The Bird, clad in a thick headband and sixties style mini-dress, and the Bee, decked out in a three piece suit, look for all the world in album and promotional pictures as if they are single-handedly trying to bring back the glory of bygone days. One might be surprised to realize that their fresh sound is concocted almost exclusively by cutting edge software and keyboards. As the quaint yet saucy double entrende of the band's name suggests, the newest album from The Bird and the Bee, Ray Guns are Not Just the Future, presents a wonderfully peculiar juxtaposition of cheery retro melodies dressed in an irresistibly fresh and modern dance beat. This sort of conflation is to be expected from the band who's arguably hit song made a four letter word a term of endearment sweetly asking if “…you'd be my f* boyfriend?” For all their retro appeal, when professional vocalist Inara George and producer/musician Greg Kurstin assume the stage in a live concert they are all modern; their music flows from cords and metallic sources that only barely, or even not at all, resemble the instrumental sounds educed from them. Their only props are a microphone and sparingly used bass guitar for George, and just a keyboard for Kurstin though one assumes a computer is nestled somewhere within reach. With these few apparatus they concoct a sound that evokes a full band or orchestra with sounds ranging from tambourine to harp and everything in between. Eluding categories as any innovative band should, dichotomously labeled both Indie pop and Electronica in an iTunes genre field, their sound might best be described as a foundation of trip hop swayed by geographic and historical influences. Bossanova, 50's girl band, and Asian pop reminiscences are set to dance club beats. This synthetic magic is due, in some to degree, to many years of experience on the part of Kurstin who has worked with (though not by any means adopted the styles of) such diverse names as Flaming Lips, Lily Allen, Beck, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Rilo Kiley, Kylie Minogue, Britney Spears, Pink, Nelly Furtado, and Ben Harper, among many others. Kurstin is a well-reputed innovator among producers but his work with the Bird and the Bee shows how truly talented he is when given free reign. His sounds are catchy yet complex, dropping layers to showcase a triangle solo then catching back up to the beat. Inara George's airy vocals, supported by a scant bass line, seem an effluence of light innocence, irrespective of how saucy, sweet, or stern the words she sings might actually be. Her lyrics are neither poetic nor commonplace, they play more with the beat than with the universal feelings of love and social interactions that they address. Quaintly crooning “My clown, let me love you” on the track “My Love” she then switches tones for the “Lifespan of a Fly” eerily whispering “My children, you are not alone.” Her lyrics stop just short of taking themselves too seriously, adeptly mimicking the trademarks of the accompanying melodies- easy to listen to without ever boring. Previous albums have garnered praise based on the duo's irresistibly catchy melodies, George's impeccably pitched vocals, and an infectiously optimistic mix of new and old sensibilities captured in sound. Ray Guns are Not Just the Future delivers the same winning suite yet again making it a listen unlikely to disappoint anyone who enjoys tapping their toes.

There's been a trend in recent years to sentimentalize nature and smooth out her rough edges to make her into something people can use as a relaxation tool. Walk into even drug stores these days and you're liable to find some sort of CD listening booth advertising titles offering you relief from stress through the soothing sounds of the natural world. You can buy anything from the sounds of a forest coming awake in the morning to the restful sounds of a gentle tide breaking on the beach. Those relaxation recordings have as little to do with the natural world as a sitcom has to do with the human world. Just like real people don't act anything like what we see on the television, nature isn't the collection of soothing sounds that they make her out to be. We only need to listen to the reality of the element, water, they make the most use of for these CDs to understand how far removed from reality they really are. Thankfully, there now exist people fascinated by the real sounds of nature who are willing to go to great lengths to capture them on tape and create recordings that remind us that this force can create a tsunami as easily as a gentle breeze on a summer's day. Norwegian sound artist Jana Winderen creates soundscapes from recordings that she has made with specially designed microphones of rivers in China, far beneath the surface of the North Sea, and crevices that run into the hearts of icebergs. Touch Music has now released her first full length solo CD, Heated, a record of a performance she gave in October 2008 in Tokyo. According to the credits on the disc the source material used for this show was gathered with various types of hydrophones and microphones in Greenland, Iceland, and Norway. Believe me when I tell you, listening to this disc is unlike anything you're likely to have experienced ever before. For those of you expecting to hear something along the lines of the delicate sounds of raindrops plopping onto leafs, you'll be sorely disappointed. This is a world of mysterious groans, squeaks, and loud unearthly growls, as Winderen's microphones pull sounds from depths beneath the ice pack in the frozen north. For twenty-six plus minutes she plays back sounds that are so alien to our ears that they could be from another planet. Of course when you think about it they are, for when was the last time you went for a walk either inside a glacier or in the depths of the North Sea? After, what is to a non Japanese speaking audience a meaningless introduction by Tetsuro Yasunaga, Winderen's recordings begin and we are immediately plunged into a world populated by noises that few of us could have ever imagined existed. The initial reaction is to try and find your bearings by searching for some sort of identifiable sound that you can hold onto - something we can use to get our bearings with. The trouble is that each time we might think something sounds familiar, the lapping of waves for instance, it changes and we are left floating without any idea of where we are or which way we are pointed.page 1 | 2

There were plenty of great concert DVDs released in 2008, and many of them I just haven't had a chance to review yet. David Gilmour's Live At Gdansk is missing from my list since it is essentially the same show that I reviewed on last year's Remember That Night DVD, which made the top of my 2007 list. Wondering where the Rolling Stones' Shine A Light DVD is? Just hasn't really compelled me to buy it yet. Maybe it's because I am still making my way through all 900 hours of The Biggest Bang. Iron Maiden's Live After Death and Thin Lizzy's Live And Dangerous finally got their due transfers to DVD in 2008, but I chose to limit this list to previously unreleased material. The Who's Live At Kilburn is an essential addition to any Who fan's collection, for historical reasons alone, but it was not exactly the band's finest hour. Now let's get to who did make the cut: 1. Genesis - When In Rome: Back in 2005, the quintessential Genesis lineup of Peter Gabriel, Steve Hackett, Tony Banks, Mike Rutherford, and Phil Collins met to discuss performing a limited run of live shows that would feature The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. The plan died soon after it was hatched, thanks to some Peter Gabriel scheduling conflicts. Newsflash, Peter - most people would rather see you fronting Genesis again, than catch another one of your stupid solo tours. Okay, I love solo Peter Gabriel as much as anybody, but come on, my man! The clock is ticking. This didn't stop the And Then There Were Three lineup of Collins, Rutherford, and Banks however, who after a 10-year hiatus decided that "you know, maybe we all could use another bazillion dollars", and then embarked on the most extravagant Genesis tour to date. Filmed in front of an enormous crowd of nearly 500,000 people at Rome's Circo Massimo, When In Rome brilliantly captures this amazing tour in all its glory. And they finally did some old-school Genesis songs justice too. 2. Rush - Snakes & Arrows Live: Oh brother, not another Rush DVD you say? Well, I say BRING IT ON! Rush followed up their two-year Snakes & Arrows tour with their finest concert DVD to date. Production-wise, they finally get everything right. Incredible sound, perfect video, and some awesome camera work put you right in the middle of the show. And for three guys who are all pushing 60 years of age, Rush can still churn out a live performance to make all of the young punks bury their heads in shame. With over three hours of jaw-dropping live performances, Snakes & Arrows Live is easily one of the best concert DVDs of the year.

The Whigs, famous indie-rockers, have launched a tour in 2009 to promote their latest album ‘Mission Control.’ The tour began Jan 15 at Athens, GA and hits 17 cities before winding up on March 14 at St. Louis, MO. It visits cities like East Lansing, MI; New York, NY; Philadelphia, PA; Detroit, MI and Chicago, IL. Their performances include support from the band Drive By Truckers on Jan 15 for the Athens, GA show. All other shows in the month of January are accompanies by the band Kings of Leon. All the shows in March are solo performances by The Whigs. The recently released album Mission Control has been produced by Rob Schnapf (Elliot Smith, The Vines) and has been released on ATO Records, which also released their previous venture “Give ‘em All a Fat Lip.” The song “Right Hand on My Heart,” from this album is available at the band’s website. The Whigs 2009 Tour Dates 01/26/2009 - East Lansing, MI - Wharton Center at MSU (w/ Kings of Leon) 01/27/2009 - Columbus, OH - Lifestyle Communities Pavilion (w/ Kings of Leon) 01/29/2009 - New York, NY - Madison Square Garden (w/ Kings of Leon) 03/04/2009 - Washington, DC - Black Cat 03/05/2009 - Philadelphia, PA - The Note 03/06/2009 - Boston, MA - Paradise 03/07/2009 - New York, NY - Bowery Ballroom 03/09/2009 - Columbus, OH - The Basement 03/10/2009 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick 03/12/2009 - Indianapolis, IN - Birdy’s 03/13/2009 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge 03/14/2009 - St. Louis, MO - Fubar

Inside the cover of his latest album, Vicious Country, Popa Chubby tells us how both he and Galea felt when standing on the very spot where Elvis stood in the legendary Sun Studios. He then goes on to explain his aims for the album. “Vicious Country is born and you are welcome to come visit. This is music to listen to, and enjoy, so sit back, light up, and rock out to Vicious Country.” Well Popa, I’m afraid I can only do four out of five of those things. Sit back? Are you crazy? Sitting back is the one thing you can’t do to a Popa Chubby album. Suddenly your feet become possessed with the spirit of dead tap dancers, and before you know it, you are jiving around like that sad uncle at a wedding. Ted Horoeitz was born in 1960 and brought up in the Bronx. He spent most of that time listening to the juke box playing the hits from the late fifties. It clearly left a lasting impression on him. When he was seven, his dad took him to Madison Square Garden where he saw an oldies show, the star of which was Chuck Berry. That was the defining moment. Many years later, after working with several groups, the Popa Chubby Band was formed. He took the title from the song of the same name. He says, on his Myspace page, “it basically means to get excited. The core of my music is about excitement. I think music should make people feel alive.” Since then Popa Chubby has been touring and releasing album after album. His work rate is phenomenal. He has carved out a huge following in Europe whilst maintaining his influence on the blues scene in New York. His musical style is on the edge blues where it often ‘high fives’ with rock, rap, and hip hop. Following on from last year’s highly successful Deliveries After Dark, comes Vicious Country. There are covers of some of the songs that have inspired him, along with Popa and Galea originals. At times there is enough energy to power your neighbourhood. Bass and vocals are added of course by Galea, drums by Steve Holley, some wonderful steel comes from Claude Langlois, and then there’s the country fiddle of Doug Moody, and not forgetting the keys of Dave – yep — Keyes. The album opens with a glorious romp through a scene setting version of Gene Vincent (and Tex Davis’) “Race With The Devil”. Next up on the Popa jukebox comes “Six Days On The Road”, written by Earl Green, and Carl Montgomery, a track that includes some great slide and trademark Popa guitar breaks. No one is sitting back after an opening like this.

When I first started my favorite albums of 2008 list, I didn't realize how difficult it would be. How difficult was it? Well, my list of honorable mentions has eight albums on it and there are three EP's I would include if this were not a list of albums. I also did not properly listen to some great 2007 releases until 2008. Thus, in the spirit of those re-releases record companies love, this is a Deluxe Edition of my favorite albums of 2008 list and is full of extras. As always, this list isn't ranked. Everything is presented in alphabetical order by artist name. Now, my 10 favorite albums of 2008: Black Milk – Tronic: I first noticed this producer/rapper from Detroit with an Internet release (see honorable mentions below) that came before this commercially released album. I didn't hear this album until only a month before 2008 ended but it left an impression on me. The production is top-notch, the lyrics pretty strong, and the guest appearances (what few there are) are solid. It's a great hip-hop album that deserves your attention. Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends: The best way for me to describe this album is audio comfort food. Excellent production, wonderful melodies, and pretty good songwriting lead to a very enjoyable album. From the celebratory atmosphere of “Viva La Vida” to the infectious beat of “Lost!” and the beauty of “Lovers in Japan,” there is a lot to like. While it may be reminiscent of a certain Irish rock band, I'd rather they acknowledge their influences instead of over thinking their music to mush. Girl Talk – Feed The Animals: It takes a lot of talent and skill to take artists as diverse as The Jackson Five, Lil Wayne, Nirvana, and The Beach Boys (among countless others) and merge them together into a great party album that's part mix and part mash-up. No matter what genre you enjoy most, there is something to like here. You'll never think of your favorite songs the same way after you finish listening to this. Gnarls Barkley – The Odd Couple: Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse's follow-up to St. Elsewhere doesn't have an instant crossover hit like “Crazy.” Instead, this album is a richer experience overall. Whether it's the haunting “Who's Gonna Save My Soul,” or the upbeat craziness of “Run,” there is just so much good stuff to be found here. While it's more of a pop album than their last one, it gets better with every listen.

“Mad Men” star Elisabeth Moss and “Saturday Night Live” castmember Fred Armisen are engaged. The actress confirmed the news to USAweekend.com. “It happened a few days ago,” Moss told the Web site during an interview about her SAG nomination. “It’s private, so I don’t want to share the details of how it happened, but I will say it was perfect.” During the interview, Moss had to correct herself about her new status with Armisen, saying, “… actually, now fianc$#233;.” The couple has managed to stay under the radar until last week, when they were spotted getting romantic together at Vanity Fair’s “Mad Men” party at L.A.’s Chateau Marmont, reports TVGuide.com. TVGuide.com also reports that in a recent interview, Armisen talked about hanging out with his girlfriend “Lizzie” backstage at the production of “Speed-the-Plow,” the play Moss currently stars in. Moss also recently made an appearance on “SNL,” when her “Mad Men” co-star Jon Hamm hosted. “I love that I get to be in New York. I moved to New York at 19 because I wanted to do theater,” Moss explained to USAweekend.com. “I ended up doing more TV and films and went back and forth between New York and L.A., so this is a kind of a lucky happenstance.”

For the mere act of transporting us from shore to shore we can thank Carnival Cruise Lines. But for making this cruise a special cruise, about you and me and the music, and not just an ordinary cruise, we have to thank Simple Man Cruise. And for the money they’re laying down to charter this wonderful cruise, we have to thank Sixthman. This cruise turned out to be four days of nonstop music and sun and fun. I even told my editors I’d need a week to recuperate when I got back. They thought I was joking! Obviously these wankers have never been on one of the Simple Man Cruises. Billed as the Simple Man 2009 Cruise, it was hosted by Lynyrd Skynyrd. We were due to cast off at 1600 hours, and when we weighed anchor it was to the sound of music on the Lido Deck. But you could hear the music from anywhere on the ship, as long as you were outside. And who wants to be inside on a cruise? Four days of maximum sun is the sure cure for four months of snow up to your ass. Four days on a cruise should rate two weeks to recuperate. There are times when men and women in combat will go for three, sometimes four days without a break, without sleep. To think that your body is moving for that long with little or no rest is scary! Even without the combat. After the third day I had to be reminded to take it a little easier. And what was reminding me was my whole body: It was tired. Beyond tired. But don’t pity me. It’s like the old guy with a 25-year-old hottie, it took three undertakers to get the smile off his face. I’m gonna come right out and say it, people. This Lynyrd Skynyrd Simple Man Cruise was just phenomenal. Phenomenal that Simple Man Cruise arranged the perfect weather. Phenomenal that Simple Man lined up the perfect music Obviously, Lynyrd Skynyrd were the stars of the show, but lemme tell ya, straight up, they had to work to keep their star billing. The other acts were breathing down Skynyrd’s neck the entire time. “No prisoners!” was their war cry. Any band that slowed down the chase would have footprints up their back and down their front. Somebody asked me as we were leaving the Marshall Tucker performance, “Who’s your favorite on the cruise?” I told her, “Marshall Tucker!” The next day, as we were coincidentally at the Oakhurst performance, she asked the same question, and I replied, “Oakhurst!”page 1 | 2

The Pussycat Dolls have made a career out of the lethal combination of barely there costumes, big hair and lots of makeup. And seeing them decked out on the set of their new music video for “Bottle Pop,” it is clear that they want the look to illustrate the song they describe as “freaky fun.” “We’re really excited to be doing our new single, ‘Bottle Pop,’ a.k.a. ‘Booty Pop’ or ‘Booby Pop’ — just joking,” Nicole Scherzinger told MTV News about the clip for the second single off their album Doll Domination. “It’s such a hot song for the clubs. The Pussycat Dolls are all about busting out a move.” Scherzinger added that since the song is “all about dance” and by trade the Dolls are all dancers, the video for “Bottle Pop” will follow suit. “It’s gonna be so much fun. … It’s gonna be a dance video,” she revealed. “Obviously, you can tell by our wardrobe, it’s going to be very colorful and fun … freaky fun! You guys are going to be wanting to pop some bottles after this one.” The video shoot for “Bottle Pop” kicks off a very busy year for the Dolls, who have already begun one of their two tours this year. On January 18, PCD hit the road in Europe with Lady Gaga for their Doll Domination Tour. “Lady Gaga is a friend of ours — we’re on the same [record label],” Scherzinger said. “And she totally inspires us at the same time.” When that tour comes to an end, PCD will be joining Britney Spears’ U.S. Circus Tour. “We’re like, ‘We’re opening up for Britney Spears! That’s so cool!’ I think we all screamed and jumped a little bit,” PCD’s Ashley Roberts said of their reaction to the news that they’d be touring with Spears.

A tattoo artist on famed Thai party island Koh Phangan has confessed to killing female German tourist Astrid Al-Assaad Schachner, whose body was found floating in shallow waters earlier this month, the day after the latest Full Moon Party. Suspect Tiwat Kasemchoke, 29, bizarrely claimed the 45 year old victim had been вЂ?stalking’ him and admitted he planned to kill her, local newspaper The Nation has reported. “She had humiliated me. She often told other foreigners that I fell for her and tried to rape her several times, which is not true. It’s she who wanted to be in a relationship”, the tattooist allegedly told cops. “I had told her several times that I’ve had no romantic interest in her but she did not listen,” he said in a statement published after he was charged with вЂ?premeditated murder’. “Her persistency made me annoyed and angry”,” he added. Numerous postings on Koh Phangan related message boards described Astrid as a popular and well known traveller on the island, with The Nation journalist Daniel Anderegg declaring вЂ?Astrid was a friend and what happened to her is so horrible’. He also detailed a similarly horrific attack close to the heart of the Full Moon Party, on Hadrin Beach. “On the same night there was another bloody incident in front of Kaktus Bar, in which a Thai attacked a foreigner with a samurai knife and almost chopped off his head,” he wrote. “I don’t know if the victim survived,” he added. Skrufff man-on-Koh Phangan Graham Gold said the latest killing remains вЂ?obviously big news on the island’ and admitted he’s hearing increasing stories of traveling girls being drugged with GHB and raped. “Things have been getting darker in Haad Rin for sure; I am seeing a side I didn’t know existed,” said Graham. “I SERIOUSLY advise ANY girl traveling either on her own or even with a group, not to accept a drink, or even a drink from a bucket from any stranger. I had not heard the story about the samurai sword incident but let’s just say it would not surprise me,” he added, “Even though Kaktus Bar is right in the middle of the beach and is known for its very cheesy music so is normally not a place for trouble.” The legendary London DJ advised revelers to skip the Full Moon parties in favour of Shiva, Black Moon and Half Moon events (вЂ?people go for the music and not to get fucked on Sangsum [local whiskey] and [magic] mushrooms like they do in Haad Rin’) and admitted he’s personally found himself in danger twice in the last month. “I nearly had two fights at an after hours club on New Year’s Eve but I was also pretty wrecked so don’t really remember what the causes of the arguments were,” he chuckled. “There are these ragga Thais here who act like Jamaican Yardies basically and they’re not pleasant and also extremely racist against westerners,” he warned. “It’s important to avoid them and any confrontation with them at all because you won’t win the fight. And if you do, the only option open to you is leaving the island immediately. But it is NOT all bad,” Graham stressed. “I moved here 9 months ago and love it. Koh Phangan is a beautiful island that consists of a hell of a lot more than Full Moon parties in Haad Rin,” he pointed out.