It seems like forever since “The Strokes” released something new. Years ago I bought tickets to see “The Strokes” open for “Weezer” in Cleveland. On the day of the show “The Strokes” canceled their performance. I still hold a grudge about that.

The other day I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled on the new album from Julian Casablancas, “The Strokes” frontman. Julian’s debut solo album titled “Phrazes for the Young” is available now on itunes and it’s only $4.99. I also recently read that “The Strokes” are currently working on their fourth album.

I was doing a search for another post on lyrics and I came across the singer Whitney Raenan. Her vocal style is blend of Leann Rimes and Carrie Underwood. She just released a single called “iCandi” on Universal Records. She posted a video two years ago on YouTube singing a vocal over a Karoke track which led to a deal with a major record label. Here’s an example of how the web has changed the music industry.

http://www.youtube.com/user/whitneyraenan

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BFnIP2NT5Yc

In honor of Black Friday, the Cure’s “Friday I’m In Love.”

Happy Thanksgiving! In search of celebrating the season with the right touch of music, feast your eyes on this cornucopia of thanksgiving songs.

Top 10 Thanksgiving Tunes
1. The Thanksgiving Song (Turkey Song) – Adam Sandler
2. Thank You – Dido
3. Never Wanted Nothing More – Kenny Chesney
4. Be Thankful – Natalie Cole
5. Autumn Leaves – Roger Williams
6. Thank You For Being A Friend (Golden Girl’s Theme) – Andrew Gold
7. Day by Day – Godspell
8. Thank You Lord – Bob Marley
9. Eat It – Weird Al
10. Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie – Brave Combo

Do you have any Thanksgiving tunes to add?

Happy Birthday to Billy Idol who turns 54 today! In honor of the man with the whiplash smile, we celebrate him with a sentune. Try taking five song titles of the artist and arrange them in a sentence.

Billy Idol Sentune:
Catch my fall sweet sixteen, don’t need a gun to be a lover hot in the city

On this day in tune history the first public jukebox was installed in Paris Royal Hotel in San Francisco by the Pacific Phonograph Company in 1899. Where would the iPod be without the Jukebox? Now you have the power of 20 jukeboxes in the palm of your hand.

Perhaps it’s the fact that I grew up in the 80s, but I think I may be the only one who likes being Rickrolled. Rickroll is the act of deceiving an online user by directing them to Rick Astley’s 1987 video for “Never Going To Give You Up” instead of their intended destination. The song has become a joke since 2007 when Rickrolling became prominent, but it just never gets old.

The act of Rickrolling is still strong because the song is fun and Rick Astley’s dance moves are hilarious. Have you been Rickrolled lately?

Watch the video

The 2009 American Music Awards will be broadcast live on Sunday, November 22, will the stars of the 1980s win all the awards? Janet Jackson and Whitney Houston are scheduled to perform. Michael Jackson is nominated for numerous awards. Is this the 1989 or 2009 American Music Awards?

http://abc.go.com/shows/american-music-awards

On Saturday, November 14, 2009, I had the opportunity to see The Ethnogs perform at the Hilton Chicago in a session at the National Communication Association Annual Convention.  The Ethnogs are a mythical 1960s-based rock band developed by Communication scholars Nick Trujillo (a.k.a. Gory Bateson), Robert Krizek (a.k.a. Dougal Macrorie), and Bud Goodall (a.k.a. Dick Diver).  As part of a method they call automythology, they and other Communication scholars write stories and perform identities as individuals associated with the band and its fictional history.  Among its goals, the project hopes to examine how the mythology of American music, particularly rock ‘n’ roll, works and how that intersects with people’s other identities and experiences, including, in their case, their academic identities and experiences as teachers and researchers.

In Chicago, the Ethnogs played several songs, including “It’s a Way of Life,” “The Thong Song,” and what they claim as their biggest hit in their mythological story (and what is, I’d assert, their best song) — “Train to Purgatory.”  You can find out more about the band and its mythical history at The Ethnogs’ website.  You can also see some of their performances, including the show I attended in Chicago, on Gory Bateson’s YouTube channel.

There are always bands that are bubbling up and Green River Ordinance (GRO) is one of those bands. Their sound reminds of a cross between Tonic and The Counting Crows. GRO’s latest single “Come On” is starting to get some radio play. Look for this band to make waves in 2010.

http://www.myspace.com/gro