News round-up

Not a heck of a lot is going on in Beastieboysland now, but that should change soon. In 2009, you can expect a new Beastie Boys album and, presumably, a tour to follow.

From all accounts (i.e., what Adam Yauch has said in Gunnin'-related interviews and what the band told the press during the Get Out and Vote Tour), the new Beastie Boys album will be a mixed bag of sounds à la Check Your Head and Ill Communication. In other words, you can expect to hear some rap, instrumentals, and possibly some hardcore on the new album. According to Yauch, the new album should be out "early part of next year." (Hear him say so in a recent interview with XTRA Sports San Diego.)

Speaking of new music...busy with other things these past few months, we failed to report the release of four new bonus tracks from The Mix-Up. The songs—titled "LTD," "Beasley Is a Beast," "The Panda Rat" and "Politickin'"—were used in the soundtrack of Yauch's film Gunnin' for That #1 Spot. The songs are available to download exclusively at Amazon.com.

Yauch's film, which was released to dvd on October 21, is available to watch or download in its entirety via Amazon.com's Video on Demand. Amazon.com allows you to watch the first 10 minutes of the movie for free. (This service is restricted to the United States.)

Another recording from the Get Out and Vote Tour has surfaced. We converted and posted mp3s for easy download:

Beastie Boys Live in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Nov. 2, 2008
Recorded and shared by sullylove

DOWNLOAD MP3S (81.9MB ZIP file) AT MEDIAFIRE [EXPIRED LINK]
DOWNLOAD TORRENT AT DIME [account required]

As they have done for the last few years, Beastie Boys have contributed a lunchbox design to the annual Lunchbox Auction, which benefits the Food Bank For New York City and the Lunchbox Fund. The auction begins Dec. 11 and ends on Dec. 18. A photo of the Beastie Boys' design is not yet available on the auction site.