Green Day has refused to censor their new album 21st Century Breakdown as requested by Walmart. In a statement to the AP Billy Joes said, “They want artists to censor their records in order to be carried in there. We just said no. We’ve never done it before. You feel like you’re in 1953 or something.”

As a result, you won’t see Green Day’s album at any Walmart store.

Tori Amos Abnormally Attracted To Sin
Eminem Relapse
Iggy Pop Preliminaires

Check out the new video from the Killers

You can check out a live performance of 4 songs by Green Day from their new album 21st Century Breakdown …

The 4th night of Left Coast Live in San Jose kicked off with a panel discussion on Web 2.0 and its affect on the music scene. After technical difficulties and a panelist joke session (Why do melons have big weddings? Because they can’t elope!), the panel dove into the topic and issued passionate responses from audience members.

Led by Corey Denis, VP of marketing for SF-based reapandsow, the panel consisted of three men with big stakes in the Internet/music scene. Panelist Gabe Benveniste founded SonicLiving, a social networking tool that tracks your listening preferences on Pandora and other sites and lists local and national shows that align with your personal tastes. All three panelists stressed the importance of Web 2.0, simply defined as social networking sites and the ability to opt in for information of interest to you. Live update feeds on sites like Twitter and Facebook are helping to spread the word about local shows and new music; the panelists also made clear that Myspace continues to be the place for bands and music fans. Tommy Aguilar, founder of Ungrammar, summed up the discussion and the importance of Web 2.0 for music in one sentence: “If you’re not on the web, you won’t be connected.”

Following the panel discussion, a free movie night took place in downtown San Jose’s Circle of Palms. Before the feature, two films from Alice’s 3-minute Film Festival were screened. Following these bite-size movies was Before the Music Dies, a documentary on the current music scene in America.

Friday night is the culmination of Left Coast Live, with 100 bands at 35 venues playing all over downtown San Jose. The night is sure to offer amazing music from local talent and will be a great night of discovery for all music lovers!

 http://www.leftcoastlive.com

The free Coldplay live album LeftRightLeftRightLeft will be available for download at coldplay.com starting 5/15 at 1 am PST. It’s 9 tracks recorded at various shows on the first leg of the Viva La Vida tour. The track list is:

1. Glass of Water
2. 42
3. Clocks
4. Strawberry Swing
5. The Hardest Part/Postcards From Far Away
6. Viva La Vida
7. Death Will Never Conquer
8. Fix You
9. Death And All His Friends

Get more info and start downloading at http://lrlrl.coldplay.com/leftright.html

The third night of Left Coast Live featured a jazz line up held at the Hotel DeAnza. Geoff Roach, executive director of San Jose Jazz, opened the night with a panel discussion on the future of jazz in the South Bay. An audience of jazz enthusiasts and musicians watched the panel, comprised of four local jazz musicians. Panelists discussed the future of the scene in San Jose and brainstormed ways to reach a new audience not yet exposed to the history and culture of jazz. Dawan Muhammad, saxophonist and panel member, emphasized jazz’s role as a national, cultural treasure. The panel and audience discussed ways to encourage jazz listening and arts appreciation among the South Bay’s youth.

Panelist and jazz pianist Lee Pardini is leading the way in bringing jazz to a new, younger audience with his Lee Pardini Trio. The trio has played a concert of strictly Michael Jackson songs with jazz interpretation and the group is currently working on an album of jazz-infused Marvin Gaye tracks.

Following the panel, a weekly jam session began at Hotel DeAnza’s Hedley Lounge. Regular musicians of the jam session, including Pardini, started off the music; jazz amateurs and students jumped in later to jam with the group. Musicians ranged in age from middle school to middle aged, and the lounge audience created a friendly and encouraging environment. The scene at Hedley Lounge was thriving, with every chair and couch occupied and a clear sense of community within the space.

Watching the crowd enjoy the live jazz and atmosphere, it’s clear that there is a thriving San Jose jazz scene; with the help of the exposure from Left Coast Live, the scene will continue to grow and reach new audiences. The jazz nights at Hedley Lounge are free and held every Wednesday—it’s a great environment for live jazz and should not be missed!

www.leftcoastlive.com

Not in the Michael Phelps kind of way but the TV show …

Alanis Morissette will be on the 5th season of Showtime’s Weeds. The singer will play obstetrician Dr. Audra Kitson in 7 episodes. The new season premiere on June 8 at 10pm on Showtime. www.sho.com/site/weeds/home.do