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Picture: Seattle says 'Happy birthday, Conan O'Brien' at McCaw Hall, April 18

Picture: Bell X1 (And Cases of Whiskey) Warm Hearts at Rolling Stone Party

Picture: Hype Monitor: Reykjavik!, Mazes, Ivan & Alyosha

Picture: Fricke’s Picks: East Village Blues

Picture: Fricke’s Picks: A Punk-Jazz Ruckus

Bruce Springsteen Artifacts Hit the Rock Hall: Video Tour of New Exhibit

Starting today, April 1st, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland is launching “From Asbury Park to the Promised Land: The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen” — and Rolling Stone has your behind-the-scenes look at some of the best artifacts in the exhibit. Described as the Museum’s most elaborate showcase dedicated to a single artist, for Bruce fans the new exhibit is Mecca, as the relics on display from Springsteen’s career range from his early band the Castiles to artifacts from the Seeger Sessions tour. (Get a close-up look at many of the showcase’s memorabilia in our gallery.) In the video above, James Henke, VP of Exhibitions and Curatorial Affairs at the Rock Hall, takes us on the tour of the goods, many of which were contributed by Springsteen himself. Visitors can now check out photographs of Bruce’s 19th birthday party, read the handwritten lyrics for songs like “Adam Raised a Cain” and check out Springsteen’s cherished Esquire guitar, the first thing Bruce bought after signing a contract with Columbia Records — the instrument even accompanied the rocker when he played the Super Bowl Halftime Show in January. Other highlights from the collection include the outfit Springsteen donned for the iconic cover of Born in the U.S.A. and the Oscar from Bruce’s Academy Award Best Song win for “Streets of Philadelphia.” There’s also countless backstage passes, concert posters, live footage from shows and even all the hotel keys Springsteen collected during an early 1970s tour. If you happen to find yourself in Cleveland this weekend for the Rock Hall induction ceremony on April 4th, be sure to stop by the Springsteen wing. For much more on From Asbury Park to the Promised Land exhibit, check out the stories below: • Bruce Springsteen Artifacts Heading to Rock and Roll Hall of Fame • Bruce Springsteen - Artifacts From His Four-Decade Career [Video: Courtesy Rock & Roll Hall of Fame]

Published: 2009-04-01
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News

Meet Crooked X, The Quartet of 14-Year-Olds MTV, Kiss and “Rock Band” Adore

When Start a Band - Rock the World premieres January 13th on MTV, the rock doc will introduce the world to Crooked X, four heavy-hitting 14-year-olds from the heartland of Coweta, Oklahoma, who went from having their parents drive them to practice to playing arena shows with Kiss and Ted Nugent. But for all their fresh-faced youth, the X boys have been playing together since they were 10 and 11. They started out covering songs by their heroes — Metallica, AC/DC, Cream — playing their first gig at singer Forrest French’s sister’s birthday party, but quickly started writing original songs, the first of which, “Nightmare,” would become the first tune by an unknown act to be included in the Rock Band game. But Crooked X had already been a local phenomenon, playing around the Midwest to a burgeoning fanbase. Guitarist Jesse Cooper says his rock-musician father “asked us years ago, ‘Do you want to be a garage band, or do you want to be a touring band?’ ” Making the commitment meant disciplined practice “Five, six days a week, not including all day at home… we all grew musically together.” After placing second in a nationwide contest on CBS Early Morning Live, the band got a leg up from managers Spencer Proffer and Doc McGhee, the latter famed for breaking everyone from Bon Jovi to Skid Row. Now Crooked X are set to release their self-titled EMI debut album in conjunction with the show. It presents a band that sounds considerably older than 14, but maybe that’s because, as Cooper says, “Most of the music I listen to was made before I was born,” citing Metallica, Eric Clapton and Alice in Chains as key influences. There are hopes for the show to become a series chronicling Crooked X’s touring life, but rocking is job number one for the young Oklahomans. “We want to be able to inspire people,” says Cooper, as he and his buddies prepare to become the rock stars they were born to be, which all works out for the best, since, as he admits, “We suck at Rock Band.”

Published: 2008-12-19
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News

Trey Anastasio Premieres “Time Turns Elastic” in Nashville

Photo: Getty Phish fans and the symphony lot together in the Great Church of Country Music. What sounds like the perfect plot for an SNL short actually happened Saturday night at the famed Ryman Auditorium in Nashville when Trey Anastasio headlined Orchestra Nashville’s season-opening show. Anastasio took the same 60-piece orchestra on a field trip to Bonnaroo in 2004, performing in front of a crowd of 80,000. It only seemed fair that Trey’s noodle-dancing pilgrims be invited into sacred confines more familiar to the golf-clapping elite. The result was a crowd gawker’s dream — dreadlocks and muumuus to the left, tailored suits and Coach bags to the right. The first half belonged mostly to the orchestra, though Trey opened the show up front before moving to the back and then offstage completely. The second half featured the world premiere of Trey’s ethereal opus “Time Turns Elastic,” which he wrote with his new favorite collaborator, composer Don Hart. The piece had all the elements familiar to jam-band junkies: Anastasio’s wandering, whining guitar runs and spacey, nonsensical lyrics. When paired with the crisply performed orchestration, it came off sounding more like the theme song to a Disney film on ’shrooms. It was ambitious, strange and wholly entertaining. The normally famously restless Phish fans were polite and appreciative, giving the orchestra a raucous standing ovation and breaking out into a spontaneous “Happy Birthday to You” for Trey, who turns 43 tomorrow. Trey looking vaguely uncomfortable in a suit and tie, but there was no doubt that he had won over both his hardcore fan base and the Bach aficionados who were new to the party. Related Stories: • Phish Reunite For the First Time in Four Years For Wedding • Trey Anastasio Jams With Jack Johnson For All Points West Finale • Trey Anastasio Debuts New Songs in Brooklyn

Published: 2008-09-29
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Rock News, Live Shows, More News

Picture: Single Minded: The Roots, New Pornographers, Foxboro Hot Tubs and More

Breaking Artist: Santogold

Who: Santi White, a Philly-born, Wesleyan-educated producer turned songwriter and her partner in rock, Johnny Rodeo. The pair first played together in punk band Stiffed, but now specialize in eccentric pop that’s a culture-clash of world music, blips and bleeps, and a healthy dose of reggae. Sounds Like: Santogold merge White’s versatile voice (which recalls M.I.A. one minute and Karen O the next) with quirky, off-kilter beats. The result is a kaleidoscope of organic and synthetic sounds held together by White’s attitude-filled flow. Three Things You Should Know: 1. White moved to New York in early 2005 after she lost her father and decided she needed to focus on her music. She started out as a songwriter, and has written with Lily Allen and Marc Ronson as well as for Ashlee Simpson. (Her current roster of collaborators includes hip beatmasters Spank Rock and Switch.) 2. Santogold was hand-picked by Björk to open for the Icelandic pop star when she played Madison Square Garden this week. The show took place on Santi’s birthday, and the crowd sang to her. “After each show they do a little dance party backstage because Björk likes to get her adrenaline out of her muscles,” White explains. “Each night a different person DJs off their iPod, then we had these dance battles in a circle. It’s like a pajama party dance party.” 3. White developed an early aversion to performing when she was traumatized during a high school choral recital. “I had a solo when I was fifteen and it was a fucking disaster,” she says. “I was so nervous and I didn’t have faith in myself at all. The first night, this other guy was supposed to sing the solo and he didn’t show up and they’re like, ‘You’re on!’ I wasn’t ready and I just hid my face onstage and my hands were shaking.” Get It: Santogold’s as-yet-untitled debut album doesn’t have a release date, but you can check out the band’s music on their MySpace page and get your hands on the limited edition sing

Published: 2007-09-27
Provider: Rolling Stone
Keywords: Videos, Breaking, Podcasts