Panic! Discuss New LP, Due in March; MC Marina Exits Bonde Do Role

Awww… they're all grown up; Yes, even the once wide-eyed youngsters of emo rockers Panic! At the Disco have matured and discovered new musical influences to boot: The sound of the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan, and the Beach Boys all have a hand in shaping the Las Vegas-based quartet's forthcoming yet-to-be titled album, due Mar. 25 via Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen, guitarist/lyricist Ryan Ross told Billboard.com.

"When I started playing music, all I was hearing was whatever was on the radio," Ross said. "I'm 21 now, so a lot of my musical tastes have changed… We just wanted the record to sound like four people playing a song," Ross continues. "A lot of the songs are definitely more geared toward playing live; we didn't think about that on the last record." In addition to featuring horn and string orchestral arrangements, the new LP showcases "harmonica on a song" and "some slide guitar, which we've never done before," he states. Of the completed tunes, Ross cites titles like "Things Have Changed" and "Nine in the Afternoon," both lyrical departures focusing on "our situation now and how things are a lot different than they were on the last record."

Though dates have yet-to-be revealed, Panic! At the Disco will embark on a theater tour of the U.S. in March.

MC Marina Exits Bonde Do Role

Sadly, the once through the roof levels of indie rock hip gyrating are set to diminish for Marina Vello, the feral frontwoman of Brazil's purveyors of baile funk Bonde Do Role, has departed the band. According to a MySpace bulletin, the outfit's remaining members, DJ (Rodrigo) Gorky and Pedro D'Eyrot, state her departure was "due to several internal problems between us," resulting in the cancellation of "a lot of our shows from the European tour" and "the scheduled Australian tour."

"We wish her all the best in whatever she decides to do with her future, and she can always count on us as friends," the post read. "We are working these issues [out] right now as we speak, and we hope we can make it up to everyone who we let down this year, in the most awesome way we can!" [Via Pitchfork]

Explosions in the Sky Return to Road in '08

Though bombs bursting in air are typically a July occurrence, Texas-bred rockers Explosions in the Sky will return their colorful, cinematic tunes to the road this spring with an 18-date nationwide tour set to kick off in Tucson Mar. 14. Fans in cities like San Diego, Salt Lake City, Chicago, and Atlanta are in luck for Explosions in the Sky will detonate in local venues during the months of March and April.

Explosions in the Sky tour dates:

3/14, Tucson, AZ (Rialto Theatre)
3/15, San Diego, CA (Soma)
3/17, Los Angeles, CA (Wiltern)
3/24, Salt Lake City, UT (In the Venue)
3/25, Aspen, CO (Belly Up)
3/26, Denver, CO (Ogden Theatre)
3/28, Lawrence, KS (Granada Theatre)
3/29, St. Louis, MO (The Pageant)
3/30, Milwaukee, WI (Pabst Theater)
4/1, Chicago, IL (Congress Theatre)
4/2, Grand Rapids, MI (Calvin College)
4/3, Cleveland, OH (Beachland Ballroom)
4/4, Buffalo, NY (Tralf Music Hall)
4/6, Farmingdale, NY (Crazy Donkey)
4/8, New York, NY (Terminal 5)
4/9, Philadelphia, PA (Starlight Ballroom)
4/11, Norfolk, VA (NorVa)
4/13, Atlanta, GA (Variety Playhouse)