It's a strange new world where the anti-capitalist rock stars find themselves making strange bedfellows in the name of promoting their latest album.  We've seen Bruce Springsteen partner with Walmart only to apologize for it later.  The Eagles were criticized for teaming with Walmart but defended the decision.  Now the mighty champion of the proletariat masses, Pearl Jam, finds itself cozying up in ways that are unexpected.

"The Fixer," the first single from their upcoming album Backspacer, was briefly premiered at that most corporate of events, the Major League Baseball All-Star Game.  Backspacer will be released September 20. 

This premier of "The Fixer" comes on the heels of an announced plan for the band to team with Target, making them the exclusive big box retailer for Backspacer.  Now it needs to be quickly added that unlike other exclusives, Pearl Jam is not making Target the exclusive retailer of Backspacer but are instead making them the only large chain that will carry the album.  The band intends to make the record available through their web site and this deal with Target does not preclude independent stores from carrying the record.  The Target move seems out of character for a band that has done so much to champion independent music stores in the past.

The band has also confirmed the tracklisting for Backspacer.  In addition to "The Fixer" having been premiered on the All-Star Game, some of the other tracks from the album have already "leaked."  Pearl Jam appeared on The Tonight Show with Conan O'Brien and played new track "Got Some."  Eddie Vedder has played three songs from Backspacer on his current solo acoustic tour.  Those tracks are "Unthought Known," "Speed of Sound," and "The End."

Here is the complete Backspacer tracklisting

1. "Gonna See My Friend"
2. "Got Some"
3. "The Fixer"
4. "Johnny Guitar"
5. "Just Breathe"
6. "Amongst the Waves"
7. "Unthought Known"
8. "Supersonic"
9. "Speed of Sound"
10. "Force of Nature"
11. "The End"

Article Author: Josh Hathaway

Josh Hathaway is a Sr. Music Editor for Blogcritics.

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