So the big news this week is that the My Bloody Valentine reissues are finally going to get released.  Good for them that it's finally getting done.  Also good for Kevin Shields that he's finally working on some new material.  It's only been 20 years.

The other link about Rodney on the Roq is kinda random.  My friend Brian asked me if he was still on the air so I looked him up and was happy that he's still being broadcasted on KROQ in Los Angeles.  His show is where I heard a lot of bands for the first time on the radio.  Granted I was getting most of my new music from friends, reading NME, and watching this public access show called Request Video.  But as Brian pointed out those were simpler times.  You'd read about bands in the NME, then Rodney would play them, then you'd make the hour long drive out to some dingy record store in LA to buy the import single for 10 bucks.  That's right, TEN bucks for three or four songs.

Don't get me started on how pissed I was when bands started doing that CD1/CD2 bullshit.  There are a lot of people that long for the good ol' days of record collecting, but I can't stand it.  Going to a good record store and casually walking around and picking up stuff is fun every once in a while.  But when we were kids we were obsessive about it.  And we poured tons of money into it.  So I'm glad that technology has brought us to this point where we can access way more music for less.  I think it opens it up to more people.  More people who can't spend 20 bucks on two CD's with 6 songs each.  Oh yeah, and since it's a double single, the main track is going to be on both CD's.  Plus that main track is already on the album anyway.  So you're really only buying four bsides for 20 bucks.  And if they just phoned it in by throwing on some bullshit remixes then fuck them.  God I love music but it's so frustrating.

Many bands are hitting the road and we can't be happier.  Also the return of Rodrigo y Gabriela and Orbital make this a great week for music news.  Enjoy!

Here's the next round of updates that I've written over the last couple of months but never got around to posting.  Enjoy!

So let's try something new.  I've been on vacation for over a week and have gathered up a ton of links to interesting stories.  Instead of writing a bunch of little stories for each thing, I'm just going to lump them all in this one post.  This should get me all caught up and ready for the rest of the week.

At the Critics Choice Movie Awards, Death Cab For Cutie covered the classic Simple Minds Track (Don't You) Forget About Me. If you somehow didn't know, John Hughes is the iconic director of the 80's who made such films as Sixteen Candles, Weird Science, Ferris Bueller's Day Off, and of course, The Breakfast Club which the track is from. He became disenfranchised with the whole Hollywood scene in the 90's and stopped directing but kept writing until 2008. He passed away last year. He's also a totally awesome person.

Click "Read More" to view their performance

After we premiered each track from Death Cab's new Open Door EP, the band set out on a North American tour that found its way to UC San Diego's RIMAC Arena last night. Photographer Andrew Youssef made the drive from L.A. to La Jolla (as did a lot of folks impatient for the Hollywood Bowl show in July with Tegan & Sara and the New Pornos), which featured standard cuts and EP fare along with opening sets from Ra Ra Riot and Cold War Kids (their first show back after two cancellations due to Nathan's laryngitis). Pretty bloggy bill, RIMAC. Tour dates, setlist, and lots of pics this way: Continue reading Death Cab For Cutie/Ra Ra Riot/Cold War Kids @ RIMAC Arena (UCSD Campus), La Jolla 4/29/09... - Source

According to US/People/Sufjan Beat, Death Cab For Cutie's frontman proposed to the She half of She & Him before Christmas and she said yes man (sorry). We're happy for them (sort of!), but look forward to your indie wedding jokes in the comments. (Via Rawkblog, pic by a35mmlife at Unconventional '08.) - Source

Feist and Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard are reportedly teaming up to record a song together for the forthcoming 'Red Hot' charity album, which benefits AIDS research. - Source

Enjoy last night's truncated rendition of 'I Will Possess...' below. MP3 at bottom. - Source

Narrow Stairs is expected to sell 140,000 copies this week.That total should be more than enough to secure the top spot.For a further analysis of the US charts, head to Billboard. - Source