2/10 – Bruise Cruise Festival – Miami, FL
3/06 – Independent – San Francisco, CA *
3/07 – Angel City – Los Angeles, CA ^#
3/08 – Pappy and Harriet’s – Pioneertown, CA **^
3/09 – Beauty Bar – Las Vegas, NV **^
3/10 – Launch Pad – Albuquerque, NM **
3/11 – Denton 35 Festival – Denton, TX
3/12 – 3/17 – SXSW – Austin, TX

* with Magnetix + Pets with Pets
^ with The Mallard
# with Crazy Band
** with White Fence

Time for the Pacific Northwest to celebrate, as Sasquatch! Music Festival announces their inital 2012 line up! Mad excitment has begun to take over, with Jack White headlining as a solo artist for the first time! Other noteworthy names on list are Beck, AraabMuzik, Bon Iver, the Shins, Pretty Lights, Feist, Tenacious D, SBTRKT & The Roots! So many great artists going on, festival fans from all over will no doubt be flocking to the Gorge this May!

Check out this Lineup Announcement Promo Video:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Complete Festival Lineup (so far):

• Jack White
• Beck
• Bon Iver
• Pretty Lights
• Tenacious D
• The Shins
• Beirut
• Girl Talk
• The Roots
• The Head & The Heart
• Portlandia
• Feist
• Silversun Pickups
• Metric
• Explosions In The Sky
• The Joy Formidable
• Mogwai
• Nero (DJ)
• M. Ward
• John Reilly & Friends
• Childish Gambino
• St. Vincent
• The Civil Wars
• Jamey Johnson
• Little Dragon
• Tune-Yards
• Wild Flag
• Blind Pilot
• Wolfgang Gartner
• Beats Antique
• Apparat
• The Walkmen
• Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
• Mark Lanegan Band
• Spiritualized
• Blitzen Trapper
• The Cave Singers
• Shabazz Palaces
• Fun.
• Grouplove
• Tycho
• SBTRKT
• STRFKR
• Ted Leo and the Pharmacists
• Deer Tick
• Imelda May
• Alabama Shakes
• Dum Dum Girls
• The Helio Sequence
• Kurt Vile
• Cloud Cult
• We Are Augustines
• Ben Howard
• Here We Go Magic
• Zola Jesus
• The War On Drugs
• Shearwater
• Cass McCombs
• Active Child
• Trampled By Turtles
• Charles Bradley & His Extraordinaires
• Araabmuzik
• Star Slinger
• L.A. Riots
• Com Truise
• Unknown Mortal Orchestra
• I Break Horses
• Walk The Moon
• Dry The River
• Allen Stone
• Pickwick
• Hey Marseilles
• Gary Clark Jr.
• Purity Ring
• Electric Guest
• Yellow Ostrich
• Nobody Beats The Drum
• Coeur De Pirate
• Lord Huron
• Sallie Ford & The Sound Outside
• Beat Connection
• The Sheepdogs
• Hey Rosetta!
• Said The Whale
• Howlin Rain’
• Gardens & Villa
• Felix Cartal
• Craft Spells
• Vintage Trouble
• Poor Moon
• Black Whales
• Gold Leaves
• Greylag
• Awesome Tapes From Africa
THEESatisfaction
• Dyme Def
• Fresh Espresso
• The Physics
• Sol
• Metal Chocolates
• Grynch
• Spac3man
• Don’t Talk To The Cops
• Scribes
• Fatal Lucciauno
• Fly Moon Royalty
• Katie Kate

Comedy:

• Nick Kroll
• John Mulaney
• Todd Barry
• Beardyman
• Rob Delaney
• Pete Holmes
• Howard Kremer

…and more!

Official Festival Website: http://sasquatchfestival.com/

Black Sabbath drummer Bill Ward pulled a “Ringo” yesterday by announcing online that he would not be taking part in the band’s reunion plans unless a ‘signable contract’ was drafted. Ward said he would not proceed, though he would love nothing more to do so, until he received a piece of paper giving him his due credit as a founding member of the band.

According to Ward, the version of the unsignable contract offered to him days ago would result in the loss of his “rights, dignity and respectability as a rock musician”. The drummer also acknowledged the possibility that this will result in his being replaced for the purposes of the album in progress and the eagerly anticipated tour in support of it, saying “”If I’m replaced, I have to face you, the beloved Sabbath fans. I hope you will not hold me responsible for the failure of an original Black Sabbath lineup as promoted.”

His band mates called his bluff in an equally public way via Facebook today with this statement:

“We were saddened to hear yesterday via Facebook that Bill declined publicly to participate in our current Black Sabbath plans…we have no choice but to continue recording without him although our door is always open… We are still in the UK with Tony. Writing and recording the new album and on a roll… See you at Download!!! – Tony, Ozzy and Geezer”.

One can’t blame the band for taking the hard line, Ward’s standoff comes on the heels of the devastating news that guitarist Tony Iommi had been diagnosed with lymphoma. It would appear the powers that be are making the boys earn that comeback. The good news is the spirits have been high, especially in the studio. Last month they talked about the recording process and sounded to be sentimental and motivated:

“The guys have moved writing sessions from Los Angeles to Birmingham, England. Sabbath has gone back to where it all started and it’s been just amazing. This is where the writing of the album will be completed. Funny how it all goes full circle sometimes.”

We will see how this lineup upheaval is going to affect the reunion tour plans but it certainly seems as though the bond of the remaining three dark soldiers will be strengthened by these developments. The best rock music was made by people who keep rollin’ no matter what gets thrown into their spokes. Never say die. We’re rooting for Sabbath and look forward to what the year is going to bring for them.

Check out Black Sabbath’s announced tour dates for 2012 here.

Words by: Jennie Orton

Click here to view the embedded video.

Selected by: Michael Caswell

3/30 – Winnipeg, MB @ Pyramid Cabaret
3/31 – Brandon, MB @ North Hill Inn
4/2 – Fernie, BC @ Northern Bar & Stage
4/3 – Nelson, BC @ Hume Hotel Spirit Bar
4/4 – Vancouver, BC @ The Biltmore Cabaret
4/5 – Prince George, BC @ The Generator
4/6 – Edmonton, AB @ The Pawnshop
4/7 – Calgary, AB @ Broken City
4/8 – Saskatoon, SK @ Sutherland Memorial Hall
4/10 – Thunder Bay, ON @ Black Pirates Pub
4/11 – Sudbury, ON @ Jubilee Hall
4/12 – Kitchener, ON @ Club Wax
4/13 – Ottawa, ON @ Mavericks Bar
4/14 – Toronto, ON @ The Legendary Horseshoe Tavern
4/15 – St. Catharines, ON @ L3 Nightclub

3/20 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Echoplex + &
3/21 – San Francisco, CA @ Bottom of the Hill + &
3/22 – Portland, OR @ Dante’s +
3/23 – Seattle, WA @ Crocodile +
3/24 – Vancouver, BC @ Waldorf +
3/27 – Minneapolis, MN @ Triple Rock (early) +
3/28 – Milwaukee, WI @ Cactus Club +
3/29 – Chicago, IL @ Double Door +
3/30 – Detroit, MI @ Lager +
3/31 – Toronto, ON @ Silver Dollar +
4/2 – Boston, MA @ Radio +
4/3 – Philadelphia, PA @ Kung Fu Necktie +
4/4 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge +
4/5 – Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Mug @ Vassar College
4/6 – Brooklyn, NY @ Glasslands #
4/7 – Harrisonburg, VA @ Macrock
4/8 – Baltimore, MD @ Windup Space # *
4/9 – Belmont, NC @ Haunted Mill #
4/10 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl # =
4/11 – Birmingham, AL @ Bottletree #
4/12 – Gainesville, FL @ Boca Fiesta (The Backyard) #
4/13 – Miami, FL @ Churchills #
4/14 – Orlando, FL @ Will’s Pub #
4/17 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s #
4/18 – Austin, TX @ Mohawk #
4/19 – El Paso, TX @ M’s Lips #
4/20 – Tempe, AZ @ Yuca Tap Room #
4/21 – San Diego, CA @ Casbah #

+ with Heavy Cream
& with Nobunny
# with Natural Child
* with Nobunny (solo)
= with Chain & the Gang

02-18 Seattle, WA – Town Hall
03-09 Brooklyn, NY – Cameo Gallery
03-27 Seattle, WA – Easy Street
03-29 Seattle, WA – Neumos
04-04 Nantes, France – Stereolux
04-05 Amiens, France – La Lune Des Pirates
04-06 Lille, France – Aeronef
04-09 Lyon, France – TBA
04-11 Angers, France – Chabada
04-12 Tours, France – Temps Machine
04-13 Poitiers, France – Confort Moderne
04-15 Madrid, Spain – Festival Electronica
04-17 Lisbon, Portugal – ZDB
04-20 Bristol, England – Start the Bus
04-21 Glasgow, Scotland – Arches
04-23 Brighton, England – Hope
04-24 London, England – White Heat

Apr 27 – Pomona, CA @ The Glass House *
Apr 28 – Phoenix, AZ @ The Crescent Ballroom *
Apr 29 – Tucson, AZ @ Club Congress *
Apr 30 – Santa Fe, NM @ Sol at Santa Fe Brewing Company *
May 02 – Norman, OK @ Opolis *
May 03 – Dallas, TX @ Sons of Hermann Hall *
May 04 – Austin, TX @ The Mohawk *
May 05 – Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald’s *
May 07 – Atlanta, GA @ The Earl *
May 08 – Carrboro, NC @ Cats Cradle *
May 09 – Washington, D.C. @ Black Cat *
May 10 – New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom *
May 11 – New York, NY @ Mercury Lounge *
May 12 – Boston, MA @ Brighton Music Hall *
May 14 – Montreal, QC @ Il Motore *
May 15 – Toronto, ON @ Lee’s Palace *
May 16 – Chicago, IL @ Lincoln Hall *
May 17 – St. Louis, MO @ Firebird *
May 18 – Lawrence, KS @ The Jackpot Saloon *
May 19 – Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theater *
May 20 – Fort Collins, CO @ Aggie Theatre *
May 22 – Salt Lake City, UT @ Urban Lounge

* * With Balam Acab

02-16 Istanbul, Turkey – Babylon
02-17 Manchester, England – The Deaf Institute *
02-18 Glasgow, Scotland – The Arches
02-19 Leeds, England – Brudenell Social Club
02-20 London, England – Sebright Arms
02-21 London, England – Koko %
02-22 Antwerp, Belgium – TRIX Centrum voor Muziek !
02-23 Paris, France – Nouveau Casino (Fireworks Festival)
02-24 St. Gallen, Switzerland – Palace #
03-09 Sydney, Australia – The Standard
03-10 Meredith, Australia – Golden Plains Festival
03-12 Melbourne, Australia – Corner Hotel
03-13 Brisbane, Australia – The Zoo
03-15 Auckland, New Zealand – Kings Arms
03-16 Wellington, New Zealand – San Francisco Bath House
03-17 Dunedin, New Zealand – Refuel
04-03 Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church &
04-04 Baltimore, MD – Ottobar &
04-05 Richmond, VA – Strange Matter &
04-06 Raleigh, NC – Hopscotch Presents at Lincoln Theatre &
04-07 Athens, GA – 40 Watt Club &
04-08 Oxford, MS – Cats Purring Dude Ranch &
04-09 Little Rock, AR – Rev Room &
04-10 Dallas, TX – Club Dada &
04-11 Austin, TX – The Mohawk &
04-13 Indio, CA – Coachella
04-19 Mexico City, Mexico – Caradura
04-20 Seattle, WA – The Neptune
04-22 Indio, CA – Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival
04-23 Santa Cruz, CA – Catalyst Atrium &
04-24 San Francisco, CA – Great American Music Hall &
04-25 Reno, NV – Holland Project &
04-26 Salt Lake City, UT – Urban Lounge &
04-27 Englewood, CO – Gothic Theatre &
04-28 Lawrence, KS – Bottleneck &
04-29 St. Louis, MO – Plush &
04-30 Columbus, OH – Newport Music Hall &
05-01 Harrisburg, PA – Appalachian Brewing Co. &
05-30 Barcelona, Spain – Primavera Sound Festival
06-26 Arendal, Norway – Hove Festival
* with Outfit, Childhood
% with Kurt Vile, Sonic Boom
! with the War on Drugs
# with Shabazz Palaces
& with Twerps