Four years after releasing the critically-acclaimed “Revolutionary Vol. 2,” emcee Immortal Technique returns this week with his third studio album, “Third World.”

Six Shot.com sat down with the Harlem-born emcee recently to discuss his latest release.

“There are a lot of people that are conscious about lots of (issues). Think about this: How many people know how corrupt the society is, or how (messed up) their local government is? I’m not conscious; I’m revolutionary to address those things specifically, and to say that I’m going to take a stand in what I personally believe in. There are people that are willing to help us out, and I’m definitely looking forward to working with them.” - Immortal Technique

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By JASON DEAREN/The Associated Press

SAN FRANCISCO - Steven Garcia pulled into a Houston gas station recently to fill up the old Dodge van his punk band uses on summer tours.

For months, the 23-year-old singer-guitarist had been budgeting money and booking show dates for Something Fierce’s third tour - but skyrocketing gas prices have put the brakes on those plans.

“Once I ran the numbers it was a ‘There’s no (expletive) way’ kind of moment,” Garcia said. After much hand-wringing and grumbling from bookers who’d scheduled the band to play, Garcia canceled the tour.

Cramming into a rusty, creaky van and playing dive bars and house parties is a summer ritual for many young musicians and ambitious independent bands trying to get exposure, make a living and maybe build a solid future in music.

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In an interview with Tom Speed of All About Jazz, Alejandro Escovedo explains how his latest album, “Real Animal,” is a culmination of the sound his has been developing his entire career. “Real Animal” is very much an autobiographical album that takes listeners on a journey that is the life of the legendary songwriter. The album hits stores June 24. For the entire article, see the All About Jazz Web site.

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The News Journal in Daytona, Fla. recently profiled two of their local record stores as demand for vinyl records has continued to increase over the last four years. While vinyl LPs may never catch up to compact discs and challenge the ever-growing popularity of iPods and other MP3 players, it is nice to see music enthusiasts supporting their local record stores.

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Here is the latest music video from Britpop outfit Supergrass. “Diamond Hoo Ha Man” the first single and title track off the group’s sixth studio.

According to Star Pulse Entertainment, Supergrass will be launching a summer tour alongside the Foo Fighters in support of their latest album “Diamond Hoo Ha.” The Britpop act released its sixth studio album on June 10 off their new record label Astralwerks. For tour information, see Supergrass.com.

By JAKE COYLE/The Associated Press

MANCHESTER, Tenn. - Bonnaroo began in earnest Friday with the rarest of double bills: Chris Rock followed by Metallica.

Metallica’s Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett introduced Rock, and the comedian in turn introduced who he called “the baddest … band in the world.” Both acts were unlikely fare for the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, which began in 2002 as primarily a jam band event.

But in recent years, Bonnaroo has broadened itself and brought more diverse fans to its 700-acre countryside site south of Nashville. Among the tens of thousands of festival-goers, Rock, Metallica and many other performers were very conscious of their entry into a tie-dyed world they seldom traffic in.

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Calexico will release their sixth studio album this fall. Their latest release, titled “Carried to Dust,” is a follow-up to 2006’s “Garden Ruin.” The album is expected to be released Sept. 9.

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My Morning Jacket returns this week with their fifth studio album, “Evil Urges.”

My Morning Jacket has always been a favorite of ours since we first heard “Death Is a Sleazy Pay” on a sampler from Uncut Magazine back in 2001.

“Urges” is the Kentucky quartet’s follow-up to 2005’s critically-acclaimed “Z.”

While the band’s first three studio albums were recorded in the group’s own studio in Louisville, “Urges” was recorded at the Avatar Studios in Manhattan, New York as a way to help get the band out of its comfort zone according to the band’s Web site.

“We wanted to deliberately try to make ourselves uncomfortable and shake it up,” says Jim James, frontman for My Morning Jacket. “I feel like New York is just limitless possibility—you never knew what you’d see on the way to the studio, every morning was an adventure.”

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By Robert Costa/PopMatters.com

CAMDEN, N.J. - Phish lyricist Tom Marshall, guitarist Trey Anastasio’s longtime friend and writing partner, said in an exclusive interview Tuesday that “Trey wants Phish to come back.”

Marshall said he has been writing and recording with Anastasio at the Phish frontman’s personal Rubber Jungle studios in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., “for the past four months.”

“I think Phish is his baby,” said Marshall, speaking backstage after the Dave Matthews Band’s concert Tuesday at Camden’s Susquehanna Bank Center. “It’s not like there are people preventing it from coming back, it’s just that the landscape has to be right for it to come back.”

“I’ve always been hopeful in expecting a Phish,” continued Marshall. “I think if the stars align and everything works out there will be. I don’t think they will ever (again) be a huge touring band.”

All members of Phish - Anastasio, drummer Jon Fishman, bassist Mike Gordon and keyboardist Page McConnell - appeared together at the Jammy Awards in New York on May 7 to accept a lifetime achievement award. Although Phish did not perform, Anastasio made a cameo appearance on-stage, performing a cover of George Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps” with a group of various artists.

On May 21, Anastasio received a reduced sentence of three years’ probation for a 2007 drug conviction after completing a counseling and treatment program in Washington County, N.Y. Anastasio faced class D felony charges after he was arrested in Whitehall, N.Y., in December 2006 with prescription medications prescribed to another person, including hydrocodone, Percocet and Xanax.

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