Following in the footsteps of Jay-Z, Eminem, Paul McCartney, and The Big Four, Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters will perform at Yankee Stadium this summer. As his website reveals, Waters will bring his acclaimed performance of Pink Floyd’s The Wall to the Bronx on July 6th. Tickets go on sale January 30th at 10:00 am ET.

Update: Waters has added a second show for July 7th. A fan-pre sale begins February 5th.

Below, you can find the rest of Waters’ upcoming tour dates, which include similar stadium-size performances in Chicago and San Francisco. Visit Waters’ website for complete ticketing information.

Roger Waters 2012 Tour Dates:
01/27 – Perth, AU @ Burswood Dome
01/28 – Perth, AU @ Burswood Dome
02/01 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/02 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/04 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/07 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/08 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/10 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/11 - Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/14 – Sydney, AU @ Acer Arena
02/15 – Sydney, AU @ Acer Arena
02/18 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/20 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/22 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/23 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
03/02 – Santiago, CL @ Estadio Nacional
03/03 – Santiago, CL @ Estadio Nacional
03/07 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/09 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/10 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/12 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/14 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/15 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/17 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/18 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/20 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/25 – Porto Alegre, BR @ Beira Rio Stadium
03/29 – Rio de Janerio, BR @ Engenhao Stadium
03/31 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Morumbi Stadium
04/01 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Morumbi Stadium
04/03 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Morumbi Stadium
04/27 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
04/28 – Mexico City, MX @ Foro Sol
05/01 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/03 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
05/05 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
05/07 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
05/11 – San Francisco, CA @ AT&T Park
05/13 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
05/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
05/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
05/22 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
05/24 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
05/26 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
05/28 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
05/29 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
05/31 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Center
06/01 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Center
06/03 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
06/05 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
06/06 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
06/08 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
06/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Center
06/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
06/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
06/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
06/16 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
06/19 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
06/21 – Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
06/23 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
06/25 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
06/26 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
06/28 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
06/29 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
07/01 – Boston, MA @ TBA
07/03 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
07/06 – Bronx, NY @ Yankee Stadium
07/07 – Bronx, NY @ Yankee Stadium
07/09 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
07/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
07/12 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
07/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citzens Bank Park

With the rise of free music streaming services like Spotify, touring has become the bread and butter of groups both big and small. As such, the market for tours this year was arguably as diverse as it has ever been. More importantly, though, bands hit the road and hit the road hard in 2011, generating massive profits for a year of decidedly positive turnarounds.

According to Billboard’s year-end report, U2 were the top touring act of 2011, with their “360 Tour” generating $293.3 million in box office revenue and nearly 3 million in ticket sales. That amount brings the entire tour’s total revenue to $736,421,586, with attendance of more than seven million people throughout the tour’s run from June 30th, 2009 to July 30th, 2011.

In second place was New Jersey’s own Bon Jovi, who generated more than $193 million in box office sales with “The Circle” tour. That amount, alongside numbers from 2010, brings that tour’s total profits to $265 million, financially one of the band’s biggest outings in its 28-year history.

Demonstrating the power of a well-planned reunion, British boy band Take That generated $185 million to nab the third place spot. Even with most of that revenue generated from shows in the UK and Europe, the group’s July stand at Wembley Stadium in London grossed $61.7 million, breaking the previous record of $38.7 million set by Bruce Springsteen’s 10 sold-out shows at Giants Stadium in 2003.

The remaining top 10 was comprised of Roger Waters’ “The Wall” ($150 million), Taylor Swift ($97.3 million), Kenny Chesney ($84.6 million), Usher ($75 million), Lady Gaga ($72 million), Andre Rieu ($67 million), and Sade ($50 million).

In all, 2011 was a successful year for touring, generating profits across the board to help rebound from 2010, which saw sizable declines in gross profit and attendance. This year, there were 20% fewer shows reported worldwide, yet they were still able to secure a 15% increase in gross ticket sales and a 1.2% increase in attendance. At shows across the globe, the average gross profit per show was up an impressive 45%, while the average attendance was up 27.3%. Overall, 2011 generated some $4 billion in gross profit, just under the $4.4 billion worldwide reported in 2009.

Highest-Earning Tours of 2011:
01) U2 – $293.3 million
02) Bon Jovi – $193 million
03) Take That – $185 million
04) Roger Waters – $150 million
05) Taylor Swift – $97.3 million
06) Kenny Chesney – $84.6 million
07) Usher – $75 million
08) Lady Gaga – $72 million
09) Andrie Rieu – $76 million
10) Sade – $50 million

Some people see Christmas/Hanukkah/the Winter Solstice/Festivus as a time for family and friends and celebrating the inherent warmth and goodness in us all. Others view these as tired traditions, cooked up to fuel rampant consumerism and act as a means of torture by making you choose between frostbite and spending time with Uncle Maurice. And others just try to get by through the oceans of eggnog and terrible, terrible sweaters. But we here at CoS believe you don’t have to choose between being jolly and celebrating something earnest and true. While Santa Claus may be giving gifts of toys and goodies, we’re giving the gifts of hope and creativity with our annual Holiday Gift Guide. It’s way better than that fire truck you wanted for Xmas ’96.

Now you may be asking yourself, “How does just another list of items to buy offer up anything of any real value?” Well, children, come sit down by the fire as we weave our explanation like popcorn strings on a Christmas tree. It’s true that some of these music-related gifts are just fun or silly, like the Official DEVO Yellow Suit (page eight) or the Illustrated “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G. (page seven). But the rest of the gifts, ranging from the Dinosaur, Jr. Cassette Trilogy (page two) to the Z.vex Effects Instant guitar petal (page nine) all have slightly more value than being great gag gifts (or to wear as kickin’ costumes next Halloween). These may be material goods, and sometimes overpriced material goods at that, but don’t forget what you’re ACTUALLY giving: music. Not just sounds or noise that are either enjoyable or total rubbish, but something that can reshape emotions and create new, life-altering experiences for someone.

By giving something like The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition DVD, you’re telling someone you love, “Hey, this could change your life for the better and make you see things in a whole new way.” That is the promise of music, why people obsess over it and try to cram every sound and every tiny detail and unimportant contextual nuance into a $17 DVD or a $140 box set or a $12 CD. It’s one gift that can actually make someone’s life better and spread honest-to-goodness cheer in a time of year when people cram boxes with meaningless ties and perfume sets that dilute the reason for the season. Music is the one thing that transcends all the junk of the holiday season, like a red-nosed reindeer through a blizzard, to get at the heart of why we celebrate in the first place: connecting with people on a truly deep, meaningful level and cherishing those aforementioned bonds.

So whether you’re buying for yourself or a loved one, take a good, hard look through our Holiday Gift Guide and see if you can spread a little ho-ho-happiness. That way, you’re giving someone special something unique that they could never find elsewhere. And if they re-gift it to you next year, then that’s cool too, right?

-Chris Coplan
News Editor

P.S. – From ours to yours, have a safe and prosperous holiday season.

P.P.S. – Be sure to bookmark our guide and check back often as we’ll be posting new ideas throughout the holiday season.

Box Sets

The Beach Boys: The Smile Sessions Box Set

What: The long-awaited “lost” Beach Boys album receives the lush, deluxe treatment reserved for the finest audiophiles. Over five CDs, two LPs, and two 7″ singles, SMiLE finally comes to life, featuring myriad session recordings, alternate takes, early demos, and the proposed unfinished album. The story continues with the set’s 60-page companion book, stuffed to both ends with lyrics, Frank Holmes drawings, unreleased photos, production notes, anecdotes from surrounding family and friends, and, naturally, liner notes by the band. Throw in a 24″ x 36″ poster and put it all in a three-dimensional shadow box lid…and it’s difficult to avoid smiling. -MR

Buy: Available now for $139.99 via Amazon.com.

Beastie Boys: Hot Sauce Committee Pt. 2 Deluxe Edition

What: The legendary hip-hop trio repackages their 2011 album in a two-disc, deluxe edition set. Available on both DVD and Blu-ray, the set includes the long and short versions of the star-studded Fight For Your Right Revisited film, the Spike Jonze-directed music video “Don’t Play No Game That I Can’t Win”, and a 130-page hardback book featuring behind-the-scenes photos of the making of Fight For Your Right Revisited. Order through the group’s website and also receive a Stuyvesant Phys. Ed T-Shirt. -AY

Buy: Available November 25th exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday promotion. A limited number of sets is also available for $88.98 via the group’s website.

The Dear Hunter: The Color Spectrum: The Complete Collection

What: The 36-tracks constituting the tremendous 9-EP undertaking The Color Spectrum from Casey Crescenzo’s band The Dear Hunter are collected here on three CDs. Also included is a DVD containing more than two hours of footage from Crescenzo’s country-spanning journey recording the effort with a variety of producers and fellow musicians. The final piece is a 52-page booklet of pictures, lyrics and insight about the collection. -BK

Buy: Available now digitally ($34.99) and on CD($24.69) via Amazon.com. Both the limited edition collection of nine colored vinyls and the deluxe wood box set have sold out, so good luck with that.

Dinosaur, Jr.: Cassette Trilogy

What: Limited to just 500 copies and encased in a custom wooden box, the set packs cassette copies of Dinosaur Jr.’s first three albums — 1985′s Dinosaur, 1987′s You’re Living All Over Me, and 1988′s Bug. In addition, the wooden box features the classic Dinosaur Jr. ‘monster’ artwork. -AY

Buy: Available now for $39 via Joyful Noise Recordings. Note: only 350 copies are available for purchase online, with the remaining 150 copies to be sold on the band’s December West coast tour.

The Doors: LA. Woman Singles Box

What: Billed as a “one-of-a-kind limited, serial-numbered box set” commemorating the 40th anniversary of The Doors’ landmark album, L.A. Woman Singles Box packs classic tracks “The Changeling”, “Riders on the Storm”, and “Love Her Madly”, backed with newly-discovered and never-before-heard alternate takes of each song, and a fourth single of never before-released studio banter. The box artwork also includes the original Messianic image of the naked woman nailed to the telephone pole used for the album’s inner sleeve. -AY

Buy: Available November 25th for $49.98 exclusively at participating independent record stores as part of Record Store Day’s Black Friday promotion.

Elvis Costello & The Imposters: The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!

What: Limited to just 1,500 copies, the set features a CD, DVD, and 10-inch vinyl EP of material from Elvis Costello’s two-night stint at The Wiltern in Los Angeles on May 11th and 12th, 2011. The CD comprises 16 tracks from both nights, the 10″ features four live cuts, and the DVD packs footage of the entire second night, including a special appearance from The Bangles. In addition to the music, the box set contains a 40-page hardcover book of photos, a diary from Costello detailing each gig, a 20″ x 30″ concert tour poster, a limited edition postcard, and a replica spinning wheel to play with at your discretion. -CC

Buy: Available December 6th for $268.29 via Amazon.com.

John Fahey: Your Past Comes Back to Haunt You

What: Like John Fahey?  Want to hear some of his earliest recordings, taped in a dingy basement in Frederick, MD?  Want to listen to hella-old reel-to-reel tapes of him drunkenly answering questions about his music and career interspersed between some insanely beautiful acoustic guitar playing? Well then, what better way to ring in the holiday spirit than six hours over 115 unearthed, remastered tracks of early John Fahey recordings over 5 discs, an 88-page book chronicling the legendary picker’s life, rare photographs of the guy, and some ill packaging?  Not much, not much. -DL

Buy: Available now for $69.56 via Amazon.com.

Leonard Cohen: The Complete Albums Collection 

What: The 18-disc box set compiles Leonard Cohen’s 17 studio and live albums, from his 1967 debut Songs of Leonard Cohen up to 2009?s live release Songs From the Road. Each CD in the set is remastered from original analogue master tapes and housed in a mini-LP replica jacket based on their original artwork. In addition, the package includes a 36-page booklet full of “discographical annotations and recording information, as well as a 1,300-word essay by Pico Iyer. -AY

Buy: Available now for $119.99 via Leonard Cohen Global Store. An 11-disc set compiling only his studio albums is also available for purchase.

Mickey Newbury: An American Trilogy

What: Mickey Newbury may just be one of country music most criminally-underheard artists. More closely related to artists like Leonard Cohen and Townes Van Zandt than Conway Twitty, Newbury’s soft songs are full of weighted emotion and beautiful lyrical imagery. A perfect introduction to a hidden gem, An American Trilogy box set collects arguably his three greatest albums from the late 1960s/early ’70s (It Looks Like Rain, ‘Frisco Mabel Joy, and Heaven Help the Child) as well as a fourth disc of rare demos and outtakes. -AT

Buy: Available now for $71.97 via Amazon.com. Vinyl editions of each disc are also available separately via Drag City’s online store.

Neutral Milk Hotel Vinyl Box Set

What: The vinyl-only box set comprises every single one of Neutral Milk Hotel’s albums and EPs along with some 15 unreleased tracks. Among the items included are the band’s two LPs (1996′s On Avery Island and 1998′s In the Aeroplane Over the Sea), a 7″ single of two never-before-released songs in “You’ve Passed” (b/w “Where You’ll Find Me Now”), another 7″ single of unreleased and live versions of “Little Birds”, a picture disk 7″ single of “Holland, 1945″, and a 10″ EP called Ferris Wheel on Fire featuring eight unreleased acoustic recordings. -CC

Buy: Available November 22nd for $88 via the band’s official website. All of the included tracks will also be available at a pay-as-you-please price via his Bandcamp account.

Pink Floyd Discovery Box Set

What: Fourteen albums. Sixteen CDs. One 60-page artwork booklet. From 1967′s The Piper at the Gates of Dawn up to 1994′s The Division Bell, this set collects it all, making it an absolute gem for any Pink Floyd fan, both new or old. So, if you’ve got a loved one begging to go on a trip, consider this your cheapest (and most worthwhile) option. See you on the other side. -MR

Buy: Available now for $178.99 via Amazon.com.

Phish: Hampton/Winston-Salem ’97

What: The long-awaited sound recordings of Phish’s first two-night stint at Hampton, VA’s Hampton Coliseum (aka the “Mothership”) from November 21st and 22nd of 1997, accompanied by the live recording of the band’s follow-up performance at Lawrence Joel Veteran’s Memorial Coliseum in Winston-Salem, NC, on November 23rd. Re-mastered by Fred Kevorkian, the seven-CD box set contains all the music performed over those three nights (45 songs, over eight hours across seven discs), plus never-before-heard material from soundchecks at both venues. -DS

Buy: Available December 6th in various formats: 7-CD box set ($39.99), ALAC ($34.97), FLAC (34.97), and MP3 (26.87) via LivePhish.com.

Ray Charles: Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singles

What: Containing the A and B-sides of 53 singles (that’s 106 songs) on five CDs, Ray Charles’ Singular Genius: The Complete ABC Singlesis exactly what it says it is. The box set holds every single Charles released while signed to ABC-Paramount Records between 1960 and 1972, a peak era for a musician who had finally found “mainstream” success. Out of the 106 digitally remastered tracks included, 21 will be having their first ever digital release, while 30 are debuting on CD. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD and digitally for $42.98 via Amazon.com.

Rivers Cuomo: The Pinkerton Diaries + Alone III

What: In 237 pages, The Pinkerton Diaries gives unparalleled insight into Rivers Cuomo’s mind from 1994 to 1997, the period in which Weezer’s landmark album Pinkerton was formed. Beginning on the day of The Blue Album’s May 10th ’94 release, the book collects Cuomo’s “journals emails, letters, photos and school papers” alongside “lyric notebooks, music compositions, and studio notes from the Pinkerton sessions.” First editions are hand numbered. The companion album, Alone III, contains 26 demos of both released and unrealized tracks, all recorded during the years recounted in the book. -BK

Buy: Set for a December 12th release, pre-orders are ongoing Cuomo’s website: book and CD for $75, and a premium pack with t-shirt, lithograph, and post-card set for $135.99.

Rush: Sectors

What: Compiling Rush’s 15-album, 14-year run on Mercury Records, the three separate six-disc box sets each include five chronological CDs and a 5.1 surround sound DVD. Sector 1 comprises the band’s 1974 self-titled debut and ends with their first live album, 1976′s All the World’s a Stage. Sector 2 features 1981′s Moving Pictures and 1977′s A Farewell to Kings, which also gets the DVD treatment. Sector 3 starts with 1982′s Signals and concludes with 1988′s double live album, A Show of Hands. Each Sector comes with a booklet of photos and lyrics, with all three boxes forming a Rush CD road case. –CC

Buy: Available November 21st, Sector 1, Sector 2, and Sector 3 each cost $48.46 via Amazon.com.

Sigur Rós: Inni

What: Directed by Vincent Morisset, Inni compiles footage of Sigur Rós’ 2008 performance at London’s Alexandra Palace, their final show before embarking on an indefinite hiatus. A limited deluxe edition set includes the film and a corresponding live album, a 7″ single featuring a previously unreleased cut called “Lúppulagid”, an exclusive and unique-to-each-box artefact from the show itself in a numbered, printed envelope a DVD of the 5-minute short “Klippa”, and more, all of which are packaged in a printed 7″ sized 4 panel slitpack. -AY

Buy: Available now for $79 via the band’s website. A standard edition, comprising just the film and the album, as well as a digital edition are also available.

 The Smiths Complete: Deluxe Box Set

What: In an effort to bankrupt every fan of The Smiths, Rhino Records UK has put together the ultimate box set for completists, vinyl enthusiasts, and, well, any self-respecting music fan. Titled The Smiths – Complete, the forthcoming package features remastered editions of The Smiths’ eight albums (by Johnny Marr, no less), both on CD and 180-gram audiophile vinyl, in addition to all 25 of the group’s singles on individual 7?. They also decided to throw in some prints, a few posters, and a DVD of the group’s music videos. Just remember, we’ve got a very long winter ahead of us. Best to plan accordingly. -MR

Buy: Available now for $499.98 via Rhino Records. CD or vinyl-only box sets are also available.

Sting: 25 Years

What: The four-disc set comprises 45 remastered tracks that were “personally curated by Sting”, in addition to Rough, Raw & Unreleased: Live At Irving Plaza, a previously unreleased live concert DVD. It’s all housed in a hardcover book containing intimate and rare photos from world renowned photographers, complete lyrics, personal commentary and a newly written introduction by Sting. -MR

Buy: Available now as a 3 CD/DVD set for $119.99 via Amazon.com.

U2: Achtung Baby: Uber Deluxe Edition

Buy: A box set which truly lives up to its name, the Uber Deluxe Edition of U2′s landmark album Achtung Baby packs six CDs, including the original album, the follow-up Zooropa, B-sides, and re-workings of previously unheard material recorded during the Achtung Baby sessions. Also squeezed in are four DVDs featuring the new Achtung Baby-focused documentary From The Sky Down, the concert film Zoo TV:Live From Sydney, and all the videos from Achtung Baby, in addition to bonus material. And if that weren’t enough, the set also includes the album’s five singles pressed on clear 7″ vinyl and packaged in their original sleeves, 16 art prints taken from the original album sleeve, an 84-page hardback book, a copy of Propagandamagazine, four badges, a sticker sheet, and, yes, a pair of Bono’s trademark glasses, with all of the above comes contained in magnetic puzzle tiled box. -AY

What: Available now for $434.99 via Amazon.com. A Super Deluxe Edition, a Deluxe Edition, a vinyl-only box set, and a standard CD release are also available.

The Who: Quadrophenia – The Director’s Cut

What: Spanning five discs and 60 tracks, the Quadrophenia box set includes a re-master of the original double album, 25 demos from Pete Townshend’s archives, including five songs not on the album that portray the original version of the Quadrophenia concept, an eight-track DVD titled The Quadrophenia 5.1, and a replica 7″ of the hit single “5.15″ (b/w “Water”). In addition to the music, the set also includes a 100-page hard-back book featuring a 13,000-word essay by Townshend that sheds light on the band during the album’s recording, as well as a track-by-track guide to the demos and studio diary entries. -CC

Buy: Available now for $143.99 via Amazon.com. Double vinyl and digital editions are also available.

Books

Love Goes to Buildings on Fire: Music Made New in New York City in the ’70s

What: Do you ever wish you could have experienced New York City in the ’70s? Maybe witness the birth of punk rock, loathe the spawn of disco, and get lost in all the in-betweens? Rolling Stone‘s senior critic Will Hermes takes you there; more specifically, from New Year’s Day 1973 to New Year’s Eve of 1977. It’s a first person account of one of the most culturally rich movements in music history, and it’s all for your leisurely reading. Better yet, you don’t need a Delorean to experience it. -MR

Buy: Available now for $18.81 via Amazon.com.

Moby: Destroyed

What: If you’re a popular DJ, you’re wanted. Everywhere. For nearly 30 years, Moby has hit the live circuit, traversing far and away to share his ambiant electronica. For his latest album, Destroyed, the vegan multi-instrumentalist put together an accompanying book of photography of the same name. With shots everywhere from Berlin to Sumatra to Minnesota to Budapest, Moby shares his sights, all to the soundtrack of his own latest sounds, which come packaged with the book. Who says you need Sky Miles these days? -MR

Buy: Available now for $26.37 via Amazon.com.

Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty

What: Remember the whole books on tape craze? Well, this is sort of the reverse of that. Help a loved one celebrate 20 years of grunge’s most enduring rockers with 384 pages (and 3.5 pounds) of exclusive photos, behind-the-scenes tales, interviews (with the band and their contemporaries), and assorted goodies (playlists, tour notes, and drawings). Besides, does he really need another flannel shirt?  -MM

Buy: Available now for $23.67 via Amazon.com.

Rock and Roll Always Forgets: A Quarter Century of Music Criticism

What: Writer Chuck Eddy collects various essays, reviews, and interviews in this anthology that spans over 30 years. As a writer for Village Voice, Rolling Stone, Creem, Spin, and Vibe, Eddy has interviewed everyone from the Beastie Boys to Robert Plant, Flaming Lips to Eminem’s grandmother. Widely considered one of the first critics of indie rock, Eddy’s collection of writing should easily find its way next to your Chuck Klosterman books. Hey, what do you know, good ol’ Chuck writes the foreword here, too. Consider that a more prominent endorsement than what we could ever make. -MR

Buy: Available now for $16.47 via Amazon.com.

Retromania: Pop Culture’s Addiction To Its Own Past

What: Sick of throwbacks? Sick of obscure 80′s references? Feel like retro-chic has transformed into retro-shit? Early on in Retromania, Simon Reynolds asks, ”Could it be that the greatest danger to the future of our music culture is … its past?” If you need a bead on how we digest pop-culture and pop-culture may be heading, this is the book. Required reading for tavern philosophers and micro-genre nerds. -JL

Buy: Available now for $12.24 via Amazon.

Unite and Take Over: Stories Inspired by the Songs of The Smiths

What: Who says all heroes have to wear tights? What about a sick hairdo and some pinstripes for the head? That’s all Morrissey works with – well, that and a seemingly endless supply of lyrical poetry. Using Kickstarter for funding, SpazDog Press publisher Shawn Demumbrum worked alongside some of his favorite comic book artists to bring a series of Smiths-influenced stories to paper. The end result is a 172-page graphic novel that spans 13 different stories, all of which stemmed from songs like “How Soon Is Now?”,”Cemetery Gates”, “Handsome Devil”, and more. Think of it this way: Wouldn’t Moz look pretty sweet sharing shelf space with The Long Halloween? The answer is a resounding yes. -MR

Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Corner Store Comics. Only 300 copies. Act fast.

Films

Adele: Live at the Royal Albert Hall

What: A 90-minute concert film and corresponding live album of Adele’s September 2011 performance at London’s Royal Albert Hall. The tracklist includes smash hits “Rolling in the Deep,” “Turning Tables,” and “Someone Like You” alongside covers of Bonnie Riatt’s “I Can’t Make You Love Me” and the SteelDrivers’ “If It Hadn’t Been for Love”. In addition, the film packs previously unreleased behind-the-scenes footage. -CC

Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($13.99) and Blu-ray/CD ($21.99) via Amazon.com.

The Bridge School Concerts 25th Anniversary Edition

What: The three-disc set digs deep into Neil and Peggi Young’s annual charity concert, with appearances from Bruce Springsteen, Tom Petty, James Taylor, Simon & Garfunkel, The Who, Band of Horses, Thom Yorke, Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and many, many more musical elite. All profits from the release will go directly to The Bridge School. -CC

Buy: Available now on DVD ($19.99) via Amazon.com. A corresponding live album is also available.

Foo Fighters: Back and Forth

What: In April 1994, Kurt Cobain committed suicide, shocking the world and putting an end to one of the most vibrant acts in rock ‘n’ roll history. Out of its ashes, however, came an unlikely story: a raucous and catchy debut from the band’s shy drummer. Since the mid-’90s, Dave Grohl has been the amicable spokesman of the Foo Fighters, complete with his trademark grin. But, it hasn’t always been laughs and parties. In the group’s 16-year-long existence, the band has seen its share of turmoil, despite the goofy videos and no frills rock ‘n’ roll. Director James Moll’s 135 minute documentary, Back and Forth, captures this story with full details, interviewing not only its current members, but those of yesteryear. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll rock out. -MR

Buy: Available now on DVD ($16.99) and Blu-Ray ($20.99) via Amazon.com.

Kylie Minogue: Aphrodite Les Folies – Live in London

What: This holiday season, Kylie Minogue’s most extravagant (and successful) tour to date jumps off the stage and onto your HD television with Aphrodite Les Folies: Live in London, a two-hour concert CD/DVD recorded this past April at London’s O2 Arena. Directed by William Baker and Marcus Viner, the performance includes plenty of hits from Minogue’s back catalog, in addition to recent radio stompers off last year’s LP, Aphrodite. In addition to the concert film itself, the DVD and Blu-ray releases also feature an exclusive tour documentary. -MR

Buy: Available November 29th on DVD/CD ($20.25) and Blu-Ray ($29.49) via Amazon.com.

Peter Gabriel: New Blood: Live in London

What: New Blood: Live in London features concert footage filmed over two days at The Hammersmith Apollo during Peter Gabriel’s tour last spring. The setlist consists of 22 classics (“Wallflower”, “In Your Eyes”) and covers (Paul Simon’s “The Boy In The Bubble”, Regina Spektor’s “Après Moi”) backed by the 46-piece New Blood Orchestra. The film is offered on Blu-ray, DVD, and a 3D Blu-ray/DVD combo pack. A deluxe edition includes the DVD, regular Blu-ray, the New Blood double CD, plus the bonus Blood Donors documentary with an interview from Gabriel, all housed in 60-page hardcover photobook of over 200 pictures. -BK

Buy: Available now on DVD ($11.99), Blu-ray ($13.99), 3D combo pack ($24.99), and as deluxe edition ($89.99) via Amazon.com.

Pearl Jam: Pearl Jam Twenty

What: Cameron Crowe’s fascinating and intimate documentary on Pearl Jam’s 20 year-long history is now available on DVD and Blu-Ray. Chiseled down from over 1,200 hours of footage, some of which dates back to before the band’s inception, Pearl Jam Twenty offers an in-depth look into the legendary Seattle collective history, following the group through its many trials and tribulations. The standard release sports over 26 minutes of never-before-seen footage, while the deluxe release – available only via Ten Club (and currently sold out) – comes packaged as a three-disc set, featuring Crowe’s original cut of the documentary (The Kids Are Twenty) and an 80-minute fan film (The Fans Are Alright). Good luck. -MR

Buy: Available now on DVD ($17.99) and on January 3rd for Blu-Ray ($14.99) via Amazon.com. The deluxe edition, while sold out over at Pearl Jam’s Ten Club, is available for a range of prices ($150-250) via Ebay.com.

Radiohead: The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement

What: Originally released as a 55-minute television broadcast in Summer 2011, The King of Limbs: Live From the Basement sees Radiohead performing eight track from The King of Limbs in addition to three previously unreleased cuts (“Staircase”, “The Daily Mail”, and “Supercollider”). The DVD’s physical release also includes a 32-page book, featuring photographs by Steve Keros. -AY

Buy: Available in early 2012 on DVD (£ 16.00) and Blu-ray (£ 26.00) via the band’s website. Both editions include a digital download available beginning December 19th.

Talking Heads: Chronology [Deluxe Edition]

What: Follow David Byrne and Talking Heads from CBGB to their Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction with this career-spanning collection of 18 live performances. Extras include audio commentary by all four band members, the band’s 1979 appearance on The South Bank Show, and a 1978 interview with Byrne. The deluxe edition is packaged in a hardback cover and includes a 48-page photo and essay book. -MM

Buy: Available now on DVD ($22.49) via Amazon.com.

Tickets

Jeff Mangum

What: Reclusive no more, Neutral Milk Hotel’s Jeff Mangum will follow up an acclaimed fall tour with another leg of U.S. tour dates starting January 18th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Neutral Milk Hotel’s website and Seat Geek.

Primavera Sound

What: Considered one of Europe’s premiere alternative music festival, Bareclona’s Primavera Sound returns in 2012 with a lineup led by Jeff Mangum, Björk, Guided By Voices, Yo La Tengo, and many more. -AY

Buy: Festival tickets are now available for 160 € (+ booking fee) via the festival’s website.

Radiohead

Photo by Nate Slevin

What: Their first tour in three years, Radiohead will hit the road in support of The King of Limbs beginning February 27th. Speaking recently with the BBC, guitarist Ed O’Brien admitted that the band has intentionally chosen to play indoor venues in order to maintain the intimacy of their latest album. “The record, which has a lot of detail in it, it needs to sonically be in a space where the music is loud, strong, and detailed.” O’Brien also added that the tour’s setlist will be comprised mostly of material from The King of Limbs and their 2008 album In Rainbows. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Radiohead’s website and Seat Geek.

Rammstein

What: It might not sound like your standard holiday gift, but Rammstein’s live performance is something of legend — X-Rated legend. Prepare yourself for German heavy metal, insane pyrotechnics, and a giant male, uh, apparatus spraying, uh — well, you get it. The month-long trek kicks off April 20th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Rammstein’s website and Seat Geek.

Roger Waters: The Wall

What: Already one of the highest grossing tours in history, Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters will bring The Wall back to North America beginning May 1st. The production for the trek will feature a 40-foot-wide by 35-foot wall between the audience and the stage itself that is slowly knocked down as the concert progresses. Musically, Waters will be accompanied by an eight-piece band and three backing vocalists. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Waters’ website and Seat Geek.

South by Southwest

What: Though one of the more pricier tickets you’ll ever buy, a badge to South by Southwest earns access to over a thousand bands, films, and panels. Last year’s edition featured performers ranging from Foo Fighters, Kanye West, and Queens of the Stone Age to Odd Future, Wild Flag, and Shabazz Palaces. -AY

Buy: Multiple types of badges are now available via the festival’s website.

Weezer Cruise

What: It’s a 4-day music festival (January 19-23) on a cruise trip from Miami to Cozumel, Mexico, headlined and curated by Weezer. If that alone doesn’t make it a “best gift” guarantee, performances from Dinosaur Jr., Gene Ween and Dave Dreiwitz, Wavves, Yuck, The Antlers and more certainly make it a contender. Add in special events and activities hosted by the individual members of Weezer and many of the other acts, and you’ve got yourself a winner. -BK

Buy: Tickets and accommodations range from $599 to $2,499 (plus $179 in taxes and fees), depending on room selection and number of people. Special 4 and 5-pack deals are available on select decks for $499 a head.

Wild Flag

What: Wild Flag — the all-female, indie-rock supergroup comprised of former Sleater-Kinney members Carrie Brownstein and Janet Weiss, ex-Helium frontgirl Mary Timony, and former Minders keyboardist Rebecca Cole — returns to the road beginning March 30th. -AY

Buy: Tickets are now available via Merge Record’s website and Seat Geek.

Holiday Music

Gruff Rhys: Atheist Xmas EP

What: Christmastime is when we’re all supposed to feel the warmth of hope and goodness swell inside our hearts. However, Super Furry Animals frontman/solo act extraordinaire Gruff Rhys had a different sentiment in mind with his EP Atheist Xmas. The collection is described as “an unholy trinity of three turkey-free new tracks for the festive season”, with the track “Post Apocalypse Christmas” seeing Rhys re-imagine Christmas “through the semi-melted eyes of a nuclear holocaust survivor”. It truly is the most wonderful time of year, isn’t it? -CC

Buy: Available on December 20th as a digital download via Amazon.com. A 12″ single version is also available through Rhys’ website.

John Zorn: A Dreamer’s Christmas

What: With seven classic tracks and two originals, avant-garde jazz musician John Zorn puts his unique touch on the Christmas soundtrack with A Dreamers Christmas. Eccentric as always, the MacArthur Genius joined with a variety of his frequent collaborators to jazz-up “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town”, “Winter Wonderland”, and others. Faith No More singer Mike Patton even lends his voice to a captivating rendition of “The Christmas Song”. This is not your grandpa’s holiday record. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD ($13.11) and vinyl ($35.80) via Amazon.com.

She & Him: A Very She & Him Christmas

What: The 12-track compilation sees Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward taking on seminal holiday classics like “Blue Christmas”, “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”, and “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”. Select packages also include exclusive She & Him mittens and winter cap, and are wrapped in She & Him wrapping papper. A portion of the proceeds benefit 826 National. -AY

Buy: Available now on CD and vinyl in various packages via the band’s website. A digital version is also available.

Scott Weiland: The Most Wonderful Time of the Year

What: On The Most Wonderful Time of the Year, the Stone Temple Pilots frontman cuts deep and finds his inner Sinatra, bringing us snow and eggnog, while snapping out oldies like “Silent Night” or “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. -MR

Buy: Available now on CD ($9.99) via Amazon.com. A digital version is also available.

This Warm December – A Brushfire Holiday, Volume 2 

What: This Warm December – A Brushfire Holiday Vol. 2 features 13 tracks from artists on and friends of Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records. It includes originals (Jack Johnson’s “In The Morning”, G. Love’s “Christmas Cookies”) as well as renditions of a few classics (“Jingle Bell Rock” from Rogue Wave, Zee Avi’s “Frosty the Snowman”). 25% of profits go to charities focused on youth musical education, including Little Kids Rock and The Silverlake Conservatory. It’s like two gifts in one. -BK

Buy: Available now on CD ($11.99) via Amazon.com. A vinyl edition is also available via the label’s website.

Custom Crafts & Art

Band T-Shirts from Lost Records

What: Not just any band t-shirts, but Bauhaus, Siouxsie and the Banshees, Albert Ayler Trio, Sun Ra, The Sonics, 13th Floor Elevators, Gun Club, The Mummies, The Pixies, My Bloody Valentine, Tommy Boy Records, 4AD Records, et effing cetera. Next best thing to seeing Television at CBGB’s is getting a shirt that looked like you saw them there. -JL

Buy: Available now for $14.99 via Lost Records Etsy Store

Rap/R&B Votive Candles

What: If your God is Based, you best have a candle for him, and you should always keep Aaliya in your memories. Plus, I can’t think of anything better than a votive candle that says  “I Think I’m Big Meech” with Rick Ross on it. Other options for hip hop devotions include R. Kelly, Nicki Minaj, Ghostface Killah, and Left Eye (not pictured). -JL

Buy: Available now, $9 for one, or $15 for two plus shipping and handling via Moneyworth’s Etsy Store.

The Illustrated “Juicy” by Notorious B.I.G.

What: Ok, so while on Moneyworth’s Etsy page, I came across this, which is a hand-drawn picture book of the song “Juicy” by The Notorious B.I.G. And the cover, that’s a color Coogi-print. For real. -JL

Buy: Available now for $13 at Moneyworth’s Etsy Store.

Ridiculous/Fun

The Flaming Lips: Silver Trembling Fetus Ornament

What: Back again for a third year, The Flaming Lips present the ornament any fan knows they want hanging from their tree. Measuring just about 3-inches tall, this silver pewter fetus comes in a custom box, making it the perfect stocking stuffer. Unless the person has some uncomfortable feelings about fetuses, especially those stuffed into stockings. . . -BK

Buy: These quirky little fellas are available through the FLips website for $30.

Mastodon: The Hunter Mask

What: Take care of next year’s Halloween costume 11 months early with The Hunter Mask. Inspired by the cover of Mastodon’s recent LP of the same name, these 100% custom makes are made from a thick plastic and were assembled locally in the Los Angeles area by a special effects company. According to the band, they’re also “very comfortable.”  -AY

Buy: Available now for $39.99 via the band’s website.

My Keepon – Interactive Robot

What: Need a pal to keep you company while you dance alone? Look no further than My Keepon. Developed by Wow! Stuff and Beatbots, My Keepon is a cute, yellow dancing fiend, who grooves to any sort of tune – especially Spoon. You’ll never get the same performance twice. Some may argue science could be better utilized today, but whatever. The scientists definitely got this one right. -MR

Buy: Available now for $55.95 via Amazon.com.

My Chemical Romance: Danger Days Jackets

What: On their most recent record, Danger Days, My Chemical Romance takes on the persona of their alter-egos, the Fabulous Killjoys. Now you too can dress like Jet Star (guitarist Ray Toro), Fun Ghoul (guitarist Frank Iero), Kobra Kid (bassist Mikey Way), or Party Poison (frontman/singer Gerard Way) with these replica jackets. Each jacket is based on designs seen in the videos for “Sing” and “Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)”. -BK

Buy: The Party Poison jackets are currently sold out, but the others are all available on My Chemical Romance’s website for $89.99 to $99.99.

The Official DEVO Yellow Suit

What: “Protect yourself from dangerous human elements and stay cool during meltdowns in this official DEVO Yellow Suit.” An exact replica of the suits worn onstage by DEVO, right down to the material quality. Comes in two pieces, jacket and pants, plus an adjustable elastic belt. Please note, it most likely won’t protect you from a real nuclear emergency, but you should be safe if there’s a meltdown at your next costume party. -BK

Buy: Available online at the Club DEVO store for $49.99 (XL and Jumbo sizes only). For $32.00, finish off the ensemble with an Energy Dome hat (currently only available in blue).

“Stairway to Heaven” Ladder

What: Salvation is made simple this holiday season thanks to award-winning designer Arthur Analts’ literal take on Led Zeppelin’s most famous song. The limited edition (only 99 made), aluminum “Led Zeppelin” ladder is intended for both practical and decorative use, and various colors and customized engraving options are available. This gift is perfect for reaching paradise or even for just getting those bedroom linens off the top closet shelf. -MM

Buy: Inquire at Analts’ website.

Young Money Prepaid Discover Card

What: Consider yourself a Young Money/Cash Money Billionaire? Tired of lugging around those one hundred bills in your back pocket? Then consider the latest venture from Lil Wayne. The Young Money pre-paid debit card is essentially your standard card, with direct deposit and online billing options. However,  unlike those emblazoned with company logos or fanciful unicorns, you can rep YMCMB in style with its massive branding on top of a sleek red background. It may be the fiscally responsible move, but it will also complicate things the next time you make it rain. -CC

Buy: Apply for your very own card here.

Practical

Gift Certificates

C’mon. Who doesn’t love getting these? Sure, it’s essentially saying, “Yeah, I didn’t really care to listen to you all year, but I know you dig this. So have fun,” but if you write a convincing and loving card to go with it, it’s not so bad. Plus, deep down inside, we’re screaming, “Thank god it wasn’t an IOU for a meal or dinner.” (Don’t you just love being an isolated cynic?) So, if you’re drawing a blank this season, but know you’re friend digs music. You might want to pick up a gift certificate for: InSound, iTunes, or a local record store like Chicago’s Reckless Records, for instance. It may be a piece of plastic to you, but it’s a cherished vinyl, CD, or experience for someone else. -MR

Guitar Pedals

Know a pedalhead who’s getting bored with the vanilla variety of fuzzes, compressors a wahs that are clogging space on their board? Do they like their tones a li’l bit freaky, or even balls-to-the-wall weird? Luckily for these jaded guitarists, several new stompboxes have hit the market that are doing some pretty cool stuff in relatively new ways. Below you’ll find a few suggestions for the perfect effects pedals to brighten their holiday season.

Ravish Star

What: Is your band looking to add a distinctive Eastern flavor to their songs, but have no room in the station wagon for an additional large, unwieldy instrument? Electro-Harmonix’s new Ravish Sitar pedal does an admirable job of transforming your guitar tone into a convincing sitar sound. If your interests extend beyond just a more accurate cover version of “Norwegian Wood”, the wide range of knobs, inputs and presets loaded into this pedal offer up lots of interesting drone possibilities. -AT

Buy: Available now for $239.25 at GuitarCenter.com, or demo the pedal at your local Electro-Harmonix dealer.

Z.vex Effects Instant

What: Ever want to capture the supercharming, lo-fi tone of bands like Guided By Voices, Sebadoh or Ariel Pink, but have been stumped because the quality of your gear is just too damn high? Well, fear no more – Z.Vex Effects has got you covered with their Instant Lo-Fi Junky. Combining a compressor and vibrato, you can kick on the pedal to provide awashed-out, warped cassette tape sound in real time. It’s just what you need to surf the chillwave craze before it crashes into the shore! -AT

Buy: Available now for $219 via Amazon.com, or try the unit out for yourself at your local Z.Vex dealer.

Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas

What: For the noise freaks who prefer their shit to be just plain crazy, the always-intriguing Dwarfcraft is introducing the Satan Oscillate My Metallic Sonatas pedal (shortened from its incredibly-badass palindrome form simply to SOMMS). This one pedal features four different oscillators: one pulses, one drones, and two more are controlled by a joystick, so you can mix your crazy synth soundcrafting with the simple pleasures of playing an Atari 2600. Don’t even play guitar, but want to get in on the noisy action? The SOMMS features input/output jacks so it can be fed through a pedalboard, but can also be played as an independent instrument. -AT

Buy: The SOMMS will begin shipping this month and will sell for $275. Please inquire with your local Dwarfcraft dealer.

Rocksmith

What: Rhythm music games like Guitar Hero and Rock Band are great and all, but they mostly boil down to so much bashing of colored buttons. Rocksmith takes the next step, dumps the peripherals and lets players plug in a real guitar, allowing them to actually learn how to play the instrument while they enjoy the game. An included 6.35mm-to-USB cable enables you to plug right in and jam to songs from The Black Keys, David Bowie, The Dead Weather, Muse, and tons more, with downloadable content increasingly added.-BK

Buy: The game is available for $77.99 on Xbox 360 and PS3, with the PC version going for $79.96, all from Amazon. A bundle including a starter guitar is available, if you’re willing to search for it.

Sennheiser HD595 Dynamic High Grade Performance Premiere Headphones

What: The Maybach of headphones – nonpareil. Its double-take price tag makese these hard to stomach for a personal purchase, but make an amazing gift for a lifetime. Plug it in to your receiver and put on The Band or The Bends and hear the fidelity blow your mind. -JL

Buy: Available now for $249.09 via Amazon.

Spotify Premium Membership

What: If you walk by someone’s desk at work and wonder what’s up with their Spotify and why its covered in ads, it’s cause they probably forgot they can turn them off and get increased sound quality when they buy the premium membership. And, when you buy the $9.99 a month option, you get all of Spotify’s bounty on your iPhone or Android. -JL

Buy: Well, they don’t have gift cards available in America yet, so just tell your giftee to scoot over and you’ll put it on your card (via Spotify).

Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters is not yet done touring behind the band’s 1979 classic album, The Wall. Already one of the highest grossing road trips in history, Waters has mapped our a second leg of North American tour dates for next summer. Kicking off in Houston on May 1st, the two-month trek also includes a series of outdoor stadium performances in San Francisco, Chicago, and Philadelphia. Venues have yet to be unveiled for dates scheduled in Los Angeles, Boston, and New York City, but those are also rumored to be stadium shows (via Pollstar).

Tickets for all North American shows go on sale beginning November 14th at 10:00 AM local time. Below, you can find Waters’ complete tour schedule, which also includes trips to Australia and South America in the early part of 2012.

The production for the summer tour will again feature a 40-foot-wide by 35-foot wall between the audience and the stage itself that is slowly knocked down as the concert progresses. Musically, Waters will be accompanied by an eight-piece band and three backing vocalists.

For an even better taste of what to expect, check out Michael Roffman’s review of Waters’ September 2010 show in Chicago. Also, below, you can find footage of Waters reuniting with Pink Floyd bandmates David Gilmour and Nick Mason during a performance in London last May.

In addition to the tour dates, Waters has also announced the release of a new 6-CD/1-DVD version of The Wall, due for release on February 28th, 2012.

Roger Waters 2012 Tour Dates:
01/27 – Perth, AU @ Burswood Dome
01/28 – Perth, AU @ Burswood Dome
02/01 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/02 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/04 – Brisbane, AU @ Brisbane Entertainment Centre
02/07 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/08 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/10 – Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/11 - Melbourne, AU @ Rod Laver Arena
02/14 – Sydney, AU @ Acer Arena
02/15 – Sydney, AU @ Acer Arena
02/18 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/20 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/22 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
02/23 – Auckland, NZ @ Vector Arena
03/02 – Santiago, CL @ Estadio Nacional
03/07 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/09 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/10 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/12 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/14 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/15 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/17 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/18 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/20 – Buenos Aireas, AR @ River Plate Stadium
03/25 – Porto Alegre, BR @ Beira Rio Stadium
03/29 – Rio de Janerio, BR @ Engenhao Stadium
03/31 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Morumbi Stadium
04/01 – Sao Paulo, BR @ Morumbi Stadium
05/01 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
05/03 – Austin, TX @ Frank Erwin Center
05/05 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center
05/07 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
05/11 – San Francisco, CA @ AT&T Park
05/13 – San Diego, CA @ Valley View Casino Center
05/15 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
05/19 – Los Angeles, CA @ TBA
05/22 – Portland, OR @ Rose Garden
05/24 – Seattle, WA @ Key Arena
05/26 – Vancouver, BC @ BC Place
05/28 – Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
05/31 – Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Center
06/03 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
06/05 – Detroit, MI @ Joe Louis Arena
06/06 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
06/08 – Chicago, IL @ Wrigley Field
06/10 – Louisville, KY @ KFC Center
06/11 – Indianapolis, IN @ Conseco Fieldhouse
06/13 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
06/15 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ BankAtlantic Center
06/16 – Orlando, FL @ Amway Center
06/19 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
06/21 – Buffalo, NY @ First Niagara Center
06/23 – Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre
06/25 – Ottawa, ON @ Scotiabank Place
06/26 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
06/28 – Albany, NY @ Times Union Center
06/29 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
07/01 – Boston, MA @ TBA
07/03 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
07/06 – New York, NY @ TBA
07/09 – Raleigh, NC @ RBC Center
07/10 – Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena
07/12 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
07/14 – Philadelphia, PA @ Citzens Bank Park

“Comfortably Numb”:

“Outside The Wall”:

It’s one thing to have the Foo Fighters as your musical guest. It’s another thing to have Roger Waters stop by for a chat. It’s sort of a mindfuck to have both perform together. As Pink Floyd Week continues on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, the musical guests just get better and better. Although some may argue hearing J-Fal mimic Bowie while singing Foster the People, or Joseph Gordon Levitt channeling Axl Rose for Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone”, is enough to call it a solid, entertaining night, Late Night kept fans awake for 15 more minutes. Performing another favorite for the week, the Foo Fighters joined Waters for a stellar, solid cut of The Wall‘s “In the Flesh”. While this isn’t the first time Grohl & Pals have attempted Floyd (2000′s “Have a Cigar” cover, ring a bell?), it’s certainly now their best. Your move, MGMT.

Check out the performance, and Fallon’s chit chat with Waters (during which he announced he’ll be bringing The Wall back to the States for another string of dates), below courtesy of The Audio Perv.

Four isn’t five, but it’s also not three. One is the loneliest number, yet two is for hipsters. Seven is considered lucky, while six is the result of dividing 666 by 111. We’re okay with four — at least for now. This week — check it, September 15th, 2011 — marked the fourth anniversary of Consequence of Sound. Back in 2007, on one lazy Saturday afternoon in New York, Alex Young decided to start a blog. What you see here today is the ongoing result.

But it’s not the result that’s mind-boggling. It’s the journey. Covering four years of every major music festival — from the barbecue-laced heartburn in SXSW to the muddy confines of Bonnaroo to the concrete jungle that is Lollapalooza — or chopping out block after block of news stories or checking off each season’s album release schedule or… you get the picture. The steps count. The turns matter. The articles entertain.

Since its inception in 2007, Consequence of Sound has published nearly 17,000 articles. We’ve worked with over 100 different writers, editors, and photographers. We’ve been to almost every state in America, and elsewhere. Like we said, it’s the journey that’s mind-boggling.

And that’s why we’re okay with four — simply because we’ll be at five, six, and seven in no time. For now, though, let’s have some fun with the number, starting with four thoughts from our CEO/Publisher Alex Young and President/Editor-in-Chief Michael Roffman…

Four Thoughts From Alex Young…

4. My dream of a collaborative album between Jay-Z and Kanye West came to fruition this year.

3. My dream of a collaborative album between Jay-Z, Kanye West, and Jack White remains just that — a dream.

2. We Listen For You’s Soundcast is the best thing to hit the Internet in 2011.

1. Sorry, Chuck, but The Wire is the greatest television show ever.

Four Thoughts From Michael Roffman…

4. I’ve fallen in love with four women over the past four years: Bethany Cosentino (Best Coast), Annie Clark (St. Vincent), Lykke Li, and Heather Kaplan (CoS photographer). No particular order there. Just kidding.

3. I still subscribe to Rolling Stone. Though, when it comes to print, the best writing is in Vanity Fair or Playboy. No lie.

2. My ideal article remains to be written: Paul Westerberg announces fall tour.

1. Regardless of all the music I’ve discovered over the past four years, I still haven’t found a better song to sing along to in the shower than Toto’s “Africa”. I am open to suggestions.

Four Most Influential 4th Movements

By: Jake Cohen

4. “Mahler, Symphony No. 5, fourth movement, Adagietto”

Mahler’s output is full of stunning and painfully delicate strains. But the slow movement of his fifth symphony, purportedly written as a love letter to his new wife, may be his most sublime melody. He approaches a very classical melody with modern sound colors: A low harp accompanies low strings, which carry the tune. Mahler’s ability to express the entire emotional spectrum in his music appears in this short movement, as he traffics with joy, heartbreak, hope, pathos, and love.

3. Berlioz, Symphonie Fantastique, fourth movement, “March to the Scaffold”

How could anyone write a symphony after what Beethoven did in his ninth? Well, for starters, you could give your symphony a story: A love-struck artist is ultimately rebuked by the woman he loves, takes a massive amount of opium to kill himself, but instead, he just trips his face off and watches his own execution by guillotine. Berlioz was writing a perfectly nice symphony until he fell down the rabbit hole in the fourth movement, with martial drums, bone-rattling violins, celebratory crowds, and one last isolated thought of his beloved before the guillotine offs with his head. Romanticism, indeed.

2. Schoenberg, String Quartet No. 2, fourth movement

Arguably, this is the moment when classical music lost its grasp on tonality, the harmonic system that had endured for more than two centuries and on which our modern pop music is still based. Schoenberg took Wagner’s progressive harmonic language and went even further, shattering the system of keys. A soprano voice, itself an anomaly for a string quartet, sings the German words “I feel the air of another planet.” It was, quite literally, the opening to a new world of musical opportunities.

1. Beethoven, Symphony No. 9 “Choral”, fourth movement

Beethoven mind-fucked the entire 19th century when he inserted a chorus singing Schiller’s “Ode to Joy” in the final movement of his final symphony. All hyperbole aside, it’s the moment when everything changed for every composer who came later. Turning his simple tune into a fugue, a Turkish march, and a solemn chorale, Beethoven proclaimed the brotherhood of all humanity in one sweeping 25-minute masterpiece.

Four Best Songs Suited for the Fantastic Four

By: Ben Kaye

4. Genesis - “Invisible Touch” (Invisible Woman)

Sue Storm has always deceived casual FF fans who just see a sexy blonde chick in skintight spandex. The truth is that she’s probably the most powerful member on the team. While Collins was speaking figuratively, Invisible Woman literally could “[reach] in and [grab] right hold of your heart.” And squeeze it ’til it popped. Her invisible force fields have almost limitless applications, and even the space gods known as Celestials have “fallen, fallen for her.” Sue used to be called “Invisible Girl”, but she adopted the “Woman” right around the time this song came out. Her massive power could really “mess up your life” and more than warrants the change.

3. Queen – “We Will Rock You” (The Thing)

A classic fight song for a classic brawler. Queen unwittingly wrote a mini-biography for Ben Grimm with this track. Growing up a poor Jewish kid in New York’s Lower East Side, Grimm was made a “hard man” at an early age by the gang murder of his older brother. After gaining his rocky visage, he turned the anger over his monstrous form into the fuel to “take on the world” as the FF’s heavy hitter. Yet still, even after decades of adventuring and super-heroing, even after time as an Avenger, deep down, The Thing just wants a bit of “peace some day” and to be regular Ben Grimm again. Until then, though, it’s clobberin’ time.

2. Boysetsfire - “Rocket Man” (Elton John cover) (Mr. Fantastic)

As it was his own theories, stubbornness, and rocket that got the team cosmically irradiated on that “timeless flight,” Reed Richards has always carried a self-alienating, lonely weight of guilt. Occasional attempts to “cure” his teammates and a preoccupation with bettering the world through science frequently ostracize his wife, Sue, and put his children, Franklin and Valeria, at great risk. Add on the family’s adventuring lifestyle, and there’s practically been “no one there to raise” the kids. In the end, Richards’ greatest flaw is his need to “[burn] out his fuse up here alone,” despite being surrounded by a loving, capable family. So why the cover version? It drives far harder than the original, and he’s still a superhero who can pack a (very enlarged) punch, after all.

James Taylor – “Fire and Rain” (Human Torch)

In memoriam: Johnny Storm, November 1965 – January 2011. The Human Torch met his death recently in Fantastic Four #587 at the hands of Annihilus and his hordes of Negative Zone aliens, marking the end of an era and the end of the team. At his own request, Torch was replaced by Spider-Man on what is now the Future Foundation. Though odds are he’ll rise from the ashes (see what happened there?) in typical comic book fashion before too long, may he rest in peace for now. This one’s for you, Johnny. Just change “Suzanne” and picture it sung in The Thing’s craggily voice.

Four Best Quartets of the Last Four Years

By: Dan Caffrey

4. Wild Flag

This may be a tad unfair in that Wild Flag is more or less a super-group consisting of Riot Grrrl matriarchs, but the all-female quartet is bar-none one of the most exciting quartets of late. With one LP, Carrie Brownstein, Janet Weiss, Mary Timony, and Rebecca Cole culled the best parts of their time from the alt-90′s and blended them into the catchiest rock record of 2011. Wild Flag never sound lazy or indulgent as many supergroups do. Their 2011 debut showed a band working together and highlighting the best in each other’s work to form a professionally balanced album with succulent rock bombs.

3. Surfer Blood

Randy Newman’s ode to Los Angeles “I Love L.A.” works so well because it embraces the City of Angels as much as it satirizes it. Surfer Blood must view Florida in the same way. With a beach bag full of catchy guitar riffage and alienated lyrics, the West Palm Beach natives clearly don’t fit in with the inherent hip-hop and death metal in the southern region of the Sunshine State, but they also can’t deny the appeal of bright harmonies and nautical imagery, which swirl all over their stellar debut, Astro Coast. In a way, perhaps they’re the most Floridian band of all, celebrating the state’s environment while sonically breaking through the cliches of its music scene.

2. Bon Iver

The locked-in-a-cabin mythology of Justin Vernon’s debut, For Emma, Forever Ago, has since been decried by its creator, who insists his recording environment wasn’t as secluded and destitute as people believe. He did, after all, have the entire series of Northern Exposure with him on DVD, which led to the Bon Iver moniker. With his second full-length, Vernon seemed determined to debunk any misconceptions, expanding his lineup to a proper four-piece and drenching the record in a lovelorn wall of sound teeming with complex traditional orchestration and even maudlin synthesizers on the closing track, which has no right to work but somehow does. The subject matter may be the same, but make no mistake: These guys are a band.

1. Vampire Weekend

With afro-percussion, a singer with a fake Spanish accent, and lyrics about the joys of Ivy League, Vampire Weekend looked destined to fail when they arrived on the scene in 2008. But they haven’t. After a whimsical yet surprisingly deep debut, the quartet of Columbia alumni avoided the sophomore slump by a landslide with their second album, Contra, shrugging off the bad vibes of their detractors by continuing to crank out thoughtful pop with sincerity, whimsy, and a lack of pretension, regardless of their backgrounds. Bonus points for rhyming horchata with balaclava.

Four Best Four-Track Recordings

By: Michael Roffman

4. Daniel Johnston – “Worried Shoes”

You can’t talk about four-track recordings without mentioning Daniel Johnston. He’s the heir to the process. To date, the bipolar songwriter has written 18 full-length albums, in addition to hundreds of songs he’s recorded solely on the four-track recorder. It’s quite a chore to listen to each one, but one particular album comes to mind: 1983′s Yip/Jump Music, namely because it’s drawn so much attention. But with good reason. It contains one of Johnston’s most iconic songs in his exhaustive back catalogue: “Worried Shoes”. It’s rough. Really rough. Some might consider it grating, but they’d be missing the point. What separates Johnston from most artists is his inherent need to do this. And with “Worried Shoes”, the melody and the lurching chord organ feel as if Johnston’s wringing out his soul. You’ve probably cried to it, but most likely when Karen O sang it for the Where the Wild Things Are soundtrack. Still…

3. The Beatles – “Strawberry Fields Forever”

Chills. Just sugar-laced chills. Believe it or not, but the Fab Four actually recorded on a four-track, and for one of their most landmark releases: 1967′s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band. Okay, so technically they taped over a few four-track recorders, but nonetheless, they were four-tracks. Now, some might argue that “Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds” would be a more fitting selection, especially since it contains a 4/4 beat. However, the encapsulating (and always stuffy) “Strawberry Fields Forever” shines more — at least in this particular format. The layers, the amount of scruffy detail, and its lo-fi psychedelia just coat the ceiling, man. When the cello hits during the chorus, it sounds like it was recorded in the bow of a sinking ship. And Paul McCartney’s introduction on the Mellotron! It still feels like it was carved out on some bedroom floor one soggy, foggy morning — November 24, 1966, to be exact.

2. Bruce Springsteen – “Atlantic City”

As Bruce Springsteen wrote on the liner notes of his Greatest Hits release, “Atlantic City” ran The Boss’s bill up to “…..$1050 (the cost of the 4 track Tascam recorder), mixed through an old Gibson guitar unit to a beat box.” To this day, it still feels like that. (And what do you know, it’s also four minutes long, too! Double-hitter.) Though the song tells the tale of a man’s inevitable death through organized crime, the images this track conjure up hardly bring that story to mind. Blame it on its album’s iconic production. In 1982, the great Jersey bard locked himself away in his home, where he carved out the eight tracks that would make up 1982′s Nebraska. Shortly after, he tried re-recording the album with the E Street band in a studio, but even the producers understood its raw, intimate power. Take one listen to “Atlantic City”, and you will, too. If you get a chance, though, pick it up on vinyl. There’s nothing like it. If anything, you’ll be forever haunted by the eerie black-and-white photo of Springsteen standing alone in his hallway.

1. Elliott Smith – “No Name #3″

Elliott Smith’s 1994 debut, Roman Candle, was recorded on a four-track in his basement. With the exception of a couple of tracks, it’s really just Smith alone to himself, and that’s what the end result sounded like. It’s hard to listen to Smith nowadays, not only because his tragic suicide lingers around every chord progression and Lennon-like melody, but because his music just hurts. It’s filled with aching pain, it feels isolated. So many artists attempt to commit their hearts to tape day after day, but Smith figured it out on his first attempt. “No Name #3″ acts as the dark, lonely tunnel. The tender songwriter croons so lightly that at times it’s easier to just listen to the grainy chords. It stings. It taps at the eyes. It sours the tear ducts. And if it weren’t for its lo-fi nature, it just wouldn’t work. Smith just wouldn’t be the same. In some ways, his recordings felt more human than the man himself. Very tragic.

Four Best Songs Containing the Word “Four”

By: Chris Coplan

4. Led Zeppelin – “Four Sticks”

For whatever reason, becoming a fan of Led Zeppelin is some kind of unspoken rite of passage into manhood for boys the world over. Perhaps some of us missed out on that train to chest hair and adult-sized worries. Even those people, brave souls with equally valid music tastes that they are, can still enjoy a track like “Four Sticks”. It’s the very sound even the most proud non-fan conjures up when thinking of the Zep (that’s a nickname, right?): a grand, rollicking fury that is as sonically diverse as it is prog-ish and nerdy. Thank you, rock gods, for this offering, though we never have worshipped you.

3. CAKE – “Friend Is a Four Letter Word”

CAKE have made a career out of being weird. But they drop all the goofy, borderline comical pretenses entirely on “Friend Is a Four Letter Word”. Mysterious and aloof, the track is missing on some crucial details (like, all of them) of the friendship being portrayed. Even still, it’s as powerful and stirring as any other demonstration of betrayal ever outlined in pop music format. They’ve got a great talent for illustrating painful emotional concepts, but this one takes the band’s name for most effective and haunting. Plus, who didn’t try to figure which specific four-letter word the band was referring to? My money is on, and will always be on, “shit.”

2. Feist – “1234″

Canadian singer-songwriter Leslie Feist knows the power of simplicity. Shortening her stage name to simply Feist, she made a hugely popular song simply by counting. And she didn’t even need to go into double digits! “1234″ is elegant in its minimalism, simple enough to be on Sesame Street. Call it Feist’s voice, the strummy nature of the whole effort, the grandiose chorus, or some magic combination of each, but the track is mesmerizing despite how very little was heaped together to make it. That may speak to some greater truth about songs with numbers in them: They’re basic because, at least sometimes, that core essence and bare-bones approach is all you need in a truly great song.

1. The Beatles – “When I’m Sixty-Four”

Love is a truly beautiful and wonderful thing. It’s also scary, confusing, and, at times, violent. We all want to know if we have it or not and whether or not it’ll be here to stay with us for good. In aiding folks in that eternal struggle, the Beatles laid out the perfect thought experiment for lovers everywhere to pose to one another: Will you still be with me when I’m an old fart, needing 24-hour care and support? It’s the ultimate litmus test of romance and devotion, arguably expressed in the most bubbly, fun-loving pop song the Fab Four ever crafted. As far as Beatles songs go, it’s one of the more popular of all the popular ones (and there are a lot of ‘em), but it deserves its distinction not only for its catchy-ness but for how truly succinct it is. Vera, Chuck, and Dave would be proud for sure.

Four Best LPs With Four Tracks

By: Paul de Revere

4. Lou Reed – Metal Machine Music

“Anyone who gets to side four is dumber than I am,” Lou Reed famously snarked about this 1975 release. Which means it’s a prank and a cathartic “fuck you” to his label at the time RCA… right? If so, it’s the most accidentally significant prank in experimental music history. The careers of gritty New York experimental mavens Suicide and Glenn Branca, Steve Albini’s Big Black, and every young-and-restless noise band ever owes pretty much everything to Metal Machine Music. Personally, I side with dean of American rock critics Robert Christgau on this one. “For white noise,” Christgau said. “I’ll still take ‘Sister Ray’.”

3. Can – Future Days

Krautrock milestone makers Can don’t get enough credit for being, essentially, a funk band. Sure, Future Days and Can’s four peak-era releases with vocalist Damo Suzuki are better known as antecedents to Radiohead, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Flaming Lips, and any number of indie, electronica, post-rock, shoegaze, and post-punk bands preceding them. But “Moonshake” stands up to all of the well-produced ‘70s funk from American bands. It’s just a lot more subtle. But a jittery, improvisational German “funk” band with a Japanese vocalist whispering and muttering barely comprehensible lyrics doesn’t really sell in the States. But Future Days is funk — weird, lo-fi funk. It was Suzuki’s fourth and final record with the band, which came to a more minimalist sound than ever before. After leaving the band soon after the recording of Future Days, Suzuki took a wife, a German Jehovah’s Witness, and married into her faith. Though, I’m not sure that’s any weirder than the whispered, barely comprehensible lyrics “You hide behind a borrowed chase/For the sake of future days” off the album’s title track. Play weird, live weird, I guess.

2. Tangerine Dream – Phaedra

On 1974’s Phaedra, Tangerine Dream pioneered virtually every cool electronica sound effect with Moogs and Mellotrons we take for granted today, perhaps most notably of all: some of electronica’s first arpeggiation melodies over washes of synth, which almost every electronica act since 1980 has done. And Tangerine did this in the early ‘70s! But the band is German (Berliners, no less), so, you know, it’s not that unusual. The band started in 1970, but Phaedra, Tangerine’s fifth album, defined its sound, defying the standard Krautrock motorik of its day, leaving ambient space in its Terry Reilly-esque staid melodies. Truly, when this came out, everyone from Brian Eno (who released two classics, Here Come the Warm Jets and Taking Tiger Mountain (By Strategy), in the same year Phaedra was released) to Robert Fripp to Giorgio Moroder perked their ears up and listened carefully.

1. Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Lift Yr Skinny Fists Like Antennas to Heaven

I’m 26 years old, and I’ve written about Lift Yr Skinny Fists.. at least a dozen different ways and listened to it dozens more. It’s been a soundtrack to key points in my life over the last decade. It’s somehow both personal to me and bigger than myself and my own personal interpretation. I’ve proselytized to friends (okay, and strangers) about how amazing it is if you just “give it a chance, man.” I’ve used the words “bruising,” “cathartic,” “maudlin,” “washes of sound”, and so on to describe its dystopic, aural beauty. But it must be listened to, nay experienced (ideally with eyes closed, good headphones, a comfortable resting place, and an uninterrupted 1:27:22), to be understood. The martial first movement of the first disc’s first track, “Storm”, is a triumphant, hopeful, and gorgeous open salvo to a black-and-white feature film never made: somewhere in the creative ether between Gillo Pontecorvo’s Battle of Algiers (and its rickety-clack score by Ennio Morricone) and Jean-Pierre Melville’s Army of Shadows. In a word: bleak. Godspeed You! Black Emperor may never cut another record again, but Lift Yr Skinny Fists will influence decades of not just post-rock but all epic music to come. Count on it.

Four Fourth Tracks From Each of the Top Four Selling Albums of All Time (In Order of Sales, from Lowest to Highest)

By: Joe Marvilli

4. Whitney Houston – “Run To You” from The Bodyguard (44 million)

Surprised yet? That’s right, Whitney Houston’s soundtrack for 1992’s The Bodyguard is the fourth best-selling album of all time. A good portion of those sales were carried on the mega-success of “I Will Always Love You”. But there’s more to this soundtrack than one smash hit. The fourth song of this album, “Run To You”, fits Houston’s style wonderfully. Originally written as a breakup song, it was transformed by the movie’s production into a love ballad instead. True, those swelling strings may seem somewhat cheesy by today’s standards, but Houston’s passionate performance is a saving grace.

3. Pink Floyd – “Time” from The Dark Side of the Moon (45 million)

While many songs can be considered Pink Floyd’s magnum opus, “Time” has a lot going in its favor. It’s the centerpiece of The Dark Side of the Moon, it’s the only song on the album credited to all four band members, and it features vocals from David Gilmour, Richard Wright, and Roger Waters. That’s before we even dive into the music. It starts with an introductory passage of chiming clocks, recorded by engineer Alan Parsons, and a two-minute drum solo by Nick Mason. Gilmour’s defiant vocals follow, channeling Waters’ refusal to succumb to time or be led by destiny. Oh, and then there’s the astoundingly powerful guitar solo that seems made to rip through time itself. While the band would run into plenty of issues down the line, this effort is the work of Pink Floyd as a whole.

2. AC/DC – “Given the Dog a Bone” from Back in Black (49 million)

Back in Black is a musical miracle when you think about it. How many bands have been forced to replace their frontman and keep their previous level of success? AC/DC not only met their past heights but greatly surpassed them with this album. There are so many classic hard rock hits here that the other tracks get overlooked. Some may think of “Given the Dog a Bone” as one of those songs after “Shoot to Thrill” and before “Back in Black”. But it’s pretty damn enjoyable when you stop and listen to it. Angus Young’s dirty guitar riff is worthy of head-banging and Brian Johnson’s vocals alternate between an elated shout and a nasty growl. How can you go wrong with a song like that?

1. Michael Jackson – “Thriller” from Thriller (110 million)

While some albums on this list may come as a surprise, Thriller definitely isn’t one of them. The sixth studio album from Michael Jackson is one of the most legendary releases in modern history. Everyone knows about it and everyone has heard at least one song from it. The record has permeated our culture in a way that few other pieces of art ever do. So what better song to look at than the title track? “Thriller” is the song that sets off the string of hits on Jackson’s masterpiece, as it’s followed by “Beat It” and “Billie Jean”. There’s not a stronger trilogy in pop music. The track itself combines a slippery bass with explosive horns and Jackson’s playful, almost dangerous vocals. Then there’s the 14-minute short film that passes as the song’s music video, proving that these promotional tools could be an art form as well. The peak of success? Yeah, it deserves this title.

Four Best Studio Guitar Solos Over Four Minutes Long

By: David Buchanan

4. The Smashing Pumpkins – “Starla”

Rarely do the Smashing Pumpkins get much credit in the lengthy solo department, especially given the lack of popularity such a technique really had during the early ’90s alternative era. This squelching Pisces Iscariot B-side leads on the first six minutes in standard melancholy before clawing steel nails on chalkboard come the last five–a certifiable audio nutshell of the band’s best phase, according to some.

3. Stevie Ray Vaughan – “Little Wing” (Jimi Hendrix cover)

When Jimi Hendrix covers a song, he expertly makes it his own to soaring applause; when a Hendrix song is covered by a late Texas bluesman, the lyrics disappear and we receive something akin to stringed instrument serenity. Heavenly harps never sounded this pleasant.

2. Santana – “Samba Pa Ti”

Carlos Santana, believe it or not, was once a highly respected and revered Latin-American guitarist. Before the shameful plugging and collaboration-weighted Supernatural, Santana made a mark via the soulful dance of “Samba Pa Ti”, and people could practically find God behind these chords (or a little black magic).

1. Lynyrd Skynyrd – “Free Bird”

An in-joke at other artists’ expense is to mockingly shout out a request for “Free Bird” at any given concert performance. Despite having lost its humorous luster in recent years, this almost irritatingly popular cut from Lynyrd Skynyrd’s debut LP gets name-dropped on many lists for many reasons – soloing is one.

Four Best Albums Named Primarily “Four”

By: Jeremy D. Larson

4. Blues Traveler - four

If you only know the Blues Traveler singles, you may think the only thing that separated Blues Traveler from those other 90’s bands who all may or may not have written the theme song for Friends, is John Popper and his harmonica. Lead single “Run Around” does actually sound like “Roll To Me” does actually sound like “Two Princes” does actually sound like a plasticine fart. But four [stylized as such] is more than the honkey pop that Spin Doctor Hazel Del Amitri trafficked in. Part blues stomp, part post-hippie jam band, and part radio-pop, Blues Traveler turn in a solid fourth (yup) album of their career with a fun album to drink beer in a barn to. “Hook” remains a staple of advance karaoke artists to this day.

3. Foreigner – 4

Speaking of karaoke, Foreigner’s 4 locks in at least three singles for the memories, but its Mick Jones (not of The Clash fame) whose compositional chops are on display. The frayed, acid-washed rock and roll on 4 that blasted out of Dodge Chargers everywhere in 1981 is a timepiece for one of the better AOR albums, and that’s not just indulgent riffs couched inside of greeting-card choruses. OK, there’s some of that here, but those moments are especially justified on the way-better-than-any-Bon-Jovi-rock-and-roll-dream-song “Juke Box Hero” and a precursor to new wave rock with the groovy “Urgent” which features Junior Walker sax and none other than Thomas Dolby on synths!

2. Scott Walker – Scott 4

Scott Walker still sits proudly high atop the Brit-pop family tree. Walker’s hyper-literate baroque and chamber pop still plumes through the speakers like fine London tobacco. The Smiths, Pulp, Belle & Sebastian, The Divine Comedy, and so many others are all cut from this velvet. His fourth album from 1969, Scott 4 , is Walker at his most dark, personal, and forthcoming — and still includes a song about Ingmar Bergman’s “The Seventh Seal” backed by spaghetti western strings. After all these years, his burgundy baritone on “Duchess” as he sings at the very end “I’m lying, she’s crying” is a good litmus test to see if your heart works properly. (Neko Case does a fantastic cover it as well.)

1. Led Zeppelin - Led Zeppelin IV

In spades. I’m not entirely sure Zeppelin IV is even an album anymore — it’s an epoch unto itself. It’s a symbol of something personal for me and historical for music. Its legendary status as the best rock album of all time has grown so absurdly out of proportion that the album itself has become immune to any sort of glib take-down essays or contrarian think-pieces. It’s a fortress of rock & roll that after years of sieges still stands as powerful as the day it was built. Plus it’s even got “Four Sticks” on it just to really nail it home.

Four Historic Fourth Albums

By: Mike Madden

4. Bob Dylan – Another Side of Bob Dylan

“There aren’t any finger-pointing songs here,” Bob Dylan once said of Another Side. Yup: There’s a surreal, romantic quality to nearly every track here, contrasting the accusative nature of some of Dylan’s first three albums. A lot of people complained about that, but they shouldn’t have – this is one of Dylan’s best and most underappreciated efforts. Though certainly not by artists. Following its release, Johnny Cash, The Turtles, and The Byrds all took stabs at the album’s songs, proving that there really is no side to Dylan that anyone’s opposed to – which only makes him that much more sacred.

3. Bruce Springsteen – Darkness on the Edge of Town

Follow ups can be difficult. Carving out something after an album like  Born to Run is an exercise of the mind, body, and soul – a thousand times over. Due to some legal mumbo jumbo between The Boss and his sometime manager and producer Mike Appel, Darkness on the Edge of Town arrived a long three years after its ambitious, head-turning predecessor. In that time, the band took on a different approach to writing and recording. Many of the songs were captured with the full band together, and at times immediately after Springsteen had finished writing them. Blame it on the surrounding support, but the New Jersey legend didn’t just follow up Born to Run, he delivered an LP that gave its predecessor’s title a new meaning. To this day, fans continue debating on which album is better. Springsteen certainly made it difficult for them, what with “Badlands”, “Racing in the Street”, and “Candy’s Room” to chew on. And to think, that’s hardly scratching the album’s surface, too.

2. Outkast – Stankonia

Sonically falling somewhere between raw Dixie rap and the playfulness of, say, The Pharcyde, Stankonia was Outkast’s grandest breakthrough. It also remains their most focused and ambitious effort to date. Singles “Ms. Jackson”, “B.O.B.”, and “So Fresh, So Clean” were three of the most ubiquitous radio hits of the early aughts. In addition to the cosmic, genre-bending production, this 73-minute album found Big Boi and André 3000 rhyming with unheard of charisma, versatility, and technical deftness if not from the genre, then definitely in their career. It’s arguable that this sort of breakthrough creativity cracked them – given that they’ve never truly delivered a proper, concrete follow up that didn’t feel like a solo-album-titled-something-else – yet nevertheless their influence here is paramount. History schmistory, Stankonia is the sound of rap realizing its creative potential. Break!

1. The Replacements – Tim

Tim was The Mats’ major-label debut, and also their most frenetic, at least structurally-speaking. It would be the last album fans would hear from the original line up, as lead guitarist Bob Stinson would be kicked out the following year. And while that happened following the album’s release, those sort of “bad vibes”, if you will, carried onto the album. But it didn’t stunt it. In fact, it made for a better LP, especially one to follow up the group’s diamond LP, 1984′s Let It Be. There are two angst-ridden anthems (“Left of the Dial”, “Bastards of Young”), two drunken shakedowns (“I’ll Buy”, “Dose of Thunder”), two cynical portraits of one’s heart on a sleeve (“Hold My Life”, “Kiss Me on the Bus”), two lonely melodies (“Swingin’ Party”, “Little Mascara”), one mandatory road-rock crooner (“Lay It Down Clown”), one “You bastard!” inclusion (“Waitress in the Sky”), and one final goodbye (“Here Comes a Regular”). Similar to how early Hold Steady records sound to our generation today, Tim acts a framed portait of the band at play. It just probably could have benefited from some less-than-tidier production, and yeah, this album’s version of “Can’t Hardly Wait” is still the best.

Four Strings: Four Unbelievable Bass Solos

By: Winston Robbins

4. Rush – “YYZ”

When you write a song without any lyrics and still get stadiums full of people to sing along with you, that’s usually a pretty good indicator that you’ve written quite a piece of music. Geddy Lee’s bass extravaganza on “YYZ” is nothing short of awe-inspiring. The man shreds with such speed it’s nearly impossible for your ears to keep up. Unless you know Morse code, that is.

3. Led Zeppelin – “The Lemon Song”

Here’s how good John Paul Jones is at plucking the bass: We literally could have chosen any one of three dozen songs and made a well-founded argument as to why it’s his best. But we went with “The Lemon Song”, because, well, have you heard it? It’s a song completely surrounded by Jones’ mind-numbing bass. Heaps of adoration are given to Bonham, Plant, and Page, deservedly so, but Jones was the unsung hero of Led Zeppelin. See: the last minute of this song where he goes out of his mind shredding up and down that fretboard.

2. Metallica – “Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)”

Cliff Burton was an active member of Metallica for only four years due to his tragic and untimely death, but his legacy is long from forgotten because of early pieces such as this. Burton was as talented a bassist as rock and roll has ever seen, and “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth”, was written for the express purpose of showcasing that fact.

1. The Beatles – “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)”

Paul McCartney is all too often overlooked when it comes to fundamentally great bassists. “I Want You (She’s So Heavy)” is a reminder of why that shouldn’t ever happen. In essence, the song is just eight minutes of Macca doing whatever the hell he wants on his bass while the song goes on behind him, and never does it once fall anything short of superb.

Four Best Performances at the Big Four Festivals

By: Harley Brown

Coachella

Daft Punk (2006) – It’s Daft Punk, come on. This appearance marked their first performance on American soil in almost 10 years, and the French duo proved that they’re more than Human After All (I couldn’t help myself, I’m still dehydrated from dancing to “Around the World”). But seriously, no encore?

Rage Against the Machine (2007) – The year before Bush was ousted in a legendary election, Rage Against the Machine reunited at Coachella for the first time since the festival’s beginning in 1999. Frontman Zach de la Rocha proclaimed that the current political environment needed them, and boy, were they right.

Roger Waters (2008) – Pink Floyd’s founding member played Dark Side Of the Moon in its entirety. ‘Nuff said. (Well, it should probably also be said that he performed other Floyd hits like “Mother”, “Shine On You Crazy Diamond”, and “Wish You Were Here” with the aid of a giant, Democratic inflatable pig and a dazzling pyrotechnic display.)

Paul McCartney (2009) – Participants in 2009’s Coachella were encouraged to “take comfort in knowing… there’s a Beatle here.” And when you can’t have the whole band, Paul McCartney proved himself a more than acceptable, sporting substitute, playing a handful of Beatles songs and more than a few encores.

Bonnaroo

Photo by Max Blau

Neil Young (2003) – Almost 70 years old, Neil Young proved he’s still more than willing and able to rock the free worlds of 80,000 people in the middle of a hot-as-expletive Tennessee summer under a full moon, playing half-hour versions of hits like “Cinnamon Girl” and “Cortez the Killer” for three hours.

Radiohead (2006) –  Radiohead probably could have stopped after the opening drum rolls of “There There (The Boney King Of Nowhere)” and still have put on one of the best, if not the best, shows I’ve ever seen. You just had to be there (there).

My Morning Jacket (2008) – “It feels awesome to be bathed in beautiful golden rain.” Well-said, Jim James. Bonnaroo stalwarts My Morning Jacket played for four hours in intermittent rain in the wee hours of the morning, making up for the wet, late set with an Erykah Badu cover and a guest appearance by Zach Galifianakis.

Phish (2009) – This one’s a toss-up between their official set with Bruce Springsteen and their late-night jam session. Never-ending experiential music arguments aside, Phish’s reunion, after years of solo appearances at Bonnaroo by Trey Anastasio and other members, warranted both outstanding sets.

Lollapalooza

Photo by Ashley Garmon

Pearl Jam (1992) – It’s almost cliché how Pearl Jam is the quintessential band to see live: helping avoid Lolla’s sophomore slump, Pearl Jam’s band members smashed guitars Pete-Townsend style, jumped off monitors, and stage dived. The audience got in on the action, too, jumping onstage and throwing mud.

Billy Idol (2005) – What better way to ring in Lolla’s first year in Grant Park but with Billy Idol? Even though it rained again (that’s the thing about summer thunderstorms) during Idol’s set, “Rebel Yell” managed to get everyone riled up. It’s Billy fucking Idol, baby!

Arcade Fire (2010) – Riding high after The Suburbs’ release earlier in the week, Arcade Fire was “Ready To Start” (again, it was just too easy). Their spectacular show finished with thousands of concertgoers—hell, maybe even some pedestrians – singing “Wake Up” at the top of their lungs in the streets of Chicago.

Foo Fighters (2011) – A universal CoS fave, Foo Fighters played for three hours on Saturday night at the Metro in addition to their official set the next day. Like Phish at Bonnaroo, it’s hard to pick just one as the better performance. Dave “I don’t give a fuck if it’s raining tonight!” Grohl gives it his all each and every time.

Austin City Limits

Ween (2002) - Gene and Dean Ween cemented their status as Austin City Limits perennials at the festival’s inauguration in 2002, with their always dependably weird, spectacular performance helping to keep jam bands represented at future ACL’s.

R.E.M. (2003) – With Michael Stipe’s famous words, “We’re R.E.M., and this is what we do,” the threesome proceeded to rip through two hours of hits and obscurities dedicated to Ben Harper and Johnny and June Carter Cash. With an inexplicable blue stripe painted across Stipe’s face.

Elvis Costello (2009) – Even though he had just released Secret, Profane, and Sugarcane, Elvis Costello pleasantly surprised listeners with more than a few songs from his debut My Aim Is True. And on a few songs from his newest album, Costello sang duets with country maven Patty Griffin, bowling over an audience already impressed with his warm persona and talented musicianship.

Muse (2010) – I would say Muse were brown-nosing when they declared Texas their favorite state, but after seamlessly moving from the national anthem to “Hysteria” to The Doors’ “House of the Rising Sun” as an opener, they pretty much schooled those other American bands in the ways of British arena rock.

News of the historic night was first revealed earlier in the day on Gilmour’s blog, which noted that the guitarist would be appearing at the London stop of Waters’ Wall tour for a performance of “Comfortably Numb”. The reunion was said to be Gilmour’s returning of a favor after Waters joined him last summer for a benefit concert in Oxfordshire, UK. However, Gilmour’s website was quick to add that the reunion was “most definitely a one-off; David is not repeating his special guest performance at a later occasion.”

After performing “Comfortably Numb” on top of Waters’ 35-foot wall, Gilmour returned to accompany his forrmer bandmate on “Outside the Wall”. Also appearing was Mason, who Waters said was backstage “by a strange and extraordinarily happy coincidence.”

You can watch fan-shot video of both “Comfortably Numb” and “Outside the Wall” below. According to Gilmour, the performance was also filmed “so that it may be posted on various websites.”

Pink Floyd last performed together at Live 8 in 2005. Waters has since expressed interest in another reunion, but Gilmour shot down rumors in 2008. When recently asked about the possibility by Rolling Stone, Mason said “There are absolutely no plans. But Live 8 was fantastic. We did something for other people, but we also proved that we could all work together again. I’m really pleased that my children saw that. I would have thought that could be regenerated at some time. So I live in hope – but that’s no reason to put it out on Twitter that ‘Nick Says Band to Re-form!’”

“Comfortably Numb”

“Outside the Wall”

Though there’s no official confirmation of a forthcoming release, Waters has announced that he will be filming and recording all six shows at The O2 Arena in London in May, reports Brain-Damage.co.uk. “For these shows, photographs are permitted but we must insist on NO Flash photography. Flash wipes out the images projected on the Wall, which are the most important part of the show. Any person who uses Flash will have their camera confiscated and could be removed from the Arena,” the official statement notes.

Of course, conspiracy theorists (like myself) will note that the gigs would serve as a perfect platform for Water’s promised one-off  reunion with ex-bandmate David Gilmour. After all, nothing sells DVDs like a Pink Floyd reunion.

Those who’d rather attend the performances in person can still pick up tickets via Ticketmaster. Find all of Waters’ forthcoming tour dates below.

Roger Waters 2010/2011 Tour Dates:
03/21 – Lisbon, PT @ Atlantico Pavillion
03/22 – Lisbon, PT @ Atlantico Pavillion
03/25 – Madrid, ES @ Mediolanum  de Deportes
03/26 – Madrid, ES @ Mediolanum  de Deportes
03/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
03/30 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/01 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/02 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/04 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/05 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/08 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/09 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/11 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/12 – Zagreb, HU @ Sports Arena
04/15 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
04/16 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
04/18 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/19 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/23 – Moscow, RU @ Olympiski
04/25 – St. Petersburg, RU @ SKK Arena
04/27 – Helsinki, FI @ Hartwall Arena
04/28 – Helsinki, FI @ Hartwall Arena
04/30 – Fornebu, NO @ Telenor Arena
05/01 – Fornebu, NO @ Telenor Arena
05/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Ericsson Globe
05/05 – Stockholm, SE @ Ericsson Globe
05/07 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
05/11 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/12 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/14 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/15 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/17 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/18 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/20 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/21 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/23 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/24 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/27 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/28 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/30 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
05/31 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
06/03 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/04 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/06 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/07 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/10 – Hamburg, DE @ O2 World Hamburg
06/11 – Hamburg, DE @ O2 World Hamburg
06/13 – Herning, DK @ MCH Multiarena
06/15 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
06/16 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
06/18 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Esprit Arena
06/20 – Munich, DE @ Olympiahalle
06/22 – Zagreb, HU @ Sports Arena
06/24 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/25 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/27 – Birmingham, UK @ National Indoor Arena
06/28 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
06/30 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
07/06 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
07/07 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum

Coco may have gotten as giddy as a schoolgirl when he finally coaxed Waters into emphatically delivering the line, “If you don’t eat your meat, you can’t have any pudding! How can you have any pudding if you don’t eat your meat?!”, but it was Ebert and his troupe of 21st century hippies that made last night’s episode a must see.

Looking like he was fronting a bunch of reformed gypsies, a nicely-mulleted Ebert shimmied his feet to the sound of his ten-piece band slinking its way through “40 Day Dream”, which is the lead track from the group’s debut LP, Up From Below. It was a bit of  bummer that it wasn’t the band’s “new” song, and for one reason or another, the soulful take on the cut lacked some of the energy that has made the Zeros’ live performances sort of legendary. Still, O’Brien must have loved it since he hugged it out with one of the band members after it was all over.

Thanks to the Audio Perv, every minute of it (plus a clip of Waters doing his thing) is available for

Edward Sharpe and the Magetic Zeros – “40 Day Dream”

Roger Waters Interview

This essentially means that I have to find creative ways to articulate the same message come Friday. It’s an enjoyable albeit challenging task.

Well, at the risk of sounding utterly illiterate, here’s my latest attempt: this week didn’t suck, but it also kind of did.

Read the following round-up of major events and you’ll understand what I’m talking about.

– Guess what? Hip Hop beefs are still going strong.

– Will Jay-Z release an album next year? We’re not sure, but we can definitely tell you that he’s writing a book. He’s also got some big NYE plans involving Coldplay.

– Will Muse play Lollapalooza next year (again)? Decide for yourself.

– We got a heaping dose of 90s nostalgia this week, what with the return of Olivia Tremor Control and the emergence of a new supergroup called Wild Flag (featuring members of Sleater Kinney).

– Lil Wayne detailed I Am Not A Human Being. Weezy also found time to collaborate with Drake. (And did I mention the Diddy- Timberlake single?)

– Lupe Fiasco‘s new album Lasers still isn’t out yet, so his fans are now retaliating.

– Ben Kweller dished on his new LP.

– Dr. Dre can now add “created personal brand of cognac” to his list of accomplishments.

– The “lost” M.I.A. single surfaced courtesy of Diplo.

– Stone Temple Pilots postponed the remainder of their U.S. tour.

–  Charlatans UK cancelled their stateside performances so their drummer can undergo treatment for a brain tumor.

– Atoms For Peace killed at this year’s Fuji Rock Fest.

– There are also two new LCD Soundsystem clips to watch. Check out an awesome performance of “Dance Yrself Clean” and the unofficial video for “Home.”

– Pavement jammed with a fan on Fallon.

– Jonny Greenwood and the BBC Concert Orchestra will come together for a one-off live performance. (And Jarvis Cocker’s presenting. What more could you possibly want?)

– CMJ Music Marathon announced another round of adds to its already impressive lineup.

– Suffering from the post-festival season blues? Consult our Fall Concert Preview.

– We’re also pleased to announce our partnership with SeatGeek.

– Want to go to MoogFest for free? Find out more here.

– Michael Roffman reviewed a rowdy, indie-heavy show at Chicago’s Metro featuring Titus Andronicus, among others. He also found time to catch Roger Waters perform The Wall in its entirety.

– Jeremy Larson had an “incredible night” at a recent Tallest Man On Earth show. You can also read our review of the Swedish singer-songwriter’s new EP if you’re interested.

– Philip Cosores shared his thoughts No Age‘s latest offering.

– Chris Coplan did likewise for Wake Up, featuring The Roots and John Legend.

– And as if we don’t post lots of reviews already, read what Ryan Burleson had to say about Deerhunter‘s Halcyon Digest.

– E.N. May interviewed the Ice Cream Man. If you have no clue what I’m talking about, click here.

– Oh yeah, and Kanye West is “So Appalled”.

For America, it started in Chicago.

If anyone has any doubts about this tour, leave ‘em at home. This isn’t a “glorified Pink Floyd cover band”, nor is it a “cash in” by Waters, as plenty of chatter on the net has expressed. Instead, it’s a re-envisioning of what you might consider to be one of the greatest albums ever. (We did.) Sure, aspects of the 1980 tour return. There’s, well, a wall. Yes, he brought “the pig.” And, as you’d expect, there were children on “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2″. But, Waters embraces the modern technology available today, which might feel rather hypocritical given his argument yet it really brings the album’s concept to life.

Photo by McKenzie Gerber

For one, as stage technicians placed brick after cardboard brick atop one another, digital projections illustrated many of the song’s themes. During “Mother”, Waters nailed a duet with himself by singing alongside an old 1980 performance recorded in Earls Court. On “Young Lust”, thousands of various pin ups (Tina Fey included) ensconced dozens of meaty videos, mostly of strippers or models, as the band belted out its bouncy theme. Then before “Vera” and “Bring the Boys Home”, following the actual completion of the wall that is, footage of children surprised by fathers and mothers returning home from war stole the moment from the band. The line “Don’t leave the children on their own” has never stung so much.

Then there’s all the tangible, physical work. Let’s just say the stage moved, quaked, erupted, and transformed. From the start, fireworks amped up “In the Flesh?”, soldiers soared toward the ceiling, and spotlights acted as foreboding helicopters. You knew you were in for a stage show, and not just some light parade with confetti – though both were readily available, too. And used. But, oh, how there was more. Stadium-sized puppetry highlighted “Another Brick in the Wall Part 2″, as the lurching, iconic schoolteacher berated the dancing students below, and later Pink’s mother and wife came to visit, as well. At one point, a piece of the wall broke off to reveal a mini-diorama of Pink’s living room, where Waters sang “Nobody Home”. Visual overload might correctly summarize the whole event, if only it didn’t have such negative connotations to it. For now, just try and imagine what Jim Henson might have assembled had he dabbled in more rock ‘n’ roll. Oh, and if he took mescaline.

Photo by McKenzie Gerber

But what about the message? Unlike most arena rock acts, Waters kept true to his word and stuck to his agenda. It really worked, too. The album’s core themes of isolation and fear connects so well with Waters’ distrust on our reliance on technology. Simply put: We hide behind our iPods, we lose ourselves in our smart phones. But, so what? Everyone knows this. Not so fast, though. Waters twists it around some.

After the show’s first act, cutting off right after “Goodbye Cruel World”, the house lights ignited and the word “Intermission” burned itself into the wall’s white surface. Minutes later, faces washed over each brick, all with dates and details. It’s a new movement Waters plans to promote on his tour, and it’s called “Fallen Loved Ones”, which asks fans to submit photos and details of someone they’ve lost in the war. While quite somber for a rock concert, it was highly enlightening. But Rogers’ message didn’t sink in just yet. However, by the time they returned and plummeted through “Run Like Hell”, where various faux advertisements like “iMurder” or “iPay” (no doubt poking fun at Apple’s now-iconic marketing) raced across the stage wall, things started to make sense. Don’t blame the technology, blame how we use it. Waters sold that idea then and there; however, whether or not the audience bought it is uncertain. Probably not. But, if technology’s concerned, they did capture one hell of a show with their iPhone.

One hell of a show.
——

Videos by Michael Lerman

If only we could have more weeks like this one…

– We did it. We posted our list of the Top 100 Albums Ever. Feel free to comment if you haven’t already by now.

– We’re also throwing an awesome after party for Titus Andronicus in the Windy City this Saturday.

– Radiohead completed a “group of songs,” whatever that means.

– Fleet Foxes finished recording their sophomore LP.

– Consequence of Kanye continues. Read this. Then watch this.

– The Dismemberment Plan jumped on the reunion bandwagon. A Perfect Circle followed suit.

– And while we’re still on the subject, Roger Waters teased us about a potential Pink Floyd reunion.

– Godspeed You! Black Emperor will tour the US later this year.

– What a week for Weezer. Not only are they hard at work on the follow-up to Hurley, they also announced the “Blinkerton Tour” (get it?!). They also “cheated” on Leno.

– Lil Wayne has a new EP in the works. (Please note that he’s still incarcerated).

– There won’t be a new Coldplay album anytime soon.

– Van Halen-related drama continued.

– Remember that Joaquin Phoenix documentary? You should probably know that it’s a hoax.

– Sacha Baron Cohen is slated to play Freddie Mercury in the Queen frontman’s biopic.

– But at least you can look forward to a new Girl Talk record, among other things.

– The lineup for Neil Young’s Bridge School Benefit went public.

– Black Eyed Peas will play next year’s Super Bowl halftime show.

– Gang of Four detailed a new studio LP.

– Matt & Kim showed off the artwork and tracklist for Sidewalks.

– Kid Cudi divulged the special guests on his forthcoming effort.

– Lupe Fiasco revealed his back-up plan in case his hip-hop career doesn’t pan out.

– A Carlos Santana-Nas collaboration surfaced.

– Calvin College pulled the plug on a New Pornographers gig set to take place there next month.

– We haven’t heard much from Animal Collective lately, but apparently they’re designing footwear now.

– The Drums lost a guitarist.

– Don’t fret if you missed Hopscotch ’10. Our staff brought back plenty of photos.

– Michael Roffman tried to guess Bethany Cosentino‘s favorite season.

– Coplan also found time to review Chromeo‘s Business Casual.

– Philip Cosores shared his thoughts on The Walkmen‘s Lisbon.

– Alex Young saw Jay-Z,  Eminem, and Kanye West perform under the same roof. This is what he had to say about it.

Canoe.ca is reporting that while a full-on reunion is about as likely as Syd Barret coming back from the grave, a one-off charity gig reuniting Waters and Gilmour with drummer Nick Mason is probably closer than we think… for now.

Further proving that getting old doesn’t have to mean getting cranky, the 67-year-old Waters admitted that “there’s no fussing and fighting going on” between him and Gilmour, recently telling Rolling Stone that “David and Nick and I might do a one-off somewhere, but there’s no way we’re going to do a tour.”

If you have a bad memory, the last time Pink Floyd were together on stage was over half a decade ago at Live 8, and even though founding member and keyboardist Richard Wright has passed away since then, Waters is still glad he had to opportunity to make a mends with his bandmates. “I’m so thankful that was managed to that 18 minutes together,” he said, “that the four of us got to draw a line under it.”

Gilmour – as usual – has been mum on talks of a reunion, but Mason seems ready to do one more benefit concert before closing the book on Pink Floyd.  “It would be better if we really kept it as something to be used for good,” he said. “I think that would be a nice way to finish [the band’s] existence…just doing a show for the right reasons. “We’re hoping the “right reasons” prevail on this one, but we’ll just keep our fingers crossed really tight for now.

We’ll let you know if anything new develops. In the meantime, Waters remains busy with his currently ongoing “Wall” world tour (one date of which will feature Gilmour), while Gilmour has a new collaborative album with The Orb due out October 5th.

Photo via EW.com

According to the New York Times (via The Daily Swarm), four of the band’s albums — 1975′s Wish You Were Here, 1977′s Animals, 1979′s The Wall, and 1983′s The Final Cut — were originally released by Columbia Records and have been distributed by EMI since 2000. But since EMI’s contract expired June 30th, these albums have since been pulled from digitial outlets like iTunes and Amazon’s MP3 store. What’s more, new physical copies of the albums cannot be manufactured until a new contract is signed.

In other words, for at least a time being, these four albums are now out of print.

The news is major blow for EMI, a company that’s been struggling since being purchased by private equity firm Terra Firma in 2007, as this year alone, Floyd have sold 311,000 albums and 587,000 download units. Despite the decision, EMI can still sell off any remaining physical copies of the album still in stock.

As for where Floyd’s catalog goes from here, there’s currently an 18-month-plus bidding war going on between several major labels. Many unnamed labels have already out of the bidding because the fee for the catalog has gotten entirely too high for many of them.

As always, stay tuned for more news as it’s announced.

Earlier this evening, the Hoping Foundation posted a video recording of Waters and Gilmour’s complete 28-minute performance online and we now have the video embedded for you below. Albeit not the best of quality, we’ll remind you of the aforementioned fact that this is their first on-stage collaboration in five years. Plus, unless you’re the lucky city picked for the duo’s second promised reunion, this is it… for now. So watch and enjoy:

–Let’s begin with a very brief look at what went down this past weekend: two singles from Panda Bear‘s forthcoming Tomboy leaked, Tricky announced his ninth studio LP, and Jeremy Larson reviewed a Prince Rama show.

And now on to this week…

– It’s official: “Sound Strike” is actually happening.

– Joaquin Phoenix proved that sometimes there is method to madness.

–Vampire Weekend got slapped with a lawsuit. Same goes for Rush.

– Guided By Voices will embark on a reunion tour. Details are available here.

– While we’re on the subject of unexpected comebacks, get ready for Beavis and Butt-head‘s return to MTV.

– U2 finally rescheduled those cancelled tour dates.

– The plug was pulled on HARD LA.

– FYF Fest revealed its lineup.

– Austin City Limits published its schedule.

– Roger Waters and David Gilmour came together… and will again soon.

– Look for a new R.E.M. title early next year: the group just wrapped up recording.

– Incarceration failed to deter Lil Wayne from making new music (again).

– Hugo talked “99 Problems,” among other things.

– Jenny and Johnny unveiled the release date for I’m Having Fun.

– Bryan Ferry‘s impressive list of collaborators for his solo album became even more impressive.

– There are new tracks by Interpol and The Walkmen to hear. If neither one of these floats your boat, try the two unheard KISS demos that resurfaced this week. Or that Lindsay Lohan single (no, that’s not a typo).

– Read Drew Litowitz’s take on a recent Wolf Parade show here.

–Winston Robbins saw Paul McCartney play in SLC. This is what he had to say.

– Best Coast has been on everyone’s mind since “When I’m With You” dropped last winter. Michael Roffman shared his thoughts on the lo-fi outfit’s long-awaited debut effort.

– Our staff posted reviews for two other big summer titles. Chris Coplan took on Wavves‘ post-Barcelona LP and Evan Bright M.I.A.‘s latest work.

– The legendary Ginger King made his comeback at the Forecastle Festival.

– What recap would be complete without an Arcade Fire-related item? Check out the cover art for The Suburbs.

As PinkFloydz.com reports, the deal regarding the HOPING (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) Foundation charity gig last Saturday in the U.K. involved a you-scratch-my-back scenario. In short, in return for singing Phil Spector’s “To Know Him is to Love Him” at that event, Gilmour promised Waters he’d join him for just one show on his “The Wall Live” tour.

Waters explained in a note on his tour’s official Facebook page: “David…came up with this ‘Wouldn’t it be funny’, idea. What if he (David that is) were to sing the old Teddy Bears song ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ with me (Roger that is), what with us having been so famously at each other’s throats for years and years. Get it!!!!” He added, “To my eternal shame I bottled out and told Dave I would happily do ‘Wish You Were Here’ and ‘C. Numb’, but that ‘To Know him is to Love him’ was beyond me.”

Thank goodness Gilmour understands a little something about diplomacy, because he came up with a solution for Waters’ vocal shortcomings. The note continues:

Some weeks passed with David cajoling me from time to time, telling me how easy it would be, but I clung resolutely to my fear of failure until one day he made one final entreaty. I quote “If you do ‘To Know Him Is To Love Him’ for The Hoping Foundation Gig, I’ll come and do ‘C. Numb’ on one of your Wall shows”. Well! You could have knocked me down with a feather. How fucking cool! I was blown away. How could I refuse such an offer. I couldn’t, there was no way. Generosity trumped fear. And so explaining that I would probably be shite, but if he didn’t mind I didn’t, I agreed and the rest is history. We did it, and it was fucking great. End of story. Or possibly beginning.

As great as this news is, it’s going to give maybe 40,000 people the moment of their lives and maybe millions of other people a bout of unspeakable depression. That “possibly beginning” line sheds a cloud of mystery, probably false, over this whole thing. But no matter what happens, one Gilmour/Waters collaboration is better than none, so be happy!

Which city is going to witness the classic “Comfortably Numb” solo played by Gilmour himself? Will it be the tour opener in Toronto? How about one of the shows in May in Pink Floyd’s hometown of London? New York seems to be a trendy place for big things to happen these days. Waters hasn’t revealed it, and ends his note on a cliffhanger: “Just heard from David, he will decide in due course which gig he wants to do, it will be a surprise!” Don’t be surprised if ticket sales shoot skyward in various markets at the mere suggestion of this reunion.

Roger Waters 2010/2011 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/01 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/03 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/06 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/13 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/20 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/04 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/14 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
11/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/03 – Oakland, CA @ Oracle Arena
12/05 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/08 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/14 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/18 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
12/19 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
12/21 – Mexico City, MX @ Sports Palace
03/21 – Lisbon, PT @ Atlantico Pavillion
03/25 – Madrid, ES @ Mediolanum  de Deportes
03/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/01 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/02 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/04 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/05 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/08 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/09 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/12 – Budapest, HU @ Sports Arena
04/15 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
04/18 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/19 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/23 – Moscow, RU @ Olympiski
04/25 – St. Petersburg, RU @ SKK Arena
04/27 – Helsinki, FL @ Hartwall Arena
04/30 – Fornebu, NO @ Telenor Arena
05/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Ericsson Globe
05/07 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
05/11 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/12 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/14 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/15 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/17 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/20 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/21 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/23 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/24 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/27 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/28 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/30 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
06/03 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/04 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/06 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/07 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/10 – Hamburg, DE @ O2 World Hamburg
06/15 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
06/18 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Esprit Arena

The gig for the HOPING (Hope and Optimism for Palestinians in the Next Generation) Foundation took place on July 10th, and marked the first time Gilmour and Waters have played together since the Live 8 show. The two were joined onstage by Guy Pratt on bass, Chester Kamen on guitar, Harry Waters and Jonjo Grisdale on keyboards, and Andy Newmark on drums.

The band performed four songs to about 200 guests, opening with “To Know Him Is To Love Him”, a song penned by Phil Spector and apparently used in sound checks in the Pink Floyd days of yore. It was followed by the big hits “Wish You Were Here”, “Comfortably Numb”, and “Another Brick In The Wall (Part II)”. (As of now, no videos from the performance have surfaced, but we’ll add them if and/when they do.)

Is this another one-off, or have the two given in to the ties that bind? If nothing else, It gives a faintest glimmer of hope that Gilmour might join Waters on stage for his massive tour of The Wall.

Photo support via Polly Samson.

As of now, Waters will take a few months off before launching his European leg on March 21st in Lisbon, PT. He’ll then tour across the UK and Europe before winding down on June 18th in Düsseldorf, Germany. Notable dates include a three-night stint at London’s O2 Arena and multiple stops throughout Germany.

As with the North American tour, RogerWaters.com will offer fan club members exclusive pre-sale opportunities. Click here for additional information and to sign up. Tickets for the European and UK legs will go on sale to the general public starting Friday, June 4th. North American tickets remain on sale here.

P.S. Check out a newly unveiled promo video for the tour below (via Brain Damage). The extended clip features an interview with Waters and provides some additional insight on the tour and what one can expect to see.

Roger Waters 2010/2011 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/01 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/06 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/13 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/20 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/04 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/14 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
11/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/08 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/14 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
03/21 – Lisbon, PT @ Atlantico Pavillion
03/25 – Madrid, ES @ Mediolanum  de Deportes
03/29 – Barcelona, ES @ Palau Sant Jordi
04/01 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/02 – Assago, IT @ Mediolanum Forum
04/08 – Arnhem, NL @ Gelredome
04/12 – Budapest, HU @ Sports Arena
04/15 – Prague, CZ @ O2 Arena
04/18 – Lodz, PL @ Atlas Arena
04/23 – Moscow, RU @ Olympiski
04/25 – St. Petersburg, RU @ SKK Arena
04/27 – Helsinki, FL @ Hartwall Arena
04/30 – Fornebu, NO @ Telenor Arena
05/04 – Stockholm, SE @ Ericsson Globe
05/07 – Copenhagen, DK @ Parken Stadium
05/11 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/12 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/17 – London, UK @ O2 Arena
05/20 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/21 – Manchester, UK @ Manchester Evening News Arena
05/23 – Dublin, IE @ O2 Arena
05/27 – Antwerp, BE @ Sportspaleis
05/30 – Paris, FR @ Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy
06/03 – Mannheim, DE @ SAP Arena
06/06 – Zurich, CH @ Hallenstadion
06/10 – Hamburg, DE @ O2 World Hamburg
06/15 – Berlin, DE @ O2 Arena
06/18 – Düsseldorf, DE @ Esprit Arena

Among the tickets on sale Saturday include Roger Waters, Lady Gaga, Erykah Badu.

Erykah Badu:

What: Date for Richmond, VA

When: August 6th

Tixs: $40.00

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM EST

Lady Gaga:

What: Dates for Sunrise, FL & Miami, FL

When: April 2011

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Roger Waters’ “Wall Tour”:

What: Dates for Chicago, IL; Los Angeles, CA; & Anaheim, CA

When: September – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

“Ooooh… Roger Waters is revisiting the Pink Floyd 1972 1979 classic The Wall on an upcoming North America tour. And what’s this tickets are now on sale? Let me go buy. Fuck… they’re already soldout! Wait, what’s this, another date? What a nice guy this Roger Waters is! I better hurry up and buy tickets before they sell out. After all, how likely is it for him to do us another favor and add a third date?” (And rinse and repeat).

So, with this in mind, let’s not be surprised to learn Mr. Waters has added eight more dates to his upcoming tour, with cities like Toronto, New York, Boston, Montreal, and Ft. Lauderdale getting extra nights. Update: New dates for Chicago, Philadelphia, LA, and Anaheim also added. Find all the new additions in bold.

Tickets for all upcoming dates are now on sale via Ticketmaster.com.

Roger Waters 2010 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/18 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/23 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/01 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/06 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/13 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/20 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/04 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/11 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/14 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
11/30 – Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/08 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre
12/14 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre

Roger Waters’ “Wall Tour”:

What: General onsale for North American tour

When: September – December

Tixs: Price varies depending on location

Buy: Ticketmaster.com at 10:00 AM Local Time

Yep, only on J-Fal.

Check out clips of both Waters and The New Pornographers’ appearances below, courtesy of our friends at The Audio Perv.

You don’t know me, but I’m a big fan. Heck, I’m forsaking any journalistic credo I’ve obtained over the past five years for the sake of this open letter. You of all people should sympathize with some brutal statements that may be made throughout this typed-up monologue, for you have made your bread and butter with such pointed statements. I mean no offense. Truly. And this will be as brief as possible.

I saw you for the first time at the turn of the century. You were kicking off the second leg of your “In the Flesh” tour, and I went with my best friend and brother to check it out. You see, we had been big fans of yours for about half a decade. My friend introduced me to Dark Side of the Moon thanks to that ridiculous-yet-awesome sync-up with The Wizard of Oz. The Scarecrow dancing off the yellow brick road during “Brain Damage” was fun, but it was the song amongst the other songs that really grabbed me. I was a fan from there on out. Every album the Floyd made with or without you was mine, as well as your solo efforts.

The show was an experience in itself. We didn’t think we’d ever have the chance to see you, well, in the flesh. We did. It was a thrill to see the audience respond to your solo track, “Perfect Sense II”, just as loudly as they responded to “Welcome to the Machine”. It’s the power of the presentation, the music, and the lyrics of your performance that make the songs what they are. Phenomenal. Uplifting. Downtrodden. Majestic. Melancholy.

Not the voice.

You don’t have a good voice. You know this. Dave [Gilmour] and Rick [Wright] sang so many of your songs early on because of this fact. However, come Animals, you began to sing more. For The Wall, even more. By The Final Cut, you sang lead on all but one of the songs, and guess what? Excellent albums! All three. The honesty came through in your world-weary, worn-out vocals. And it will again. If you let it. Your voice isn’t beautiful by any means, but it’s your voice in the moment. We listen, and believe what you are speaking.

That’s why it was disturbing to hear that you allegedly lip synched your way through a lot of the last tour. I even remember seeing footage from Rock in Rio a few years ago, where you were late on the final verse for “The Gunner’s Dream”. Your vocals were there, but your mouth didn’t keep up.

I can’t just look the other way on this, as much as I’d like to. Your anniversary tour of The Wall is said to feature ground-breaking sound and visuals, and cannot wait to take it all in. I only hope the superior surround sound isn’t making your vocals from back in 1979 crystal clear. I hope it’s your cracked voice in 2010. I really do.

There’s no shame in a worn-down vocal. Bob Dylan and Lou Reed are still successful with their ravaged voices. Like you, they didn’t have good vocals to begin with. However, it’s their words in their moment.

This tour is going to do well. Sell-outs everywhere you go. The Wall still resonates in everyone who loves it. Personal, spiritual, religious, political, major, or minor, there is a wall surrounding all of us. I will be there in the upper section, arms raised hammer-style, awaiting you singing out, “So ya’, thoughtcha, might like to, go to the show.”

I know I’ll see you there, but I hope I’ll be hearing from you, as well.

A fan,
Justin

Speaking recently with the Associated Press, the former Pink Floyd frontman revealed that he is still working on turning the band’s legendary album The Wall into a Broadway production.

“That’s still very much in the cards,” Waters explained. “I have been working on and off for the last year or so with an English writer named Lee Hall, who has become greatly celebrated over here and in London, because he wrote “Billy Elliot,” which is one of the most successful musicals out there at the moment. … Lee’s become a close friend of mine, and I’m touching wood but we think we’ve finally found a director that we want to work with, so that’s another project that’s in the pipeline.”

Released in 1979, The Wall is a concept rock opera that centers on the character Pink, who is largely based on Waters and his life experiences, dealing particularly with themes of isolation. The album has already spawned a movie, 1982′s Pink Floyd The Wall. However, on this particular effort, Waters plans to add one additional facet.

“We’re on the fourth or fifth version of the book, and trying to write some laughs into it. My one disappointment with the original rock ‘n’ roll show that we did, and to some extent with the movie as well, there weren’t many laughs in it. Humor is a very important part of my life, so part of the reason for wanting to do a production on Broadway is to express the funny side of the characters,” he explained.

Waters gave no timetable as to the musical’s actual release. He also noted that he has yet to rule out another solo album, explaining, “I have a ton of songs… I suspect I will do that in some time in the near future. But it’s strange how time keeps clicking away. And each page turns faster then the last, in my experience.” He did rule out, however, the chance of another Pink Floyd reunion: “David (Gilmour) is completely disinterested in anything like that.”

Waters is still set to embark on his world tour of The Wall beginning this September. Tickets are still available via Ticketmaster.com.

Roger Waters 2010 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, A @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre

Expect the same kind of surrealism with an underlining message as Waters takes the album out for a total of 50 dates (Around 15 have yet to be announced). And just like the visual representation, Waters has promised an updated version of the original stage show. The centerpiece of the stage show will be a 240-foot-wide by 35-foot wall between the audience and the stage itself that is slowly knocked down as the concert progresses.  The stage show is a chance to tell another side of the epic story involing Pink, or As Waters commented, “I want to try to make a new performance of this piece.”

Enjoy the trailer below. Also, don’t forget tickets go on sale May 10th at 10 a.m. on Ticketmaster.com. You can also try to get in on a pre-sale lottery starting right now.

Roger Waters 2010 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/16 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/18 – Atlanta, A @ Philips Arena
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre

Some would call it brilliant. Others would call it a masterpiece. Former Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters, who penned The Wall, would call it a personal narrative, and, come September 15th, the album which he’ll be touring in support off during what will be a massive North American tour.

As much rumored, Waters will be reliving The Wall on a multi-month endeavor, which currently keeps the acclaimed musician on the road through December. After launching in Toronto on September 15th, Waters will essentially circle the midwestern and eastern portion of the U.S. and Canada before ultimately heading to Texas in late November and wrapping things up with a series of dates across the west coast. Currently, 35 dates have been announced with at least 50 planned.

“30 Years ago when I wrote The Wall I was a frightened young man,” explained Waters in an interview with Spinner.com. “Well, not that young — I was 36 years old. It took me a long time to get over my fears. Anyway, in the intervening years it has occurred to me that maybe the story of my fear and loss with it’s concomitant inevitable residue of ridicule, shame and punishment, provides an allegory for broader concerns: Nationalism, racism, sexism, religion, whatever! All these issues and ‘isms are driven by the same fears that drove my young life.”

He continued, “This new production of The Wall is an attempt to draw some comparisons, to illuminate our current predicament, and is dedicated to all the innocent lost in the intervening years.”

Exact specifics regarding the tour’s stage production are forthcoming, but rumors place it as similarly massive to that of Water’s Dark Side of the Moon tour, which took place between 2006 and 2008. We’ll post more info on that, as well as ticket information when it becomes available. Until then, check out the full list of announced dates below. Update: Dates are starting to appear on Ticketmaster.com, which lists a pre-sale beginning Monday, May 3rd and a general onsale on Monday, May 10th. Prices range between $50 and $250. Update #2: Waters’ new website has been launched. A ticket request form is now available.

Roger Waters 2010 Tour Dates:
09/15 – Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
09/20 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/21 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
09/26 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
09/28 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
09/30 – Boston, MA @ TD Garden
10/05 – New York, NY @ Madison Square Garden
10/08 – Buffalo, NY @ HSBC Arena
10/10 – Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
10/12 – Uniondale, NY @ Nassau Coliseum
10/15 – Hartford, CT @ XL Center
10/17 – Ottawa, ON @ ScotiaBank Place
10/19 – Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre
10/22 – Columbus, OH @ Schottenstein Center
10/24 – Detroit, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
10/26 – Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center
10/27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
10/29 – St. Louis, MO @ Scottrade Center
10/30 – Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
11/03 – Meadowlands, NJ @ IZod Center
11/08 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/09 – Philadelphia, PA @ Wachovia Center
11/13 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
11/16 – Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum
11/20 – Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
11/21 – Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
11/23 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
11/26 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
11/27 – Phoenix, AZ @ US Airways Center
11/29 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Forum
12/06 – San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
12/10 – Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Palace Place
12/11 – Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
12/13 – Anaheim, CA @ Honda Centre

“Two years ago when they came to LA, they asked me would I come on and do a bit of Dark Side Of The Moon with them and the idea thrilled me no end.. Well no, it would have been very, very neat but it stunk a little in my head of ‘What am I doing here? I just don’t want to do it’, but I wanted to do it, but just not when 20,000 people were there.’”

— John Lydon, of Sex Pistols and Public Image Ltd. fame, reveals (via NME) how he also almost collaborated with Pink Floyd’s Roger Waters during his Dark Side Of The Moon tour. And while he ultimately turned the offer down, Lydon admits he still has his own ideas: “I’d have gone to a studio and played around with it there, but not for the bigger picture… Privately. I’d love to go into the studio and do something with the album with them.” John, it’s been done.

As previously mentioned, the lineup announcement will work something like this. Unlike previous announcements, the 2010 bill will not be unveiled all at once, but rather throughout the day, with the goal being to “generate conversations about the lineup a few acts at a time.” Starting at 10 AM EST (barring any early leaks), bands will begin announcing their participation via various social media outlets and bonnaroo.com. It’s basically like one giant, procrastinating-inducing puzzle. Fortunately, just in case we don’t figure it out by then, Bonnaroo will end our agony by announcing the full lineup later tomorrow night.

Given all this, it only makes sense that we start an open thread, where you guys can chat, complain, and post any discoveries you find. We’ll of course keep track as well!

7:30 pm Update: 90 minutes left! LCD Soundsystem, Les Claypool, Lucero, Kris Kristofferson, Martin Sexton, and Deadmau5 among the newest additions.

5:30 pm Update: Add The Dodos, Tori Amos, Tenacious D, Damian Marley & Nas, Lotus, Blitzen Trapper, Calexico, Mumford & Sons, Aterciopelados, and John Butler Trio to the mix. Still waiting for Neil, Pavement, and Roger Waters…

3:30 pm Update: A few more worthwhile confirmations: The Dead Weather, They Might Be Giants, The Melvins, Dave Rawlings Machine, John Prine, Mew, Dr. Dog, Clutch, and The Bakerton Group. Also, a few more expected: Alicia Keys, Pavement, and Spoon.

2:00 pm Update: So far, we’ve been going at this for a good five hours and we still only know about a 1/4 of the acts. Of those however, there are certainly a fair share of early highlights, including Jay-Z, The Flaming Lips, Regina Spektor, The National, Disco Biscuits, Jeff Beck, Norah Jones, Weezer, She & Him, and Phoenix.

We can also confirm the participation of Kings of Leon, Dave Matthews Band, Stevie Wonder, Dropkick Murphys, and Zac Brown band. As for what we can expect to see in the hours ahead? Neil Young, Spoon, Broken Social Scene, and Deadmau5. Also don’t be shocked if Roger Waters (performing The Wall), Pavement, and My Morning Jacket make an appearance.

Update: Here is the initial lineup…

Against Me!, Aeroplane, The Avett Brothers, B.o.B., Baaba Maal, The Black Keys Bassnectar, Baroness, Blitzen Trapper, Blues Traveler, Brandi Carlile, Calexico, Chromeo w/ Darryl Hall, Clutch, Cross Canadian Ragweed, Damian Marley & Nas, Dan Deacon Ensemble, Dave Matthews Band, Dave Rawlings Machine, The Dead Weather, Deadmau5, Diane Birch, Disco Biscuits, The Dodos, Dr. Dog, Dropkick Murphys, Edward Sharpe & the Magnetic Zeros, The Entrance Band, The Flaming Lips (w/ Stardeath and White Dwarfs) performing Dark Side of the Moon, The Gaslight Anthem, GWAR, Here We Go Magic, Hot Rize, Jamey Johnson, Japandroids, Jay-Z, Jeff Beck, John Prine, Kid Cudi, Kings of Leon, Kris Kristofferson, Ingrid Michaelson, Isis, John Fogerty, Julia Nunes, LCD Soundsystem, Les Claypool, Local Natives, Lotus, Lucero, Manchester Orchestra, Martin Sexton, Mayer Hawthrone & the County, Medeski Martin & Wood, Melvins, Michael Franti & Spearhead, Miike Snow, Miranda Lambert, Monte Montgomery, Mumford & Sons, The National, Needtobreathre, Neon Indian, Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, Norah Jones, OK Go, Phoenix, The Postelles, Punch Brothers, Rebelution, Regina Spektor, Rise Against, She & Him, Steve Martin with the Steep Canyon Rangers, Stevie Wonder, The Temper Trap, Tenacious D, They Might Be Giants, Thievery Corporation, Tinariwen, Tori Amos, Tokyo Police Club, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, Wale, Weezer, The xx, Zac Brown Band

Here are other expected and rumored acts.

Now, buckle up kids! It’s going to be a long and wild ride!

Feature image courtesy of Ryan Mastro…

After the sub par commercial success of The Final Cut, the band didn’t know where to go next. Actually, it was more like Roger Waters didn’t know where to go next. Waters knew one thing, and that was to leave the band and strike it out on his own. He figured that the story was out there about him being the driving force of the band, responsible for the bulk of The Wall and even Animals before that. The Final Cut was a solo record in all but the name.

The album that nearly ended it all…

The band decided not to tour behind The Final Cut, despite having pre-planned some stage productions. Gilmour was ready to go back on the road, while drummer Nick Mason had been all but removed from the group. “I hadn’t been given my walking papers, per se,” says Mason, “but I remember being hurt when Roger replaced me on the final song (Andy Newmark plays drums on “Two Suns in the Sunset”). It was definitely a sense of limbo.”

“Roger was a bit of a megalomaniac,” Pink Floyd guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour recalls from his houseboat in Venice. He converted the houseboat into a recording studio in the mid-eighties, and the band has made every record on it since then. He credits the boat for soothing the often seething tensions between Waters and the rest of the group. “The tide seemed to be turning, which Rog eventually incorporated on one of our later records.”

In 1984, Waters began working on The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking, something he presented to the band in demo form before The Wall sessions years earlier. It was actually between Pros and Cons and The Wall before the band decided on the latter. “It was the right choice to make at the time,” Waters says. “I felt I had fleshed out The Wall much more than Pros, and we were obviously able to work on that later on.” Waters is in his sixties now, but hasn’t lost the drive or brutal veracity that spurred on those classic Floyd albums in the seventies, and the band’s incredible revival in the 1990s. He even pokes fun at my jeans for being too tight, reminding him of an old classmate from art school. He laughs afterwards, but not in a mean-spirited way. He probably would have spit on me 20 years ago.

During further exploration into Pros and Cons, Waters became stuck. He knew he needed an ax-man, whether it was Gilmour or someone else, to fully flesh out the material. “I spoke with Paul (McCartney) and told him what the band was going through. He reminded me of their recording of The White Album, when Eric (Clapton) was brought in to record “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. I kept thinking about that for a while after, and right into my next conversation with Dave.”

Gilmour during Pros and Cons tour

Waters considered informing Gilmour that he was leaving the band, but stopped short. He says he was but “a sentence away” before bringing up what Gilmour now calls the “Clapton Save”. “He really saved the day. I joked that he only needed to appear on one song to save The Beatles, but he needed to appear on the whole bloody album to save our band!” So it was agreed that Gilmour and Waters would continue to work together, and convinced Clapton to play the role of second lead guitarist for The Pros and Cons of Hitchhiking. With Mason back to full-time duties (“and a decent pay upgrade”), the band continued on as a trio officially, with keyboardist Richard Wright still in exile from Pink Floyd.

Hitchhiking proved to be a success. Though not in style with the “classic” Floyd sound, Waters storytelling complimented the outstanding guitar duels between Gilmour and Clapton from song-to-song. “It was intimidating to a point,” Gilmour recalls. “I had known Eric for years, but to be in a room with him while he was coming up with ideas for chords here and there was inspiring. I credit those sessions with the guitarist I am today.” The tour that followed was in a much smaller scale than The Wall, with a more comfortable Waters performing without the need of a wall.

“Dave is, obviously, a much better singer than I am, so of course he took lead on most of the songs,” Waters says. “It was different from The Wall. I wasn’t looking to take control as much as I felt I needed to for so long previously. I suppose I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of Eric, but it worked!” He credits the inclusion of Gilmour’s penned songs “Murder” and the instrumental “Let’s Get Metaphysical” as essential to the story’s narrative. “To think I almost walked away from this group shortly before Pros still gives me the shakes.”

After parting ways with Clapton, the band recorded their next album on Gilmour’s houseboat. A Momentary Lapse of K.A.O.S. found the band back to its usual internal struggles. “Someone said recently that ‘every circle needs a center,’ which is ridiculous when you are talking about a band,” Gilmour says. “This was Roger’s philosophy for many years, and while he relented on Pros and Cons, he was back to it on K.A.O.S.” The record was a success for the band, though, despite the in-fighting. “By that time, we were all just to it, I suppose,” Mason recalls. “We knew we could go home at the end of the day to our families or girlfriends. We didn’t need to sleep in the same room or bus like it was 1967 again. We could get on with it.”

Waters during Lapse of K.A.O.S. tour

Floyd mounted a massive world tour before taking an extended hiatus. Waters mounted the spectacle in Berlin featuring a performance of The Wall with a cavalcade of celebrities, but not with Gilmour or Mason. “I was asked, but declined,” Gilmour says. “A break was a break, as far as I was concerned.” Mason claims he wasn’t asked to begin with. “I probably would have performed, yeah. But I was probably racing cars in South America at the time. Such is life.”

After a six-year period where no members recorded new music, David Gilmour had a chance encounter with Richard Wright at a charity event. “I remember him looking good, as though he had gotten his life together. And he did.” Wright kept in contact with Gilmour, who later reconnected him with Waters. “We hadn’t spoken in over a decade,” Wright recalled in a January 2007 interview. “It was severely awkward and unpleasant, but time had changed him. Dave mentioned something about a boat.”

As a foursome for the first time since 1981, Pink Floyd recorded their final record, Amused by Bells, in 1994. It was the first time since Wish You Were Here the band reclaimed the sound that had made them famous. This was due in large part to Wright’s keyboards and piano, creating that long-lost soundscape. The album was the band’s first critical success in years, and even led to a Grammy nomination for “Best Album.” After a farewell tour, the band disbanded in December of 1995.

Waters and Gilmour did two projects together under the Waters/Gilmour name, including an MTV Unplugged performance in 2001. Gilmour recorded a solo album with Richard Wright on piano and background vocals (On an Island), and Mason went back to his incredible car collection, perfectly content. Then there was that final performance by the classic line-up: Live 8. After Paul McCartney performed a short set, the band rightfully closed the show. After a ripping version of “Comfortably Numb”, the four bowed to the millions watching across the globe.

The band says farewell after CLOSING Live 8

When Wright passed away in late 2008, the trio played an acoustic version of “Wish You Were Here” at the funeral, while Gilmour performed “Remember a Day” on acoustic guitar. The three men buried their friend, and all were thankful at having made amends those many years ago. “Pink Floyd is done as a recording entity,” Waters says, “but it could have been over 26 years ago.”

I tell Waters that Gilmour claims the band would have continued on without him had he left in the early eighties. George Roger Waters leans back in his chair, smiles, and says, “He’d have never fucking done it.”