Carter USM will play two live dates in November. - Source

We can hear the car horns in Miami from here -- today's big news in the real world is Fidel Castro's resignation as Cuba's #1 Commie. In related news: Drinks are most definitely on Raúl Castro tonight. The music angle? Torr brings it by taking a look back at Fidel-era Cuba's "Western rock band" history, coming up with "that time in 2001 when the Manics played the Karl Marx Theater in Havana." Head here for some links to video clips.

That's a mighty distinction for the Manics to hold; covering Rihanna's "Umbrella," though? That puts them in the slightly larger subset of them-and-the-rest-of-2007. But, here goes! From a forthcoming NME comp:

Also falling under the umbrella of Rihanna news, the Barbadian diva plans another live, Time-like reprise of her Monster Jam -- this time with Klaxons, at tomorrow night's BRIT awards ("It's an electronic version with guitars on it, with a twist of 'Golden Skans'").

Finally: damn that is an awesome tag set. - Source

Yeah, the industry keeps on shifting. TVT, the New York-based independent label that brought us Nine Inch Nails back in the day, has reportedly "terminated" most of its employees and is filing for Chapter 11. Looks like the Polyphonic Spree, Pitbull, Lil Jon & The Eastside Boyz, Pitbull, Ambulance LTD, and Ying Yang Twins are without a home. Still no word on how this will affect Lil' Jon's forthcoming Crunk Rock. TVT's been in a protracted and costly legal battle with Cash Money Click and, yes, nobody buys records anymore, but we blame the whole mess on Punk Goes Crunk. Just because. - Source

The man who wrote a music for a shoe company has decided to lob his Kelly Kapoor approved efforts in a slightly more conventional direction: a movie company. Sony Pictures is releasing 21 (as in never always double down on 11) this March and has commissioned LCD to write a track, which they entitled "Big Ideas." Other artists on the soundtrack include Rihanna, UNKLE, MGMT, Amon Tobin (contributing old songs), Mark Ronson and Kasabian (doing most likely a Motowned version of Kasabian's "Lost Souls Forever") and D Sardy & Duke Spirit's Liela Moss (doing something we've never heard of). As for the movie, the official site says it's about "Five Students Who Changed The Game Forever" and has a page where you can click on the starring actors' faces (Kevin Spacey, Kate Bosworth, Laurence Fishburne, etc.) hear them speak, and learn all about how they got caught up in this crazy, crazy world of blackjack to begin with. Looks forgettable, but points for not making the five students walk into a casino to "All My Friends." - Source

Grooverider - real name Raymond Bingham - has been jailed for four years in Dubai for cannabis possession. - Source

Cat Power has announced a two-week tour to support the release of her covers album. - Source

3 million records, 300,00 CDs for sale for only $3 million. - Source

Siouxsie Sioux played the second of two sold-out shows at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles on Saturday (February 16). - Source

The painting used for the cover of Sonic Youth's acclaimed 1988 album 'Daydream Nation' is to be auctioned in London next week (February 27). - Source

Jarvis Cocker and The Gossip's Beth Ditto's cover version duet of Heaven 17's 'Temptation', recorded live at the Shockwaves NME Awards 2007, is being released as a single today (February 18). - Source