Brandon Flowers: Screenwriter?!

File this one under "you've got to be kidding me." The Killers, who have now further established the fact that they are nothing more than a marketing scheme, are planning to release a half-hour mini-movie based on three of their songs. Think Thriller but with really bad music. At least they don't plan on starring in it themselves. The awkward, stiff-as-a-board Brandon Flowers would look like an idiot on the big screen, just like he does on stage.

The movie, which will feature the songs "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine," "Midnight Show" and new song "Leave the Bourbon on the Shelf," is a murder mystery. Kinda fits, considering they call themselves The Killers and their first album, Hot Fuss, reads just like a murder mysetery itself. As I said before, they are not going to star in it. Instead they want "established actors" to play the roles. They've been talking with producers and actors, and the idea is to use this mini-movie to "bridge the gap" between Hot Fuss and their new album, which so far has 10 tracks with 30 more yet to be decided on, proof that bad music takes no time to write (not that we needed proof).

And the crowning jewel: It will be aired on MTV. With no commercial breaks, the movie will be no longer than an episode of The Newlyweds. Hardly enough to take seriously. So while I'm sure the viewer ratings for MTV in the girls aged 12 to 16 bracket will skyrocket during that half-hour, I think I'll stick to Degrassi on Noggin. At least it's educational. And doesn't have crappy music.

In other news...

Independent music publishing often involves a lot of people taking a lot of cuts from a lot of an artist's money. The Arcade Fire, however, are not going to have to worry too much about that anymore. The band just signed a publishing deal with EMI. This does not mean they've signed to a major label, so don't panic. They are still on Merge. What this does mean is that their album Funeral will finally get to be released in foreign countries, something The Arcade Fire probably couldn't have done without EMI. The album is slated for release in Japan at the end of July and in Eastern Europe later this year. Meanwhile, the band is in fact prepping to record a new album! Win and the gang will hit the studio in the fall after a quick U.S. tour in September. Start saying your prayers, Columbus.

The motivational speakers who used to come to my school from time to time would always tell us to "reach for the stars" and "dream big" or whatever. I think maybe Chris Martin heard this one too many times. Says Martin: "We want to be bigger than Mozart." What?! Okay, so the achievement and fame of the composers of Mozart's time didn't reach the level it is at today until long after the composers died, so it looks like Martin's going to have to watch it from the grave. I also don't think we're going to be hearing choirs and orchestras performing Coldplay songs any time soon. Seriously, dude, I think you should just stick to trying to be the next Bono. In related news, just weeks before its release, the new Coldplay album X & Y leaked to the internet.

I just love it when businesses and corporations who have absolutely no tie whatsoever to music or the music industry decide they want to jump on the bandwagon. First it was Toyota and the absolutely ridiculous record label Scion. Now it's the McDonald's kiosk. Currently in trial at the ultra-savvy Oak Brook, Illinois, location, the kiosks allow customers to buy music and ringtones, surf the internet and scan pictures. It will be a very odd day when I hear someone say, "Man, I really want a copy of that picture. Let's go scan it at McDonald's." Freaky. It's like the Twilight Zone or something. Also interesting to point out is that the Oak Brook location is McDonald's testing ground for new and trendier things. They serve lattes and everything. Ridiculous. I'm sorry, Mickey-D's, but you'll never escape your greasy hamburgers and golden arches.

Enough of me being irritated. How about something good? How about Xiu Xiu coming to Columbus? I think so! Xiu Xiu announced a slew of new tour dates, including August 30th at Little Brothers. How about that! Wait, you want more? Well, okay, how about the new album La Foret will hit the shelves on July 12th! Still not satisfied? How about a 7" split with Devendra Banhart coming out on July 26th? Ah, the craziness ensues. I'll see you at LB's.

It's Tuesday. Here's what's new in your local CD store:
Bjork - All of Me: Remixes and Covers
Four Tet - Everything Ecstatic
Her Space Holiday - Let's Get Quiet, Vol. 1
Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth
The White Stripes - Blue Orchid (CD Single)
The White Stripes - Blue Orchid Part 2 (CD Single)

Upcoming Columbus Shows

6.01 - Gang Gang Dance w/ The Bloodlines - The Wexner Center
6.02 - The Wrens - Little Brothers
6.03 - Tokyo Rose w/ Lux Courageous and Self Against City - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine w/ Band of Horses - The Newport
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
7.07 - Reel Big Fish - Newport Music Hall
7.20 - Howie Day - Promowest Pavilion
7.20 - Luna Halo w/ Modena Vox - Skully's Music Diner
7.22 - Tegan and Sara - Newport Music Hall
8.11 - Ben Folds w/ Ben Lee and Rufus Wainwright - Promowest Pavilion
8.30 - Xiu Xiu w/ Das Yellow Swans and Nedelle? - Little Brothers
8.31 - Coldplay w/ Rilo Kiley - Germain Ampitheater
9.06 - Of Montreal - TBA

Daily Downloads
from the regnyouth archives

Beck - Guero (link, mp3)
Doves - Lost Souls (link, mp3)

John Hoyt says, "This album sucks," and I'll tell you why.

Allow me to speak frankly for a moment. What the heck is up with everyone liking this new Sleater-Kinney album The Woods? I got my first listen of it today and it is absolute garbage. With chugga-chugga guitar with off-key vocals, darn right it's difficult to get into. That's because it's trash! I listened to a little bit of a couple songs with John in his room today and it was just too frustrating to keep going. We had to turn it off. Seriously, people, what is wrong with you? Have you no sense of good and bad anymore, or do you just listen to what the stupid reviews say and base your opinion on that? Get a mind of your own and take the time listen to the music for once. Maybe you'll hear that The Killers really are just a crap band with lyrics that don't make sense. "I got soul but I'm not a soldier."?! What?! You don't have soul; you're a white boy from Las Vegas!

The only review that actually tells the truth is from Stylus Magazine, and thank God for them. At least someone has some sense. So if you must, go download the album and listen for yourself and make up your own mind. Don't take my word for it and don't take Pitchfork's word for it either. Close your eyes and open your ears.

End rant.

In other news...

Move over Columbus Gateway Project. Omaha, Nebraska, is soon to be the home of an amazing building complex. The $10 million complex will include a bar/venue called Slowdown, a theater showing indie/foreign films, and a pizza place. So who's floating the bill. Saddle Creek Records. Who knew little emo boys could be so ambitious.

NME must be running out of things to say about Brandon Flowers. This time, an interview about his new pink jacket. Give him a rest, guys, he's not that great anyway.

Trent Reznor needs to shut up or grow up. Now he's pissed off and quit the MTV Movie Awards because they won't let him use a picture of George W. Bush as his backdrop. MTV may be notorious for lacking censorship, but if it's going to be a risk to let him use it, I don't see why they shouldn't stop him. I personally think Reznor is just a punk and a baby.

Sorry, Christian rock fans. After 33 years, Petra is breaking up. It's a good thing I held onto that unopened vinyl I found in my parents' record collection.

In other break-up news, The Cure has lost yet another two members. How many times is The Cure going to go through new line-ups before Robert Smith gets tired of it?

There's seriously nothing cuter than Asya and Chloe, a.k.a. Smoosh. The Seattle duo, aged 13 and 11 respectively, are slowly reaching indie pop stardom, as they well should. The News Tribune Dot Com talks to them and their dad about their new album.

First he hates them, now he'll give them a chance. Liam Gallagher, make up your mind about Bloc Party! Gallagher says he'll work with them if they give him something to work with. He also welcomes the backlash his insults created and says that he doesn't care about lyrics. How's that for artistic integrity?

Not even laryngitis can get Doves down. Despite the fact that they had to cancel their Coachella appearance due to singer Jimi Goodwin's throat condition, they are still flying high with Some Cities. They are still touring and hey, I even heard they were on CD 101 yesterday! Progress! Listen to them, for they will rock your face.

Has anyone seen the movie Let it Be by The Beatles? Coldplay is looking to repeat the idea, working hard to become more like The Beatles than Oasis.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

6.01 - Gang Gang Dance - The Wexner Center
6.02 - The Wrens - Little Brothers
6.03 - Tokyo Rose w/ Lux Courageous and Self Against City - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine w/ Band of Horses - The Newport
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
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

Beck - Odelay (link, mp3)
Mogwai - Ten Rapid (link, rar, password = rya)

Book Review: The Case for Christ

The Case for Christ, by Lee Strobel

Yeah, so I'm a Christian. I don't make a point to hide that from anyone. So while everyone else is reading cool indie books, I'm sticking to my inspirational Christian books. The deal with this book, though, is that it's not like most inspirational Christian books. It's not mushy gushy "God loves you so much and all you have to do is believe" or "God made you beautiful" (the subject of a lot of women's Chrisitian books). The Case for Christ is, just as the cover states, "a journalist's personal investigation of the evidence for Jesus." Not just any journalist. Lee Strobel is a former investigative journalist for the Chicago Tribune. He's covered tons of court cases in his career, and as his title would suggest, he has done huge amounts of research. Every court case, every murder or rape, they all have evidence that needs to be looked into before you can accurately decide what happened.

That's exactly the way Strobel looks at the situation. As a self-proclaimed atheist, he took on the daunting task of investigating the evidence for the existence and divinity of Jesus Christ. After 21 months of investigating, Strobel became a Christian because "it would require much more faith for [him] to maintain [his] atheism than to trust in Jesus of Nazareth." That's saying a lot.

Strobel's investigation took him to the offices of 13 experts of divinity, theology, philosophy, and so on, including John McRay, Gary R. Collins, and Bruce Metzger. To each he asks a different question to uncover a different piece of evidence to answer one of his 14 questions, which are as follows:

1. The Eyewitness Evidence - Can the Biographies of Jesus be Trusted?
2. Testing the Eyewitness Evidence - Do the Biographies of Jesus Stand up to Scrutiny?
3. The Documentary Evidence - Were Jesus' Biographies Reliably Preserved for Us?
4. The Corroborating Evidence - Is There Credible Evidence for Jesus Outside His Biographies?
5. The Scientific Evidence - Does Archaeology Confirm or Contradict Jesus' Biographies?
6. The Rebuttal Evidence - Is the Jesus of History the Same as the Jesus of Faith?
7. The Identity Evidence - Was Jesus Really Convinced that He was the Son of God?
8. The Psychological Evidence - Was Jesus Crazy When He Claimed to be the Son of God?
9. The Profile Evidence - Did Jesus Fulfill the Attributes of God?
10. The Fingerprint Evidence - Did Jesus--and Jesus Alone--Match the Identity of the Messiah?
11. The Medical Evidence - Was Jesus' Death a Sham and His Resurrection a Hoax?
12. The Evidence of the Missing Body - Was Jesus' Body Really Absent from His Tomb?
13. The Evidence of Appearances - Was Jesus Seen Alive After His Death?
14. The Circumstantial Evidence - Are There Any Supporting Facts that Point to the Resurrection?

He covers all of these topics, asks tough questions and doesn't shy away from being contrary and direct. In the end, though, the evidence pointed to Christ, the Messiah, and as a believer myself, I have to agree. He also references a ridiculous amount of books and writings to support his arguments and the arguments of those he interviews. At the end of each chapter, there's a little reflection and a list of extra sources to help you continue your investigation.

I don't intend to ever use my blog as a way to preach to people. I just mean to say that this book is incredibly well-written and I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially if you doubt the divinity of Jesus but are open to new ideas. In the end, the book is only a framework. If you don't believe, I encourage you to investigate for yourself. I'll never tell you what you should believe; I only intend to keep the option open and leave myself available for conversation.

And on to the news...

It's a slow day, nothing too major going on, but still a lot to talk about. Oh, I apologize for not posting yesterday, but I was celebrating my boyfriend's acceptance to art school. I'm so proud!

First of all, I just have to say that the people over at eye weekly who write the totally wired column should stop making unsubstantiated claims about my fellow bloggers scenestars, largehearted boy, chromewaves, and teaching the indie kids to dance again. You're just jealous because you're not cool enough to have your own blog so you have to write columns for eye weekly to feel better about yourself.

You know what else is outrageous? Carrie Underwood, the new American Idol winner. My opinion is that this just goes to show you that the American mainstream public believes that "good music" means that it sounds like everything else they've heard. Clearly they are uncomfortable with change and would rather have yet another blonde-haired country girl (who will turn bad girl, it's only a matter of time) singing power ballads than the rough-around-the-edges rocker Bo Bice, who is surprisingly more talented than any of us first imagined. He even sang the same song she sang better than she did. You know who should have won? Constantine. ...not that I care about American Idol or anything... moving on.

The frustrating news just keeps coming. Recently the FBI shut down one of the larger BitTorrent servers, Elite Torrents. The tip came after the network posted Star Wars III before the preview showings even started. Of course, not to be left in the shadows, the RIAA applauds the move. They would. You know, I've always been torn on this whole issue. I can understand music being free, but I'm not so sure about movies. Is it really the same issue or are they too different to be given the same treatment? I don't know. I just know that I saw the BitTorrent thing coming, but there will always be something new and better that the FBI and RIAA will have a harder time to crack down on. That's just how it goes.

Ugh, Prefix, don't play with my heart like that! The link in their news list said, "Junior Senior announces tour dates," and my heart jumped in my chest. Oh my gosh, I thought, could I finally get my chance to see one of my favorite foreign dance bands in the history of foreign dance pop? Nope. I clicked the link to Tiny Mix Tapes only to find out that they're touring in Denmark, their home turf, where they've been for way too long. They're even releasing a 7" single exclusively in Denmark. What about me, Junior?! Don't you care, Senior?! I'm unhappy.

I've noticed people comparing Coldplay to U2 a lot recently, and Newsweek is no exception. At least Chris Marten was only kidding when he said his band would take after current hip-hop and "study the most popular products" and "try to sing about it as much as possible." And, no, the name of their next album will not be McDonalds: Over Four Billion Served.

Maybe Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke is a better comparison to Bono. He recently went to Parliament to campaign for The Big Ask, a project that would put the responsibility for global warming into the hands of the UK government. That's great and all, but I don't think the UK is the biggest problem in the global warming department (hint hint, Dubya).

Talk is talk, and there's been off and on talk about a Blur reunion for a long time. So far, though, it looks like a long shot. Former frontman Damon Albarn has tried to negotiate something with Graham Coxon, whose departure led to the break-up of Blur. Unfortunately, the lines of communication are virtually non-existant, which puzzles Albarn, who says that when they're all together, they "get on fine." Meanwhile, Coxon is continuing to do well in his solo career while Albarn basks in the glory of Gorillaz new album Demon Days.

Blur may not be reuniting, but Hootie and the Blowfish certainly are. They will release Looking for Lucky as the debut album for their own record label, Sneaky Long Records. Look for it on August 9th.

Sleater Kinney has certainly released a hit new album, The Woods. Critics are raving, and Pitchfork even gave it a 9.0. Certainly one worth looking into.

Xiu Xiu's latest album, La Foret, hits shelves on July 12th, and it's looking like it will be just as uncomfortable and haunting as their last ones have been. That's a good thing, by the way.

Red is All the Rage has perhaps the most wonderful interview with Of Montreal lead singer Kevin Barnes probably ever done. Here's a taste:

For anyone who is not familiar with Of Montreal, how would you describe your sound?

Muscular. Nautical. Lamborghini.

Enough said.

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 w/ Lux Courageous and Self Against City - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine w/ Band of Horses - The Newport
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
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:

The Shins - Oh Inverted World 2 (link, zip)
Fatboy Slim - Pookaville (link, mp3)
I am Kloot - I am Kloot 2 (link, zip)
Jurassic 5 - Quality Control 2 3 (link, rar, password = gmc)

Oasis is Not to be Outdone

Just yesterday we learned that Coldplay is the biggest band on the planet. Today's lesson: Oasis is the most successful act in the last decade in the UK.

This week, "Lyla," the first single from their new album Don't Believe the Truth, hit number one on the UK charts. For Oasis, this marks the seventh number one hit they've had. Other hits include "Some Might Say" and "Don't Look Back in Anger." I find it rather interesting that none of the articles I've seen have mentioned the songs "Wonderwall" or "Champagne Supernova," especially since, at least here in the states, every high school boy who plays guitar has serenaded his girlfriend with one or both of those songs.

Having had seven number one hits, Oasis has reached a milestone. The Book of British Hit Singles and Albums has named the band the most successful band in the UK in the last decade, beating out the likes of Robbie Williams, Madonna, Britney Spears, and Eminem. That's saying something, right?

Don't Believe the Truth will finally be released next Tuesday, May 30th, but as I'm sure you know by now, the album has been leaked and is available for download all over the internet. Be careful with these files, though, because rumour has it they are laced with the personal information of the person who ripped them so they can be prosecuted. I don't know if that was avoided by the people who made the mp3s or not, but that's what the production company said would happen to anyone who ripped the CD. Just letting you know.

In other news...

To update you on Kylie Minogue's situation, her surgery was a success, and she is recovering well. She's in good spirits and is expected to make a complete recovery.

Podcasting has become such a huge phenomenon recently. In the past, I don't think Apple has accepted podcasting, but recently Apple CEO Steve Jobs suggested that the time has come to make the change. That having been said, it's been announced that iTunes 4.9 will include podcasting as part of its service, which could allow podcasts to be sold in the future just like mp3s. Don't let the name fool you, though. Podcasting does not imply a direct connection to the iPod, nor is the iPod necessary to listen to podcasts. You are completely able to download a podcast to your computer to listen to if you so desire.

Franz Ferdinand frontman Alex Kapranos recently had a run-in with some killer nuts. No, I'm not talking about buckeyes; I'm talking about peanuts. Kapranos is deathly allergic to them. Any trace of the nut could be fatal. A friend made Kapranos some baklava (mmm...) but hadn't noticed on the package that the ingredients could contain traces of peanut. Kapranos began to cough up blood, but he has since recovered from the incident and is angry that food warnings are not printed noticeably by food manufacturers. I sure hope it was good baklava.

In my rush to get my post up and get out of here yesterday, I neglected to list the awesome albums coming out today. So here it is, with my sincerest apologies for the delay.
Animal Collective - Prospect Hummer
At The Drive In - Anthology: This Station is Non-Operational
Belle and Sebastian - Push Belmar to Open Old Wounds
The Get Up Kids - Live at the Granada Theater
Gorillaz - Demon Days
Sleater-Kinney - The Woods

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 w/ Lux Courageous and Self Against City - High Five
6.08 - Modest Mouse - Promowest Pavilion
6.13 - Iron and Wine w/ Band of Horses - The Newport
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
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:
(rar password = rya, unless otherwise specified)

Andrew Bird - Andrew Bird and the Mysterious Production of Eggs 2 3 (link, zip)
Chemical Brothers - Push the Button (link, torrent)
Art Garfunkel - Angel Claire 2 (link, rar, password = stairway)
Green Day - American Idiot (link, mp3)
The Pretenders - 2000 Miles EP (link, rar)
Clem Snide - The Ghost of Fashion 2 (link, zip)

Coldplay: The Pros and Conservatives

The world seems to have a love/hate relationship with Coldplay. Let us first dish out the love.

The Guardian says Coldplay is "the biggest band on the planet." I wonder if that means biggest band dead or alive, because I have to say that I believe that title would go to The Beatles, hands down. But if you're talking about current bands, maybe Coldplay is.

Simon Garfield, apparently a writer for The Observer, talks about how protective Parlophone and Coldplay have been about their first album, distributing early copies of their new CD X&Y under the name Album by The Fir Trees. Album is sealed and cannot be played in computers. If you figure out how to copy it, your personal information will be encoded in the file so you can be prosecuted. That's pretty intense security if you ask me. Surely they must be a huge band if they have to keep an album that far under wraps. Incidentally, now that everyone knows The Fir Trees Album is really Coldplay, doesn't that mean the secret is out? Hmm... Apparently this whole thing isn't working anyway (see downloads below).

Garfield goes on to show how much they impressed Parlophone with their continued strength with the release of their second album. I have to say that, whether I like Coldplay or not, I must admit that they are very good at releasing solid albums. At last, Garfield introduces X&Y as an album with "grand aural ambitions."

So yeah, I read the article, and to be honest, I don't see that much substantial proof that they are, in fact, the biggest band in the world, but it does accurately suggest that Coldplay produces solid music. We'll have to wait and see what happens when the album is released in two weeks.

Meanwhile, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin is getting himself on the bad side of conservatives who think he shouldn't be criticizing EMI. One hater, Vilmar, calls for a boycott of Coldplay's music, calling Martin, a "maroon."

Maroon:
Transitive verb
Inflected forms: ma·rooned, ma·roon·ing, ma·roons 1. To put ashore on a deserted island or coast and intentionally abandon. 2. To abandon or isolate with little hope of ready rescue or escape: The travelers were marooned by the blizzard.
Noun
1. often Maroon a. A fugitive Black slave in the West Indies in the 17th and 18th centuries. b. A descendant of such a slave. 2. A person who is marooned, as on an island.
Etymology
From French marron, fugitive slave, from American Spanish cimarrón, wild, runaway, perhaps from cima, summit (from runaways' fleeing to the mountains), from Latin c*ma, sprout ; see cyma.
3. A dark reddish brown to dark purplish red.
Etymology
French marron, chestnut, from Italian marrone.

So either Martin is a slave from the 17th centuries or he's shipwrecked or he's reddish-purple. I like the latter, myself.

My opinion is this: who cares?! Really, does it matter what he thinks about EMI? Does that make Coldplay a good band? I listened to the new single on the radio and I liked it. It doesn't matter to me what he believes or thinks. His ideals don't make him a good or bad musician. Heck, Liam and Noel Gallagher are pretentious pricks but few question the fact that Oasis was highly influential and are still somewhat talented. Let's face it, guys. Politics do not decide how good a band is.

In other news...

Do you remember Charlotte Church? I do. My grandma has her first CD, and I think I saw her on Touched By An Angel a few times. The adolescent opera singer is now nearing 20-years old, but little has been mentioned about her recently. At least, not in America. While I was reading through some news, I came across this article about Church, which opened the door to a plethora of news I hadn't heard about. First, she inherited the money she made off of her albums at the age of 18. Then she dumped live-in boyfriend Kyle Johnson, who she had previously suggested she would marry. A week later she set her sights on rugby star Gavin Henson. Then she beat up Johnson for spreading rumours about their intimacy. Then she denied that she'd been sleeping with Henson. Church's mom then said she approved of Henson. Then she lashed out again at Johnson. She revealed that she might be in need of singing lessons due to the strain she had put on her vocal chords due to drinking and smoking, then revealed that she and Henson were a couple. Then a fake picture of Church spread around the internet. Then she got mad at the press, like every celebrity. It keeps going, but as you can see, she's not the girl she used to be. So much for the "voice of an angel."

It's been nine years since the Spice Girls exploded onto pop charts. What?! It's official. I'm old. I can't believe it's been that long. If you miss them, though, you only have one more year to wait until they perform their 10-year reunion concert. So far it sounds like it's just a one-day thing, but here's hoping for a tour!

Travis Morrison, formerly of The Dismemberment Plan, is going back on tour. Columbus last saw him open for Death Cab for Cutie last fall, and they were weird. The keyboard girl looks like a man. But if you like that kind of thing, looks like he'll be coming back.

Play the Hitchiker's Guide to the Galaxy flash game at BBC Radio!

And lastly, Nike asked 20 bloggers to submit designs for a new Nike shoe. Vote for your favorite online here. The winner gets 100 pairs of his or her shoe. At first glance, I think I like Sensory Impact's "Sense This."

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
6.15 - Travis Morrison - Supraphonic Studios (Where the heck is that?!)
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:

Tegan and Sara - This Business of Art (link, mp3)
Oasis - Don't Believe the Truth (link, mp3)

Canada Gets It Right... Kinda

I ate my Spaghetti O's too fast and my stomach is mad at me, so this post may lack a little flavor. I'm sorry, I just don't feel well.

The Canadian Court of Appeals ruled against the music industry, denying it access to the identities of 29 individuals who had over 40,000 files available for download on P2P services like IMesh and Kazaa. Many are calling this ruling a victory on behalf of the privacy of individuals, but don't get ahead of yourself. While it did prevent their identities from being revealed, the 27-page ruling also gave an outline for how the industry should go about presenting its evidence in the future. This will allow prosecutors to present better organized cases, which might make rulings in favor of the music industry more common in the future.

In the meantime, though, it's a small victory for file sharers in Canada. I doubt the victory will last long given the fact that the industry now has a better footing for future cases, but at least for now there's some hope.

As for the United States, sometimes I just don't know what to make of all this. I started downloading music four years ago as a junior in high school. The first song I ever downloaded was "The Good Fight" by Dashboard Confessional. It took 30 minutes to complete, and I used Audio Galaxy. Back then, it never occured to me that I was doing anything wrong, and to this day I still don't think I am. I've done my fair share of studying up, and I've looked at numbers and figures and I still have yet to see difinitive evidence that file sharing is hurting the music industry. What's more, as I reported a while back, all of the money the RIAA has won from lawsuits has stayed in the pockets of the RIAA. Not a dime has reached any of the artists the RIAA claims to be defending. CDs are expensive, and so many people take a cut from it that next to nothing makes it to the artists their either. Simply put, until I see a good reason not to, I'm going to continue to download music.

But yeah, I've said that before many times and I'm sure you're getting sick of reading it. I'll move on.

In other news...

Wow. Is Willie Nelson running out of ideas? Apparently he's releasing a reggae album entitled Countryman sometime this summer. I know exactly where you can put it in your CD collection: between William Shatner's Has Been and William Hung's Christmas album.

It sounds like Beck's new video for "Girl" is going to be pretty awesome. The concept is taken from Al Jaffee's fold-in artwork on the back cover of Mad Magazine. Basically what that means is that they show something like a sign and then eliminate some of the elements so that it says something different. For example, a sign that says "Beauty and Grooming Supplies" becomes "Beauty Lies." Get the idea? It sounds rather dark. I look forward to seeing it.

Boston.com talks to Jenny Lewis of Rilo Kiley about walking the fine line between indie rock and major labels.

If you have a few thousand dollars and are emo enough to want to bid on a smashed guitar signed by Conor Oberst, start counting your coins. A guitar he smashed during his most recent tour is up for auction on Ebay, with proceeds going to help fund the lung transplant for Omaha boy Jason Woods. I just checked in and with 25 bids it is up to $1075.00. Go check out the signature, too. Oberst is so emo, he drew a heart and three exclamation points. What a guy. If you're into that kind of thing, make a bid.

The webcast of The Arcade Fire's performance on Fabchannel has been archived, and you can watch it to your heart's content. Also, scroll down to the bottom of the archive for a very old webcast of Doves.

And speaking of both of these fantastic bands, Doves was on Conan last night. It was a great performance, although not as visually entertaining as The Arcade Fire, but I wasn't expecting it to be. The Arcade Fire does a lot of visual entertaining, but Doves focuses most of its effort on the listening experience. They played "Black and White Town," as I expected, and it was fantastic. Jimi has super long hair these days, and their keyboardist is pretty good looking. My boyfriend taped it and we're going to watch it again tonight.

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
Today I bring you a few covers from the audio lounge at ofmontreal.net:

Of Montreal - Know Your Onion (Shins Cover) (mp3)
Of Montreal - Delinquency (V Twins Cover) (mp3)
Of Montreal - Cover Me In (Broadcast Cover) (mp3)

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.

Stereo Total and Yahoo! Music

There's really not much news to speak of today, but what news I do have to report I also have a lot to say about, so this could still be a lengthy post. I apologize that I rant so often in this thing. I just like to editorialize. I'm a public relations major; it's what I do best. Anyway, I'll start off first with the review of last night's Stereo Total concert and then proceed to the major headline.

So Stereo Total played last night at Little Brothers with Les Georges Leningrad and Hawnay Troof. I unfortunately don't have pictures of the event due to a forgotten camera (oops!). Hopefully my recap will be colourful enough to stir your imagination.

First up was, to my surprise, Les Georges Leningrad. The Little Brothers website had them listed before Hawnay Troof so I assumed Hawnay would be opening, but alas, I was wrong. Les Georges was very interesting. The three piece hails from Montreal, Quebec, which I found surprising because it definitely sounded like lead singer Poney P was speaking german. Poney was dressed like a zombie version of Alice from Alice in Wonderland, while drummer Bobo Boutin was dressed like the Phantom of the Opera meets nerd and keyboardist/guitarist Mingo L'Indien was dressed as a pirate in pajamas. Their sound was very 80s new wave, with Poney often playing random chords on the keyboard. They were very dancy, but still moderately experimental. My favorite part of their set was the group of kids on the right side of the stage dancing like they were trying to get a spider out of their underwear. You see, I like to dance, as I'll tell you when I talk about Stereo Total's set, but I like to dance to a beat, and they were dancing like spazzes, like they were possessed by demons or something. It was straight from the 80s. They were even dressed like they were from the 80s. It was very entertaining.

The first thing I thought of when I say the name Hawnay Troof was "horny truth." Maybe I have a terrible mind, but that's exactly what it sounded like to me. I was expecting another band, but when all of the instruments were off the stage and this strange looking white dude in a white zoot suit took the stage, I knew it was going to be something totally different. Hawnay was like a one man Beastie Boys. It was kinda like a sing along at some points as he had the audience scream things back and even brought some of us on stage because he said he loved all of us. The guy couldn't stand still for the life of him, and he often rambled on in long run-on sentences about random things that happened to him. It was like he was on speed or something. At any rate, he's probably one of the best rappers I've ever seen live. He hails from Oakland, and he said he's there probably five months out of the year, so you California locals should check him out.

At last, the duo known as Stereo Total mounted the stage, accompanied by a small drum kit, a synthesizer, and two guitars, one shaped like a heart and the other shaped like a rectangle. I was surprised that all of their music came from just that little bit of instrumentation, but they recreated their sound almost perfectly. Francoise Cactus is a chubby little French girl, and she's pretty much the most adorable singer I've ever seen. She makes the phrase, "I am naked," sound as innocent as, "I like puppies." Brezel Goring, on the other hand, is a flamboyant German man who likes to touch his crotch and spank gay men who try to kiss Francoise (no joke, he actually did it). Together they made some of the most fantastic music, and I'll be totally honest, I've never danced so hard in all my life. You can't help but dance to this stuff. The whole crowd, at least where I was standing, was dancing its heart out, shouting in French, German, and English. I think this show may have been one of the most entertaining shows I've ever been to, and I highly recommend going to see Stereo Total in person if you have the chance.

I'm so glad that I chose to go to last night's show. I've been on a show hiatus for a while now due to finances and a lack of a desire to go to shows (sadly), but I think I'm back in the saddle now. Last night was amazing. I'm still feeling it.

And now, our top story...

As I was reading through blogs this afternoon, donewaiting.com directed me to a post by Mark Cuban at Blog Maverick that was indeed very intriguing. In short, it explained how the release of Yahoo! Music Unlimited could have serious effects on the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), especially with regards to their recent lawsuits.

Let's get a little background so we better understand Cuban's logic. Yahoo! Music Unlimited costs only a measly $5/month, cheaper than any other service out there. Actually, I believe there are multiple payment options, but the most popular one is the $5/month option. The RIAA, on the other hand spends thousands, maybe even millions, of dollars trying to enforce copyright laws, and these lawsuits can cost the defendants thousands, maybe even millions, of dollars themselves. So the option is to either pay a buttload of money so that you can download freely or pay $5/month to do it legally with Yahoo! Music. Cuban puts it this way:

The RIAA can no longer claim that students who are downloading music are costing them thousands of dollars each. They can’t claim much of anything actually. In essence, Yahoo just turned possession of a controlled music substance into a misdemeanor. Payable by a $5 per month fine.

Cuban makes a very interesting point when he jokingly says that Utah should put a $5 music tax on everyone in the state so there will be no illegal downloading. I think he may be on to something with that idea. Everyone pays, everyone wins. Why not implement something like that and then just let us use whatever service we want? I guess it's not that simple, but the idea is pretty darn appealing.

The service is admittedly not perfect, but improvements are constantly being made. Ian Rogers, one of the creators of Yahoo! Music, posted in his blog a list of advantages (and disadvantages) to the new service. On the positive side, of course the service is cheaper than anything else available. It can be personalized and works with Yahoo! Messenger to share music with your friends. There are also lots of features, including good bitrates and ogg files. I was skeptical when I first heard about Yahoo! Music since most of the stuff I listen to tends to be obscure, but Rogers assures me that indie labels are being added to the roster of available music, and the network is always adding new music. If you don't like some of the features on it, you can edit them yourself and customize everything. You can even skin it like you would with WinAMP. One of the biggest downfalls right now is that it's not available in a Mac format. I am planning on getting a Mac someday, and if I sign up for this service, which I think I might eventually, I might not be able to access it due to incompatibility. Along those same lines, Yahoo! Music isn't totally compatible with the iPod yet. That's still in the works. But judging from the pros and cons of the service, it does look rather promising.

So if you're looking to do your part to screw with the RIAA, maybe you should invest a few bucks a month into Yahoo! Music Unlimited.

In other news...

Kylie Minogue has been diagnosed with breast cancer. The singer is scheduled to start therapy today in Melbourne, and due to the overwhelming flood of well-wishers, her website has been shut down. Obviously details are few, and I'm glad it's that way because this is a very personal matter. Keep Kylie in your prayers.

As announced by chromewaves, the new X-Men movie has Kelsey Grammar playing the role of The Beast. Now I'm torn. I love X-Men, but I can't stand Grammar. He's just so... stuffy. I hope that he doesn't turn the movie into a reinactment of Shakespeare like he does to a lot of other things he's been in. Also recently cast, Lost's Maggie Grace will play Shadowcat.

An article over at Wired News discusses the new phenomenon of bands promoting themselves on Myspace. I don't think there's anything to editorialize about there. It's pretty obvious.

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:

The Beatles - Abbey Road (link, mp3)
Dresden Dolls - Dresden Dolls (link, mp3)
Reggie and the Full Effect - Greatest Hits 1984-1987 2 3 (link, rar, password = lcpahc)
Reggie and the Full Effect - Promotional Copy 2 (link, rar, password = lcpahc)
Reggie and the Full Effect - Songs Not to Get Married To 2 (link, rar, password = lcpahc)
Reggie and the Full Effect - Under the Tray 2 (link, rar, password = lcpahc)

Today, as I was walking home from class, I was walking by this really typical college guy, and this little finch flew down and landed a few feet in front of him. As the bird scampered away from him, he actually approached the bird and kicked it. I looked at him with utter disgust. People like that deserve to be kicked themselves. See you tomorrow.

Trent Reznor Got Duped!

I don't know whether to feel sorry for the guy or not. Trent Reznor just found out, after realizing he only had $400,000 in cash (poor baby), that his manager John Malm had gotten him to sign a contract paying Malm 20% of his gross earnings. Malm has been handling Reznor's finances for a long time and has apparently been doing it without a salary. Reznor does admit that he often neglected his finances, which would give Malm pretty much all the control.

You know, $400,000 in cash is nothing compared to the millions Reznor already has. On top of that, he still has a good 80% of his gross earnings. With money like he's got, I think he can afford to give away a few thousand dollars. Honestly, I think this is just another celebrity getting stingy, because seriously, when you have several million dollars, what is a few thousand to you? It's pocket change. He could go to the nearest ATM and get more cash if he wanted to. He's practically got an unlimited supply. And what do you need $400,000 in cash for in the first place? I can't think of anything. Is he going to go pay for a new car in cash? Maybe a new house? If I'm not mistaken, I don't know anyone who does that. I don't know anyone who carries over $100 in his or her wallet. So give me a break, Trent Reznor. You could be doing a lot worse.

In other news...

Seriously huge mad props to Michael at For the 'Records' and Soul Shine Magazine for spotlighting the Vancouver band Bella. I've been friends with Cameron for a long time now and I've always had a special place in my heart for him and his band. They've worked really hard, playing shows non-stop. He's so busy these days that I hardly talk to him, but I know that they're doing well. So check out Bella on myspace and be their friends!

Yesterday Hamish Rosser was renting himself out. Today he's announcing that his band, The Vines, will be making a comeback new album, even though he's being screwed over by lead singer Craig Nicholls. Sometimes I just don't get these musician types.

Furthering my obsession with Sufjan Stevens, one of many obsessions I have right now, it was announced today that Stevens will collaborate with Denison Whitmer, another Christian artist who doesn't get known for being Christian even though he blatantly is and so is Stevens, but nevermind that. The album, Are You A Dreamer?, will be released July 26th on The Militia Group.

Dave Grohl announced the track listing for The Foo Fighters' new Kerry-inspired album, In Your Honor. Exciting. Not really.

Bright Eyes, Death Cab for Cutie, and Sleater-Kinney are just a few of the bands contributing to a new Anti-Bush CD, The Future Soundtrack For America. Wait a minute, didn't that already come out like... forever ago? Why do I recognize this name? Someone help me out because I'm super confused. I digress. The album will come out on July 4th (haha, that's awesome) on Barsuk, and it's a huge album of covers, rareties, and previously unreleased songs geared at firing up the liberal in us all.

If Coldplay isn't coming to your area, you must live in Wyoming. They officially announced their upcoming tour, and as I've been saying in my upcoming shows section for a while now, they are in fact coming to C-bus. So yeah, if you want to be in a huge crowd with the tallest person standing in front of you along with about a thousand other people, I suggest going.

If you are dying for a new Radiohead album, you have one more year to go. From what they say, the songs are "already done and amazing." Unfortunately, the track record of people saying that in the past is pretty bad, but it's Radiohead so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt.

Doves has a new website and it's full of goodies.

Upcoming Columbus Shows

Tonight - Stereo Total w/ Les Georges Leningrad - Little Brothers (I'll see you there!)
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 - Germain Ampitheater
9.06 - Of Montreal - TBA

Daily Downloads
From regnyouth:

The Beatles - Rubber Soul (link, mp3)
Sigur Ros - Live stuff (link, mp3)
American Idol 4: The Showstoppers (link, mp3)

This was the quickest update I've ever done, and I'm pretty proud of myself. I'll have pictures and tell you all about the Stereo Total show tomorrow.