I gotta say, I really really love the new BRMC video for “Love Burns.” They just showed it again on MTV2. Someone in the programing booth obviously has a sense of humor, b/c right after they played Jesus and Mary Chain.

Damn. When I was doing my NYT seaches last night I managed to skip over this music article that name drops The Strokes, The White Stripes and Ryan Adams in discussion of the mixed-up world of “alternative” and “mainstream” rock cultures. Thanks to Jen for making me aware.

Look ma- it’s the most wishy-washy unopionated piece of apathy review of the Village Underground Phantom Planet show. Ah. Characteristically Times-ian.

Also interesting in the Times, magazines- “Image over substance.” When pictures take the forefront and dominate design and content.

The NY Post gives a suprisingly hip tip to its readers… of course it’s a bit of old news to some of us. Mull Historical Society plays 3 dates this weekend- April 4, 5, 6. Did I mention it was free? The confirmation e-mails were sent out this past weekend for those of you who signed up at the begining of the month. I don’t know if they are still accepting requests. Please do try to go on the 4th- after all, you don’t want to miss The White Stripes at Bowery Ballroom, do you?

In more SXSW catching-up, I never thought I’d live to see the day that Karen O. of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs was the lead on a Newsday article, but viola! it’s happened. And if anyone can tell me what “while Dallas hoped to be ‘the next Seattle,’ New York City has become ‘the next next Seattle’ thanks to the Strokes/Moldy Peaches/Realistics axis. Right?” means, I’ll give you a cookie. Since when has New York needed to be anything else but… New York? What “axis”? Where am I? What’s going on? Huh? Poor Glenn Gamboa is too unhip for his own words.

Honestly, I don’t know where I find this stuff… More pictures of Starsailor (Dec 10- Bowery Ballroom) and Gorillaz (Hammerstein Ballroom).

I just choaked with joyous surprise. Check out South lookin’ pretty damn hot in the American April 2002 Esquire magazine! There’s a whole portfolio devoted to Mod and South represent. They’re wearing skinny pants and blazers and it’s almost too much. Brilliant. Big ups to Shannon from the South bb.

Another really good (?), or at least funny-as-hell reason to love the Yeah Yeah Yeahs is a stunt they pulled at SXSW. Seatle Weekly reports: “The Yeah Yeah Yeahs weren’t so lucky; the troublemaking N.Y.C. threesome were ejected from their own gig after attempting to steal Clinic’s trademark face masks. . . . “

What? You don’t think that’s pretty hilarious? C’mon, I don’t think anyone who knows who Clinic are aren’t somewhat temped to do the same. I just have this visual image of Karen O chasing after Ade Blackburn and him screaming… “NO!…NO!…NO!” Hey- you think their concert rider says something like “BOTTLED WATER, TOWELS, CD PLAYER, 4 SURGICAL MASKS”? Also, I forgot to mention that they are also in the new issue of Interview. Who isn’t?

Catching up with SXSW… Here’s a Starsailor review. Apparently James Walsh is now to be known as James Marsh. I also think this is the first time James has been described as having “angular cheekbones” and a “willowy physique.” Was this dude drunk or something?

Photos of The Moldy Peaches, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Radio 4, …Trail of Dead, Pete Yorn and Mooney Suzuki. Oh, and that Stevie Ray Vaughn case at the Hard Rock Cafe that the Icarus Line smashed in.

And yes, you need to click on ever single one of those links, on every individual word because they all lead to different pictures/articles.

Also… old pics from Noise Pop of the MPs, The Faint and much much more. Link via Jenn.

Restoring the love of The Strokes, I headed over to the fabulous TheStrokes.org and followed a link to these great pictures from a February show in Germany. While I was there I found other great shots of The White Stripes, BRMC and INC.

I also had no idea there were new t-shirts… and PATCHES. Hahahah. Oh merchandise.

And on the very last day of the Ash vs. Starsailor internal war….

Ash or Starsailor? Errrmm… I listened to both today. I only listened to SS covers though… Hmm. Alright- Ash because they had Jackash this weekend and Starsailor fans don’t have conventions in Hyde Park.

Awesome photos from the Starsailor El Rey show in California courtesy of Kat on the SS_fever mailing list. Check out her other shots of SS, CP, and Travis.

The Strokes wrap up their European tour… and head home! Next week, baby.

What Rocker Chick Are You? What Pattern Are You?

Only two wrong for me in the Female or Shemale quiz. Hooray?

Wow. Ousted Harper’s Bazaar editor Kate Betts comes clean about pulling that Renee Zellwedgie cover last year and takes on the fashion industry’s perenial obsession with thin.

Rolling Stone online calls James Walsh “Burrito Boy” (including a picture of the dreaded “SONIC BOOM” shirt) and then slags off Ryan Adams, all in the same breath. I swear sometimes I feel like I write portions of this column.

As we all remember, 2 weeks ago I had the plague and dismissed the idea of actually going to the Ryan Adams concert at Roseland (I think Adams might have had the same dilemma as well… minus the being sick and adding drunken idiocy) and from the looks of things, not only was it painful but a complete fashion miss! The use of a chocolate brown button-down shirt in March is very disturbing. Especially with that tie. And that hair. Ryan, what have you done to your hair? While once upon a time it was sorta cute now it’s just really really really disgusting.

Not that Dplan is setting any good fashion trends in the near future, at least they rock harder than Flare Jean Boy (the aforementioned Adams).

And because I feel like it, some old shots of The White Stripes and Travis.

Are Brits afraid of Americans? American music, that is… There seems to be some real concern over the embracement of American music over there, that the Brits are sending a message to UK labels that no one is gonna want to buy British music. And Steve Lamacq makes an exellent point “No matter how much we all say it doesn’t matter where music comes from- if you say- are you telling me – that The Moldy Peaches if they’d come from Lincoln or Stoke would have seemed so kooky and people bought into them? If you’re telling me that- … that’s fine…”

Interesting thought… Say if bands like Starsailor, Coldplay or Travis had come from the US would we still like them? It’s hard to say. I don’t think America really breeds that kind of sound. But I do see his point- I mean honestly, British people buy into a lot of American crap, and they think it’s cool because it’s American. See Andrew W.K. There is no reason such a small country should support such a piece of crap like that. I mean some people actually like him here in the US but we’ve got a lot of idiots… but then the majority of us really don’t care and think A W.K. is pure trash.

Also a review of The Strokes Glasgow Barrowlands gig. The reviewer calls Julian a “rock god… a wild man, throwing himself around like a loon.” You can’t beat Scotish kids excitedly talking about The Strokes like this: “Da geeg wus abdsoludely AMazein’!” … “Glasgoow croawd would go amazin’ because Glasgow croauwds are AMazin’…Glasgoow keeps id reaaaaal they keep it loawwwd and they keep id aMAzin’!”

April 3- WFUV- 9 AM, City Folk Live: Host Claudia Marshall welcomes Ed Harcourt to the studio.

Ryan Adam’s hair is really out of control. Someone tame it.

And to whoever just typed in “Pete Yorn shirtless” on Google and got to my site, STOP IT.

Although it’s a day late, this week’s Friday Five speaks to me:

1. If you could eat dinner with and “get to know” one famous person (living or dead), who would you choose?

Oooh. Geez, I don’t know. My idol, Nick Hornby?



2. Has the death of a famous person ever had an effect on you? Who was it and how did you feel?
Don’t think it’s happened yet. Although I was really shocked when Aaliyah died. Really.

3. If you could BE a famous person for 24 hours, who would you choose?

How about David Bowie during the Ziggy Stardust era?

4. Do people ever tell you that you look like someone famous? Who?
Yeah it’s happened before, but I didn’t know who the chick was.

5. Have you ever met anyone famous?
Well met is such a strong term, but I’ve seen/talked to loads of people… Mainly music people and actors… Uma Thurman, Natasha Richardson, Alan Cumming, Toni Colette, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jude Law, Kimberly Pierce, Todd Solondz, Ellen von Unwerth, Noel Gallagher, Gavin Rossdale, The Strokes, Travis, Coldplay, Nathan Lane, Paul Rudd, Parker Posey, Ben Stiller, Jerry Stiller, Richard Simons (!!), etc. A lot… too many to remember or name. Oh yeah, and I went to school with some “famous” people too (yeah, you’d know who they were- trust me).

Oh man. Read as Ben Byrne of Starsailor puts his foot in his mouth. Damn. But you’ll all be delighted to know I’ve renewed my love of James Walsh:

First record to send a shiver up your spine?
‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ by Queen, who I heard when I was about eight years old ‘cos my uncle was a fan. He also introduced me to acts like the Beatles, before I got into pop music when I was in my teens. The first single I ever bought was ‘1999’ by Prince on 7”. That’s pretty cool, innit?

Last record you bought or blagged?

We do raid the Capitol company offices and when we were in LA recently we picked up the entire Beach Boys back catalogue. And loads of Pink Floyd too. We got about 50 CDs! The last record I bought was an old Leonard Cohen record, to play on the bus. We listen to some weird stuff, Nick Drake, PJ Harvey and Tom Waits…

Best gig?

There’ve been a lot of ours which were pretty special, maybe Stafford V2001? The best gig I’ve seen was Pearl Jam in Manchester when I was about 14 years old. That was brilliant.

Worst gig?

We don’t really play bad gigs though there was a gig in the Troubador in L.A. and we were dog tired. But we’re going back to make it up.

Favourite Spinal Tap moment?

The bit where Nigel plays ‘Lick My Love Pump’. Oh, I see! There’s been so many… We’re always getting lost. But the film is constantly playing on the bus. It’s quite factual when you’re actually in a band.

Most shaggable rock star?

It’s gotta be Kylie. She’s beautiful and she kept us off the Number One spot with the album so she’s already fucked us. I’d be happy to return the, uh, favour!

Shite jobs you’ve had in your day?

I worked in a breadcrumb factory, loading sacks of crumbs onto pallets. It was crumby.

Most embarrassing thing you’ve done while drunk?

Too many! Just last night here in Germany I was entertaining a young lady in my bunk on the bus after we’d both had a few and the rest of the band quietly pulled back the curtain and taped us on video-camera. Not that my performance was embarrassing, but I felt sorry for the girl.

Who would be in your dream band?

Lennon on vocals, Jimi Hendrix on guitar, Andy Frazier from Free on bass, John Bonham on drums. It wouldn’t work though, would it?

Music of the Moment: “Sometimes,” Ours; “Lonely Day,” Phantom Planet; “Hot Burrito #2,” Starsailor; “I Hate To Say I Told You So,” The Hives; De Stijl, The White Stripes; “Factory,” The Vines; Wonderland, Charaltans UK

Ash or Starsailor? Starsailor. Sorry Tim, I’m going back to my wussy ways.

PREVIEW: My lame-ass pictures of PHANTOM PLANET @ THE VANDERBILT