Roots Rock: The Elms, Buddy Miller, The Gaslight Anthem, U2

elmsNEW MUSIC NEWS: One of the very best bands anywhere, our own Seymour, Indiana natives The Elms are trying something that will either be way cool, or a train wreck. Or maybe both. They are webcasting the recording of their new album at TheElms.net. I watched for 30 minutes Friday night, as they worked on double-tracking some lead vocals. I must say, as a music-head, it was fascinating in a short dosage like that. In the past few days, I find myself returning to see what is happening. A bit addicting. They also do a nice blog and have a twitter account.
So see for yourself just how tedious recording an album is. Right, studio vets?
Buddy Miller, one of Nashville’s most prolific singers, songwriters, guitarists, recording artists and producers suffered a heart attack in Baltimore, Md., last week. He was on tour with Emmylou Harris, Patty Griffin and Shawn Colvin. Miller, 56, was taken to John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, and he underwent a triple-bypass heart surgery. The surgery was successful, and Miller will likely be recovering in Baltimore for several weeks. Called “the best country singer” alive by Steve Earle, Miller is married to Nashville singer-songwriter Julie Miller, and the pair have a duo album coming out on New West Records on Tuesday.
REPLACEMENTS ANYONE?: Though fans still want a reunion, the chance for the Replacements to get together and play live is probably not happening, according to former bassist Tommy Stinson. Stinson tells Billboard Magazine that the best material has now been cleared from the Replacements vault withthe new Rhino releases.
“It’s not on the table,” he says of that project. “I don’t think we’ve got the quality takes. I think the best live record we could make is to gather up all the bootlegs, put them together and make it on our own. Those would actually make more sense. You know what? I just don’t know if we have it in us,” he told Billboard Magazine. “We’ve played together and we have things to offer each other. But I think ultimately it’s like, why would we do it? The question comes up every time. Why would we do it? Well, they’ll pay us really great. Is that the reason to go do it or not? I don’t know. I think Paul probably struggles with it more than I, because I haven’t played those songs in 20 years,” he continues. “He has. To me, it sounds more of a fun idea to get up and play those songs again. Not for the money, but hey, it would be fun. Let’s go do it. I don’t think he’s got in him, to be honest with you.”
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Out this Tuesday:
Justin Townes Earle – Midnight at the Movies
U2 – No Line On The Horizon
In a related U2 note, the boys played a rooftop gig, high (really high) atop the BBC building on Friday. Man, they are flogging the new record, aren’t they? The Dublin lads are performing on “Late Show with David Letterman” every night this week…
Watch the BBC video here:
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BAND I DIG: Gaslight Anthem will be opening for headliner Bruce Springsteen & The E-Street Band on The Hard Rock Calling 2009 Festival. The Boss’ and the E Street Band will perform their first-ever UK festival appearance outside of the United States, at Hard Rock Calling 2009 in Hyde Park, London on June 28th.
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Word on E Street right now is that the suits are hammering out the particulars of Max Weinberg’s availability withtheband, in light of his move to LA with Conan O’Brien.
According to Rolling Stone:
When Max himself spoke to Rolling Stone earlier this year, he described NBC’s extreme patience over his frequent absences, hitting the road with the increasingly busy Springsteen. “It’s a hell of a problem to have in this economy,” he said, explaining that a well known NBC sitcom star’s attorney asked why Weinberg was allowed sabbaticals when his client couldn’t take one to film a movie. “The NBC lawyer thought for a second, then said, ‘The next time Bruce Springsteen asks your client to play drums, she can do that.’ In the legal department it’s known as the Weinberg-Springsteen Rule.”

Roots Rock: U2, Jack Black, Little Steven, Mat Kearney

u2nolineonthehorizon250U2 is currently streaming their new album, “No Line on the Horizon”, on their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/u2) more than a week before its March 3 release. The band will play five consecutive nights on Late Night With David Letterman starting March 2. No word on if this is in response to staffers at Universal Music Australia inadvertently mading the new album available digitally more than a week before release. According to reports, high-quality downloads of the album were briefly made available earlier this week on Getmusic.com.au, a digital store operated by Universal Music’s Australian affiliate. “Horizon” is also now understood to be widely distributed via peer-to-peer file sharing networks. They ended up selling the nine-million copies of 2004’s”How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb”, which was also leaked, so this may be a case study in “Leaking an album just doesn’t matter if you are U2”
School of Rock star Jack Black married into a pretty impressive musical pedigree when he wed singer Tanya Haden. Haden is one of the triplet daughters of legendary jazz bassist Charlie Haden–best known for his work with Ornette Coleman. Her sisters Petra plays in the Decemberists, and Rachel is a founding member of The Rentals. Last year, the entire family, under the moniker Charlie Haden Family & Friends, collaborated on the American roots album “Rambling Boy”. They are all playing the Opry at the Ryman this weekend. Ricky Skaggs (also a guest on Rambling Boy), Del McCoury, Hal Ketchum & The Infamous Stringdusters will also be appearing.
Click on links below to listen
Opry on GAC
Opry on WSM Radio (online)
Originally expected in April, Dave Matthews Band’s as-yet-untitled new RCA album will now arrive June 2. The group has also announced its annual summer tour, beginning May 27 in Darien Center, N.Y. – They come to Indy for two nights at Verizon Wireless Music Center on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, August 1.
Mat Kearney is set to release his new album, City of Black & White, on May 19, a followup to his major label debut, “Nothing Left To Lose”, Mat recorded in his new hometown of Nashville, TN,
justin_townes_earle150CHOOSE ONLY ONE? This Week’s Indianapolis Live Show Pick: Justin Townes Earle – Saturday February 21 at Spencer’s Stadium Tavern. Earle, son of singer/songwriter Steve Earle, releases his second album, ‘Midnight at the Movies,’ in early March. He proved he has the talent to stand on his own, with or without the legendary roots-rock name. LISTEN HERE
ALBUM CHART: Taylor Swift’s album “Fearless” returns to the top of The Billboard 200. The set moved 92,000 copies on a 44% salesjump, resulting in its nine non-consecutive weeks at No. 1. The last album spend more time at the top was Santana’s “Supernatural,” which was #1 for 12 weeks in 1999 and 2000. Selling 77,000 on a whopping 715% increase, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss’ “Raising Sand”zoomed from 69 to 2 following its album of the year win at the Grammys. The set debuted at No. 2 in late 2007 with 112,000 and has now sold 1.26 million to date. Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends”rebounds 31-8 with 62,000 sold (+271%); the album generated three Grammys, including song of the year for “Viva La Vida.” Bruce Springsteen’s “Working on a Dream” falls from 2 to 6 with 65,000 sold.
Springsteen guitarist Steve Van Zandt is about to launch a new hard rock label, Lost Cathedral, with the May 14 release of Crown Of Thorns’ “Faith.” Van Zandt’s garage rock label, Wicked Cool will continue to exist. We basically decided to keep Wicked Cool identifiable as a garage rock label, at least for now,” he told Billboard this week. “In the last couple of years, we’ve gotten a lot of hard rock things submitted to us. A lot of it is quite good — a little bit punkier or hard rock than we do with Wicked Cool.”
bunecarlosTHE REALLY ODD PAIRINGS DEPT.: Ex-Smashing Pumpkin James Iha, Fountains Of Wayne co-founder Adam Schlesinger, Taylor Hanson of Hanson and Cheap Trick drummer Bun E. Carlos have formed a supergroup named Tinted Windows. Billboard reports the band has recorded their debut album, set for a spring release, with a SXSW showcase set on tap next month.