Music News: Bruce Springsteen Doc Premieres Soon, Top 25 Fall Albums, New Thermals Video, Yo Gabba Gabba Releases New Album

Left:  "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" has its premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. 

OK, here's a hodge-podge of music news items that really don't have much in common except, well, they're about music.

* The much-anticipated Bruce Springsteen documentary will premiere next month at the Toronto International Film Festival. "The Promise: The Making of 'Darkness on the Edge of Town'" takes the viewer behind the scenes into Springsteen's creative process creating his classic late-'70s album, the follow-up to the monster success "Born to Run." The first screening will be September 14th.

* Spin magazine has done a story on the "25 Fall Albums That Matter Most." Among the chosen ones: Weezer, Interpol, Matt & Kim, Kings of Leon, Kid Cudi, and Chromeo.

* Portland, Oregon's The Thermals are releasing its new album "Personal Life" in a couple of weeks, and here you can see the video for the song "I Don't Believe You." It features fellow northwest musician Carrie Brownstein, a guitarist of the much-loved band (and fellow Kill Rock Stars label mate) Sleater-Kinney.

Also, two of the three members of The Thermals made Magnet Magazine a mixtape of their perfect summer songs.



* The Nick Jr. TV series "Yo Gabba Gabba!" will release its second compilation album of music from the show, called Music Is Awesome! Volume 2, on August 31st. The CD will feature Yo Gabba Gabba! original tunes as well as songs from bands who've been on the show, such as Weezer, MGMT, and The Apples in Stereo. The album includes music from the show's first three seasons.

The Weezer Snuggie: Smart Marketing or Nutty Stunt?

Weezer has never been hesitant to tap into pop-culture references (witness its music video for "Buddy Holly," in which the band played in a scene from TV's "Happy Days.") Now the band selling a Weezer-branded item in conjunction with their latest album, "Raditude," and that product is none other than that ubiquitous sleeved blanket, the Snuggie.

Weezer has put together a tongue-in-cheek infomercial to promote the Weezer Snuggie (below), featuring the band members lounging around what looks like a typical middle-American home wearing their soft fleece alt-rocker blankies.



What's more, the band wore its branded Snuggies while playing a song at a recent appearance on The Late Show with David Letterman.

You can buy the Weezer Snuggie in two designs, soothing blue or zebra print ("snugging safari," they call it), both with the Weezer logo. It comes with a copy of "Raditude" (either regular or deluxe versions), and you can purchase directly from the band's Web site, www.weezer.com/raditude. The Snuggie with the regular version of the CD is $29.99.

An article at WFUV's Alternate Side notes that "Raditude" features some interesting guest players, including Lil Wayne, the All-American Rejects, and Jermaine Dupri. And the band's recent AOL Sessions had smooth-jazz sax man Kenny G blowing his horn on one track.

It'll be interesting to see if the Weezer Snuggie campaign boosts the band's sales and visibility, or just gives its current fans a warm, fuzzy feeling.