Coachella 2012 was an interesting one.  First off, we're still not done with it.  There's going to be a "identical" weekend 2 coming up tomorrow which is just an odd idea.  Secondly, I actually had phone service for the first time ever so I was able to send out some random thoughts while I was there (collected for your enjoyment below).  This was also the first time it's ever rained at a Coachella, it's notorious for being VERY dry and hot all day.  In any case, enjoy!

Note:  It's in reverse cronological order so read it from the bottom up.

The news was a little light last week as I spent a bunch of time in the hostpital with my wife as she was recovering from giving birth to our son.  YAY!  I'm a father!

Lots of odd items in the roundup today.  My favorite is the Neil Young story about his Hybrid car exploding.  That's just good/bad stuff right there.

As most super fans know, Jarvis Cocker attended film school at Saint Martin's College. While most people know him from his musical career as opposed to his film making one, there are pieces of his celluloid past floating around (he did an Aphex Twin video amongst others) - Source

Jarvis Cocker is to deliver a lecture on the art of writing lyrics as part of the Brighton Festival. - Source

Oh, how we CANNOT wait for this. There's an article in Billboard today about the current happenings of Ben Folds. Folds' new solo album was originally scheduled for release this summer, but has recently been pushed back to 2005. Why? Because Folds is busy co-writing, producing, and releasing the first new album in umpteen years from WILLIAM SHATNER. Yes, THAT William Shatner. And, in addition to guest appearances by Folds, Aimee Mann, and Henry Rollins, the album should be notable for two other reasons -- the first being that one of the tracks is a composition co-written by Folds and "High Fidelity" author Nick Hornby... which is only topped by the news that another of the tracks will be a duet between Shatner and Joe Jackson -- and it's a cover of Pulp's "Common People."

Former Le Grand Magistery recording artist A GIRL CALLED EDDY, Erin Moran, has signed a record deal with ANTI . The label, which also holds such artists as Tom Waits, Nick Cave and Tricky, will be releasing her debut album on June 21. The record will be self-titled and was produced by former LONGPIGS and PULP guitarist and Richard Hawley in Sheffield.

Moran's voice has been one of the best hidden gems in music for several years now. Her earthy vocal power was shown on her debut EP, "Tears All Over Town," to rival Tracey Thorn, Dusty Springfield or Beth Orton. According to ANTI this record, "eloquently captures the bittersweet-ness of a life seen through a romantic yet crystal-clear lens." Rave reviews have been out for years on Moran's music... "Marrying the smooth tones of soul with the soft flavorings of chamber pop, the debut EP from A Girl Called Eddy is as poignant as it is alluring. [All Music Guide]"

Hmmm. Statements from the PULP camp have been a little concerning lately, "Pulp aren't technically splitting up, but neither are they making any plans to return to the studio for the foreseeable future." So what's the difference between "technically" splitting up and no longer recording as a band?

In the meantime, to release themselves from their Island record deal they are releasing a best of package ('Pulp Hits') on November 18th in the UK. To be featured on the new album are: Babies / Razzmatazz / Lipgloss / Do You Remember the First Time? / Common People / Underwear / Sorted for E's & Wizz / Disco 2000 / Something Changed / Help The Aged / This is Hardcore / A Little Soul / Party Hard / The Trees / Bad Cover Version / Sunrise / The Last Day of the Miners' Strike (new song).

Pulp have announced their new single, "Trees". It will be releasd on October 1 and their next album will be released on October 15.

Well, the Glastonbury Festival has drawn to a close. We've got to give a MAJOR cheers to the folks at the Guardian, who had an AMAZING website throughout the weekend, and to the staff of Greenpeace UK, who brought us the roaming webcam that surprisingly stayed operational for most of the weekend. BLUR headlined the show on Saturday night, debuted quite a few tracks off the new, forthcoming record, but a review by the Guardian says that the tracks were NOT that well-received by the crowd, and they had to rely on standards like 'Parklife' and 'Girls and Boys' to get the momentum going.