Hangin' Out In 100b

If you just woke up out of one of them soap-opera comas and missed a whole week, look no further! This is the post for you to get back on top of what’s going on in the music world. Well, as long as it was compelling enough for me to bother mentioning it.

In case you were wondering what the visual frenzy pictured above is: it’s the cover of the new Animal Collective album, Merriweather Post Pavillion. I never thought I’d have this masochistic streak but even though it hurts my head and makes my eyes bug out and also makes me a bit sea sick, I just can’t stop looking at it … I think it’s utterly fascinating that our brains can trick us into thinking the image is moving.

Is it finally going to happen?? More importantly, are people really still waiting for a Jackson 5 reunion? As much as I love the band’s music, I’m afraid I couldn’t get over the weirdness of seeing Michael, who no longer looks like his brothers, sing “Can you Feel It”, or better yet, “Ben” flanked by Tito and Jermaine.

You’ve probably heard by now that The Beatles and their music are in some way going to be incorporated in a game that is nothing like Rock Band, but is by the makers of Rock Band, which makes me wonder whether it’s gonna be like Rock Band, but apparently it’s not.

I enjoy The Hives music so very very much, so at first I was sceptical when I read about American punk band The Roofies suing them for plagiarism. Having heard The Roofies “Why You?”, I think the band might have a point. There seems to be some serious borrowing going on on “Tick Tick Boom”. Though I think that The Hives’s song is much more exciting and, well, better, I also think they should give credit where it’s due – assuming they were inspired by the super short “Why You”. In a similar situation, when Tom Petty discovered The Strokes pretty much ripped off the riff from “American Girl” on “Last Nite”, he laughed it off. He was quoted saying ‘I think there are enough frivolous lawsuits in this country without people fighting over pop songs’ and he even let them open a show for him. The difference is that The Strokes told everyone who cared to listen that they did indeed steal it and Tom Petty is an established big, huge name in music, whereas I had never heard of The Roofies – and I don’t think I’m alone in that.

Compare the two songs and decide for yourself:

The Roofies

The Hives

Here’s a question: what do Patrick Wolf and Beyoncé have in common? If you guessed they’re both planning on releasing a double album soon, you’d be right! One of the sides on Patrick Wolf’s album is going to be a bit darker, louder, wilder and called Battle and the other side ehm isn’t. Beyonce has a slightly more crazy reason for doubling the fun, as she’s going to cash in on her schizophrenia and release one album for each of her personalities. Apparently it’s going to be called I Am … Sasha Fierce. The I Am part will represent her true self and Sasha is the crazy, wild stage persona she claims is responsible for all her super, sexy moves.

Oh my goodness, I want one!! I always knew I was a bit of a merchandise whore, but I never realized how much, until I saw these shiny shiny Daft Punk bears. Like a moth to an over-expensive flame I started stroking the screen with a psychotic gleam of greed in my eyes.

When it comes to Dr.Pepper I’m like Forrest Gump and like most who grew up in the eighties and early nineties I have a warm relationship with Guns ‘n Roses as well. I love listening to them, I love to hear from them – OK I hate the cornrows Axl was sporting a few years ago, but I can look past it and remember the prettier times. So believe me when I say this comes from a place of love: I don’t get the deal between the drink and the band. In March Dr.Pepper vowed that if the band released their album in 2008 they’d give the country a free round of their delicious beverage. My question is, how come a whole soft drink company can act like one drunken oil magnate at a high stakes poker game and say: ‘No way, it’s been SEVENTEEN years in the making! You know what, if those boys release the album this year I’ll give all of America a free can!!’ Crazy right? But like the gentleman he is, the good doctor stuck to his promise and will indeed provide the GnR-loving part of the states with its free heavenly liquid. (This is not an add by the way, I just really do like this particular brand of soda pop.)

If you’re a fan of The Black Keys, keep your eyes peeled for the next ZZ Top release, because they’re said to collaborate with the band and the legendary Rick Rubin. Man, that is going to be one seriously hairy jam session with all those beards crammed in one recording studio.