TGIF

• We thought this might happen, and thank god it did: Radiohead has denied those pesky Starbucks rumors. A statement on the band's website states that they are working on a new album and “will not even consider how to release their new music until the album is finished.” Those thirsting for a Creep Cappuccino will just have to look elsewhere.

• Live Nation currently owns The Fillmore, and it’s expanding the concert-venue franchise with new locations in New York, Philadelphia, and Detroit. New York has played host to The Fillmore in the past, and the new location will exist in what was previously known as Irving Plaza. Renovations include “dark, sophisticated” red paint, chandeliers, vintage Fillmore posters, plasma screens, and a new VIP lounge. Live Nation CEO Bruce Eskowitz is most excited about the continuation of the venue's "apple tradition." Back when Bill Graham used to own the Fillmore franchise, a large tub of free apples would be located near the entrance. We’re wondering if size matters in this case; will the Fillmore apples in New York City be “big apples?”

Get it? Get it? Sigh…

• Al Gore’s Live Earth concert project, which onsists of seven simultaneous concerts occuring this summer on seven continents, is clipping along at a steady rate. Fox News has reported that Metallica will join the lineup, which already includes heavyweights like the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and the Who. Metallica will be playing Wembley Stadium for the event's London show, where the Stones are set to headline. Other groups at that location include Madonna, Bloc Party, and Red Hot Chili Peppers.

But hark! There’s been some trouble with Live Earth’s D.C. show, as reported by RollingStone.com. Gore’s original plan was to host the concert on the District’s National Mall, but Senator James Inhofe is making things tough. First, there weren’t going to be enough porta-potties. Now, Gore is supposedly trying to turn this concert into a partisan event. Oh, you pesky little Inhofe... While the suits battle it out in Washington, Live Earth promoters have elected to seek an alternate site for the D.C. show.

Bono: Musician. Campaigner. Samaritan. Humanitarian. Knight??

That's right; the U2 frontman is now an honorary knight, having received the accolade this morning while visiting the "official residence" (that's uppity slang for "house") of British Ambassador David Reddaway. According to honorary knighthood law, or something like that, Bono cannot be called "Sir Bono" since he isn't a British citizen. Instead, the singer's title is "Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE)." No joke. We'd take that over "Sir" any day, but maybe it's because the "Most Excellent" part gives us fond memories of watching the "Bill and Ted" movies.

Bono has some alternate suggestions for titles. "You have permission to call me anything you want except Sir," he told BBC. "Lord of lords, your demi-godness." We know this honor might go to Bono's head, but it'll also open doors for him(do doors remain closed once you've hung out with Bill Clinton, Dubya, the Pope, etc?) and allow more charitable work to be done in Africa. Party on, Bono! [Insert "Bill and Ted" air-guitar here]

Other non-British knights include Bob Geldof (who created Live Aid), Bill Gates (who created Microsoft), and Steven Spielberg (who created even more fear of great white sharks, alien-stealing government officials, and dinosaurs that can open doors).

BONUS: Our friends Tigercity were just profiled on RollingStone.com. Check it out!

More movie chatter... According to NME, Jack White is set to portray Elvis in an upcoming parody of of "Walk the Line." The British mag reports: "The film, entitled 'Walk Hard', focuses on the travails of an Orbison-cum-Cash style rockabilly singer called Dewey Cox, who will be played by John C. Reilly... Following internet rumours White would take the role, his spokesperson confirmed to NME.COM that this was now definitely slated to happen. The parody was written by Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow, and the cast so far also includes Kirsten Wiig, Jenna Fischer and David Koechner."

Jenna Fischer and Jack White!! We have a crush on that humble Dunder-Mifflin secretary from The Office and would totally make a joke involving Fischer and The White Stripes' new album title, Icky Thump, if it weren't utterly inappropriate.

Don't believe everything you read, but The New York Daily news seems to think that Radiohead may be signing to Starbucks' new record label, Hear Music. Paul McCartney will be the first artist to release a record with the label, having signed a deal with Starbucks this past week. But... c'mon, Radiohead?? What's a next, a new green tea concoction called "Pablo Honey?"

Last but not least, here's an MP3 goody for all you audiophiles. Thanks to the Live Music Blog for providing this podcast of Apollo Sunshine, live at Langerado 2007.

Cheer up, forlorn fans of The O.C.! The show’s music supervisor, Alexandra Patsavas, plans to start a record label of her own: Chop Shop Records. The Atlantic imprint will focus on the same indie rock fare that Patsavas brought to The O.C. and Grey’s Anatomy via her Pasadena-based entertainment firm, Chop Shop Music Supervision. If you're unfamiliar with those primetime mega-shows and their chart-climbing soundtracks, here's all you need to know:

1. Patsavas supervised the Grey's Anatomy Volume 2 soundtrack, which received a Grammy nomination.
2. When Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" orchestrated the 2006 season finale of Grey's Anatomy, weekly download sales of the single jumped from 2,000 to 21,000.
3. Snow Patrol's "Chasing Cars" is not actually a good song, so this illustrates Patsavas' taste-making power.
4. The O.C.'s six soundtracks helped introduce artists like Death Cab for Cutie and The Walkmen to millions of TV viewers. Coincidentally, Death Cab's only post-O.C. album, Plans, is their highest-charting record to date. It also received a Grammy nomination.

Patsavas and Atlantic president Julie Greenwald hatched the idea during last year’s Coachella festival. Although no acts have been signed yet, the label plans to bring aboard at least three acts before officially launching. Nice work, Chop House – Seth Cohen would be proud of your perseverance.

In other news, Aretha Franklin is getting the biopic treatment... just like every other iconic musician. A musical theater production has been in the works for some time, but Franklin herself has confirmed an eventual movie version as well. Also confirmed is Jennifer Hudson's candidacy for the role, although Franklin insists that nothing has been cast yet.

This is good news for music-movie lovers, seeing as "Gospel According to Janis" is on hold until November and the Dylan-based "I'm Not There" won't hit theaters until the Fall.

"The Mother Hips are divinely inspired by the four great (North) American B's: The Byrds, Buffalo Springfield, The Band and The Beach Boys" - Rolling Stone

"Thundering arena-rock riffs, "Summer Of Love" -glazed melodies, an d sumptuous Beatles/ELO-style harmonies soaring over Neil Young's Crazy Horse-esque crunch." - SF Weekly


Kiss the Crystal Flake (Toured with Wilco, Johnny Cash, and Cake), the new studio album by California's The Mother Hips, will be released April 3 on New York based-indie Camera Records. It is the follow up to the acclaimed Red Tandy EP (Camera Records, 2005) and the first full album for The Hips since 2001's Green Hills of the Earth. Featuring 12 new songs Kiss The Crystal Flake reintroduces the world to The Mother Hips' own brand of California rock, blending a natural psychedelia with their own 21st century musicianship and songwriting. It is produced by The Mother Hips with Badman Recording Co. founder Dylan Magierek (Mark Kozelek, Call and Response, Erlend Oye.)

"This album is almost like a debut album for us," said singer/guitarist Tim Bluhm. "It is very different from anything we recorded in the past. You know that saying about wishing you knew then what you know now? Kiss The Crystal Flake is that coming true."

Formed in 1991 at Chico State in Northern California, The Mother Hips have run the gamut of experiences as a band - from dorm band to buzz band to cult favorite. They took an extended break which nearly became a permanent one after the 2001 album's release, but decided to reconvene a few years ago, first playing shows, and now as a full-fledged band, writing, recording and releasing new music.

"Many things have come our way," explained singer/guitarist Loiacono. "Opportunities, challenges, gifts, hard times, misfortune.... Kiss the Crystal Flake is about embracing everything. It's about standing face to face with whatever comes."

THE MOTHER HIPS
Kiss The Crystal Flake
Camera Records
April 3, 2007

AUDIO: "Time-Sick Son of a Grizzly Bear"

GrizzlyBear.mp3

So we stopped by the PAPER and KY party at Stereo last night to check out The Colour and Kudu live. The singer of The Colour looked a lot like Jim Morrison and even moved about on stage as if he was on drugs...well, I'm not sure this guy was on drugs, but he sure was drinking a lot of SVEDKA and tonic on stage! He swung his mic around in circles, throwing it up in the air and catching it as if he'd done it a million times. He jumped off stage mid-performance to lean into the crowd and be all rockstar-like for the cameras (See exhibit A).




The second band to perform that night was the super trio, KUDU. I saw them at Nublu a while back, but never in such a large setting. They had some sound issues in the first few songs, but the sound guy was able to fix it after a bit. They put on an awesome performance! Sylvia sang the last couple of songs after lathering up with some KY and latex gloves. The whole time all I could picture was her mic slipping out of her hands and flying into the crowd, haha! The jewel-studded mic stayed in her hands and she put on a nice little seductive dance rolling on the floor like a little kitty cat in heat (see exhibit B).

Correne Spero is a busy musician, but that hasn't stopped her from lending those blogging skillz to those in need. Last week, Spero hit up Austin with her bandmates Northern State. They played music, they watched bands, they consumed BBQ. Get all the nitty gritty details below.

Spero's SXSW Round-Up
After recovering for a few days, I have 2 words that sum up my SXSW experience: Ooooh, girl.

SXSW can really beat your ass down. But it was also pretty fun, let’s face it. Here is a little (belated) reporting from the field, in list form (was too dehydrated for paragraphs).


1. Barkin’ dawgs – The #1 thing about Sx that nobody mentions is that everything in Austin is uphill both ways. The most common discussion overheard involves complaints of a podiatric variety. If you got a heel spur, put your hands up!

2. Too much of a good thing. There really is such a thing as too much of a good thing, especially when the good things in question are free ‘Soco Punch’, brisket at 11am, constant crowds, really loud (often crappy) sound, and blazing hot sun. A recipe for ending up face down in a ditch by 3pm.

3. Feast or famine. You cannot eat at SXSW. In spite of every party boasting free BBQ, you’ll never get any, it’s a myth, and restaurants are not really an option when you are rushing around. So just accept that you will starve every day. You will eat your best friend’s boyfriend’s turkey sandwich that has been in the trunk of the car all day and consider it a gift. A Zone bar is like a small brick of gold. Regardless, you will somehow still leave SXSW feeling kind of bloated and fat and with a moderate to severe case of…

4. IBS. The official stomach condition of SXSW.

5. Cedar Fever. Some people, such as myself, may find themselves VERY allergic to Cedar trees, in full bloom in Texas at this time of year. Locals may tell you that you’ve been “hit with the Cedar Fever”. Silly Yankees.

6. You can’t do it all. I didn’t even try. If a band is really that cool and hyped, they’ve either been playing in NYC non-stop or they’ll be coming soon, where one can walk on flat land to go see them.

However, here are some bands that I did manage to see at SXSW:
1. My friend Benny who scared up some Clarinex for me when I needed it most described Mew, from Denmark as “beautiful prog-rock”, which was accurate. The vocals were soaring and it was all very lovely. Their album could maybe replace the Sigur Ros one with the ()’s as my soundtrack for riding on a train in Scandinavia when the sun is setting at noon.

2. However, Galactic was a little more my speed, considering I had bellied up to the free Margarita bar at the Spin party @ Stubbs a few times by this point and was wearing a straw hat with a chin strap (heeeyyy!) that the Tequila people were giving out. Galactic is an instrumental outfit blending New Orleans funk with Headhunters and Meters style jams. Their forthcoming album is more on the hip hop tip, and their set featured some solid guest MCs which was nice since hip hop is hardly the official genre of SXSW. Blackalicious’ Gift of Gab was a commanding presence, and I enjoyed Lyrics Born and Boots Riley from the Coup while on a trip to the Port-o-John. (See Point 4 above).

3. Kings of Leon – also at Stubbs. Let’s get one thing straight. I love the Kings of Leon. A lot of people in my circle seem a little indifferent to them, but I think they are one of the best rock bands around. They are a great live band, exhibiting some pretty serious musicianship, and yet their songs are accessible enough that friends of mine who weren’t all that familiar with them were still able to have a good time. However, with all that said, let’s just get real re: WHAT could be better than 3 brothers raised by a preacher and their first cousin, all from Tennessee, all probably under the age of 25? It’s as if someone went into my depraved mind and stole my secret dream, except in my dream I am not only a fan, but I am also the drum stool. The boys played all my faves from Aha Shake Heartbreak and some new songs from the upcoming Because of the Times, which makes it onto my list of the maybe 5 albums I will actually buy this year. “On Call” has been up on their myspace for a minute but was way better and fuller live. The perfect harmonies that these guys nail live are of the ilk that can only come from groups made up of family members whose vocal chords have been constructed similarly, like Tegan and Sara, the Beach Boys, and the Von Trapps. Stage banter was kept to a minimum, since the Kings came to shred. (Insert pulled pork reference here?) Each band member bestowed upon me a loving and grateful gaze before exiting the stage, which was sweet, but totally unnecessary since I am first and foremost a fan of the music.


4. In case you don’t know, Brother Ali is a white Muslim ALBINO MC from Minnesota whose mentor happens to be Slug from Atmosphere. There was a day when being just a plain old white female rapper would turn some heads, but Brother Ali has got us way beat. Ali is a real MC for sure- his larger than life persona and connection to the crowd make for a fully entertaining set. He has a whole rap that he does in between songs about how grateful he is to finally be able to afford a 2 bedroom and a couch from Ikea instead of the Salvation Army. Oprah would say that this “attitude of gratitude” will continue to bring good things into Brother Ali’s sphere, and I would agree.

5. Cage has emerged from the underworld of those white boy rappers obsessed with drugs and porn (Eastern Conference, etc.) and cleaned up his act to reinvent himself in sort of an Emo image, it seems? Speaking of which, I caught his set at Emo’s on Fri night and noted that he has removed his ‘fronts’, grown his hair long, and dropped some weight - but the voice and the manic flow are still the same. Out of all those Def Jux boys (his current label), I think Cage is one of the best rappers. I like a lot of the imagery he uses, even if it’s dark (I am such a wuss that I even had nightmares after Pirates of the Carribean 2: Dead Man’s Chest). Still, Cage’s 2003 "Ballad of Worms," which samples a Built to Spill song and tells the terrifying (I assume fictional) story of his relationship with a terminally ill woman, is to this day some of the most imaginative and cringe-worthy shit I’ve heard in hip hop. Thankfully, it seems like despite the physical makeover, Cage’s lyrical style remains pretty true to what his fans love about him (minus the misogyny which he has also turned his back on, thankfully). But homie needs to maybe step up his stage show a little, which involved rhyming over canned tracks along with a hype man who oddly looked exactly like the Old Cage. Kinda confusing.

6. MC Chris – I have been reading a lot about nerd-core rap of late, and MC Chris is one of the most buzzed about nerd rappers out there. I am sorry to say that I was less than impressed. I spent the first few minutes trying to figure out if MC Chris was possibly a woman (his voice is super high) or maybe the alter ego of NYC trans personality ‘Muray Hill’? Alas, Mc Chris is neither. Nerdy references that I didn’t get abounded, but I was expecting that. It was more the bad rhyming over boring tracks that I just couldn’t get down with. The roomful of nerds chanting along seemed to love it though, so what the F do I know.

7. Shitake Monkey – This brave NYC trio decided to play their first gig ever at SXSW. Historically not a live band, Shitake Monkey consist of three producers whose credits include Yoko Ono, Wu Tang Clan, Jennifer Lopez, and Northern State. Their first album, Street Beef (Outlook), is out now and is getting a lot of buzz for its unique sound and super high production value. These guys trade off on vocals and instruments and their set was a totally fun representation of the album, which has a kind of Beck meets Frankie Goes to Hollywood by the pool vibe. I was psyched to see the boys finally ‘play out’ and hope this will be the first show of many.

8. Au Revoire Simone – We played with these gals at the Redeye Distribution party at the Yard Dog on Saturday (very fun, free tacos). They have such a sweet and mellow sound; it’s kind of a nice balance to what we do. If I had half a brain I would have written about all the female and female-fronted groups at SXSW this year, since my friend Dr. Jon Wynn (a sociologist) pointed out that it was the ladies this year that were providing, in many cases, a nice counterbalance to some of the hipper-than-though male posturing BS that goes down at SXSW.

9. But I didn’t pull that together. But Jon caught the Pipettes and loved them. They have like a '60s girl group kitsch thing going on. And then I found out there is apparently a whole other group The Dansettes doing a very similar thing. Meanwhile, my girl Sprout has been killing ‘Leader of the Pack’ at karaoke for years, so what do y’all think about that?

10. Apollo Sunshine - Our drummer Seth aka “Crunk Johnson” is all about these guys. It’s earthy and a little bit country and a little bit classic rock. Good facial hair. We DJ’d the Sno Cap BBQ where they played and they were very polite about asking us if they could plug in their iPod and play a few of their own songs to get ‘in the mood’ before their set. What? Brand Nubian’s “Steal Ya Ho” was not doing it??

11. And the band I didn’t get to see but wish I did has gotta be The Gossip. We have played with them a bunch in Scandinavia and I’m sure they have only gotten better since then. I was kinda shocked to hear they recenty signed to Columbia, hopefully Columbia won’t totally F this one up. Beth Ditto is God.

In summation, I am proud to be a part of an industry for whom one of the more important ‘trade’ events of the year more closely resembles Mardi Gras than actual work. Holla. See you fools next year.

- Correne Spero

• Want to hear what you missed at the Langerado Festival last weekend? Live Music Blog has done some Googling to compile a list of Torrent downloads. Check it out before the RIAA pounces.

• Before she was foolishly replaced by the powers-that-be, Sia Michel used to edit SPIN Magazine. Sia Michel used to occupy a corner office at the mag's Lexington Ave headquarters. Sia Michel used to receive shout-outs in books written by former SPIN-ster Chuck Klosterman, who consistently referred to her as "my striking editor." Then 2006 hit, SPIN was sold, the team that launched Blender was brought in... and Michel (who had worked for the company since 1997) was forced out. Klosterman (and a lot of other people) hit the road soon after. [Side Note: It was around this time that Beyonce, of all people, graced the magazine's cover]

But Michel has made a journalistic comeback, having just landed the coveted spot of Pop Music Editor at the New York Times. She's still being touted as "the first woman to edit an American rock mag", but you can't blame Sia for someone else's poor research. [Just for the record, Gloria Stavers edited 16 Magazine in the early '60s, and Susan Whitall took the reigns at Creem in 1978.] Congrats, Sia! Your writing is great, your taste is solid, and your were one of the last people to interview Biggie Smalls before his unfortunate death. You've been missed. May you spin yourself back to the literary top.

• Bob Dylan has yet to make it into the textbooks, but he's still the focus of an upcoming symposium at the University of Minnesota. Highway 61 Revisited: Dylan’s Road from Minnesota to the World is "a landmark international gathering" that's been "designed as a lively and stimulating assessment of Bob Dylan’s work, sources, influences, and aimed at a diverse audience of scholars, students, avid fans, journalists, musicians, and other Dylanologists." The program will include performances, discussions, and lectures, including one entitled "Hotter Than A Crotch: Bob Dylan At The Borderline of Sleaze." Way to go, Minnesota! School of rock, indeed.

• Accoring to the paparazzi-happy website TMZ, Britney Spears is leaving rehab this week. Somewhere, somebody actually cares about stuff like this...

The V Festival began in England in 1996, with British groups like Pulp, Supergrass, and Elastica headlining the multi-day event. Even bigger acts - Radiohead, Oasis, Muse - have headlined in recent years, and the British festival now boasts four stages of music. The initial lineup for V Festival 2007 was revealed on Virgin Radio in Feburary, and confirmed acts include The Killers, Foo Fighters, Kasabian, Snow Patrol, Lily Allen, Damien Rice, Primal Scream, and Corinne Bailey Rae.

Keeping tabs on the V Festival has become a difficult task, since the event has spread to multiple continents. The Australian V Festival will hold its first concert this year, with one show being held at Sydeny's Centennial Park on March 31st and another at Avica Resort (on the Gold Coast) the following day. Promoter Michael Coppel has reportedly declared Melbourne a "festival graveyard" and did not book the festival in that city, but the "Best of V Festival" concert series will be held in both Melbourne and Adelaide. The overall lineup will be smaller, but many of the festival's big names will still be playing. The Pixies, Beck, Gnarls Barkley, and the Pet Shop Boys are some of the acts who've already confirmed their participation.

The American Virgin Festival is only slightly older than the Australian equivalent, having held its first concert in Baltimore, Maryland in September 2006. The Canadian Virgin Festival also launched that same month, and recently announced its initial lineup for 2007. First is the Vancouver event, which will be held on May 20th and 21st with music by My Chemical Romance, The Killers, and AFI. The second installment will be held in Toronto on September 8th and 9th. The (reunited) Smashing Pumpkins (ahhhhh!!!!!!), Bjork, The Killers, Interpol, and Tokyo Police Club will all play that event, which goes on sale tomorrow morning at 10 a.m.

No lineups have been announced for this year's American dates, but we're going to go with the trend and predict that The Killers will be involved.

Brad Delp, frontman of Boston and one of rock 'n' roll's greatest vocalists, committed suicide in his New Hampshire home one week ago. Rest in peace, Delp. You will be sorely missed by your fans.

Boston's visionary guitarist and founder, Tom Scholtz, spoke with Rolling Stone's Andy Greene about his musical connection with Delp: "There were soulful notes that pulled you into the song, stratospheric screams and angelic high notes, and after hitting these record-breaking notes [Delp would] go back and sing a harmony part above it! He didn’t rehearse any of these parts, he could jump back and forth between harmony parts, double tracking parts and then go back and do it again exactly the same with one tiny change, adjusting all the other singing parts to fit with bionic accuracy."

Delp continued, focusing on Delp's personal traits as opposed to his musical talent. "When someone asked me what Brad was like, the first words that always came to mind were "nice guy." Oddly, his incredible performing abilities seem barely worth mentioning compared to his attributes as a human being. He was soft spoken yet very quick and funny. Although I rarely remember seeing him in the throws of a good belly laugh, he could keep the people around him in stitches effortlessly, and did so on a daily basis. When he wasn't making someone laugh, or giving his time to a fan, he was a tireless worker, both in the studio and on stage."


News Report On Delp's Death


More Than a Feeling


Long Time


A Man I'll Never Be (Live)

Who doesn't love Christopher Walken? Who doesn't love Ozzy Osbourne? And who doesn't love Motley Crue??

Alright, we admit that we're sorta stretching things with that last question, so we'll rephrase it: Who doesn't love Motley Crue when Ozzy Osbourne and Christopher Walken are involved?

There. That's better.

Motley Crue's 448-page book, "The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band," is currently being made into an MTV/Paramount-penned movie. This is exciting for a number of reasons, including:

1. This movie has a good chance of being rated NC-17, assuming the screenwriters stay true to their source material of sex, drugs, and sex-and-drugs. Rock!!
2. Watching actors portray people like Vince Neil and Tommy Lee is going to be hilarious.
3. Christopher Walken is playing the role of Ozzy Osbourne!!
Or is he? Late last year, ABC News sat down with Crue frontman Vince Neil at the singer's tattoo parlor in Vegas. According to Neil, Walken had agreed to play the part of Osbourne, who toured with Motley Crue during the '80s. "How funny is that going to be," Neil reportedly said/asked.

But MTV News is spinning a different story. They're pointing to a recent statement by bassist Nikki Sixx, who denies Walken's involvement with the movie. "I think [Walken] had a couple drinks and it got blown out of proportion," Sixx said, adding, "I believe, as everyone else believes, that it's gong to be [cast with] unknowns."

Unknowns? So we're not going to get another cameo appearance by Val Kilmer, whom Vince Neil claims is going to play the part of David Lee Roth? What's the deal, Crue?

• Taking a bloody page from the KISS handbook, Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz has announced his group’s latest giveaway – a series of handmade posters containing a mixture of the band members’ blood. KISS first did this in 1977, when they partnered with Marvel Comics to create a special comic book. Gene Simmons, Ace Frehley, Paul Stanley, and Peter Criss had their blood extracted at Nassau Coliseum, kept it on ice for a few days, and flew to a New York to personally dump their vials into Marvel’s red ink. A notary public was present, just in case anyone doubted the veracity of the comic’s front page disclaimer: “Printed in real KISS blood.”


Pete Wentz can’t really hold a candle to Gene Simmons, but at least the Fall Out Boy’s intentions are sound. The blood-inked posters will be free, and the band plans on giving them away to one lucky winner at each show this spring. Wentz hopes that the drawing of his bandmates’ blood will “shed some light on the much-needed support for blood drives.”

• The Arctic Monkeys are back, and they’re leaving their British cage for a North American tour this spring. The group begins its American run at Coachella and will wrap things up in Orlando. They’ll also be hitting up their native continent beforehand. If you’re fast – and if you’re on the group’s mailing list – and if you want to fly across the Atlantic to see the band – then log onto the Arctic Monkey’s website before 7:00 pm (or, as they say in Europe, 19.00) for a chance to land some advance tickets. The Monkeys’ sophomore album, Worst Favourite Nightmare, hits stores on April 24th (or, as they release albums in Europe, April 23rd).

• The Early November and Matchbook Romance have decided to take an indefinite break. In other words, the dudes broke up. What will the emo kids listen to now?

• If you missed the Rock Hall ceremony on Monday night, you're in luck. AOL has a detailed liveblog of the event (Example: "9:28PM: When asked if they still get along after all these years, Scorpio of the Furious Five laughs and says, 'To be honest, I don't like these dudes'")and you can also watch the entire show here.

It's that time again... Time to catalogue another episode of American Idol, from its mishaps and missed notes to the occasional stellar performance. Preferably more of the latter than the former, but we'll just have to see. Off we go!

8:05 - Holy hell, these kids get to be coached by Diana Ross?! Sanjaya is the luckiest semi-talented singer in the world.

8:06 - Diana Ross has an afro that puts Chris Sligh's hair to shame.

8:10 - Brandon forgets his words, pulls himself back into the song, ends with a bang, and gets soundly trashed by the judges. Except Paula, of course... but she kinda doesn't count.

8:18 - Ryan Seacrest and Simon Cowell trade gay jokes, laugh, trade more gay jokes, laugh. Repeat. [Sigh]

8:20 - Melinda has a killer voice, but does anyone else hate her wide-eyed incredulity everytime she receives a compliment? You're good, Melinda. Love it. Own it. Stop raising hunching your shoulders and pulling your head into your body like a little turtle. Sheesh.

8:26 - Chris Sligh transforms "Endless Love" into a Coldplay knock-off, which is odd... but still kinda cool. Once again, the judges trash it. "I think you transformed a beautiful song into a complete and utter drone," deadpans Simon.

8:34 - "Love Child," as interpreted by Gina. The disco keyboards are replaced by strings, which sounds kinda cool. Diana Ross' voice is replaced by Gina's Evanescence-styled wail, which sounds semi-cool. But the judges don't really like it. There's no pleasing those folks tonight.

8:45 - Sanjaya has a perm. It's... just... Sanjaya has a perm.

8:55 - Here comes Haley... Annnd she forgot the words. Good luck at that judging table, babe. Even your long, vibratto-laced high notes aren't going to erase that from Simon's memory.

8:59 - Surprise! Simon likes it!

9:06 - Phil may not have hair, but he sure does have high notes. Cheesy song, but spot-on performance. America could use a bald-headed Idol; it'd be good for us.

9:15 - LaKisha. Power. Soul. Grit.

9:26 - Blake modernizes his song, refrains from beat-boxing, channels Maroon 5, and doesn't irritate us nearly as much as he used to. The judges are skeptical, though. But weren't they just telling the contestants to make the songs their own? Wasn't that the advice-of-the-day last week?

9:35 - The American Idol stage really looks like a spaceship. Did we accidentally change the channel or something? Is this Battlestar Galactica?

9:37 - Stephanie will always be compared to Melinda and LaKisha, unfortunately. And who can compare to those vocally supersized powerhouses?

9:43 - Chris Richardson = Justin Timberlake, pre-No Strings Attached. He could be huge, or he could end up like the dudes in 98 Degrees who weren't Nick Lachey.

9:51 - Jordan Sparks sounds good! Nice use of breathing, too. It is an important of the musical phrase... Are we dorky for knowing such things?

Tonight's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony is getting some much-deserved media attention. The event will take place at the Walforf-Astoria Hotel in New York City, with VH1 Classic providing live broadcasts for the folks at home and AOL providing live feeds for those who prefer computer screens to TVs. Be sure to check out the AOL link for pre-show interviews with inductees Michael Stipe, Ronnie Spector, Patti Smith, Sammy Hagar, and Grandmaster Flash.

There's drama, of course, which seems to be quite common whenever Van Halen is involved. David Lee Roth has refused to attend the ceremony, and recently toward the Los Angeles Times that he was barred from singing with Velvet Revolver (who will perform tonight's tribute to Roth's former/possibly-current band). Rock Hall CEO Joel Peresman disagrees, saying that Roth had refused to negotiate his song choice and, as a result, essentially barred himself from joining Scott Weiland and company. Who's telling the truth? We don't really know, but The Rock Radio has more details.

Just to refresh your memory, the Rock Hall's "Class of 2007" consists of Van Halen, Patti Smith, The Ronnettes, REM, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. Rap mogul Jay-Z will induct the Furious Five, Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder will induct REM, Rage Against the Machine's Zach de la Rocha will usher in Patti Smith, and Keith Richards will do the honors for The Ronnettes. How wonderfully strange. BaebleBlog cannot wait. Check out the action, either on AOL's streaming webscast or VH1 Classic's live broadcast, starting at 8 p.m.

We're jealous of Chicago. Granted, the city does endure some rough winters - but then the springtime comes, the city warms up, the Cubs begin another season, and the music festivals start rolling in.

There's Lollapalooza, of course, as well as the indie-focused Intonation Festival. Neither of those showcases have announced full lineups for 2007, but sources have leaked a partial lineup for the last member of the Chicago Music Festival Triumverate : Pitchfork.

Pitchfork entered the concert realm in 2005, when they partnered with Skyline Chicago to curate the year's Intonation festival. Pitchfork and concert promoter Mike Reed decided to take a different route the following year, establishing the Pitchfork Music Festival and allowing Intonation to fend for itself. Both festivals did well on their own, however, and Chicago was suddenly the proud recipient of two new summertime music events.

In exactly one week, Pitchfork will hold their Pitchfork Music Festival SXSW Party in Austin. The event won't be as large as Pitchfork's summertime showcase, but it'll still whet the public's appetite for the main festival, which will will be held from July 13th - July 15th. The newly expanded festival (now three days instead of two!) will feature performances by the several bands that Pitchfork has yet to bash. Girl Talk, Powerhouse Sound, Iron and Wine, Cat Power, Grizzly Bear, Jamie Lidell, Of Montreal, and Professor Murder are all scheduled to appear.

Tickets go on sale next Monday, and you can score a three-day pass for only $45. For all other info, check out the blog by Chicago Tribune writer Greg Kot. Those locals always seem to have more information than us.

Ryan Adams loves making headlines. The guitar-rockin’ urban cowboy can’t sit still unless he’s recording an album, posting half-crunk raps on his website, or otherwise becoming the latest topic of any given blog / website / magazine article. And after a brief, uncharacteristic absence from the spotlight, Adams has apparently decided to make March his “headline comeback” month.

First came the news of the musician’s new album. Easy Tiger will be Adams’ first release of 2007, and the ninth full-length record of his post-Whiskeytown career. Bear in mind that the dude went solo in 2000, which means he’s on track to crank out a few more country-tinged gems before the decade's up. Filter recently took a listen to the record, and they’re giving Tiger a thumbs up. “Songwriting is the name of the game, and it takes center stage here,” they note. “No failed flamenco experiments.”

So Adams isn’t dabbling in the native musical traditions of Spain. Good. That would be ridiculous. But what’s even more ridiculous – ridiculously awesome, that is – is Ryan Adams’ recent tour announcement. His tour itinerary currently consists of one date and one venue, and that venue is none other than Stonehenge.

STONEHENGE! Awesome! Cue the Spinal Tap references.

On June 5th, Ryan Adams will “rock the rocks,” so to speak. The Druids erected Stonehenge waaaay back in the Bronze Age, and the Salisbury International Art Festival has commissioned Mr. Adams to “perform an intimate show in [this] very special setting.” Hmmm. Historical and very rock 'n' roll. Those of you who caught Adams’ recent Town Hall gigs are suddenly feeling a lot less cool, huh?

The Kings of Leon's third album, Because of the Times, is on its way this spring. The record is solid, sporting the southern-bred quartet's usual brand of scuzzy rock 'n' roll while sampling some reverb-heavy guitar tones from groups like U2, with whom the Kings toured in 2005. Leadoff single "On Call" has been available on the band's Myspace page for weeks, but the video has just now been released via YouTube. Or maybe it leaked. Whatever - it's out, it's good, and you should check it out. Be sure to watch until the end, where the cloudy airbrushed skies look like something out of Soundgarden's stormy video for "Black Hole Sun".

Want more Kings of Leon? The O Dusty! fansite has more info than you could ever dream of, including an extensive photo gallery of the band's favorite roadie/soundman/guitar-tech/relative - Nacho. The Media page is perhaps more useful, with a well-stocked catalogue of live recordings, interviews, music videos, and downloadable performances. And finally, for those of you who just want to watch these related rockers shake their shaggy heads to the beat of Nathan Followhill's kick drum, we've got your YouTube fix right here:

• "The Bucket" music video

• An old-school performance of "California Waiting", featuring some of the worst haircut/mustache combos this side of the 1970s.

• A live performance of "Slow Night, So Long" with Eddie Vedder.

• "Trani", live from the 2004 Bonnaroo Festival.

More Americans watch American Idol than any other show. But not you. You're too cool for that, right?


BaebleBlog doesn't really believe you, but we've still decided to keep a detailed account of tonight's proceedings - just so you can keep up with all things Idol without questioning your indie cred.


8:02 - Blake Lewis takes the stage and starts beatboxing to 311's "All Mixed Up." Oh man. The dude will eventually run out of beatbox-able songs, right? I mean, he can't keep this up forever. Right?!

• 8:04 - Randy, Paula, and Simon have no idea what song Blake just sang. Ryan Seacrest politely informs them. Booyah, Simon - you got served.

• 8:05-8:10 - Wow. That was a lot of commercials.

• 8:11 - Sanjaya takes the stage, smiles a lot, and attempts to rock a John Mayer song. It sounds a little weak, man, and you perform with all the confidence of a deer trapped in headlights... but your hair sure looks great.

• 8:16 - Pearl Jam songs! On prime-time TV in 2007! There is a God... even if God would have to be unfamiliar with the song's original version to actually enjoy Sundance's pitchy rendition.

• 8:19 - Commercials commercials commercials...

• 8:22 - Travis Tritt makes a brief appearance. Ryan interviews him. America is confused.

• 8:24 - Chris Richardson gives his Timberlake impressions a rest and does a country ballad. The judges like it. The girls in the audience like it. No sign of Travis Tritt's opinion...

• 8:26 - Annnd we're into another string of commercials. Fantastic.

• 8:32 - Jared's eyebrows are massive. How is anyone supposed to judge him when those eyebrows are making more noise than his voice? AHHHHHHHH! Jared is apparently the long-lost son of Peter Gallagher.

• 8:35 - Guess what's happening now? COMMERCIALS. We're just going to stop mentioning them from now on.

• 8:41 - Brandon brings the funk with "Celebrate," and Blake-the-beatboxer starts rocking up in the balcony. The song's ending is rough, but this is so much better than last week. Simon unceremoniously damns Brandon by saying "frankly, I'm a little nervous for you this week." At least it's not Simon's decision at this stage...

• 8:45 - Phil attempts a LeeAnn Rimes song, sounds kinda bad, then sounds kinda good, then kinda loses it, then kinda gains it back. We like you, Phil. We like the whole bald thing. We wish this was better, and hopefully you'll be back next week.

• 8:52 - Curly-haired Chris Sligh sounds good. Nail that key change, Chris! Stab that mic stand into the air at the end of the song! Rock!

That's a wrap, folks. We're gonna change the channel before Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? comes on and actually makes us stupider for watching...

• A new Bon Jovi song will be premiered during this weekend’s American Football League (AFL) telecasts. The Rock Radio reports: “The song is called "We Got It Goin' On," and it's been chosen as the theme song for the AFL's weekly programming, which debuts Sunday (March 4th). It will also be featured in the show-opening video, which takes fans inside an AFL arena. The footage will air before games between the Dallas Desperados and the New York Dragons, and the Chicago Rush versus the Kansas City Brigade. The AFL telecast begins at 12:30 p.m. ET on ABC, and Jon Bon Jovi has recorded team-specific lyrics for every one of the AFL franchises to air throughout the season, including his own Philadelphia Soul.”

We've got a soft spot for Mr. Jon Bon, what with his cowboy ridin’ atop a steel horse and all... But new Bon Jovi songs? We stopped caring around the time he did the Young Guns 2 soundtrack.


• Justin Timberlake is on TV. He’s in your iPod. He’s making out with Scarlett Johansson. He’s in Black Snake Moan. And now he can be on your plate… at least metaphorically speaking. The popstar will be opening his third restaurant, Southern Hospitality, in Manhattan’s Upper East Side. The eatery will focus on – duh – southern food, with an emphasis on such down-home fixins as barbecue.

• Pearl Jam will headline Lollapalooza, according to the festival’s hometown paper The Chicago Sun-Times. Eddie Vedder and his band of flannel-shirted men first played Lollapalooza in the summer of 1992, as their debut album Ten stormed the Billboard charts alongside Nirvana’s Nevermind. Welcome back, boys.

• DowntownTV.com is an interesting website, as recently pointed out by the ever-aware folks at Stereogum. Example: Jenny Lewis singing with a puppet!

After winning his first Oscar for The Departed, Martin Scorsese has enlisted the movie’s screenwriter, Bill Monahan, for a follow-up project. The good news is that The Departed was quite awesome, and future Scorsese/Monahan collaborations have similar potential to rock. The better news is that the duo’s next project will be an “epic rock ‘n’ roll feature” entitled The Long Play. And perhaps the best news is the involvement of devil-sympathizer Mick Jagger, who will coproduce the flick through his very own Jagged Films.

E! News reports: “The film will chronicle two friends over their 40-year ride in the music business. The Long Play will also highlight the rise and fall of musical genres along the way, touching on everything from the salad days of R&B to rock and up through contemporary hip-hop. The movie is based on an idea from the Rolling Stone frontman that was originally earmarked for Disney. The Mouse House passed on the script because it didn't quite jibe with their family-friendly reputation.”

Scorsese and Jagger recently teamed up for the tentatively-titled Shine a Light, a documentary film profiling The Rolling Stones. Scorsese filmed the band for two nights (October 29 and November 1, 2006) at New York City’s Beacon Theater, while such supersized stars as former President Bill Clinton dotted the sold-out crowds. Industry insiders expect the film to premiere at the Toronto Film Festival this Fall, with a full-fledged release by the end of 2007.

One can’t help but have high hopes for any film that combines rock ‘n’ roll with Martin Scorsese’s direction. After all, this is the director who brought us The Last Waltz, regarded by Chicago Tribue film critic Michael Wilmington as “the greatest rock concert movie ever made – and maybe the best rock movie, period.” (On a side note, “The Last Waltz” was filmed on Thanksgiving Day, and all 5,000 audience members were given turkey dinners before The Band took the stage at 9:00. How cool is that? They really don’t make rock ‘n’ roll concerts like they used to.)

Here's to hoping that Scorsese can film rock ‘n’ roll concerts like he used to... and direct rock ‘n’ roll movies with similar success. We'd buy a ticket to both Shine a Light and The Long Play right now, but Fandango doesn't book that far in advance.