New York's Z100 is playing Britney Spears's single "Gimme More" on the all-things-Britney portion of the station's website. Jive confirmed Friday that it will release her first full-length album in four years on Nov. 13
The New York Daily News reports that Spears will perform the song at the MTV Video Music Awards on Sept. 9 while illusionist Criss Angel makes her disappear.

Blaming "a disturbed person or one of Nixon's retired dirty tricksters" for spreading rumors about a cancellation, Sunday's Summer of Love celebration is still taking place at Speedway Meadows in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.
Moby Grape will still be reuniting, Country Joe will be counting, and musicians associated with San Francisco back when Jerry Garcia could have run for mayor and won will be on hand.

Neil Young's manager Elliot Roberts took Neil's "Chrome Dreams II" Warner Bros' headquarters in England and France where the response was enthusiastic according to Young's website.
Apparently, their enjoyment means Young may very well head across the pond to do a press tour along the Seine and the Thames.
Seeing as how this album was generated by an archival search that reminded him he had never finished the first "Chrome Dreams," Young is now prepared to add one of his earliest live recordings to his Neil Young Archive series. Young has dug up tapes made at the Riverboat, a Toronto coffee house he played soon after the break-up of Buffalo Springfield. Young and his Reprise are looking at an early 2008 release date.
Young also plans to use tracks from "The Riverboat" as bonus material for different incarnations of "Chrome Dreams II" being offered at different retailers. The Archive series has seen two releases of concerts from 1971, an electric set in New York and an acoustic show in Toronto.   

Q Magazine has polled 50 recording artists, among them Michael Stipe, John Legend and the leader of Travis, to create a list of "Perfect Songs." (Since Leonard Cohen wrote "Hallelujah," they actually mean perfect records).
The winners, in no particular order:

Bitter Sweet Symphony - The Verve
Blowin' In The Wind - Bob Dylan
Born To Run - Bruce Springsteen
God Only Knows - The Beach Boys
Hallelujah - Jeff Buckley
Life On Mars - David Bowie
Perfect Day - Lou Reed
Strange Fruit - Billie Holiday
Strawberry Fields Forever - Beatles
Sympathy For The Devil - Rolling Stones

A few of the indidviduals provide their picks here while Q provides the videos.
Personally, I'll agree with Blowin' In The Wind, Born To Run, God Only Knows and Hallelujah and throw in Marvin Gaye's What's Going On, John Coltrane's Naima, Paul Simon's Graceland, Thelonious Monk's 1947 version of 'Round Midnight, R.E.M.'s Nightswimming, Otis Redding's I've Been Loving You Too Long, NRBQ's Riding in My Car and Junior Murvin's Police and Thieves. Naturally, the list changes depending on the day.

The news has been out there for a week and it has even confounded some scribes. The vinyl edition of Bruce Springsteen's "Magic" will be released Sept. 25, one week ahead of the CD and the digital edition.
Where many retailers and fans complain that vinyl editions follow the release of a CD, by moving up the Springsteen album, the release date falls within the eligibility window for the 50th annual Grammy Awards.
Imagine, though, if Columbia stumbles into something here. Vinyl continues to grow in popularity despite the consistently high prices.Imagine a world, though, that would allow a fan to purchase a vinyl record for about $15 and a for a couple bucks more, provide them access to the digital edition of the album.
The Springsteen faithful who still own vinyl copies of "Born to Run," "Darkness on the Edge of Town" and "The River" might well want both, but have no interest in shelling out 20 to 30 bucks for the benefit of sound quality and portability. Might there be some sort of new-fangled business model hiding in there, especially for indie rockers with vinyl-loving fans? Makes more sense than previous vinyl-computer links.

Remember Ty Taylor, the mohawked singer who appeared positioned to win the role of lead singer for INXS when the band decided to do an "American Idol"-like contest to replace Michael Hutchence? Well "Rock Star" is long forgotten, along with Marty and Mig and whoever it was who won the contest. JD somebody, right? Somehow, though, Ty is memorable - and not just because he played a character named Britney Spears in the Las Vegas production of "We Will Rock You." Taylor, now singer and guitarist in Dakota Moon, returns to the musical theater on Sept. 17 at the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Benefit at the Ford Amphitheater in L.A. Taylor will play Freddie in "Chess," the musical penned by Tim Rice, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus.

The PR folks for amazon.com must be using Borat to take dictation.
Naturally, the online retailer is excited that it has the exclusive rights to Bruce Springsteen's first video from "Magic," which the dot-com will begin streaming on Tuesday. Problem is, they think the song is called "Road to Nowhere." As any self-respecting Springsteen fan knows, the tune is "Radio Nowhere."
Amazon.com will webcast the video for 24 hours while takign pre-orders for the disc at $9.99.
Later in the month, on Sept. 28,  Springsteen and the E Street Band will perform live on NBC's "Today" show at Rockefeller Plaza.
Five years ago,  Springsteen and the E Streeters performed on "Today," but the show made the trek down to Asbury Park, NJ. 

It's near impossible to keep track of Jimi Hendrix live albums, but if you have to have one, "Live at Monterey" is the winner. Some of us never tire of the way he says "Bob Dylan,"  jokingly refers to Dylan's grandmother being in the front row or has a field day with "Like a Rolling Stone."
Experience Hendrix/Geffen/UMe will release the Jimi Hendrix Experience Live at Monterey on DVD, CD and  LP on Oct. 16.
Here's the trivia:
Hendrix, Mitch Mitchell and Noel Redding performed at the Monterey International Pop Festival on June 18, 1967.
Paul McCartney was on the festival board and insisted that Hendrix be invited.
Rolling Stones’ guitarist Brian Jones introduced the band.
Hendrix played on the last day of the three-day fest, following the Grateful Dead and preceding the fest closer the Mamas and the Papas.
D.A. Pennebaker and his crew shot the show on 16mm;  Wally Heider recorded it on eight track.
Beyond the performance of the band’s set, The Jimi Hendrix Experience Live At Monterey offers numerous bonus features.
One DVD bonus features is called A Second Look, which  allows the viewer to switch between multiple, previously unseen camera angles.
DVD will include "American Landing," a new documentary that includes previously unreleased interviews with Mitchell,Redding and Hendrix, plus "Music, Love and Flowers," a look at the Monterey International Pop Festival with co-founder Lou Adler.
Simon and Schuster’s Atria will release the book "Jimi Hendrix: An Illustrated Experience" this fall. Book is authored by Janie Hendrix and John McDermott.

The Faint will headline the second annual Neighborhood Music Festival on Sept. 29 at L.A.'s Exposition Park. Designed to showcase emerging indie artists, the lineup includes Mickey Avalon, Spank Rock, DJ AM, Steve Aoki, Crystal Castles, A-Trak, Kid Sister, Flosstradamus, Shit Disco, Amanda Blank, Santo Gold, Aaron LaCrate, Guns 'N' Bombs, Them Jeans, Royal Rumble, Young Americans, Funeral Party, Brother Reade, Andre Legacy, Dirt Nasty, Lucky I am, Squeak E Clean and DJ Sin. Steve Aoki of DIM MAK Records and Meelo Solis of Stake Productions organize the event. Tickets are either $80 for VIP or $40 for general admission and on sale at www.TicketWeb.com.

In celebrating the life of CBGB owner Hilly Kristal, we offer a set list from the New York punk club's finest, the Ramones. By the release of their third album, they had outgrown the club and, after playing the Rainbow in London on New Year's Eve, Joey, Johnny, Dee Dee and Tommy returned to New York to play the Palladium on Jan. 7, 1978. In less than an hour, they played:
Rockaway Beach / Lobotomy / Blitzkrieg Bop / I Wanna be Well / Glad to See You Go / Gimme Gimme Shock Treatment / You're Gonna Kill That Girl / I Don't Care / Sheena is a Punk Rocker / Havana Affair / Commando / Here Today, Gone Tomorrow / Surfin' Bird / Cretin Hop / Listen to My Heart / California Sun / I Don;t Wanna Walk Around With You / Pinhead / Do You Wanna Dance / Chainsaw / Today Your Love, Tomorrow the World / Now I Wanna Be a Good Boy / Suzy is a Headbanger / Let's Dance / Oh Oh I Lover Her So / Now I Wanna Sniff Some Glue / We're a Happy Family

Hellogoodbye and Say Anything will headline the first MySpace Music Tour, which opens Oct. 16 in Seattle and will include more than 30 shows. While extending the MySpace brand,tour will also be sponsored Extreme Style by VO5. The MySpace Music Tour will have a dedicated online community on MySpace, where fans can find tour information and purchase tickets. Profile will also feature exclusive content, including band blogs from the road, photo galleries and exclusive offers and sweepstakes for MySpace users to win a chance to hang out backstage with the bands. Hellogoodbye's Forrest Kline said he would be posting post-show blogs. Press release also noted that the concert venues will have "styling stations for men and women to achieve their personal looks.” Japan’s Polysics will open the shows. Band is touring in support of their first album for MySpace Records, "Polysics or Die: VISTA!!!, which will be released Oct. 9. Polysics sings in Japanese, English and their own space-language.
The tour dates are after the jump.

Sirius will launch its all-Grateful Dead channel on Sept. 7 with the only known recording of the band’s July 21, 1974 concert at the Hollywood Bowl. The Dead’s Bob Weir will host a show following the performance, with other members of the Dead doing host duties for the channel’s other original shows.  (Sam Thielman)

That show (Gallo's first Dead show) was three sets. The first: The Promised Land, Tennessee Jed, Me And My Uncle, Sugaree, Jack Straw, Mississippi Half-Step Uptown Toodeloo > It Must Have Been The Roses, El Paso, Scarlet Begonias, Around And Around
Set 2 (Phil & Ned): Seastones
Set 3: China Cat Sunflower > I Know You Rider, Big River, Row Jimmy, Playin' In The Band > Wharf Rat > Truckin' > Nobody's Fault But Mine Jam > Playin' In The Band, Ship Of Fools, Sugar Magnolia
Encore: U.S. Blues

Bo Diddley is back in the hospital after suffering a heart attack during a routine medical checkup on Friday. Diddley complained of dizziness and nausea during the exam and was taken to the emergency room at North Florida Regional Medical Center in Gainesville, where he suffered a heart attack.
Tuesday morning he was moved to cardiac care and is listed in stable condition.

The website for the Guardian newspaper is offering a free download of the first single from Bruce Springsteen's upcoming "Magic" album, "Radio Nowhere." The newspaper's blogging critic calls the single "a masterpiece." iTunes has it free as well.
Tour has been announced as well, with opening nght in Hartford, Conn.For all the dates.

The link from Sinatra to the Killers? Paul Anka is looking to take that title.
Anka, the man who hit No. 1 with “Diana” 50 summers ago, releases today his second album of rock songs done in a big band style, “Classic Songs, My Way” (Decca) . The disc includes “My Way,” the Argentine number that Anka adapted and gave English lyrics to for Frank Sinatra in 1969, and “Mr. Brightside,” the Killers’top 10 hit from two years ago.
“What you have are a body of rock songs, a group of songs that you can never underestimate their ability to be delivered in a fashion that’s fresh,” said Anka, whose next project is writing his biography for St. Martin’s Press.

Individual chapters of the Recording Academy have set their lists of honorees to receive 2007 Recording Academy Honors.
Memphis chapter will honor Booker T. & The MG's, Willie Mitchell and Irma Thomas. The Special Legacy Presentation wil be given to Knox Phillips. Gala takes place Sept. 7 at the Memphis Cook Convention Center. Performing will be Donald Bryant and Ann Peebles, Joey DeFrancesco,  Aaron Neville,  John Prine,  Kenny Wayne Shepherd,  Angie Stone and Kirk Whalum.
New York will fete Bon Jovi, Alicia Keys,  Donnie McClurkin and the creators of "West Side Story" — Leonard Bernstein, Arthur Laurents, Jerome Robbins and Stephen Sondheim.Event will be held Sept. 26 at Cipriani Wall Street.
Chicago will honor Cheap Trick, Kanye West and Metro/Smart Bar owner Joe Shanahan. Producer Robin McBride (Bird Productions) will be acknowledged with a Special Legacy Presentation. Event will be held Oct. 11 at the Hyatt Regency on the Riverwalk.

The Waterboys, whose "Book Of Lightning" was released last week on Decca, will be doing a nine-city tour in the first two weeks of November.
Using the same lineup as at all this year’s European concerts - Mike Scott, Steve Wickham, Richard Naiff, Mark Smith and Damon Wilson - these are the first full-band Waterboys shows since 2001.  On sale information is not yet available.

Nov 1: Berklee Theatre, Boston
Nov 2: Webster Hall, NYC
Nov 3: Keswick Theatre, Glenside, Pa.
Nov 5: The Music Hall, Toronto
Nov 6: Park West, Chicago
Nov 9: Moore Theatre, Seattle
Nov 10: Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver
Nov 11: Aladdin Theatre, Portland, Oregon
Nov 13: The Fillmore, San Francisco
Clare Burson will open the shows at Glenside and New York. Great Aunt Ida  will open in Toronto, Seattle, Vancouver, Portland and San Francisco. Both acts are playing at the personal invitation of Mike Scott. There will be no support act in Boston or Chicago.

Newton Faulkner, an indie singer-songwriter from London who has caught on the Brit surfing set,   has displaced Elvis Presley atop the U.K. album chart. His disc, "Hand Built By Robots," was released last month.
Faulkner has built a following opening shows for James Morrison and Paolo Nutini.

Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil, authors of legendary hits such as "You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling," "Walking in the Rain" and "On Broadway," have written the music and lyrics for the stage adaptation of the film "Mask," which will premiere at the Pasadena Playhouse on March 14.
"Mask" screenwriter Anna Hamilton Phelan has written the book.
"Mask," as if anyone needs to be told, was Cher's third well-received film in the early to mid 1980s. She played the biker mother whose son has a disfigured face.
In the coming season, the Pasadena Playhouse will first present "Ray Charles Live! – A New Musical." It opens Nov. 9.

Gimme the beatbox to free my soul: Blake Lewis has inked with 19 Recordings/Arista and his debut should be in stores by the end of the year.
Clive Davis, who decides which "American Idol" participants get contracts with BMG labels, says Blake is already following instructions well. “His collaborators are all knocked out by him."
Producers working with Lewis include Jonathan “JR” Rotem (Rihanna's "SOS”); Ryan “Alias” Tedder (Timbaland); and S*A*M & Sluggo (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls).
Lewis came in second place behind Jordin Sparks on last season's show.He has been recording between tour dates with Sparks and the other finalists; tour ends Sept. 22 in Manchester, N.H.
Lewis, 26, hails from Redmond, Wash., and was a member of the a cappella group Kickshaw for four years.

The Cure has moved its September and October North American concert dates to April and May.
In an email, the Cure explained:
The schedule as it stands only gives us a couple of weeks to finish our new double album before we hit the road again, and we know this just isn't enough time to complete the project to our genuine satisfaction.
We also want to create a new live show for North America, and incorporate new songs... and we need time and focus to do this.
So although we can agree it is a great shame to move these dates - believe us we have been looking forward to them more than anyone!
we honestly feel that in the bigger picture we are making the right decision.
All tickets held for all 2007 North American Cure shows will be valid for the re-scheduled 2008 shows, and of course anyone who seeks a refund will be able to get one.
All refund/rescheduling details will be announced very soon.
Once again, our genuine apologies to anyone who is upset by this announcement - please be encouraged by our promise:
The spring 2008 Cure shows will be even better than the fall 2007 ones would have been!!!

See you all soon...

Love

Robert, Simon, Jason and Porl - The Cure 23/8/07

The first "American Idol" champ has a gig Sept. 6 at Monument Circle in Indianapolis to perform as part of the opening of the NFL season. She has three New York dates slated: A casino outing in Verona on Oct. 10 and two at Gotham's Beacon Theatre, Oct. 15 and 17. Details, as first alerted by idolator, appear in the tour section of her website. Anyone who bought a ticket for the tour announced in the spring gets dibs on the pre-sales.

It takes a few clicks but rollingstones.com has posted a trailer for the Martin Scorsese-directed concert film "Shine a Light." Trailer captures Mick singing with Jack White and Buddy Guy and dancing dirty with Xtina. Pic opens in April.

One of the most impressive music documentaries to come down the pike in some time, "Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story" will be released on DVD on Oct. 2.
Robert Gordon and Morgan Neville's finely assembled pic, which aired this summer on PBS’ Great Performances, features performances by Otis Redding, Isaac Hayes, Sam & Dave and Booker T & the MGs, Staple Singers, Rufus and Carla Thomas, Eddie Floyd and others. Doc impressively charts the rise of the Memphis soul sound during the Civil Rights Era.
DVD package also adds bonus content featuring footage from the Stax Reunion rehearsal at SXSW 2007 in Austin, Texas, featuring Floyd, William Bell and Booker T & the MGs.

Rather than issue a CD that longtime fans will wonder if its as good as "Workbook" or as unlistenable as "Modulate," the man who led Husker Du and then Sugar will try a little something different on an upcoming 11-city tour. 
Mould will open each night with a half-hour acoustic set, then do 30 minutes of Q&A, then screen his DVD "Circle Of Friends" and then close the night by selling and signing DVDs as fans tell him how important "New Day Rising" is to their lives.
The tour:
October
9 Schuba's, Chicago
10 Bryant Lake Bowl, Minneapolis
12 Chop Suey, Seattle
14 Doug Fir Lounge, Portland
16 Herbst Theater, San Francisco
17 The Roxy,  West Hollywood

November
2  Highline Ballroom, New York
5  Paradise Lounge, Boston
8  Gravity Lounge, Charlottesville, Va.
10 John & Peter’s, New Hope, Pa.
11 World Café Live, Philadelphia
 
Mould will release a new studio album on Anti- Records in late January. It will be his first release  since 2005’s "Body of Song."
"Circle Of Friends" was filmed at the  9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 7 2005.
Husker Du tunes on "Circle" are: "Hardly Getting Over It," "Could You Be The One?," "I Apologize," Chartered Trips," "Celebrated Summer"  and "Makes No Sense At All."

"Forever Cool," the Capitol/EMI release pairing Dean Martin's vocals in duet form with 14 other artists, sold 17,000 copies to debut at No. 39.
Disc was bolstered by programs at iTunes, Borders and Amazon.com; Yahoo! Music attracted 1 million visitors when it premiered the music video featuring "American Idol" finalist Paris Bennett singing “Baby-O” with Dino.
Thirty years ago, Dino and Ol' Blue Eyes delivered this show:
Martin: When You're Drinkin' / Bourbon From Heaven / Bad, Bad Leroy Brown / Welcome To My World /That's Amore
Sinatra: For Once In My Life / I Love My Wife / It Was A Very Good Year / One For My Baby / My Way

Dean & Frank: Medley of I Can't Give You Anyting But Love, My Kind Of Town, Pennies From Heaven, A Foggy Day, Embraceable You, The Lady Is A Tramp, Where Or When, They Can't Take That Away From Me, Hey Marie, When You're Smiling

Disney's "High School Musical 2" had an opening week of 615,000 in sales and it could very well hit 3.5 million in sales by the end of the year.
Using the sales pattern of Disney's "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" disc, and accounting for a holiday season boost and the inevitable "deluxe package," it is highly likely that Disney will have two or three of the 10 best-sellers of the year.(Rascal Flatts has a release slated for Sept. 25; "Hannah Montana 2" should easily top 2 million in sales this year).
"Hannah 2," released June 26, experienced a 42% drop-off in its second week, a 32% dip in the third and 12% dip in the fourth. It has held steady at about 30%-35% of its opening week number over the last several weeks.
"HSM2," by that logic, should pass the 1 million sold mark next week and then take about five sales weeks to lock in another million.
By that point the disc will be swimming in a sea of high profile releases and will likely taper off in high five digit sales for half of October and most of November. Just before Thanksgiving will be the three-month mark, just about time for Disney to come in with deluxe edition that will certainly spike sales.
The original "High School Musical" opened during the worst sales period of the year (January) with a first week tally of 16,000. Once it sold 97,000, the disc affixed itself to the top 10 and was able to compete with all-comers as the year wore, selling upwards of 200,000 to stay in the upper reaches of the chart.

A dozen journos attended a 45-minute Q&A Monday with the Beastie Boys at the Capitol Tower (which frustratingly worked out to one question to a customer) and were told not to ask the three Beasties (Adam “Ad Rock” Horovitz, Adam “MCA” Yauch, and Michael “Mike D” Diamond) why “The Mix Up,” their just released album, is instrumental.
More importantly, we were told don’t ask if they feel they still have to “fight for their right to party” (they’re tired of answering that, the Capitol press rep said, adding that at the NYC session, someone asked if after playing Brooklyn’s McCarran Pool, the band now felt they could sleep).
None of those questions were put to the often bored looking trio (Mike D spent much of his time text messaging), but they were asked to respond to some truly inane questions, including the name of their favorite album (Elvis Costello’s “My Aim Is True,” Ad Rock deadpanned, demurring when told the questioner meant which is his favorite Beastie Boys album), if they would rather be turned into action figures or teddy bears (Ad Rock: “I’m not a plushie, if that’s what you’re asking”) and if they liked traveling (the answer to that was, unsurprisingly, yes).
On a more serious note, MCA expanded on the endorsement he gave “The Eleventh Hour,” the Leonardo DiCaprio toplined eco-doc from the stage Monday night. “It’s an important movie,” he said, adding that it “explains our current situation, including the structure of our government, better than I ever could.”
They also dispensed fashion advice (there’s no reason you can’t wear Wallabees with a suit), insisted that 40-something musicians can still be a legit hip hop act (“well, the kids do like the rappin’,” Ad Rock said, with Mike D adding that there’s “no reason innovation can’t come from someone with decades in the game”). Significantly, they suggested that a layered, sample-heavy album like 1989’s landmark “Paul’s Boutique” would be a daunting, expensive proposition, and could not be made today. (Steve Mirkin)

On Sale Wednesday
The Hives, Avalon, Nov. 7

On Sale Friday
Cold War Kids, Wiltern, Nov. 23

On Sale Saturday
Jesus and Mary Chain / Soulsavers Featuring Mark Lanegan / Evan Dando, Wiltern, Oct. 23
Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals / Piers Faccini, Orpheum Theatre, Nov. 8 & 9
Girl Frenzy (Sheryl Crow, Avril Lavigne, Fiona Apple, Colbie Caillat, Sara Bareilles,  Antigone Rising), Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Oct. 27
Go Fest 2007 (Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, Keith Anderson, Jason Michael Carroll,  Joanna Cotton), Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Oct. 13
Blonde Redhead, Wiltern, Oct. 25
Minus the Bear, Avalon, Nov. 3
The Hold Steady, Wiltern, Nov. 7

The Weinstein Co. has released the trailer for the Bob Dylan biopic "I'm Not There."

Elvis Costello will be opening shows for Bob Dylan and his Band, beginning Sept. 22 in Duluth, Ga. Most of the 13 shows featuring Costello, playing by his lonesome,
are in the Northeast in secondary and tertiary markets. Amos Lee is also on the bill.

The Tour:

Sat 9/22 Duluth, Ga.
Sun 9/23 Clemson, S.C.
Tue 9/25 Norfolk, Va.
Thu 9/27 Charlottesville, Va.
Fri 9/28 Columbia, Md.
Sat 9/29 Kingston, R.I.
Sun 9/30 Bridgeport, Conn.
Tue 10/2 Worcester, Mass.
Thu 10/4 Portland, Me.
Fri 10/5 Manchester, N.H.
Sat 10/6 Albany, N.Y.
Mon 10/8 Syracuse, N.Y.
Tue 10/9 Rochester, N.Y.

Besides noting that "Flight of the Conchords" is the best show on TV, that he is 90% of Hall & Oates and that there was time when he was only non-follower of G.I. Gurdjieff who Robert Fripp would speak to, Darryl Hall gives a rather soul-baring interview with Pitchfork.
H&O, who I find myself constantly defending as pop-soul masters and not a guilty pleasure, play the Hollywood Bowl on Sept. 7 and 8.

On his website, Neil Young reports that last week he took his latest recording, "Chrome Dreams II,"  to label execs in Burbank and let them hear it.
The site reports: Continuing a tradition that goes back to 1969, Neil Young played his latest recording for Reprise yesterday. The recording was played for about 100 people in Burbank. Produced by "The Volume Dealers," NY and Niko Bolas, the recording runs 60+ minutes and includes two giant songs that time in at 18:30 and 13:00, respectively.
      Drawing from three songs written previously, and 7 new songs, the latest Neil Young is a very diverse recording. A release date is unknown at this time. The title is Chrome Dreams II.
      Chrome Dreams is a legendary NY album from 1977 that had originally been scheduled for release but was shelved. The original cover for Chrome Dreams was created by Neil's long-time producer and friend, the late David Briggs. Unfortunately, all original documentation and art for this album was lost in a fire that destroyed Neil's Malibu home in early 1978.
Here's a story about the original, which includes tunes that appeared on "American Stars 'n' Bars" and "Rust never Sleeps."

Rolling Stone is reporting that an overzealous member of Ticketmaster's team inadvertently posted the dates of Bruce Springsteen's "Magic" tour. Fans of the Boss might want to get out a pencil and write down the following:

10/2, 10/3 Hartford
10/5, 10/6 Philly
10/9, 10/10 E. Rutherford, N.J.
10/14, 10/15 NYC
10/21 Chicago
10/22 St. Paul, Minn.
10/26 Oakland
10/28, 10/29 LA (Forum)
11/4 Cleveland
11/5 Detroit
11/11, 11/12 Washington
11/18, 11/19 Boston

Seal will release his first studio album in four years on Nov. 20. Titled "System," Seal is calling the album "a return to my roots" and is full of, believe it or not, upbeat tempos.
Stuart Price, who co-wrote and co-produced Madonna's "Confessions on a Dancefloor," is the co-producer of the disc that is being released two days before Thanksgiving.

Booker T. Jones and Jolie Holland will celebrate the 40th anniversary of “What A Wonderful World” by releasing a new version on Nov. 6.
A digital single released by Anti-, the leader of the MG's said “I hoped it would be something of a healing or a balm for the world right now because conditions are so bleak in so many places and areas. I’m hoping it’ll be a timely, refreshing uplift for music listeners. I’m hoping it’s going to be something to pick people up and to reaffirm hope and beauty – to remind them that there is beauty in the world. We hear so much about what’s wrong and no one is really saying that the world is a beautiful place. It still is a beautiful wonderful place.”
The Louis Armstrong version of the Bob Thiele/George David Weiss tune was released in the fall of 1967.

BMI will fete Peter Gabriel at the performing rights organization's London Awards being handed out Oct. 16 at the Londons Dorchester Hotel, Park Lane. The London Awards honor U.K. and European songwriters whose works are among the most-played on radio and TV in the U.S.

Turns out the Eagles “Long Road out of Eden” is actually a two-CD set with 20 tracks. Joe Walsh has been quoted saying he supplied some rockers to keep it from being too ballad heavy; might he be contributing four or five tunes to the effort? We old-timers who still thrill to James Gang records and know all the words to "Meadows" certainly hope so.Wal-mart is treating it like a single disc however in the pricing as the retailer plans to offer the CD for $11.88. Online at Wal-mart.com, it will be even cheaper: $10.88. That's 54 cents per track, which takes the term loss leader to a seemingly absurd level.

"American Idol 6" champ Jordin Sparks will be recording for BMG's Jive label and her first single, "Tattoo," will be shipped to radio on Aug. 27. An album release is expected in November.

Simon Cowell says he will be off the air after his contracts run out in three years. At that time he will be 50 and apparently satisfied foisting more editions of Il Divo on the world rather than letting amateur singers know that they just are not all that good. Or at least that's what he told the Mirror.

Aware that fans of legends from the early 1980s don't go to record stores, enjoy CDs over downloads and like a bargain, Arista Records is turning to Amazon.com to pump up interest in Annie Lennox's next album, “Songs of Mass Destruction.”
On Monday, Amazon's website will be the only place to view her music video for the album's first single, "Dark Road." Video will be available for only 48 hours.
Amazon will also be taking pre-orders for the Oct. 2 release, charging $9.99 for the disc.

Hank Williams Jr.will sing the theme of Monday Night Football for the 19th season with a new band featuring Brian Setzer, Richie Sambora and Gretchen Wilson.
Williams will lead the performances of "All My Rowdy Friends Are Here on Monday Night"  with Setzer and the 13 members of the horn section in the Brian Setzer Orchestra. Rounding out the band are singer Drake Bell, keyboardist John Ondrasik of Five for Fighting and drummer Cindy Blackman. Bassist Bootsy Collins is the lone returning member of last year's band.
Band is being recorded Monday at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.
The video ESPN uses to open MNF each week features team-specific visuals and lyrics.(Is there a word in English that rhymes with Pennington?)

Columbia Records has chosen to pit Bruce Springsteen against the return of Matchbox Twenty, Annie Lennox and Faith Hill's catalog rather than go up against the commercial juggernauts Rascal Flatts, James Blunt and the Foo Fighters.
But by choosing an Oct. 2 release date rather than Sept. 25, the first Springsteen and the E Street Band album in five years lands outside this year''s Grammy eligibility period. Even unheard, the album, with the rather dull title of "Magic," would be a prime contender for rock and general awards.
But I figure the Springsteen camp isn't about to let that happen.

Max Roach, the legendary jazz drummer, bebop founder, band leader, and civil rights activist, who died in his sleep Wednesday night in New York City. He was 83 years old.
Blue Note Records issued the following statement:

Along with drummer Kenny Clarke, Roach redefined the role of the drums in jazz during the bebop revolution of the late-1940s and early-50s, participating in many of the movement’s seminal recordings with Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Bud Powell and Thelonious Monk. In the mid-50s, Roach co-led a quintet with Clifford Brown that was one of hard bop’s premiere bands up until the trumpeter’s untimely death in a car accident in 1956.
Roach was also an outspoken advocate for civil rights and racial equality, and in 1960 he created one the great protest records with "We Insist! Max Roach’s Freedom Now Suite," a seven-part suite featuring vocalist Abbey Lincoln that addressed slavery and racism in America.
Roach only released one album as a leader on Blue Note in 1996, an orchestral suite titled Max Roach with the New Orchestra of Boston and the So What Brass Quintet, but he was an unmistakable force on numerous classic recordings from the label’s early days, including Bud Powell’s "The Amazing Bud Powell: Volume 1" and Thelonious Monk’s "Genius of Modern Music: Volume 2," as well as Miles Davis’ "Birth of the Cool" (Capitol) and Duke Ellington’s "Money Jungle" (United Artists).

A release date of Oct. 30 has been set for the first Eagles studio album in 28 years, "Long Road Out of Eden." The Eagles-owned diskery, ERC, is going through Mercury Nashville and Lost Highway for distribution; album will initially only be sold at Wal-Mart.
The band is releasing its first single to radio, "How Long," this week.

The Flight of the Conchords, New Zealand's fourth most popular digi-folk paradists - as they like to call themselves, sold 6,000 copies of their debut, self-titled EP in the week ended Sunday.
The duo, whose HBO show is the funniest thing on TV these days, came in at No. 126 on Nielsen Soundscan's tally. Disc features three studio tracks and two live cuts ("The Most Beautiful Girl in the Room" and "Robots.)
Subpop will issue a full-length next year.The duo has been spending a fair amount of time in L.A. recently: Jemaine Clement was spotted at Crowded House's show at the Troubadour in late July and Bret McKenzie was in the crowd for Squeeze's show at the Greek on Monday.

On Sale Now
Cat Power, Avalon, Sept. 21

On Sale Friday
Tony Bennett, Santa Barbara Bowl, Sept. 30

On Sale Saturday
The Sounds, Santa Monica Civic Auditorium, Sept. 17

On Sale Monday
Jimmy Buffett and the Coral Reefer Band, Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Sept. 29

John Mellencamp has begun recording his 22nd album, this time working with producer T Bone Burnett. Recording is taking place at Belmont Mall, Mellencamp's studio outside Bloomington, Ind.
Mellencamp has self-produced his last four albums. He brought in Junior Vasquez to assist in the production of 1996's "Mr. Happy Go Lucky."
Mellencamp is using his touring band for the sessions: guitarists Mike Wanchic and Andy York, bassist John Gunnell, drummer Dane Clark, violinist Miriam Sturm and keyboardist Troye Kinnett. Most of the musicians were in Mellencamp's band on his highly successful 2005 tour in support of the hits compilation "Words and Music."

Six historical recordings from the Monterey Jazz Festival in Northern California are being issued as part of the fest's 50th anniversary celebration. The CDs are of a Louis Armstrong 1958 performance on the fest's inaugural night; Miles Davis Quintet in 1963; the 1964 edition of Thelonious Monk's quartet augmented by bassist Steve Swallow; Dizzy Gillespie's sextet in 1965; Sarah Vaughan in 1971; and a "Live at the Monterey Jazz Festival" sampler. Discs will be released Aug. 21 by Concord Records and Monterey Jazz Festival Records.
The six titles are the first fruit from a 10-year project in which original analog tapes have been transferred to digital files. More releases are planned for 2008.

Eric Clapton paid $120,000 for a 12-painting series by Lee Quinones, the New York graffiti artist who has moved to canvases from sneakers and murals, reports the Daily Swarm. Paintings depict classic soul albums tucked under jackets. The press release from the PS1 gallery describes the works as "an homage to sonic forefathers."
Quinones says he is offering a collection of prints of the works Clapton acquired.