::yawn::

Best Buy Snags Guns N' Roses Album Exclusive
September 26, 2008

Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Best Buy is set to be the exclusive retailer for Guns N' Roses decade-plus-in-the-making new album "Chinese Democracy" before year's end, sources close to the situation tell Billboard. Some details of the deal are still being worked out, including the release date.

The news brings a semblance of closure to the bizarre history of "Democracy," which Guns N' Roses has been working on since the mid-1990s. Since then, every original member of the once mighty group has left besides vocalist Axl Rose, and millions of dollars have been spent working on the new material.

"Democracy" was most recently on the Interscope release schedule in March 2007. The endless delays encountered by the project reached comic levels this spring, when soft drink manufacturer Dr Pepper offered to send a free can of the beverage to "everyone in America" (excluding ex-GNR members Slash and Buckethead) if "Chinese Democracy" were to arrive anytime during the calendar year 2008.

In June, nine purported "mastered, finished" tracks from the album were leaked online, prompting an FBI investigation into their source. A sign "Chinese Democracy" was perhaps finally nearing release came in July, when the band agreed to debut new track "Shackler's Revenge" in the video game "Rock Band 2," which hit stores earlier this month.

Guns N' Roses is now managed by Irving Azoff's Front Line Management, and Azoff is a well-known proponent of issuing albums exclusively through retailers. He released the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" through Wal-Mart in 2007, much to the chagrin of other merchants, but the album was a runaway hit, having sold 3.1 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

i mean really, does anyone actually care about this fool and his music anymore? (personally, i thought that were one of, if not the most over-rated act in the history of pop music)

and i hate these big, upfront payoff, exclusive deals w/big retailers. hedging your best are you axl?

Jeff Tweedy - Addresses People Talking During Concert

and speaking of mr. tweedy...this is wonderful...



for the life of me, i do not understand these inconsiderate idiots that plunk down the price of a ticket and then go to a show and run their mouth for two solid hours and ruin the experience for everyone around them.

way to go jeff, wish more artists would do the same.

Wilco offers free song if you promise to vote

photo courtesy Richie Wireman

Wilco offers free song if you promise to vote
By Jeremy Medina [from Paste.com]

With the Nov. 4 presidential election looming and slowly becoming a reality (after what feels like an eternity of campaigning), Wilco has decided to take it upon itself to rally people to vote.

Through their website, Jeff Tweedy (above) and company are offering a free download of a cover of the 1967 Bob Dylan song "I Shall Be Released," recorded with Fleet Foxes live on tour in Bend, Ore. All one has to do is simply enter a name and e-mail address and click the button "I pledge to vote," and a download link is sent via e-mail.

"Such tumultuous times," the band says on the site. "And in the spirit of giveaways that seem to be sweeping the nation, we've got something free for you. No it's not a pile of cash (sorry) but rather an audio postcard of sorts from a summer's night in Oregon with our friends the Fleet Foxes & a lovely Bob Dylan tune. All we ask is you check the 'I pledge to vote in the 2008 Election' button below."

Notice how they never even mention either candidate. How diplomatic of them. Head here to give Wilco your pledge, and here to register to vote.

Cash recording to be released with new documentary

Cash recording to be released with new documentary

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — An unreleased recitation by Johnny Cash will be available as part of a new documentary examining Cash's views on America. In "I Am The Nation," the deep-voiced singer personifies the country with references to important events and people in American history.

The recording was discovered in Cash's personal belongings after his death. It will be released as part of "Johnny Cash's America," a documentary airing Oct. 23 on the Biography Channel. The companion DVD/CD package on Legacy Recordings will be available Oct. 28.

The documentary features interviews with Bob Dylan; Al Gore; Snoop Dogg; Sheryl Crow; Steve Earle; Kris Kristofferson; Loretta Lynn; Merle Haggard; U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander; Tim Robbins; Vince Gill; Cash; his sister, Joanne; and his children, John Carter Cash and Cindy Cash.

In the film, Cash, who was outspoken on social issues, discusses the political process and the two parties.

"The whole film and soundtrack are poignant for what's going on in the political climate right now," said Charlie Dougiello, a spokesman for the project.

New Music/CD Releases - September 30, 2008

Bill's Pick of the Week

Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning
1 At Constant Speed
2 Chasing Dragons
3 Don't Forget
4 Home
5 In Over My Head
6 January 14th
7 Out of Your Hands
8 Sad 'Ol Song
9 This Is What You Do
10 Under a Canopy

Releases for Tuesday, September 30th
Anberlin - New Surrender
Ani Difranco - Red Letter Year
Ben Folds - Way to Normal
Dream Theatre - Chaos In Motion (CD/DVD)
Echo & The Bunnymen - Songs to Learn and Sing
Enigma - Seven Lives Many Faces (2 CDs)
Faith Hill - Joy To The World
Gemma Hayes - The Hollow of Morning
Grateful Dead - Live Egypt 1978 (CD/DVD)
Jack's Mannequin - The Glass Passenger
James Morrison - Songs for You, Truths for Me
James Taylor - Covers
Jennifer Hudson - Spotlight
Jesus & The Mary Chain - Rarities (4 CD Boxed Set)
Joseph Arthur - Temporary People
Joshua Radin - Simple Times
Kellie Pickler - Kellie Pickler
Laura Fygi - Rendez-Vous
Mary Chapin Carpenter - Come Darkness Come Light: Twelve Songs Christmas
Matt Belsante - White Christmas
Melissa Etheridge - A New Thought For Christmas
Robin Thicke - Something Else
T.I. - Paper Trail
Taj Mahal - Maestro
Tom Morello - The Fabled City
Travis - Ode to J. Smith
U2 - Red Rocks (DVD)


and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.




click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

Ben Sollee

i just stumbled across these videos of ben. a couple of my favorites of his, one original and a beautiful cover of sam cooke's "a change is gonna come." in this political season, just seemed appropriate to post them.

i'll dedicate these to john mccain...


ben sollee - "a few honest words"


ben sollee - "a change is gonna come"

Coming to a memory card near you...

Four Major Labels Make Deal To Release Memory Card Albums; Weezer, Elvis Among the First Wave

The slow segue from CD to MP3 took a giant step forward today when it was announced that SanDisk had reached a deal with all four major labels to begin selling memory card albums of both new acts and classic artists. The one-gig Micro SD cards will make their first appearance in Best Buys and Wal-Marts in time for the holiday season. Each memory card will contain the album in all its 320kbps and DRM-free glory. The music industry, trying to fight off rapidly decreasing annual CD sales, hopes the memory card’s immediate accessibility with cell phones, computers and MP3 players will result in a revenue renaissance. The initial batch of micro carded albums will feature 29 artists, including Weezer, Rihanna, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Elvis Presley. This doesn’t mark the first time the major labels have experimented with memory cards: last year, UMG celebrated the anniversary of Bob Marley’s Exodus by releasing a limited edition USB stick, while EMI got revenge for Radiohead’s exodus from the label by releasing a memory stick with the band’s entire non-In Rainbows discography. This new round of memory stick albums will sell for between $7 and $10 apiece — much cheaper than the standard price of the antiquated CD.

Lucinda Williams to release digital EP of protest songs

photo by Danny Clinch

Lucinda Williams to release digital EP of protest songs
By Josh Jackson on September 16, 2008 [from paste online]

When Lucinda Williams fans pick up the Louisiana native’s 10th LP Little Honey on Oct. 14, they might be surprised by the closing track, a cover of AC/DC’s “It’s a Long Way To the Top (If You Wanna Rock N’ Roll).” But the bigger surprise might come two weeks later on the digital-only EP of protest songs Lu in ’08—a live cover of Thievery Corporation’s collaboration with The Flaming Lips, “March of the Hate Machine (Into the Sun)."

Along with covers of Bob Dylan’s “Masters of War” and Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth,” she also recorded a live version of a new song she’s written called “Bone of Contention.” “That’s a pretty angry one,” Williams says from her home in Studio City, Calif. “I recorded it in the studio, but I decided I didn’t want to put it on [Little Honey]. I didn’t quite like the version we recorded. But we were playing at Summerfest, and I went out for the encore and just blasted out an acoustic version of it. It really went over well, so we captured it on tape.”

Protest songs don’t come naturally for Williams, who appeared at #22 on Paste’s list of the 100 Best Living Songwriters. “I’ve found protest songs or topical songs to be the most challenging types of songs for me,” she says. “I find myself having a hard time not sounding either too in-your-face angry or too sugar-coated sappy, like ‘OK, everybody get together.’ It’s just so hard to do.”

Judging by the chorus she sang over the phone, she definitely didn’t err on the side of sappy. “It’s kind of written in a bluesy, almost like a ZZ-Top-ish or a Tony Jo White swampy bluesy thing,” she says. “I’m really concerned about this upcoming election. Actually, I’m just terrified about the possibility of a McCain/Palin victory.”

tift merritt – the original highlands music and art fair/louisville, ky (09.13.2008)

last saturday night, tift merritt, one of my personal favorite artists played a free show about five miles from my front door. oes it get any better than that?

the fair was @ the intersection of bardstown road & baxter avenue in the original highlands neighborhood. a great old neighborhood full of shotgun houses, local bars, funky used clothing stores and inhabited by old hippie types, bikers, students, artists and young professionals starting families…in other words, a great mix of people and nice place to hang out.

there was a full day of local music highlighted by the likes of peter searcy, brigid kaelin and others, tift was the headliner closing out the evening. and my god, she rocked.

first, it was the night before the aftermath of ike hit lousiville, bringing in 80 MPH winds, much destruction and cooler weather. it was still around 85 degrees @ 8PM when tift took the stage. about 4 or 5 songs into the show after tift had strapped on her electric, she said “it’s hot” and just decided to leave it on for the rest of the show and rock the huge crowd filling the street and sidewalks of baxter avenue. i usually avoid street festivals knowing that the crowd will generally be rude, loud, drunk and unfamiliar with the music. basically, there to party not listen…not the case saturday night, she had the crowd in the palm of her hand, quiet and behaved during the music and loud and appreciative in between, along with more than a few “i love you tift” shouts coming from the audience. most getting a blushing “i love you too” responses back from tift.

i got to talk to her for a few minutes afterwards, she was sweet, charming and gracious as always. when i told her that i’d seen her six or seven times and while she blew me away the first time… i swore that she got better and better every time i’ve seen her since. that got an “awww, you’re so sweet, thank you so much” followed by a nice hug.

the show was amazing. so was the hug.

Medeski Martin & Wood - The Radiolarian Series - Free Download of "Free Go Lily"

Free Download of "Free Go Lily"

Medeski Martin & Wood have never been your typical band. Creativity has led their career and their music always stays unique. Now, the restlessly inventive improvising trio Medeski Martin & Wood are set to embark on an ingenious new experiment dubbed The Radiolarian Series.

The Radiolarian Series - named after a type of single-celled organism with dazzlingly intricate exoskeletons - is designed to subvert the age-old music industry cycle of write/record/tour. The trio, consisting of keyboardist John Medeski, drummer Billy Martin, and bassist Chris Wood, will convene for brief writing retreats, perform only that new material on tour, record the material immediately after getting off the road, and release it as an album on their own Indirecto label.

The process will be repeated three times, resulting in three albums - the first of which,
Radiolarians I, will be in stores on September 30th. Check out "Free Go Lily", the first single from Radiolarians I, via the link above.

Medeski Martin & Wood On Tour

09.16.08 - Teatro Oriente - Santiago De Chile
09.18.08 - Bourbon St. - Sao Paulo
09.19.08 - Canecao - Rio de Janeiro
09.20.08 - SESC Vila Mariana - Sao Paulo
09.21.08 - SESC Vila Mariana - Sao Paulo
09.23.08 - Teatro Gran Rex - Buenos Aires
09.28.08 - Bearsville Theatre - Bearsville, NY
10.31.08 - The Garden Hall - Yebisu, Tokyo
11.01.08 - The Garden Hall - Yebisu, Tokyo
11.12.08 - Moore Theatre - Seattle, WA
11.13.08 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
11.14.08 - Aladdin Theatre - Portland, OR
11.15.08 - McDonald Theatre - Eugene, OR
11.16.08 - Van Duzer Theatre - Arcata, CA
11.18.08 - McNears Mystic Theatre - Petaluma, CA
11.19.08 - Rio Theatre - Santa Cruz, CA
11.20.08 - Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
11.21.08 - El Rey Theatre - Los Angeles, CA
11.22.08 - John Ascuaga's Nugget - Sparks, NV

New Music/CD Releases - September 23, 2008

Bill's Pick of the Week

Artist: Jenny Lewis
Album: Acid Tongue
1 Acid Tongue
2 Bad Man's World
3 Black Sand
4 Carpetbaggers
5 Godspeed
6 Jack Killed Mom
7 Next Messiah
8 Pretty Bird
9 See Fernando
10 Sing a Song for Them
11 Trying My Best to Love You

23 September - Tuesday

Artist: Mogwai
Album: Hawk Is Howling

Artist: Blitzen Trapper
Album: Furr

Artist: Jazmine Sullivan
Album: Fearless

Artist: Plain White T's
Album: Big Bad World

Artist: Maino
Album: If Tomorrow Comes

Artist: Demi Lovato
Album: Don't Forget

Artist: David Gilmour
Album: Live in Gdansk

Artist: Bette Midler
Album: Jackpot

Artist: Kings of Leon
Album: Only By The Night

Artist: Ledisi
Album: It's Christmas

Artist: Old Crow Medicine Show
Album: Tennessee Pusher

Artist: Jackson Browne
Album: Time the Conqueror

Artist: Lenka
Album: Lenka

Artist: TV on the Radio
Album: Dear Science

Artist: Fourplay
Album: Energy

Artist: Everlast
Album: Love, War, and the Ghost of Whitey Ford

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.




click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

New Music/CD Releases - September 16, 2008

Bill's Pick of the Week

Kasey Chambers - Rattlin' Bones
1 Adeline
2 Devil's Inside My Head
3 House That Never Was
4 Jackson Hole
5 Monkey on a Wire
6 No One Hurts Up Here
7 Once in a While
8 One More
9 Rattlin' Bones
10 Sleeping Cold
11 Sweetest Waste of
12 Wildflower
13 Woe Is Mine
14 Your Day Will Come

16 September - Tuesday
Al Stewart - Sparks of Ancient Light
All that Remains - Overcome Live (CD/DVD )
Annie Lennox - The Annie Lennox Collection
Avenged Sevenfold - Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough Live CD/DVD
The Ben Taylor Band - The Legend Of Kung Folk Part 1 (The Killing Bite)
Beth Rowley - Little Dreamer
Blessid Union of Souls - Close To The Edge
Brass bed - Midnight Matinee
Darius Rucker - Learn to Live
Faith Hill - Joy to the World X-mas album
George Clinton - George Clinton and Some Gangsters of Love
James - Hey - Ma
Jem - Down to Earth
Kasey Chambers - Rattlin' Bones
Keller Williams - Live
Kristy Lee Cook - Why Wait (Snys)
Matt Wertz - Under Summer Sun
Lindsey Buckingham - Gift of Screws
Loreena Mckennitt - The Journey Begins [4 CD]
Nelly - Brass Knuckles
Ne-Yo - Year of the Gentleman
Punchline - Just Say Yes
Pussycat Dolls - Doll Domination
Raphael Saadiq - The Way I See It
Tanya Tagaq - Auk~Blood
Unwritten Law - Live & Lawless Live (cd/dvd)

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.




click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

sorry...

things have been slow 'round here as of late.

it's been crazy busy at work in the real world + my computer seems to have been attacked by a really bad assed virus which has caused me to purchase a new one. lots of data was lost and i'm just getting the new one up and running as we speak.

our patience is appreciated. hope to be back u and running over the weekend.

best.

bill

New Music/CD Releases - September 9th

9 September - Tuesday

Brian "Head" Welch - Save Me From Myself (former Korn guitarist)
The Broken West - Now Or Heaven
Calexico - Carried To Dust
Catie Curtis - Sweet Life
Chad Vangaalen - Soft Airplane
Dar Williams - Promised Land
The Dark Romantics - Heartbreaker
Daughtry - Daughtry [Deluxed Edition CD/DVD]
Eric Benet - Love & Life
Fujiya & Miyagi - Lightbulbs
Gym Class Heroes - The Quilt
Hal Ketchum - Father Time
I'm Not Jim - You Are All My People
Iced Earth - The Crusible Of Man (Something Wicked Part II)
Jessica Simpson - Do You Know
Joan Baez - Day After Tomorrow
Joan Osborne - Little Wild One
Kardinal Offishall - Not 4 Sale
LL Cool J - Exit 13
Loreena McKennitt - The Journey Begins [Box Set]
Magic Slim & the Teardrops - Midnight Blues
Meiko - Meiko
Metallica - Death Magnetic [Released September 12]
Mitch Hedberg - Do You Believe In Gosh?
Michael Franti - All Rebel Rockers
Natalie Cole - Still Unforgettable
Okkervil River - The Stand Ins
Patty Loveless - Sleepless Nights
People In Planes - Beyond The Horizon
RKM & Ken-Y - The Royalty/La Realeza
The Sound of Animals Fighting The Ocean and the Sun
The Subways - All or Nothing

and remember, whenever possible buy your music directly from the artist(s) or your local independent record store. both could become endangered without your support.




click here for a list of exclusives available @ indie stores and for a list of stores

Over the Rhine - Upcoming Tour Plans & 20th Anniversary "Reunion" Plans

as anyone who know me and has read this blog often knows that over the rhine is my favorite band and i also feel lucky to consider them my friends. this year they are celebrating their 20th anniversary as a band.

over the rhine has gone through many changes over the years, the original foursome; karin bergquist, linford detweiler, brian kelley and ric hordenski formed in 1989. in the fall/winter of 1996, ric left the band and brian followed soon after, karin and linford continued on with the name over the rhine.

after ric and brian's departure karin and linford performed as over the rhine using several different configurations; as a duo, tro including jack henderson and as full band with with several different bass players and drummers and terri templeton on backing vocals.

the taft show this year will feature the first reunion of the original foursome in 13 years (btw, this is a reunion, they are not reuniting permanently) along with several other variations with former and current members of the band. friday night will consist of music from the first 10 years, saturday night will feature the second 10 years.

below is a letter from linford to their fans filling them in on the details. enjoy, his letters a really a fun read...

Greetings dear listeners,

This first day of September feels like a new beginning. Here we are hunkered down on our little farm in Southern Ohio. What will happen next?

Some of you no doubt heard that we cancelled our recent trip to Colorado because of a health setback. We missed you. But there’s no place as welcome as home when it comes to recovery, and we continue to learn about the importance of rest, and slowing down, and recognizing the need for a break. Maybe we’re still waiting for our souls to completely catch up with our bodies. Sometimes our bodies make the decisions for us.

Yes, The Trumpet Child=2 0chapter is winding down. It’s been a full year with thousands of miles covered, hundreds of interviews given, and so many memorable evenings of music with all of you who we continue to think of as our extended musical family. Some highlights that come immediately to mind: our recent appearance at The Newport Folk Festival. (Standing side stage and watching Levon Helm sing and play The Weight is something we’ll never forget.) Playing to amazing outdoor crowds at some beautiful summer sheds this summer was a whole lot of fun for us. (We hope the trend continues!) And we had a fantastic time leading another songwriting workshop this past August in Santa Fe with 16 people who taught us so much. (We listened to songs, but we talked about life.) We could go on.

Yes, now we’re out here under a familiar Ohio sky, a few familiar trees. Many of the hundreds of birds that nest here on the farm are getting ready to fly South. Elroy and I watched in disbelief as a few dozen cedar waxwings flew down on both sides of the path all around us yesterday and began eating ink berries. The male indigo buntings are starting to fade, their blue a little less miraculous everyday. We’re still picking plenty of late-coming ripe tomatoes out of the garden, both yellow and red. (I’m still convinced that cupping a hand beneath a plump, vine-ripened tomato in summer is a par ticular pleasure that the church must have forgotten to forbid.) But the golden rod is yellowing, and will soon announce in earnest that ready or not, fall is coming. You can hear it out here in the night orchestras of insects: Sing like your life depends on it, it won’t last forever.

One significant mile marker which makes our own heads spin is the impending 20th Anniversary of Over the Rhine. We recorded our first demos in the Spring of 1989. Those songs eventually became the record, Till We Have Faces, and now almost 20 years later, it’s just sort of hard to take it all in. There are days when we feel utterly blessed, charmed. That this labor of love could continue for 20 years, that our audience still continues to grow, that this music continues to get spread around hand to hand by people who are often in the process of becoming life long friends – it all smacks of the miraculous.

But then there are days when we feel like we’re auditioning for a starring role in the book of Ecclesiastes. Did any of it matter at all? Did we accomplish anything even remotely unique, or worthwhile, or useful? We know the work did matter to us and to others. We know the music at times played a life-giving role in some of our stories. We know some folks listened to the songs during their last few days on earth. But some days are a drawn veil: we just can’t seem to access the meaning in any of it.

I know it’s a cliché, and this paragraph will be wasted on the young, but now, looking back from this vantage point, 20 years seems like a snap of the fingers, gone. I’m sure this has something to do with the fact that we buried my father this Spring. But there are days now when we pan back on a chapter that’s ending, and the overwhelming feeling is, We had so little time. The years vanished. Take care what you hang a life on.

So we hope to live in the present. There’s a goldfinch sitting on her new nest on the other side of the locust grove even though summertime is running out. There’s a thick, cream-colored mug of fresh coffee on the desk. We’re still here. There’s still time. I’ll bet good money the September moon will rise with her full-lipped face and drench us in her sacred light.

When we least expect it, in our hearts we’ll come to find, a tiny, insubstantial spark of hope.

So what kind of beautiful ruckus will we make in the next 20 years? How will that look? How should we join in, play our small part in the everywhere, always going on song? Good questions. We’ll have to find out. But first we’re going to have a little fun.

Join us if you dare.

***

Over the Rhine in Concert (Please see OvertheRhine.com for details. All concerts below will feature full band performances.)

OCTOBER
October 11, Elk Creek Vineyards, Owenton, KY. Pour me a glass of wine, talk deep into the night, who knows what we’ll find… Join Over the Rhine at a fabulous winery during the prettiest month of the year for an outdoor concert under October skies. It’s a short drive from Cincinnati, and we’d love to make this an annual tradition. Don’t miss this very special evening – a first for us. (Yes, we’ll think of this as the unofficial kick-off of our 20th Anniversary festivities. We’ll lift a glass of something good together.)

NOVEMBER
November 7, Guilford College, Greensboro, NC
November 8, Melting Point, Athens, GA
November 9, Visulite Theatre, Charlotte, NC (We thought we’d check in again on our friends in the Southeast before the year got completely away.)

November 15, Majestic Theatre, Madison, WI (Lookin’ forward to returning to this lovely, historic venue…)

WEST COAST CHRISTMAS TOUR
November 29, The Triple Door, Seattle, WA
November 30, The Triple Door, Seattle, WA
December 1, Aladdin Theatre, Portland, OR
December 2, Ross Ragland Theater, Klamath Falls, OR
December 4, The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA
December 6, The Troubadour, Los Angeles, CA (We promised we’d head West and find all y’all this December…)

MIDWEST CHRISTMAS DATES
December 12 - Louisville / Bomhard Theatre (Friday) [*revised/corrected]
December 13 - Chicago / Double Door (Saturday) [*revised/corrected]

WHAT A BEAUTIFUL PIECE OF HEARTACHE: A Special 20th Anniversary Holiday Celebration of the Music of Over the Rhine:

December 19, The Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH: An evening with Over the Rhine. featuring music from decade one.

December 20, The Taft Theatre, Cincinnati, OH: An evening with Over the Rhine, featuring music from decade two.

Here’s the skinny folks. The first night, we are going to delve deeply into the early recordings which include Till We Have Faces, Patience, Eve, Good Dog Bad Dog, and our first Christmas record, The Darkest Night of the Year. We will enlist the help of various musicians and guests for this first evening, but are very excited to announce that Ric Hordinski and Brian Kelley will be joining us to revisit many of the early songs which launched our career.

The second night will focus on songs from the last ten years, drawn from the recordings Films For Radio, OHIO, Drunkard’s Prayer, The Trumpet Child, and our most recent Christmas record, Snow Angels . Again, look for various guests and key contributors to Over the Rhine’s recordings as the night unfolds.

Sound like a party? Yes it does. (Discounted tix for those attending both nights are available at OvertheRhine.com.)

And we will bring the year to a close once again at St. Elizabeth’s in Norwood, Ohio, with our Sunday Soiree, on December 21st at 3pm. God willing, we’ll bask in the afterglow of a two night stand, another amazing year, share some wine and refreshments, and conjure up some acoustic music in this ragged, sacred old cathedral. More info and tickets will be made available soon at OvertheRhine.com.

We’ve got some other 20th Celebration plans up our sleeves for 2009, including Cayamo Cruise in February of 2009 with Lyle Lovett, Shawn Colvin, John Hiatt, Buddy Miller and others.

And we’re working on our first round of deluxe Over the Rhine songbooks. Finally.

Well, we hope you can share the above with us. It’s no fun at all without you. Thanks again for being part of this ongoi ng adventure.

All the good stuff your way,

Linford and Karin