50-year old British pop singer Morrissey is recovering in a UK hospital this morning after collapsing onstage during a concert Saturday night.

The former Smiths front-man appeared to have trouble breathing shortly before slumping to his knees midway through his first song of the evening, onlookers said.

Band members quickly came to his assistance and he was rushed to Great Western Hospital in Swindon, the The Telegraph first reported.

This is not the first time the singer has been sidelined by his ailing health. In both March and May of this year, shows and a TV spot were canceled due to “unspecified illness.”

A history of drug use has not been ruled out as a possible link to his respiratory woes.

As of this morning, the singer is listed in stable and improving condition. There is no word yet as to the future of the tour which only began October 23rd to promote his ninth solo album, Years of Refusal, released in February.

Challenging his own self-cultivated image as this generation’s Harry Connick Jr., Michael Buble released his latest album Crazy Love earlier this week to the chagrin of Jason Mraz and Howie Day, I’m sure.

This latest catalog of love songs has a familiar theme, no doubt, but the news here is that Buble has traded in his staple of suits and sway for a much more updated pair of blue jeans, preppy sneakers and enough pop melody to insure the first single “Haven’t Met You Yet,” makes it on at least one major Top 40 countdown this week.

Sweet-faced pop singers beware: not only is he invading your turf – he’s got the whole hot foreigner thing going for him to boot.

Yikes.

Though, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that not only is Buble poaching the pop sound, his “break into synchronized dance in the middle of a supermarket” video looks eerily familiar, minus one Ben Stiller cameo.

Mraz and Day are one thing… but tread cautiously in the Travis territory Cannuck.

I’m watching you.

Now, while Nashville is typically known for being the heart, spine, spleen and knee-cap of the country music scene, that’s not to say some mildly serious rock can’t happen there.

And happen it has. Just months after the release of her second solo album, Butterfly Boucher (real name) has teamed up with guitarist David Mead and drummer Lindsay Jamieson to form Elle Macho, a self-described trio of “Rock ‘n Roll ‘n Pop Music!”

From the official release:

You may have heard me talk about the band in recent interviews, in fact I can’t NOT talk about them because… well… I have just been so excited about being a part of this right from day one! We will be releasing our very first EP, title ¡ES POTENCIAL! on Oct 6th – that’s just around the corner!

But, if you don’t want to wait a week, here’s a taste:

Popular Music Tour: Rock Night from Elle Macho on Vimeo.

Yes – those are not southern accents. Globalization has happened, people. Deal.

The website is up and tour dates have been announced:

October 8 The Mercy Lounge Nashville, TN
November 19 Arlenes Grocery New York, NY
November 24 Silverlake Lounge Los Angeles, CA

Gracias.

Beasties are out (for VERY good reason – our thoughts are with you, Mr. Yauch) – Tenacious D are in.

Just confirmed The Greatest Band on Earth, featuring Jack Black and Kyle Glass, will headline the final night of the San Francisco Bay area festival, Outside Lands, August 28th-30th.

The 3-day soiree will also feature The Black Eyed Peas, The Mars Volta, Modest Mouse, Silversun Pickups, Tom Jones, Jon Vanderslice, The Thievery Corporation, Dave Matthews Band and Pearl Jam among many, many others.

In fact, the line-up is eerily similar to another festival taking place that same weekend at the other end of the state.

Is it a vain effort for a San Diego Street Scener to wish for The D on our ticket too?

Here’s hoping. In the meantime – word has it – Public Enemy just added. Yeah boy!

After finishing the summer festival circuit with the rest of the boys from Travis, Fran and Andy will be taking their “acousticky” act to (at the moment) New York and LA – and making up vocabulary words along the way.

As of now, just the two dates are scheduled – but I have a sneaking suspicion more may be added on Monday.

Here – let the scruffy, be-capped Scot tease you himself:

Ticket presale information and dates will be announced tomorrow (7/24) at their main website.

In anticipation of his upcoming release Draw the Line, due out in September, Gray has added a dozen new dates throughout the US and Canada to his fall tour line-up:

October 23, 2009 – The Wang Theatre Boston, MA
October 24, 2009 – WAMU Theater at Madison Square Garden New York, NY
October 26, 2009 – Massey Hall Toronto, ON
October 27, 2009 – Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
October 29, 2009 – Chicago Auditorium Theatre Chicago, IL
October 30, 2009 – Orpheum Theatre Minneapolis, MN
November 01, 2009 – Paramount Theatre Denver, CO
November 02, 2009 – Kingsbury Hall Salt Lake City, UT
November 04, 2009 – Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall Portland, OR
November 05, 2009 – The Paramount Seattle, WA
November 07, 2009 – Paramount Theatre Oakland, CA
November 09, 2009 – Orpheum Theatre Los Angeles, CA

Feel like sampling the new album before you commit to some outrageous ticket service charge? Read about it and hear a bit of the first single “Fugitive” here.

Apparently, he’s a tease. Here’s hoping a full-length sample finds its way to the Web soon.

With their new album Black Swan due out in August, the boys from Athlete just can’t seem to friggin’ wait to play / give away their new music.

Midway through a major UK tour, word has it they’re loading up their set list with a bunch of new tunes – AND – they’ve leaked their new single “Summer Sun” onto their website. Download it by clicking here.

All you have to do is whore yourself out and sign up for their mailing list.

Or, if you’re keen on privacy, like me, you can wait a few weeks until the album is released in the UK on August 10th. Unless you’re American. No US release date has been announced as of yet. Because they hate us. Jerks.

Rounding out an already kickass lineup that includes the likes of Modest Mouse, Band of Horses, Silversun Pickups and Conor Oberst, the Boys themselves have been slated to headline San Diego’s biggest (and only) music festivus.

From the Street Scene press release:

STREET SCENE is giving concertgoers “What’cha, What’cha, What’cha want” with the newest addition to the line-up, Beastie Boys! That’s right this famous, American hip-hop trio is set to perform at the 25th anniversary of STREET SCENE taking place for two nights on Friday, August 28th and Saturday, August 29th from 4:00 PM to Midnight.

Tickets are currently on sale.

And, heck – if Beastie Boys aren’t quite “what’cha want,” (continuing the bad pun), there are a gagillion other bands that might fill your musical appetite:

Beastie Boys | Black Eyed Peas | M.I.A. | Thievery Corporation | Modest Mouse | The Dead Weather (a.k.a. – Jack Black’s new band) | Silversun Pickups | Cake | Conor Oberst & The Mystic Valley Band | Of Montreal | Band of Horses | The Faint | Bassnectar | Girl Talk | Busta Rhymes | Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings | Chromeo | Cage the Elephant | Donald Glaude | Mastodon | Ted Leo and the Pharmacists | Ozomatli | Devendra Banhart | Shooter Jennings | Calexico | Nortec Collective Bostich + Fussible | Delta Spirit | West Indian Girl | The Knux | No Age | Ra Ra Riot | Dungen | Deerhunter | Gram Rabbit | Matt and Kim | Los Campesinos! | Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue | LA Riots | Blue Scholars | Wavves | Crocodiles | Black Joe Lewis & The Honeybears | Holy Fuck | Anya Marina (seriously – out of all of San Diego’s bands? Grrr.) | Zee Avi | Extra Golden | Carney | Dirty Sweet.

Ghosts and mimes and magicians, oh my!

The uber-cool Chicago-ans have wasted no time in releasing a follow-up to their Spring hit “Oscar Wilde.”

“Pressure,” the second single off of their freshman album Ordinary Riches, hit the cables this week – and from the looks of it, the genre dabbling continues – though they’ve traded in their Rushmore-esque duds for some fancy pants turn-of-the-century feathers and lace. Check it out.

And – if you’re near the west/midwest this summer, check them out live as they continue their momentum-building, “play the small clubs before we get really big (fingers crossed)!” tour:

Jul 20 2009 – Beaumont Club w/ Gomez Kansas City, Missouri
Jul 26 2009 – WICKER PARK FEST-SOUTH STAGE CHICAGO, Illinois
Aug 2 2009 – Casbah San Diego, California
Aug 4 2009 – The Blank Club San Jose, California
Aug 10 2009 – High Dive Seattle, Washington
Aug 11 2009 – Neurolux Boise, Idaho