Andrew Bird and Lee “Scratch” Perry, among others, will appear at the 8th annual Nelsonville Music Festival, according to a press release from Stuart’s Opera House.

Nelsonville fans can expect a stellar performance from multi-instrumentalist Andrew Bird, who has been compared to the likes of Jeff Buckley, Thom Yorke and Rufus Wainwright. Along with his unique voice, Bird utilizes multiple instruments (including the violin, guitar and glockenspiel) to generate a full sound normally produced by an orchestra.

Bird, who is no stranger to the festival circuit, has previously appeared at Bonnaroo, Lollapalooza, SXSW and the Montreal Jazz Festival.

Dub/reggae pioneer Lee “Scratch” Perry will bring his internationally recognized Jamaican style to audiences at Nelsonville. Perry, who is responsible for the hit record “People Funny Boy,” has also produced records for Bob Marley and the Wailers. His 2003 album Jamaican E.T. won the Grammy for Best Reggae Album and Rolling Stone listed him as one of their 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Joining Andrew Bird and Lee “Scratch” Perry are Texas songwriter Hayes Carll and Columbus’ own Time and Temperature.

See these artists plus Iron and Wine, M. Ward, Kurt Vile and more at the Nelsonville Music Festival, May 18-20.

-- Sam Boyer, Staff Writer

Adam Lambert is set perform as the lead singer of Queen when the band headlines the second day of the U.K. Sonisphere Festival on July 7.

The American Idol runner-up has performed with Queen before, most recently at the 2011 MTV European Music Awards. While reports of the collaboration appeared earlier this month, Lambert made the news official Monday through Twitter.

"As many suspected, I can finally confirm: I have been invited by Queen to sing one very special concert!" he wrote. "Sorry to be coy about the details the past few weeks, but I made a promise to keep it under wraps as best I could. Gonna be a surreal night!"

The three-day festival will take place at Knebworth Park in the United Kingdom, the same venue where Queen played its final concert with original lead singer Freddie Mercury in 1986.

"Judging by my incoming mail, this decision will make a lot of people very happy," said Queen guitarist Brian May regarding the announcement. "It's a worthy challenge for us, and I'm sure Adam would meet with Freddie's approval! And what better place to revisit, and walk those emotional paths than Knebworth? It will be a rush."

Along with co-headliners Kiss and Faith No More, other acts on the bill include Evanescence, Mastodon, Cypress Hill and Marilyn Manson.

--Colin Roose, Staff Writer

John Mayer has released a clip of the first single from his much anticipated fifth album, Rolling Stone reports.

The 60-second clip of "Shadow Days" was released on Mayer's Tumblr page accompanied by a statement from the singer. "I’m excited to share the first bit of sound from the album," it reads. "Been looking forward to a post like this since October 14, 2010, the first day I started writing this group of songs. Enjoy."

Mayer has been largely absent from the music scene since the release of Battle Studies in 2009. The album debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 and was nominated for three Grammys.

Due to throat inflammation, Mayer underwent surgery in 2011. The procedure caused him to cancel tour dates as well as delay the release of his album Born and Raised.

While Battle Studies chronicled Mayer's string of rocky relationships, by the sound of "Shadow Days," Born and Raised promises to be a more upbeat affair.

Mayer is scheduled to perform at a handful of upcoming events, including the South by Southwest Conference on March 17. Born and Raised is slated for release sometime this spring.

--Kandlyn Collins, Contributor

The next showing of "In Performance at the White House" will be a tribute to the history of blues music in the United States.

On Feb. 21, Mick Jagger, B.B. King, Buddy Guy, Jeff Beck, Gary Clark Jr. and others will perform a tribute to the history of blues as part of a show titled "Red, White and Blues." PBS is recording the event to air on Feb. 27, but it can also be streamed live on the official White House website.

The PBS website calls "Red, White and Blues" a tribute to a "musical form that sprang from the Mississippi Delta and flourished in the Westside of Chicago with deep roots in Africa and slavery." The event is meant to show a history of blues and how it influenced modern soul and rock music.

This event will be Mick Jagger's first performance at the White House.

"In Performance at the White House" began in 1978 as a way to showcase the many genres of American music to a wide audience. The current presidential administration has had performances from the Jonas Brothers, Bob Dylan, Paul McCartney, Seal and Marc Anthony since 2009.

Before the performance, first lady Michelle Obama and Keb Mo will lead a workshop on the history of blues music. President Barack Obama is also slated to deliver a speech on the event during the Feb. 21 online broadcast.

--Travis Boswell, Staff Writer

The Black Keys just released their seventh studio album El Camino in December, but lead singer Dan Auerbach says the band is trying to get back into the studio as soon as possible, reports Billboard.

“We don’t know when it would come out, but we want to try and get into the studio this year just to start working,” Auerbach said. While unsure of what the album will sound like, Auerbach told Billboard that the duo is “most comfortable” in the studio and “[he] can’t wait to get back in there.”

The Keys’ just finished a touring stint in Europe and will begin their North American venture on March 2 in Cincinnati and will also appear at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival. Fans lucky enough to see Dan Auerbach and Pat Carney in concert should expect to hear “songs from every album,” not just the band's most recent material.

After touring North America, the pair plans to return to Europe and then head to Australia. Until then, Auerbach has his hands full with his own Easy Eye Studio in Nashville, Tennesee. Bands such as the Growlers and JEFF the Brotherhood have used the studio while the Keys are away.

“It’s really busy to be honest,” Auerbach said. "People are starting to book it, people I sort of know or trust, and it’s pretty cool ‘cause I love making records. It’s my favorite thing to do. And having a place I got to design and flow the way I wanted it to is really nice, a total luxury.”

But it isn’t the studio that inspires Auerbach and Carney. “We can record anywhere--basements, abandoned buildings, studios. Location doesn’t matter. All that matters is that it’s Pat and I,” Auerbach said, a sentiment that is surely shared by many fans.

--Rachel Haas, Features Editor

Following the announcement of their upcoming performance at this year’s Bonnaroo, The Beach Boys have announced dates for an official reunion tour. The three-month tour kicks off in Arizona on April 24 and ends Aug. 7 in Belgium, and will place the band in venues ranging from outdoor amphitheaters, casinos and indoor theaters, in addition to Jazz Fest and the aforementioned Bonnaroo.

After splitting up in the late 1990s following the death of Carl Wilson, relations between band members turned sour. In 2006, however, Brian Wilson enlisted the help of Al Jardine on his Pet Sounds Tour, and the surviving members posed together for photos at Capital Records.

"We haven't played together in a long time. The fans are going to want to hear the hits. But there should also be lesser-known ones that are so important," Jardine said in a statement.

The band’s lineup for the tour will consist of Brian Wilson, Al Jardine, Bruce Johnston, Mike Love and early guitarist David Marks.

U.S. Tour Dates:

4/24 Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater

4/26 Grand Prairie, TX - Verizon Theatre

4/27 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival

4/28 Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheater

4/29 Raleigh, NC - Raleigh Amphitheater

5/2 St. Augustine, FL - St. Augustine Amphitheater

5/4 Hollywood, FL - Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino

5/5 Tampa, FL - Stratz Center for the Performing Arts

5/8 New York, NY - Beacon Theater

5/9 New York, NY - Beacon Theater

5/11 Pittsburgh, PA - Benedum Hall

5/12 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

5/13 Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Arena

5/15 White Plains, NY - Westchester County Center

5/17 Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Events Center

5/19 Atlantic City, NJ - The Borgata Hotel Casino

5/21 Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre

5/27 Las Vegas, NV - Red Rock Casino

6/1 Berkeley, CA - The Greek Theatre

6/2 Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Bowl

6/8 The Woodlands, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

6/10 Manchester, TN - Bonaroo Music and Arts Festival

6/13 Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center

6/15 Columbia, MD - Merriweather Post Pavilion

6/16 Camden, NJ - Susquahanna Bank Center

6/17 Bethel, NY - Bethel Woods Center for the Arts

6/22 Bangor, ME - Waterfront Park

6/23 Saratoga Springs, NY - Saratoga Performing Arts Center

6/26 Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion

6/29 Darien Lakes, NY - Darien Lakes Performing Arts Center

6/30 Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre

7/1 Milwaukee, WI - Marcus Amphitheater

7/3 Virginia Beach, VA - Farm Bureau Live at Virginia Beach

7/10 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre

7/13 Woodinville, WA - Chateau Ste. Michelle Winery

7/14 Eugene, OR - Cuthbert Amphitheater

7/15 Stateline, NV - Harvey's Lake Tahoe Amphitheater

--Alex Terlecky, Staff Writer

After winning six awards at the Grammys Sunday night, Adele’s album 21 claimed its 20th week at the top of the pop chart, a feat not accomplished since Whitney Houston’s The Bodyguard soundtrack did the same in 1992, according to Billboard.

The British singer performed onstage for the first time since her vocal cord surgery at the awards show and swept every category for which she was nominated, including Album of the Year, Song of the Year and Record of the Year.

Adele's sophomore album sold 237,000 copies during the last chart week, which ran from Feb. 6 through Sunday night, securing the album a spot at No. 1 for its 20th week overall.

The soundtrack to the film The Bodyguard, which featured Whitney Houston’s signature song “I Will Always Love You,” was the first album to spend 20 weeks at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart since Elvis Presley’s 1961 album Blue Hawaii.

Houston’s death on Saturday prompted her re-entry to the chart, with her Greatest Hits album reaching No. 6 by selling 64,000 copies in a little more than 24 hours, reported the Los Angeles Times.

The longest-running No. 1 album is currently the West Side Story soundtrack, which topped the chart for 54 weeks in 1962 and ’63, according to Billboard.

Rolling Stone confirmed yesterday that Adele will release 21’s fourth single “Rumour Has It” in March.

-- Haylee Pearl, Contributor

Post-punk outfit Public Image Ltd. has announced a June release date for its first album since 1992, Spin reported.

Public Image Ltd. was formed by former Sex Pistols vocalist John Lydon, a.k.a. Johnny Rotten. While the band reunited in 2009, it chose not to release new material to coincide with its reemergence.

The group’s last album, 1992’s That What Is Not, didn’t fare well among critics, but Lydon claims that the new record will be a “folk record.”

“It’s very different,” Lydon told NME. “It comes from the heart and soul. Whether that be electric, acoustic, digital or analog, there’s still heart and soul.”

Whether or not PiL’s new material can be classified as “folk” is up to the listener. “One Drop,” the band's first new song in 20 years, premiered today on BBC Radio and can be streamed via Slicing Up Eyeballs.

The record is tentatively titled This Is PiL and is reportedly finished, mastered and set for a June release. A vinyl-only four-song EP will be released on April 21.

Though not as commercially successful as the Sex Pistols, Public Image Ltd. enjoyed high praise from critics in the late ‘70s and throughout the ‘80s. The group's second studio album, 1979’s Metal Box, is widely regarded as a landmark of post-punk and experimental rock. In 2003, it was ranked 469th on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.

- Sam Boyer, Staff Writer

The 54th annual Grammy Awards had a lot going for them. This year's superstar performances and A-list audience helped the ceremony achieve its second highest audience in nearly three decades, reports Billboard.com. The Grammys drew in nearly 39 million viewers, the largest audience since 1984.

After an opening number by Bruce Springsteen, the evening began with host LL Cool J leading a prayer for Whitney Houston, who tragically died the evening before the Grammys. Etta James, who passed away in January, was also remembered by a duet between Alicia Keys and Bonnie Raitt.

A plethora of today's most popular musicians performed, including Bruno Mars, Coldplay and Taylor Swift, but a high point in the evening was the reunion of legendary band The Beach Boys. The band performed its hit "Good Vibrations."

Another poignant moment was after the In Memoriam segment, when Jennifer Hudson delivered a moving performance of "I Will Always Love You" in honor of Whitney Houston.

Many of the night's awards went to British songstress Adele, who swept every category for which she was nominated, including Best Album. Troubled Singer Chris Brown, who also performed, won Best R&B album and was seemingly embraced by the Grammy community after two years of absence from the awards. Indie darling Bon Iver also walked away with two Grammys.

It seemed for awhile that the Grammys were becoming an irrelevant event in music, but Sunday night's ratings may prove otherwise.

--Kandlyn Collins, Contributor

Iron & Wine, M. Ward and Roky Erickson will headline the eighth annual Nelsonville Music Festival, according to a press release from Stuart's Opera House.

Other artists such as Dawes, Kurt Vile & the Violators, Charles Bradley, Dark Dark Dark, Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside, Jorma Kaukonen and more will also appear at the festival. Additional artists will continually be announced in the coming weeks.

The Nelsonville Music Festival takes place at Robbins Crossing at Hocking College in Nelsonville, Ohio. This year's festival will take place from May 18-20. Three-day passes are currently onsale for $75 at the event's official website. Camping passes are also available for $15 for a regular campsite and $20 for a mobile home.

The three headliners this year are, in true Nelsonville fashion, quite diverse. Iron & Wine is the project of Texas native Sam Beam. The folk act has released four studio albums, with his most recent release, Kiss Each Other Clean, reaching number two on the Billboard 200 last year.

M. Ward is a Portland musician who has released seven solo albums over the course of his career, but is perhaps most well-known for being half of the duo She & Him with Zooey Deschanel. His eighth album, A Wasteland Companion, will be released in April.

Roky Erickson is a Texas rocker who is a relatively unknown hero in the history of psychedelic rock. In 2010, he released an album with another Texas band, Okkervil River, backing him up.

--Chris Dobstaff, News Editor