New Weezer Album in the Works

By now, everyone knows about Weezer. You either love them or hate them, but regardless of your feelings, they just won't quit. Weezer made two of my favorite records of all time (The "Blue" album and "Pinkerton") and then slowly faded into mediocrity. Their last two albums (as far as I'm concerned) were complete flops and an easy cash in on a beloved band. Hopefully, Weezer is going to get back to their roots on the newly anounced "Red" album. Weezer has this habit of releasing an album with only a background color (such as blue, green, and now red) and then an album with an actual name (Pinkerton, Maladroit). It is good to see them continuing this tradition with the newly announced "Red" album, but I personally have very mixed feelings. Weezer has a lot of ground to cover to woo old fans back into their music, and let's hope they've done their homework. However, the new album artwork has me a bit worried...Let's hope they can finally redeem themselves when the album is released. Good luck Weezer, you desperately need it.

Hulk Smash!

True believers rejoice, yet another superhero movie has been slated for the glorious summer of 2008. This time it is the Incredible Hulk's turn to get a feature film. Some people may be a bit confused as to why another movie starring the not-so-jolly green giant is in production since a Hulk film was released only a few years ago. Well the short answer is that nobody liked the first Hulk film, but everyone loves the Hulk; so here comes the movie that does the gamma ray infused behemoth justice (while he dishes out a bit of his own). Edward Norton stars as mild mannered scientist Bruce Banner who, after an accident in his lab, became The Incredible Hulk and proceeded to smash everything in sight. Norton both stars in and produces the film; apparently he is just as big a fan of comics as everyone else. Hopefully, this time around will be the Hulk's big moment, and everyone can forget about the last film. The trailer looks amazing, and you can watch it and find out more information at the official website.

The Forbidden Kingdom

A truly notable martial arts movie will be released this weekend. Though it may just look like another summer action flick, "The Forbidden Kingdom" is finally doing what martial arts fans have been begging for: the pairing of martial arts legends Jackie Chan and Jet Li. Remarkably, these two famous martial arts actors have never been in a film together, even though they are this generation's answer to Bruce Lee and Sonny Chiba. The film apparently follows the story of two teachers that have to take the young "chosen one" on a long journey and teach him the basics of their two very different fighting styles in order to save the world. I admit, it does sound a little cheesy and perhaps does have a bit of a cookie cutter story, but it still combines two martial arts legends. There should be plenty of action and great stunts to "wow" audiences everywhere. Still, there is room for doubt; his could be a quick cash in on the two stars involved. Let's hope it isn't. Make up your own mind and watch the trailer.

Bob Dylan Receives Award

Everybody knows Bob Dylan is amazing. He is one of the greatest (if not the greatest) American musicians of all time. It's about time they give Dylan a Pulitzer. Yes, i said a Pulitzer. Thanks to the music of Bob Dylan, rock and roll is now a category for the prestigious award. Dylan was awarded the special music Pulitzer Prize for 2008, and he is in good company. John Coltrane, Thelonius Monk, and a select few others have been given this honor, and let's face it, Dylan was a natural choice. However, Dylan as usual is a pioneer. Though others have been awarded this prize before, Dylan is the first to be awarded the prize for rock and roll music; the judges usually pick classical or jazz artists instead of rock musicians. So congratulations and way to go Bob; you deserve it. For more info check out CNN's full coverage of the story.

Rites of Spring

Vanderbilt University is planning for its annual Rites of Spring Music Festival on April 18-19. The small but loveable festival is a grea event for Vanderbilt students and Nashville residents to break away from the daily routine and enjoy some music. Every year it seems like the artists that play are bigger and bigger; this year being no exception. The Festival has already booked artists like Spoon, Feist, Lil John, and many others. It's going to be a great time, and those who can't get away from their busy schedules to attend bigger festivals like Bonnaroo should definitely consider going. It should be a great time, and if you go both days you get a discount! Check out the website for more info. Thanks Vanderbilt!

I Am Iron Man!

Summer and super hero movies always come at the same time. Who knows why, they just seem to go together like Batman and Robin. This summer is no exception. Tons of super hero movies are planned for a 2008 summer release, and the "Invincible Iron Man" has the honor of going first.

First, a little back story. Iron Man is actually Tony Stark, of Stark Enterprises. He is a wealthy man and anthropologist who, after being injured and forced by evil doers to build a devastating weapon, built a suit with amazing technology to defend mankind. This suit allows Tony to fly, shoot various kinds of projectile weapons, and enables him with super strength. Iron Man first appeared in Marvel's "Tales of Suspense" and has quickly become a comic book staple. Ok, enough back story.

The Iron Man movie, starring Robert Downy Jr., will be released May 2, and is bound to please comic book and movie fans alike. The preview looks amazing, and the story seems to remain true to the source material. The technology used in making the film works extremely well; it actually looks like Iron Man is flying next to fighter jets and crushing through walls. This movie could not have been made a few years ago due to technological limitations, so now fans are drooling over the movie they've been dying for someone to create. For more information check out the official website. It's here this May, don't miss it!

Record Store Day!

Every year independent record stores around the country pull out all the stops for one day. Every April 19 Record Store Day comes around; it is a day when people can celebrate music with their favorite local record store and let the store employees know how much we all appreciate them. For Nashville, Grimey's Music and Record Store is the place to be. This usually includes massive sales, great door prizes, and live music. Grimey's pulls out all of their overstocked albums, puts them in their parking lot, and lets customers graze through the overwhelming amount of music. Usually, these records only cost about a dollar, which is an unbelieveable deal. Furhtermore, all the items in the store are on sale. I have spent literally entire days in Grimey's parking lot in the past; there is that much material to sift through and that many good bands to hear. If you want to purchase a lot of music Record Store Day is deffinitely the day to do it. For more information check out .