Last post: Shifting blog location

The Off the Record blog will no longer be updated.

All music blogs can now be found at Anniston Star Escapes.

The brahphecy has been revealed: Phish is back

After months of speculation that the Vermont jam-icons Phish would be reuniting for a tour in 2009 the news that Phishheads around the world had been waiting for has finally come: 3 shows next year at Hampton Coliseum with more dates to be announced.

With word that the band had played at a friend's wedding last month this news doesn't come as much of a surprise. It will be nice to catch these guys again — they put on one hell of a show!

From Phish.com:

Phish returns to the stage for three concerts at the Hampton Coliseum in Hampton, Virginia on March 6, 7 and 8, 2009.

A limited number of tickets are available directly through Phish Tickets' online ticketing system at phish.portals.musictoday.com. The ticketing request period is currently under way and will end on Wednesday, October 8 at 11:59 a.m. EST.

Tickets go on sale to the public on Saturday, October 18 at 10 a.m. EST and may be purchased online at ticketmaster.com or by phone at 757.671.8100, 757.872.8100 or 804.262.8100. Tickets will not be available at the venue box office and there is a two-ticket limit per show.

The band intends to announce additional touring in 2009 early next year.

From the cradle: Albums transform songs to lullabies

A company has recently come to my attention that has cornered the market in what could be the first rock- (and reggae) to-lullabies CDs out there.

Rockabye Baby! takes classic songs from a wide array of artists and rearranges them as lullabies. Each album is about $17 and might just be the perfect baby shower gift for the expecting music lover.

Parents may also enjoy these tracks as they rock the cradle!

Here's a few of the many of samples:



Speak to Me/Breathe — Pink Floyd



Wherever I May Roam — Metallica (possibly a little too dark)



Stir it Up — Bob Marley



Clocks — Coldplay

Artists include: AC/DC, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Björk, Bob Marley, Christmas Rock Classics, Coldplay, The Cure, The Eagles, Green Day, Led Zeppelin, Metallica, Nine Inch Nails, Nirvana, No Doubt, Pink Floyd, Pixies, Queens of the Stone Age, Radiohead, The Ramones, The Rolling Stones, Smashing Pumpkins, Tool and U2.

Zep to finally go back on the road?

According to a Daily Telegraph article, Led Zeppelin plans to tour next summer after the success of their initial reunion show.

Zep fans rejoice ... and save up — this one is going to cost ya!

Read more >>

Watch Austin City Limits Music Festival from home

The festival with built-in name recognition cranks back up this weekend. Thanks to the AT&T blue room anyone on earth can feel like they're there. There's sure to be a little something for everybody.

Not only can you watch via the Web cast, you can also listen to XM Radio's coverage of the festival.

Visit ACL Music Festival's Web site for links for the latest photos, setlists and blog posts from the event.

Webcast lineup:

Sept 26.

12:45 PM Dan Dyer
01:30 PM Rodney Crowell
02:30 PM What Made Milwaukee Famous
03:30 PM Jakob Dylan
04:30 PM Jamie Lidell
05:30 PM Gogol Bordello
06:30 PM Slightly Stoopid
07:30 PM Vampire Weekend
08:30 PM Hot Chip
09:30 PM G. Love and Special Sauce

Sept 27.

12:45 PM Yeasayer
01:30 PM Old 97's
02:30 PM The Fratellis
03:30 PM Drive-By Truckers
04:30 PM Man Man
05:30 PM Robert Earl Keen
06:30 PM Spiritualized
07:30 PM Conor Oberst
08:30 PM Jose Gonzales
09:30 PM John Fogerty

Sept 28.

12:45 PM Sybris
01:30 PM Nicole Atkins and the Sea
02:30 PM The Killsstreaming
03:30 PM Flyleaf
04:30 PM Against Me!
05:30 PM Neko Case
06:30 PM Okkervil River
07:30 PM The Raconteurs
08:45 PM Tegan and Sara
09:30 PM Blues Traveler

Until then, take a listen to the ACL channel on AT&T blue room radio.

Shine On ... Richard Wright dead at 65

From AP:

Richard Wright, a founding member of the rock group Pink Floyd, died Monday. He was 65.

Read more >>

What a huge blow to Pink Floyd fans everywhere. If you're not familiar with Pink Floyd, Wright had one of the best personalities in the band and was instrumental in the writing of much of Floyd's music, specifically Dark Side of the Moon. He was always upbeat and a great musician. He will be truly missed by this blogger.

Crank up some Floyd in his memory!

Ready to rock?

AC/DC announces North American tour dates

The Black Ice World Tour is the band's first tour since 2001

Here are AC/DC's North American tour dates:

October 28: Wilkes-Barre, Pa. (Wachovia Arena)
October 30: Chicago (Allstate Arena)
November 3: Indianapolis (Conseco Fieldhouse)
November 5: Auburn Hills, Mich. (Palace of Auburn Hills)
November 7: Toronto (Rogers Centre)
November 9: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
November 12-13: New York (Madison Square Garden)
November 15: Washington, D.C. (Verizon Center)
November 17: Philadelphia (Wachovia Center)
November 19: East Rutherford, N.J. (IZOD Center)
November 21: Columbus, Ohio (Schottenstein Center)
November 23: Minneapolis (Xcel Energy Center)
November 25: Denver (Pepsi Center)
November 28: Vancouver (General Motors Place)
November 29: Seattle (KeyArena)
November 30: Tacoma, Wash. (Tacoma Dome)
December 2: Oakland, Calif. (Oracle Arena)
December 6: Los Angeles (The Forum)
December 10: Phoenix (US Airways Center)
December 12: San Antonio (AT&T Center)
December 14: Houston (Toyota Center)
December 16: Atlanta (Philips Arena)
December 18: Charlotte, N.C. (Time Warner Cable Arena)

Source: Reuters/Billboard

AC/DC

Beck b-side from 'Modern Guilt' for download

Download the b-side track "Vampire Voltage No.6" from Beck's latest album "Modern Guilt."

The song itself is rather short and has a nice jam at the end. Enjoy!

Beck's Web page

Buy lots of mp3s?

New music site gives fans a cut of tune sales

From the AP:

NEW YORK — Being a trendsetter can be pricey. As any fashionista or gadget hound knows, the latest frocks and tech toys don't pay for themselves. But a new Web site is trying to make it profitable for music lovers to stay ahead of the curve — by paying them when other people purchase MP3s they've bought.

Berkeley, Calif.-based Popcuts, which publicly launched its Web site in early August, charges users 99 cents per song. Thereafter, whenever someone else buys the same song, those who have already bought it get paid in credit that can be redeemed for more Popcuts music. The earlier you buy a song, the larger your cut of future sales.

Read more >>

Remember records?

If you think you had a lot of records, you probably don't have anything on this guy:

Beach Boy bounces back

Beach Boys' Brian Wilson sunny about new album

AP — A lot has changed for the historically reclusive Southern California native, who speaks with a slight slur, a result of his drug-abuse past and medicated journey through mental illness.

He is a second-round father at the age of 66 (musician daughters Wendy, 38, and Carnie, 40, from his first marriage, tour as The Wilsons). Following 2004's long-awaited rock opera "Smile," and a 2005 Christmas release, he has a new, ambitious solo album, "That Lucky Old Sun," due out Sept. 2. He is touring behind the material, pushing through years of stage fright.

"I think the new album is just as good as anything the Beach Boys ever recorded," says Wilson. "Playing these songs live, I feel proud. You know that funny feeling you get in your stomach, like, 'Oh my God, this is sounding great!'"

Two years ago, he says, he recorded 18 songs then chose 10 last year for Capitol Records/EMI. He came up with the album's lush orchestration and music, while 43-year-old bandmate Scott Bennett scribed the lyrics, with colorful narrative interludes by Wilson's longtime collaborator Van Dyke Parks.

The outcome is a blend of uptempo pop and piano-based ballads. The title track, a cover of Louis Armstrong's "That Lucky Old Sun," flows into the bouncy anthem "Morning Beat," setting the album's tone.

Read more >>

Blog focuses on mix tapes

Great blog here with near weekly mix tapes for download or streaming. Enjoy!

Free download: Dexateens' latest album

Visit the Dexateens' Web site to download the band's latest album "Lost and Found."

You can go here and listen to more songs by the band.

Press Release: Pink Floyd Themed Cruise Will Feature Think Floyd USA

Kiqstart Music and Think Floyd USA Launch First Annual "Great Gig in the Sea"

NEW YORK, N.Y. (PRWEB) — Kiqstart Music, an entertainment company based in New York, N.Y., and Think Floyd USA, the number one touring production of Pink Floyd in the country, announced plans to host the first Pink Floyd themed cruise aboard a Carnival Cruise Ship to the Bahamas. Dubbed "Great Gig in the Sea," the cruise will allow Pink Floyd music fans to combine sun and sea with an amazing concert experience.

The one-of a kind voyage will feature the music of Think Floyd USA: The American Pink Floyd Show, and will celebrate material from Pink Floyd's earliest days through the present. Think Floyd USA will take listeners on a musical and visual flight through the Pink Floyd galaxy performing all of Pink Floyd's classic hits from legendary albums such as Dark Side of the Moon, Wish You Were Here, Animals and the all time classic, The Wall.

Think Floyd USA: The American Pink Floyd Show goes beyond the typical tribute act with an unparalleled performance and light show. They have performed before Roger Waters at Milwaukee's Summerfest and have received personal acclaim from David Gilmour himself. The band has been performing to packed houses at numerous arenas, theaters, festivals and casinos around the country, and will be the first tribute band to headline a stage at Milwaukee's famed Summerfest this summer.

"This cruise provides a one-of-a-kind opportunity for Pink Floyd fans to come together and enjoy the exceptional music and memories of one of the most celebrated performing acts of all time, combined with a truly outstanding vacation experience," said Justin Seidenberg, co-owner of Kiqstart Music.

Cruisers should also be prepared to hear special shows each night, such as Dark Side of the Moon performed in its entirety. Dark Side has held the record for the longest duration of any album on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 40 Million copies worldwide. Other unique events will feature "special guests," Pink Floyd trivia, parties and games.

"We are excited to be a part of this unique concert experience. Floyd fans are so passionate about the band and love to get together to celebrate the music ... its going to be a blast," said Mitch Blumfield, vocalist in Think Floyd USA.

Tickets for Great Gig in the Sea are onsale now at GreatGigintheSea.com. Space is very limited and pricing depends upon availability.

For additional information on the cruise, visit GreatGigintheSea.com or contact Kiqstart Music at 718-302-9800.

Think Floyd USA

Police's final show webcast

Watch the Police's final performance Webcast, rehearsal footage and soundcheck party from Madison Square Garden in New York City.

The rehearsal and soundcheck has already been recorded and the final performance Webcast is tonight at 9:45 p.m. BestBuy.com will be streaming three songs from the encore of the capstone performance of the Police's momentus career. The clip will be archived on the Web site as well.

According to Sting's Web site:

In addition to the live Webcast, which includes three of the last four songs in the encore, Best Buy will begin the presale of an exclusive DVD/CD set, "The Police: Certifiable." The set features the band's entire concert from Buenos Aires as well as bonus footage, available in a 2 DVD/2CD standard format or a 1 DVD/2CD Blu-ray format. Also available is a three LP premium vinyl set with an MP3 file key (a one-time free download of entire album).

RATM to play Twin Cities during RNC

This should make for an interesting couple of days if the band's ideology is taken to the streets by their fans.

The on-and-off-again band nearly started a riot during their Lollapalooza gig. Things could get ugly in the mean streets of Minne.

Read more >>

Couple new albums coming out soon

Two albums that I'll be looking forward to hearing, and they couldn't any more different, are "Death Magnetic" by Metallica due out Sept. 12 and "Everything That Happens Will Happen Today" by David Byrne and Brian Eno which will be available online Aug. 18.

More on upcoming albums from Metallica and David Byrne and Brian Eno.

Lollapalooza and Gathering of the Vibes Webcasts this weekend

Click here to watch Lollapalooza Webcast

Schedule:

Friday
2:15 PM — Rogue Wave
3:15 PM — Yeasayer
4:15 PM — The Kills
5:15 PM — Gogol Bordello
6:15 PM — Mates of State
7:15 PM — Bloc Party
8:15 PM — Stephen Malkmus & The Jicks
9:00 PM — The Raconteurs

Saturday
1:15 PM — Margot & The Nuclear So So's
1:45 PM — The Ting Tings
2:30 PM — Dr. Dog
3:30 PM — The Gutter Twins
4:30 PM — The Go Team
5:30 PM — Duffy
6:30 PM — Jamie Lidell
7:30 PM — Devotchka
8:30 PM — Explosions In The Sky
9:30 PM — Broken Social Scene
10:30PM — Wilco

Sunday
1:15 PM — Kid Sister
2:15 PM — The Whigs
3:15 PM — Office
4:15 PM — Chromeo
5:15 PM — G. Love & Special Sauce
6:15 PM — Blues Traveler
7:15 PM — John Butler Trio
8:15 PM — Flogging Molly
9:15 PM — Love & Rockets
10:15 PM — The National

Lollapalooza Web site

---

Click here to watch Gathering of the Vibes Webcast

Schedule:

Friday
2:50 PM — Ryan Montbleau Band
4:15 PM — Porter Batiste Stoltz
5:40 PM — Assembly of Dust
7:10 PM — TBA
9:00 PM — Deep Banana Blackout
10:45 PM — The Black Crowes

Saturday
11:00 AM — Alternate Routes
12:45 PM — Strangefolk
2:30 PM — New Riders of the Purple Sage
4:15 PM — Bill Kreutzmann Trio
6:00 PM — Dark Star Orchestra (Set 1)
7:30 PM — Taj Mahal Trio
9:00 PM — Phil Lesh & Friends

Sunday
11:00 AM — Organically Grown Gospel Choir
12:15 PM — Jackie Greene
1:45 PM — TBA
3:15 PM — Donna Jean and the Tricksters
4:45 PM — Umphrey's McGee
6:30 PM — The Neville Brothers

Gathering of the Vibes Web site

NPR to offer webcast of Newport music festivals

From the AP:

PROVIDENCE, R.I. — Music fans unable to attend the Newport folk and jazz festivals will be able to listen to some of the concerts online.

NPR Music, part of National Public Radio, plans to stream select performances from both festivals. The webcasts also will be archived and available on-demand.

Current schedule:

* Sat., Aug. 9
* 11:30 a.m.: TBA
* 1:00 p.m.: TBA

* Sun., Aug. 10
* 11:30 a.m.: Guillermo Klein & Los Guachos
* 1:00 p.m.: George Wein All-Stars: With Esperanza Spalding, Anat Cohen, Howard Alden, Jimmy Cobb
* 4:05 p.m.: Herbie Hancock

Read more >>

NPR's announcement >>

Panic on the streets of London

First noted this in Maureen Dowd's Wednesday column.

During his world tour, Democratic presidential hopeful Sen. Barack Obama visited with British Conservative Party leader David Cameron. The Brit didn't come empty handed.

We'll let WalesOnline pick up the story:

As the senator swept through Parliament’s gates, it emerged he was given a box of CDs of music by some of Mr Cameron’s favourite British bands, including The Smiths, Radiohead, Gorillaz and Lily Allen.

Are we ready for a world where heads of state exchange Meat is Murder and The Queen is Dead?