Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers Hit The Internet

In one of the most unique and creative marketing strategies, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers will be touring for their upcoming live box set, The Live Anthology (due November 24th), online. Instead of playing venues, Petty and company are presenting the box set as an online tour where you buy a ticket to download the 48 track set. Yes, you heard that correctly. An online tour to download a box set. Sure this sounds strange but unlike most digital downloads, you actually get something with your downloads other than just music.

Pearl Jam - Backspacer

Pearl Jam returns with their ninth studio release, Backspacer, and it is quite possibly the tightest set of songs the band has delivered in a while. Clocking in at a little over 36 minutes, this is also the shortest album the band has recorded to date. With songs like these, who cares about length? I certainly do not.

In Case You Missed It: Living Colour Performing On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Living Colour returned to late night TV as the musical guest for Late Night With Jimmy Fallon to perform "Behind The Sun" from their new album, The Chair In The Doorway (in stores now). Check out their performance after the jump.

One Hit Wonder Or One Hit Blunder

Today's Subject: "Rico Suave" by Gerardo


Yes, it is the question for the ages. How did a smooth Latin pimp like Gerardo have one hit song despite the fact that it required you to learn two languages and technically doesn't fit within the confines of a basic radio station format? The answer is I don't know but he did, it was and it did.

Living Colour - The Chair In The Doorway

Approximately six years have passed since Living Colour released their last album, Collideoscope, and in the time passed, they've toured, put out several live performances on DVD and CD, toured again with Doug Pinnick of King's X while vocalist Corey Glover performed in Jesus Christ Superstar and changed labels. What does any of this mean? Absoultely nothing because Living Colour have delivered an album that continues with the experimentation of heavier sounds, electronics, Funk and Rock of the previous two albums while retaining all of the elements that have allowed them to stand out since their debut (1988's Vivid).

Kanye West: A Hightower And Jones Essatorial

Kanye West. What does one say about the man without resorting to name-calling or opinionated vulgarities? One just simply says Kanye West, a name that, until last night, meant rapper, producer, egomaniac and, according to South Park, gay fish. Now the name means sad, pathetic, undeserving and useless. There was nothing shocking about what he did at last night's MTV Video Music Awards. Instead, it was rude and disrespectful. In a industry where it's refreshing to see someone like Taylor Swift, given her age and success, who is a respectable teenage role model who isn't partying, flashing her vagina to cameras and becoming famous for having a reality show/sex tape existence, what gives Kanye West the right to spit on her accomplishment?

In Case You Missed It: The Coathangers On LA Ink

Last night, The Coathangers appeared on LA Ink as the band stopped into the shop for their drummer, Stephanie, to get an awesome tattoo of the band on her leg from Corey. If you missed the appearance last night, here's their cool but brief spot on last night's episode.

Thank You Friends: The Songs Of Big Star (September 2009)

Side A
1. Feel by The Posies
2. The Ballad Of El Goodo by Evan Dando
3. September Gurls by The Bangles
4. Thirteen by Mary Lou Lord
5. Jesus Christ by Teenage Fanclub
6. Kangaroo by Bat For Lashes
7. Holocaust by This Mortal Coil

Side B
8. ST100/6 by Dambuilders
9. September Gurls by Superdrag
10. Thirteen by Elliott Smith
11. Nightime by Dennison Witmer
12. Blue Moon by Damon & Naomi
13. Kangaroo by This Mortal Coil
14. Big Black Car by The Walkabouts

New Noise Addict Album

This was something I forgot to post last week due to obsessively playing Guitar Hero 5 for a review. Ben Lee's former group Noise Addict have returned with a new album and a new lineup featuring Sebadoh frontman/Dinosaur Jr. bassist, Lou Barlow. So if you remember the 90's Noise Addict singles, "I Wish I Was Him" or "16", love Ben Lee or just love lo-fi recordings, check out their new album, It Was Never About The Audience.

The Coathangers On LA Ink

That's right! An awesome band and favorite of Hightower And Jones appearing on tonight's edition of LA Ink.

Hear The First Disc Of Big Star's Box Set, Keep An Eye On The Sky

NPR is hosting a stream of the entire first disc of the forthcoming, four disc Big Star boxset, Keep An Eye On The Sky. Definitely, check out the gems on the first disc and visit Hightower And Jones this Friday for the September mixtape. This month's tape is a tribute to Big Star and features Bat For Lashes, The Bangles, Elliott Smith and various other artists paying tribute of a band so cool that their lead singer/guitarist became the title and subject for a Replacements song.

Old World Vs. Modern World

On The Modern Lovers self-titled debut, Jonathan Richman sang "I want to keep my place in the old world" before later, and on a different track, singing "I'm in love with the modern world now." At, the end of "Old World," Richman takes a moment to acknowledge the new world and accept the change ahead. If Jonathan Richman can accept his place in both worlds and be willing to move forward, why can't legends accept Guitar Hero and Rock Band as a new medium for introducing younger fans and newer ears to music.

Got Money And A VH1 Behind The Music

It's now reported that Lil' Wayne's 2008-09 tour was the highest grossing Hip Hop tour of the year. For Weezy's victory lap, we get the return of Behind The Music tomorrow night on VH1. Enjoy this clip, courtesy of Videogum, of the rapper discussing himself playing guitar.

Let It Beatles!

I was and am not a huge Beatles fan despite knowing quite a few of them. Growing up, I'd hear the songs on the radio or sung around the house and they did nothing because they, in my mind, lacked the flair of Michael Jackson or Van Halen. In college, a classmate was shocked that I didn't like them and made me two mixtapes of their work which got me more into them and introduced me to one of my few favorite Beatles songs ("Don't Let Me Down"). Then I heard about The Beatles: Rock Band. I thought it was cool and interesting idea. Then I played the game...

Guitar Hero 5 Comes Alive!

It's a new year and the game brought plastic guitars to homes, bars and frat houses everywhere is back with a new edition to the series. With a new game, Activision brings forth new list of songs as well as new features, all or none of which you may care about. Does this game live up to the title Guitar Hero or does it fall short of the bar as did last year's Guitar Hero World Tour?

Giveaway: Marilyn Manson Tickets

Yes, that Marilyn Manson and I'm giving away two tickets to a concert at The Rave in Milwaukee, WI on September 15. In addition to the tickets, I'm throwing in two Marilyn Manson CD-singles for "Lunchbox" and "Get Your Gunn". Old school Manson and new, live Manson in one giveaway. More details after the jump.

Video Graveyard

A couple of weeks ago, I posted Hammer and Deion Sanders' video for "Straight To My Feet" which provided a friend a chance to finally see a video he never wanted to see ever again. As we were talking, I told him there are a couple of truly, embarrassing Hammer videos. Two of which make up this post.

September: 'Tis An Awesome Month

September is chock with plenty of releases to keep you entertained throughout the month as well as opportunities to discover some new music. Here is a list of new releases that will put tunes in your heart and head for the next 30 days.

Concertiquette

This was supposed to be a review of the Nine Inch Nails concert at the Aragon Ballroom on August 28, 2009. The key word is "was." The band was great and set featured a vast selection of songs ranging from hits and singles like "Head Like A Hole" and "March Of The Pigs" to instrumental numbers from The Fragile and Ghosts I-IV as well as an appearance from Peter Murphy of Bauhaus. While all of this was great, I had trouble focusing on the performance due to the abundance of annoyance surrounding me. Eventually, this annoyance became more of an event than the concert itself which is sad because I spent way too much to be annoyed and I really wanted to see Nine Inch Nails. So, there will not going to be a review, instead, you get this helpful guide.