Fuzzy Lion

No, it’s 1996…and yes, I’m going to say that MTV is actually doing something really cool.

You remember MTV, right? That was the network (channel 37 when I was growing up) that played these things called music videos. You see kids, before there was YouTube to watch your favorite bands music videos, we used to get to see it on television. There were also great shows like “120 Minutes” and “Headbangers Ball” that showed more niche music that didn’t always make it into the regular rotation.

Well, apparently MTV must have a whole warehouse of videos that were collecting dust and decided to start putting them online! So turn off “The Hills” and DVR “My Super Sweet Sixteen” and head over to MTV.com and see for yourself what MTV was like before it turned into the horrible trash it is now.

Here are a few random videos “from the vault” that I personally haven’t seen in years!

Yo La Tengo – “From a Motel 6″

Pavement – “Gold Soundz”

Radiohead – “Just” (one of the best videos ever made in my opinion)

The Cure – “The 13th”

Morrissey – “We Hate It When Our Friends Become Successful”

Today is a huge day for some great releases…

The Cure – 4:13 Dream
I’ve been waiting for this album for a long time. I was very disappointed by The Cure’s 2004 self-titled effort. I found it to be very bland and almost as if the band was trying to find itself. After four years, they are back and have released an album worthy of their continued legendary career. From the record’s opening track, “Underneath the Stars” to its closer “The End,” 4:13 Dream is very cohesive and should win back fans that feel the band is past its prime.

Ryan Adams & The Cardinals – Cardinology
I have been listening to the free stream of this album on iLike for a week now and can honestly say it’s the best Ryan Adams album since Rock ‘N’ Roll. This is the Ryan that I love; the Ryan with the alt country twang with a good amount of rock infusion. There were some great moments on Cold Roses, Jacksonville City Nights, 29 & Easy Tiger, but Cardinology is by far the most consistent release from him in a long time. Easily going to be on my top albums of 2008 list.

Snow Patrol – A Hundred Million Suns
I’ve been a Snow Patrol fan for years but have been noticing that their newer stuff (since they found critical acclaim) seems to be heading towards the generic side. I wasn’t going to buy this new record but good ‘ol AmazonMP3.com has it up as their Daily Deal for only $3.99. What the hell, can’t beat that! Plus, I really like supporting Amazon whenever they sell a higher profile new record on release date for dirt-cheap, hoping the trend takes off and more digital retailers follow suit.

I honestly don’t know too much about this new Snow Patrol album other than the first single I heard was only okay. I will be listening to it shortly and hope to be pleasantly surprised.

The Cure have finally announced details of their forthcoming 13th studio album. It will be titled 4:13 Dream and will release on October 28th. Tracklist is as follows:

1. Underneath the Stars
2. The Only One
3. Underneath the Stars
4. Freakshow
5. Sirensong
6. The Real Snow White
7. THe Hungry Ghost
8. Switch
9. The Perfect Boy
10. This. Here and Now. With You
11. Sleep When I’m Dead
12. THe Scream
13. It’s Over 

Originally planned as a double album, Robert Smith confirmed on tour that 4:13 Dream will be just a single album, despite the recording of 33 songs for the project. Here’s to hoping we get some kick-ass b-sides!

In other Cure news, the Hypnagogic States EP is released today. You can get a copy at AmazonMP3 for all your DRM-free needs, or at iTunes, which features a bonus track, but DRM (boo!)

The Cure have announced that some of music’s most annoying and talentless rockers will be remixing their music for an upcoming EP.

Gerard Way (My Chemical Romance), Pete Wentz/Patrick Stump (Fall Out Boy), Jade Pudget (AFI), Jared Leto (30 Seconds To Mars) and 65 Days of Static have all contributed to Hypnagogic States EP which will be released physically and digitally on September 13th. All royalties from the EP will go to The International Red Cross.

Hypnagogic States EP features remixes from from all of the songs released this summer from The Cure as part of their Mix 13 series building up to the October release of their as-of-yet-untitled 13th studio album.

I will obviously buy this EP because it’s The Cure and I would pay money for a record of Robert Smith farting into a microphone if need be, but I do have to say that I’m very disappointed by the complete crap “artists” remixing these songs here. I will give 65 Days of Static a pass because while they were boring live, they do make some interesting music, but Pete Wentz, Gerard Way and Jared Leto? Give me a break. What’s the matter, was Fred Durst too busy directing movies to contribute to this project too?

I guess this just further proves that Robert Smith has bad taste in music these days!

The Cure (AKA one of the best bands in the world) will be releasing a new single on the 13th of every month leading up to their new album on September 13th. The as-of-yet untitled record will be their 13th effort and the first single, “The Only One” was released today. Head on over to thecure.com to stream it and buy it on iTunes.

As a side-note, the B-side is also available on iTunes, but it’s kind of hidden. Buy it here.

If you’re like me, you were very disappointed to hear that The Cure postponed their Fall ‘07 tour. Well, they’ve announced the makeup dates today:

13TH SEPTEMBER 2007
THE CURE ANNOUNCE RE-SCHEDULED 2008 NORTH AMERICAN 4TOUR SHOWS

AT LAST!
WE ARE VERY HAPPY TO ANNOUNCE THE NEW 2008 DATES OF OUR POSTPONED NORTH AMERICAN 4TOUR.

EIGHTEEN OF THE NINETEEN PREVIOUSLY ANNOUNCED SHOWS HAVE BEEN RE-SCHEDULED IN THE ORIGINAL VENUES, AND ALL 2007 TICKETS WILL BE HONOURED FOR THESE NEW 2008 CONCERTS.

(THE ONLY ONE WE COULDN’T GET SWITCHED WAS SEATTLE… BUT INSTEAD OF NO CURE SHOW AT ALL, WE WILL BE CLOSING THE SASQUATCH! MUSIC FESTIVAL ON SUNDAY 25TH MAY (MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND) AT THE GORGE AMPHITHEATRE, WHERE WE HAVE BEEN GUARANTEED 150 MINUTES ONSTAGE! ALL TICKETS FOR THE ORIGINALLY SCHEDULED CURE KEY ARENA CONCERT WILL BE HONOURED AT THE GORGE, BUT PLEASE NOTE: ALL TICKETS FOR THE SASQUATCH! FESTIVAL ARE GENERAL ADMISSION, INCLUDING ANY PREVIOUSLY ISSUED CURE KEY ARENA TICKETS).

IT’S ALL HAPPENING SLIGHTLY LATER THAN WE EXPECTED DUE TO ‘THE PLAYOFFS’ – A LOT OF THE VENUES WE NEEDED WOULDN’T LET US CONFIRM DATES IN THE MARCH/APRIL PERIOD – BUT WE UNDERSTAND THEY ALL HAVE TO LIVE IN HOPE!

HOWEVER, AN UNEXPECTED BONUS OF THE NEW ROUTING IS THAT WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO ADD IN KANSAS CITY, PHOENIX, AUSTIN, FT LAUDERDALE AND CLEVELAND… AND THERE WILL BE MORE DATES TO COME!

WE APOLOGIZE AGAIN FOR THE INCONVENIENCE AND UPSET THE ORIGINAL POSTPONEMENT CAUSED, AND WILL MAKE SURE THAT THE NEW SHOWS ARE MORE THAN WORTH THE WAIT…

SEE YOU ALL SOON,

LOVE ROBERT, SIMON, JASON AND PORL XXXX (THE CURE)

PS
ANYONE WHO WANTS A REFUND ON THEIR 2007 TICKET WILL BE ABLE TO GET ONE IN FULL FROM HIS OR HER POINT OF PURCHASE UNTIL 1ST NOVEMBER 2007.

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THE CURE 4TOUR NORTH AMERICA 2008

MAY
09 WASHINGTON DC Patriot Center

10 PHILADELPHIA Wachovia Spectrum

12 BOSTON Agganis Arena

14 MONTREAL Bell Centre

15 TORONTO Air Canada Centre

17 CHICAGO Allstate Arena

19 KANSAS CITY Starlight Theatre – ADDED SHOW

21 DENVER Red Rocks Amphitheatre

23 SALT LAKE CITY E Center

25 GEORGE WA The Gorge Sasquatch! Festival (in place of Seattle - headlining from 9:30 to midnight)

26 VANCOUVER General Motors Place

29 SANTA BARBARA Santa Barbara Bowl

31 LOS ANGELES Hollywood Bowl

JUNE
03 SAN DIEGO Cox Arena

04 PHOENIX Dodge Theatre – ADDED SHOW

06 DALLAS American Airlines Center

08 AUSTIN Austin Music Hall – ADDED SHOW

09 HOUSTON Toyota Center

11 TAMPA St Pete Times Forum

13 FT LAUDERDALE Bank Atlantic Center – ADDED SHOW

15 ATLANTA Gwinnett Center

16 CHARLOTTE Charlotte Bobcats Arena

18 CLEVELAND (Venue TBD) – ADDED SHOW

20 NEW YORK CITY Madison Square Garden