Tampa Calling

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, July 27: Dave Matthews Band
Tuesday, July 28: Silversun Pickups
Wednesday, July 29: Elbow (The British alt rockers are currently on tour with Coldplay.)
Thursday, July 30: Cage the Elephant (They don’t have a new album out since their 2008 self-titled debut, but they did play a much-talked-about set at Bonnaroo.)
Friday, July 31: Dave Matthews Band (Two nights of DMB on Letterman. Woo fucking hoo!)

The Tonight Show with Conan O’Brien, NBC
Monday, July 27: the Fray
Thursday, July 30: Regina Spektor (Check out my review of her new album and two of her new videos here.)
Friday, July 31: Ben Harper & Relentless7 Read the rest of this entry »

When Billy Corgan first announced his intention to resurrect The Smashing Pumpkins, longtime fans crossed out the names of uninvolved former members (except Jimmy Chamberlain) one by one. We knew there would be no James Iha (now in that silly supergroup Tinted Windows) and no D’Arcy Wretzky (right). Only now do we finally hear what’s up with the silvery-haired bassist! D’Arcy randomly called Chicago alt-rock station Q101 to let us know she left the rock ‘n’ roll lifestyle behind in favor of passing her days on a horse farm in rural Michigan. Oh, and she loves Silversun Pickups, who don’t at all sound like The Smashing Pumpkins.

Last month, I reported on Courtney Love and her similar intention to resurrect Hole with minimal involvement from former bandmates. Former Hole guitarist and co-conspirator Eric Erlandson took time out from Buddhism and marketing vegan food for a Spin Q&A. When asked about his feelings on Hole’s return, he responded:

We have a contract. She signed a contract with me when we decided to break up the band, which was like 2002 or something, so I really don’t have a comment on it except that I know my part in that band. The way I look at it, there is no Hole without me. [Laughs] To put it blunt. Just on a business level… I’m open to discussions regarding the real Hole, and if she has a solo album together, I think that’s great.

What did Mrs. Cobain have to say about this? Find out 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 »

Its official: Billy Corgan has lost his mind.  What once was a name of stature and notoriety in the music world, and our playlists, has become nothing more than dirt and tarnish.  Some of you may be familiar with the Smashing Pumpkins’ headmaster and his various eccentricities as of late. For those who are not, I’ll give a little recap… Read the rest of this entry »

A selection of CDs, EPs, LPs, Digital Releases, DVDs and Box Sets that dropped today.

As I Lay Dying, This Is Who We Are DVD Box Set (Metal Blade)
Beck, One Foot in the Grave 15th Anniversary Edition (Iliad Records)
Bill Callahan, Sometimes I Wish We Were an Eagle (Drag City)
The Boy Least Likely To, The Law of the Playground (+1 Records)
Day26, Forever in a Day (Bad Boy)
Death Cab for Cutie, The Open Door EP (Atlantic)
Dengue Fever, Sleepwalking Through The Mekong CD/DVD (M80 Music)
John Doe and the Sadies, Country Club (Yep Roc)
Fact, Fact (Vagrant/Maximum)
The Life and Times, Tragic Boogie (Arena Rock)
The Juan Maclean, The Future Will Come (Dfa)
Ida Maria, Fortress Round My Heart (Mercury)
Medeski Martin & Wood, Radiolarians II (Indirecto)
Mia Doi Todd, Morning Music (City Zen)
Mt. Eerie, Live in Copenhagen (Burnt Toast Vinyl, 3xLP)
Papercuts, You Can Have What You Want (Gnomonsong)
Prefuse 73, Everything She Touched Turned Ampexian (Warp)
Scout Niblett, “It’s Time for My Beloved” 7″ (Drag City)
Silversun Pickups, Swoon (Dangerbird)
Jake Shimabukuro, Live (Hitchhike)
The Twang, Love It When It Feels Like This (Arena Rock)
Bernie Williams, Moving Forward (Reform)
Wooden Shjips, Dos (Holy Mountain)
Yonlu, A Society in Which No Tear Is Shed Is Inconceivably Mediocre (Luaka Bop)

Here’s the brand new video for Now We Can See by threesome the Thermals. According to the band’s Web site, the track is #1 on commercial specialty radio, tied with Silversun Pickups‘ Panic Switch. Fancy…

Video below the jump:

Read the rest of this entry »