Corrine Bailey Rae’s CD/DVD set Live in London & New York is an interesting example of how crowds can really make or break a show. Both the DVD (a concert in London) and the CD (a concert in New York) feature the same setlist — the entirety of Rae’s debut album along with a jazzy version of Led Zeppelin’s “Since I’ve Been Loving You” — and, essentially, the same music  The London show has a prominent string section in addition to the Rae’s regular band, but the shows have a completely different feel.The one defining difference is the audience. In London, the crowd is seated at small tables, drinking beers, and listening intently. In New York, the crowd reacts to everything Rae says by way of introducing her songs; when she says the title of the next song she’s going to perform, for example, the audience hoots and hollers in recognition and anticipation. In London, conversely, they only clap and react at the end of a song or when instructed, like when Rae acknowledges her string section and asks the crowd to applaud them with her. The result is a sleepy show in London redeemed only by Rae’s excellent voice and skilled band and an immensely listenable concert in New York that bristles with energy.Along with the audience comparisons, both performances allow for another interesting examination: that of Rae herself. During both sets, she gives the same anecdotes about how a song was written before said songs. Rae does this too much, falling into the singer-songwriter trap of over-explaining the music rather than letting it speak for itself. Given Rae’s distinct voice and solid songwriting, the less explanation she gives, the better: it slows down the pace of the concert. As her song selection grows with her career, this problem will certainly work itself out and allow for her to craft more individual performances than the somewhat homogeneous ones on this set.That said, this is an excellent package. The CD side sounds great, and it is what it is. But the DVD is stocked with some nice extras, including four music videos (“Put Your Records On,” “Trouble Sleeping,” “Like a Star,” and “I’d Like To”) and an 11-minute documentary about the London performance. The inclusion of both stereo and Dolby 5.1 Surround tracks is a nice touch, as well.This set belongs in the music collection of Corrine Bailey Rae fans and newcomers to her music alike.

The timid finger gently taps the back of the dancing concertgoer, currently engaged in a grotesque pelvic thrust that is part macarena, part electric slide, and all horror. The concertgoer spins around as if shook from a dream, to hear a kind request to sit down so that the face of the timid finger can see the performer on the stage. The dancer answers by gruffly threatening future physical abnormalities and by telling the person to do something to herself that is physically impossible. The dancer spins back around and continues his boogie-woogie-woogie. The woman sits in her seat dejectedly. Her seat happens to be a wheelchair. This, of course, makes the dancing man the world’s biggest asshole. I witnessed this at the recent Elvis Costello/Bob Dylan October 2007 show in St. Louis. Only the intervention of a security guard convinced the dancer to at least move to the aisle, so that he could continue his gyrations without blocking the woman’s view. It also led to me to ponder the question of what qualifies as appropriate behavior for a music concert, since I have seen too many cases where norms of human decency have been scuttled in favor of behavior that would rival that of our knuckle-dragging ancestors. The fact that this type of thuggish behavior has mostly happened at concerts by “established” acts (Dylan, Costello, R.E.M), and not at shows by less-known indie acts (The National, Silver Jews) is a topic probably best left for another day. What follows is my humble attempt to create a modern day Hammurabi Code for Concertgoers. Minus the punishment by dismemberment and disembowelment. Reserved Seating You’ve just thrown down hundreds of dollars and donated several pints of blood in order to afford a couple Neil Young tickets, yet you aren’t exactly thrilled to be sitting at the top of the mountain:Your reserved seat number is not a suggestion or a general approximation of where to sit. If your ticket says Nosebleed Balcony Seat 236, your posterior should be drawn like a magnet to the confines of that seat’s dimensions. If you are occupying someone else’s seat and you get called out on it, don’t feign surprise and act like you were unaware you parked it in the wrong spot. Your hangdog expression and slow ascent into the wilds of less cozy environs within the venue gives you away every time.People occasionally leave their seats to get a drink or buy $50 tour sweatshirts. When they come back to their seat, you shouldn’t be sitting there like a rock-n-roll Goldilocks.General Admission General admission is always a dicey proposition. You have a great chance to get in the pit and get close to the musician you’ve been stalking for years. Yet as your fellow concertgoers jockey for prime real estate before the show begins, violent elbows to your spleen are a real concern. Here’s how to handle this situation:If you are a male under 5’9’’, forget about it. You will be muscled out of your spot in the pit; it is a Darwinian certainty.Sitting on the floor of the pit until the show begins is not a good strategy. Some concertgoers equate sitting heads with steps. And like a turtle hiding inside its shell, eventually you must come out. When you do, that winged predator with sharp teeth you were hiding from will still be there.Tables with either chairs or stools at a general admission show are the equivalent of water from a cactus for a man starving in the desert. Do not hesitate, do not look around for a better spot, and do not be fooled by the mirage of a near-empty orchestra pit. Grab the table and bunker down. Do not leave it unguarded under any circumstances. Bodies in Motion (Dancing and Standing vs. Sitting) You’ve impressed your date with third-row center seats, but she’s not yet aware of your Travolta-like tendency to treat the venue as part of your personal discotheque. What’s a guy to do?Consider the performer:If you are seeing Johnny’s Disco Explosion, go gonzo. There are no laws, rules, or regulation. It’s Thunderdome.If you are seeing Johnny Q. Folkie, part your butt in your seat, hold hands with your neighbors, and join in when he sings “We Shall Overcome.”If you are seeing something in between, commit hard in one direction. Either remain rigidly seated even though the other 19,999 people in the arena are shake-shake-shaking all over like frustrated wannabe go-go dancers, or, while everyone else is moping and staring at their shoes, perform your own rhythmic gyrations from the time the show starts until the performer walks off stage. Or until security throws you out. Whichever comes first.Those around you should not need to drive a flag into the ground to claim their space as part of their familial birthright. Likewise, your raised arms, flailing legs, and shaking ass should not intrude upon any concertgoer with whom you are not intimately familiar. Nicotine Consumption and Beyond Your reformed smoker friends constantly tell you to drop the habit. Yet you cannot get the full concert experience without a few puff-puffs. Although your lungs are crying on the inside of you, you need a few lung darts to have a truly enjoyable time. With public smokers becoming pariahs, what’s a dedicated Marlboro man to do?If it’s a smoking venue, puff away until you can’t puff any more. For extra spite, blow your smoke in the direction of the 6’3’’ jerk that muscled you out off your spot near the pit’s railing (see above).If it’s a non-smoking venue, you will likely be relegated to an inconspicuous, dimly-lit, and borderline-dangerous alley near a side door to the venue. As you shorten your lifespan along with your fellow cigarette cronies, take this opportunity to remember the old days when non-smokers didn’t complain about minor things like secondhand smoke, their personal comfort, or their desire to not smell like Joe Camel.A popular alternative to smoking in the great wide open at non-smoking venues is the classic play of smoking in the bathroom. Not only does this say that you won’t be relegated to an alley, it also shows that you are a true worshipper at the altar of God Nicotine. A word of warning though: this approach is the equivalent of running the gauntlet .Those pesky male pissers tend to be uncompromising with anything that keeps them from reaching the porcelain goddess, especially in dire situations.If your chemical proclivities extend to, technically speaking, illegal substances, follow these simple guidelines to maximize your illicit enjoyment and to avoid an awkward 2 am call to your parents from a holding cell:You are not hanging out in your basement room with your friends Slappy and Jimmy C-Nuts after your parents have gone to sleep. Be discreet about it. If you are holding and Security approaches you, do not panic and throw your stash in the lap of the stranger sitting next to you. Liquid Consumption You’re a hard-working white collar dude, but sometimes you want to cut loose with half a dozen strawberry-almond flavored microbrews, to show your fellow concertgoers that you’re not a total suit. Before you or your significant other get blitzed at the Police reunion show on drinks that all end in “tini” and drunkenly croak out “Roxanne” in your own key, observe these rules:Remember that beautiful duet of “I Shall Be Released” that Dylan and Costello sang at Tramps in 1999? How you couldn’t believe your luck to be in the front row to witness such a moment? How the crowd was pin-drop silent and just knew they were witnessing something amazing that would defy later description? No? Then you drank too much.Remember hitting on the blonde bartender, challenging the bouncer to a mixed martial arts fight, and screaming hysterically for Kelly Clarkson to sing “that one song from the radio?” Yes? Then you didn’t drink enough.Performances come and go, bands come and go, but the memory of an unplanned concert vomit on someone’s Chuck Taylors lasts forever.Waiting in Line You’ve got general admission tickets to see your favorite musician for the 47th time tonight. To ensure you get close enough to him to see the wrinkles in his catcher’s mitt-like face, you’ve lined up outside the venue six hours before the doors open. You’ve got no one for company except the voices in your own head. You’ve got some time on your hands, so remember these rules:Eventually people will line up behind you. Do not snarl, bark, or constantly look over your shoulder in paranoia at them. They mean you no harm. Besides, they are piss-fear afraid of you.Sometimes people will need to walk past you. They are not trying to steal your spot. Some of them aren’t even going to the show. There is no need to eye f-blankety-blankety-blank them.Sometimes security moves the line to a new starting point, for no reason other than their sadistic pleasure. Shake your fist at the sky, blame cruel fate, whatever gets you through, but the bottom line is that you’d better run like hell. Your previous position as king has been suddenly usurped.Talking During Shows/Other Random Noises For some reason, we Americans love to spend large sums of money on concerts and then talk through the buggers. You’ve done this in the past but want to repent; you still have a sneaking suspicion that your constant gum-bumping precipitated the riot at the Guns-N-Roses concert in St. Louis years ago. Follow these simple rules and you shall be granted forgiveness:If someone smaller than you tells you to quit talking, ignore him. If someone bigger than you tell you to quit talking, listen to him.Opening acts are people too. Give them a chance before continuing your conversation about how opening acts aren’t people and almost always stink. Your brand new, super-shiny Motorola V-1,000,000,000 is pretty cool. It’s Web-enabled, is smaller than your pinky finger, washes your car, feeds your children, and when you’re feeling frisky, its vibrate function packs a decent punch. But no one wants to hear your Bette Midler ringtone as Springsteen and Max Weinberg’s Semi-Retired Superstars play “Rosalita” for the 700th time. Remember that shows are taped with increasing frequency nowadays. Unless you want your conversation about your asshole boss recorded for posterity, keep your voice down.You’ve followed Dylan across the country since 1963, screaming at every show for him to play “Let Me Die In My Footsteps.” Give it up. It’s not gonna happen.Behavior in Outdoor Venues These shows aren’t for the uninitiated. And if you have a heart condition, be warned. Like scaling Mount Everest, surviving outdoor concerts and festivals requires a certain kind of mental fortitude, along with a blatant disregard for sanity, hygiene, flushable toilets, and other key pieces needed for human life to flourish. So before brazenly heading off to that White Snake/Poison double bill under the stars, observe the following:Urinating in a port-a-potty is gross. Urinating on the lawn where people sit is grosser. Use the port-a-potty.Not everyone shares your affinity for mud. The mud people are not hard to find. Find them and fling away.That early 20s-something girl who sported four-inch bangs and flashed Bret Michaels at the Poison concert in 1987 still lives inside you. Please warn everyone around you before your now-undersized shirt is tossed into the ether. It’s July in Chicago. It’s Hades hot. You’re hungry and tired. The “chill tent” looks like a sick room. You’re surrounded by thousands of people who all resemble Will Oldham and smell like an unholy mixture of sunscreen, weed, and corn dogs. This is the true festival experience. Enjoy it.Common human decency should dictate how to behave at a concert. And everyone should drive the speed limit. When that decency deteriorates into a mixture of chaos, anarchy, and baby boomers breaking out “Heart of Gold” in a drunken frenzy, the guidelines above could help out in a pinch.   Then again, the 300-pound guy in the Metallica Kill ‘Em All shirt who’s now sitting in your seat hasn’t ever really cared much for rules.

Underground alternative star Paul Raven from Ministry and Killing Joke died expectedly this week, after suffering a heart attack as he was working with French band Treponem Pal in France. MTV reported that the 46 year old Wolverhampton born bass player had been out drinking the night before with the band, and was found dead in the morning by drummer Ted Parsons. “I found Raven asleep in a chair the next morning in [a] living room,” Parsons wrote on his Myspace page. “I thought nothing of it, as Raven would sleep like this on the tour bus in the front lounge all the time. Then I looked closer at him, and he looked very gray. I checked his pulse and there was none.” Chatting to US portal PunkTV.ca last year, Raven joked cheerfully about his rock & roll reputation describing himself as �?a world-class antagonist, long time pit-bull breeder, part-time drug dealer (and) brunette lover.’ “I’ve been making records since 1977. I’m what we call O.P., like O.G., Original Punk Rocker,” he added, “Soon I’m going to be a punk-rock granddad. I’m 45 years old and still f**king you know, kicking ass,” he said. Though numerous blogs immediately speculated that drugs might have been involved, no mentions of drugs except alcohol have emerged in subsequent press reports.

It is interesting to see the different crowds that concerts draw. For example, in the past week I have attended this Unearth show and one headlined by '80s era thrashers Overkill. These two shows drew drastically different crowds even though they are both bound by the wide genre net of "metal."Age ranges, clothing styles, pit dancing (or lack thereof). There never appears to be all that much crossover, although it could be argues that the older acts will draw younger audience members than the younger acts will draw from the older crowd. Okay, maybe it isn't that interesting, but go to enough shows and you will notice it as well. As for this show? Well, it started off mediocre and got progressively better. If you are into metalcore and the related subgenres (I lose track of all the divisions) you will definitely want to catch these bands when they come through your town.Unfortunately, I got the door open time for The Chance Theater messed up. I wound up missing the local show-opener, a group called Dropface. I want to say I've seen them before, but I cannot recall for sure. I definitely recognize the band name. Checking out their Myspace page, I like what I hear but now believe that I haven't seen them before. Hopefully I will get to see them at some point.When I got inside Dropface was long gone and the next band was just about ready to take the stage. The time was 8:00 and I was ready for something a little heavy.Suicide Silence came onstage and failed to impress me. Yes, the band was full of energy, which the crowd seriously fed off, but the music did not grab me. The band's name is pretty good and the music they played certainly made me wish for a little silence. Not that it was all bad, but there is only so much of this style of screaming that a guy can take. There were some riffs that sounded good, but overall there was little substance. The music on the band's MySpace page is better than anything I experienced live. I think the biggest blockade to my potential enjoyment would have to be the completely unintelligible screaming/growling. It came in two flavors higher pitched screaming and a deeper growl, neither one was any good, save for the fact that he can keep it up for an entire set, not to mention a tour. The sound could best be described as a fusion of death metal, grindcore, and probably a few other -cores. This is a band that I could not recommend, unless you are already a fan and by now you have likely written me off as an undesirable. Whatever, they failed to ignite much passion in me.The next band up was another first experience. The band is called August Burns Red, and the music is some sort of -core, perhaps experimental metalcore? I don't know. Half the time I just make the terms up, whatever seems to sound right. There's too much divisive labeling going on anyway. Whatever you want to call them, there was no denying that they impressed. August Burns Red's music was heavy, diverse, and very tight. There was something about them that really got to me. I cannot say that they were great by any stretch, but there was definitely something about the heavy riffs, breakdowns, leads, and in your face energy that I really liked. The set reached its peak with a cut from their latest album, The Messengers. The song is called "The Eleventh Hour." The song was easily the best one of the set, it offered up the most complete sonic experience of their half hour, and of the show so far. This is definitely a band to keep an eye on, and one I will definitely acquire some music from.The further into the show I got, the better the music became. This is the sign of a good show. Well, sure, we would all want every band to be excellent, or at least great, but if a show features a build up to the headliner paved with successively better performances, that's the next best thing.The final opening act was Darkest Hour, a melodic metalcore act that I was first introduced to earlier this year when I reviewed their latest album, Deliver Us. It is a very good album, not exactly groundbreaking, but definitely worth the listen. Their live performance takes the album recording to the next level. Live music is easy to get into and Darkest Hour make it that much easier. Their set began the same way the album does. "Doomsayer" got the set off to a great start.Their music is heavy and very catchy. The live versions of their songs were that much more addictive. The energy flowed freely between the crowd and the band, everyone feeding off everyone else. Three songs made it from the new album to the live setlist, making the number of songs I recognized, you guessed it, three. In addition to "Doomsayer" the set also included "Demon(s)" and the title track, "Deliver Us." Even knowing so few songs I was right there with the crowd, feeding the band with out cheers. They sounded great, crunchy riffs, driving drums, raw vocals, and some nice tandem soloing. Their music is not quite as inventive as August Burns Red was, but it was still one hell of a performance.Last, but certainly not least was Unearth. I am a relative newcomer to Unearth (though not as new as I am to Darkest Hour). Prior to the show the only album of theirs I owned was III: Through the Eyes of Fire, now I own two having picked up The Oncoming Storm. Now there is a purchase I should have made long ago. It is a fantastic album that is only made better when you have the live experience to back it up. I have been lucky enough to have seen them, now, twice this year. Back in February I saw them open for Slayer at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center. They put on a sick show, but the February show has nothing on this one. The Chance is a considerably smaller venue, which is a plus. Now take the facts of a smaller, more intimate locale plus the headlining slot equal a much more intense show.Unearth combine some serious heaviness with intense technical precision. That makes for a rather strong combination that puts them right near the top of the metalcore genre and a band that has to be seen live. The set included such cuts as "This Glorious Nightmare," "Zombie Autopilot," "Giles," and "Sanctity of Brothers." As good as all of those songs were, the live highlight came during "The Great Dividers" when Buz McGrath left the stage, made his way through the crowd and played will walking on the bar, merch table, and on top of a snack machine before returning to the stage for the final song, "Black Hearts Now Reign."You know, this was a great show. It was loud, heavy, overflowing with energy and worth every minute. Yes, including Suicide Silence. If any of these bands come through your town, do not hesitate.Set lists (all but Suicide Silence):Unearth:1. Giles2. This Lying World3. This Glorious Nightmare4. Zombie Autopilot5. Endless6. March of the Mutes7. Only the People8. Sanctity of Brothers9. The Great Dividers10. Black Hearts Now ReignDarkest Hours:1. Doomsayer2. Sound the Surrender3. Demons4. This Will Outlive Us5. Convalescence6. Deliver Us7. With a Thousand Words to Say But One8. Sadist NationAugust Burns Red:1. The Truth of a Liar2. The Eleventh Hour3. Your Little Suburbia Is In Ruins4. Composure5. Back Burner6. The Seventh Trumpet

The Bite of Las Vegas is an annual event held at the Desert Spring Park at Spring Mountain and Durango in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year felt as good as the rest. The birds were singing as the kids played. The green grass swayed to the left, then right, then back to the left. The sun was shining like the heavens above. All seemed perfect until a has-been pop act, known as Vanessa Carlton, walked on stage. I have to give her credit for taking away the audience’s attention, if only for a short while. It was as if everybody was waiting for her to play her 2002 mega-hit, “A Thousand Miles.” It was the second to last song and as one can predict, everybody walked away after they got their cheap thrill of a concert moment.   Don’t get me wrong: “A Thousand Miles” is one of the best singles released this decade. I would have to say it’s probably one of the five best, but it’s been hard to compile a list since good music is a rarity this decade. But one good song among more than thirty others doesn’t make a great pop artist. Being an expert at playing the piano may make one a great pianist, but not a pop musical act that can move an audience. It’s also quite obvious that Vanessa Carlton didn’t learn, from Mariah Carey. Being able to hit almost every note – within two seconds at times – does not make one a great singer if the notes she hits make no emotional connection to the lyrics she is singing. Five years ago, critics hailed Vanessa Carlton as the act that would save us from the hottest three pop acts at the time: Britney Spears, Janet Jackson and Madonna. It’s not that these three acts have a whole lot in common, but since they’re female artists who use their sexuality, they not only get ignorantly lumped together, but are put into the “no talent” category among the musical elite. You see, to be taken seriously as a female pop star, you have to dress in jean shorts and masculine outfits. You also have to play an instrument and pretend to be poetic. Then, the musical elite will love you. Vanessa Carlton fit the perfect model for the musical elite: she didn’t lip-sync like Britney Spears nor did she welcome the gay community like Madonna and Janet Jackson did. The only sexually provocative thing she did was wear tight jeans or jean shorts. To the musical elite, the tight jeans didn’t matter as long as it wasn’t a tight or short skirt.   Judging from Vanessa’s horror act at The Bite of Las Vegas, she didn’t learn much from another female act once adored by the musical elite, Jewel, who screwed her career up by taking herself way too seriously. Jewel’s once great music turned into psychobabble. To make things worse, she wrote a cheesy book of poetry. Vanessa Carlton seems to be going in that direction but, unlike Jewel, doesn't have any charisma to make her audience forgive her. Before introducing a new song called “Heroes and Thieves,” Vanessa swayed her head from side to side and proceeded to tell us that this song was inspired by a walk through Central Park. Trying to create a poetic picture, she told the audience that it was raining one day and she decided to take her shoes off and walk through the park (for those who care, she did stress she didn’t get any diseases). Somehow, she received an “epiphany” about “heroes and thieves” in her life and then realized that we need the “light and the dark.” Thank you, Vanessa!   Some people in the audience chuckled. I didn’t. I fantasized about running up on stage, spitting at Venessa (and telling her it's poetic rain), breaking her piano keys and throwing them at her face. Before I could entertain this nasty thought any longer, Ms. Carlton made a mistake on the chords and said, “Pretend that didn’t happen.” I wished we could have pretended this concert never happened.   After “Heroes and Thieves,” Vanessa Carlton snobbishly said, “Okay, should I just get the song out of the way now?” knowing the only reason people were still listening was to hear “A Thousand Miles.” The audience sang along as she started the song. Vanessa looked thrilled as if she just won the lottery. But she probably wasn’t thrilled when people departed – similar to the way cats depart when they see mice – when she sang her encore, “Home.” Hopefully, that’s where Vanessa Carlton headed after the show.Vanessa Carlton should teach the music industry a lesson: although audiences are fed up with bubblegum female pop stars, trying to push a singer who can play piano and hit different vocal high notes won’t change anything unless she can make a connection between the piano bars she is pushing, the high notes she is hitting, the lyrics she is singing, and the audience she is playing to. Vanessa Carlton has rarely made this connection and her two most recent albums, Harmonium and Heroes & Thieves, have not even been certified wood. There’s a reason for this and it’s not because audiences don’t appreciate good music.

Cover Brian Eno and Billy Idol? Photo by Chris Owyoung Now that their "Duluth Tour" is over, Queens of the Stone Age have to get their non-traditional touring kicks somehow. And since we already know they have 1.) a refined palate (see: their appearance on an upcoming holiday episode of chef Anthony Bourdain’s Travel Channel show) and 2.) an affinity for all things rock (see: their music and the "Stone Age" in their name), the announcement that the band will play one mile underground in a former German salt mine next month seems just about perfect. The mine is in Sondershausen, Germany (check out pictures here), and the show is on November 20. And the venue isn’t the only special thing about the performance: Queens plan to unearth (I’m sorry) plenty of songs they have never before played live for the exclusive unplugged set. Unfortunately, the show is only open to winners of various worldwide competitions (including some radio promotions), but the band has plenty of regular ol’ dates as well, including a few more UK shows in February. Their next show is tomorrow night, October 27, in Las Vegas at the Vegoose festival. According to NME.com, QOTSA will release the single for Era Vulgaris slow jam "Make It Wit Chu" on November 26. It will be available as a digital EP and as two limited 7"s. The download includes "alternative versions" of "Make It Wit Chu" as well as– quoth NME– "new tracks ‘White Wedding’ and ‘Needles in a Camel’s Eye’." The first 7" features "White Wedding" and an acoustic version of "Make It", while the second features "Needles" and the album version of the single. And if those aren’t Billy Idol and Brian Eno covers, we’ll eat a cup of salt. Diggin’ for dates: 10-27 Las Vegas, NV - Vegoose Festival 10-29 Los Angeles, CA - Nokia Theater $ 11-16 Dortmund, Germany - Westfalenhalle 2 11-17 Stuttgart, Germany - Messe Congress Centrum B 11-18 Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof 11-19 Nuremburg, Germany - Lowensaal 11-20 Sondershausen, Germany - Bergwerkes Glückauf 11-21 Hamburg, Germany - Grosse Freiheit 36 11-23 Brighton, England - Dome 11-24 Liverpool, England - Academy 11-25 Nottingham, England - Rock City 11-26 London, England - Brixton Academy 11-28 Glasgow, Scotland - Academy 11-29 Newcastle, England - Academy 12-01 Bristol, England - Academy 12-02 Manchester, England - Apollo 12-03 Birmingham, England - Academy 12-04 Reading, England - Rivermead 12-17 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater % 12-18 Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater % 12-20 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield % 12-21 San Francisco, CA - The Warfield 02-09 Edinburgh, Scotland - Corn Exchange 02-10 Leeds, England - Leeds University 02-11 London, England - Hammersmith Apollo 02-12 Southampton, England - Guildhall $ with Mastodon % with Jaguar Love

The actor, who has made his name with acclaimed roles in Shameless, The Last King Of Scotland, and Atonement, now looks set to bag the lead role in the Nirvana film. Reports about the film, which Courtney Love will executive-produce, emerged earlier this month, after Universal Pictures apparently secured the rights. The film will be based on Charles Cross's acclaimed book, Heavier Than Heaven, which was based on hundreds of interviews with the dead rock legend, his friends, and his family. Troy screenwriter David Benioff is thought to be putting together the script, although there as yet no word if the other members of Nirvana will be consulted. Since his suicide in 1994, Kurt Cobain has been the subject of numerous big screen interpretations, namely Gus Van Sant's Last Days in 2005. Also due for release shortly is A.J. Schnack's About A Son, which incorporates 25 hours of interviews with the star, against an atmospheric cinematic backdrop.

After a couple of rather slow weeks, it is our happy duty to report that all is once again well in new release land. In fact, the menu of new releases arriving in stores this week has something for virtually every musical palate.Leading the pack is the new (or maybe not so new) album from Neil Young. Chrome Dreams II is actually something of a sequel to a never released album that was originally supposed to come out in 1976 called Chrome Dreams. Some of you may recall my own displeasure over Neil's concert ticket prices for his current tour. As it turns out, I attended the Seattle show of that very tour just last night, and can happily report the show was pretty amazing. Based on that, as well as Neil's Chrome Dreams II album, I'm actually almost ready to forgive Neil. Almost.You can read more about the Chrome Dreams II album in my review published earlier this week right here on Blogcritics. In a nutshell though, anybody who has ever loved Neil Young in full-on guitar opus mode will love at least two of the tracks on Chrome Dreams II — the eighteen minute "Ordinary People," and the eleven minute "No Hidden Path." I'll have more on Neil in my concert review later this week. Some of the other new release highlights this week include a new EP from the ever prolific Ryan Adams & The Cardinals. Follow The Lights comes on the heels of the amazing full length Easy Tiger album released earlier this year, and includes the concert highlight, a cover of Alice In Chains "Down In The Hole."American Idol's country sweetheart Carrie Underwood releases her second solo record this week in the form of Carnival Ride. Speaking of sophomore solo albums, Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan has Hourglass, which is said to combine elements of darkness with the uptempo electronic dance beats Depeche Mode fans have come to know and love.In one of the week's more unusual pairings, Led Zeppelin's Robert Plant teams with bluegrass stalwart Alison Krauss for Raising Sand. If old school metal makes your hair stand on end, you can't go wrong with Rob Zombie's Live or Motley Crue's Carnival of Sins Live 1 & 2.Here are all of this week's new album releases courtesy of All Music Guide:Coheed & Cambria Good Apollo I'm Burning Star IV, Vol. 2: No World for Tomorrow Columbia Progressive Metal, Album Rock, Hard Rock, Alternative Metal, Emo Dave Gahan Hourglass Virgin/Mute Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Dance, Alternative Pop/Rock Robert Plant/Alison Krauss Raising Sand Rounder Contemporary Singer/Songwriter, Americana, Contemporary Folk, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Modern Delta Blues, Folk-Rock, Modern Acoustic Blues Serj Tankian Elect the Dead Warner Bros. Neo-Prog, Progressive Metal, Industrial Metal, Hard Rock Carrie Underwood Carnival Ride Arista Pop Idol, Contemporary Country Ween La Cucaracha Rounder Comedy Rock, Indie Rock, Alternative Pop/Rock Neil Young Chrome Dreams II Reprise Album Rock, Singer/Songwriter, Folk-Rock, Hard Rock, Country-Rock Ryan Adams & the Cardinals Follow the Lights Lost HighwayAmericana, Adult Alternative Pop/Rock, Alternative Country-Rock, Singer/Songwriter Gary Allan Living Hard MCA NashvilleContemporary Country Babyshambles Shotter's Nation EMI/ParlophoneIndie Rock Bobby Bare Drunk and Crazy [Bonus Tracks] RavenOutlaw Country, Nashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Progressive Country, Traditional Country Bizarre Blue Cheese 'N' Coney Island KR UrbanHardcore Rap, Underground Rap Bush Tetras Very Very Happy RoirNo Wave, Post-Punk Cassius 15 Again EMI/VirginProgressive House, House, Club/Dance Castanets In the Vines Asthmatic KittyIndie Rock Coke Na Na: A Funk Anthology Essential Media GroupLatin Rock, Funk, Latin Soul Justin Currie What Is Love For Wea/RykodiscAdult Alternative Pop/Rock Bo Diddley I'm a Man: The Chess Masters, 1955-1958 Hip-O SelectRock & Roll, R&B, Electric Chicago Blues Jermaine Dupri Ya'll Know What This Is…The Hits IslandPop-Rap, Urban, Hip-Hop Enthroned Tetra Karcist NapalmHeavy Metal, Death Metal/Black Metal Ghost Overture: Live in Nippon Yusen Soko Drag CityImprovisation, Free Improvisation, Experimental Rock, Experimental, Psychedelic, Avant-Garde Everette Harp My Inspiration ShanachieCrossover Jazz, Jazz-Pop, Instrumental Pop, Smooth Jazz, Contemporary Jazz Heart Dreamboat Annie Live Shout! FactoryAlbum Rock, Pop/Rock, Hard Rock, Arena Rock Hurricane Chris 51/50 Ratchet Polo Grounds/J-RecordsSouthern Rap, Hardcore Rap Shooter Jennings The Wolf Universal SouthAlternative Country, Contemporary Country, Outlaw Country, Southern Rock, Country-Rock Paavo Järvi Tchaikovsky: Symphony No. 6 "Pathètique"; Romeo and Juliet Overture-Fantasy [Hybrid SACD] TelarcRomantic Orchestral Music Roman Kofman Liszt: Christus MDGRomantic Oratorio Ulrich Krieger The Marvellous Aphorisms of Gavin Bryars: The Early Years ModeContemporary Chamber Music Julie London All Through the Night [Bonus Track] CapitolTraditional Pop, Cool Taj Mahal Oooh So Good N'Blues/Recycling the Blues RavenFolk-Blues, Electric Country Blues, Modern Acoustic Blues Mötley Crüe Carnival of Sins: Live, Vols. 1-2 Eleven Seven MusicHair Metal, Heavy Metal Susan Narucki Kernis: Simple Songs; Valentines; Songs of Innocents Koch International ClassicsContemporary Vocal Music Lisa O'Kane It Don't Hurt New Light/UniversalContemporary Country Of Montreal If He Is Protecting Our Nation… Who Is Protecting Big Oil, Our Children? Track And FieldIndie Pop, Neo-Psychedelia Original Video Game Soundtrack Guitar Hero 3 InterscopeVideo Game Music, Soundtracks Phosphorescent Pride Dead OceansIndie Rock, Alternative Folk, Lo-Fi Prefuse 73 Preparations [Bonus CD] WarpLeft-Field Hip-Hop, IDM Relient K Let It Snow Baby… Let It Reindeer CapitolChristian Punk, Alternative CCM, Punk-Pop, Holiday, Alternative Pop/Rock, Christmas Emmy Rossum Inside Out GeffenAdult Alternative Pop/Rock Saturday Looks Good to Me Fill Up the Room KIndie Pop, Alternative Singer/Songwriter Say Anything In Defense of the Genre J-RecordsPunk-Pop, Punk Revival, Emo The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir The Scotland Yard Gospel Choir BloodshotIndie Pop Seether Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces Wind-upPost-Grunge, Alternative Metal Ringo Starr Live at Soundstage KochPop/Rock Two Lone Swordsmen Wrong Meetings Rotter's Golf ClubIDM, Electro-Techno, Techno, Ambient Techno, Experimental Electro Various Artists Nick Didkovsky: Ice Cream Time New WorldContemporary Chamber Music Jerry Wallace The Best of Jerry Wallace: The Country Years Varese SarabandeNashville Sound/Countrypolitan, Country-Pop The Weakerthans Reunion Tour Epitaph/AntiIndie Rock Joe Williams/Count Basie Every Day I Have the Blues [Bonus Tracks] CapitolTraditional Pop, Standards, Swing, Vocal Jazz Nancy Wilson The Nancy Wilson Show! EMI/Capitol JazzTraditional Pop, Standards Dwight Yoakam Dwight Sings Buck New WestNew Traditionalist, Bakersfield Sound, Neo-Traditionalist Country Rob Zombie Live GeffenAlternative Metal, Heavy Metal

It would seem that whatever season of drought many had been experiencing regarding Michael Brook releases has finally succumbed to the rainy season. 2006 saw the release of both a long-anticipated solo album, RockPaperScissors, and the soundtrack to Al Gore's enviro-documentary, An Inconvenient Truth.So far this year is also progressing along at a prolific clip. In addition to his new soundtrack to Sean Penn's film Into The Wild, we also have the latest of his studio releases. BellCurve is an interesting and satisfying listen. It is a retooling of sorts of last years RockPaperScissors, and as such any praise will be met with some qualifications.I don't mean to scare anyone away, but we're going to be using the word "remix" here to describe the record, so you might as well get used to it. But it's not going to be used in the same way as some of the more obvious genre choices use it. BellCurve is a stylistic overhaul of last year's release, more as a producer's re-imagining. No, it's not loaded down with funky clubs beats, and neither has it been thrown to the downtempo lounge hounds. These are more straight board mixes that could easily have been the final versions in some cases, or additional album material in others.James Hood is the man at the helm for this album re-working. But the biggest compliment I can give him is that it still sounds like a Michael Brook album. It's as if an epic movie had been made about the RockPaperScissors world, and this was the soundtrack. It touches on all the main themes from the previous record, but altering them just enough weave them together into a more consistent palette. And although I'm not privy to the process for this release, I would be willing to bet that Michael Brook still had a heavy approval role before this was finalized.The record is largely an instrumental affair, starting with an introductory track that leads into a new version of "Strange Procession." The style is very reminiscent of the original, with some slight background and rhythmic additions. The album, in general, is mixed together from track to track, and from here moves on to an instrumental reworking of "DarkerRoom". This is one of the key points of this new release. Where before the track centered around a spoken word poem over a dramatic musical bed, the piece has been re-worked to fit in with much of the mood of the rest of the record. It would be unfair and inaccurate to just call it "chillout" or "ambient", but hopefully that does give you an idea of how many of the tracks have been subdued in order to establish an album-length flow.Some tracks such as "Tangerine II" and "Even Doges In The Wild" display a few more remix touches than others (such as the underlying synth arpeggios, and additional beats) but it's never to the point of distraction. Again, the goal seems to be to tightly weave everything together into a more unified sound world. The record swells and glides, until finally it closes with a stunning and extended reworking of "Want" featuring the vocals of Lisa Germano.The problem with recommending this album is that, at least for me, it negates the need for the previous album from which it draws its genesis. Personally, now that I've heard this release, this is much more what I would have liked for RockPaperScissors to have been.BellCurve is a grand and lushly cohesive record. You can gladly get lost in it for days. Before, you were asked to alternate between varying different styles and moods, and it was all gratifyingly done. But at times it could feel like a film festival of shorts when all you really wanted was to just sit down and watch a single movie. BellCurve handily fills that bill.But recommend it I must. For those who remember Brook's work from the 80s, as well as his collaborations with Daniel Lanois and Brian Eno, this will be a very welcome release indeed. If you don't already have RockPaperScissors, I would easily recommend this record first (and then you're free to decide on your own if the other is still needed). If you already have the previous album, this is still magnificent and compelling enough to merit your attention.

Following the recent controversy over the alleged â€�?cheats’ in the DJ Mag Top 100 poll, this year’s results have been leaked all over the web. While DJ Mag have yet to confirm or deny whether the results are legit or not, they show that Armin van Buuren has taken the #1 spot for the very first time! Tiesto and John Digweed are next in line, and last year’s winner Paul van Dyk has slipped to #4, with Sasha rounding out the top 5. Suspiciously, after the recent controversy discussed HERE, American DJs Christopher Lawrence and DJ Dan have dropped out of the list entirely. And in exciting news for Australians, Dirty South represents the first of our countrymen to rank in the top 100 for quite a while, scraping in with the #98 spot. So are the leaked results legit? Guess we’ll just have to wait for the official confirmation from DJ Mag themselves. Meanwhile, check out the results doing the rounds below! 1 Armin van Buuren 2 Tiesto 3 John Digweed 4 Paul van Dyk 5 Sasha 6 Above and Beyond 7 Carl Cox 8 Ferry Corsten 9 Infected Mushroom 10 David Guetta 11 Deep Dish 12 Paul Oakenfold 13 Markus Schulz 14 Hernan Cattaneo 15 Sander van Doorn 16 Eddie Halliwell 17 James Zabiela 18 Astrix 19 Richie Hawtin 20 Marco V 21 Judge Jules 22 Fedde le Grand 23 Gabriel and Dresden 24 Erick Morillo 25 Roger Sanchez 26 ATB 27 Sven Vath 28 Yahel 29 Umek 30 Andy Moor 31 Gareth Emery 32 Benny Benassi 33 Axwell 34 Mauro Picotto 35 Sander Kleinberg 36 Eric Prydz 37 Blank and Jones 38 Bad Boy Bill 39 Pete Tong 40 DJ Vibe 41 Tiga 42 Steve Lawler 43 Danny Tenaglia 44 Ronski Speed 45 Nic Fanciulli 46 Steve Angello 47 Nick Warren 48 Matt Hardwick 49 Ricardo Villalobos 50 James Holden 51 Mark Knight 52 The Thrillseekers 53 Marco Bailey 54 Anderson Noise 55 Lange 56 Offer Nissim 57 Kyau and Albert 58 Justice 59 Matt Darey 60 Timo Maas 61 Danny Howells 62 Menno De Jong 63 Bob Sinclar 64 John Acqaviva 65 Agnelli and Nelson 66 Fatboy Slim 67 Andy C 68 Ricky Stone 69 Donald Glaude 70 Desyn Masiello 71 Daft Punk 72 Martin Solveig 73 BT 74 Chris Liebling 75 Valentino Kanzyani 76 Trentmoller 77 Jeff Mills 78 John Graham 79 Robbie Rivera 80 The Chemical Brothers 81 Luciano 82 Hype 83 Lisa Lashes 84 Filo and Pero 85 Lee Burridge 86 Armand van Helden 87 Magda 88 Dave Seaman 89 Victor Calderone 90 Dave Clarke 91 Richard Durand 92 Westbam 93 Sebastien Leger 94 Chus and Ceballos 95 Wally Lopez 96 Bookla Shade 97 Adam Beyer 98 Dirty South 99 Erol Alkan 100 Laurent Garnier 101 Skazi 102 Tall Paul 103 Stanton Warriors 104 Lisa Pin Up 105 Sean Tyas 106 Mario Piu 107 John O Callaghan 108 Johan Gielen 109 DJ Rush 110 Antonie Clamaran 111 Aly and Fila 112 Cosmic Gate 113 Rank 1 114 Boys Noize 115 Krafty Kuts 116 Darude 117 Laidback Luke 118 John OO Flemming 119 Alex MORPH 120 John Askew 121 Astral Projection 122 Chris Lake 123 Marco Lenzi 124 Satoshi Tomiie 125 Digitalism 126 Dennis Ferrer 127 Super 8 and DJ Tab 128 Misstress Barbara 129 Marco Carola 130 Sebastian Ingrosso 131 Miss Kittin 132 Andy Whitby 133 Gui Boratto 134 Simon Posford 135 Tocadisco 136 Alex Kidd 137 Stephan Bodzin 138 Steve Porter 139 David Morales 140 Loco Dice 141 Joachim Garraud 142 Leon Boiler 143 James Lavelle 144 John Dahlback 145 The Plump DJs 146 Luke Fair 147 The Tidy Boys 148 Pendulum 149 Josh Wink 150 Dave Spoon