Thom Yorke of Radiohead

Credit: AP Photo

Radiohead, the Shins and the Civil Wars are among the acts on tap for season 38 of “Austin City Limits,” the long-running live music show that runs on PBS stations.

Radiohead will kick off the season on Oct. 6 with a full-hour performance. 

Below is the broadcast schedule. Seven additional episodes/artists are still to be announced.

[More after the jump...]

Taylor Swift

Taylor Swift’s “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together” spends its second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 as the song gains in airplay, but drops in sales.

Following a record-setting digital download week with 623,000 copies sold, sales of  “Never” drop to 307,000, according to Billboard, but that monster sum is still enough to keep the tune at No. 1 on the Digital Songs chart as well.

Interestingly, the song, which does not have a hint of country in it, drops 13-19 on Billboard Country Songs chart, while gaining on both the ADult Pop Songs (21-18) and Pop Songs (18-16) charts.  In a move clearly designed to court country fans (and her original fan base), who may be feeling  little left out on this one, Swift will debut the video for “Never” on CMT on Thursday.

The next two spots on the Billboard Hot 100 remain the same, with Flo Rida’s “Whistle” at No. 2 and Ellie Goulding’s “Lights” at No. 3.

Maroon 5 sees “One More Night,” the second single from “Overexposed,” leap 9-4, while Fun.s’ “Some Nights” rises 6-5.

Carly Rae Jepsen continues to be the girl of summer as “Call Me Maybe” remains ensconced in the Top 10 at No. 6, while her duet with Owl City, “Good Time,” bursts into the Top 10 at No. 9.

Rounding out the top 10, Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake” drops 5-7, Maroon 5’s “Payphone” featuring Wiz Khalifa slips 7-8, and Justin Bieber’s “As Long As You Love Me” featuring Big Sean slides 8-10.

Madonna in Philadelphia

After raking in more than $115 million from her 34 shows overseas, Madonna brought her “MDNA” tour,  guns blazing, to the U.S. Tuesday night. The show, at Philadelphia’s Wells Fargo Center, did not start until 10:24 p.m., which added insult to injury to some who paid $355 top ticket, according to reports. The only explanation offered by Madge was “I want to apologize for being late. We had many changes to make from Europe to America, and I wanted the show to be perfect for you because my fans deserve it and quite frankly I deserve it.”

She also continued to voice support for Pussy Riot, as she did on stage in Russia, telling the Philly crowed, “We have freedom of expression. Never forget how lucky you are to live here.”

Watch very high quality video of the opening at the bottom of this post.

From most reports, all was forgiven once she took the stage in a spectacular that won’t soon be forgotten.
Here are some excerpts from opening night reviews:

[More after the jump...]

Matchbox Twenty

God knows, the members of Matchbox 20 have had a tough time in love in some of their songs, including most recent single, “She’s So Mean,” but with new single, “Overjoyed,” there’s nothing but sweet love going on, man, so don’t go trying to stir up trouble.

[More after the jump...]

OneRepublic's "Feel Again"

OneRepublic may have been making hits before any of us ever heard of Florence + The Machine, but the group’s new single (and video) “Feel Again,” takes a page directly out of Flo’s handbook with the hand claps and  same tribal drum pattern as any number of F+TM songs. You can even imagine Florence Welch singing the song instead of Ryan Tedder...and we’d like to.

The song sounds like a smash. But back to the video, which premiered today. Tedder is able to “feel again,” in part, because he picks up a magical orb, as one does,  that leads him to the lowest-key rave ever, where he’ joins his band mates. There are strings of neon lights and acoustic instruments that light up, and when Tedder sings, strings of light come out of his mouth.  It’s Las Vegas crossed with Bonnaroo with just the slightest hit of Ecstasy thrown in: check out the lighted badminton rackets.

[More after the jump...]

Florence + The Machine

As the campaign for “Ceremonials” winds down, Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine revealed that she plans to take a year off before starting work on a follow-up to the 2011 album.

Of course, that break has a ways to go before it starts since she and her band mates are among the headliners at the Austin (Texas) City Limits festival on Oct. 12. It’s been a season of festivals for F&TM: They played Lollapalooza earlier this montn and just played the Reading and Leeds festivals in England.

[More after the jump...]

Alanis Morissette's "Havoc and Bright Lights"

Despite living a life in the public eye ever since “Jagged Little Pill” shot her into the limelight 17 years ago, Alanis Morissette has admirably kept her wounds open for all to see, as well as shared her joys. She seems amazingly aware of every emotion that flickers though her as fleeting as it may be and has no trepidation or judgment of them, only observation.

She has plenty of joy and pain to share on the musically diverse “Havoc And Bright Lights,” produced by Guy Sigsworth and Joe Chiccarelli, and out Aug. 28. Since her last album, 2008’s “Flavors of Entanglement,” Morissette has married and become a mom and both of those experiences deeply inform “Havoc.”

[More after the jump...]

Usher in "Dive"

Usher knows from sexy and he takes it to a new depths in his video for “Dive,” the latest single from his excellent “Looking 4 Myself” album. The song, which features Usher singing in his upper register, is sultry and sweet at the same time, like Seal’s “Kiss From a Rose,” but with a lot more sexual imagery.

[More after the jump...]

Taylor Swift

Credit: John Shearer/AP

1. Taylor Swift: Her new single, “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together,” sets a new record for digital downloads by a female artist selling 623,000 copies. It also sets the record for digital download sales by  a wedding crasher.

2. American Idol: If only the actual contest to find the season’s best singer was half as scintillating as the competition to find the new judges.

3. Dee Snider: The Twisted Sister frontman tells Paul Ryan’s campaign to quit using “We’re Not Gonna Take It” on the stump, following Silversun Pickup’s throwing a cease and desist letter at Mitt Romney’s campaign for using “Panic Switch.”   On the bright side, the Republicans snag Lynyrd Skynyrd and the Oak Ridge Boys to perform at the convention... if a little tropical storm named Isaac doesn’t ruin the grand old party’s party before then.

4. Psy: the latest viral video sensation is about to hit the mainstream as the South Korean rapper’s “Gangnam Style” will have surpassed 50 million views on YouTube by the time you click here.  “Hey sexy lady,” it’s hilarious, silly fun that sounds like it was made in Psy’s bedroom. We feel a new dance craze coming on. Will K-Pop finally explode here?

5. Adele: Within a few weeks, “21”will accomplish the near impossible: surpass 10 million in sales in the U.S. And it may do so without having never fallen out of the top 10 since its release in February 2011. That Adele, she’s such a stage 5 clinger.

6. Muse: British recovered nicely from the round drubbing it rightly received for its awful Olympics track with “Madness,” a subtle turn that shows all is forgiven if you get it right the next time. This time they stick the landing.

7. Bob Marley: The world’s largest dead superstar continues to make news as his “Legends” greatest hits set reaches a new peak on the Billboard 200 28 years after its initial release, climbing to No. 18. One love, one heart.

8. Justin Bieber: The Biebs is headed to Springfield to play his animated self on “The Simpsons.”  We hope Maggie crushes on him so hard. They’re about the same size.

9. Dispatch: The beloved group’s first new studio album in more than a decade comes out. Good news for fans of real live music created by human beings.

10. Chavril: Admit it, Avril Lavigne and Chad Kroeger’s engagement feels like a sign of the apocalypse, doesn’t it?
 

Trey Songz' "Chapter 5"

With sales three times that of his closest competitor, Trey Songz will easily debut at No. 1 next week on the Billboard 200 with “Chapter 5.”

The title will also be the only album to surpass the 100,000 tally, as it is on track to sell up to 135,000 copies, according to Hits Daily Double.

Former chart topper “Now 43” will remain at No. 2 with sales of around 50,000 copies. This week’s No. 1, 2 Chainz’ “Based On A T.R.U. Story” drops to No. 3.

In addition to Songz’ set, three other albums will crash into the Top 10: DJ Khaled’s “Kiss The Ring” will likely start at No. 4 with sales of 40,000-45,000; contemporary Christian band Tenth Avenue North at No. 8 with “The Struggle” with sales of up to 30,000; and Owl City with “The Midsummer Station” at No. 9 with sales of up to 28,000.

Maroon 5’s “Overexposed” will likely stay at No. 5 and Justin Bieber’s “Believe” at No. 6. Rick Ross’s “God Forgive, I Don’t” looks poised to fall from No. 3 to No. 7.

Adele’s “21” will likely drop two places to No. 8. Could this be its last week in the Top 10? The title has never dropped out of the top 10 since its February 2011 release.