Rock action: Mogwai announce documentary and live album

Controversy won’t save your crap band, Matt: Fiery Furnaces pick fight with Radiohead

RIP: Paul Preminger of Vancouver’s The Smugglers passes

Remember life before the internet? Pt. 1: Radiohead proposes bandwidth throttling in response to piracy

Remember life before the internet? Pt. 2: Anti-counterfeiting trade agreement threatens internet use

She’s got some balls: Otep proposes sex reassignment in response to gay marriage ban

Still pissing off the Christians: Black Sabbath guitarist undergoes stem-cell treatment on hand

Never trust the British music press: UK study suggests illegal downloaders buy more music

No thanks: Fall Out Boy drummer announces new hardcore band

More respect for cows than for women: Hardline band Vegan Reich reforming

Just in time for Christmas: Black metal documentary scheduled for December release

As Brian Cook mentioned in Today's Music News, Elton John be all sick and shit, so in case you hadn't figured it out, this week's dates at Key Arena have been postponed. The press release:

Seattle, WA - The Elton John / Billy Joel Face 2 Face concerts originally scheduled for Wednesday, November 4 and Saturday November 7 have both been postponed.

Promoter Live Nation and the KeyArena were informed by management today that Elton John has been advised by his doctor to postpone these performances due to a serious case of e-coli bacterial infection and influenza.

Organizers of the event are working to establish a new date. All patrons who have purchased tickets for the Face 2 Face concerts on Wednesday, November 4 and Saturday, November 7 at the Key Arena are being asked to hold on to their tickets until more information is available regarding the proposed rescheduled engagement.

Sub Pop Records and KEXP's Jon Kertzer (host of The Best Ambiance, which airs music from Africa and the Caribbean islands on Mondays 6 pm-9 pm) are partnering to form Next Ambiance, a world-music-oriented imprint. Its first release, Bassekou Kouyate & Ngoni ba’s I Speak Fula, will be available digitally Dec. 1; the CD comes out Feb. 2, 2010. You can catch the band opening for Béla Fleck at Triple Door March 16.

Respect to Sub Pop for expanding its horizons and disseminating music with which its main demographic likely isn't familiar. Kertzer should be an excellent curator for this new venture.

Press release after the jump.

Get well soon: Slayer cancel dates due to back injury

Get well eventually: Elton John recovering from e-coli and flu

Mo’ money, mo’ problems: Lil Wayne sued over sample use

Get Up Kids’ scheduling conflicts: New Spoon album announced

Put to rest: Armour For Sleep break up

Did he just mention Blood Circus?: Man accused of killing local sound engineer skips bail

Truckasaurs/Foscil drummer and Linda & Ron's Dad sample-maestro Tyler Swan has joined local dub punk band Flexions, adding some welcome live drum fury to the former duo's disquieting no-wave lurch (we'll all miss those preset organ beats, though). Here's some footage of the freshly-minted trio in NYC:

It's true. Lucero won't be playing the Crocodile tomorrow because the band is snowed in in Wyoming. Refunds are available at point of purchase.

More proof that Seattle's hiphop scene is in its moment, the CMJ's hiphop chart holds three works that were produced by locals artists: The Blue Scholar's Oof, which is at number 3; D.Black's Ali'yah, which is at 4; and the Physics' High Society, which is at 16.

The image of the Physics is from here.

Regarding the recent rumor about the Saturday Knights, Trent Moorman (a Stranger freelancer who sometimes drums for them live) reports that they are putting the band to bed, amicably. According to Moorman, Knights DJ Suspence (Spencer Manio) feels like the rap-rock-rap genre has run its course and he wishes to avoid being pigeonholed in it. With Barfly now living in Los Angeles, it seemed like a good time to cease TSK operations.

Suspence, says Moorman, is putting together a new project (as yet unnamed) that he envisions as being "Seattle's version of Tortoise" and striving to sound like a "live Madlib." The group will include drummers Moorman (Head Like a Kite) and Tyler Swan (Truckasauras, Foscil, Linda and Ron's Dad), guitarist Thomas Hunter (Wild Orchid Children, Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground), and bassist Johnny Horn (Wheedle's Groove, Satellite 4).

Moorman says that Suspence is going for a super-raw approach that will incorporate elements of hiphop (Swan will be providing loops and samples, in addition to his timekeeping duties; Moorman will use both a traditional kit and an electric one), psychedelia, and punk. Guest vocalists may be involved. Suspence is currently working on sketches of tracks, with plans to bring in his musicians to flesh out the sound. We'll keep you posted on developments.

Hope those Paramount Theater tickets are refundable: Morrissey released from hospital; no word on cause of collapse

So am I: Deceased singer’s estate upset over Sublime reunion

What you shouldn’t do if you’re in a pop punk band: Fall Out Boy to release greatest hits album

What you should do if you’re in a pop punk band: Blink 182 writes health care reform editorial for Huffington Post

Crabcore is cancer: Attack! Attack! vocalist leaves band

Attention vinyl nerds: The rarest Beatles record?

I suspect they used Sublime: Bands submit inquiries to find out if their music was used during Gitmo interrogations

Gotta protect that tour bus: Lil Wayne pleads guilty to gun charges

Like chocolate and peanut butter: Craig Finn co-writing screen version of Fargo Rock City

As if church wasn’t boring enough: Andrew Bird announces church tour

Too little, too late: Myspace updates music profiles’ dashboard features

Generating revenue in a communist country: Google launch free music service in China

RIP: Flowered Up singer Liam Maher passes

Do not RIP: Kanye West not dead, despite rumors

I’m sayin’ nay: Yeasayer announce new album

March on electric children: Blood Brothers’ last four albums reissued

Happiness is slavery: Trent Reznor got married

From the official press release:

Due to circumstances beyond our control, THE DAMNED regret to announce the cancellation of all of their October / Halloween U.S tour dates. As of today, the band’s U.S. Visas were still not approved, thus forcing the immediate cancellation of the entire tour. We are devastated to be disappointing our fans in the U.S. who wished to see us on this tour, and sympathize with all those who have made travel arrangements and other commitments. Refunds at point of purchase.

Only slightly cooler than capturing it on your cellphone: U2 to stream concert on YouTube

The next album is gonna blow: Amy Winehouse goes clean?

Scabs: Jay Reatard finds new backing band

RIP: Television sitcom jingle writer Vic Mizzy passes at 93

No thanks: Hole reunites

My annual salary: Puff Daddy loses $20,000 ring on BET

Reposted from Peter Hilgendorf's Facebook page:

Jupiter Recording Studio Robbed: Seattle area musicians and studio types- watch for someone trying to sell 2 Neumann M147s, 2 vintage AKG C414EBs, Royer R122, 2 Crown CM700s, Oktava ML52 Ribbon, Lots of SM57s and SM58s, AKG D12E, and a......... Mac G5, Radial J48 Active DI Box, Proco DI Box, ProTools 8 HD TDM Software. All stolen early today [Oct. 18] from Jupiter Studios in Wallingford. Please help spread the word.

UPDATE: From Jupiter owners Christian Fulghum and Martin Feveyear:

The Durn Good grocery store next door's security camera has caught some images of the guys carrying our gear around the corner- (both white, early-mid twenties, 1 wearing a peaked dark beanie cap with a dark ear to ear chin beard with no moustache, large parka style coat with dark top half of coat and tan/orange lower half of coat and sleeves, 2nd guy, dark windbreaker with hood, Possible black cap underneath, possible beard/ rough goatee, yellow shirt (or belt with black stripe through it. Both had back-packs see if that is any help.

Police report incident # is 09-367208

Any leads/info can be sent to jupiterstudios@qwestoffice.net; (206) 633-1363.

Nasty, put some clothes on: Malaysian Beyonce concert postponed due to Islamic protest

Songs about pudding: Bill Cosby releases hip hop album

Joan of Arc: Shakira attended UCLA in male disguise

Gotta go to work, gotta get a job: Mika Miko call it quits

We rock because it’s us against them: Against Me! wrap up new record

Dismemberment plan: Def Leppard cancels U.S. tour

Congrats to Seattle's Black Breath for signing to the prestigious Southern Lord label.

The Stranger's Jeff Kirby wrote this about Black Breath in 2007:

Black Breath are dirtbags. They drink a lot—most of them at least—and they will break your lawn furniture if you give them the chance. The grime that covers their existence comes through strongly in their music; it's like the perfect soundtrack to a case of Natty Ice and/or kicking a hole through somebody's door at a party. There's a definite Gummo element to this band, which can be frightening when forced upon you but strangely comforting when embraced. Don't be overly surprised during their set at Atlas if, without warning, shirtless men holding beers start wrestling a chair.

Black Breath play tonight at the Galway Arms and Fri. Nov. 27 at El Corazon with D.R.I. and Countdown to Armageddon.

Press release after the jump.

Well, duh: Judge determines that ringtones are not public performances

Zombie: The Cranberries are back from the dead

Not your pet: Jemina Pearl beats up guy in the audience

Radio radio: Senate Judiciary Committee approves bill to make radio pay royalties to performers

Our condolences: Opeth bus crash caused by suicidal driver