Is Weezer’s Album Title Due to Sponsorship? [Unplugging]

TGIF. Time to unplug tech news a little and ponder the wonders of the music world. Weezer, GWAR, Badly Drawn Boy and more. It’s all here.

Is Weezer’s eighth album title really a clothing ad? Please say no, but much of the evidence points to yes. Instead of being named after Jorge Garcia’s character on Lost, guitarist Brian Bell revealed that Weezer actually named the album Hurley because the surf company Hurley had funded the recording of the album. Not to mention, it’s no secret that the band has a partnership with Hurley for a back-to-school clothesline. Brian Bell has since retracted his comments on the band’s website, but we don’t really know for sure if he actually misspoke or revealed Weezer’s big secret. Of course, for many, this seems to ruin the integrity of the album and even the band itself.

GWAR and Ancestors & The F**king Wrath have both announced tours this week. GWAR will be performing in Australia and New Zealand for the first time ever – joining forces with NOFX, Megadeth, the Dropkick Murphys, and several other bands for the “No Sleep Til…” tour. Ancestors & The F**king Wrath have announced a West Coast tour for the month of October, both touring in support of their respective albums.

New music announcements this week include: Sufjan Stevens, Cee Lo Green, Kanye West, and Badly Drawn Boy. Sufjan Stevens has announced the release of The Age of Adz (pronounced odds), his first full-length collection of original songs in five years. Cee Lo Green has announced his highly anticipated new solo album, The Lady Killer, out December 7th. The new album will feature the hit single “F**k You”, which is currently a viral sensation on YouTube. Revealed via West’s Twitter page, Kanye West has announced a plan to release a new song from him or his labelmates every Friday from now until Christmas. Each of the new songs will come from members of the label G.O.O.D Music. Finally, Badly Drawn Boy has announced the release of Photographing Snowflakes, the first part of the It’s What I’m Thinking trilogy.

Weezer’s Eighth Album Title Due to Sponsorship?: Reports are flying around that Weezer’s upcoming eighth album, Hurley, isn’t named after Jorge Garcias’ character on Lost, but rather the surf company Hurley. In a recent interview, guitarist Brian Bell revealed that Weezer named the album Hurley because the company had funded the recording of the album. However, Bell has since retracted his comments regarding the album on the band’s website. Follow the link to watch the interview to decide for yourself.

GWAR Announce Shows in Australia and New Zealand: For the first time ever, GWAR has announced shows in both Australia and New Zealand. The intergalactic rockers will be joining NOFX, Megadeth, the Dropkick Murphys, and several other bands for the “No Sleep Til…” Tour. Follow the link for tour dates.

Sufjan Stevens To Release “The Age of Adz” October 12th: Sufjan Stevens has announced the release of The Age of Adz (pronounced odds), his first full-length collection of original songs in five years. Out October 12th via Asthmatic Kitty, the album is said to differ form his earlier works.

Cee Lo Green Returns With “The Lady Killer”: Cee Lo Green has announced the upcoming release of his highly anticipated new solo album, The Lady Killer, out December 7th. The hit single, “F**k You,” is already famous due to Green’s YouTube channel – the video has become a viral sensation, raking in millions of views in the first week online.

Kanye West and Labelmates to Release New Song Every Friday ’til Christmas: Kanye West has announced via his Twitter a plan to release a new song from him or his labelmates every Friday from now until Christmas. Each of the new songs will come from members of the label G.O.O.D Music.

Badly Drawn Boy Announces Release of Part 1 in Trilogy: Badly Drawn Boy (Damon Gough) has announced the release of Photographing Snowflakes, the first part of the It’s What I’m Thinking trilogy. Follow the link for tour dates, track listing, and a video for “In Safe Hands.”

Ancestors & The F**king Wrath Announce Tour: Metal acts Ancestors and The F**king Wrath have announced a West Coast tour for the month of October. Ancestors will be touring in support of their album, Of Sound Mind, and The F**king Wrath in support of their upcoming release, Terra Fire, out October 19th. Follow the link for tour dates.