Coldplay

By Zachary Swickey

Coldplay crooner Chris Martin has revealed that he had to throw out a singing intruder who had forced his way into the singer’s personal garden.

It clearly wasn’t a hostile situation as Martin recounted the story to the Daily Mirror: “I had a guy the other day who climbed over the gate of our house and started singing Coldplay songs to his friends on the street.”

Perhaps Martin was digging the intruder’s cover versions, because the (likely drunk) fan was already on Coldplay hit number three or four when Martin finally intervened, saying, “Listen, you’re not doing that right.” No, Martin didn’t join him in the sing-a-long, but he didn’t call the cops either. “He politely left. It was bordering on intrusion. Still, it’s nice that people like the songs,” Martin continued. No word on whether his wifey, Gwyneth Paltrow, got to hear the renditions.

Haven’t we all wanted to scale Chris Martin’s fence and serenade our passing friends on the street? OK, maybe you haven’t, but if you’re itchin’ to hear Coldplay in person you’ll have plenty of chances coming up in 2012. Read More...

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Adele's music is widely acclaimed for its emotional resonance and it seems that the diva's voice and powerful lyrics can reduce even the world's biggest band and one of Hollywood's top up-and-comers to tears.

That was the joke during a sketch on "Saturday Night Live" this weekend. In the skit, Emma Stone and Co. played officemates who discover that whenever you need a good cry, Adele's "Someone Like You" is the perfect track to turn to.

So secretly universal is breaking down to Adele's hit that Kristen Wiig's character declares, "Everyone with a heart and an iTunes account does it."

Later, in a bit of behind-the-scenes fun, we see this week's musical guest Coldplay losing it while watching the sketch on a monitor.

This was Stone's second time hosting the show and she proved once again that her natural comic timing and graceful presence make one of the best "SNL" hosts in recent memory (actually, between Stone, Melissa McCarthy and Charlie Day, "SNL" is having a pretty strong season so far).

Check out the full episode after the jump. (The Adele sketch begins at about 52:10.) Read More...

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Coldplay Mylo XylotoGreat news, logophiles: Coldplay's new album is called Mylo Xyloto, a title which defies definition and is sure to give writers and copyeditors worldwide headaches for the next 12 months (No lie: when I first filed this blog, I had it spelled as Xylo Myloto.) If our conversation in the morning news meeting was any indication, it will prove a mouthful for even diehard fans.

The album is due October 25, with the official first single, "Paradise," due September 12 (which apparently makes "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" the street single). Mylo features production work from Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson, with "enoxification and additional composition by Brian Eno," and probably includes tracks like "MX/Hurts Like Heaven," "Major Minus," "Us Against the World" and "Charlie Brown," which the band have premiered live in recent months.

And while all of that is certainly noteworthy, today, I'd rather talk about the title itself. Because not only does it sound like a clothing-optional beach in the Greek Isles (or a nasty viral disease,) but, because it is largely inscrutable, it also inspires the inner etymologist within me. What, exactly, is the language of origin (Latin?) Googling it just brings up lots of Coldplay Web sites. How, precisely, is it pronounced? (Oh, just scanning the press release now, and apparently it's "my-lo zy-letoe.") And, since we're on the subject, just how many anagrams can you pull from its 10 letters?

Of course, it bears mention that whenever you're talking about pronunciation and anagrams, you know you're in the presence of true titular greatness. So, after spending some serious time with a pen and a piece of paper, here's every possible anagrammatic combination I can think of. The word "Ox" comes up a lot. For whatever reason, I'd like to think that makes Chris Martin happy.

Presenting to you anagrams from Mylo Xyloto:

Molly Toy Ox


Toll My Ox Yo


Lo Lox My Toy


Lot Lox My Yo


Yo, My Toy Lox


My Toy Lox Lot

Rather see them in animated form? Enjoy:



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flea

By Zachary Swickey

Flea, the rambunctious bassist for the Red Hot Chili Peppers has revealed through an interview with Spinner that he recently thought about quitting the band and leaving his tighty-whitey stage antics behind him.

He said he asked his compatriots for a two year sabbatical in order to regroup his thoughts. “We’ve been going really hard for a lot of years with small breaks here and there, but never a major break,” Flea said. “And I just felt like I wanted to take two years away just to really look and see if the band was something we should be doing.”

Flea attributes his friendship with lead singer Anthony Kiedis, which dates back to childhood, as an inspiration and big reason for his decision to continue making music. “I said, ‘Together let’s do this, let’s make this album, I love you, and let’s f**king rock.’ And as cliché as that might sound, I think for us as a band, and for he and I, both of us, we decided to do it.”

As most RHCP fans are already aware, the group plans on releasing their new album, I’m With You, on Aug. 30, their first with new ex-Warpaint guitarist Josh Klinghoffer – who replaces John Frusciante, who left the group in 2009.

The near-breakup experience of the Red Hot Chili Peppers seems to be a rite of passage that almost every band faces. Some almost breakup in between every album they create. Here are some more groups that claim they almost didn’t make it for a variety of different reasons. Read More...

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By Morgan Schwartz and Matt Goodhue

With the sun out and the nights cool, summer is all about parties and having a good time. These new indie/rock tracks will keep your summer nights going until the sun rises, whether you're at a packed party or just hanging with your close friends. Each song has a different dynamic that captures the feel of summer, making the days and nights feel like they'll last forever.

1. “Under Cover of Darkness,” The Strokes

Julian Casablanca's ability to control a song with his voice is clearly evident in this summer jam. The screechy guitar bends and fast-paced drums create an upbeat, catchy feel and a chorus with the perfect hook. Take one listen and you'll be singing this for the rest of the day.

2. “Fire Away,” Dawes

With the release of their sophomore album, Nothing is Wrong, released earlier this month, this southern California rock band proved its flair for writing smooth verses that explode into a heavy chorus. The vocal harmonies during the breakdown, featuring Jackson Browne on the record, are perfect for a sing-a-long with your friends. Also, lead singer and guitarist Taylor Goldsmith completely shreds on this one.

Read More...

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By Zachary Swickey

The metal gods known as Metallica have settled down quite a bit over the years. Fans no longer refer to them as "Alcoholica," and as the therapy sessions featured in their "Some Kind of Monster" documentary showed, they aren't as concerned about keeping their intimidating image (remember the backlash they got just for cutting their hair back in '96?). So, it doesn't seem as crazy that they will soon be offering their own version of America's most iconic board game: Monopoly.

Starting June 13, via their online store, Metallica will join ranks of the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and KISS, who have all previously been bestowed with the same distinction. To give you the gist, the previous custom edition of Kiss featured Gene's boot and a satchel of money as possible tokens, Detroit Rock City and a KISS Pinball Machine as board spaces, and the cards of chance featured some interesting situations: "Took 2nd place in the Girls of KISS Beauty Contest. Collect $100!"

There are no further details on what Metallica's board will entail, but don't be surprised if the "Go directly to jail" space bears Napster's logo, or you pull a card that reads, "Burned onstage by pyrotechnics and suffer third-degree burns. Lose a turn."

We think some other artists deserve this board game treatment too, although, we kind of doubt these would show up on the shelves of Toys "R" Us soon.

Katy Perry's Candy Land: How has this not already been done? Her music video for "California Gurls" was obviously inspired by this game, and Hasbro probably owes her for the free advertising. Read More...

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It's the best and worst moment of every U.S. festivalgoer's life: schedule day. On the one hand, you can't wait to see when your favorite bands are playing and then start planning your long weekend. On the other, you dread the sight of two of your absolute faves playing on opposite sides of the mile-long field at EXACTLY THE SAME TIME!

In which case Tuesday (June 7) morning was either a huge relief or a major bummer if you're planning on trekking to Chicago on August 5 for Lollapalooza. First, the good news: With the exception of a few headliner conflicts, the schedule is actually one of the most fan-friendly rundown in years.

Yes, Muse and Coldplay are playing at the same time on Friday night, which will probably cause major headaches for thousands of fans of falsetto-driven, pomp and circumstance English rock. (To say nothing of the fact that party hardy DJ Girl Talk and excellent post rockers Ratatat are also playing at the same time as the headliners, which may pull some Lollers in yet more directions.)

But the rest of the day has a pretty open schedule that allows for some decent stage hopping. If you start the day off with some solid indie rock courtesy of Wye Oak, it's just a hop, skip and jump to latest English lad rock sensations the Vaccines, with perhaps a stop-off for some psychedelic bits from the Delta Spirit, a touch of hippie-pop from Grace Potter & the Nocturnals and new-wave reminiscing with Foster the People, at which point things pile up a bit.

Awesome Smiths-inspired rock from the Smith Westerns, or English rap from Tinie Tempah? Brainy rock from the Mountain Goats or the latest from Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz's new band, Black Cards? Noise avalanche from Sleigh Bells or arty stomp from a Perfect Circle?
Read More...

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By Zachary Swickey
We are approaching the three-year anniversary of Coldplay’s last effort, 2008’s Viva La Vida, so it's no surprise that the group is preparing to unleash a new album chock full of love songs for us to lament over. After a series of cryptic tweets (since revealed to be lyrics), Coldplay have finally unveiled the release date of their newest single, the rather mawkishly-titled "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall."

Due digitally June 3rd, "Waterfall" is the first single off the group’s currently untitled, Brian-Eno produced, semi-conceptual fifth studio album. The news comes from drummer Will Champion, who posted the following message on the group’s Web site along with the lyrics and new group photos:

"We’re about to play a bunch of summer festivals so it’s as good a time as any to put out a new song. ‘Every Teardrop is a Waterfall' will be available digitally on Friday 3rd June at 12pm (BST), except in the UK where it’ll come out on the stroke of midnight between Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th June," Champion wrote. "We’ll also stream it here on Friday and give it a run out at Rock Im Park."

Coldplay are headlining Saturday’s portion of the Rock im Park Festival this weekend in Nuremberg, Germany before eventually headlining stateside at Lollapallooza and Austin City Limits later this summer. Last September, frontman Chris Martin teased a new song "Wedding Bells" at an Apple event (the computers, not his daughter) but the upcoming single will mark the first new, non-Christmas-y studio music from the group in over two years.

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EminemLate Monday night (or early Tuesday morning), the folks behind Lollapalooza revealed the lineup for the 2011 edition of the fest, a top-heavy bill featuring headliners like Eminem, Foo Fighters, Coldplay and Muse that makes me feel like this.

Yes, I am having an existential, Tommy-Lee-Jones level crisis about Lolla 2011, which, in case you weren't aware, is also the 20th anniversary of the fest. It's not really because I have a problem with any of the headliners per se, it's just that, well, it would've been nice if any of them actually had ties to Lolla's past. Sure, there's some nods to recent history — Muse played the fest in 2007 — and plenty of synergy in the second-tier of bands (A Perfect Circle played the fest in 2003, Ween played in 2006, My Morning Jacket played in '06 and '07), but overall, it looks like Perry Farrell and Co. have largely ignored the past 20 years ... aside from a hard-to-navigate "Time Capsule" on Lollapalooza's official site, that is.

And, sure, maybe in the weeks leading up to the fest — it's set for August 5-7 in Chicago's Grant Park — all that will change, and organizers will announce a slew of nostalgia acts (surely, Psychotica could clear their schedule). Or maybe they won't, because they prefer to look forward ... and, really, that's their prerogative. But looking at this lineup as is, I just feel very Ed Tom Bell: world weary, saddened by the inevitable march of time, longing for the days of yore, yet bracing for the future. I am a man without a country, or a purpose. I am an anachronism.

Read More...

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It's MTV's second annual Musical March Madness! MTV News took the 64 biggest names in rock, split them up into four regions, assigned them seeds and puts them up against one another in a single-elimination series of match-ups in a winner-take-all contest. We're leaving it to you to decide an actual champ in this field of 64, so over the next few weeks, fan voting will determine who will emerge as this year's champion. It's all about the fans, and the artist with the most passionate fan base will score the awesome Musical March Madness trophy!

Welcome back to the East region, where upsets abound and contenders are born. The second round has been intense, and it promises to stay that way as we move into the weekend. The biggest Cinderella in the whole tournament is up, with the Sweet 16 hanging in the balance.

Voting for all second round match-ups will close on Sunday, March 27 at midnight. As always, you can follow all the voting here.

(8) Coldplay vs. (16) Sum 41
The biggest upset of the first round came when Sum 41 (who are about to drop a new album called Screaming Bloody Murder) upended fellow Canadian countrymen Arcade Fire (who rode their big Grammy victory for Album of the Year to a number one seed). For their trouble, they'll have to go up against worldwide superstars Coldplay, who dropped Cake in round one without much fuss. Who will stand tall once the voting ends? Only you know the answer!

Watch the breakdown of the first round and a preview of round two!

Check out the Musical March Madness bracket and be take a look at the hoops-centric photos of some of the tournament's biggest bands.

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