Get well, Alan. We’re all big fans.

From the band’s messageboard [Via OneLouder]:
dear friends,
the following is a lot of sentences starting with “i”. i’ve heard this is bad form and it tends to paint a very egocentric picture of the writer. good thing i’m a musician…
low has to cancel the shows we have booked in may and june – perhaps beyond. i have always tried to extend true respect to the fans of our music. it would be very easy to just cancel without proper explanation, and hope that the rumors tipped our way, perhaps adding to some crafted mystique. but, i’m a coward and i’ll leave that to the true artists.
i have not been very mentally stable for the last while. due to this, touring at this time has become too much of a burden on everyone involved. my current problems and instability create undue and unnecessary stress for everyone close to me, especially on the road, so despite coming back from several months of shows we have thoroughly enjoyed playing and being a part of, i have to respect their best judgment. those last several months have been some of the hardest to live through, and it is too much to ask those around me to have to put up with that any more.
for those of you who cling to details and think information is power; i have been speculated/diagnosed with everything from post-traumatic stress disorder, ADHD, bipolar whatever, suicidal depression/anxiety (“here’s some pills, call me if you are still alive next week – oh, wait, sorry, your small business insurance plan doesn’t cover all this…”), to paranoia, laziness, OCD, and good old-fashioned two-faced asshole-ness. i know – “big deal, who doesn’t have problems? you have a great and easy life! how bad can it be!?!” i wish i was a better person, and i’m working on that, much in the same way everyone else does. unfortunately, for one reason or another, that battle for me right now abruptly demands some drastic effort, sacrifice, and change – and that’s just to stay in the game… i feel like i’ve come through the worst of it, by there’s nothing uglier than lips speaking vain promises, so forgive me if i’m reluctant to be the cheerleader this time. i need to get healthy, and it’s apparent that something about touring right now is doing more damage than good.
several months ago, amid a couple “bad days”, i found myself standing in front of a photo of John Peel, on the wall outside one of the BBC studios on london. the image of his face in this photo is an image that exposes fools. i was ashamed to even look into his eyes. still, seeing his calm, wise face made me realize i had been letting my own selfish battle with sanity get in the way of the gift of music that i and we all are so privileged to be even a small part of. my thoughts raced.

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FROM HP:
Welcome to the Huffington Post, which, as our motto says, has been delivering news and opinion since, well, a few hours ago. As you look around, you’ll see that our front page features our favorite posts from our group bloggers — including Mike Nichols, Ellen DeGeneres, John Cusack and David Mamet — and the top news headlines of the moment. If you are hungry for more, you can always get your fill at The Blog and the News Wire where fresh posts and news stories are added 24/7. And don’t forget to check out Eat the Press, Harry Shearer’s spicy dish about the media. So come in and make yourself at home.

Check it out for yourself

Todd P presents
Oneida [pictured], Apes, Sightings and Pterodactyl
Saturday May 7 at Palace Tavern
The Palace Tavern is a 1930′s era old man bar in Greenpoint, Brooklyn featuring $1.50 Budweiser mugs and 3 for $2 Jello shots. Huge wood floor back room with gingerbread house walls and a cozy fireplace, plus a big half moon bar with big old timey pane picture windows looking out onto Nassau Ave up front.
Doors will open at 9:30 and the bands will go on promptly, due to a kinda early curfew over there.

Dullard Harry Reid actually says something candid:

[From reviewjournal.com]
In the course of a discussion on filibusters and Senate rules, Washington’s top Democrat gave the 60 juniors a lesson in partisan politics, particularly about the commander in chief. “The man’s father is a wonderful human being,” Reid said in response to a question about President Bush’s policies. “I think this guy is a loser.
“I think President Bush is doing a bad job,” he added to a handful of chuckles.
“He’s driving this country into bankruptcy,” Reid said, referring to the deficit. “He’s got us in this intractable war in Iraq where we now have about 1,600 American soldiers dead and another 15,000 injured.”

by Dave Thomas

Well, “Revenge of the Sith” is finally coming out. And if that’s the most we have to look forward to this month, it’s going to be a sad, sad time.
We’re highly skeptical, but Variety gave the new Star Wars flicker a glowing review. Hollywood Reporter reviews it here. One more from Coming Soon. Here’s the rest of this month’s films below:
MAY 6
KINGDOM OF HEAVEN
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Ridley Scott film about the Crusades. Great timing, huh?
WILL IT SUCK?
Main thing to keep in mind here is Ridley Scott, who turned even “Gladiator” into better-than-expected but not quite Best Picture worthy fare. I mean come on people “Traffic” was released that year. The screenwriter has been tapped to do three upcoming huge releases, including “Jurassic Park IV” (yes, there’s going to be a ‘IV’), Scorcese’s “Infernal Affairs” remake, and “Tripoli.” So Hollywood, at least, has confidence in him.
Casting is interesting. In keeping with the law that says that Orlando Bloom must not appear in a modern setting, he has the lead. Jeremy Irons and Liam Neeson should be fun to watch (although I can happily wait to see Liam in “Batman Begins,” instead). And Ed Norton appears in a mask.
Actually, I don’t think this is going to be very good. But it’s going to look great.
HOW WELL WILL IT DO?
The R is going to hurt a bit, but “House of Wax” is R, too, so….
Other problems include the second frame of “Hitchiker’s” this week and the one-two comedy punch of “Monster-in-Law” and “Kicking and Screaming” the following week. It’s gonna be hard to sell the Crusades with those options. Still, it’s a Ridley Scott epic, and even “Black Hawk Down” made over $100mil, and that was in the winter. $104mil.
———————————————-
HOUSE OF WAX
WHAT’S THE PITCH?
Paris Hilton gets whacked. What more do you need to know?
WILL IT SUCK?
Probably. This is from Dark Castle, the Joel Silver/Robert Zemeckis shingle that brought you “Gothika,” “Thirteen Ghosts,” and “Ghost Ship.” Almost all remakes, and not very good ones at that. Also, they bring the mad gore. Now, Elisha Cuthbert’s in this, but, then again, I must remind you of the gore, the suckiness, and the Paris Hilton who, even if she does get waxed (and not in a good way) will still be alive for part of the film. On the other hand, “Gilmore Girls” fans rejoice (or lament if you care about their cred) for Chad Michael Murray and Jared Padalecki’s presence in this mess.
This comes from the twin brother writing team that brought you “Baywatch: Nights,” which is strangely appropriate.
I will say this, however…this is the first Dark Castle trailer that actually looks scary.

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JUNE 14 – The Pixies Jones Beach concert announced.
Interpol and LCD Soundsystem opening
Presale tickets on sale thursday, May 5 at noon
Click Here for more info

by Michael Cohen

Montreal pop rockers Stars came down to NYC this week to play a few shows including a benefit concert at NorthSix for Save Darfur Coalition, Human Rights Watch, and Doctors w/out Borders. I sat down with singer/songwriter Torquil Campbell while the Stars band hauled gear into the Bowery Ballroom for their sound check on Wed April, 27. Torquill explained why everybody’s a star and pop culture is better than no culture.
Stars is Torquil Campbell (vocals), Chris Seligman (keys), Amy Millan (guitars, vocals), Evan Cranley (bass), with Pat McGee (drums).
FREEwilliamsburg: I’d like to start with the back-story and how the band met…
TC: We met as children, me and Chris have known each other since we were 8. But the band started in Williamsburg–we moved there ’cause it seemed like countryside to us at the time. We moved into this loft with our friend James who’s in a band called Metric, with Nick Zinner who wasn’t making music at the time but is now the Yeah Yeah Yeahs guy. And we built this big loft, put up all the walls and shit. And that’s where the band started. We made our first record there. But it wasn’t a record, it was just us making some music ’cause we had nothing else to do. And then somebody wanted to release it. So once we realized we were gonna be a band we moved to Montreal and Amy and Evan joined.
FREEwilliamsburg: Why Montreal?
TC: Growing up in Toronto, we didn’t want to move back there and do our past again. Montreal is a good middle ground. It’s a place where you can not really have a job and spend a lot of time working on your music. We had no money so that sounded like a good idea.

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The City’s rezoning plan is official. Let us know what you think in comments.

From NYTimes
City officials agreed yesterday to let developers turn the decaying north Brooklyn waterfront, with its relics of Brooklyn’s industrial past, into a neighborhood of residential towers with a parklike esplanade along the East River.
The plan, which rivals the ambition and scope of the creation of Battery Park City, would rezone a 175-block area of Greenpoint and Williamsburg, two neighborhoods that have surged in popularity because of their proximity to Manhattan but whose development has been curtailed because much of the area is now restricted to industrial use.
The area has become perhaps the most emblematic of Brooklyn’s resurgence over the last few decades, as young people seeking an alternative to Manhattan have flocked to its once desolate streets, remaking Williamsburg into a hub of nightlife, art galleries and restaurants just one subway stop away from Manhattan.

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You can download the song here.
“When The President Talks To God”
When the president talks to God
Are the conversations brief or long?
Does he ask to rape our women’s’ rights
And send poor farm kids off to die?
Does God suggest an oil hike
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Are the consonants all hard or soft?
Is he resolute all down the line?
Is every issue black or white?
Does what God say ever change his mind
When the president talks to God?
When the president talks to God
Does he fake that drawl or merely nod?
Agree which convicts should be killed?
Where prisons should be built and filled?
Which voter fraud must be concealed
When the president talks to God?

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Stryper is planning a comeback. We don’t know whether to be excited or nauseous. We just hope someone does an exit poll at the concerts to see how many fans are in attendence ironically. Those T-shirt sales will be huge. Everyone wants a cock-rockin’, Jesus-fearing, mother-fucking Stryper 2005 Tour shirt.
Apply to be the official Stryper Street Team President here. Listen to their new, more-horrible-than-you-imagined mp3 here.
From their Press Release:

The multi-platinum and Billboard charting rock band Stryper is back and set to release Reborn via Big3 Records on August 16, 2005. Reborn marks the band’s first complete studio release of original material in over a decade, since 1990′s Against The Law, and features 10 original tracks marked by Stryper’s trademark blend of melodic vocals, heavy guitar licks and pounding drums, as well a new version of the previously released track “In God We Trust.” After writing and recording some songs in April 2004, Michael Sweet approached the band about reuniting and recording the material as a Stryper record. The album was re-recorded in Massachussetts at Blue Jay Studio, Mixed Emotions, and Sweet’s home studio. The title track “Reborn” is provocatively dark with catchy lyrics and raw guitar riffs, and will impact radio on June 7th.
Said Stryper frontman Michael Sweet of the new record, “Our fans have said they would like to hear Stryper with more edge, but I didn’t want to do something so heavy that it would limit us. We were able to deliver the edge yet still keep the melody and catchy guitar riffs.” As for the title Reborn, Sweet remarks, “I wrote the song “Reborn” before we decided to reunite as a band, and once we came together it was natural to make this notion the essence of the album as we feel we are being reborn. We truly feel like a new band.”

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