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Michael Jackson, Regina Spektor, Son Volt, Cutout Bin, Gator |
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Friday, June 26, 2009 - 02:00 AM Posted by: Karl
THE WEEKEND STARTS HERE: ...with MICHAEL JACKSON, who died at 50, after suffering a cardiac arrest Thursday afternoon. I can't say was ever a fan, but there is no denying his hits with the Jackson 5, like "I Want You Back," "ABC," and "Never Can Say Goodbye," and solo hits like "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough," and "Billie Jean," which not only broke the color barrier at MTV, but also ushered in an era of big-budget videos that may have peaked with the John Landis-directed "Thriller," the title track of the mega-seller that also spawned smashes like "Beat It." At his peak, Jackson was a phenomenon to rank with Sinatra or Presley, making his descent to a sick, pathetic figure of tabloid curiousity all the more morbid. More at Rolling Stone, TIME and the NYT. REGINA SPEKTOR has an interview+tracks with NPR's Morning Edition. Plus, NPR is still streaming her new album at the moment. PATTERSON HOOD talks to the Washington Examiner about the origins of his current solo lP, which is streaming in full through the weekend at Spinner. SON VOLT: Jay Farrar talks to Aquarium Drunkard about the songwriting on the upcoming American Central Dust LP, and provides the advance track, "Down to the Wire." SONIC YOUTH: Thurston Moore chats up TimeOut Chicago, while Steve Shelley talks to the Detroit Free Press. JASON LYTLE: "It's the Weekend." And not a moment too soon. AMANDA PALMER: "How an indie musician can make 19K in 10 hours using Twitter." (Thx, LHB.) THOSE DARLINS talk to The Tennesseean about recording in Brooklyn. Click-trough for the DarlinSpace link, too. PHIL SPECTOR is hoping to get a few comforts of home in his new prison cell, and a television, iPod and computer access are at the top of his list. OTTER, with friend of Pate Scott Jasper, is playing 5-8 p.m. at Bandshell Park in Ames, IA. Be there or be square! Guys wear ties, gals wear dresses! THE CUTOUT BIN: From Frankie Valli to the MC5, from Paul Simon to the Dead Boys, from William Shatner to Johnny Thunders, plus Bob Seger, the Jackson 5, Dave Dee, Dozy, Beaky, Mick & Titch, Saron Jones & the Dap-Kings, The Smiths, Big Star and more -- this Friday's fortuitous finds are streaming from the Pate page at the ol' HM. MEGAN FOX suffers "anxiety attacks" when she looks at herself, which makes it close to unanimous. She also claims the hardest aspect of being in the limelight is learning to keep her opinions to herself, which does seem to be a problem for her. Meanwhile, Kodak is offerring 5K to the first person who can provide verifiable information that enables Kodak to connect the snubbed "flower boy" with the actress... did Gawker find him? NOW SHOWING: This weekend's wide releases are Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, which opened on Wednesday and is scoring 22 percent on the ol' Tomatometer; and counter-programming from My Sister's Keeper, which is currently scoring 42 percent. ANGELINA JOLIE is said to be furious that Transformers starlet Megan Fox has been tipped to nab her leading role in the next Tomb Raider film... according to the evr reliable Sun. MARILYN MANSON tells SPIN that his heartbreak inspires fantasies about killing ex-girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood. MARLON BRANDO was seduced by Jackie O in 1964, according to a new book, which also purports to reveal a post- assassination affair with RFK. FARRAH FAWCETT, a multiple Golden Globe and Emmy Award nominee, died of cancer Thursday morning at 62. Farrah was the face, body and hair of the 1970s, but she tried to be more, and occasionally succeeded. JOHNNY DEPP was in Chicago for the red carpet screening of "Public Enemies," and tipped "the waiter to the stars" at Gibsons four grand. WATCHMEN: the Director's Cut will play at four select movie theaters in L.A. Dallas, Minneapolis and NY next month. THE RUNAWAYS: Scout Taylor-Compton has been cast as Lita Ford alongside Kristen Stewart (Joan Jett) and Dakota Fanning (Cherie) in the pic based on the true story of the all-girl proto-glam-punk band. NORTH KOREA vowed Thursday to enlarge its atomic arsenal and warned of a "fire shower of nuclear retaliation" in the event of a US attack, as the regime marked the 1950 outbreak of the Korean War. IRAN: The Lede is still updating on the increasing crackdown on dissenters in the Islamic theocracy in the wake of an apparently stolen, rigged election. The doctor who tried to save Neda after she was shot at a protest talked to the BBC. PAKISTAN: Taliban leader Baitullah Mahsud was at the funeral of a terror commander but left before a suspected US drone attack that killed 80 people, residents in South Waziristan say. ALLIGATOR VS. WATERMELON: It's the Gallagher of gators! A MONKEY urinated on Zambian President Rupiah Banda as he spoke to reporters outside his State House offices on Wednesday. A CAT survives being skewered by a crossbow arrow. Pic at the link. A MARMOT wandered in the front door of a restaurant in Prosser, WA on Monday and settled into a corner. It's no coincidence that marmots are related to squirrels. AUSSIE WALLABIES are eating opium poppies and creating crop circles as they hop around "as high as a kite", a government official has said.
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The Antlers, White Lies, Love Is All, Baby Sea Lion |
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Thursday, June 25, 2009 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
ELVIS COSTELLO played "Sulphur to Sugarcane" for Conan. THE ANTLERS played the Black Cat in Washington, DC back in March, but you can stream the gig on demand now. WHITE LIES did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter at SxSW. LOVE IS ALL also did the four free songs thing for Daytrotter, two previously unreleased. DIRTY PROJECTORS' van flipped when they were traveling from Michigan to Toronto. The band is OK, but is cancelling some shows. PETULA CLARK goes "Downtown" on TOTP. The lights are much brighter there. NxNE: CBC Radio 3 is streaming an evening at the fest with Woodpigeon, Jason Collett and more... PATRICK WOLF talks to Decider about fan funding his latest album, The Bachelor. SCOTT MILLER talks to the Austin American-Statesman about fan financing his latest album. WILCO: Former guitarist Jay Bennett died of an overdose of a pain killer, a coroner said Tuesday; authorities are viewing his death as accidental. RACHEL HUNTER has been left devastated after her fiance Jarret Stoll called off their engagement by emailing guests informing them the August 14 nuptials were off. Like you don't know exactly where I'm going. PEREZ HILTON now regrets using a slur against Will.I.Am, but remains offended at the suggestion he shouldn't have done that. JOHN & KATE: Ironically, in the wake of the on-air divorce declaration, the entire Gosselin clan is finally residing in their multimillion- dollar Pennsylvania home together. Although TLC announced Tuesday that it was pulling the plug on the remaining new episodes of the hit series, the show will resume on Aug. 3 with Jon's gf Deanna on board. NICK LACHEY & VANESSA MINNILLO: Dunzo, ELLEN DeGENERES & PORTIA de ROSSI haven't caught the baby bug, and might never. JONATHAN RHYS-MEYERS was detained by French police on Saturday afternoon following an incident in which he allegedly assaulted an airport lounge employee while drunk. GLENN CLOSE jammed baby carrots into her mouth for Jimmy Fallon. TRANSFORMERS 2 is out in US theaters now, so I thought I'd mention that it's getting a 20 percent score on the ol' Tomatometer -- which won't stop it from earning a gazillion dollars. EMMA WATSON does not have a 'burning passion' for acting and may give up her film career once she finishes playing Harry's school chum Hermione. JAMES CAMERON screened 24 minutes of his highly-anticipated Avatar at the Cinema Expo in Amsterdam. OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS: Documents gathered by lawyers for the families of Sept. 11 victims provide new evidence of extensive financial support for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups by members of the Saudi royal family, but the material may never find its way into court because of legal and diplomatic obstacles. IRAN: The Lede continues to be a go-to blog for updates on the incresingly bloody aftermath oof the Islamic theocracy's election crisis. Tehran Bureau has a backgrounder on some of the lesser-known players in this political drama. PAKISTAN: Eighty-three Taliban fighters were killed in yesterday's Predator strike that targeted senior Taliban leadership. BABY SEA LION rescued on a highway in Oakland, CA. WILD TURKEY engineers a manure truck crash in NY. COW dies in a plane crash in TX. HOGS instead of cars populated I-430 in Arkansas after an 18-wheeler flipped on its side, sending its cargo of 90 hogs onto the freeway and into the woods.
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Richard Swift, Bjork, Phoenix, Prince, Cat vs Copter |
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Wednesday, June 24, 2009 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
RICHARD SWIFT recreates a lame 80s party and more in the clip for "Atlantic Ocean." Can the robots do the robot? BJORK is advance streaming her Voltaic album via NPR. PHOENIX stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming via MPR. Thomas Mars talks to Pitchfork about that YouTube Brat Pack video, the possibilities of Apple-ad ubiquity, and Radiohead's possibly-too-cryptic musings. PURPLE RAIN: Jesse Carmichael and Adam Levine of Maroon 5 share their love of Prince's Purple Rain at NPR. SPIN is offering a Purple Rain tribute album to those who buy the mag. DINOSAUR JR.: The Skinny has the skinny, with a band history, plus talks with J. Mascis, Lou Barlow and Murph. PAUL SIMON is having his "Kodachrome" taken away. Digital killed the analog film. SONIC YOUTH is joined by The Quietus as they discover they to join Depeche Mode, Lily Allen, blues legend Taj Mahal and US soul singer Raphael Sadiq in a boogie woogie jam. PATTERSON HOOD talks to Paste about his solo album, the struggles of life on the road during Drive-ByTruckers' leaner days, the band's breakthrough double album Southern Rock Opera, the prospects of a second tour with The Hold Steady, his love of Neil Young, and the Truckers' collaboration with soul legend Booker T. THE PIXIES: Frank Black suggests the band's new box set is more about the art. NUGGETS: Rhino is releasing an L.A.-ecntric box of garage-y goodness in September. MEGAN FOX: Dumbest Hollywood star ever? I dunno... there's so much competition. ED McMAHON, who for nearly 30 years was Johnny Carson's affable second banana on "The Tonight Show," introducing it with his ringing trademark line, "Heeeeere's Johnny!," died early Tuesday in Los Angeles. He was 86... and the King of Sidekicks, SARAH JESSICA PARKER & MATTHEW BRODERICK's surrogate gave birth to twins. PEREZ HILTON was condemned by GLAAD for using a slur in his altercation with Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am. FARRAH FAWCETT is back in the hospital. WILLIAM SHATNER does not give Conan the Vulcan salute. (Thx, Lance.) PAUL GIAMATTI to replace Sean Penn in The Three Stooges? Not quite, but maybe... IRAN: The Lede is still a good place for updates on the deteriorating situation following Iran's electoral crisis, though I want to highlight the story of the regime trying to impose a three-thouand dollar "bullet fee" on the families of protesters shot by the regime. Opposition leader Mousavi is under 24-hour guard by secret police and no longer able to speak freely to supporters. It is worth a reminder that the regime selected these candidates and that -- among other things -- Mousavi waged a terrorist war on the US, including bloody attacks on the embassy and Marine Corps barracks in Beirut. The real issue is how anyone responds to a regime that apparently stole its own rigged election because someone like Mousavi was deemed too much of a reformer, especially when that regime is bent on a nuclear weapons program. IRAQ: Fourteen Iraqis were killed and 62 more were wounded during a series of IED attacks in Baghdad and Abu Ghraib. Two Iraqi soldiers and two policemen were killed in attacks in Mosul. CAT VS. COPTER: Let's go to the video. THE BIRDS: Pigeons of the World, Unite! A ONE-LEGGED HEN rescued from the clutches of a fox is being helped on the road to recovery by the horses at a Northumberland stables. Video at the link. SHEEP! PET HOARDING: Rio Rancho (NM) Police Officer and Spokesperson John Francis said Monday the county's animal control division discovered 334 hopping bunnies in one woman's backyard. Video at the link.
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New Releases, Deer Tick, Neko Case, Nutty & Tony |
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Tuesday, June 23, 2009 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
EELS performed "In My Dreams" at the Ed Sullivan Theater. NEW RELEASES: Albums from The Antlers, Patterson Hood, Tortoise, Sunset Rubdown and sdtks from Away We Go and God Help the Girl are among those sreaming in full via Spinner this week. DEER TICK did the five free songs thing for Daytrotter, 'cause they're extra giving. THE AVETT BROS did a Tiny Desk Concert for Bob Boilen at NPR. NEKO CASE stopped by Oregon Public Broadcasting for a chat and-mini-set streaming on demand now. WAR: As the days get shorter, "Low Rider" and "Spill the Wine" (with Eric Burdon) are your Twofer Tuesday. THE RAVEONETTES talk to Spinner about releasing demos via Twitter. TELEKINESIS: Michael Benjamin Lerner tals to Decider about meeting Sir Paul McCartney, the advantages of singing while drumming, and why he'll never be as whimsical as labelmate Dan Bejar. Embedded audio and video at the link, too. POPMATTERS celebrates its 10th anniversary by looking at the Most Memorable Albums of 1999. MEMPHIS & THE DELTA BLUES TRAIL: Justin Gage (a/k/a Aquarium Drunkard) compiled a "Book Notes" music playlist for his travelogue, over at Largehearted Boy, MEGAN FOX explains the "flower boy" incident. PEREZ HILTON accuses Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.I.Am of assault. He denies it. Black Eyed Peas manager Polo Molina turned himself in after Toronto cops said they would not let any of the Peas out of the country unless they got their man. TMZ has video of the altercation. JON & KATE GOSSELIN filed papers for divorce. CHRIS BROWN & RHIANNA: Brown pleaded guilty to one count of felony assault against Rihanna in a downtown Los Angeles Courtroom Monday. Brown will receive five years probation and spend 180 days doing community labor in Virginia. He must also obey a protective order and a stay-away order. MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY and galpal Camila Alves are expecting a second baby. FARRAH FAWCETT & RYAN O'NEILL are tying the knot again, as she fights for her life against cancer. JESSICA SIMPSON has landed another reality series. TRANSFORMERS 2 is already making tens of millions of dollars overseas. Meanwhile, /Film has clips from the global viral video campaign, as well as a new clip with possible spoilers. TIM BURTON'S ALICE IN WONDERLAND gets a first look at USA Today. BRAD PITT & MEL GIBSON shared a special moment at the Guys Choice Awards. IRAN: The L.A. Times has a heartbreaking obituary of Neda Agha-Soltan, who was shot in the heart during Saturday's protest over the Islamic theocracy's theft of its own rigged election. The LAT also reports on the kangaroo courts being set up to try protesters. And The Lede at the NYT continues to be a good source of updates on the electoral crisis. OUR FRIENDS, THE SAUDIS have shown the limits of their tolerance by arresting 67 Filipino men at a drag party. AFGHANISTAN: The US commander in Afghanistan will soon order US and NATO forces to break away from fights with militants hiding among villagers, an official said Monday, announcing one of the strongest measures yet to protect Afghan civilians. Gen. McChrystal's predecessor, Gen. McKiernan, issued rules last fall that told commanders to set conditions "to minimize the need to resort to deadly force," but the new rules of engagement will be more precise. PAKISTAN: Al Qaeda ould use Pakistan's nuclear weapons in its fight against the United States, a top leader of the group said in remarks aired Sunday. The Pakistani Army claims to be succeeding in the Swat Valley and is poised to commence major operation in South Waziristan. NUTTY & TONY: Tony says it's about trust, but Nutty is just biding his time. THERAPY CHICKENS: Jana Clairmont of Polson, Mont., calls her therapy birds - a white rooster and Cornish game hen - "Fowl Play." Many seniors were raised on farms, Clairmont says, and holding a chicken can bring back memories. BADGER in a toilet. DOLPHIN 56, a well-known mooch, was spotted off the Jersey shore. COWS hoof it from Massachussetts to New Hampshire.
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Beck, Elvis Perkins, Bat For Lashes, Cat vs Bat |
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Monday, June 22, 2009 - 08:00 AM Posted by: Karl
BECK has started a Record Club, in which he and friends will cover an album in a day, and release a track a week. The inaugural track is a lovely version of "Sunday Morning," from The Velvet Underground and Nico. ELVIS PERKINS IN DEARLAND played the World Cafe on Friday; you can stream the gig on demand via NPR. BAT FOR LASHES: Natasha Khan has an interview+tracks with NPR's Weekend Edition. METRIC stopped by The Current for a chat and mini-set streaming via MPR. THE AVETT BROS are profiled by Paste and LexGo. (Thx, LHB.) GUIDED BY VOICES: Pitchfork TV is airing "Watch Me Jumpstart" for one week only. Less than that now, so watch. DINOSAUR, JR.: J Mascis tells The Quietus what he learned about American hardcore. ANIMAL COLLECTIVE talks to The A.V. Club about the band's quasi-break through. WILCO: Jeff Tweedy talks to the Las Vegas Sun, while John Stirratt talks to the Washington City Paper. BEST OF 2009: Early contenders are considered by The A.V. Club and Pop Tarts Suck Toasted. WEEKEND BOX OFFICE: The Proposal somewhat surprises at No. 1, with 34 million in receipts (against a 40 million budget). Sandra Bullock never opened a movie above 20 million, until now -- so Ryan Reynolds has to be feeling pretty good today. The Hangover drops to second place, but only drops 18 percent; it crossed the 150 million mark on a 35 million budget. Pixar's Up hangs tough in third, with 21.3 million; it has made 224 million domestically on a 175 million budget. Year One debuted in fourth place, with a slightly better-than-expected 20.2 million; that's about average for Jack Black, and okay for Michael Cera -- with a 60 million budget, this one probably won't be a bomb. The Taking of Pelham 1 2 3, otoh, dropped over 50 percent to land in fifth place; it has made only 43 million against a 100 million budget. Below the fold, Night at the Museum makes back its budget in the US, and has made more than that overseas. Star Trek hangs tough, while Land of the Lost and Imagine That stink up the joint. Terminator Salvation is even making some okay coin worldwide. PIXAR granted a dying 10-year-old girl's last request. TRANSFORMERS 2 director Michael Bay is mighty miffed at the marketing of the sequel. MONEYBALL STRIKES OUT: Sony/Columbia dropped the ball on "Moneyball," the Steven Soderbergh-directed Brad Pitt starrer that was supposed to begin production today. LINDSAY LOHAN & RYAN SEACREST spent the night together? Supposedly, he is interested in a Li-Lo reality show, if that's not too oxymoronic. MADONNA'S latest adoptee was secretly flown from her home country of Malawi into London early Saturday morning. INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS: Entertainment Tonight got exclusive footage... and talks over it. Thanks. DAVID DUCHOVNY & TEA LEONI: Still in love? FOOTLOOSE: The remake signs Julianne Hough of Dancing With the Stars. THE BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN may be brought back to life by Universal. IRAN: The Lede at the NYT continues to do yeoman's work keeping people updated with news from the Islamic theocracy's electoral crisis, including video of "Neda," a young woman shot right through the heart on the streets of Tehran. The HuffPo's Nico Pitney is also doing good round-ups. The Iranian-American Web site Tehran Bureau relays reports that "in Tehran they're massacring people." The number of journalists reported to have been arrested since the June 12 election rose to at least 24. London-based Chatham House challenges some of the assertions about President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's reelection made by Iranian officials. THE STANS: Siraj Haqqani, Abu Yahya al Libi, Abdul Haq, and two senior Taliban commanders met with the Pakistani Taliban chief to advise him to redirect his activities toward Afghanistan. The meeting took place the same week the US and Pakistani military launched airstrikes in South Waziristan and wounded a senior terrorist leader. Pakistan seems to be focusing only on outlawed Tehrik-i-Taliban's leader Baitullah Mehsud - at least five other prominent militant groups don't figure in the government's hitlist. CAT VS. BAT: Let's go to the slo-mo video. COW VS. CAR: Who you got? THREE RED PANDA CUBS, plenty of awww...some pics. PRISON-TRAINED PUPPIES help wounded troops.
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