back from an extended vacation

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

A Day In The Life of Billy Corgan

Everyone is hopping on the YouTube let your fans see your real life bandwagon. This week, the Smashing Pumpkins show you how Billy Corgan writes songs.

Michael Jackson Should Move To The Phillipines

Not only do they have a high population of pedophiles, if you go to prison you have to dance. At the Cebu Provincial Detention and Rehabilitation Center, one of the inmates activities is learning and performing elaborate dance numbers. This week they put on the greatest performance of Thriller that I have ever seen.

Tegan and Sara - Hop A Plane [video chapter]

In Studio With The Bees (U.S.)

Footage is finally surfacing of The Bees (U.S.) in the studio recording their superb album High Society. Upon first listen to the masterpiece that is High Society you would think that creating the giant layers of sound must be a pretty complex painstaking process. With this new peek into their recording they make it look effortless and even fun.

This Dinner Goes To 11

Ebay Auction: Dinner With Spinal Tap



Even though the Live Earth Concerts are over, the fun raising keeps on truckin. "In an effort to prevent the planet from “spontaneously combusting,” the cast members of the cult classic film This Is Spinal Tap, Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, along with Rob Reiner, will host a PRIVATE, EXCLUSIVE MEET-AND-GREET DINNER in Los Angeles for the highest bidder and a guest. All proceeds will answer the call by benefiting the Live Earth concerts and the Alliance for Climate Protection."
My favorite part of the item description "Winner and guest are required to sign a waiver absolving all parties of liability for potential injuries, loss or harm which may be incurred. The winning bidder and guest are subject to a felony background check and will be asked to provide personal information for the background check. Anyone with a past felony conviction may not take part in the Experience. Please note that the winner and guest are expected to behave in a proper manner at all times. Violations of any laws or conduct deemed to be improper can be cause for the Experience to be terminated at any time, with no refund provided."

The Only Bonnaroo Interview You Need To See parts 2 & 3

More from Pancake Mountain at Bonnaroo!!!

Arizona, Dr. Dog, The Format music for the masses

It's been an exciting week for music. First off The Format are celebrating the one year anniversary of their album Dog Problems by giving the whole damn album away for free. I think it's great when artists take the high road and give music away. Free music recruits more fans and more fans means more record sales for the next album.


The band Arizona has been making the rounds this week pimping out their new EP Fameseeker and the Mono. I have been biting my nails counting down the days until I could hear this album. Their last release, Welcome Back Dear Children, was by far the best musical purchase I made in the past year. They have this ability to make albums that flow and blend song to song, yet every song is just dandy on it's own. Their songs are like roasted marshmallows. Yes marshmallows! You have this light fluffy gooey goodness that is so sweet and there is no other texture like it in the world. Arizona's music is in no way just sweet fluff. There's this brown crunchy stuff on the outside that adds a whole new flavor to the marshmallow that is Arizona, and without the brown crunchy layer around the sweet gooey center, the music would not be complete. They throw out these floor shaking riffs in the middle of songs that take you back to your first kiss or a summer picnic... and it works. Fameseeker is absolute perfection from begining to end. I've never heard another band like Arizona. I hate to throw out a Beatles comparison but I have to. Just know that it's not something I do often. If WBDC was their Abbey Road then Fameseeker and the Mono is their Let It Be. Take my word, a couple of years from now and all the cool kids will be trying to make music like Arizona. They will fail miserably but they will try. You can stream the whole Fameseeker EP for a limited time thanks to the boys over at i guess i'm floating.


Dr. Dog, a headliner at this year's Lebowski Fest in Louisville Kentucky, are also getting their music out to their fans. Every week for the next couple months they'll be releasing a new track at Weallbelong.net. Some are old, some are new, but all are previously unreleased.

Arizona - Splintering

buy music from Arizona

Dr. Dog - My Old Ways

buy music from Dr. Dog

The Spice Girls Reunite!!

Yes, it's true. It's finally happening. Children of the 90's rejoice. The Spice Girls are reuniting and going on tour. If you live in one of the cities below you can tell me what you want, what you really really want. I really really want to see Becks as a backup dancer.

12/07 - Los Angeles
12/08 - Las Vegas
12/11 - New York
12/15 -London
12/20 - Koln
12/23 - Madrid
01/10 - Beijing
01/12 - Hong Kong
01/17 - Sydney
01/20 - Cape Town
01/24 - Buenos Aires

more info on the reunion and ticket sales at thespicegirls.com

The Only Bonnaroo Interview You Need To See

The folks who make the kiddie show Pancake Mountain set up shop this past weekend at the Bonnaroo Music Festival. Enter the Jam Zone where host/puppet Rufus Leaking gives some of the most in-depth, entertaining interviews I have watched since this weekend's festivities. Where else can you see knock knock jokes with Lilly Allen, Jack White at a loss for words, and karaoke with Wayne Coyne??

New Yeah Yeah Yeahs Video - Down Boy

Oh Karen, love the bodysuit. If you were one of the lucky few to make it into their secret show last month, you may be able to pause this video and find....you! Though I don't understand why they were telling people what colors to wear when it seems they tinted the video green. The single Down Boy is from their upcoming EP Is Is, due out July 23rd.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Down Boy

Nova Rock Festival 2007

Did you go to that music festival over the weekend? No, not the one with The White Stripes and muddy hippies, the other one, overseas. Nova Rock 2007 in Austria featured a killer line-up including PEARL JAM, THE SMASHING PUMPKINS, MARILYN MANSON, LINKIN PARK, THE KILLERS, BILLY TALENT, SLAYER, INCUBUS, MANDO DIAO, THE HIVES, IN FLAMES, FLOGGING MOLLY, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, IN EXTREMO, MACHINE HEAD, WITHIN TEMPTATION, STONE SOUR, LORDI, ME FIRST & THE GIMME GIMMES, PAPA ROACH, CHILDREN OF BODOM, BRIGHT EYES, LESS THAN JAKE, 30 SECONDS TO MARS, SUNRISE AVENUE, EDITORS, MODEST MOUSE, FRANK BLACK, CLAWFINGER, REEL BIG FISH, I AM X, ILL NIÑO, HELMET, ISIS, DROWNING POOL, MASTODON, BOSSHOSS, CHIMAIRA, SARAH BETTENS, and HINDER. Not many people are talking about this festival over here because of that other festival but here are some highlights because you probably missed it.

Pearl Jam live from Nova Rock. Eddie speaks German but the only thing I could understand was George Bush.



Marilyn Manson live from Nova Rock - The Beautiful People


Slayer live from Nova Rock - Angel of Death


The Smashing Pumpkins live from Nova Rock - Tonight Tonight

Red Hot Chilli Peppers - Charlie Video Winner Announced

The Red Hot Chilli Peppers hooked up with YouTube a few months ago and gave their fans a chance to make their next video. There were some really horrible and some really fly entries for their song Charlie. I think they made the right decision. Who can resist grandparents pinching asses?

Harry and the Potters and The Tour of the Libraries

If you are like me, you are anxiously awaiting the release of the new Harry Potter book, the new Harry Potter movie, sexy Hermione Halloween costumes, etc. Thankfully, I found Harry and the Potters music gives some much needed relief to the long wait. I found out about this band that writes songs about books from The Zambonis, a band that writes songs about hockey. Though it may sound like a corny bandwagon to jump on, it was only a few years ago that we were all enraptured by a guy who wrote songs about states. Harry and the Potters have announced a lengthy summer tour, taking them across the country playing where else? Libraries! Bring the kids, your library card, and a broom and don't miss this band when they come to the library near you. For a sampling of their tunes visit their myspace page or listen below.

Harry and the Potters - Pheonix Tears

buy music from Harry and the Potters

June 21 - Tucson, AZ - Pima County Public Library - Joel D. Valdez Main Library
June 22 - Phoenix, AZ - the Trunk Space
June 23 - Las Vegas, NV - Las Vegas-Clarke County Library - Sunrise Branch
June 24 - Anaheim, CA - Anaheim Public Library - East Anaheim Library
June 25 - San Diego, CA - El Cajon Library
June 26 - Los Angeles, CA - Los Angeles Public Library - Central Library
June 27 - Mission Viejo, CA - Mission Viejo Library
Juen 28 - So. Cal - TBA
June 29 - San Francisco, CA - Slim's
June 30 - Oakland, CA - Chabot Space and Science Center
July 1 - Sacramento, CA - Sacramento Public Library - Central Library
July 2 - Palo Alto, CA - Palo Alto Main Library
July 3 - Fremont, CA - Fremont Main Library
July 4 - Eugene, OR - Maitreya Ecovillage
July 6 - Anacortes, WA - Department of Safety
July 7 - Vancouver, BC - Vancouver Public Library
July 8 - Kirkland, WA - Kirkland Teen Center
July 9 - Spokane, WA - Caterina All Ages
July 10 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
July 11 - Tacoma, WA - Tacoma Armory
July 12 - Olympia WA - Olympia Timeberland Library
July 13 - Seattle, WA - Seattle Public Library
July 16 - Minneapolis, MN - Pershing Park
July 17 - Chicago, IL - Chicago Public Library - Harold Washington Library Center
July 18 - Philadelphia, PA - Starlight Ballroom
July 19 - Astoria, NY - Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden
July 20 - Cambridge, MA - Harvard Square!
All shows below with Draco and the Malfoys
July 24 - Buffalo, NY - Buffalo Public Library - Central Library
July 25 - Cleveland, OH - Cleveland Public Library - Lakeshore Facility
July 26 - Charleston, WV - Kanawah County Main Library
July 27 - Columbus, OH - TBA
July 28 - Louisville, KY - Clifton Center
July 29 - Indianapolis, IN - Big Car Gallery
July 30 - St. Louis, MO - St. Louis Public Library - Main Library
July 31 - Ann Arbor, MI - Ann Arbor District Library - Downtown Library
August 1 - London, ON - London Public Library
August 2 - Toronto, ON - Prophecy 2007
August 4 - Toronto, ON - Whippersnapper Gallery
August 5 - Grand Rapids, MI - the DAAC
August 6 - TBA
August 7 - Johnston, IA - Johnston Public Library
August 8 - Sioux Falls, SD, Sertoma Park Shelter
August 9 - Omaha, NE - Omaha Public Library - W. Dale Clark Library
August 10 - Denver, CO - Denver Public Library - Central Library
August 11 - Salt Lake City, UT - Salt Lake City Public Library
August 12 - Boise, ID - TBA
August 13 - Cheyenne, WY - Laramie County Library in Cheyenne
August 14 - Boulder, CO - Boulder Banshell
August 15 - Kansas City, MO - Kansas City Public Library
August 17 - Springfield, MO - Springfield Public Library
August 18 - Bensenville, IL - Bensenville Community Public Library
August 19 - Pittsburgh, PA - Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh

It Won't Be Soon Before I Ask For My Money Back

Thanks to Maroon 5, I have learned a valuable lesson about the sophomore album. They usually suck. Once a band releases a killer, ground-breaking album their follow-up takes a long time to complete and usually completely disappoints their fan base. It's known as the sophomore album slump or 'the curse'. Maroon 5 is no exception to the rule, in fact they've set the bar pretty low. After winning the 'best new artist' grammy, everyone wondered whether they would fall under that curse too. Only time will tell, but if they keep releasing albums like It Won't Be Soon Before Long, then they will drift away into obscurity and wind up playing the county fair in a few years. Bang those hot models while you can Adam.
Why am I so intent on bashing this album? Hmm.. well maybe it's because every song sounds like something I've already heard before. Their previous album, Songs About Jane sounded like nothing I had ever heard before. They crafted this perfect blend of pop, soul, funk, and rock into one album that you couldn't listen to only once. It was an album made for the repeat button..or was the repeat button made for it?
After listening to a couple of tracks on IWBSBL, I really thought I had downloaded a Justin Timberlake or Robin Thicke album by mistake. I had to do a double take just to make sure this was really Maroon 5 I was listening to. It is more bubble gum pop than funk, and not even good bubblegum pop, it's craptastic pop. It would have been nice if they at least put a couple of songs on the album that were not meant to be singles, you know like some deep cuts they could be proud of. I couldn't sleep at night if I released this album. I would toss and turn wondering when one of my fans was going to pop in my window and kick me in the nuts.

waste your money here