Wednesday's Earful: Grace Potter & The Nocturnals; The Hold Steady; Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame

By: David Schultz

On June 8, Grace Potter & The Nocturnals will release their self-titled third album on Hollywood Records. Their long awaited follow-up to 2007's This Is Somewhere bears the fruits of their collaboration with Mark Batson and moves the T-Bone Burnett album into the realm once occupied by Chinese Democracy and Smile. Grace Potter & The Nocturnals will feature the five piece lineup that has spent the last few months gelling as a unit on tour with Brett Dennen as well as on their own. The year began with GPN causing a ruckus at Levon Helm's home in Woodstock: their appearance there last month generating such interest that they pushed the capacity to near 150%. Hopefully, once their eagerly awaited album hits we get to throw terms around like "breakout stars of the year," "one of the best albums of the decade" and "wow, I can't believe they're selling out places this big, remember when we saw them way back when." That last one may be more of an inchoate thought but won't it be fun to say.

DESPITE THE FACT THAT THE Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame sits on the shore of Lake Erie, the Board of Directors persists in giving New York City all the plum events, treating Cleveland like a slovenly drunken hook-up they would rather forget. On March 15, the Class of 2010 will be inducted with Trey Anastasio being given the honor of inducting Genesis into the Hall. Wyclef Jean will induct Jimmy Cliff, Steven Van Zandt will induct The Hollies, Barry and Robin Gibb will induct ABBA and Billie Joe Armstrong of Green Day will induct The Stooges. You really can't argue with any of the . . . whoa, wait a second. Billie Joe Armstrong gets to induct Iggy Pop!!! Was David Bowie busy? Did someone lose Lou Reed's phone number?

ON MAY 4, FUTURE HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES The Hold Steady will release Heaven Is Whenever, the latest chapter in what seems to be their ongoing dissertation on American youth culture. Maybe when they're inducted, one of the Jonas Brothers will get to give the speech.