Music

NBC announced that the White Stripes, who haven’t performed together since 2007, will return to Late Night for a special Conan O’Brien send-off show.

The Stripes have made appearances on Conan several times in the past, including a week-long stint in 2003, and even included the show in Michel Gondry’s music video for hit single–The Denial Twist–from their album–Get Behind Me Satan–as seen below.

GHETTO–late December 30th two men wielding automatic weapons entered the home of teeny-bop rapper Soulja Boy and robbed him of his oversize clothing.

Though no one was injured, the masked bandits got away with XXXL t-shirts and shants worth an estimated $47 and an unknown amount in KFC gift cards and New Era caps.

Mr. Boy was shaken up when we spoke with him about the attack but managed a bit of humor, commenting:

“Lucky fa dem I keep the labelz on ma lidz so dey can jus go return um to Foot Locker and do pretty good fu dem sels.”

In an online video released the next day, two masked men dressed in clothing similar to what was stolen claimed responsibility for the attack.

Universal City Walk has water fountains that kids run through with their friends, trying not to get hit by the jets of water that eject through small holes in the ground. It’s fun for the kids–but for Yang, a 19 year-old college student–fun can’t explain her experience in August of 2007.

Yang was at the town square in the Henan Province of China watching the musical fountain show with some friends, dancing around the light bursts of water and enjoying herself when from below her a jet erupted, projecting her above the heads of her friends.

When she landed, Yang was bleeding profusely and her energy succumbed to extreme stomach pains–her friends called for help and she was immediately taken to the hospital for treatment. The doctor explained that her vagina had been torn and her intestines had been damaged by the pressure of the water fountain–damage that would take three surgeries over a seven month span to correct.

Though her scars will be with her for life, she believes suing for $24,500 will help reconcile her poor decision making.

(News Source)

This story makes less sense than Tom Cruise marrying a woman. According to abc news:

“A Senegalese man in his 70s opened fire on a rap group, injuring four of them, during a live show because he thought they were making fun of him in their song titled “Angry Old Man,” reports said.

The band members and a fifth injured person, a female fan attending the concert, were taken to hospital to be treated, according to widespread reports in the Senegalese media.

The shooting spree occurred near Matam in northern Senegal during a song entitled Vieux Colereux (Angry Old Man), the reports said.

Rap is very popular in Senegal, especially among young people.”

A shooting at a rap concert–no big deal. An old man at a rap concert that shoots the band not because he’s got a personal vendetta against rap music, but because he takes personal offense to one of the songs he paid money to hear performed–raises eyebrows.

The paradox is that the old man took offense to something he could have detached himself from by not shooting everyone. If Tom Cruise were at a rap show and the group began a song called ‘pedophile white boy’ no one would have connected Tom with the song. But if when the track began Tom reached down and pet’ five little boys as if he were a member of the Catholic Church and not the Church of Scientology, eyebrows would raise.

The old man controlled his own fate. Just don’t shoot anyone next time and you’ll prove, if only to yourself, that you’re not the ‘angry old man’ the song references. Simple as that.

LOS ANGELES – In a day where the so-called “greatest” bands consists of a bunch of 8 year old bubble gum stars (yes that includes you Good Charlotte), it’s refreshing to see that at least a few people get it. Take The Pacific, a local Los Angeles band that pushes their ideals of rock’n'roll in every way of life.

Amidst all the bopper-beatsy garbage, these guys aren’t trying to write gimmicky songs with catchy techno-pop phrases, but instead they are influenced by the classics: The Beatles, The Stone Roses, Primal Scream, Oasis, and The Libertines to name a few.

If you love music and hate MTV garbage pop, check out this piece done by filmmaker Steve Lee (bionicpix.com) in support of The Pacific’s recent release Smoke and Mirrors available on Itunes.

Video courtesy of Vimby