CLAP YOUR HANDS SAY YEAH: The band's forthcoming self-titled album knocks down a 9.1 o­n the Pitchfork scale. I agree with the reviewer that there's some Talking Heads-by-way-of-a-more-fun-Arcade Fire vibe there; I…

RETURN OF THE SMASHING PUMPKINS? On the same day Billy Corgan puts out his first solo album, he places a a full-page ad (Adobe Acrobat pdf) in today's Chicago Tribune, stating in…

FOO FIGHTERS performed an exclusive album-release concert in Roswell, NM for 500 winners of an o­nline trivia contest. Foo frontman Dave Grohl said he is a huge fan of UFOs, as the…

KARL MUELLER, bass player and founding member of Soul Asylum, died Friday morning in his Minneapolis home, apparently of complications from esophageal cancer. He was 41. RAY DAVIES will release his long-in-the-works,…

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:FRIDAY TIME-WASTER: A version of Super Breakout that even allows you the option of making your own custom levels.THE NEXT MAGNET magazine will feature some bands near and dear…

TOM WAITS is suing Warner Bros. over the royalty rates for downloads of his early recordings. Somewhat similar suits have been filed by voice artists from classic Disney films when those movies…

THE DARK KNIGHT RETURNS:NO SPOILERS: Imho, Ebert got it right this time. Batman Begins works as a movie with “more emphasis o­n story and character and less emphasis o­n high-tech action,” though…

BATMAN BEGINS AT MIDNIGHT:It's currently rating 85 percent o­n the Tomatometer, though the “elite” opinion listed there is o­nly at 50 percent. Roger Ebert gives it four stars: “I said this is…

ELENI MANDELL may break through to a wider audience thanks to Cole Porter and the French Hotel. My review of o­ne of her concerts is right here o­n the site. You can…

THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE:…WITH A FORAY into the widely recognized phenomenon of Friday catblogging, just because I enjoyed these photos of my co-clerk Debbie's felines, Malcolm and Ella.FRIDAY TIMEWASTER: Test your knowledge…