So this marks number 7? 8? What year of the festival is this exactly? Well who cares really as it's the best lineup in a decade. The dates of this year's Lollapalooza tour have been announced and we don't think anyone will be disappointed. As we found out a few months ago each stopover on the tour will be a two day affair. Day One's will consist of Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Modest Mouse, Le Tigre, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Von Bondies, The Walkmen and the saddest man to no longer live in Manchester... MORRISSEY. The Day Two lineup thusfar is also shaping up nicely with the likes of The Pixies, Wilco, Gomez, The Polyphonic Spree, The Thrills, Basement Jaxx, The Fire Theft and More. Read on for the dates...

TV On The Radio - Philadelphia - First Unitarian Church - May 12th

Someone posted on the (mailing) list earlier about how wonderful TV On The Radio was live in D.C. Between that and a friend's recommendations, I've picked up the Young Liars EP and the new album "Desperate Youth, Blood Thirsty Babes". Both are great albums, but I was curious to see what kind of sound they would be able to come up with in a live setting. I was so impressed with their musicianship, passion, and energy... what a show!

Death Cab For Cutie - Crystal Ballroom - Portland, OR - 5/5/04

Arriving at the Crystal on Wednesday night, I noticed something right off. I was in for a very crowded evening of rock n roll. The great Northwest has spawned its share of highly successful bands over the years, but the number has been fewer over the last couple. One thing that can be said about the good folks up here is they LOVE their local bands, and they will show their support.

The BBC has offered a fill in spot for the Peel Sessions to Elijah Wood. Yes, THAT little hobbity Elijah Wood. According to a BBC Report, Elijah is quite the fan of John Peel and said as much recently on the air with Jo Whiley, "If you're at all a fan of music, you hear about it with John Peel and the Peel Sessions." No date has been set yet for Elijah's Radio 1 debut.

In other news Orlando Bloom, also of 'Lord of the Rings' fame, has been spotted filling in at a recent Darkness show for singer Justin Hawkins. Apparently it has always been his life long dream to wear ridiculous clothing on stage and scream in an ear-piercing falsetto. Just kidding.

Well... after perhaps THE rockiest musical breakup in modern British music history... Brett Anderson and Bernard Butler are officially working together again. The rumor mill has been a buzz with this info for a little while now but Brett himself confirmed this on the suede forum this morning:

"I know there has been a lot of speculation and rumor about precisely what I'm up to so I thought I'd set the record straight. Firstly I can confirm that me and Bernard are working together again.We've written about fifteen songs so far and even though it's early days I can honestly say that I believe the work to be up there with some of the best things we've ever done. We have been rehearsing with a drummer and a bass player who will be part of our new band. I can't tell you what we will be called yet but it will not be Suede or Anderson and Butler. We'll be entering a London studio to start recording in June so I'm hoping that you will hear something early next year.

Also I've been working on a solo album with a guy called Fred Ball. Some of you might have heard his Pleasure album from last year. The material is more programmed than the Bernard stuff but still song based. Danish fans will have heard one of these songs, ' Love Is Dead ', at the recent Copenhagen show. The writing of this album is close to being finished too but I have a less clear plan as to when it might be released."

Fresh off of their recent US tour with those dashing French boys (ummm... Air), New York City's MOSQUITOS are debuting their brand new video for 'Boombox' on MTVu's The Freshmen. If the song seems familiar it's most likey because it has been one of the hottest songs on US television lately. Snippets of 'Boombox' have been popping up in commercial spots for CVS, Intel and Bailey's Irish Cream not to mention during many of MTV's shows and Fox's 'Malcolm In the Middle'.

Muse - Commodore Ballroom, Vancouver - 05/10/04

I've been going to punk rock shows for over twelve years now, and it's been a long time since any band has made my ears ring. Muse did it.

First, get a sense of the show. The first venue sold out, and the one they moved it up to that is nearly twice the size almost sold out too. Yet it's a rainy Monday night. Yet the screaming for Muse sounded like Kiss took the stage. Vancouver is an infamous laid back city when it comes to live shows, we confound and aggravate bands the world over.

The Marlboro Chorus's EP Entangled is a light, bouncy collection of six ready-for-college-radio singles. This is not a condemnation however. Coming out of Davenport, Iowa (where?) the trio makes poppy, slightly indie songs that one can listen to with little effort. And sometimes, this is exactly what you want out of music. On the other hand, if you're willing to delve deeper, some pretty imaginative things are being said on this tiny gem.

The band is B. Patric (vocals, guitar, keys), "Rudie" Reyhons (drums, vocals) and Gary Heitman (bass, vocals), and the charm of their slightly off-key songs is undeniable. The paired down sound of the EP was achieved by the fact that the entire thing was recorded on an eight track. This might have been a choice of necessity, but it works effectively to show that these guys can carry their own musical weight without the use of tricky sound embellishments and manipulations. It's pure and simple in a particularly charming way.

Nope, we're not flashing back to 2001... but still awful news nonetheless, as the fantastic neo-rock duo I AM THE WORLD TRADE CENTER (named prior to 9/11) have cancelled their entire tour due to lead vocalist Amy Dykes being diagnosed with cancer. Dykes fell ill last week during the east coast leg of the tour in support of their brand new album, "The Cover Up," due out on Gannon Records on May 18th. Dykes was rushed to hospital complaining of breathing difficulties, where doctors diagnosed her with Hodgkin's lymphoma. The duo have retreated back to their hometown of Athens, GA, where Dykes has already begun chemotherapy treatments. The band have announced that they WILL attempt to perform their previously scheduled gig this Friday at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, but will then be off the road for as long as necessary for Dykes to fight the disease.

On a personal note, Dan and Amy aren't just a great band, they're great people. The duo, together with friend Ryan, turned their homegrown Kindercore Records into THE definitive home for Stateside indiepop at the turn of the decade. While Kindercore may be fading into dust now, the legacy of this great music lives on. So, too, shall I Am the World Trade Center. We at Excellent Online wish Amy (and Dan) a speedy recovery, and our thoughts and prayers go with them always.

Dan has set up an online journal to keep fans and friends up-to-date on Amy's fight. And if you'd like to write Amy or send cards and letters of support, the address is: Amy Dykes, P.O. Box 829, Athens, GA 30603.

Man, what a good week for festivals. First, Coachella rocks everybody's world, and now we're getting announcements about other fantastic upcoming shows. Yesterday, we brought you news of the HHBTM Records-sponsored Athens Popfest this August, today we can bring you details of yet ANOTHER record label festival. Merge Records will be celebrating their 15 year anniversary with four days of gigs to be held from July 29-August 1 in Carrboro and Durham, NC. 4 day passes are only $55 and available through the Merge website. It's yet another stellar line-up. Expand this article by clicking READ MORE to see the full announced line-up!