Monday Morning Newsletter (4-27-09)

Being dead never stopped a rapper from putting out a record. Rap producer J. Dilla died in 2006 of Lupus, but he’s still putting out a record this year. Like Tupac and Biggie, Dilla left behind a veritable library of unreleased material. On June 2, Nature Sounds will release Jay $tay Paid, which compiles 25 select cuts from that collection. His own mother, Maureen Yancey is executive producer and Pete Rock arranged and mixed.

Ferret Music has pushed back release date of Poison the Well's new album The Tropic Rot to July 7th. The international date is still July 6th. The band wrote on their blog “We're all incredibly happy with how this record has turned out. It doesn't sound like any other Poison the Well record.” But isn’t that what every band says?

Emulating Jonah Matranga, Billy Corgan has decided to go the music subscription route. Smashing Pumpkins are now offering a subscription service via the bands website. A 12-week subscription will go for $40. It will include access to video and photographs revealing the band in the studio.

Thursday a member of the Japanese boy-band SMAP (Sports Music Assemble People) was arrested following an alcohol fueled debacle. Tsuyoshi Kusanagi was apprehended naked in Tokyo park. He was charged with public indecency. Local reports state that five hours after he was arrested, he still blew a he blew 0.8 BAC. That’s Tucker Max territory.

Gossip Girl Leighton Meester is currently recording tracks for her debut album at an LA studio. Previously, Meester did a duet with Tony Bennett and sang in the 2007 movie 'Drive Thru. Universal records have the album slated for a tentative fall release.

Art Brut released its third studio album Art Brut vs Satan last week. The album is available as a CD and as a digital download. The work was produced by Frank Black and is their first outing since the 2004 single Formed A Band.

The Killers are working on an album of all covers. The list of song will include numbers by Murray Head and Cyndi Lauper. Drummer Ronnie Vannucci said "We have a couple in the can but I don't know when the hell we'll get it off the ground to release it. It's going to be one of those things that will be more fun for us than anybody else.”

Monday Morning Newsletter (4-7-09)

On April 7th Jimmy Eat World is releasing a digital-only Clarity Live. The album is a live recording of their 1999 album recorded this February in Arizona. If you don’t remember, take word from Jose. Clarity was their last good album. That makes this worth listening to.

Rumors were confirmed this week that Rivers Cuomo will be collaborating with Rainn Wilson of the TV program The Office. Their joint effort will be released as a solo CD/DVD due out April 28th. The rest of Weezer is not even slightly jealous.

Brakebrakesbrakes (aka The Brakes) will be releasing Touchdown their 3rd album on April 21st. The album, produced by the Delgados' drummer Paul Savage, comes out on Fat Cat records in the U.S.

You’ve probably read that drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has left the Smashing Pumpkins. This time Billy Corgan has responded by holding open auditions Friday, April 10 in Los Angeles. Please submit resumes and video links to pumpkinsdrummer@gmail.com.

New Kids On The Block are back from the dead and have announced a summer tour. The “Full Service Tour” starts May 28th in Atlanta and ends July 18 in Dallas. Tour mates Jabbawockeez are expected to help attract that chomo-bait crowd they enjoyed in the 1980s.

Malawian judge Esmie Chombo ruled that Madonna would not be allowed to adopt a second child. His ruling was based on a state statute requiring adopters to reside in Malawi for a minimum of 18 months. The question of course is why this law wasn’t invoked the first time. Madonna is now considering purchasing the entire nation of Malawi.

Metalcore band Zao has announced that they will only press 8000 copies of their new album Awake? The remaining sales will be all digital. The release is scheduled for May 5th on Ferret Music.

Minneapolis-based alt-country act the Jayhawks have reunited for two shows this summer. One show at Barcelona's Primavera Sound Festival on May 30 and one at Minneapolis's Basilica Block Party on July 10. No other dates are scheduled but an appearance at Bonnaroo is rumored.

Monday Morning Newsletter (3-16-09)

Frodus will have it’s first reunion in a decade next week. The host of this event will be the Radio Room in Austin, TX on March 21st. Filling in on bass will be Liam Wilson of The Dillinger Escape Plan.

Billy Corgan testified last week to the the House Judiciary Committee on the Performance Rights Act. As expected, he’d like to get paid more. The Smashing Pumpkins’ vocalist appears on behalf of the musicFIRST Coalition. The act would require radio stations to pay additional royalties for the music they play. Jose finds it strange to agree with Billy Corgan on any topic.

Only days after their catfight with The Cure’s Robert Smith, Radiohead have begun hissing at Hannah Montana. Backstage at the Grammys, Miley requested to meet the band, and they declined. Miley publicly pouted. A spokesperson for Radiohead responded, "When Miley grows up, she'll learn not to have a sense of entitlement."

The Grand Duchy will be releasing it’s first full-legnth LP on April 14. The album is a side project of Frank Black working with his wife Violet Clark. The album will come out via Cooking Vinyl.

Hella have hit the studio are working on a new album. This follows a statement that the next Hella album will be a return to their roots as a duo. It will be their first album as a two-piece in 5 years. It’s tentatively scheduled for a late 2009 release.

The music video director Floria Sigismondi is producing a film on the seminal all-female punk rock band The Runaways. Dakota Fanning has been cast to play the part of the group’s lead singer, Cheri Currie, who was also 15 when she joined the band. Kristen Stewart, will play the part of singer Joan Jett. Filing starts this spring. the part of Lita Ford is as yet un-cast. Jose hopes for Lilo.

The Orb will be releasing their 17th LP this June. The album, Baghdad Batteries will be coming out on Malicious Damage. It is the third in their “orbsessions” series. I almost described the album but it all goes oonce oonce oonce like the last 16. http://www.myspace.com/orbisms

The Beverly Hills Police Department has issued a warrant for Lindsay Lohan's arrest, stemming from her 2007 DUI conviction. She is reported to have violated the terms of her probation. She had pled no-contest to her DUI back in 2007. Jose wants to see her and Amy Winehouse catfight.