W♥M

Minneapolis: July 18 to July 20, 2017

Here are some concerts taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area from July 18 to July 20, 2017.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Nite Jewel Nite Jewel is the alias of Ramona Gonzalez, currently based out of California. She is currently signed to Secretly Canadian, the label houses such acts like Antony and the Johnsons, ...

NITE JEWEL
at 7th Street Entry
Tuesday 07/18/17 (7pm/$12)
first-avenue.com

Nite Jewel is currently touring in support of Real High. She’ll be stopping by the 7th Street Entry on Tuesday.

She first came to our attention in 2012 and wrote, “Nite Jewel is the alias of Ramona Gonzalez, currently based out of California. She is currently signed to Secretly Canadian ... Nite Jewel's album One Second of Love came out earlier this month. The lead single and video for "One Second of Love" looks like a scene from some 70s Satan movie. The video is creepy and scary, and had a bit of humor (if you stay until the end for the censored flash).”

Fans should also look for Real Low (Gloriette Records), a collection of B-sides from that record.

Geneva Jacuzzi and Harriet Brown to open.

Tour Dates:

7-17 - Denver, CO - Lost Lake *
7-18 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry *
7-19 - Chicago, IL - Chop Stop *
7-20 - Grand Rapids, MI - Pyramid Scheme *
7-21 - Toronto, ON - Baby G *
7-22 - Montreal, QC - Vitrola *
7-25 - Burlington, VT - Arts Riot *
7-26 - Boston, MA - ONCE *
7-27 - Brooklyn NY - BK Bazaar *
7-28 - Philadelphia, PA - Johnny Brenca's *
7-29 - Washington, DC - Rock n Roll Hotel *
7-31 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade *
8-01 - New Orleans, LA - Gasa Gasa *
8-03 - Dallas, TX - Three Links *
8-04 - Austin, TX - Sidewinder *
8-05 - McCallen, TX - Yerberia Cultura *
8-07 - El Paso, TX - Club Here I Love You *
8-10 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom *
8-11 - San Diego, CA - Casbah *
8-12 - Los Angeles, CA - Teragram Ballroom *
9-01 - Gdansk, PL - Soundrive Festival
9-02 - NO Bergen, NO - Perfect Sounds Festival
9-06 - UK Glasgow, UK - Stereo Cafe Bar
9-07- UK London, UK - Camden Assembly
9-08 - WOS Festival
9-09 - Lisbon, PT - Galeria Zé dos Bois
9-11 - Madrid, ES - Moby Dick Club
9-12 - Barcelona ES - Sidecar
9-14 - Paris, FR - Point Éphémère
9-15 - Rotterdam, NL - V11
9-16 - Offenbach, DE - Parkside Studios
9-18 - Amsterdam, NL - Paradiso Amsterdam
9-21 - Vilnius, LT - Kultūros baras Kablys
9-22 - Riga, LV - ONE ONE
9-23 - Ventspils, LV - Teātra nams Jūras vārti
9-25 - Gothenburg, SE - Oceanen
9-26 - Stockholm, SE - Obaren
9-29 - Vienna, AT - Waves Festival

* w/ Geneva Jacuzzi & Harriet Brown

Read More Less Than Jake Less Than Jake, the ska band from Florida, is back with a new ninth studio album called See the Light, out this week (November 12th) via Fat Wreck Chords. The band will stop at the Varsity Theater . ....

SUBLIME WITH ROME
at First Avenue
Wednesday 07/19/17 (7:30pm/$35)
first-avenue.com

Ska/punk trio Sublime dominated the radio airways in 1997 with such hits as ‘What I Got’ and ‘Santeria’ from their third self-titled album... They were the hottest band on the planet, but bittersweet as their singer/guitarist Bradley Nowell had died two months earlier to heroin overdose.

The surviving band members reformed the band with new singer (and Sublime fan) Rome Ramirez in 2009. They’re called Sublime With Rome in the U.S. for legal reasons (but they’re known as Sublime to the rest of the world). Expect to hear songs from Sublime With Rome’s albums (Yours Truly and Sirens), as well as the hits from the Sublime 1996 album, at the upcoming First Avenue show on Wednesday. This is a rare opportunity to see the trio on a non-festival circuit or large arena.

Less Than Jake to open. The band was previously in town in February 2017.

Tour Dates:

07/14 - Sudbury, ON @ Sudbury Arena
07/15 - London, ON @ Rock The Park Music Festival
07/19 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Avenue
09/08 - Chicago, IL @ Huntington Bank Pavilion
09/09 - Sterling Heights, MI @ Freedom Hill
09/12 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
09/14 - Philadelphia, PA @ Festival Pier
09/15 - Boston, MA @ Blue Hills Bank Pavilion
09/16 - Wantagh, NY @ Nikon
09/19 - Rogers, AR @ Walmart AMP
09/21 - Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell
09/26 - Chula Vista, CA @ Sleep Train Amph
09/27 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amph
09/29 - Las Vegas, NV @ Downtown Las Vegas Events
09/30 - Salt Lake City, UT @ USANA Amphitheater

Read More In The Valley Below Los Angeles rock duo In The Valley Below will be releasing a new four-track EP called Peaches this September 17th on Capitol Records. The band recently spent the past two ... Flagship Flagship's soundcheck and stage setup took nearly an hour, going well passed their originally set time of 9:30pm. I am assuming the long setup was due to sound problems with their guitarist's …

IN THE VALLEY BELOW
at Turf Club
Wednesday 07/19/17 (7:30pm/$15)
turfclub.net

In The Valley Below (husband & wife duo Angela Gail and Jeffrey Jacob) will be at the Turf Club in St Paul this Wednesday, in support of their new EP Elephant, which came out earlier this week (July 14th). The record was the follow-up to 2014’s The Belt, and was recorded in the basement studio of their new home in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Flagship to open. We previously saw this Charlotte band in October 2015 and wrote, “Flagship had a lonely highway fringed with darkness sound enhanced by Daniel Lanois/Brian Eno type atmospherics in promotion of their eponymous debut full-length. The band connected with many in the audience, even playing the requested 'I Want You' even though singer Drake Margolnick confessed the band was tired, having just come from Charlotte and an ex-member's wedding, the day before.”

Tour Dates:

Jul 16 The Basement, Columbus, OH
Jul 17 The Hi-Fi, Indianapolis, IN
Jul 18 Empty Bottle, Chicago, IL
Jul 19 Turf Club, St Paul, MN
Jul 20 The Waiting Room, Omaha, NE
Jul 22 The Riot Room, Kansas City, MO
Jul 24 Larimer Lounge, Denver, CO
Jul 25 Urban Lounge, Salt Lake City, UT
Jul 28 Biltmore Cabaret, Vancouver, Canada
Jul 29 The Crocodile, Seattle, WA
Jul 30 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland, OR
Aug 01 Harlow's Night Club, Sacramento, CA
Aug 02 Rickshaw Stop, San Francisco, CA
Aug 03 Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA
Aug 04 The Casbah, San Diego, CA
Aug 05 Crescent Ballroom, Phoenix, AZ
Aug 08 Stubb's Indoor, Austin, TX
Aug 09 Dada, Dallas, TX
Aug 11 The Earl, Atlanta, GA
Aug 12 Motorco Music Hall, Durham, NC
Aug 13 The Underground, Charlotte, NC
Aug 15 DC9, Washington, DC
Aug 16 Boot & Saddle, Philadelphia, PA
Aug 17 Mercury Lounge, New York, NY
Aug 18 The Hollow, Albany, NY
Aug 19 Rough Trade NYC, Brooklyn, NY
Aug 20 Higher Ground, South Burlington, VT
Aug 22 Brighton Music Hall, Allston, MA

All dates with Flagship

Read More Tobin Sprout Tobin Sprout has consistently released high quality rock albums with sound textures and a world conjured up that are his alone. Let's Welcome the Circus People is one of my favorite albums … Elf Power Day 1 wrapped with a sonic boom as Athens’ own Elf Power put the rock in our faces and took us to magical places. …

TOBIN SPROUT
at 7th St Entry
Thursday 07/20/17 (7:30pm/$15)
first-avenue.com

We previously caught Guided By Voices’ guitarist Tobin Sprout in Athens, Georgia on May 19, 2017, which we wrote, “The rooftop of the Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA was packed to the gills on May 19th to partake in Tobin Sprout’s laid back performance and Elf Power’s rowdy one. A friend of mine even drove from Indiana to see the show. It was a regular townie reunion.”

Now Sprout is on his way to Minneapolis to play his new The Universe And Me (Burger Records)... plus some surprisingly GBV songs.

Elephant Six artists Elf Power will open, but we feel this is more of a co-headliner situation, as both bands could easily headline the 7th Street Entry stage. Elf Power’s Twitching in Time is out now on Orange Twin.

Grant Hart (co-founder of legendary Minneapolis band Hüsker Dü) to open.

Tour Dates:

July-19 Iowa City, IA The Mill %
Jul-20 Minneapolis, MN 7th Street Entry %
July-21 Omaha, NE Reverb %
July-22 Denver, Co Larimer Lounge %
July-25 Portland, OR Doug Fir Lounge %
July-26 Seattle, WA Barboza %
July-28 San Francisco, CA Cafe Du Nord %
July-29 Santa Ana, CA Constellation Room %
July-30 Los Angeles, CA Bootleg Bar %
July-31 San Diego, CA The Casbah %
Aug-1 Tuscon, AZ Club Congress %
Aug-2 Albuquerque, NM Sister %
Aug-4 Austin, TX Barracuda %
Aug-5 Norman, OK The Opolis %
Aug-6 St. Louis, MO Blueberry Hill %

% with Elf Power

Read More Laura Stevenson The last time I saw Laura Stevenson, she was with "The Cans" at The Triple Rock in 2011. I wonder if the band decided to drop the "The Cans" part and just going with "Laura Stevenson"? Anyway, she is …

Other shows in the area:

07/18/2017 Jeff Rosenstock is headlining the Garage in Burnsville. Laura Stevenson, Remo Drive, and Heart To Gold to open. Stevenson recently released her first live album, Live at the Vera Club as a pay-what-you-want download through Jeff Rostenstock’s digital label, Quote Unquote Records. 100% of the proceeds will benefit Planned Parenthood. 6pm, $13.

07/18/2017 The Life and Times is playing the Triple Rock Social Club with Another Heaven. and Exactly No. 8pm, $10.

07/18/2017 There is a Chris Cornell Tribute show the Turf Club in St Paul on Tuesday. If you’re a Soundgarden fan, expect to hear plenty of covers from local bands Cabs, Killery Sweets, The 4onthefloor, Zoo Animal, Death Of A Ladies Man, Hot Date, The Person And The People, Jake Ilika And The Heavy Set, Reverend Doctor, Motari Jaguar, The Satellites, Space Needle, The Brute Squad ... just to name a few. 7pm, $5.

07/20/2017 Minneapolis avant-detal metal band Sunless is headlining the Triple Rock Social Club on Thursday. Grogus, Suffering Hour, Ulkum, and Morke to open. 6pm, $5.

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ facebook.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

R.I.P. Chris Cornell (Soundgarden)

Read More Soundgarden When I caught wind that reunited (two years strong!) alternative-rock giants Soundgarden were releasing new music AND making a tour stop at Minneapolis, I fell down the stairs. Well... not quite.…

Chris Cornell, lead singer of Soundgarden and Audioslave, has died at the age of 52. According to telegraph.co.uk, they noted that the police are investigating his death as a possible suicide.

Cornell was last seen in Minneapolis in October 2015 when he was touring in support of his solo record Higher Truth. Combined with his successful reunion tour for Soundgarden (many of the dates were sold out), it didn’t make sense to us that there was even a hint of suicide as the local Detroit police suggested.

We will have to wait to find out what the The Wayne County Medical Examiner’s office will say when they determine the cause of death.

Below are more deaths for the month of May - for the full death list: Musicians who died in 2017.

May (19)

[18 May 2017] Chris Cornell (American musician and singer-songwriter for Soundgarden), 52

[17 May 2017] Kevin Stanton (New Zealand rock guitarist for Mi-Sex), 61

[16 May 2017] Rosa Nell Speer (American gospel singer for Speer Family), 94

[15 May 2017] Derek Poindexter (American bassist), 52, pulmonary disease

[14 May 2017] Keith Mitchell (American drummer for Mazzy Star)

[14 May 2017] Tom McClung (American jazz pianist and composer), 60

[13 May 2017] Jimmy Copley (English drummer), 63, leukemia

[11 May 2017] İbrahim Erkal (Turkish singer-songwriter), 50

[11 May 2017] Joachim Kaiser (German musicologist and editor), 88

[09 May 2017] Christopher Boykin (American musician for Rob & Big), 45, heart failure

[08 May 2017] Dave Pell (American jazz musician), 92

[08 May 2017] Mary Tsoni (Greek actress Dogtooth and singer of Mary and the Boy), 30, suicide

[03 May 2017] C'el Revuelta (American bassist for Black Flag), brain cancer

[03 May 2017] Daliah Lavi (Israeli actress, singer, and model for Casino Royale), 74

[03 May 2017] Saxa (Jamaican-born British saxophonist for The Beat), 87

[02 May 2017] Kevin Garcia (American bassist for Grandaddy), 41, stroke

[02 May 2017] Péter Komlós (Hungarian violinist), 81

[02 May 2017] Grigori Zhislin (Russian violinist), 71

[01 May 2017] Bruce Hampton (American musician for Hampton Grease Band, Col. Bruce Hampton and The Aquarium Rescue Unit), 70

[01 May 2017] Erkki Kurenniemi (Finnish musician), 75

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic

Rocktober: October 5, 2015

Here are some shows taking place in the Minneapolis/St Paul area on October 5, 2015.

Just a reminder that the Wolf Alice with Made Violent and Drenge is taking place this night at 7pm ($16). More details weheartmusic.com and first-avenue.com.

Read more Minneapolis Music Guide.

Read More Def Leppard “You wanted the best, you got the best!”, so is the classic stage intro for Kiss, who come to town alongside fellow hard rock legends, Def Leppard. At least two of the best anyway, as Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons .… Foreigner Foreigner: Live is a misleading title for a re-issue of the DVD Soundstage: Foreigner - Live, which portion of this show was originally aired PBS on January 22, 2009. ...

DEF LEPPARD
at Xcel Energy Center
Monday, 10/05/2015, 6pm ($29.50)
xcelenergycenter.com

Legendary rockers Def Leppard is returning to the Twin Cities next Monday - they previously appeared at the Minnesota State Fair, earlier in August 2015.

Joining them will be Foreigner, with Mick Jones on lead vocals. We previously caught Foreigner's original voice Lou Gramm at the Minnesota State Fair in September 2015.

Tour dates:

09/26 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
09/28 West Valley City, UT USANA Amphitheater
09/30 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena
10/02 Bozeman, MT Brick Breeden Fieldhouse
10/04 Bismarck, ND Bismarck Civic Center
10/05 Saint Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
10/07 Moline, IL I Wireless Center
10/09 Tulsa, OK BOK Center
10/10 Wichita, KS Intrust Bank Arena
10/11 Lincoln, NE Pinnacle Bank Arena
10/14 Columbus, OH Schottenstein Center
10/16 Columbia, SC Colonial Life Arena
10/17 Jacksonville, FL Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena

Read More Soundgarden When I caught wind that reunited (two years strong!) alternative-rock giants Soundgarden were releasing new music AND making a tour stop at Minneapolis, I fell down the stairs. Well... not quite.…

CHRIS CORNELL
at State Theatre
Monday, 10/05/2015, 8pm ($49.50)
hennepintheatretrust.org

Soundgarden's frontman Chris Cornell is currently on a solo tour, for his new album Higher Truth. He'll be stopping by the State Theatre this Monday, October 5th, performing some of those new songs.

He recently stopped by Sirius XM to perform a stripped-down cover of Prince's classic ballad "Nothing Compares 2 U," I suspect he may have to perform that in Prince's hometown next Monday. You can watch the Sirius XM clip on YouTube.

Chris Cornell 2015 Solo-Acoustic Tour Dates:

9/29/15 Seattle, WA Benaroya Hall
9/30/15 Vancouver, BC Orpheum Theatre
10/2/15 Denver, CO Paramount Theatre
10/3/15 Salina, KS Stifel Theatre
10/5/15 Minneapolis, MN State Theatre
10/6/15 Chicago, IL Chicago Theatre
10/8/15 Lakewood, OH Lakewood Civic Aud
10/9/15 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
10/11/15 Buffalo, NY University at Buffalo
10/12/15 New Brunswick, NJ State Theatre
10/14/15 Bethesda, MD Strathmore Music
10/15/15 Philadelphia, PA Merriam Theater
10/17/15 Wilkes Barre, PA Kirby Center
10/18/15 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
10/19/15 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
10/21/15 Boston, MA Shubert Theater
10/23/15 Wilmington, DE Grand Opera House
10/24/15 York, PA Strand Capitol
10/26/15 Atlanta, GA Atlanta Symphony Hall
10/27/15 Nashville, TN Ryman Auditorium
10/29/15 Miami, FL The Knight Concert Hall
10/30/15 Saint Petersburg, FL Mahaffey Theater
11/1/15 Dallas, TX Majestic Theatre
11/2/15 Austin, TX ACL Live
11/4/15 Phoenix, AZ Orpheum Theatre

Read More The Dodos The first time I heard of The Dodos in 2010, we called them band of the show. I eventually caught them in 2011, when they toured with Bleeding Rainbow …

MEW
at Triple Rock Social Club
Monday, 10/05/2015, 7pm ($20)
triplerocksocialclub.com

Danish alt-rockers Mew is currently on tour in support of their latest + - (Plus Minus) album, released earlier this year through Play It Again Sam.

Opening will be The Dodos, who we previously saw earlier this March 2015 at 7th Street. Expect a similar, but shortened, set from their latest album Individ (Polyvinyl Records).

Tour dates:

09/28/15 Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom
09/29/15 Vancouver, BC Venue
09/30/15 Seattle, WA Neumos
10/02/15 Salt Lake City, UT Complex
10/03/15 Englewood, CO Gothic Theatre
10/05/15 Minneapolis, MN Triple Rock Social Club
10/06/15 Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
10/07/15 Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
10/09/15 Washington, DC 9:30 Club
10/10/15 New York, NY Webster Hall
10/11/15 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
10/21/15 Stavanger, Norway Stavanger Konserthus
10/22/15 Bergen, Norway Peer Gyntsalen
10/24/15 UKA Festival
10/25/15 Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene
10/26/15 Goteborg, Sweden Tradgaarn
10/27/15 Stockholm, Sweden Arenan
10/29/15 Helsinki, Finland Circus
11/04/15 Copenhagen, Denmark Falkoner Theatre
11/05/15 Aarhus Congress Centre
11/06/15 Amsterdam Heineken Music Hall
11/22/15 Corona Capital Festival
11/25/15 Tokyo, Japan Shibuya O-East
11/26/15 Tokyo, Japan Shibuya O-East
11/27/15 Osaka, Japan Soma
12/02/15 Sydney, Australia Manning Bar
12/03/15 Melbourne, Australia Max Watts
12/04/15 Brisbane, Australia Max Watts
12/13/15 Utrecht, Netherlands Tivoli De Helling
12/14/15 London Village Underground
12/15/15 London Village Underground

vu ([email protected]) ♥ weheartmusic.com ♥ twitter.com/weheartmusic ♥ itunes.apple.com

Do you miss the 90s?

Better Than Ezra - Absolutely Still Better Than Ezra Tour Dates 06/12/09 Jannus Landing St. Petersburg, FL 06/13/09 House of Blues Lake Buena V, FL 06/14/09 Variety Playhouse Atlanta, GA 06/16/09 9:30 Club Washington D.C. 06/17/09 Trocadero Philadelphia, PA 06/18/09 Thursday at the Square Buffalo, NY 06/19/09 Fillmore NY @ Irving Plaza NY 06/20/09 Paradise Rock Club Boston, MA 06/23/09 House of Blues Cleveland, OH 06/25/09 The Vogue Indianapolis, IN 06/26/09 4th Street Live Louisville, KY 06/27/09 House of Blues Chicago, IL 06/28/09 Summerfest Milwaukee, WI 07/09/09 Alive @ 5 Stamford, CT 07/10/09 Bottle & Cork Dewey Beach, DE 07/11/09 The Norva Norfolk, VA 07/12/09 The National Richmond, VA 07/14/09 Rex Theatre Pittsburgh, PA 07/15/09 Emerald Theatre Mt. Clemens, MI 07/17/09 Snowden Grove Southaven, MS 07/18/09 40 Watt Club Athens, GA 07/19/09 3rd & Lindsley Nashville, TN 07/24/09 Kansas City Live Kansas City, MO 07/25/09 The Pageant St. Louis, MO 08/12/09 Independent San Francisco, CA 08/13/09 Plaza De Cesar Chavez SJose, CA 08/21/09 Power Plant Live Baltimore, MD 08/22/09 Budweiser  Raleigh, NC 10/04/09 New Riverfront Gretna, LA 10/07/09 Walt Disney World Orlando, FL 10/08/09 Walt Disney World Orlando, FL 10/17/09 Great Miss. Balloon Race Natchez, MS

There's been a slew of 90s rock band coming back this year. While maybe you see them through a veil of nostalgia you may think it's a great idea - but are they still viable today?

Compiled today are recent news and releases from bands from the 90s:

BETTER THAN EZRA
betterthanezra.com ♥ myspace.com

Technically, this band's been around since the late 80s, but they weren't well-known until they signed to Elektra Records in the mid-90s with the re-release of Deluxe (the album with their hit song "Good").

I guess the weird thing is that they've never revealed where the name comes from:

We have never revealed it, even under duress.

- singer Kevin Griffin

I'm sure it's probably best if we didn't know the origin of the name. What's the fun in knowing anyway?

Their latest album is called Paper Empire, released just recently in May on Ezra Dry Goods.

THIRD EYE BLIND
3eb.com ♥ myspace.com

Tour Dates 06/12/09 Hard Rock Pool Las Vegas, NV 06/13/09 Marquee Theatre Tempe, AZ 06/16/09 Roseland Ballroom New York, NY 06/20/09 Showbox SoDo Seattle, WA 06/21/09 Crystal Ballroom Portland, OR 06/23/09 Ventura Theatre Ventura, CA 06/24/09 House of Blues Anaheim, CA 06/25/09 Palladium Hollywood, CA 06/27/09 Pipeline Cafe Honolulu, HI

You may remember Third Eye Blind in the late 90s with their self-titled album blowing up with such hits as "How's It Going to Be" and "Semi-Charmed Life" (which was honored by Weird Al in one of his Polka songs). Well, they are back with Ursa Major on the Sony/Red record label* (see note below) (I can't be sure, but I thought I read it was coming out in August). What is interesting is that they're basically harnessing the power of their fans and the internet to help drive interests.

I know a lot of bands do this, but through contests, they're able to get people to basically remix songs for them (via indabamusic.com) or, just very recently, they needed a support act for their June 16^th show at the Roseland Ballroom. The show is almost sold out and it would be a nice break for any band - they ask that you email your myspace page to openfor3eb[a]gmail.com. NOTE: deadline for bands is 10am EST on Sunday, June 14^th.

Since they had recorded so much music, whatever doesn't make it on Ursa Major will be collected in another album, tentatively called Ursa Minor. Keep an "eye" on the band at news.weheartmusic.com.

* Update 6/12/09 11:53am: I just received this breaking news: "the upcoming Third Eye Blind album will be released on August 18^th via Mega Collider"

ALICE IN CHAINS
aliceinchains.com ♥ myspace.com

Tour Dates 07/18/09 Comerica Park Detroit, MI 08/01/09 Marlay Park Dublin 08/02/09 Sonisphere Festival Knebworth 08/06/09 Cologne, GR Essigfabrik 08/08/09 Berlin, GR Columbia Club 08/10/09 Hamburg, GR Grunspan 08/11/09 Amsterdam, NE Melkweg

Riding the coat tail of Seattle's grunge sound, Alice in Chains found themselves selling a ton of their EP Jars of Flies, followed by their '95 self-titled album (the 3-legged dog on the cover, aka 'Tripod'). All the success and money played out like a typical VH-1 Behind the Music story, when you hear that lead singer Layne Staley died of a drug overdose years later.

William DuVall is the new singer, who joined the band in 2006. They seem to be very excited about their upcoming album, Black Gives Way to Blue, out on September 29^th, 2009, on Virgin/EMI records.

Just prior to the album's release, they are planning on playing through Europe (particularly in Germany). Their upcoming gig on July 18^th is with Kid Rock at the Comerica Park in Detroit.

Can't get enough? More at news.weheartmusic.com.

SOUNDGARDEN
chriscornell.com ♥ myspace.com

Chris Cornell - Scream (Album Cover) Tour Dates 06/13/09 Download Festival Donington 06/14/09 Olympia Dublin 06/17/09 New Exhibition Centre Tel Aviv 06/20/09 Nova Rock Festival Nickelsdorf 06/21/09 Roxy Prague 06/23/09 Markthalle Hamburg 06/24/09 Huxley’s Berlin 06/25/09 Szczecin Rock Festival Szczecin 06/27/09 Peace & Love Festival Borlange 06/29/09 Vega Copenhagen 07/01/09 Train Aarhus 07/03/09 Quart Festival Kristiansand 07/06/09 Alcatraz Milan 07/07/09 Ostia Antica Rome 07/10/09 Bilbao Live Festival Bilbao 07/11/09 Optimus Alive Festival

Okay, that's deceiving. I just thought Soundgarden/Alice In Chains combo was more attention-grabbing. Well Soundgarden's lead singer Chris Cornell's third album Scream, was just released in March under Interscope Records.

As far as I know, Soundgarden broke up in 1997 and remained so. Along with Pearl Jam, Nirvana and Alice in Chains, Soundgarden destroyed the world with grunge/metal/rock music. They supernova with their major hit song "Black Hole Sun" (which incidentally failed to get mentioned on my the Sun article).

That summer of '95 saw the band doing some major touring that would've permanently damaged Cornell's vocals cords if he had kept going:

I think we kinda overdid it! We were playing five or six nights a week and my voice pretty much took a beating. Towards the end of the American tour I felt like I could still kinda sing, but I wasn't really giving the band a fair shake. You don't buy a ticket to see some guy croak for two hours! That seemed like kind of a rip off.

- Chris Cornell

The band canceled and rescheduled the concert dates at a later time. The band split up shortly after concluding their 1996 Lollapalooza tour with Metallica.

So, recently, you may have actually heard about Cornell with his high profile work with former Rage Against the Machine members in a band called Audioslave as well as hearing his theme song on the James Bond movie "Casino Royale" with "You Know My Name".

More info at news.weheartmusic.com

Update 6/12/09 1:35pm: Wow so many bands from the 90s...

MEAT PUPPETS
themeatpuppets.com ♥ myspace.com

Tour Dates 06/12/09 Mercury Lounge - New York, NY 06/13/09 Rock n Roll Hotel - Washington, DC 06/14/09 Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC 06/16/09 The Earl - Altanta, GA 06/17/09 Exit/In - Nashville, TN 06/19/09 Cambridge Room - Dallas, TX 06/20/09 The Parish - Austin, TX

Incidentally, I know Dinosaur Jr is still around. I did see that Meat Puppets are around and I just got this late news that they're appearing on NPR/World Cafe today at 3pm.  The note I got sums up their successful tour and promotion: "The band is currently in the middle of their sold out tour with another sold out show at the Mercury Lounge tonight. Plus, they have a big feature in the current issue of Rolling Stone."

You may remember this band as closely tied to Nirvana in the early days, as Kurt Cobain was a huge fan of the band.  Their most famous album is probably Too High to Die in 1994, the album was produced by "worst band name ever" Butthole Surfers' Paul Leary.

The band broke up and recently reunited in 2006.  The new album is called Sewn Together on Megaforce Records and was released on May 12^th.

 06/12/2009 01:51:42 ♥ vu () ♥weheartmusic.com♥podcast.weheartmusic.com♥news.weheartmusic.com

Update 6/12/09 10:10am: Possible origin of name?

crankypants wrote: Fri, Jun 12, 2009 at 9:27 AM

I always thought it was possible that Better Than Ezra's name came from Dinner At The Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler (who wrote The Accidental Tourist, among others). I never thought too much about it, and didn't know they'd never revealed the source, and I read the book in HS way before the band was around and never read it again. BUT...there was a character named Ezra and it always made me think of that. The End.