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.

The next commercial collabo is even more unsuspecting than Bob Dylan and Santa Claus – Nike and Sub Pop Records. Nike is releasing a shoe designed for the Quickstrike SB Blazer Elite series, whatever that is, and has pasted the black-and-white SubPop label discretely on the tongue. Sub Pop, the record label home to everyone from Fleet Foxes and Wolf Parade to Nirvana and Sunny Day Real Estate, have not posted any information on their website about the shoe. But I’m sure some diehard will be willing to shell out $150 for the black-and-yellow sneaker this fall.

Pending the release of their latest album, Weezer was caught in the crossfire of some harsh words about their choice of title. Raditude made it on Spin’s “20 Worst Album Titles of 2009″ before it was even released, and topped Rolling Stone’s list of “Dictionary-Defying Album Titles” (a very fun list, for those with time to spare or a computer at work).

Anyway, back to the point. Weezer dodged the bullet by informing the furrowed brow of the public that Rainn Wilson (The Office‘s Dwight and a recent comic darling) was responsible for the title.

“[Wilson] has a super-rock persona,” Rivers said, according to Pitchfork. “When it came time to find a title for the Weezer album, I asked him what he thought the ultimate album title would be, and he said ‘Raditude.’”

Naturally. The rest of the titles aren’t any more innovative – including singles “The Girl Got Hot” and “I’m Your Daddy.”

Weezer has never been one for album titles (see The Blue, Green and Red albums) or breaking boundaries, for that matter, considering they specialize in three-chord pop-punk about falling in love with Japanese teenagers. But for the group responsible for “My Name Is Jonas”, a cult-favourite and soundtrack to my youth, I hoped for something more. I won’t be able to weigh in until Raditude hits shelves Oct. 27, but expect disenchantment and some good puns. So far, all I have is “Baditude”.

Related posts:

1. Weezer To Offer Personalized Snuggies
2. My Chemical Romance To Cover Bob Dylan For ‘Watchmen’
3. A-Trak Crafts Workout Mix For Nike

Read more at andPOP. andPOP - POP Culture with Substance