Cool Britannia

During the struggles Radiohead faced while recording “In Rainbows,” the band’s management team advised the band to break up. Radiohead spent almost two years working on the Grammy-nominated album, facing problems in the studio. Perhaps the band felt the album was not up to par like other Radiohead albums and released it on the internet as a “pay what you want” sort of deal. If you didn’t want to pay anything at all, you got “In Rainbows” for free.

The band stuck out, luckily for fans, maybe not for Miley and Kanye, but gained respect from the industry and proved just how powerful the internet is.

Radiohead is one of the most influential bands of the last decade and not giving up proves it.

Former frontman of The Stone Roses and The Seahorses announced his plan for his first art exhibit at Gallery Oldham.  “Heat, Light and Industry” will open July 7 and run until September 5. The exhibition features work made from oil, wax, lead and rusting steel. It focuses on the importance of cardboard boxes in society.

“Heat, Light and Industry” will travel to Linz, Austria in October and Tokyo’s Hipster Club in November.

Squire led The Stone Roses until 1996 and The Seahorses until 1999.

One of Squire’s latest pieces was his declaration to not reunite with his iconic band.

For more information visit John Squire’s website .

U.S. rockers Green Day are back with a new, hit album and world tour. The Kaiser Chiefs, Franz Ferdinand and The Bravery were announced as the openers for the North American leg of the tour. Catch the Chiefs this summer.

June 2009
4 - Los Angeles, Calif. - Music Box at the Fonda

July 2009
3 - Seattle, Wash. - Key Arena
4 - Vancouver, British Columbia- GM Place
6 - Edmonton, Alberta - Rexall Place
7 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre
9 - Winnipeg, Manitoba - MTS Centre
10 - Fargo, N.D. - Fargo Dome
11 - Minneapolis, Minn. - Target Center
13 - Chicago, Ill. - United Center
14 - Auburn Hills, Mich. - Palace of Auburn Hills
16 - Hamilton, Ontario - Copps Coliseum
17 - Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Centre
18 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre
20 - Boston, Mass. - TD Banknorth Garden
21 - Philadelphia, Pa. - Wachovia Spectrum
22 - Pittsburgh, Pa. - Mellon Arena
24 - Hartford, Conn. - XL Center
25 - Albany, N.Y. - Times Union Center
27, 28 - New York, N.Y. - Madison Square Garden
29 - Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center
31 - Nashville, Tenn. - Sommet Center

August 2009
1 - Atlanta, Ga. - Gwinnett Arena
3 - Tampa, Fla. - St. Pete Times Forum
4 - Miami, Fla. - American Airlines Arena
5 - Orlando, Fla. - Amway Arena
7 - New Orleans, La. - New Orleans Arena
8 - Houston, Tex. - Toyota Center
9 - San Antonio, Tex. - AT&T Center
11 - St. Louis, Mo. - Scottrade Center
12 - Kansas City, Mo. - Sprint Center
13 - Omaha, Nebr. – Quest Center
15 - Denver, Colo. - Pepsi Center
16 - Salt Lake City, Utah - Energy Sol Arena
18 - San Jose, Calif. - HP Pavilion
20 - San Diego, Calif. - Cox Arena
21 - Las Vegas, Nev. - Mandalay Bay
22 - Phoenix, Ariz. - US Air Arena
24 - Sacramento, Calif. - ARCO Arena
25 - Inglewood, Calif. - The Forum 

This good news comes after a spokesperson for the Kaiser Chiefs confirmed the band has not been dropped by their label after poor record sales. NME.com reported the spokesperson said, “The band has two records left to run on an existing contract. Kaiser Chiefs will take their first break in six years at the end of the summer. As with many successful artists, the band is considering creative options to improve the way their music reaches people ahead of their fourth album.”

Radiohead is back and working on their eighth studio album. The band, whose last release “In Rainbows” was all over the Grammy’s, has a whole bunch of pieces they are working on compiling.

“We just went in last week,” bassist Colin Greenwood told BBC. “It was really good. It was really noisy and chaotic and really fun. We’re at the stage where we’ve got the big Lego box out and we’ve tipped it out on the floor and we’re looking at all the bits and thinking, what next?”

Nigel Godrich is producing the highly anticipated album.

Greenwood is not sure when the album will be released or if the band will preview any of the material at upcoming shows.

It doesn’t include Oasis or Blur, but other bands often forgotten about. Bands that had just as much impact as the greatness of the kings of Britpop. Common People: The Britpop Story will be released on June 8. Pulp, The Stone Roses and Superfurry Animals are just a few of the pioneer bands on the disc set. Bob Stanley, who wrote for the Melody Maker during the Britpop era, wrote the liner for the compilation.

Track list includes:

CD1

The Auteurs – ‘Lenny Valentino’
Elastica – ‘Stutter’
Gene – ‘Be My Light, Be My Guide’
The Stone Roses – ‘Love Spreads’
James – ‘Laid’
Dodgy – ‘Staying Out For The Summer’
Saint Etienne – ‘You’re In A Bad Way’
Dubstar – ‘Stars’
Blake Grape – ‘In The Name Of The Father’
Duffy – ‘London Girls’
Marion – ‘Sleep’
These Animal Men – ‘Speeed King’
S*M*A*S*H – ‘Shame’
Cast – ‘Alright’
Bluetones – ‘Slight Return’
Perfume – ‘Lover’
The Boo Radleys – ‘Wake Up Boo!’
Menswear – ‘Daydreamer’

CD2

Pulp – ‘Common People’
Supergrass – ‘Alright’
Sleeper – ‘Inbetweener’
Echobelly – ‘Great Things’
Powder – ‘Afrodisiac’
Northern Uproar – ‘Rollercoaster’
Paul Weller – ‘Thechangingman’
The Divine Comedy – ‘Something For The Weekend’
Babybird – ‘You’re Gorgeous’
My Life Story – ‘12 Reasons Why’
Denim – ‘It Fell Off The Back Of A Van’
Kula Shaker – ‘Tattva’
Mansun – ‘Wide Open Space’
Salad – ‘Drink The Elixir’
Placebo – ‘Nancy Boy’
Longpigs – ‘She Said’
Ocean Colour Scene – ‘The Riverboat Song’
Shed Seven – ‘Chasing Rainbows’

CD3

Super Furry Animals – ‘God! Show Me Magic’
Suede – ‘Trash’
Kenickie – ‘In Your Car’
Theaudience – ‘A Pessimist Is Never Disappointed’
Catatonia – ‘Mulder And Scully’
Space – ‘Female Of The Species’
Embrace – ‘All You Good Good People’
Gomez – ‘Whippin’ Piccadilly’
Geneva – ‘Into The Blue’
Rialto – ‘Monday Morning 5:19′
The Seahorses – ‘Love Is The Law’
Hurricane #1 – ‘Step Into My World’
Monaco – ‘What Do You Want From Me’
Spearmint – ‘Sweeping The Nation’
Lodger – ‘Always Round Here’
Earl Brutus – ‘SAS And The Glam That Goes With It’
Stereophonics – ‘The Bartender And The Thief’
Gay Dad – ‘Oh Jim’

Coldplay fans are in for a treat. Loyal fans can download a free live MP3 off the band’s official web site from May 15- Aug. 9. Leftrightleftrightleft features:

The track listing:

Glass Of Water
42
Clocks
Strawberry Swing
The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away
Vida La Vida
Death Will Never Conquer
Fix You
Death And All His Friends

Fans who go to the Coldplay shows this summer can get their hands on a physical copy.

Ex-Dirty Pretty Things and Libertine Carl Barat, former Oasis guitarist Paul ‘Bonehead’ Arthurs, Goldie Lookin Chain’s Maggot and former Creation records chief Alan McGee make cameos in a new online comedy, ‘Svengali.’

The show was written by Dean Cavanagh and features ‘Shameless’ star Jonathan Owen.

To catch part two click here.