Finding yet another way to cut the record companies out of the distribution process, starting May 15, Coldplay will give everyone attending their shows a free copy of a 9 song live album entitled LeftRightLeftRightLeft. Not ones to foster the rich getting richer theory, they will also make the album available at no charge through their web site and permit anyone to download it until August 9. As of now, hard copies won't be available in stores with only concert-goers getting a physical disc.

The track listing:

Glass Of Water
42
Clocks
Strawberry Swing
The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away
Vida La Vida
Death Will Never Conquer
Fix You
Death And All His Friends

Labels: Coldplay

Band Aid: Do They Know It's Christmas



Slade: Merry Christmas Everybody



U2: Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)



George Thorogood: Rock and Roll Christmas



Trans Siberian Orchestra: Christmas Cannon Rock



Bruce Springsteen: Merry Christmas Baby



Jon Bon Jovi - Please Come For Christmas (Eagles Cover)



Elvis Presley: Blue Christmas (w/Martina McBride digitally added)



Ozzy Osborne & Jessica Simpson: Winter Wonderland



David Bowie & Bing Crosby: Little Drummer Boy



Coldplay: Last Christmas



Billy Idol: Jingle Bell Rock



Stevie Nicks and Tom Petty: Silent Night



Ramones: Merry Christmas



Elizabeth and the Catapult: Christmas with the Jews


Christmas with the Jews from Elizabeth & the Catapult on Vimeo.

Labels: Bruce Springsteen, Coldplay, Ramones, U2

Bono continues to try to harness the wild horse of capitalism to raise money for the world's poor. RedWire.com, a new online music magazine, is the latest aspect of the ongoing campaign. The site launched on World Aids Day with help from U2, Jay Z, Elvis Costello, Coldplay, John Legend and more, who all lend video content to the cause.

Death Cab for Cutie and Jenny Lewis (with a version of ("Acid Tounge") represent the music scene's new guard. The site's goal is to deliver music content via a subscription model to raise money with subscribers being offered updates on how their money is being spent in an effort to combat AIDS in Africa.

U2 offers up "I believe in Father Christmas" which can be seen here. The Edge stands out in the track with stellar guitar work that show's he's still on top of his game and continuing to innovate, which will prime U2 fans for their new album set for a 2009 release.

Labels: Coldplay, Death Cab, Jay-Z, PoPolicy, U2

Tickets for Coldplay's transcontinental pair of free shows will be distributed by on-line lottery.

If you want to sign up for freebies to the July 23rd Madison Square Garden show, click here.

If the June 16th gig at Brixton Academy is more your cup of tea, click here.

Labels: Coldplay

Coldplay are making "Violet Hill," the first single from their upcoming album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends, available for free.

While they aren't going Radiohead on us and giving the whole album away for free, they are doing their part. On their Web site, Chris Martin and company announced that they would play two free shows: June 16 at the Brixton Academy in London and June 23 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Details about acquiring tickets will be made available soon.

Labels: Coldplay

A little less than two years after their performance with Richard Ashcroft at Hyde Park as part of the Live 8 concert to raise awareness for the concept of African debt relief, Coldplay has inadvertently brought attention to income inequities in South America. After learning that tickets to their concerts in Chile cost $160, more than a quarter of Chile's average monthly wage, Gwyneth Paltrow's favorite band issued an apology, maintaining they were ignorant of the high cost of their tickets.

"We just found out how expensive they are and would like to say we are sorry," said frontman Chris Martin. "We didn't know beforehand." Admitting the embarrassing nature of the situation, especially in light of Coldplay's support of fair trade for developing nations, Martin explained, "When you are a famous band, a lot of things happen that you don't know about."

Martin's rationalization seems oddly reminiscent of that offered by Kathie Lee Gifford when the news broke that her clothing line was made in Honduran sweatshops, eh?

Labels: Coldplay

Seems everyone wants a piece of Justin Timberlake and Timbaland these days. Duran Duran is the latest to court the dynamic duo for a project. Hey, those boys may be old, but they're not dumb!

If you haven't heard them by now, there are some cool collaborations out between of The Buena Vista Social Club & Chris Martin of Coldplay, Dido, Jack Johnson, Franz Ferdinand, Sting, Bono, Maroon 5, The Kaiser Chiefs, The Arctic Monkeys and Radiohead. A portion of the proceeds from sales of the collection called Rythms Del Mundo go to the Music Rising charity. You check out some of the collaborations here: Dancing Shoes (Arctic Monkeys), Fragilidad (Sting), Killing Me Softly (Omara Portuondo).

Ari Hest has a cover out of Fleetwood Mac's "Little Lies." Ari's full length The Break In (recorded with Mitchell Froom) is set for a March 2007 release.

Lots of folks are sending us their holiday songs. Here's one from Ken Tizzard.

Our buddy Rinjo Njori has a new blog "Slave to Shuffle" where he's streaming a handful of songs a day with some commentary on each.

The Democrats may not have Ted Nugent, but they've still got a cool house band for their upcoming celebration concert to mark Nancy Pelosi becoming the first woman elected Speaker of the House.

Scotland continues to be a source for new music. If you missed them, Driveblind played on the Craig Ferguson show, check out the YouTube clip here.

Finally, Schultz Says:

London's High Court awarded Procol Harum keyboardist Matthew Fisher 40% of the copyright in the group's enduring classic "A Whiter Shade Of Pale." Since its release, the copyright had been held by Gary Brooker, Procol Harum's lead singer. In claiming entitlement to half the copyright, Fisher pointed to his creation of the song's memorable organ riff; an argument the High Court agreed with, finding the organ solo "a distinctive and significant contribution to the overall composition." As Fisher waited 40 years to assert his rights, the Court awarded him future, not past, royalties.

Brooker and his attorneys see the decision as a time bomb set to detonate and destroy the entire music industry. In a statement through his attorneys, Brooker pleaded that, "the repercussions of this decision are so far-reaching that any musician who has ever played on any recording in the last 40 years may now have a potential claim of joint authorship."

Somewhere in Europe, the heirs of Johann Sebastian Bach must be scratching their heads . . . and contacting their attorney. (Yes, yes, I know -- public domain. Never let a fact ruin a good finishing line).

Labels: Arctic Monkeys, Bono, Chris Martin, Coldplay, Franz Ferdinand, Kaiser Chiefs, Mp3s, Radiohead, Scotland, U2

After a year of Brokeback this and Brokeback that, it seems like it's finally ok for hetero guys to bond again. In that vein, mates Chris Martin of Coldplay and Danny McNamara of Embrace recently gave each other manly slaps on the bum back.

First up, Martin endorsed Embrace's World Cup tune for England that had been scorned by others, including Richard Ashcroft and Justin Hawkins of the Darkness. McNamara basked in Martin's compliments:

"Chris likes it. I played it to him yesterday, actually. He'd already heard it because I'd sung it to him down the phone a while back, and he remembered it word for word, which is pretty cool. I suppose that means it's good to sing along to."

McNamara returned the compliment right back to Martin. Some people have said Chris is a tad doltish. Not so says Danny:

"The perception of Chris is so far from the truth, it's hilarious. People think he's dull but he's the most exciting man I've ever met."

Very nice to see this kind of commradarie. Maybe these lads should take a camping trip....

Labels: Coldplay

After opening the show with their catchy "I Predict A Riot," Leeds' Kaiser Chiefs walked off with 2006 BRIT Awards for British Group, British Live Act and British Rock Act. Coldplay and James Blunt each took home 2 BRITs in the "local" categories with Chris Martin and Co. winning for British Album (X & Y) and British Song ("Speed Of Sound") and Blunt snagging Pop Act and British Solo Artist.

In the International categories, Green Day was the only act to win multiple BRITs. scoring the honors for International Group and adding International Album to the litany of awards given to American Idiot.

In the British Breakthrough Act category, an award voted upon by Radio 1 listeners, the differing tastes of the voting blocs were reflected as British radio darlings The Arctic Monkeys won the award over James Blunt and the Kaiser Chiefs. Jack Johnson won the International equivalent.

In the only uncontested award of the evening, Paul Weller of The Jam was honored with an award recognizing his Outstanding Contribution To Music, the equivalent of a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Other winners announced last evening:

British Female Artist - KT Tunstall

International Female Artist - Madonna

International Male Artist - Kanye West

British Urban Act - Lemar

Labels: Coldplay

The Brit Award nominees were announced today. James Blunt (Male Solo Artist, Album, Breakthrough Act, Single and Pop Act) and the Kaiser Chiefs (Group, Album, Rock Act, Breakthrough Act and Live Act) landed five nominations each. Coldplay followed up with four and KT Tunstall has three. The full list includes:

British Male Solo Artist:
Antony and the Johnsons • Ian Brown • James Blunt • Robbie Williams • Will Young

British Female Solo Artist:
Charlotte Church • Kate Bush • Katie Melua • KT Tunstall • Natasha Bedingfield

British Group:
Coldplay • Franz Ferdinand • Gorillaz • Hard-Fi • Kaiser Chiefs

British Breakthrough Act:
Arctic Monkeys • James Blunt • Kaiser Chiefs • KT Tunstall • The Magic Numbers

Some American's and other "non-Brits" got nods in the International categories:

International Male Solo Artist:
Beck • Bruce Springsteen • Jack Johnson • John Legend • Kanye West

International Group:
Arcade Fire • Black Eyed Peas • Green Day • U2 • White Stripes

International Breakthrough Act:
Arcade Fire • Daniel Powter • Jack Johnson • John Legend • Pussycat Dolls

Alt rock icon Paul Weller is being honored with an "Outstanding Contribution to Music" award when the show airs on February 15th.

Labels: Coldplay

Coldplay's back to back gigs last week at the legendary Madison Square Garden in NY showed a band at the top of their game. The performance opened with a stopwatch counting down 2 minutes on the background screen. The intro to Square One gives the crowd its first taste of Chris Martin's crisp vocals. The clock hits zero and the song kicks in along with the light show. The band's energy was at full tilt from the beginning which is a must at The Garden or the venue can swallow the performer (as happened the last time I saw Coldplay there).

Politik gave Martin his first opportunity to emulate Bono's stage presence and lyrical improvisation - "Brooklyn, Bronx and then to Queens; and send your love to New Orleans" pleaded Martin with typical sincerity. On the second night, Martin's spontaneity was a little weaker - "Please don't let it happen again; sorry for the Hurricane". Either way, the song is brilliant live and the crowd loved it.

I was surprised to hear their first ever hit single Yellow so early in the concert but then remembered (once again) that this is a very young band - only 3 albums. Coldplay doesn't exactly have a repertoire of early material. I'm sure they eventually want to have a U2-like group of fans who only like their "older stuff". For now, though, they'll have to settle for a unified fan base. The coda to Yellow had balloons (yes, yellow ones) released from the rafters of The Garden. That probably seems cheesy but hardly surprising at a Coldplay concert.

God Put a Smile was followed by Speed of Sound, both great tracks. Unfortunately, the middle portion of the show lulled slightly - Low, Amsterdam, White Shadows - descent songs but nothing special. They also played A Rush of Blood, which I just don't think plays well live. It's a multi-layered studio track and stands out on the album as an epic wall of sound. However, this effect does not come through on stage.

The lull was fortunately followed by the strongest part of the show. Chris Martin was in control when he took the stage on his own to begin The Scientist. As is the case with much of Coldplay's material, the band tend to chime in after a few bars and fade out toward the end to let Martin finish the song off delicately. The acoustic set is perfect for Coldplay and another leaf out of U2's veritable Gig Gospel. Till Kingdom Come was dedicated to the victims of Hurricane Katrina. They then broke into a short rendition of Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire which, although novel and entertaining at the gig, is definitely NOT a Coldplay song. The 'Man in Black' makes Chris Martin look like a frat boy singing karaoke. Green Eyes finished out the acoustic set.

I was convinced during the intro to Clocks that the band were about to break into U2's powerhouse Where the Streets have No Names. Comparing Coldplay to U2 seems like an obvious and hackneyed thing to do. But it really is unavoidable. Chris Martin doesn't just try to emulate Bono. He wants to be Bono. Period. And there were times when Jon Buckland's lead guitar was absolutely meant to sound like The Edge. Even his guitar playing posture mimicked the U2 lead guitarist in the way he wanders forward on stage as he belts out his searing melodic rifts.

The show ended with Talk, and the encore opened with Swallowed In the Sea. Of course, In My Place had the crowd singing the "Yeahhhh" refrain with gusto. Coldplay finished with Fix It as girls frantically embraced their boyfriends, determined to make the ballad 'their song' as if the moment would make their wayward beaus realize that love conquers all. Coldplay certainly think so.

Labels: Coldplay

by David Schultz

Since their debut in 2000, Coldplay has created an interesting little musical niche for themselves. Without alienating the mainstream MTV/Clear Channel audience, they have earned a modicum of rock credibility and can apocryphally be considered rockers in the same vein as Pink Floyd. Rather than turn to the Dark Side though, Coldplay has other goals. Making no secret of their desire to be bigger than U2, the English quartet has taken a curious approach towards surpassing their Irish superiors. On their first two albums, Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Coldplay established a distinct sound centered around Chris Martin's simple piano melodies and wispy ethereal lyrics whose earnest sincerity rescued them from the realm of whiney drivel.

The star of this show is clearly Chris Martin, who you may have heard is married to a famous actress and named his baby girl after a popular snacking fruit. (I tell you this as I fear the Martin-Paltrows may not be receiving enough publicity, which would surely be troubling). While Martin doesn't exhibit the technical proficiency of Billy Preston or Steve Winwood, this is not necessarily a negative within the context of Coldplay's repertoire. One need listen no further than the 2002 hit Clocks to grasp that the beauty of Coldplay's songs comes from their simplicity. Unfortunately, for their third album, Coldplay strays too far from the formula that works for them.

On X&Y, the songs are cryptically designated into two groups, the X's and the Y's in what appears to be an archaic reference to the sides of an LP. A better designation should have been to mark as X's those spots that bear Coldplay's distinct originality and the Y's for those that make you wonder why this sounds like an ill-conceived U2 imitation.

Fans looking for the bands mix of pleasant melodies with orchestral Beatle-ish arrangements that rely more on Martin's music than his voice will not be disappointed. The signature keyboards on the first single, Speed Of Sound, as well as X&Y, Swallowed By The Sea and Talk make them worthy additions to the Coldplay catalogue. However, when Jonny Buckland attempts the same trick on lead guitar, the songs suffer. On White Shadows and Square One, Buckland attempts to mimic Martin on guitar with little success. The same piercing guitar sound that works for U2 fails for Coldplay because the band simply lacks an edge. (Pun completely intended).

The dirgelike Kingdom Come is a valiant effort to close the album out on a solemn note, a la All You Can't Leave Behind's Grace, however Martin does not possess the vocal range to give the song the warmth and emotion it needs.

Even though X & Y contains one too many songs that sound like U2 B-sides, (e.g. Twisting Logic, Low), it would be grossly unfair to characterize the album as a pale imitation of U2. The songs that play to Coldplay's strengths are quite enjoyable and show that Coldplay has the potential to live up to their hype. Keep in mind though, this is not an album whose charms are immediately apparent. Perhaps Martin's hypnotic keyboards require time to burrow into the subconscious before they can truly be appreciated. Like a wine that opens up when its had a chance to breathe, it is with repeated listens that the album's subtleties are revealed. Unless Chris Martin erases world hunger, Coldplay has little chance of becoming the next U2 and should stop creating music in that mold. However, if they stick to the music that is uniquely theirs, there is a good chance that come 2015, some young band with a lead keyboardist married to Mary Kate or Ashley Olsen may proclaim that they want to be the next Coldplay.

Labels: Coldplay

In a recent interview with Blender, Chris Martin claimed Coldplay could take on Bono and U2 for the title of world's most popular rock band. He said, "U2 can be beaten. For me it's no different from the film 'Rocky.' You study your opponent. And I regard them as opponents." Hmm, maybe this "Make Trade Fair" business is Martin's way of emulating Bono?

In a subsequent interview with The Globe and Mail, Martin admits that he sometimes says stupid things in interviews:

For a period of three months every two years, we do more talking than most politicians have to. And you know, occasionally we screw up, and it makes you understand how crazy it must have been when John Lennon said that thing about Jesus and the Beatles. It makes you really have a lot of respect for people who talk for a living.

That's OK Chris, check out what Anton Newcombe said about Eric Clapton below or just about anything Liam Gallagher says about any of the new Brit-pop bands - they make your comment look pretty bland.

Labels: Coldplay, U2

U2 and Sting have confirmed they will perform at the Live 8 concert, designed to recreate awareness generated for world poverty by the original Live Aid concerts twenty years ago in 1985 and to coincide with the G8 summit in Scotland on July 6-8.

In addition to U2 and Sting, Mariah Carey, Coldplay, Dido, Keane, Sir Elton John, Annie Lennox, Madonna, Muse, Scissor Sisters, Sir Paul McCartney, Joss Stone, Stereophonics, Snoop, Robbie Williams, and REM are set to perform in London.

The Philadelphia show will include Philly's own Will Smith, the Dave Matthews Band, Bon Jovi (who owns the Philly Soul arena team), Stevie Wonder, Puff Daddy and Jay-Z. Eminem is also rumored to be on the Philly bill. Another rumor floating is that the Philly show will be free.

Other shows will also take place at the Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin and the Circus Maximus in Rome.

A-Ha, Crosby, Stills and Nash, Lauryn Hill and Brian Wilson are set to perform in Berlin, while the Rome show will have Faith Hill and Duran Duran. Parisians will be treated to Jamiroquai, Craig David, Youssou N'Dour and former French tennis star Yannick Noah.

While not confirmed, Franz Ferdinand has expressed interest in performing at a Scotland location since the G8 Summit will take place in their home country.

Labels: Coldplay, Elton John, Sting, U2

Reports indicate that a popular ringtone "The Crazy Frog's Axel F" is going to hit the top spot on the UK singles charts. Axel F is even outselling Coldplay's latest single "Speed of Sound." Don't worry boys, we think you'll be around alot longer than the Crazy Frog!

Coldplay delivered a great performance last week on Saturday Night Live's season finale and is gearing up for a blockbuster summer tour:

6/05/2005 Olympia, Paris
6/15/2005 Hamburg, GER Volksparkstadion
6/17/2005 Cologne, GER Fuhlinger See
6/19/2005 Berlin, GER Wuhlheide
6/22/2005 Dublin, IRE Marlay Park
6/27/2005 London, UK Crystal Palace
6/28/2005 London, UK Crystal Palace
7/1/2005 Glasgow, UK Bellahouston Park
7/2/2005 Glasgow, UK Bellahouston Park
7/4/2005 Bolton, UK Reebok Stadium
7/5/2005 Bolton, UK Reebok Stadium
7/7/2005 Arnhem, NET Gelredome
7/9/2005 Munich, GER Coubertin Platz
7/10/2005 Saint Poelten, AUT Nuke Site
7/11/2005 Verona, ITA Open Air

The tour continues throughout the summer and into the fall with more European, Canadian and US dates.

Labels: Coldplay

Coldplay and Nine Inch Nails will headline the sixth annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California. This year's Brit-pop heavy festival offers the opportunity to see a number of reuniting bands, including: Gang of Four, Bauhaus and The Cocteau Twins. The complete line-up is as follows:

Saturday, April 30: Coldplay, Bauhaus, Weezer, Cocteau Twins, The Chemical Brothers, Wilco, Keane, Snow Patrol, Rilo Kiley, Cafe Tacuba, Doves, Sage Francis, Armin Van Buuren, The Ravonettes, Bloc Party, Mercury Rev, Fantomas, Hernan Cattaneo, Zap Mama, DJ Peretz (a.k.a. Perry Farrell), The Secret Machines, Jamie Cullum, M83, Ambluance LTD, Four Tet, MF Doom, Josh Wink, Amp Fiddler, Tiga, The Kills, Donavon Frankenreiter, Spoon, Boom Bip, Katie Melua, DJ Marky, Immortal Technique, Jean Grae, Razorlight, Swayzak, Radio 4, Buck 65, Eisley, The Sexy Magazines, and k-os

Sunday, May 1: Nine Inch Nails, New Order, Bright Eyes, Gang of Four, Prodigy, Black Star (Mos Def & Talib Kweli), The Faint, Roni Size, The Arcade Fire, Roots Manuva, DJ Krush, Thrice, Junkie XL, M.I.A., British Sea Power, The Dresden Dolls, Miss Kittin, The Fiery Furnaces, Aesop Rock, The Perceptionists, Jem, Autolux, Sixtoo, Tegan and Sara, Stereophonics, The Bravery, Matthew Dear, Diplo, Subtle, Beans, Shout Out Louds, The Futureheads, Sloan, Kasabian, The Blood Brothers, Matmos, Wolf Eyes, Gram Rabbit, Smokestacks, and Zion-I

Labels: Coldplay