Having already established his acting credentials, Ice Cube is now set to helm a “buddy cop comedy” for NBC. The rapper will serve as writer and executive producer of the show, which marks his first foray into television. [Variety.com]

European downloaders, rejoice! Starting in 2009, several computer services will provide unlimited downloading access for a small annual cost. Of specific note is the DATZ Music Lounge, which offers a £99.99 subscription fee to its catalog of 2 million tracks. [Coolfer.com]

Coldplay’s new video, “Lovers in Japan,” mixes rollercoaster camera angles with interactive chalk scribblings. Watch it here. [Stereogum.com]

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It’s been far too long since Mazzy Star imploded and all the participants scattered. Hope Sandoval recorded a dark and mysterious album in 2001 (Bavarian Fruit Bread) and then nothing, David Roback pretty much disappeared from sight, and that was that it seemed. Until now anyway. Suki Ewers may not be the person you think of when you remember the brilliantly melancholy of Mazzy Star but the keyboardist was in the band from the beginning, back to when they were Opal and featured the vocals of the similarly AWOL Kendra Smith. This autumn Ewers finally released a solo album; Kind of Hazy on Mind Expansion records. Can you guess what it sounds like? Did you say slow, quiet, warm and sad? Or gently psychedelic with a slight C&W feel? Maybe tender and slightly fragile female vocals singing sad as the end of summer songs? All correct. Ewers isn’t Sandoval (or Smith) in the vocal department and the musical backing isn’t as well-constructed as when Roback was in charge, but the album is quite lovely anyway and definitely worth checking out if you miss the exquisitely hazy sound of Mazzy Star.

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MTV Games has licensed the Beatles’ catalog for a career-spanning video game that they describe as a “new creative exploration and celebration of (the Beatles’) legacy.” The game will be on store shelves in 2009. [Kotaku.com]

Creation label founder and legendary Oasis and Charlatans manager Alan McGee has announced via Facebook his retirement from managing bands. [Guardian.co.uk]

Victory for Jackson 5 fans: Jermaine Jackson says the group is reuniting for a tour and new album in 2009. [RollingStone.com]

Venerable auction house Christie’s will hold a punk and rock-themed auction on November 24. Fans will be able to bid on artifacts like a 1976 flyer for a Sex Pistols/Clash/Buzzcocks concert and other items from artists ranging from Daniel Johnston to Joan Baez. [PitchforkMedia.com]

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It’s no shocker that the video for Secret Dakota Ring’s “The Fade to Black” is very witty and fun, made on the cheap but with plenty of imagination. It’s also no shock that the song is well-crafted modern power pop with ringing guitars and the kind of hook that’s almost impossible to dislodge from your brain.

If you’re an OK Go fan, then you might know why — that band’s Andy Ross is the mastermind behind Secret Dakota Ring. He’s not the bald guy with the Sophia-from-Golden Girls glasses and he’s not the suspiciously charismatic front man; no, Ross is just the guitar player who spends his spare time crafting really, really good pop tunes (check his just-released album Cantarell for more documentation).

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Pity the poor debut album that never catches on. For every Marquee Moon or Never Mind the Bollocks, there are countless examples of debut albums that are worthy of attention, but fail to get it because they don’t match what an artist was known for later. Orphaned for many different reasons — the fired lead singer, the raw and unformed style, a little too much experimentation (or not enough), the classic “change in direction” — these debuts often stand out as odd beasts in an artist’s catalogue. As unique as the one-shot obscurity, but ignored because of the artist’s later catalogue, they’re consigned to the Debut Dungeon.

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Legendary Glaswegian post-punk/new wave band Orange Juice is reuniting for the first time since splitting up in 1982. Spurred to reform after lead singer Edwyn Collins suffered a brain hemmorhage in 2005, the band will be honored by the charity group Nordoff-Robbins, which helps fund music therapy and assisted in Collins’ recovery. [SundayMail.co.uk]

Country songwriter Horace Eldred “Danny” Dill died on Thursday at age 83. Dill is perhaps best known for penning such hits as “The Long Black Veil” and “Detroit City,” and his songs were performed by artists like the Band, Johnny Cash, Faron Young, and Willie Nelson. [Idolator.com]

AC/DC’s 2008 album Black Ice is set to top the Billboard 200 chart today. This marks the journeyman rock band’s first number one album since 1982’s For Those Who Are About To Rock, We Salute You. Sold exclusively through Walmart, Sam’s Club, and the band’s own website, Black Ice has sold over 784,000 copies during its first week of release. [Billboard.com]

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Ryan Adams & the Cardinals – Cardinology
Cardinology is a companion to last year’s Easy Tiger, a low-key record that finds a sober Ryan Adams hunkering down and focusing on his craft. Song for song, this is one of his strongest efforts but the album is also a testament to the strength of the Cardinals, who once again prove themselves on this album to be an enormously empathetic support group for Adams.

The Cure – 4:13 Dream
Robert Smith swings the Cure’s pendulum back to the pop side of things on 4.13 Dream, an album that feels lighter and poppier than anything the band has done since Wish — but that feel is a bit misleading as the album has no songs as catchy or memorable as “Friday I’m In Love”
 
 
Deerhunter – Microcastle
On Microcastle, Deerhunter trades the narcotic drones and fragmented art-punk of Cryptograms for the trippy innocence of ’60s psych pop and crisp new wave influences, resulting in some of their most immediate songs yet. By adding just a little more polish to their sound — this album was recorded in a week as opposed to the two days it too to lay down Cryptograms – Deerhunter proves that they can make music that sounds very different from what they’ve done before, yet still fits with their overall body of work.

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