Alkaline Trio Agony and Irony
G-Unit T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight)
Los Lonely Boys Forgiven
Night Ranger Hole in the Sun (Why?)
Tech N9ne Killer
Vanessa Hudgens Identified
Byrd Gang M.O.B.: The Album
My Chemical Romance The Black Parade Is Dead!

In between benefits and festivals, there isn’t a whole lot going on domestically so I turn your attention to the world of music across the pond.
- Euro 2008 is now over and throughout Spain’s run to their first international trophy in 44 years, a curious thing occurred every single moment the crowd got bored or needed to hype itself. What you ask? This…

That’s right, not only do the Euros do sport better, but their crowds have waaaaaay better taste in music. Instead of stadiums pumping in generic country, pop, or fans accepting the oh so official Euro 2008 anthems laid down by Shaggy and Enrique Iglesias (it seems UEFA and Austria just discovered 1998), the crowds adopted The White Stripes “Seven Nation Army” as the unoffical anthem of the tournament singing it in every stadium, street…

…and bar that would hold a drunken football fan.

It was awesome to watch on TV and it seems even better to experience live. In fact, it snapped me out of my Lil’ Wayne and Adele haze long enough to give Elephant another listen.

- But it wasn’t only the gaggle of indie-rock loving football fanatics making noise, our homegrown musicians are doing their part to stir the musical pot. Organizers of the UK’s Glastonbury festival asked Jay-z (formerly the best rapper alive (a title firmly held by Lil’ Wayne until further notice) to headline the festival much to the chagrin of rock critics, musical elitists, and Oasis’ Noel Gallagher, who told NME, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it. If you start to break it then people aren’t going to go. I’m sorry, but Jay-Z? No chance. Glastonbury has a tradition of guitar music and even when they throw the odd curve ball in on a Sunday night you go ‘Kylie Minogue?’ I don’t know about it. But I’m not having hip-hop at Glastonbury. It’s wrong.”

The festival sold-out by it’s Thursday start and Jay-z, classy gentleman that he is, saved his reply for the stage. An intro video began with Noel’s comments and a a series of fans and out of context politicians commenting on Jay-z’s impending performance. Jay than sauntered out and led the crowd in a song-a-long to Wonderwall. When finished, he stalked the stage and then launched into “99 Problems.” Sheer genius. Because there are children around I can’t recite the lyrics but the jist of the song is that Jay-z has 99 problems and haters aren’t one of them. Needless to say he absolutely killed the stage, kind of the polar opposite of the Bonnaroo Kanye dibacle I missed Talib Kweli and hours of sleep for. Video while it lasts [Jay-z at Glastonbury via Youtube]

In times of crisis, when you have the opportunity to help those less fortunate than yourself, you do. Which is why tonight area musicians will be gathering at the Bluebird for Rock for Relief, a benefit to raise money and collect goods for the victims of the recent wave of flooding that hit Southern Indiana. The benefit concert kicks off at 8:30 and features performances from Built for Comfort, The Fatted Calf String Band, Gravitas, Good Luck, Racebannon, and Shaggy Wonda. Proceeds go to the Red Cross of Monroe County and collected items of clothing, canned goods, bedding, toiletries, furniture, cleaning items, and other household items will be donated to the Mark Mission Store in Spencer.

Admission is $5 and there will be collection jars throughout the bar for those wishing to give a little bit more.

George Carlin died yesterday of heart failure at the age of 71. Along with the late Richard Pryor, Carlin elevated comedy from mere entertainment to a true art form. He used the stage to make an entire generation question social norms of vulgarity, drug use, and the true meaning of free speech. Carlin called out conservative America without resorting to cheap laughs or the crotchety ramblings of an elder statesman. As the decades wore on, Carlin adapted, making was himself an institution, helping the boomers think through the tears of laughter, and making their kids laugh and learn as Rufus in Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure and as Mr. Conductor on the PBS kids show “Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends.” he helped set the benchmark for what comedy could be and like Pryor before him, he will be missed.