BBC: “A judge has dismissed claims by the ex-frontman of rap group 2 Live Crew that rapper 50 Cent stole the opening line for the 2003 single In Da Club. Luther Campbell filed a claim at Miami Federal Court in January that 50 Cent used a line from Campbell’s song It’s Your Birthday, changing just one word.”
Luther Campbell, as you will recall, was sued for similar purposes in 1992 and won.
BBC: “”The guitarist walked out, leaving his band-mate to complete the interview. Stern later said he was ‘very sorry.’ Townshend left a reply on his website, saying: ‘Howard, let’s have lunch.'”
LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy has apparently created a track called “45:33” for Nike. The song, designed for a workout, is available through iTunes for $9.99. In other words, Bittorrent is your friend.
Slate: “Unlike Salvador Dalí or Mel Gibson, Yankovic isn’t essentially weird—i.e., a figure with whom we have nothing in common. In fact, the opposite is true. Weird Al’s essential service is to point out that, from the perspective of the middle-class suburban lifeworld, pop culture itself is weird. This is the paradox of Weird Al’s weirdness: He’s actually Normal Al, a common-sensical, conservative force. He’s Everyman trapped on Neverland Ranch, exposing as many stylistic excesses and false profundities as he can.”
I haven’t yet listened to the new album, Boys and Girls in America. I plan to rectify this solecism soon. What I can tell you is that I saw them Tuesday night and I can tell you, with very little doubts, that these guys kick ass live. Like Tito, who was there with me, I’m still percolating upon this fantastic live experience. But I hope to offer substantive thoughts soon. But I would advise all San Francisco music fans to avoid the band Black Fur, if at all possible. Without a doubt, Black Fur was one of the most ridiculous and self-pitying bands I have seen on stage in the past two years. The reasons and the report, I hope, will come later.
In the meantime, check out the Hold Steady’s new video, which I suspect owes an inspiration to the infamous Whicker’s World parody from Monty Python’s Flying Circus. (Yes, Alan Whicker is a real person.)
[UPDATE: I’ve now listened to the new album twice and, while I’m still letting my impressions kick in, overall, I think I like it more than Tito did — at least in the early rounds. More to come later.]