There‘s no doubt about Gwen Stefani

Dec. 14, 2005

Rumors have been flying that singer-songwriter-fashionista Gwen Stefani is recording a second solo album, but according to Stefani herself, it’s not happening - at least, not just yet.  Stefani, formerly known for her work with ska-rockers No Doubt and now an even bigger pop force on her own, says that she went from No Doubt’s Rock Steady Tour to making No Doubt’s greatest hits disc to touring on No Doubt’s greatest hits tour to making her own album, followed by her acting work in The Aviator and launching her first New York fashion show, so she’s tired.  No wonder.  She does, however, already have several great tracks that weren’t included on her first solo album - including “You Started It,” which was recorded by Pharrell Williams, “Fine By You,” on which she collaborated with Linda Perry, and several additional tracks produced by Eurythmics’ Dave Stewart, so when she’s ready to get back in the studio - which she says will likely be early next year - she’ll already have a head start...
 
The Big in ‘05 Awards just took place on MTV this past week - as for the show itself, well - eh.  Coming across more as a flashy promotional event than an actual awards ceremony, the show tossed awards at Kanye West, Gwen Stefani, Bo Bice (?), and Green Day, but more interesting were the show’s live performances, including INXS, who performed the classic INXS track “New Sensation” as well as new track “Pretty Vegas” with new lead singer J.D. Fortune...  Fall Out Boy, who played “Sugar, We’re Going Down”... and Audioslave (minus guitarist Tom Morello) who performed an impressive acoustic interpretation of “Doesn’t Remind Me”...
 
The Arcade Fire are getting ready to record a brand new album, but have decided to go an unusual route instead of the usual studio route.  The group have invested their own money and have purchased a church near their hometown of Montreal that they have already begun using for recording.  The Arcade Fire’s particular church dates back to 1900, and spent some time as a Masonic Lodge, so the band has been looking into the building’s history.  According to the band, they have a lot of work yet to do on the disc, so it most likely won’t be out until next autumn...
 
This summer’s Live 8 musical events, helmed by charity guru and Boomtown Rats singer Bob Geldof, accomplished their mission of getting the G8 leaders to double African aid funds from $25 billion to $50 billion by the year 2010 - which also resulted in Geldof being nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize this year.   But while the July events were successful, Geldof stresses that the work has only just begun.  “Live 8 was a response to get as much as we could and raise the issue of extreme poverty to the highest table of world politics,” he’s quoted as saying, but now the goal is to get the world leaders to hold to their promises.  Another goal of Geldof’s is to get the current generation to carry the torch and keep pushing for the cause;  to find out more and get involved, check out www.live8live .com...

MINI BUZZ:
Beck has four exclusive tracks that are yours to download, provided you access his official website - go to www.beck .com to snag “Sorrow,” “Day for Night,” “Premonition,” and “Untitled 2”...
Nine Inch Nails have extended their North American tour to March, and will now make additional stops in Champaign, IL (2/10), Moline, IL (2/12), Green Bay, WI (2/14), and Grand Rapids, MI (2/20)...
The 2006 Taste of Chaos Tour is set to kick off on February 16 in San Diego, with Thrice, the Deftones, Silverstein, Dredg, and many more bands along for the ride; for tix, check out www.tasteofchaos.com ...
Sorry, Aussies - rockers Pennywise, currently promoting their new album The Fuse, have ditched their tentatively-planned Australian tour, but U.S. fans will be able to see them on the club and theater circuit early next year...
The next Billboard Century Award has been determined, and this honor will go to Tom Petty, who will be presented the award by Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong at a ceremony that will take place in February...
And lucky Brits will get to see some of their fave pop and film stars in pantomime events this year, including Robbie Williams, who will perform in “Mother Goose,” Patsy Kensit, who will show up in “Aladdin,” and Dr. Who’s John Barrowman, who will be part of “Cinderella”...
 
And you’re lucky, too, ‘cause these new releases will be available in stores this week... ON CD: INXS’  Switch...  Beck’s  Guerolito... Bob Geldof’s Geldof in Africa... Kraftwerk’s Minimum Maximum Box Set... Budapest Eskimos’ The Lushlife Project... and God Save the Queen: A Punk Rock Anthology... ON DVD:  Ozzy Osbourne’s Ozzfest 10th Anniversary... Backstreet Boys - Never Gone... Disco - Spinning the Story... and Shelter from the Storm: A Concert for the Gulf Coast featuring performances from and more... 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! 

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