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.
Police have issued an arrest warrant for Joshua Wilkes, lead vocalist of the Legendary Shack Shakers. The arrest warrant charges Wilkes with exposing his genitals to hundreds of teens and adults in the audience. The venue was a nonprofit facility in downtown Nashville with three stages, an indoor skate park, and a coffee bar. A Rocketown representative stated "we are all treating this as a very serious criminal matter." The band claims that it is a mass hallucination brought on by ergot in the sacramental wine.
The Cargo Cult Revival will be heading out on tour this August, bringing their dirty stoner prog mess from Hartford to the Midwest. The governor of Iowa was quoted as saying “Damn yankees better stay away from our women and children!”
David Vincent, the lead singer of Morbid Angel, was detained by police this week in Italy. The charge strangely enough was for weapons possession. Vincent was taken into custody at the Milan airport when custom officials found his bullet-belt. The belt was not worn but was inside his checked-in luggage. José endorses both bullet belts and bandoliers. Vivá la revolución!
Metallica has announced that in addition to traditional CD and digital releases for their upcoming album, Death Magnetic, they will also have a special edition coffin box. It includes a CD of album demos a “making of” DVD, and some tchotchkeys. The coffin box joins the ranks of other coffin boxes put out by the Misfits and Alice Cooper.
Zao has confirmed that they are entering the recording studio this summer with original drummer Jeff Gretz. Zao stated on their website: "There is a new record written and we will be recording in the next few weeks. We are really excited about the new material and hope to have a new song up soon."
The band Boston has a new singer, 43 year old Tommy DeCarlo. His resume indicates his previous gig was as a credit manager at Home Depot. DeCarlo replaces original lead singer Brad Delp, who committed suicide last year. DeCarlo got the job through his MySpace page.
The band Why? have scheduled a massive summer tour. They begin in Germany in July and return to the U.S. in September. Then in October they begin a strong of dates in France, then England and Ireland in November and a scheduled deportation for illegal narcotics before Christmas.
The Recording Academy's Grammy Foundation gave a career award to Sir George Martin this week. Martin, now 82, is the most successful record producer of all time. He’s has over 50 chart-topping hits and one-billion units sold.
Scottish indie-pop band The Vaselines formed in 1986 and existed just long enough to release a handful of much-loved cult EPs and a single album. This week the Vaselines played their first-ever string of U.S. shows leading in to their performance at Sub Pop's 20th Anniversary explosion in Seattle.
This week former senator Jesse Helms died of natural causes. José would like to state that he was a bigot, homophobe, racist, and xenophobe, the worst kind of gringo that there is. While it is callous to celebrate the death of any man, there is no ugliness in silently celebrating the death of an evil one. Amigos, please light a votive candle for Senor Jesse, may he burn in hell for all of eternity.
Rage Against The Machine broke up in October of 2000. It was then that Zack De La Rocha promised us a solo album. It’s been eight years later and we’ve got bupkis. Ok so we have a couple of tracks he did with DJ Shadow, but a solo album that is not. The new rumor is that Rocha is working with Jon Theodore from Mars Volta. The project is called One Day As A Lion and Anti- will be releasing their self-titled debut EP July 22. His mystery album recorded with Trent Reznor remains in the vault.
LeRoi Moore, saxophonist for Dave Matthews Band was severely injured in an ATV accident recently. He was on his farm near Charlottesville, Virginia and flipped the vehicle. He is at the University Of Virginia Medical Center. Amigos don’t let amigos drive borracho.
Red Sparowes will be releasing their next EP, Aphorisms, digitally on August 1. Sargent House will be handling the downloadable duties and the physical release this fall. As with their previous releases, all song tiles are ridiculously long. It’s difficult to explain how but this entire newsletter is a song title.
The BBC reports that the gravestone of late Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis has been stolen. The stone simply read "Ian Curtis. 18-5-80. Love Will Tear Us Apart." A police spokesperson told the BBC that there are no security cameras in the cemetery. Anyone with any information about the missing gravestone can contact British authorities here.
In a last-ditch effort to regain their former fame, ZZ Top has allied with Rick Rubin. ZZ Top ended their relationship with RCA two years ago after a decade of neglect. Rubin’s label American Recordings will be issuing their comeback album sometime next year. I guess that guest appearance on Deadwood didn’t help.
Eddie Vedder will be touring the East Coast solo this summer. His string of East Coast dates runs throughout the month of August. If you recall his last set of solo dates he performed songs from his soundtrck to the film Into The Wild, along with other Pearl Jam deep cuts and some random covers. Here he is last summer at a Cubs game.
As has become traditional, Slipknot have unveiled new masks in preparation for their newest album. The new masks are even more detailed and frightening than in the past. This set includes horror icons such as Dick Cheney, Karl Rove, Donald Rumsfeld and others. They are said to be grotesque and more terrifying than anything previous.
We had major drama in St. Louis this week. Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes was arrested on one count of third degree assault. As you might have guessed the assault did occur during the band’s set at a Warped Tour stop. Apparently some redneck broke out the N-word and McCoy smashed the inbred little ditchpig cracker with his microphone. Anybody have video?
John Oates of the duo Hall & Oates, is planning to become a cartoon character complete with tight pink pants with the new series J-Stache. The show portrays Oates as a contemporary family man dragged back into rock-stardom by his anthropomorphic moustache. The lip fuzz in question will be voiced by comedian Dave Attell.
Remember last month when Steven Tyler said his foot hurt and that he was in rehab for said pesky foot? Well it was crap. 60-year-old Aerosmith front man admitted recently that he was actually taking more pain pills than Rush Limbaugh. Tyler went on to claim that he’s been sober since 1986, the last time he was in rehab. Right, and Gary Coleman isn’t a midget.
Dead Heart Bloom has announced plans to release three EPs in the remaining months of 2008. The first EP will be titled Fall In; I remember seeing this band in 2002 back when they were called Phaser. Before that the band was named “people that hang out with Boris Skalsky” which while mundane was strangely accurate.
Yesterday it was formally announced that Tom T. Hall was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame. he was informally inducted back in February. I had no idea who that was and I actually had to consult Wikipedia for the name. I think Nashville has run out of country artists worth awarding.
We celebrated Alan Vega’s 70th birthday this week. The vocalist from duo Suicide will be commemorating this event by releasing a monthly series of limited edition 10-inch vinyl EPs.He also will be releasing a six-CD box set featuring early live material and rarities.
Boy George has been officially denied a US Visa and may not enter the country. His upcoming tour will almost certainly be canceled. Strangely the cock-lock is due not to his past cocaine busts in New York, but to his impending trial for imprisoning a male prostitute in his apartment.
More somber news this week as the daughter of Christian artist Steven Curtis Chapmanpassed away. 5-year old Maria Sue, was run over by his son with the family SUV, a Toyota Land Cruiser. A spokeswoman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol would not release the age of the son but did say that no charges are expected. José sees many Gringo stereotypes here but is restraining his vaquero instincts.
The Chemical Brothers, are dropping a two-disc best-of album in September. The Astralwerks release Brotherhood follows five consecutive #1 albums in the UK. The second disc features new material including collaborations with Noel Gallagher, Spank Rock and other people only famous in England.
Nelson Mandela celebrated his 90th birthday this week with white rapper Will Smith. The celebration concert drew nearly 50,000 fans to London's Hyde Park. Other bands included Queen, Simple Minds, Amy Winehouse, Leona Lewis, Annie Lennox and Razorlight. It was rumored that Winehouse was even coherent out of respect for the occasion.
Beck will release a new album on July 8th. Modern Guilt will be his first release on DGC since 2006. Producer Brian "Danger Mouse" Burton described the LP as a melding of hip-hop and punk folk like everyrthing else Beck every did. To Support the record Beck has already scheduled dates in the US and Europe.
This week Ted Nugent sold off a large share of his wild game trophies. The iconic guitarist is a well-known hunter and gun nut. What was not well known was that the Nuge had bagged a rhinoceros and a zebra both of which are for sale. The Nugent family is selling off the trophies to simplify a move to a more remote compound a little closer to scenic Waco, Texas. For the record Jose preferred his material with the Amboy Dukes.
Volcom Records will be releasing Totomoshi's new album, Milagrosa, July 8th. The Frisco-based metal act will be touring nationally in support of the album. For the record, Totimoshi was intended to be gibberish but in the Chinese language Hakka, the word means a constipation. This is only the second record on Volcom Jose has cared about in 8 years.
I know I promised not to write about Amy Winehouse but this is just classic. After smoking more crack than Richard Pryor, Winehouse has ruined her lungs. Her father, Mitch Winehouse, has stated that Amy has early stage emphysema and will have to wear an oxygen mask unless she gives up the crack pipe. At least she didn’t set herself on fire.
The experimental and existential band Negativland is releasing a new album, Thigmotactic, July 15th. Since the 1970s, Negativland has showered us in a series of self-indulgent, loops, cut-and-paste tributes to Dadaism and self-debasement. So Jose was surprised when he heard that Thigmotactic included actual songs. Mark Hosler, a founding member of Negativland, apparently was tired of banging on pots and pans.
The new Guns & Roses album leaked this week. Gag. Jose laughs every time that he sees that YouTube video of Axl getting pegged in the nards with a water bottle. Normally Jose will not approve of a crotch shot, but Axl is an exception.
Slipknot, the biggest band in Iowa is releasing their fourth opus All Hope Is Gone. The work is slated for an August release. The band previewed the album for 24 hours on their website this week. Already naughty bloggers have leaked the unmastered versions of the songs. Nine guys in red jumpsuits: if they weren’t wearing masks I’d think they were a pit crew.
The hip-hop duo Dalek has founded a new record label, Deadverse Recordings. They already have albums by Oddateee, and Laura Minor. In the near-term, Dalek plan to stay with Ipecac Records, but in the future, there is no telling what success will do to them.
Jose would like to point out that he was wrong two weeks ago: R. Kelly was acquitted this week. This means that it is in fact ok to pee on your 13-year-old groupies and even to video tape it. Lo siento, go forth and be free my urophilic companeros.
Village idiot Nicole LaScalia (no relation to Justice Scalia) is suing Mudvayne, Clear Channel, Korn and Live Nation over a concert injury. On March 8, 2006 LaScalia fractured her leg at the KBPI Birthday Bash. Clear Channel has called the suit “frivolous.” Korn’s management only stated that they “cannot comment further on the suit as it is a legal matter.” Lawyers take all the fun out of a good story.
Black Box Revelation, will begin their first US tour this month. The Belgium-based band only will be in the states long enough to hit the highlights: New York, LA, San Diego, etc. They’ll spend the rest of the time pimping their new album, Set Your Head On Fire. I’ll warn you now these little twerps are all in high school but they also rock like the Stooges.
Scott Weiland and Eric Kretz of Stone Temple Pilots are being sued by their label, Atlantic Records. Atlantic states that Weiland and Kretz owe the label three more album. Members Dean and Robert DeLeo, dropped by Atlantic in 2003, are not named in the suit. If the U.S. third circuit court of appeals can sort this out, the product would be the band’s first album since 2001.
Chris Martin of Coldplay turns out to be a whiney bitch. He stormed out of an interview with John Wilson for BBC Radio 4's cultural arts program, Front Row, after only 9 minutes. Bandmate Will Champion stayed behind to complete the interview. Wilson asked a softball question about the title Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends. Martin began crying and stormed out of the studio. Jose sees a future blurb about rehab.
Metallica played an all-classics set at Bonnaroo Friday night presaging their next release. The band has said repeatedly in interviews that it will be a return to their 1980s thrash roots. The album, apparently dubbed Death Magnetic, is due for release in September.
Kanye West didn’t make the same impression. Instead he was two hours late irritating the concert-goers. YouTube is now hosting several dozen grainy videos of the crowd chanting "Kanye sucks" and pelting the empty stage with glow sticks. I didn’t even make up the glow sticks thing. Hippies really do that.
Alanis Morissette got dumped again; do we get to look forward to another album of girl-angst? Ex-boyfriend Ryan Reynolds ditched her for Scarlett Johansson (can’t fault him there.) Sadly the new album released this week seems to be another 12 songs of Buddhist mumbling about peace and harmony. Hunt that girl down! Jose wants to see a catfight!
The proggy-as-fuck Russian Circles added two weeks to their tour schedule with Coheed And Cambria and Secret Machines. Their hometown of Chicago has begun to show signs of withdraw.
The legendary music icon Bo Diddley has died. He’d had a stroke in May last year, then a heart attack three months later. He died at home in Archer, Florida; he was 79. His real name was Ellas Otha Bates born in McComb, MS. He may be the only person for whom a beat is named. The bio-diddly beat. Even Jose cannot speak ill of the man.
Sparks performed all 21 of their albums in their entirety in a month-long stretch of shows in London. They played one album per night at the Islington Academy, and on the 21st night debuted their 21st album. That's approximately 250 songs. Of course if the band had any stamina they could have performed double albums in half the time.
The Raveonettes have announced a string of US and European tour dates. Sadly guitarist Sharin Foo was not permitted to enter Europe because of her association with U.S. White House advisor Henry Kissinger. Her sister Sune Rose Wagner will be taking taker her place.
Oneida is releasing their ninth full-length album, Preteen Weaponry, on August 5th. This will not be on their long-time label Jagjaguwar, but on their own vanity label, Brah Records, which Jagjaguwar distributes. Yeah that’s way different. Preteen is wholly instrumental. They are resting their voices for their 10th album due out in 2009.
Car manufacturer Toyota has been releasing a string of sampler CDs co-branded with their Scion series. In a desperate attempt to embrace the indie and trendy, labels like Daptone, Vice and Iheartcomix were all courted. This strange capitalist dance has culminated recently with the two-disc, party-packed Scion Sampler Volume 21: IHEARTCOMIX Remixed. I don’t know whether to yawn or puke.
The innovative and legal peer-to-peer download site QTrax is a step closer to a real launch. They inked a deal with EMI Music this week ensuring the ad-supported music service has access to their catalog. EMI is the second major label to cave in after Universal Music signed last month. Qtrax was supposed to launch in January but well... denial is a powerful force.
Oxford Collapse is releasing their fourth album, Bits, on August 5 on Sub Pop Records. It was recorded primarily with Eric Emm at Brother Studios. They’re also releasing a new 5-song 12-inch on Comedy Minus One Records. This follows a new 7-inch on Flameshovel records. The supporting tour begins June 13 in Madison, Wisconsin at The Terrace. These boys need a hobby.
Chopper Challenge, a motorcycle-building reality show on CMT, will soon be featuring the band Seether. The bike for episode 104 will feature the band’s logo and likeness. This is slightly less whorish then the cable and insurance company bands they normally use.
The Stills third album, Oceans Will Rise, is coming out on August 19 on Arts & Crafts. There is no word of a tour yet but the band has announced three shows in Canada this June.
The Caesars are releasing their 6th album Strawberry Weed August 19th. This will be their third on Astralwerks and was produced by Ebbot Lundberg of the band Soundtrack Of Our Lives. To the Swedes the band is known as Twelve Caesars or Caesars Palace. Copyright law is a bitch.
Rapper 50 Cent is in trouble again. His Dix Hills home was destroyed this week by a suspicious fire. Six people who were inside including his ex-girlfriend, Shaniqua Tompkins, and their 11-year old illegitimate son Marquise. The couple had been fighting over the 2.4 million dollar house.
There was a big hullabaloo about Prince and Radiohead this week. Prince covered Radiohead's 1993 single "Creep" live at the Coachella Festival. About a hundred bad cellphone videos of it appeared on YouTube overnight. Then in a typical Prince anal-retentive response, his label (NPG) had YouTube yank all the videos. But then Thom Yorke appealed to Prince publicly to permit said videos back online. So today we are all free to see the shitty grainy videos with terrible bootleg audio. Oh joy. Jose prefers the Miser version if you need a cover.
Morrissey has announced his 9th studio album, Years of Refusal, which will be released this September. Producer Jerry Finn also produced his 2004 album You Are The Quarry. Also planned is a Sony BMG reissue of Morrissey's 1995 album Southpaw Grammar. No US label has been announced for Years of Refusal. Morrissey will also be appearing in a UK set of E.D. commercials plugging Viagra alongside Bob Dole.
Neil Young has been moonlighting as a venture capitalist, funding an electric car project. Young has teamed up with Wichita-based Johnathan Goodwin, owner of SAE energy. Young has gambled about $120,000 on the project so far. He was quoted as saying "You know, I thought long ago you could change the world by writing songs, but you can't.”
Today is Cinco De Mayo. José normally would take a patriotic holiday but he blew last week’s newsletter so I owe the man. In 1862 my people kicked some French ass in Puebla, Mexico. My brethren celebrate this day by getting drunk, sexually assaulting women during parades and shooting rifles in the air. José will head on down to Tony Luke's for lunch celebrate National Hoagie Day instead.
Billboard Magazine celebrated Earth Day this year with a list of 10 acts that gone green in the past 12 months. I’ll resist the urge to make weed jokes about Willie.
Kali, Ac, Demo and M.E.G.A, all four members of the band Steed Lord, were all injured in a car wreck last month. They were on the way to the Reykjavik airport in Iceland. Two members had major internal injury and others had several broken bones. Recent statements indicate they are no more brain damaged now than before.
Bon and Douglas have been working with Jason Payne on the first new Nitzer Ebb record in over 10 years. Producer Flood has been tight-lipped about the album. Nitzer Ebb played a small number of shows and festivals during their 2007 reunion tour. Despite continual bootlegging very little of the new material has reached Limewire. Dammit.
Korn guitarist James ‘Munky’ Shaffer has announced he will release a solo album titled Fear and the Nervous System. It’s slated for release August 8th on his own label Emotional Syphon recordings. Despite the all-star line up, it is expected to suck as bad as Fieldy’s Dream.
Pearl Jam have begun working on demos for what will become their ninth studio album. This will be their first with producer Brendan O’Brien since 1998. This will be their first release since 2006. McCready said “We’re hoping to release the record later this year after my rectum stops bleeding.”
The missing helium-filled pig balloon has been found! During Roger Waters' headlining set Sunday at the Coachella Music Festival the balloon escaped it’s moorings. It was found Thursday in the Southern California desert in pieces. This is the second time that Mr. Waters pig has escaped and attempted suicide.
Avril Lavigne has had to cancel a few tour dates due to losing her voice. She is planning on laying off the whiskey and smokes for a few days hoping to bounce right back. Refunds were issued for dates scheduled in Anaheim and Los Angeles.
Robert Smith of The Cure has announced that they will be releasing a new single each month leading up to the release of their 13th studio album in September. Of course It’s already may so that means 4 singles. It’s really not all that impressive after Bishop Allen released an EP every month for all of 2006.
He was busy filing his taxes this morning, so we now give you the rare Monday Afternoon Newsletter from our own Jose Fritz.
N.E.R.D. is releasing a new album this June titled Seeing Sounds. Members Pharrell Williams and Chad Hugo said the title was inspired by their synesthesia -like symptoms traced to a batch of tainted weed acquired in Pittsburgh. Sometime member Shay Haley said “You gotta learn to grow your own dog.” They embark on a tour with Kanye West this Spring.
Mariah Carey is rumored to be working on a work-out video due out this summer. She intends to follow that with a series of recorded lectures on her recommendations for liposuction, saline breast implants, collagen injection, botox and rhinoplasty.
R.E.M. vocalist Michael Stipe stated this week that he firmly believes public figures should be open about their sexuality. Stipe was listed in the Out magazine list of gay celebrities in 1995, and in a 2001 interview with time magazine described himself as a “queer artist.” I thought it was pretty obvious. How could you not fucking notice? Get your gaydar checked." Stipe said.
Vanilla Ice was arrested for domestic violence again this week vying with long-time record holder Bobby Brown for most wife-beating arrests. The one-hit wonder was released from Palm Beach County Jail Friday with a restraining order. Jose still thinks nothing is funnier than his appearance with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
My Morning Jacket’s new album Evil Urges is scheduled to hit June 10. They did a sneak preview live set for NPR back in March. And have followed that up with a bigger video teaser for Rolling Stone.com. This will be their fifth album and second with producer John Leckie.
The DocumentaryYoung @ Heartbegins screening next week. It follows the Young At Heart Chorus, a group of senior citizens covering punk and rock songs by artists like Sonic Youth, The Ramones, and the Sex Pistols. It started as a 2006 BBC documentary, but screened well at Sundance film festivals in 2007. There are literally members of this group performing with oxygen tanks.
This week Matchbox Twenty canceled a planned July 18th performance at the Cheyenne Frontier Days Rodeo. Lead singer Rob Thomas explained "We ask that you please understand that it would be impossible for us to put ourselves in the position of making money from what we believe to be the mistreatment of tasty, tasty animals."
Les Claypool will be contributing videogame music for the upcoming "Mushroom Men" video game series due out later this Fall. The series will have compatible releases for the Nintendo Wii and Nintendo DS. His new DVD, the semi-satirical Electric Apricot will be out May 13th.
The Christian and Gospel music community will gather this week in Nashville for the GMA Music Week, the Gospel Music Associations’ annual gathering of the flat earth society. The show will be broadcast live from the Grand Ole Opry for the first time since 2002.
Volcom Records will be releasing a new record by Totimoshi this July 8th. The album, Milagrosa, was produced by former Helmet front man Page Hamilton. Page Hamilton found time to contribute guitar and vocals now that his solo project Gandhi is on hold. In other words Gandhi lasted as long as victory in Iraq and Page is looking for work.
Bassist Nikki Sixx has been named President of Eleven Seven Records, the label that put out his last Japanese Import. Label founder Allen Kovac had reportedly turned down the yet unnamed new Motley Crue album. Sixx, a man of discerning taste, may be releasing his own album again.
Britain’s Border Agency is appealing a lower courts court's decision to allow Snoop Dogg into the UK. Mr. Dogg was barred from Britain after an arrest for a “violent disruption” at Heathrow Airport back in 2006. Snoop appealed the ban and received entry clearance from an asylum and immigration tribunal in January. The Border Agency Stated “Mr. D-O Double G may also have been carrying marijuana.”
This week, NKTOB admitted a reunion album and tour was definitely in the works. Though disbanded in 1994, New Kids On The Block and have managed to achieve varied levels of success individually film, music, and TV. The last time all five members appeared together was in a commercial for the hair club for men.
Bozeman, Montana band, The Clintons are earning some national attention this week as a result of their comedic ballad, "A Love Song for Hillary Clinton.” The promo effort, complete with prerequisite Youtube video of course is an utter abomination. Jose Fritz will be voting for Obama; rumor has it, his vote actually matters this year.
Inexplicably rapper and clothing designer Big Boi will be performing in a ballet of his own making titled “Big”. The two-hour performance was choreographed by Lauri Stallings. Big is part ballet and part concert. Jose Fritz would like to know what Big Boi is smoking.
Norma Jean have entered the studio to begin recording their new album, The Anti Mother. They better hurry, they have a 3 month trans-America tour scheduled starting in June.
Fear Factory's Christian Olde Wolbers (guitars) and Raymond Herrera (drums) have formed a new band dubbed Arkaea with Jon Howard of Threat Signal. Somehow in congress they sound like old Pro-Pain. Jose Fritz has not decided if that is embarrassing or not.
Buckethead's album Enter The Chicken will be re-released through Serjical Strike on April 8th. This is not remastered or remixed but does feature a bonus track by the name of "Shen Chi".
The producer and rapper Lil Jon has started his own wine label, Little Jonathan. It offers selections including chardonnay, merlot and Sizzirp. The Little Jonathan Winery is not his first foray into the drink market: In 2003 he launched Crunk, an energy drink that tasted worse than diet Tab.
You have your SXSW hangover and St. Patty's Day hangover, and the only cure for that is Jose Fritz's Monday Morning Newsletter.
Lou Pearlman, the NAMBLA member and former manager of Backstreet Boys and 'N Sync, pleaded guilty to federal charges of money laundering and lying at his bankruptcy hearing. The guilty plea was the end to a federal probe that Pearlman stole over $300 million dollars from banks and investors.
Somebody knocked up Elvis Presley's only child, Lisa Marie Presley. The father is probably Michael Lockwood but might also be one of those Aliens that Elvis used to hang with. Where is world weekly news when you need them?
Scott Weiland has pleaded not guilty to driving under the influence of drugs when he crashed his car in November. Weiland had been arrested on November 21, 2007 after crashing his car on a California highway. In a lengthy statement given by his lawyer he claimed “I did not know that Keith Richard’s dad’s ashes contained actual drugs when I smoked them.”
Announced just this week, the prog-rock impresario band Yes is going to be back on tour. Original members Jon Anderson, Steve Howe, Chris Squire, and Alan White are booking a world tour. This will be their seventeenth reunion tour but the first one in 3 whole years.
The band Guystorm continues to not to exist despite two shows in their imagined hometown of Minneapolis and a gig at WEfest scheduled for May 25th. (Note to all who may think they are real and not figments please check for expired medications in your bathroom cabinets. In the case of accidental ingestion call the Poison control center.)
Inexplicably in the middle of SXSW Rachel Ray held a music showcase. The Beauty Bar will never live down the shame of letting Rachel Ray cater a show in the middle of BBQ country let along host one. The Cringe led by her hubby John Cusimano headlined. He was quoted as saying “Don’t look at me man, I can’t stop her.”
This week Merge Records joined the throngs of indie labels offering digital downloads. They now offer a selection of sides from their current and back catalog in both MP3 and FLAC formats. Label president Mac McCaughan said “Digital downloads are the new black, suing people over a download is so passé.”
SXSW wraps up this week leaving a legion of indie snobs, scensters, hipsters, and music fans bloated, sleep deprived and hung over. Stranded in Stereo Head Editor Dany Sloan was on scene to catch the countrified festivities. After 96 hours of straight rocking Dany was quoted as saying “mmm Frito pie.”
Prostitute Ashley Alexandra Dupre, now famous for banging Governor Spitzer at an hourly rate of over $1000 is now rumored to be signing to Koch records. Her self-released singles "What We Want" and "Move ya Body" have already made it into rotation on the New York pop station WHTZ. PD Sharon Dastur said “even I’d hit that.”
While you are packing your bags to board your flights to Austin for the clusterfuck that is SXSW, Jose Fritz has all the news you need to know beforehand in the Monday Morning Newsletter.
Nine Inch Nails have released a new 36 track instrumental album dubbed "Ghosts I – IV." The album is currently download-only. A 9 track mp3 preview, is here.
Parlor Mob, the long lost classic rock band of the last 1970s has been released from their cryobank in Paramus, NJ and will be releasing their first album in 30 years this week.
Russian Circles will be releasing their new LP Station on May 6th this year on Suicide Squeeze Records. The band is currently on a headlining East coast tour with Dalek and Young Widows. For the record, they are the only indie band in America today who uses male models for their T-shirts.
The Black Keys, the Ohio the retro scuzz-blues duo are releasing their fifth album, "Attack & Release," on April fools day. The 11-track album will see release through Nonesuch and was produced by Danger Mouse of all people. Apparently Steve Albini was busy.
Jessica Simpson will join rock act Disturbed and comedian Carlos Mencia in Kuwait during a concert for US troops March 10th. It will also be broadcast live on the social networking site MySpace. The concert will be followed by an auction of her Thong on the popular auction site eBay.
Puscifer is releasing a new V Is For Vagina remix EP on April 29th. The set includes remixes by Slipknot, Isis, Ministry and some old unemployed nu metal dudes. as they take stabs at tracks "Queen B" and "Dozo", plus a vinyl version of V Is For Vagina on April 29th as well.
MACRoCk has begun to announce bands for 2008. The first confirmed bands include Elf Power, Black Moth Super Rainbow, The Forms, Fin Fang Foom, and Antlers. This is the 9th annual Mid-Atlantic College Radio Conference, that’s almost a decade of being the only game in town.
The Old 97’s will release their seventh studio album, Blame It On Gravity, May 13 on New West Records. This is their first studio album in 4 years. For the record Rhett still is in desperate need of a haircut.
Rocklahoma has announced it ‘s line up including Warrant, Whitesnake, Motley Crue, and Kix. Most band members were easily found working fryolators across southern New Jersey.
The Vines are hav a new album ready for the new year. No release date is set, but their fourth album is titled Evolved. You may remember their singer Craig Nicholls torpedoing their rise to fame in 2002 by throwing tantrums before after and during shows. In 2005 he was diagnosed with lead vocalist disorder and refocused on his career.
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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.
