Just the other day I was thinking that I don’t see enough of B-52S frontman Fred Schneider on the robotic transportation devices known as Segways. So you can only imagine my relief when I got to lay my eyes on the band’s new video for the song “Funplex” this morning. Good ol’ Fred is zooming all around the mall on that thing. And just to add the special B-52’s touch, he added a cup holder.

“Hop on my Segway! It’s as big as a whale! And it’s about to set sail!”

http://myspacetv.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=31009351

I guess the only question is who pulls off the Segway better? One Fred Schneider or Gob Bluth from the tv show Arrested Development?

I’m sick and tired of people touting New York City and other cultural meccas as the “food capital” of the world. Sure, the food is great - but is it worth the price? Is it really that great? I say nay, and I will prove to you over the next few weeks by pointing you to a number of my favorite spots in The Syn’s backyard of North Jersey. Today, I’ll tackle a cuisine impossible to hate: good ol’ fashioned BBQ. Frankly, I’m sick of everyone returning home from SXSW raving about Austin’s world-famous eats. Read on for an excellent alternative back home… (more…)

THE BREEDERS are throwing a worldwide listening party for their new album Mountain Battles over on their website now. The party looks like it’s being held in a VFW Hall somewhere snowy.

To get in on the party all you have to do is go to the page the band launched on their site and enter the code “roughcut”.

At the time of this writing we’re watching Kim Deal hang streamers as her sister Kelley Deal opens up the record-shaped cake. Fun times!

Go get Adobe Flash Player!
MP3: The Breeders :: “Bang On”

ANTI-FLAG just announced they will be performing a Myspace secret show tomorrow night in New York City at the Knitting Factory. Want to go? Of course you do! It’s all ages and free. First come, first serve.

What kind of sound would you hear if you got a pair of emcees, a classically trained violinist and trumpet player, and groove-fused rhythm section together?

Well you would get something like FLOBOTS. A Denver, CO outfit that’s already blazing new paths with their unique and original lineup and approach toward hip-hop music. If you find yourself wondering what artists in a post Gym Class Heroes hip-hop landscape would sound like, you might have just gotten the answer.

E-CARD: Flobots

There are some major DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE fans here in the office. So we were psyched when we got the chance to hear the first single off their new album Narrow Stairs. The song, “I Will Possess Your Heart” is pretty damn epic clocking in at over 8 minutes in length (radio edits exist). It also harkens back to the classic DCFC sound we know and love. The band’s own Chris Walla produced the track along with the rest of the record.

I think the only major bummer about the entire situation is we have to wait until May 13th to get our hands on the record.

PRE-ORDER: Death Cab For Cutie :: Narrow Stairs on iTunes
Real Player: Death Cab For Cutie :: “I Will Possess Your Heart”
Windows Media: Death Cab For Cutie :: “I Will Possess Your Heart”

You can check some already confirmed tour dates after the jump. (more…)

The Department of Justice has approved a merger between SIRIUS Satellite Radio and rival XM, over one year after it was first announced. The move has been hotly contested, with the companies arguing their merger would benefit consumers and not create a monopoly (the argument being that consumers aren’t choosing between two satellite radio providers, but rather between terrestrial radio, iPod, etc when looking for music and entertainment choices). Both Sirius and XM have promised a number of benefits to their customers should the merger happen - a la carte service, a variety of channels, etc.

But don’t expect to be tuning into a wonderland of XM-Sirius goodness any time soon though, as the FCC still needs to sign off before this is final - and they’ve been the slowest decision makers of all. Hopefully this won’t drag out for another year, but with the National Association of Broadcasters still fighting valiantly against the merger, who knows…

If you’re the type who likes to read big words, here’s what the D to the O to the J had to say:

After a careful and thorough review of the proposed transaction, the Division concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that the proposed merger of XM and Sirius is likely to substantially lessen competition, and that the transaction therefore is not likely to harm consumers. The Division reached this conclusion because the evidence did not show that the merger would enable the parties to profitably increase prices to satellite radio customers for several reasons, including: a lack of competition between the parties in important segments even without the merger; the competitive alternative services available to consumers; technological change that is expected to make those alternatives increasingly attractive over time; and efficiencies likely to flow from the transaction that could benefit consumers.

You can read the Department’s official release and analysis here.

I have to admit, my plastic drum set has collected quite a bit of dust after two months of neglect, but I think it’s time to clean them off. Six, yes, SIX songs from legendary classic rock act BOSTON will be coming in the form of Download Content to Rock Band. The downloads will be available individually for $2 each or as a pack for $10. And they are original master recordings! Excuse me while I head down to the corner store and pick up a bag of lozenges and a Microsoft Points card. Here’s the track list for the Boston pack:

* “More Than a Feeling”
* “Peace of Mind”
* “Smokin”
* “Rock & Roll Band”
* “Something About You”
* “Hitch A Ride”

It hasn’t even been a year since fans were up in arms over Dr. Marten’s and its use of dead celebrities in a footwear ad campaign, but it looks like we’re going to catch another glimpse of some ad exec’s “great idea”.

Converse is next in line to take a stab at reaping the bad-press-is-good-press wave that I’m sure will come with their new sneaker/dead musician campaign. For they too are planning on using Gen-X posterboy, Kurt Cobain to hock their footwear.

Hey Converse! If you haven’t written your public apology yet, you can always refer to Dr. Marten’s as a guide.

Ladies and gentlemen, the next attempt to milk the Cobain cow… (more…)

We had a chance to catch up with Chop Shop Records founder Alexandra Patsavas. The first release on Chop Shop will be The Republic Tigers. Now that we think about it, we should have asked more questions about the band. But since she’s responsible for providing the soundtrack to TV shows like Grey’s Anatomy and The O.C., she helped us make the soundtrack to our lives instead.

SYN: Pat in our office, who has never watched Gossip Girl put this together for you (note there are some plot flaws here): Blair and Nate on the roof of a building and now Blair is talking about her drunken grandmother who is not only mean and classist, but also once had a daughter who is Blairs mom and told her to eat an entire pie on Thanksgiving even though Blair used to have an eating disorder and suddenly Blair and Nate are back together(!) and Chuck Bass overhears all of this and the news breaks Chuck Bass heart and he skips town wearing a turtleneck and now theres a shot of the Queensborough Bridge! What song is playing in the background? (more…)