+ So imagine you're in an acclaimed band about to release a highly anticipated album, and you're scheduled to play the Late Show With David Letterman, and there was much back and forth about the song choice, and after reaching a consensus you found, hired and rehearsed with a string quartet specifically for the occasion, and you show up, soundcheck, spend the day at the studio, and then, RIGHT BEFORE you are scheduled to go on, you're told that "they've" run out of time. This happened to Grizzly Bear last night. Frontman Ed Droste tweeted before, during, and after. A measured, and frankly classy, explanation followed on the GB blog. They'll be back on in July. But who can read the following...

"Make up on, faces clearly bummed, we packed our bags and left disheartened."
...And not feel bad for those dudes? Looking forward to the makeup date.

 

 

+ Hope you weren't planning on flying to London for the first Michael Jackson show—it's been postponed. The completely unsurprising turn of events is supposedly due to the OVERWHELMINGLY ENTERTAINING STAGE SET that the show producers promise will ENTERTAIN YOU LIKE YOU'VE NEVER BEEN ENTERTAINED BEFORE and that you'll be convinced that any delays WERE COMPLETELY WORTH IT ONCE YOU SEE THE LEVEL OF ENTERTAINMENT they are preparing. But geez, don't take our word for it; here's what the official MJ site has to say. Bold and italics ours:

Due to the sheer magnitude of the “This Is It” concerts at The O2 arena promoters and producers AEG Live and Kenny Ortega, Michael’s directorial partner and creative collaborator have elected to move back a few of the opening shows in order to meet the challenges presented by such a massive and technically complex show.

Organizers are determined that all Michael’s legions of fans attending the opening nights get to experience the same high quality staging that is planned for all of the spectacular shows. Only the four shows listed here are affected:

  • 8th July will take place on 13th July 2009
  • 10th July will be moved to 1st March 2010
  • 12th July will be moved to 3rd March 2010
  • 14th July will be moved to 6th March 2010

Seems so far away, doesn't it? 2010. Lost will be nearing its exciting conclusion. So at least Michael's legions of fans have that to look forward to.

 

 

+ Ash has had a Supergrass-like career: repping the young, brash and poppy side of Britpop's mid-'90s wave, then delivering more and more mature, and well-received, pop in the ensuing years. Now, the trio are embracing the new paradigm by foregoing album releases and concentrating on single—26, for now, to be precise. Beginning in October, Ash will release a single a fortnight, one for each letter of the alphabet, for a year. Ash A-Z is the name of the series, and subscription orders are being accepted. Says singer Tim Wheeler:

"I think it'll be great for our fans waiting every two weeks knowing they're going to get a song and wondering what it'll be like. It'll be fun."

Sad we'll have no more Ash "albums," but fun this series certainly will be.

 

 

+ If you see Pete Wentz and wife Ashlee, and their shortie Bronx Mowgli, leave them the eff alone. So says Pete after seeing himself and his family on Gawker's Gawker Stalker. The offending post:

May 19 @ 2:15pm Just spotted Ashlee, Pete, and Bronx Mowgli entering Central Park at 64th and 5th, conveniently blocking the bus lane with their gigantic SUV.

 

And the reaction on Pete's site:

you disgust me. it doesnt really bug me that i get called a short, talentless, annoying, fugly douchebag on the internet. sometimes its even funny. but i dont want a gps on my kid. we dont parade him around. we dont call the paparazzi on ourselves. for the most part we try and make his life as normal as possible. its completely irresponsible and dangerous to my son for you to do the opposite and write where he is at any given time.

i doubt what you are doing is illegal. but it surely is unethical. i wonder what you’ll say the day someone gets hurt in “real life” (you know that place next to your keyboard) based on your minute by minute “galker stalker” sightings.

im sorry that taking our son to the park annoyed you so much you had to write the street address where we were.

its pathetic that i even felt the need respond to you.

Damn.