Monday Morning Newsletter (07/21/08)

Saturday 54-year old Sex Pistols singer John Lydon broke open a can of whoop-ass. On the receiving end was 25-year old Bloc Party singer Kele Okereke. The backstage mele led to the arrest of *Foals *singer Yannis Philippaki for his attempts to forcibly stop the dispute. Okereke claims that the attack was racially motivated. Lydon maintains that he's just fucking tired of being asked about Public Image Ltd. Jose would like to see the instant replay.

This week Christie’s auctioned off a lot items from the home of James Brown. Christie’s had projected a haul of 2 million from the sales but netted only $800,000. Sold from the South Carolina house were over 350 items including his medical bracelet, his Hammond organ, a black cape, pink leather couches, even the man’s astereo system. The proceeds are ear marked for Mr. Brown’s tax debt.

Deerhunter are planning to release their third full length, Microcastle, this October. The album will be availably on Kranky in the U.S. and is rumored to me less noisy and more listenable than anything previous. They’ve also been confirmed to be touring with Nine Inch Nails beginning in August. Does anyone else remember when they were just famous for putting pene de venado on their album cover?

Also this October, Gang Gang Dance will be releasing their third album, Saint Dymphn. The album contains no pene de venado but is more dancey than anything previous. Before the full album drops, they will be giving a digital download sneak peek.

A tragedy in Moscow last week, as dozens of ravers at the Aquamarine Open Air Festival burned their retinas. A laser light show ran amuck and caused 12 cases of laser-blindness. The owner of a Moscow laser rental company told Reuters that the accidental blinding were due to "illiteracy on the part of technicians.”

On August 16th the Queens Of The Stone Age will be holding a memorial show for their former bandmate Natasha Shneider at the Henry Fonda Theater. Shneider, died of cancer July 2nd. PJ Harvey, Jack Black, Kyle Gass, Matt Cameron, Brody Dalle, Jesse Hughes, Billy F. Gibbons, Chris Goss and Alain Johannes. Proceeds from the funerary go to pay Shneider's medical bills. Donations can be made at

Kylesa will be hitting the Jam Room studio next week to start recording a new album. The CD will be released on Prosthetic Records in 2009 . The untitled release will be produced by guitarist/singer Phillip Cope.

Jose just heard about Fratello Metallo this week and giggles uncontrollably at the sight of a 62-year old Capuchin Friar belting out cookie monster vocals in Italian.

The Strokes drummer Fabrizio Moretti is working on a side project with his girlfriend, Binki Shapiro. The duo has recruited guitarist Rodrigo Amarante, of Los Hermanos to fill out their line up. It’s to be produced by Beau Raymond. Rough Trade will be releasing their first album this fall even though the trio has recorded nothing and has no name. This promises to be incredibly bad.