Articles

There was a time, not so long ago, when Green Day weren't seen as daring punk-rock provocateurs. As recently as 2003, they were pretty much considered done, washed-up.   Then they dropped American Idiot on us.   "I turned to Billie Joe and told him, 'This is your Coldplay song. It's like nothing you've ever made before,' " Cavallo laughed. "I loved it from the first day I heard it. Just the nature of it and the tempo and the way he sang the opening part. When I heard Billie Joe sing, 'I walk the

“Don’t touch it!”   “Well, I wasn’t going to touch it. I was just pointing at it.”   “Well…don’t point! It can’t be played.”   So goes a famous scene from This Is Spinal Tap, the satirical 1984 “rockumentary” of “one of England’s loudest bands,” in which lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel (Christopher Guest) tours his collection with filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner). While Tufnel’s overzealousness may come across as a bit extreme, it’s not hard to imagine in a profession populated by lightning-fing

Influential Go-Betweens singer Grant McLennan has died from a heart attack at the age of 48.   The Aussie singer-songwriter who was a major influence on bands such as REM, U2, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand died just before a party he was holding in honour of girlfriend Emma in Brisbane.   A few weeks ago Grant and the band played at a birthday party for Hollywood star Cate Blanchett’s husband Andrew Upton as they were the couple’s favourite rock group.Bernard MacMahon of his label Lo-Max Records

Influential Go-Betweens singer Grant McLennan has died from a heart attack at the age of 48.   The Aussie singer-songwriter who was a major influence on bands such as REM, U2, Coldplay and Franz Ferdinand died just before a party he was holding in honour of girlfriend Emma in Brisbane.   A few weeks ago Grant and the band played at a birthday party for Hollywood star Cate Blanchett’s husband Andrew Upton as they were the couple’s favourite rock group.Bernard MacMahon of his label Lo-Max Records

Armin Van Buuren is one of the forerunners of the modern dance music scene. Consistently voted by fans to the top 5 in DJ Mag's annual DJ Poll, Armin has gained popularity through his relentless touring, top-notch original productions, as well as his weekly syndicated radio show, A State Of Trance.   Q. What are some of your favorite non-dance albums or artists? Or what music from outside your given genre do you draw inspiration from?   AVB: I'm a music addict and when I'm not in the studio I'm

He created the rom-zom-com with 'Shaun of the Dead' and breathed new life into British comedy movies. Can he repeat that success with 'Hot Fuzz'?   Jonathan Ross once remarked that Simon Pegg had a "head like a tennis ball". The description of his close-cropped yellow fuzz, complemented by fashionably unshaven cheeks on a perfectly spherical bonce was so accurate that it made me laugh out loud. Strange to relate, Pegg, whose stock-in-trade is making people laugh at him, was not amused.   In Lon

A Year to Remember at Halifax's 2006 Junos Awards   The Juno Awards have been getting bigger and bigger every year, but it looks like this year's trip to Halifax could prove to be the best destination yet for the music awards with a number of announcements over the last month that are sure to inspire fans. Among the 11 musical performances that have been announced, some of the biggest names include Coldplay, Michael Bublé, Nickelback, the Black Eyed Peas, and Massari.   Since CTV took over broa

After re-locating to Liverpool a couple of years ago (and evolving from the band Waikiki), Howling Bells return to their homeland with a handful of east coast winter dates.   The band have developed their nocturnal pop sound with Coldplay producer Ken Nelson, and have had UK critics gushing.   Drowned In Sound claimed “The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have nothing on this grace”, whilst the Guardian declared that the band are “on the verge of unequivocal magnificence”.Whilst the homecoming will undoubtedly b

After re-locating to Liverpool a couple of years ago (and evolving from the band Waikiki), Howling Bells return to their homeland with a handful of east coast winter dates.   The band have developed their nocturnal pop sound with Coldplay producer Ken Nelson, and have had UK critics gushing.   Drowned In Sound claimed “The Yeah Yeah Yeahs have nothing on this grace”, whilst the Guardian declared that the band are “on the verge of unequivocal magnificence”.Whilst the homecoming will undoubtedly b

It's traditional to spend New Year with friends and family and Jay-Z gets to do both this year - and gets paid for it - by performing in Las Vegas with Coldplay, writes BBC Newsbeat today, in a preview article to tomorrow night's invitation-only event at the Cosmopolitan complex, Las Vegas. You can discuss the reports to this latest event at the Coldplay Live forum now and over the next few days.   The US rapper has told Newsbeat that Coldplay's Chris Martin is his "brother from another mother,"

Coldplay will begin another North American tour tonight in Ottawa, Ontario, in support of the latest album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. While fans are likely to sing along to every word Chris Martin utters during the tour, they'll have some new lyrics to memorize when Coldplay's Prospekt's March EP arrives from November 19th. Coldplaying.com members have already celeb-spotted Coldplay in Ottawa (click the links for more information):   I was driving to work this morning around 8:4

Coldplay played the Ford Center in Oklahoma City last night.   Unconfirmed setlist:   Life In Technicolor Violet Hill Clocks In My Place Glass Of Water Speed Of Sound Cemeteries Of London Chinese Sleep Chant 42 Fix You Strawberry Swing God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version) Talk (techno version) The Hardest Part (Chris - piano instrumental) Postcards From Far Away (Chris - piano instrumental) Viva La Vida Lost! The Scientist (acoustic) Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - W

As the great thaw comes we New Englanders have less cause for joy than, say, those poor souls in Alaska or those penguins God clearly hates from that surprise hit documentary, but nonetheless more to celebrate than most. So as the air warms, the days grow longer, and time outside the cave becomes a bit more bearable, here are some modest suggestions for post-winter blues.   On April 3, Chris Martin takes a night off from stumping for Third World debt relief to play the Verizon Wireless Arena in

We hate to be the ones to tell you, but there's been a murder in the music industry.   OK, no one actually died. But it does appear TV killed the video star.   We started noticing this a few months back, when shows like Style Star and E! True Hollywood Story ran more than VideoFlow, but it wasn't until we set out to predict the winners of the 17th annual MuchMusic Video Awards (tomorrow at 8 p.m. on Much and City) that we realized we hadn't seen half the nominees.A quick RealPlayer sesh on the

We hate to be the ones to tell you, but there's been a murder in the music industry.   OK, no one actually died. But it does appear TV killed the video star.   We started noticing this a few months back, when shows like Style Star and E! True Hollywood Story ran more than VideoFlow, but it wasn't until we set out to predict the winners of the 17th annual MuchMusic Video Awards (tomorrow at 8 p.m. on Much and City) that we realized we hadn't seen half the nominees.A quick RealPlayer sesh on the

Named after a song his father, Chris Martin (of the British band Coldplay), wrote about his mother, actress and celebrity baby Gwyneth Paltrow, baby boy Moses Martin entered into the world under the unusual moniker of Moses, the great divider of the red sea.   Compared to his big sister, Apple, his name didn't make quite as big a splash. He was born Saturday April 8th, weighing 8 lbs, 4 oz, by cesearean section, at Mount Sinai (how fitting!).   Moses made his pictorial debut on his first trip h

Mud. Mushrooms. Men on stilts. Mad mantronics breathing fire... it's safe to say there's nowhere like Glastonbury. Those who saw the Julien Temple film of the festival when it came out earlier this year probably watched it with a weird and awkwardly visceral feeling of nostalgia. Old memories are evoked, smiles creep on to our faces and a muddy spliff is raised to Michael and family. While the film, and now this accompanying CD, fill the void, they remind us how great the gathering is but also t

Imitation being the sincerest form of flattery, Coldplay would be absolutely humbled should Chris Martin and company ever have occasion to hear this polished debut by the Sackville-bred, Halifax-based quartet In-Flight Safety.   Back in England, the Coldplay formula — chiming guitars and/or hammering keyboards, soaringly earnest vocals and clockwork crescendos — has already bred a slew of successful copycats, including Starsailor and Keane. Seldom has the blueprint been followed as faithfully as

After about a year and a half of waiting around for Team Love to finally get this record out, on January 24th, all of the Jenny Lewis followers will finally get their wish. I don't think that you really need an introduction to Jenny, you should know her from the wonderful band Rilo Kiley who have grown immensely (deservedly so) in the past year with numerous headlining tours, and even an opening spot on part of the US leg of the Coldplay tour.   With the growing popularity, more opportunities ha

Formed in June 2002, Ohio quartet Lovedrug took only 2 months before releasing their first EP. Fronted by Michael Shepard, they’ve shared stages with Something Corporate, The Killers, and the legendary Robert Plant.   “Pretend You’re Alive” has an intro not unlike Coldplay’s “In My Place”, and then the band, seemingly from nowhere, throw out a massive kick-ass riff for the imposing but disjointed “Pandamoranda”.   Read the full review here   When Michael Hutchence was found dead in a hotel room

It's a rare day of special promise: a brand spanking new Paul Simon album, Surprise. All cool people obviously must hear this. Partly, this is a collaboration with Brian Eno. What sweet wonders await us?   The Red Hot Chili Peppers release their two CD set Stadium Arcadium. The single "Dani California" doesn't sound like much to me — it's barely better than the crappy Pearl Jam. It is, however, a hit single already. Curious though for a band with a new double album that they only played one new

It's a rare day of special promise: a brand spanking new Paul Simon album, Surprise. All cool people obviously must hear this. Partly, this is a collaboration with Brian Eno. What sweet wonders await us?   The Red Hot Chili Peppers release their two CD set Stadium Arcadium. The single "Dani California" doesn't sound like much to me — it's barely better than the crappy Pearl Jam. It is, however, a hit single already. Curious though for a band with a new double album that they only played one new

This year’s Twenty-First Annual Induction Ceremony into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame will be held on March 13, 2006 in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel. The artists being inducted this year are: Black Sabbath, Blondie, Miles Davis, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sex Pistols, and receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award are Herb Alpert and Jerry Moss.   The Sex Pistols entered the British invasion in the second wave (1978-1985), where the strength of the “new wave” inflated the popularity of British musi

The rain is lashing as I stand ankle-deep in mud, along with more than 100,000 other bedraggled souls, at Glastonbury Festival in the UK. As Coldplay rip into their tender tear-jerker "Fix You", an extraordinary thing happens: people all around me start weeping. Everywhere I look people are singing along with tears streaming down their faces. Couples clutch each other in a "they're playing our song" kind of way. One young woman lies on her back in the cold, grey mud and bellows out the lyrics to

Richina Pacific's Mainzeal contruction arm has again delayed the finish date for the $80 million Vector Arena in central Auckland, forecasting more cost overuns for a project that is already a year overdue.   Mainzeal was supposed to have completed the 12,200 seat covered stadium in the middle of last year, but a spate of problems, including alterations to its unusual curved roof, have plagued the project and inflated costs by up to $12 million.   The delays forced rock band Coldplay and rap s