We say goodbye.It’s always sad to see the good ones called home. Soul singer Percy Sledge, most noted for his beautiful tune “When a Man Loves a Woman,” passed away this week. According to his management, he died of natural causes this past Tuesday at the tender age of 74. We say goodbye and have a safe journey to the place beyond all things. RIP Mr. Sledge. And as a nice send-off, let’s listen to the tune that put him on the map.White’s sneak attack!Talk about exclusivity! Jack White is going on an all-acoustic tour, during which he’ll play in five states he’s never played in. But wanna hear the real zinger behind the whole thing? He’s not announcing the shows until the day of, and tickets will be sold at the venue for $3 apiece. You know what that means, right? Riots! Apparently, he’s going to take “a break from performing live for a long period of time,” so if you’re as obsessed with him as I am (which isn’t a whole lot), I’m sure you wouldn’t mind waiting a number of years to see him again. It’s not like you’ll be missing the White Stripes, know what I mean? Unfortunately, he probably won’t play in New Mexico, as he has played here before. Bummer.Smith catching the MThis is an exciting one, y’all. Patti Smith has announced a second memoir (M Train) coming out on Oct. 6. If you’ve not yet read her amazing 2010 memoir Just Kids, then you have some serious catching up to do. Her first autobiographical endeavor charted her artistic relationship/friendship with the famous photographer Robert Mapplethorpe (RIP), and it was eye-opening, romantic and sublimely written. That probably means her second one won’t disappoint. Head to Consequence of Sound to read more ’bout it. And just for fun, have a listen to one of my favorite Smith tunes (“Land”) below.Duchovny gets musicalDid you know that David Duchovny, the star of “X-Files” and “Californication,” is recording a record? Me neither! But he is, and it’s called Hell or Highwater, and it comes out on May 12. Not just that, the actor (and singer?) said the album will sound like something akin to REM or Wilco. That’s a bold statement, bro. Regardless, if you wanna know more, or wanna see the tracklist, head over to NME.Brand New gets newerBrand New are one of those bands that took me a while to get into. After initially hearing their first record Your Favorite Weapon, I wrote them off as another emo/pop-punk band who was wallowing in the sorrowful landscape of angsty teens looking for a reason to feel like someone “gets” it. But Deja Entendu changed everything. They were actually good songwriters, good musicians. They actually had a vision. Then The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me came about, and it was their masterpiece. Listen to “Jesus” or “Not the Sun” to see what I mean. After that record, I kinda stopped paying attention. But now they’ve shared their first song in six years, titled “Mene.” Not sure if this is coming off a forthcoming record, but it’s nice to hear something new from the band. Have a listen below.Mariah’s hitsSay what you want about Mariah Carey. She don’t care. The diva is gearing up to release a compilation of her #1 tunes, titled #1 To Infinity. It’ll have all of her 18 ditties that made it to the top spot in the charts, plus a new track (you guessed it: “Infinity”). Though it’s her fourth compilation album, I’m sure there will be a large number of people heading to the stores to get it when it drops. Either way, Carey won’t care. She’s gonna have a Vegas residency where she’ll be wowing crowds regardless. Look for that some time mid-May. Cheers!That bug is so damagingTalk about prolific: It’s gotten to the point where I can’t even keep up with Thee Oh Sees or John Dwyer (TOS’ front man). After announcing a hiatus, Thee Oh Sees came out with last year’s Drop, and now they’re gearing up to release a new record (Mutilator Defeated At Last) before calling it quits, and to add to that: John Dwyer is coming out with a new album with his side project Damaged Bug (Cold Hot Plumbs) on June 1. It’s just too much, y’all. But Dwyer has shared a new Damaged Bug track, titled “Jet in Jungle,” which you can hear below. I’m tired.Megadeth needs helpHey thrash fans, did ya know that Megadeth is in the studio recording its 15th album? No? Well, you should because they need your help. Apparently, the band is partnering with PledgeMusic and asking for donations from fans to help crowdfund the new record. Depending on how much you give, you can get a signed vinyl, a signed CD, a digital album download, signed biographies from the band members, a guitar lesson (via Skype, of course) and more. I guess asking your fans for help is so rock ‘n’ roll.
Rooster Roundabout: This Week’s Music Highlights
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