ry’s world

Jann Wenner, chairman of Wenner Media and founder of Rolling Stone magazine, holds the new and the old.

Starting with the Oct. 30th issue, which goes on sale Oct. 17, Rolling Stone will now print their magazines on the standard 8 1/2 by 11 size paper. Say goodbye to nostalgia.

more info here.

-RR

PHOTO: NY Times

Metallica gave fans a taste of new music by playing “Cyanide” from their to be released album Death Magnetic (Sept. 12) at this year’s Ozzfest in Dallas.

Hetfield and the rest of Metallica may have “already died,” although it is a small step in the right direction the tune still has fairly low energy and a sloppy arrangement. Find out if Metallica will be revived from the dead on 9/12…or maybe earlier.

Jay-Z made a surprise appearance at Kanye West’s gig last night at Madison Square Garden in NYC to premiere a new cut produced by Kanye that is suppose to be on the upcoming Blueprint 3album. Hova is still angry with Oasis as the first line goes “That bloke from Oasis said I couldn’t play guitar, somebody should have told him I’m a fucking rock star.”

BLUEPRINT 3 from kwest on Vimeo.

Paris Hilton has released a video in response to John McCain’s ad comparing Barack Obama to celebrities like Paris Hilton and Britney Spears.

The video can be found at funnyordie.com.

Who knew Paris could actually express a coherent intelligent though. Well, hell should be freezing over any second now.

-RR

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and guitarist perform for a sold out Boston crowd.

Coldplay cemented their crown as the “ultimate radio band” performing for a passionate sold-out crowd at the TD Banknorth Garden last night for the final date of the United States leg of the Viva La Vida tour.

The opening jam, “Life in Technicolor” exploded with energy that carried on into “Violet Hill,” after finishing the song Chris Martin responded to the crowd “Now this is gonna be a really good one.” Maybe it was because of all the celebrities in the house like Martin’s wifey Gwyneth Paltrow, Tom Brady, Steven Spielberg, or Jerry Seinfield but it was a performance that was incredibly extraordinary in all epic proportions that redefined the words big performance (U2 would have been proud).

Chris Martin paraded on the stage completely drenched in sweat several songs in, dropping the occasional f-bomb, particularly when he messed up the lyrics to “Death and All His Friends,” (”All Winter we got married…ah fuck”) which was dedicated to New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady. Martin swaggered with goofy style and grace jumping around during “In My Place,” finishing the song on the floor, and hammering maniacally away on the keys like a mad scientist on the laser-filled “Clocks.”

At one point in “Fix You” Martin yelled “you can hear all the Irish blood out there” as his response to the crowd singing along to the entire song to Martin’s brilliant falsetto that held up despite all the wobbling around the stage.

The set mostly included tracks from Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends including a soaring performance of “Viva La Vida,” a powerfully rocking version of “Lost!” and “Lovers In Japan” where the Garden was raining with colorful, paper butterflies. The pace slowed down slightly for “Yes” but was picked back up by an extended jam lead by Jonny Buckland on guitar with those Middle Eastern riffs.

The only cut from Parachutes on the set was “Yellow” which Martin called the Monday single while talking about all the Monday night television we were missing, but insisted that this was better than watching reruns of Seinfeld, upon which the crowd looked at Jerry and laughed. (Martin also poked fun at Spielberg by playing the Jaws theme before “42.”)

Drummer Will Champion (the most underrated member of Coldplay) pounded on the drum kit all night bringing new intensity to songs such as “Politik” and “Speed of Sound” but Champion softened things up during their two song stint in the loge section by strapping on an acoustic guitar and taking over vocal duties where his John Lennon-esque, tender voice sang a sweet rendition of “Death Will Never Conquer.”

While up in the loge section, Martin described “The Scientist” as a song he wrote after a steamy night with Condaleezza Rice, “not really, but it sounds cool,” remarked Martin. The performance felt like a camp fire sing along with Martin adding a bit of harmonica, which later he joked about every British singer thinking they can play harmonica, saying there really is no benefit to it and just wastes everyone’s time, but I do not think anyone’s 90 minutes was wasted in the least bit, if anything the crowd wanted more time.

-RR

Set List

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Viva La Vida
Yes

42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
Chinese Sleep Chant
God Put A Smile On Your Face
Speed of Sound
Yellow
Lost!
The Scientist (Acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (Acoustic)

Encore

Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends/The Escapist

PHOTO: boston.com

Because Weiland got the boot and is now touring with the reunited STP, Slash and the gang in VR have selected Royston Langdon, who fronted the English band Spacehog. The band was more of a one-hit wonder with “In the Meantime” (check it out here).

Tidbit: Langdon is Liv Tyler’s ex-husband.

More info about Langdon possibly taking over frontman duties can be found here.

A new teaser for the W. film based on President George W. Bush’s life, set for a October 17 launch. Something tells me that a movie about about one of the United State’s most disliked presidents is a flat out bad idea. The teaser shows W. Bush, played by Josh Brolin (No Country For Old Men), partying hard, crashing cars, and being scolded by H.W. Bush. At least Elizabeth Banks (The 40 Year Old Virgin) plays Laura Bush.

Gnarls Barkley has been covering the Radiohead tune “Reckoner” on their recent tour. Thom Yorke is a very difficult singer to do justice to (just listen to all the various Radiohead covers and tributes out there) but when you have a voice like Cee-Lo’s, it is possible.

Here is a video from a show in San Diego, CA from three nights ago.

I think that white tank-top is going to burst from all that soul.

Frustrated by the labeling of “I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry as the summer song of 2008, I have selected my own, Alejandro Escovedo’s “Always a Friend.” This feelgood, upbeat jam about lovers (in this case maybe even more than one), drinking wine, having a good time, is that not all that summer stands for?

Here’s a performance of “Always a Friend” with none other than Bruce Springsteen. Surprisingly, Mr. Escovedo makes the Boss look unemployed. Springsteen digs it, he’s dancing and singing along to “Every once in awhile, honey let your love show.” Show this song some love on the next trip down the beach.

Pitchfork has uploaded from numerous live performances by Fleet Foxes, Dinosaur Jr., Hold Steady, and more from the Pitchfork Musical Festival that took place last weekend in Chicago.

If the performance from the Fleet Foxes doesn’t make you a fan (just listen to those mesmerizing vocal harmonies), then you probably do not know much about good music.

Check out the performances here.