THE EXPANDING WEAKEND PLANNER

This week we’ve put together a HULK-sized Planner, shining the spotlight on a bunch of richly deserving bands/artists, including our first two amazing urban acts, Stephanie McKay and Warren Flandez. Also in store is a contribution from Andrew Harper, who co-owns The Volume Agency, a boutique outfit that boasts a roster of really cool up-and-coming bands. Look for Andrew to be making a larger contribution to the section in the coming weeks, as we continue our effort to make this THE place to find the hippest unsigned and recently signed acts. Keep hitting me up at [email protected].

THE HOTTEST FEST OF THE WEAKEND
Bonnaroo Music Festival, June 12-15
Featuring Superdrag, MGMT, Vampire Weekend, Adele, My Morning Jacket, The Raconteurs, Willie Nelson, Your Vegas, Iron & Wine, Jack Johnson, B.B. King, Cat Power, Sigur Ros, Kanye West, Pearl Jam, Derek Trucks, Zappa Plays Zappa, Robert Plant & Allison Krauss, Metallica and tons more @ The Bonnaroo Music Festival Grounds, Manchester, TN. For more info, visit www.bonnaroo.com

THE HOTTEST SHOWS OF THE WEAKEND
Fri., June 13th
Return to Forever @ Gibson Amphitheatre - Universal City, CA
Spoon @ McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater, Troutdale, OR
The Ting Tings @ The Troubadour, West Hollywood
Donita Sparks @ The Double Door, Chicago

Sat., June 14th
Playboy Jazz Festival (Night 1 of 2) featuring Tower of Power, Bill Cosby, Poncho Sanchez, Dr. John and more @ The Hollywood Bowl
Crosby, Stills & Nash @ The Greek Theatre, L.A.
Brad Paisley with Jewel @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Irvine, CA
Rehab @ Crossroads, Huntsville, AL

Sun., June 15^th
Saving Abel @ Main Street, Jackson, TN
Ludo with The Spill Canvas @ Recher Theatre, Towson, MD
Mick Fleetwood Band @ Herbst Theatre, San Francisco

Upcoming:
Tuesday, June 17th
10:00pm: Black Box Revelation @ The Key Club
10:00pm: Airborne Toxic Event @ Spaceland

Thursday, June 19^th
9:00pm: The Ruse @ The Viper Room
10:00pm: Duffy @ The El Rey

JE-C’S NEW-MOVIE WEAKEND SPOTLIGHT
The Incredible Hulk: This is one of the most anticipated movies of the summer, and we look for it to do monster business this weekend. Although I really liked Ang Lee’s version, most people didn’t, and this new imagining is said to be action-packed, giving fans more of what they want. I’ll be checking out a midnight screening.

THE MILLENNIAL SOAPBOX
by Andrew Harper
I'm the owner and operator of The Volume Agency, along with my partner Gabe Deluc. We are North American booking agents who are passionate about helping our bands build the most important component of their career: a fanbase. Our services also cross over to licensing music in TV/film, as we consult for one of the most relevant production companies around.

A musical renaissance is on the horizon. As the record industry fades more and more into the rearview, I will be discussing artists and companies who are making extraordinary contributions to the new landscape.

One band poised to make a breakthrough this year is Austin-based Electric Touch, who recently inked a deal with Fontana-distributed Justice Records. A&R rep extraordinaire Jan Mirkin put the deal together. British transplant Shane Lawlor belts out soaring melodies over a mixture of English pop and deep Texan blues, along with a heavy dose of youthful energy. Produced by up-and-comer Frenchie Smith (Built to Spill, Dandy Warhols, Meat Puppets), the self-titled debut, due out in late August, is sure to mark the arrival of a bold new talent. They have already wowed crowds at SXSW and Coachella and are en route to play Bonnaroo, Summerfest, Lollapalooza and Austin City Limits Festival. Hear tunes and follow the band as they rise to new levels at www.myspace.com/electrictouchmusic.

JE-C’S HOT NEW BANDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
Stephanie McKay: Hailing from the Bronx, singer/songwriter McKay is a masterful performer and is one of the most in-demand voices on the scene. Her list of credits is long and impressive, reading like a who's who of the hip-hop/soul scene. Formerly a guitarist for Kelis, she has recorded two albums with the Brooklyn Funk Essentials, collaborated with Talib Kweli and Mos Def, been featured on the standout hit “Forget Regret” from Roy Hargrove’s Grammy-nominated RH Factor (alongside such luminaries as D’Angelo, Anthony Hamilton, Erykah Badu, Karl Denson, Pino Palladino and Common) and completed a world tour with Amp Fiddler from the legendary Parliament Funkadelic. (www.myspace.com/stephaniemckay)

Warren Flandez: With a sound as fresh as the present, and a voice reminiscent of classic soul, Vancouver-raised singer/songwriter Flandez is turning heads and melting hearts with his own brand of post-millennial soul. Managed by Mitch Davis of The Artist Partnership (the son of legendary barrister Allen Grubman) and produced by Canadian Mike Southworth of Minus Music, Warren defines what it is to be an artist. His music demonstrates the rare ability to fuse the classic sounds of old-school soul music, the edgy flavor of hip-hop and the romantic themes of traditional R&B. Look for major things from this artist in the coming months. (www.sonicbids.com/warrenflandez)

Little Jackie: Blend old-school R&B with a quirky hybrid of hip-hop and pop and you get Little Jackie, the creation of genre-defying singer-songwriter Imani Coppola and multi-instrumentalist Adam Pallin. “The World Should Revolve Around Me” is the opening theme and is featured in ALL promo spots for the new season of VH1’s I Love New York: New York Goes to Hollywood. The duo is taping a 30-minute performance and interview for KCRW’s “Morning Becomes Eclectic with Nic Harcourt June 16.. Impacting AAA this month. Take the time to listen to this one—it’s gonna be big. (www.myspace.com/littlejackie)

These Green Eyes: An emo band signed to new indie label Blackledge Music, launched by former Epic A&R exec Ben Goldman (Chevelle, Ben Folds Five, Fuel), These Green Eyes combine high energy and top-notch material, including at least one surefire smash in “Paramedic.” They just rocked Rehab in New York, and we hope to have some footage from this show in the coming weeks to show you how great these guys are. (www.myspace.com/thesegreeneyes)

Here are some other cool bands/artists to check out:
We Are the Take: These hot emo indie rockers from north of the border are signed to EMI Music Publishing Canada and will be rockin’ NXNE this year. (www.myspace.com/wearethetakeband).

Halos: This Orange County-based indie outfit, who boast a killer sound and an amazing live show, will play the Roxy June 26 with Cartel. They’ll also be performing at Wet Seal’s Summer Concert Series and will be featured in an email blast to over a million consumers, as well as on www.wetseal.com Since last December, Halos have played with Cartel, Motion City Soundtrack, Saosin, Armor for Sleep, The Bled, The Higher, The Secret Handshake, Portugal the Man, Chiodos, Rx Bandits and more. They’re managed by Charlie Adams.

Science & Fiction: This modern-rock group out of Hollywood, FL, is rapidly making a name for itself by fusing the best elements of alternative, mainstream rock, industrial, classic rock and pop; garnering fans around the world via Internet promotion, radio play, indie 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 weasels have started sniffing around for good reason, and the group definitely warrants keeping an eye on. (www.myspace.com/scienceandfiction.

Lisa Bouchelle: This up-and-coming singer/songwriter, in the mold of Sheryl Crow, Colbie Caillat, and Sara Bareilles, is garnering a lot of buzz and has been deemed a “superstar” by renowned radio promoter Michele Clark. Her album, completed last year at Jon Bon Jovi’s home studio, was released on her own label and distributed by Fontana. Additionally, it has been picked up for the new Starbucks download kiosk program. Lisa just finished recording a duet with John Popper of Blues Traveler, as the two did a national tour last fall. Written with John Eddie, the song is a late-night, hook-up-at-the-bar song, similar in feel to the Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow duet "Picture." It's being co-produced by Tony Black, who has a Grammy for the album Diary of Alicia Keys. Lisa is a seasoned performer who has sung backup for Rob Thomas, Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. (www.myspace.com/lisabouchelle)

The Ruse: The band’s influences include U2 and Coldplay, and they have a remarkably polished sound for an unsigned band, in part because debut album Midnight in the City was produced by Jorge Vivo, one of David Foster's engineers. The Ruse rocked their hometown fans when they played the El Rey three weeks ago, putting on a killer show despite the crappy sound at the venue. They'll be playing N.Y.’s Bowery Ballroom next month. (www.myspace.com/rusemusic)

Year Long Disaster: L.A. rock band signed to Volcom records and led by Daniel Davies, son of The Kinks’ Dave Davies. The band has just been tapped for the prestigious opening slot on the Foo Fighters’ tour, while their debut album continues to receive critical accolades. Rolling Stone heralded YLD as one of 2008’s Best New Bands in their annual 10 Artists to Watch feature, while Relix hailed them as “a band on the verge” and an act “you should know.” They currently have an ultra-hip animated video on the adultswim site; watch it here. And check www.myspace.com/yearlongdisaster for upcoming shows and music. Their album is available on iTunes now.
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