Karl BELIEVE IT OR NOT (Thanks, Debbie):
ROGUE WAVE: The band's sophomore album, Descended Like Vultures, scored a respectable 7.8 on the Pitchfork and is doing the same or better at Metacritic. SF Weekly has a glowing piece that notes comparisons to the Shins and Simon & Garfunkel. It's album of the week for Gorilla vs. Bear, which is killing music with downloads and links to others. More upright citizens can stream a few from the band's MySpace page, with bonus tracks at the band's semi-secret MySpace page, including a cover of Buddy Holly's “Everyday.” The band also has a list of music for the road posted at Amazon. JOHN PEEL: The BBC has an article on the late DJ's lasting influence. London's Times inventories the 142 items in his box of singles (a list with something for everyone).
ART BRUT singer Eddie Argos talks to Chart Attack about the lighthearted approach of the band's album: “All those stories and stuff on the album are true. So it's funny that people think we're playing a character, like making comedy music. But I'm just trying to be honest, really.” Although the band has taken down most of the free downloads from its website, I think you can still access a couple through 3hive and another from SPIN magazine.
THE BAND: The five disc A Musical History, with 102 tracks, of which nearly 40 are previously unreleased or unavailable on CD, racks up an impressive 8.7 on the Pitchfork.
JACK-FM: The supposedly iPod-like format is a hit in L.A., but ratings are down with New Yorkers. A Newsday columnist theorizes that “in a city filled with racial diversity and music that crosses racial divides, Jack sounds pretty darn white.” Apparently, the columnist does not consider L.A. to be racially diverse.
BEYOND THE MONSTER MASH: The Onion's A.V. Club presents a “definitive mix” for Halloween. What, no Shaggs?
PEARL JAM and ROBERT PLANT are rockin' the Zeppelin on video floating 'round the internet.
KAISER CHIEFS frontman Ricky Wilson briefly passed out on stage Sunday night.
GENE SIMMONS will return to television next year with three new programs: a reality show, a cartoon and a boxing show.
LIZ PHAIR: If you're not inclined to buy her newer records, but not repelled by her, note that she's really getting into a weekly podcast available through her website.
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA is featured this month by Stylus magazine as one of the first inductees to its Hall of Fame.
AUSSIE INDIE BANDS, 1976-1992 are being catalogued at the Wikipedia. Some regular reader of this site ought to be able to write the entry for the Celibate Rifles!
WALK THE LINE: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, and a host of musical acts paid tribute to Johnny Cash for a TV special, to air November 16th on CBS — just two days before the Cash biopic Walk The Line opens in theaters. I'm glad to read that The Killer stole the show.
MADONNA has no time for religious doctrines which discourage people from questioning their beliefs. Madge also regrets the strong sexuality she displayed early in her career, because it hurt lots of people, including half of the NBA.
AMERICA'S NEXT MUPPET is in development at ABC.
TV's TOP TEN SCARIEST CHARACTERS: List courtesy of MSNBC. The number one choice is excellent.
DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES' Nicollette Sheridan has become unengaged.
BRADGELINA UPDATE: Jolie told People that she wants to adopt again.
LOHAN LOWDOWN: Li-Lo now claims that she was on an IV drip and nearly died after losing all that weight a few months back: “I was going through a lot of stuff and overworking and not thinking of my body. I was going through that phase that everyone goes through.” Yes, everyone goes through that phase where you suddenly shed scary amounts of weight and nearly die. ALSO: Just how big is Li-Lo's forehead? And it looks like Lohan bought herself a trout mouth to go with her latest dye job.
NICOLAS CAGE decided to call his baby son Kal-El not only because it's Superman's birth name, but also because it's short for Abracadabra Kal-El Shazam. Okay, that's way less crazy.
RACHEL McADAMS and Notebook co-star Ryan Gosling caught canoodling.
JOE MANTEGNA defies political correctness to say that some Hollywood heavyweights love to own and shoot guns: “Lots of guys in Hollywood love to shoot,” Mantegna, a longtime gun sportsman, tells Fade In magazine. “But they ain't gonna talk to you.” And they probably won't be calling Joe much in the future.
TOM-KAT UPDATE: Cruise ex Nicole Kidman is reportedly devastated by the news of Holmes' pregnancy. A “close fried” thinks Nic still has feelings for Cruise, but it could just be an intimate knowledge of the unfolding tragedy. Holmes is believed to be trying to sell Victoria Beckam on Scientology after a mystery illness struck the Beckhams' son.
JESSICA SIMPSON is in therapy, but hopes her marriage lasts forever. Which is why she spent her third marriage anniversary on another continent from husband Nick Lachey. And I don't know whether that's a joke.
CHLOE SEVIGNY is refusing to succumb to the media hysteria surrounding the bird flu virus: “Doesn't avian flu affect old people more? I'm young and healthy. I have a strong constitution. My mother breast-fed me for years.” Which sorta gives me insight into how she ended up in The Brown Bunny.
JANET JACKSON denies she has a “secret” child. Carefully.
SHARON STONE is reportedly set to recreate her infamous leg-crossing scene in the sequel to Basic Instinct. Would there be some other point to a sequel?
CONDI RICE: USA Today photoshopped the Secretary of State to make her look like she's possessed, causing the paper to issue an editor's note with the story.
KEIRA KNIGHTLEY wants to have a clause written into her movie contracts to ensure she always gets to kiss her leading man.
HALLOWEEN is under assault in Europe by those who find it a “bad American habit.”
X-RAY VISION: Apparently, these lenses from Kaya Optics are a technologial leap ahead of what used to be sold in comic books.
EDU-BLOGGING: The 38th Carnival of Education is online.
I AM SUPERMAN: Oh, wait… maybe not.
SCIENCE EXPLAINS PAM ANDERSON: According to a landmark Canadian study, women who are educated, married or heavy are more likely to have low sex drives and less likely to have orgasms during intercourse. ALSO: Ms. Anderson has vowed to put her boobs away for good, and concentrate on her other assets: “My mom told me I've got beautiful eyes and a beautiful smile, that's what a man wants to see.” So look for her next layout in Maxim magazine to feature Pam in a burqa. Either that, or she will be sporting ginormous dental veneers.
IRAN: President Ahmadinejad has declared that Israel is a “disgraceful blot” that should be “wiped off the map” — words you usually don't want to hear from a country with a nuclear program.
IRAQ RECONSTRUCTION: The first half of October saw the completion of a gas turbine rehabilitation, a new village water distribution network serving tens of thousands, ten school renovations, two police station renovations, a fire station renovation, improved security for a number of buildings, two road repair projects, a new power substation, new miles of electrical cable, and so on. But these aren't “grim milestones” and thus will disappear down the memory hole, even though such projects are part of the US strategy.
IRAQ II: Blogger Bill Roggio has been invited to embed with Marines in the Anbar Province. And while many predicted the ratification of the constitution would alienate the Sunni Arab minority, three Sunni Arab parties have announced a coalition to run in December's parliamentary elections, urge Iraqis to take part in the polls and reject any calls for a boycott.
MUST LOVE DOGS: Dogster is an online dating service for dogs.
CAT saves woman from a house fire in Nora Springs, IA.
AMAZONIAN PARROT sings “How much is that doggie in the window?” and “Alouette” to surprised Pennsylvania state senators from a statehouse balcony after Lt. Gov. Knoll formally recognized the bird.
COWS can power trains and cars. But you probably don't want to watch the video showing how.
