Asbury Park

June 6, 7 and 8 The TriCity Arts Tour is a three-day "living exhibit"

Red Bank. Long Branch. Asbury Park. They're the go-to places for the arts when you're heading "Down the Shore"–a place for cutting-edge galleries and professional theater, along with film festivals, major outdoor events and the most legendary homegrown music scene in the Garden State. Not to mention fantastic shopping, destination dining and the sun-kissed coastal breezes of the summertime season.

Atlantic City

Diahann Carroll
Dates: June 1 - June 6, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Resorts Atlantic City
Phone: 609-340-6300
Admission: General Admission $35
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Thursday & Friday Show time 7:00pm and Wednesday Show time 2:00pm
URL: www.resortsac.com

AC Surf vs Brockton Rox
Dates: June 6 - June 8, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Atlantic City Surf Professional Baseball
Phone: 609-344-7873
Admission: Club Level $11, Premium Box seats $10, Upper Box Seats $8 Adults, $5 for Seniors (60+) and Military (with ID) & Children (12 and under)
*Tickets on Fireworks games will be increased by $2 after 4:00pm on the day of the game.
Hours: Friday, Saturday and Sunday game time 7:05pm
URL: www.acsurf.com
Description: Fireworks after the game on Friday, June 6

Engelbert Humperdinck
Dates: June 6 - June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino
Phone: 1-800-759-8786
Admission: $75.50
Hours: Friday 10:00pm, Saturday 9:00pm
URL: www.trumpplaza.com

Rhett Akins
Dates: June 6, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: House of Blues: (Inside the Showboat- The Mardi Gras Casino)
Phone: 609-343-5700
Admission: Tickets $24.00 - $26.00
Hours: Friday doors open 8:00pm Show Time 9:00pm
URL: www.hob.com/venues/clubvenues/atlanticcity/

Clint Black
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Tropicana Casino And Resort
Phone: 609-340-4020
URL: www.tropicana.net

Jay Leno
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Caesars Atlantic City
Phone: 609-348-4411
Admission: $75, $100 & $125
Hours: Saturday 2 shows, 7:30pm and 10:00pm
URL: www.caesars.com/Caesars/Atlanticcity

Live Boxing: Pavlik vs Lockett - Middleweight Championship
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Address: Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall
Phone: 609-348-7000
Admission: $50, $100, $200, $300 & $500
Hours: Saturday Doors open 7:00pm
URL: www.boardwalkhall.com
Description: World Middleweight Championship

Lovetrain: The Sound of Philadelphia Concert
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Phone: 609-317-1000
Admission: $45, $65 & $75
Hours: Saturday 7:00pm
URL: www.theborgata.com
Description: The O'jay's, Jerry Butler, Russel, The Stylistics, Delphonics, Harold Melvin's Blue Notes, Intruders, Three Degrees, Soul Surviors, Jean Carn & Bunny Sigler. The Event will be recorded for Broadcasting.

Manhattan Transfer
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: House of Blues: (Inside the Showboat- The Mardi Gras Casino)
Phone: 609-343-5700
Admission: $37 and $54
Hours: Saturday Doors Open 8:00pm Showtime 9:00pm
URL: www.hob.com/venues/clubvenues/atlanticcity/

Mitch Fatel - Lynn Koplitz
Type: Entertainment & Shows
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Trump Marina Hotel Casino
Phone: 1-800-284-8786
Admission: $25.93
Hours: Saturday show time 9:00pm
URL: www.trumpmarina.com

Roger Hodgson formerly of Supertramp
Dates: June 7, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Resorts Atlantic City
Phone: 609-340-6300
Admission: All tickets $55
Hours: Saturday Show time 8:00pm
URL: www.resortsac.com

Johnny Maestro with Brooklyn Bridge
Dates: June 8 - June 13, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Resorts Atlantic City
Phone: 609-340-6300
Admission: General Admission $35
Hours: Sunday, Monday, Thursday & Friday Show time 7:00pm & Wednesday Show time 2:00pm
URL: www.resortsac.com

Lil Wayne
Dates: June 8, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall (Adian Phillips Ballroom)
Phone: 609-348-7000
Admission: $65, $85 & $125
Hours: Sunday Show time 8:00pm
URL: www.boardwalkhall.com

Moe
Dates: June 8, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Phone: 609-317-1000
Admission: $27.50
Hours: Sunday Show time 9:00pm
URL: www.theborgata.com

Robert Plant & Alison Krauss
Dates: June 8, 2008
Location: Atlantic City
Address: Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
Phone: 609-317-1000
URL: www.theborgata.com

Gingerbread Tour to Cape May
Type: Tours & Exhibits
Dates: June 2, 2008 - September 4, 2008
Location: Regional Events
Address: Great American Trolley Company
Phone: 609-884-0450
Admission: Adults $22 Children (5-10 yrs) $17
Hours: Departs Thursdays Approximate times 10:00am to 4:30pm
URL: www.gatrolley.com
Description: Be transported down the Jersey Cape and travel over a bridge into a Victorian Getaway - The National Historic Landmark City of Cape May. In Cape May stroll (on your own) along the charming streets and discover the quaint Victorian architecture and explore the outdoor, cobble stoned Washington Street Mall, including many upscale shops and restaurants. Or, choose to stay aboard the trolley and visit the Cape May Winery & Vineyard. At the winery you will experience a guided tour, then it's off to enjoy award-winning wines (wine tasting), while taking in the spectacular view from their vineyard deck (no additional $'s required). After the winery tour, the trolley will return to Cape May where you can spend the remainder of the afternoon. Approximately a 6 1/2 Hour Tour.

Ventnor City

Margate City

Somers Point

Ocean City

Concert Tickets
Offered by: Ocean City Tabernacle

Ocean City Tabernacle Concert tickets, reduced price for early sales: The von Trapp Children (great grandchildren of Captain von Trapp of “Sound of Music”), June 18, 7:00 p.m., regular price $25, advance special $20 Steve Green, Grammy-award-winning recording artist, Block Party Concert, October 11, 7:00 p.m., regular price $18, advance special $15 www.octabeernacle.org

Sea Isle City

June 7, 2008 ESA SOUTH JERSEY DISTRICT SURF COMPETITION

JFK Boulevard Beach Phone: 263-3033 or 263-0050

June 7, 2008 7th annual Heart 5K Run/Fun Walk

7:00am to 11:00am

Sea Isle City and AARP sponsor 7th annual Heart 5K Run/Fun Walk On Saturday, June 7, Sea Isle City and the local AARP chapter will hold their 7th Annual Heart 5K Run & Fun Walk at Kennedy Boulevard and the Promenade. Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. at the site with the 5K run slated to take off at 9:00 a.m. followed immediately by the walk. Donation of $10 is asked with children under 12 years of age participating free. The event benefits the American Heart Association of South Jersey, according to Terry Tighe, coordinator for the city.

All participants will receive free tee shirts sponsored by Mayor Leonard Desiderio, bagels from 7-11, and bottles of water from Lehigh Valley Distributors while supplies last. Men and women first, second, and third place winners of the 5K Run will receive medals. Runners will begin on the promenade at 40th Street and proceed to 57th Street and on to Pleasure Avenue to 69th and return.

A rider on a bike will lead the run. Radio station 98.7 The Coast will be on hand to provide musical entertainment, on site interviews, and giveaway gifts. Beginning at 7:00 a.m., there will be a surfing competition going on at Kennedy Boulevard and the Beach. The event is sponsored by the Eastern Surfing Association South Jersey District in cooperation with Heritage Surf & Sport. "For runners and walkers coming early to register, there will be lots to do and see, so come early," advised Irene Jameson, AARP coordinator. "Do it for a good cause and for your heart. Bring your family and friends." For additional information, call 609-263-2968

Mondays and Wednesdays: Free Summer Concerts Under the Stars
Sponsored by the City and the Tourism Commission,
7:30-9:00PM, 609-263-TOUR (June 16 - August 27)

Tuesdays: Guided Beachcombing
Sponsored by the S.I.C. Environmental Commission,
29th St. Beach, 10AM-11AM, $1 Adults, $0.50 Children
609-263-9643 (June 17- August 26)

Tuesdays: Free Movies Under the Stars
Sponsored by the City, Tourism Commission and Comcast,
Dusk, 609-263-TOUR (July 1- August 26)

Thursdays: Guided Beachcombing
Sponsored by the S.I.C. Environmental Commission,
94th St. Beach, 10AM-11AM, $1 Adults, $0.50 Children
Registration, Townsends Inlet Park Parking Lot,
609-263-9643 (June 19- August 28)

Thursdays: Free Family Night Dance Parties
Sponsored by the City and the Tourism Commission,
7:30-9:00PM, 609-263-TOUR (June 19-August 28)

Avalon

June 7, 2008 - Avalon Garden Club Flower Show-12-4pm-Community Hall

June 7, 2008 - Big Band Dance-8:30pm-Community Hall

Dance to the music of the John Clark Little Big Band at the Community Hall. Doors open at 8pm it is a BYOB event with the snack bar open for sodas and snacks. Ice and water are provided free. Reservations can be made at 609-967-3066

June 7, 2008 - Pastels - Art Rm, Library - 10-4 - Sponsored by the Library & the Cape May County Art League

Stone Harbor

June 7, 2008 Annual Tour of Homes
Sponsored by the Garden Club of Stone Harbor
1 - 4:30pm
For Tickets - 368-5692

The Wildwoods

June 7, 2008 Beach Bop

This is a special day designed for our youngest scouts. "Beach Bop" follows the same unique model of Beach Jam, with an added splash of waterpark fun! 609.522.3900 or www.moreyspiers.com

June 7, 2008 Phillies Home Run Derby

Higbee Field, Aster & Ocean Avenues, Wildwood Crest. Batting contest for boys and girls ages 8-15. Winners get prizes and advance to regional finals. 9 a.m. Registration. 10 a.m. contest. Free. 609.522.2955 or www.northwildwood.com.

Cape May

Cape May in World War II Presentation

June 6th 2008 - 10:00am - 11:00am

Inn of Cape May 7 Ocean St. Cape May, Phone: 609-884-5404

Attend the presentation “Cape May in World War II” on Saturday, June 7 from 10 a.m.-11 a.m. at the Inn of Cape May. Cape May played a surprisingly vital role during World War II, from homeland defense to antisubmarine warfare to training of carrier pilots. Learn about the changes a coastal town underwent during wartime and what measures were taken to secure our port and waterways via this richly illustrated presentation. Admission is $10 per person.

World War II Boat Cruise

June 8th 2008 - 10:00am - 12:00pm

Miss Chris Marina Cape May, Phone: 609-884-5404

On Sunday, June 8 at 10 a.m. take the World War II Boat Cruise aboard the Cape May Whale Watcher for a trip around Cape Island. As you cruise, you’ll travel through the World War II Canal, see the remnants of Fort Miles, including Fire Control Tower No. 23 and Battery 223, and pass the US Coast Guard Base, formerly Naval Air Station Cape May. Hear tales of enemy activity and homeland defense efforts in the ocean and bay. Marvelous views of the city, Lighthouse and dolphins will enhance your experience. The boat departs from Miss Chris Marina and the cruise lasts for about 2 hours. Admission is $22 per person.

Celtic Festival
Type: Festivals, Events & Expositions
Dates: Saturday, June 7, 2008 Sunday , June 8, 2008
Location: Regional Events
Address: Historic Cold Spring Village
Phone: 609-898-2300
Admission: General Admission $6 * Special 2-Day Admission Pass $10 * Free Parking
Hours: Saturday 10am - 4:30pm Sunday 10am - 4:30pm
URL: www.hcsv.org
Description: Enjoy Irish dance workshops, pipes & drums, Ceili bands, puppet shows, Irish Harp demonstrations, Scottish sea ballards, storytelling, traditional music instruments and more!

June 7, 2008 World War II Trolley Tours

Phone: 609-884-5404

Mid-Atlantic Center for the Arts

To further your knowledge on Cape May’s surprisingly important role during WWII, board one of MAC’s trolleys’ for World War II Trolley Tours on Saturday, June 7 at 11:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. You will visit several of the sites discussed in the previous presentation, including Fort Miles, Battery 223, Fire Control Tower No. 23, with drive-bys of Naval Air Station Cape May, the Cape May Canal and other sites. Admission is $15 per person.

REGIONAL

Treasures From The Collection: Museum of American Glass
Type: Tours & Exhibits
Dates: April 5, 2008 - January 5, 2009
Location: Regional Events
Address: Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Phone: 1-800-998-4552
Admission: $10 Adults, $9 Senior Citizens and $7 Students. Children five and under are free
Hours: Tuesday through Sunday 10am to 5pm
URL: www.wheatonarts.org
Description: Since the founding of the Museum of American Glass 40 years ago, the museum's collection has steadily grown to the current number of 15,000 pieces of American Glass.


Grape Vines & Vintage Shopping Tour
Type: Tours & Exhibits
Dates: June 2, 2008 - September 4, 2008
Location: Regional Events
Address: Great American Trolley Company
Phone: 609-884-0450
Admission: Adults $20 Children (5-10 yrs) $15
Hours: Departs Wednesday Approximate Times 10:00am to 4:00pm
URL: www.gatrolley.com
Description: Tour Renault Winery, one of the country's oldest operating wineries, where you will follow the grape's journey from the vineyards to the wine glass. See Renault's Glass Museum, antique wine equipment and sample Renault's best in the tasting room. Next, enjoy a stop at Noyes Museum where you'll explore the region's folk art and artistic creations. To cap off your tour, spend time on your own at the Historic Towne of Smithville, a quaint outdoor shopping village with a distinctive variety of speciality shops, eateries, a small train, carousel and paddle boat rides. Approximately a 6 1/2 Hour Tour.

Mystic Realms Presents Fantasy Faire: A Festival of Medieval Arts and Folklife at WheatonArts
Type: Festivals, Events & Expositions
Dates: June 7 - June 8, 2008
Location: Regional Events
Address: Wheaton Arts and Cultural Center
Phone: 1-800-998-4552
Admission: $10 Adults, $9 Senior Adults, $7 Students, Children five and undr are free. This event and WheatonArts attractions are included in the price of admission.
Hours: Saturday and Sunday 10 am to 5pm
URL: www.wheatonarts.org
Description: A mix of Medieval, Renaissance and Restoration history from throughout the world, mixed with myths, legends and fantasies. Merchants and vendors on site.

June 7th 2008 Open House - Horse Rescue Mission

10:00am - 2:00pm

Montana Farms 1707 4th Ave Egg Harbor City, 08215

Phone: 908-783-2235

Contact name: Susan Racko

sbracko@comcast.net

Open House for Horse Rescue Mission, Inc., come view our facility - Huge flea market, horse tack & equipment, furniture, household items - pony rides-games-music- bouncy rides-food-free give ways = Please call Tara @ 609-377-9041 for info or to reserve a flea market table ($10.00 per table). All proceeds go to help feed and maintain our equines. June 7,2008 from 10am-2pm, 1701 4th Avenue, Egg Harbor City, NJ 08215

Week end-ul e si mai frumos ascultind Robert Plant & Alison Krauss. Cei dou au lansat anul trecut albumul Raising Sand. Auzisem mai demult de acest duet dar doar azi am ascultat pe YouTube citeva din cintecele de pe acest album. Este un album de o stilistica muzicala unica. Nici nu avea cum sa fie altfel daca tinem cont de faptul ca Robert Plant este una din cele mai mari legende a rock-ului ( vezi Led Zeppelin) iar Alison Krauss e o cintareata de blues cu totul deosebita. Il admir pe Robert Plant de pe la 16 ani. Ma surprinde de fiecare data. Cu cit inainteaza mai mult in virsta cu atit devine si mai bun. E ca vinul.

Detalii despre album le gasi aici http://www.robertplantalisonkrauss.com

Stie cineva unde pot gasi in Chisinau albumul Raising Sand, de  Robert Plant & Alison Krauss?

As we learned last year, lineups often change (The White Stripes famously bailed), but there's so many good acts here that we're sure it's going to rock come what may:

David Byrne, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Neko Case, Jenny Lewis, Foo Fighters, The Raconteurs (featuring Jack White, of course), Tegan & Sara, Gnarls Barkley, Jakob Dylan, Duffy, N.E.R.D. and many more.

As of this reading, it looked as if all hotels in downtown Austin were booked up. Last year, we had stay a few miles outside town. And despite the typically hot Texas temps, it was all well worth it. Relive last year's highlights via pics here.

Austin City Limits - Lineup

One piece of advice I think I am allowed to give is that when you're trying to make up a name for your band, try to make it something that's not too generic. Considering the power of the internet these days, you want your band to be the first hit on search machines. But I finally tracked down Apartment's website. But it wasn't easy. In any case, I don't like their band name, but I do like their spastic rock.

mp3: Fall Into Place [Apartment] - worth a listen!

website / myspace

2. Robert Plant & Alison Krauss

I know what you're thinking: ew, old people with banjos singing. Pour me a metamucil martini and shoot me up with some Strivectin.

ZZZZZ.

Except, this is 21 TIME GRAMMY AWARD WINNING Alison Krauss we are talking about. I know, crazy, right? She collects those statues like Angelina collects babies (ha, how many times have you heard that joke before?).

Angelina: "I have Cambodia, Ethiopia..."
Jennifer: "Shut up, bitch."

I digress. Check out this song, I really like it. MMmmm prunes.

mp3: Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On) [Robert Plant & Alison Krauss] via youcrazydreamers

website / myspace

3. The Rosie Taylor Project

mp3: Maps For Lost Lovers [The Rosie Taylor Project]

website / myspace

4. DJ TT

I have no idea who DJ TT is, but I am a bit obsessed with his mash-ups. The blending of two songs into one cohesive aural unit can often go very very wrong. But DJ TT must have a magical song mixing machine because his mashes are great! Anyways, sadly I have no pic nor info about this person. If this is you, or you know something about this person, please shoot me an email at moodyeditor@gmail.com so you can receive proper credit.

mp3: I Still vs. Where'd You Go (Fort Minor Boys) [DJ TT] - download worthy!

5. The Meadows

Am I the only one who thinks it's funny that the Meadows have a song called "Where Do You Go" (Track 4) on the same album as the song "There You Go" (Track 8)?

mp3: Where Do You Go [The Meadows]

website / myspace

6. Throwback to 2001:

mp3: Wherever You Will Go [The Calling]

I used to be obsessed with this song when it first came out. I was 15 (god, that was 7 years ago! I am old-ish), young and impressionable. Listening to it over and over on my cd player made me feel like I was a character on Dawson's Creek.

The Calling at the Europe 2 Live in France in July 04

Listen to the Stella Splice Bonnaroo Muxtape

Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings - Nobody's Baby 2:28 100 Days, 100 Nights 2007
Little Feat - That's A Pretty Good Love 4:49 Ain't Had Enough Fun 1995
Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Rich Woman 4:05 Raising Sand 2007
Levon Helm - False Hearted Lover Blues 3:30 Dirt Farmer 2007
Drive-By Truckers - Two Daughters And A Beautiful Wife 3:06 Brighter Than Creation's Dark 2008
My Morning Jacket - Golden 4:58 12.1.06 @ the electric factory, philadelphia 2006
The Swell Season - Into the Mystic (Van Morrison cover) 5:05 NPR 2007
Jack Johnson - Rodeo Clowns 2:52 Live From Bonnaroo 2002
Rogue Wave - Lake Michigan 3:48 Asleep at Heaven's Gate 2007
Iron and Wine - White Tooth Man 3:57 The Shepard's Dog 2007
José González - Down the Line 3:11 In Our Nature 2007
CRS (Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Pharrell) - Us Placers 3:54 2007

Raising Sand is the collaboration of two of the greatest vocalists of all time, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss.  This album is hauntingly beautiful.  The music is penetrating and overwhelmingly transcendental.  The venerable voices of Plant and Krauss blend so perfectly.  I have not been able to stop listening to it since I got it.  Their album has already gone Gold and continues to be a top seller world wide.  Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will be on tour this summer, a tour I wont be able to miss! 

    O disco Raising Sand de Robert Plant e Alison Krauss, foi sem dúvidas, um dos melhores lançamentos fonográficos do ano passado. Quem ainda não escutou esta belezinha, tem que correr atrás. 2007 aliás, foi providencial para o roqueiro britânico que, além deste belo trabalho com a atual diva do bluegrass americano, reuniu os velhos comparsas  Jimmy Page e John Paul Jones - e ainda Jason Bonham, filho do mítico baterista John "Bonzo" Bonham, morto em 1980 - para celebrar a volta do Led Zeppelin em um show histórico, em Londres.

    Enquanto especula-se uma turnê mundial e um disco de inéditas da lendária banda inglesa, resta  torcer para que o Brasil esteja na rota da tour já anunciada de Raising Sand, com início previsto para abril, nos Estados Unidos e Europa... quem sabe a trupe não chega por estas bandas... Caros amigos, seria sensacional.

    Raising Sand é daqueles discos que curto cada vez mais a cada nova audição. Se você é um daqueles que espera pelo approach e sonoridade pesada dos tempos zeppelianos, pode tirar o cavalinho da areia ( ops ). Gravado em Nashville e Los Angeles, conta com produção do renomado músico e produtor T Bone Burnett ( com trabalhos com Roy Orbison, Los Lobos, Elvis Costello e Wallflowers, entre tantos ) e mostra a harmonia do combinado Plant/Krauss embalando canções acústicas nos formatos folk, country, rock e r&b, num dueto zen que caiu redondo tal qual um gole de conhaque numa noite de inverno.

    Mister Robert Plant é um senhor tomado de amadurecimento, sem afetações, cantando numa tranqüilidade que pelamordedeus... faria um coral de monjes budistas enrubescer. E Alison Krauss te pega de jeito com sua voz aguda, melódica e confortante, vinda de outra dimensão ( escute “Sister Rosetta Goes Before Us”, “Trampled Rose” ou “Let Your Loss Be Your Lesson”, por exemplo, e diga se estou mentindo). Como se não bastasse seu canto angelical, Alison ainda toca violino, deixando as melodias ainda mais próximas do paraíso.

    Músicas dos Everly Brothers ( "Gone Gone Gone - Done Moved On" ), Tom Waits ( "Trampled Rose" ), Gene Clark, pós The Byrds  ( "Polly Come Home" e "Througt The Morning, Througt The Night" ), Townes Van Zandt ( "Nothin" ), e Plant / Jimmy Page ( “Please Read the Letter”, gravada pelos parceiros no álbum Walking Into Clarksdale, de 1998 ) se destacam em meio a outras canções não menos inspiradas. Percursos naturais para absorver esta obra sensível, cativante e de muito bom gosto, que traz na seção rítmica convidados de naipe afiado: o guitarrista  Marc Ribot ( Los Cubanos Postizos, Tom Waits, John Zorn ), o batera Jay Bellerose ( Bill Frisell / Nina Nastasia ), Dennis Crouch (Johnny Cash / Nashville Bluegrass Band ) no baixo acústico e Riley Baugus, que se reveza com Ribot no banjo.

    De uma cumplicidade e simplicidade que chegam a emocionar. Contra-indicado para batráquios rastejantes, insensíveis ou energúmenos.

 DOWNLOAD:  http://rapidshare.com/files/56051618/Rpak_.rar

PLANT / KRAUSS - RICH WOMAN

PLANT / KRAUSS - KILLING THE BLUES

PLANT / KRAUSS - SISTER ROSETTA GOES BEFORE US

PLANT / KRAUSS - POLLY COME HOME

PLANT / KRAUSS - GONE GONE GONE ( DONE MOVED ON )

PLANT / KRAUSS - PLEASE READ THE LETTER

PLANT / KRAUSS - TRAMPLED ROSE

PLANT / KRAUSS - FORTUNE TELLER

PLANT / KRAUSS - STICK WITH ME BABY

PLANT / KRAUSS - NOTHIN'

PLANT / KRAUSS - YOUR LONG JOURNEY

GENERAL

Record of the Year - Amy Winehouse - Rehab

Album of the Year - Herbie Hancock - River: The Joni Letters

Song of the Year - Amy Winehouse - Rebab

Best New Artist - Amy Winehouse

POP

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance - Amy Winehouse - Rehab

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance - Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - Maroon 5 - Makes Me Wonder

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals - Robert Plant & Alison Krauss - Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)

Best Pop Vocal Album - Amy Winehouse - Back to Black

ROCK

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - The White Stripes - Icky Thump

Best Rock Album - Foo Fighters - Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace

ALTERNATIVE

Best Alternative Music Album - The White Stripes - Icky Thump

R&B

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance - Alicia Keys - No One

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance - Prince - Future Baby Mama

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals - Chaka Khan Featuring Mary J. Blige - Disrespectful

Best R&B Song - Alicia Keys - No One

Best Contemporary R&B Album - Ne-Yo - Because Of You

RAP

Best Rap Solo Performance - Kanye West - Stronger

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group - Common Featuring Kanye West - Southside

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration - Rihanna Featuring Jay-Z - Umbrella

Best Rap Song - Kanye West - Good Life

Best Rap Album - Kanye West - Graduation

Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page said that he is ready to take the band out on a world tour after last month's one-night reunion concert in London.

But, he warned fans that it is not going to happen soon as the lead singer has other plans.

[The Press Association]

Those plans involving Robert Plant are his summer tour with Alison Krause. Gigwise is reporting that a Zeppelin tour will not happen until at least September.

Speaking in Tokyo this morning (January 28th), Page said that Robert Plant’s touring commitments with Alison Krauss were currently the frontman’s main priority.

[Gigwise]

What does this mean for the rumored Bonnaroo appearance? Maybe in 2009?

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The Neville Brothers, Stevie Wonder, Billy Joel, Jimmy Buffett, Tim McGraw, Santana, Maze feat. Frankie Beverly, Sheryl Crow, Widespread Panic, Dr. John, Al Green, Diana Krall, Keyshia Cole, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, The Raconteurs, Irma Thomas And Thousands More Scheduled to Appear

[Click here] for the full day by day lineup.

Ticket purchasing options and other festival related information can be found on NOJazzfest.com.

Bruce Springsteen performed at Jazzfest two years ago with the Seeger Session Band.

:: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: :: ::

A few bands - most notably Arctic Monkeys - have made noise about forgoing albums altogether and simply releasing their music as a series of singles. In a digital download world where most listeners never even purchase tracks 8 or 9, why spend the time and money to create them? This model makes even more sense as it becomes increasingly clear that album sales aren't the golden goose they used to be. Madonna and Nine Inch Nails recently signed high-profile deals based around touring and merchandising. Radiohead used digital downloads to essentially give their new album away to fans and allow those fans to determine the value of the album. What's an album worth in 2007? If you spent much time with your ear to the ground this year, you know the answer is "not much."

Here are some albums that defied the prevailing trend, and rocked from start to finish...

The 20 Best Albums of 2007

20) Battles * Mirrored - An album of titanium-tipped beats that blast at the very structure of your skull, Mirrored is the work of a supergroup of musicians that includes longtime Helmet drummer John Stanier. While most bands are using technology to make their instruments more musicial, Battles are busy using their instruments to make their music sound more technological - and creating songs that don't sound remotely like anyone else.

Listen: Atlas

19) Jay-Z * American Gangster - As head of Def-Jam records, it's amazing that Jay-Z has time to make any album, let alone a stone classic like American Gangster. Inspired by an advance screening of the Denzel Washington movie of the same name, Hova rips through a series of bumping rhymes that nod to blaxploitation-era Curtis Mayfield, while staying within his well-worn philosophy. Slinging bags and slinging albums? It all comes down to handling the delivery.

Listen: Roc Boys (And The Winner Is)…

18) The Budos Band * The Budos Band II - The best-kept secret of 2007 came blasting out of Staten Island with a series of funked up instrumental jams that just don't quit. This 11-piece band builds funky groove after funky groove, working an afro-soul vein that yields plenty of wicked pleasures. Budos Band II is the instrumental album that the Beastie Boys wish they'd released this year.

Listen: Chicago Falcon

17) Black Francis * Bluefinger - Charles Thompson/Frank Black/Black Francis has been softening up over the course of his last several albums, taking a detour through Nashville, and creating plenty of adult comtemporary pop. So it'll be a big relief to Pixies fans to hear his latest effort - an all-out return to the knife-edge histrionics that made his former group so compelling. Bluefinger doesn't all kill, but what does is dangerous stuff indeed.

Listen: Captain Pasty

16) Black Lips * Good Bad Not Evil - These buzzing fuzzologists created one of the best trips of the year. The only question is, what year? Complete with swirling guitars, backward masking, and shouted vocals, the entirety of this album sounds like it was lifted from the legendary Nuggets compilation. Far out and right on...

Listen: It Feels Alright

15) 1990's * Cookies - This Scottish trio kick out the jams on their infectious, fully-realized debut Cookies. Combining a propulsive post-punk sound with a series of catchy hooks and choruses, this is an album good enough to have you pumping your fist in the air on the first listen. All it needs it just a little more cowbell...

Listen: Is There A Switch For That?

14) Rilo Kiley * Under The Blacklight - Right down to its name, this album is a blatant tribute to the sounds of the 70's. Rilo Kiley has wrapped confessional tales of heartbreak and excess in so much aural cotton candy that you can't help but tap your toes and sing along. No wonder they keep getting compared to Rumours-era Fleetwood Mac.

Listen: Silver Lining

13) White Williams * Smoke - If Generation X found itself trapped in that creepy hotel from The Shining, this would be the ballroom soundtrack. The loping beats and off-kilter lyrics are reminiscent of Midnite Vultures-era Beck - it's electronica tarted up with guitars, vintage synthesizers and plenty of smart attitude. Joe Williams may be white, but there's nothing vanilla about his sound.

Listen: Going Down

12) Spoon * Ga Ga Ga Ga Ga - This is the album Spoon has been building steadily towards over the last decade. There have been a lot of great individual moments on their past albums, but here the group revels in horns and handclaps, sounding like a Stax/Volt reincarnation, and creating nothing less than the best blue-eyed soul album of their generation. At this point Spoon is a major label band merely masquarading in Indie clothing.

Listen: You Got Yr. Cherry Bomb

11) Queens Of The Stone Age * Era Vulgaris - Like the worn record ring on the album cover, QOTSA are an anachronism from another age. In 2007 hardly anyone plays straight-up Rock&Roll, but Josh Homme is a true believer, and keeps pumping out great riffs with regularity. '3's & 7's' 'Sick, Sick, Sick' and 'Make It Wit Chu' prove that you don't have to accept Rock that's been watered down with a bunch of hyphens.

Listen: Make It Wit Chu

10) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss * Raising Sand - Plant & Krauss weave their voices together in a tapestry of sound that is filled with warmth and heart. T-Bone Burnett's flawless production wraps their voices in digital effects and plenty of space, creating an atmosphere that is at once eery and comfortable. Plant is forgoing a tour with his former bandmates in Led Zeppelin so that he can tour with Krauss. Which sounds crazy, until you have a listen to the graceful melodies of Raising Sand.

Listen: Rich Woman

9) Paolo Nutini * These Streets - On his debut album, this 19-year old Scot showed he's got the voice of a man. In spots his lilting brogue calls to mind an early 70's Van Morrison, even if his songwriting abilities aren't quite yet up to that comparison. The upbeat songs are the highlights here, but Nutini shows a deftness of touch and feeling on ballads like 'Autumn' and 'Alloway Grove' that belies his youth, and bodes well for the future.

Listen: New Shoes

8) Pink Martini * Hey Eugene! - Pink Martini may not garner rapt critical attention, but make no mistake - this is a band that has arrived. This 15-piece, self-dubbed "little orchestra that could" features the blazing talent of lead singer China Forbes, who holds forth with an incandescent voice that is part torch-singer and part torch. On Hey Eugene!, the band moves through many instruments, languages and styles, creating a sound that is at once completely retro and totally fresh.

Listen: Hey Eugene!

7) LCD Soundsystem * Sound Of Silver - Party on, Garth!

Listen: All My Friends

6) Radiohead * In Rainbows - The "choose your own price for the download" method of delivery netted the band more than two million dollars and untold notoriety, but it's the songs that really count here. A solid album from start to finish, In Rainbows avoids much of the recent experimental noodling that has put off more casual fans of the group. While not necessarily a return to the form of OK Computer or Kid A, it's certainly the most accessible album the group has made since either of those masterpieces.

Listen: Jigsaw Falling Into Place

5) The National * Boxer - In 2007, the finest proponents of Brit-Pop came from Brooklyn by way of Cincinnati, OH. The National's fourth album finds the group building on the momentum of 2005's excellent Alligator without losing any of the existential dread that made that album so memorable. Matt Berninger's lyrics are cryptic and intensely personal slices of melancholy, set against musical vistas that are as wide as the Manhattan skyline. Boxer is a monumental album built from a million and one nagging cares.

Listen: Mistaken For Strangers

4) Iron & Wine * The Shepherd's Dog - The first several notes sound like they're coming through a tinny radio, teasing at Sam Beam's lo-fi, man and a guitar sound. Then The Shepherd's Dog bursts into full bloom - awash in sonic flourishes that enhance Beam's sound and purpose. Definitely not the kind of album that Sub Pop cut its teeth on, this is carefully crafted psychedelic folk that is both beautifully lush and soulfully spare.

Listen: Boy With A Coin

3) Amy Winehouse * Back To Black - In an era of pitch-corrected and overly digitized music, Amy Winehouse is a welcome throwback. Her songs reflect her real life struggles with life and love, and she's been an irresistable train wreck for tabloids everywhere, but that sideshow shouldn't overshadow the music on Back To Black. A timeless collection of songs that sound better with every play, it shows Winehouse to be a diva in every sense of the word. The question isn't whether this woman has skills, it's whether her dangerous liasons will dim her bright talent before she can make another classic album.

Listen: Back To Black

2) Various Artists * I'm Not There Soundtrack - Where Bob Dylan cements his status as the most influential musician of all-time. Sure, the argument's been out there for some time, but hearing 33 covers by a variety of contemporary artists brings home that Bobby D. will have sway over musicians for as long as song continues. Sonic Youth, Iron & Wine, Mark Lanegan, Jim James, Cat Power, Antony & The Johnsons, Los Lobos, and many more don't so much cover Dylan as he covers them, encompassing all of their styles within the breadth of his ouvre. In this context it's easy to see how far the onetime Robert Zimmerman's influence really reaches - to the horizon of music. The fact that Richie Havens and Willie Nelson nearly steal the show only adds to an incredible package.

Listen: Tombstone Blues [Richie Havens]

1) Zeph & Azeem * Mixed Messages (official 'Rise Up' mixed tape) - Poetry slam champ and former Spearhead protege Azeem deserves a new handle: most underappreciated rapper in the world. Released as a promotional add-on to Zeph & Azeem's new album Rise Up, Mixed Messages collects B-sides, remixes, outtakes and more onto perhaps the finest hip-hop album of the last decade. This tour-de-force features a buffet of tasty samples, including Latin horns, disco strings, and Pink Floyd. Throw in Azeem's world class rhymes, which touch on everything from global tourism to the Illuminati, and you've got a monster album that flows from top to bottom like the Mississippi river, and demonstrates how relentlessly inventive hip-hop might sound in a world without overly restrictive copyright infringement laws.

Listen: Don’t Quote Me (Xclusive)

Listen II: What If (Xclusive Remix)

*****

The next 10...

Neil Young * Chrome Dreams II
Ministry * The Last Sucker
Justice * †
Kanye West * Graduation
Digitalism * Idealism
Band Of Horses * Cease To Begin
Arctic Monkeys * Favorite Worst Nightmare
The Hives * The Black & White Album
Andrew Bird * Armchair Apocrypha
Ween * La Cucaracha

The Tennessean is reporting that Robert Plant and Alison Krauss will perform at next year's festival, while the official website of BB King had listed the legendary blues star as performing at some point during Day three of Bonnaroo 2008. That date has since been pulled from the site, but luckily the folks over at Inforoo got a screen shot.

Based on this, I believe it's safe to assume both these musical legends will be appearing at Bonnaroo. But what's that mean regarding Led Zeppelin? Hmm...

With that, here are 10 albums that made November sound a little better:

10) Ministry * The Last Sucker - We're well beyond the point where every American with half a conscience should be screaming at the top their lungs about what our corrupt government and insane president have been up to. Fortunately Al Jourgensen and Ministry do a good deal of the screaming for the rest of us on The Last Sucker.

9) Blue Mitchell * Blue's Moods - That smoke coming off his trumpet is no joke - Blue Mitchell is one of the most underrated trumpeters in all of jazz.

8) Andres Segovia * The Segovia Collection - This four disc box features some of the best music for the holidays that doesn't go 'fa-la-la-la-la' or involve jingling bells.

7) Sly & The Family Stone * There's A Riot Goin' On - Please see #10...

6) Robert Plant & Alison Krauss * Raising Sand - This one looked like a disaster on paper, but sounds great. Guess that's why T-Bone Burnett is a big-shot producer, and I'm sitting around blogging in my underwear.

5) Pink Martini * Hey Eugene! - The group's third album features a high school choir, songs in Portuguese and Arabic, and the immense talent of vocalist China Forbes.

4) Black Sugar * Black Sugar - White-hot Peruvian funk from 1971 that's just recently been reissued on disc. You won't be sorry...

3) The Black Keys * Chulahoma - This ep features the group doing covers of Junior Kimbrough songs, and ends with his widow praising their efforts on an answering machine message. These six tracks pack a bigger punch than most full-length albums.

2) Iron & Wine * The Shepherd's Dog - Sam Beam's (aka Iron & Wine's) first three albums were all stripped-down, man-and-guitar affairs. Here he adds just the right amount of lush orchestration and cryptic wordplay to create an album that rivals the finest psych-folk albums of the 60's. Mesmerizing.

1) Various Artists * I'm Not There OST - Hands down one of the best albums of 2007, I'm Not There refracts Bob Dylan's music through a new generation of artists, including Calexico, Jim James, Iron & Wine, Cat Power, Anthony & The Johnsons, and Mark Lanegan - to name but a half-dozen. Outstanding covers by old-timers like Richie Havens and Willie Nelson tie the generational knot tightly, proving that Dylan will always influence musicians of every age.