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  • Beatlemania Redux: 9/09/09

    If anyone needs further proof that the music made by John, Paul, George & Ringo is timeless, just look at the fact that arguably the biggest music story of the year (along with Michael Jackson’s death) is the release of The Beatles’ “Rock Band” video game as well as 14 Beatles albums remastered and in their original British configurations. This marks the first time any albums by the Fab Four have gotten a remaster treatment since they were released on CD in the late Eighties. Of course, the video game will introduce a whole new generation to the music of The Beatles. Not only will it make Ringo, Paul, Yoko, Olivia, Sony/ATV and MJ’s estate a shit-ton of money, but it will help guarantee that The Beatles’ legacy endures-not that it really needs any help with that, but…you know.

    While I happen to be a huge Beatles fan, I don’t necessarily know that I need the remasters. I’d certainly like them, but forking over a ton of cash for music I essentially have already is just not prudent. Someone’ll have to tell me how they sound.

    Anyway, enjoy Beatles Wednesday, check out this cool article from my pals at Popdose (including yours truly), and celebrate the legacy of the most important band of all time.

    I decided to go with a slightly less typical clip here…this is a fantastic performance of one of my all-time favorite Beatles songs.

  • You Want Your VMAs!!!

    The MTV Video Music Awards, an industry institution since 1984, are airing from New York on Sunday. As those of you who have watched this awards show before know, the event can either be dead boring (like the Vegas misadventure in 2007) or a hot mess (the legendary Britney/Madonna/Christina kiss). What will happen in 2009? Who knows? With nominees ranging from Kanye West and Eminem to Britney Spears, it should be a pretty interesting event, and this show is usually good for a surprise or two. One rumor is that Janet Jackson will perform as a tribute to her brother Michael. Now that will definitely be a must-see moment. Keep your eye here on Sunday, as we will be live-blogging the VMAs.

  • New Release of the Week: Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3”

    One thing that you can definitely say is that Jay-Z knows how to make an event. “The Blueprint 3” has been shifting producers and release dates for the better part of a year. Originally scheduled to be Hova’s last release on Def Jam, Jay eventually bought the rights to the album and it will be released on his own Roc Nation label. Of course, the title represents Jay’s 2001 classic “The Blueprint” (arguably his best album) and “Blueprint2” (which was way too long but had some good spots), so expectations are high for this record. I haven’t exactly been bowled over by the two singles so far (“D.O.A.” and “Run This Town”), but they haven’t been bad, either. So I give this one a 50/50 chance of being good. Producers include the usual suspects: Kanye, Timbaland, The Neptunes, while guests include current “it” boy Drake and alternative rock outfit MGMT. This album had a September 11th release date (8 years to the day after the release of the first “Blueprint”), but due to leaks, Jay has moved the album up so it comes out on the more traditional Tuesday. That means it’s in stores now, so what are you waiting for?