Another Slow News Day

On days like today, it's very hard for me to fill my blog with useful information. Most of what I have to share with you is nothing more than quick news clips and stuff like that. I apologize if this post is excrutiatingly boring, but understand that it was also excrutiatingly boring to write. Anyway, here's the short and short of it.

First, to continue my coverage of Kylie Minogue's condition, she is well, or at least as well as possible. She's in a hospital in Melbourne and is scheduled for surgery this week. It appears that her cancer has not spread, so she's a very lucky girl. While she appreciates the swarm of well-wishers, she asks that people donate to the Cancer Council instead of sending her cards or flowers. After all, a hospital room isn't all that big.

Something else I've been trying to keep up-to-date on is the effort to keep CBGB afloat. As you are probably well aware of by now, the Bowery Residents Committee, who is the landlord for the club's property, decided to double the amount of rent paid by club owner Hilly Kristal. There have been many fund-raising activities in recent weeks and months to help save the club, including the sale of CBGB-inspired candy bars. Kristal is now working on booking bands for a 30-date spree of fundraising concerts. Though the list of artists has yet to be announced, those speculated include The Beastie Boys, Green Day, and even... Alan Jackson? Your guess is as good as mine on that one. Unfortunately for me, I am unable to attend these functions. Ohio is a little far to travel from. If you do live in the area, however, I urge you to come out for any/all of these shows. CBGB is a historical landmark that should have a special place in every music-lovers heart. So do your part. More information at the official CBGB website and the Save CBGB website.

The Recording Industry Association of America, in conjunction with the US government, has been fighting the ever-losing fight to eliminate music piracy for I don't know how long now. While their efforts have done little to curb the trend, it has done its fair share of damage to the karaoke industry. That's right. Now karaoke labels (do they even have those?) are being targetted by music producers as if they were Napster, charged of pirating music that they pay royalties to borrow. Stupid. So stupid. Figures the RIAA would do something like that. I feel funny standing up for karaoke, but come on! It's karaoke! Like that's really going to hurt the music industry any. What a joke.

While we're on the subject of stupid, how about that new hoodies ban in England? Apparently kids who wear hoodies are trying to be antisocial, act tough, and intimidate people. So in an attempt to curb antisocial behavior, Brent Cross Shopping Center in North London has banned hoodies from being worn while inside the center because they are a "uniform" for thugs. Curbing antisocial behavior?! Thug uniform?! What?! I know a lot of people who are loners, and the last time I checked they weren't doing anything wrong by being a little aloof. Not everyone's going to be cheerful and friendly all the time. The next thing you know they will make the colour black illegal because it could be a sign of depression. I'm sure there are kids in England, and here in the states too, who are trouble-makers and wear hoodies, but that doesn't mean that all people who wear hoodies are trouble-makers, nor does it mean that all trouble-makers wear hoodies. Seriously, folks, maybe we should look at the bigger picture here. Banning hoodies in a shopping center doesn't do anything to change the attitudes or behaviours of antisocial and delinquent teenagers. I was once a teenager, and I know that stupid rules like that only make me less likely to respect authority. Clearly these people don't understand psychology very much. So, in the meantime, if you're going to be in England anytime soon, don't pack your hoodie.

Sorry, that had nothing to do with music. It's a slow news day, people!

Good interview with Ira Kaplan from Yo La Tengo.

So here are a couple fun things I dug up for you to do on this boring Thursday.

Courtesy of stereogum, check out The Stone Movement, a comedic rapping duo, whose latest myspace stream is entitled "Rollin' With Saget" and supposedly features none other than Bob Saget himself. I'll be honest, I was skeptical when I read about it, but after listening to it, I have to admit that it sounds like him. You also have to take into account the fact, although I have no proof to base this on except for speculation among my friends, that Saget is known for being vulgar and suggestive outside of Full House and America's Funniest Home Videos. That having been said, it seems logical that he could in fact be the voice in the song. Listen to it and decide for yourself.

Courtesy of torr, learn Napoleon Dynamite's dance moves from the master himself! This flash teaches you the names and steps of each move. You can even change the music to fit your tastes. You could so waste an entire day on that thing. I highly recommend it. Next week, we have a dance off.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

5.27 - The Killers w/ Hot Hot Heat and Robbers on the Street - Promowest Pavilion
6.01 - Gang Gang Dance - The Wexner Center
6.02 - The Wrens - Little Brothers
6.03 - Tokyo Rose - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine - The Newport
6.16 - Comets On Fire - The Wexner Center
6.29 - Black Eyed Peas w/ Talib Kweli - Promowest Pavilion
8.11 - Ben Folds w/ Ben Lee and Rufus Wainwright - Promowest Pavilion
8.31 - Coldplay w/ Rilo Kiley - Germain Ampitheater
9.06 - Of Montreal - TBA

Daily Downloads
from regnyouth:

Today I bring you a couple oldies. It's a slow day for music, too.

Bob Dylan - Down in the Groove (link, mp3)
Michael Jackson - Dangerous (link, mp3)

So I have this choir concert tonight. It's not really a choir concert; it's a band concert in which my choir is singing. It's this tribute to 9/11 and we're going to sing from our seats and people are supposed to be really moved by it or something. I think it's both cheesy and morbid. More cheesy, though, because after that we're singing "America the Beautiful." The conductor thinks it's going to be super powerful, but I think I'm just going to look dumb. That's all for today.