Modest Mouse Will Debut Video Directed by Ledger

According to Q101.com, indie alternative band Modest Mouse, famous for hits such as "Float On" and "Dashboard" is set to finally release the video for "King Rat" more than a year after its completion. The reason for the delay? The video was directed by actor Heath Ledger before his sudden death in January 2008.

Although the band is keeping quiet on the content of the video itself, the lyrics seem to suggest a highly metaphorical social and personal commentary; a theme expressed throughout the band's discography. As one of Ledger's last works, the release of this video will undoubtedly be even more powerful and resonant. I'm looking forward to it.

Trent Reznor Agrees With Me...Chris Cornell's New Album Is BAD

Rock-star feuds are being facilitated by Twitter, and the results are kind of hillarious. According to Spinner.com Trent Reznor, the man behind Nine Inch Nails, has publicly voiced his disappointment with Chris Cornell's new musical direction through Twitter. As mentioned in an earlier post, Cornell, ex-singer for both Soundgarden and Audioslave, has released a new R&B-inspired solo album called Scream. Reznor, and a large portion of fans, are none too happy with Cornell's musical experimentation. Reznor's twitter post reads:
"You know that feeling you get when somebody embarrasses themselves so badly YOU feel uncomfortable? Heard Chris Cornell's record? Jesus."

Cornell has responded to Reznor's comment through Twitter as well. His post from two days ago reads "what do you think Jesus would twitter? 'Let he who is without sin cast the first stone' or 'Has anyone seen Judas? He was here a minute ago.'" Judging by his use of biblical allusions to hypocrisy and betrayal as a response to Reznor's mention of Jesus, Cornell does not seem to be taking the criticism lightly. It will be interesting to see how this dispute plays out, and if it will bear any consequences for these two musical giants.

Lolla Headliners Are Here!

Its official. The headliners for the three nights of Lollapalooza 2009 have been announced. In my humble estimation, they're all quite impressive. Kings of Leon, Jane's Addiction, The Beastie Boys, and Depeche Mode have are set to go on stage this August. The rest of the lineup will arrive in April, but these acts alone are enough to drive anyone into an anxiety attack from the anticipation.

The festival takes place August 7-9 at Grant Park in downtown Chicago. Tickets for all three days usually cost around $160-200 range, while one day tickets sold for $80 last year. Speaking from personal experience, Lollapalooza is a great experience, especially for music lovers. The sheer amount and variety of bands at the festival make every dollar worth it.

My Chemical Romance Return On "Watchmen" Soundtrack

Last night, while I was sitting in the theater during the ending credits of Watchmen, I realised that the song sounded an awful lot like My Chemical Romance. Turns out I was right. My Chem have released their first new material since 2006's The Black Parade, a cover of Bob Dylan's "Desolation Row" for the soundtrack to the new movie Watchmen. The song finds the band returning to a rollicking, punkier sound, more reminiscent of earlier work such as "I'm Not Okay (I Promise)" and "Vampires Will Never Hurt You."

The difference between the two versions is pretty noticeable. Dylan's 11-minute reflection has been changed into a 3 minute rock anthem. But according to an article at MSN fan reaction has been positive considering the drastic changes. Of course, most My Chem fans have probably never heard the other version, and vice versa.

It will be interesting to see if the song helps sell the soundtrack (which I'm sure is just one of the goals behind its inclusion)...but as the only modern (and in my opinion, unannoying song) of the whole bunch it will have an awful lot to make up for. Even though MCR has put a good song on a bad soundtrack I'm very excited to see what they have in store for us with their new release later this year.

Close...But No Green Day

According to Q101 and FMQB, a a music news website, the first single off Green Day's upcoming LP, 21st Century Breakdown will be released to radio on April 20th. The album which is set to be released in May will be Green Day's first in almost 5 years. It will follow in the vein of American Idiot's style, forming a concept album divided into 3 acts. Rolling Stone sampled 6 tracks and the results were good.

But, as you would expect, there is some controversy as well. The title track was leaked online last week, but has at this point been pulled from youtube and other sites. Apparently, q101 planned to play the song, but was threatened with legal action. It appears that we will have to wait a bit longer to hear to hear the perennial punks rocking out again...or until someone else on the internet manages to leak something else ;-)

Everyone (And Their Mothers) Are Reuniting This Summer

Guess what? In case you haven't noticed, there are an awful lot of bands reuniting for a tour this summer, and no, I'm not talking about Fleetwood Mac. Many of the reunions are quite surprising considering the way these bands disintegrated in the first place...but somehow, either for the love of music, the love of money, or the love of both these groups have managed to overcome their differences.

Here is a list of the most noteworthy:
The aforementioned Blink-182 will be back (with new music) thanks in a large part perhaps to Travis Barker's near-death experience.
Jane's Addiction will be touring with Nine Inch Nails with the original lineup, not seen since 1991.
Faith No More are making an "epic" comeback, despite frontman Mike Patton's earlier statements saying it would never happen.
British rockers Blur have announced a few local shows, and speaking of England-
Gavin Rossdale has stated that british rockers Bush will be reuniting, but nothing is official yet.
However, Gavin's wife, Gwen Stefani, WILL be back with No Doubt (causing this blogger to jump for joy) They will be making a stop at both Summerfest and the First Midwest Bank Ampitheater. Although the band had never "officially: broken up, an 8 year absense is a little hard to justify. That's why I can't wait to see what they've got in store for us.

Upcoming at Chicago's House of Blues...An Interesting (And Diverse) List

In March and April, Chicago's House of Blues venue will be hosting an impressive array of artists, ranging from some great Alternative acts to pure Pop and Rap artists. The full list of upcoming artists can be found here. The most noteworthy include:

On March 1 is Escape the Fate, a screamo act presented by Hot Topic. March 5 is Busta Rhymes. Kottonmouth Kings (rap-rockers that have a niche fanbase due to their, um, certain lifestyle) are in town the 11th. On the 17th, Q101 sponsors Hollywood Undead and Senses Fail.

Although you would never find me at a Kottonmouth Kings or a Hollywood Undead show (no offense) you will find me at the House of Blues on March 20 when I'll be rocking out with Mindless Self Indulgence. These punk rockers blend electronic beats, rap influences, and over the top antics to deliver an awesome live show. I can hardly wait!

In the following week, the House of Blues will also host Less Than Jake, Lady GaGa, and Katy Perry. In April also comes The Devil Wears Prada, 3oh!3, Forever the Sickest Kids, We the Kings, and Static-X. Tickets for the House of Blues normally cost between $20 and $30. Be advised that some shows are only 17+ and 21+, and the venue is standing room only. However, with such an impressive list, who can resist?

My First Of (Probably Several) Nine Inch Nails Rants...

Thanks to my obsession with Nine Inch Nails I have come across some amazing news. Although Trent Reznor and Company announced last year that they would be coming back on tour, a recent post on nin.com confirms that they will indeed be coming back this spring, with none other than Jane's Addiction in tow. Tour dates will be announced soon.

This spring/summer is shaping up to be an absolutely amazing concert season, and this is the cherry on top. NIN usually has long breaks between tours, but when they do come out, one can be sure that they will rock our faces off. Last year's Lights in the Sky tour (including a stop at Lollapalooza that was attended by yours truly) was no exception. It featured an incredible multimedia light show, and the setlist ranged from the classics ("Head Like A Hole" "Closer") to the new stuff ("Discipline" "Ghosts").

When Nails comes back to Chicago, I guarantee you that I WILL be there. Ok, that's all I have to say...for now...

Blink Is Back!

As your faithful alternative blogger, I must draw your attention to something that you probably already know. At the Grammy's a few weeks ago Blink-182 made the announcement that they were officially back together. Our favorite skater punks will be back on tour this summer, and, even better, are in the process of recording a new album.................................whoops, sorry, I just fainted mid-blog.

All this info can be found on their website, along with a personal message to the fans. The web has been buzzing with reactions to the news. Some very diverse opinions can be found at associated content, and aversion.com. Personally, I can't wait to finally see them live, but be forewarned, ticket prices will most likely be high for this tour, and will probably sell out incredibly quickly. I'll try to update as soon as possible after ticket info becomes available.

With all this blink hoopla I find myself becoming very nostalgic. It almost makes me wonder, "What's my age again?"

Why Chris Cornell, Why?

Chris Cornell is making me scream, and not in a good way...
One of the most successful and well-known frontmen in alternative rock and, personally, one of my favorite singers is releasing a new solo album, Scream on March 10, 2009. Cornell, (who has been rocking out for three decades through projects such as Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog, Audioslave, and solo work including the theme for the Bond film, Casino Royale) has decided to reinvent himself musically by turning toward a R&B sound, even collaborating with Timbaland as his producer. Yes, I'm afraid this is not a prank or a joke, the man who made "Black Hole Sun" has made an album with the man who made "Sexyback."

Now I'm not saying that I don't like Timbaland. He crafts some great songs, and he seems to have the Midas touch with other artists, generating massive hits for JT, Madonna, and Nelly Furtado. Heck, I even appreciated Timbaland before he became massively popular (Anyone remember "Try Again" with Aaliyah? That was my jam) But, I am afraid that it DOESN'T work with Chris Cornell. You can listen for yourself as "Scream" and other singles are available at chriscornell.com. I understand the need to try out new creative directions, but I don't believe Cornell should betray his fans by leaving the genre he largely helped to define. His new soulful ballads are pretty mediocre, and the fact that an alternative legend is the one singing them doesn't help.

Well, this whole topic has made me depressed so I'm going to listen to some classic Soundgarden and try to forget this ever happened

Deftones Carry On Without Bassist

According to q101.com, alternative metal band the Deftones have decided to play at the Bamboozle Left festival on April 5. They are playing despite the fact that bassist and founding member, Chi Cheng, is still in a coma following a car accident back in November.

As a Deftones fan, I have mixed emotions about the news. Although it is nice to see such a talented group continue to play, Cheng is such an integral part of the Deftones style the band may not be the same without him. According to a Myspace post by the band, however, Cheng would have wanted the band to carry on, and accordingly, the band is making this festival stop.

The band is still working on their upcoming album, set for release later this year. At this point it seems that we will just have to wait and see what develops.

The Lineup for Bonnaroo 2009 Is Amazing...The Ticket Price Is Not

The lineup for the 2009 Bonnaroo Music Festival was posted recently, and forgive my use of slang here, but the list is freakin awesome. Nine Inch Nails, The Beastie Boys, Coheed & Cambria, The Mars Volta, Tv on the Radio, Girl Talk, Animal Collective, and even Bruce Springsteen and the E-Street Band will all be making an appearance over the course of the four-day festival. (A reunited Phish will be there as well. I'm not a fan personally, but for those of you who enjoy 90's bands/60's throwbacks this will be pure nirvana...)

The festival takes place June 11-14 outside the small town of Manchester, TN. Apart from a few stages the grounds include campsites, parking, and several other art exhibitions and sponsor tents. Bonnaroo has garnered quite the reputation, and Rolling Stone Magazine even named it the Best Festival back in 2007.

The downside? Tickets cost almost $250 dollars, and that's just to get in. That is a whole lot of dinero. So much, in fact, that the festival website includes a payment plan to break ticket prices down into smaller installments. The situation is a little ridiculous, it feels more like I'm financing a new home rather than paying for concert tickets. I'm sure Bonnaroo would be a blast, but I don't think my wallet can take a hit like that.

Rolling Stone Magazine Loves Chinese Democracy, The Rest Of Us...Not So Much

While scrolling through Rolling Stone's list of "The 50 Best Albums of 2008" I came upon something I found pretty surprising. Chinese Democracy, the first Guns N' Roses album in seventeen(!) years, was rated at number twelve of fifty. Does it really deserve such a high spot?

There's no doubt that Axl Rose tried. He used marketing techniques: he had an exclusive retail agreement with Best Buy for the CD's release, and also contributed the track "Shackler's Revenge" to Rock Band 2. Some of the singles released have done considerably well. "Better," perhaps the most radio-worthy of the bunch, reached eighteenth on the Mainstream Rock Chart.

Other reactions to the album though have been mixed. The disc has sold slowly since it's release, and will not even come close to the sales of previous GN'R work. It has received a sixty-five on Metacritic, meaning most found it good, if a little disappointing. The twelfth best album of the year is a little much. Why not somewhere around twenty-five or thirty? I think that would be more fitting.

The 51st Grammy Awards Are Coming Up...Get Excited People

On February 8th the 51st annual Grammy awards will be broadcast live on CBS. Several artists are scheduled to perform such as Coldplay, Lil' Wayne, Katy Perry, Jennifer Hudson (in one of her first public appearances after the slaying of her family members), Paul McCartney, T.I., and even Radiohead (which according to the Grammy website will be their first televised U.S. performance in 9 years).

Since the Grammy nominees have been announced in their respective categories the web has been abuzz with predictions of the winners. Critics as diverse as Jim DeRogatis and Margeaux Watson have all been weighing in. Although Coldplay and Lil' wayne are expected to pick up many of the awards, it will be interesting to see who comes out on top that night. Here are some of my picks for who SHOULD win in the rock and alternative categories:

Best Solo Rock Vocal-Eddie Vedder (he's up against rock legends like McCartney, Springsteen, and Young, but whereas the others have left their prime, he is just as relevant as he was in 1991)
Best Rock Performance w/ Duo or Group-Kings of Leon ("Rock N Roll Train" by AC/DC should not have even been nominated and Coldplay doesn't need to win everything you know)
Best Hard Rock Performance-Disturbed (The others nominees are either too weird or they're done by Motley Crue)
Best Metal Performance-Slipknot ("Psychosocial" is by far the best song among the five)
Best Rock Instrumental-Nine Inch Nails (My favorite band so...)
Best Rock Song-"I Will Posses Your Heart"
Best Rock Album-The Raconteurs (A tough call between them and Metallica, but when one considers "Salute Your Solution?" The song is simply unbeatable)
Best Alternative Album-Radiohead (Another difficult decision, especially because Beck is such a great musician, but In Rainbows defied too many conventions not to get some notice)

Chicago Is Definitely The Place To Be: Several Big-Name Acts Are Making A Stop This Winter

As a faithful alternative music reporter, it is my duty to spread the word about upcoming concerts and events that are sure to rock our world. I'm excited to tell you that we can look forward to several such acts this winter.

First up on January 26th and 27th is Metallica at the Allstate Arena. This should be a real treat to see considering Metallica has such long breaks between each of their albums and tours (although it would be cool either way, this is Metallica after all.) Just three days later Slipknot and Coheed & Cambria are also playing at the Allstate. Even if they are the oddest combination to ever go touring together, it promises to be exciting. Both bands have reputations for pleasing fans with elaborate stage shows. Speaking from personal experience (a little show called Rockstar Mayhem 08), Slipknot will not disappoint.

In February, Mudvayne and Dropkick Murphys come to town, and tickets are on sale now. On February 27th, Avenged Sevenfold will be playing with Buckcherry. Neither are of the two are my personal cup of tea, but I would highly recommend it to fans.

Heads up! Tickets went on sale this weekend for the Believers Never Die tour, which comes to Chicago May 9th. It will feature Fall Out Boy, Cobra Starship, All Time Low, Metro Station, AND Hey Monday (I know, not enough right?)

If any of these shows sound appealing, more information can be found at q101.com where a partial listing of concerts is available, with links to Ticketmaster. Now go rock on with your bad selves.

U2 Have Released Their New Single, And It's...Well, Different

Irish pop-rock band U2, arguably the biggest band in the world, recently made their new single "Get On Your Boots" available on iTunes. the song is from their upcoming album No Line On The Horizon which is set to be released in the US on March 3rd. The song is also streaming at U2.com, and you can click here to listen to it.

After listening to the song, I am having quite a bit of trouble deciding what to make of it. It's not bad, but I don't love it either. Apparently, other bloggers agree. Even a google sampling of song reviews brought up two radically different opinions on Ventvox.com and Elbows.ws.

Some of U2's famous trademarks are still present, and as always Bono's wonderfully wierd lyrics abound.."free me from this dark dream/candy bars, ice cream/all the kid's are screaming but the ghosts aren't real" and "hey sexy boots, get on your boots"(what was that again?) Overall, however, the song has a distinctly heavier rock sound with electronic elements that more closely resembles the group's 90's work rather than their more recent mix of grand arena rockers ("Elevation," "Vertigo") and soulful ballads ("Walk On," "City of Blinding Lights").

As nice as it is to see Bono & Company continue to rock on after almost three decades, "Get On Your Boots" just isn't a strong enough song for me to get excited about the new album. Oh well, at least we'll always have The Joshua Tree

The Performers Scheduled for the Inauguration Youth Ball Leave This Blogger Wondering If Someone Might Have Missed The Point

This upcoming Tuesday there will be several parties held around Washington to celebrate the inauguration of Barack Obama (YES! FINALLY!). Many of these parties, known as Balls, will feature performances from several high-profile artists. For the Youth Ball (which, I'm sorry, just sounds awfully patronizing) the festival organizers and MTV will broadcast...live...to all of us American youth...(hold your breath now)...Kanye West, Fall Out Boy, and Kid Rock. This less than impressive lineup leaves me wondering, this is the Youth Ball, right?



Now, I understand why these artists were selected. Kanye and Fall Out Boy both have astronimically high numbers of teen fans, and Kid Rock...well he has some. But couldn't they have picked some artists who are a little more relevent for 2009? As a Youth Ball, shouldn't it feature artists who a large amount of us are listening to now? Here's a few of the reasons why this selection of artists isn't the right fit:



First of all, how did Kid Rock get picked? When one thinks of a Youth band, Kid Rock definitely does not jump to mind. His last album, Rock N Roll Jesus was released all the way back in 2007, with singles such as "So Hott," "Amen," and the incredibly annoying mash up of Lynyrd Skynyrd and Warron Zevon, "All Summer Long." Doesn't it just scream hip and new? Oh wait...



Secondly, where has Fall Out Boy been? Thier latest album Folie a Deux debuted only a month ago at number 8 on the billboard charts, and has now fallen to 25th place. However, only two years ago, Infinity On High came out at number 1 and has since sold over a million copies. Could this be a trend perhaps?



Kanye is also having trouble in that department. 808's and Heartbreak came out in November, and sold over 400 thousand copies. That is impressive, but not when you compare it to Graduation's 900 thousand sales in it's FIRST week. "Love Lockdown" is a fun song, but we all know that it's not the Kanye we're used to.

All in all, this Youth Ball will be rocking this new term with-well not quite a bang I'm afraid.

http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1602981/20090117/west_kanye.jhtml
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.vnuArtistId=12517&model.vnuAlbumId=1077161
http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=489932&model.vnuAlbumId=1185733
http://www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.8192