#LOLLA: 

The cryptic advertising games have begun, as team Lollapalooza readies the fever pre-lineup announcement build to its April 11 official announcement. Paper and platform-screen adverts were spotted on the CTA this morning, splayed with four different phrases in quotes and a little trending “#LOLLA” hashtag, of which most have deduced are lyrics from Justice, The Weeknd, Die Antwoord and Jack White thus far. Three-day early bird tickets, meanwhile, went on sale early this week and are already sold out, for the over 100,000-person capacity Grant Park, Chicago grounds. All of which is more fun to start deducing who else will join the lineup ranks. Thoughts?

My Sweet Compilation:

Following the success off Marin Scorsece’s George Harrison documentary, Living In The Material World screened earlier this year, Hip-O Records is readying a rarities compilation from some of the tunes used in the film and a few other tasty cuts like Harrison’s co-write with Bob Dylan, “I’d Have You Any Time,” due May 1 on vinyl and CD. Dubbed Early Takes Volume 1, we’re guessing there are more volumes, which should make many a fan of the late guitarist happy. Also seeing a simultaneous release is the dvd of the documentary proper. Head over to American Songwriter for the full track list of the record.

Revolution #3:

Jack White‘s post-White Stripes madness continues with a comprehensive release of every Third Man Records “Blues Series” single he and his three-year old Nashville-based label have released. The caveat: it’s housed on a 3 RPM LP. In other words, a record that is meant to spin a mere three times per minute, of which YouTube has already blessed us with tutorial attempts. Way to utilize the format, Jack. And a little instruction from the Third Man Camp for kicks: “It’s easy to play but impossible to hear. You put your finger on it to slow it down, but this is no easy task (as evidenced by these youtube videos) and we estimate it would take 333 days of 33 hours training per day for your finger, hand, and arm muscles to spin at a continuous speed of 3rpm for X hours and X minutes.”

Oceania:

Chicago’s most infamous fallen rock icon, Billy Corgan, is dusting himself off and trying again something hard this year, now that his Northshore tea and crumpet spot is about to open and his faux-wrestling company is aloof, the leader of what he’s still calling the Smashing Pumpkins is readying a new album dubbed Oceania, due June 18 via EMI. Part of an ambitious 44-song concept series he began in 2009 called Teargarden by Kaleidyscope, Corgan has has been known to hail Oceania his finest effort since Mellon Collie and the Infinite Sadness. Then again, Billy Corgan has been known to say a lot of superlative things.

Lyricapsule:

Memphis-born blues pioneer W.C. Handy died at the age of 85 in NYC on this day in 1958. Though most of his compositions were horn-strewn ragtimey precursors to what we now know as the modern sound of the blues genre, it was his ability to write and record the early Mississippi Delta sounds that he and his contemporaries incubated into the front-porch guitar experimentations of yore, that ultimately earned him the “Father of the Blues” title. Dig on his 1912 composition “Yellow Dog Blues” and its slang love for railroads, that Bessie Smith would later make famous:

Oh, you easy rider’s got to stay away
She had to vamp it but the hike ain’t far
He’s gone where the Southern cross the Yellow Dog