Bag It Up -- Oasis 1994-2009

I've been predicting the inevitability of this move for quite some time. I had this unsettling feeling that the last time I saw these guys back in December would be their NYC swan song. After Noel abruptly left the band during a string of European performances a couple months ago, fans near and far felt the death rattle. This band's future had since been put on life support, but it appears the plug was finally pulled this weekend. According to Rolling Stone, Liam Gallagher has announced that the band is "no more". Plummeting record sales coupled with a gradual slip into obscurity could have told you this was bound to happen, but we got fisticuffs in true Gallagher fashion. Well done, boys. It's been a (fairly) good 15-year run.

How long before that Noel solo project?

All About Soul

Back in September, the brains behind Oasis came up with a brilliant viral marketing strategy to promote Dig Out Your Soul. Before the album was even released, the songs were introduced to Subway street musicians all over New York. On September 12th, it was go time -- said musicians bombarded the subways with their own interpretations of the new Oasis tunes (most better than the original arrangements). MySpace was on board to promote the making of this project, and just released an 18-minute documentary which is actually a very interesting watch. Some of these faces are quite recognizable -- in fact I saw this guy Luke Ryan about an hour ago at the Grand Central shuttle stop.
Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul In The Streets

"Rockin' In The Free World" (Literally...) - Neil Young/Wilco 12/16/2008 @ MSG & Oasis/Ryan Adams & The Cardinals 12/17/2008 @ MSG

Ok, so this is probably the only time I will consolidate two reviews in one post, but I couldn't think of a better reason to do so given my very fortunate situation this week. One of the best perks of my job is that it affords me free tickets to some pretty excellent shows. So was the case Tuesday and Wednesday night when I partook in back-to-back nights of Neil Young/Wilco and Oasis/Ryan Adams at the world's most famous arena. Considering the lack of sleep, the extended setlists, and the fact that my seats were nearly the same for each show, both evenings seemed to have bled into one -- further convincing me that I can do as damn well please/do one writeup.

Sadly, I was a Wilco virgin before Tuesday night. This band had been on my checklist for years (along with Radiohead and Death Cab), so it was a pleasure to cross them off despite the all-to-short hour that was allotted for them. This shortened stint didn't mean that they came out any less gangbusters. Jeff Tweedy was in really good spirits and looked legitimately happy to playing in front of the sold-out crowd. I've never seen an MSG opening band receive such a well-attended reception more so than these guys. This being said, most of the asses were already in the seats to watch these guys play their mellow folk/jam/alt-country blend of rock (note to promoters: if Kings of Leon and Interpol can headline the Garden, I think Wilco just made a pretty loud statement). Their 10-song set comprised of scattered material from their soon-to-be-classic oeuvre. The set kicked off with "I Am Your Face," a tune off of their latest Sky Blue Sky, before segueing into Yankee Hotel Foxtrot's confessional opening track, "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart." The boys got a little more upbeat with "Handshake Drugs" and "A Shot In The Arm" before mellowing it down easy with the jam-bandy "Impossible Germany." Nels Cline's incendiary solo received a warm reception and had the Garden crowd on its feet. Tweedy welcomed a trio of backup singers (later jokingly referred to as Puss 'n Boots) before busting out my favorite tune off of YHF, "Jesus Etc." Tweedy then announced the birthday of his 13-year-old son Spencer and brought him out to play drums on "The Late Greats." The audience thoroughly enjoyed this father/son moment, and Tweedy, in turn, responded with something along the lines of, "You are now a man, it's all down here from here." The band went on to play "Walken," another single of off SBS, before closing with the customary "I Am The Man Who Loves You." An hour of pure perfection.

Little did I realize that the evening was just getting started. Neil Young came on just after 10 PM with an elaborate stage set-up that included Native American statues, light-up letters, and a person painting abstract art in the background (knowing Neil, these will be auctioned off for some charity). I joked that the scene looked more like a garage sale than anything else, but when you consider all of the different elements of Americana that Neil has accumulated throughout his illustrious career, this mess of potpourri only seemed fitting. Mr. Young came out nice and loud with "Love and Only Love" off of 1990's Crazy Horse collaboration, Ragged Glory. The blaring guitars ensued with the classic rock station staples "Hey Hey, My My" and "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." The faithful in attendance, which included the old and the new, got its figurative rocks off during the opening chords of "Powderfinger," and the 63-old Young appeared as youthful and he did 35 years ago. His band proceeded to slow it down about with a relatively new number "Spirit Road" before blazing through a hair-raising version of "Cortez The Killer." Just when you thought a bulk of his hits were exhausted for the evening, Neil came out guns blazing with "Cinnamon Girl" -- his vintage signature falsetto tenor in full swing.

Neil gave the band a break for a bit in favor of an intimate set that included the Chet Atkins gem "Oh, Lonesome Me," an organ-arranged "Mother Earth," and the flawless solo acoustic version "The Needle And The Damage Done." Young's supporting band came back out to liven up the mood with a string of rockabilly-inspired songs that included "Cough Up The Bucks," "Fuel Line," and "Hit The Road." Neil then traded in his Les Paul for his Gibson acoustic and busted out litany of softer fan favorites that seemed to beautifully contrast the edgier start of the evening. "Unknown Legend" was followed by a pair of his most recognized Harvest-era songs: "Heart of Gold" and the chilling "Old Man." We got to experience the hoedown side of Neil with the bluegrass-tinged "Get Back To The Country." Every set has its lull, and this evening's occurred towards the tail-end of the show with the forgettable combination that was "Off The Road," "When Worlds Collide," and "Just Singin' A Song." But have no fear, there was absolutely no way Neil was going to let us down (needless to say he didn't). Young came back roaring with "Cowgirl In The Sand" before inviting Wilco (and other opener Everest, who I missed) to join in with evening closer "Rockin' In The Free World." And yes I will go on the record to say, this version was infinitely better than the multiple times I've seen Pearl Jam play it. The hour was already well past midnight, so I had assumed an encore was out of the question. Neil had already played over twenty songs and there's only so much a guitar-swinging, head-banging 63-year old can handle, right? Wrong. Neil came back with "Get Behind The Wheel" and finished the night off with a surprisingly spot-on version of "A Day In The Life" -- sound effects and all.

It is unfathomable to wrap your head around the fact that Neil Young is a 60-something rocker than is still in top form. Considering the shelf-life of most musicians and the fact that the man has had some near-death experiences, you would have thought there would be some frayed edges or loose screws after 40-plus consistent years in the business. Maybe for Bob Dylan. Not for Neil Young. The man is the most legendary rock act you can possibly enjoy these days (key word enjoy). He is one of a kind, so I implore you in all that is holy about rock music to please take advantage while you can.

Enough blabbering. On to night number two. I really wish the order of the concerts had been reversed. I love Oasis and Ryan Adams (obviously), but there's no topping Neil Young. It's almost an insult to see ANYBODY perform the day after such a legend. Despite this, I soldiered on and partook in some mid-90's Britpop. Beforehand, I was fortunate enough to witness Ryan Adams & The Cardinals play what I consider to be a curtailed encore performance of the Halloween show. Like Wilco, Ryan and crew were limited to just under and hour, and likewise, were only able to get through 10 songs. As usual, Adams' performance was as fluid as it's ever been. Very little stage interaction, and little variance from the set list from his recent tour. I won't go on about the details too much because nine of the ten songs he played were from Cardinology and Easy Tiger, and I think I've driven my stance of this into the ground. As packed as the Garden was for Wilco's performance the prior night, it was pathetically vacuous for Ryan. Perhaps a Ryan Adams/Oasis pairing didn't sit to well with the diehards as much as it did for me. I noticed there were a few cheers during closers "Come Pick Me Up" and "Magick," but other than this, it was a benign performance that will surely slip through the depths of the collective Oasis fans' memories.

As expected, Oasis came out roaring with a playback of "Fuckin' In the Bushes" -- the drum and bass intro song from Standing On The Shoulder of Giants. They've done this on every tour since so I can't say this came as a shock. The first actual song played by the band was the appropriately titled "Rock and Roll Star," a song that represents everything musically and egotistically that this band used to be. Contrast this with the next song, "Lyla," and you'll find a band that's lost its edge. Good thing the Gallaghers opted to lay low on its "fart in the wind" catalog that's only remained on the minds of those confined to Great Britain. For the most part, the Brits gave us Americans what we wanted to hear -- peak year '94-'96 Oasis hits. In between all of the dull new album drivel, we were given inspired renditions of "Cigarettes & Alcohol" (dedicated to the Limeys in attendance), "The Masterplan," "Slide Away," and "Morning Glory." Uncharacteristic to the band's typical stoic stage personality, Liam and Noel were actually quite talkative -- even going so far as mocking two sailors in uniform seated in the first couple of rows.

Much like Neil Young, the tail end of the set was chock full of tunes that put the crowd back into its seats ("Ain't Not Nothing," "The Importance of Being Idle," "I'm Outta Time"). But like Neil's "Cowgirl in The Sand" moment, Oasis resuscitated the night with a double shot of "Wonderwall" and "Supersonic." They left the stage to howls only to come back to give the crowd what it wanted. Noel and Andy Bell played a (mostly) acoustic version of "Don't Look Back In Anger" (an arrangement I've never heard before), and then brought the remaining band members back (sans Liam) to play the Noel-helmed "Falling Down," arguably the best tune off of Dig Out Your Soul. Noel asked if anyone in attendance happened to catch Neil Young the night before, to which he simply replied "Fucking brilliant." With Liam back in full tote, the guys played the final original song of the night, 1995's sweeping ballad "Champagne Supernova." What would an Oasis show be without a Lennon/McCartney cover? Two nights at the Garden, two psychedelic Beatles songs to close them out. This time I heard "I Am The Walrus," an Oasis live staple since I can remember.

Two days in the life, indeed.

12/16/2008

Wilco
You Are My Face
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Handshake Drugs
A Shot In The Arm
Impossible Germany
Jesus, Etc.
The Late Greats
Hate It Here
Walken
I'm The Man Who Loves You

Neil Young
Love And Only Love
Hey Hey, My My
Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
Powderfinger
Spirit Road
Cortez The Killer
Cinnamon Girl
Oh, Lonesome Me
Mother Earth
The Needle And The Damage Done
Light A Candle
Cough Up The Bucks
Fuel Line
Hit The Road
You Don't Need A Map
Unknown Legend
Heart Of Gold
Old Man
Get Back To The Country
Off The Road
When Worlds Collide
Just Singing A Song
Cowgirl In The Sand
Rockin' In The Free World w/ Wilco & Everest
---
Get Behind The Wheel
A Day In The Life

12/17/2008

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals
Cobwebs
Crossed Out Name
Everybody Knows
Fix It
Off Broadway
Go Easy
Sink Ships
Natural Ghost
Come Pick Me Up
Magick

Oasis
Rock 'n' Roll Star
Lyla
The Shock Of The Lightning
Cigarettes & Alcohol
The Meaning Of Soul
To Be Where There's Life
Waiting For The Rapture
The Masterplan
Songbird
Slide Away
Morning Glory
Ain't Got Nothin'
The Importance Of Being Idle
I'm Outta Time
Wonderwall
Supersonic
---
Don't Look Back In Anger
Falling Down
Champagne Supernova
I Am The Walrus

*Pictures courtesy of BrooklynVegan.com

The Best of Times, The Worst of Times (Part 1)

I guess we've exhausted all of the great new album releases for the year. I know I've been a little inactive as of late, but a lack of anticipated releases will do this to a guy. That being said, I literally cannot read a blog or music publication without avoiding an artist or editor's picks of the year. Rolling Stone's top-50 list is an abomination, fyi. I guess it's that time of season, so why not jump on the retrospective bandwagon? The rest of this year's blog articles (for the most part) will list the best and worst that this year had to offer in music. So here it goes, folks:

Best Comeback of 2008:
R.E.M.
For awhile, R.E.M. was arguably the most consistent band on this side of the Atlantic. These guys couldn't put out a bad record if they tried. That was, until Bill Berry left. The departure of an original member seemed to throw these guys out of whack. The band's last excellent effort was 1996's New Adventures In Hi-Fi. After releasing a string of mediocre albums in the late 90's/early 00's, the band came roaring back with the aggressive Accelerate, which came out this April. Not since 1994's Monster have we heard R.E.M. so inspired. These guys are like the Kurt Warner of rock bands. This album successfully rejuvenated what was otherwise considered as a finished career. Welcome back, boys.

Worst "Comeback" of 2008:
Counting Crows
I was rooting for these guys, I honestly was. August and Everything After changed my life in the 90's, and This Dessert Life was one of the most underrated albums of the past decade (aside from "Hanginaround"). I still believe Adam Duritz is an extremely talented songwriter in the same vein as Bruce Springsteen, so I marked my calender this past March when the Crows' oft-delayed first album in nearly six years (Saturday Nights & Sunday Mornings) finally came out. The good news is that it did come out. The bad news is that it did nothing for me. I liked what I heard, but nothing stuck. Before I knew it, this one became undeserving of my iPod real estate. Too bad.

Best Album Artwork of 2008:
Sigur Ros - Með suð í eyrum við spilum endalaust
Who doesn't love streakers? I can't think of an album cover that better accentuates the feel the music contained inside. "Gobbldigook" is as free-spirited as Iceland's best band has ever been. Why not get naked and run around?







Worst Album Artwork of 2008:
My Morning Jacket - Evil Urges
Yikes! This may be the only time I agree with Pitchfork Media, but they put it best when they said this looks more like "Brian Dennehey trying to crack the DaVinci Code."








Worst Album Artwork Trend of 2008:
Stealing masterpieces
If you know me, you know that I love art and history. Luckily, living in New York affords me the opportunity to check out the best that the world has to offer in these departments. For museums, this is just fine. Record shops, no thank you. For some reason, several bands in 2008 took the concept of album "artwork" too literally. Now I'm not asking for a simple mug shot of the band (a la Gaslight Anthem), but using a masterpiece to represent your own body of work is just too pretentious for me. Even if you are Coldplay. Still don't know what I'm taking about? Well Chris Martin and crew tapped Eugene Delacroix's "Liberty Leading The People" for Viva La Vida and then AGAIN for the follow-up EP Prospekt's March -- this time using "Battle of Poitiers". Coldplay's not the only guilty party here. As much as I love the band, the Fleet Foxes made the same blunder. They used Bruegel's 16th century painting, "Netherlandish Proverbs."

Do these look familiar? It's not just Joe Satriani's work that's being "borrowed" by Coldplay.



Best Attempted Crossover of 2008:
Panic At The Disco - Pretty. Odd.
The exclamation point at the end of the name wasn't the only thing this emo-branded band dropped. They also departed ways with the signature Fueled By Ramen sound most associated with acts like Fall Out Boy and Cobra Starship. Rather than duplicating the pattern that helped them bombard the VMA's two years ago, the guys opted to escape their inevitable kitschy fate by choosing to create a virtual homage to Sergeant Pepper's -- bells, whistles, and all. The end result is damn good. Songs like "Nine In The Afternoon" and "When The Day Met The Night" are crafted beautifully. One of the best surprises of the year for sure.

Worst Attempted Crossover of 2008:
Oasis (...again) - Dig Out Your Soul
The Gallaghers should one of two things: 1) take lessons from Brendon Urie about how to make a Beatles-sounding album 2) give up entirely on trying to make a Beatles-sounding album. Here we go again -- Oasis shamelessly trying to be something they're not. When this band was amazing, they sounded more like the Stone Roses and this just fit. The guitars were noisy, Liam's voice was distorted, and the bass was thumping. Bottom line, it rocked. They started going to shit at about album number four (Standing On the Shoulder of Giants), when they literally thought they were the next incarnation of Lennon/McCartney. Their sound has since waned, culminating in the utter failure that was this year's attempt at a psychedelic album. Whatever, I still love them.

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.

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

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.

It's Getting Worse (Man!!)

Fans who were lucky enough to score tickets to tomorrow night's exclusive Oasis show at Terminal 5 will, needless to say, be bummed. According to the band's website, the show has been cancelled due to the injuries Noel Gallagher suffered earlier this week from the that freak stage stormer who threw him to the ground in Toronto. Apparently Gallagher's now on the disabled list with nasty rib and hip injuries. The good news is that boys will likely be back later this fall to promote Dig Out Your Soul. Just no more club show unfortunately.

Falling Down

Karma's a bitch. Just ask Noel Gallagher -- the front man with very loose lips as of late. This past weekend, he and Oasis played the Toronto Virgin Festival. But it wans't the band's set people were talking about. Apparently, someone wanted to shut him up the hard way. During "Morning Glory," a crazed fan bumrushed the stage and bulldozed Gallagher mid-song. It was caught on tape and is of course now the toast of the town over in YouTube land. Scroll over to the minute-and-a-half mark to see said spill. Despite the nasty tumple, the band finished their headlining set. 

The Shock of Redemption?

If you're not a fan of Oasis, you might want to steer clear from this blog for the next couple of months. If you knew me when I was 15, you'll remember that I was mad 'fer it -- it being Oasis' music circa their Morning Glory/Be Here Now days. Seeing how the interwebs have been going nuts for the band's new single, this is a good sign that Dig Out Your Soul may very well be their highly anticipated return to greatness. I'm digging what I hear thus far (sorry, had to). Here's the video, which applies the special effects the Rolling Stones were doing thirty-five years ago. Enjoy.
And just so we're on the same page, this is late, great, overblown Oasis of yesteryear that I'm talking about:

Letting It All Out

According to the band's website, Oasis will be playing the intimate (for them) NYC venue Terminal 5 on September 12th. To get tickets to this exclusive event, you have to register for some lame lottery system HERE. Good luck -- this will obviously be a tough ticket.

The Importance of Being Ample

For a band that wants nothing to do with Radiohead, Oasis are kind of following in the footsteps of their fellow countrymen. According to the band's website, Oasis will be releasing a box set version of their upcoming Dig Out Your Soul. The entire package will retail for a pricey $99, and will contain four vinyl discs (?!?), two cd's, a dvd, and a hardcover book -- all encased in an embossed box. What? They couldn't splurge for the leather bound option? Thanks, but no thanks. And for the record, this sounds awfully similar to the nice little package Radiohead put together for the vinyl release of In Rainbows. But then again, the brothers Gallagher have never been known for their originality.

In other Oasis news, here's a first listen of the new single, "The Shock of Lightning":

A Quick Peep

We're finally getting an official taste of the first new Oasis material since 2005. Although demos of some of Dig Out Your Soul's tracks were leaked earlier this year, the band has officially made available one of the album's cuts. The track here is called "Falling Down." The first radio single will be "The Shock of Lightning," which hits radio this month.

Go Let It Out

Information has streamed in today about Oasis' new album, Dig Out Your Soul. As reported, the record, which is being released independently through the band's Big Brother Recordings, surfaces October 6th in the States. Today the full tracklisting and album art was revealed as shown below. As always, the band is doing their best to pretend they are like the Beatles. Revolver, much?

Track Listing
Bag It Up
The Turning
Waiting For The Rapture
The Shock Of The Lightning
I’m Outta Time
(Get Off Your) High Horse Lady
Falling Down
To Be Where There’s Life
Ain’t Got Nothin’
The Nature of Reality
Soldier On

Where Did It All Go Wrong?

It looks like Jay-Z got the last laugh in the ongoing feud with Noel Gallagher. Last night, the rapper/producer/P.I.M.P. extraordinaire mocked the lads by performing a rather hilarious version of "Wonderwall" on the band's home turf at Glastonbury. The rivalry started a couple of months ago when Gallagher didn't exactly stamp his seal of approval over Jigga's headlining stint at the British festival. Take a look:

Bring It On Down

Well, I guess I'll just keep 'em coming. It was announced yesterday that Oasis will be releasing their seventh studio release on October 6th. Their first new record since 2005's Don't Believe The Truth will be called Dig Out Your Soul, and will feature the leadoff single "The Shock of Lightning." The song will hit radio on September 29th -- just a week before the album. According to Noel Gallagher, “If ‘The Shock Of The Lightning’ sounds instant and compelling to you, it’s because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast. ‘The Shock of The Lightning’ basically is the demo. And it has retained its energy. And there’s a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best.”

Taking a page from their book, I'm gonna choose to not believe the truth. I literally worshiped these guys in like 1997, but Oasis really hasn't done for me (or Americans, for that matter) in about a decade, so we'll see if this one is finally able to make a splash. The band will be playing a brief stint of Canadian dates this summer with Ryan Adams & The Cardinals.