As expected, Radiohead will release its latest studio album In Rainbows as a physical CD. Earlier this month, the group shocked fans by releasing the long labored album online and allowing fans to name their own price. The group has now confirmed that the disc will also be released as a physical CD on British label XL Recordings outside the U.S. and Canada. The indie-label recently released Radiohead singer Thom Yorke's solo album The Eraser in 2006.

There is no word whether XL will release In Rainbows in the U.S. or whether the group will sign a deal with ATO, as has been heavily rumored. Radiohead will also issue a pricey discbox edition of In Rainbows featuring b-sides, essays and album art on December 3. The disc will likely be released internationally through XL Recordings around the same time. Radiohead is expected to tour internationally in 2008.

While many national touring bands converged at Las Vegas' Vegoose and New Orleans' Voodoo Music Experience over the weekend, Neil Young hosted his 21st annual Bridge School Benefit at Mountain View, CA's Shoreline Amphitheater. As in years past, the event featured an eclectic mix of musicians, including Young, Jerry Lee Lewis, Metallica, Tegan & Sara, Regina Spektor and John Mayer. The reclusive Tom Waits also played a rare set backed by the Kronos Quartet. After scheduled performer Eddie Vedder--who was set to play a show with longtime friends Flea and Jack Irons--bowed out at the last minute, Pearl Jam's former opening act My Morning Jacket delivered an acoustic set which peaked with the delicate "Golden."

Unlike past Bridge School benefits, however, almost no collaborations took place during the two-day event. Before his set, Young said, "I'm not doing any songs you know, probably," and proceeded to play most of the numbers from his new Chrome Dreams II. Perhaps the weekend's most unique performance was by metal icons Metallica. As guitarist James Hetfield joked from the stage, "Metallica goes acoustic and funk" and delivered a cover-heavy set featuring semi-unplugged takes on such eclectic selections as Nazareth' "Please Don't Judas Me," Garbage's "I'm Only Happy When It Rains," Dire Straits' "Brothers in Arms" and Bob Seger's "Turn the Page." The group has long claimed that its 1997 performance at the Bridge School inspired the band to add an acoustic segment to its live show. Mayer also got into the cover game and delivered a
version of Tom Petty's "Free Falling."

Neil Young is currently in the midst of an extended tour in support of Chrome Dreams II. The format of the guitarist's tour features an acoustic, mostly solo set followed by a fully electric performance.

Over the weekend the third annual Vegoose Music Festival took place at Las Vegas' Sam Boyd Stadium. As in years past, the event featured a mix of jambands (moe., Umphrey's McGee), conscious hip-hop (Atmosphere) and indie-rock (Blonde Redhead, The Shins), but this year found promoters Superfly Presents and A.C. Entertainment delving into metal (Mastodon), rap (Cypress Hill, Public Enemy), dance (Daft Punk), alt-rock (Queens of the Stone Age) and politically-charged rap-metal (Rage Against the Machine.) Vegoose also incorporated a number of its sister festival Bonnaroo's other activities, including the Silent Disco and a full marketplace. Though the event featured one less stage than last year's four-stage circus, Vegoose drew approximately the same number of fans and headliners Rage Against the Machine and Daft Punk both played for around 20,000 people. Relix was onsite throughout the weekend, producing the festival's official newspaper, The Golden Goose. Both the Saturday and Sunday editions of The Golden Goose are now available online, featuring daily recaps, exclusive interviews with Vegoose performers, crossword puzzles and much more.

Click here to read Saturday's edition of The Golden Goose

Click here to read Sunday's edition of The Golden Goose

A revamped Blind Melon just wrapped up two weeks of touring, the band's first since Shannon Hoon's passing in 1995.  The band now features original members Rogers Stevens and Christopher Thorn on guitar, Brad Smith on bass and Glen Graham on drums along with new vocalist Travis Warren. Blind Melon started things off in Providence at Decibel on October 7 and then routed through the Midwest, selling out many of the gigs.

The group received a special endorsement at the Chicago performance on October 16. At the Double Door, Hoon's daughter Nico stepped on stage to sing two songs with the band. In addition, Hoon's mother, Nel, also has been vocal in her support of this endeavor, making occasional pronouncements from the stage.

Blind Melon has recorded a new studio album which will be released in the coming months. In the interim, it is sharing two of the songs "Sometimes" and "Wishing Well" via its MySpace page. The band also has indicated that additional tour dates will follow in late-November.