This week w/ Alanis Morissette, NIN & A Brief Smile

There was really only one big thing that happened on the Internet this week, and I’m pretty sure everyone I talked to asked me about it at least once. My Humps:

Also generating a lot of noise lately – but something I have yet to try for myself – is the whole Nine Inch Nails “Year Zero” marketing thing:

“Year Zero” came to life in early February when Web-savvy fans discovered that highlighted letters inside words on a NIN tour T-shirt spelled out “I am trying to believe.” Savvy fans added a “.com” to the five words and, voila, located a thought-provoking, eerie Web site. Other associated sites created by 42 Entertainment, where a dark future reigns supreme, were soon discovered. Within days, the blogosphere was rich with anxious NIN fans sharing their experiences on message boards.[Billboard]

By the way, you can also STREAM THE WHOLE ALBUM already – it’s out on April 17th. Heartonastick says it “gets better with every listen”. I’m just lisening for the first time.

JV, Elvis & A Brief Smile

Last but not least, there’s the controversy surrounding the NYC–blogger–approved NYC band A Brief Smile. From CMJ.com:

When New York City band A Brief Smile walked into WFNY, 92.3 Free FM’s studios last week for “Talent Tuesdays” on The Dog House’s morning show, they were expecting their first shot at commercial radio play. But what they experienced was something quite different. Upon entering the studio for their interview, bassist John Carnes made a comment about the decline in quality of the station. As a result, the show’s two hosts, Jeff Vandergrift (“JV”) and Dan Lay (“Elvis”), shot back with relentless insults, calling him a “pansy” and eventually “a faggot.”

Underrated has an MP3 of the whole show. There’s also a post about this at Gothamist and at WFMU. What do you think?