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Could it be true… has James Murphy reached the end of the line with his trailblazing live band project LCD Soundsystem? If comments their guitarist Al Doyle made to BBC 6 in the UK recently are to be believed, the band is now “on permanent hold”. It was only a few weeks ago that Murphy – the LCD project’s oft-admired frontman and the brains behind the DFA label – made public his intentions of making a вЂ?classic rock’ album, and Doyle has now added further fuel to the fires of speculation.
(More about International News: LCD Soundsystem “on permanent hold”…)

Currently on the promo trail for their new live DVD/album A Cross The Universe, French electro fiends Justice have made a rather frank – and quite possibly costly – admission in an interview with MTV… They didn’t clear all the samples included on their 2007 debut album †! “If you listen to Genesis, the first track [on †, there are samples of Slipknot, Queen and 50 Cent,” Xavier de Rosnay asserted boldly.
(More about International News: Justice confess to stealing samples…)

We’re off to Basel, Switzerland to bring you the album Wasted Time by Appearance Of Nothing. They were formed back in the last century as No Thanx by guitarist and singer Pat Gerber and drummer Yves Luthi.

Following some line up changes, they morphed into Appearance Of Nothing adding bass player Omar Cuna, guitarist Peter Berger, and the keyboards of Marc Petralito. A demo release Behind Closed Doors appeared in 2006 with Pat Gerber covering vocals.

(More about Music Review: Appearance Of Nothing - Wasted Time…)

A sure sign that Christmas is approaching is the sudden proliferation of coffee table books on the market. As sure as holly and mistletoe, each book publisher can be counted on to have one, if not two, of these extravagances available at this time of year. With subject matter ranging from antique farm implements to celebrity photo spreads, the coffee table book is usually long on glossy photos and short on text, hence the name "coffee table book"; its meant to be ostentatiously placed on your coffee table for bored family and friends to leaf through when they have nothing better to do during holiday visits.
(More about Book Review: The Clash by The Clash (Strummer, Jones, Simonon, & Headon)…)

The Hop Farm festival, the Kent bash which had Neil Young, Primal Scream and Supergrass among the acts when it debuted last July, has had expansion plans rejected by the Tonbridge and Malling Borough Council. Organisers had hoped to extend the event from a one-day festival to a three-day bash in 2009 with camping for the first time, increasing the capacity to 53,000.
(More about Hop Farm festival expansion plans rejected…)

And the award for вЂ?most obvious claim of 2008’ goes to… Kanye West! You’ve gotta love him, as once again the rap superstar with a penchant for the vocoder has lived up to his charming and outspoken reputation. In an interview with UK tabloid The Sun, Kanye intimated the recent MTV Europe Music Awards were rigged. No way! Kanye picked up the Ultimate Urban prize at the awards, which took place in Liverpool last week.
(More about International News: Kanye says MTV Awards were rigged…)

Straight out of Crown Heights, Brooklyn, Ruste Juxx is hoping his debut LP will crack the pavement with his resilient rhymes and diligent style. Having toiled in the underground for years, Juxx is banking on Indestructible as the zenith of his hard work and the genesis of his career as an authoritative, powerful solo artist.

With Sean Price on board as executive producer, Ruste Juxx has constructed a debut that is vigorous if not a bit patchy, smooth if not a bit basic, and taut if not somewhat plain.

Some might know Ruste Juxx from Sean Price’s pair of solo records, Monkey Barz and Jesus Price Supastar.

(More about Music Review: Ruste Juxx - Indestructible…)

Before Destiny's Child called on men to "say [their] name" or TLC announced their distaste for "scrubs," Labelle exemplified the true meaning of "independent women." Unquestionably, every contemporary female R&B trio has been influenced by their style — whether they know it or not — and a cursory listen to Labelle's catalog reveals a smorgasbord of musical gems, which have served as inspiration for 702, SWV, Total, and Brownstone.
(More about Interview: Labelle (Sarah Dash, Nona Hendryx and Patti LaBelle) - R&B’s Pioneering Female Trio…)

FOX’s hit dramedy Bones offers much in the way of entertainment for its weekly viewers, and one of the bright spots is the music, which often takes center stage. So it’s no wonder that the Bones Soundtrack is chock full of a variety of interesting songs, ranging from electronica, to remakes and remixes, to uplifting ballads, to unique songs written specifically for the show.

The soundtrack itself, as well as the show, is kicked off with Crystal Method’s original score, “Bones Theme”, a catchy, pulsing piece that captures the energy of the show.

(More about Music Review: Bones Soundtrack…)

On Tuesday night in Tempe, the “Bitch Went Nutz,” but at least she managed to give Ben Folds back that black t-shirt he’s been pining for since “Song for the Dumped.”   

When word leaked that Folds would be hitting the stage at 7:45 — seventy-five minutes after the show began with an ASU Homecoming announcement and brief set by local Phoenix band, Reuben’s Accomplice — the low-key atmosphere of ASU’s beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Gammage Auditorium turned to fidgeting excitement as anticipation began to seep through the crowd.   

Teasing us with contradictory audible foreplay, the first sign that the mood was about to change was with the eerily recorded sound of a strange, near yogi-like chant of a low-pitched guttural “om.”

Rather than calming us down into meditative submission, though, Folds rushed out with his band and launched into “Way to Normal,” eliciting screams so loud it was evident that he (and not the audience) would set the tone — and define what "normal" would mean — for roughly the next two hours.  Lucky for us as well as Folds, who seemed genuinely thrilled to have the continual “gig playing for smart-ass college kids," "normal" has always meant something very, very different than the Webster's definition.

(More about Concert Review: Ben Folds, 11/11/08, at Gammage Auditorium in Tempe, AZ…)