JACK WHITE AND ALICIA KEYS: "ANOTHER WAY TO DIE" - MY VERDICT

Well, you can check out the video for Jack White and Alicia Keys' 007 theme "Another Way To Die" here. Personally, I really like it, both the song and the video. On one hand, it's too bad that Amy Winehouse couldn't get it together to do a song (she was the producers' original choice) but I think they way the song turned out is great. This is a really cool collaboration: it's like 1/3 Jack White, 1/3 Alicia and 1/3 Bond music. I definitely hope that they work together again in the future. I've really liked some recent Bond themes: especially Garbage's "The World Is Not Enough," but also Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow Never Dies" and even Madonna's "Die Another Day" (which I read Elton John said was "the worst Bond theme ever"). I was actually a bit disappointed with Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name." But I really really dig "Another Way To Die."

LEVON HELM'S (NOT LAST) WALTZ

It's great to see the late career-acclaim that Levon Helm has been getting in recent years. He'd hit hard times: he was suffering from throat cancer and thought he wouldn't sing again. And he was having financial troubles, and nearly had to literally sell his farm.

Well, he recovered from cancer, and decided to have a blowout party at his barn where he charged admission and played a righteous jam with his friends. Well, that jam turned into an ongoing thing - called "Midnight Rambles" - and ended up raising enough money for him to keep his place. Now his Rambles are big draws, and he even takes his show on the road. I saw a Ramble last year, and was blown away, it was an amazing show. He also put out his first solo album in decades last year - Dirt Farmer - and it was like an instant classic.

Just a few weeks ago, Levon was named Americana Artist of the Year at The Americana Awards in Nashville; the night before, he did a Ramble at the Ryman auditorium, where he was joined by Robert Plant, Alison Krauss, Buddy Miller, Steve Earle, Allison Moorer, John Hiatt and Sheryl Crow. It's good to see the man getting his due while he's still here to appreciate it.

ROBERT PLANT DENIES ZEP TOUR RUMORS

Enough with these rumors! That's Robert Plant's attitude. He took the rare move of commenting on his website via a press statement about the Led Zeppelin tour rumors.

It says that after this leg of his tour with Alison Krauss wraps up on October 5, "...Robert has no intention whatsoever of touring with anyone for at least the next two years. Contrary to a spate of recent reports, Robert Plant will not be touring or recording with Led Zeppelin. Anyone buying tickets online to any such event will be buying bogus tickets.
'It‘s both frustrating and ridiculous for this story to continue to rear its head when all the musicians that surround the story are keen to get on with their individual projects and move forward,' Robert Plant said.
'I wish Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones and Jason Bonham nothing but success with any future projects,' he added."

When I wrote about this reunion last week, I'd mentioned rumors that Page, Jones and Bonham were rehearsing with an American singer. Since then, I decided not to write about the rumors that Plant was going to go out with them. Anyway, I guess those were the rumors that Robert was referring to in this statement. So, it looks like Jimmy and John Paul may be taking the Yes route next year: touring with the son of one member, and an "understudy" for another. Not a cool move. Jimmy and John Paul, please, please PLEASE reconsider.

PAUL McCARTNEY PLAYS ISRAEL, FOILS RELIGIOUS WACKOS, PREPS NEW TECHNO ALBUM

I'm glad, as most people are, that Paul McCartney's recent concert in Israel, went off well with no one getting hurt. His oover of John Lennon's "Give Peace A Chance" was supposedly a highlight of the show.

Earlier this year, there were reports that Paul was working on a new album with Youth from Killing Joke. Paul and Youth had done two amibent instrumental albums together already, under the name "The Fireman." I thought that this next album would be a "normal" Paul McCartney album. Nope: it's going to be a Fireman album with a twist: Paul will be singing on it. Still, I wonder if he's also working on a more conventional rock/pop album, and if he is going to tour the U.S. anytime soon. I don't see him touring for a Fireman album.

BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN TO PLAY SUPER BOWL XLIII

Last year, the Super Bowl had Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers, and this year, it will have Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band. Cool news: first of all, it's cool because it will remind a global audience just how powerful this band is. But even more cool than that: it probably means there will be more touring in 2009. Bruce probably wouldn't be doing the Super Bowl if he didn't have a new album or tour to promote, and hopefully he'll have both. I'd love to see him do "Livin' In The Future," but those lyrics would probably be hard to swallow for the conservative football crowd.

LUCINDA WILLIAMS: NEW ALBUM AND EP

After seeing Lucinda Williams in concert last year, I decided to take some time off form her, although she is one of my favorite artists. Then, over the summer, I saw her open for John Mellencamp. She was pretty good. 

But no matter how I feel about her performances lately, I would always buy a Lucinda album the minute it comes out. I'm glad that she has an album coming out - Little Honey - and the songs that I've heard were pretty good. On the same day, she's releasing Lu In 08, a four song digital EP of protest songs: Buffalo Springfield's "For What It's Worth," Bob Dylan's "Mater Of War," and a Thievery Corporation song that featured Wayne Coyne from Flaming Lips, "Marching The Hate Machines Into The Sun," and an original, "Bone Of Contention." Definitely something to look forward to! 

NOT QUITE "VOTE FOR CHANGE"

The Obama/Biden campaign is selling a CD to help raise funds for their campaign. Yes We Can: Voices Of A Grassroots Movement features mostly previously released tracks by Buddy Miller, keb'mo, Stevie Wonder and Sheryl Crow. But the coolest track on the album is John Legend's cover of U2's "Pride (In The Name Of Love)." You can get the CD here.