Not So Secret Green Day Show at Webster Hall

by Emily Youssef

Green Day is teaming up with MySpace Music to play a “secret” show at Webster Hall in New York City Tuesday May 19. The event coincides of course with the release of their newest album, 21st Century Breakdown, out May 15, wth a world tour will follow. Those Cali boys sure have come a long way, huh?

“The List” is a MySpace-sponsored series of free shows–all fans have to do is add “The List” to their friends and keep an eye out for blogs and bulletins to find out the details. Past performers include Smashing Pumpkins, LCD Soundsystem and Bad Religion.

It’s a low-risk way to see all those bands you can’t shell out the big bucks for or guilty pleasure artists you can’t otherwise justify. Plus, the shows have limited capacity so you don’t have to sweat it out with a million other people.

Should you have a soft spot for Green Day or just want to relive those Dookie years, enter here. No need to be shy–Electric Touch still consider the band an inspiration.

H1N1 Could Halt Glastonbury

by Emily Youssef

Organizers of England’s Glastonbury Festival are in emergency talks to decide if this year’s event should be canceled if H1N1, affectionately known as swine flu, reaches pandemic status.

Over 135,000 people plan to attend the music and performing arts gathering this year, an obvious breeding ground for the virus. Four new cases were announced in England this morning–all tied to recent trips to Mexico–prompting festival organizers to discuss how best to manage the situation. “It would be crazy not to put a plan in place,” a spokesperson told The Sun. “Right now, though, it’s full steam ahead.”

Last year the controversy at Glastonbury was Jay-Z’s slot as a headliner; the festival is known as a rock destination. But the Brooklyn boy silenced critics, including beef-starter Noel Gallagher, with a funny, if imperfect, rendition of Oasis hit “Wonderwall.”

Confirmed headliners this year include Blur, Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, with artists like Franz Ferdinand, Kasabian and Animal Collective also slated to perform. Tickets are already sold out for the event taking place in Pilton, Somerset, U.K. June 24-29.

American Idol is Ready to Rock

by Emily Youssef

We admit it. We don’t watch American Idol, but over 20 million other people do every week. They can’t be wrong, right? Well, whatever the case, the show is bringing out the big guns for Rock Week, two episodes that air this Tuesday and Wednesday.

A hero to top hat makers everywhere, Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash is slated to mentor the four remaining contestants–Kris Allen, Danny Gokey, Allison Iraheta and Adam Lambert–in all things rock. He’s certainly got the credentials to do so, and we trust the young hopefuls will take note.

Also stopping by to perform as part of Rock Week are No Doubt, a band we admire if only for their refreshingly youthful energy about hitting the road for the bazillionth time to promote their new album coming out sometime soon. Daughtry will also perform on the show that made singer Chris Daughtry famous back in 2006. And by famous we mean their debut album went four times platinum.

Turns out, a lot of Uncensored Interview artists are occasional fans of the show, mostly when they spice it up a little and sprinkle in some diversity. Here’s to hoping this week will satiate Patti Rothberg’s taste for a spin-off show, if only temporarily.

Warped Tour Goes a Little Bit Country

by Emily Youssef

Kevin Lyman, co-founder of the ever popular Warped Tour, is developing a country music tour and plans to hit the road next summer. No word on which artists will play the as-yet unnamed festival, but Lyman told Billboard there will be “13-14 acts and 10-12 singer/songwriters.”

If you think a punk rock tour that has hosted bands like AFI, Anti-Flag, NOFX and Rise Against making the leap to country music is, like, so effin’ lame dude, consider it industry standard. Goldenvoice, the company behind fan-favorite Coachella, also produces Stagecoach, a festival that featured crooners like Kenny Chesney and good old Reba just a few weeks ago.

Now in its fifteenth year (we won’t even tell you what grade we were in back then), the Warped Tour is selling more tickets than ever, according to Lyman. He’s making the rounds and rubbing elbows with country musicians and the labels that rep them in–where else?–Nashville. But check your preconceived notions of the “Music City” at the door. Turns out, it’s a pretty happening place.

Six Degrees: To Be Green or Not to Be Green

by Emily Youssef

Welcome to Six Degrees, a new Uncensored Interview feature inspired by none other than Mr. Kevin Bacon. You know the game–it’s a small world and we’re all somehow related. This theory applies to the music scene as well, no matter what you listen to, where you hang or who you know. We’re just showing you the connections.

This month, in honor of Earth Day on April 22, we’re examining the ways we all impact the environment. Plenty of bands are going green by shopping at their local co-op (with that reusable grocery tote bag of course), touring using vegetable oil and purchasing fuel-efficient hybrid cars.

But saving the environment is also about having a bigger worldview, a relatively easy feat when you consider how interconnected we are if we just make the effort. Follow us now as we take you from the heroic hands of Pamela Anderson to the feel good ways of Kevin Shields from My Bloody Valentine.

Turns out America isn’t all about Rocky and Baywatch, much to the surprise of Afghanis everywhere. The OaKs discovered that Pamela Anderson was still saving lives at sea during a recent visit.

Speaking of the ocean, did you know there’s a huge trash dump in the middle of it? Shara Worden of My Brightest Diamond explains the scariest Pacific Ocean inhabitant.

Coachella Kickoff

by Emily Youssef

The Coachella Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California kicks off today, so if you’re headed there chances are you’re stuck in traffic right now with thousands of other excited music fans. Fear not, the end result will be worth it.

Coachella is known for packing in some huge names alongside some of the best up-and-coming artists, and this year is no exception. Paul McCartney, Morrissey, The Killers, M.I.A., The Cure, My Bloody Valentine and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs should keep you plenty busy. But be sure to set aside some time for arguably lesser known acts like Silversun Pickups, Girl Talk, Molotov, Fleet Foxes, Mastodon, Glasvegas, Antony & The Johnsons, Lykke Li, Vivian Girls and Supermayer.

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If you’ve never been before, get the lowdown from locals here. There are plenty of helpful hints for surviving all the great and not so great things about a huge festival like this one. And stay up to the minute with Twitter.

And iPhone lovers, of course there’s an app just for you. The official Coachella app includes set times, a custom scheduler, venue map, friend finder and a photo uploader. As if it could be any more convenient, it’s also free!

Last but not least, drink plenty of water. The desert ain’t no joke. And don’t forget to bring sunscreen, sunglasses and earplugs (especially for My Bloody Valentine).

Shout Out: One Management

by Emily Youssef

Shout out to Scott Lipps at One Management for declaring Uncensored Interview the “hottest new music video site” on his blog, The New Blog. It’s the hipster’s guide to navigating all things pop culture in one convenient place. Says Lipps, the blog focuses on “Everything new in pop culture you should know but don’t.”

We think we’ve got a good thing going on too, so it never hurts to be validated by other people with other good things going on. One Management is the total entertainment package, with fashion, film, music and celebrity talent all under one roof, plus some of UI’s very own artists like The Kills and Little Boots. They have a television pilot coming out this month which promises to be pretty funny, so stay tuned and we’ll let you know when it’s ready for your Uncensored eyes.

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