Today is the 10th anniversary of the Columbine shootings. I was curious to see if there were any tribute-style YouTube clips about the event, since it did take place before the advent of widespread online video. Surprisingly, there are quite a few; more surprisingly, most are not altogether different from the graduation montages I looked at a little while back. Both are sort of sad, wistful, and nostalgic, and accompanied by very similar tunes–but instead of fun in the sun, you get pictures of horror and loss and death. But then they take an odd turn. Let’s take a look. MORE »
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YouTube’s Take On Columbine Is Predictable Yet Disturbing
closings
Dotshop, a Scandanavian wholesale and online retail specialty music store, is closing down. The announcement blames it on decreased sales due to piracy, and makes an eloquent plea that seems to take another poke at The Pirate Bay: “pirates have hi-jacked concepts that are too important to be misused the way they are: democracy, freedom, bright future. These entities, it seems, are beyond their grasp and comprehension, as they truly have absolutely nothing to do with piracy.” Writes a reader, “The Pirate Bay gloats and one of the best Scandinavian distros/stores closes. Now I’ve gotta find someone else to sell our wares.” [Dotshop] MORE »
clara peller dept.
Perry Farrell Knows How To Keep His Name In The Press
Jane’s Addiction leader Perry Farrell has decided to save the complaints about his band’s upcoming reunion tour for conversations with reporters: “I’m not going to tell you it’s been all smooches and hugs. But it shouldn’t be because that would be a bore,” he told a Reuters writer while hanging out at Coachella over the weekend. And lo, a new angle for his band’s jaunt with Nine Inch Nails this summer–one that had nothing to do with Trent Reznor’s digital strategies for distributing his records or sniping at other ’90s alt-rock survivors–was born! MORE »
Beyonce on Twitter: “I don’t get it, I feel like I’m getting really old. I’m like, what? I don’t understand. Just call me.” So, uh, I wouldn’t expect Charts
Will Kelly Clarkson’s New Single Hook Up With The Top Of The Charts?
The ridiculously enjoyable “I Do Not Hook Up” has been teed up the second single from Kelly Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted, and all systems so far seem to be go. The song is (deservedly) gaining steam on radio (it’s up to No. 28 on Mediabase’s Top 40 airplay chart), and a video for the track illicitly premiered this weekend (it’s also been added to MTV’s re-existent playlist). But will it top the Hot 100 like its pole-vaulting predecessor did? MORE »
Nostalgia
“Pepper” Reminds Me Of Getting Into Bands Past Their Prime
The excellent tumblelog pre-durst, dedicated to videos from the era between 1990 and nu-metal, posted the video for the Butthole Surfers’ “Pepper” last week, and it reminded me that I have actually, technically, been to a Butthole Surfers concert. It was probably 1996, and it was at the local modern rock station’s summer “festival” (if 11 bands in the center of a horse racing track in central New York can be called a festival), the KRockathon. I knew them solely for “Pepper,” which got a lot of play that particular year, and while I assumed they might have some backstory, I was uninterested in pursuing it. I was, in other words, one of those people, the people that get into a band way past the point when they’re cool. But aren’t those people people too? MORE »
noon as the news
Pink Floyd Will See EMI On The Dark Side Of The Courtroom
In today’s midday headlines: Pink Floyd gets litigious, Rick Ross gets bored, and Madonna nurses her wounds. MORE »
the new model
The Black Eyed Peas Search For Master Control
The Black Eyed Peas pull what we would have referred to last year as a “Chris Brown” but we will now have to call a “Dreamgirl” or something–turns out “Boom Boom Pow” is an ad for the new HP Touchsmart! MORE »
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The Pirate Bay Conviction Highlights The Difference Between Art And Politics
On Friday, the folks who run the torrent site The Pirate Bay were found guilty in a Swedish court of violating copyright, and were sentenced to a year in jail and a fine of about $3.6 million. Serious stuff, to be sure. But no one seemed to be taking it as such. This weekend, TPB’s homepage sported the statement “Don’t worry - we’re from the internets. It’s going to be alright. [sic] :-)” The general reaction to the prospect of human beings being placed alongside murderers and rapists for the crime of facilitating downloads (and, admittedly, being giant dicks) took on a tone more appropriate to cosplay revolution, like seeing your mom shot in front of you and exclaiming “FAIL.” TPB’s core demographic, what we might uncharitably refer to as the “I’m a white, middle class male, but I’m so fuckin oppressed” sector of the online world, enjoys getting outraged about things it thinks are stupid, but also tends to think that political action is rarely the answer.
Lord knows the Internet has succeeded beyond anyone’s imagining at turning the lives of real people into art or entertainment, a performance to be viewed and consumed. But we may be reaching the burning down churches / “fake it so real I am beyond fake” point here, where the iconography is taken so seriously that it becomes disconnected from real-world goals. If this decision stands, proponants of filesharing may want to rethink their tactics. MORE »
the last word
Asher Roth’s Discussion Section Is Full Of Opinionated People
Our look at the closing lines of the week’s biggest new-music reviews continues with a roundup of reactions to Asleep In The Bread Aisle, the debut album by the undergrad-loving MC Asher Roth. It comes out today. Because it’s 4/20. (Eh oh el, right?) MORE »
