<![CDATA[The Wallflowers]]> http://www.mtv.com/music/artist/wallflowers/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/wallflowers/artist.jhtml 65 44 Music en-us 15 <![CDATA[New Releases: Audioslave, Gorillaz, Common, Wallflowers, Sleater-Kinney & More]]> Also due Tuesday are albums from Stephen Malkmus and Nikka Costa.
By Alyssa Rashbaum


Audioslave's <I>Out of Exile</I>
Photo: Interscope

After making history earlier this month by playing the biggest show ever by an American rock band in Cuba, Audioslave are preparing to take on the albums chart this week. The band is releasing its sophomore album, Out of Exile, which follows 2002's self-titled album.

After four long years of waiting for two-dimensional artists Gorillaz to deliver a studio follow-up to their 2001 self-titled album, the band composed of animated members 2-D, Russel, Murdoc and Noodle is back with Demon Days. Led by its first single, "Feel Good Inc.," the LP features two major changes — the absence of former producer Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and the presence of Danger Mouse in his place.

Common, king of conscious rap, is going back to his roots with his latest album, Be. After releasing 2002's highly experimental, sprawling Electric Circus, Common narrows his focus this time around, employing two main producers, Kanye West and J Dilla.

The Wallflowers are taking a cue from the title of their new album, Rebel, Sweetheart, defying the ever-changing climate of the mainstream with another straight-up rock and roll album that follows 2002's Red Letter Days.

Nikka Costa's long-awaited new album, Can'tneverdidnothin, hits stores this week on the heels of the single "Till I Get to You." Frank Sinatra's goddaughter is back, four years after the release of Everybody Got Their Something.

Former Pavement frontman Stephen Malkmus releases his third solo album, Face the Truth, while fiery female rock trio Sleater-Kinney follow up 2002's One Beat with The Woods. South African hard rockers Seether unleash their sophomore effort, Karma and Effect.

On the hip-hop side of new releases, there's the latest from Young Gunz (Brothers From Another), former Immature/IMX member Marques Houston (Naked) and B.G. (The Heart of tha Streetz).

In DVD news, fans of Dave Chappelle who are still reeling over the news that the next season of his "Chappelle's Show" will be postponed can comfort themselves with the DVD of season two.

Also out this week are albums by Belle and Sebastian (Push Barman to Open Old Wounds), Alkaline Trio (Crimson), Gucci Mane (Trap House), the Agony Scene (The Darkest Red), Death in Vegas (Satan's Circus), Shout Out Louds (Howl Howl Gaff Gaff), Pretty Ricky (Bluestars), Meat Beat Manifesto (At the Center) and Shelby Lynne (Suit Yourself).

Out Tuesday, May 24:

May 31:

June 7:

June 14:

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1502815/20050523/audioslave.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1502815/20050523/audioslave.jhtml 23 May 2005 08:37:00 EDT <![CDATA[For The Record: Quick News On Sebastian Bach, Izzy Stradlin, Pearl Jam, Morrissey, 311, Black Eyed Peas, Wallflowers & More]]>  


Steven Adler & Sebastian Bach
Photo: Courtesy of Steven Adler

Though he's out of the running for the ex-Guns N' Roses band Velvet Revolver, Sebastian Bach got his GN'R fix recently when he teamed up with former Guns drummer Steven Adler. Adler's band — which also features members of Slash's Snakepit, Ratt and Faster Pussycat — is called Adler's Appetite, to reflect its penchant for playing songs off of Appetite for Destruction. Bach took the mic during the group's set at the Palms Casino in Las Vegas on May 31. ...

Speaking of ex-Gunners, founding guitarist Izzy Stradlin has finished his sixth solo album, Like a Dog. Clips of two songs, "Hammerhead" and "Bomb," have been posted on his Web site. Meanwhile, Gilby Clarke, who replaced Stradlin in GN'R, will perform with Heart on "The Tonight Show" on Tuesday. ... Former Pearl Jam drummer Jack Irons joined Eddie Vedder and his old mates onstage in Irvine, California, Tuesday for a cover of Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World." Matt Cameron replaced Irons in 1998, just before the band embarked on a tour to support Yield. ...

Former Smiths singer Morrissey has begun working on his first album in five years. The Mozzer's follow-up to Maladjusted is due on the newly resurrected Attack label. ... "Creatures (For a While)" will be the first single from 311's new album, Evolver, due July 22. The song will hit the airwaves on June 30. ... Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am told the Los Angeles Times he's working on a second solo album, with appearances by KRS-One, MC Lyte and others. The project will be released on the London club label Barely Breaking Even. ... The Wallflowers will embark on an 18-date acoustic tour July 11 in San Diego. Jakob Dylan and company continue to support last year's Red Letter Days on the trek, which wraps July 27 in Boulder, Colorado. ...

Damion Hall of the R&B group Guy called in to New York radio station WBLS-FM on Friday (June 6) to dispel rumors of his demise. "I'm definitely here, I'm alive and awake," Hall said. "It's amazing how people want to make up stories to create a rumor or for them to get some steam. ... Everybody that has been worried or confused, I am here, I'm alive, I'm well." ... The first glimpse of what a reunited original lineup of Duran Duran sounds like is available online, where an unmixed demo of the new song "What Happens Tomorrow" has been leaked. Sample lyrics: "We can't wait for a savior/ Only got ourselves to blame for this behavior." The band has yet to sign a label deal but has booked a few shows this summer, including a July 16 gig at the Pacific Amphitheatre in Costa Mesa, California, and a July 17 concert at the Hard Rock Casino in Las Vegas. ...

Versatile Marilyn Manson guitarist John 5 recently worked with songwriter James Michael on a song for the next Garbage album. Last year Michael and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx co-wrote the Saliva single "Rest in Pieces." Afterward, Garbage's Butch Vig asked Michael to pen him a tune. ... "The Sopranos" star Jamie-Lynn Sigler will perform the national anthem prior to Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Sunday, while KC & the Sunshine Band will provide three songs of halftime entertainment for Game 4 on Wednesday, including the disco hits "Get Down Tonight" and "That's the Way (I Like It.)" The additions join previously announced performers Lisa Marie Presley, Jewel and Phish for the NBA Finals, which pit the San Antonio Spurs against the New Jersey Nets. ...

Four songs from the last concert John Entwistle played with the Who before he died will be released as a bonus disc of a live double-CD due July 22. The freebie will feature "I'm Free," "Young Man Blues," "Summertime Blues" and "I Don't Even Know Myself" recorded at London's Royal Albert Hall last year. The other two discs will be composed of a benefit show the band played for the Teenage Cancer Trust at Royal Albert Hall in November 2000. Guest appearances were made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder, Bryan Adams, Oasis' Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Stereophonics' Kelly Jones. ...

06.05.03

Metallica will be the focus of an upcoming car-combat game that will feature music, voiceovers and creative input from the band. The still-untitled game will be created by Vivendi Universal Games in collaboration with Segnana Inc., and will be released sometime in 2005. ...

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis won't just be singing about killers and mutants on this year's Ozzfest, he'll be bringing them out on the road. The tour will feature an exhibit of Davis' twisted art, rare artifacts, weapons and other memorabilia focusing on death and darkness. The exhibition will be called "The End" and will be housed in a mobile facility with almost 1,000 square feet of gallery space. Admission will be charged. ... Several rockers — including Good Charlotte, the Used, the Faint, Goldfinger and the Desaparecidos — are donating tracks to People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals for its new compilation album, Liberation: Songs to Benefit PETA. The LP — produced by Fat Mike of NOFX for his label Fat Wreck Chords — hits stores this summer. It's available now at www.peta2.com. ...

Backstreet Boy Brian Littrell is scheduled to perform Thursday (June 5) in Atlanta, along with Kelly Price, Cee-Lo and Joi, at the second annual Atlanta Heroes Awards, which will honor James Brown and members of TLC. Proceeds benefit the Atlanta Chapter of the Recording Academy's professional arts education programs and the MusiCares Foundation. ... Jessica Simpson has written a book called "I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding," which can be purchased at www.jessicasimpsonbook.com. The hardback, about her recent nuptials to Nick Lachey, also comes with a DVD. ...

America's Sweetheart isn't bringing Courtney Love any closer to her British fans. Love has canceled appearances at the U.K.'s Reading (August 24) and Leeds (August 22) festivals, opting instead to dedicate the time to working on her first album in four years. ... Pulp's Jarvis Cocker has gone goth with his new project Relaxed Muscle. Last week the singer appeared in ghoulish skeleton garb and called himself Darren Spooner at a secret gig in London. The group is expected to release its full-length debut on the U.K.'s Rough Trade imprint in late summer. ...

"Kings of the Road" Fu Manchu will release the double live album Go For It ... Live on July 22. The California quartet, with a decade of meaty, driving stoner rock under its collective belt, recorded the disc in Stockholm, Sweden, and Los Angeles, two stops on their 2002 California Crossing world tour. ... "Damn!," the Lil Jon-produced first single from the Youngbloodz's second album, Drankin' Patnaz, will hit radio outlets June 30. Benny Boom (Nelly) co-directed the video, along with Jermaine Dupri, who executive-produced the album. ...

A London judge ruled Thursday that "shizzle my nizzle" are not offensive lyrics. Andrew Alcee sued the Heartless Crew for their remix of the 2001 garage hit "Burnin," claiming "derogatory treatment" of his copyright. ... Verizon Communications' request to stay, or postpone, a subpoena ordering their Internet services branch to identify two subscribers accused of engaging in illegal file-sharing was denied Wednesday by the U.S. Court of Appeals. The company is expected to surrender the names to the RIAA in a day or two but vowed to continue to fight the recording industry in court over the how to handle online piracy. ...

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472402/20030606/bach_sebastian.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1472402/20030606/bach_sebastian.jhtml 6 Jun 2003 07:43:00 EDT <![CDATA['8 Mile' Soundtrack Edges Timberlake To Top <I>Billboard</I> Albums Chart]]> Justified takes #2 behind the unstoppable Eminem machine.
By Joe D'Angelo


Eminem
Photo: Eli Reed

Despite a strong first-week showing from Justin Timberlake's solo debut, the "8 Mile" soundtrack will stay a stride ahead of the 'NSYNC singer on next week's Billboard albums chart.

Timberlake Justified his #2 position with more than 439,000 copies sold, according to SoundScan figures released Wednesday. However, fueled by the adrenaline-inducing single "Lose Yourself" and the momentum associated with the film topping weekend box-office charts (see "), the Eminem-stamped soundtrack bested the NSYNCer's LP by more than 68,000 copies to bring its two-week total to more than 1.2 million.

Eminem's über-presence in the media last week made more than 114,000 people realize that he's not just a movie star — he's got an album out, too. Sales to those catching on late in the game allowed The Eminem Show to continue its 25-week engagement in the top 10. The LP actually increased its weekly sales tally from last week's 99,000, nudging it up a slot on to #7. In all, the rapper's third major-label album clocks in with total sales upwards of 6.5 million.

Picked from hits of the last decade, including "Beautiful Day," "One" and "Stuck in a Moment You Can't Get Out Of," U2's "The Best Of 1990-2000 will debut at #3 with more than 184,000 copies sold. The landing surprised many chart watchers, not the least of whom is Christina Aguilera, whose second album, Stripped, will drop to #4 (168,000) in its second week.

Jaheim got into the #8 slot with Still Ghetto (see "), his follow-up to last year's Ghetto Love, while fans are still gettin' into the Dave Matthews Band big time. The group's Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado, which will follow at #9, continues their streak of high-charting LPs. Since 1994's breakthrough Under the Table and Dreaming, eight of their nine full-length albums — including live records — have placed in the top 10. Listener Supported, released in 1999, came in at #15.

Elsewhere in the chart's top 10, Santana's Shaman will slip a spot to #5; Faith Hill's Cry will maintain its #6 position for the second week, and Nirvana's greatest hits collection, Nirvana, will bring up the rear, falling seven spots from its #3 debut.

Juggalos nationwide united to give the Insane Clown Posse their highest chart debut in three years. The harrowing harlequins' latest album, The Wraith: Shangri-La (see "), will land at #15 with more than 76,000 copies sold. Only 1999's The Amazing Jeckel Brothers, — which came in at #4 and sold nearly twice as much — proved a more successful debut for the clown-faced couple.

"The Other Side," the first single from acoustic softie David Gray's latest album, A New Day at Midnight, helped propel the new release into top 20 territory. The British bard's fifth album will land at #17 after selling more than 71,000 copies in its first week.

In July, he presented the Inc. Now Irv Gotti has served more dishes with a new twist from his posse (see "), and hip-hop heads are salivating for a taste. Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes, featuring new takes on tunes by Ashanti ("Unfoolish"), Toni Braxton ("Me and My Boyfriend"), and Ja Rule ("No One Does It Better"), among others, will come in at #24 with more than 46,000 copies sold.

The Wallflowers' make their second attempt to match the success of their 1996 breakthrough, Bringing Down the Horse, with Red Letter Days (see "Red Letter Days Shows Wallflowers Aren't Leaving The Dance"), which will place at #32 with more than 38,000 copies sold. Unfortunately for Jakob Dylan and company, 2000's Breach fared far better after its first week in stores, having come in at #13 with more than 80,000 copies sold.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Italian opera singer Andrea Bocelli's Sentimento at #12 (98,000); "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" soundtrack alum Alison Krauss' Live at #36; classic rockers Boston's first full-length album of new material in eight years, Corporate Ame rica, at #42; Eric Clapton's two-disc tour re-visitation, One More Car, One More Rider, at #43; Missy Elliott and Timbaland protégé Ms. Jade's Girl Interrupted at #51; R&B crooner Brian McKnight's 13-year retrospective, From There to Here 1989-2002, at #62; living legend Johnny Cash's latest covers album, Amercian IV: The Man Comes Around, at #70; Grandes Exitos, a best-off culled from Shakira's three Spanish-language albums, at #80; Björk's Greatest Hits at #115; Badly Drawn Boy's uncharacteristically peppy pop album (see " Badly Drawn Boy Salutes Cobain, Turns Down Madonna"), Have You Fed the Fish? at #135; and Ours' second LP, Precious, at #187.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458671/20021113/eminem.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458671/20021113/eminem.jhtml 13 Nov 2002 03:14:00 EST <![CDATA[<I>Red Letter Days</I> Shows Wallflowers Aren't Leaving The Dance]]> Jakob Dylan and company plan tour kicking off November 20 in Colorado.
By Benjamin Wagner, with additional reporting by Heather Stas


The Wallflowers
Photo: Interscope

It's a long and somewhat twisted road that has led the Wallflowers back to record stores this week with Red Letter Days.

The band first met the masses with its 1996 commercial breakthrough Bringing Down the Horse, an album that helped to make the Wallflowers one of the hottest groups in America. Torchbearers for a roots-rock resurgence that included Sheryl Crow, Counting Crows and Joan Osbourne, the band and its "6th Avenue Heartache" crackled on radio and video outlets, where a David Fincher-directed clip ran in heavy rotation.

Bruce Springsteen and Jon Bon Jovi dropped in for encores at their shows. The Rolling Stones tapped the Wallflowers to open, and the band won two Grammys. From the cover of Rolling Stone to the Billboard Hot 100 to the coveted "Saturday Night Live" stage, the Wallflowers were everywhere.

But when the band resurfaced in 2000 with the equally luminous Breach, the mid-tempo guitar rock that was its foundation had fallen from grace, bumped from the charts by prefab pop.

And now Red Letter Days finds the band — especially its blue-eyed frontman, Jakob Dylan — bruised, perhaps, but resolute in the face of fickle pop-music fashions.

The LP opens with the oscillating synth bass and electronic breakbeats of "When You're on Top." Dylan sing-speaks the verses (not entirely unlike his father's "Subterranean Homesick Blues") over what could be momentarily mistaken for a David Gray or Paul Oakenfold outtake. But when the chorus explodes with the band's trademark shimmering guitars and richly textured harmonies, it's like someone put the top down on the convertible.

"I feel fine with the sun in my eyes, the wind in my hair, falling from the sky" Dylan sings, "I'm doing better than I thought I would but nothing's ever as good as when you're on top."

"[It's] the first thing that really got the group excited," Dylan said of the track. "[We] realized that we were reaching somewhere different from just louder or softer or faster or slower. [It] really set the pace for the group that we were on to something."

The band turned to original Wallflowers guitarist turned producer Tobias Miller and his partner Bill Appleberry (Adema) to helm the project.

"We had the finger on exactly what we wanted to do, [so] there was really nobody better," Dylan said. "He was truth to me. Knowing that this is a guy I went to grade school with, he's as good as anybody else out there with a four-star name, really."

The song's ProTools-enhanced flourishes demonstrate something of a new direction for the Wallflowers. But the balance of the CD, from the staccato electric guitars of "Out of the Water" to the more plaintive, acoustic-driven "Here in Pleasantville," suggests the band understands its strengths and is sticking to its guns. Lyrically, Dylan the singer/songwriter wrestles with the fickle nature of fame, and wins. The signposts are everywhere.

"I'm not looking for a warm embrace, I'm not looking for a friendly face," Dylan sings on "Everything I Need." "On the way down is when I found out I've got everything I need."

Capable of adaptation but confident in its skill set, Red Letter Days demonstrates that the quartet is in the rock band business for the long haul.

"It's too late to quit, too soon to go home," Dylan sings in "Too Late to Quit," summarizing the band's position in the corporate pop landscape.

"There's that saying that 'It's not a race, it's a marathon,' " Dylan said. "[But] I don't see anybody in front of me or anybody behind me, and there is no finish line. You just keep going."

Wallflowers tour dates, according to their Web site:

  • 11/20 - Englewood, CO @ Gothic Theater
  • 11/22 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Quest
  • 11/23 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
  • 11/24 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave Complex
  • 11/26 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room
  • 11/27 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall
  • 11/29 - Toronto, ON @ The Phoenix
  • 11/30 - Winooski, VT @ Higher Ground
  • 12/1 - Sea Bright, NJ @ Tradewinds
  • 12/2 - Boston, MA @ Avalon
  • 12/3 - Hartford, CT @ Webster Theatre
  • 12/5 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
  • 12/6 - Philadelphia, PA @ Theater of Living Arts
  • 12/7 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458658/20021112/wallflowers.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458658/20021112/wallflowers.jhtml 13 Nov 2002 07:53:00 EST <![CDATA[New Releases: Justin Timberlake, Bjork, Wallflowers, U2, Dave Matthews Band, David Cross & More]]>
Justin Timberlake
Photo: Jive Records

The wait is over — it's time to get Justified. 'NSYNC golden boy Justin Timberlake releases his solo album Tuesday, which finds the dirty pop star trading in his bubble-gum beats for more of a hip-hop "flava" with the help of the Neptunes and Timbaland.

Icelandic nymph Björk serves up two releases this week, a greatest hits album and a six-disc box set, Family Tree.

The Wallflowers' fourth album, Red Letter Days, hits shelves alongside the Murder Inc. all-star compilation Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes.

U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 includes the group's old favorites like "One" and "Mysterious Ways" and newer material that's out of the titular time range, like "Electrical Storm" and "The Hands That Built America."

Dave Matthews Band's Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado was recorded in July 2001, and the two-and-a-half-hour show makes up the group's sixth live album.

And finally, surely everyone remembers Ray Munns of MTV's third Wanna Be a VJ contest. Well, like Jesse and the 8th Street Kidz before him, he has his own album called A DJ's Night Out. Somewhere, Thalia is kicking herself.

Out Tuesday, November 5:

  • Alka - Deployed (EFA-Caroline)
  • All About Eve - Return to Eden (United States Dist.)
  • Dot Allison - We Are Science (Mantra/Beggars Group)
  • Anomoanon - Asleep Many Years in the Woods (Temporary Residence)
  • Anybody Killa - Anybody Killa (Psychopathic)
  • Apostles - The Apostles (Red Ink)
  • Avail - Front Porch Stories (Fat Wreck Chords)
  • Badly Drawn Boy - Have You Fed the Fish? (ARTISTdirect)
    Buy Now: Have You Fed the Fish? (ARTISTdirect)
  • Bella Morte - The Quiet (Metropolis)
  • Tony Bennett and k.d. lang - A Wonderful World (RPM/Columbia)
  • Biastfear - All Angels Scream (Level Two)
  • Björk - Björk's Greatest Hits (Elektra)
    Buy Now: Björk's Greatest Hits (Elektra)
  • Björk - Family Tree (Box Set, Elektra)
    Buy Now: Family Tree (Box Set, Elektra)
  • Bluebird - Hot Blood (Tiger Style)
  • Boston - Corporate America (Artemis)
  • Bruces - The War of the Bruces (Misra)
  • Johnny Cash - The Man Comes Around (American)
  • Cathedral - VIIth Coming (Spitfire)
  • Chubb Rock - Best of Chubb Rock Party Jams (Select)
  • The Church - Parallel Universe (two discs, Thirsty Ear)
  • Eric Clapton - One More Car, One More Rider (two discs, Reprise/Duck)
  • Clarence Clemons - Live in Asbury Park (Valley)
  • Clockwise - Healthy Manipulation (RCA)
  • Chris Coco - Next Wave (Distinctive)
  • Lee Coombs - Perfecto Breaks (Perfecto)
  • Deborah Cox - The Morning After (J)
  • Crank Yankers - Best Uncensored Crank Calls 2 (Comedy Central)
  • David Cross - Shut Up, You F---ing Baby! (Sub Pop)
    Read: "David Cross Says Shut Up, You F---ing Baby! With Sub Pop's Help"
  • Damnation - The Unholy Sound of Damnation (RAFR)
  • Mychael Danna - "Ararat" soundtrack (Milan)
  • Darkwell - Conflict of Interest (Napalm)
  • Kimya Dawson - I'm Sorry That Sometimes I'm Mean (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
  • Deviants - Dr. Crow (Phantom)
  • Diamond Rexx - Evil (Crash)
  • Discipline - Saints and Sinners (GMM)
  • DJ Louie Devito - NYC Underground Party Vol. 5 (Musicrama)
  • Dominion III - Life Has Ended Here (Napalm)
  • The Double U - White Night, Floating Anchor (Emperor Jones)
  • Dub Pistols - Y4K: Next Level Breaks (Distinctive)
  • The Early November - For All of This (Drive-Thru)
  • Enthroned - Carnage in Worlds Beyond (Napalm)
  • Fish - Fellini Nights (United States Dist.)
  • Dean Friedman - The Treehouse Journals (Real Life)
  • John Frizzell - "Ghost Ship" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
  • Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man - Out of Season (Universal)
  • Roger Glover & Guilty Party - Snapshot (Eagle/Red Ink)
  • Khojo Goodie - Man Not the Dawg (Street Level)
  • David Gray - A New Day at Midnight (ATO)
    Read: "In Bed With Your Daughter? No Thanks, Says David Gray"
  • The Great Divide - Remain (Emergent/92E)
  • Neil Hamburger - Laugh Out Lord (Drag City)
  • Har Mar Superstar - You Can Feel Me (Record Collection/Warner Bros.)
  • Her Space Holiday - Home is Where You Hang Yourself 2.0 (Tiger Style)
  • The Hungry Ghost - The Hungry Ghost (The Orchard)
  • Alberto Iglesias - "Talk to Her" soundtrack (Milan)
  • Insane Clown Posse - The Wraith: Shangri-La (Psychopathic)
    Buy Now: The Wraith: Shangri-La (Psychopathic)
  • Alan Jackson - Let It Be Christmas (ACR/Arista Nashville)
  • Jaheim - Still Ghetto (Divine Mill/Warner Bros.)
    Read: "Jaheim Shooting For 10 Million With Still Ghetto"
  • July for Kings - Swim (MCA)
  • Kennedy - Kennedy (Sea Level)
  • Kid Dakota - So Pretty (Chairkickers)
  • KMFDM featuring PIG - Sturm & Drang Tour 2002 (Metropolis)
  • Knightowl - Best of 2 (Familia)
  • Alison Krauss & Union Station - Live (two discs, Rounder)
  • Fred Lonberg Holm Trio - A Valentine for Fred Katz (Atavistic)
  • Long Since Forgotten - All the Things You Said (Phantom)
  • The Lyndsay Diaries - The Tops of Trees Are on Fire (Militia Group)
  • Roots Manuva - Badmeaningood Vol. 1 (Ultimate Dilemma)
  • Hugh Masekela - Time (Columbia)
  • Dave Matthews Band - Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado (RCA)
    Buy Now: Live at Folsom Field - Boulder, Colorado (RCA)
  • Brian McKnight - From There to Here: 1989 - 2002 (Universal)
  • Ramsay Midwood - Shootout at the OK Chinese Restaurant (Vanguard)
  • Millions of Dead Cops - Now More Than Ever (Rhythm Vicar)
  • moe. - Seasons Greetings from moe. (Fat Boy)
  • Morgenstern - Rausch (Napalm)
  • Mountain Goats - Tallahassee (4AD/Beggars Banquet)
  • Ms. Jade - Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/Interscope)
    Read: "Ms. Jade, Nelly Furtado Battle Timbaland On Video Set"
    Buy Now: Girl Interrupted (Beat Club/Interscope)
  • Mummes - Never Been Caught (Telstar)
  • Ray Munns - A DJ's Night Out (Funk Wax)
  • Myriads - Introspection (Napalm)
  • Nagisa Ni Te - On the Love Beach (Jagjaguwar)
  • Napalm Death - Order of the Leech (Spitfire)
  • Nad Navillus - Iron Night (Jagjaguwar)
  • Willie Nelson & Friends - Stars & Guitars Live (Lost Highway)
  • The Orb - In My Mind (A1s)
  • Donny Osmond - Somewhere in Time (Decca)
  • Ours - Precious (DreamWorks)
  • Laura Pausini - From the Inside (Atlantic)
  • Pip Proud and Tom Carter - Catch a Cherub (Emperor Jones)
  • Poison the Well - Distance Makes the Heart Grow (Undecided)
  • Project Pitchfork - Inferno (Metropolis)
  • Racebannon - Satan's Kicking Yr Dick In (Secretly Canadian)
  • Real McKenzies - Pissed Tae th' Gills (Sudden Death)
  • Paulina Rubio - Flashback: Greatest Hits (EMI)
  • Bic Runga - Beautiful Collision (Columbia)
  • Sadies - Stories Often Told (Yep Roc)
  • Saga - In Transit (Steamhammer)
  • Saltatio Mortis - Das Zweite Gesicht (Napalm)
  • Sectorseven - Sectorseven (Sonic Unyon)
  • Ship of Fools - Let's Get This Mother Outta Here (Snapper)
  • Roni Size - Touching Down (Full Cycle)
  • Smog - Accumulation: None (Drag City)
  • Strangelight - Lux (The Orchard)
  • Sun Ra and His Arkestra - Music from Tomorrow's World (Atavistic/UMS)
  • Sweetlife - Designated Spitta (Rufflife)
  • Symphony X - Odyssey (Inside Out)
  • This Is the Army - Call Me Mister (Jasmine)
  • Thuja - Suns (Emperor Jones)
  • Thundercrack - The Crack (Estrus)
  • Justin Timberlake - Justified (Jive)
    Read: "Justin Timberlake: Justify My Love"
  • Toto - Through the Looking Glass (Capitol)
  • Trail of Tears - A New Dimension of Might (Napalm)
  • Trapt - Trapt (Warner Bros.)
  • Trick Pony - On a Mission (Warner Bros. Nashville)
  • U2 - U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 (Interscope)
    Buy Now: U2 - The Best of 1990-2000 (Interscope)
  • Urban Voices - Gang (TCB)
  • Junior Vasquez - Earth Music 2 (Tommy Boy)
  • Justin Vollmar - Every Place Is Home (BlueSanct)
  • Wallflowers - Red Letter Days (Interscope)
    Buy Now: Red Letter Days (Interscope)
  • Westworld - Cyberdreams (Mayhem)
  • Wicked Minds - Homies (Navarre)
  • Various artists - American Hair Bands 1 (Versailles)
  • Various artists - Antifolk Vol. 1 (Sanctuary/Rough Trade)
  • Various artists - Ballers, Thugs N Hustlas (Navarre)
  • Various artists - Best of Hip Hop Comedy (Laughing Hyena)
  • Various artists - Biggest Ragga Dancehall Anthems 2002 (Greensleeves)
  • Various artists - Christmas Greetings From Studio One (Heartbeat)
  • Various artists - "Far From Heaven" soundtrack (Varese Sarabande)
  • Various artists - For the Kids (Nettwerk America)
  • Various artists - Great Ballads of Bluegrass (CMH)
  • Various artists - Home Town: The String Quartet Tribute to Springsteen (Vitamin)
  • Various artists - In House We Trust 2: Mixed by Behrouz and MV (two discs, Yoshitoshi)
  • Various artists - Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes (Murder Inc./Def Jam)
    Read: "Irv Gotti Shooting Ja Rule, Bobby Brown, Charli; Reveals Remixes List"
  • Various artists - "Lilo & Stitch: Island Favorites" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
  • Various artists - The Lounge Tribute to Eminem (Vitamin)
  • Various artists - Maybe This Christmas (Nettwerk America)
  • Various artists - Mondo Beat 2 (Narada World)
  • Various artists - The Nature of Narada (Narada)
  • Various artists - O Christmas Tree: A Bluegrass Collection for the Holidays (Rounder)
  • Various artists - "Punch-Drunk Love" soundtrack (Nonesuch)
  • Various artists - A Punk Tribute to Weezer (Cleopatra)
  • Various artists - "The Rising Place" soundtrack (Lakeshore)
  • Various artists - Sabbath in the Suburbs: The Lounge Tribute to Ozzy Osbourne & Black Sabbath (Vitamin)
  • Various artists - "The Santa Clause 2" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
  • Various artists - Soft & Suave: Relax Session (Lakeshore)
  • Various artists - The Steel Guitar Tribute to ZZ Top (CMH)
  • Various artists - A Tribute to NOFX (Cleopatra)

November 12:

November 19:

November 26:

December 3:

December 17:

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458510/20021104/timberlake_justin.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1458510/20021104/timberlake_justin.jhtml 5 Nov 2002 07:57:00 EST <![CDATA[For The Record: Quick News On Nick Carter, P. Diddy, Hives, 8Ball And MJG, Nickelback & More]]>
Backstreet Boys' Nick Carter
Photo: Jive

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter has pushed the release of his debut solo album, Now or Never, back a week to October 29. "Help Me," the first single from the LP that features tracks written by Carter, the Matrix, Mark Taylor, Steve Mac, Max Martin and Rami, will hit radio on August 20. ...

P. Diddy has started his own market research company, called Blue Mindset, which will release a national survey on a different topic each week, according to the Associated Press. Last week's debut poll was a survey on the national economy while this week's was about September 11. ... 8Ball and MJG, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Lil' Jon and the Eastside Boys and Lady May are going on the road together for the Grey Goose Vodka Music Tour. Starting on September 17 at New York City's BB King's and ending on October 14 at Club Level in Miami, the tour has 19 confirmed dates so far. ...

LIFEbeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS is celebrating its 10th anniversary with a benefit concert featuring the Hives, Jimmy Eat World, Sugarcult and Pete Yorn on August 28 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. Tickets and updates of performers are available at Lifebeat.org, the organization's official Web site. ...

India.Arie played a free show in New York's Bryant Park on Wednesday night, according to the Associated Press. The thousands of fans who turned out for the event were treated to a preview of some new songs from the songstress' follow-up to Acoustic Soul, due next month. ...

On the heels of the release of their second single from The Guest, "Lonely Day," Phantom Planet will headline an East Coast U.S. tour beginning September 2 in Chicago and ending in Plainview, New York, on September 20. They will then tour as the opening act for Elvis Costello and the Attractions, beginning September 23 in Seattle and wrapping up October 7 in Houston. ...

Nickelback lead the nominees for the Prairie Music Awards in Winnipeg, Canada, with four honors including Entertainer of the Year. Prairie Music Week kicks off on September 26 and ends with a bang with the awards show on September 29. ... Melissa Auf Der Maur's new project Hand of Doom, a Black Sabbath tribute band that features the ex-Hole/Smashing Pumpkins bassist on lead vocals, will release their debut album on October 22. The band also boasts Nick Oliveri (Queens of the Stone Age) handling Ronnie James Dio's lead vocals on "Mob Rule," Pedro Yanowitz (ex-Wallflowers/Natalie Merchant drummer) behind the kit, Guy Stevens on guitar, Joey Garfield as DJ and Molly R. Stern on bass. ...

Kevin Murray, the California senator working closely with Don Henley and the Recording Artists Coalition, has pulled back the state bill he introduced in January that would have abolished the music industry's exemption to a state law that prevents contracts from lasting more than seven years. Murray now plans to introduce a broader legislative package on artists' rights next year that will address accounting practices and health care and pension benefits. ...

Snoop Dogg's next episode will be a cameo in "A Very Merry Muppet Christmas Movie," according to his publicist. Other stars expected to get in on the Muppet action are Whoopi Goldberg, Joan Cusack and David Arquette, who are said to have starring roles in the NBC TV movie, while Carson Daly, Kelly Ripa, Sir Michael Caine and William H. Macy are reported to be making cameos. ... Alanis Morissette, India.Arie, Jill Scott and U2 drummer Larry Mullen, Jr. have been added to the roster of Listmakers for this year's Shortlist Music Prize. They will join Beck, the Neptunes, Lars Ulrich and others in choosing the best album released in America over the last year. ...

Now it can be told: Wu-Tang's Ghostface Killah will write his autobiography for HarperCollins' ReganBooks imprint. There's no date available yet for the book, which is tentatively titled "Iron Man." ... Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx is looking to turn the band's salacious autobiography, "The Dirt," into a movie, according to the Associated Press. ... Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions in Hollywood will display artwork by Marilyn Manson starting September 20. Some of the singer's paintings can also be viewed on his Web site, www.thegoldenageofgrotesque.com. ... Pavement have agreed to let British music journalist Rob Jovanovic write their authorized biography. Boston publisher Justin, Charles & Co. snatched up the rights and plan to release the book in 2004. ...

Audiovent's tour bus hit and critically injured a pedestrian following a concert Wednesday opening for Our Lady Peace at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom. The elderly woman — who witnesses say was being dragged across the street by her husband against the "Don't Walk" sign — was non-responsive and taken to a nearby hospital. Audiovent were not aboard the bus at the time of the accident, and the driver was not charged. ... They Might Be Giants 2-CD, 52-song collection, Dial-A-Song: 20 Years of They Might Be Giants, will hit stores September 17. The set will include most of the band's best-known songs, including "Don't Let's Start," "Birdhouse in Your Soul" and "Istanbul (Not Constantinople)," three previously unreleased live cuts, and soundtrack recordings from TV's "Malcolm in the Middle" and "Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me." ...

Sheryl Crow and her band will make a surprise performance on the a two-hour edition of "Big Brother 3," airing at 9 p.m. ET on August 21 on CBS, according to a CBS spokesperson. Crow and her band will play three songs for the HouseGuests, including "Soak Up the Sun," "Steve McQueen" and "All I Wanna Do," and online subscribers to the show can get a sneak peek the day before. ... Electronic duo Groove Armada have finished recording their fourth studio album, Love Box, which will be released in the U.K. in the fall and in the States in January. The record features guest appearances by Sunshine Anderson, Nappy Roots, Richie Havens and Neneh Cherry. ...

08.14.02

Weezer will not release a third single from Maladroit and will instead concentrate on finishing their fifth album, singer Rivers Cuomo said last week. "We're gonna start the record in a month or two," he said, "so we're ready to move on." ... Halfway through Mary J. Blige's show Tuesday night at the Apollo Theater in New York, P. Diddy made a surprise cameo, performing two songs before being joined by Loon for another, and Fabolous and Jadakiss joined P. Diddy, Loon and Blige for the encore. Diddy and Blige also announced plans to work on a new project beginning next week for the 10-year anniversary of their first collaboration, What's the 411?. ... Wrestling star and one-time co-host of "Celebrity Deathmatch" Stone Cold Steve Austin (real name Steve Williams) surrendered to authorities in San Antonio, Texas, on Tuesday to face assault charges, according to police. The charges stem from an alleged domestic violence incident in June in which Williams is accused of assaulting his wife, Debra Williams. The wrestling star faces a misdemeanor charge of assault with bodily injury and is free on $5,000 bail; his arraignment hearing is set for September 18 and he faces up to a year in jail and a $4,000 fine. ...

Having recently wrapped the This Way tour, Jewel has firmed up dates for her New Wild West Tour, which will begin Friday in Duluth, Minnesota, and end September 19 in Santa Rosa, California. The outing, which will hit mainly secondary markets such as Sioux City, Iowa, will feature Jewel playing solo acoustic. ... The BK Got Music Summer Soul Tour, a 19-date amphitheatre outing featuring Michelle Williams of Destiny's Child, Angie Stone, Luther Vandross and Gerald Levert, will kick off on August 15 in Boston and end on September 22 in Concord, California. According to Pollstar, the lineup represents black music past (Vandross and Levert), present (Stone), and future (Williams). ... Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker has begun proceedings to end his nine-month marriage. The tattooed heartthrob is now spending time with former Miss USA/ Playboy model/ "Pacific Blue" actress and Oscar De La Hoya baby mama Shana Moakler. ...

Shannon Larkin, formerly of Ugly Kid Joe and Amen, is now the permanent replacement for departed Godsmack drummer Tommy Stewart, according to a post from singer Sully Erna on the band's Web site. In the lengthy letter to fans, Erna also said that Godsmack are finishing the writing for their next album, which they hope to begin recording in October. ... Ex-Megadeth members Marty Friedman and Dave Ellefson will join aspiring singer Steve Richards to record a previously unfinished Buddy Holly tune called "That Makes It Tough." The song was completed more than 40 years after Holly's death, according to the Associated Press. ... Napster's assets are about to be sold to the highest bidder. According to Reuters, investment banking firm Trenwith Securities LLC will be responsible for the auction, marketing the assets free of all liabilities and pending litigation claims, and will accept proposals from qualified bidders until August 21, as the auction begins on August 27. ...

West Coast rappers Blackalicious hit the road Tuesday in support of their second album, Blazing Arrow. The tour crosses from the East Coast to the West before wrapping September 8 in San Francisco. ... Florida metalcore outfit Poison the Well will not be a part of the remaining dates on the current Kittie/ Killswitch Engage tour, though they will take part in next month's Plea for Peace Tour with the Promise Ring. The band hopes to take a break from touring soon in order to begin writing its major-label debut ... Mosaic Music Publishing became the proud owner earlier this week of a 50 percent stake in a catalog of Aerosmith songs written between 1973-1982, comprising seven albums including Get Your Wings and Toys in the Attic. According to Reuters, Aerosmith will own the other 50 percent, while Mosaic will be in charge of the administration of the catalog and its assets worldwide.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1457067/20020816/carter_nick.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1457067/20020816/carter_nick.jhtml 16 Aug 2002 04:34:00 EDT <![CDATA[For The Record: Quick News On Bow Wow, Weezer, Wallflowers, Pearl Jam, PJ Harvey & More ...]]>
Lil' Bow Wow
Photo: Columbia

Bow Wow will meet and greet in Detroit on June 17 to promote his new film, "Like Mike," and lend support to a local charity that helps low-income families and senior citizens. He will greet fans at Great Lakes Crossing in Auburn Hills from 2-3 p.m., then participate in a presentation to the Lighthouse of Oakland County as its shoe drive draws to a close. ... Weezer have added a side stage to their Enlightenment Tour with Dashboard Confessional and Sparta, which kicks off July 6 in Salt Lake City. Loudermilk, Home Town Hero and AM Radio will perform on it through July 23, after which Weezer labelmates Rooney replace Loudermilk. ...

After an investigation into the deaths of nine concertgoers at the Roskilde festival in Denmark, a state prosecutor resolved that no charges will be filed against the event's organizers. In addition to the deaths, 43 were injured during Pearl Jam's set on June 30, 2000, when a crowd of nearly 50,000 surged toward the stage. ... In more upbeat news, Pearl Jam guitarist Mike McCready has contributed guitar work to the Wallflowers' fourth album, Red Letter Days, due September 24. An undetermined first single will hit the airwaves in late July. ... A double-live Black Crowes set, The Black Crowes Live, is set for release on August 27. ...

Mos Def is slated to star in "From the Outside Looking In," an urban indie film about a young man growing up with his four best friends in Brooklyn, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Mos Def will play one of the friends along with Isaiah Washington, Wood Harris and the film's writer/director, Jerry LaMothe, with production scheduled to begin in August. ... Five for Fighting, Tonic, Howie Day and Remy Shand have been added to the lineup for the inaugural Jeep World Outside Festival. The 23-city music and sports tour (which boasts Train and headliner Sheryl Crow) kicks off July 10 at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Charlotte, North Carolina. ...

Violent Femmes singer Gordon Gano will release his first solo album, Hitting the Ground, in late August to coincide with an upcoming Femmes box set. Nine of the 11 tracks feature guest vocalists, including PJ Harvey, Lou Reed, Linda Perry, They Might Be Giants, Frank Black and Mary Lou Lord. ... Spiritual People, the third solo album from former Arrested Development frontman Speech, is due on September 10 through iMusic. Speech described the follow-up to 1999's Hoopla as ranging from "hip-hop with a folk edge to vintage soul and pop." ...

Chicago newcomers OK Go will promote their self-titled debut album, due September 17, by touring with labelmates the Vines this summer. Francis Lawrence (Incubus, Nelly Furtado) recently shot a video for the album's first single, "Get Over It." ... "Grease," the campy 1978 musical starring John Travolta and Olivia Newton-John, caught the #97 spot on the venerable American Film Institute's list of the top 100 romantic movies. Several of the show's classic tunes were penned by John Farrar, father of Phantom Planet bassist Sam Farrar. ...

06.11.02

Kelly Osbourne canceled her musical performance on "The Tonight Show," scheduled for Friday, due to a broken hand coupled with exhaustion brought on by too much traveling, her publicist said. The injury resulted from falling down some stairs, though by press time, Osbourne's spokesperson couldn't pinpoint when the mishap occurred. ... Chill the Faygo — Insane Clown Posse have announced the details of their annual Gathering of the Juggalos. This year's festival will be held June 19-21 in Peoria, Illinois, and will include performances by Kittie, Bubba Sparxxx, Mack 10 and Twiztid, among others. ... Common ground couldn't be reached at a court-ordered mediation between Courtney Love and Universal Music Group on Monday, so Love's lawsuit against the major-label conglomerate stands to go before the judge June 18, barring any scheduling conflicts. The former Hole frontwoman filed a suit against her label in March 2001, looking to get out of her contract. ...

Folks were out in droves to see a pair of critical faves in New York on Monday night: "SNL" star Jimmy Fallon took in Beth Orton's way-sold-out show at Bowery Ballroom, while Magic Johnson grooved to the smooth sounds of Raphael Saadiq at B.B. King's Blues Club. ... Viva Death — a politically charged side project featuring A Perfect Circle's Josh Freese, Foo Fighters' Chris Shiflett, his brother Scott of Face to Face and that group's frontman, Trevor Keith — will release its debut album on August 27. The group plans to tour in support of the album. ...

Digital Underground rappers Humpty Hump and Money B have teamed with porn stars Ron Jeremy and Obsession to launch a digital magazine titled "Sex and the Studio." The DVDs will feature the rappers interviewing artists about their music and the "actors" asking them about sex as they undress. ... Santana, Snoop Dogg and Bootsy Collins will perform at the 10th annual ESPY Awards. Snoop and Bootsy will perform the "Undercover Brother" soundtrack hit "Undercova Funk (Give Up the Funk)" at the ceremony, which will be televised live from Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on July 10 on ESPN. ...

Shining the spotlight back on Seattle, Brad's third album, Welcome to Discovery Park, will be released on August 13. The group's first major tour in five years is likely to kick off in the fall to promote the new album. ... Where are they now, you ask? Everyone's favorite early '90s bands — Gin Blossoms, Spin Doctors, Soul Asylum, Seven Mary Three and Sponge — have joined forces for the New World Disorder Tour, which kicks off on July 3 in Newport, Rhode Island. ...

Former Iron Maiden vocalist Paul Di'anno will have his first book released on June 17 through London's John Blake Publishing Ltd. It's called "The Beast" and is essentially his autobiography. ... Slipknot frontman Corey Taylor has once again changed the name of his side project — it's now to be called Stone Sour. ... Shadows Fall's new record, The Art of Balance, will hit stores on September 17. ... Tomas Lindberg, who recently left the Crown, is back with his former band, the Great Deciever, who are currently working on a new album.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1455136/20020612/bow_wow.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1455136/20020612/bow_wow.jhtml 12 Jun 2002 04:35:00 EDT <![CDATA[Vedder, McLachlan, Crowes Cover Beatles For 'Sam']]> Ben Folds, Wallflowers also appear on January-due soundtrack.
By Corey Moss


Eddie Vedder
Photo: MTV News

Eddie Vedder, Sarah McLachlan, the Black Crowes and 14 other artists will deliver their takes on Beatles classics for the soundtrack to the Sean Penn drama "I Am Sam."

The album, due January 8, also features Ben Folds, the Wallflowers, Paul Westerberg, Nick Cave and Ben Harper, among others, according to a V2 Records spokesperson.

All of the covers were recorded for the soundtrack album and eight are featured in the movie, which stars Penn as Sam, a mentally handicapped father fighting to keep custody of his seven-year-old daughter, Lucy.

"I Am Sam," due in theaters December 28, has several other references to the Beatles, including a courtroom scene where Sam compares himself and his daughter to the songwriting team of John Lennon and Paul McCartney.

Vedder, a friend of Penn's who contributed two tracks to his film "Dead Man Walking" in 1996, was one of the first artists to sign on for the soundtrack, recording "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away," the spokesperson said.

The Wallflowers recorded "I'm Looking Through You" at a Santa Monica studio owned by Jackson Browne, who also sang on the track.

The first single from the album is still under consideration, the spokesperson said.

The "I Am Sam" track list, according to V2:

  • Sarah McLachlan - "Blackbird"
  • Aimee Mann and Michael Penn - "Two of Us"
  • The Wallflowers - "I'm Looking Through You"
  • Rufus Wainwright - "Across the Universe"
  • Ben Harper - "Strawberry Fields Forever"
  • Eddie Vedder - "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away"
  • The Black Crowes - "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds"
  • Ben Folds - "Golden Slumbers"
  • Paul Westerberg - "Nowhere Man"
  • Nick Cave - "Let It Be"
  • Stereophonics - "Don't Let Me Down"
  • Heather Nova - "We Can Work It Out"
  • The Vines - "I'm Only Sleeping"
  • Howie Day - "Help!"
  • Grandaddy - "Revolution"
  • Chocolate Genius - "Julia"

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1450546/20011106/mclachlan_sarah.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1450546/20011106/mclachlan_sarah.jhtml 6 Nov 2001 04:19:00 EST <![CDATA[Wallflowers Part Ways With Guitarist Michael Ward]]> 'Lone wolf' says group's songwriting process became stifling.
By Jon Wiederhorn


Michael Ward
Photo: Interscope

As a member of the Wallflowers, Michael Ward wrote guitar parts and played with the band onstage and in the studio, and for at least the past year, he did so against his better judgment.

This week Ward announced his departure from the band on his Web site, but he originally wanted to quit well before the group's last world tour.

"About a year ago I quit the band and then was persuaded into staying by our manager, Andy Slater," Ward revealed over the phone Thursday (October 11). "So I stayed through the whole Breach tour."

Then last week he was given his walking papers. The rift between Ward and the Wallflowers mostly stemmed from frontman Jakob Dylan's absolute control over the group, he said.

"For me, what music is all about is sitting down and creating songs from scratch. That's my life, and it's not really about adding guitar parts to someone else's music. That's not really satisfying for me. For a long time we were writing together, and then that stopped, and that made me pretty unhappy."

A Wallflowers spokesperson had no comment on Ward's remarks.

In addition to his disinterest in being a hired hand, Ward said he was becoming increasingly less enchanted with the direction of the band.

"The Wallflowers' American rock thing was always a little stylistically confining for me," he said. "My thing is a little more dark, moody and edgy."

Plus, he said, the Wallflowers discouraged him from playing with other musicians. Over the years, Ward has played with John Hiatt, appeared on records by Fastball, John Doe, Shawn Mullins and Josh Freese, and formed his own band, Tiny Buddy. As his dissatisfaction grew, Ward began spending less time with his bandmates.

"A couple years ago they printed up guitar picks for me that said, 'The lone wolf.' That kind of went from being a joke to being a drag. ... The division between me and the rest of them was getting pretty wide in all ways."

It became increasingly clear that things weren't working out during the Wallflowers' recent tour opening for John Mellencamp. His bandmates were concentrating intently on recording new songs backstage every day, but Ward was more than a bit preoccupied.

"It was interfering with my bicycle riding on a daily basis," he said with a laugh. "It's just tough for me to commit my life to working on someone else's songs and not do my own stuff. It's too stifling. Jakob is great at what he does, and power to him, but it just isn't my thing."

Ward first worked with the Wallflowers in 1996 when producer T Bone Burnett invited him to record guitar parts and background vocals for the band's second disc, Bringing Down the Horse. He joined the band soon after. Before playing with the Wallflowers, Ward co-founded the band School of Fish, which had a minor hit in 1991 with the song "3 Strange Days."

The Wallflowers are finished touring but have a charity concert scheduled on October 17 in Seattle at the Experience Music Project. Multi-instrumentalist Ben Peeler is expected to replace Ward for the show, a band spokesperson said.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449942/20011011/wallflowers.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1449942/20011011/wallflowers.jhtml 11 Oct 2001 06:20:00 EDT <![CDATA[Pearl Jam, Dave Matthews, R.E.M. Converge For Charity Shows]]> Week of Seattle concerts support U.N. efforts to combat hunger.
By Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen


Dave Matthews Band
Photo: RCA

Pearl Jam, Alanis Morissette and R.E.M. all on the same bill? Yep, and it's not a mid-'90s flashback — the three acts will perform October 22 at Seattle's Key Arena in a concert culminating a week of shows in the city to raise awareness and money to combat world hunger.

Other concerts include an October 17 show at the Experience Music Project's Sky Church featuring the Wallflowers, blues-rocker Chris Whitley, and former Clash frontman Joe Strummer with the Mescaleros,

An October 14 event at Paramount Theatre will feature Dave Matthews in a solo performance as well as singer/songwriter Emmylou Harris, producer/artist Daniel Lanois and gospel legends Blind Boys of Alabama. October 19 finds Heart's Ann and Nancy Wilson at the EMP, while Michael Franti & Spearhead join Joe Henry and Chocolate Genius there on October 20.

Planned by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and produced by the EMP, the Groundwork 2001 concert series will support U.N. efforts to provide the hungry with seeds, livestock and tools to help them become self-sufficient.

"The first casualty of hunger is hope," said Madonna, honorary Groundwork 2001 chair, in a statement. "The most subversive act you can perform is on behalf of someone's sense of hope."

The organization intends to release a CD called Groundwork featuring album tracks and B-sides by the likes of Madonna ("Cyber-Raga"), Moby ("Whispering Wind"), David Gray ("My Oh My") and Sheryl Crow, who contributes an unreleased live version of "Everyday Is a Winding Road." The disc will be available in October at Hear Music and Starbucks as well as online.

Groundwork aims to televise some of the Seattle concerts in October or around Thanksgiving, according to a spokesperson; further details have yet to be worked out.

Click for a feature interview with R.E.M.

Related Artists ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1446419/20010807/pearl_jam.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1446419/20010807/pearl_jam.jhtml 7 Aug 2001 04:56:00 EDT <![CDATA[The Wallflowers - The Beautiful Side of Somewhere]]> The Wallflowers - The Beautiful Side of Somewhere

The Beautiful Side of Somewhere

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=52288 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=52288 9 Jun 2005 12:00:00 EDT <![CDATA[The Wallflowers - When You're On Top]]> The Wallflowers - When You're On Top

When You're On Top

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=19094 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=19094 11 Nov 2002 12:00:00 EST <![CDATA[The Wallflowers - Three Marlenas]]> The Wallflowers - Three Marlenas

Three Marlenas

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=307860 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=307860 21 May 1996 12:00:00 EDT <![CDATA[The Wallflowers - One Headlight]]> The Wallflowers - One Headlight

One Headlight

]]> Videos http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=10340 http://www.mtv.com/overdrive/?artist=697&vid=10340 21 May 1996 12:00:00 EDT <![CDATA[Photos | Classic Unplugged Photos]]>

Classic Unplugged Photos

Related Artists ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1446823 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1446823 21 Aug 2001 07:03:03 EDT