by BBG

Neko Case wonders how her copy of "Juggs" landed on the stage at the Bell House (more by Andrew St. Clair)

The New Pornographers concert at Calvin College has been canceled because of the band's name.

The college released a statement explaining, "after weeks of discussion and consideration, the irony of the band's name was impossible to explain to many. The band's name, to some, is mistakenly associated with pornography. Consequently, Calvin, to some, was mistakenly associated with pornography. Neither the college nor the band endorses pornography."

Calvin student activities director Ken Heffner, who books concerts for the college, said refunds would be issued today, and that the cancelation is a "peaceful parting of ways" between the school and the band. The group was scheduled to perform Oct. 15 in the Calvin Fieldhouse Complex -[Grand Rapids Press]

The filthy disgusting AC Newman, confirmed-furry Neko Case, scat-enthusiast Dan Bejar, and the rest of the low-lifes may not be playing Calvin College, butt their 12/6 show at Terminal 5 with Ted Leo & The Pharmacists is still on. Tickets are now on AmEx presale (regular sale Friday at noon), AND you can still get tickets via the band's service fee-free presale too.

Both bands play also Matador 21 in Vegas, and you can catch Neko Case when she joins T Bone Burnett for special shows in Boston, and California (but not NYC unfortunately).

"Several Internet service providers have blocked users from accessing a Wikipedia page about a German hard rock band, after a watchdog warned that a photo of a naked girl on it could be illegal.

The online encyclopedia has slammed the clampdown on its page about The Scorpions, which it says leaves most Britons unable to edit entries and affected the website's performance.

According to the Internet Watch Foundation (IWF) which monitors potentially illegal content, the Wikipedia Scorpions entry was added to its blacklist of websites because of what was "considered to be a potentially illegal indecent image of a child under the age of 18".

The photograph in question was an album cover of the German band's 1976 album "Virgin Killer."" [AFP]

Here I am...

Continue reading "UK blocks Wikipedia because of Scorpions album cover"

China will ban all entertainers from overseas, Hong Kong and Taiwan who have ever attended activities that "threaten national sovereignty", the government said on Thursday, after an outburst by Icelandic singer Bjork.

Earlier this year, Bjork shouted "Tibet! Tibet!" at a Shanghai concert having performed her song "Declare Independence", which she has used in the past to promote independence movements in other places such as Kosovo. [Reuters]

"By now you probably know the story ... days before the release of their sophomore album Get Awkward (Ecstatic Peace / Universal) Be Your Own Pet were informed by the Universal Records higher ups (ya know, the people in suits in the corner office at the top of the building) that three tracks on the album were too violent for the impressionable ears of Be Your Own Pet fans. The band was given the option of recording the tracks without the offending lyrics or taking them off the album. Not wanting to give up artistic control they chose the latter and thus off the album came\"Becky,\" a song about kicking the ass of your former best friend, the nihilistic\"Black Hole\" and\"Blow Yr Mind\" which is about just that.

XL Recordings (Be Your Own Pet\'s label outside of North Amercia) then entered the picture. The indie had no problem releasing Get Awkward as it was given to them and is only too happy to be putting out this Get Damaged EP so America can finally hear the songs that were banned for being too violent.

Get Damaged is currently available via itunes and will be in-stores on June 24." [official PR]

Be Your Own Pet are playing McCarren Pool with Black Keys and Tapes n Tapes on August 7th. Tickets are still on sale. All tour dates below....

Continue reading "Be Your Own Pet censored EP & 2008 Tour Dates (McCarren)"

LOOK I KNOW THERE ARE HATERS OUT THERE, I DEAL WITH IT EVERYDAY THATS NO FUCKING BIG DEAL AND IVE DEALT WITH WORSE IN MY LIFE, A FEW PEOPLE TALKING SHIT DONT MATTER TO ME, BUT TWISTING TRUTH ISNT THE LESSON I WANNA LEARN IN MY TIME IN MUSIC, SO WHO EVER THAT IS DOING IT , I WANNA SET THE RECORD STRAIGHT

1, I ORIGINALLY WANTED TO SHOOT THE VIDEO IN A FACTORY ON THE BORDER OF EQUADOR, BUT COULDNT. I WAS TOURING THE U.S, I COULDA BEEN ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD RIGHT THEN BUT THERE I WAS IN AMERICA, IN NYC, IN BROOKLYN, IN BEDSTUY , I WAS TORN BETWEEN SCRAPIN SHOWS IN AMERICA AND MEETING AMERICAN FANS OR SHOOTING IN NYC ON MY ONLY DAY OFF I'D HAD IN 4 MONTHS AND GETTING ON WITH IT.

2, SO THAT WAS THAT! I NEVER MADE A VIDEO IN AMERICA AND HEY ITS STILL A PART OF WHAT I DO AND SAY, ITS WAS STILL VALID, SO I WAS READY TO ROLL WITH IT.

3, YOU ALL KNOW HOW THE SONG SOUNDS, THATS WHY WHEN U GO ON YOUTUBE 400, 000 PEOPLE WOULD RATHER LISTEN THE SONG AS IT IS AND STARE AT SOME PICTURE THEN TO ACTUALLY WATCH A VIDEO

4, WHEN LETTERMAN CENSORD ME IT WAS WAC OF COURSE!!!!!! , AND YES I FELT SOOOOOO BAD FOR WHAT THEY DID TO MY SOUND. I WAS ABEL TO SOUND CHECK FOR THAT SHOW AND THEY LET ME SOUND CHECK FINE, THEN ON THE ACTUAL TAPING MY SOUND WAS SOOO DIFFERENT FROM WHAT ID AGREED, AS SOON AS I OPENED MY MOUTH THE DIFFERENCE BLEW ME AWAY, I FELT I WAS GETTING BULLIED ON NATIONAL TELEVISON, AND I COULDNT EVEN REACH OUT TO MY LABELS OR MY MANAGEMENT TO HELP, SINCE THEY ARE NEW TO WHAT HAPPENS TO AN ARTIST LIKE ME IN MAINSTEAM AMERICAN CULTURE.

SO THEY TRIED TO SHUT ME DOWN AGAIN. I MADE THE PAPER PLANES VIDEO. I MADE IT HOW THEY WANTED. NO VIOLENCE. AMBIGUOUS. MTV - FRIENDLY. NOW TODAY, I CHECK YOUTUBE AND SEE THE LEAKED MTV PAPER PLANES VIDEO UP FOR THE FIRST TIME. I CLICKED ON IT AND OUT COMES THIS FUCKED UP MESS WITH DOUBLE-TRACKED BULLSHIT MESS

WHO THE THE FUCK IS DOING THIS TO ME?????' [M.I.A.]

The rest of the letter, and the "uncensored" video, below....

Continue reading "M.I.A.'s (uncensored?) "Paper Planes" video"