Alpha and Omega

There’s lots of semi-newsworthy hooks accompanying the release of John Mellencamp’s latest album “Life, Death, Love and Freedom.” It’s on Hear Music, a joint venture of Concord Music Group and Starbucks; T Bone Burnett is producing; and the album is the first to be released in the ΧΟΔΕ format, a proprietary audio format developed by Burnett that can be played on most DVD players and supposedly affords a significant leap in fidelity over puny CDs. ΧΟΔΕ also happens to be the name of Burnett’s new production company, and seems to have been named after three of the buttons on a Playstation joystick.

I’ve not heard the new format, but at least it can be played without purchasing any new equipment: Last I checked, the more popular high-res formats (Super Audio CD and DVD Audio) require compatible hardware. (By the way, I’ve learned everything I know about fidelity from the Heinrich Heinz, The Audio Guru, who has helped me to transcend the ape-eared masses: http://tinyurl.com/56qsnq)

Of course, the album is also available on standard CD: the ΧΟΔΕ DVD (how’s that for acronyms?) is basically included free-of-charge to give consumers a taste.

Otherwise, Mellencamp continues to choose collaborators wisely, ever since Me’Shell NdegeOcello gave an edge to adult contemporary staple “Wild Night.” In this instance, T Bone’s production gives an electrified roots texture to Mellencamp’s work that, while still radio-ready, is a lot more listenable that “Our Country” or other more streamlined tunes.

Arabian Room

There’s much more hidden within the depths of the Murat Center than is typically used for concerts or events, and a couple local promoters are making use of that prior-to unexplored territory. My Old Kentucky Blog and the newly-created Vogue Concerts Presents announced this week that they will begin booking the 800-capacity Murat Arabian Room for live concerts. The room is all-ages with alcohol — already a plus over several clubs in town for a certain segment of the population — and, unlike other rooms throughout the Murat Center, is not affiliated with concert promotion giant Live Nation. Shows will be booked Friday nights for the rest of the year with no concerts yet announced.

Headbanger’s Ball

According to band sources, between midnight and 1 a.m. July 26, MTV2 Headbanger’s Ball plans to air the video for the Gates of Slumber’s song “Trapped in the Web” from their latest album “Conquerer.” The Headbanger’s Ball Web site is pretty awful, so don’t plan on catching this after the fact: Stay inside Saturday night to support local metal. Or better yet, record it in some format, and go to a show in the meantime.

Live this week: Red Cross, Reinvention

The Music Mill goes all-ages for a benefit concert for the Indiana Red Cross July 18 featuring basically local (and constantly touring) Christian metalcore group Haste the Day, more Indianapolis metalcore from Gwen Stacy, Haste the Day side project Stephen & The Lion Tamers and Nashville’s Ill Patriot. Tickets are $13, the show begins at 7:45 p.m. and all proceeds go for Indiana flood and tornado victims.

Cliff Snyder finally takes a performing spot for the third installment of his Indianapolis Songwriters Cafe series, joining Kate Lamont and Doug Sauter (Blueprintmusic) and Greg Ziesemer July 18 at Boulevard Place Cafe. The event last month drew more than 60, according to Snyder, which is pretty much house capacity for the dining room/concert hall at Boulevard Place. The roundtable format and intimate space give songwriters a chance to discuss and showcase their craft, a buffet may be available (at least there was one at the first cafe concert), there’s not much drinking (except for a little BYOB): In all, Snyder’s set up a great environment and series thus far, which has even branched into a monthly roots series at Birdy’s. Exciting stuff in the future too: The cafe and My Old Kentucky Blog are co-presenting an Oct. 10 show at Radio Radio featuring Snyder, Mandy Marie and Chicago’s Joe Pug in the roundtable format, followed by a solo show by Justin Townes Earle, who’s becoming something of a welcome regular round these parts.

We’ll have more about the Dixon-Rhyne Project in these pages in the coming months, but we’d be remiss if we missed their special Friday gig and CD release show this Friday at the Jazz Kitchen. They’ll be playing tunes from their new album “Reinvention,” with Bill Lancton very ably taking over guitar parts from Chicago’s Fareed Haque, who played on the recording. Shows at 8 and 10 p.m. and cover is $12.