· Bringing a tear to my eye, next week the Rolling Stones give the finger to every record store in North America except Best Buy, as the band releases a four-DVD set of its most recent tour exclusively through the bland box for the first four months. Sorry, Mick and Keith, but I think you're as clueless as the Golden Girls. It's one thing to have sympathy for the devil, but geez, was this part of an ancient contract in blood, to get in bed with the enemy of passionate, unique mom-and-pop retailers? Is this the start of a new trend or will the thud of retailers retaliating by pulling Rolling Stones stock be heard? Boys, until it sorts out, you can go suck a Faberge egg and take a seat on the lame train.

· Going emo for the kids, Fearless Records has just released another CD in its series of "Punk Goes" compilations, this time turning off the amps and going unplugged. Entitled Punk Goes Acoustic, the 20-track set showcases a tender, surprising sound with highlights from Sugarcult, Thursday, Yellowcard, Taking Back Sunday, and Glasseater.

· Dave Grohl of the Foo Fighters' latest side project bows down to the heavy-metal era of the 1980s, enlisting the monster voices of the misfit generation and crossing punk rage with metal thunder. Calling itself Probot, the new band features Grohl on drums and Matt Sweeney of Zwan on guitar, with guest vocalists on every track. Look for the band's debut seven-inch single, "Centuries of Sin," next week on the Southern Lord imprint with guests Cronus of Venom and Wino of Saint Vitus. A full album is due early next year and promises guest vocalists King Diamond, Lemmy Kilmister of Motorhead, Thomas Gabriel Warrior of Celtic Frost, Mike Dean of Corrosion of Conformity, Lee Dorian of Napalm Death, Kurt Brecht of DRI, and more.

· Also splashing in the guest-vocalist waters is Thirsty Ear Records, re-creating its 16 Haikus & Other Stories album for American audiences in January. Originally a critically acclaimed hit in Greece, the album features song lyrics from the poetry of Nobel Laureate George Seferis. Now translated into English, the CD features vocalists ranging from Robert Wyatt to Mark Eitzel to Cat Power and Alejandro Escovedo.

Television Alert:

The Today Show's outdoor concert series wakes up with Sarah McLachlan on Friday morning; The Tonight Show with Jay Leno welcomes P.O.D. tonight and ZZ Top on Thursday; The Late Show with David Letterman hosts Lyle Lovett tonight, Iggy Pop and Sum 41 on Thursday, and Dolly Parton on Tuesday; Late Night with Conan O'Brien features The Polyphonic Spree this evening overnight, Joshua Bell on Friday overnight, Smash Mouth on Monday overnight, and The Strokes on Tuesday overnight; and Saturday Night Live's musical guest this weekend is Dave Matthews.

New Releases Coming Tuesday, November 11:
... and like the winds, young grasshopper, are subject to change

AC/DC - Live at Donington (Epic Legacy) interactive widescreen DVD of this summer concert from 1991 at historic Castle Donington, featuring the ability to control camera choices and commentary tracks by the band

Che Arthur - All of Your Tomorrows Were Decided Today (Flameshovel)

D.O.A. - War & Peace (Sudden Death) celebrating 25 years in this 26-track collection, featuring punk anthems, seven-inch rarities, and soundtrack cuts

Desert City Soundtrack - Funeral Car (Deep Elm) dark and intense tantrums from the Pacific Northwest, thick with piano and percussion

Erasure - "Oh L'Amour" (Mute) six-track CD single with new tracks, re-mixes, and enhanced video

Fuse! - Fisherman's Wife (In the Red) described as "Crass meets The Who"

Garageland - Last Exit to Garageland (Foodchain) re-issue from 1997 with eight bonus tracks, including a cover of The Byrds' "So You Want to Be a Rock 'n' Roll Star"

Jolie Holland - Catalpa (Anti/Epitaph) selected by Tom Waits as one of his favorite three albums of this year, this dreamy time trip hovers in a fragile shadowbox of ukulele, old jazz-vocalist 78s, and Appalachian lonesome call

Dave Hollister - Real Talk (DreamWorks)

Jamiroqui - Late Night Tales (Another Late Night) newest release in this series that lets a selected artist or producer compile and mix an ultimate after-hours compilation

The Jessica Fletchers - What Happened to the? (Rainbow Quartz) tamborine-shakin' Swedish jangle pop

Kid Rock - Kid Rock (Lava/Atlantic) featuring a cover of Bad Company's "Feel Like Making Love"

Nick Lachey - SoulO (Universal)

Life at Sea - Is There s Signal Coming Through? (Lucid)

Love Actually - original motion picture soundtrack (J Records) with Norah Jones, Dido, Justin Timberlake, and Wyclef Jean

The Lovethugs - Playground Instructors (Rainbow Quartz) cool psychedelic Norwegian pop channeling Echo & The Bunnymen, The Doors, and The Kinks

Magellan - Impossible Figures (Inside Out) dramatic prog rock from Trent and Wayne Gardner

Matchbox 20 - EP (Atlantic) rarities collection featuring an acoustic take on "Disease," live tracks, and interviews

Pearl Jam - Live at the Garden (Epic) two-DVD set from last year's Riot Act tour performance at Madison Square Garden

Pearl Jam - Lost Dogs (Epic) two-CD set of rare tracks collected from various benefit albums and soundtracks

Pink - Try This (Arista) with songs co-written with Linda Perry of 4 Non Blondes and Tim Armstrong of Rancid

Radiohead - "2+2=5" (Capitol) import-only single available on 12-inch, CD, and DVD featuring a demo of "There There"

Raising the Fawn - By the Warmth of Your Flame (Sonic Unyon) new five-track EP from John Crossingham of Broken Social Scene

The Rhinos - Year of the Rhinos (Rainbow Quartz) Swedish harmony pop in the vein of The Byrds and The Hollies

Sons & Daughters - Love the Cup (Ba Da Bing) new from David Glow of Arab Strap

Bruce Springsteen - The Essential Bruce Springsteen (Columbia) two CDs of hits and a third disc of home recordings, acoustic versions, and live tracks

Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You (Atlantic) greatest-hits package with a new song and an acoustic take on "Plush," and a bonus three-hour DVD of videos, concert footage, and covers of Aerosmith's "Sweet Emotion" and Glen Campbell's "Witchita Lineman"

Talking Heads - Once in a Lifetime (Rhino/Warner Archives) new three-CD box set featuring "Drugs" with guitarist Robert Fripp, a steel-drum version of "Uh-Oh, Love Comes To Town," and the bonus DVD re-issue of 1988's Story Telling Giant video collection

Tupac - Resurection: Music from & Inspired by the Motion Picture (Interscope) featuring the single "Runnin' (Dying To Live)," produced by Eminem from lost-session samples of 2Pac and Notorious B.I.G.

various artists - Greaseball Melodrama (Gearhead) featuring cover art by Niagara and exclusive tracks from the Baseball Furies, The Hunches, Columbian Neckties, Scat Rag Boosters, and more

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