Playlist

Bonnaroo 2010 lineup announced

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:56:47 -0600

Bonnaroo's 2010 lineup was announced today... actually, it's still being announced right now at their MySpace page. Check it out.

Get tickets here for the June 10 - 13 festival.

So far, the lineup includes...

Online: 'Almost Alice' streaming at Disney.go.com

Tue, 09 Feb 2010 10:00:00 -0600

The trailers for Disney and Tim Burton's Alice in Wonderland don't have me hooked yet. (Seriously... another Tim Burton directed fantasy film with dark undertones and an "out-there" performance from Johnny Depp? Yawn.)

I'm much more excited for the companion album that will accompany Danny Elfman's score for the film. The album's called Almost Alice and will be released March 2. Disney seems to have taken a page out of the Twilight playbook and compiled an eclectic soundtrack full of indie or lesser known acts.

Disney's site is streaming the entire lead track from the disc, an Avril Lavigne song called "Alice." The site also offers previews of the other tracks from the likes of Owl City, Shinedown, Metro Station, Tokio Hotel and Kerli, The All-American Rejects, 3OH!3, All Time Low, Robert Smith, Mark Hoppus and Pete Wentz, Plain White T's, Franz Ferdinand, Motion City Soundtrack, and Wolfmother.

The songs from Wolfmother, Motion City Soundtrack and Owl City are already my favorites. Listen to the previews here.

Who should perform at next year's Super Bowl at Cowboys Stadium?

Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:25:08 -0600

Now that the Super Bowl is over and gone, North Texas can turn its attention to next year. Who should perform during halftime at the Super Bowl in Cowboys Stadium? Should it be a younger, more relevant act like some of the recent Grammy winners? Or should it be a group of seasoned veterans, like last night's performers, The Who? Maybe we should give Janet Jackson another chance. Sound off in the comments section!

We were there: David Cassidy and Davy Jones at Nokia

Sun, 07 Feb 2010 00:32:17 -0600

I did not "come on, get happy," at Nokia Theatre on Saturday night. Nor did I wake up in love this evening. If you're a Partridge Family fan who attended the David Cassidy concert, I suspect you feel the same; Cassidy did plenty from the PF catalog, but at least half the songs were with new arrangements that did nothing for them. Do I really want to hear a disco-ized version of "I'll Meet You Halfway" or a jazzy "C'mon Get Happy"? I do not. All was almost -- but not completely -- forgiven at the end, with a mostly traditional "I Woke Up in Love This Morning."

Honestly, I understand Cassidy and other pop stars wanting to move beyond the 60s or 70s or whenever their heydey was ... but I also think you should respect the audience that's paying $50 or $70 to see you. During Saturday's concert, Cassidy kept telling the crowd how much he loves and adores them and how we got him there, etc., but he also kept going on about how he doesn't rehearse. No kidding. I would think that if everyone in the audience knows the lyrics to "Point Me in the Direction of Albuquerque," the guy who made it a hit could be bothered to remember them. And it's really, really bad form to proclaim that seeing the Beatles on Ed Sullivan changed your life, and how John Lennon has made "more of a difference than any other human being in the world" (really?) and then not be able to get through "In My Life" without flubs. Cassidy had a number of sound problems, including a dead electric guitar, but we could have forgiven that. It happens. It was his willful, downright boastful lack of personal preparation that grated.

On the up side, Cassidy's voice was in fine form, and he's still got the sexy moves. Ditto Davy Jones of the Monkees, who seemed more genuine in his appreciation of the fans, and never once forgot his lyrics. Nor did he mess with the arrangements of treasured Monkees classics like "I'm a Believer" and "Daydream Believer." Jones was billed as an opening act, but he sang just as long as Cassidy did, and delivered more of what the audience craved.

Check here Sunday evening for our full review.

PHOTO of David Cassidy: Bobby Bank/WireImage

"Music's lost decade:" A tale of declining sales

Wed, 03 Feb 2010 11:25:30 -0600

CNN Money has a story on "Music's lost decade: sales cut in half" that claims the music industry is only worth half of what it was 10 years ago.

That's not exactly big news - the ability to get music for free online was basically the death of how the recording industry had been used to operating.

What about you? Do you still buy CDs from a music store or big box chain?

Online: Jonathan Coulton

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:02:02 -0600

I first heard Jonathan Coulton on the G4 8-bit animated series Code Monkeys - his song of the same name was the theme song. That led me to his "Thing A Week" project, in which he released a new song every week for a year in 2005/06.

Coulton will be playing at the Granada this Thursday - check him out!

On a completely unrelated note, and because it's Tuesday, here's your free music for the day: a cover of Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance" by New York singer/songwriter Zack Borer. Enjoy!

Alicia Keys, Shakira and Usher to perform at the 2010 NBA All-Star Game

Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:00:00 -0600

The musical star wattage will be high during the NBA All-Star Game on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14, at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. Basketball fans will be treated to performances by Alicia Keys, Shakira and Usher. Keys headlines the half-time show with three songs - "No One" from 2007's As I Am, as well as "Empire State of Mind" and "Try Sleeping With a Broken Heart," both from her latest CD, The Element of Freedom.

Colombia's Shakira takes the stage to perform "Give It Up to Me" and "She Wolf," two tracks from her new disc, She Wolf.

Finally, Usher treats the crowd to "More," his new single, during the intros of the 2010 NBA All-Stars. He'll also sing "Yeah!" from 2004's mega-hit album, Confessions. By the way, TNT filmed a music video for Usher's "More" currently running in 600 Regal Cinemas. It also serves as a promo clip for the 2010 NBA All-Star.

The 59th NBA All-Star Game is expected to draw more than 80,000 people, which is being touted as "the largest group ever to witness a live basketball game." The game will be televised on TNT.

For more information, visit the NBA website.

Photo: Keys performs during a show last month in Spain (JAVIER SORIANO/AFP/Getty Images).

Five local bands compete for a spot on the Wakarusa Music Festival

Mon, 01 Feb 2010 18:23:20 -0600

Five local bands - Fatty Lumpkin , Dirty Little Mouth, 2 Dollar Sound, Shuttle and Bronze Whaler - compete for a chance to play the upcoming Wakarusa Music Festival, which will be held in June at Mulberry Mountain in Ozark, Arkansas. The showdown takes place Saturday at Poor David's Pub, 1313 S. Lamar St. The music starts at 8:30 p.m. and each band has 40 minutes onstage time. Cover charge is $5. For more info, call 214-565-1295 or go to www.poordavidspub.com.

The Poor David's Pub event is part of the Waka Winter Classic tour. That tour travels to 21 different cities for similar battle of the band competitions with five local groups in the running. The winner of each city gets an automatic slot in the festival.

Photo: Dirty Little Mouth in action (Mike Brooks Photography).

Grammys 2010 wrap-up

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:35:19 -0600

It was a veritable ladies' night as Taylor Swift took home the award for Album of the Year while Beyonce picked up a record-breaking six Grammy awards. Read Mario Tarradell's story on Sunday's Grammys.

Relive the Grammys by reading our official live-chat | Read our fashion writers' views on the red carpet looks | neighborsgo's Collin Quick provides Grammys commentary | Official Grammys Web site | Latest Grammy Awards headlines | A list of Grammy nominees and winners

We were there: Tom Jones at the Meyerson

Sun, 31 Jan 2010 23:33:34 -0600

Tom Jones was feisty as ever Sunday night at the Meyerson, performing a two-hour show before a full house that left him drenched in sweat and any number of the women in the audience likewise. It seems that when Tom Jones is involved, normally circumspect (well, one assumes) Dallas women are more than willing to relinquish dignity for the cause. Yes, many lacy bits of underwear were tossed onstage. Yes, more than one declaration of love was shouted. And Jones took it all in stride, at one point bemusedly talking about his age (He'll be 70 in June! Yes, 70!) as if daring anyone in the audience to challenge his sex-symbol creds. No worries on that one when you're in Dallas, Tom.

PHOTO by Nathan Hunsinger/Staff Photographer

Relive the Grammys: Read Sunday's chat

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:59:50 -0600

Relive the Grammy Awards with music critic Mario Tarradell, Dawn Burkes, Erika Nunez and Anthony Williams. Read our live chat from Sunday night and post comments with your thoughts on the awards.

Grammy Awards 2010

We've compiled a list of nominees and winners, too.

Grammy poll results are in!

Fri, 29 Jan 2010 14:43:54 -0600

We've been conducting our Grammy poll all month to see who our readers think deserve Grammys. And boy, do you guys like Taylor Swift! (The results of the poll are after the jump.)

Do you think Swift will sweep at the Grammys on Sunday night? Join Mario Tarradell and other DMN staffers during the show right here on the Playlist blog as we chat live during the Grammys.

Online: New Joanna Newsom, "81"

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 13:34:39 -0600

Looking to chill in the middle of the week? A new song from Joanna Newsom is streaming at Drag City and Stereogum.

It's got an almost off-puttingly peaceful sound that's somewhere between New Age and medieval. Her next album is a three CD set that's due Feb. 23, so I don't know if this taste is enough to make me want that much more. (But then, I don't know if many artists could keep me entertained for three CDs.) Still, I appreciate the harp skills going on here.

Rock band Scorpions bids farewell with album and tour

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 11:28:24 -0600

For veteran rock band Scorpions, the end of an era is near. The March 23 release of Sting In the Tail (Universal Music Enterprises) will be the German group's newly recorded swan song. The release of the record will be followed by a three-year farewell tour that will take them across five continents.

This from longtime Scorpions leader Klaus Meine: "While we were working on our album these past few months, we could literally feel how powerful and creative our work was - and how much fun we were still having, in the process," he said on the band's website. "We want to end the Scorpion's extraordinary career on a high note. We are extremely gracious for the fact that we still have the same passion for music we've always had since the beginning."

The beginning was more than 40 years ago, with more than 100 million albums sold during that time. Scorpions are, of course, best known for the piercing 1984 anthem "Rock You Like a Hurricane" and the sweeping 1991 power ballad "Wind of Change." The goodbye tour launches in May in Germany and continues through 2012.

Photo: Scorpions at the Echo Awards in Germany last February (Michael Sohn).

Grammys: Record, Album of the Year

Tue, 26 Jan 2010 09:00:00 -0600

The Grammy Awards will be held on Jan. 31. We've been keeping the nominees fresh in your mind with our Grammy nominees series in which I discussed a Grammy category each Tuesday leading up to the big show. This week: Record of the Year and Album of the Year.

Knowledge is power: Record of the Year is awarded for a single or for one track from an album. This award goes to the performing artist, the producer, recording engineer, and/or mixer for that song. Album of the Year is awarded for a whole album, and the award is presented to the artist, producer, recording engineer, and mastering engineer for that album.

The nominees for Record of the Year are Beyonce's "Halo," The Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling," Kings of Leon's "Use Somebody," Lady Gaga's "Poker Face" and Taylor Swift's "You Belong With Me." (Listen to these songs on GuideLive's Blip.fm channel.)

The nominees for Album of the Year are Beyonce's I Am... Sasha Fierce, The Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D., Lady Gaga's The Fame, Dave Matthews Band's Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King and Taylor Swift's Fearless.