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'New Moon' Soundtrack Gets Boost From Blockbuster Movie on Billboard Chart

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:20:28 +0000

For the last two weeks, the New Moon soundtrack had held on to the No. 10 spot on the Billboard 200, but I speculated that once the accompanying film got released (on November 20) we would see the album's sales increase. Turns out I was right: The New Moon soundtrack enjoyed a 77% sales gain, landing at No. 8 on this week's chart with a tally of 93,000 units.

Considering the movie's massive weekend debut in the U.S. of $143 million, it was no surprise that the soundtrack would benefit from that enormous box-office take. In addition, the album was certified platinum less than a month after its release, which is comparable to how quickly the Twilight soundtrack reached that figure. Just as the New Moon film seems poised to be a force over Thanksgiving weekend and beyond, so too does the soundtrack appear to be an in-demand item with holiday shoppers.

While New Moon has us covered on vampires and werewolves, another album represented for vultures. The supergroup Them Crooked Vultures landed at No. 12 on this week's Billboard 200 with their self-titled debut. Selling 70,000 copies, Them Crooked Vultures' total would normally be good enough for the Top 10, but with the holidays approaching, several albums posted higher-than-normal sales figures this week.

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Photo courtesy Atlantic.

'New Moon' Soundtrack Gets Boost From Blockbuster Movie on Billboard Chart originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 13:20:28.

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'Creed Live' DVD Coming December 8

Wed, 25 Nov 2009 12:18:02 +0000

Creed finished their U.S. tour to support Full Circle over a month ago, but one of those shows will form the basis of the band's next release, a live DVD called Creed Live.

Focusing entirely on Creed's September 25 concert at the Center for the Performing Arts at the Woodlands in Houston, Texas, Creed Live was directed by Daniel E. Catullo III, who, interestingly enough, also directed the concert segments for Smashing Pumpkins' recent DVD, If All Goes Wrong. Among the standard bells and whistles -- which include a behind-the-scenes documentary of the tour -- the DVD will also feature the slow-motion effect (made famous in The Matrix) where the camera swoops around its subject while it's frozen in place. Even if that effect ends up looking pretty silly, Creed fans will probably just be happy with the collection of hits that Creed Live offers.

Considering how close the turnaround will be between the band's announcement of this DVD and its release, it's tempting to wonder if the band had initially wanted to put out Creed Live this holiday season. Normally, there's at least a few months of advance notice to help fuel excitement among the fan base, but by comparison this news about Creed Live almost feels rushed. Maybe the sluggish sales of Full Circle, the group's first album in eight years and their first since reuniting back in April, inspired the group to put together another stocking-stuffer for the marketplace?

Creed Live Set List:

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Photo courtesy Randex.

'Creed Live' DVD Coming December 8 originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Wednesday, November 25th, 2009 at 12:18:02.

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Wilco Tour Dates

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 11:26:44 +0000

Save for a solo show by frontman Jeff Tweedy on December 27, Wilco have completed their touring responsibilities for 2009. But fear not: They'll be back in February to cover Canada and the northern tip of the U.S. before heading to Japan and Australia in April and May.

2009 was an eventful year for Wilco, for better and for worse. On the plus side, their latest album, Wilco (The Album), confidently encompassed the group's many different musical sides, including country, pop and rock. But this was also the year that their onetime bandmate, Jay Bennett, died at the age of 45 of an accidental overdose. Hopefully 2010 will have less heartbreak for the band.

Wilco Tour Dates:

Dec. 27 - Phoenix, AZ - Orpheum Theatre (Jeff Tweedy solo)
Feb. 7 - Missoula, MT - Adams Center
Feb. 9 - Portland, OR - Arlene Schnitzer Hall
Feb. 10 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
Feb. 12 - Victoria, BC - Royal Theatre
Feb. 13 - Vancouver, BC - Live City Vancouver @ David Lam Park
Feb. 15 - Edmonton, AB - Northern Jubilee Auditorium
Feb. 16 - Calgary, AB - Southern Jubilee Auditorium
Feb. 17 - Saskatoon, AB - TCU Place
Feb. 19 - Duluth, MN - DECC Auditorium
Feb. 20 - Madison, WI - Overture Hall
Feb. 21 - East Lansing, MI - Wharton Cobb Great Hall
Feb. 23 - Hamilton, ON - Hamilton Palace Theatre
Feb. 24 - London, ON - Centennial Hall
Feb. 27 - Montreal, QC - Olympia De Montreal
Mar. 1 - Ottawa, ON - National Arts Centre
Mar. 3 - Halifax, NS - Halifax Forum
Mar. 25 - Savannah, GA - Johnny Mercer Theatre

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Photo: Mike Lawrie/Getty Images.

Wilco Tour Dates originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 11:26:44.

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Nickelback 2010 Tour Dates

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:14:14 +0000

Nickelback's latest album, Dark Horse, came out almost exactly a year ago today, and it's followed in the footsteps of the band's previous records by being a strong seller. The album was certified double-platinum back in April and has produced four singles. Not only are they a commercial force on the charts, though -- they're also a potent touring machine. With that in mind, they'll be returning to North America in April for another series of shows. (This will mark the band's third trip to North America since Dark Horse's release.) This time, Breaking Benjamin will be joining them, with Shinedown also putting in an appearance on some dates. Right now, there are only 11 shows confirmed, but word is there will be more announced soon.

Nickelback Tour Dates:

Apr. 6 - London, ON - John Labatt Centre
Apr. 8 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Apr. 9 - Montreal, QC - Bell Centre
Apr. 11 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Apr. 13 - Washington, DC - Verizon Center
Apr. 14 - Hampton VA - Hampton Coliseum
Apr. 16 - Greenville, SC - BI-LO Center
Apr. 17 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex
Apr. 19 - Orlando, FL - Amway Arena
Apr. 21 - Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
Apr. 24 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center

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Nickelback 2010 Tour Dates originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Friday, November 20th, 2009 at 14:14:14.

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Alice in Chains Tour Dates

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 14:44:24 +0000

Alice in Chains are currently working their way through Europe, but they'll be back for a North American tour starting February 2 in Vancouver, Canada. The tour will span about seven weeks and cover most areas of the U.S., although the band aren't slated to perform in Los Angeles, the city that inspired their terrific recent song "Check My Brain" off Black Gives Way to Blue.

As they prepare for their 2010 tour, these new shows might feel a bit like a victory lap for a band that had to endure a lot to get to this point. Original singer Layne Staley's death in 2002 seemed to be the end for Alice in Chains, but songwriter Jerry Cantrell and new singer William DuVall picked up the pieces and delivered a pretty fantastic album that both honored their legacy and looked to the future. The band's last series of U.S. tour dates happened mostly before Black Gives Way to Blue's release, so this time fans should be very familiar with the new material. A lot of comeback tours fall flat because the new tunes aren't nearly as great as the old stuff. Happily, that's not the case here.

Alice in Chains Tour Dates:

Feb. 2 - Vancouver, BC - Orpheum Theatre
Feb. 4 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theatre
Feb. 6 - Salem, OR - Salem Armory
Feb. 11 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre
Feb. 17 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theatre
Feb. 19 - Denver, CO - Fillmore
Feb. 21 - Kansas City, MO - Midland
Feb. 22 - St. Louis, MO - Pageant
Feb. 23 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace
Feb. 25 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
Feb. 27 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues
Mar. 1 - Nashville, TN - Municipal Auditorium
Mar. 2 - Charlotte, NC - Fillmore
Mar. 3 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
Mar. 5 - Richmond, VA - The National
Mar. 6 - Mashantucket, CT - Foxwoods
Mar. 8 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
Mar. 12 - Atlantic, City, NJ - Borgata
Mar. 13 - Philadelphia, PA - Tower Theatre
Mar. 14 - Boston, MA - Orpheum
Mar. 16 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
Mar. 17 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
Mar. 19 - Detroit, MI - Fillmore State Theatre
Mar. 20 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
Mar. 21 - St. Paul, MN - Roy Wilkens Auditorium

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Photo: Bradley Kanaris/Getty Images.

Alice in Chains Tour Dates originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 14:44:24.

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Stone Temple Pilots Album Coming Early Spring?

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 10:59:50 +0000

Stone Temple Pilots announced on their website yesterday that they would be postponing their December and January tour dates, but that wasn't the real story. At the end of the news post, they said that the reason for the postponement was so that the band could "finish their highly anticipated record which will be coming out in the early spring of next year." Previously, frontman Scott Weiland had said that the album would come out some point in early 2010, but this is now the most concrete idea we have for an actual timetable for its release.

Other news outlets have focused on the postponement of tour dates, but what's interesting is that, in reality, that only means two shows -- one in Biloxi, Mississippi on December 29 and a New Year's Day show in Thackerville, Oklahoma. The band still have four more dates on their current tour, but that run of shows will end Tuesday. In other words, while people who had tickets for those two shows around the end of the year will be bummed, it's not as if STP canceled dozen of gigs to focus on this new record's completion. And hopefully those fans will be happy to know a new album is on the way. And since Weiland has already promised a long tour after its release, maybe they'll still get to see their heroes in the flesh soon.

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Stone Temple Pilots Album Coming Early Spring? originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 10:59:50.

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Bon Jovi's 'The Circle' Lands at No. 1 on Billboard Chart

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 16:08:50 +0000

Bon Jovi veered away from rock music on their last album, 2007's country-leaning Lost Highway, but they returned (somewhat) to their old style with their new disc, the adult-contemporary The Circle. But no matter what kind of music they want to play, it appears that their fans will be there for them: The Circle debuted at No. 1 on this week's Billboard 200 album chart.

Selling 163,000 copies, The Circle is the band's fourth No. 1 record and their 10th to reach the Top 10. While I still think The Circle is a very mediocre album, you have to be impressed with Bon Jovi's commercial consistency -- how many of their pop-metal brethren from the late '80s have managed to maintain a similar run?

While Bon Jovi rule the roost, the New Moon soundtrack hangs on to the No. 10 spot for the second straight week -- not bad for an album that's been out for a full month. At 53,000 copies sold this week, the album actually increased its totals slightly from last week, suggesting that public awareness of the New Moon film (which opens this Friday) is helping boost album sales. My hunch is that the soundtrack will probably see another sales upsurge on next week's chart. But will it overtake The Circle? Or Them Crooked Vultures, which will be making its debut? I'm guessing not, but we shall see.

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Photo courtesy Island Def Jam.

Bon Jovi's 'The Circle' Lands at No. 1 on Billboard Chart originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 16:08:50.

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Three Days Grace Reschedule Tour Dates Due to "Family Emergency"

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 11:11:23 +0000

Three Days Grace are touring to support their latest album, Life Starts Now, but yesterday they announced on their website that this week's shows will have to be rescheduled.

"Due to a family emergency within the band, five Three Days Grace shows will be moving to 2010," the news item reads. The five concerts were all in Canada, and purchased tickets for the original shows will be accepted for the rescheduled dates. One of the five stops doesn't have a confirmed new date, though -- it's in Vancouver, and with the Winter Olympics about to get underway there, the band may have a problem finding a venue that's free early next year.

The band's website doesn't give any details about what the "family emergency" is, but since Three Days Grace still plan on returning to the road on November 26, the assumption is that hopefully the situation isn't terribly dire.

Three Days Grace Tour Dates:

Nov. 26 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
Nov. 27 - Lethbridge, AB - Enmax Centre
Nov. 28 - Medicine Hat, AB - Medicine Hat Arena
Nov. 30 - Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledome
Dec. 2 - Saskatoon, SK - Credit Union Centre
Dec. 3 - Regina, SK - Brandt Centre
Dec. 5 - Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre
Dec. 8 - Sault St. Marie, ON - Essar Centre
Dec. 10 - Sudbury, ON - Sudbury Arena
Dec. 12 - Los Angeles, CA - KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
Dec. 15 - London, ON - John Labatt Centre
Dec. 17 - Toronto, ON - Air Canada Centre
Dec. 20 - Ottawa, ON - Scotiabank Place
Dec. 21 - Montreal, QC - Cepsum
Dec. 22 - Quebec, QC - Pavillon de la Jeunesse
Jan. 6 - Kamloops, BC - Interior Savings Centre (new rescheduled date)
Jan. 7 - Kelowna, BC - Prospera Place (new rescheduled date)
Jan. 8 - Prince George, BC - CN Centre (new rescheduled date)
Jan. 9 - Dawson Creek, BC - EnCana Events Centre (new rescheduled date)

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Photo courtesy Total Assault.

Three Days Grace Reschedule Tour Dates Due to "Family Emergency" originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 11:11:23.

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Blink-182's Travis Barker Gearing Up for First Solo Album

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:23:40 +0000

When Blink-182 reunited in February, they mentioned that they'd be working on a new album. We have yet to see that record, but in the meantime one Blink member is moving forward with an album of his own. Drummer Travis Barker is wrapping up work on his first solo effort, and he hopes to have it ready for a March or April release. Just don't expect it to necessarily have the same musical blueprint as Blink-182.

Speaking with MTV News, Barker said, "There's some stuff on my record that's not going to have a bunch of guitars, that are just straight-up hip-hop records. Everything's going be real different. It's going to be really well-rounded."

The album doesn't have a title yet, but in a separate interview with MTV News, he mentioned that he wants to release the record in the spring and then do a short tour to support it. The Barker solo disc will supposedly contain one new Blink track -- although it won't be "Up All Night," which was discussed over the summer but has yet to be unveiled -- and collaborations with Slash and Linkin Park's Chester Bennington. But does this mean that the Blink-182 comeback album isn't going to be happening?

"We're kind of taking the rest of the year off, for everyone to finish up other stuff they have going on," Barker said about his and his bandmates' plans. "We want to re-group next year and start getting together once a week or once every two weeks to start doing the beginning work on our record." So there's a possibility that we'll be seeing not one but two Blink records in 2010.

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Blink-182's Travis Barker Gearing Up for First Solo Album originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 13:23:40.

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Them Crooked Vultures - 'Them Crooked Vultures' Review

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 12:26:25 +0000

Them Crooked Vultures -- the supergroup comprised of Dave Grohl (of Foo Fighters), Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) and John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) -- are releasing their self-titled debut today, only a few months after this band's existence was first confirmed. Ironically, though, the idea of these three guys collaborating on a project had been kicked around for about four years before they finally got into the studio in the spring of this year to work on songs.

But now that it's here, how is Them Crooked Vultures? Initially, I was a little underwhelmed, but the longer I stuck with it, the more the songs grew on me. To appreciate this album, you have to put away certain expectations. It doesn't sound quite like any of the band members' principal groups, although Them Crooked Vultures leans closest to being a Queens of the Stone Age record. Supergroups in general are a dicey proposition because they create mammoth expectations that can be hard for the band to satisfy. But with a little patience, I think you'll find Them Crooked Vultures to be a rewarding, trippy experience.

Read my complete Them Crooked Vultures review

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Photo courtesy Interscope.

Them Crooked Vultures - 'Them Crooked Vultures' Review originally appeared on About.com Rock Music on Tuesday, November 17th, 2009 at 12:26:25.

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