Monday Morning Newsletter (12-08-08)

A litigious week in rock. Guitar wanking 80s relic Joe Satriani is suing Coldplay for copyright infringement. Apparently Coldplay stole some melodies from his instrumental 'If I Could Fly' and reused them in the band's single, "Viva La Vida.'" Satriani is seeking damages and "any and all profits" from the group for their alleged plagiarizing. Jose says Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!

After Dixie Chicks lead singer Natalie Maines spoke in support of the West-Memphis-Three, the stepfather of one of their reputed victims is suing. The complaint claims that at a rally, Maines made false and reckless claims that [the plaintiff] committed the murders. The complaint claims that at the rally, Maines made a false and reckless claim that he committed the murders. In fact, so did the defense team at the trial in 1993. a theory supported by DNA evidence. He doth protest too much.

Smashing Pumpkins' front man Billy Corgan has now publicly attributed the Cubs disappointing playoff loss this past season to Eddie Vedder. At a concert in his Illinois last week Corgan specifically blamed the failings on the Cubs new theme song penned by Vedder. "Fucking Eddie Vedder killed that shit dead. Last I checked, Eddie ain't living here, OK? Eddie ain't living here to write a song about my fucking team."

Internationally renowned NAMBLA chairman Scott Stapp is rumored to be reforming Creed. Creed disbanded back in 2004 disappointing born again Christians all across the Midwest. Since their breakup, Creed’s guitarist, bassist and drummer put out two albums as Alter Bridge.

Odetta Holmes died this week of heart disease. Holmes was a classically-trained folk and blues singer. She also had a large number of gospel albums in her catalog. On the side, she managed to become an equally important civil rights figure for more than half a century. She was 77.

The renowned Cleveland-based Rock & Roll Hall of Fame has opened an annex in New York. This cousin to the world's epicenter of rock is in SoHo of course, just a few doors down from the Babeland sextoy shop. Now we just need a pharmacy on the block to complete the idiom.

Boy George is in more trouble than OJ Simpson. A jury has ruled that pop singer Boy George is guilty of falsely imprisoning a male escort. Back in 2007, Georgie mistreated Gigolo Audun Carlsen. Carlsen was restrained with handcuffs and George threatened him with a metal chain.