I was at this party. It was ok. I asked Nouriel which of the Ten Crack Commandments was his favorite - without missing a beat, he said, "Never sell no crack where you rest at."

Update: It's confirmed. Sabzi moved to the planet of Brooklyn.

The image, by Chase Jarvis, is from Sabzi's Myspace account.

One of the most popular indie rock rumor topics of this decade is the reformation of Pavement.

According to reliable sources, it's finally happening in 2010! There will be multiple, possibly four, nights of shows at NYC's Central Park Summerstage in September of that year. That could be part of a tour. That could be the end of a tour, the middle of a tour, or even the beginning of a tour, but it seems reasonable to speculate that they might make their official comeback at Coachella in April.

It's also time to start guessing who might be the big curator of September 2010's ATP NY festival (the job Flaming Lips had this year, and My Bloody Valentine the year before that). Might as well put Pavement high on the list of possibilities for that too.

Um...OMFG!?1! (The one time I was able to see Pavement was in the Key Arena at Bumbershoot one year, and because I was just a dumb kid I didn't know the band very well yet and I didn't pay nearly enough attention at the show—seriously crossing my fingers for this one.)

A woman from Fort Bend County, Texas is suing Wu-Tang Clan member Method Man, for alleging shooting her with a pellet gun as she sought at autograph after a concert with Redman at the House of Blues in Houston.

Method Man, born Clifford Smith, is accused of shooting a pellet gun at Mary Anderson from the window of his tour bus, as she sought an autograph.

In the lawsuit which was filed on Thursday (July 30) in the District Court of Harris County, Texas, Anderson claims she was struck at least six times in the chest and torso area and required medical attention after the incident.

We have a call into the venue's residents. Stay tuned for more info.

UPDATE: A Holy Mountain organizer responds: "None of what you wrote is true. I don’t know who you talked to. We don’t even really do shows anymore. The Liquor Control Board never visited us. For the last four or five shows that we did do, we didn’t allow smoking or alcohol inside at all. We're not sure whether we're going to do shows anymore."

I heard about the WSLCB's visit to Holy Mountain from three separate sources, none of whom hold any antagonism toward Holy Mountain. I have a call and an email in to the WSLCB and will report what I hear as soon as they respond.

Just a bit ago there was a scuffle at 10th and Pike that got scary. I was there. I saw a small group of guys fighting violently, though not well. I think there was a girl involved, I'm not sure. When I walked up there were people I know leaving. I had a look.

There was a dude in the street circling around another guy, both ethnicities unknown. The dude had a shaved head and a white T-shirt. They threw punches, but nothing stuck.

Someone else fell down. I saw someone pull something out, I'm not sure what. Then I heard what I thought at first were firecrackers. I looked back and noticed everyone was running, ducking, or both. I really don't think it was fireworks.

A girl screamed. Someone else yelled to "not let them go!"

Another guy was yelling, "That's it!? That's it!?"

A car came up. The dude jumped in the back as quickly as he could—the people in the back had to move over first, but not before the other fighter noticed.

The car peeled out while the fighter, who was very upset, chased after it as it turned left on Pike, heading South. A girl tried to restrain him. He relented to her pleas. I left.

A block down I found my ride. She was parked around the corner from the action. By the time we were at her car we saw three patrol cars at the intersection. She gave me a ride home down Broadway. On the ride back to my place we passed a few other cops. Their disco lights were blazing. Those police had pulled over several people but we couldn't definitely spot the car with the fighter or the runner or anyone else who was involved.

That's what I saw in about 15 minutes. I'm not saying it was a full-on shoot-out, but it's much closer than I thought I'd be in on a Monday night off.

Also, it occurs to me that between Murder City's unhinged set*, Of Montreal's always awesome queer minstrel show, NIN's aggresive angst, and Jane's Addiction's cock talk, there sure was some seriously weird jocko/homo-erotic tension in the air last night. What fun! [/Deep thoughts]

*Also, I love love love that MCD are fucking with shit, baiting the public, that their reunion is what it is, maybe even just a cash grab, that maybe it's as big of crowds as they've ever played to, and that they're still just lighting shit on fire, even if only just rhetorically these days. Moody is right: fuck you if you don't care what they care about—I'm not feeling cheated. (Also, also—sorry, I will stop after this one—Spencer Moody, pre-show, on whether or not he was excited for their set: "Meh, whatever. You know.")

...then apparently you might have heard a rumor that his reunited band Deranged Diction's show at the Crocodile tonight had been canceled (I hadn't). The Crocodile's Kerri Harrop wants you to know that this rumor is not true. Deranged Diction are indeed playing the Crocodile tonight. Now you know. In addition to the totally sweet Pearl Jam connection, they claim to be "Montana's first hardcore band." Here is what the flyer for tonight's 25th anniversary show looks like:

Update: I should really read Brian Cook's music news posts more thoroughly. My bad. Here's hoping Ament gets his backpack and passport back.

"Sunny Day Real Estate @ Bumbershoot? Fact or fiction?"

And that is all I know.

So. It could be absolutely false and I could be getting all excited about nothing. BUT! It could also be true! There have been rumors re: a Sunny Day reunion buzzing for awhile now... it's not completely out of the question, right? But I refuse to believe anything until Jeremy Enigk himself says it's happening. (I've learned from the past—remember when that Jawbreaker reunion was supposedly and absolutely going to happen? And what came of that, huh? NOTHING, that's what.)

I've e-mailed the folks at Bumbershoot to see what they have to say about it. In the meantime, I'm trying not to pee my pants.

UPDATE: Bumbershoot says "Rumors are rumors and alas, Sunny Day Real Estate is not currently confirmed for the Festival this year."

Nor are these images safe for work.

If it is safe for you to look at the images of Rihanna (or supposedly Rihanna) and Adrienne Bailon of the Cheetah Girls, two things can be compared: the rumps of the singers and their hotel rooms. In the first case, Adrienne's is more plump; in the second case, Rihanna's is more posh.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart—about whom I've breathlessly gushed here, here, and here—have announced some West Coast tour dates, "mysteriously" "not coming to Seattle" right around the weekend of Capitol Hill Block Party. "Full" tour dates below:

Apr 24 2009 American Legion Wallingford, Connecticut
Apr 25 2009 Risley Hall - Cornell University Ithaca, New York
Apr 26 2009 Iron Horse Hall Northampton, Massachusetts $
Apr 27 2009 The Bug Jar Rochester, New York
Apr 28 2009 Lee's Palace Toronto, Ontario %
Apr 29 2009 The Pike Room at Crofoot Pontiac, Michigan %
Apr 30 2009 Beachland Tavern - All Ages Cleveland, Ohio %
May 1 2009 The Summit Columbus, Ohio %
May 2 2009 The End Nashville, Tennessee %
May 3 2009 The Earl Atlanta, Georgia %
May 4 2009 Local 506 Chapel Hill, North Carolina %
May 5 2009 Talking Head Club Baltimore, Maryland %
May 6 2009 The Barbary (Early Show) Philadelphia, Pennsylvania%
May 7 2009 Champion Ship Lemoyne, Pennsylvania
May 12 2009 Bowery Ballroom New York, New York %
Jun 18 2009 Cake Shop New York, New York #
July 18 2009 Pitchfork Fest Chicago, Illinois
July 20 2009 The Echo Los Angeles, California *
July 21 2009 The Rickshaw Stop San Fransisco, California *
July 23 2009 Backspace Portland, Oregon *
July 24 2009 Biltmore Cabaret Vancouver, BC *

% = w/ Zaza
$ = w/ Ponytail
# = w/ Crystal Stilts
* = w/ Girls

Gee, I "wonder" where they'll be playing on Saturday the 25th?

Last night I watched the most recent episode of Tim and Eric with some friends and was completely baffled/impressed that they managed to convince Classical/Adult Contemporary artist Josh Groban to sing their impossibly stupid songs:

My mom LOVES Josh Groban. I think he has a nice voice, but never really appreciated the guy before this. "Wow, I think I like Josh Groban now," I said to my friend Rachelle. "Yeah, well, he's dating Katy Perry you know."

Erw. "Alright, not so much anymore."

This morning I checked up on the gossip, and, according to People Magazine (the world's most trusted source on unimportant crap, also a favorite of my Mom) Groban's PR people insist he is not dating Katy Perry, but they are close friends. Someone with enough time to post about it on whodatedwho.com interpreted the info this way:

They are very close friends, but not a couple = in PR language, they are sleeping together, but not officially boyfriend / girlfriend!!

Katy Perry is a heinous musician, pop cancer really, but her body is desirable. I would like to touch it. I can't fault Groban for getting to touch it, then denying it. I might do the same if I were him. So it's settled now. I still like Groban, as long as his relationship with Perry is limited strictly to her body and not her mind.

Hmmm...

Pelican is currently in Seattle, WA recording an EP that will be their first release on Southern Lord. The new material promises to be heavier, darker and very "riff-oriented" comments guitarist Trevor de Brauw. A very special guest guitarist who has been heavily influential to the band will be making a guest appearance...

Hmm.

Sasquatch will again be a three-day event. This year it will happen on May 23-25

The festival will again feature a comedy tent and that tent will serve a dual purpose.

The second purpose of the tent will be to act as a dance tent. Comedians will perform there during the day and at night you can get your groove on while dancing in the tent (can you say U.S.E. and Truckasaurus?)

The lineup will be announced on Feb. 17

Animal Collecitve and the Decemberists are almost certainly playing the fest; additional rumored performers include Peter Bjorn and John, Monotonix, Neko Case, Grizzly Bear, and others.

Here's hoping things get mixed up in that comedy/dance tent, such that we get to see David Cross DJ and Truckasauras tell jokes.

(ht nick)

Not as exciting to my mind as Animal Collective, but the Decemberists' just announced tour dates have a suspicious Memorial Day Weekend gap between Eugene, Or and Missoula, MT:

The Decemberists’ confirmed Spring 2009 tour dates are as follows:

May 19 Hollywood Palladium Los Angeles, CA
May 20 Fox Theatre Oakland, CA
May 21 McDonald Theater Eugene, OR
May 24 Wilma Theatre Missoula, MT
May 26 Fillmore Auditorium Denver, CO
May 27 Uptown Theater Kansas City, MO
May 29 Riverside Theater Milwaukee, WI
May 31 The Pageant St. Louis, MO
June 1 Lifestyle Communities Pavilion Columbus, OH
June 3 Tabernacle Atlanta, GA
June 4 Memorial Auditorium Raleigh, NC
June 5 The National Richmond, VA
June 6 Tower Theatre Upper Darby, PA
June 9 Bank of America Pavillion Boston, MA
June 10 Radio City Music Hall New York, NY
June 11-14 Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival Manchester, TN

Their new album The Hazards of Love is out March 24th.

Hullo!

So, I went to the (truly insane and heart-swelling) Dept of Eagles show at Neumo's tonight (sang along and bought a Tee) and a couple people said something about hearing we signed to Virgin Records and they are reissuing a "special edition" of the CD LP. This is false. I think a Seattle Weekly blog post started this fire, which I will now extinguish, with this statement - "Fleet Foxes will never, ever, under no circumstances, from now until the world chokes on gas fumes, sign to a major label. This includes all subsidiaries or permutations thereunder. Till we die."

I just don't see the point. Most major labels seem anti-music. We've pursued no such deal with Virgin (or been pursued to my knowledge, I think it was just a bit of news they reported) and would be idiots to be unhappy with our fam of label folks. It is true though that all copies of the CD LP will now include a free copy of the EP (like it is currently with the vinyl), but that's not a "special limited edition," it'll be that way in perpetuity, no extra cost or packaging change.

That's all! Also I cut all my hair off.
Robin

That incendiary Weekly blog post can be found here.

Update: It occurs to me, mightn't Sub Pop being partially owned (49% share) by Warner Bros technically fall under the rubric of "all subsidiaries or permutations thereunder"? Just wondering.

Well, I heard a rumor that the film is based on Al Burian's great old zine, Burn Collector.

Next up: Cometbus, the HBO original series? Dr. Frank's MRR: The Musical? The Punk Planet Monologues? Days of War, Nights of Love for Xbox 360?

Whatever, I am actually 100% stoked for this should it turn out to be true.

Notice a Memorial Day weekend gap on this leg of Animal Collective's just announced world tour dates:

05-20 Minneapolis, MN - First Avenue
05-24 Vancouver, British Columbia - Commodore Ballroom
05-25 Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
05-26 Oakland, CA - Fox Theatre

Whoo!

When police arrived, the report says, Neumos security staff had Ty Finnan and Nathan Quiroga—who perform under the names Darwin and Buffalo Madonna—pinned to the ground.

Neumos security staff told officers that Finnan and Quiroga had been removed from the club and had repeatedly tried to reenter. Each time, the report says, Finnan and Quiroga had been turned away until security staff were forced to "physically restrain them" from entering the venue.

When things got physical, the report says Finnan and Quiroga took one of the bouncers to the ground and began hitting him with their fists and elbows, gashing the security guard's left cheek.

After police took Finnan and Quiroga in to custody outside the bar, officers told another member of Mad Rad who was at the scene—Peter Robinson, who performs under the name P Smoov—to leave.

The report says Robinson was "extremely intoxicated" and refused to leave. When an officer attempted to escort Robinson to his patrol car, Robinson "went limp and refused to walk."

Officers were able to get Robinson to the hood of a patrol car, but eventually had to put him on the ground and handcuff him to keep him from moving, the report says.

All three men were arrested and spent the night in King County Jail.

Finnan and Quiroga have been charged with assault while Robinson has apparently entered a pretrial diversion program to avoid obstruction and trespassing charges.

Things aren't looking good for Mad Rad right now. They've apparently been banned from Neumos, Chop Suey and the Showbox, and according to another club security staff member, Mad Rad may have also been banned from King Cobra and Havana. The group may also no longer be playing the Obama Inauguration show at the War Room next week, although the War Room's website still lists them on the bill.

Management at the clubs could not be reached for confirmation.

(Sorry, TV)