March 29, 2024

Foos dig the Underground

Sept. 20, 2006
Two Australian miners - Brant Webb and Todd Russell - were trapped for two weeks underground recently, and passed some of the time by listening to music players that were passed through a small hole dug by their rescuers while working on the larger hole that would allow the men to escape. During their time underground, Webb made a special request that the Foo Fighters music be added to his music playlist;  and when the Foos’ Dave Grohl heard about this, he sent a message of solidarity to the miners, pledging two tickets to any Foos show anywhere, plus two cold beers waiting for the men.  After thinking over his offer, Grohl took things one step further, and is now planning a whole night out with the men.  “I’m not just having one beer with those dudes - we’re going to have a big night,” Grohl said.  Now that’s the ultimate fan reward...
 
From Grohl to Gomez: the UK band are in the middle of supporting their latest album, How We Operate, and will soon be hitting U.S. shores for a full-scale Gomez U.S. tour.  In addition to stops at the Vegoose Festival and Austin City Limits, the band will be sharing the stage with a number of opening acts, including Matisyahu, Matt Pond, Mike Doughty, and Guster, and will make stops in San Diego (9/12), Atlanta GA (9/19), New York (10/5, 10/6, and 10/7), Philadelphia (10/8), Milwaukee (10/11), and Minneapolis (10/16). In other Gomez news, their label is releasing a career-spanning 2-CD set that will include singles, B-sides, and previously unreleased material;  titled Five Men In A Hut, the discs will span 36 tracks in all and will be available on October 17...

Also out on October 17 will be the
Ric Ocasek-produced Cars documentary called The Cars Unlocked, which will surface as a DVD/CD package that will include 20 previously unreleased live clips, behind-the-scenes footage, video outtakes, interviews, and much more, including 14 live tracks on the CD alone.  The “new” Cars, which features Todd Rundgren taking over Ocasek’s place on vocals, have rescheduled the end of the summer tour to restart this week, and will likely continue on the road through the end of this year...
 
Alt-rockers Incubus spent much of the past year in Atlanta and L.A.. recording their fifth album with producer Brendan O’Brien, best known for his work with Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, and that same album is now just about ready for release.  Dubbed Light Grenades, the set will hit stores on November 28 on Epic Records, and will feature both heavier tracks and a few pretty ballads, with the single “Anna Molly” to hit radio as the first single from the album in October. Other song titles include “Dig,” “A Kiss To Send Us Off,” “Oil and Water,” “Pendulous Threads,” and “Earth to Bella” parts 1 and 2...
 
MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:   San Diego alt-rockers Switchfoot are prepping to release their 6th studio album, Oh! Gravity, at the end of this year, but fans can give their ears a jumpstart on new Switchfoot tunes by downloading a previously unreleased track that’s now available for free download at the band’s official website;  the track won’t be on
the new album, so get it while you can at www.switchfoot.com...
 
MINI BUZZ:
James Blunt will embark on a 35-city North American tour that will kick off on October 1 in Montreal, Canada...
The Stills are rumored to be playing
NYC’s Bowery Ballroom the beginning of December, so keep your eyes out for dates...
Wolf Parade’s video for “I’ll Believe in Anything” is out this week... 
Symphonic-popsters The Polyphonic Spree are still hard at work on their newest full-length album, but will keep fans happy in the meantime with their Wait EP, which hits stores this week...
Los Lonely Boys have expanded their tour with a dozen November dates, along with opening act Ozomatli, in response to the success of their summer dates, which also saw them opening on several occasions for Santana...
And, after an expanded absence from the music scene, The Cooper Temple Clause are back with a new single, “Homo Sapiens,” on October 23, and a new upcoming album, Make This Your Own, which is due in January...
 
Due right now are this week’s new releases... ON CD:   Ultravox’s Systems of Romance... Audioslave’s Revelations... Ziggy Marley’s Love Is My Religion... Dusty Springfield’s Complete A & B Sides 1963-1970... Simple Minds’ Platinum Collection... and Chantal Kreviazuk’s Ghost Stories... ON DVD:  R.E.M. - And I Feel Fine: The Best of the I.R.S. Years 1982-1987 Video Collection... Englebert Humperdinck’s Totally Amazing... Santana’s Viva Santana!... and The Devil and Daniel Johnston... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your fave musicians?  Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com
 
 
 

Trending

Mysterious Michigan Reads

We can’t think of a better way to spend spring break than with a great book. Northern Express asked local bookseller... Read More >>

Heirloom Recipes With Heritage, History, and Nostalgia

Before we begin to stash our coats and put winter behind us, let us remember what years past have taught us…fake sp... Read More >>

A Floral Family Affair

In the quaint downtown of Elk Rapids sits Golden Hill Farms, a shop where the artistry of floristry meets the rustic charm... Read More >>

A Look at Originalism

O Tempora O Mores! Oh the times, oh the culture. This Latin phrase relates to both the 18th century and our current times.... Read More >>