sonic slang

Axl Shares Soda, Not Music

Axl Rose has responded to Dr Pepper's genius/ridiculous offer of free soda for every man, woman and child in the United States (except Slash and Buckethead), provided he releases Chinese Democracy before it's old enough to buy a pack of smokes:

"We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr Pepper with our album "Chinese Democracy," as for us, this came totally out of the blue. If there is any involvement with this promotion by our record company or others, we are unaware of such at this time. And as some of Buckethead's performances are on our album, I'll share my Dr Pepper with him."

So...Is that a yes?  Sigh - Maybe Axl's a Mountain Dew man. 

By most accounts, Chinese Democracy has been on the drawing board for about 17 years and counting, with no definitive end in sight.

The Who Eyes Quick Return to Studio

Not doubt miffed by a general sense of apathy towards 2006's Endless Wire, The Who's first LP of new material in 24 years, Pete Townshend and co. are ready to give it another go.  According to a post from the guitarist on the band's official site, T-Bone Burnett is being courted for production duties.

"I am hoping to come up with some songs for a more conventional (editor translation: popular) Who record," Townshend wrote, adding that Burnett "is an old friend of mine." 

Neil Young Makes the Hippies Cry

Granola kids across the world put down their peace pipes and shed a collective tear yesterday.  Poster child for the 60s music revolution Neil Young has decided that a song no longer has the power to change the world.

Young made the comments while promoting his new film "CSNY Deja Vu," at the Berlin film festival Friday. The film was shot during the 2006 Freedom of Speech tour by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young:

"I think that the time when music could change the world is past," he told reporters. "I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age."

Young added: "I think the world today is a different place, and that it's time for science and physics and spirituality to make a difference in this world and to try to save the planet."

Tisk tisk Neil.  No, people might not be staging love-ins around the latest Green Day album, but we're reminded of a quote from Bruce Springsteen, a firm believe in the power of song:  "The best music… is essentially there to provide you something to face the world with."

Though we are curious to hear what "Neil Young, corporate rocker" might have in store.  How long till the Rob Thomas duet?

R.E.M. Set Release Date, Shoot Down Berry Rumors

R.E.M. finally revealed a release date for the band's long-awaited and fairly-hyped latest LP: "Let me tell you a secret: we have a great fucking record in the bag. It's a big change. It's coming out on April Fool's Day," Michael Stipe said at a recent charity auction.

This is good news, but speculation about what could have been a Festivus miracle, Bill Berry's return to touring duties in 2008, turned out to be a big fat hoax.  According to band management, this rumor is "entirely untrue."  Bah humbug. 

White Stripes to Stop Touring?

It looks like The White Stripes current tour hiatus might be something a lot more perminent, if recent comments from front man Jack White are to be believed.

In the wake if this year's canceled gigs due to drummer Meg White's "acute anxiety," Jack had this to say to the LA Times regarding future tour prospects:

"I don't know," he said, when asked whether the band's current hiatus would ever come to an end. "I guess it's up to Meg. The Beatles did it [quite touring but continued as a band]. I'm joking, but if we didn't ever tour again it wouldn't matter to me."   

U2 Going "Trance" On Next LP?

Over a career spanning 30 years, U2 has really only gone through one "down" period, critically and commercially, and that would be during the Zooropa/Popmart years of the mid- to late-90s.  So when Bono had this to say about his band's latest LP, we almost wanted to shave off our Irish mullets:

“Normally when you play a U2 tune, it clears the dance floor. And that may not be true of this. There’s some trance influences.”

Then again, he's also claiming metal and Moroccan influences, so maybe dance is actually the good part...

Lily Allen Not Pulling a Winehouse

Good news for Lily Allen fans: The "Smile" singer was just "talking crap" when she hinted at an impending retirement, and was looking healthier than ever (and hotter than we remember) at last night's British Fashion Awards, following recent news of a heart condition. 

When pressed about comparisons to trouble fellow Brit Amy Winehouse, she quickly denied any possibility of ending up like the "Back in Black" star: "People will talk, but there's no way I'd ever get that bad."

My Bloody Valentine Comeback NOT Digital-Only

It turns out not everyone is as eager to "do a Radiohead" as some of us in the media would have you believe.  That previously-reported "digital only" release of My Bloody Valentine's comeback disc turned out to be a simple misquote, as MBV manager Vinita Joshi kind-of angrily told Wired:

"In the interview with Billboard I stated that the forthcoming MBV album will more than likely be self-released.

"That does not equate to a digital only release, which the article states.

"Whilst I understand many bands can self-release via digital shops, that is not the plan.

"In fact we see digital as a far inferior format and the band would NEVER plan to release an album exclusively in a digital format.

"I was quite upset to be misquoted when I took the time to talk to the journalist in question."

Dylan + 'Mats x Smoking = Coolness

If there's one thing the fickle nature of the blogosphere has taught us, it's that "cool" is without a doubt the most relative term in the English lexicon.  But, surely we can ALL agree that Bob Dylan introducing The Replacements' "More Cigarettes" is pretty much the coolest thing ever heard on radio.  (Note: Mp3 not for use by addiction-prone, music-loving children.)  (via Man Without Ties)

Download: Bob Dylan - Intro, "More Cigarettes" (via Theme Time Radio Hour)

Zeppelin Reunion Still in the Cards?

We're starting to wonder if Led Zeppelin isn't being entirely truthful with these "will they, won't they" tour rumors.  Just when we thought the deal was dead (again), Jimmy Page goes and tells Guitar World how stupid a one-off reunion is:

via Rock and Roll Daily:

“It’s a bit silly not to because there is such massive demand.” Regarding the band’s lone December 10th concert, “It’s a bit selfish to do just one show. If that’s it, we probably shouldn’t have taken the genie out of the bottle.”

Pete Doherty Vows to Put Drugs Behind Him

A glimmer of hope to finish off a gloomy workday: Today Pete Doherty, after having the remaining months of his compulsory supervision order commuted, vowed to finally stay off drugs forever...OK compose yourself.  Let's move on.  Anyway, the Babyshambles frontman said: “I have kind of had enough really. “It is just the beginning, you know what I mean, in their eyes. My life has changed, but I’m still a little bit wobbly. I am taking it one day at a time.”  Is our boy Pete finally clawing his way out of the dead pool?

Robert Plant Denies Zeppelin World Tour Rumors

No Stairway!  Denied! - In a sound bite sure to dissappoint the millions of Zeppelin fans unable to get their hands on tickets to the band's upcoming 02 Arena gig, Robert Plant has assured us that this will be a one-off engagement, with no tour to follow:  ""There'll be one show and that'll be it. We need one last great show because we've done some (reunion) shows and they've been crap."  Find out what Plant has been up to, instead of getting the Led out, after the jump.

Razorlight Dismisses Split Rumors

After a couple of solo appearances sparked rumors of Razorlight's imminent demise, band members have assured fans that lead singer Johnny Borrell isn't going anywhere.  Borrell, who most notably performed a duet with Lily Allen earlier this month, may be planning a solo disc, but plans for Razorlight's third LP remain intact.  Drummers Andy Burrows told UK paper The Mail: "We're not splitting. We're planning a new album. Johnny might do some solo work but that's not a problem."  Get details on Razorlight's upcoming NYC tour dates and a clip from last year's self-titled LP after the jump.

Radiohead Scammed Us But Good

See - There was a reason we didn't jump aboard the Radiohead In Rainbows ass-kissing train along with everyone else in the blogosphere.  Instead, we quietly listened to the superb (but not quite Mick Jagger level) new disc, and absorbed.  But when we came up for air a day later, the backlash had already begun.  First fans took swipes at the poor bit rate (well below CD quality) that virtually necessitated a second, physical purchase.  But even more surprisingly, suits in the Radiohead camp have now admitted that the In Rainbows free release was merely a strategy to drive up actual sales.  Power to the people, eh Thom?

Blur Reunion On Hold

Rumors of an impending Blur reunion had fans in a momentary tizzy last week, but it looks like the fellas have only reached the "not hating each other" phase so far: (via NME) "In light of recent press speculation, blur.co.uk would like to confirm that Alex, Damon, Dave and Graham met for an enjoyable lunch on Monday, but there are currently no other music plans for Blur."

Biggie Witness Changes Tune

Wait, so the LAPD wasn't involved in Biggie's death after all?  It looks like the makers of Notorious better schedule time for some major rewrites.

Months after the Wallace family filed a lawsuit against the city of Los Angeles, citing two rogue officers as complicit in the shooting death of Notorious B.I.G., a wrench has been thrown in the mix, with a key (and currently incarcerated) witness changing his story.

via XXL:

According to a report by the LA Times, inmate Waymond Anderson, a crucial witness in the case, now says that he lied about former cops David Mack and Rafael Perez’s supposed involvement in Biggie’s 1997 murder.

Hmm, OK maaaybe.  Though we'd always much prefer a juicy conspiracy theory to run of the mill gang-related violence, there's only so many dirty cops out in LA, with lots more black guys waiting to be framed and/or whacked.  Suffice to say, surely the 5-0 out there will be stepping up their recruitment efforts, now that this embarrassing oversight has come to light.  Somebody call Mark Furman...

But seriously kids, does anyone really think this case is gonna get cracked?  Let the guy rest in peace.
 

PB and J Plot All-Instrumental Disc

Pete Bjorn and John are planning an all-instrumental follow-up to this year's blogger fav (well, most bloggers), Writer's Block.

 

via Paste:

"We're doing an instrumental piece," Bjorn Yttling clarified. "It's a great record, but it's without vocals so we'll see what the people will think of it. We've always wanted to do that, and we thought this would be like the great time to do it when we actually have a career going — to kill it. Kill the career. Make an instrumental one that no one will play on the radio. We just wanted to do a record that we liked, and we wanted to do an instrumental one this time."

Does no vocals = no whistles? 

Early Magic Review Surfaces

The first review of Bruce Springsteen's Magic has popped up online.  Now, we need to take this with a serious grain of salt, since it comes from an admitted biased Jersian, but this does constitute a big thumbs up from at least one dude.  See below for his commentary on a few tracks, and hit up the link for the entire review.

1. "Radio Nowhere"
2. "You'll Be Comin' Down"
3. "Livin' in the Future" - The most “pop” song on the album. Classic E Street–Big C again and a song that would fit anywhere from Born To Run to Born In The U.S.A.
4. "Your Own Worst Enemy"
5. "Gypsy Biker" - A song about a gypsy biker who is coming home. Starts with a beautiful harmonica and acoustic and ends up a flat out rocker. Very powerful lyrics. Loved it and can’t wait to hear it live.
6. "Girls in Their Summer Clothes"
7. "I'll Work for Your Love"
8. "Magic"
9. "Last to Die"
10. "Long Walk Home" - Probably the best song on the album. We know how great the lyrics are, this is played with passion and tempo by Bruce and the band. Wow. Max and Garry flat out kill this song, and there is an amazing guitar solo. This song will destroy concert halls all over the world. Amazing.
11. "Devil's Arcade"

Magic, Bruce Springsteen's 15th studio LP and first featuring the E Street Band since 2002's The Rising, is due in stores on October 2 (with a vinyl release coming a week earlier to contend for next year's Grammy awards.

Billy Corgan Knows How to Treat the Ladies

Billy Corgan's Smashing Pumpkins redux may not have been the sales juggernaut he'd hoped for (after six weeks the disc has already dropped to #55 on Billboard), but that hasn't stopped him from shooting off his mouth like it's still 1997:

via nme:

Midway through the set stage cameras panned the crowd, which included a scantily clad young woman, about whom Corgan commented "There's something about a girl who's willing to take her top off so quickly."

"American girls are sluts too," he added. "See - isn't it great to be alternative - You can say all those things."

If you too would like to be insulted by a dude that looks like Uncle Fester, Smashing Pumpkins will hit Philadelphia this fall for three nights at the Tower Theater, October 19-21.

Van Halen Reunion on, Roth Promises New Album

With the Van Halen reunion now official, David Lee Roth has already set the bar well above typical nostalgia tour ambitions:

"Saving the world is (U2 singer) Bono's job. We just want to save a hundred cities," Roth said. "Then we want to save Europe, then we want to save Japan, Australia and ... Hong Kong. Then we make an album. Lots of big dreams here, lots of ambition."

Even money they don't make it through the U.S. leg without a walkout, but we're pullin' for ya guys!  Who thinks Diamond Dave will still be rocking the spandex?

Tegan and Sarah Score Bonus Points

We gave Tegan and Sarah's new disc The Con a solid if unspectacular thumbs up, but to be perfectly fair, had we known about the duo's love for The Boss prior to posting, that alone might have subconsciously scored them at least another half star.  Good for you ladies.

via Spinner:

"[Bruce] was definitely one of the main influences for us," Sara told Spinner. The twins have even payed homage to the rock veteran by covering 'Dancing in the Dark' -- from 1984's 'Born in the U.S.A.' -- in previous live shows. "I really love the version that we did," Sara said of the song. "It's sad, sort of sparse -- almost a sweet version. Kids would come up and be like, 'Who sings that song? And I'd be like, 'Bruce Springsteen. You know, with the Courtney Cox video.' They're like, 'I had no idea.'"

Interpol's New Disc a Bore?

In one final bit of new album info today, the first word we've seen on Interpol's new disc is over at EW.com, which calls it "ludicrously dull," and we quote:

"A bit like being nagged by a sick dog for 45 minutes."

Whatever, these are the same guys that dig Arctic Monkeys.  So we're keeping the faith.

Interpol's ever-expanding 2007 tour schedule:

05-19 Irvine, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (KROQ Weenie Roast)
05-27 George, WA - The Gorge (Sasquatch!)
05-31 Dallas, TX - The Palladium
06-02 Atlanta, GA - HiFi Buys Amphitheatre (99X Big Day Out)
06-03 Chicago, IL - Metro
06-07 Toronto, Ontario - The Guverment
06-09 San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Live 105 BFD 07)
06-10 San Diego, CA - Devore Stadium (94/9 Independence Jam)
06-21 Dusseldorf, Germany - ISS Dome *
06-23 Scheesel, Germany - Hurricane Festival
06-24 Neuhausen ob Eck, Germany - Southside Festival
06-25 Dresden, Germany - Dresden Alter Schlachthof
06-27 Copenhagen, Denmark - Vega
06-28 Arendal, Norway - Hove Festival
06-29 Stockholm, Sweden - Accelerator
07-01 Werchter, Belgium - Rock Werchter
07-05 Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock Super Rock
07-07 Naas, Ireland - Punchestown Racecourse (Oxegen)
07-08 Balado, Scotland - T in the Park
07-19 Rochester, NY - Harro East Ballroom
07-20 Atlantic City, NJ - Music Box @ Borgata
07-21 Norfolk, VA - Norva
07-23 Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
07-24 Pittsburgh, PA - Byham
07-25 Columbus, OH - The LC Amphitheatre
07-27 Grand Rapids, Michigan - Orbit Room
07-28 Detroit, MI - MI State
07-30 Milwaukee, WI - Rave
07-31 Indianapolis, IN - Egyptain
08-01 St. Louis, MO - Pageant
08-03 Covington, KY - Madison Theatre
08-04 Chicago, IL - Grant Park (Lollapalooza)
08-05 Baltimore, MD - Pimlico Race Course (V Festival)
08-11 Tokyo, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-12 Osaka, Japan - Summersonic Festival
08-24 Reading, England - Reading Festival
08-25 Leeds, England - Leeds England
09-08-09 Montreal, Quebec – Osheaga Music and Arts Festival

Franz Ferdinand Still Writing

For those of you wondering when we might see some new Franz Ferdinand in stores - don't get your hopes up just yet.  According to a post on the band's engaging band blog, they are writing, but have yet to set a date for any official release:

"If you're wondering what we're up to, we're still writing tunes. My current favourites are A New Thrill and English Goodbye. The latter is about the expression 'saying an English goodbye', not a call for Scottish independence, although it does seem a pretty good idea. Imagine if some daftie in Westminster wanted to go to war just because his even dafter pal in Washington was convinced that 'god' told him to – Scotland wouldn't have to follow. Anyway, I've just found a can marked 'worms', so I need to find my tinopener…"

In other album news, according to NME the band has teamed with The Mitchell Brothers to produce a new track.  How did the partnership come about?  Why, by exchanging MySpace emails of course. 

Is Easy Tiger Adam's Masterpiece?

Ryan Adams fans, don't get too excited yet.  Sure, that RS advanced review was pretty glowing, but this is still the magazine that gives out 3 stars like tic tacs.  Plus, RS has traditionally been very pro-Adams, even during the backlash. (See the mag's 4 star review of Rock and Roll.)  But the comparisons to the classic Heartbreaker are always encouraging, and, like, they REALLY like it over there:

"The punk troubadour’s new album Easy Tiger - which is playing in our mail room, in our editors’ cars, and may soon be piped in via loudspeaker to the restrooms around here - has us thinking Adams may finally transcend his perpetual next big thing status."

Plus that cover looks like a pissed-off Adams, pining over a chick.  Feels right.

Snoop Brings "Message of Peace"

Snoop has been having a tough time of it lately, but even as fans of his laid back brand of gangsta funk, this "message of peace" gave us a chuckle.

Upon being barred from entering the UK, Snoop's lawyer released the following statement (this is fo' real!):

"We are very disappointed and hope that the minister will reconsider his decision. Snoop just completed a very successful European tour where he was able to spread his message of peace to his fans and hopes to continue it around the world. Snoop has no gang ties and this is evident through his ongoing efforts to get kids off the streets and out of gangs via self funded programs such as his youth football league. Snoop loves Australia and Australia loves Snoop. He truly hopes to have the opportunity to perform for his fans."

Now, Snoop might not be rollin' with the Crips in South Central on a regular basis, but many of his lyrics suggest he still carries more than a passing interest in the gang life:

"That's how we livin G, strictly killer tendencies; So death to all my enemies; And to the homies who rest in peace, a dub bag and Hennessy"

Beasties Go Instrumental

If some of you were wondering what's up with the relatively brief (by their standards) recording time for the Beastie Boys' To the Five Boroughs follow up (titled The Mix-Up, due June 26), there's an easy explanation: no rapping.

Mike D, via Pitchfork:

"There are no vocals, no samples. We played everything. But as different as that might be from To the 5 Boroughs, it's equally different from instrumental songs we've done before, like the ones that were on The In Sound From Way Out! That was kind of one direction and this one [has] different influences, like Public Image Ltd., Gang of Four, the Slits, Killing Joke."

Calling the disc, post-punk instrumental, Mike D clarified that the Beasties have no intention of ditching vocals all together, and are actually planning a second version of The Mix-Up, featuring a wide range of guest vocalist contributions.

Matt Taibbi is Our Hero

It's a rare thing when we hit pause on the weekend bender to make a post, but if you haven't read Matt Taibbi's no-holds-barred piece on the Don Imus fiasco, you must, we say MUST read it as soon as possible.  Just when we thought Rolling Stone no longer has the relevance, brain cells or most importantly, the cajoles to boil this whole broo ha ha down to what it is - a crock, Taibbi calls "bullshit" on pretty much everyone - the media, hip hop, Al Sharpton (OK, that one's a gimme), network execs - you name it.  And most of the time, he couldn't be more on the money. 

Some of out favorite bits:

"First of all, let's just get this out of the way: The idea that anyone in the media world gives a shit about the dignity of women, black or white, is a ridiculous joke. America's TV networks have spent the last forty years falling over each other trying to find better and more efficient ways to sell tits to the 18-to-35 demographic."

"Rap was real once, but once it became an industry it turned into the same con white people have been playing ever since they set foot in this country. It's a bunch of shiny trinkets for the isle of Manhattan. Here's your Hummer and your bitches, knock yourself out."

"We've got a TV entertainment industry that ritualistically demeans women, a recording industry that makes billions cartoonizing black culture and a radio and film comedy industry that lives almost exclusively off lowbrow racial stereotyping."

We'd reprint the whole damn thing if we could (we've already probably posted enough to get us in trouble with the cyber-police) but instead just go read the damn thing, and thank us later.

Peace out hos.

Lily Allen Cancels U.S. Tour Dates; Not Pregnant or in Rehab

Lily Allen has canceled the majority of her May-June U.S. tour, citing "fatigue" and "getting really drunk" as deciding factors. 

via her MySpace blog:

Hey Guys ,
I'm writing to tell you that I have cancelled many of my May and June tour commitments in America . The reason for this , is because my mummy and daddy are very rich , and I have never been in a position where i have actually had to do any hard work before . I thought that being a popstar meant going out getting trashed with famous people and sleeping in all day . The fact that this is not true has come as a huge dissapiontment to me , and as a result I am throwing the towel in .

No but seriously , I have been on tour with this album for a year now , I have fulfilled every commitment up to this point . I am tired , but more than that I don't think I have been giving my best performances recently . I have been getting really drunk because i've been so nervous about doing bad shows , and I don't want people spending money on a going to see a show that isnt the best it could be . I am not falling apart at the seems , I am not suffering with exhaustion , I am not pregnant , and I am not going to rehab . I will be here in America , promoting the album and also starting to write the second album , which I am beyond excited about . The LA and New York shows will still be happening , and I am still playing Coachella and Bonaroo and all the other festivals .

I'd like to apologise to anyone who has bought tickets , but you can get your money back , if you take 'em back to the place you bought them from.

Snoop: Don't Compare Me To Imus

In the wake of the Don Imus fiasco, media outlets went straight to the source for the real deal on ho's, and Snoop Dogg is none-too-pleased with the shock-radio legend's comments regarding the Rutger's University women's basketball team:

"[Rappers] are not talking about no collegiate basketball girls who have made it to the next level in education and sports. We're talking about ho's that's in the 'hood that ain't doing sh--, that's trying to get a n---a for his money. These are two separate things. First of all, we ain't no old-ass white men that sit up on MSNBC."

New Police Album In The Works?

OK we're not sure this is a good idea just yet, but it looks like this summer's Police reunion might actually spawn an album of all-new material as well!  Guitarist Andy Summers was recently quoted as saying that if the band does "well" (as in, making piles of money and not killing each other) on the tour, they could head into the studio this fall.

Almost 25 years removed from Synchronicity, there's no way to know whether The Police can recapture the magic.  But it would certainly be interesting to how Sting's massive ego would react to, you know, other people's ideas.  But perhaps some collaboration is just what the fella needs.  Don't get us wrong - we love em' (much like our admitted Bono love), but we just can't pretend that Songs From The Labyrinth is growing on us even a little. 

If there is a reunion record, what sort of Police sound would you like to hear resurrected?  Personally, we're pulling for straight-ahead, Outlandos d'Amour-style rock.  But as long as there's no "Don't Stand So Close 2007" in the cards, we're all good.

Bono Becomes "Knight Commander"

Bono's campaign for Sainthood took another step forward yesterday, as the U2 front man received an honorary Knight of the British empire.  Though his Irish heritage keeps him from adding a "sir" to his name, he can now add "Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order" to his "Man of the Year" application in 2008. 

In his typical tongue-in-cheek arrogance, Bono spoke with reporters following the ceremony:

"You have permission to call me anything you want — except sir, all right? Lord of lords, your demigodness, that'll do."

James Murphy Will Kick Your Ass

It's weird enough that James Murphy (ringmaster of every blog reading hipster's favorite dance-rock band, LCD Soundsystem) has gained so much notoriety after almost 40 years, 25 of them in music, but now he wants to be an ultimate fighter.  Yes, he's serious.

Coming on the heels of its Ultragrrl cover story, The Village Voice gave us another peek inside the mind of one of music's most unlikely stars.  The new disc, Sound of Silver (now streamin at MySpace), is getting its now customary critical praise, while Murphy prepares for a North American tour and hits the press circuit (where he recounted a "strange" collaboration with Britney Spears of all people).  You'd think the guy could use a break.  Instead, he just wants to kick some ass:

"If I didn't have to go on tour, if I wasn't wrapped up in the LCD world, I would be training six days a week," Murphy says excitedly. "That's all I would do: working on music and learning to fight."

Given that most indie kids (SS included) are spending their evenings rearranging record collections rather than polishing their guns, Murphy has a good chance to come out as the toughest dude on the Lower East Side. 

Read the rest of the Village Voice interview here.

Simon Cowell: Bigger Than Springsteen?

Pop quiz: Who's "worth more" to Sony BMG, Simon Cowell or Bruce Springsteen?  The creator of American Idol is pretty sure it's him, and in fact believes he is worth "five times as much" as The Boss, based in his successes with Idol artists in recent years.

Simon told TV show '60 Minutes':

"I sell more records than Bruce Springsteen, sure. I mean, in the last five years, I've probably sold over 100 million records. I sell all those records the biggest artist on the planet - 'American Idol.' Every single Idol winner is now signed through Sony BMG. And this applies to all the countries we sell Idol to, which is over 30 countries."

The quote comes in response to reports that the 57 year old Springsteen has signed a new, $100 million deal with Sony BMG. 

"If Springsteen got one hundred million dollars, I should have got five hundred million dollars."

Hmmm, well it terms of dollars and cents, Cowell could certainly have a point.  But 25 years from now, what will people remember, Born to Run or Measure of a Man?

Franz Ferdinand Goes Pop on 3rd LP

Despite gaining most of its early buzz via hipster blogs and indie snobbery, Franz Ferdinand was, is and always will be a pop band - But perhaps now more than ever.  Lead singer Alex Kapranos spoke about plans for the band's 3rd disc:

"It's a wee bit different from last stuff but still very danceable, that's the main thing," singer/guitarist Alex Kapranos said in a statement. "It's always pop. Franz Ferdinand has always been pop."

Guitarist Nick McCarthy also chimed in with his view on Franz's evolving sound:

"We want to be as pop as we can. We're going to lose the electric guitars and play synths. There are too many guitar bands out there now."

This might come as some relief to all the teenage girls who bought the band's debut based on the groovy "Take Me Out," only to be dissappointed by large helpings of art punk.  But let's just hope that our favorite dancefloor Scotts still know how to cut a happy medium, like on the criminally underrated You Could Have It So Much Better.

Isaac Brock Talks Marr, New Disc

We're already bracing ourselves for some Modest Mouse backlash when the band's new LP, We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, hits stores next week (thought some of the Mouse-faithful already started grumbling on the more mainstream Good News), but lead singer Isaac Brock, for one, seems unconcerned.

via LHB:

"All I know is that when we (Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr) first started playing together, the songs came really easily. He really launched us into becoming the big, happy family we are now," he laughs. "But we didn't know how it was going to go. A lot of us hadn't played or written together in quite a while. So we had to find our sea legs; first it was just me and Johnny, then a few more people. Then things kind of got going. Quickly."

Hmmm, well the addition of Marr certainly scores cool points in our book, but if "Dashboard" is indicative of the rest of We Were Dead, the old school fans might jump ship (pun intended). 

-Read the rest of Brock's interview with The Oregonian

Better Late Than Never Yoko

The music industry has crucified her for years, but it looks like Yoko Ono has finally owned up to being the nail in the Beatles' coffin.

via ContactMusic:

“In a way, both John and I ruined our careers by getting together, though we weren’t aware of it at the time. My initial reaction to rock music was, ‘Oh dear, how simple can you get?’ At first I thought John would carry on with The Beatles and I would do my own things, but he felt it wasn’t right that we were working separately, that the union we had might not last, because of the pressure of the world.”

Between this, and the supposedly GOOD remix disc just released, is it time to bury the hatchet folks?