Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Playoff Hockey Edition

Welcome to another edition of Friday’s Rockin’ Roundup where I roundup all the cool happenings in the world of music. And while I’ve been trying to keep up on my favorite bands and music there’s been a little distraction going on called the NHL Playoffs. Regular readers probably remember that I am a huge fan of the Pittsburgh Penguins. I started watching hockey because of Mario Lemieux---one of the greatest Penguins ever.

The Penguins have had an exciting post season thus far and they just beat the Washington Capitals in an exceptional game 7 to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals. If they win their next series against the Ottawa Senators, the Penguins will go to the Stanley Cup Final for the second year in a row. Last year they won it all and I am hoping that they will repeat their championship performance this year. The first game of their next series is Saturday night. I will be glued to my television, rooting for a Penguins victory.

And while I was busy watching the coolest sport on Earth, here what’s rocked this week:  

All theGaslight Anthem Songs Ranked

The Gaslight Anthem are a band that I absolutely adore. They are currently on an indefinite hiatus, but that doesn’t stop me from constantly seeking out the latest news about the band. Mostly I do it in the hopes of hearing that they are coming out of hibernation and working on a new record. Being that the band is from New Jersey, NJ.Com took the liberty of ranking all the Gaslight Anthem songs from worst to best. And while I don’t necessarily agree with all the rankings, I love that they put this up for debate. If you are a fan of the band, this is a must-read article. And if you aren’t familiar with the band, NJ.Com was kind enough to include a You Tube video for each song so you can sample them for yourself.

Linkin Park to Use Fan First Technology for Their Current Tour

They aren’t the first band to try the fan first technology, but they are the first band that brought it to my attention. Ticketmaster launched what they call “Verified Fan” earlier this year and Linkin Park is using the technology to help real fans get tickets to their show. The concept is simple---the more you are willing to do for the band, the higher your chances are of scoring presale tickets. Join the fan club, tweet about the band, promote them on Facebook, and/or pre-ordering their latest album are all ways that you can improve your standing. The concept was created to help battle the scalping bots and I think that it’s a step in the right direction. It may not solve the re-selling of tickets at overinflated prices permanently, but it’s good to see that Ticketmaster and Live Nation are trying.

Imagine Dragons Have Announced a New Album and Tour

Evolve will be available on June 23^rd. This will be the third album from Imagine Dragons. Their first two records were impeccable, so expectations for disc number three are high with me. Their tour starts in late September and runs through the fall. Presale tickets will be available starting next week. I am going to try my best to catch one of their shows. I’ve never seen Imagine Dragons in concert, but I hear they are amazing.

U2 30th Anniversary Tour Launches Today

U2 kicks off their 30^th anniversary tour tonight. The first concert takes place in Vancouver and U2 will be touring North America for the rest of the spring. The Joshua Tree will be played in its entirety and I am revved up to see this concert. I haven’t seen U2 live since 2005, so this is going to be a special treat for me. I know that I will be checking the Vancouver set list come tomorrow morning.

Paul McCartneyAdds Tour Dates

Sir Paul McCartney has added more shows to his summer/fall tour. Additional nights have been added in the NY/NJ area as well as Chicago and Detroit. Tickets are on sale today, so if you want to see McCartney you’d better get to Ticketmaster now and get some!

Friday's Rockin' Roundup - Dave Matthews Band Tickets Edition

In case you haven’t heard, Dave Matthews Band is going on a fall tour. And in case you’ve been living under a rock, DMB will not be touring in 2011, meaning this is the last chance to see them until at least 2012. Tickets for most of their fall dates go on sale this morning at 10AM including two nights at Madison Square Garden in November. Your Cousin Ryo has the direct ticketmaster link bookmarked, so at 10:00 AM, I can jump on and (hopefully) get great tickets. I still don’t understand why the band doesn’t just send me comp passes. For all the coverage I give them on my site, what the heck?

Here’s what rocked this week:

Stone Temple Pilots Are Taking A “Break”
On one hand, it’s really sad to see that Scott Weiland really hasn’t changed. On the other hand, it’s entertaining and hard to look away from, like a car crash on the highway. If Weiland doesn’t pull it together soon though, the man is going to go into a total relapse.

Another Number One Album For Linkin Park
Like the little band that could, Linkin Park grabbed another number one album. Sales for their latest release, A Thousand Suns, topped 241,000 copies in its initial week of sales. That’s pretty darned good. Who says that no one pays for music? Apparently people pay for Linkin Park.

The Rolling Stones Are Set To Release a 1972 Gem
A very rare, highly sought after, and very enjoyable Rolling Stones concert film is coming to a DVD near you. Ladies and Gentlemen…The Rolling Stones, is a 1972 concert filmed in Texas during the Exile On Main Street tour. With songs such as Dead Flowers, All Down The Line, and Bye Bye Johnny, how can you not add this to your Stones collection? Look for this one on October 12th.

Roger Waters Squashes A Pink Floyd Reunion
But he’s not against another one-off show. We can only hope that it would be a full concert (ala Led Zeppelin at O2). Even though it’s just Waters and Gilmour, it’s still magical.

For more news, reviews, ticket rants, rock and roll, and good times, you should follow me on twitter. www.twitter.com/ryovie