Weekly music agenda: new LPs from Kings of Leon, Bob Dylan

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This month, American rockers Kings of Leon plan to drop their latest LP, Come Around Sundown, on October 18. Also Bob Dylan releases The Witmark Demos, the ninth volume of his "Bootleg Series," on October 19.

John Lennon 70th birthday celebrations
October 9
Worldwide

The date that would have been the late Beatle's 70th birthday is being marked with official and unofficial celebrations around the world. Among them: eight of Lennon's albums were reissued on October 4 digitally and on CD; a dedication ceremony will be held at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on October 8 before three John Lennon time capsules are buried at various locations worldwide; a peace monument will be unveiled in Liverpool; and Yoko Ono will celebrate the event in Iceland with events including the lighting of the Imagine Peace Tower and the presentation of awards from the Lennon Ono Grant for Peace. A John Lennon tribute concert at New York's Beacon Theatre is slated for November 12, with performances by Jackson Browne, Patti Smith, and Cyndi Lauper. Proceeds will go to the Playing for Change Foundation, which promotes peace with music. To purchase, tickets, visit http://lennontribute.org/. For more about the birthday celebrations, visit http://www.johnlennon.com.


Kings of Leon: 'Come Around Sundown'
October 18/October 19
UK/North America

American rock band Kings of Leon is set to release Come Around Sundown, its fifth studio album and the follow-up to the internationally chart-topping, multi-Grammy-winning album Only By the Night. The album is due out on October 18 in the UK and on October 19 in North America. It will be available for download, on vinyl, and in two CD configurations: the standard 13-track album as well as a deluxe version including tracks recorded at the band's headlining show at London's Hyde Park on June 30. The band released a video of the album's first single, "Radioactive," on its website on September 8.
http://www.kingsofleon.com


Bob Dylan: 'The Witmark Demos"
October 19
International

Bob Dylan is set to release The Witmark Demos, the ninth volume of his "Bootleg Series," on October 19 on Columbia Records. Recorded between 1962 and 1964, the 47-track rarities collection includes early recordings of classics "Blowin' in the Wind" and "Mr. Tambourine Man." Along with Witmark, Dylan will release Bob Dylan - The Original Mono Recordings, a box set of his first eight long-playing albums, newly reproduced from their first-generation mono mixes, also on October 19.
Both are now available for pre-sale at http://www.sonymusicdigital.com/bobdylan.
http://www.bobdylan.com/


Shakira: 'Sale El Sol'
October 19
International

Shakira is set to release the Spanish-language album Sale El Sol on October 19. The album will be the seventh for the Colombian pop star, who most recently topped charts with her World Cup theme song "Waka Waka (This Time for Africa)." Sale El Sol (The Sun Rises) reportedly includes collaborations with Puerto Rican rap duo Calle 13 and Miami rapper Pitbull. On September 15, Shakira began a tour of North America, with dates in Europe through December 20. The major international tour is also expected to include shows in Latin America and Asia.
http://www.shakira.com

Taylor Swift: 'Speak Now'
October 25
International

International country music star Taylor Swift is set to release her third album, Speak Now, on October 25. The album will include 14 tracks, all written by Swift, including the single "Mine," released in August. A four-time Grammy Award winner, Swift is the youngest artist in history, and the first female solo country artist ever, to win a Grammy for Album of the Year - an honor she received in 2009 for her sophomore disc Fearless.
http://www.taylorswift.com


Michael Bublé: 'Crazy Love Hollywood Edition'
October 25
International

Grammy Award-winning Canadian crooner Michael Bublé plans to re-release his LP Crazy Love with a few bonus tracks, packaged as Crazy Love Hollywood Edition, on Tuesday, October 25. The new CD features the single "Hollywood," released worldwide on September 7, as well as live versions of songs from the original album. Crazy Love, his fourth studio effort, topped charts in the UK, Canada, Australia, Italy, and Ireland, and has sold nearly six million copies since its release.
http://www.michaelbuble.com


Keith Richard's memoir hits the bookstores
October 26
International

Master musician, legendary partier, and songwriting cohort to Mick Jagger, Keith Richards has produced a memoir detailing his rock and roll lifestyle titled Life. In writing the book, Richards enlisted the aid of his old friend James Fox, author of White Mischief. Life is expected to be one of the fall's biggest non-fiction bestsellers according to reports from the major US industry fair BookExpo America.
http://www.keithrichards.com


WOMEX (World Music Expo)
October 27-31
Copenhagen, Denmark

The world's largest trade fair dedicated to world music, WOMEX will host its annual exposition in Copenhagen for the second consecutive year. The event, based in Berlin, offers musicians from all over the globe a chance to rub elbows with industry professionals and make connections for touring and album distribution. The event also includes conferences, networking sessions, and an awards ceremony.
http://www.womex.com


MTV Europe Music Awards
November 7
Madrid, Spain

Eva Longoria of the US television series Desperate Housewives will host the 2010 MTV Europe Music Awards in Madrid on November 7. Performers Lady Gaga and Katy Perry top the nominations with five nods apiece. The two will go head to head in four categories - best pop act, best female act, best song, and best video. Linkin Park, Kings of Leon, and Kid Rock are also expected to perform at the ceremony. The event will be broadcast live by MTV in more than 40 countries in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and has the potential to draw a global television audience of more than 600 million people. 
http://ema.mtv.co.uk/