"Month of Giving": Legendary Musicians Join UNICEF To Fight Drought & Famine in Africa

In 1971 George Harrison and Ravi Shankar staged two concerts at New York's Madison Square Garden that brought together a star-studded cast of musicians to alert the world to the plight of the Bangladeshi people, victims of simultaneous floods, famine and civil war. The Concert for Bangladesh, the first major music benefit for a humanitarian cause, supported UNICEF programs and efforts in that country. The George Harrison Fund for UNICEF continues to support UNICEF programs in Bangladesh and has expanded its reach to other countries where children are at risk.

To mark the 40th anniversary of the groundbreaking event, once again the music community is stepping up for UNICEF, this time to help provide emergency relief for children in famine and drought-affected regions in the Horn of Africa, a situation which UNICEF calls the “worst humanitarian emergency in the world,” with Somalia being the epicenter of the crisis. Today the Horn of Africa faces what is being called the worst drought in 60 years, and famine has been declared by the United Nations in two regions of southern Somalia. More than 2 million children are malnourished, to include half a million children who are at imminent risk of death.

As part of the Month of Giving, musicians and performing artists across the world will engage with fans at their concerts, and by tweeting and posting content to their websites and Facebook pages. These artists include the original Concert for Bangladesh performers Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, andLeon Russell, as well as Arcade Fire, Monty Python, Elvis Costello, Crosby, Stills and Nash, The Doors, Selena Gomez, The Go-Go’s, Brian Wilson, My Morning Jacket, Nas, Jackson Browne, and more.

In a worldwide 72-hour online event, The Concert for Bangladesh feature film will be available for free streaming in its entirety from Saturday, July 30th through Monday, August 1st on iTunes, georgeharrison.com and theconcertforbangladesh.com. There are many ways to show your support for UNICEF’s efforts in the Horn of Africa; yesterday The Concert for Bagladesh debuted digitally exclusively at the iTunes Store (www.iTunes.com). Each download will benefit the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF, as all artists, songwriters and publishers associated with the concert will keep no income from the digital sales of the album and have waived all fees. 

Here's a video message with information about how to help: 

In the U.S., supporters can text FRIEND to UNICEF (864233) to make a $10 donation to the George Harrison Fund for UNICEF or visit theconcertforbangladesh.com to donate and learn more.

Pearl Jam Drops Teaser For “Pearl Jam Twenty” Documentary

They might chafe against such hyperbole but truth is truth: Pearl Jam is American rock music royalty.

But love for them travels well outside of US borders, so this is making a lot of music fans all over the world very happy right now.

The official trailer for PJ20 is here. Cameron Crowe’s documentary of insight and perspectives accounts the history of the band, their rise, successes, and struggles at a level never before seen or heard before: from their own unguarded mouths. Set to the tune of “Given To Fly”, the trailer teases with treasures we can’t wait to see aka rare and unseen photos and footage from the 20 years of the band’s life, guided by the music. Check out the footage of them at work, at play, of Eddie Vedder diving from high places (dude was a wild man), and try not to lose you minds in anticipation of so much unfiltered Pearl Jamminess.

Get teased:

Anticipation is the key as PJ20 is slated for fall release; an initial screening at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 10th and then worldwide release on September 20th. But wait, there’s more! In celebration of the band’s twenty-year anniversary, Pearl Jam is hosting and headlining a Labor Day destination weekend concert celebration at Alpine Valley Music Theatre in East Troy, WI. Can you say Queens of the Stone Age?

Get all of the PJ20 and destination weekend info at the official PJ20 website.

Neon Indian Returns With Fall Tour And “Era Extraña”

When last we saw Neon Indian aka Alan Palomo, he was synthing and popping and synth-popping it up on stages at the best festivals around like South By Southwest, Sasquatch, Bonnaroo, and as the opener for the likes of The Flaming Lips and those Frenchies, Phoenix. All of that on the heels of carving out a creative space for himself appreciated by the masses and critics, alike, with his debut “Psychic Chasms”. Not bad, Mr. Palomo!

But hey, here we are some two years later and Neon Indian is ready for a return. A fall tour kicks off immediately following the September 13th release of the full length “Era Extraña”, said to be a darker body of work written and recorded in Helsinki, Finland. "It's the closest you can get to feeling like you're at the edge of the earth," says Palomo. "And there were moments where I lost sight of what I was really there to do."

We can only hope that “Era Extraña” has a track with even half as catchy a title as “Psychic Chasms” charmer “I Should Have Taken Acid With You”.

Neon Indian Tour Dates:

9/15 Philadelphia, PA - First Unitarian Church
9/16 Washington DC - Rock n Roll Hotel
9/17 Carrboro, NC - Moog Festival
9/19 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade
9/20 Birmingham, AL - Bottletree *
9/21 New Orleans, LA - One Eyed Jacks *
9/22 Houston, TX - Fitzgeralds *
9/23 Austin, TX - The Mohawk
9/24 Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
9/26 Tucson, AZ - Club Congress
9/27 San Diego, CA - Belly Up Tavern *
9/30 Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour *
10/1 San Francisco, CA - Rickshaw Stop * ^
10/3 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
10/4 Vancouver, BC - Venue *
10/5 Seattle, WA - Crocodile Cafe *
10/7 Boise, ID - Reef * ^
10/8 Salt Lake City, UT - Urban Lounge * ^
10/10 Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater *
10/12 Kansas City, MO - The Record Bar * ^
10/13 Minneapolis, MN - 7th Street Entry * ^
10/14 Chicago, IL - Lincoln Hall * ^
10/15 Cleveland, OH - Grog Shop * ^
10/16 Detroit, MI - Magic Stick * ^
10/18 Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace * ^
10/19 Montreal, QC - La Sala Rossa
10/20 Boston, MA - Brighton Music Hall ^
10/21 New York, NY - Webster Hall ^

* w/ Com Truise
^ w/ Purity Ring

Eli James - Pump Up The Jam Tour

If you haven't already heard, High Voltage has joined Eli James on the road this summer. Eli James is the modern one-man band whose taking art & music to the next level as a live drummer/DJ DIY-combo. With his custom LED drum kit, his passion for music and drive to make the people smile, dance and get inspired along the way; Eli will slowly change the average fan's expectations of what should go into a live show with his dedication & onstage animation.


The tour started last night in San Antonio, TX and will be making it's way around the country over the next few weeks. Chelsea will documenting the journey along the way, so make sure to read the On The Road with Chelsea column every so often to see road stories, reviews on music we've discovered along the way, etc. Full tour dates below:

PUMP UP THE JAM TOUR 2011

Date	City	Venue
July 19, 2011	San Antonio, TX	Boneshakers
July 20, 2011	Austin, TX	Beauty Bar
July 21, 2011	Houston, TX	Super Happy Fun Land
July 23, 2011	Birmingham, AL	The Nick
July 27, 2011	Worcester, MA	Lucky Dog Music Hall
July 29, 2011	New York, NY	Pianos
July 31, 2011	Philadelphia, PA	Dockside Bar
Aug 3, 2011	Madison, WI	The Frequency
Aug 5, 2011	St Louis, MO	2720 Cherokee
Aug 6, 2011	Warrensburg, MO	400 Bar
Aug 11, 2011	Denver, CO	Moe's Tavern
Aug 13, 2011	Las Vegas, NV	Artifice Bar
Aug 19, 2011	West Hollywood, CA	Sunset Strip Music Festival
Aug 20, 2011	West Hollywood, CA	Sunset Strip Music Festival

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The Stone Foxes Go "Psycho"

One of the best things about the summer is the music that comes with. It’s free-flowing, it's everywhere,  and everyone’s in tour mode! We love that, yes we do, and we love the fact that San Francisco’s own sons of stomp-rocking blues, The Stone Foxes, are sharing the summertime love.

A 7-inch vinyl of two tracks, “Psycho” and  “Serious People”,  is enroute for release in August/September, but in the meantime you can get your hungry little hands and ears on these tunes right now. "Psycho" is a grit and swampy drag-fest of your brain on the blues, and what could possibly be wrong with that? You can download both freely from their email list here, and stay tuned for the digital release of their next album on July 26th.

As for that summer tour, see below because they’re pulling support duty with George Thorogood & the Destroyers, as well as festivals and club dates on the menu.

TOUR DATES
7/13/2011 Telluride CO, Sunset Concert Series
7/15/2011 Moscow ID, Rendezvous in the Park
7/15/2011 Moscow ID, John’s Alley
7/16/2011 Missoula MT, Top Hat
7/19/2011 Boise ID, Reef
7/20/2011 Pocatello ID, FlipSide Lounge
7/21/2011 Ketchum ID, Whiskey Jacques
7/29/2011 Reno NV, Biggest Little City Club
8/04/2011 Bellingham WA, Wild Buffalo House of Music
8/05/2011 Tulalip WA, Tulalip Amphitheatre ***
8/06/2011 Shelton WA, Little Creek Casino***
8/07/2011 Portland OR, Oregon Zoo Amphitheatre ***
8/09/2011 Spokane WA, Knitting Factory***
8/13/2011 San Francisco CA, Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival
9/09/2011 Bowling Green OH, Black Swamp Arts Festival
10/9/2011 Joshua Tree CA, Joshua Tree Roots Music Festival
10/15/2011 Pensacola FL, DeLuna Festival
10/28/2011 New Orleans LA, Voodoo Fest

*** w/ George Thorogood & the Destroyers

Vicky Cryer Is....

...going to cause a stir in hipster-central on Friday, July 15^th at the LA tastemaker of venues, Silverlake’s The Satellite. A brand new project (I guess it’s okay to call them supergroup) under the moniker Vicky Cryer will be taking the stage. Ooh la la, I say. Now expect the musically inclined, as well as the downright curious, to be in the house as Vicky Cryer is comprised of some no-joke musicians that we’ve all heard/seen one or twice at a concert or while digging the tunes in our iTunes library.

Jason Hill of San Diego’s defunct Louis XIV sifted through his rolodex and recruited friends Jeff Kite for keys (of Julian Casablancas’ band), Matt Stoermer on bass (from The Killers), and- get this- Dominic Howard (Muse) and Alex Carpetis (yet another from Julian Casablancas’ band) on drums. Say what, now?

“We’ll have two drummers, one left-handed and one right, mirroring each other onstage,” he says. “It’s like thunder. The power is ridiculous."…Jason Hill, Buzzbands LA.  

Should make for a mighty percussive evening. In the meantime, feel free to stream the Vicky Cryer EP right…here:

Mastodon Album... Trailer?

We're all used to movies making trailers to entice us to the theaters on opening weekend, but an album trailer? I wouldn't even think that would work, typically speaking. However the visual treat Mastodon provides in their trailer for upcoming album, The Hunter, featuring a new track entitled "Black Tongue" is up to par with their live shows, branding and other hi-jinx. So for your viewing pleasure...


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The Strokes Premiere Video for "Taken For A Fool"

New York City's The Strokes continue to be too cool for, well, everything in their new music video for "Taken For A Fool" -- from the effects, to the edits, to their sense of fashion The Strokes haven't lost their touch on inventing the new hipster. Watch the video below:



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Hanson's Musical Ride Tour

Indie-pop darlings Hanson announce fall tour where they will let the fans decide which ALBUM to play each night. Drummer, Zac Hanson, adds "This tour is a unique way of saying thank you to the many fans that have followed the band for years, who will, for the first time, get a chance to help shape the show they see each night."

Tickets go on-sale Friday, July 8th and voting begins on Hanson.net Monday, July 11th. Not to mention the tour ends with two nights at Disney World, now that's magical any way you spin it.

Visit Hanson.net for the full list of tour dates.

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