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Forget Rio: Duran Duran Head to NOLA
DURAN DURAN will make their first-ever U.S. festival appearance as headliners at the 2006 Voodoo Music Experience, set for Halloween weekend in New Orleans. The glam pop-rockers will helm the stage on the closing night (October 29th) of the two-day event. (Opening night will be headlined by the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS.) Fans can purchase pre-sale tickets from Duran Duran's Web site, duranduranmusic.com. The group has been holed up in a London studio since September, working with producer MICHAEL PATTERSON (BECK, DIDDY) on the follow-up to 2004's Astronaut, due in early 2007.
Teamed-Up Kanye, Pharrell Promise "Number 1"
Celebrated producers KANYE WEST and PHARRELL WILLIAMS will soon be flowing in tandem: Kanye guest raps on "Number 1," the upcoming (and likely prescient) single from the N.E.R.D. frontman's solo LP, In My Mind , due July 25th. The duo recently wrapped shooting in Miami for the video. The much-awaited album -- originally slated for a February 2006 release -- also features cameos by rappers NELLY and SLIM THUG.
Legend's Son Does Dad Proud at Reggae Awards
In a six-nomination sweep, DAMIAN "Junior Gong" MARLEY took home a sextuplet of statues from Saturday night's 25th annual International Reggae and World Music Awards. Marley won such prestigious accolades as Entertainer of the Year, Best Album for Welcome to Jamrock and Best Songwriting Award, along with brother STEPHEN MARLEY. Other winners included Hasidic reggae artist MATISYAHU (Best New Entertainer) and DADDY YANKEE (Best Reggaeton Entertainer). The youngest son of reggae untouchable BOB MARLEY, Damian secured a crossover victory at the Grammy's earlier this year when he became the first reggae artist to win in a non-reggae category. Watch for a jam-packed tour schedule -- appearances include June's Bonnaroo Music Festival and a late-summer stint with BEN HAPPER that kicks off August 19th in Phoenix.
Against Me! and the Attack of the !!! !!! !!!
On August 22nd Against Me! will release their first-ever live album, Americans Abroad!!! Against Me!!! Live in London!!!. The punk rockers latest since 2005's studio release, Searching for a Former Clarity, was recorded during a UK stop at London's Mean Fiddler last March, during a tour in support of the album. Last week the band finished the tour with ALKALINO TRIO and are set to kick off a month-long European trek on May 12th. They'll be joining AFI, NOFX, THURSDAY and JOAN JETT AND THE BLACKHEARTS for this summer's Warped Tour, opening June 15th in Columbia, Maryland. Punk-rockers get your barbecues ready.
Trucks, Truckers Set Sail for a Jam
SPF 8 Patchouli oil? (check) Vacuum-Sealer? (check) Jam Cruise 5 will set sail January 2nd, 2007 for five days and five nights. The fourth annual floating festival -- featuring sets from the DEREK TRUCKS BAND, DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS, BURNING SPEAR, GALACTIC, PERPETUAL GROOVE, TEA LEAF GREEN and ALO -- will embark from Ft. Lauderdale on the luxurious ship MSC Opera, equipped with two pools, satellite TV, internet and for those late-night munchies, 24-hour room service. The boat will make stops in Turks and Caicos and a private island in the Dominican Republic. Online reservations can be made starting June 1st.
Rock Stars Draw, Write and Take Photos
New York-based singer-songwriter JOSEPH ARTHUR -- whose iTunes-exclusive, "In the Sun," was covered earlier this year by REM's MICHAEL STIPE and COLDPLAY's CHRIS MARTIN for Katrina relief efforts -- will release his debut book of original art on May 18th. We Almost Made It, a collection of drawings and poems, will be accompanied by a new instrumental soundtrack called The Invisible Parade . Arthur is currently finishing up a studio album set to be released this fall . . . In other art rock news, ROLLING STONES' bassist BILL WYMAN will unveil his collection of photographs in a self-titled exhibition on June 9th at the San Francisco Art Exchange. The gallery will feature portraits -- shot over four decades -- of Wyman's fellow Stones, as well as ERIC CLAPTON, RINGO STARR and THE WHO. Though never exhibited, Wyman's photography has been featured in five books he's authored since the 90s.
New Set Honors Late Soul Legend Pickett
A double dose of soul will hit shelves July 11th with the release of The Definitive Wilson Pickett, a remastered two-disc set of the late warbler's steamy R&B chart-toppers -- including "In the Midnight Hour," "Land of 1,000 Dances" and the oft-covered "Mustang Sally" -- recorded from 1962 to 1972.
Ghostface Killah, Pitbull Join Line-Ups
Unlikely bedfellows will be sharing the bill at the annual Intonation Music Festival, set for June 24th and 25th in Chicago's Union Park. Former WU-TANG CLAN member GHOSTFACE KILLAH and the reclusive 13th FLOOR ELEVATORS founder ROKY ERICKSON -- in his first appearance outside of Austin, TX in more than 30 years -- are recent additions to the genre-crossing lineup, which includes Brit grime MC LADY SOVEREIGN, Canadian indie rockers the STILLS and Swedish singer-songwriter JOSE GONZALEZ. Tickets are available through intonationmusicfest.com . . . Latino hip-hoppers N.O.R.E., PITBULL, TONY TOUCH and other Reggaeton sensations will hit New York's Nokia Theater May 18th with a Jose Cuervo-sponsored La Nueva Generacion Concert.