1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Rock Music

Must-See Bands at Lollapalooza 2011

muse matt bellamy lollapalooza

Lollapalooza 2011 will be taking place August 5-7 in Chicago. What groups do you need to make sure you check out during the festival? I've put together a list of 10 essentials.

More Festival Fun

Rock Music Spotlight10

David Draiman Discusses Disturbed's "Indefinite Hiatus"

Saturday August 6, 2011
One of the easiest ways to scare your fan base is to tell them that your band is going on a hiatus. Whether you're the Killers or System of a Down, the terminology usually causes a lot of confusion because no one's sure if you're breaking up or just taking a break. The latest group to experience this is Disturbed, who at the end of last month revealed they were going to go on hiatus soon after they finished their tour as part of Rockstar Mayhem. Now lead singer David Draiman has had to discuss in detail exactly what that hiatus means.

Draiman recently spoke with Revolver to insist that Disturbed aren't taking a break because they hate each other. (In interest of full disclosure, I contribute to Revolver.) "I want to make it very clear that it is absolutely, unequivocally not due to any animosity between band members because there is none," Draiman said in the interview. To hammer the point home, he mentioned that two of his bandmates -- guitarist Danny Donegan and drummer Mike Wengren -- will be part of his forthcoming wedding party.

With that said, though, Draiman is referring to this as an "indefinite hiatus," which generally signals that we shouldn't expect much new material or tours for the next two years. And according to him, the uncertainty about the long-term health of the music business was an important factor in the group's decision. "If things were gangbusters in the industry it would be much more difficult to turn away for a little while and concentrate on other things we'd like to do," Draiman said. "It would be cutting off our nose to spite our face. Where things go with any of us in our own individual projects during this hiatus will determine how long it lasts or if it is, in fact, indefinite."

That last sentence probably won't make Disturbed fans too happy. Could this really be the last we've heard of the band? It's hard to say, but it seems unlikely. The music industry may be suffering, but Disturbed remain one of metal's most popular bands, with last year's Asylum becoming the group's fourth straight album to hit No. 1. Plus, they're a successful touring unit. Frankly, a lot of groups would love to be in the position they're in.

Once Disturbed finish up Rockstar Mayhem, they'll do four shows in South America -- their first time playing there -- in late August. After that? The band members will focus on other projects, and Draiman will be enjoying married life. And then we'll see.

Follow Rock Music on Twitter

Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images.

U2's Deluxe 'Achtung Baby' Coming November 1

Friday August 5, 2011
In late June, U2 unveiled plans for a snazzy reissue of their 1991 masterpiece Achtung Baby. This week, they laid out all the extras that will be featured in the different versions of the deluxe edition, as well as mentioning that the collection will hit the U.K. on October 31 and the U.S. the following day.

U2 will be offering five physical versions of the package, with the cheapest being simply the original album as a standard CD. From there, you have the option of buying a two-disc set, which includes a disc of rarities and B-sides, or a vinyl box set consisting of four LPs. But if you're an Achtung obsessive, you might consider buying the "Super Deluxe Edition," which is six CDs (including a copy of Zooropa) and 4 DVDs, or the "Uber Deluxe Edition," which is like the "Super Deluxe Edition" but with even more stuff, like stickers, a vinyl set and a pair of the Fly sunglasses like the ones Bono wore during the Zoo TV tour. Prices haven't been announced yet for these collections, but the "Uber Deluxe" option is a limited, numbered set.

If you buy one of the Achtung packages that includes DVDs, one of those will be From the Sky Down, the making-of documentary that will world premiere opening night of next month's Toronto Film Festival.

It's pretty appropriate that this set will be unveiled on October 31, which is Halloween, since the album (and the subsequent Zoo TV tour) allowed the somber, earnest U2 to try on a new disguise. With Achtung Baby, the Irish quartet experimented with their sound to winning effect, and Bono shed his solemnity to become an ironic rock star, adopting the leather-clad persona of the Fly when he was on stage. It was a daring bit of dress-up that worked brilliantly. Twenty years later, fans can revel in the memories all over again.

See more upcoming rock releases

Follow Rock Music on Twitter

Photo: Dave Hogan/Getty Images.

Red Hot Chili Peppers Retain Top Spot on Billboard Rock Songs Chart

Thursday August 4, 2011
"The Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie" has captivated listeners since its release a few weeks ago, and for the second week in a row the Red Hot Chili Peppers single is No. 1 on the Billboard Rock Songs chart. Despite the departure of longtime guitarist John Frusciante and the addition of Josh Klinghoffer, this veteran band clearly haven't lost their hold on rock fans, even though the L.A. quartet haven't put out new music since the Bush administration. While RHCP celebrate their chart success, the rest of the Top 10 includes two songs from Foo Fighters and a debut from Theory of a Deadman. Check out my rundown of this week's Rock Songs chart to see where your favorite tunes ranked.

Check out the latest rock chart news

Follow Rock Music on Twitter

Photo: Vince Bucci/Getty Images.

Kings of Leon Update: Rehab Rumors and Damage Control After Tour Cancelled

Wednesday August 3, 2011
It's been a memorable few days for Kings of Leon -- and not in a good way. Over the weekend, the band cut short a show in Dallas and then cancelled another in Houston, prompting rumors that there was tension within the band, despite the fact that the official word was frontman Caleb Followill was dehydrated and exhausted. Things got worse on Monday when the band pulled the plug on their entire U.S. tour, although the quartet insisted they weren't breaking up. In the days since, Kings of Leon have been dealing with the fallout, and it hasn't been pretty.

US Weekly is reporting that an "insider" has revealed that the real problem is Followill's drinking. "They are trying to get Caleb to go to rehab," the anonymous source was quoted as saying. "It is mostly for alcohol. [That's why] they ended up canceling the whole tour... he drinks like a fish." Because of US Weekly's gossipy nature, I would advise not automatically assuming the validity of this "insider." Still, it's a possible explanation for a cancellation of so many shows.

Meanwhile, Kings of Leon's management, Vector, has approached YouTube to demand that uploaded footage from the aborted Dallas show be taken down. This is presumed to be a ploy to suppress Followill's onstage banter during the show, where he talked about his voice being shot, from being spread online. Still, this clip of Followill remains up, and while it's hardly embarrassing or damning, it does suggest that the singer was a bit out of it. Not that that means he was intoxicated: We've all gone to shows where the singer seems to be pretty loopy even if he's stone-cold sober. But what this clip does show is the slow devolution of the Dallas show from a fun time for all to a disappointment for fans when the rest of the band eventually address the crowd to say that they can't go on.

These should be happy days for Kings of Leon, who after years of struggling for mainstream acceptance finally broke through with 2008's Only by the Night. Plus, Followill recently married Victoria's Secret model Lily Aldridge, whom he raved about during the Dallas show. Instead, the group's future seems to be in real jeopardy. And there doesn't appear to be any relief in sight for the near future.

Follow Rock Music on Twitter

Photo: Dave J Hogan/Getty Images.

Discuss in my forum

  1. Home
  2. Entertainment
  3. Rock Music

©2011 About.com. All rights reserved. 

A part of The New York Times Company.