According to their official site, the first single from Pearl Jam’s eigth studio album will be a free MP3 available for download on March 8th. This is a pretty incredible news for fans of the band, but also a boon for the future of online music promotion. When Tom Petty released a single to mp3.com several years ago, his record company freaked out and it had to be removed. Its not uncommon for an up and coming band to slap some tracks on a myspace account to get some buzz, but Pearl Jam is a band that could easily sell the song on iTunes and keep the money. Here’s hoping its a success and more follow suit.

I’ve been late with the past few Southern Fried Sundays, but next time I’ll have a note from my mom. Anyway, this album was a very important one for the south, especially No Limit records. It contained the single of the decade, “Bout it Bout it”. This was at a time when Master P was leaving the bay area, so the new (at the time) producers Beats by the pound, along with rappers Mr Serv On and Mia X really stand out. Veterans King George, Big ED and C-Murder also show up. C-Murder especially has dope verses on the album’s first track ‘187 dance’ and the song ‘living like a killa’. Master P and C-Bo collaborate on “How We Break Bread”. This LP is hard to find nowadays, but if you do, pick it up, and take a trip back to ten years ago when the tank was on top of the world and they made quality music.

The Dresden Dolls are Amanda Palmer (keyboards and Vocals) and Brian Viglione (Drums). Straight off the there amazing first album and an opening spot on the first NIN tour in four years, The Dresden Dolls Released there first DVD in November. From the blistering opening song Good Day to the Black Sabbath cover of War Pigs to the single Girl Anachronism the Dolls put on an explosive and manic performance the very few “traditional” bands can accomplish. Amanda seems like the crazy girl we all know. While Brian has a charisma that very few front men let alone drummers have. The DVD contains the performance from their home town of Boston and the incredible videos for Coin Operated Boy and Girl Anachronism.

At ten dollars or less this DVD is an amazing deal.

I hate to be the only one posting here, but I digress. Anyway, lets pretend it’s SUnday and not Thursday and I’m not 4 days late and get on with the program. Anyway, this isn’t the greatest southren rap album ever. Hell, it isn’t even the group’s best album (That would be Chapter 2: World domination). However, it’s thier most important album, not only for the group, but for Memphis and the south. At the time of it’s release, it was the first album Three six as a group had put out in 3 years, since 97’s chapter 2. It was the last album before HCP came apart almost and lost Koopsta (One has to wonder why he wasn’t shown on the cover or any of the artwork, even though he was featured on several songs on the album) and Gangsta Boo (along with several others). Even though this album helped blow up Three Six mafia nationwide, the group still has yet to get thier just due. It contained the singles “Sippin on some syrup”, “Who run it”, and “Tongue Ring”, which are probably the most well-known singles released from this group. Also on this album are the songs “weak ass bitch” and “Jealous ass bitches” which take shots at all the haters jealous of thier success. Ex No limit soldiers Fiend and Mr. Serv On appear on “Touched with it”, and Insane clown possee and Twiztid appear on “Just another crazy click”. Other guests include Bigg Gipp of the goodie mob, and then-HCP members T-Rock, La Chat, and MC Mack.

Outkast is one of ATL’s most creative groups, and this new album is no exception. This double CD consists of two solo albums from both of the group’s members, Big Boi and Andre 3000. BIg BOi’s CD is what you would expect from a traditional Outkast album (if such a thing exists), which means banging southren beats and deep lyrics from Daddy phat sax. GUest appearences from various members of the dungeon family, Jay Z, and Ludacris help round this out. Burst, Rewind, and Ghetto Muzik stay on repeat whenever I put this disk on. Andre’s half goes far away from the norm as an all singing LP, so it may not be for everyone, but I definently like it. Kelis, and Nora Jones show up to do guest appearences here. You live in my lap is the perfect make out song, while Valentines day has a catchy little beat. BIg boi shows up on ROses as well. THier next LP, Idlewild will be dropping soon, ending any lingering rumors of the dynamic duo breaking up.

This album came out in the summer of 2003. I picked it up becuase I liked the single cadalliac on 24s. I burned it and another song to my xbox hard drive and forgot about it. 2 years later, I pulled it out just to have something to bump in my ride, and I discovered how G.O.A.T this cd was. When ‘I’m serious’ came out in 2001, I thought to myself that this would be just another one of those flash-in-the-pan-flavor-of-the-month southren MCS who get a deal today and drop off the face of the earth tomorrow. Boy was I wrong. The first few lines of “I can’t quit” a song about not quitting when things get tough describes my life precisely at this point. “I still luv you”, a song apoligizing to his girl, his father, and his daughter is probably one of the deepest songs ever from an artist down below. “beezle” is a dope track featuring three of the south’s top MCs, Eightball, MJG, and Bun B, and of course “24’s” isn’t bad either (considering that’s all I bought the album for). He followed it up late 2004 with “urban legend” and that isn’t a bad LP either. (I might even take a look at that later) TI earned some animosity when he proclaimed himself the King of the south(See Beef 3), but If he keeps dropping stuff like he has been, then hey may have very well earned that title.

The NEW 96.3 Star Country!! has eaten my favorite radio station, WMAD. I should’ve expected it when major alt-rock stations like WHFS in Washington DC and Y100 in Philadelphia have also gone off the air in the last year. What chance did my fun little Madison station have?
A lot of chance I though since WMAD was playing a great mix of current hits along with 90s alt-rock radio favorites. I could count on hearing System of a Down and “Underground” by Ben Folds Five in the same hour. But since it’s a Clear Channel station, it was ultimately doomed.
I guess its really time I got my iPod fixed since I’m NOT going to suddenly listen to WJJO all the time.

We haven’t had a whole lot of posts here lately, and I need a blantant excuse to do my new section, the down south rap album of the week. I hope to do this every saturday or sunday. Ganked and gaffled from my $20 game of the week, the focus here is to take a look at some good albums comming from a very underappreciated reigon in hip hop, the south. They may not be as complex as some of your west and east coast favorites, but they contribute a lot more to the rap game and music and general than someone people would realize or want to admit. I won’t talk your head off, but here we go.

And who better to kick off a section about an underappreciated reigon in music than one of it’s most underapprecriated artists, more so an ex member of one of the most underapprecriated groups in rap? Koopsta Knicca is an ex member of the memphis group, 3 – 6 mafia. he was kicked out the group shortly after “when the smoke clears” was released in 2000, and has released several albums since then. THis is his 4th album since leaving the group, and his material gets better with every release, although he has a bad habit of recycling old material. (THis release contains 3 songs from last year’s ‘the inevitable’) Although he is angry about not getting much radio play and being overshadowed by his former group mates, he is definently more mature about the situation. Tracks to check out here are ‘Life in bondage’, ‘wanksta’, ‘Becuase of you’, and ‘everlast’. In the liner notes it says to look out for Devil’s playground volume 2. I hope he can keep himself out of trouble long enough, becuase I’ll be looking forward to it.