The Brit‘s Best

Feb. 2, 2005

It’s Brit Awards time again, with this year’s show - the 25th anniversary show, to be exact - scheduled for February 9 at London’s Earl Court. Franz Ferdinand is leading the nominees with five, including Best Rock Act, Best Live Act, British Breakthrough, Best British Album, and Best British Group (hmm)... and right behind are fellow nominees Keane, Snow Patrol, The Streets, Scissor Sisters, and Kasabian. International Male and Female nominees include Gwen Stefani, Maroon 5, Avril Lavigne, Green Day, and OutKast...
Garbage are finally ready to release their long-awaited new album - Bleed Like Me will be their first disc in four years and the follow-up to their 2001 release, beautifulgarbage. Produced by the Dust Brothers’ John King, the album includes tracks “Run Baby Run,” “Why Don’t You Come Over,” “Right Between the Eyes,” “Why Do You Love Me,” and “Boys Wanna Fight” - and the Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl appears on drums on the track “Bad Boyfriend.” Lead singer Shirley Manson calls the new disc “pretty stellar,” and it’s expected in stores on April 11. In the meantime, Manson herself throws some guest vocals onto the new Queens of the Stone Age album, Lullabies to Paralyze, along with musical pal Brody Dalle; the QOTSA disc is due out on March 21...
Collective Soul, who released their first studio album since 2000 this past fall (November’s Youth), are planning to headline an extensive tour this year, with the bulk of their dates so far taking place this February. Confirmed shows include stops in Park City, Utah (1/26), Denver, Colorado (2/15), San Diego (2/20), San Francisco (2/23), Tempe, Arizona (4/2); and Cadott, Wisconsin’s Rock Fest 2005 on July 14. Fans can check out a few streaming tunes from the new album, including singles “Better Now” and “Counting the Days,” on the band’s website, www.collectivesoul.com...
And Los Angeles’ trendsetting radio station KCRW is set to release their eighth collection of live recordings from the station’s hip Morning Becomes Eclectic program, hosted by esteemed trendspotter Nic Harcourt. This particular set, Sounds Eclectic 3, will include tracks from Interpol, My Morning Jacket, The Polyphonic Spree, plus Radiohead’s acoustic version of their track “Go To Sleep,” and Iron & Wine’s cover of the Flaming Lips’ “Superman.” Sounds Eclectic 3 hits stores this week...

MINI BUZZ:
Following in the footsteps of his musician/actress wife, Gwen Stefani (who can currently be seen in the Leonardo DiCaprio film The Aviator), Bush singer Gavin Rossdale will make his film debut as a character named Balthazar in the upcoming Keanu Reeves film Constantine...
London quartet Bloc Party have announced a spring UK tour that’ll include shows in Sheffield (3/2), London (3/4), and Portsmouth (3/5); they’ll also play as part of the NME Awards Tour, and will release their latest single, “So Here We Are,” on January 31...
Green Day’s upcoming North American tour has tapped My Chemical Romance as support act...
Damien Rice and Lisa Hannigan have reworked several songs by late bossa nova legend Antonio Carlos Jobim for the sound-track of the upcoming film Goldfish Memory - that same soundtrack will also include tunes from Sinead Lohan, Richie Buckley, The Walls, and hi.rise - more info about Goldfish Memory can be found at the film’s official site, www.goldfishmemory.com...
The Charlatans have returned to the indie label world with their newly signed deal at Sanctuary Records...
And brand-new in CD stores for you - here are this week’s new discs... ON CD: Egg drops Egg (pun intended)... the Eurythmics re-release Be Yourself Tonight... Stray Cats present Runaway Hits: The Very Best Of... Buena Vista Social Club presents Manuel Guajiro Mirabal... The Carpenters present Singles 1969-1981... and Nektar releases Evolution... ON DVD: Abba - Super Troupers... Genesis’ The Video Show... X (The Band) - The Unheard Music... and Queen’s On Fire at the Bowl... and that’s the buzz for this week’s Modern Rock.

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