Yeah, I know we've heard this before over the past decade or so but this time it's for real because the band signed an exclusive deal with BEST BUY and licensed songs to Rock Band 2 and a major motion picture, so this has got to be the real deal.

Of course, if you're a hardcore GNR fan you probably have most of the album already as 11 of the disc's 14 songs have been passed around the internet in demo/live/allegedly completed form for quite a while.

Among the disc 14 tracks (really, 10+ years for 14 songs?), only 3 of the tunes Scraped, 'Sorry and Prostitute, will likely be unfamiliar to the GNR faithful.

Here's where you can pre-order your CD, Digital download (say, how much analog music downloading is going on these days?) and Vinyl (with a free umm.. digital download) copy of the album:

www.BestBuy.com/chinesedemocracy

Here is the official track list for Chinese Democracy:

Chinese Democracy
Scraped
Shackler's Revenge
Street of Dreams (reportedly the final version of recent concert staple The Blues)
If the World
Better
This I Love
There was a Time
Riad N' the Bedovins
Sorry
I.R.S.
Catcher
Madagascar
Prostitute

Will the album live up to years of hype and speculation?
Well, probably not, but that's nearly impossible at this point
Does it really have to?
No, no it doesn't. I think most fans will just be glad that Axl and his (hired) Guns N Roses is back in the mix with a solid collection of songs and hitting the road again to rock their world and local arena (assuming Axl actually shows up).

Hey, here's some high-quality hyperbole from a couple of guys Axl Rose pays to spit out hyperbole:

"The release of Chinese Democracy marks a historic moment in rock 'n' roll," GNR manager Irving Azoff and co-manager Andy Gould said in a statement.
"We're launching with a monumental campaign developed by Gary Arnold and the Best Buy team that matches the groundbreaking sound of the album itself. Guns N' Roses fans have every reason to celebrate, for this is only the beginning."

Oooh, all that marketing talk has got me ready to rock.

It's official.

Pretenders leader and restaurateur Chrissie Hynde has officially been added to the lineup of Devo's Duty Now For The Future concert.

A benefit for the Summit Country Democratic Party, the concert will feature Devo's first hometown show in 30 years. West Akronites, The Black Keys were added to the bill a few days after the concert's announcement and now Hynde- who recently told Devo's Mark Mothersbaugh that she would try and make the show if she could shift her schedule around a bit, has apparently managed to carve out a some time from promoting her band's new album Break Up The Concrete to stump and rock in her hometown.

What she will perform and with whom has not been determined.

But it ought to be interesting.

If the Black Keys want to play their hometown in 2009, they may have to wait for the new Rubber Bowl to be finished to fit all their area fans into one place.

The West Akron duo is riding a wave of critical acclaim and their best record sales on the strength of their fifth album Attack and Release, produced by hot knob twiddler and Gnarls Barkley member Danger Mouse.

The band entered the stately, acoustically refined and designed stage of University of Akron's E.J. Thomas to a standing ovation from the sellout crowd. Playing in front of giant inflatable tire touting Akron and "Heavy Sole" the Firestone grads proceeded to give the age varied crowd, the fuzzed up blues-flavored rock they desired with Girl is On My Mind followed by the stomping riffage of thickfreakness, playing in front of their giant inflatable tire touting "Heavy Sole."
"It's nice to be home," Auerbach told the crowd.

The Keys subscribe to the ethos that recordings and live shows are separate listening experiences. Thus songs such as the taut Set You Free and the bouncy blues of Busted are stretched out and broken down with Carney who has come a long way as a drummer adding subtle and occasionally funky variants on his usually thunderous lockstep grooves only to rebuild to crowd pleasing crescendos.

Likewise Auerbach whose onstage moves have always resembled a drunken whirling dervish seems to be embracing his inner guitar hero, dramatically stomping his many fuzz pedals, playing screaming lead and slide lines and literally beating power chords from his Rickenbacker. But Auerbach did slow down long enough to apply his world weary vocals to a soulful version of Captain Beefheart's R&B ballad I'm Glad.

As for the new songs, Attack and Release is the band's most varied and layered collection of songs, but in concert with only Carney and Auerbach those tunes are stripped to their bare essentials.
Carney shifted the groove of the uptempo single Strange Times and I Got Mine featured an extended freakout solo from Auerbach who has added a bit of flash to his traditionally chord-heavy and fingerpicked playing.

The Royal Bangs a quintet from Knoxville, TN opened the show with a kinetic set of bouncy songs from their debut album We Breed Champions released on Carney's Audio Eagle label and some new material. The band's catchy and tunes such as New Scissors and Cat Swallow others which use intricate guitar harmonies, the occasional synthesizers and multiple time signatures as a bed for singer Ryan Schaefer's aching vocals. The band did a suitable job of warming up the crowd but the effect of their high energy set was dampened by a bass heavy mix that didn't do Schaefer any favors.

Fans will have one more chance this year to see The Black Keys perform when they open for their musical heroes and fellow Akronites Devo at a Summit County Democratic Party benefit concert at the Civic Theatre on Friday.

SET LIST
Girl Is on My Mind
Thickfreakness
Set You Free
Same Old Thing
10 A.M. Automatic
Stack Shot Billy
Busted
Everywhere I Go
Strange Times
Your Touch
The Breaks
No Trust
I'm Glad
Have Love Will Travel
I Got Mine

ENCORE:
Psychotic Girl
Till I Get My Way

West Akron Blues rock duo and lifelong Devo fans The Black Keys will be the opening act for Devo's upcoming Duty Now For The Future benefit concert to be held at the Akron Civic Theatre on Friday, October 17.
The concert a benefit for the Summit County Democratic Party will be Devo's first performance in Akron in 30 years.

According to Devo frontman Mark Mothersbaugh, fellow Akronite and Pretenders leader Chrissie Hynde may also make an appearance at the show.

Wow, It seems the McCain Campaign can't seem to make friends among rock musicians who don't appreciate his use of their music for his campaign

First, Jackson Browne threatened to sue McCain and Co. for using Running On Empty then Van Halen cried foul when they used Right Now though former singer Sammy Hagar said the songs general theme of change is apt and could and should be used by either campaign.
Then Heart adamantly spoke out against VP candidate Sarah Palin's use of their Barracuda, (her nickname in high school)

Now the Foo Fighters have joined the ranks of disgruntled musicians and copyright holders for McCain's use of their song My Hero.

Here is their official statement:

This isn't the first time the McCain campaign has used a song without making any attempt to get approval or permission from the artist. It's frustrating and infuriating that someone who claims to speak for the American people would repeatedly show such little respect for creativity and intellectual property. The saddest thing about this is that 'My Hero' was written as a celebration of the common man and his extraordinary potential. To have it appropriated without our knowledge and used in a manner that perverts the original sentiment of the lyric just tarnishes the song. We hope that the McCain campaign will do the right thing and stop using our song–and start asking artists' permission in general!

Who will be next?
Perhaps Amber Lee Ettinger aka "Obama Girl" will sue the Obama Campaign for their brazen and continuous use of the the word "Obama" without her expressed written permission.

The venerable Australian rock band AC/DC has a new record coming out Black Ice due October 10 it's their first since the turn of the century.
And, of course that means a world tour that will stop in Cleveland at The Quicken Loans Arena on January 5. Tickets for the big show go on sale at 10 a.m., Saturday morning (10/4).
The band has already released the album's lead single Rock 'N Roll Train a familiar slice of power chords and steady groove and singer Brian Johnson's signature growl.
If you've heard any AC/DC music in the past…ohhh…20 years than the song, with it's big arena ready chorus and brief Angus Young guitar solo shouldn't hold any big surprises.
But since this is AC/DC, we're talking about words such as "change," "growth" or "experimental" aren't particularly welcome, anyway.
So get your fists balled up and ready to pump and bone up on all your favorite gangbang AC/DC choruses because even though Johnson's voice has been shot for about a decade, the band knows how to put on a damn good rock n roll show.

Reserved seating tickets are $91.50 and no other price points have been announced.

I take no joy in this but..

Raspberries singer Eric Carmen was arrested Tuesday night in Orange, Ohio for DUI after slamming his car into a fire hydrant.

According to reports (TMZ, of course) Carmen gave the officers a credit card when asked for his driver's license and a half empty bottle of Grey Goose vodka was found in the car.
Carmen blew a .23 on the breathalyzer more than double the legal limit.

Recently the singer-songwriter and a reunited Raspberries whose 1970s hits include Go All the Way and I Wanna Be With You had enjoyed success performing and recording a critically well-received live album.

As a solo artist and songwriter Carmen's had quite a good run in the 1980's with hits such as Hungry Eyes and All By Myself

The singer reportedly slammed his car into a fire hydrant and handed cops a credit card when asked for his license. A half-empty bottle of Grey Goose vodka was found on the passenger’s seat, and Carmen's breathalyzer test was nearly three times the legal limit at .23, TMZ reported.

This is Carmen's second DUI and he was released to his attorney and has a Sept. 16 court date.

…and of course, there's a video document

Wow.

The AP reports:

LeRoi Moore one of the founding members of the Dave Matthews Band has died from complications from injuries suffered from an all-terrain accident he had in June.
He was 46.

The DMB who have had Jeff Coffin of Bela Fleck and the Flecktones filling Moore's spot during their 2008 tour have as of yet not cancelled or rescheduled any dates, but honestly if you're going to see them in the next couple days it's likely going to be just a little less groovy then usual.

Back in the early 90's when Matthews was a bartender in Charlottesville, Va., it was Moore to whom he gave his demo tape and it was Moore who enlisted his buddies and fellow classically trained jazz lover Carter Beauford to play drums.

R.I.P.

Apparently still smarting from the fallout of a less than two second flash of a nipple (and Kid Rock sweating all over the American Flag, and P-Diddy adjusting his junk) The Super Bowl half time show will continue to enlist classic rock/pop stars with less interesting nipples and presumable pre-show adjusted junk.

Super Bowl XLII will feature Bruce Springsteen, whom SB officials said they've been wooing for years, who will perform on Feb. 1 at Phoenix Stadium in Glendale when the Cleveland Browns face off against The Oakland Raiders.

….(hey, A fan can dream, can't he?)

Anyone want to take odds on the Boss' 3-5 song set list?

Born To Run?
Dancing In the Dark?
The Rising?
Kitty's Back?
Jungleland?
Girls in Their Summer Clothes?

Yikes it's been a rough weekend.

First comedian Bernie Mac dies on Friday and now soul legend and 2002 Rock Hall inductee Isaac Hayes.

For many folks under 30 Hayes was known for two things, asking folks "who is the man who would risk his life for his brother man" in his academy award winning theme from Shaft and his stint as Chef on South Park.

If you're a bit older you may recall that he was once "DUKE OF NEW YORK..A number 1!" in the 80's Kurt Russell vehicle Escape from New York.

Go back to the previous decade and you may recall him starring in the blaxploitation flicks Truck Turner and Tough Guys (and their funky soundtracks), of his recurring role as Gandolph Fitch on the (still underrated) cop show The Rockford Files.

Or perhaps you recall his show stopping performance in the 1973 Watts Stax documentary which every fan of soul/R&B music and/or truly impressive afros should see.

Then of course there was his fruitful association with Stax Records and former production/songwriting partner David Porter which produced many of that legendary labels classic tunes such as Hold On I'm Comin You Don't Know Like I Know, When Something Is Wrong with My Baby, Ain't That Lovin' You (For More Reasons Than One) and Soul Man.

But although Hayes was a fine songwriter in his own right who favored big horn charts and orchestral accoutrements in his own tunes, he also covered other artists/songwriters songs like no one else.

Hayes was a fan of Burt Bacharach's music and like many artists in the 1970s he covered Bacharach's music quite a bit, there was no mistaking that for those few (or several) minutes that song, be it the funkiest version of Walk On By, ever recorded or the sexy groove and punchy horns underneath The Look of Love was for those 11 minutes or so, belonged to Hayes.

Likewise his 18 minute plus jam on Jimmy Webb By The Time I Get To Phoenix with one of his signature Ike's Raps as it's intro. It's the kind of extended jam that coupled with Hayes soothing baritone that you put on the record player (ha, ha), sit back and simply let yourself sink into the steady groove while Ike takes his time to explain the vagaries of love.

If it takes the death of an artist to get you interested in their music than here's a list of Hayes albums into which you can sink.

Hot Buttered Soul (1969) - Features both Walk On By and By The Time I Get To Phoenix plus the heavily sampled, slow burning funk jam Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic

…To Be Continued (1970) - Contains the first of Hayes monologues aka Ike's Rap along with the long full version of Walk On By and the soulful and much sampled take on Medley:Ike's Mood I/You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling.

Black Moses (1971) - Contains his boudoir warming cover of Never Can Say Goodbye and nice version of Curtis Mayfield's Man's Temptation and Gamble and Huff's Never Gonna Give You Up all funked up.

Shaft (1971) - Duh, it's got Shaft plus Do Your Thing another extended funk jam awash in wah-wah guitar craziness.

Joy (1973) - The main reason to buy this album…CD…digital download is for the 15 minute title track, a big, over the top jam that has also been pretty popular with hip hop producers.

Branded (1995) the first and better half of two simultaneously released comeback albums (the other was the mostly instrumental Raw and Refined) that found Hayes hooking up with old buddy David Porter and a few of the session guys from the Stax days for a surprisingly satisfying, slightly updated take on his classic sound.

At Watt Stax (2003) - This is Hayes' set from the Watt Stax concert at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum on August 20, 1972 and he's in full control of all of his powers and the crowd. Backed by an hard grooving band, Hayes lays down some of his raps, gives you a Shaft the socially conscious Soulsville and a smoking medley of Bill Withers Ain't No Sunshine (with Hayes on alto sax) and Lonely Avenue.

R.I.P. Black Moses…