By: David Schultz

When you've gone through the whole record-release-tour- develop side project cycle enough times that you can do it on auto-pilot, how do you go about keeping things fresh? It seems that the answer is: star in your own documentary. The White Stripes will accompany the March 16 release of Under Great White Northern Lights with an Emmett Malloy directed documentary of the same name. The songs and the footage come from The Stripes' 2007 jaunt across Canada with Under Nova Scotian Lights, their 10th Anniversary concert, getting a separate DVD release treatment.

Labels: Allman Brothers Band, Drive By Truckers, White Stripes

By: David Schultz

Their name’s The Hold Steady but people call them Sonny Bono; they’re one half of an odd pairing that people just seem to love. At first blush, a twin bill featuring the whip smart indie-sensation that now calls Brooklyn, New York their home with the (mostly) Alabama born and bred Drive-By Truckers seems like a mismatch and in all honesty, it’s supposed to. Part of the allure of the ongoing Rock and Roll Means Well tour is the ability to see two bands that have had critics tongues wagging since the turn of the century. Scratching beneath the surface, the two bands aren’t that dissimilar: both make bank on phenomenally well written songs that capture a breadth of emotion and tell a powerful story in a modicum of words. Last week, the two powerhouses came to New York City for a pair of shows at Terminal 5, flip-flopping the headlining spot like Mitt Romney currying political favor.

Their name’s The Hold Steady but people call them the Dean Martin; they’re the epitome of retro cool. If this were the Fifties, The Hold Steady would look like one big bad band of hipsters; nowadays, it’s hard to believe that the coolest band in the world has members that don Buddy Holly style glasses, wear neo Zoot-suits and dance the dork-shuffle like Franz Nicolay. It’s in their earnest lack of style that they are the most stylish. Finn delivers his lyrics in a dry sardonic voice, narrating a story as much as singing a song, selling it with the same verve as poet raging for justice in a smoky basement full of radicals. His empathic knack for succinctly capturing the follies and hormone-fueled rampages of adolescence customarily draws comparisons to Bruce Springsteen. On stage though, he’s much more Elvis Costello than The Boss. As for the music, Tad Kubler (guitar), Nicolay (keyboards), Galen Polivka (bass) and Bobby Drake (drums) deliver relatively uncomplicated licks, owing a heavy debt to choppy punk rock and Fifties rock and roll. For their seventy-five minute set, they mixed in equal parts of Separation Sunday’s guitar onslaught and Stay Positive’s arena rock bombast with Kubler’s guitar work ranging from deadly incisive to Van Halen quality ironic cheese.

Their name’s Drive-By Truckers but people call them William Faulkner; they’re astute chroniclers of the plight of the South. Where Finn populates his songs with inebriated youths ineffectually stumbling towards the next high or away from the effects of the last one, Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley fill theirs with blue collar, backwoods kindred souls. They passed the lead vocals back and forth between them throughout their set, balancing Cooley’s incisive vocals on songs like “Carl Perkins’ Cadillac” with Hood’s insistent pleas on “Putting People On The Moon.” Not possessed of Finn’s quick wit, Hood and Cooley bare their souls, able to provoke an emotional response not with a fine turn of a phrase but with simple words and great honesty. Before launching into “Sands Of Iwo Jima,” Hood expressed his amazement over Obama’s election by telling the story of his great uncle, a staunch Southerner, who after years of racial politics went into a voting booth at 88 years of age and cast his ballot for an African-American. If you need the significance spelled out for you, then these might not be the bands for you.

Their name’s The Hold Steady but people call them Mugsy Bogues; they like to play with the big boys. One of the biggest differences between the two bands became clear when Craig Finn reemerged during for the Truckers encore of “Let There Be Rock.” Gazing longingly at one of the Costco-sized bottles of Jack Daniels that are never far from the Truckers side, Finn beckoned towards bassist Shonna Tucker with a gesture that asked, “May I?” The blonde bassist’s response seemed akin to something along the lines of, “Fuck yeah Bubba, do some damage.” Finn’s eyes may have been bigger than his liver: in contrast to the healthy gulps taken by Hood throughout the night, Finn sips were extremely dainty. He meant well though.

Their name’s Drive-By Truckers but people call them Tony Tarasco; they were done in by the partisan hometown crowd. For the Thursday night show, The Hold Steady helmed the opening slot but played the set as if they were headliners, populating the early part of their set with favorites like “Stuck Between Stations,” “Sequestered In Memphis” and You’re Little Hoodrat Friend,” the latter receiving a nice wailing chorus from Hood. After the Steady, the Truckers set was a relatively average affair, owing in part to having to follow the hometown heroes but primarily due to its similarity to their Terminal 5 set from last March. The Truckers set came alive when Finn, Kubler and Nicolay returned for a shambling version of “Let There Be Rock” and a raucous romp through Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died.” While Cooley prowled anxiously, Finn minced around the stage and the good-natured familiarity between the two bands became quite evident when Hood evinced wild delight at catching Finn mocking his expansive arm gestures behind his back.

Their name’s The Hold Steady but people call them the Fountain of Youth; they will make you feel young again. The Drive-By Truckers: they’ll get your blood pumping too.

Labels: Drive By Truckers, The Hold Steady

By: David Schultz

Just because Earvolution hasn't gotten around to writing about some of this year's notable releases doesn't mean we haven't been listening.

The Black Crowes: Warpaint
A fine comeback for the Robinson brothers, nonetheless Warpaint fails to recapture the genius of the Crowes’ early days. Longtime fans won't be disappointed and would be hard-pressed to dispute the contention that the addition of Luther Dickinson is one of the best things to have happened to the Crowes in years. “Goodbye Daughters Of The Revolution,” “Wounded Bird” and “Oh Josephine” have that inimical Crowes swagger but the magic isn’t sustained for the entire album. Even though it’s better than 2 ½ stars, Maxim could have justified its rating had they actually listened to the album beforehand.

Lenny Kravitz: It Is Time For A Love Revolution
Lenny’s “love revolution” seems to involve celibacy. Given how women get a little weak in the knees over Mr. Kravitz, this is slightly offensive to those of us who don’t have the benefit of his je ne se quois. Getting beyond the concept, Love Revolution is a return to the heartfelt hippie-rock that marked the best moments of Kravitz’ prior efforts. He unleashes his moody side on “I Love The Rain,” channels his inner guitar God on “Love, Love, Love” and “Bring It On” and “If You Want It” and “I Want To Go Home” are Kravitz at his inimitable best. This album, his first in four years, is his best effort in quite some time.

Donna Jean & The Tricksters: Donna Jean & The Tricksters
Even though she’s in the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame as a member of the Grateful Dead, it’s easy to forget that Donna Jean Godchaux-MacKay a member of the seminal jamband for most of the Seventies. After listening to Donna Jean & The Tricksters recent self-titled effort, any fading memories will quickly come flooding back. Deadheads who whine and moan about music going downhill since Jerry Garcia passed away will be rushing to take their bongs off the shelf after hearing Donna Jean & The Tricksters latest. “Travelin’ Light” could be a kissin’ cousin of “Tennessee Jed” and “Me And Kettle Joe” is an old-school, Dead-Style thirteen minute jam.

Drive-By Truckers: Brighter Than Creation’s Dark
The Truckers’ latest, the second of their post-Jason Isbell incarnation, is a prolific creative outburst that could have benefited from some prudent editing. Missing a unifying theme, the 19 tracks crackle with Patterson Hood and Mike Cooley’s acutely poignant insights even if the impact is diluted by the sheer volume. In tilling familiar thematic soil, Creation’s Dark is their most contemplative album to date. Even if the album fails to produce a defining anthem, “That Man I Shot” and “The Righteous Path” come close.


Big Head Todd & The Monsters: All The Love You Need
Long before Radio became the poster boys for the concept, Big Head Todd & The Monsters have been exploring the implications of giving away new music through the Internet. All The Love You Need, BHT’s first full-length, fully-free release, puts together definitive versions of many of the tracks they have floated out amongst their fans. It marks a fine return to form for Todd Park Mohr, whose brand of laid-back, Colorado-crunchy rock and roll, percolating with bluesy guitar riffs, never grows old. “Silvery Moon,” “Blue Sky” and “Fortune Teller” are open-air anthems in need of a festival and the horns Mohr breaks out on “Her Own Kinda Woman” are simply sublime.


Atlas Sound: Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel
Deerhunter’s Bradford James Cox offers an interesting change of pace on this solo effort, a collection of sparse, haunting tracks that offers more mood than riffs. The album unfolds at a leisurely, nearly psychedelic pace, drawing an assured strength from the slowly unfolding melodies. In line with Grizzly Bear’s calmly lilting style, Let The Blind Lead is an engaging effort that warrants repeated listens.


Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey: Little Tae Rides Again
The one constant about Brian Haas, Reed Mathis and the Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey is their unflinching nerve and desire to do something different which each new album. For Little Tae, the JFJO logged in considerable studio time (at least by their standards) and the ambient rock and cerebral rhythms that resulted feel like they’ve been handled with care. With new drummer Josh Raymer manning the kit for the majority of the album, Jacob Fred experiments with an eclectic electric sound that may run counter to many people’s expectations of the band.

The Dodos: Visiter
More immediately accessible than Animal Collective, The Dodos’ Visiter is one of the more off-kilter releases in recent memory. The duo of Meric Long and Logan Kroeber aren’t lazy about their songcraft and the album floats deliberately on hypnotically seductive guitar riffs and intricate drum beats. A cerebral collection, The Dodos ethereal spin on the minimalist formula of guitars and drums bears a serious listen.

The Whigs: Mission Control
The Whigs’ full-length debut is a raucous affair, full of in-your-face songs that waste little time getting to the point. Julian Doro’s precisely crisp drumming starts everything off right and “Right Hand On My Heart” pulses with energy thanks to a wonderful Parker Gispert guitar riff. In a perfect world, this would be the song that helps them crossover into the mainstream. Sounding like a younger, less patient version of Social Distortion, this Athens, Georgia based trio have produced one of 2008’s most exciting debut releases.

The Magnetic Fields: Distortion
Nothing like a little truth in labeling. Stephen Merritt ratchets up the fuzz on The Magnetic Fields’ eighth album, drenching lullabies like “To Drunk To Dream” in feedback or washing anti-California sentiment like “California Girls” in enough reverb to make it sound somewhat comforting. A modern day album with a completely throwback feel.

Bon Iver: For Emma, Forever Ago
A re-release of the Wisconsin native’s much talked about debut, Jagjaguwar is making sure Bon Iver’s endearing For Emma, Forever Ago gets a proper audience. A soundtrack for the snowy, winter evening lurking within one’s soul, Justin Vernon doesn’t need anything more than his ethereal voice and an acoustic guitar to draw you in. The album evolves like a dream, “Flume,” “Skinny Love” and “For Emma” floating along peacefully on Iver’s calming melodies. It’s no mistake that NPR had Iver on the bill of their much vaunted SXSW showcase that had people lining up fruitlessly outside of The Parish.

Labels: Atlas Sound, Big Head Todd and The Monsters, Bon Iver, Drive By Truckers, Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey, Lenny Kravitz, The Black Crowes, The Dodos, The Magnetic Fields, The Whigs

By: David Schultz

It doesn’t seem that long ago that the Drive-By Truckers were a little known but widely revered band that was making a name for themselves by reviving Southern rock, perpetuating the Lynyrd Skynyrd mythos and making no bones about their reverence for their home state of Alabama. Southern Rock Opera made them stars and after bringing Jason Isbell into the fold, their next two albums proved it wasn’t a fluke. The bloom is off the rose though and after the disappointing A Blessing And A Curse, the Truckers are trying to recapture their magic by returning to the honest, whiskey-soaked anthems that marked their early days.

Bringing along their customary Costco-sized bottles of Jack Daniels, Drive-By Truckers returned to New York City last week to play Terminal 5, one of the City’s newer venues. The last time DBT came to Manhattan, they sat on stools at the Bowery Ballroom for an acoustic show; this time around, Patterson Hood, Mike Cooley, Shonna Tucker, John Neff, Brad Morgan and guest legend Spooner Oldham plugged in and stayed on their feet (well not Morgan and Oldham). Cooley and Hood combine to present a true dichotomy of the South. Over the night, the two traded the leads back and forth, literally and thematically. In his higher toned, almost pleading voice, Hood speaks from the heart of the South, giving voice to the deepest desires, fears and concerns of the region’s oft-forgotten rural denizens. In contrast, Cooley speaks in the authoritative tones of the Deep South, steeped in its rituals and traditions. Hood sings with an eye towards what should be; Cooley tells it like it is.

The Truckers are in the second year of their post-Isbell period. Isbell was with the band for only two albums, but those albums, Decoration Day and The Dirty South, are among the band’s best. John Neff has stepped into Isbell’s shoes, handling the third guitarist role with ample skill although without a lot of Isbell’s charisma. While Hood and Cooley confidently prowled the stage, Neff reservedly played off to stage right in front of Oldham’s keyboard setup.

Hood has evolved into a masterful story teller. In introducing “18 Wheels Of Love,” Hood told a moving tale involving the subjects of the song, his mother and stepfather. With Tucker and Morgan playing the basic beat of the song, Hood delivered the lengthy story of his stepfather’s battle with cancer, drawing the crowd into his world in much the same way as Bruce Springsteen used to do. Hood’s story ended on an emotionally uplifting note and it gave extra relish to the already boozy tune.

To close the show, Parker Gispert from The Whigs borrowed Hood’s guitar and joined in on a thrashy version of Jim Carroll’s “People Who Died,” putting a Southern spin on a decidedly New York punk rocker. The Whigs, another band hailing from below the Mason-Dixon Line, opened the show with a high-powered, half-hour set featuring some of the best tracks from Mission Control. The Whigs have been making the most of their recent opportunities: at SXSW, they opened for My Morning Jacket at an NPR simulcasted showcase at the Austin Music Hall and over the past couple weeks have been raising eyebrows while the open for the Truckers. Gispert and bassist Tim Deaux have a knack for knowing the right moment to burst away from the mikes and Julian Dorio’s drumming is crisp and precise. In the post-Nirvana 90s, The Whigs would have a powerful force and “Right Hand On My Heart” would have been all over MTV.

DBY geared the show around Brighter Than Creation’s Dark. Thankfully, they didn’t play the entire album; the Trucker’s latest would definitely have benefited from some shrewd editing as the sheer volume of the 19 song output dilutes the album’s overall impact. The new songs take an added depth in the live setting, even Tucker’s laconic “I’m Sorry Houston.” Cooley and Hood’s guitars become much more vivid and whiskey fueled. They also benefit from placement next to other Truckers material like “Where The Devil Don’t Stay” and their smoldering rendition of “Puttin' People On The Moon.”

In seeing the Truckers at Terminal 5, they felt like a band that was rediscovering themselves, trying to recall what made them great without rehashing old material and becoming stale. Some of those attempts misfired, their nearly unrecognizably cover of Tom Petty’s “Rebels” being a fine example. Most of them though, seemed to get Hood and Cooley digging deep and unleashing their inner rock star. It was during these moments that you realized that like the South, Drive-By Truckers will rise again.

Labels: Drive By Truckers

[Ed. Note: Earvolution's artist development and production side of the business has a few tricks up its sleeve for 2008 as well; new Pawnshop Roses coming soon and expect a major announcement involving the marrying of new media technology with one of the most revered brands in American music history.]

Labels: Amy Winehouse, Britney Spears, Drive By Truckers, Led Zeppelin, Lenny Kravitz, Licorice, North Mississippi Allstars, The Black Crowes, The Hold Steady, U-Melt

Labels: Drive By Truckers, Live Reviews

You'll recall Janet Reno made her transition from Attorney General to pop culture icon via Will Farrell impersonating her on Saturday Night Live. While Farrell's character didn't have rythm it was always clear that Ms. Reno had soul. Now, the truck driving prosecutor is back in the pop culture spotlight channeling her inner Zach Braff. But, instead of doing a movie soundtrack Ms. Reno decided to put one together for America. Since it's a pretty big country, it makes sense that you'd have to have a pretty big selection (or multiple volumes that we'll no doubt see) to capture the sounds of the nation. Appropriately, Songs of America is a 50 track, 3 cd set.

Of course, any collection that purports to be the "songs of America" has to include John Mellencamp. Under the "little pink houses rule" you gotta have some Mellancamp. Being a student of rules, Reno complies. John contributes his take on "This Land Is Your Land", whose lyrics are even more timely today as certain politicians try to separate the country in two parts.

Also you have to include something about America's hometown. That falls under the "cheese steak rule." Betty LaVette turns in a soulful version of "Streets of Philadelphia" (listen here). For those unfamiliar with Bettye, the Detroit native was on Atlantic Records in the 1960s and toured with greats like Ben E. King, Otis Redding and James Brown. Fast forward to 2007, LaVette released a new record co-produced by Patterson Hood with his Drive By Truckers serving as the backing band. Now that image speaks to where we've come as a nation - a black woman from Detroit recording with a southern rock band in Muscle Shoals, Alabama.

Indeed, Reno captures our societal growth with a diverse lineup. Old Crow Medicine Show, The Blind Boys of Alabama, Martha Wainwright, The Black Crowes, Andrew Bird, and Devendra Banhart are among the artists selected to help tell our story through song. This sounds like something you need to pop into your cd player for a trip across Route 66. Just watch out for the lady in the red pick up.

Labels: Drive By Truckers, John Mellencamp, Old Crow Medicine Show, Philadelphia, PoPolicy, The Black Crowes

There have been a handful of standout bands in the last four years, but this decade still lacks a defining sound. The newsmakers of 2004 were veterans -- U2, Morrissey, Tom Waits, and the Pixies. But if you take the time to look a little closer, you'll see the beginnings of a new evolution in music. Geographically, Glasgow and Montreal emerged as new music hot spots while New York became as interesting as it has been since the days of Velvet Undergound and the Ramones. Collectively, we have seen a number of talented newcomers break through. While the music of 2004's newcomers seems to borrow heavily from past movements such as new wave and post-punk, it signals a change of course that will hopefully bring about a new great hybrid.

1. Elliott Smith From a Basement On the Hill (Anti) Released: 10/19/04
Listening to Elliott Smith is like watching a beautiful cherub-faced child laugh and play while reciting Sylvia Plath's darkest poetry. His music is at once heart-breaking and fulfilling. From a Basement on the Hill is every bit as orchestrated and full as his earlier works such as XO and Figure 8, but with an undercurrent of deliberate chaos. Guitars are bigger, sometimes untuned, sometimes competing with the melody. Pianos are less vaudevillian and more mysterious. Drums echo and pop in and out unexpectedly. It all fits together to encase Smith's delicate vocals. While it is impossible to listen to this album absent the context of his life and death, it should be recognized as more than a sad farewell from a troubled musician.
2. Muse Absolution (Warner Brothers) Released: 3/23/04
Many have been quick to write off Muse as another Radiohead clone. I'm still trying to figure out why it would be so terrible to have another Radiohead in the world, but the point is moot. While Matt Bellamy and Thom Yorke both follow the Jeff Buckley school of vocals, the blanket comparison ignores the vast musical differences between the bands. Where Radiohead is subtle, Muse is belligerent but also more melodic. On Absolution, the band ventures dangerously close to arrogant over-production, but instead delivers a well orchestrated and hook filled album that is magnificent from beginning to end.
3. Drive-By Truckers The Dirty South (New West Records) Released: 8/24/04
Drive-By Truckers are probably the only band with narratives about the rural South that don't make me wince. The band has three singer-songwriters and three guitars and still manages to pull together well-crafted, cohesive songs. The Dirty South is the best rock album to come out of the South in years.
4. Iron & Wine Our Endless Numbered Days (Sub Pop) Released: 3/23/04
Our Endless Numbered Days is the lullaby album I love to fall asleep to, as Sam Beam's soft acoustic ballads stretch before you like a fluffy cloud. The move to the studio thankfully did not destroy any of the stripped down intimacy we grew to love him by.

5. Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand (Epic) Released: 5/20/04
Despite the overexposure, this album still puts a smile on my face. These spunky Scots managed to release a fantastic danceable debut with no disappointing filler songs.



6. Interpol Antics (Matador) Released: 9/28/04
Turn on the Bright Lights was so derivative of Joy Division and Sisters of Mercy that most didn't take Interpol seriously. With Antics they seem to finally be comfortable with their own sound.



7. U2 How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Interscope) Released: 11/23/04
U2 delivers the raw emotion and loose production which defined their early work with a new, fresh spin. How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb is a guitar-heavy and bluesy reminder of why they have managed to stay on top for so long. No, this is not U2's greatest album, but it is nonetheless important.
8. Arcade Fire Funeral (Merge Records) Released: 9/14/04
On Funeral, Arcade Fire blends beautiful alt-folk music -- lavish strings, airy piano, and chunky guitars -- with sentimental lyrics telling stories of death and the loss of youthful naivete. The quirky eccentricity of this album doesn't distract from its strong emotional core.

9. The Walkmen Bows & Arrows (Record Collection) Released: 2/3/04
With Bows & Arrows the Walkmen lead a movement in New York that is closing the door on the Strokes dominated sound of the last couple of years and moving on to something more interesting and original. "The Rat" is easily a contender for the best song of the year.

10. Madvillain Madvillainy (Stones Throw) Released: 3/23/04
The underground rap collaboration made in heaven. Madlib lays down some muddy jazz beats while MF Doom contributes gritty rhymes with loads more wit than those watered down pretenders who have taken over the mainstream with played-out references to booty and bling.

11. Tom Waits Real Gone (Epitaph) Released: 10/5/04
Closing Time will always be my sentimental favorite. When I heard that Waits was to release a new album I was excited; when I heard his signature piano would be absent I was scared. Silly me to doubt such a brilliant songwriter.


12. Sonic Youth Sonic Nurse (Geffen Records) Released: 6/8/04
Sonic Youth reasserts their relevance with Sonic Nurse, their best since Daydream Nation. With this album, they have scaled back the experimentation without abandoning their unique garage rock sound altogether.


13. The Libertines Libertines (Sanctuary Records) Released: 8/31/04
Pete Doherty's crack and heroin driven escapades have kept the writers at the NME busy all year. This fragile band with all of its problems could never last, but at least they have left behind this hint at the greatness they might have achieved.


14. Patty Griffin Impossible Dream (ATO Records) Released: 4/20/04
I've always been a fan of Patty Griffin's, but wasn't prepared for the religious experience of Impossible Dream. She comes into her own as a songwriter on this album by incorporating more layers, including horns, synthesizers and moving gospel harmonies.

15. Graham Coxon Happiness in Magazines (EMI) Released: 5/17/04 (UK)
Coxon's solo work while with Blur seemed to be a reaction to the melodic pop produced by the band. It was almost laboriously lo-fi. In Happiness in Magazines, he embraces his ability to write great guitar-driven pop songs. It was released in the UK in May, but for some silly reason will not see the light of day in the US until January 25, 2005.
16. Morrissey You Are the Quarry (Sanctuary Records) Released: 5/18/04
The Moz is back and as wonderfully self-absorbed as ever. After a seven year hiatus and a couple of disappointments before that, Morrissey came back swinging with his best since Bona Drag. His non-apologetic lyrics are wordplay at its finest since Cole Porter.

17. Carina Round Disconnection (Interscope Records) Released: 3/9/04
With Disconnection, Carina Round proves that a woman's voice doesn't have to be pretty to be compelling. Don't misunderstand me, hers is as good as any of the Lillith Fair alumnae, but more visceral and energetic.

18. Ambulance LTD Ambulance LTD (TVT Records) Released: 3/9/04
Ambulance LTD is Brooklyn's answer to Oasis. They don't break any ground with this album, but they pack their songs with catchy riffs and sweet vocals. This album is one of the more accessible coming out of the New York scene this year.


19. Modest Mouse Good News for People Who Love Bad News (Sony) Released: 4/6/04
"Float On" makes this album worthy. We just wish the rest of the album was as good.



20. The Tragically Hip In Between Evolution (Zoe Records) Released: 6/29/04
Gordon Downie is the best vocalist/lyricist most of you don't know. In Between Evolution was produced by Adam Kasper (Pearl Jam, Queens of the Stone Age), who gives this release a more organic vibe. It's a little less radio friendly than what we're used to with the Hip, but only because it rocks more.

Best Reissue: Pavement, Crooked Rain. They made it more than worth your while to rebuy this classic by adding a ton of previously unreleased material including a cool REM cover. Stephen Malkmus seems to be hinting at a possible reunion or at least not ruling out the idea so cross your fingers.

Labels: Arcade Fire, Drive By Truckers, Elliot Smith, Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, Iron and Wine, Modest Mouse, Muse, Pete Doherty, Sonic Youth, The Libertines, U2