New Yorkers were treated to a rare performance by Big Star on Wednesday night, when the iconic power-pop band — whose touring lineup now comprises frontman Alex Chilton, longtime drummer Jody Stephens, and Posies members Jon Auer and Ken Stringfellow — performed at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple. Highlights included a cover of Todd Rundgren’s “Slut,” a rendition of “I Am the Cosmos” with Auer on lead vocals, and such Big Star staples as “Thirteen” and “The Ballad of El Goodo.” [RollingStone.com]

Dates for the annual Bonnaroo Festival have been announced. The festival will commence its ninth year on June 10th, 2010, and the 24-hour entertainment will run through the morning of the 13th. Start praying for dry weather and big-name headliners. [LiveMusicBlog.com]

Read the rest of this entry »

This week we’ve got the usual stunning array of new bands to thrill, chill and amaze you. From New Jersey noise poppers to SF psych poppers to Welsh collectives, these are all names to learn because they are going to be big timing it in 2010. Next week we’ll bring you another overflowing bounty of brilliance, but after that we have some choices. We’ll probably have a year-end best-of HDJz round-up, but it might be cool to have a Reader’s Choice Hot Damn Jamz. If you want to take part please send in a comment with the words “I’m in, Bunky” and we’ll get in touch with you. First 10 people will get the once in a lifetime chance to be part of the HDJz team. Good luck!

Read the rest of this entry »

John Mayer’s Battle Studies is estimated to sell between 275,000 and 300,000 copies this week, which should make it the number one album on Billboard’s 200 chart. If it tops the chart, this will be Mayer’s second number one; 2003’s Heavier Things, which sold 317,000 in 2003, was his first. Casting Crowns, Norah Jones, 50 Cent and Justin Bieber are other acts likely to debut high on next week’s Billboard 200. [Billboard.com]

Two of the year’s best-received music documentaries, Anvil! and It Might Get Loud, were left off of the short list of Best Documentary candidates for the 2010 Oscars. Not all music-themed documentaries fared so badly: Soundtrack for a Revolution, which features the Roots, the Blind Boys of Alabama, John Legend and Wyclef Jean, made the cut. [RollingStone.com]

Read the rest of this entry »

Do you like pop music? Do you like snappy visuals? Well, 2006 was a pretty good year for both. I’m a big fan of Camera Obscura’s loving recreation of early 60s advertising, the Long Blondes’ wittily cinematic split screens, the Bicycles’ endearingly DIY-goofiness, Love is All’s invigorating live performance, and the Golden Dogs’ all-out energetic charge through one of the great unknown pop anthems of the last decade.

Read the rest of this entry »

British pop-singer Leona Lewis has recorded the theme song for director James Cameron’s long-awaited sci-fi epic Avatar. The song, titled “I See You,” will play over the film’s end credits. Lewis just released Echo, her sophomore album and follow-up to 2007’s international smash Spirit. [Independent.co.uk.]

Ian Brown is apparently urging British educators to show the films “8 Mile” and “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” to pupils. The former Stone Roses frontman feels that these biographical films (which center on rappers Eminem and 50 Cent) will help inspire young children to achieve great things. [NME.com]

Read the rest of this entry »

Crush Bands are back with O’Spada, a Swedish quintet that takes their cues from the jacked-up, synthed-out sound of early-80’s Prince, the swooning lite-jazz funk of Teena Marie, and slick grooves of post-disco, post-funk bands like Raydio or the mighty Ready for the World. The band is tighter than a bad toupee, the synth sound is fat and squelchy, and in Julia Spada they have a singer who can convincingly put some gritty, slightly daffy soul into their mix. Did I mention they were from Sweden? Nice! They’ve put out a few singles and there is a healthy buzz growing around them that we are more than happy to contribute to.

Read the rest of this entry »

With Rod Stewart continuing to focus on his solo career, the remaining members of the Faces — guitarist Ron Wood, keyboardist Ian McLagan, and drummer Kenney Jones — have begun to make preparations for a 2010 reunion tour. Simply Red’s Mick Hucknall may be tapped as Stewart’s permanent replacement, having played with the group earlier this Fall at a benefit show in London. Although the Rolling Stones’ Bill Wyman filled in for the late Ronnie Lane at that same show, the bassist is notoriously wary of flying, meaning the Faces will likely chose someone else to fill Lane’s shoes. [Billboard.com]

Sleater-Kinney’s Carrie Brownstein recently led a roundtable discussion on the role of record labels in contemporary music. Execs from Saddle Creek, Kill Rock Stars, Matador, Merge, and other labels also weighed in. Read the transcript here. [NPR.org]

Read the rest of this entry »

Liam Gallagher has started a new band with his former Oasis bandmates — minus his older brother Noel. Guitarist Gem Archer, bassist Andy Bell, and drummer Chris Sharrock are working with Gallagher on new material; Gallagher promised in an Italian radio interview that this version of the group (which will have a new name) will make their live debut in a few months. [RollingStone.com]

Kanye West made his first onstage appearance since interrupting Taylor Swift’s MTV Video Music Awards acceptance speech in September when he joined Beyonce during her Sunday night show at London’s O2 Arena. West rapped on the song “Ego”; Jay-Z also made a cameo during the concert, performing on “Crazy in Love.” [NME.com]

R.I.P. U.K. hip-hop artist Derek B., who died over the weekend after suffering a heart attack at age 44. Beginning as a DJ at the age of 15, Derek B.’s first single “Rock the Beat” appeared in 1986; his best-known album was 1988’s Bullet From a Gun. He also worked as a producer, collaborating with Eric B. and Rakim and the Cookie Crew. [AllHipHop.com]

Grizzly Bear’s tour bus was in an accident on Thursday night after the band’s show in Munich, but fortunately the group was unharmed. The bus and the band’s trailer, however were “hit and rendered immovable.” Though Grizzly Bear missed their Saturday night gig opening for Wilco, the band plans to continue their European tour through the end of November. [Pitchfork.com]

Buzz band the xx is now a trio. Keyboardist/guitarist left the group after missing a concert in October; the band’s front man Oliver Sim said, “We’ve been in a band with Baria since we were 16 and have known her since we were 12. It’s just been a case of, I suppose, growing apart?” [Guardian.co.uk]

The Beatles never broke up? That’s what a mashup album of songs by the Beatles and John, Paul, George and Ringo on their own lets you pretend. [TheDailySwarm.com]