Paul Driscoll : FNX Files

The Beatles: Rock Band [9.9.09]

Paul Driscoll — Wed, 03 Jun 2009 22:23:00 GMT

CLICK HERE for more info about The Beatles: Rock Band.

Free Music from The Raconteurs [FNX FILES]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 03:02:00 GMT

Four free tracks from The Raconteurs' set at Bonnaroo 2008 are to be made available this Sunday (January 11), courtesy of the festival.

One song will be available to everyone, while the other three can be downloaded by members of the free-to-access Bonnaroo Community.

The songs that will be available are: ‘Consoler Of The Lonely', 'Old Enough', ‘Blue Veins' and ‘Top Yourself'.

In addition, the band's entire set is set to stream on the festival's website, kicking off a new endeavor by Bonnaroo to allow fans to relive some of the best performances from the event.

‘Bonnaroo 365' will debut on January 11, and more performances will be streamed for free on bonnaroo.com periodically throughout the year.

All performance footage is from the festival's official master tapes, while the audio will be remixed from the festival's soundboard recordings.

Bonnaroo 2009 will take place June 11 - 14 in Manchester, TN. The initial line-up will be announced on February 3.

An audio track from The Raconteurs performance can now be streamed at bonnaroo.com

Source – NME.com

The Raconteurs - Crazy (Gnarls Barkley Cover)

iTunes News and The Gallagher Facebook Battle [FNX FILES]

Paul Driscoll — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 01:17:00 GMT

Apple CEO Steve Jobs announced today that all songs at the iTunes store will soon be available without the previous anti-piracy protection software DRM.

Jobs said that from today, all four major music labels-Universal Music Group, Sony BMG, Warner Music Group and EMI, along with thousands of independent labels, are offering their music in iTunes Plus, Apple's DRM-free format with higher-quality 256 kbps AAC encoding for audio quality which is "virtually indistinguishable from the original recordings".

Previously, all songs at the iTunes store had a limit to how many times they could be transferred between devices and burned to a CD.

In addition to the DRM-free format, songs will be made available at three price points, starting in April,.

Although it will vary from label to label, "songs on iTunes will be available at -69 cents, 99 cents and $1.29-with many more songs priced at 69 cents than $1.29," said Jobs.

Meanwhile, iTunes customers can now download songs to their iPhone 3G for the same price as downloading to a computer

Customers can also choose to upgrade their previously purchased songs to the DRM-free format for 30% of the album price. The store will be offering eight million songs in the new format today, with the remaining two million tracks being made available by the end of March.

Source - NME.com

Liam and Noel Gallagher almost came to blows recently - over a Facebook update. Liam apparently forgot to log out of the social networking site, prompting Noel to update his brother's status to: "Liam Gallagher has lost his forehead and gained a six-head." The younger Gallagher was in such a rage that he deleted his profile immediately

Source - Daily Star

Oasis - I'm Outta Time [VIDEO]

NEW MORRISSEY [FNX FILES]

Paul Driscoll — Tue, 06 Jan 2009 02:32:00 GMT

Morrissey is previewing the first single from his forthcoming album 'Years Of Refusal' online now.

In a posting on his MySpace blog, Moz announced today that listeners can hear 'I'm Throwing My Arms Around Paris', which he describes as his "cosmopolitan hymn to architecture," streaming from his MySpace player.

The single will be released on February 9, and the album is due out February 17 in the US and February 23 in the UK.

Source - NME.com

Morrissey - Every Day Is Like Sunday [Video]

FNX FILES [THURSDAY - 8/28]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:26:00 GMT

Snow Patrol have announced details of their brand new album, and have scheduled the release date for October 28.

'A Hundred Million Suns' is the band's fifth album, and was recorded this summer with the band's regular collaborator Garret 'Jacknife' Lee at Hansa Studios in Berlin and Grouse Lodge in Ireland.

The album will be preceded by the single 'Take Back The City', the video to which was shot by director Alex Courtes, who's responsible for The White Stripes' famous 'Seven Nation Army' clip in 2003.

The album is the follow up to 2006's seven-times platinum album 'Eyes Open' which sold 2.1 million copies in the UK (that year's biggest seller) and over one million in the US.

Snow Patrol - Run [VIDEO]

Reindeer Section - You Are My Joy [VIDEO]

FNX FILES [Foo Fighters / Ash]

Paul Driscoll — Mon, 28 Jul 2008 19:34:00 GMT

The recent Foo Fighters gigs at Wembley Stadium - which saw them collaborate with members of Led Zeppelin - are to be released on DVD.

'Foo Fighters: Live At Wembley Stadium' will be released on August 23, as 18-song live release taken from both shows at the London home of English football (June 6-7).

The release also includes the second night's collaboration between Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones with Dave Grohl and co on the Zep classics 'Rock and Roll' and 'Ramble On'.

The DVD will feature the following tracklisting:

'The Pretender'
'Times Like These'
'No Way Back'
'Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)'
'Learn To Fly'
'Long Road To Ruin'
'Breakout'
'Stacked Actors'
'Skin And Bones'
'Marigold'
'My Hero'
'Cold Day In The Sun'
'Everlong'
'Monkey Wrench'
'All My Life'
'Rock And Roll'
'Ramble On'
'Best Of You'

Foo Fighters - Walking After You [Live on Letterman 1998]

Ash have announced plans to release new material next year, but the band have stuck to their vow to never release a conventional album again.

The Northern Irish trio will release the material as stand alone tracks after claiming that the listening habits of modern music fans have changed.

Speaking to BBC Newsbeat about the new tracks, frontman Tim Wheeler explained: "We've got one album worth so far but we want to get a double album worth of stuff.

"I think it's going to be fun for our fans, getting something quite regularly from us instead of getting an album every three years. I think it's going to be really cool."

Since making the announcement that 2007's 'Twilight Of The Innocents' album would be their last traditional release, other bands, including Muse, have toyed with the idea of ditching the traditional format too; something that doesn't surprise Wheeler.

"We knew what we said was quite shocking but we didn't think it would create waves that big," he said. "Loads of people have copied us since, a lot of bands are saying they're going to do the same thing so it's been inspirational for a lot of people already."

Ash - Sometimes [Video]

Ash - Shining Light [Video]

FNX FILES [MONDAY - 7/21]

Paul Driscoll — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 11:21:00 GMT

Although the band's Web site claims that The Strokes will be "getting back at in" in early 2009, two more members of the band have decided to follow in the footsteps of guitarist Albert Hammond Jr. and pursue solo projects. Drummer Fabrizio Moretti's side project Little Joy is set to release their first album this fall through Rough Trade. Strokes' bassist Nikolai Fraiture's side project Nickel Eye's debut album, The Time of Assassins, features guests Regina Spektor and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, according to Pitchfork.

The Strokes- Last Nite [Later With Jools Holland]

On September 23, Rhino will re-release The Replacements' final four albums for Sire Records. Each album will feature previously unreleased bonus tracks and the entire reissue catalogue will be available for digital download that same day. The reissue of 1985's Tim will feature alternate versions of songs as well as rarities. The new version of 1987's Pleased To Meet Me will feature 11 unreleased tracks,. A demo for the song "Talent Show" will find its on way on 1989's Don't Tell A Soul while 1990's Swan Song will feature eight previously unreleased demos. Rhino re-issued the 'Mats' first albums earlier this year.

The Replacements - Bastards Of Young [Video]

FNX FILES [WEDNESDAY - 6/25]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 01:49:00 GMT

Oasis will release their seventh studio album, Dig Out Your Soul, on October 7 in the U.S. It is the first under the band's new deal for their own Big Brother imprint. The lead single is "The Shock Of The Lightning," and Noel Gallagher says in a statement, "If 'The Shock Of The Lightning' sounds instant and compelling to you, it's because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. 'The Shock of The Lightning' basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there's a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best."

Oasis - Whatever [VIDEO]

U.K. band The Kooks will return to North America in September for their biggest U.S. tour yet. The trek begins with a college gig in Clinton, NY on September 4, with dates announced up to October 28 in Hollywood. The band is on the road in support of their sophomore effort, Konk.

The Kooks - Shine On [VIDEO]

The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be [VIDEO]

FNX FILES [THURSDAY - 6/12]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 04:33:00 GMT

REM were joined onstage by Johnny Marr and the co-producers of their 1983 debut album 'Murmur' as their world tour continued in North Carolina last night (June 10).

The band were joined at the Raleigh Walnut Creek Pavilion by Marr, as they have been for the last four dates on the tour, for a version of their 1986 single 'Fall On Me' during the encore.

Smiths guitar legend Marr's current band Modest Mouse are supporting on the US leg of the tour, along with The National.

REM had another surprise up their sleeves when they introduced Mitch Easter and Don Dixon for a version of 'Sitting Still', which appears on the aforementioned 'Murmur'.

The band, who have been playing wildly different sets on each night of the tour, performed songs from every one of their 14 studio LPs, as well as '1,000,000' from their 1982 mini-album 'Chronic Town'.

The set...

'Harborcoat'

'Living Well Is The Best Revenge'

'Bad Day'

'What's The Frequency, Kenneth?'

'1,000,000'

'Man-Sized Wreath'

'Welcome To The Occupation'

'Accelerate'

'Seven Chinese Brothers'

'Hollow Man'

'Imitation Of Life'

'Houston'

'Electrolite'

'Walk Unafraid'

'The One I Love'

'Final Straw'

'Find The River'

'Let Me In'

'Horse To Water'

'Auctioneer (Another Engine)'

'Orange Crush'

'I'm Gonna DJ'

'Supernatural Superserious'

'Losing My Religion'

'Pretty Persuasion'

'Fall On Me'

'Sitting Still'

'Man On The Moon'

The tour hits the Comcast Center (formerly Tweeter Center) in Mansfield MA Tomorrow night.

Pearl Jam have announced a new 'bootleg' program for their 2008 tour, which kicked off last night in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The band are making MP3s and FLACs of their shows available on their website two weeks after each show. Pearl Jam will also release mobile bootlegs of three live tracks per show, which will be released via Verizon Wireless' V CAST Music service or Pearl Jam's website. These tracks can be used as ringtones or ringback tunes.

In addition to digital bootlegs, fans can purchase CDs of Pearl Jam's live shows for the first time on this tour. The discs will ship within three weeks of the live shows.

Source - NME.com

FNX FILES [WEDNESDAY - 6/11]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 03:21:00 GMT

Coldplay has been forced to reschedule the opening dates of their 2008 North American tour due to "production delays." The tour will now kick off with their two, sold out shows in Los Angeles on July 14 and 15. The band says in a statement, "We're very sorry, but we promise you a show worthy of your patience and understanding when we start in mid-July." The tour had been originally slated to begin June 29 in Philadelphia.

Coldplay will still play their free concerts in London (June 16), Barcelona (June 17) and New York City (June 23). The band will appear on the Today Show on NBC on June 27 and on The Daily Show With Jon Stewart on June 26.

The band is also about to shoot a video for the song "Viva La Vida" with legendary director/photographer Anton Corbijn. Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends will be released on Tuesday.

Coldplay's updated North American tour schedule:

7/14-15    Los Angeles
7/18    San Jose
7/19    Las Vegas
7/23    Chicago
7/25    Philadelphia
7/27    Pemberton, BC (Pemberton Festival)
7/29    Montreal
7/30    Toronto
8/2      Hartford, CT
8/3      Washington, DC
8/4       Boston @ The TD Banknorth Garden
10/20    Ottawa, ON
10/21    Cleveland
10/26    East Rutherford, NJ
11/3      Detroit
11/7      Orlando, FL
11/9      Sunrise, FL
11/11    Atlanta
11/13    Kansas City,
11/14    St. Paul, MN
11/16    Oklahoma City, OK
11/18    Houston
11/19    Dallas
11/21    Denver
11/22    Salt Lake City
11/26    Phoenix

Source - FMQB.com

FNX FILES [THURSDAY – 5/15]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 15 May 2008 05:25:00 GMT

With Coldplay's long awaited fourth record, the stakes are higher than ever for their label home, EMI. The label's head, Guy Hands, recently increased the pressure on the band, calling Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends "across the world, the most anticipated album of the year." But how does Coldplay singer Chris Martin feel about life on a major label in the year 2008?

"Being on a major label at the moment is like living in your grandparents' house," Martin told Billboard. "Everyone knows they need to move out, and they will eventually, but we kind of like our grandmother. It's obviously an antiquated model, because of the Internet, but we really love the people we work with. If we knew what the solution was to everything, then we'd do it. We have absolute respect for the Radioheads and Raconteurs and people who can do what they like. We're in contract though, so we're just going to make the most of it and enjoy the people we get to work with."

Discussing the band's one-week giveaway of their new single, "Violet Hill," Martin said, "Of course we want to sell a lot of records. But we want to get right back to the root of everything, by saying, 'Here you go, have a song, have a concert.' All that other stuff we have to do because we're in contract, that's all going to happen, of course, but it's just starting from that place. It makes us feel good as a group of people." Drummer Will Champion adds, "More than ever, you've got to give people a reason to be excited about music. With content being so available, you just want to give people as much as possible."

As for making Viva la Vida with legendary producer Brian Eno, Martin said that after two years of promoting X&Y, the band needed to "recharge." He added, "It's weird being in Coldplay, because we've taken onboard a lot of opinion, a lot of different experiences, and we had to hibernate for a while to feel like we had anything worth doing...The place we got to two years ago just felt a little dirty. We weren't really speaking to each other. We all had our corner office in a big tower block, but there was no vibe." Martin continued, "I just felt...we have to play in a little room, burn all our awards and reviews, not go to swanky dinners, erase all that.'

Champion told Billboard, "We always have the intention of giving ourselves time to decompress after albums and tours, [but] by the end of a recording session we're anxious to get on with it and tour. Then, by the end of the touring cycle, you're thinking, 'We've written some great songs, let's get back in the studio.'"

As for their future with EMI, Martin joked, "Well, I think we're in contract until ... the end of the Space Age. On my deathbed, someone will come up and say, 'You still owe me three records.'"

Coldplay have just been added to the lineup as performers for the 2008 MTV Movie Awards on June 1, along with the Pussycat Dolls.

Source - FMQB.com

Coldplay – Violet Hill [VIDEO]

Coldplay – Shiver [VIDEO]

Noel Gallagher and Chris Martin – Live Forever [VIDEO]

Noel Gallagher and Chris Martin – Yellow [VIDEO]

Coldplay w/ Richard Ashcroft – Bittersweet Symphony [VIDEO]

FNX FILES [WEDNESDAY - 5/14]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 15 May 2008 00:30:00 GMT

Fatboy Slim, aka DJ Norman Cook, has decided to retire his famous moniker.

The DJ was cagey about explaining why he had made the decision, or what his new stage name will be. However, NME.COM has learned that he is working on a new album under the name Brighton Port Authority.

Cook told The Sun: "Yes, I am ditching the Fatboy Slim name, but I can't tell you the new one. I'm going to take the Fifth Amendment on that question and not say because I'll get myself into trouble."

Despite refusing to confirm his new title the DJ did, however, joke that he was changing his name to "Madonna".

Fatboy Slim is still billed to play Glastonbury and headline the O2 Wireless Festival on July 5 in London, suggesting the DJ may use the shows to say goodbye to his old stage name.

Source - NME.com

Fatboy Slim – Weapon of Choice [VIDEO]

FNX FILES [TUESDAY - 5/6]

Paul Driscoll — Tue, 06 May 2008 23:00:00 GMT

Three songs reportedly for Oasis' next album have leaked online.

Links to downloads of the tracks, ' I Wanna Live A Dream (In My Record Machine)', 'Nothin' On Me' and 'Stop the Clocks' started appearing on messageboards and fansites throughout the day (May 6).

Since then some fans have copied the clips and made them available via sites like Youtube. It appears steps are being taken to remove the demos with several previously working links now dead.

Of the leaked tracks, NME.COM has had a listen to the three songs and here is our initial impression.

Nothin' On Me

A relentless crunchy riff from Noel Gallagher and a sneery nasal vocal from Liam characterise this rollocking new Oasis song. It's a meaty return for the band, more Led Zeppelin-inspired than their more subtle recent work, such as 'The Importance Of Being Idle'. "They got nothing on me," Liam repeats, "I don't care what they say - all I want is the truth". A forceful return from the Gallaghers, although lacking the smash'n'grab choruses of some of their other anthems.

I Wanna Live A Dream (In My Record Machine)

Opening with a soft tambourine shake cut through by Noel Gallagher's sombre acoustic guitar, Noel sings John Lennon-style vocals on this quieter number. Tambourine and bells rattling in the background throughout give a Doors-esque edge to the affair, with drummer Zak Starkey's glammy stomp pumping in a minute in to add weight to the song. "Take Me, back to the darkness where they sent me," Noel Gallagher sings on this subtle yet uplifting and punchy number. "I want to live the dream" he sings on an uprising chorus, "I want a piece of the world", before weighty piano stabs add to the build. Towards the death a classically understated Noel Gallagher riff brings the song home. Understated yet upliftingly epic, it's a song of fine balance and poise.

Stop The Clocks

Noel Gallagher is a huge fan of this song, naming their 2006 'Best Of' album after it. Noel sings lead vocals over urgent acoustic strums, while a psychedelic guitar sound effect again adds a Doors-esque element to the intro. Noel cuts in over his own more conventional vocals with an echo-effect voice sample before his bandmates add to the build by adding layered backing vocals. It's a lighters-in-the-air moment for sure, although without the immediacy of a 'Wonderwall' or 'Don't Look Back In Anger'. "Stop the clocks and turn the world around," he sings. "Let your love lay me down...".

"When the night is over there'll be no sound", he continues in a Lee Mavers-esque repetitive croon, before a drumbeat pounds and clatters towards a riffy crescendo, with a sudden twang to finish.

Source - NME.COM

FNX FILES [WEDNESDAY - 4/16]

Paul Driscoll — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 00:40:00 GMT

David Bowie will release a live album, 'David Bowie, Live Santa Monica '72' on June 30 on CD and double vinyl.

The album is a recording from Bowie's gig at the Los Angeles Santa Monica Civic Auditorium on October 20, 1972. The gig was part of Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' US tour.

The track-listing for 'David Bowie, Live Santa Monica '72':

SOURCE - NME.com

The Wombats, have signed with Roadrunner Records to release their debut U.S. album. The Wombats Proudly Present...A Guide to Love, Loss & Desperation, will drop in the states June 24th.

Meanwhile, their debut U.S. EP, The Wombats EP is out now via KIDS in America.

FNX FILES [MONDAY - 4/14]

Paul Driscoll — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 00:22:00 GMT

Coldplay has confirmed the track listing for the band's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, which will be out in the U.S. on June 17. The band recorded a number of songs for the new record and recently told Rolling Stone they were have trouble whittling it down to a final, proper track list.

The diverse new album was co-produced by Brian Eno and Markus Dravs, and singer Chris Martin tells Billboard, "We're still obsessed with making songs that can be sung to the rafters. We just wanted to present them differently."

According to Billboard, Viva la Vida kicks off with the instrumental piece "Life In Technicolor," which is later reprised as a hidden track. The song "42" splits into three separate sections, while "Reign Of Love" features Martin's piano playing up front.

Some of the songs that didn't make the album include "Postcards From Far Away," "Rainy Day" and "Now My Feet Won't Touch The Ground."

Coldplay is expected to tour extensively later this year behind Viva la Vida, but currently have announced just three festival appearances, including the new Pemberton Festival in British Columbia on July 27 and the Japanese Summer Sonic Festival in August.

Track list for Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends:

"Life In Technicolor"

"Cemeteries Of London"

"Lost!"

"42"

"Lovers In Japan"/"Reign Of Love"

"Yes"

"Viva La Vida"

"Violet Hill"

"Strawberry Swing"

"Death and All His Friends"

SOURCE - FMQB.com