Harlem Incident

According to his website, Bob Dylan will be playing a show at Harlem's United Palace Theatre on November 21st. Tickets will be exclusive only to readers of bobdylan.com. Not sure what this means, but they go on sale TOMORROW at 10 AM on his website. Accordingly, a password will provided just before the on-sale time on Dylan's Live and In Person! page. If you are a real music fan, you need to make the pilgrimage to see Dylan at least once in your life (despite what he may or may not sound like now). It's worth it.

Internet Killed The Video Star

While I will normally don't have the nicest things to say about the current state of MTV, they might actually score some points for their most recent move. Viacom just launched a new site called "MTV Music," which is essentially an easy-to-navigate, revamped repository of pretty much every video that's been (or, lately, not been) on MTV from the past 25 years. I see some redundancy issues with the site's title, but I'll let 'em slide. Anyway, the videos are much better quality than YouTube, and you don't have to bumble through amateurs' crappy renditions when you type in a song title or band. I've done a little spot-checking for my favorite videos from 1994 and so far, so good.

If you're bored at work, or just want to kill some time, here are some of the best music videos of all time to start you off:

Dinosaur Jr. - "Feel The Pain"
Wax - "California"
Nada Surf - "Popular"

Dig Out The Tunes

I don't know what to make of this news. Three week's after the release of Dig Out Your Soul, Noel Gallagher has claimed he has already finished the next Oasis record. According to NME, Gallagher has revealed two song titles from obviously still-untitled album: "I Want to Live in a Dream In My Record Machine" and "Come On It's Alright". He went to declare that the next album will be vastly different from Dig Out Your Soul, which to me, is the best news I've heard all year on the Oasis front. If he wisely took away other band members' songwriting privileges on this one, maybe this will be the comeback album I've been anticipating. Here's the full article, which also discusses the possibility of Noel Gallagher solo record.

The Greatest Man That Ever Lived...

...well, only for today I guess. Weezer's weirdo front man is releasing another album of demos/rare material to complement last year's record. But the best news about this is clearly the album cover, which was reveled this morning in all it's glory. Sadly enough, I can't distinguish this haricut from the androgynous singer from Tokio Hotel -- who apparently takes himself (herself?) way too seriously. Alone II comes out November 25th.

Mixology

Well, the day is finally upon us. We got ourselves a new Ryan Adams record to add to the library. An occasion like this will even get me out of the woodwork (Yes, been MIA for awhile. Bear with me!). It should be noted that today's release marks a milestone for the singer-songwriter -- Cardinology is his tenth studio release in his eight years as a solo (well, kinda solo) artist. And these are counting just his "official" releases. His unreleased albums tend to be the favorites amongst the diehards. So yes, point is, the man takes prolific to a whole new level. And while I've always maintained that, musically, quality should supersede quantity, I'll give Ryan free reign to do as he pleases. The bad news is that if you are as huge a Ryan Adams fan as I am, you've noticed that this new record hasn't exactly been well-received in the fan forum community. It's been prematurely lambasted on everything from it's title, album artwork (which does suck), and "what the hell was he thinking" tracklisting. The good news is that all of this bad mojo is pure poppycock. What we simply have here is Adams in rare form. Let me explain.

Like Bob Dylan, it's apparent that Ryan is never comfortable in one place for an extended period of time. His sound/inspirations tend to change as fast as the playlists on his iPod. While previous albums have maintained consistent trends (Heartbreaker was pure alt-country, Rock N Roll was strictly garage rock, 29 was mostly piano ballads), this one is all over the place stylistically -- hence the title. Cardinology seems to sum up the different styles that Ryan has embraced since Heartbreaker. The way I see it, this is kind of a greatest hits record that consists of completely new material (if that makes sense). Ryan even goes so far as dabbling in previously uncharted territory here -- the first single "Fix It" marks Adams' first foray into the R&B realm (hard to believe, but listen to the intro). "Magick," which has had it's fair share of criticism as of late, reprises Ryan's 2003 infatuation with abrasive 70's garage rock. Oddly enough, Rock and Roll is one of my favorite Ryan albums, so this is all gravy in my book. The painfully confessional "Cobwebs" and "Crossed Out Name" follow suit musically -- abandoning the pedal-steel guitar entirely we've all grown accustomed to as of late to favor a much more rock-influenced sound. "Natural Ghost" is Cardinology's most traditional-sounding Ryan Adams track; this one would fit beautifully on Cold Roses or Jacksonville City Nights. "Let Us Down Easy" is a sweet little ditty that proves Ryan has done his homework in Blues 101. The record wouldn't be complete without a piano-laden number. Fans of Love Is Hell will embrace the melancholy "Stop," which closes out the record, and is incidentally perfect seasonal music for late fall/early winter.

Although longtime fans might be initially turned off by Ryan's musical ADD on this one, I am predicting that Cardinology will receive some acclaim once the dust settles and it inevitably dies off the charts in a couple of weeks. Although there is admittedly no rhyme or reason to the album's sequencing, if you take the record track-by-track, you be hard pressed to find a bad tune. Taking this into account, this is the perfect chance to get on the bandwagon. If you haven't given Adams your attention for the past eight years, now's the chance to see what he's all about. Think of Cardinology as one of those sampler appetizer platters you get at TGI Fridays; you get all the killer and none of the filler. And as someone who loves to eat, this is never ever a bad thing.

My Rating: 8.0/10

P.S. See you Halloweenheads on Friday. If you don't know what this means, don't worry about it!

5 Years

Hard to believe it's been 5 years since Elliott Smith's passing. I remember I was in my basement dorm room when I heard the unfortunate news. I've said it once and I'll say it again -- it boggles the mind what kind of songs this guy would pen if he were still with us. Do yourself a favor and listen to some Elliott before you go to bed. It will put you to sleep in the best way possible. For those unfamiliar to his catalog, here are some good starting off points:

"Needle In The Hay"

"Say Yes"

"Angeles"

"Coming Up Roses"

"Son of Sam"

"Twilight"

"Christian Brothers"

"New Monkey"

"All Cleaned Out"

"Whatever (Folk Song In C)"

"Beacause" (Beatles Cover)

"Thirteen" (Big Star Cover)

"Looking Over My Shoulder"

"Between The Bars"

....although you really can't go wrong AT ALL.

R.I.P. Elliott

Halloweenhead 2k8

As predicted by yours truly, Ryan Adams & The Cardinals have added a New York City date to their current outing. In the spirit of last year's dubbed "Halloweenhead" show, the guys are getting back together to play again on Halloween. If this becomes an annual tradition (which it's looking like), I am going to be one happy camper. The better news -- the Cardinals have forsaken the overrated Hammerstein Ballroom this year and will doing it all at the legendary Apollo Theater in Harlem. Which is 100% badass. The presale has unfortunately ended, but tickets "officially" go on sale tomorrow night at 10 PM. You read that right, PM not AM.

Guess Who's Back

It looks like Eminem is officially back from the dead. Rumors have been floating around for months about an impending comeback album that was on pace to hit shelves by end of year 2008. The bad news is that 2008 was a bit ambitious. The good news is that early 2009 is a definite. And what's better, the record even has a name. The album is called Relapse, and of course is (mostly)produced by confidant Dr. Dre (who also has an album coming out called Detox). No exact dates or futher details just yet. This will be the first Eminem album in over four years, the last of course being 2004's Encore.

Still Soul Searching

Oasis are a hell of a lot like the New York Mets. For one, the level of hype that preceeds each is staggering -- so much so, that it becomes nearly impossible for either to live up the high expectations. Secondly, neither has had relative success in over a decade. Sure, the Mets made it to World Series in 2000 (and nearly again two years ago), and yes, people in England still wet themselves over the Gallagher brothers, but other than that, it's been disappointment city -- especially in these parts. Music fans and sports fans alike have turned their heads towards newer and sexier alternatives (i.e. Coldplay and the Rays), leaving my team and my band in the dust. But I will always, always be a believer. No matter how dire the situation gets, I will never lose faith in the Amazins or the self-proclaimed best band in the world. Every time spring rolls around, in the same fashion that every time new album hype begins to swell, I'm back onboard -- hoping and praying that each will return to its former [morning] glory.

So suffice it to say, last Tuesday I shelled out the $13 required to purchase the special edition of Dig Out Your Soul -- Oasis' highly-anticipated first release in three years. No single-disc editions for this guy. You're damn right I'm going to be suckered in to paying a few extra dollars for that worthless behind-the-scenes DVD. And yes, just checked, no bonus tracks on the edition I bought. Crap. Scammed again. Anyway, I really thought this one was going to be it. The band's latest single, "The Shock of Lightning," is unquestionably the most aggressive-sounding single and closest thing to Definitely Maybe I've heard since 1997's Be Here Now. Ever since the band got blasted for the decadence and pretentiousness that riddled their third release, they have been obsessed with experimentation. And while I normally applaud artists for mixing it up and breaking away from the status quo, this began to get very old very fast for my once-favorite band. All I've been asking for for the past decade is a single like "Shock," so needless to say I was ecstatic that maybe -- just maybe -- the boys were finally able to re-crack the code that helped them create what was arguably the best 1-2-3 punch of the past twenty years (Definitely Maybe, Morning Glory, Be Here Now).

But alas, this new one is better equated to Oasis' mediocre second string of albums (Standing On the Shoulder of Giants, Heathen Chemistry, Don't Believe The Truth), more so than anything else. And sure, like all recent Oasis failures, this one has it's moments. But unfortunately, it pretty much it's all smoke, mirrors, and a return to bad habits on Soul. I'll give the band credit for wisely selecting what is easily the album's best song as their first single, but other than that, you'll be hard-pressed to find anything else that even comes close to touching their material from yesteryear. And it really is unfortunate considering that this one was recorded at the famed Abbey Road studios. The band had all the bells and whistles at their disposal, and evidently still couldn't spark very many creative fires. Ironically, it appears that everything was dug up on this one but soul. We're given plentiful interludes between songs (one of which blatantly steals the intro to "Dear Prudence"), sitar cameos, John Lennon excerpts -- you name it, they experiment with it. Unfortunately, all of this simply equates to convenient distractions clearly meant to mask the mostly stale sounds of the 11 tracks. And don't get me started with the lyrical content. Admittedly these guys have never been poets, but this is simply dreadful. You should never judge a song by its title, but Dig Out Your Soul proves there is always an exception. "Bag It Up," "Ain't Got Nothin'," and "I'm Outta Time," couldn't be more dead-on descriptively. While we are given a little bit of a respite on the Noel-helmed "Falling Down," this one sounds like it's already been remixed by the Chemical Brothers. So yeah, this is no Oasis I came to grow and love. And although "Wonderwall" is unquestionably the song that has paid the bills for these guys, the Gallaghers need to stop attempting ballads and get back to going all shoegaze on our asses. I still say Liam's vocals are complemented best with layered, wall-of-sound guitars (see "Morning Glory"). But hey, just like there's always next season, there's always next album.

My Rating: 5.0/10

Killer Coverage

The Killers have released the album artwork for Day& Age, which comes out November 25th. In case you missed it, the band played SNL this past week, premiering "Human" and "Spaceman" to national audiences. This is going to be a great album, I assure you.

And by the way, I am indeed still alive. Just a little busier now. I'll try not to be as M.I.A. in the future, and try to keep this thing going as much as I can. Keep you eyes peeled for more frequent updates.

Got It Covered

If two albums of cover songs were just not enough, oh yes, there's more. The always sultry Chan Michell will be releasing yet another record of covers this holiday season. Unfortunately, we're only getting an EP this time -- no full album. The record, which comes out 12/9, will be called Dark End of The Street, and will contain just six songs -- two of which are Aretha Franklin standards. Listen, this is all good to me because quite frankly this chick could do no wrong in my book. I am completely in love with Cat Power. Easily the sexiest voice out there. Period. And she's not too bad on the eyes either. Here's the tracklisting:

01 "Auld Triangle" (The Pogues)
02 "Dark End Of The Street" (James Carr, Aretha Franklin)
03 "Who Knows Where The Time Goes (Sandy Denny / Fairport Convention)
04 "Fortunate Son" (Creedence Clearwater Revivial)
05 "I've Been Loving You Too Long" (To Stop Now) (Otis Redding)
06 "It Ain't Fair" (Aretha Franklin)

Beautiful Sorta

And in the "yesterday's news" file, Oasis have confirmed the speculated late-fall tour dates that so many people have been talking about. The better news is that Ryan Adams & The Cardinals will be the support for all dates. Finally, we get a NYC Ryan Adams date, sort of. The New York show will take place at MSG on December 17th, barring any freak stage incidents. It's as if the musical gods have answered my prayers. For one night only my favorite band from 1996 will be on the same bill as my favorite band from 2006. I find this amazing/weird at the all at once. Here are the dates:

Dec. 3: Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena
Dec. 6: Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl
Dec. 8: Denver, CO - Broomfield Events Ctr
Dec. 10: Minneapolis, MN - Target Center
Dec. 12: Chicago, IL - Allstate Arena
Dec. 13: Detroit, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills
Dec. 15: London, ON - John LaBatt Centre
Dec. 17: New York, NY - Madison Sq. Garden
Dec. 19: Camden, NJ - Susquehanna Center
Dec. 20: Fairfax, VA - GMU Patriot Center

The new Oasis album, Dig Out Your Soul, comes out on Tuesday.

I Don't Care That Much

...but in care you were wondering, here is the tracklisting for the new Fall Out Boy record that comes out coincidentally on Election Day. There might be a few more important goings-on come November 4th. FOB, on the other hand, is way on the bottom of my to-do list:

01) Disloyal Order of Water Buffaloes
02) I Don't Care
03) She's My Winona
04) America's Suitehearts
05) Headfirst Slide Into Cooperstown on a Bad Bet
06) The (Shipped) Gold Standard
07) (Coffee's for Closers)
08) What a Catch, Donnie
09) 27
10) Tiffany Blew

On a separate note, what, no "Love Lockdown"?