Oops, big oops. The Flaming Lips released on Tuesday a 5.1 Surround re-release of their 1999 critically acclaimed album, The Soft Bulletin. This new was set to include a re-arrangement of songs, a bonus DVD, videos, rarities, etc. Unfortunately, when the discs were packed up... regular old copies of The Soft Bulletin were included. Oops.

Warner Brothers is quickly trying to make amends. If you purchased one of these screwed-up discs you can mail the disc (only the disc, no booklet or case) to the following address for a replacement:

Flaming Lips
Soft Bulletin Screw-Up
P.O. Box 3265
Edmond, Oklahoma 73083

As strange as it is to locals like myself, it appears my city has been getting an inordinate amount of summer festival attention (even if we do odd things around here like moon a statue when the city denies us a Radiohead show). It looks like Chicago will be hosting not one, not two but THREE live music festivals this summer...

• The Intonation Festival was such a success last year that the organizers are planning it's return for June 24-25.
• Pitchfork has withdrawn it's support from the Intonation Festival, and have announced that they are throwing their OWN event. Wait, wasn't Intonation their event last year? Regardless, the "Pitchfork Music Festival" will be July 29-30.
• Lollapalooza organizers have confirmed that the festival will again be using Hutchinson Field in Grant Park. This year's Lollapalooza will take over the city August 4-6. Predictably, the Smashing Pumpkins rumors have started flying about again.

After hemming, hawing and rumors aplenty, the lineup for Coachella has finally been confirmed. I'm sure to the disappointment of many Smashing Pumpkins fans, Corgan & Co. will not be giving it a go again as the main attraction at Coachella this year. The following lineup was pulled from the Coachella message boards:

Saturday, April 29th

Depeche Mode, Franz Ferdinand, Sigur Ros, Common, Damian Marley, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, My Morning Jacket, Ladytron , Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Tosca, Cat Power, Animal Collective, HARD-fi, Derrick Carter, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, The Walkmen, The Juan Maclean, Audio Bullys, Imogen Heap, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, The Duke Spirit, Editors, stellastarr*, Lyrics Born, Matt Costa, The New Amsterdams, The Zutons, Platinum Piped Pipers, White Rose Movement, Chris Liberator, Colette, Joey Beltram, Hybrid, Wolfmother, The Like, Living Things, Nine Black Alps, The Section Quartet, Infadels, Youth Group, Shy FX & T Power, Infusion.

Sunday, April 30th

Tool, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, Paul Oakenfold, Scissor Sisters, Matisyahu, James Blunt, TV on the Radio, Sleater-Kinney , Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley, Coldcut, Phoenix, Digable Planets, Amadou & Mariam, Little Louie Vega, Mylo (DJ Set), Seu Jorge, Wolf Parade, The Go! Team, Kaskade, Metric, Art Brut, Dungen, The Dears, Jamie Lidell, The Magic Numbers, Los Amigos Invisibles, Jazz Jazzanova, Michael Mayer, Mates of State, Gilles Peterson, Gabriel & Dresden, The Subways, Minus the Bear, Be Your Own Pet, Giant Drag, Kristina Sky, The Octopus Project.

Tickets will go on sale February 4 at Noon PST.

Considering plane fare or a road trip down to the lovely city of Austin in mid-March? You might be once you read just a *fraction* of the bands scheduled to play the annual South by Southwest music festival...

Aberfeldy, Animal Collective, Annie, Arab Strap, Arctic Monkeys, The Ark, Art Brut, Asobi Seksu, Athlete, Jon Auer, The Avalanches, Belle and Sebastian, Black Heart Procession, Biffy Clyro, Blue Aeroplanes, Boy Least Likely To, Billy Bragg, Brakes, Brian Jonestown Massacre, Broken Spindles, The Brunettes, Busy Signals, Calla, Camera Obscura, Neko Case, The Capes, Cat Power, The Charlatans, Chin Up Chin Up, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Jason Collett, The Concretes, controller.controller, The Crimea, Cut Copy, The Datsuns, Death in Vegas, Dirty Pretty Things, Dirty On Purpose, The Ditty Bops, Division of Laura Lee, Dressy Bessy, The Duke Spirit, Earlimart, Echo & The Bunnymen, Editors, The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster, The Electric Soft Parade, Elefant, Envelopes, epo-555, Erase Errata, Essex Green...

Um, those are just a *few* of the bands from A-E that I'm interested in seeing. The full list (over 1100 acts!) seems almost miraculous. The SxSW story of the day has to be that they've confirmed that Morrissey will be making an appearance...

"In what could best be described as a once in a lifetime experience, Morrissey will be interviewed by Rolling Stone's David Fricke for a SXSW Interview on Thursday, March 16 at the South By Southwest Festival followed by a performance at Austin Music Hall presented by the BBC Radio.
This will be a rare chance to hear the icon discuss his work and his influences. Additionally, this will be one of the first performances in support of his forthcoming album Ringleader of the Tormentors which will be released on April 4th on Attack/Sanctuary."

I can't think of odder music news of late than a story that appeared in The Guardian some weeks ago regarding Easter plans in Manchester...

"The BBC plans to mark the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ this Easter with an hour-long live procession through the streets of Manchester featuring pop stars from The Stone Roses and Happy Mondays and featuring songs by The Smiths and New Order.

In the programme, called Manchester Passion, a character representing Jesus will sing the legendary Joy Division anthem Love Will Tear Us Apart before dueting his arch-betrayer Judas on the New Order hit Blue Monday, according to senior church sources involved in the production.
..."

No, I am not making this up. The Guardian is not playing a practical joke on the interweb. I'm not sure I could make up a story this bizarre. The Church of England, BBC and Bez celebrating Easter in the street of Manchester with an actor dressed up as Jesus singing "Heaven Knows I'm Miserable Now." Uhhhhh....

As has been reported in the NME on Friday, California space rockers Grandaddy have called it a day. The official website features a message from drummer Aaron Burtsch:

"yeah, well i guess that's it.

don't really know what to say, and maybe there just aren't words to properly express my feelings about the past 14 years of so. it just goes too deep. maybe i'll post something more proper and detailed sometime in the future, but for now just wanted to tell you all thank you for being there for and with us. we'll never forget you and we'll be forever grateful for being friends and supporters of our dumb band.

please excuse me while i limp off into the sunset."

The first show of the year has come and gone, and who better to start the year than Rob Dickinson, formerly of Catherine Wheel? Earlier in the afternoon, Rob was on 91X radio here in San Diego talking about what he's been doing since November of 2000 when Catherine Wheel played their last gig supporting the Smashing Pumpkins. Since that time he moved back to New York and settled back into real life away from music.

In 2003, he moved to Los Angeles and began designing cars as a freelance Porsche specialist, similar to what he did back home in Norfolk at the Lotus factory. He also began the leisurely process of recording his solo album, Fresh Wine for the Horses, with David Rolfe producing. The album was finally released in September of 2005, and the month before, I saw Rob play an incredible show with Adam Franklin of Swervedriver and Mark Gardener of Ride for M-Theory Records' 2nd Annual Sonic Summer Bash. Prior to that, I hadn't seen Rob or Catherine Wheel since they played in San Diego at Cane's in mid-2000. His voice has been missed.

Well, we shouldn't have said such good things about CHARLOTTE HATHERLEY's solo record last year... as she's just quit ASH to focus on her solo career. The band's website refers to the split as amicable, but we're still a touch sad to see her go.

COACHELLA is right around the corner and it's that time of the year where the rumors start flying before the official line-up is announced. DEPECHE MODE has already confirmed their appearance and a SMASHING PUMPKINS reunion is also possible. Recently I received an image of a fake lineup that people are passing around as the real thing. While that looks like a good list, I prefer the line up with Creed and Boyz II Men headlining. :)

Tragedy has struck one of our favorite power pop bands from the 80's. BRYAN HARVEY, frontman of 80's stalwards House of Freaks, was found dead in his Richmond, VA home, alongside the bodies of his wife and two small daughters. The family was found by House of Freaks drummer Johnny Hott bound and gagged with their throats cut in the basement of their burning home on New Year's Day, hours before the family was to have hosted a neighborhood New Year's party. House of Freaks put out a couple of fantastic records on Rhino back in the late 80's, then had one major label record on Giant/Reprise in the early 90's before joining Steve Wynn (ex-Dream Syndicate) in Gutterball, who released three records in the 90's. After the demise of both bands, Wynn went on to join Cracker, while Harvey remained active in the Richmond music scene. Police currently have no suspects in the awful slayings, but the investigation is still in progress.