London Studio Where Dylan, Radiohead Recorded Could Become Apartments

Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics and Bob Dylan.Rob Shanahan/Getty Images; FRED TANNEAU/AFP/GettyImages

A London recording studio where Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and the Eurythmics have worked could become apartments, the BBC reports.

Owner David Gray, who's also a musician, has applied to local authorities to convert Church Studios in North London into five apartments and office space, despite objections from some neighbors. Eurythmics partners Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart turned the former chapel into a studio in 1984, and the oak-paneled main room, one of the largest recording spaces remaining in London, has hosted sessions by Dylan, Costello, Radiohead and Depeche Mode. Gray bought Church Studios in 2003. He's best known for his platinum-selling 1998 album White Ladder.

Gray's architect says the recording facilities "are now obsolete and do not offer a viable future for the building," though local residents say that losing the space would have "a significant effect on the vitality of the local arts scene" and the local musicians who use the space.

Stewart once lived with Lennox in an apartment adjoining the studio, where they recorded songs including "Sweet Dreams." The songwriter and producer said recently on Facebook that he sympathizes with Gray.

"It has so many memories for me," Stewart wrote. "Not just recording sessions. I would host evening soirees with poets, philosophers, musicians, etc. . . . Dylan would turn up with his band and hold court, or Joni Mitchell would play drums! Things have changed now. Music Scene is not the same, I understand him [David Gray] having to sell. I wasn't bothered about the cost of running it (always at a loss)."

No date is set to consider Gray's application to convert the space, but the planning committee of the local council holds monthly meetings.

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London Studio Where Dylan, Radiohead Recorded Could Become Apartments

Dave Stewart of The Eurythmics and Bob Dylan.Rob Shanahan/Getty Images; FRED TANNEAU/AFP/GettyImages

A London recording studio where Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello and the Eurythmics have worked could become apartments, the BBC reports.

Owner David Gray, who's also a musician, has applied to local authorities to convert Church Studios in North London into five apartments and office space, despite objections from some neighbors. Eurythmics partners Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart turned the former chapel into a studio in 1984, and the oak-paneled main room, one of the largest recording spaces remaining in London, has hosted sessions by Dylan, Costello, Radiohead and Depeche Mode. Gray bought Church Studios in 2003. He's best known for his platinum-selling 1998 album White Ladder.

Gray's architect says the recording facilities "are now obsolete and do not offer a viable future for the building," though local residents say that losing the space would have "a significant effect on the vitality of the local arts scene" and the local musicians who use the space.

Stewart once lived with Lennox in an apartment adjoining the studio, where they recorded songs including "Sweet Dreams." The songwriter and producer said recently on Facebook that he sympathizes with Gray.

"It has so many memories for me," Stewart wrote. "Not just recording sessions. I would host evening soirees with poets, philosophers, musicians, etc. . . . Dylan would turn up with his band and hold court, or Joni Mitchell would play drums! Things have changed now. Music Scene is not the same, I understand him [David Gray] having to sell. I wasn't bothered about the cost of running it (always at a loss)."

No date is set to consider Gray's application to convert the space, but the planning committee of the local council holds monthly meetings.

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Radiohead, Keys, Dre Invade the Desert for Coachella 2012

Concert-goers dance during the Coachella Vallery Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

Two years ago, Florence and the Machine celebrated their breakthrough year with a victory lap at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. "It was quite surreal, looking out as a performer and seeing palm trees and Ferris wheels and this amazing desert skyline in the distance," says Florence Welch. "It's such a beautiful setting." Florence return to the sprawling grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California – alongside headliners Radiohead, the Black Keys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – on the third night of the April 13th-15th festival. And one week later, all the same acts will do it again, as Coachella expands for the first time to a two-weekend blowout. Adds Welch, "I can't wait!"

Over the past 13 years, Coachella has grown into one of the coolest parties in America, where top-flight rock acts and DJs mingle with A-list actors and models between sets on five huge stages. "You get to see bands you never would have gone to see, meet up with old friends and make new friends, and all that," says ex-Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, who's playing Night Two with his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. "I'll definitely check out Radiohead – Jonny Greenwood is a fuckin' wizard, man. And if I have time to kill, I shall be prancing around the site, acting all self-important."

Other must-see acts include the Shins, recently reunited Brit-pop heroes Pulp, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff (playing with Rancid's Tim Armstrong) and Neutral Milk Hotel singer Jeff Mangum. Electronic music is a bigger part of Coachella than ever, with global superstars from Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta to Avicii and Afrojack set to shake the Sahara tent's monster sound system. "It's the biggest show for us this year," says Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia, who will unveil a new lighting and stage setup at the fest. "Our production team really made our dreams come true. It's something else, man."

The move to adding a second weekend is designed to double capacity without creating crowd and parking nightmares – but some aren't crazy about it. "It's a great festival, but I don't like this," says agent David T. Viecelli, whose acts at this year's festival include Bon Iver and St. Vincent. "Duplicating the exact same experience one week later just feels odd." Fans can at least expect a significant number of artists to mix things up. "If I know there's one repeat customer, I have to change the set," says Andrew Bird, who's playing Night Two. "Otherwise I'd feel like a chump."

This story is from the March 29th, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone.

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Radiohead, Keys, Dre Invade the Desert for Coachella 2012

Concert-goers dance during the Coachella Vallery Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California.

Two years ago, Florence and the Machine celebrated their breakthrough year with a victory lap at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival. "It was quite surreal, looking out as a performer and seeing palm trees and Ferris wheels and this amazing desert skyline in the distance," says Florence Welch. "It's such a beautiful setting." Florence return to the sprawling grounds of the Empire Polo Club in Indio, California – alongside headliners Radiohead, the Black Keys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg – on the third night of the April 13th-15th festival. And one week later, all the same acts will do it again, as Coachella expands for the first time to a two-weekend blowout. Adds Welch, "I can't wait!"

Over the past 13 years, Coachella has grown into one of the coolest parties in America, where top-flight rock acts and DJs mingle with A-list actors and models between sets on five huge stages. "You get to see bands you never would have gone to see, meet up with old friends and make new friends, and all that," says ex-Oasis guitarist Noel Gallagher, who's playing Night Two with his solo project, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds. "I'll definitely check out Radiohead – Jonny Greenwood is a fuckin' wizard, man. And if I have time to kill, I shall be prancing around the site, acting all self-important."

Other must-see acts include the Shins, recently reunited Brit-pop heroes Pulp, reggae legend Jimmy Cliff (playing with Rancid's Tim Armstrong) and Neutral Milk Hotel singer Jeff Mangum. Electronic music is a bigger part of Coachella than ever, with global superstars from Swedish House Mafia and David Guetta to Avicii and Afrojack set to shake the Sahara tent's monster sound system. "It's the biggest show for us this year," says Sebastian Ingrosso of Swedish House Mafia, who will unveil a new lighting and stage setup at the fest. "Our production team really made our dreams come true. It's something else, man."

The move to adding a second weekend is designed to double capacity without creating crowd and parking nightmares – but some aren't crazy about it. "It's a great festival, but I don't like this," says agent David T. Viecelli, whose acts at this year's festival include Bon Iver and St. Vincent. "Duplicating the exact same experience one week later just feels odd." Fans can at least expect a significant number of artists to mix things up. "If I know there's one repeat customer, I have to change the set," says Andrew Bird, who's playing Night Two. "Otherwise I'd feel like a chump."

This story is from the March 29th, 2012 issue of Rolling Stone.

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Radiohead Show Picketed by Westboro Baptist Church

Radiohead on stage during the band's 2012 tour

Radiohead received an ugly reception this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, when the anti-gay group Westboro Baptist Church protested their show.

As Radiohead At Ease reports, the hate group picketed outside the group's concert with vitriolic signs, slamming the British rockers with homophobic slurs and insisting that God was "their enemy." For their part, Radiohead continued their gig unaffected and their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich, later joked on Twitter that the protest was the "highlight of the tour so far."

This weekend, Westboro also posted on their site:

Meanwhile, God is undoing this nation and effecting [sic] all of your lives, with the moth that quietly eats the very fabric of your national garment. Radiohead is just such an event. Freak monkey's [sic] with mediocre tunes keeps you busy and focused by lightness. It changes nothing, God is undoing and digging up and throwing down this nation.

To be fair, doesn't "freak monkeys with mediocre tunes" sounds a bit like a OK Computer-era Radiohead lyric? Godrich, for one, seemed inspired by the concept.

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Radiohead Show Picketed by Westboro Baptist Church

Radiohead on stage during the band's 2012 tour

Radiohead received an ugly reception this weekend in Kansas City, Missouri, when the anti-gay group Westboro Baptist Church protested their show.

As Radiohead At Ease reports, the hate group picketed outside the group's concert with vitriolic signs, slamming the British rockers with homophobic slurs and insisting that God was "their enemy." For their part, Radiohead continued their gig unaffected and their longtime producer, Nigel Godrich, later joked on Twitter that the protest was the "highlight of the tour so far."

This weekend, Westboro also posted on their site:

Meanwhile, God is undoing this nation and effecting [sic] all of your lives, with the moth that quietly eats the very fabric of your national garment. Radiohead is just such an event. Freak monkey's [sic] with mediocre tunes keeps you busy and focused by lightness. It changes nothing, God is undoing and digging up and throwing down this nation.

To be fair, doesn't "freak monkeys with mediocre tunes" sounds a bit like a OK Computer-era Radiohead lyric? Godrich, for one, seemed inspired by the concept.

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Tour Alert: Radiohead Adds Northeast Arena Gigs

Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs in Miami.

Radiohead
Radiohead has added another leg of North American dates to the ongoing world tour in support of its album, The King of Limbs. The new dates begin May 29 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

5/29 Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center  
5/31 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
6/01 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center  
6/03 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center
6/05 Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
6/06 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center  
6/10 Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
6/11 Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills  
6/13 Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center

Robyn
The Swedish pop star will open for Coldplay on 12 U.S. dates, beginning with a two-night stint at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

6/22 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
6/23 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
6/25 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
6/26 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
6/28 Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
6/29 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena                                        
7/2 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
7/3 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
7/5 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
7/6 Philadelphia, PA -  Wells Fargo Center                  
7/8 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center                          
7/9 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center      

Scars on 45
Scars on 45 has unveiled plans surrounding the release of its hugely anticipated debut album. The band will join Ingrid Michaelson for a major US tour, slated to get underway May 1 at Stubb's Amphitheatre in Austin, Texas.

3/3 San Diego, CA - The Anthology *
3/5 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour *
4/16 Caldwell, ID - College of Idaho *
4/19 Denver, CO - Radio Alice's AuNaturAlice *
4/28 Mobile, AL - Road to the Hangout Festival *
5/1 Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
5/2 Dallas, TX - South Side Music Hall
5/3 Houston, TX - House of Blues
5/4 Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theater
5/5 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
5/7 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
5/8 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
5/9 Washington, D.C. - 9.30 Club
5/11 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
5/12 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
5/14 Albany, NY - The Egg
5/15 Boston, MA - House of Blues
5/17 New York, NY - Terminal 5
All dates with Ingrid Michaelson Except*         

fIREHOSE
The three-piece band fIREHOSE will reunite in April for its first tour together since 1994, with the release of the group's first major compilation.
4/5 Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s Night Club
4/6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
4/7 Seattle, WA - Neumos
4/9 Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo House of Music
4/10 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
4/11 San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
4/12 Santa Cruz, CA - Coconut Grove Ballroom
4/13 Fresno, CA - Fulton 55
4/14 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival
4/16 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
4/17 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
4/18 Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
4/19 Tucson, AZ - Plush
4/20 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival

PACHANGA
The Latino Music Festival PACHANGA celebrates its fifth year at Fiesta Gardens on May 11 and 12 in Austin, Texas.

2012 Initial Lineup:
Calle 13
Los Lonely Boys
Chico Trujillo
Ana Tijoux
Forro in the Dark
Alejandro Escovedo
Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution
Davíd Garza
Brownout
Girl in a Coma
La Santa Cecelia
Gustavo Galindo
Maneja Beto
Outernational
Umano Ache
Anthropos Musicians Collective
MORE TO COME…

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Tour Alert: Radiohead Adds Northeast Arena Gigs

Thom Yorke of Radiohead performs in Miami.

Radiohead
Radiohead has added another leg of North American dates to the ongoing world tour in support of its album, The King of Limbs. The new dates begin May 29 in Mansfield, Massachusetts.

5/29 Mansfield, MA - Comcast Center  
5/31 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
6/01 Newark, NJ - Prudential Center  
6/03 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center
6/05 Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
6/06 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center  
6/10 Tinley Park, IL - First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
6/11 Auburn Hills, MI - The Palace of Auburn Hills  
6/13 Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Bank Center

Robyn
The Swedish pop star will open for Coldplay on 12 U.S. dates, beginning with a two-night stint at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.

6/22 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
6/23 Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center
6/25 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
6/26 Houston, TX - Toyota Center
6/28 Tampa, FL - St. Pete Times Forum
6/29 Miami, FL - American Airlines Arena                                        
7/2 Atlanta, GA - Philips Arena
7/3 Charlotte, NC - Time Warner Cable Arena
7/5 Philadelphia, PA - Wells Fargo Center
7/6 Philadelphia, PA -  Wells Fargo Center                  
7/8 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center                          
7/9 Washington, D.C. - Verizon Center      

Scars on 45
Scars on 45 has unveiled plans surrounding the release of its hugely anticipated debut album. The band will join Ingrid Michaelson for a major US tour, slated to get underway May 1 at Stubb's Amphitheatre in Austin, Texas.

3/3 San Diego, CA - The Anthology *
3/5 Los Angeles, CA - The Troubadour *
4/16 Caldwell, ID - College of Idaho *
4/19 Denver, CO - Radio Alice's AuNaturAlice *
4/28 Mobile, AL - Road to the Hangout Festival *
5/1 Austin, TX - Stubb's Waller Creek Amphitheater
5/2 Dallas, TX - South Side Music Hall
5/3 Houston, TX - House of Blues
5/4 Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theater
5/5 Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
5/7 Nashville, TN - Cannery Ballroom
5/8 Charlotte, NC - Amos' Southend
5/9 Washington, D.C. - 9.30 Club
5/11 Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Music Hall of Homestead
5/12 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
5/14 Albany, NY - The Egg
5/15 Boston, MA - House of Blues
5/17 New York, NY - Terminal 5
All dates with Ingrid Michaelson Except*         

fIREHOSE
The three-piece band fIREHOSE will reunite in April for its first tour together since 1994, with the release of the group's first major compilation.
4/5 Sacramento, CA - Harlow’s Night Club
4/6 Portland, OR - Doug Fir Lounge
4/7 Seattle, WA - Neumos
4/9 Bellingham, WA - Wild Buffalo House of Music
4/10 Eugene, OR - WOW Hall
4/11 San Francisco, CA - Slim’s
4/12 Santa Cruz, CA - Coconut Grove Ballroom
4/13 Fresno, CA - Fulton 55
4/14 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival
4/16 Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up Tavern
4/17 Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
4/18 Flagstaff, AZ - Orpheum Theatre
4/19 Tucson, AZ - Plush
4/20 Indio, CA - Coachella Music Festival

PACHANGA
The Latino Music Festival PACHANGA celebrates its fifth year at Fiesta Gardens on May 11 and 12 in Austin, Texas.

2012 Initial Lineup:
Calle 13
Los Lonely Boys
Chico Trujillo
Ana Tijoux
Forro in the Dark
Alejandro Escovedo
Ruben Ramos and the Mexican Revolution
Davíd Garza
Brownout
Girl in a Coma
La Santa Cecelia
Gustavo Galindo
Maneja Beto
Outernational
Umano Ache
Anthropos Musicians Collective
MORE TO COME…

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Radiohead Debut Two New Songs in Miami

Radiohead debut two new songs in Miami.

Radiohead kicked off their 2012 world tour in Miami last night with a setlist heavy on recent material and oldies that fit in comfortably with the band's turn toward chilly, poly-rhythmic electronica. Along with two new non-album songs first performed last year, "Staircase" and "The Daily Mail," the band debuted two even newer tunes at the show, "Identikit" and "Cut a Hole."

"Identikit," which you can hear in this clip, has the band continuing with the blend of cool electronic textures and delicate interlocking rhythms of last year's The King of Limbs. Thom Yorke's vocal is just a bit warmer, though, particularly as he repeats the line "I don't want to know."

"Cut a Hole," like "Nude" before it, is the band's version of a slow jam, with Yorke pushing his voice to its most feminine extremes as the band mixes hazy ambience with skeletal, slo-mo funk.

In addition to playing new songs, Radiohead also dusted off the instrumental OK Computer-era rarity "Meeting in the Aisle," which they had never performed in concert until last night.

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Radiohead Debut Two New Songs in Miami

Radiohead debut two new songs in Miami.

Radiohead kicked off their 2012 world tour in Miami last night with a setlist heavy on recent material and oldies that fit in comfortably with the band's turn toward chilly, poly-rhythmic electronica. Along with two new non-album songs first performed last year, "Staircase" and "The Daily Mail," the band debuted two even newer tunes at the show, "Identikit" and "Cut a Hole."

"Identikit," which you can hear in this clip, has the band continuing with the blend of cool electronic textures and delicate interlocking rhythms of last year's The King of Limbs. Thom Yorke's vocal is just a bit warmer, though, particularly as he repeats the line "I don't want to know."

"Cut a Hole," like "Nude" before it, is the band's version of a slow jam, with Yorke pushing his voice to its most feminine extremes as the band mixes hazy ambience with skeletal, slo-mo funk.

In addition to playing new songs, Radiohead also dusted off the instrumental OK Computer-era rarity "Meeting in the Aisle," which they had never performed in concert until last night.

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Bonnaroo 2012 Lineup: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish Headline

Bonnaroo 2012 Lineup: Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Phish HeadlineGary Wolstenholme/Neil Lupin/Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images

Bonnaroo has officially confirmed that, as rumored, Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers and Phish will anchor the 11th incarnation of the iconic music festival, which will take place from June 7th to 10th in Manchester, Tennessee. The above headliners will be joined by recent Grammy winners Bon Iver and Skrillex, a reunited Beach Boys and comedian Aziz Ansari. All told, more than 150 bands and nearly two dozen comedians will offer fans continuous entertainment on 13 stages over the course of four sleepless days and nights.

True to its formula, Bonnaroo's lineup breaks away from other major U.S. festivals who have often been accused of homogenous programming. This year, shock rocker Alice Cooper will join the party. So will rapper Ludacris. The festival will honor its jam band roots with performances from Umphrey's McGee, ALO and Dispatch, while also making room for electronic acts with sets by Flying Lotus, Major Lazer and Big Gigantic. Hardcore group Bad Brains will make their inaugural Bonnaroo appearance as will Spectrum Road, an all-star band featuring Cream's Jack Bruce, Living Colour's Vernon Reid, Carlos Santana's wife Cindy Blackman, and revered organist John Medeski.

Indie rock royalty will appear alongside current up-and-comers with sets by the Shins, the Avett Brothers, Foster the People, Feist, tUnE-yArDs, Little Dragon, Mogwai, Dawes and Alabama Shakes among many others.
When Bonnaroo launched in 2002, it imagined itself as a cross between Phish's homegrown parties in the Northeast and the New Orlean's Jazz and Heritage Festival in Louisiana. In fact, Bonnaroo organizers brought in some of the creative team behind Phish's events, while creating a format that was directly inspired by what they saw at the fairgrounds in New Orleans. In keeping with the spirit that the festival was built upon, when Phish finally performed at Bonnaroo, in 2009, they brought out Bruce Springsteen to jam.
But it's not only jam bands who jam at Bonnaroo –  collaborations are frequent and bands often feel free to take more risks than they might otherwise. A large part of that has to do with the vibe. Fans who make the annual pilgrimage to Tennessee tend to listen to bands, not hype. Multiple musicians seem to comment on this from stage every year and the band-fan respect is so high that it is not uncommon to see artists roaming the grounds and watching other sets from out in the field, when their own duties have been fulfilled.

Tickets will go on sale this Saturday, February 18th at noon ET, at bonnaroo.com.

Here is the complete 2012 Bonnaroo lineup as announced at this time:

Radiohead
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Phish
Bon Iver
The Beach Boys (featuring Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston and David Marks)
The Avett Brothers
The Shins
Foster the People
Skrillex
Aziz Ansari
Dispatch
Feist
The Roots
Alice Cooper
SuperJam
Black Star
The Word (featuring John Medeski, Robert Randolph and North Mississippi Allstars)
Ludacris
Ben Folds Five
Flogging Molly
Spectrum Road (featuring Cindy Blackman Santana, Jack Bruce, John Medeski, and Vernon Reid)
Mac Miller
Childish Gambino
Major Lazer
tUnE-yArDs
Afrocubism
Flying Lotus
Umphrey's McGee
Little Dragon
St. Vincent
City and Colour
The Civil Wars
Young the Giant
Two Door Cinema Club
Punch Brothers
NEEDTOBREATHE
Fitz & the Tantrums
Bad Brains
Yelawolf
Dawes
Battles
Danny Brown
The Black Lips
SBTRKT
Phantogram
Kendrick Lamar
Charles Bradley and his Extraordinaires
The Kooks
The Joy Formidable
The Antlers
Kathleen Edwards
Mimosa
Kurt Vile & the Violators
Alabama Shakes
Das Racist
Delta Spirit
Gary Clark Jr.
Ivan Neville's Dumpstaphunk
Laura Marling
Trampled by Turtles
Mogwai
The War on Drugs
Ben Howard
Grouplove
Blind Pilot
ALO
The Devil Makes Three
White Denim
EMA
Here We Go Magic
K-Flay
The Lonely Forest
Mariachi El Bronx
Big Freedia
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jr.
The Soul Rebels
Kvelertak
SOJA
Steven Bernstein's MTO All-Stars Play Sly
Big Gigantic
Sarah Jarosz
Orgone
Darondo
Fruit Bats
Moon Taxi
More to be announced

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Macy Gray Sings Metallica, Radiohead and More on 'Covered'

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Macy Gray Sings Metallica, Radiohead and More on 'Covered'

Macy Gray performs during F1 Rocks in Sao Paulo, Brazil.Andrew Hone/Getty Images for F1 Rocks in Sao Paulo

Macy Gray is set to release Covered March 27, and the singer says this project is a long time coming. "After my first record I wanted to do a covers album, but I guess covers albums have kind of a stigma, they’re not known to do very well and they’re designed for people when they’re not doing their own thing anymore," she tells Rolling Stone. "So I was talked out of it, but I’ve always wanted to do one."

So how did Gray convince everyone around her that singing other people's songs was a good move? "Finally I had this idea to do rock covers and everyone liked that idea," she says. Covered finds the Grammy-winning voice behind "I Try" taking on such signature rock bands as Radiohead, Metallica, Arcade Fire, My Chemical Romance and many more.

Yes, Macy Gray does Metallica's "Nothing Else Matters," and kills it, starting off the song slow, haunting and atmospheric, before her  jazzy vocals kick in. It's a radical reinterpretation, one she's already gotten the band's approval for via her producer. "I didn’t talk to Metallica, but the producer, Hal Willner, did ‘cause he’s friends with them and he said they played it a bunch of times and they 'adored' it, that was his word," she says. 

She has directly contacted a few of the artists she reinterpreted. "I emailed Gerard Way, he said it was awesome," she says of her take of My Chemical Romance's "Teenagers." 

"I just met with Aaron [Bruno] of AWOLNation about three days ago, we went to lunch," Gray says. "He really liked 'Sail,' but it’s funny ‘cause he had a lot of questions about how we did it and what made me want to do it and stuff. I thought that was cool."

Gray was inspired on the record by Nina Simone. "I was watching [Simone’s] version of 'My Way' and she did her own thing completely, it’s nothing like the original, and so that’s when I decided to go get whatever songs we really loved," she says. "I think that’s the thing people do, they cover the songs and they try to do it kind of like the artist. But we just completely did our own thing."

Having a completely different style than the artists she covers – whether it's her rousing take on Radiohead's "Creep," the Eurythmics' "Here Comes The Rain Again" or "Nothing Else Matters" – allows Gray to take the songs wherever she wants. And she admits she was free tackling some of these songs because she was a fan, but not in the genre herself. "I imagine if I was a metalhead, I would feel bad about rearranging James Hetfield," she says. "But being that I’m not, I just naturally did my own thing, so it made it a lot easier."

For Gray interpreting rock artists seemed to be the best approach, as she attempted some Prince songs as well, but they didn't work. And one artist she wanted to cover so badly she tried  five songs but could never make work was Fiona Apple.

"We had a few that were disastrous," she says laughing. "We tried 'Criminal' and 'Sleep To Dream,' then we tried 'Extraordinary Machine.' That was the one we really wanted to do, but it’s hard to do her because her songs are so moody, and if you take it out of that it doesn’t sound right.  Her songs are so dark and moody already, so if you move it around it’s weird, and if you do it dark and moody you might as well just leave it as is."

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Coachella Lineup 2012: Radiohead, Black Keys, Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg to Headline

The Black Keys perform as part of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival at the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California.

After months of speculation, leaked lineups and hipsters spreading rumors "from friends," the Coachella 2012 lineup is out. As already widely reported, Radiohead are one of the headliners, closing out the festival's two Saturday nights (April 14th and 21st). The Black Keys, who've been predicted to appear as well, are topping the two Fridays, April 13th and 20th. But one headlining act no one foretold, at least that we saw, are hip-hop icons Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg, wrapping up both weekends on April 15th and 22th.

This year marks the first time Coachella will expand to two weekends. While many have wondered how Goldenvoice would be able to pull off arranging matching lineup for both weekends, the promoters have come through with a classic Coachella talent roster. Every key ingredient of past Coachellas is represented on the 2012 edition.

Major dance headliners -- how about Swedish House Mafia, Kaskade, Justice, David Guetta and AVICII?

Reunions? Check, in the form of At the Drive-In, Swedish hardcore cult heroes Refused, Pulp, Mazzy Star and the postpunk group fIREHOSE. And the current crop of alternative stars are well represented, from Florence + the Machine and Bon Iver to the Shins and Miike Snow.

The celebrated veterans spot, which in past years has seen the likes of Leonard Cohen, is represented this year by Jimmy Cliff. Other highlights we have circled include Cat Power, Madness, Godspeed! You Black Emperor, St. Vincent, Feist, M83, Amon Tobin, Givers, the Weeknd, Nero, Santigold – in fact, too many more to count.

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