Tampa Calling

Random news bites from the last several days (excluding anything about Michael Jackson … well, mostly).

Regina Spektor’s new album, far, debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 this week and the lovely Russian-born songstress is scheduled to perform on Late Night with Conan O’Brien on Thursday, July 30. Slipping to the No. 2 spot this week are the Jonas Brothers with Vines And Trying Times, which held last week’s No. 1 position. Black Eyed Peas have moved to the top of the charts with The E.N.D. And in case you BEP fans were worried, the title doesn’t foreshadow the band’s immenint break-up, but stands for “The Energy Never Dies.” Clever.

Seattle grunge metal makers Alice in Chains have confirmed the dates of their upcoming world tour, sans lead voice Layne Staley, who, if you recall, faded away into reclusivity before he speedballed to his death in 2002. The tour supports the band’s first new studio release in more than 10 years, Black Gives Way to Blue (in stores September 29). The first single, “A Looking View,” is currently streaming on their MySpace page and definitely has the feel of classic Alice in Chains, complete with the hard-meets-soft harmonies by vocalist/guitarist Jerry Cantrel and Staley replacement, vocalist/guitarist William Duvall. Here’s a statement the band released about the new song: “The song basically speaks to any number of things that keep you balled up inside. A cell of our own making with an unlocked door that we choose to remain in. Focusing our attention inward instead of reaching out to a much larger world. I think this is common to us all. It’s funny how hard we fight to hang on to a bone we can’t pull through a hole in the fence, or how difficult it is to put down the bag of bricks and move on.” Current confirmed U.S. stops include Detroit, DC, Chicago, NYC, Milwaukee, Portland and San Francisco. No telling whether the tour will bring them to Florida. Read the rest of this entry »

According to industry insiders, three Michael Jackson albums — Number Ones, The Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller — each sold 100,000 copies last week. The sales tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday (June 28) night and will be reported today. That means the bulk of the sales took place in the three days after Jackson’s death.

Those six-figure tallies would’ve put the three discs at Nos. 1, 2 and 3 on the Billboard 200 —slightly ahead of the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. — but catalog albums are not eligible for the album sales chart, so Jackson will instead dominate the Pop Catalog survey.

Read more.

A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime.

The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, June 8: Mos Def (Performing something off his fourth and latest solo album, The Ecstatic, out June 9. Maybe “Supermagic”?)
Tuesday, June 9: Black Eyed Peas
Wednesday, June 10: Sonic Youth
Thursday, June 11: the Jonas Brothers (Won’t these kids go away already? We still have to deal with the tour stopping here August 18.)
Friday, June 12: P.J. Harvey & John Parish

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, NBC
Tuesday, June 9: Bonnie Raitt and Taj Mahal (Likely promoting their “BonTaj Roulet” co-headlining tour, a series of concerts where the two veteran blues artists perform separate sets with their own bands, and then take the stage together for a blues jam)
Wednesday, June 10: Rancid
Thursday, June 11: Neko Case (The rest of this week’s schedule + video of Pearl Jam on Conan after the jump.) Read the rest of this entry »

As an addendum to my recent column, “Traveling to see music without losing your money (or your mind),” I’ve put together this small group of shows and fests that provide some good selections for music-motivated travel. If you haven’t already made travel plans this summer, here are some of your best bets.

Grizzly Bear and TV on the Radio
Saturday, June 13, The Tabernacle, Atlanta
If you wanna go, get your tickets now — it’s a Saturday night co-headlining bill featuring of two of Brooklyn’s most hip and beloved bands, both with recent albums — Grizzly’s just-released Veckatimest, TVOTR’s fantastic Dear Science from last year — so the show will most definitely sell out. I would be at this show, front row, if I wasn’t just returning from a music-motivated vacation that same Thursday.

The Decemberists (pictured) with Andrew Bird and Blind Pilot
July 18-19, Edgefield, Portland, Oregon
The chamber rock quintet only comes as close as Atlanta and plays that date on Wednesday, June 3 — not at all convenient for a road trip unless you plan on taking that week off. But the tour also includes this appealing Saturday-Sunday run in Portland, and with whistling singer/songwriter Andrew Bird, and Portland’s own indie pop duo, Blind Pilot. Read the rest of this entry »

A weekly bulletin on musical guests playing late night TV; set your TIVOs or DVRs if you’ve got an early bedtime.

The Late Show with David Letterman, CBS
Monday, May 4: Keri Hilson with Kanye West (pictured … “Make Love” or “Knock You Down,” I wonder?)
Tuesday, May 5: Franz Ferdinand
Wednesday, May 6: Ben Harper & Relentless7
Thursday, May 7: Animal Collective (can’t wait to see this one)
Friday, May 8: Chris Cornell

The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, NBC
Monday, May 4: Eli Young Band
Tuesday, May 5: Robert Randolph and the Family Band with the Clark Sisters (likely performing their gospel version of Stevie Wonder’s “Higher Ground,” from the forthcoming WalMart exclusive compilation, Oh Happy Day.)
Wednesday, May 6: Van Morrison
Friday, May 8: Jewel (still doing the flowery country thing) Read the rest of this entry »

Now in its 24th years, the Winter Music Conference brings industry professionals and electro acts from around the world to Miami for all manner of networking, panels and performance opportunities, from private parties to slots at WMC’s Ultra Music Festival. Ultra  continues with its usual roster of traditional DJs, producers and electronica acts — The Prodigy, Paul Van Dyk, Booka Shade, Moby, Tiësto, Carl Cox and the like — but expands upon the definition of electro music with offerings that include newer groups like Cut Copy, MSTRKRFT, Simian Mobile Disco, Crystal Castles and The Whip, and groups that aren’t necessarily electro, but include electro elements in their music: The Ting Tings, Bloc Party, Black Eyed Peas, Santigold and Hercules and Love Affair. Luckily for Tampa folks, the state is so oversaturated with this influx of artists that we get much of the runoff as many stop in or around town to play a show while on their way to or from the fest. The following is a breakdown of electro shows within a 2 1/2-hour radius that are worthy of your attention.

Friday, March 27
WMNF presents Synthetic Pleasures w/Girls on Film/Genre Baptist/I Kill Pxls/DJ Curse Mackey. ’MNF has joined the electro bandwagon with its own Florida-grown bill headed up by all-female Tallahassee fourtet Girls on Film (pictured), who do the glam ’80s thing complete with computer drums and programming, shrill vocals, teased hair and cakey make-up, and retro prom outfits. 9 p.m., Orpheum, Ybor City, $7.

Kraak and Smaak w/Special Guest DJs Mighty White and Willyvegas Kraak and Smaak (direct translation: “crunchy and tasty”) are a new but rather well-regarded Netherlands electro trio that combines pimplicious funk grooves with breakbeats and loungey house. 9 p.m., Crowbar, Ybor City, $12 in advance/$15 day of show.

Cut Copy w/Matt & Kim The Melbourne, Australia trio marry Dark Wave punk (affected vocals, theatric synths) with a healthy dose of digi-electro dance fun. Definitely worth the drive. 7 p.m., Club Firestone, Orlando, $19.99 in advance/$22 DOS. Read the rest of this entry »