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Morning reads

I let this story get by me yesterday, but the Globe has an excellent second-day analysis of what the sale of WILD-FM means to the Bay State's black community. Now it's JAM'N hip-hop or nothing. No more old-school soul and funk from back in the day, though there are classic-rock stations about every .5 on the FM dial ... Also a couple of Fogg-related stories - Cate McQuaid on the "Artists Sketchbooks" exhibit and a Names entry (second item) on a creepy acquisition. ... The Herald reports that the stalled New Cars tour will get back on the road. ... And Terry Byrne examines the new Israel Horovitz play. ... Speaking of the Herald, a shout out to my fellow Harrison Avenue refugee Dean Johnson, who's got a new feature in the Globe's Sidekick, examining local celebs' iPod playlists. Alas, I can't find it online.

Rounder follows open Road

Cambridge's Rounder Records announced today that it has signed hot "contemporary bluegrass" band NewFound Road, and the group's fourth album, "Life in a Song," will come out Sept. 26 on the label. Rounder says members Rob Baker, Randy Barnes, Tim Shelton and Jr. Williams had a bluegrass radio hit - one presumes that brings only a modest amount of fame - with "It's Raining the Blues" from their previous album. This one will include originals, two songs by Tim Stafford of Blue Highway, and covers of Freddie Fender's "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" and Ray Charles' "Leave My Woman Alone." Sounds like fun.

Dance lesson

Weber Dance founder and Bridgewater State College Asst. Prof. Jody Weber will give a talk about Boston's dance pioneers on Sept. 19 at the Cambridge Center for Adult Education. Maybe there's no Isabella Stewart Gardner of the form, but she will look at Miriam Winslow and other influential figures, as well as 19th century movements promoting dance as part of "new visions for health and beauty for urban populations." Pirouette, ye unwashed tenement dwellers! Weber herself is interesting. The Phoenix said in 2002: "Weber has a gift for the bizarre in all the elements of a dance, and an inexhaustible ability to make up odd movement." Admission for the talk and reception is $10. Call 617-547-6789 x1.

Foundation spreads the wealth

New England Foundation for the Arts just unrolled $70,000 in grants to nonprofit groups to support performances and events under its New England States Touring and Meet the Composer programs. Among the music, theater and dance performers on the list are the Wholesale Klezmer Band, the Afro-Semitic Experience and Prometheus Dance. Details here.

Concert update

Lindsay Buckingham, at the Orpheum, Oct. 13, $35, on sale Friday at 10 a.m. Indigo Girls, Orpheum, Oct. 16, $29.50-$39.50, on sale saturday at 10 a.m. Jamarama, Orpheum, Oct. 21, $26, on sale Saturday 10 a.m. Killers, Orpheum, Oct. 26, $30, on sale Friday 10 a.m. Demetri Martin, Berklee Performance Center, Oct. 28, $29.50, on sale Saturday 10 a.m. Decemberists, Orpheum, Nov. 4, $23-$28, on sale Saturday at 10 a.m. And this is out of town, but since she's near and dear, Bonnie Raitt, Providence Performing Arts Center, Oct. 17, $36-$66, on sale Thursday at 10 a.m. Deets on these and a few club shows at www.livenation.com.

Not so Keane

Presumably due to this news about singer Tom Chaplin going into rehab, the Keane show at the Pavilion on Sept. 16 has been moved to Sept. 24. All tickets will be honored. There's no mention of refunds in the release.

Homer is hot this summer

Good arts story in ... The Bangor Daily News.

Hmmm. Maybe if we could see the menus.

Last week I got my invite to the Sept. 13 press opening of "Radio Golf" at the Huntington. And then today I got an invite to the ART's press opening of "bobrauschenbergamerica" ... on Sept. 13.

It's sort of funny, I guess. And it means, perhaps, that a few freelancers will make a buck that night, since our local critics can't be in two places at once. But I don't think the area theater community is well served by this kind of timing by the city's two top companies. Inevitably one show or the other will be slighted in media coverage and perhaps attendance. Now I'm not suggesting any violation of anti-trust laws here - but the occasional phone call might avoid this situation.

UPDATE: The relevant publicists and others were quick to point out that they do in fact talk about these things ahead of time - months in some cases - and, they say, the occasional head-on is inevitable. There are universities and boards with their own needs that must be served, you see. (There are varying versions of what happened this time around.) Well, fine. But there aren't that many big theater companies in town, and I still don't see how this is good for anyone. And I remember theaters being all sad when they got a stringer instead of the main critic for an opening.

Morning reads

Since all of us Sox fans are feeling emotionally battered and existentially depressed this morning, nothing but good news here. Thumbs up for the Barrington Stage's new home and first production there. ... From Buffalo Tom to movie scoring. ... A strong review for the Berkshire Opera. ... Dropkicks rock the Download. ... Suffolk Downs schedules a Beatles day to commemorate the concert there. And since we're now ALL ABOUT THE PATRIOTS, sigh, Coach Belichick cameos in "Rescue Me" tonight.

Coleman joins NEC

Jazz pianist Anthony Coleman ('77) has been appointed to the Contemporary Improvisation and Jazz Studies faculty at New England Conservatory, effective in September. A New York City native, Coleman studied with Jaki Byard. His groups include Sephardic Tinge and the Selfhaters Orchestra. Read him here.