Short Handed

New video from Camera Obscura: "French Navy" off the upcoming release My Maudlin Career due sometime in April on 4AD.

Daytrotter session with Those Darlins.

Idolator report on Guy Hands and his depature from CEO chair of Terra Firma.

GVB: Gorilla vs. Booze SXSW showcase preview.

New video from the Veils via Stereogum: "The Letter" off Sun Gangs (4/7 on Rough Trade)

Pete Seeger, 90th B-Day special at MSG May 3 via Billboard.

Pop & Hiss SXSW photos and bullshit approximately.

Relix Update

As things seem to be progressing rather quickly with this story, Relix editor Josh Baron earlier commented to Idolator that the mag will indeed keep publishing. From our sources, we are still hearing news to the contrary, in the form that Relix will only print one more issue. The world continues to wait on its heels.

Yo-Yo No! They Weren't Playing!

(Regular photo courtesy of Idolator)

The Inauguration was a fraud.

It took Obama two tries to get sworn in and now we find out that Yo-Yo and crew pulled an Ashlee Simpson. That's right, they weren't actually playing on Tuesday afternoon; it was too cold. Idolator reports: "Truly, weather just made it impossible,” inaugural flack Carole Florman told The New York Times. “No one’s trying to fool anybody. This isn’t a matter of Milli Vanilli." Well I guess we didn't want President Obama closing his eyes in music-induced euphoria, to out of tune instruments; so why not just fake it. So they did.

Pussycat Doll Allegedly Dubs Lightspeed Champion "Hot"

We came across this story as we were checking the morning's hot sheets. Devon Hynes a.k.a Lightspeed Champion claims via his blog, that Nicole "Biatch"/Scherzinger of the Pussycat Dolls, made reference to his good looks on "Grims show." Below is the story as reported by Blurt Online:
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"During a slow news day yesterday in England, reporters at the NME, trolling for something, anything to write about, discovered that indiepop pet rock Lightspeed Champion had been blogging about how there might be some "romance in [the] air for him and one of the Pussycat Dolls." Apparently Mr. Champion (that's Dev Hynes to Ma and Pa Champion) heard through the grapevine that the Dolls' resident diva-in-waiting, Nicole Scherzinger, saw a L.S. video and declared him to be "real hot."

Well, that does indeed sound like cupid has been bowing a few arrows, now, doesn't it! Of course, Scherzinger might also view a stove with a kettle boiling on the top and determine it to be "real hot" as well, so one must be very, very careful when affairs of the heart are mixed up with basic language semantics. Scherzinger is currently dating a Formula One racing champ, Lewis Hamilton."

Dev's blog post/Idolator side story continued after the jump.

"I woke up.. My phone had a text.."

"One of the pussycat dolls fancies you... jkz.".... I replied straight away... "erm, what?!!?""Get on Ichat was the response".

"The dolls were on grims show... and there was a video question from you or some shit. Then after the video that nicole biatch asked who you were. So grim said and she said ‘he's real hot.'"

"A week or so ago i had to give a question for them to answer on the uk music show "Sounds" presented by Grimshaw and Annie Mac... needless to say, this was a good way to wake up.."

SIDE STORY: "Her Name Is Nicole" Exists, Sort Of

Gawker Media to Sell Sites

On Monday, Gawker Media announced the sale of three sites, including Gawker music blog Idolator. The site will join ex-rival Stereogum, at Buzznet, which is a musically-focused social networking site that doesn’t like to adhere to the “social network” label. Buzznet may or may not be trying to orchestrate a mass grab of existing music blogs.

In a widely circulated internal email announcing the sale, Gawker publisher and acting managing editor Nick Denton said simply, “Why these three sites? To be blunt: they each had their editorial successes; but someone else will have better luck selling the advertising than we did.”

Fair enough — Idolator was one of Gawker’s two poorest performers and the sale was first rumored late last year. Denton further noted, “…We've been waiting for the internet bubble to burst. No, really, this time. And even if not, better safe than sorry; and better too early than too late.”

Denton’s reasoning seems sound and his conclusion logical, but it begs all kinds of questions about the future of new media and Internet advertising. According to a New York Times article published last November, ad spending on social networking sites is growing rapidly and expected to continue. These issues are bound to be explored further in the coming weeks as rumors of a Yahoo-AOL deal continue to swirl in the wake of other high-profile acquisitions, like News Corp’s purchase of MySpace. The underlying point seems to be that no one quite has this game figured out yet, and in the face of widespread-financial uncertainty, Denton’s circumspect decision to enter “the bunker” may prove a wise one.

Reference:

CNET

AlleyInsider.com

- Ashley Herriman (guest contributor to Stark)