Welcome to Red Bull’s rock music bulletin. This week, R.E.M. have another hit on their hands, Goo Goo Dolls and Panic! At The Disco hit the road and Jon Bon has a bone to pick with Apple.
New Album from R.E.M. Is A Hit
R.E.M. are back on top with the hugely succesful release of their 15th studio album, Collapse Into Now, which debuted at number 5 on the Billboard 200 - the album also topped both the Rock and Alternative Album charts. Michael Stipe has been hard at work on the promotional tour and recently popped over to London to talk about the new album, writing lyrics, the Collapse Into Now film project which recently debuted at the SXSW festival in Austin, Texas, and recording in Berlin's famous Hansa Studio.
Warped Tour Adds Nine More Bands
The Vans Warped Tour 2011 has announced nine more new bands to their summer festival, and perhaps the biggest name added to the bill are ska rockers Less Than Jake. Other artists named to the summer festival are metalcore six-piece Motionless In White, metal-tinged rockers Black Veil Brides, alternative pop artist Tess Dunn, Canadian prog rock juggernaut We’re Doomed, pop punk collective So Long Arletta, ska quintet Planet Smashers, and alternative rock groups Electric Touch and Ionia.
Jon Bon Jovi Slams Steve Jobs
Jon Bon Jovi must really despise Apple. In a recent article with the Sunday Times Magazine, the legendary rocker slammed company CEO Steve Jobs and blames him for the revolution of the digital age. He said, “Kids today have missed the whole experience of putting the headphones on, turning it up to 10, holding the jacket, closing their eyes and getting lost in an album; and the beauty of taking your allowance money and making a decision based on the jacket, not knowing what the record sounded like, and looking at a couple of still pictures and imagining it.
"Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business."
The New Jersey native continued, “I hate to sound like an old man now, but I am, and you mark my words, in a generation from now people are going to say: 'What happened?' Steve Jobs is personally responsible for killing the music business.”
Harsh words, but the rocker has a point. It was always exciting (and still is) to hold a new CD, open it up and listen to it while looking over the linear notes. But thanks to the digital age and recent economic times, physical CDs are becoming a thing of the past. Nevertheless, the reality is this was going to happen sooner or later, so you can’t really blame Steve Jobs in particular. He was just smart enough to market and promote a digital format of buying music. Can’t hate the player, but you can certainly hate the game. In related news, Moby thinks major labels should die.
Goo Goo Dolls, Panic! At the Disco Set to Tour
The Goo Goo Dolls will hit the road for an upcoming spring tour in support of their album Something For The Rest Of Us. It’s set to kick off April 3rd at the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi, and will conclude on June 3rd at the Red Rock Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Speaking of tours, multi-platinum pop rock group Panic! At The Disco have announced their plans for a North American Tour in light of their new studio album Vice & Virtues. The continental trek will begin on May 22nd at the House Of Blues in Boston, Massachusetts, and will conclude June 29th at the Sokol Auditorium in Omaha, Nebraska. More dates will be announced in coming weeks.
Hitting the road with them as opening acts will be Foxy Shazam and Funeral Party. Foxy Shazam, the piano-heavy experimental pop rockers, will play the first leg of the tour while Funeral Party, a dance-flavored rock troupe, is set to take over for the second half of the tour.
TV On The Radio Bassist Diagnosed with Cancer
Finally, in some unfortunate news, TV On The Radio bassist Gerard Smith has been diagnosed with lung cancer. The indie rock band made the announcement on their website and, in a joint statement, the members wrote, “Gerard is fortunate enough to have health insurance and is receiving excellent medical care. Already we have seen dramatic results. Combine that with Gerard's legendarily willful disposition and it might just be cancer that has the problem.” As a result, Smith has been forced out of the group’s spring tour where they will be promoting their new studio album Nine Types Of Light, due out April 12th. Red Bull wishes Gerard Smith a speedy recovery.
Want more?
- Listen to Michael Stipe and UK DJ Dave Gorman in conversation
- Find out more about the Vans Warped Tour 2011
- AWOLNATION Album Release
- Check out previous Rock Reports
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