It’s a been a while since we had ourselves a film addressing the trials and tribulations of popular rock bands. Enter Vesuvious - the world’s most awesome hair band. In their documentarty, Bang, Blow, And Stroke we’re given insite into how tough it is to bring the public the rock.

:: Popular music streaming site Pandora might have to cease operation. Seems paying nearly 70% of your revenue to royalties isn’t a good business plan.

:: Speaking of which, Muxtape has temporarily ceased operation due what they call a “problem with the RIAA”.

:: LeRoi Moore, saxaphonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band passed away Tueday afternoon stemming from injuries sustained from a June ATV accident where he punctured a lung and broke some ribs. A statement from the band can be read on their website.

:: Mae have parted ways with Capitol Records.

:: Phil Collins just set a new record. But not for one he’d be happy about. It was for the largest divorce settlement sum in history.

:: BEN FOLDS posted a song from his new album on his Myspace page. It’s called “Bitch Went Nutz” and in the running for the song title of the year.

:: The band UNITED NATIONS (rumored members of Thursday, Glassjaw, and #12 Looks Like You) have launched a new website.

:: iTunes keeps its reign as a top music retailer but it now seems like Amazon is giving it a run for its money.

:: JOSE GONZALEZ announced a string of US dates in September, including Austin City Limits Festival. As well as a few dates in NYC at the end of the year.

:: MANCHESTER ORCHESTRA are releasing webisodes to document the recording of their new album. They will release them through their youtube page.

Napoleon Dynamite writer/director Jared Hess has a new movie coming out called, Gentlemen Broncos. The movie is about a boy who attends a fantasy book convention to find out an idea he had for his own book has been stolen by noted fanasy novelist, Dr. Ronald Chevalier, who’s played by Jemaine Clement (Flight Of The Conchords)

Rather than release a trailer for the movie, they thought it would be a good idea to let people explore the fantasy on Chevalier’s website. Go there and you can have Chevalier “irrigate your barren earth” with excerpts from his fantasy novels like Cyborg Harpies and The Chronicles Of Brutus & Balzaak.

He will also teach you relaxation techniques, like in the video after the jump. (more…)

Earlier this week, the food chain Bennigans closed it’s doors, presumably never to open again. The chain’s parent company declared bankruptcy and closed all Bennigans, (except the franchised ones they didn’t own) effectively torpedoing half the nation’s supply of Monte Cristo sandwiches.

Less than a week later, and presumably not be be outdone by the Death By Chocolate, Ruby Tuesday decided to blow up one of their own restaraunts. They’ve updated an menu and their look so they decided that blowing up the last “old” restaraunt was a solid way to celebrate. We think RT has indeed found their way of rubbing it in to the masters of the Irish Pub.

If you desire to see the destruction, tune into Ruby Tuesday’s website on Tuesday, August 5th at 3pm est.

UPDATE: 3pm has come and gone and all we got was a pre-recorded video clip of Ruby Tuesday CEO giving us a quick countown. Then they “accidentally” blow up the competing (and very similarly constructed) food chain next door. Not funny at all and definitely a waste of our time.

If you want some of that ol’ pub eatery-inspired nostalgia, there are some choice clips after the jump. (more…)

The Features at SXSW 2008

It’s been a while since we’ve discussed our love for THE FEATURES. Probably because the band spent a lot of time holed up in the studio recording a new album. Playing only a few sporadic shows in that time.

We caught them live at SXSW this past March. There, they performed a few new tracks that eventually made it to their new album, Some Kind Of Salvation. The new record was released digitally on LaLa.com allowing fans a chance to preview the album and get Mp3s. But there’s no annoucement yet as to when the album will get a physical release.

In the meantime, it’s a digital world for the band.

STREAM: The Features :: Some Kind Of Salvation

Check out album art and tracklisting after the jump. (more…)

The internet is awesome because it’s allowed any normal person to highlight their randomness. Take for example, the Rock-aFire Explosion. Late last night, we came across one of their clips and the learning has stared ever since.

To make a long story short, someone bought an old Showbiz Pizza store and started reprogramming the animatronic bears to perform favorite songs bid on by others on the internet. The band, the Rock-aFire Explosion who were once childhood stars had been re-born on the internet.

Check out the trailer for a Rock-aFire movie, due out this fall.

Want to partake in the zaniness? Get your favorite song animated and performed to? Go here and place a bid for your favorite song.

Check out some songs already animated after the jump. (more…)

DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE will be putting on the editors caps today. The entire band is taking over Stereogum and will be writing all the news for the day as well as release exclusive content all day long. There will be exclusive interviews, rehearsal footage, and other goodies offered by the band all day long. So be sure to see what the band has to say over at www.stereogum.com. Send the band an email of encouragement or a news tip at dcfc@stereogum.com.

Oh and if you need any more DCFC updates, you can check out the band’s performance of the song “No Sunlight” on the Black Cab Sessions.

Go get Adobe Flash Player!
MP3: Death Cab For Cutie :: “I Wanna Be Adored” live at Coachella via Speed Of Dark

One of our favorite radio stations, WXPN has announced they will be teaming up with an equally awesome website, Daytrotter.

Daytrotter has worked itself into being a required stop for bands to get into their studios and record live music sessions. Artists ranging from Death Cab For Cutie to Vampire Weekend have all stopped by the site’s studios and recorded tracks for the site to give out to its wide audience.

Like Daytrotter, XPN has built up a solid reputation as one of the best AAA-formated radio stations in the country. The Philly-based station is known for taking risks (see their merger with y-rock a few years back) and “Daytrotter Radio” will probably be no different.

“Daytrotter Radio” will debut on Wednesday, May 7th at 10:30pm on WXPN. The half-hour show will be hosted by the ‘Trotter’s founder Sean Moeller. The show will feature music from the website’s vast recording sessions and be transmitted on XPN’s terrestrial airwaves as well as their three websites - www.xpn.org, www.yrockonxpn.org, and www.xponentialmusic.org. The show will also be available for download at www.daytrotter.com.

You can read the official press release after the jump. (more…)

Have you ever watched a movie and thought to yourself, “What type of gun is that bank robber using right there?” I know, I know, I think that all the time. Mainly because when I get up each morning to conquer the urban jungle known as central Jersey, sometimes a rocket launcher would make my commute much easier.

So you could imagine my surprise when I happened to stumble upon the Internet Movie Firearm Database. a site devoted to idenitifying all the guns used in movies. God bless the internets, for it makes me realize there are people out there on this planet that have an equal fascination with the ridiculous.

Ever wonder what kinda “heat” Val Kilmer and Al Pacino are packing in the movie Heat? Of course the IMFDB has the answers for you.