Ok, I’ll admit it…this blog has been a little….umm…stagnant lately. But I found something worth blogging about today when my coworker Eric showed me a site he’s been working on: fivespot. The concept is really simple: he posts albums that are for sale for $5 in the Amazon MP3 store. Nice. Right? I wish I had thought of it. It’s updated each month (because Amazon’s $5 albums also rotate each month), so come back next month and give it a peep. Good stuff.

Great picture, Sean Murphy!

Hey NERDS!

Good news! Our favorite band that still houses their homepage on mySpace, WEEZER, has just plopped (thanks, Doug Benson) their new video for their latest single, Memories. I originally began this post believing I would be posting a CATS-cover but after listening to the below clip, realized that I was mistaken.

Nevertheless, the song is quite good. There has been speculation that Green Day has become the new U2 (with American Idiot being their course-changing Joshua Tree), but if that holds true, what is Weezer? I lean towards R.E.M. They will always be there and always put out great music and their fans will find and love them, but there love for the mainstream has waned.

Oh yeah, and they both put characters from LOST on their album covers and the guys from Jackass in their videos. And Michael Stipe sings back up for rappers. The comparisons are endless.

via NYPost
“Before this weekend’s Reading and Leeds Festivals, the event’s head honcho Melvin Benn made some big noise about hitting the legal curfew by making sure headliners Guns N’ Roses would actually show up to sets on time — despite a long, proud, riot-filled tradition of that never ever happening. “The stories of Axl Rose turning up onstage late are the thing of legend,” said Benn, “but I’m led to believe [Axl's] got a new manager and I’ve been given wonderful assurances it won’t be an issue this time.” So did Gun N’ Roses actually show up to Reading and Leeds sets on time?

Of course not! Friday at Reading the band went on an hour late, and Benn — either motivated by vengeance, a potential fine, or a theoretical life-long dedication to rules in general — cut them off at curfew time. So what happened? GNR refused to leave, pushing forth into “Paradise City” with only some acoustic guitars and a megaphone. Wow!

Axl then threatened that the band wouldn’t play Leeds, but they did — and again went on late, and again were cut off. Tweeting this morning, Axl writes “So u know, we allegedly had a deal in place pre show w/the city at least at Leeds to do a bit longer performance that was either miscommunication, someone wasn’t informed, changed their mind, didn’t care or was a con… We hope the fans feel they got at least what they could from us under the circumstances as 4 us all things considered that’s the main thing” (Benn denies any deal being in place). Why is the world so against Axl giving his fans what they want? Sure, if the set had just started, GNR would have finished — but this is a g*ddamned rock-n’-roll band! They don’t start their shows on time!“

Bruce Springsteen, a multi-million record selling, Grammy award winning, sold out concert playing, Rock and Roll Hall of Famer with nearly limitless opportunity in this world, still feels inclined to use pick-up lines when scheming on ladies at the gym.

And according to court documents stemming from a recent divorce case involving a woman claiming to have slept with The Boss, his line of choice:

“You have the nicest ass in the gym.”

Nice, Bruce. Nice.

Bruce is a man who knows something about asses.

Credit: 411mania.com

New York, NY -

With the announcement this morning that The Internet would be considered in the running for the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, and by proxy, all sites within the internet, celebrations have begun at the headquarters of the cyber-universe, Rockworms.Com.

“I knew we could do it,” said Rockworms.com founder Craig Key. “I knew that if we just stayed online long enough, it didn’t matter what we did, just stay online long enough, we would get our just deserves.” Key then successfully took a body-shot out of his own navel.

Rockworms.com (along with the rest of The Internet, which according to a 2009 estimation, now covers as many as perhaps 450 web pages) is amongst the record of 237 Nobel Peace Prize nominees. Those considered are both individuals as well as organizations. Rockworms plans to appeal to be considered in both categories.

“I don’t know what to say. Its a considerable thrill, just to be nominated,” Rockworms senior editor Adam Cozens was quoted. “However, I really think it would be a travesty if we lost. I have already begun rearranging my mantle for the plaque…they do give you a plaque, right? Or is it a big gold belt?”

“It’s cool we got the nod, but I really don’t care about winning. Never have.” said Rockworms co-founder Kyle Flaherty. “As long as (Russian human rights activist) Svetlana Gannushkina doesn’t win, I’ll be happy.”

Rockworms will be announced the winner in May or something somewhere in Europe.

OK Go has a new video out for their song “This Too Shall Pass.” We can’t put the YouTube video here on Rockworms.com. In a beautifully written open letter to the people of earth, Damien Kulash gives a full explanation of why record labels prohibit YouTube from embedding videos on other websites - because they loose controll of the ads that are shown on those sites:

This means our label doesn’t get their hard-won share of the pie if our video is played on your blog, so (surprise, surprise) they won’t let us be on your blog. And, voilá: four years after we posted our first homemade videos to YouTube and they spread across the globe faster than swine flu, making our bassist’s glasses recognizable to 70-year-olds in Wichita and 5-year-olds in Seoul and eventually turning a tidy little profit for EMI, we’re – unbelievably – stuck in the position of arguing with our own label about the merits of having our videos be easily shared. It’s like the world has gone backwards.

Backwards indeed. A couple years ago we asked you what you thought about the music industry’s feudal failure, and you voted (both of you) that the future of music doesn’t have big record labels. Damian thinks you might be right:

…if music is going to be more than a hobby, someone, literally, has to pay the piper. So we’ve got this ridiculous situation where the machinery of the old system is frantically trying to contort and reshape and rewire itself to run without actually selling music. It’s like a car trying to figure out how to run without gas, or a fish trying to learn to breath air.

The video, by the way, is beautiful, simple, surprising and everything you might expect from the kings of Viral. So far it’s racked up half-a-million views on YouTube.  Ironically, the label does not prohibit Vimeo from allowing embed of the band’s videos. Even though Damian says they have a soft spot in their hearts for YouTube, he gives the embed code for Vimeo at the end of his letter. Thanks Damian. You’re a champ.

OK Go - This Too Shall Pass from OK Go on Vimeo

Still looking California; not feeling as much like Minnesota.

Hot dog is 2010 off to a big start!

Chris Cornell posted on his Twitter that the much-beloved grunge-era centerpiece SOUNDGARDEN will be reuniting.

“The 12 year break is over & school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again! www.soundgardenworld.com ” was the manner in which the Eurporia Mourner broke the news.

Our close and personal study-buddies over at Billboard have the whole scoop, in a much easier to read manner than we could ever attempt to plagiarize, although dammit, we sure did try!

This is the first truly great news to come out of 2010 thus far.  Let us all take the time to celebrate with our own interpretive dance versions of “Slaves and Bulldozers,” just like grandma liked to do.

Fred Durst, who is not only an amazing singer and lyricist, but also a very good friend of mine, has done us all a favor and revealed that the new, highly-anticipated album by Limp Bizkit will be titled Gold Cobra.

YES! GOLD COBRA! BIIIIIIZZZZKKKIIIIITTT!!!

The red-capped half-man, half-GOD(!!!) revealed the nom de plume via his oft-trafficed Twitter page. (by the way, how depressing is it that 1,418,096 people follow Fred Durst on Twitter? I mean seriously, what the f*ck)

God Cobra is finna drop in the first half of 2010 and it will ROCK OUR ASSES OFF! This will be the Bizkit’s first new album since 2005’s The Unquestionable Truth (Part 1). It’ll also be the first album with the original line-up since 2000’s TOTALLY F*CKING STELLAR Chocolate Starfish And The Hot Dog Flavored Water. I saw them in concert while they were promoting that album. I bought a t-shirt.

I don’t have a TV…but judging by everyone’s twitter and facebook posts, Adam Lambert just pull some crazyness!

Stay tuned…I’m hunting for videos and will post here as soon as I find them (if you find them before me, feel free to leave a link in the comments).

HERE IT IS!

And…wow. I think he turned down the singing talent a few notches and replaced it with…umm…sex. I kept waiting for Randy to pop on screen after going “You know what dawg, it was a little pitchy in places!”

A-lamb: you are not Whitney Houston. Just sayin.

A rumor began circulating early last week that star of the popular 2008 rom-com “How To Be”, Robert Pattinson had stopped by Rockworms.com for somewhere between 45 seconds and one minute and twenty-seven seconds, based on detailed Google Analytics statistics.

Pattinson, having Lexus-Nexus searched for information regarding the then-breaking story of Steven Tyler leaving Aerosmith, supposedly took a look at our popular music news blog before deciding that RollingStone.com might be a better option.

Pattinson joins the lengthy echelon of popular public figures to have potentially visited our blog in the last 2 years including Taylor Swift (searching for info on which member of Boyz II Men contracted the H1N1 virus), actress Julianne Moore and President of the United States Barack Obama, who inadvertently clicked on our banner ad.

You are always welcome back Robert Pattinson! Next time you come through, be sure to leave a comment!

Almost forgot about this.

I went to check out The Clipse show at HIRO Ballroom here in New York last month.

It was a pretty good show. The opening acts were pretty decent. However, The Clipse, were by far, the best on the bill. As they should have been.

I saw a bouncer throw a cocky dude down the hallway as I was leaving. That was my favorite part.

Steven Tyler, pictured below looking like a wax-figurine of a monkey, has quit the band Aerosmith, according to a big name print publication.

Tyler, who it seems to have left the band to further cement his brand, which he clever dubbed “Brand Tyler”  has been unavailable for comment.  Aerosmith guitar virtuoso Joe Perry was quoted as saying that Steve might still be in the band, but since Tyler is “notoriously bad” at returning phone calls, he really doesn’t know.

This story got much less interesting as I researched it more.

I’m sure the band is still together. Go back about your business, nerds.

I’ll Make Love to Flu?

One Swine Day?

Water Runs Swine?

I hope that he doesn’t die. That would make me evil.

Our sister publication is currently running an interview with legendary music video director Spike Jonze where he opens up about a new short film that he is in the finalized process with for, who else: Kanye West.

The new short, We Were Once A Fairytale was shot over 2 days at a West Hollywood nightclub. “We rehearsed the night before we shot, and talked about trying to get to that raw place, that sad, pathetic, drunken, lost place,” Jonze said. “I told him, the more shameless it is, the more pathetic it is, the better. He just went for it.”

Jonze, currently received both critical and audience praise for his helming of the current top-grossing motion picture “Where The Wild Things Are” knows that not everyone is currently sitting comfortably atop the Kanye West bandwagon. This doesn’t fade the auteur.

“I like Kanye and I care about him. This video is a side of him. I don’t know what the reception is going to be, but I love making stuff with him. I love the guy.”

While no official release date for the short film has been announced, West did place an unfinished copy on his blog, which he then later pulled in favor of keeping the short under wraps until a finalized, more polished project could be unveiled.

Credit: Rolling Stone and 411mania.com

WOW!

Its only been 4 years since I worked daily in college radio, but I totally forgot that CMJ was happening right now right here in Manhattan! Am I going to attend? NO! But I did pick up a free pamphlet that told me all about the festival and let me tell you all something: I don’t recognize anybody! Even the headliner of the fest (Atlas Sound) means nothing to me! What has happened? Have I lost touched with my indie roots? Have I gotten too caught up on the endless cycle of the shuffle button on my iPod that I have forgotten about the necessary need to reload the machine with new bands and songs? Yes! And more stuff like that too!

But the festival does look pretty nice. Judging from the L Magazine, Brooklyn’s own “The Grooms” are going to be a major attraction at this years fest. Also “the XX” (which the Romans dubbed simply as “twenty”) are expected to make a substantial apperance. Also the old trustworthy’s Ted Leo, Cold Cave, and Surf City.

But my favorite part of the fesitval is going through the directory and picking out my favorite unknown band names. Criteria for picking out bands as “favs” comes from a few sources: most originality, best obscure pop culture references and most importantly, how foolish a hipster would look if he attempted to brag about seeing them while keeping a straight face.

Below are my favorites from CMJ 2009:

-Tiger! Shit! Tiger! Tiger!
-Philip Seymour Hoffman
-Paper or Plastic?
-Rumspringa
-Steve Shiffman and the Land of No
-Silly Kissers
-Die! Die! Die!
-Freelance Whales
-Surprise guest (might not actually be the name of a band as much as an announcement, but if that ISN’T a real name, I would totally use it)
-You, You’re Awesome
-Das Racist
-Moondoggies
-Casino vs. Japan
-Unicycle Loves You

Hope everyone had a good time at the festival! Feel free to tell my editors you saw me there, feverishly scribbling notes in chunky black framed glasses while wearing New Balance sneakers and drinking fair-trade decaf espresso!

Far too many people reported today that Jay-Z’s Blueprint Vol 3’s released date has now been changed from September 11th, to Tuesday, September 8th.

I know you wanted to know.

And she SUCKED! Sorry if you are a fan (I mean it. I am sorry for you if you are a fan of her), but it wasn’t even close to good. She once had a good voice but today she was dreadful. Unabashedly bad.

And then she dragged her daughter out on stage. That didn’t help matters much. Her daughter kept repeating “clap your hands” a demand which no one in the capacity, standing room outside venue took to heart. Mainly because she said it so unenthusiastically that no one really believed that they had to. And they didn’t. So they did not.

In short, I don’t know if this is a return of Whitney, because truthfully I didn’t know that she had gone anywhere, but for the people who were going nuts for her in the crowd…they may want to re-consider their choices in female quasi-pop talent.

Because she sucked.

From the “Weeeeellp…can’t believe Jesus is going to be excited to hear about this“ file, early architect of Hip-Hop “BlastMasta” KRS-One, has finished writing a 600+ page “hip-hop bible”.  If history is to be believed there will probably be a few typos and promotional flyers for a party inside the dustjacket.

The book, titled The Gospel of Hip Hop: The First Instrument, is Kris’s (his Christian name) plea for all true b-boys and cipher circles to embrace the coming age where we all will abandon what they currently perceive to be truth, and embrace the acknowledgment that all pure peace and understanding can only come from the glory of basking in the light of all that is Chingy. Omarion had no comment.

“It explores the spirituality of Hip-Hop, the divinity of Hip-Hop. I’m suggesting that in 100 years, this book will be a new religion on the earth,” - says the remaining, living member of Boogie Down Productions.  Hip-Hop blogs are excited about this and are blogging about it like its going to bring Big L back (spoiler alert: he won’t. He is very, very dead).

You probably won’t want to read this book. Just a heads up.

Credit: my good friends at The Onion’s A/V Club.

Pete Yorn played a great set last night to a packed house in Minneapolis at the Fine Line Music Cafe.

Pete actually has the ability to make girls eyes glow with lust when he sings to them.

Other than looking a little blurry, he put on a fantastic show!

As an added bonus, Malaysian Micro-Sensation Zee Avi opened up for Yorn. Zee belted out smooth and sorrowful melodies set to finger snapping drum n bass and she plucked along on her guitar (named Monty) and her Ukulele.

MSG.com - O.A.R. at MSG Sweepstakes - Madison Square Garden - New York

MSG.com is giving away tix to the OAR show next week. Click the image for deets!

Well, you know that its a slow day in the music world when a rapper previewing his upcoming albums cover art makes the news.

Jay-Z aka Young Hova will release his newest collection of ill cuts The Blueprint 3 on September the 11th. Check out the art.

Oooooooookaaaaay…

Not really what any of us were expecting, but more power to you Jay. This cover is the first time a Jay-Z album has been released without his face on it. Yup. Its true. Google it.

At the recent Green Day show at New York’s Madison Square Garden, opening act, the quite talented Kaiser Chiefs‘ frontman Ricky Wilson BROKE HIS FREAKIN’ RIB!

Before the power of rock!

The band relseased a statment today to announce Wilson’s injury: “Ricky Wilson fell jumping between the barrier and the stage, breaking a rib in the process whilst the band had been playing. The rest of the shows will still go ahead as they criss-cross America – Ricky’s had treatment and decided the tour goes on.”

The Kaiser Chiefs are supposed to open all the way to Green Day’s August 7th show in New Orleans, LA, following which Franz Ferdinand, one of my favorite bands, will take over as their feature. Green Day has American dates booked through August 25th at which point they are crossing the pond and flooding Europe followed by Australia with their ear-splitting (and evidently, rib-breaking) brand of rock.

Credit: Music-News.com

Pete will be playing the Fine Line in Minneapolis on Thursday - August 13th (link). No rumors yet that Ms. Johansson will join him on stage - but we’ll be there, and we sure wouldn’t mind!

Billy Joe and Crew are warming up at MSG for tonight and tomorrow nights shows.