" and the 10-minute epic "It's All Gonna Break," and newer tracks like "Fire Eyed Boy," "Close to Ireland," "Handjobs for the Holidays" and "Ibid Dreams of Pavement (A Better Day)." The band recently completed a handful of dates opening up for Dinosaur Jr., and a North American tour is scheduled for the fall.

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1505690/20050713/broken_social_scene.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1505690/20050713/broken_social_scene.jhtml 13 Jul 2005 09:18:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Pixies, Franz Ferdinand, Wilco Heat Up Sweltering Austin City Limits Festival]]> Indie-rock rules at overheated three-day rock fest.
    By Rodrigo Perez


    The Pixes at Austin City Limits on Saturday August 18
    Photo: MTV News

    AUSTIN, Texas — There is exactly one big tree in Austin's Zilker Park. And seemingly everyone was under it.

    Every square inch of shade was occupied by someone at the third annual Austin City Limits music festival. But the intense heat and humidity — temperatures soared near the 100-degree mark each day — didn't stop approximately 210,000 people from attending the three-day music festival.

    With eight stages and more than 120 bands, the music ranged from roots-rock to reggae, from blues to funked-up jam bands. And although the cowboy-hatted crowd seemed partial to music of the twangin' persuasion, hyped-up hipsters and alternative rockers ruled the day.

    The Pixies were obviously the festival's main draw — organizers credited the group with the festival's first-ever sold-out day on Saturday — and performed each song with immaculate faithfulness to their studio renditions. Featured on the giant Jumbotron video screen above the stage, the group looked a little rounder and a little balder, but rocked liked it was 1991 all over again.

    While the sprawling 45-acre site, the multitudes of people and the number of stages made it impossible to catch all the music, MTV News did manage to keep an eye on most of the significant action. Here are some highlights ...

    • "It's OK to clap," said the Killers' Brandon Flowers as eye shadow ran down his face. It's not that the band had a hard time kicking off ACL's opening-day festivities, but the audience was acclimating itself to the oppressive heat that would stifle them for the next three days. The sweat-soaked Sin City hipsters forged on and even broke out the U.K. B-side "Indie Rock & Roll" for their understandably truncated 45-minute set.

    • "Is it hot enough for you?" asked Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand — easily the hottest U.K. import of the festival. The group's post-punk sound has apparently struck a chord with the masses, as its blistering set had festivalgoers of all stripes pogoing in the Friday-evening heat.

    • "This song is stupid, but we're going to play it anyhow, 'cause it tends to rock," said Wilco singer Jeff Tweedy before the group launched into the crowd-pleasing "Kingpin" from 1996's Being There. Never ones to be too ingratiating, the group — which had a gorgeous sunset as a backdrop on Sunday evening — also flexed its experimental muscles on material from its latest LP, A Ghost Is Born, highlighted by the 10-minute krautrock jam "Spiders (Kidsmoke)."

    • Indie-rockers gone big time Modest Mouse battled the midday elements to showcase material from their Good News for People Who Love Bad News album, favoring twang-friendly material like "Bukowski" and "The Good Times Are Killing Me."

    • Some crowd members were even crying: Fist-pumping, anthem-screaming fans were out in full force for Dashboard Confessional's acoustic-driven set. The sensitive emo-rockers represented for the fragile community with songs mostly from their latest, A Mark, a Mission, a Brand, a Scar.

    • The Roots were the only outfit at the festival that relied solely on rhythm and rhyme. The group, which has been adopted by the jam-band scene in recent years, more than held its own against the more conventional roots-rock, twang and blues that dominated much of the festival's lineup — in fact, with their funky percussion, improvisational stretches and noodley guitar soloing, the Philadelphia crew fit in rather inconspicuously.

    • While there was no marriage proposal at this show (see "Cure, Pixies Hottest Things At Coachella (Aside From Weather)"), Toronto's Broken Social Scene did keep it in the family. Augmented by members of Stars and Metric, the 10-member collective grew to 11 with the addition of singer Kevin Drew's wife on trumpet. The communal aesthetic extended to other bands on the bill when BSS's technical difficulties were aided by Sloan's Jay Ferguson (acting as guitar tech) and Franz Ferdinand's Bob Hardy, who loaned his four-string to bassist Brendan Canning.

    • Chicago chanteuse Neko Case represented both the female contingent and the alt-twang community with her smoky voice and country strum. Backed by an upright bassist and a banjo/lap steel player, the singer showcased material from her entire discography, plus songs from her upcoming live covers album, The Tigers Have Spoken, highlighted by a cover of Bob Dylan's "Buckets of Rain."

    • Who knew Calexico were so huge? The mariachi-inflected alt-country band was easily the first big draw of Sunday's early lineup, vastly dwarfing the audience attendance on the other stages. Their set was highlighted by a note-perfect cover of Love's "Alone Again Or," and their horn section would later help out Wilco during "I'm The Man Who Loves You."

    • Finally, it's probably safe to assume that Frank Black never dreamed he'd have 75,000 people singing the name of Luis Bunuel's surrealist masterpiece, "Un Chien Andalou," but that's exactly what happened Saturday night during the band's 1989 cult hit, "Debaser." The evening's cinematic references didn't end there, as the quartet broke out "Where Is My Mind?" (immortalized in "Fight Club") and the obscure Deal-sung B-side, "In Heaven," a cover taken from David Lynch's seminal "Eraserhead."

    For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1491207/20040920/pixies.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1491207/20040920/pixies.jhtml 20 Sep 2004 04:09:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Perry Farrell Not Giving Up On This Year's Lollapalooza]]> Festival co-founder hopes it can be saved by creative ideas.
    By Joe D'Angelo


    Perry Farrell (file)
    Photo: Amy V. Cooper

    Even though the rug was ripped out from under Lollapalooza this week, former Jane's Addiction frontman Perry Farrell is optimistic that the eclectic music festival he co-founded in 1991 will resurface — and it might be sooner than you think.

    "There are a few paths we are considering," Farrell said Wednesday. "I am getting letters back from many musicians, letting me know that if there is a possibility of becoming active, they will come on board again. Our position is thrilling. We can only be saved by the creative ideas we come up with. We feel like a team gathered around their coach, who is coming up with a play for the final seconds of a game."

    The decision to scrap this year's tour was made Monday night, when organizers and promoters realized they faced huge financial losses based on poor ticket sales (see "Lollapalooza Canceled; Organizers Cite Poor Ticket Sales"). But by pulling the plug three weeks before the tour was set to begin, Lollapalooza wasn't given much of a chance for ticket sales to improve, as they usually do in the days leading up to a show.

    Traditionally, 60 percent of the tickets sold for a stop on the Vans Warped Tour, for example, occur six days prior to the show. Those responsible for Lollapalooza's cancellation, however, didn't have faith that the tour would follow that pattern, or even the one Lolla set last year.

    "Last year, walk-ups very much improved our final counts, and this year, we felt walk-ups were even more important. One reason is that with the economy in such a poor state, people don't cast their money that far into the future. Rather, they spend their money much closer to showtime," Farrell said.

    "Last year, we sold out many of our shows and played to 20-25,000 people at times. This year, we never got a chance to launch our marketing or the bulk of our press campaign. Our campaign was beautiful and strong. We had aligned with MoveOn.org. We were set to reach out to millions of young voters. We were cut off."

    When the lineup for this year's trek was announced, it was met with criticism that not many music fans, especially those in the middle of the country, would appreciate Morrissey, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey and the String Cheese Incident, let alone smaller acts like Broken Social Scene, Sound Tribe Sector 9 and the Dresden Dolls. It was never Farrell's intention to appeal to the lowest common denominator, though.

    "I must state that my ambition was never to rip the dollar from the hands of 'pop culture,' " he said. "I'm an enthusiast. I cheer what I consider to be excellent. Mine is to present the alternatives of life that I experience and enjoy. I give people credit for being smart and, at the very least, curious."

    The headliners, most of whom were using Lollapalooza to promote recent albums, were left scrambling to set something up in the wake of the tour's demise.

    Morrissey, who is currently in London for the two-day Meltdown Festival, may try to fill his summer with sporadic dates in the States, though a full-scale U.S. tour is expected this fall. The same goes for PJ Harvey, though she has a few European festivals to pepper her summer months with. Sonic Youth, who already had several dates scheduled in between their Lollapalooza gigs, will try to add more to their itinerary.

    Modest Mouse, who were on tour in Europe when the Lollapalooza announcement was made, are already in the process of lining up a headlining trek, set to begin July 16 in Chico, California. The Flaming Lips plan to go back to Oklahoma to continue work on their long-awaited movie, "Christmas on Mars" (see "Flaming Lips Spew About New Album, Martian Christmas Movie").

    As for Farrell, if Lollapalooza remains dormant this year, he plans to go to parties, write a few songs and start thinking about next year's tour.

    "Please send the bands you would like to see to Lollapalooza.com," he said.

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1488645/20040623/farrell_perry.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1488645/20040623/farrell_perry.jhtml 23 Jun 2004 09:02:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Cure, Pixies Hottest Things At Coachella (Aside From Weather)]]> Other memorable performances included Kraftwerk, Radiohead.
    By Corey Moss and Rodrigo Perez


    The Pixies' Frank Black performs at 2004 Coachella festival
    Photo: John Shearer

    INDIO, California — After two days of 100-degree temperatures and enormous crowds, it was hard to blame concertgoers who left before the Cure's Coachella-closing performance Sunday, especially since it seemed the band had already taken the stage a good dozen times during the weekend.

    Call it Curechella, as several of the 100 acts who gathered at the picturesque palm-tree-lined Empire Polo Fields for the fifth Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival clearly wore their Cure influences on their black dress shirt sleeves. Not that there were pure imitators, but the festival certainly showcased heavier versions (Thursday), dancier versions (the Rapture) and garagier versions (Elefant) of the second night's headliners.

    (Click for photos.)

    Paying homage seemed to be the theme of Coachella. Saturday featured two significantly influential bands in the Pixies and Kraftwerk, while Radiohead certainly had other bands on the bill out of their trailers and into the sun-drenched fields.

    Beck even asked to join the bill because he wanted to come check out the lineup, and Anthony Kiedis and Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers were among the first fans through the gates Sunday to catch (and join onstage) the weekend's other reunion, Los Angeles indie-rock legends Thelonious Monster.

      Photos: Beck, Radiohead and more perform at the 2004 Coachella Valley Music Festival
    Coachella's promoters also credited the influential headliners with the festival's first sold-out weekend. Attendance estimates ranged from 50,000 to 60,000, far more than last year's previous high of 33,000.

    While the crowds made navigating the five stages more difficult than in previous years, and the heat was taxing, MTV News' reporters managed to catch most of the performances. Here are some highlights:

    • If the Cure were the sound of Coachella, then the Pixies were the talk of the festival. Before their early-evening performance on Saturday, it was all about debating where the best place to take in the show would be, and after, it was echoes of the same compliment: "They sounded so good!" The only people not talking about the Pixies were the Pixies themselves, who kept the chitchat to a minimum and instead tore through an hour-long set of fan favorites.

    • In what was billed as Radiohead's only North American gig of 2004, the band treated fans to a rare performance of "Creep" during the encore. Forced to cancel a show in Australia a week earlier because of a throat problem, Thom Yorke strained on the opening notes of "There There," but the band found its footing fast and played a typically sturdy set.

    • Coachella ran like clockwork until the final main-stage act, the Cure, who took the stage about 25 minutes late. Few seemed to mind, however, as Robert Smith (in his signature all-black clothes and white makeup) led his band through a mix of favorites, like "Love Song" and "Fascination Street," and tracks from the Cure's upcoming self-titled release, including first single "End of the World."

    • Both the Pixies' Kim Deal and Death Cab for Cutie told their respective crowds, "We'll see you later at the Kraftwerk set," at the end of their shows. The visually striking electronic-music pioneers, dressed in matching black suits and crimson red shirts, created a robotic utopia with laptops and vintage synthesizers inside one of the festival's three massive tents.

    • Beck, who headlined the first Coachella, caused a mob scene at the smallest stage of the festival with his 11th-hour addition, with thousands of fans relegated to the outskirts of the tent trying to snag a glimpse of the singer. After opening with the Mutations tune "Cold Brains," Beck said he had no plans for the performance and began to take requests. The singer's improvisational set included a new song — which he forgot the lyrics to — and a bluesy Kinks cover.

    • As Beck strummed slow jams in a neighboring tent, Junior Senior wooed stragglers with a set that could not have been more different. While throwing the biggest party of Coachella, the Danish band busted through one new-wave-inspired dance tune after another with the help of guest vocalist Fred Schneider of the B-52's. A shirtless Har Mar Superstar also joined the band for their cover of Salt-N-Pepa's version of "Twist and Shout," showing off the same dance moves he used against Ben Stiller in "Starsky & Hutch."

    • In perhaps the festival's oddest and most jubilant moment, the Flaming Lips commenced their set with graying singer Wayne Coyne entering a gigantic bubble and attempting to walk overtop the crowd. Afterward, Coyne said, "I had a dream a few weeks ago that I would descend on Coachella from a bubble in outer space." For their encore, the Lips coerced the crowd into singing "Happy Birthday" to Beck and the child he is expecting.

    • "It's good to be home again," Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme said during the first live appearance by his Desert Sessions, a collective that meets near Coachella for sporadic improvisational recording sessions. Homme sang several of the psychedelic jams, while the Screaming Trees' Mark Lanegan and the Distillers' Brody Dalle also joined in.

    • Perry Farrell, the only artist to perform at every Coachella, kept his streak alive with DJ sets both afternoons, mixing a range of electronic styles with his own singing.

    • With swarms of fans (including Adam Brody of "The O.C.") reverently singing along with every word, Death Cab for Cutie's copiously attended set felt more like a Dashboard Confessional show.

    • Toronto collective Broken Social Scene's set culminated in one of the festival's most moving moments when guitarist John Crossingham proposed to his stunned girlfriend in front of an elated audience.

    For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486774/20040503/cure.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486774/20040503/cure.jhtml 3 May 2004 08:53:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Lollapalooza Adds Danger Mouse, Von Bondies; Dates Unveiled]]> Twelve markets confirmed so far, with L.A., New York to come.
    By Joe D'Angelo


    Danger Mouse (file)
    Photo: MTV News

    The Grey Album mastermind Danger Mouse, Detroit garage rockers the Von Bondies and New York hipsters the Walkmen are among the latest crop of artists to join Morrissey, PJ Harvey, Sonic Youth and the Flaming Lips on this summer's Lollapalooza lineup.

    Alongside other previously announced artists the String Cheese Incident, Modest Mouse, Le Tigre, Gomez, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and the Polyphonic Spree (see "Lollapalooza's Farrell Explains His Taste For String Cheese"), the trek will also showcase the talents of Broken Social Scene, the Datsuns, Bumblebeez 81, the Secret Machines, the Thrills, Sound Tribe Sector 9, Elbow, Wheat and the lone hip-hop artists on the bill thus far, the Coup.

    Lollapalooza founder and organizer Perry Farrell will also be on hand, performing as his electronic-music alter ego, DJ Peretz, at each stop. Additional artists are expected, and not all artists will perform at every stop.

    The two-day package tour kicks off July 14 and 15 at the White River Amphitheatre in Auburn, Washington. Tickets for the July 17 and 18 shows at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, California, outside of San Francisco, go on sale Sunday. Ten additional markets have been confirmed, with shows around New York and Los Angeles still to be announced. Special guests are expected at each show, a tour spokesperson said.

    For the Shoreline show, tickets are priced at $49.50 per day for reserved seats and $29.50 for general admission. Two-day general admission passes will go for $50.

    Lollapalooza's partial itinerary, according to spokespersons for the tour:

    • 7/14 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
    • 7/15 - Auburn, WA @ White River Amphitheatre
    • 7/17 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
    • 7/18 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
    • 7/26 - Englewood, CO @ Coors Amphitheatre
    • 7/27 - Englewood, CO @ Coors Amphitheatre
    • 7/29 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
    • 7/30 - Tinley Park, IL @ Tweeter Center
    • 8/2 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
    • 8/3 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
    • 8/5 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
    • 8/6 - Toronto, ON @ Molson Amphitheatre
    • 8/9 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
    • 8/10 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
    • 8/12 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post
    • 8/13 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post
    • 8/14 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
    • 8/15 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
    • 8/18 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center At the Waterfront
    • 8/19 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center At the Waterfront
    • 8/21 - Atlanta, GA @ Turner Field
    • 8/22 - Atlanta, GA @ Turner Field
    • 8/24 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Center
    • 8/25 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Center

    Related Artists ]]>     http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486657/20040428/von_bondies.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1486657/20040428/von_bondies.jhtml 28 Apr 2004 04:48:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy]]> Broken Social Scene - Fire Eye'd Boy

    Fire Eye'd Boy

    ]]>     Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=99638 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=99638 1 Aug 2006 12:00:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)]]> Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (Shoreline)

    7/4 (Shoreline)

    ]]>     Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=91243 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=91243 8 Jun 2006 12:00:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (shoreline)]]> Broken Social Scene - 7/4 (shoreline)

    7/4 (shoreline)

    ]]>     Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=313360 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=313360 4 Oct 2005 12:00:00 EDT     <![CDATA[Broken Social Scene - Almost Crimes]]> Broken Social Scene - Almost Crimes

    Almost Crimes

    ]]>     Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=311690 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=1236367&vid=311690 15 Oct 2002 12:00:00 EDT