WEAKEND PLANNER BREAKS OUT SOME COOL NEW SOUNDS

This Weakend Planner is loaded with new bands to check out. Thanks for all your submissions, and please keep them coming. Space limits us to our absolute faves, but over the coming weeks we'll attempt to highlight as many as possible. We’ll also be sending feedback (for what it’s worth) to everyone we possibly can.

We’re music junkies over here and love to hear fresh new music. I was very impressed by the quality of music that was sent in, and it makes me very optimistic about the future of this business. Enjoy the Planner, folks, and keep hitting us with fresh new tunes at [email protected].

The new bands/artists we’ll be spotlighting this week are Your Black Star and The Brakes.

THE HOTTEST SHOWS OF THE WEAKEND
Fri., May 16^th
Crowded House (first of two nights) @ The Orpheum Theatre, L.A,
Year Long Disaster @ Viper Room, West Hollywood
Diane Schur @ Catalina Bar and Grill, Hollywood

Sat., May 17^th
KROQ Weenie Roast Y Fiesta 2008 featuring Metallica, The Offspring, The Raconteurs, MGMT, Flobots, The Bravery, Pennywise and more @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine. This is always one of the great music days of the year. For more info, go to www.KROQ.com
Lisa Lampanelli @ Carnegie Hall, N.Y.
Sergio Mendes @ Bayfront Park, Miami
Tapes n' Tapes @ The Bluebird Theater, Denver

JE-C’S NEW-MOVIE WEAKEND SPOTLIGHT
The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian: I loved the first one and have a feeling this one will be even better. These movies aren’t as complicated or as dark as LOTR, but they’re just as good, in my opinion. With this being the only new biggie out this weekend, I believe it will dominate the box office.

JE-C’S HOT NEW BANDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
Your Black Star is a rock group from Kentucky with a killer sound. They’ll be playing a show at the Annex in New York on May 21, which we urge all you guys to come to. The band will be playing tracks from their last two releases, Beasts and Sound From the Ground, as well as brand new tracks that were recently written and recorded but not yet released. Also playing that night are buzzing N.Y. band Apollo Heights. A list of full-announced tour dates and music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/yourblackstar.

The Brakes, a band from Philly signed to Hyena Records, recently suffered a horrible tragedy, as their drummer passed away after a battle with cancer. I too recently lost a friend to cancer, and I know how tough it can be, especially at such a young age. The band continues to march on with a new drummer. They have a great sound, and I very highly recommend checking them out: www.myspace.com/thebrakes.

Science & Fiction is a modern-rock group based in Hollywood, FL, with worldwide ambitions and a uniquely refined sound. The band is rapidly making a name for itself by fusing the best elements of alternative, mainstream rock, industrial, classic rock and pop; all while winning the hearts and ears of listeners around the world by means of Internet promotion, radio play, independent distribution and word-of- mouth. To sum them up, they’re an Alice in Chains for a new generation; lead singer Rick Bauer has been described as Layne Staley reborn. The band currently has endorsement deals with Line 6 and Peavey amps. Their forthcoming album's 12 tracks were produced and recorded entirely independently, in a privately owned commercial recording facility (C5 Studios). The weasels have started sniffing around for good reason, and the group definitely warrants keeping an eye on. Check them out: www.myspace.com/scienceandfiction.

The Airborne Toxic Event: I was privy to some of their music, and I must say it’s quite sensational. They’re more of an artsy band, which is right up my alley, and I think they could be around for a while. They just signed to Shout! Factory and were lucky enough not to have to sign a 360 deal. The single “Sometime Around Midnight” is spinning on the radio now, and if you haven’t had the privilege to check them out, you should. http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent.

16 Frames: The L.A. -based group is quite similar to The Fray, and after listening to the whole album several times, I’ve gotta say that it’s one of the best I’ve heard in ages. Loaded with really good songs, the album has a great feel to it, and I think it will appeal to people who like all different genres of music. You can sample some tracks at www.myspace.com/16frames, and the album is available at the iTunes Store.