Jeff Giles
2012 MuchMusic Video Awards Nominees Announced
With only a month to go before 2012′s MuchMusic Video Awards winners are handed their trophies at the ceremony on June 17, it’s time to announce the nominees — an eclectic list of acts that includes Coldplay, Foster the People, Cobra Starship, Gym Class Heroes and Maroon 5.
Dave Matthews Challenges ‘American Idol’ Contestant Phillip Phillips to Take Over His Band
After weeks of having his singing style compared to Dave Matthews, ‘American Idol‘ contestant Phillip Phillips finally took the plunge last week and covered one of Matthews’ songs on an episode of the show. Naturally, an intrepid reporter for New York Magazine’s Vulture asked Matthews to give his thoughts on the performance — and although he admitted he hadn’t heard it, he was willing to weigh in.
Blink-182′s Travis Barker Having Emergency Surgery, Band Cancels Tour Dates
Citing drummer Travis Barker’s emergency tonsillectomy, the members of Blink-182 have announced the cancellation of all concert appearances for the month of May, including their scheduled May 19 set at the Bamboozle in Asbury Park, N.J.
Radiohead Producer Nigel Godrich Starts New Band Ultraista
You’ve enjoyed his production work for artists such as Radiohead, Beck and Paul McCartney. Now you can experience the song stylings of Nigel Godrich as a recording artist in his own right: he’s gone and started a band, dubbed Ultraista, with in-demand session drummer Joey Waronker and vocalist Laura Bettinson.
No Doubt Posts New Behind-the-Scenes Video from the Studio
It’s taken a little longer than fans would have liked — and longer than the band thought it would — but No Doubt are finally in the home stretch for their upcoming sixth album, due Sept. 25, and you can get an early sneak peek at what’s been going on in the studio courtesy of a new webisode that even offers a hint of new music.
Slash, Marilyn Manson, Evanescence + More Name Their Guilty Pleasure Pop Songs
Whether or not we believe in the concept of guilty musical pleasures, most of us enjoy a few songs and artists that we’d rather not be caught listening to — and rock’s biggest acts are no different, as evidenced by a recent Fuse piece that asked famous rockers to share the darkest secrets of their personal playlists.
Watch Red Hot Chili Peppers Covered by Drummer With No Hands
If you’ve ever talked yourself out of doing something you really wanted to do because some part of you believed you wouldn’t be able to do it, just go ahead and slap yourself right now — and then watch this amazing video, which proves that we can overcome pretty much any obstacle if we’re determined enough.
Watch the War on Drugs Play ‘Come to the City’ on ‘Letterman’
The War on Drugs came to ‘The Late Show with David Letterman’ last night, bringing their tuneful shoegaze rock to late-night viewers with a performance of ‘Come to the City.’
Jack White’s ‘Blunderbuss’ Set for No. 1 Debut
Jack White did everything he could to make you pay attention to the fact that he was putting out a solo record, from playing ‘SNL’ to cooking up ever-more-inventive ways of releasing singles from the album. And if what Billboard is hearing from retailers is accurate, all that hard work seems to have paid off with the biggest sales numbers of the week — and his career.
Sinead O’Connor Cancels All Tour Dates for 2012
Her new album has been earning some of the best reviews of her career, but Sinead O’Connor won’t be staying on the road to help promote it — citing health concerns related to her bipolar disorder, she’s been forced to cancel all of her remaining tour dates for the year.
Hear Feist and Mastodon Cover Each Other for Record Store Day
In one of the more unorthodox pairings on a Record Store Day that looks to be full of them, Feist and Mastodon have collaborated on a 7″ single that finds the artists covering each other — and now you can hear the results.
Blur Announce Massive Box Set
Creative people tend to prefer focusing on their next project instead of dwelling on the past, but if you’re going to look back, you might as well do it in style — and that’s exactly what Blur are doing in 2012, with a major reissue campaign that will culminate in a massive 21-disc box set.