Music news, album reviews and release dates, updated frequently

As rumored for some time, the surviving members of Led Zeppelin will re-form for a one-off performance in London on November 26th as part of a tribute to late Atlantic Records co-founder Ahmet Ertegun. Band members Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, and John Paul Jones will join with drummer Jason Bonham (son of the band’s original drummer John) at the O2 Arena. Tickets will be issued via a lottery on the event’s website, which already crashed once today due to overwhelming demand. If you are interested in trying your luck, you have until Monday to register (note that tickets are approximately $250 each).

One band that won’t be playing live for a while are the White Stripes, who have canceled their upcoming 18-date US tour by issuing a statement that drummer “Meg White is suffering from acute anxiety and is unable to travel at this time.” UK band the Kaiser Chiefs have also called off their scheduled American tour, but only because they are anxious to return to the recording studio and work on album number three.

The soundtrack to “High School Musical 2″ leads all albums in US sales according to today’s newly-issued Billboard rankings. It is the first four-peat in the top spot in two years. And if you are worried about next week’s chart–which will include the albums released yesterday–rest assured that Kanye West’s “Graduation” is predicted to top 50 Cent’s “Curtis,” although each album is expected to move at least half a million units.

Oft-sampled New York post-punk band ESG have announced that they are calling it quits after over 25 years, with a September 21 show in Chicago set to be their last.

Ninja, the frontwoman for sample-heavy band The Go! Team, reported to NME that she is preparing to launch a solo career.

Lily Allen
The singer is heading to America–we think. After canceling many of her planned US tour dates earlier this year, Allen went back out on the road, and now has a handful of west coast dates planned for September.

• Tour Dates (Live Daily)

Kaiser Chiefs
The UK band has American dates scheduled for September and October in support of “Yours Truly, Angry Mob.”

• Tour Dates (Live Daily)

Clinic
The scrubs-wearing UK band has been selected to open for the Arcade Fire on the latter’s fall UK tour, beginning October 26th.

• Tour Dates (Gigwise)

Mountain Goats
John Darnielle is heading out for a two-week tour of the northeast, beginning September 20th.

• Tour Dates (Pitchfork)

New Young Pony Club
The hot band has announced a new autumn UK tour in support of their just-released debut album, “Fantastic Playroom.”

• Tour Dates (Gigwise)

The Used
The band will headline a 17-date US tour that begins  just after Labor Day.

• Tour Dates (Punknews)

No news is too small as we roundup the day’s events from the music world, including word of an innovative new way to share illegal music, an alternative “OK Computer,” and the latest buzz on Madonna’s guitar-playing and Shaun Ryder’s smoking habit. READ THE REST OF THIS ARTICLE »