LeRoi Moore, saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band, has reportedly passed away at a Los Angeles hospital following a string of complications from an ATV accident back in June. The details look a little fuzzy right now but that much is confirmed. This is a very sad day for Dave Matthews Band fans as Moore was a truly integral part of the group from the beginning. I consider myself fortunate to have been able to see DMB perform with Moore a few times in my lifetime, and he will truly be missed by the fans the community surrounding the live powerhouse.

Here's the statement from dmband.com:

We are deeply saddened that LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died unexpectedly Tuesday afternoon, August 19, 2008, at Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center in Los Angeles from sudden complications stemming from his June ATV accident on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia. LeRoi had recently returned to his Los Angeles home to begin an intensive physical rehabilitation program.

Just as My Morning Jacket returned to the US in support of Evil Urges, they announced 12 additional dates in Europe during the months preceding their hopefully earth shattering New Year's Eve show at Madison Square Garden. To the relief of tired feet everywhere, they also announced that every show will start on time. So, if the ticket says 7:30, the band will be on stage at 7:30. They also had to cancel their Sept. 24th date in Las Vegas due to a "casino scheduling conflict."

In other MMJ news, they premiered a video for the amazing "Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt.II" on MTV's subterranean blog. The song, which has become quite the set closer recently, is represented well in the creepy/fun vibe they seem to revel in so effortlessly.

My Morning Jacket - Touch Me I'm Going to Scream Pt. II (Subterranean)

Read on for more info.

IMPORTANT NOTE FROM MMJ: In an effort to give our fans the best show possible, we'll be starting our shows at the showtime listed on your ticket, and below. Please spread the word to your friends and family coming to the show to get there early. Love, My Morning Jacket

The September 24th date in Las Vegas at The Joint Inside Hard Rock Hotel and Casino has been cancelled due to a casino scheduling conflict, and unfortunately will not be rescheduled on this tour. Anyone holding advance purchase tickets may return them for refund at the point of sale.

My Morning Jacket 2008 Tour Dates

08/19/2008 - Council Bluffs, IA - Stir Cove - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
08/21/2008 - Denver, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre - Doors: 6:00 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
08/23/2008 - Dallas, TX - Palladium Ballroom - Doors: 7:30 PM / Showtime: 8:30 PM
08/24/2008 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
08/27/2008 - Atlanta, GA - Fox Theater - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
08/29/2008 - Miami, FL - The Fillmore Miami Beach - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
08/30/2008 - Orlando, FL - House of Blues - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
08/31/2008 - Myrtle Beach, SC - House of Blues - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
09/03/2008 - Washington, DC - Constitution Hall - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
09/04/2008 - Charlottesville, VA - Charlottesville Pavilion - Doors: 6:00 PM / Showtime: 7:00 PM
09/05/2008 - Philadelphia, PA - Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
09/06/2008 - Boston, MA - Bank of America Pavilion - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
09/19/2008 - Berkeley, CA - Greek Theatre - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
09/21/2008 - Los Angeles, CA - Greek Theatre - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
09/23/2008 - Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theatre - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
09/25/2008 - San Diego, CA - SDSU Open Air Theatre - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
09/27/2008 - Portland, OR - McMenamins Edgefield Amphitheater - Doors: 5:00 PM / Showtime: 6:30 PM
09/28/2008 - Seattle, WA - McCaw Hall - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
10/02/2008 - Minneapolis, MN - Orpheum Theatre - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
10/03/2008 - Milwaukee, WI - Riverside Theater - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
10/04/2008 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
10/06/2008 - Columbus, OH - LC Pavilion - Doors: 7:00 PM / Showtime: 8:00 PM
10/09/2008 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM
10/10/2008 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Theatre - Doors: 6:30 PM / Showtime: 7:30 PM

Additional European Dates:

10/29 Dublin, Ireland - Irish Museum of Modern Art

11/1 Brussels, Belgium - Cirque Royale

11/2 Amsterdam, The Netherlands - Paradiso

11/4 Copenhagen, Denmark - Small Vega

11/5 Oslo, Norway - Sentrum Scene

11/6 Stockholm, Sweden - Berns

11/7 Lund, Sweden - Mejeriet

11/9 Berlin, Germany - Lido

11/10 Frankfurt, Germany - Batschkapp

11/12 London, UK - Brixton Academy
(as Special Guest to The Black Keys)

11/13 Manchester, UK - University

11/14 Glasgow, UK - ABC

For all the art, click this link.

Saturday, Gavroche and myself got out for SanDisk’s Rock the Bells tour at Shoreline. If you’re in Denver on 8/23 or Washington on 9/6, don’t miss this show. Rock the Bells continues to set the standard in terms of large scale festivals bringing together a fantastic line-up that often doesn’t happen with hip-hop. Whereas some tours or shows will have one or two big names with a bunch of unheard of artists (not that they’re bad!), Rock the Bells this year features one of the most star-studded hip-hop line-ups I’ve ever seen. Even if you’re not a huge fan of hip-hop, this show features enough classics that it can serve as a tasty introduction to some music you haven’t heard and might enjoy.

Furthermore, one of the major plagues of festival shows, the lengthy and crowd-angering set changes between acts, was completely eradicated by the crew of this show. Utilizing a simple stage set up with a DJ above a large black screen with the name of the act, it took very little to get in and out of sets, and towards the end of the show it was 10-15 minutes between every performer. When you look at the Kanye fiasco (no matter who’s fault that was) at Bonnaroo and some of the problems that always come with numerous acts, the artists and the crew of this show have a lot to be proud of in their speedy set changes.

The event started with SanDisk’s royal treatment in their VIP lounge. They had an open bar and food served all day, as well as scheduling meet and greets with Supernatural, Dead Prez, Murs and De La Soul. The event is sponsored by them along with their new product, the Mobile Ultra Mini SD card, which gives your phone 2 gigs of memory. Seems to me the type of thing anyone with a love of music or movies needs. All I can say is that I hope the fans appreciate what SanDisk did in compiling this artist line-up and sponsoring the show.

The show kicked off around 11 with a short set from Wale, who is gearing up to release an album off Interscope. He was followed by MURS, who, despite being a kick-ass rapper, somehow got stuck with a mostly empty amphitheatre. But he brought energy to the stage in his quest to promote not only the free internet release of Sweet Lord, but also his upcoming Murs for President. With shorts, a concert promoted t-shirt and his signature dreads, MURS carried with him less pretension and more of a laidback aura than you might expect from a rapper of his caliber, but he’s truly about the music and the fans. At the meet and greet after his set, he not only posed for pictures with fans, but I even saw him take a girl’s cell phone and talk to her friend to convince the friend that this girl was actually backstage with him. Seeing him chat it up with some girl’s friend on the cell phone, just to help her verify she was there was one of those fan friendly moments that most artists will never get involved in. Murs seemed happy to.

MURS gives a fan's friend some proof (and continues his Presidential campaign)

Following Murs, it was a surprise to see Blackalicious released so early in the show. Between Chief XCel and Gift of Gab, they’re one of the truly gifted hip-hop groups that can take difficult songs straight off the album and reproduce them flawlessly live. More than that though, Gift of Gab is just plain fast. When you hear a song like “Alphabet Aerobics,” you don’t think there’s any way it could be performed live. It’s just too fast with too many tongue twisters. Gift of Gab makes it sound easy. At one point in the set, he did a fantastic mixmatch, using an old Puff Daddy beat to rap “To Know You” from 4th Dimensional Rocketships Going Up. To close the set, they freestyled at a frenetic pace, just to prove it wasn’t all just a stage show.

M-1 of Dead Prez

After Blackalicious, Dead Prez took the stage and put together a set that got the steadily growing crowd energized. They played about 6 songs, finishing with “Bigger Than Hip-Hop” which pumped life into the stage just as they were leaving it. One of the great things about Dead Prez was that they, like Murs, were extremely accessible to the fans backstage. M-1 set up shop on a couch with a bottle of Patron and stic.man spent most of his time talking to people. They’d pose for anyone that came up with a camera for them. Very friendly.

stic.man of Dead Prez

Immortal Technique followed Dead Prez with a set that I think pleased every Tech fan in the crowd, and shocked everyone else. I’ll start with a thank you to Immortal Technique and his crew over at Public Wizard as they set up the interview with Tech and put us in touch with the press department for this festival. For people who don’t know Immortal Technique’s music or message, hearing him on stage for the first time could have a very jarring effect on someone chilling on the grass drinking and smoking at a hip-hop festival. But as anyone who’s a listener knows, and as he told everyone at the show, he really doesn’t give a fuck what you think.

Immortal Technique

He’s far more politically oriented than any other rapper at the show, and he delivers his lyrics with an uncompromising style that doesn’t care if the audience likes it or not. He played a great set with “Industrial Revolution,” “The 3rd World,” “Harlem Streets,” “Point of No Return,” and “Peruvian Cocaine.” More than any rapper I’ve seen in concert, he never truncates his lyrics or songs, which makes sense for someone with that kind of power in the message. If Tech is in your town, check out the show. He’s intense.

In between Immortal Technique and Raekwon and Ghostface, Supernatural took the stage and ripped one of the longest and most interesting freestyles I’ve ever heard live. With people at the edge of the stage, he freestyled solo for about 5 minutes, rhyming about whatever random objects the people in front of him handed to him. He talked about the San Francisco Giants, Trident gum, a bracelet, anything. It was like watching an extremely gifted improv actor who knew how to rap. I hadn’t seen Supernatural before this concert, and I was blown away by the depth and length of his freestyle.

Following Supernatural came, in my opinion, the weak link of the show. Raekwon and Ghostface took the stage and fell flat. Despite having a large bottle of orange juice and a blunt on stage with them, Raekwon and Ghostface just don’t deliver live like other members of the Wu-Tang Clan that I’ve seen.

Raekwon and his OJ

It’s not that they’re not solid rappers in their own right, major contributors to the Wu-Tang crew, and fantastic studio rappers, but live they just don’t perform like GZA and Method Man. While other artists at the show were able to engage me with songs I hadn’t heard before, I couldn’t get into any part of the set. I also took some issue that these guys forgot where they were, thanking Los Angeles at the end of the set. Some people thought they said, “The Bay,” but I know I heard them say, “L.A.”

Next up was Rakim who unleashed solid song after solid song. The crowd was heavily invested in this one as a rapper so old school that he’s referenced in an old school 2Pac song called “Old School” ripped through an energetic set in which he rapped with enthusiasm, skill and what seemed like an urge to have everyone in the crowd feel what he was feeling when he let it out.

Rakim enjoying the music

I hadn’t heard any Rakim other than his work with Eric B., and I was thoroughly impressed with how natural he sounded even removed from the sound of the ’80s. What’s more is that you can see in his reactions to the music and his delivery how much he loves the genre. This was one part of the show I wasn’t sure about going in and was very pleased with coming out.

When De La Soul took the stage, the passion from the crowd poured out. Posdnuous went off stage and into the crowd and was immediately surrounded by the fans. The entire set was upbeat and very strong for a group who has been dealing with numerous release and record label issues over the past 8 years. Along with Murs and Dead Prez, this group was the most accessible backstage, taking time to joke around and take pictures with Pharcyde.

Dave of De La Soul

De La Soul’s grind was followed by the rowdy duo of Method Man and Redman. From the minute they ran on stage to the time they left it, these two brought the show and the crowd to a new level. While some people not too versed in hip-hop may have thought The Wire’s Cheese was trying his hand at rapping, there was no question to a listener that Method Man showed up.

Redman opened up a shook can of Coke on stage and then did an interesting dance trying to avoid the spray. But the cameras in the photo pit had no such luck as the box of bottled water on stage quickly became projectiles for Meth and Red to chuck into the crowd. There’s usually a 5-6 foot space between the photo pit and the seats near the stage. Method Man invites the crowd to come up and they quickly fill in the gap, providing him a place to dive off the stage and into them. These two slammed through their set of well rehearsed fan favorites such as “Y.O.U.” and “Mad Crew” with incredible precision despite the crowd surfing and water hurling antics. There were several excellent moments throughout every artist’s set, but for the passion of performance and raw energy, no set rivaled Method Man and Redman.

The Pharcyde took the stage next. The DJ gave them a little flak for the length of time since their last album, and they got the “with special guest” billing from the tour. The set was good, and of course closed with “Passin Me By” and included “Runnin” which had the crowd enthused. For a group who hasn’t been together in years, it didn’t show in their on-stage chemistry. The set was well done and while most know Slimkid3 and Fatlip, there wasn’t any sense of animosity between them or competition for stage time.

Tre of Pharcyde

The always eclectic Mos Def followed, coming on stage in a shirt from a Louisiana coffee/beignet shop, sunglasses, a trucker hat and an 80s windbreaker style jacket.

Mos Def

This changed throughout the set as he lost the jacket and hat, traded them for a bandanna and gradually got more relaxed with the crowd as the set went on. Up to this point in the concert, the sun had been on the other side of the stage, so it fit perfectly as the sun started raining down on the front side of the stage for Mos to perform “Sunshine.” Although it’s still hard for me to separate Mos Def the rapper from Mos Def the Def Jam Poet and Poetry MC, he carries a stage presence and swagger that just works.

Nas was next. While Method Man and Redman put on the performance with the most juice, Nas had the best set of every artist at the show. He started with “Sly Fox” off his new album (we’ll leave it to other outlets to decide whether to call this one Untitled or the N-word Nas originally wanted to slap it with), and then went on an all-out retrospective of his work with varied length pieces of “New York State of Mind,” “The World is Yours,” “Life’s a Bitch,” “Street Dreams,” “If I Ruled the World,” “Nas is Like,” “Got Yourself a Gun” (complete with an interlude featuring Dr. Dre’s “Still D.R.E.”) and then doing a heartfelt rendition of “One Mic.” One problem with all the favorites is that rappers will drop out and let the crowd do some of the work…they paid to see YOU rap it! If they wanted to listen to themselves rap, they’d do it in their car or at home or at a karaoke bar.

Nas

Regardless of this fact, Nas’ set was more complete than any other in that he gave a taste of his new music but threw out all the favorites to remind the audience of his lyrical supremacy, and sometimes more importantly in rap, his longevity and ability to continue evolving while maintaining a quality of lyrics that rarely suffers from repetition even eight albums later.

To close the show, Q-Tip did three songs with Mos Def before he was joined by the rest of A Tribe Called Quest to finish out an excellent afternoon of hip-hop. Q-Tip initially seemed very agitated, angry almost that the crowd volume was not what he expected. He yelled “LOUDER” several times and was obviously frustrated. He of course performed “Vivrant Thing.” As for Tribe’s set, it was a throwback worthy of the concert, playing a host of fan favorites that had everyone dancing and rapping along. But why go through the setlist when I can simply show you?

A Tribe Called Quest Set List

So that was that, 2008’s Rock the Bells. With 2 more shows left, there’s still a chance for people to get out and see it, and if you don’t, don’t forget it when it comes around next year.

The members of this musical trifecta all happen to be turning 50 this year. Weird to think, isn’t it? Not that long ago they were all on top of their game as well as the music charts.

Madonna hasn’t been fun in years, has she? And let’s face facts - she could *never* sing. That’s not why you bought the records. You bought them because it was fun, and you watched because she could dance and seemingly acted on impulse. But at some point, Madonna started to think she was an ‘artist’, and impulse turned into calculation. Even her mini-me, Britney, has imploded. At least Michael has Justin Timberlake, who despite that awful collaboration with Madonna seems to be doing just fine. Michael himself, on the other hand, is god-knows-where, having surgeons doing god-knows-what to his face.

Really, isn’t Prince the only one that’s come out more or less on top? He still commands impressive audiences, has a fair amount of respect from critics and fans alike, and is willing to branch out creatively (covering Radiohead at Coachella) as well as showing some business acumen (giving away his new CD with the Sunday newspaper for a bundle of cash consideration). He’s the only one that started out an artist and remains an artist (for me), and seems to have found the proper balance between that and MJ’s penchant for bizarre behavior as well as Madonna’s self-absorption.

So kudos to you, Prince. You’ve found the secret to staying relevant without going completely insane or driving us there. Happy belated half-a-century.

MP3: Ladytron - Seventeen (Soulwax Remix)
MP3: David Bowie - All The Young Dudes
MP3: The Who - My Generation

- Sean

That excerpt from the DVD booklet sums up pretty well what you can expect from this improbable release. It is not often Italian Prog fans get the chance to purchase a DVD of a live performance of early ‘70s material even if the above statement gives you two clues about potential pitfalls. The first part of the sentence is telling you that there is but one original member from the “Ys” era, and while he may be the most important guy there is still something less than authentic when classic period bands show up under the old name with one original member and a gang of newer guys (even if hugely competent they are.) The second part of the sentence proclaiming “no nostalgic intent” is also correct and this works both for and against the project. I’m all for playing down nostalgia in the sappy sense but here Leone takes it too far, cutting the classic piece “Ys” down for the purpose of including some solo material that may be of little interest to most prog fans. That’s a mistake. There was plenty of room to include the full “Ys” piece (a short album) and still present other material and given the historical reverence for that album I am mystified by the decision. Imagine Yes agreeing to perform Relayer for a special DVD and then cutting Gates in half to include a few extra Anderson solo pop tracks. Or Rush cutting a special Hemispheres presentation short for excerpts from “My Favorite Headache.” You get the point: most prog fans want their most revered material treated with respect and that means you don’t chop it up. So, while I felt the need to make a purist rant we move on to what IS here.

And it is a blast! Enough is done right with this DVD that I can almost forgive the shortened “Ys” suite. The show starts with a very simple but hugely dramatic drum assault by Adolfo Ramundo that was perfect, snapping everyone to immediate attention. The eight tracks preceding and following the “Ys” suite consist of newer material as well as a few songs from BdB’s first album. The newer material was pretty decent in the live setting, presented with balls and bombast, and flamboyance. Leone certainly has a flair for the flamboyant theatrical presence. The suite itself is sandwiched in the middle of the set and was really very satisfying on most levels. Besides the missing minutes my other criticism of this material would be that I missed the presence of the guitar. As good as Ramundo and bassist Marco Capozi are I really longed for the heavy guitar of Lino Ajello. But besides that issue the new BdB kicks some serious arse. Ramundo and Capozi are fabulous, anchoring the whole show in heavy grooves and dynamic precision showing how tuned in they were. Capozi did a splendid job of covering for the lack of guitar with a more lead-oriented bass approach. Check out the ominous bass notes behind the harpsichord in “Terzo.” And Leone himself rose to this occasion splendidly. He amazed me really. There was no sign here of the middle age slide where guys of Leone’s age group can slow up, voice reduced to a lower croak, often backed up by session guys in the shadows to mask the fact they can’t get it up anymore. Not the case here, that’s for damn sure. Leone assaults his keys like a man half his age banging every single sound he wants out of the box. Vocally he is even more powerful reaching the peaks with what seemed to be ease. He appears just as well preserved looking much younger than his actual age.

With regard to the production they nail it again. Wonderful. The sound and picture are fabulous, clear, free of nonsense effects and artsy clutter. The camera crew deserves special accolades for the perfect use of a hand-held camera giving steady and stunning close-ups of each musician which were skillfully edited into the final product. The ability to really “see” the show is as good here as any live DVD you’ll ever see and they don’t wreck it with lightning-fast edits and other lame trickery. Extras include roughly 20 minutes of his solo act which opened the show and is of mild interest to those here for the bombastic progressive BdB. There is also a photo and newclippings slideshow. Rounding up to 4 stars for this rare opportunity, recommend highly to fans of saucy Italian Prog and fans of heavy keyboard bombast heaven. I will say that noobs should not start their BdB investigation here. Get the album first and if you love that then check out this show. 7/10

by Finnforest


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• Download Prog Rock MP3 — Mp3Search.ru | AmazonMP3
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• Prog Rock MP3 Ringtones — Funtonia.com | Thumbplay
• The World's Largest Poster and Print Store — AllPosters.com
• Sheet Music and Guitar Tab Downloads — Sheet Music Plus
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Today’s theme is volume volume volume. Let’s kick things off with two surprises, Uglysuit and the Gaslight Anthem.

The Uglysuit, The Uglysuit: I first learned about this record at the Pitchfork Music Festival: a friend from Touch & Go was talking this album up, saying it was a weird release for them, but totally great. I came back to New York and immediately popped it in and… he was right. Anyone who has enjoyed Frightened Rabbit or any of the more tuneful, slightly throwback-y indie of late (I’ll file Fleet Foxes in there, too), would do well to grab this.

The Gaslight Anthem, The ‘59 Sound: This album got a spin this morning mainly due to the excellent cover, and neither Joe or I have stopped listening since. Apparently they are becoming a big deal — I had never heard of them before — with a big New York Times feature yesterday and opening stints with Against Me! Basically it sounds like Springsteen or Social Distortion or the Killers or somewhere in between. It’s very straightforward — not really “indie” in the least — but the songs are great. We’re digging it.

The Walkmen, You & Me: All of us here love this album. Love. It’s an amazing piece of work, from start to finish, and will definitely rank in my favorites of the year. Please download it. You won’t regret it. One great thing about the album is that, as a whole, it really functions as a novel — this is what I was trying to get at it with my somewhat opaque review — and digging into it deep will bring a lot of reward.

Jaguar Love, Take Me to the Sea: I’m a longtime Blood Brothers fan, and so a Jaguar Love album is kinda bittersweet. It sucks the boys ever broke up, but I have to say that the end-product here is stupendous. It’s very very different from the Blood Brothers: BB were entirely jagged edges, and with Jaguar Love they are sanded down and coated in a bit of glitter. Which is to say this is way more accessible than any BB album, but still will probably turn a lot of people off. Sample it.

Vordul Mega, Megagraphitti: Vordul Mega was one half of Cannibal Ox — and if you don’t know who that is, download this now — and this is his second solo album. In terms of feel, concept and backing tracks, it very much feels like Can Ox, and the appearances by Vast Aire on several tracks make them all keepers, and could easily be a preview to the (mythical and never gonna happen) Cold Vein 2.

Monkey, Journey to the West: New project from Damon Albarn and Jamie Hewitt. Not a fan.

Blue Mountain, Midnight in Mississippi: I dunno how many mid-’90s alt-country fans we have around here — maybe just me and SaraDevil — but Blue Mountain used to be really great (Dog Days was an awesome record), and this is their new album. It’s not as good as the old stuff, but we don’t highlight records like this enough on 17 Dots. The other Blue Mountain release that came in today, Omnibus, is, strangely, a collection of the band’s hits, re-recorded.

Rodriguez, Cold Fact: Downloaded on Alex’s recommendation. Sounds exactly like Donovan’s Sunshine Superman. And when I say exactly, I mean it. Good times.

Lee Scratch Perry, Repentance: Joe was shit-talking this album this morning — it was produced by Andrew WK — but judging by the first four songs, I like it! It’s a mess and it’s all over the place and Perry sounds like Mark E. Smith, but there’s a certain, joyous charm to all of it.

Human Highway, Moody Motorcycle: New, buzzy collaboration with one of the dudes from Islands. I have yet to hear a note.

Jeff Hanson, Madam Owl: Another artist I have never heard, but I know a lot of you really like him. Anyone want to talk about why?

Pictures and Sound, Pictures and Sound: It sounds like Coldplay, and that is not meant as a dis.

Toadies, No Deliverance: New Toadies album. The “Possum Kingdom” band.

There is so so so much more that I am forgetting, but I would be bummed if I forgot to mention the new Huun-Huur-Tu album, Mother Earth! Father Sky!, which is incredible. I have been listening to it nonstop for the past four or five days. Huun-Huur-Tu are most well known for Tuvan throat singing, but this album feels much more like a midpoint between Tinariwin and the Music of Indonesia series from Smithsonian Folkways. If you are a world music or field recordings buff, do not miss this one.

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This past Friday I, along with several hundred other 20-somethings relived our childhood when seeing the Backstreet Boys’ show at the House of Blues in Atlantic City. Having been performing for the past 15 years, the majority of them now in their 30s, those Boys proved that they still have it goin’ on.

I should preface this review to explain just how hardcore some of my friends and I were dedicated to this band, hopefully not incriminating myself too much in the process. Back during the height of the BSB era two friends stood outside “TRL” with a “Beam Us Up, Carson” sign for hours, one making it on Channel 11’s “News at 11,” being interviewed by a reporter about the pandemonium outside the MTV offices with a record number of fans — think 10 times the extent of Jonas Brothers fans today. Another friend learned the entire “As Long as You Love Me” chair dance, and that’s no easy task — trust me, especially for the uncoordinated like myself. I can’t even do the “Everybody” dance, and I’ve tried many a time.

Sure, we got a lot of heat for liking them. Seventh and eighth grade definitely isn’t an easy period in any kid’s life, and I could never explain to people what “I Want It That Way” meant. Come on, could you? “Ain’t nothing but a heartache/ Ain’t nothing but a mistake/ Tell me why, I never wanna hear you say I want it that way.” The Backstreet Boys made life a little easier. I could escape from that awkwardness of middle-school life and be in my own world listening to their music. And I did. Granted, they weren’t the first “boy band” to walk the earth, and they definitely won’t be the last, but you cannot deny the presence they’ve had on my generation’s music influence.

The concert Friday night started out the same as every show of theirs I’ve been to — the continuous Backstreet Boys chant minutes before the venue goes dark. Soon thereafter, Brian, Howie, AJ and Nick were spotted onstage in wrestling attire as an announcer introduced each member to the crowd. Thunderous applause and the most exasperating high-pitched screaming I have ever encountered at any show followed. I think every woman unleashed her inner 13-year-old Friday night, myself included.

The Backstreet Boys’ set began with a high-intensity performance of “Larger Than Life,” then segued into a cover of Kanye West’s “Stronger” before the venue went dark once more. Seconds later the Boys appeared in leather jackets for “Everyone” off of 2000’s Black and Blue album and “Any Other Way” off of their latest album, Unbreakable, with nonstop energy and impeccable dance moves. Their stage interaction with each other and the fans in the crowd demonstrated their prowess for performing.

Whether it was Brian constantly making comical faces while waving to audience members or Howie winking and blowing kisses, their love for what they do was evident the entire night. Despite having lost one member — Kevin Richardson — and having not been on tour the past few years, the Boys proved to the crowd that they’re not going anywhere, with the promise of a solo album from both AJ and Howie in the near future as well as another album in the works.

“We want to thank you all for 15 unbelievable years,” Howie told the screaming crowd. “We want to thank you for keeping the Backstreet pride alive.” Their nearly two-hour set included 26 songs from their 15-year career. The entire venue was singing along to many of their old hits and fan favorites such as a medley of “As Long as You Love Me,” “I’ll Never Break Your Heart” and “All I Have to Give” complete with their infamous hat dance. Their newer material, such as faster-paced, edgier “Panic” and slower ballad “Unmistakable,” continues to showcase BSB’s solid harmonies, catchy choruses and impeccable intonation.

In addition, each Boy took the stage alone, singing a song off of their previously released solo album (in Nick and Brian’s case) or the debut of a song from their upcoming release (AJ and Howie). While Howie’s song had a Latin vibe to it, AJ’s was much more rock influenced and heavier than the Backstreet Boys’ material.

It was evident that the Boys held a special appreciation for their Jersey fans. “I love Jersey so much that I actually married a Jersey girl,” Howie told the crowd. AJ later added, “Just to set the record straight, my Mom’s from Jersey. Hackensack to be exact,” as the screams rose and echoed throughout the venue.

Screaming isn’t all the Boys got from fans Friday night. During a slower take of their hit “Show Me the Meaning of Being Lonely,” each of the four members sat down at a makeshift card table. While mimicking playing a card game and talking with one another before beginning the song, two fans threw their bras at the Backstreet Boys, practically hitting a startled Brian and Howie in the face. Another fan could be spotted on the balcony flashing the guys continuously throughout their set.

The crowd favorite of the night seemed to be “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back),” as the Backstreet Boys had everyone jumping along throughout the song. The last song before their encore of “Shape of My Heart,” the guys got the crowd energized, and if they hadn’t come out for one more song, I think fans would have walked away content. Singing their famous line “Backstreet’s back all right,” the Boys have proven that they have lasted 15 years strong. I’m interested to see what the next 15 will be like.

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The above clip is a perfect example of what would happen if we lived in a world without song leaks. After attending the video shoot for AC/DC’s Black Ice first single “Rock N’ Roll Train,” one fan was eager to show other AC/DC fans what the new song sounded like. But instead of just recording the song’s video playback on his cell phone like a normal person, this fan opted to get creative, dressing up like lead singer Brian Johnson and attempting his own YouTube version of the song. The result is a four-minute screech fest which in no way can possibly help Black Ice album sales. Right around when the guy starts air-guitaring Angus Young’s solo, we switch to our next video, made by another AC/DC fan. This video below is the by-product of what happens when a guitarist’s friend who attended the video’s filming “hummed” the riff to the guitarist, who was not at the video shoot. The guitarist’s interpretation sounds like a pretty kick-ass combination of Bachman Turner Overdrive’s “Hold Back the Water” and KISS’ “Firehouse,” but it’s slightly more tolerable than the Brian Johnson impersonator. As reported yesterday, we’ll all be able to hear the proper version of “Rock N’ Roll Train” when the single hits radio August 28th.