One of the interesting side effects of the upcoming Led Zeppelin reunion gig is that any time Jimmy Page gives an interview people analyze every single detail for clues about what will go down on December 10th. Page yesterday let it slide that the band has been rehearsing a song written between 1968 and 1980 that has never been played before. Jimmy played it cool when pushed for further details, but apparently he mentions they plan to play For Your Life in memory of Ahmet Ertegun in an interview that will run in the next issue of Guitar World.

Speaking of people that can’t keep a secret, Ian Astbury told a stunned crowd in Cincinnati that The Cult will be opening for Led Zeppelin during what’s shaping up to be the biggest tour of 2008. Be sure to save those holiday bonuses, because tickets won’t be cheap. Alright, what else is out there?

• Bruce Springsteen ends one tour and announces another
• Wolfmother is working hard on a new “cinematic, epic” album
• Dweezil Zappa pwns Project Object
• Silversun Pickups book holiday dates across the country
• Japan just says no to Velvet Revolver
• Looking into Skynryd’s motivation behind writing Sweet Home Alabama
• Concert photographers now get much less time to take their shots
• Chris Michetti explains RAQ’s hard driving sound to the Diamondback Online
• Vince Iwinski talks about the business behind Umphrey’s McGee
• The Red Hot Chili Peppers have sued Showtime over the use of the name Californication

Finally congrats to Queen’s Brian May for being named Chancellor of Liverpool John Moores University, paving the way for Rock Star Astrophysicists everywhere.

My work colleague and HT commenter, HP Anything, has asked me five times when we’re gonna cover the Silversun Pickups. Luckily for us, our man Danfun caught ‘em at Webster Hall the other night, and he filed this report…

I discovered the Silversun Pickups by accident a few years ago. I went down to Pianos to see the Brian Jonestown Massacre, and SSPU just happened to be opening for them that night. Obviously at the time I was completely unfamiliar with any of their songs, but I was blown away by their performance.

SSPU frontman Brian Aubert’s energy and stage presence were amazing that night. But it may have been their ’90s grunge-meets-modern indie rock sound that really hooked me. My being a huge fan of ’90s grunge rock, I loved how the Silversun Pickups sound derives directly from this sadly bygone era.

Last night’s Webster Hall show marked my fifth time seeing SSPU, and this was the biggest show of theirs that I had seen. At first I was a little surprised to find it sold out in advance, but with all the buzz around this band lately, I guess it’s actually to be expected. The room packed and anxious and ready to see the band in its newfound bigness, SSPU treated the capacity crowd to a great show.

Read on for more great photos of the Silversun Pickups at Webster Hall…