Wednesday Intermezzo: He Shall Be Levon

Good news: One of our favorite musicians is coming out with a new album on October 30th. Levon Helm‘s Dirt Farmer will be the drawling drummer’s first album of new material in more than a decade. Larry Campbell, Teresa Williams, Amy Helm and George Receli contribute to the album, which was recorded at Helm’s studios in Woodstock. Let’s hope Levon hits the road to support Dirt Farmer, so everyone can see the goods. Now here’s some other shit to digest…

• MTV is teaming up with RealNetworks and Verizon to take on iTunes
• Bernie Worrell is releasing a new album that features guest spots by Mike Gordon (the “G” is soft) and Warren Haynes
• Van Halen adds some tour dates to the list they originally announced
• Gathering of the Vibes attendees donated more than 3,300 pounds of nonperishable food to the Bridgeport Veteran’s Affairs Food Bank
• R.E.M. will release their first live (cleverly titled) album on 10/16
• Neil Young’s Chrome Dreams II will also drop on October 16th, at which time Neil will kick off a six-week tour
• The Daily Swarm has the trailer for the Kurt Cobain movie About A Son
• You didn’t really think Amy Winehouse was gonna tour, did you?
• No Doubt has reunited (and it feels so good)
• The members of Boston put aside their angst to celebrate Brad Delp
• Boing Boing lists some of their favorite music videos from the ’60s
• Sheryl Crow, Avril Lavigne and Fiona Apple have been tabbed to headline the Lilith Fair II Girlfrenzy Fest on October 21st in Irvine, California
• Jefitoblog presents the Idiot’s Guide to Sam Phillips
• Last.FM will soon publish a “hype list”
• Crowded House has started selling official recordings of their shows
• Shoutmouth lists 25 Bands That Should Reunite
• Pitchfork is already running the “Band of Horses spawned from jambands” joke into the ground

If we missed anything…it probably wasn’t important. But seriously, folks, leave us a comment below with some news we didn’t list.