New Pornographers Make A Scene

Vancouver-based indie darlings The New Pornographers are embarking on that grand old tradition, a summer tour. The outing starts in Salt Lake City on June 2 and will include about a week's worth of shows in their native Canada. They'll criss-cross around the continent before closing things out July 15 in Cleveland, Ohio. More dates will be added in the fall. They're supporting their latest full-length, Electric Version, the title of which is a nod to the amped-up tone of the album.The recording is their first on revered indie label Matador and has met with rave reviews in its first few weeks out. The New Pornographers are often referred to as a Canadian supergroup. The band came about in the late 1990s when Carl Newman of Zumpano began slowly gathering friends like Dan Bejar of Destroyer and singer Neko Case. The members' various individual commitments have resulted in some downtime for The New Pornographers, but with the buzz surrounding them these days, they're likely to be spending a lot of time together. In addition to the hype over their new songs, the band received a timely publicity boost this month: vocalist Neko Case was named Sexiest Babe In Indie Rock by playboy.com the same week Electric Version was released.

R.E.M., Radiohead, Moby Top Glastonbury Lineup

R.E.M., Radiohead, and Moby will top the bill at the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival, a three-day concert that kicks off June 27. Around 150,000 people are expected to attend this year's edition, which is already sold out. Glastonbury boasts three stages -- the main Pyramid Stage, the Other Stage, and the One World Stage -- along with tents for a host of dance acts and other bands. Other acts in the festival include: Primal Scream, Super Furry Animals, and Doves. Royksopp, Idlewild, the Coral, Love with Arthur Lee, the Libertines, Interpol, Sigur Ros, Dave Gahan, Grandaddy, Fatboy Slim, the Chemical Brothers, the Streets, the Roots, Blackalicious, the Damned, System Seven, Ozric Tentacles, James LaVelle, Squarepusher, Echo & the Bunnymen, Jimmy Cliff, Jools Holland, Macy Gray, Sugababes, Pete Yorn, Nada Surf and many more.. Whew.. What a festival this is going to be!

ATP Label Brings Back The Magic Band

ATP Recordings -- the label arm of the left-field, bi-continental All Tomorrow's Parties Festival -- is branching out with releases by individual artists. In the past, the label, which is operated by festival organizer Barry Hogan, has issued compilations pegged to the annual event containing individual tracks by participating artists (the U.S. and U.K. versions contained different tunes). But this year, ATP is offering full-blown albums by the Magic Band, which includes original members of Captain Beefheart's avant-rock lineups, and Denver psychedelic warriors Bardo Pond.

Grohl Goes Metal

Foo Fighter Dave Grohl is finally releasing his long-awaited Probot CD on Southern Lord Records in the next couple of months. If you haven't heard about it, Probot is Dave — who's an old-school metalhead — writing a batch of metal songs and then getting the likes of Lemmy, King Diamond, Lee Dorian and other metal gods to add vocals and some of their own splash to the songs.

Melt-Banana Bump Up Release Date, Tour

The release date for Cell-Scape , the newest effort from the hyphen-crazy exp-skreeeeeeeurrrrrriiiii-mental band Melt-Banana, has officially been moved up from June 24th to June 3rd. This is good news for anyone who enjoys mind-bending, throat-bludgeoning, minute-long blasts of punk rock a la the Boredoms at a "Jessie Spano on speed" pace. The LP version of the recording will likely be released soon after the CD, most likely around June 16th. For more information and tour dates check out the official Melt-Banana Website

THE GREAT KAT

Former Juliard student gives up the violin for the flying V. Ranked as one of the fastest guitarist in the world.. Pure metal baby.. So very very funny.. Ladies and Gentlemen.. THE GREAT KAT

Paul to be dad again

SIR PAUL McCARTNEY is to become a father for the fifth time, as it was announced yesterday (May 29) that his wife HEATHER is expecting the couple's first child later this year. The sixty-year old former Beatle and his ex-model wife Heather Mills McCartney , 34, announced in a statement, "We are delighted with this happy news."

Separated at Birth?

Porn Star Ron Jeremy and video game icon Mario.

Mars Volta Keyboardist Found Dead

The Mars Volta keyboardist Jeremy Michael Ward, also a member of Defacto, died on May 25 from an apparent drug overdose, according to Defacto's record company Gold Standard Labs (GSL). The 27-year-old Ward had served as "sound manipulator" for the Mars Volta -- also comprised of former At The Drive-In members Cedric Bixler and Omar Rodriguez -- on its recordings and live shows

Field Day Fest Slowly Moving Forward

After dire reports that the Field Day festival, scheduled for June 7-8 in Calverton, N.Y., may be cancelled, the event appears to be slowly moving forward. Organizers still lack a required mass gathering permit, but at a press conference today (May 28), the local police chief conceded that if fest executive producer Andrew Dreskin can find a way to hire 60-70 more police officers, the permit will likely be granted. Radiohead, the Beastie Boys, Beck, Underwold, Sigur Ros, the Roots and Liz Phair are among the acts slated to appear.

QOTSA Triple Album?

The Queens plan to go into the studio and record many of the 25 songs already written for the follow-up to last year's 'Songs For The Deaf' after the release of their next single, 'First It Giveth' ."There's all kinds of guitar-heavy stuff that's similar to [1998's 'Queens of the Stone Age' ], and some more melodic, poppy stuff with hooks and choruses like [2000's] '(Rated) R' , and stuff that's hard, hard, hard and driving like 'Six Shooter' from 'Songs for the Deaf ," said Oliveri . "Plus there'll be stuff that will be unexpected, because we're always trying to experiment with new things so we never end up making the same record twice." The record will also feature songs written by guitarist Troy Van Leeuwen , singer Mark Lanegan and new drummer Joey Castillo . "We've finally found players that want to stay and we want them to," Oliveri revealed. "We haven't had that before. It wasn't that we wanted it to be two or three people, it was that we hadn't found the right people until now."

'90s Punk Decries Punks Of Today

Satirical news site The Onion has a story on how 29 year old Drew Tolbert is expressed scorn Monday for the punks of today, as opposed to '90s punk , denouncing them as "phony poseurs unworthy of the word 'punk." Tolber explained, "Those so-called punk bands they listen to today? Sum 41? Good Charlotte? The Ataris? They're not punk. Back in the day, man, we used to listen to the real deal: Rancid, The Offspring, NOFX, Green Day. Those guys were what true punk rock was all about. Today's stuff is just a pale, watered-down imitation. There's no comparison." CLICK HERE TO READ THE WHOLE STORY

Bowies bonds slump

Moody's Investors Service says it may downgrade about $55 million of bonds backed by music royalties of rock icon David Bowie in light of the sales slump in the recording industry.

Watch The White Stripes 'Let's Build A Home' Performance

WhiteStripes.net has added The White Stripes performance of 'Let's Build A Home' on Late Night with Conan O'Brien. Download and watch it here

NICK CAVE AT THE DOUBLE

NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS are due to release a brand new double A-side single, 'HE WANTS YOU' and 'BABE I'M FIRE,' on June 2. The second single from this year's 'Nocturama' album will be released on CD and limited edition 10'' vinyl. It will also include two new tracks, 'Everything Must Converge' and 'Little Ghost Song.' Cave said: " 'Little Ghost Song' was a happy accident in the studio, where the slave reels misaligned and began playing some elements of two songs at the same time. We were dumbstruck at the beauty of it.

Trachtenburg Clan Takes Slideshow On The Road

The Trachtenburg Family Slideshow Players will kick off its Summer Slideshow Bizarre Tour '03 tour with a June 22 performance during Los Angeles' Matt Groening-curated All Tomorrow's Parties festival. The clan will perform various shows in California over a month's time, then begin working its way back across the country to its native New York. The group -- patriarch Jason on keyboards, wife Tina manning the carousel projector, and 9-year-old daughter Rachel on drums -- creates songs and stories, both endearing and outlandish, based on slides found at flea markets and garage sales. For a complete listing of all their tourdates CLICK HERE and for the official website CLICK HERE

THIS DAY IN MUSIC:

1957: The Buddy Holly and the Crickets hit "That'll Be the Day" is released.
1964 - Eleven boys are suspended at a Coventry, England, school for having hairstyles like Mick Jagger.
1971 - No. 1 Billboard Pop Hit: "Brown Sugar," The Rolling Stones.

Jacko Broke?

Michael Jackson, who amassed a half-billion-dollar fortune over the past 20 years, is saddled with debt and teetering near bankruptcy, his former financial advisers say in a lawsuit. The suit, set for trial June 18, claims Jackson's extravagant spending has created "a ticking financial time bomb waiting to explode at any moment."

Coldplay: Songwriters of the Year.

The members of Coldplay were named songwriters of the year at the 48th annual Ivor Novello Awards last week in London, presented by the British Academy of Composers and Songwriters and sponsored by the Performing Right Society (PRS). The band was not able to attend the ceremony due to its North American touring commitments.

Lips, Winwood Lead Bonnaroo NE Additions

The Flaming Lips, Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph and the Family Band, and an acoustic set by Hot Tuna are the newest additions to the lineup for Bonnaroo NE. The inaugural festival will be held Aug. 8-10 in Riverhead, N.Y., and will be headlined by the Dead, Dave Matthews and Tim Reynolds, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, and Bob Dylan. This is not to be confused with the Bonaroo Festival in Manchester, Tennessee. To get the complete lineups to both bonaroo's goto their website CLICK HERE

ROADIES: THE GAME

Don your mullet, polish your beer gut and lead a team of Roadies around an assault course, avoiding pitfalls and music execs. CLICK HERE TO PLAY GAME

Video Computer System

In the 8-bit days, we had to look at a square and imagine it was a basketball or something. The video for the song 'Video Computer System' by the band Golden Showers. Made in 15 days and delivered 1 hour before the deadline for the 2000 MTV Brazil Video Music Awards. With no promotion, they were nominated for "best electronic music video" and won. Out of the Kingblind vaults and delivered to you. CLICK HERE TO VIEW MOVIE Requires QUICKTIME

Sinatra, Hazlewood Walk On

More than thirty years after their last collaboration, Nancy Sinatra and songwriter Lee Hazlewood have teamed up for an album of new material. "I was teasing Lee," Sinatra says. "'The only chart hits you ever had were with me.' I was really driving him crazy." Her playful goading worked. Recorded in Nashville this past winter with the help of arranger Billy Strange, the as-yet-untitled set reunites a team that produced a string of Top Forty hits in the mid- and late Sixties that made Sinatra an icon. "It is still definitely Nancy and Lee," she says. "We don't sound like anyone else." Sinatra had success overseas with her early-Sixties records, but didn't score any hits at home until she joined with Hazlewood and Strange in 1966. Their first release, "These Boots Are Made for Walking," went to Number One that year and was followed by chartbusters including Sinatra's solo performances on "Lightning's Girl" and "Sugar Town," as well as her duets with Hazlewood on "Summer Wine" and "Some Velvet Morning."

'JACKASS' star STEVE-O has been arrested in SWEDEN on alleged drugs offences.

The stunt-man's hotel room in Stockholm was raided by police after he told Swedish press that he swallowed marijuana and hash in a condom to smuggle it from Oslo to Stockholm while on his 'Don't Try This At Home Tour' . He was taken into custody and X-rayed, and police claimed to have found a “foreign object” in his body. They also claim that ecstasy and marijuana were found in his room.

New Spain-Based MP3 Service Raises some eyebrows

A new for-pay digital music service being distributed through the Grokster peer-to-peer network in the U.S. is running afoul of the recording industry by selling unlimited access to major-label music without authorization. Puretunes, based in Madrid, allows consumers to download all the MP3 files they want, in subscription packages ranging from $3.99 for eight hours of access to $168 for a year. The company does not have licensing deals with the major labels; however, it is vowing to compensate rights holders. Puretunes claims that since it has deals with the Spanish Association of Authors and Editors and the country's Association of Artists, Performers, and Players, it is legal under Spain's copyright law. Representatives for the two bodies were unavailable for comment

Tortoise crawling along to new release

Chicago instrumental rock outfit Tortoise is eyeing an early 2004 release for its fifth Thrill Jockey album, multi-instrumentalist John McEntire tells Billboard.com. "We have been working very sporadically for the past year-and-a-half on material that will constitute a portion of the new record," he says. "We are planning another long-ish session this summer, at which time we will be complete." Asked to describe the sound of the as-yet-untitled album, McEntire offers, "A lot of the material is still in somewhat embryonic stages, so I don't really know what to tell you." The recording process has been somewhat similar to the band-oriented sessions for the 2001 album "Standards," as opposed to the more cut-and-paste methods of earlier releases.

Rob Zombie in Comedy?

Rob Zombie will produce comedian Chris Hardwick ’s first comedy album. "Chris is a severely dangerous and deranged man that has found a way to channel all his rage and pain into balls out hilarious, yet sharp edgy comedy that kicks the ass of his wacky competitors," says Zombie. Hardwick starred in Zombie’s recent horror flick, House of 1000 Corpses.

Springsteen Covers Set To Fight Parkinson's, Sarcoma

Elvis Costello, Joe Ely, Graham Parker, Pete Yorn, and Billy Bragg are among the artists who have contributed tracks to "Light of Day: A Tribute to Bruce Springsteen." The two-disc covers collection was released this week in Spain; a U.S. version with extra tracks will be issued in August. Proceeds will benefit the Parkinson's Disease Foundation and the Kristen Ann Carr Fund, which raises money for research and treatment of sarcoma.

QOTSA members form ANOTHER side project

Frontman Casey Chaos (AMEN) has been recording with Josh Homme and Nick Oliveri from Queens Of The Stone Age on a side project called Headband. The word is that is the some heavy sounding stuff.

Former Stereolab Members Form Europa 51, Ready Album

Stereolab fans rejoice! Well, sort of. There's a new album in the pipeline from a few 'Labbers-- namely, drummer Andy Ramsay and one-time bassist Simon Johns-- who now collectively go by the name Europa 51 (along with multi-instrumentalist Steve Russell). The trio are releasing their debut album, Abstractions , on August 8th for Lo Recordings, accompanied by a litany of guest stars. Popping into the studio for the recording sessions were Marcus Holdaway, John Bennett and Dominic Murcott of the High Llamas (of which Ramsay is also a member), late Stereolab vocalist Mary Hansen, the 'Lab's Dominic Jeffery (who's also played with Lee Hazelwood), jazz bassist Simon Thorpe (who's appeared on albums by R&B vocalist Carleen Anderson and British bop saxophonist Joe Robinson), and harpist Celine Saout. Whew, that was tiring. And, just because we haven't reached our namedropping quota yet, Guy Fixsen of indie pop band Laika mixed the record. So there.

Dismemberment Plan Continue to Finish Touring, Morrison Readies Solo LP

The farewell tour/Operation Iraqi Freedom™ Victory Lap continues for The Dismemberment Plan. While it may be almost over for fans here in the states, a tour of Japan is in the works for August. Is Morrison hoping to find Iraq's weapons of mass destruction in the Land of the Rising Sun, or do we smell a DPlan at Budokan in the haps? Travis Morrison's new solo record is almost complete. "The record is about 90% done and 30% mixed." There still isn't a label set to release the record and, thus, no street date at this point. I would find it hard to believe that DeSoto Records would not be putting this out.. But only time will tell.

Spoon Serves Up New EP

Texas-based independent rock outfit Spoon will issue a seven-song EP, "The Way We Get By," Aug. 8 through Matador head Gerard Cosloy's U.K.-based label, 12XU Records. Beyond the title track (culled from the band's 2002 Merge album "Kill the Moonlight"), the disc will house six previously unreleased radio performances. A domestic release through Merge isn't likely, according to a label spokesperson.

Brian Wilson To Perform Aborted Album (SMILE)

Thirty-seven years after aborting his most ambitious project midway through recording, former Beach Boys mastermind Brian Wilson, plans to resurrect the long-lost "Smile" album in U.K. concerts next year. Wilson has set four dates at London's Royal Festival Hall for February 2004 as well as five additional shows throughout the U.K. the following month. "Smile" was intended to be the follow-up to the Beach Boys' best-known album, 1966's "Pet Sounds" (Capitol). Later that year, the symphonic hit single "Good Vibrations" gave listeners an idea of the direction Wilson was planning to take the music. The artist had extensive plans for the album, and was working with lyricist Van Dyke Parks on a number of tracks. The 2004 U.K. shows will see "Smile" performed in its intended entirety alongside other Beach Boys and Wilson solo hits, plus new material Wilson is writing for a forthcoming solo album.

Super Comp coming in Sept

Weezer, Iggy Pop, Sonic Youth, Mudhoney, and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs are among the artists that will contribute previously unreleased material to "Gimme Skelter," a compilation album due in September from Buddyhead Records. Wryly described by Buddyhead co-founder Travis Keller as "a benefit compilation benefiting the state of music," the project will be distributed through Nettwerk in North America and Parlophone in Europe.

Burton may direct Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Filmmaker Tim Burton, whose quirky credits range from "Beetlejuice" to "Batman," is in talks with Warner Bros. to direct a new movie adaptation of the Roald Dahl children's classic "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory." The studio confirmed a report on Thursday that Burton will meet in London in the next few days with surviving members of the Dahl family to discuss the project. The Dahl estate, which holds rights to the late author's works, has the final say over a director for the film, and Burton is the family's leading candidate for the job..

See Radiohead for 2 bucks

MTV and MTV2 are teaming with Radiohead for some promotions, including a previously announced June 6 show at New York's Beacon Theatre that will be broadcast June 17 on MTV2. Tickets for the concert will be sold for $2 beginning May 31 at the venue box office only. In addition, "Hail to the Thief" will be streamed in its entirety on MTV.com beginning June 2.

Bob Dylan movie to be released

Director Martin Scorsese is working on a documentary film titled "Bob Dylan Anthology Project," a biography about the iconic folk rocker. The film, planned for release in 2005, will chronicle Dylan's 1963 breakthrough and the cultural and political influence of his music, Scorsese and his producing partners said.

Elvis speaks his mind

British singer/songwriter Elvis Costello defended musicians who speak their minds in these "fairly dangerous times" and warned Americans to guard against "any attempts by people who swindle their way into office."He made the remarks yesterday at a Beverly Hill, Calif., event where he was being honored by songwriters society ASCAP.

Athfest is back

Cracker, the B-52s' Cindy Wilson, Kevn Kinney, Five-Eight, and I Am The World Trade Center are among the more than 120 acts set to perform at the seventh annual AthFest Music and Arts Festival in Athens, Ga. The four-day event, to be held June 19-22, will present music on two free outdoor stages, as well as at such city venues as the 40 Watt Club and the Georgia Theatre.

Metallica & Drowning Pool Songs Used To Interrogate Iraqi

U.S. interrogators in Baghdad are using heavy metal songs to break Iraqi captives. Officials say subjecting prisoners to long sessions of the "culturally offensive" music encourages them to talk. The interrogators' favorite tracks include Metallica's 'Enter Sandman' and the Drowning Pool song 'Bodies' WOW.. Those are both really bad songs.. that would drive me nuts too! STOP I'll talk just turn off the terrible music ahhhh.

Radiohead’s new video hits the streets

The video for the new Radiohead single "There There" is being screened throughout the day ton the Jumbotron video screen in New York's Times Square. In addition, the clip is being shown at the beginning of each hour all day on MTV2. "There There" is drawn from the album "Hail to the Thief," due June 10

More acts added to Siren Music Fest.

The Village Voice's third annual Siren Music Festival, set for July 19 at Coney Island, N.Y., has added a batch of new performers to its lineup. Idlewild, the Datsuns, Dirtbombs, Oneida, and the Witnesses join a previously announced roster that boasts Modest Mouse, Hot Hot Heat, Sahara Hotnights, !!!, the Kills, Radio 4, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Northern State, and the Pattern. The free, all-ages concert will last from noon to 9 p.m. on two outdoor stages at the Coney Island amusement park. More bands are expected to be announced, with DJs added to the lineup as well. Check the event's official Web site for more information.

Dave Grohl To Marry 'Future Ex-Wife'

Dave Grohl fell for his TV producer fiance after meeting in a Hollywood bar, but when she gave him her number she also scribbled down an odd message. He says, "She left me her number and she wrote, 'Jordan, your future ex-wife.'" Grohl has been dating the 26 year old for two years, and still can't believe he's marrying her. "She's the biggest fox in the world, the most gorgeous girl I've ever seen," he gushed. "I didn't think she'd be into me at all - I'm like the funny dude you don't necessarily want to sleep with." Second time’s a charm dave.. maybe you won’t cheat on this one.

'GRACE' UNDER PRESSURE.

SPIRITUALIZED have secretly recorded a brand new album. Despite spending four years writing and recording their last record 'Let It Come Down' , singer Jason Pierce has been busy on 'Amazing Grace' , a new "garage" album that clocks in at just over 40 minutes. "It's been recorded in just a few weeks, it's more stripped down than 'Let It Come Down' . It's the antithesis of the last one. There's no official release date for the album yet but it's likely to come out later this year.

White Stripes Take 'Elephant' On Tour

The White Stripes have rolled out plans for a six-week North American summer tour, beginning June 13 in Mountain View, Calif. The Detroit duo has shows on tap through July 23 at New York's Central Park SummerStage, with support to come from hometown rock act Whirlwind Heat. The Stripes are currently in Europe and will play Hamburg tonight (May 20).

Minor Threat Demo Discovered; Tribute Album, DVD in the Works

Twenty-two years ago, legendary DC straight-edge band Minor Threat entered producer Don Zientara's basement-- later known as Inner Ear Studios-- to record their eight song set. At the time the band had only been together for a matter of months, and, dissatisfied with the takes, never put them through a final mixing, opting to refine their sound and re-record their milestone debut a month later. The rest, as they say, is history. And huge laundry marker "X"s. The original unmixed tape was discovered almost two years ago, when the Dischord gang began work on the Twenty Years of Dischord box set. Before you start imagining some lost basement tape "Booyah! Struck gold!" kind of thing, you should know this is the same rough mix that's been bootlegged since the late 80s. But, this is the first time the master reels have been available for a proper mix, which MacKaye and Zientara finished soon after the tapes were found. The project was shelved, however, when the box set ran into trouble. Finally, on June 16th, sk8r bois the world over can hear the true mix of Minor Threat's first-ever recordings. Some of our readers might not have been alive yet, so we'll reiterate that this is inarguably the DC hardcore kickoff. Clocking in at a mere 9 minutes, the demo will be released as a CD single and a 7". Yes, we double-checked, it fits on a 7"!

Plan Could Signal End Of MCA Brand

Before the end of the year, the MCA moniker -- first used in 1924 -- may cease to exist. Sources say the current plan is to eliminate the MCA Records brand and move the majority of the label's staff and some of the roster under the banner of fellow Universal Music Group label Geffen Records. The reason, according to insiders, is that the MCA brand has become "tarnished" by a history of acquisitions and mergers as well as the label's decline in sales and prestige during the past few years. If the plan, which is still being negotiated, comes to fruition, it is expected that the majority of MCA's staff will be brought under Geffen, thus transforming Geffen into a full-service label again, sources said. Jordan Schur, president of Geffen Records, is negotiating a new contract to helm the new Geffen. Representatives from MCA and Interscope Geffen A&M declined comment.

Mr CD Burner

The new STEREOPHONICS album has been leaked online ahead of its official release date, causing label bosses at V2 to threaten legal action against any site hosting the new LP. 'You Gotta Go There To Come Back' is not due to be released until June 2, though several illegal downloading sites have managed to get hold of the band's fourth studio album.

SHOW AND TELL MUSIC

An orphanage for thrift store music and album cover art. Nowadays half the albums come in from other sources but I like to think that they embody the same spirit. The site isn't all show as MP3's are being added sporadically throughout the galleries.

TEENAGE MILLIONAIRE

Love Teenage Millionaire, Buy Teenage Millionaire, Be a Teenage Millionaire. and remember that Jesus is my homeboy.

Iggy and the Ashton Brothers..

Iggy Pop's new album which is due in July will have both Scott and Ron Ashton playing on it. The brothers he played with in the Stooges. Happy days are here again.

In Car Record Players

The needle of the Norelco Auto Mignon stays in the groove of our 45s, even when we drive over rough roads. But since there's no record changer, we must insert each record we want to play, then remove it when the song is over. From the kickin' off on a tangent

Scary Furniture

This company sells props for "Haunted Attractions" which could presumably also be used to create horrorshow ambience in your own home. Add some BDSM gear and you've got yourself a party. Shown here: Exorcist Bed & Levitator Option :"Our Exorcist Bed thrashes on a solid steel 360-degree simulator chassis. Your Actors can ride it or you may choose to add the Levitator option which safely and comfortably floats an Actor to a height of 5' 0" up and down over the bed as it thrashes around. Unit includes solid steel chassis & bed frame, walnut stained four poster bed, pneumatic package, SFX01 computer controller, footpad. Levitator option includes padded steel cradle, pneumatic package & grip switch." CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THE SITE Found at the super killer blog Boing Boing

LONG LIVE ROCK

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports a profile of music customers for the recording industry finds rock was still the most popular genre in 2002, preferred by 24.7 percent of those surveyed. Rap/hip-hop overtook pop music as the second-most-preferred with 13.8 percent. R&B/urban came in third with 11.2 percent. Country music's popularity also saw a surge, to 11.2 percent, while pop music posted an all-time low, with only 9 percent.

Verbena and Grohl on Good Terms

Although the Birmingham, AL trio had Beck and Elliot Smith producer Rob Schnapf produce their most recent, third and best album, La Musica Negra , evidently there were no hard feelings from the band's previous producer, Dave Grohl. The former Nirvana-drummer-turned-everybody's-favorite-player (Foo Fighters, Queens of the Stone Age) was spotted at the bar singing along to Verbena's set at the Troubadour in Los Angeles last night. Though the band's latest album is a plethora of fresh sounds from the dark drumming of “Way Out West” and heart-wrenching lyrics of “All The Saints” to the Southern gun-touting “Killing Floor (Get Down On It)” and swagger of “I, Pistol,” live was a whole other animal. In the past, Verbena has been likened to Nirvana in concert, and judging from last night, not much has changed. But if Dave Grohl doesn't mind, why should we? Either way (live or recorded), Verbena is a trip well-worth taking.

LT Laser Turntable

Because the LT makes no actual physical contact with your vinyl records, the LT reproduces audio exactly as it is recorded in the grooves of the record . This level of sound reproduction is not possible with a turntable using a cartridge (or needle).

RADIO STARS

Hundreds of studio session tracks and radio shows from artists such as U2 ,ELVIS COSTELLO ,ROD STEWART and THIN LIZZY are set to be released for the first time in a multi-million pound deal. The material, thought to be the biggest collection outside of the BBC , were found in the archives of Radio Clyde , and will now be released by the Universal Record Label . Other artists include Roxy Music ,Madness and Simple Minds .Over 600 recordings were found when Scottish Radio Holdings attempted to track down lost tapes of broadcasts of big name acts from the 1970s and 1980s and found that the sessions had taken place at Radio Clyde. A company spokesperson said: "These are totally unique recordings were usually only broadcast once or twice within a radio marketplace and then left to gather dust."

THIS DAY IN MUSIC:

1990: Sammy Davis Jr. dies in his Beverly Hills, Calif., home after a long battle with throat cancer. His biggest hit is "The Candy Man," a No. 1 featured in the film "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory."

Hedwig benefit album coming soon

Off Records is eyeing a fall release for "Wig in a Box," a benefit album featuring indie-rock all-stars taking on songs from the musical "Hedwig and the Angry Inch." The list of contributors is headed by Rufus Wainwright, the Breeders, Cyndi Lauper, and the Bens, a group comprising singer/songwriters Ben Folds, Ben Kweller, and Ben Lee.

John Peel Autobiography coming

BBC Radio legend John Peel has been given a 1.5 million pound advance for his upcoming autobiography. Man you know this is going to be a good read.

Harvest: A Tribute to Neil Young

Kingblind's pick of the week is a show in Atlanta, GA. Tonight May 16th at The Echo Lounge This Neil Young Tribute will have: Shannonwright, Kelly Hogan, Chris Lopez (Rock*A*Teens), Fran Capatenelli (Tom Collins), Anna Kramer, Roy Owens Jr, Steven Saterfield (Seely) and many many more playing some of the finest hits from NY. This is going to be recorded on (24 channel audio) AND on 5 DV cameras for a future DVD release. Truly an evening not to be missed. The show is a benefit for a atlanta label called International Hits Records. Hope to see you there.

Johnny Loses June

June Carter Cash cowrote "Ring of Fire," then she helped Johnny Cash escape it. Carter Cash, the last surviving sibling of country music's influential Carter Family who tamed the Man in Black and penned one of his biggest hits, died late Thursday night, eight days after surgery to replace a heart valve. She was 73. Johnny Cash, her husband of 35 years, was at her bedside at Nashville's Baptist Hospital, manager Lou Robin told reporters.

Hammer of the Gods

JOHN ENTWISTLE'S pink bass guitar has fetched almost ten times its estimated price at a SOTHEBY'S auction. 'Frankenstein,' a Fender Precision , sold for £62,400 earlier this week at the auction that has also seen his collection of 150 guitars, exotic fish, celebrity sketches and gold discs go under the hammer. The guitar had previously been expected to fetch around £7,000. Entwistle died last year of heart failure due to cocaine abuse, and added to his vast collection of guitars during almost 40 years of playing bass with The Who. A Gibson Flying V guitar which sold for £38,400 and a Explorer , fetching £95,200, were amongst the other items that went for big sums at the auction on Tuesday (May 13), despite the guitars having an asking price of between £50k and £70k.

A fix for you vinyl junkies

Records By Mail offers one of the most comprehensive selections of vinyl LPs and 45s available anywhere. Housed in a 6,000 square foot warehouse that currently holds 1.3 million records, They sell to music lovers in more than 60 countries. Do yourself a favor and check out this great company. Check them out online HERE

THIS DAY IS MUSIC:

1948 - Brian Eno (Brian Peter George St. John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno) is born in Suffolk, England. He is a founding member of the group Roxy Music.

Guided by Voices Reveal Details on New Full-Length.

According to GBV.com, the swaggering-- and slightly staggering-- lo-fi indie rockers from Dayton, Ohio, Guided by Voices, have firmed up the tracklist for their next album. Entitled Earthquake Glue and set to be released on Matador Records on August 19th, the record will contain fifteen tracks, fourteen of which were recorded in the hometown of flight with Todd Tobias. The GBVs handled the production duties themselves. Their website reports that Pollard and crew dropped by Steve Albini's Chicago-based Electrical Audio studio back in April to record a fifteenth track entitled "My Kind of Soldier", which will be the first single off the album

Superchunk to Release 2xCD Rarities Compilation

Chapel Hill, NC-based indie rock legends Superchunk will release a two-disc compendium of b-sides, singles, compilation tracks, and what they're describing as "other ephemera," on August 19th through their very own Merge Records. Entitled Cup of Sand , the release constitutes the third such collection, following 1992's Tossing Seeds and 1995's Incidental Music . Its material is culled from cutting room floor scraps of the past ten years, during which they worked with such esteemed producers as Steve Albini, Jim O'Rourke, and that reliable old Brian Paulson

Neil Young albums finally coming to CD

The four remaining Neil Young studio albums that have never been issued on CD will finally be unveiled in that format next month. "On the Beach," "American Stars 'N Bars," "Hawks & Doves," and "Re.ac.tor" will be released June 24 via Reprise. The albums, which have been out of print in any form for years and heavily bootlegged, have been digitally remastered but do not include any bonus tracks.

Bye, Bye Mr. Bungle

Former Faith No More frontman Mike Patton has moved on from Mr Bungle and is making Tomahawk his main priority. Patton juggled Mr Bungle with his star act Faith No More but it now looks like Mr Bungle is a thing of the past. "I think it is over" said Patton . The guys are spread all over the world and we don't talk to each other. I have not spoken to a couple of the guys since the last tour, years ago." With Mr Bungle out of the way Patton can concentrate on his two bands Tomahawk and Fantomas but he also has another project on the way. Expect to hear something from Peeping Tom, eventually but not soon. "I hope it is out by the end of 2004 but have not started on it and no idea who is going to be in it or anything".

Charlotte Caffey Gets Go-Go Ahead For Linda Lovelace Musical

Charlotte Caffey of 80s girl group The Go-Go's has been given the go-ahead to write the music for a musical based on the life of the infamous Linda Lovelace. Porn star Lovelace made her name in the starring role of 'Deep Throat'. "I was first attracted to the human interest side of Linda's story and then fell in love with the idea of it being a musical" says Charlotte. "Most people know Linda as just 'the Deep Throat' girl; but through songs ranging from delicate ballads to big production numbers, we are telling a bigger story of this woman's life." 'Lovelace: The Musical' will star Tina Yothers in the role as Linda. The script was written by Jeffrey Bowman, who was also the author of 'Whitney Houston: The Unauthorised Biography'. Charlotte's former Go-Go's band mate Jane Wiedlin is the creative consultant to the project.

Montague Photos

Our pal at Matteblack has made a nice Woggles page from one of their final shows with george on guitar.. CLICK HERE TO VIEW IT

THIS DAY IN MUSIC:

1955: Elvis Presley's live act causes audience frenzy for the first time, as most of clothing is torn off by fans in Jacksonville, Fla.

Goodbye Montague

George Holton aka "Montague" guitarist for the Atlanta based garage legends The Woggles passed away last night. Two friends in one week. So sad.

R.E.M Ramp up for world tour

R.E.M. is in the midst of preparations for its upcoming world tour , and according to a post by frontman Michael Stipe on the group's official Web site , the band has already rehearsed 70 songs. The tour starts June 27 at the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival and will wrap Oct. 11 in Atlanta, about 70 miles west of the group's Athens, Ga., homebase. R.E.M. is working with new drummer Bill Rieflin, an industrial/metal stickman who has manned the kit for the likes of Ministry, KMFDM, and Nine Inch Nails. R.E.M.'s three original members -- Stipe, bassist Mike Mills, and guitarist Peter Buck -- will also be augmented by longtime sidemen Scott McCaughey and Ken Stringfellow on the outing. In regards to the new REM record He said one new track - called 'Animal (The Whoa Song)' - was "massive", and explained that the other new material was "getting wilder and louder". A new studio album is expected in 2004.

Friends Forever the Movie

Friends Forever (the band) never plays inside rock clubs. Instead, they play inside their van outside the club, to stunned bystanders. Nate (drums), Josh (guitar), Jen (lighting) and their three dogs don't think twice about traveling thousands of miles across the country to play one 15-minute show in a loading zone. FRIENDS FOREVER (the documentary) captures their smoke-spewing generator-powered rock world, and the tour that has them crisscrossing the U.S. in search of the perfect parking spot. No audience is too small, or too baffled, to skimp on the performance when you're on "a mission to save rock."CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE TRAILER To learn more about the movie CLICK HERE

Trail of Dead release free “demo” MP3

From their website: Conrad from TOD said, I've decided to upload the original demo to "Crowning of a Heart", which some friends have said they liked more than the recorded version. There are some things about it that I like as well. Mainly, it's slower, and i think the harmonized vocals are clearer. So, submitted for your approval. Download the demo song HERE.

Hendrix Bassist Noel Redding Dead At 57

Rock musician Noel Redding, best known for his stint as the bass player with the Jimi Hendrix Experience, died yesterday (May 11) in Ireland of unknown causes. He was 57.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC:

1963: Bob Dylan is invited to appear on TV's "Ed Sullivan Show," but refuses when he is forbidden to sing "Talking John Birch Society Blues.

DAVE GROHL & JACK BLACK'S HOME MOVIES??

Just what the hell are Dave Grohl from the Foo Fighters and Jack Black from Tenacious D gettin' up to? Ohmigawd! Is this a new foo video? Is this a hoax? Or is the a real home movie of the boys in drag having.. uh well .. take a look for yourself. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE MOVIES

DeSoto Records LIVES

About nine months ago, we reported the dissolution of Burning Airlines. In mid-January, we announced that The Dismemberment Plan would split by year's end. In the middle of those two splits came the fracture of Kansas City's Shiner. The common thread between all these bands is their relationship with DeSoto Records, the Washington-based indie run by former Jawbox members Kim Coletta and Bill Barbot, which, fittingly, announced its own descent into oblivion along with Burning Airlines (of which Barbot was also a member). Well, just like TV President David Palmer decided to call off his bombers based on the hunch of one Jack Bauer on 24 , Coletta has also exercised her right to free will (how dare she) and decided that DeSoto will not close its doors after all. Coletta, elaborating on a post to the DeSoto website, told us that she was in a position better than most of us who work for the man: "The great thing about owning your own business is the flexibility that gives you in decision making. I'm allowed to change my mind!"

Jackson Sues Universal Over Motown Royalties

Michael Jackson has filed suit against Motown Records and parent Universal Music Group (UMG) in an attempt to obtain rights to all masters of material he recorded for the label from 1969-76. The 10-count suit, filed Thursday in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims that under a 1980 agreement, Motown agreed to pay royalties to Jackson on the distribution of select pre-1976 material, including solo and Jackson 5 recordings, as well as any "best-ofs" or compilations of unreleased tracks.

Bowie Joins Conan To Play With Clay

Late Night host Conan O'Brien is about to do an entire show in clay animation this week and he's bringing along David Bowie to get his hands dirty. Bowie will be the musical guest on the show. Jackass star Johnny Knoxville will also feature as well as comedian Richard Lewis. Mr T. is also expected to make a surprise appearance (in clay of course). The show has been some months in the making. The original show was filmed in October 2002. It was filmed before a live audience months ago and then the clay animators went to work to recreate the images. "This may be the best show we've ever done...in clay" Conan says. The clay animation sequences include the opening monologue, the comedy, the guests and the bits in and out of commercials.

You will be missed my friend-

Scott Rogers AKA Rip Thrillby from the surf rock group The Penetrators died last night in Atlanta, Georgia in a car accident. Scott you are my friend.. I will miss you.

June Carter Cash in critical condition

Singer June Carter Cash, the wife and Grammy-winning duet partner of Johnny Cash, was hospitalized in critical condition Saturday as a result of complications from heart surgery, according to their longtime manager. Cash, 73, had the surgery on Wednesday at Baptist Hospital to replace a valve, said Lou Robin. He said Johnny Cash is asking everyone able to pray for his wife's recovery to do so at 11 a.m. EST Sunday. "June did this for him one time when he was critically ill," Robin said. "The recovery the next morning was something the doctors couldn't describe or imagine." June Carter Cash is a singer, songwriter, musician, actress and author.

Radiohead Swagger on "Thief"

"We wanted to relearn the art of putting out shorter songs," says Radiohead guitarist Ed O'Brien. "Keeping it succinct instead of taking the listener on a journey." On their sixth album, Hail to the Thief (due June 10th), Radiohead return to the masterful songwriting of their early work but flavor it with the experimentation of their last two CDs, 2000's Kid A and 2001's Amnesiac . Songs pulsate, skitter electronically and turn into distorted gospel numbers -- but they also rock. "On tour in 2001 in America, I think we learned to swagger as a band," O'Brien explains. "We wanted to capture that on record. We also didn't want to spend too long in the studio." The group recorded Thief primarily over a marathon two-week session in Los Angeles with their customary producer, Nigel Godrich. The results are stunning, such as on the opener, "2 + 2 = 5," which builds from droning blips into passionate rock. Its lyrics include the title phrase "Hail to the thief," which O'Brien says is not intended simply as a reference to George W. Bush.

More acts added to Lollapalooza

Cave In, the Music, Kings Of Leon, the Distillers, and "Jackass" principal Steve-O have signed on to perform as part of the Lollapalooza tour's second stage. Other acts include Rooney, the Mooney Suzuki, Burning Brides, Pharoahe Monch, 30 Seconds To Mars, and Bellydance Superstars, as well as a different local opening act in each market. As previously reported, Lollapalooza will be headlined by Jane's Addiction and kicks off July 3 in Grand Rapids, Mich.

Lounge Classics

Classic hip-hop videos featuring RUN-DMC ,WU-TANG CLAN and A TRIBE CALLED QUEST are to feature on a new DVD released in July. The first 'Lyricist Lounge: Hip-Hop Video Classics' DVD will be released in the US on July 8 and will also include videos from M.O.P. ,Pharcyde and Mobb Deep . The DVD will be release in Europe, but no date has yet been set

iTunes Music Service coming to the UK?

Apple Europe is working to establish the iTunes Music Service across Europe. One of the constant complaints against Apple is that it favors North American users. There are no Apple retail stores outside the US and you can't order iPhoto albums in most countries. Apple Europe vice president Pascal Cagni told UK music publication Music Week that discussions are "set to begin in earnest," following the store's US launch. Music Week reports that Apple may launch the service initially in those European territories with higher Internet penetration, such as the UK. One possible roadblock: European music companies' digital-rights management structures could pose problems. However, Feral Gara, EMI head of new media, said "we are technology-agnostic in our approach." This amazing new music service from apple is available only to mac users at the moment. The PC version will be ready by the end of the year.

The New Pornographers announce tour:

The New Pornographers have announced that they'll be heading out on a 16-date North American tour in support of their just-released second full-length, Electric Version , during June and July. The summer tour will have the five-piece visiting virtually every acre of the Western United States, as well as some patches of the Midwest and Canada, and two shows in New York. Electric Version was just released on Tuesday via Matador Records in the U.S. and Europe, and through Mint Records in Canadaland. In somewhat related news, New Pornographers vocalist Neko Case may soon live up to her bandname, provided she takes a presumably very-generous-but-still-pending offer from Playboy Magazine , who is propositioning her for a nude photo shoot (is there any other kind?). Playboy.com recently held an online poll to determine the "sexiest babe of indie rock" (hep lingo, groovy cats!) and Neko came out on top (ahem), with a whopping 32% of the votes. When asked by the website whether she would consider posing, Case responded, "Well, of course I would consider it! But I certainly need time to think about it. It would be a lot of fun, but I'm also a little bit shy."

Ozzy, Kelly Osbourne Splitting Sony

Ozzy and Kelly Osbourne are in the midst of leaving Sony Music, with whom the hard rock family has been associated since 1980. "We've had 23 great years together," family matriarch/manager Sharon Osbourne said in a statement. "We've shared many great successes, but sometimes you have to search out fresh blood to get fresh ideas, which is a philosophy that every record company, especially Sony, understands." However, one member of the Osbournes is remaining in the Sony camp, as Ozzy's son Jack will stay on as a talent scout for Epic. Although further details were not immediately available, the statement says Sharon and Sony mutually agreed that Kelly would leave Sony after CEO Tommy Mottola resigned in January. Kelly's 2002 Epic debut, "Shut Up," debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart and has sold 147,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Tenacious D Halfway Toward 'Destiny'

The script for the long-awaited Tenacious D feature film, "Tenacious D in the Pick of Destiny," is about halfway complete, co-writer/director Liam Lynch tells us. Shooting will hopefully begin by the end of the year for the film, which Lynch says "follows the stages the D had to go through, as well as one of their first character-building quests, to help prepare them to be the greatest band in the world." Lynch says initial script ideas pitched from writers outside the D camp were "funny," but failed to capture the comedy rock duo's hard-luck essence. "Part of what is funny about the D is them being the underdogs and thinking they're awesome, but you're in the reality of what they actually are," he says.

THIS DAY IN MUSIC

1964 - Chuck Berry starts his first U.K. tour in London, supported by the Animals, Carl Perkins and the Nashville Teens.
1937 - Dave Prater of Sam & Dave is born in Ocilla, Ga. The group's biggest hit is the 1967 No. 2 song "Soul Man." He dies in a car accident on April 9, 1988.

J. Mascis and Lou Barlow Are At Least Talking

Lou Barlow was dumped from Dinosaur Jr way back in 1989 but the two founders of the band Lou and J. Mascis are at least on talking terms these days. In fact, they have even played together again. "I got him to sing when we did some gigs playing Stooges songs with the Asheton Brothers and Mike Watt in England" J. tells Undercover News. "Lou sang a song "1969"or something. It was last December". The Asheton brothers were original members of Iggy and the Stooges. Performing with them was a thrill for J. "It's fun because you can play and listen at the same time. Getting to know those guys was pretty cool" he says. J. is glad Iggy and the Stooges recently got back together. "I'd like to see it" he says. "I guess if you really like the band you would like to see them get back together. Some bands anyway". So what about a Dinosaur Jr reunion? "I wouldn't personally like to see that".

Entwistle's basses up for sale

More than 150 guitars owned by late Who bassist John Entwistle will be auctioned by Sotheby's starting May 13th. Clothing, posters and some of Entwistle's sketches will also go under the hammer.

New Beatles Pics Surface

A pair of Beatles photography exhibitions will offer some candid peeks at the Fab Four on both sides of the pond. Currently on view in Liverpool are 1968 photos of John, Paul, George and Ringo milling about a London chapel, and in December the Smithsonian will display a collection of shots from the band's first American tour. Photographer Tom Murray was called in to be the second photographer during the London shoot. "When I see the photos in the gallery, I realized I was very lucky: I had a golden opportunity," Murray says. "I opened the door and said, 'Oh shit, it's the Beatles.'" Murray's shots are on display at the Matthew Street Gallery in the band's hometown and feature twenty-three negatives from three rolls of film (valued at over $2 million). The shots (including this one of a water-spitting Paul McCartney) can be seen at tommurrayphotos.com. "Paul kept looking over at me, wondering why I was apart from the others," Murray says. "He had a drink of water, and I turned around and he sprayed it all over my Nikon. Thank God my camera was waterproof."

Zombie to build another house

Rocker-turned-filmmaker Rob Zombie is fixing to build another "House." Zombie has inked a deal with Lions Gate Films to write and direct a sequel to his directorial debut, the horror feature "House of 1000 Corpses," which has scared up more than $11 million in box office receipts since its U.S. release last month.

HAIL TO TO THE MISCHIEF MAKERS!

Wannabe HOLLYWOOD stars looking for their big break are being fooled by a secret poster campaign to promote the new RADIOHEAD album. Posters appeared across Los Angeles last week that, on the surface, looked like a recruitment ad for a 'Pop Idol' -style talent competition. However, closer inspection reveals it to be made up from the lyrics to the new Radiohead song 'We Suck Young Blood' from 'Hail To The Thief' - a track Thom Yorke recently said was about Hollywood lifestyle. The poster reads 'Hungry? Sick? Begging for a break? Sweet? Fresh? Would you do anything? We suck young blood? We want sweet meats.' The poster gives a number, 1-866-868-4433 , which translates to: 1 866-tot-hief .

ASH frontman in hospital

ASH frontman TIM WHEELER was hospitalised last night (May 8) with a mystery illness, putting tonight's MANCHESTER APOLLO gig in jeopardy. According to an unofficial Ash website, Wheeler was admitted to a London hospital with painful swellings to his arms. However, a spokesperson for the band said tonight's Carling Live gig with Hot Hot Heat and The Rain Band will still go ahead. Ash bassist Mark Hamilton reportedly told the website: " Tim is in a private hospital, his arm is about four times it size, I don't know if the gig is still going ahead tomorrow. "If it does go ahead, Tim wont be able to play guitar, so Charlotte will have to do everything herself and Tim will just sing."

PETE TOWNSHEND CLEARED OF CHARGES

PETE TOWNSHEND was today (May 8) cleared of possessing child pornography, but has been placed on the Sex Offenders Register for five years. The co-founder of The Who ,Townshend , was arrested in January as a part of Operation Ore , the nationwide crackdown on child pornography. Police said after a four-month investigation by a special Child Protection Group, the 57-year-old guitarist had visited a website containing child pornography, but had not downloaded any of the images. A police spokesperson told Reuters : "He has fully co-operated with the investigation and the decision to caution was made in line with police policy," They also said that in accordance with the Sexual Offenders Register a DNA sample would be taken from Townshend .Townshend has admitted viewing child pornography, but said he was carrying out research for a future book about child abuse.

The Ramones Vs. The Beastie Boys

New remix now available.. From the folks that brought you Electric 6 Vs. Black Sabbath CLICK HERE to download

Aretha Franklin cleans up her mess

After a six-month investigation into the cause of a fire at her Oakland County, Mich., mansion, Aretha Franklin now has 10 days to clean up the mess. "The investigation is complete, and now it is time to clean up the property," Kaye Chartier, Bloomfield Township's code and ordinance director, told The Oakland Press Friday.

Pop Super-Trio Thorns Debut

Acoustic harmony trio the Thorns -- a group made up of singer/songwriters Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins, and Pete Droge -- is set to release its debut self-titled album May 20 on Aware/Columbia Records. The band will tour in support of the album, and has already set four appearances -- a May 20 slot on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," a two-night stand at Hollywood's Troubadour nightclub May 20-21, and a May 23 performance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn." Acoustic harmony trio the Thorns -- a group made up of singer/songwriters Matthew Sweet, Shawn Mullins, and Pete Droge -- is set to release its debut self-titled album May 20 on Aware/Columbia Records. The band will tour in support of the album, and has already set four appearances -- a May 20 slot on "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno," a two-night stand at Hollywood's Troubadour nightclub May 20-21, and a May 23 performance on "The Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn."

Kiss Symphony To Become Kiss Alive IV

Kiss have officially announced the aborted Kiss Alive IV album will make way for The Kiss Symphony album, recorded live at Telstra Dome in Melbourne in February. The album will be titled "The Kiss Symphony : Alive IV". It will be a 2CD set released by their newly formed label Kiss Records and distributed by Sanctuary worldwide.

Neko Case Leads Playboy Indie 'Babe' Poll

Sex, drugs and rock ’n’ roll — an unholy threesome that has gone hand-in-hand-in-hand since someone first got the bright idea to run 1,000 volts or so through the previously harmless six-string instrument that would go on to become violently known, among other things, as an “axe.” Well, you’re on your own for the drugs for the moment, but the folks over at Playboy are making a grasp at some twisted sort of indie cred with a new feature on their Web site (www.playboy.com) that offers a healthy dose of those other two vices we all love so much. In an online feature lovingly dubbed “Rock My Hard Place,” the long-running “gentleman’s” mag is offering site visitors the chance to select the “sexiest babe in indie rock.” With a shortlist that includes Chan Marshall (Cat Power), Neko Case, Sahara Hotnights, Rainer Maria’s Caithlin De Marrais and the electroclash upstarts in W.I.T., among others, it seems safe to assume that not all of the nominees are thrilled by the site’s revelation that, “We’ll ask the one who turns your knobs the loudest to pose nude for Playboy.” As of press time, however, one of the most likely to concede is also the frontrunner by quite a large margin: Neko Case leads the poll with a whopping 32 percent of the vote. To check out the indie rock feature on playboy.. CLICK HERE

Soft Boys Splinter Again

Robyn Hitchcock has departed from the Soft Boys again, exiting for the second time from the seminal alt-pop outfit he co-founded. The group, which reunited for the 2002 Matador studio album "Nextdoorland," first parted ways after 1980's influential "Underwater Moonlight" (Armageddon). "The pressure of being in the band and managing it got too much for me, and the bulk of the reunion project was complete anyway," Hitchcock said in a statement. "Anyway, I didn't have the energy or enthusiasm to do the summer dates we'd been offered." The Soft Boys initially regrouped in March 2001 for a month-long tour of North America in support of Matador's expanded reissue of "Underwater Moonlight."

Elbow are back

ELBOW are set to release their comeback single 'RIBCAGE' as a downloadable single via their website. The track will be available to download on May 26 from the official Elbow website, elbow.co.uk , and will cost 99p. The single is due for official release on August 4. Their second album, 'Cast Of Thousands' , the follow-up to 2001's 'Asleep In The Back' , will be released on August 18.

Deaf Songs

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE have 25 new songs ready for their fourth album - and could be in the studio as early as October. Frontman Josh Homme said the new material "blows away" the songs from last year's 'Songs For The Deaf' , and said the new tracks are "sweet enough for the chicks and heavy enough for the dudes". He said: "We know the earliest we could record is October. We don't want to know all these tunes right now because we want to keep it exciting." Homme also revealed that Queens Of The Stone Age will not be playing much of the new material during their summer tour.

Strokes Part Ways With Godrich

The Strokes have parted ways with producer Nigel Godrich after a trial period of sessions intended for the group's second RCA album. The band will return to the studio at the end of the month with producer Gordon Raphael, who was behind the boards for its 2001 debut, "Is This It," according to manager Ryan Gentles.

Atari: dead but not forgotten.

Take a nostalgic trip down retro gaming lane with this faithful reproduction of 10 Classic Atari games built into the vintage Atari Joystick. Also available: Activision 10-in-1 in a controler. Buy it online HERE Found at the excellent Milk and Cookies website

Music Fans Confront Dallas Clear Channel Station

Dallas, TX – Fans and Street Team Members of Austin, TX based Rock band Vallejo, plan to converge upon Clear Channel owned Dallas rock radio station KDGE FM (The Edge) on Friday May 2. The rally is in protest of Clear Channel’s play policy whereas most non-major label artists are exempt from airplay on Clear Channel stations in many of the major markets. Adding fuel to their fire is the upcoming May 6 radio release of Vallejo’s remake of the 1982 Wall of Voodoo classic “Mexican Radio.” The avid alliance of TX rock radio listeners will descend upon the Dallas station office during morning drive time at 8 a.m. armed with Vallejo CD’s in hand, and high hopes of getting a non-corporate sanctioned spin. Their goal is to make it known that fans and listeners alike are frustrated by the media giant’s rigid playlist standards and non-support of local and regional talent. As previously reported here.. Clear Channel is the devil. This is simply just another example of that.

iTunes Music Stores hit over 1 million downloads in 1st week !

Announced last week, Apple's iTunes Music Store has sold over 1 million songs in the first week, the company announced on Monday. "In less than one week we've broken every record and become the largest online music company in the world," said Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "Apple has created the first complete solution for the digital music age-you can purchase your favorite music online at the iTunes Music Store, mix your favorite tracks into playlists with iTunes, and take your entire music collection with you everywhere with the super-slim new iPods." Apple also announced that new tracks would be added to the store beginning tomorrow. Totaling over 3,200 NEW songs.. That is in addition to the over 200,000 existing songs in the iTunes store.

Mansun have split up

Mansun have announced it is all over for them. The band have alerted fans that it is all over at their official website. They says "The band members came to the decision towards the end of March, agreeing that they each want to move on with their lives, and that the life of the group had come to an end". A statement from band management reads 'after nearly eight years together, they decided that Mansun had run its course and it is time to do other things'. The band insist there is nothing sinister or underhanded about the decision. Guitarist Dominic Chad says "it was completely amicable. We all just want to be able to do other things'. Chad thanked the fans for their support.

JAPANDER !!

Japander:n.,& v.t. 1. a western star who uses his or her fame to make large sums of money in a short time by advertising products in Japan that they would probably never use. ~er (see synecure, prostitute) 2. to make an ass of oneself in Japanese media. CLICK HERE TO SEE THE COMMERCIALS

Mean Tech For Thwarting Music Piracy

Some of the world's biggest record companies, facing rampant online piracy, are quietly financing the development and testing of software that would sabotage the computers and Internet connections of people who download pirated music, according to industry executives cited by The New York Times in a story on its Web site prepared for its Sunday editions. The Times says the record companies are exploring options on new countermeasures, which some experts say have varying degrees of legality, to deter online theft: from attacking personal Internet connections in order to slow or halt downloads of pirated music to overwhelming the distribution networks with potentially malicious programs that masquerade as music files. The covert campaign, parts of which may never be carried out because they could be illegal under state and federal wiretap laws, is being developed and tested by a cadre of small technology companies, the executives told the newspaper. If employed, the new tactics would be "the most aggressive effort yet" taken by the recording industry to thwart music piracy, a problem that the IFPI, an industry group, estimates costs the industry $4.3 billion in sales worldwide annually, the Times notes.

Austin City Limits Music Festival Returns

The Austin City Limits Music Festival returns this year with an incredible lineup. The festival is expanded this year to three days and will take place Sep 19-21 in Austin, TX at Zilker Park. The award-winning television series Austin City Limits on PBS is the longest-running music show in the US. There are more than 100 bands performing on eight stages at the festival. So far confirmed artists include R.E.M., Al Green, Liz Phair, Ben Harper, Rosanne Cash, Jack Johnson, String Cheese Incident, Beth Orton, Lucinda Williams, Beta Band, Spoon, Patty Griffin, Old 97's, Los Lobos, Abra Moore, Nickel Creek, Mavis Staples, Alejandro Escovedo, Ween, Ben Weller, G. Love & Special Sauce, Robert Randolph, Pat Green, Galactic, O.A.R., Gomez and The Shins. Tickets go on sale this Sat (5/2) and are only available online at www.aclfestival.com . Last year, more than 75,000 people attended.

Ol' Dirty Bastard Signs To Roc-A-Fella Records

Controversial rapper Ol' Dirty Bastard has signed to Roc-A-Fella Records, and will soon begin work on his label debut. The artist, who has just been released after two years in prison, announced the new deal today (May 1) in New York. The rapper (real name: Russell Jones) says he will now go by another pseudonym, Dirt McGirt, and has launched a clothing line of that same name. "All we wanna do at the Roc is give [Ol' Dirty Bastard] love and help him get to where he needs to go," said Roc-A-Fella CEO Damon Dash. Dash also hinted that the artist would be taking part in the label's summer Roc Army tour , set to kick off in late May.

PUNK ROCK PUPPETS

Members of Green Day, Rancid, X, Blink 182, A.F.I., and more lend their voices and likeness to the forthcoming animated/puppetry film "Live Freaky! Die Freaky!" The Hellcat Pictures film was written and directed by independent filmmaker John Roecker and produced by Rancid/Transplants guitarist/vocalist Tim Armstrong. Described as "an epic motion picture of puppet proportions," the film is set in the year 3069, where the earth is barren thanks to war and ozone depletion. Survivors roaming the earth in search of food will be saved by the return of serial killer Charles Manson. Armstrong narrates the film, while his fellow Rancid members play various roles: guitarist/singer Lars Frederiksen plays Heave Parent, bassist Matt Freeman plays Heino, and drummer Brett Reed voices Cop #3. X's John Doe plays Hex, Green Day singer/guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong plays a cashier named Charlie, and Vandals/A Perfect Circle drummer Josh Freese plays Prosecutor Bug.

Diana Krall, Elvis Costello to marry

Canadian jazz phenom Diana Krall and singer-songwriter Elvis Costello are engaged to be married, Krall's father has told the Victoria Times Colonist. Jim Krall, a Nanaimo, B.C., accountant, said Thursday he doesn't know any details about when or where the wedding might take place but said he's happy about the plan, the newspaper reports. Rumours of a romance between Krall, 38, and Costello, 48, spread after the duo was spotted dining together at a New York restaurant in January. "It's a wonderful thing and it's special to me. I'm really happy," she said of the relationship earlier this year...

WITNNESS THE WHITE STRIPES!

THE WHITE STRIPES have joined the bill for this year's WITNNESS FESTIVAL in Ireland. Jack and Meg White will perform at the event on Sunday July 13, second on the bill after headliner David Gray , a day after their Main Stage appearance at the T In The Park festival in Scotland. The first day of the event, which takes place on July 12 and 13 at Punchestown Racecourse in County Kildare , is headlined by Coldplay .Other confirmed acts over the weekend include Manic Street Preachers ,Doves ,The Thrills and Badly Drawn Boy Zwan ,Flaming Lips and The Streets .Over 40,000 people enjoyed more than 100 acts, including Oasis and Foo Fighters at last year's event. The White Stripes also play this year's Carling Weekend: Reading And Leeds over the weekend of August 22-24.

It's BAAAAACK

For all you metal heads out there, Headbanger's Ball has returned to MTV2. Is this a good thing?

DAVID LEE ROTH APPREHENDS KNIFE-WIELDING INTRUDER AT GUNPOINT

This past weekend, DAVID LEE ROTH apprehended and detained a knife-wielding man who trespassed on the singer's Southern California estate. At 3:00 AM on Saturday April 26, ROTH was awakened by the sounds of breaking branches to discover a man had scaled his manor's 10 foot high wall. ROTH grabbed his shotgun and went onto the grounds where he encountered the man who was carrying a knife. ROTH cornered the man and held him until the Pasadena Police arrived to take him away in handcuffs. Says ROTH: "Anyone found bearing arms here at night ... will be found here in the morning." ROTH was home preparing for a summer tour in support of his new forthcoming release DIAMOND DAVE (due July 8 on Magna Carta).

New Apple Service Off To Quick Start

Observers are calling the launch of Apple Computer's digital music service the iTunes Music Store an overwhelming success. The service, which went live Monday, sold an estimated 275,000 tracks at 99 cents apiece in its first 18 hours, according to major-label sources. All songs -- including exclusive material and videos from U2, Eminem, Sheryl Crow, Bob Dylan, Sting, and others -- can be previewed for free as 30-second samples. All can be burned to a CD and are automatically synched to an iPod. A windows version of the service should be available towards the end of the year.

Courtney Love (aka SOULSUCKER) Seeks Bassist And Guitarist

Courtney Love is looking for a bassist and guitarist for her debut solo project, but she's only interested in girls. "Join Courtney Love's touring band and get famous, see the world!" reads an ad in this week's Village Voice. "Must play bass or guitar (really play), and look like a goddess. No boys!" Send your videotapes to P.O. Box C238, New York, N.Y. 10011, or call (212) 802-7269. WARNING.. You will have no soul if you join this band.. You have been warned..

Misfits, RFTC Rock For Joey Ramone

Punk veterans the Misfits will pay tribute to late punk icon Joey Ramone when they headline Joey Ramone's Birthday Bash May 16 at New York's Webster Hall. Joining the Misfits in an all-star lineup will be Jerry Only, as well as Black Flag veteran Dez Cadena and Marky Ramone. Rocket From The Crypt will open the event that also promises special guests and video presentations. Former MTV personality Matt Pinfield will host the show. A special limited edition shirt will be sold at the show with proceeds to benefit the Lymphoma Foundation. Ramone succumbed to lymphoma April 15, 2001. A few weeks later, what would have been his 50th birthday was celebrated with a New York tribute concert featuring Blondie, Cheap Trick, and the Damned, among others.

3rd annual siren fest lineup announced:

Modest Mouse, Hot Hot Heat, Sahara Hotnights, !!!, the Kills, Radio 4, Ted Leo/Pharmacists, Northern State, and the Pattern have been tapped to perform at the Village Voice's third annual Siren Music Festival, set for July 19 at Coney Island, N.Y. For more information on the festival CLICK HERE also.. did I mention that it's free and all-ages.. WOW.

McCartney Will Play Liverpool Yearlong tour will end in former Beatle's hometown

Paul McCartney will wrap up his tour behind 2001's Driving Rain with a June 1st performance in his hometown of Liverpool, England. The show will take place near the banks of the River Mersey. McCartney will have a seventy-foot stage constructed at King's Dock, where 30,000 fans can attend. Tickets for the event go on sale tomorrow (May 1st). Among those in attendance will be the 2 millionth fan to attend a show on the tour.

Madonna WTF remixes

The queen of publicity stunts. In a supposed attempt to stop P2P users swapping songs from Madonna's 'American Life' album, the lady herself released a series of 'dummy' files onto KaZaA. these are full length files but only the first few seconds contain sound: a recording of Madonna saying 'What the fuck do you think you're doing?'. Presumably this was supposed to inspire guilt and repentant hearts in the sinful 'thieves'... but instead it seems to have been counterproductive... such a perfect sample is just crying out to be remixed! CLICK HERE to hear the remixes