WEAKEND PLANNER: A CALL TO ALL NEW AND UNSIGNED BANDS (AS WELL AS THE RECENTLY SIGNED)

Come one, come all. We’ll be dedicating a good portion of each weekend roundup to the great new music that's out there. So please, send us music, bother us, hit us up with links and videos, promote us, drug us, hype us, buy us, treat us to drinks at SXSW, and remember that the lame and boring former A&R reporter Rodel Delfin has escaped the premises after serving his 18-plus years, and the new-music department is now being run by Weakend Planner editor Jesse Beer-Dietz, who’s more of water-with-lots-of-ice kinda guy, and his staff of underpaid sycophants, whose names we also plan on listing when we actually take the time to meet them. Hit Jesse up at [email protected] and get in the loop.

Now for the good news: Sensational new Los Angeles-based band The Airborne Toxic Event, who we've been touting for months, have signed a shiny deal with Shout! Factory. Look for their album later this summer. We can't wait, having only heard a dazzling few tunes so far. Congrats to bandmembers Mikel, Noah, Steven, Darren, Anna and barrister extraordinaire Scott Harrington.

Also, don't sleep on 16 Frames. We're touting this one heavily. If you like The Fray, and you like those millions of units they’ve sold, spend some serious time with the great songwriting evident here. They were just on MTV's The Hills for a third time. "Back Again," aired and bingo, they had 6000 plays at MySpace; The band is one of the top sellers on CD Baby; they’re currently setting up more touring, following multiple dates last year with Sheryl Crow, Crowded House, and Pete Yorn. They are also looking to lock down more TV placements. Hit up Larry Frazin for more info: [email protected]

And check out Science & Fiction—an Alice in Chains for a new generation. Many more cool things to come from, these guys, including high-def video footage, so keep your eyes peeled.

THE HOTTEST SHOWS OF THE WEAKEND
Fri., May 9th
Pennywise @ The Granada Theater, Dallas
Presidents of United States of America @ Abbey Pub, Chicago
Filter @ Equestrian Center, Jacksonville
The Donnas @ The Viper Room, West Hollywood
B 52's @ The Independent, San Francisco

Sat., May 10th
The Bravery @ The Wildhorse Saloon, Nashville
Unwritten Law @ House of Blues (Downtown Disney), Anaheim
The Duke Spirit @ The Troubadour, West Hollywood
The Stoney Curtis Band @ The Sand Dollar Lounge, Las Vegas

Sun., May 11^th
Phil Lesh and Friends w/Grace Potter and The Nocturnals @ The Greek Theater L.A.
Ministry @ House of Blues, Chicago
Wilco @ Stubb's Bar-B-Q, Austin

JE-C’S NEW-MOVIE WEAKEND SPOTLIGHT
Speed Racer: OK, OK, so I’m a sucker for these kinds of movies, but I can’t help it. Last weekend I was so blown away by Iron Man that I ended up seeing it three times. I’m not sure this one will have the same impact, but I still think that, if nothing else, it will be a fun ride. The Wachowski Brothers always come out with fresh, new ways to make films, and this looks to be another one of those.

What Happens in Vegas: My wife and I saw a sneak preview of this last weekend, and I must say, as much as it is stupid and predictable, I still found it entertaining and funny. Ashton Kutcher always makes me laugh, and Rob Coddry is hilarious, but Cameron Diaz looks like she’s had way too much plastic surgery. Not a complete waste of money, thanks to some funny moments.

JE-C’S HOT NEW BANDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON
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, 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.

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.