A long, but interesting article in Salon written by Courtney Love is the most in-depth look at the music industry I've read in a long time.

Love shows how musicians and bands really don't make as much money as we all think they do, unless they hit it medium to really big.

In the article, Love also explores the new advantages that musicians have today. They can leave their labels behind thanks to all of the advances (and lower cost) of recording technology and distribution channels, most notably the Internet. (We are planning to publish a whole list of bands that have left big labels to create and distribute their music solo.)

[Update 2/1/07 1:20am: Love's manager and American Idol's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe say Courtney will not be a judge on American Idol and that Paula Abdul is not being replaced. The story below was written before that news.]

On a related note, there are rumors swirling around the blogs and the news shows that Courtney Love may be replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol. Wow, if you think about that, it may attract viewers who otherwise haven't really watched the show but may with Courtney Love as a judge. Not just because she is the widow of Kurt Cobain, but also an accomplished musician herself.

But more than all of that, people will want to see how she judges and how she behaves. People will want to see if she may be on drugs like they have suggested Abdul is on (alcohol is a drug, right?).

Labels: American Idol, American Idol Judges, American Idol News, Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Paula Abdul, Simon Fuller

It's official!
Rumors that the legendary rock band The Police, who are among the first trail blazers of alternative rock in the 1980s (when folks like me needed to escape Wham, Motley Crew, Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran) are going to reunite for a performance at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 11 have been confirmed according to the website of the original and only drummer Stewart Copeland.

The band is reportedly setting up in Vancouver, Canada for rehersals prior to their Feb. 11 reunion performance. This has fueled speculation that the band is planning a reunion tour for this summer to mark the 30th anniversary of the hit single that made them big, "Roxanne".

Make sure to check back because as soon as a concert tour is announced (if it is), we will send out an email alert to all of our subscribers who choose to receive email alerts. Or subscribe in just seconds to IRC's RSS feed now.

Labels: Grammy Awards, Police Reunion, Police Set for Grammy's, The Police, The Police Reunion Tour

The progressive indie rock band Deerhoof has released its new album, Friend Opportunity, on Kill Rock Star/DRA Records, to high critical acclaim.

Fans of the group will likely not be let down. The band shines on this album in a way they have not before.

But don't worry - they have preserved their mysterious complexity of song writing and musical mood changes while at the same time cranking it up a notch on experimental rock pop songs like "Matchbook Seeks Maniac", " +81" and "Cast Off Clown."

Much of the album is representative of their musical styles, and experimentation with different textures and some engineering tricks and switches that give the songs a polished quality while not sounding overly produced or mainstream Top 40.


First time listeners of Deerhoof are encouraged to listen to the bands other albums like Apples O' or The Runners Four first for a better context for which to listen to Friend Opportunity.


The songs featured here are for listening only. You can buy Deerhoof's music from any number of downloading sites or buy their CDs online or in the stores.


If you are already a new fan, or a long-time fan, make sure not to miss the band if they are playing near you.

Deerhoof's Concert Dates 2007

Jan 30 2007
8:00P
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, California

Feb 1 2007
8:00P
Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room
Seattle, Washington

Feb 2 2007
8:00P
Richards On Richards
Vancouver, British Columbia

Feb 3 2007
8:00P
Wonder Ballroom
Portland, Oregon

Feb 4 2007
8:00P
W.O.W. Hall
Eugene, Oregon

Feb 11 2007
8:00P
Black Cat
Washington, DC, Washington DC

Feb 12 2007
8:00P
Cat‘s Cradle
Carrboro, North Carolina

Feb 13 2007
8:00P
Grey Eagle
Asheville, North Carolina

Feb 14 2007
8:00P
Cumberland‘s
Charleston, South Carolina

Feb 15 2007
8:00P
Headliners
Columbia, South Carolina

Feb 16 2007
8:00P
Jack Rabbits
Jacksonville, Florida

Feb 17 2007
8:00P
Poplife
Miami, Florida

Feb 18 2007
8:00P
Crowbar
Tampa, Florida

Feb 19 2007
8:00P
The Social
Orlando, Florida

Feb 20 2007
8:00P
Common Grounds
Gainesville, Florida

Feb 21 2007
8:00P
40 Watt Club
Athens, Georgia

Feb 22 2007
8:00P
Mercy Lounge
Nashville, Tennessee

Feb 23 2007
8:00P
The Warehouse
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Feb 24 2007
8:00P
Sattellite Ballroom
Charlottesville, Virginia

Feb 25 2007
8:00P
Ottobar
Baltimore, Maryland

Mar 2 2007
8:00P
The Epicentre
San Diego, California

Mar 3 2007
8:00P
Club Congress
Tucson, Arizona

Mar 4 2007
8:00P
Rhythm Room
Phoenix, Arizona

Mar 7 2007
8:00P
Conservatory
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Mar 8 2007
8:00P
Gypsy Tea Room
Dallas, Texas

Mar 9 2007
8:00P
Emo‘s
Austin, Texas

Mar 10 2007
8:00P
Numbers
Houston, Texas

Apr 1 2007
8:00P
The Rosemount
Perth, Western Australia

Apr 3 2007
8:00P
The Annandale
Sydney, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 4 2007
8:00P
The Zoo
Brisbane, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 6 2007
8:00P
Great Escape Festival
Sydney, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 7 2007
8:00P
Corner Hotel
Melbourne, Australian Capital Territory

Deerhoof Official website There are some videos, news and tour information, but not much more than that. A little surprising for a great band that has been around for a while.



Deerhoof Lyrics

Labels: Deerfhoof Music, Deerhoof, Deerhoof Concert Dates, Deerhoof News, Deerhoof Videos, DRA Records, Friend Opportunity, Kill Rock Stars Label

After the much publicized "green-screen challenge" with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central, we are happy to say it has been put to rest. Or has it?

Regardless, The Decemberists gained a lot of new fans from the Colbert Nation show who are probably to see them live.

IRC has obtained the quirky indie pop group's most updated concert dates (listed below) to support their latest album, The Crane Wife.

The gig-packed tour begins March 21 in New Jersey with My Brightest Diamond opening the show. Many of the venues are small, which is reportedly what the band members prefer. (Now there's some real independent thinking). The group will tour through early May.

Decemberists' Tour Dates:

03/21 - Jersey City, NJ - Loews Theater
03/22 - Jersey City, NJ - Loews Theater
03/23 - Boston, MA - Avalon
03/24 - Boston, MA - Avalon
03/26 - North Bethesda, MD - Strathmore Music Center
03/27 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
03/29 - Wellesley, MA - Wellesley College (students only)
03/30 - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts
03/31 - Grantham, PA - Messiah College
04/01 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
04/02 - Raleigh, NC - Meymendi Concert Hall
04/04 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theater
04/05 - Nashville, TN City Hall
04/06 - Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle*
04/08 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
04/09 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon
04/10 - Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theater
04/11 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
04/13 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theater
04/14 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
04/15 - Champaign, IL - Foellinger Auditorium (University Of Illinois)
04/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
04/18 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
04/19 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
04/20 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
04/21 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
04/22 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
04/25 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
04/26 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
05/03 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
05/04 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater
05/05 - Bellingham, WA - Western Washington University

Related Links:

The Decemberists - Official Website
The Decemberists and Stephen Colbert - Green-Screen Challenge
The Final Video - "O Valencia"

Labels: Decemberists Tour Dates, Great 2007 Concerts, Music Video, O Valencia, Stephen Colbert vs. The Decemberists, The Decemberists

The wildly-popular indie pop/rock band The Shins have announced U.S. concert dates and released a long-anticipated follow-up album to their masterpiece Chutes Too Narrow, released in 2003.

There has been confusion in the blog world this week about the release date of the band's new CD - Whincing The Night Away, and concert dates, venues and locations of the band's upcoming U.S. tour.

A Tower Records commercial during John Stewart's Daily Show last night (Jan. 25) said the album would be available in the stores this coming weekend (Jan. 27), but the online store and iTunes have had it available for the past two days on their websites.

So, for everyone out there who doesn't think the album is available yet, it is. You can also head down to your local record store or pre-order the CD on Amazon for a Jan. 30 release date.

If you are unable to get your hands on it at the moment, you can still listen to samples of each song at any number of music-selling websites, like Amazon or Rolling Stone.

The CD-only release of the Whincing The Night Away comes with a Digipak and is currently on sale at Tower's website.

Whincing The Night Away is The Shins best work so far. It is a more structured band, but that does not infringe on the group's famous melodic, meandering harmonies and compelling lyrics.

It's a safe bet that this album will be one of the biggest albums of 2007 - with songs like "Phantom Limb," "Australia" and "A Comet Appears".

By the way, the tune "Split Needles," which every Shins fan would eventually want in their collection, is only available online. And, for vinyl lovers, Subpop Records is selling a LP limited edition of the album on their website.

So now that you have sampled, purchased, and listened to the album, where can you go to see The Shins play live in 2007?

Well, the band polished off an early '07 U.S. a few days ago in Portland, Oregon and are now reportedly resting up for what is sure to be a busy year for the band.

Make sure to check back with IRC as we keep close attention to changes, additions and cancellations of concert dates for dozens of artists like The Shins.

Finally, IRC is trying to verify and clarify what happened to a number of gigs that were booked earlier this month for places like California and are now not listed on the band's website.

The Shins '07 Concert Dates:

Here are The Shins' most up-to-date (as of Jan. 26) concert dates and show venues for 2007 (notice the two new London dates).

February 9 at 8:00 PM
Eagles Ballroom - Milwaukee WI

February 10 at 8:00 PM
Congress Theatre - Chicago IL

February 11 at 8:00 PM
The Pageant - Saint Louis MO

February 12 at 8:00 PM
Liberty Hall - Lawrence KS

February 13 at 8:00 PM
Liberty Hall - Lawrence KS

February 15 at 8:00 PM
Fillmore Auditorium-Denver CO

February 16 at 1:00 PM
In The Venue - Salt Lake City UT

February 20 at 8:00 PM
Paramount Theatre-Washington in Seattle WA

February 21 at 9:00 PM
McMenamins Crystal Ballroom in Portland OR

February 25 at 8:00 PM
Astoria, London, UK

February 25 at 9:00 PM
Bush Hall, UK

Labels: Best Indie 2006, Best Indie Artists, Shins Concerts, The Shins, The Shins Concert Dates, Whincing The Night Away

The Kooks announced a blitz two-week spring tour of the U.S. that will start with their performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival on April 29.

The band's debut album, Inside In/Inside Out, released on Astralweeks, has been one of the hottest-selling debuts for any indie band in years.

The debut has already gone quadruple platinum in the U.K. and the band is catching on in the U.S. and Europe as one of the hottest new indie rock groups to emerge in recent years.

Make sure to check the IRC website for an exclusive set of live acoustic gigs featuring songs from their debut album and TWO new songs - “Need To Be” and “Miss You”.

The Kooks Tour Dates:

(not all tickets on sale yet. See which are.)

04/29 – Indio, CA – Coachella
04/30 – San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
05/02 – Portland, OR – Doug Fir Lounge
05/03 – Seattle, WA – Crocodile Cafe
05/05 – Chicago, IL – Metro
05/07 – Columbus, OH – The Basement
05/08 – Toronto, ON – Lee’s Palace
05/10 – New York, NY – Irving Plaza
05/12 – Washington DC – 9:30 Club
05/13 – Boston, MA – Paradise Rock Club

Labels: Coachella Music Festival, Debut Album, Inside In/Inside Out, Kooks Tickets, Popular Artists, The Kooks, The Kooks Tour Dates

Labels: AFI, AFI Concert Dates, AFI Concert Tickets, AFI U.S. Tour, Alternative Rock Concerts, Indie Concert Tickets

No, it's definitely not the Rosie and the Donald slug fest on the national airwaves, but it's getting almost as ugly as the verbal feud between two indie rock bands heats up.

The whole sordid affair is either an ill-guided argument about what constitutes good music, or a planned public relations stunt.

The popular emo boy band My Chemical Romance was slammed by the Kasabian's lead singer Tom Meighan, who called the band "clowns" with "make-up". (photo to the left is Gerard Way of MCR)

In his interview with the New Music Express (the "Rolling Stone magazine of the U.K."), Meighan volleyed an unwarranted series of bitch-slap fireballs at the wildly successful MCR by comparing the band's music to a group of "ventriloquists."

(photo to the right is Kasabian)

"[Their music] is weird and dark," Meighan told NME. "They don't have anything positive to say. The only good news is that it won't last. These clowns won't be around for much longer. Their make-up will flake off and the scene will die out. And it can't happen soon enough."

It didn't take long for MCR to bite back.

"It was obviously meant as a slam, but it was so poorly worded that it ended up sounding like a compliment!" MCR lead singer Gerard Way told NME. "'Weird and dark?'... that just makes them kinda ignorant. This band has never had a bullshit war ever.

I haven't found an opponent worthy enough yet. If you're gonna take me on, you'd better have the balls for it! If you're gonna talk shit about us, you'd better have the juice. And we haven't found anybody with the juice yet.”

Note to IRC feed subscribers: Please remember to visit the website for updates on this and other features, profiles and stories. Updates do not necessarily get individually sent out by the system. You can fire off an email to indierockcafe.com@gmail.com with any comments, questions or suggestions. :-)

Related Links:

My Chemical Romance Dedication

MCR Official Website

MCR Complete Lyrics

Labels: Emo Music, Gerard Way, Kasabian, MCR Concerts, Music Video, My Chemical Romance, My Chemical Romance MP3s, New Music Express, Rock Fueds, Rolling Stone Magazine

The red-hot U.K. rock band Snow Patrol announced today that the group's drummer, Johnny Quinn, broke his arm snowboarding in the French Alps.

The band, which has a number of shows in Germany in early February, will replace Quinn with a long-time friend and ex-Therapy drummer Graham Hopkins, according to the following note Quinn posted on the band's official website:

"I thought it was time that someone from Snow Patrol learnt to snowboard, so I took myself off to Chamonix [France]." Quinn continues, "on the first day, I tumbled down a hill and broke my elbow...the rest of the band did not want to play with another drummer for the upcoming European dates but I didn't want to cancel anymore gigs after last year, so we've asked longtime friend and ex-therapy? [sic] drummer, Graham Hopkins to step in."

The band has suffered a number of health issues over the past year. They were forced to cancel shows in 2006 after the group's bassist Paul Wilson was injured and singer Gary Lightbody lost his vocal.

Grazed Knees [mp3]

Doctors have reportedly told Quinn his arm needs six weeks to heal properly, but his note insists he will be back in action when the band kicks off their Australian tour.

The group has already canceled its performance at next week’s Meteor Irish Music Awards.
Whether the band will perform with Graham or Quinn at the Brit Awards on Feb. 14 is unclear. They have been nominated in the Best British Group and Best British Single categories.

The band’s manager Jazz Sumner said, "Johnny has said he'll play the Brits, even if he has to go on stage in plaster. But on TV things have to be right.”

Snow Patrol's official website

Labels: Best Single, Brit Awards, Gary Lightbody, Graham Hopkins, Irish Meteor Awards, Johnny Quinn, Paul Wilson, Snow Patrol, Snow Patrol Concert Dates

The popular rock band Evanescene today announced new additions to the U.S. leg of its worldwide, including adding and changing some cities, dates and venues.

Labels: Amy Lee, Evanescene, Evanescene Tour Dates, Indie Rock Concerts, John LeCompt, Terry Balsamo, Tim McCord

Here's the original story.

Don't miss these other sites:

Indie Rock Concerts - Do you have concert video or want to write a review for IRC? Let us know! Check back or sign up for the feed - much more to come in the next few months.

Indie Rock Songs - new website dedicated to bringing you the best in indie rock and pop songs, free MP3s, charts, lyrics, MySpace music videos, YouTube music videos and more! Want to contribute? IRC promotes and encourages the best of today's independent artists to hon their skill so that the world can hear the music they create.

Monkey Types The Bible - Crazy, weird, odd, amazing news, people, videos, photographs and more!

===================================================================

Labels: Carl Jordan, Indie Gems, New Artists, OC Soundtracks, The Western States Motel

Labels: Alternative Rock, Best Indie Artists, Free MP3s, Free Music Downloads, Indie Concerts, Yo La Tengo

Bloc Party, Clay Your Hands Say Yeah (pictured below), The Fray, Franz Ferdinand, Billy Talent, Of Montreal, Camera Obscura, Evanescene, Cold War Kids (who'll also be playing gigs with CYHSY), Page France and many other artists have announced concert tour show dates and venues.

Concert announcements are coming through the wires every week. IRC will do it’s best to get them updated. Please check the IRC website to get the most up-to-date listings.

Bloc Party (in the photo on the right) has released it's tour dates for its first U.S. tour with their second album to be released on February 9th. See tour dates below.

We all know how fast time goes by, and kick ourselves in the ass for missing concerts we so wanted to see, so it is never too early to start making plans to see your favorite indie rock and pop artists live and on stage.

Email alerts for your favorite artists are one of the things I'm working on so that visitors to IRC can customize how they receive instant news, updates, concert dates, releases, etc.

Here are just a few listings from some of the top indie bands:

BLOC PARTY
Helicopter [mp3]

3/11-Seattle, WA @ Paramount Theatre
3/12-Vancouver, BC @ Orpheum Theatre
3/13-Portland, OR @ Crystal Ballroom
3/15-Austin, TX @ SXSW
3/17- Francisco, CA @ Concourse Exhibition
3/19-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
3/20-Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre
3/23-Chicago, IL @ Congress Theatre
3/24-Detroit, MI @ Royal Oak Theatre
3/25-Toronto, ONT @ Kool Haus
3/27-Montreal, ONT @ Metropolis
3/28-Boston, MA @ Orpheum Theatre
3/30-New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre
3/31-New York, NY @ United Palace Theatre


THE ARCADE FIRE - All concerts listed are SOLD OUT
Crown of Love [mp3]

01/29: London, UK @ St. John's
01/30: London, UK @ St. John's
01/31: London, UK @ St. John's
02/01: London, UK @ Porchester Hall
02/02: London, UK @ Porchester Hall
02/06: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/07:: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/08: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/09: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/10: Montreal, QC @ Ukrainian Federation
02/13: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/14: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/15: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/16: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
02/17: New York, NY @ Judson Memorial Church
03/05: Dublin, IRE @ Olympia Theatre
03/06: Dublin, IRE @ Olympia Theatre
03/08: Manchester, UK @ Carling Apollo Manchester
03/09: Manchester, UK @ Carling Apollo Manchester
03/11: Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
03/12: Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
03/14: London, UK @ Carling Brixton Academy
03/15: London, UK @ Carling Brixton Academy
03/19: Paris, FRA @ Olympia
03/20: Paris, FRA @ Olympia
03/23: Stockholm, SWE @ Cirkus Djurgarden
03/24: Oslo, NOR @ Sentrum Scene
03/25: Copenhagen, DEN @ Vega Musikkenshus
03/27: Berlin, GER @ Postbanhof Berlin
03/28: Munich, GER @ Georg Elser Halle
03/31: Villeurbanne, FRA @ Transbordeur
04/01: Cologne, GER @ Live Music Hall
04/02: Utrecht, NET @ Muziekcentrum
04/04: Brussels, BEL @ Halles De Schaerbeek
04/05: Lille, FRA @ Aeronef



TV ON THE RADIO
Let the Devil In [mp3]

03/01: Providence, RI Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
03/03: Montreal, QC Olympia de Montreal
03/04: Toronto, ON Kool Haus
03/06: Cleveland, OH Agora Theatre
03/7 Columbus, OH Newport Music Hall
03/08: Indianapolis, IN The Vogue
03/09: Louisville, KY W.L. Lyons Brown Theatre
03/10: Columbia, MO Blue Note
03/12: Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
03/13: Chicago, IL Metro / Smart Bar
03/15: Minneapolis, MN First Avenue
03/17: Kansas City, MO Voodoo Lounge
03/20: Denver, CO Ogden Theatre
03/21: Salt Lake City, UT Urban Lounge
03/23: Portland, OR Roseland Theater
03/24: Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom
03/25: Seattle, WA Moore Theatre
03/28: San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
03/29: San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
03/30: Los Angeles, CA Music Box @ Fonda
03/31: Los Angeles, CA Music Box @ Fonda
04/01: Solana Beach, CA Belly Up Tavern
04/04: Dallas, TX Gypsy Tea Room & Ballroom
04/05: Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
04/06: Houston, TX Meridian
04/09: Orlando, FL The Club at Firestone
04/10: Fort Lauderdale, FL Culture Room
04/12: Athens, GA 40 Watt Club
04/13: Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
04/14: Nashville, TN Mercy Lounge
04/17: Norfolk, VA The NorVa
04/18: Washington, DC 9:30 Club
04/20: Philadelphia, PA The Trocadero & Balcony Bar
04/21: Poughkeepsie, NY Vassar College


CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH
Home on Ice [mp3]

1/23: New York City, NY, - Bowery Ballroom
2/2: Manchester, England - Academy
2/3: Glasgow, Scotland - Barrowlands *
2/4: Birmingham, England - Academy *
2/6: Cologne, Germany - Gebaeude 9 *
2/7: Brussels, Belgium - AB Club
2/8: Amsterdam, the Netherlands - Paradiso *
2/9: Berlin, Germany - Postbanhof
2/11: Hamburg, Germany - Kunst
2/12: Paris, France - La