Manic Monday: Tom Petty, Keith Moon, U2

Items galore this Monday a.m.:

• First of all, just wanted to make sure everyone reading this is tracking on the Daily Vault's September retrospective featuring Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers. There are some big TP fans around these parts, so the forecast is for heavy coverage all month long...
  
  
• On the 30th anniversary of Keith Moon's death, the Arizona Republic kindly offered a summary of "13 Essential Keith Moon Moments" from the life and career of The Who's explosive drummer. Essential reading indeed...
  
  
• You won't hear the rest of that rumored (and partially leaked) new U2 album until 2009, reports the LA Times -- at least, if Bono can remember to keep the stereo turned down.
  

Tom Petty raises the roof in St. Louie

Just had to share a link to this great review of last night's Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers gig in St. Louis. It sounds like this writer -- part of the younger segment of Petty's audience -- got baptized with some genuine rock and roll.

Prince vs. Springsteen vs. Neil Young: Who's got the best backing band?

Nice job by Marc Hirsh of MSNBC today rating the best backing bands in the business. The J.B.'s (James Brown), The Attractions (Elvis Costello), the E Street Band (Bruce Springsteen), Crazy Horse (Neil Young) and The Revolution (Prince) are all worthy of consideration for the title. What's truly bizarre is how Hirsh managed to exclude two others who definitely belong in this category. No Heartbreakers (Tom Petty)? And sacrilege of sacrileges, he left out the only backing unit ever to have the nerve to call themselves simply The Band (Bob Dylan, and they lived up to the name)? Can't give this column more than a B with those two glaring exclusions...

Thursday Roundup

Thursday roundup? Why not! Certainly no shortage of items...

• May 20 will see the release of Live From Chicago, the first-ever DVD from multi-Platinum selling recording artist the Steve Miller Band. The three-disc set will be comprised of two DVDs and a 12-song CD. The DVD, shot at Chicago’s Ravinia Festival in July 2007, captures the SMB’s sold-out, two-night stand with 5.1 Surround Sound and 17 high-def cameras. Disc one of Live From Chicago features performances of 20 classic hits, including “Fly Like An Eagle,” “Living in the USA,” “Jet Airliner,” “Abracadabra,” “Rockin’ Me,” “The Joker,” “Take the Money and Run,” “Swingtown” and “Jungle Love.” The second disc contains a revealing documentary of the band’s traditionally reclusive namesake.
  
  
• Virgin Group Founder and Chairman Sir Richard Branson recently announced the headline acts for the third Virgin Mobile Festival, the largest music and arts festival on the East Coast, being held August 9-10 at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland. The festival headliners are Foo Fighters, Jack Johnson, Kanye West, Nine Inch Nails and Stone Temple Pilots. Niiiice.
  
  
• On April 7, Columbia Records announced that Bob Dylan was awarded an honorary Pulitzer Prize. Dylan -- the first rock and roll artist ever to be honored by the Pulitzer Committee -- was recognized for his "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power." In other Bob Dylan news, Todd Haynes' unconventional Dylan biopic I'm Not There will be released on DVD on May 6th. The soundtrack was released on Columbia Records; the two-disc, 34 song collection includes newly-recorded cover versions of Bob Dylan songs from the film by artists including Eddie Vedder, Sonic Youth, Stephen Malkmus, Cat Power, Sufjan Stevens, John Doe, Karen O, Jeff Tweedy, Willie Nelson, Antony, Glen Hansard & Marketa Irglova and more.
  
  
• The festival the New York Times is calling "a breakout hit" -- the first annual Mile High Music Festival on July 19-20 -- rolled out a lineup that reads like a who's who of modern rock. Try John Mayer, The Black Crowes, Mike Gordon (of Phish), O.A.R., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Spoon, Jason Mraz, Flogging Molly, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, The Roots, Lupe Fiasco, Hill Country Review, Stephen Kellogg and The Sixers, Ferras, The Whigs, and Eric Hutchinson. Plus local favorites Flobots, Rose Hill Drive, Meese, Born In The Flood, Railbenders and The Photo Atlas. Oh yeah, and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers will headline on Saturday, July 19th, with Dave Matthews Band topping the bill on Sunday, July 20th. You're best advised to be in the vicinity of the Outer Fields at Dick's Sporting Goods Park at the appointed time....
  

Saturday Roundup

Last time we were all about the 70s; this time we're all about the 90s. Guess next time we'll be clairvoyant...

• The BoDeans ("Closer To Free" et al) are back and finding the D.I.Y route to their liking. The new disc from Sammy Lllanas and Kurt Neumann is Still, which debuted in the Billboard Top 200, and came in at #30 on the Top Independent Albums chart. The record’s first single, “Everyday,” has also landed in the top 10 on the Americana charts, and is one of the top 3 most-added songs at Triple A radio. Nice work from a couple of sharp-eyed singer-songwriters who've joined the crowd in leaving their label days behind.
  
  
• The Dave Matthews Band will co-headline the inaugural Mile High Festival on July 19-20 along with Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and John Mayer; other performers include The Black Crowes, O.A.R., Michael Franti & Spearhead, Rodrigo y Gabriela, Steve Winwood, Spoon, Flogging Molly, Colbie Caillat, OneRepublic, The Roots and many others yet to be announced. Tickets go on sale March 29.
  
  
• P.O.D. will release their first album with Columbia Records, When Angels and Serpents Dance, on April 8. The boys are also heading oout on a Hard Rock Cafe tour in a few days that will run through April; check here for dates.