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Teenagers, Alina Simone, Spoon, Base-jumping Dog |
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Wednesday, September 10, 2008 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
THE TEENAGERS are "Feeling Better" with help from fan footage. PAUL WELLER talks to Pitchfork about the various twists and turns of his career at age 50. ANNUALS have made "Confessor" downloadable at AnnualSpace. ALEJANDRO ESCOVEDO is profiled by the L.A. Times, with the near-inevitable comeback angle. ALINA SIMONE does the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, one previously unreleased. SPOON frontman Britt Daniel debuted new songs like "Who Backs Your Money" at Music Fest North West. MAGAZINE will reunite for two gigs next year. AIMEE MANN talks to the Baltimore Sun about the characters in the short stories on her new album, @#%&*! Smilers. THAO NGUYEN plays a four-song, Tiny Desk concert for NPR. LOCKSLEY coughs up "All Over Again" as a free download via Spinner. RICK ASTLEY judges various "Rick Rolls" for the Guardian. JON FAVREAU & ROBERT DOWNEY JR. spill hints about future movies during a live commentary session for Iron Man. Video Q&A here and here. JOSH HARTNETT is taking the Daily Mirror newspaper to court for alleging he had a "sexual dalliance" in a public area of a London hotel. Even with the UK's plaintiff-friendly libel law, this strikes me as risky, unless he wasn't really in the hotel. JESSICA SIMSPON halted a performance on live television Tuesday, but I think that's better than sounding bad because you can't hear yourself. Video at the link. MISCHA BARTON has revealed she secretly checked into rehab after her drunk driving arrest in 2007. KATE BECKINSALE talks to OK! magazine about balancing work and family. THE BEST HIGH SCHOOL MOVIES, as compiled by Pop Candy's Whitney Matheson. Hey hey hey hey. CHARLIE KAUFMANN, the scribe for Being John Malkovich, Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and Adaptation, gets a suitable unique behind-the-scenes-of-the-artcle treatment from Wired magazine. NORTH KOREA: US intell officials said that Kim Jong Il may have suffered a serious health setback, potentially a stroke, amid reports that the 66-year-old dictator had failed to appear at an important celebration of his country's anniversary. Maybe he's just ronery. IRAQ: US and Iraqi officials are holding meetings to reassure Awakening and Sons of Iraq members about what the future holds for them once the Sunni-dominated citizen patrols begin reporting to the Iraqi government on Oct. 1. Bob Woodward claims that the dramatic drop in violence in Iraq is due in large part to a secret program the US military has used to kill terrorists -- which he reveals in his new book, depite saying that blowing the secret would get people killed. US troops foiled an insurgent terror plot against them originating in a bakery. The Financial Times has a slideshow of calm returning to Basra. AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT: A base-jumping dog. GIANT PANDA CUBS are being specially cared for by a team of workers in China. Awww...some pics. TACO the CHIHUAHUA tracks down a wanted felon, makes him drop the chalupa. Video at the link. RARE BLONDE HEDGEHOG is returning to health after being found orphaned. Sure to attract Spiny Norman. HORATIO the GOLDFISH has stunned his owner by spending the last five years swimming around upside down.
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3475 Reads |
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New Releases, Radiohead, Justin Townes Earle, Old Dog |
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Tuesday, September 09, 2008 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
THE KAISER CHIEFS "Never Miss A Beat" in their latest video. NEW RELEASES: Calexico, Passion Pit, and Chad Van Gaalen are among the albums streaming via Spinner this week. Okkervil River releases The Stand-Ins. The Horse Feathers release House With No Home. The Lovely Sparrows Bury The Cynics. JIMMY PAGE: Downplaying a Zeppelin reunion... or prodding Robert Plant? RADIOHEAD: The full concert at the Santa Barbara Bowl is now steaming on demand via NPR. JUSTIN TOWNES EARLE does six free songs for Daytrotter, including a conutrified cover of The Replacements' "Can't Hardly Wait." BRIAN WILSON survives a phone interview with Pitchfork. Ironically, he seems more animated performing for AOL Sessions, which is your Fivefer Tuesday. He even manages a few smiles during "Going Home," which is odd if you listen to the lyrics. THE RAVEONETTES will trade you EPs for contact info. THE MAGICAL MYSTERY TOUR: The biggest online survey of personal memories ever conducted aims to see how Beatles associations shed light on the psychological effect of autobiographical memory. TORTOISE: Doug McCombs talks to NOW Toronto about starting work on the band's first new album in four years. DR. DOG: Scott McMicken talks to the Birmingham Weekly about the band's new album and current tour. THE MTV VMAs, boiled down to two minutes of your life you'll never get back. Host Russell Brand insulted Pres. Bush and the Jonas Bros - and got in trouble for the latter. BRITNEY SPEARS, the big "winner" at the VMAs is said to be "furious" with her mother, as Mama Lynne's book blames all of Britney's problems on her daughter's former managers, whereas Britney feels Lynne herself caused so many of her problems and issues. JESSICA SIMPSON makes her debut at the Grand Ole Opry, with some in the audience thinking she should have put some clothes on. Which seems to me to invert the entire Jessica Simpson singing-dressing equation. MINNIE DRIVER became a first-time mom to son Henry Story Driver. UMA THURMAN: Pregnancy rumors. HEATHER MILLS is writing a book about a model who falls for a world-famous rock star and marries him before the relationship turns sour. Shocka! THE DARK KNIGHT: Michael Caine kinda sorta confirms rumors about Jhnny Depp as The Riddler and Philip Seymour Hoffman as The Penguin in the next installment of the Batman franchise -- though afaik, there's been no work on a script yet. BIG BUDGET AUTEURS: Blood pressure has risen for execs at Fox, Paramount and Warner Bros. over, respectively, "Avatar," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button" and "Where the Wild Things Are." James Cameron says Avatar makes Titanic look like a picnic. Avatar is being made in stereoscopic 3-D and combines live action and computer animation. WTWTA is back on Warner Bros.' release schedule, set for a release on Oct. 16, 2009. SCIENTOLOGY: Over a period of twelve hours, American Rights Counsel LLC sent out over 4000 DMCA takedown notices to YouTube, all making copyright infringement claims against videos with content critical of the Church of Scientology. Meanwhile, a French judge has ordered two departments and seven prominent members of the Church of Scientology in France to stand trial on charges of organized fraud. TERROR in the UK/US: Three men charged in an plot to explode bombs on trans-Atlantic airliners bound for the United States and Canada were convicted Monday in London of conspiracy to murder. ADAM GADAHN, al-Qaeda's prize American recruit and propaganda chief may have been killed in a CIA-directed airstrike. PAKISTAN: Despair among human rights workers over a rash of so-called "honour killings" intensified yesterday when it was disclosed that a girl forced into marriage with a 45-year-old man at the age of nine had been killed by her parents because she asked for an annulment. IRAN's first nuke plant is almost ready. IRAQ: Pres. Bush will announce plans to withdraw about 8000 US troops by February 2009 and deploy soldiers to Afghanistan where violence has been surging. BELLA the LABRADOR, believed to be the oldest dog in the world, has died - aged around 203 in dog years. HOMER the LABRADOR survived horrific injuries when he was hit by an express train -- because his wound was seared shut by the intense heat from the 125 mph train. LEAPING CARP, Broken Jaw. A SNAKE PARKED WAS ROBBED of money hard-earned by a man who has been living in a snake cage for 85 days. A LARGE SHARK towed a surfer out to sea like a "powerful jet ski' after it became entangled in the leg rope of his surfboard. What say you, Police Chief Brody?
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3412 Reads |
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Muppets, Ting Tings, John Darnielle & Kaki King, Squirrel |
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Monday, September 08, 2008 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
SEQUESTERED IN MUPPETS: The Hold Steady's "Sequestered In Memphis" performed by Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem, sort of. This is why Al Gore invented the Internet. THE TING TINGS stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set you can stream via NPR. TV on the RADIO: The band's five-year ascent is chronicled in the New York Times. JOHN DARNIELLE & KAKI KING are collaborating on the six-song Black Pear Tree EP. You cans stream "Thank You Mario But Our Princess Is in Another Castle" via Pitchfork. NEIL YOUNG talks to Blurt about CSNY: Déjà Vu, a film directed by Young chronicling the events of CSNY's "Freedom of Speech 2006" tour. THE CLASH: The trailer for the "Live at Shea" DVD due in October is online now. THE BLACK KEYS were tapped by Rick Rubin to back Billy Gibbons for a few songs on ZZ Top's next album. REUNITED FOR THE FIRST TIME: Soul Men Steve Cropper (The MGs) and Felix Cavaliere (The Rascals) have made a new album: Nudge It Up a Notch is one of the first releases from a newly revived Stax label. NPR's Weekend Edition has a feature plus two streaming tracks. JENNY LEWIS talks to Billboard about her upcoming, cameo-laden solo LP: "I love being flanked by hot brunettes." TIFT MERRITT talks to Birmingham Weekly about the "blue-eyed soul" on her new album: "I don't want to be a singer/songwriter who's songs fall apart in your hands." (Thx, LHB.) TOMMY LEE JONES is suing Paramount for over ten million he claims he is due for his work on No Country For Old Men. WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: Bangkok Dangerous "wins" the weekend with an estimated 7.8 million -- the lowest topper for at least a year, maybe the lowest since 2003's Dickie Roberts: Former Child Star. Tropic Thunder took in an estimated 7.5 million, and could conceivably end up in the top slot when the actual receipts come in. The House Bunny takes in 5.9 million, and has made about 37 million so far on a 25 million budget; if Sept. continues to be a dumping ground, the bunny may keep hopping. The Dark Knight took in another 5.7 million, with extended legs probably coming from those IMAX theaters. Traitor rounds out the Top Five with about 4.7 million. LINDSAY LOHAN & SAMANTHA ROBINSON were... wait for it... caught canoodling on camera outside the Mercer Hotel in NYC. The couple would like to raise a baby, according to the uber-reliable News of the World. TERI HATCHER reveals the secrets to happiness in her October column for Britain's Glamour magazine. ASHLEE SIMPSON & PETE WENTZ are expecting twins, a pal tells E! Online. THE McCARTNEYS: Sir Paul was subjected to a vicious smear campaign by Heather Mills during their divorce, claims a former PR aide of Mills. SPIDER-MAN 4: Tobey Maguire and director Sam Raimi will be returning, according to Nikki Finke. She also reports that a Spider-Man 5 may be shot at the same time. ALEC BALDWIN is an unlikeable, psychotic narcissist, according to My Name Is Earl creator/executive producer Greg Garcia. MAD MEN is the flagship for a new golden age for television drama, according to NYDN critic David Hinckley. IRAQ: Gen. Petraeus will hand the command of US-led forces in Iraq to Gen. Raymond Odierno on September 16. Upcoming elections and lingering tensions among Iraq's religious and ethnic groups appear behind the US military's recommendation to put the brakes on withdrawing more troops, despite improvements in security. Fatalities from IEDs, the biggest killer of US troops in Iraq, declined 78 percent over the past year. THE SQUIRREL THREAT: A militant squirrel disrupts the White Sox-Cleveland Indians game at Progressive Field. (Thx, Dad!) LUNA the COCKATOO has now pranked the Trenton police twice. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time. A BLACK BEAR tries to take over a pot-growing operation in Utah. No pic-a-nic basket will be safe. GREEN POLAR BEARS are drawing questions from puzzled visitors at a Japanese zoo. I figure they're trying to show environmental awareness. BOBCATS have taken over a foreclosed house in Lake Elsinore, Calif. Wicked pic at the link.
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3636 Reads |
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The Beatles, Jenny Lewis, Nicole Atkins, Cutout Bin, Puppies |
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Friday, September 05, 2008 - 08:10 AM Posted by: Karl
THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE: ... with THE BEATLES! Live in Melbourne, Australia on June 17 1964, Part 1 features "I Saw Her Standing There" (partial), "You Can't Do That," "All My Loving," "She Loves You," and "Till There Was You" (partial). Part 2 features "Roll Over Beethoven" (partial), "Can't Buy Me Love," "Twist And Shout" and "Long Tall Sally." PRINCE, MADONNA & JACKO get 50 covers apiece at Hypeful to mark their milestone birthdays. PHANTOM PLANET (which once featured Jason Schwartzman on the throne) did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter. THE 23 MOST ANNOYING FRONTMEN IN ROCK: A slideshow at Metromix. A3, a/k/a Alabama 3 -- best known for "Woke Up This Morning," the theme for The Sopranos, stopped by WFUV for a chat and mini-set including that song and a cover of Joy Division classic "Love Will Tear Us Apart." JENNY LEWIS debuts a new track, "Acid Tongue" for Deat Cab's Ben Gibbard. Because he came all the way from Seattle with those balloons. NICOLE ATKINS is releasing an EP next week, Nicole Atkins Digs Other People's Songs. You can stream her take on The Church's "Under The Milky Way" via the Gum Drop. JOHN PHILLIPS: The long-lost, Mick & Keith produced album Pussycat is released next week; you can stream the title track via Aquarium Drunkard. POPCUTS: A new website is trying to make it profitable for music lovers to stay ahead of the curve - by paying them when other people purchase MP3s they've bought. CUTOUT BIN: From the Wonders to the NSFW MC5, from Richard Hawley to the Blackbyrds, from Tommy Tutone to David Bowie covering Pink Floyd, from Eve's Plum to Buffalo Springfield to Candie Payne, the Kinks, Jayhawks and Juliana Hatfield w/ Richard Butler -- this Friday's fortuitous finds can be jukeboxed or streamed separately via the Pate page at the ol' HM. BRITNEY SPEARS began boozing aged 13, lost her virginity at 14, then started taking drugs at 15, according to a shocking tell-all book by Mama Lynne. NOW SHOWING: This weekend's sole wide release is Bangkok Dangerous, which is currently scoring a mere 22 percent based on a mere nine reviews for the ol' Tomatometer. JESSICA SIMPSON & CARRIE UNDERWOOD: Another volley in their verbal cat fight. BRADGELINA: Jolie suffering post-natal depression? Seems unlikely to me. ALEC BALDWIN: The full New Yorker profile is online, revealing a sad and angry man. THE CLOSER: The biggest drama on cable is eyeing a spinoff. The Closer: Miami? TOM-KAT UPDATE: The next step in crafting Cruise's new public (and more comedic ) persona may be voicing a character in <i itxtvisited="1">Shrek 4. BILL MELENDEZ, the animator worked on Disney films including 'Fantasia' and 'Bambi,' and Warner Bros. characters such as Bugs Bunny -- but probably best known for animating the Charlie Brown cartoons and voicing Snoopy -- died Tuesday at 91. In the spirit of an irish wake, a dance. OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS: Senior clerics debate whether to ban birthday parties. AFGHANISTAN: US troops will step up offensive operations this winter because insurgents are increasingly staying in the country to prepare for spring attacks. IRAQ: Pentagon leaders have recommended to Pres. Bush that the US make no further troop reductions in Iraq this year, though Gen. Petraeus recommended that at least one additional Army combat brigade -- about 3,500 troops -- be sent to Afghanistan instead of its scheduled deployment to replace a brigade leaving Iraq. The Iraqi government will take over the Sons of Iraq program in October. A PACK OF PUPPIES downs a small child. Let's go to the video. SNAKE on a PLANE, but not a cobra... so what's the big deal? ROGUE EMU tazered on the Pennsylvania Turnpike. CATS & DOGS favored over people as desert island companions. ELEPHANT gets off the horse in Beijing. It wasn't cold turkey.
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4951 Reads |
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Blitzen Trapper, 80s music, The Donkeys, Yoghund |
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Thursday, September 04, 2008 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
ZYKOS is the latest "stand-in" covering a track from Okkervil River's upcoming album, The Stand-Ins. The track? "On Tour With Zykos." ANDREW BIRD talks to the Chicago Sun-Times about blogging while recording his next album. BLITZEN TRAPPER did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter. SUFJAN STEVENS has soundtracked "Eve," the directorial debut of Natalie Portman, starring Ben Gazzara and Lauren Bacall. THE 80s: Were they really that bad? All Songs Considered streams the good, the bad and Starship. EURYTHMICS are not on that NPR playlist, but topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles chart 25 years ago with "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." WARREN ZEVON is remembered by Dave Letterman in a new interview with Rolling Stone. THE DONKEYS are profiled by San Diego City Beat: "Their cosmic, country-tinged pop exudes starry-eyed wonderment. They're less Gories, more Gram Parsons and much more fitting for a coastal drive than a basement-party soundtrack..." The article mentions the band's two Daytrotter sessions, which are worth a listen. GLEN CAMPBELL stopped by the World Cafe for a chat and mini-set, primarily from his new covers album. JOLIE HOLLAND shares an advance track (and two live versions of new songs) from her next album with WOXY. BRITNEY SPEARS will open the MTV Music Video Awards on Sunday, but will not be performing. JOSH HARTNETT: An adult video company is offering up 500K for anyone who turns in a surveillance tape that allegedly shows the 'Black Hawk Down' star and an unidentified female having sex in a London library. ELTON JOHN & LILY ALLEN got into a catfight at the GQ Men of the Year Awards: "I could still snort you under the table." Let's go to the video. DAVID DUCHOVNY cheated on his wife for years before finally entering a rehab clinic for sex addiction, according to the ever-reliable National Enquirer. His pals claim pr0n was the issue. CAMERON DIAZ was... wait for it... caught canoodling on camera with British model boyfriend Paul Sculfor at the US Open. KATE HUDSON, living with her ex Chris Robinson, calls her divorce "the best thing that ever happened to us." ANNE HATHAWAY: Vanity Fair has a long, juicy piece on her dumping Raffaello Follieri as the feds moved in to arrest him on fraud and money-laundering charges, though you can get the highlights via the NYPost, including the revelation that he tooke her for about 150K in rent during the end of their relationship. 90210 2.0 became the highest-rated scripted debut in the CW network's two-year history. The critics were lukewarm, which is about the best the net probably expected, after not screening it for critics in advance. MACKENZIE PHILLIPS is in rehab... for the tenth time. NORTH KOREA has begun to reassemble its main nuclear facility, citing a delayed removal from a US list of terror sponsors. RUSSIA: Stalin acted "rationally" in executing and imprisoning millions of people in the Gulags, a new Russian school book claims. PAKISTAN: Shots were fired at Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani's motorcade on Wednesday but he was not hurt, his spokesman said. IRAQ: Gen. Petraeus tells the Financial Times declining violence raised the possibility that US combat troops could leave Baghdad by next summer, "conditions permitting." CATS size each other up before erupting in conflict. YOGHUND: Organic frozen yogurt for dogs. And it costs only three times as much as organic frozen yogurt for people. BELLA the CAT survived a 2 1/2-hour trip on a spare tire under her owner's truck. FIREFLY populations burning out from Thailand to Tennessee. STINGING CATERPILLARS invade Maryland. Pratt family, take cover!
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3475 Reads |
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