The submissions this week were really impressive, and although I wasn’t able to include everyone, please keep sending—I promise to include as much new music as possible. The three artists being featured this week are The Ruse, Lisa Bouchelle and J Rice. The Ruse is a hybrid of U2 and Coldplay, Rice is an amazing singer and Bouchelle is a singer/songwriter in the mold of Sara Bareilles and Sheryl Crow who is garnering a lot of buzz. I’ve also included a couple of other really cool bands for you to form your own opinions about. Enjoy the new, improved Planner, folks! And keep sending music, tell your friends to send music…heck, tell your enemies to send music. One never knows when the next great act will appear. Jbeerdietz@gmail.com

THE HOTTEST SHOWS OF THE WEAKEND
Fri., May 23^rd
The Dan Band @ The House of Blues Sunset Strip. Always a fun time.
Kanye West Glow in the Dark Tour co-starring Rihanna, N.E.R.D. and Lupe Fiasco @ The United Center, Chicago
Verizon VIP Tour featuring Natasha Bedingfield with The Veronicas and Kate Voegele @ House of Blues Orlando. This show is sold out.
Van Halen @ Madison Square Garden, N.Y.
Chrisette Michele and Raheem DeVaughn @ House of Blues Anaheim
Pennywise @ Jannus Landing, St. Petersburg

Sat., May 24^th
The Ruse @ The El Rey, showtime 9 p.m. (see item below)
3 Doors Down @ Verizon Wireless Music Center, Noblesville, IN
The Exies and Nonpoint @ The Dive, Goose Creek, SC
Panic at the Disco, Phantom Planet and Motion City Soundtrack @ The Congress Theatre, Chicago
Charlie Sexton @ Hill Country Galleria Amphitheatre Austin
Sasquatch! Music Festival featuring R.E.M., Modest Mouse, Ozomatli, The Breeders, The New Pornographers, M.I.A., Death Cab for Cutie, The Kooks, Presidents of The United States of America, Flight of the Conchords, The Flaming Lips, Matt Costa, Rodrigo y Gabriela and more @ Gorge Amphitheatre, Quincy, WA. For info, stage times, etc visit www.gorgeconcerts.com. Runs through Memorial Day.

Sun., May 25th
Hot Topic & Royal Flush Present Mindless Self Indulgence with The Birthday Massacre and London After Midnight @ House of Blues Las Vegas

Mon., May 26^th
The Police with Elvis Costello @ The Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, Chula Vista, CA.

JE-C’S NEW-MOVIE WEAK-END SPOTLIGHT
Indiana Jones: After being thoroughly disappointed by Narnia last weekend, I figured this weekend would just be spent by the beach for the holiday weekend because there wasn’t anything at the box office that interested me. However, after reading some of the reviews about the latest installment of the Indy franchise, I’m now curious to see it. The reviews, for the most part, have been very positive saying that the set pieces and action are awesome. I guess going with low expectations will save me the disappointment.

JE-C’S HOT NEW BANDS TO KEEP AN EYE ON:
The Ruse: Of all the submissions we have gotten, this band is by far the most impressive, at least in my humble opinion. Imagine a hybrid of U2 and Coldplay, with an amazingly polished sound for an unsigned band. If they aren’t on your radar yet, they should be. They’ll be rockin’ the El Rey this Saturday night, and I would definitely put the show on your to-do list if you’re in town. For you folks on the East Coast, don’t worry—they’ll be playing the Bowery Ballroom next month. This is a must-see event that even I will be leaving the house to attend. Hear them at www.myspace.com/rusemusic

Lisa Bouchelle: This up-and-coming singer/songwriter, in the mold of Sheryl Crow, Colbie Cailat, and Sara Bareilles, is garnering a lot of buzz and has been deemed a “superstar” by renowned radio promoter Michele Clark. Her album, completed last year at Jon Bon Jovi’s home studio, was released on her own label and distributed by Fontana. Additionally, it has been picked up for the new Starbucks download kiosk program. Lisa just finished recording a duet with John Popper of Blues Traveler, as the two did a national tour last fall. Written with Lost Highway Records recording artist John Eddie, the song is a late-night, hook-up-at-the-bar song, similar in feel to the Kid Rock/Sheryl Crow duet "Picture." It's being co-produced by Tony Black, who has a Grammy for the album Diary of Alicia Keys. Lisa is a seasoned performer who has sung backup for Rob Thomas, Jon Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen. She’s truly an amazing artist; check her out at www.myspace.com/lisabouchelle

J Rice: This guy truly has as an amazing voice that is definitely worth checking out. Is he the next big star? I think if he gets hooked up with the right sitch, he could very well be. Check out the link, and you be the judge: www.myspace.com/jrice

Here are some other cool bands/artists to check out:
Boyce Avenue: www.myspace.com/boyceavenue
Woven: www.myspace.com/woven
The Head Set: www.myspace.com/theheadset
The Shackeltons: www.myspace.com/theshackeltons
Sharon Little: www.sharonlittle.com

Science & Fiction is a modern-rock group based in Hollywood, FL, with worldwide ambitions and a uniquely refined sound. The band is rapidly making a name for itself by fusing the best elements of alternative, mainstream rock, industrial, classic rock and pop; all while winning the hearts and ears of listeners around the world by means of Internet promotion, radio play, independent distribution and word-of- mouth. To sum them up, they’re an Alice in Chains for a new generation; lead singer Rick Bauer has been described as Layne Staley reborn. The band currently has endorsement deals with Line 6 and Peavey amps. Their forthcoming album's 12 tracks were produced and recorded entirely independently, in a privately owned commercial recording facility (C5 Studios). The weasels have started sniffing around for good reason, and the group definitely warrants keeping an eye on. Check them out: www.myspace.com/scienceandfiction.

Your Black Star is a rock group from Kentucky with a killer sound. They’ll be playing a show at the Annex in New York on May 21, which we urge all you guys to come to. The band will be playing tracks from their last two releases, Beasts and Sound From the Ground, as well as brand new tracks that were recently written and recorded but not yet released. Also playing that night are buzzing N.Y. band Apollo Heights. A list of full-announced tour dates and music can be found at http://www.myspace.com/yourblackstar.

The Airborne Toxic Event: I was privy to some of their music, and I must say it’s quite sensational. They’re more of an artsy band, which is right up my alley, and I think they could be around for a while. They just signed to Shout! Factory and were lucky enough not to have to sign a 360 deal. The single “Sometime Around Midnight” is spinning on the radio now, and if you haven’t had the privilege to check them out, you should. http://www.myspace.com/theairbornetoxicevent.

16 Frames: The L.A. -based group is quite similar to The Fray, and after listening to the whole album several times, I’ve gotta say that it’s one of the best I’ve heard in ages. Loaded with really good songs, the album has a great feel to it, and I think it will appeal to people who like all different genres of music. You can sample some tracks at www.myspace.com/16frames, and the album is available at the iTunes Store.