Regina Spektor performs for President & guests

Regina Spektor Performs for President and Guests
Singer-songwriter Regina Spektor performed this past weekend at the White House for President Obama, First Lady Michelle Obama, and a host of prominent guests as part of the first-ever White House reception in honor of Jewish-American heritage. Spektor’s performance was especially poignant for many of the attendees, as she is a Russian-born Jewish performer who moved to the U.S. from Soviet Russia over twenty years ago. Spektor also recently dropped her fifth record, Far, and is set to embark on a European tour next month to support that very album...
Fellow singer-songwriter Damien Jurado is set to hit the road, too, on a big-time U.S. tour with Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground along as both Jurado’s backing band and opening act. Jurado’s touring in support of his upcoming album, Saint Barlett, which was released last week on Secretly Canadian Records, and which consists of twelve tunes that all began as demo songs that Jurado was mailing to a friend who was going through a difficult transitional period. Jurado’s tour dates will include stops in Milwaukee WI (6/8), Indianapolis (6/12), Cleveland (6/15), Philly (6/19), Austin TX (6/26), and Birmingham AL (6/24)...
And as most American Idol fans already know, the final results for the latest round of the singing popularity contest were passed out in a blockbuster TV presentation, with Lee DeWyze winning the rilly big shew and Crystal Bowersox serving as runner-up. Both performers were signed to Idol’s associate record labels, and will reportedly be putting out debut albums before the end of the year. DeWyze said in a recent interview that his will be influenced by the likes of Kings of Leon, Ben Harper, and Dave Matthews; while Bowersox explained that she likes to perform “simple songs that anyone can enjoy,” although she’s also an admitted fan of the, uh, slightly more complicated Alanis Morissette.

In related Idol news, departing judge Simon Cowell will be honored this week in London, England with a special BAFTA Award, which will honor his work as “one of the most brilliant entertainment producers of our time.” The jury’s out on whether or not Idol will be anywhere near as entertaining without Cowell’s forthright judgements and industry-sharp comments...

MODERN ROCK LINK OF THE WEEK:
Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla has started his own record label; dubbed Trans Records, the imprint will be part of Warner Music’s Independent Label Group, and Walla’s already signed his first band - Washington’s The Lonely Forest, who will go into the studio with Walla himself to record their third album this spring. Keep an eye on both Walla’s work and future potential Trans Records’ release at www.myspace.com/chriswalla...

MINI BUZZ:
Killers frontman Brandon Flowers has been working hard on his first solo album with producers Stuart Price, Daniel Lanois, and Brendan O’Brien; Flowers’ set, dubbed Flamingo, will hit stores this upcoming fall...
White Stripes fans can now snag the duo’s Under the Great White Northern Lights book without having to shell out the entire $229 for the box CD/DVD set - the book is now being sold separately for $45...
Silverstein will release their own live CD/DVD, Decade: Live at the El Mocambo, on June 8, in part to celebrate the band’s ten-year anniversary...
This year’s famed Glastonbury fest is set for June 23 through the 27th this year in the UK, and will feature headliners Muse, and Stevie Wonder, although not prior headliners U2 (who cancelled in order to allow Bono to recover from back surgery); U2 will reportedly be replaced in that headliner spot by Gorillaz...
Orbital will be releasing their first tracks in six years with a double single, set to hit stores and radio on June 20...
Liam (Oasis) Gallagher’s Pretty Green clothing label is set to welcome in fellow Brit singer Paul Weller, who is planning to design suits and jackets for the fashion line...
And these artists have designed their very own albums and are presenting them in-stores this week for your perusal... ON CD: Hanson’s Shout it Out... Crystal Castles’ Crystal Castles... Christina Aguilera’s Bionic... Ratatat’s LP4... and We Are The In Crowd’s Guaranteed to Disagree... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.
Questions, comments, rants, raves, suggestions on this column or your favorite musicians? Send ‘em to Kristi at modernrocker@gmail.com

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