andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

There’s little in the music world that excites me more than a good collaboration. Be the unlikely pairing of Eminem and Elton John, or inevitable power tracks from Jay-Z, Kanye and Rihanna (check out “Run This Town” if you haven’t already heard it.)

Recently, though, more than just musical minds have been getting together. So here’s the news.

It seems early to be looking forward to the holidays, but this year I actually have a reason to get excited. Bob Dylan is releasing a Christmas album, according to Pitchfork. No longer will I have to sit through the intolerable holiday stylings of Michael Buble, Destiny’s Child, or Jessica Simpson. At first I was hesitant, imagining his raspy, sarcastic attempts at “Santa Baby” or “Deck the Halls.”

But Dylan’s official website confirmed a more appropriate set list, including “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas”, “O Little Town of Bethlehem”, “Winter Wonderland”, “Little Drummer Boy”, and “Must Be Santa.” The album artwork for Christmas in the Heart is also pure class, and will surely stand out amongst the glittery fare normally on the shelves around the holiday time. The album is set for release on Oct. 13 – a little on the early side but knowing Dylan, it will be worth much more than just holiday cheer.

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Bob Dylan will be joined by two very special guests when he embarks on an extensive tour of minor-league baseball parks this summer.

The rock icon has enlisted Willie Nelson and John Mellencamp for the 23-date U.S. trek, marking just the second time in 24 years that the three musicians have performed together.

The tour, which will forego major cities for smaller locales, kicks off in Sauget, IL on July 2 and wraps up in Stockton, California on Aug. 15.

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My Chemical Romance is set to cover a classic Bob Dylan tune for the upcoming “Watchmen” movie.

Director Zack Snyder told MTV News that MCR frontman Gerard Way, being a “huge fan” of the graphic novel on which the film is based, made the first move.

“Honestly, he contacted me, just as a fan,” Snyder said of Way, who studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York City and is working on a comic-book series for Dark Horse called “The Umbrella Academy.”

“[He wanted] to say like: ‘I hope the movie’s cool.’ And then we went, ‘Hey, maybe we can do something.’”

Snyder, who previously directed the epic “300,” revealed that they are currently working with MCR on putting together a song for the end titles, with one of the possible covers being “Desolation Row” off of Dylan’s 1965 album “Highway 61 Revisited.”

The director said he has listened to some of the band’s initial Dylan demos and described them as “pretty freaking cool.”

MCR’s cover aside, the movie’s soundtrack is set to feature original versions of songs from the ’60s through to the ’80s, including Jimi Hendrix and Simon & Garfunkel.

Created by Alan Moore, the “Watchmen” series was first published from 1986 to 1987 and revolves around a group of unconventional superheroes who are forced to confront a conspiracy.

The graphic novel made it onto Time Magazine’s 2005 list of “the 100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present,” where it was praised as “a heart-pounding, heartbreaking read and a watershed in the evolution of a young medium.”

The movie, starring Patrick Wilson, Billy Crudup and Jeffrey Dean Morgan, will hit theatres in spring 2009.

Bob Dylan, winner of Grammy, Golden Globe and Academy Awards, can now add another accolade to the list: a Pulitzer Prize.

The 66-year-old musician, considered by many to be the most influential songwriter of the last 50 years, received the Special Citation In Music honour Monday for his “profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power.”

The Pulitzers are considered the U.S.’s highest honour in print journalism, literary achievements and musical composition.

It’s believed to be the first time the Pulitzer board has awarded a rock ‘n’ roll artist, though the judges have in the past honoured classical music and, more recently, jazz.

Five decades into his career, Dylan continues to tour and release albums. His most recent, “Modern Times,” was released in 2006 to wide acclaim and made Dylan the oldest person ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard chart.

The first part of his planned three-volume memoir, “Chronicles, Volume One,” received a National Book Critics Circle nomination in 2005.

The Raconteurs, Bob Dylan, Foo Fighters and Kings of Leon are all teaming up in different combinations to play a slew of dates over the coming months.

According to Pitchfork, Dylan will tour with Kings of Leon opening throughout October, with Foo Fighters taking over the slot later in the fall. After the Foo’s run, The Raconteurs (featuring Jack White of the White Stripes) will open for Dylan on a string of dates in November.

The Raconteurs also have a number of headlining dates scheduled throughout in North America, including stops in Toronto and Montreal. Dylan fans will be able to catch the legend in Vancouver (with Kings of Leon), as well as London, Ottawa, Toronto and Montreal (all with Foo Fighters).

Here’s the full list of North American dates -

Raconteurs headlining:

09-10 Toronto, Ontario – Toronto Islands Park (Virgin Festival)
09-14 Houston, TX – Verizon Wireless Theater
09-15 Grand Prairie, TX – Nokia Live
09-16 Austin, TX – Austin City Limits Music Festival
09-19 Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle
09-20 Orlando, FL – Hard Rock Live
09-22 Norfolk, VA – NorVA
09-23 Baltimore, MD – Pimlico Race Course (Virgin Festival)
09-24 Atlantic City, NJ – House of Blues
09-25 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
09-26 New York, NY – Roseland Ballroom
09-28 Providence, RI – Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel
09-29 Boston, MA – Orpheum Theatre
09-30 Montreal, Quebec – Metropolis

Bob Dylan w/ Kings of Leon:

10-11 Vancouver, British Columbia – Pacific Coliseum
10-13 Seattle, WA – Key Arena
10-14 Portland, OR – Memorial Coliseum
10-16 San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic
10-17 San Francisco, CA – Bill Graham Civic
10-18 Sacramento, CA – ARCO Arena
10-20 Los Angeles, CA – Forum
10-22 San Diego, CA – Cox Arena
10-24 Denver, CO – Fillmore
10-25 Lincoln, NE – Pershing Auditorium
10-27 Chicago, IL – Sears Centre
10-28 Chicago, IL – Sears Centre

Bob Dylan w/ Foo Fighters:

10-29 St. Paul, MN – Xcel Energy Center
10-31 Madison, WI – Kohl Center
11-02 Detroit, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
11-03 London, Ontario – John Labatt Centre
11-05 Ottawa, Ontario – Scotiabank Place
11-07 Toronto, Ontario – Air Canada Centre
11-08 Montreal, Quebec – Bell Centre

Bob Dylan w/ The Raconteurs:

11-09 Portland, ME – Cumberland County Civic Center
11-11 Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
11-12 Boston, MA – Agganis Arena
11-13 Uniondale, NY – Nassau Coliseum
11-15 Amherst, MA – Mullins Center at University of Massachusetts
11-16 East Rutherford, NJ – Continental Airlines
11-17 Fairfax, VA – Patroit Center
11-18 Philadelphia, PA – Wachovia Spectrum

A new film based on the life and music of Bob Dylan will feature seven different actors portraying the influential songwriter.

Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere and four others have signed on to play different evocations of Dylan, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film will also mark the onscreen reunion of “Brokeback Mountain” stars Heath Ledger and Michelle Williams.

Todd Haynes (”Velvet Goldmine”) will direct the film, which is slated to start shooting in Montreal in July.

Bob Dylan hasn’t announced any plans for his 65th birthday on Wednesday, but fans around the world and in his hometown will be celebrating the songwriter’s life.

Billboard reports that a new book of Dylan interviews has been released for the occasion, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame has mounted a special exhibit and residents in his hometown of Hibbing, Minnesota are baking cakes in case Dylan makes an appearance.

In 1991, citizens of Hibbing started celebrating “Dylan Days” to mark the birthday of their most famous export. This year, there will be concerts, readings, a bus tour of Hibbing, and a special one-day-only U.S. Postal Service design to be stamped on mail.

“Like A Rolling Stone,” Bob Dylan’s classic 1965 single, has been named the greatest cultural moment of the last 50 years.

Elvis Presley’s “Heartbreak Hotel” came a close second in the poll on Friday to find the 100 top cultural moments in music, movies, TV and books, reports the BBC.

The survey for the new issue of U.K. magazine Uncut was voted on by musicians, actors and industry experts, led by Sir Paul McCartney.

The highest-ranking film on the list was Stanley Kubrick?s controversial ?A Clockwork Orange? (No. 5), followed by ?The Godfather? and ?The Godfather II? films in sixth place.

The top TV show was ?60s cult series ?The Prisoner? with Patrick McGoohan (No. 10), while the highest-ranking book was Jack Kerouac?s ?On The Road? (No. 19).

McCartney, Oasis? Noel Gallagher, Robert Downey Jr., Keith Richards of The Rolling Stones and Lou Reed were among those who gave their input for the poll.

Veteran rocker Patti Smith had high praise for the winning song, saying, ?I absolutely remember where I was when I first heard it. It got me through adolescence.?

Ex-Beatle McCartney chose ?Heartbreak Hotel? as his top pick.

?It?s the way (Presley) sings it as if he is singing from the depths of hell,? McCartney said. ?His phrasing, use of echo, it?s all so beautiful. Musically, it?s perfect.?

The Beatles? song ?She Loves Me? landed the No. 3 spot on the list, followed by ?(I Can?t Get No) Satisfaction? by The Rolling Stones.

Actors Edward Norton and Juliette Lewis and ex-Beach Boy Brian Wilson also participated in the survey, which marks the magazine?s 100th issue.

?It is sure to spark discussions,? said Uncut editor Allan Jones.

?This list has been a massive undertaking and considering which films have had a greater cultural impact than Bowie, for example, has fuelled many discussions.

“What we have been left with is Dylan as the most seminal artistic statement of the last five decades – but I’m sure others will disagree.”

Music, Films, TV and Books that ?Changed the World? (Source: Uncut magazine):

1. Bob Dylan ? ?Like a Rolling Stone?
2. Elvis Presley ? ?Heartbreak Hotel?
3. The Beatles ? ?She Loves You?
4. The Rolling Stones ? ?(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction?
5. ?A Clockwork Orange?
6. ?The Godfather? and ?The Godfather II?
7. David Bowie ? ?The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust?
8. ?Taxi Driver?
9. Sex Pistols ? ?Never Mind The Bollocks Here’s the Sex Pistols?
10. ?The Prisoner?