Every Time This Year, We Bust Christmas Carols

Indeed, "I don't care what your momma says, Christmastime is near." With that line in mind, Christmas is a time for celebration and incredibly awesome songs about the holiday season. This is not awesome like the Chipmunks singing carols, this is awesome like Hammer coming through your chimney with parachute pants and doing the running man in your living rooms while handing out presents. Here are four great Christmas classics to add to your holiday music collection. In this collection of hoiliday classics, the Ramones teach us to be civil to one another this time of year, Run DMC tells us about ill reindeers and what it is like on Hollis Ave after dark and King Diamond is well...King Diamond. Lastly, there's the famous Saturday Night Live song "I Wish It Was Christmas Today" which was recently updated by Julian Casablancas of The Strokes. Enjoy this holiday season or else "there's no presents for this Christmas."

Frusciante Is Officially Out Of Chili Peppers

What seemed like speculation on Monday turned out to be the truth. John Frusciante has left the Red Hot Chili Peppers and did so a year ago while the band was on hiatus. You can read more about Frusciante's departure and his comments regarding it at his Myspace.

2010 Predictions!!!

As we approach the end of 2009, many sites, blogs, magazines, journalists have been compliling their lists of the best of this year and decade. Instead, let us look into the musical crystal ball to provide a little glimpse of 2010 in music.

Genesis And The Stooges Inducted In 2010 Hall Of Fame Class

Yes, the excitement on my part is barely contained. Genesis and The Stooges are finally being inducted in the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame. Two incredible and influential bands who have been long overlooked for induction and one of those, The Stooges, has been nominated seven times. For The Stooges, the year began on a sad note with the passing of guitarist Ron Asheton but it is nice to see them finally rewarded for their contributions to Rock and helping shape the sound of noise, distorted guitars and Punk in the years after they disbanded.

Yes, This Is Really Happening

Since there's going to be a wait for the next Rock Band game, we are being honored with...err...provided a interesting stopgap game in the form of Rock Band: Green Day. In all honesty, and also not being a fan of Green Day (read: their current material and a lot of the old material), I can say the excitement for this game is very low (although the idea of seeing certain venues like Gilman Street and possibly a Woodstock 1994 location provides some enthusiasm). I'm not quite sure why Green Day was chosen to have their career represented in musical video game form but nonetheless, it's a very cool honor for them. You might even say it's Tré Cool. Yeah, I went there.

Frusciante Is Dreaming Of Things Other Than Californication?

Normally, I refuse to post rumors but finally, here's a rumor that would truly suck if turns out to be true. According to TwentyFourBit (via various sources), it is rumored that John Frusciante may have departed from Red Hot Chili Peppers once again. Frusciante's rumored replacement is Josh Klinghoffer, who provided extra guitar on their last tour as well as released an album, A Sphere In The Heart Of Silence, with Frusciante in 2004 and two Ataxia albums, with Frusciante and Fugazi's Joe Lally, in 2004 and 2007.

Egg (2000-2009) (December Mixtape)

Side A
1. The Golden Age by Beck
2. Song No.1 by Ima Robot
3. Fuzzy by The Incredible Moses Leroy
4. Glorious #1 by Remy Zero
5. B.O.B by Outkast

Side B
6. Shakedown! by theStart
7. Hash Pipe by Weezer
8. What's A Girl To Do by Bat For Lashes
9. Sunday After You by Kenna
10. Things You Can Do by Deltron 3030

Side C
11. Can't Stop by Red Hot Chili Peppers
12. Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes
13. Blood And Thunder by Mastodon
14. Golden Skans by Klaxons
15. Jurass Finish First by Jurassic 5

Side D
16. Rise Up With Fists!! by Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins
17. In The Fade by Queens Of The Stone Age
18. Rock Star - Poser by N.E.R.D.
19. Stroker Ace by Lovage
20. Seven-Eleven by Mindless Self Indulgence

The Great White Stripes North

As reported by Pitchfork, The White Stripes have a limited edition box set due this Spring chronicling their 2007 Canadian Tour in which the duo played every Canadian province and territory. The set, entitled Under Great White Northern Lights, comes with a DVD featuring a documentary of said title along with another DVD of their 10th anniversary concert, a 16-track live album on both vinyl and CD, a 7" featuring "Icky Thump" and "The Wheels On The Bus," both performed live, a slik screen print and, finally, a 208-page tour book filled with photos and featuring a Jim Jarmusch written foreword.

Portishead Returns...Again!

A year ago, there was excitement over the new Portishead album, the first one in 11 years. Now, you can be excited that the group has written and recorded a new song for Amnesty International entitled "Chase The Tear" which also has a performance video to accompany it. Check out the video and definitely purchase the single. Also, Portishead's Geoff Barrow was recently interviewed about his musical influences at different five year intervals in his life at Pitchfork Here's to hoping that after Barrow is finished with Beak>, another Portishead album is around the corner. Check out the video and a link to purchase the new single after the jump.

Interview: Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting with Jamey Jasta of Hatebreed to discuss the band, their two new albums, For The Lions and Hatebreed, and how he's one of the hardest working person in Hardcore and Metal. Thanks to Jamey for his time, the band's tour manager, James, for granting the interview and to Bill at E1 for setting everything up. This interview took place outside House Of Blues on December 10, 2009.

In Case You Missed It: Jawbox On Late Night With Jimmy Fallon

Jawbox played for the first time in almost 13 years as they performed "Savory" from the remastered and recently reissued 1994 classic, For Your Own Special Sweetheart, on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Check out the video after the jump.

9th Annual Independent Music Awards

Vienna Teng is nominated in the Folk/Singer-Songwriter category for the 9th Annual Independent Music Awards. She is nominated for the track "Antebellum" from her recent release, Inland Territory. Be sure to sign up and give her vote as she and Alex Wong generously gave this blog its very first interview. Congratulations to all of the contestants in each of the categories and be sure to vote people.

One Hit Wonder Or One Hit Blunder

Today Subject: "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter


For the first time ever, the song up for debate is considered the "one hit wonder of the decade" according to Billboard. With that being said, what an honor it is to question the validity of the one hit wonder status behind "Bad Day" by Daniel Powter, a song so great that to hear it on American Idol meant while your Idol career was over, you could still have a successful career in film, music or just have the status as a person who did not win American Idol. Hey, in the end, it was better to hear that song than to win (ex. Taylor Hicks' success vs. the successes of Chris Daughtry, Kellie Pickler and Katherine McPhee. Look it up, the results and statistics do not lie). Was Powter's "Bad Day" a good day in disguise or was it a less lame day than the ones surrounding it but still bad in its own way?

...And The Award Goes To...

Who cares! The 52nd Grammy nominees were announced and the list is another assortment of popular selling artists and confusing selections. Along with those two things comes the disappointment in knowing that Pearl Jam's Backspacer is not deserving of a Best Rock Album nomination despite its favorable reviews and debut at No.1 on the Billboard 200. Omissions such as this are nothing new but still it makes people care less about the Grammy awards each year.

December Will Be Magic Again

Here are a few notable releases to help fill someone's stocking, give as a gift or play at your office party this December.