Tenspoke Indies Week: Mayday

antiMusic reports: As we celebrate our 10th anniversary this year we are aiming to get back to the core of our mission statement and showcase up-and-coming artists. So for our future "artist weeks" we will be mixing it up a bit and featuring new artists you should know about as well as the big names you've come to expect. This week we feature one such new artist: Tenspoke Indies. Their debut album, 'Blinded By The Sound,' doesn't even come up until March 4, 2008, but already they're turning heads. Last month they were featured as the Artist of the Week on XM Radio's "Radar Report". With a sound often compared to Jimmy Eat World but with indie cred, they got our attention so we asked the band's singer/guitarist (and British ex-pat) Rich Wise to pick his favorite five tracks from the CD and tell us a bit about each one. Here is Rich with today's song "Mayday".

Usually, I get excited about a song from when I first fire up some new chords and a new melody – that's actually my favorite part of songwriting. But it was different with "Mayday." "Mayday" was a song that had been hanging around for a while. Josh had come up with a verse and lyric idea, and I had separately come up with a chorus for the song. I liked the minor to major pop that occurred from verse to chorus, but that was pretty much it for a long time and most of the band was pretty indifferent about the song. I think the magic happened in the studio. Drummer Richie and I shut ourselves away for about a two-week period in early '07 and produced it. I had been listening to a lot of Keane and Snow Patrol, which influenced us. We came out feeling very happy with it, knowing it was probably the most different song on the album. "Mayday" was the outcast come to life, and now it's one of my favorite cuts.

You don't have to wait until March to get a taste of what Tenspoke Indie have to offer, they're hitting the road next month. You can grab the tour dates and preview some of the tracks from 'Blinded By The Sound' - right here!

The Game Retiring

antiMusic reports: It appears that the Game will soon be over. Contact Music has the story: Rapper THE GAME will quit the music industry following the release of this third album this summer (08). The Dreams hitmaker told fans he will release his last album L.A.X in June (08) while performing in Los Angeles with Nas and Will.i.am on New Year's Eve (31Dec07).

He also confirmed the album will feature production from Dr Dre. His record label Black Wall Street Europe said in a statement, The Game made some revealing news to the people about his third and final album following up the multi-platinum West Coast banger, The Doctor's Advocate.

He said his new album will drop June 2008 and will be named LAX not The 'D.O.C.' "That's straight from the horses mouth." - more music news

When Bjork Attacks

AP reports: Icelandic singer Bjork attacked a newspaper photographer shortly after she arrived at New Zealand's Auckland International Airport on Sunday, local media reported.

Bjork, who is in the northern city of Auckland to perform at the Big Day Out concert on Friday, tore "New Zealand Herald" photographer Glenn Jeffrey's shirt after he photographed her arriving at the airport early Sunday, he told news agency New Zealand Press Association according to a report on Monday.

Jeffrey, a news photographer for 25 years, said Bjork was accompanied by a man who asked him not take photos. [Maybe he looked like that teddybear that was chasing her in that video?] - more on this story

Cops Fired for Harassing Singer

Jam! reports: Two city police officers accused of holding country music singer Steve Holy and a friend at gunpoint during a home game of foosball have been fired.

Officers Randy Anderson, 25, and Paul Loughridge, 48, each face a misdemeanour charge of deadly conduct in connection with the Dec. 27 allegation. If convicted, they could face a year in jail and a fine of up to $4,000.

"Their behaviour that night is disturbing and not consistent with how we expect our Dallas police officers to perform," said Police Chief David Kunkle, who fired the men Friday - more on this story

Clash Semi Reunion

Punknews.org reports: For the first time in 25 years, former Clash members Mick Jones and Topper Headon have shared the stage together. The reunion took place at Carbon/Silicon's "Carbon Casino" residency, and comes five years after Mick joined Joe Strummer on stage at the Brixton Academy.

The former bandmates performed Clash classics "Train In Vain and "Should I Stay or Should I Go" at the event. Fans captured video of "Train In Vain" .

Carbon/Silicon released Carbon/Silicon in 2007. The band feature Jones along with Tony James of Generation X, Big Audio Dynamite's Leo "Eezykill" Williams, former Reef drummer Dominic Greensmith. - Check out video here

AC/DC Not In The Studio

SleazeRoxx.com reports: AC/DC are not in the studio, they are not recording with Mutt Lange and they don't have a title for an album which has been widely reported to be called 'Strap It On'.

Following stories that the band have returned to the studio for their first album since 2000's 'Stiff Upper Lip', Albert Records' Danny Keenan has told Undercover they're hopeful, but it's not the case.

"If you ask me if they're in the studio today, I can tell you they're not. If you ask me if they were in the studio last week, I can tell you they're not. If you ask me if they're in the studio next week, I can tell you they're not.

[The band also issued this statement addressing another rumor: "Contrary to rumours floating around the internet, AC/DC will not be playing at a special club performance in Switzerland in late January."] - more on this story

A Perfect New Release From Billy Howerdel

PR reports: ASHES dIVIDE is the brainchild of guitarist and producer Billy Howerdel. Music fans know him as the founding member and producer of A Perfect Circle who featured Tool's Maynard James Keenan on vocals as well as members of Smashing Pumpkins, Queens of the Stone Age and Marilyn Manson. Rather than simply rest on the multi- platinum success of that project, Howerdel decided it was time to start fresh, under the pseudonym ASHES dIVIDE, with a new collection of songs and collaborators. Island Records' chief, Antonio "L.A." Reid announced in early January 2008 that they had signed ASHES dIVIDE to their storied roster. The album, Keep Telling Myself It's All Right, will be released in March. In the meantime, Howerdel is putting a touring band together for a worldwide tour.

The proficient musician played nearly every instrument on the upcoming album. The drums were masterly handled by his A Perfect Circle bandmate Josh Freese. Maynard James Keenan's 11 year old son, Devo, added some gorgeous cello. With Howerdel providing such a rich and layered production style to the sessions, legendary engineer, Alan Moulder (My Bloody Valentine, NIN) was enlisted to mix the results.

Fans of APC and bands like The Cure and Smashing Pumpkins will fall for the album's alluring blend of rock bombast and dark atmospherics. The internet has been buzzing about the debut single "The Stone," and rock and alternative radio has already added the song to their rotations. - http://www.myspace.com/ashesdivide

Heaven and Hell Are Doing A New Album

Metal Underground reports: Artisan News Service has posted a short video interview with legendary heavy metal drummer Vinny Appice (HEAVEN AND HELL, DIO, BLACK SABBATH) in which he confirms that the songwriting sessions for the new album from HEAVEN AND HELL - the band featuring Appice alongside vocalist Ronnie James Dio, bassist Geezer Butler and guitarist Tony Iommi - will begin in April 2008.

"We're doing another HEAVEN AND HELL, we're going to do a CD album, so we're going to start writing in April-May and I also have a little thing going on with my original band DERRINGER, the first band I played with in 1976. We're doing a little reunion tour. We got all these great offers and we thought we'd do it. So, it'll be a busy year."

Vinny even went on to say that the initial songwriting with HEAVEN AND HELL is going smooth as well. "It was cool," he said. "Actually it's been over a year now. I went over there, to England in November and we got together and did three songs and it was great. After like five minutes it was like nothing, we were never apart after that, you know. It just went smooth as silk."
- more on this story

The Darkness Part II

Gigwise reports: Ex-Darkness members will be unveiling their new band Stone Gods on a UK tour starting next week.

Dan Hawkins is back on lead guitar, with Darkness replacement Richie Edwards singing backed by ex-Graham Coxon band members bassist Toby MacFarlaine and drummer Ed Graham making up the rest of the four-piece, who also plan to release a debut LP this year.

[but will this Richie guy yodel as good as the old guy?] - more on this story

Paula Abdul Flips Out

Hecklerspray reports: The sky is still blue (in most places outside of LA and Mexico City), the earth is still round and yes Paula Abdul still does crazy things in public. Flipping out on her flip phone? Our friends at Hecklerspray have the story: If there's a new season of American Idol starting, it must be time to begin our annual 'Paula Abdul is a flipping loon' blowout.

So hats off to Paula Abdul, then, for announcing the start of American Idol 2008 by apparently having a bewildering emotional breakdown in an airport where she started wailing like a poltergeist in front of everyone. A source told Radaronline:

"She had an insane nervous breakdown that lasted 10 minutes. One minute she was hyperventilating and on the verge of passing out; the next she was yelling into her cell phone in this deep, rage-filled Poltergeist voice. She kept screaming three names over and over—Michael, Sidney, and Leslie. Everyone was staring at her, but she didn't care." - more on this story

Panic At The Disco Officially Less Exciting After Joining Corporate Tour

Gigwise reports: In perhaps the most hard-hitting news story of the day, a representative for Panic At The Disco has confirmed that the band have dropped the exclamation mark from their name, and alas will no longer whence be known as Panic! At The Disco.

The band confirmed the jaw-dropping news at the launch of their sprawling 45 date Honda Civic Tour at Studio 540 at the American Honda Motor Company in Torrance, California.

The band used the opportunity to speak about their new album 'Pretty-Odd' which will be with us on March 25. They also performed a selection of new acoustic tracks and were flanked as ever by their close buddy, Pete Wentz of Fall Out Boy Fame. - more on this story

She's Still Got Legs: ZZ Top 25th Anniversary of Eliminator

PR reports: "That little ol' band from Texas" with the big sound, ZZ TOP shifted gears in 1983 with the trio's eighth studio album, Eliminator. Creating a new sound, the band subversively co-opted the humming synthesizers of new wave and fused them to its trademark hot-rodded blues boogie. The album roared into the MTV age powered by a trio of smash radio singles and iconic videos that helped make Billy F Gibbons, Dusty Hill and Frank Beard international superstars. Eliminator also holds the rare distinction of being among the first group of albums to be awarded diamond certification by the RIAA for sales of 10 million copies.

ZZ TOP's signature cherry-red 1933 Ford coupe returns to take a victory lap with a special CD/DVD set to celebrate the album's 25th anniversary. The set includes bonus tracks and previously unreleased live tracks, as well as videos featuring the album's singles and rare live performances. ELIMINATOR (COLLECTOR'S EDITION) will be available March 25 at all physical retail outlets and for a suggested list price of $24.98. A digital version that includes all the CD content will also be available the same day for $11.99 from all digital retailers. - more on this story

Billy Bragg Ends Crime

Gigwise reports: Billy Bragg's scheme to cut re-offending rates in convicted criminals by providing musical instruments has been declared a success.

According to the Independent, the singer-songwriter's project, which gives jail inmates instruments, has seen reoffending rates drop from a national average of 61-per-cent to just 10 to 15-per-cent in participants.

It is not known whether Pete Doherty was one of those taking part. - more on this story

Amy MacDonald Dethrones Radiohead

BBC reports: Singer-songwriter Amy MacDonald has knocked Radiohead off the number one slot in the UK album chart with her record, This is The Life.

Meanwhile dance DJ Basshunter topped the UK singles charts with the house track, Now You're Gone, which debuted last week at number 14.

Pop star Britney Spears made it to second place with her new single, Piece of Me. - more on this story

Rolling Stone Recovering from Surgery

Gigwise reports: Ronnie Wood is recovering at home from an operation after he gave himself a hernia on the Rolling Stones' current tour.

The 60-year-old guitarist underwent surgery last week after suffering the injury on the Stones' 'Bigger Bang' tour.

A spokesperson says, "He doesn't know exactly the moment it happened, just that it happened while he was on tour and that it got progressively more uncomfortable. - more on this story

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