By Ocean MacAdams

Here are some things I learned this weekend at the launch of MTV Greece:

1) Athenian cab drivers will not take you to a restaurant if they think the place is “too high society.”
2) Europeans are really, really hoping that Barack Obama wins the presidency.
3) If you're looking for someone to host your concert, sweet 16 party or Bat Mitzvah, Tim Kash is your man. Read more...

This weekend the MTV family gets a new addition, and its name is MTV Greece. So this morning, after a nine-hour flight, we touched down in the beautiful city of Athens.

Athens is almost the polar opposite of the hustle and bustle of New York City: The first thing that hits you when you arrive (apart from the abundance of MTV signs all over the airport) is a real sense of calmness and serenity.

It's all too perfect. As MTV News' grand poo-bah Ocean MacAdams, resident Greek god Nick Neofitidis and I sit here eating breakfast on the roof of our hotel — with a view that overlooks the city and the magnificent Acropolis — it's almost too easy to forget that we're actually here for work.

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By Christopher "CJ" Smith

Yesterday we ran a story about this fall's slate of superstar releases, but there are plenty more albums due out this leaf-changing season.

October 7

Rise Against's Appeal to Reason: Will these punkers be able to follow up on the success and critical acclaim of 2006's The Sufferer & the Witness?

Oasis' Dig Out Your Soul: The Brit rockers cling to legitimacy on their seventh album, which (surprisingly) has been getting favorable reviews. Can they stage a comeback to relevancy? Read more...