News Roundup: Lenny Kravitz, The Hold Steady, Them Crooked Vultures, R.E.M.

Lead singer of The Hold Steady Craig Finn is teaming with David Letterman scribe Tom Ruprecht to write and produce a movie based on music critic Chuck Klosterman’s 2001 memoir “Fargo Rock City.” Ruprecht explained to the blog Risky Business how much music will play a central role in the film: “Heavy metal is kind of a common bond among a group of friends. It’s the language they speak. But this will also be a universal story of dorky kids trying to be cool.”

Lenny Kravitz tells Rolling Stone that he’d like to work with American Songwriter cover subject Jack White. Take a number, buddy!

“Jack White is very good,” Kravitz says. “I mean, I love the White Stripes records. Love them. I think he’s very interesting; he’s someone I’d actually like to play with. One thing I haven’t done that I want to do is, for instance, go be the drummer in a band. I’d like to work with some other great musicians and I’ll either play bass or play drums or whatever, and collaborate with some people like that.”

R.E.M., Pearl Jam, Nine Inch Nails, Rage Against the Machine, Rosanne Cash, Steve Earle and Billy Bragg announced their support for the National Campaign to Close Guantanamo yesterday. The artists are protesting the alleged use of music plaid at loud volumes by the U.S. military as a method of torture and interrogation. In a statement, R.E.M. said: “We have spent the past 30 years supporting causes related to peace and justice. To now learn that some of our friends’ music may have been used as part of the torture tactics without their consent or knowledge is horrific. It’s anti-American, period.” In other words, “Everybody Hurts” is now off limits.

A list of songs that have reportedly been used to make detainees highly uncomfortable include Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the U.S.A.,” Metallica’s “Enter Sandman,” the Meow Mix cat food jingle, music from Sesame Street, Don McLean’s “American Pie,”  Nine Inch Nails’ “March of the Pigs,” Queen’s “We Will Rock You,” and the “I Love You” song from Barney.

Them Crooked Vultures have unveiled the track list and album art for their hotly anticipated debut. Queens of the Stone Age’s Josh Homme, Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl and Led Zeppelin’s John Paul Jones will release the self-titled Them Crooked Vultures on November 17 via Insterscope. The rumored first single is called “New Fang.”

Check out the track list below:

“No One Loves Me & Neither Do I”
“Mind Eraser, No Chaser”
“New Fang”
“Dead End Friends”
“Elephants”
“Scumbag Blues”
“Bandoliers”
“Reptiles”
“Interlude With Ludes”
“Warsaw or The First Breath You Take After You Give Up”
“Caligulove”
“Gunman”
“Spinning In Daffodils”