"‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ is a song that we’ve had at the top of our wish list ever since I came to Guitar Hero,” Activision's Vice President of Music Affairs Tim Riley tells Rolling Stone. “So it’s been a while.” Read more about yesterday's announcement on Rolling Stone's Rock Daily blog.

Also, I had to post something on the Alice in Chains track listing announcement this week. Here's a list of the songs on "Black Gives Way to Blue," which is due in stores on Sept. 28:

All Secrets Known
Check My Brain
Last Of My Kind
Your Decision
A Looking In View
When The Sun Rose Again
Acid Bubble
Lessons Learned
Take Her Out
Private Hell
Black Gives Way To Blue

The album cover is simple and to the point, but not terribly exciting if you ask me. Here it is ...

It's due in stores on Sept. 28. Learn more on Categories: upcoming releases, metal, grunge

The Jesus Lizard is one of those strange rock phenomena that have become more and more common in the YouTube age. The Chicago-bred noise-rock outfit is one of those bands - like Slint or, most notably, the Pixies – that seemingly out of nowhere started to generate loads of buzz several years past its pre-breakup heyday.

Hence, several high-profile gigs this year, including last week’s Pitchfork Festival in Chicago and a headlining slot at Seattle’s Capitol Hill Block Party on Friday. And having caught the Lizard a couple of times I wholeheartedly recommend that you not miss one of the most insane and underrated live bands of the 1990s.

From “Puss” to “Monkey Trick,” Jesus Lizard’s sound was like a grimy underbelly to the grunge movement the band and its earlier ‘80s incarnation, Scratch Acid, helped inspire. And it’ll be interesting to see if vocalist David Yow is, at 48, the same unhinged, crowd surfing, trou-dropping madman that his fans know and love.

Speaking of which, I got the guy on the phone last week before he headed to Chicago. And I’ll post these interview clips in installments, starting with these two:

Clip 1: Yow on why his band broke up

Clip 2: "I didn't really miss being in a band at all to be honest."

Chris Cornell a year ago, pre-Timbaland, at the Paramount Theatre. You can catch him Sunday at Showbox SoDo and signing autographs in Tukwila (details below).
ERNEST A. JASMIN

I was already planning to check out Chris Cornell’s show with Timbaland Sunday night at Showbox SoDo. You know, even if the idea of Chris Cornell and Timbaland together gives me vertigo. Cripes! What is this world coming to, people? Actually, the first few singles from the duo's forthcoming album that I downloaded from iTunes are pretty good once you get past the idea of the "Outshined" guy bringin' "SexyBack."

But I digress. If you're a fan, you probably already know about the show. But did you know that the ex-Soundgarden singer and freed Audioslave will sign autographs around 4:30 p.m. Sunday [corrected from an earlier version of this post] at the Verizon Wireless store located at 17100 Southcenter Parkway, according to a Verizon press release sent out this eve. And it's for a cause. Two causes, actually: Curbing domestic violence and keeping old cell phones, which Cornell fans are asked to bring between noon and 4 p.m., out of landfills. Take it way, truncated press release!

Rock Icon Chris Cornell Encourages Fans to Help Curb Domestic Violence and E-waste

Fans Urged to Bring Used Cell Phones to Autograph Session at Verizon Wireless—Tukwila
Auburn Domestic Violence Task Force to benefit from Verizon Wireless HopeLine® Sunday collection

Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2008—Seattle, WA -- Chris Cornell fans have a chance to make a dream come true and do something good for their community at the same time. Next Sunday, November 2nd, Cornell and Verizon Wireless are asking fans to bring their old cell phones and accessories (from any carrier) to the Tukwila store to help the Auburn Domestic Violence Task Force (ADVTF). Verizon Wireless will donate ten mobile phones (each with 3,000 minutes of airtime) to the ADVTF for distribution to battered women in the area.
Fans bringing used phones to the Tukwila store (17100 Southcenter Parkway) on Sunday between 12-4 PM have an opportunity to meet the artist and qualify to win an autographed guitar and tickets to the Chris Cornell & Timbaland concert later Sunday evening at the Showbox in Seattle.

[snip]

Wireless phones and batteries can be donated to the HopeLine program year-round at any Verizon Wireless Communications Store across the country. For more information, visit www.verizonwireless.com/hopeline.

Proto-grunge band Green River -- the band that included future members of Mudhoney and Pearl Jam in the '80s -- took more than 21 years off before reuniting for Sub Pop's 20th anniversary festival this summer. And at that rate, fans probably figured they wouldn't catch a repeat performance until those guys turned AARP-eligible. But not so, ye of little faith! Green River will actually replace Mudhoney for the Supersuckers 20th anniversary show at Showbox at the Market on Nov. 29, AEG Live announced.

And in case you missed it, you can click here to listen to bits of my interview with Mudhoney/Green River mouthpiece Mark Arm talking about getting his old band back together for the SP20 fest.