Gerard Way, the lead singer of the band My Chemical Romance, is now writing a comic book series called The Umbrella Academy.  It is a six-issue limited edition series about a disbanded group of superheroes that were trained by a disguised alien named Sir Reginald Hargreeves.  After he dies, the group reunites to carry on Hargreeves’ plan and try to save the world. 

I really like My Chemical Romance, and I think that Gerard Way’s theatrical style might translate well into a comic book. Some of their music videos have a lot of dramatic fantasy and the artwork from the comic looks very spooky and impressive. What do you think? Do you like the band? Would you read The Umbrella Academy comics?

Posted by Lena at 04:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From eonline.com: 

It looks like Usher's got it bad for the altar.

Much to the lament of his female fanbase, the R&B superstar with the six-pack abs will be leaving his bachelor days behind after getting engaged to his girlfriend, stylist Tameka Foster,  sources confirmed to E! News.

No word exactly when Usher, whose full name is Usher Raymond, popped the question or when the twosome will tie the knot. A rep for the 29-year-old singer has declined to comment on various media reports that the two decided to get hitched on Valentine's Day.

Read the rest of the article here.

If you need to soothe your broken hearts, check out Usher's CD's and movies at the library.

Posted by Katie at 11:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From the Guitar Hero II website, you can listen to selections of some of the songs, but if you really want to ROCK, check out these songs from the library’s CD collection. I added links directly to the library catalog for all of the Guitar Hero 2 songs that TSCPL owns. Speaking of which, I need to go practice, since the only song I can 5-star is Cheap Trick (and only on easy)…

Opening Licks
Danzig--"Mother"
Cheap Trick--"Surrender"
Motley Crue--"Shout at the Devil"
Wolfmother--"Woman"
Encore: Spinal Tap--"Tonight I'm Gonna Rock You Tonight"

Amp-Warmers
Kiss--"Strutter"
Nirvana--"Heart-Shaped Box"
Police--"Message in a Bottle"
Van Halen--"You Really Got Me"
Encore: Kansas--"Carry on Wayward Son"

String-Snappers
Alice in Chains--"Them Bones"
Foo Fighters--"Monkey Wrench"
Iggy Pop and the Stooges--"Search and Destroy"
Pretenders--"Tattooed Love Boys"
Encore: Black Sabbath--"War Pigs"

Thrash and Burn
Butthole Surfers--"Who Was in My Room Last Night"
Mathew Sweet--"Girlfriend"
Rolling Stones--"Can't You Hear Me Knockin'"
Warrant--"Cherry Pie"
Encore: Guns N' Roses--Sweet Child O' Mine

Return of the Shred
Primus--"John the Fisherman"
Rage Against the Machine--"Killing in the Name Of"
Sword--"Freya"
Thin Lizzy--"Bad Reputation"
Encore: Aerosmtih--Last Child

Relentless Riffs
Allman Brothers--"Jessica"
Heart--"Crazy on You"
Stone Temple Pilots--"Tripping on a Hole in a Paper Heart"
Stray Cats--"Rock This Town"
Encore: Jane's Addiction--"Stop"

Furious Fretwork
Anthrax--"Madhouse"
Lamb of God--"Laid to Rest"
Living End--"Carry Me Home"
Reverend Horton Heat--"Psychobilly Freakout"
Encore: Rush--"YYZ"

Face-Melters
Avenged Sevenfold--"Beast and the Harlot"
Dick Dale--"Misirlou"
Megadeth--"Hangar 18"
Suicidal Tendencies--"Institutionalized"
Encore: Lynyrd Skynyrd--"Free Bird"

If you can’t play, watch -- some fun videos of people playing Guitar Hero 2, or this stop-motion animation of plastic action figure toys playing Guitar Hero.

Posted by Lissa at 03:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From msnbc.com:

LOS ANGELES - Chris Cornell is leaving rock group Audioslave, citing "irresolvable personality conflicts as well as musical differences."

"I wish the other three members nothing but the best in all of their future endeavors," Cornell said Thursday in a statement.

An after-hours call to Audioslave's music label was not immediately returned.

Keep reading here.

What do you guys think?  Would you listen to Audioslave without Chris Cornell?  Let everyone know in the comments below.

Posted by Katie at 09:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Katie at 12:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

From the Wall Street Journal (believe it or not):

On tour with his multiplatinum hard-rock band Korn last summer, Jonathan Davis regularly whipped crowds into a frenzy with classic-rock staples such as "Iron Man," "Smoke on the Water" and "More Than a Feeling." And that was before he even got off the tour bus.

Mr. Davis, Korn's lead singer, is part of an unlikely but growing fraternity: Rock stars who are also avid players of Guitar Hero, an electronic game that lets gamers pretend to be, well, rock stars.

From superstars like Korn to up-and-comers, Guitar Hero has quickly become a fixture on tour buses and in recording studios. Intended for air guitarists who might not be able to play the real instrument, the $70 PlayStation title has also won a following in the music world. Its devotees range from alternative-rocker Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails to country stars Rascal Flatts, whose tour manager, Chris Alderman, says he frequently has trouble tearing the musicians away to conduct preconcert sound checks.
Read more.

Thanks for sharing, Karen!

Posted by Meghan at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It took 2 years and 2 children, but Britney Spears has finally come to her senses.  Brit-Brit has filed for divorce from her husband, Kevin Federline, on Tuesday.  Read all about it on eonline.com.

From msnbc.com:

NEW YORK - Now this is weird. “Weird Al” Yankovic’s new album, “Straight Outta Lynwood,” has scored the enduring song parodist his biggest chart successes in a career that spans nearly three decades.

“Lynwood,” Yankovic’s 12th album, debuted this month at No. 10 on the Billboard 200, his first top 10 album ever. Meanwhile, the Chamillionaire parody “White and Nerdy,” reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100, besting his previous high of No. 12 with “Eat It” in 1984.

“I literally danced a little jig (when I found out),” Yankovic says. “It’s just a number, but I’ve been obsessing over it for a long part of my career. Even with, you know, millions of records sold, I’ve never been in the top 10, and it’s always been a goal of mine.”

Read more about Weird Al here.

For all things Weird Al, check out his website weirdal.com.  Or become his friend on MySpace and see his video for "White and Nerdy" or listen to his parody of James Blunt's "You're Beautiful" called "You're Pitiful".  If you want to compare "White and Nerdy" to "Ridin' Dirty", look at Chamillionaire's MySpace page, he's got both songs on his page.

Posted by Katie at 02:33 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From eonline.com: 

Secure in his masculinity, Justin Timberlake is adding a touch of Pink to his look.

The FutureSex/LoveSounds purveyor is launching a North American arena tour in support of his latest chart-topping effort, announcing Tuesday that his FutureSex/LoveShow world tour will kick off Jan. 8 in San Diego.  

And although Timberlake obviously has things all figured out, he's taking a M!ssundaztood woman along for the ride. Pink will join the former boy bander on the 34-date North American leg of his tour, which wraps up Mar. 29 in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

"I've been rehearsing the band, getting the show ready and tight," Timberlake said in a video statement. "What do we got? Ten dancers, 14 band members, a million tricks up my sleeve, a crazy light show--and I might even show up. So that's pretty exciting. No, seriously, come out. I'll see you guys there." 

Keep reading here for the rest of the article.

Sadly, JT isn't coming to the Kansas City area with his tour.  You can look at his official website for the closest cities, though, and Omaha is only 3 hours away.  Or hit up his MySpace page and become one of his friends, then take a look at his video message about the upcoming tour.  If you'd rather just hear JT, his FutureSex/LoveSounds album is definitely worth a listen. 

Posted by Katie at 10:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From MTV News:

Cassidy is recovering in an undisclosed hospital after being involved in a serious car accident on Wednesday night in New Jersey.

The rapper was a passenger in an SUV en route to a studio in Yonkers, New York, when a U-Haul truck swerved into oncoming traffic and struck the SUV. The truck crashed into the side of the vehicle that Cassidy was sitting in, according to a J Records spokesperson and members of Cassidy's camp.

Continue reading about Cassidy here.

Posted by Meghan at 11:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)

Continue reading "ANOK4U2OK" »

Posted by Tanya at 02:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Meghan at 02:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From MTV News:

What began as a raw street mixtape intended to introduce some new Shady Records artists has turned into a full-fledged album release called Eminem Presents: The Re-Up.

"What happened is that the material was so good and the tracks were regular album," Eminem said in a statement about the compilation he executive produced, which is slated for release December 5. "Instead of putting it out there rough and unfinished, I thought we should add some other new tracks, make it a real album and put it in the record stores to give these new artists a real boost."

The new Shady artists he's introducing include Stat Quo, Ca$his and Bobby Creekwater, who rhyme alongside their label boss and his D12 crew, as well as 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks, Obie Trice and Akon. Eminem decided to take the project aboveground when information — which he said was incorrect — began circulating about what was going to be on it.
Read more here.

Posted by Meghan at 01:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Meghan at 04:47 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From cnn.com:

From MTV.com:

Posted by Katie at 04:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

It’s like a stick of gum, but smaller and more musical. For only $349, it can be all yours…

From CNN.com:

SAN FRANCISCO, California (Reuters) -- Apple Computer Inc. Tuesday unveiled a number of new iPods, including one with the most capacity to date, and said new versions of the popular digital music players would sport video games such as Pac-Man and Tetris.

Speaking at an event in San Francisco where the company was expected to introduce a movie download service, Chief Executive Steve Jobs said the new 80 gigabyte iPod would cost $349.

The company also introduced a new, thinner iPod Nano available in five colors with 24 hours battery life.
Continue reading this article here.

Posted by Meghan at 01:02 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you listened to this yet? If not, plug in!

From CNN.com:

LONDON, England (Reuters) -- The Arctic Monkeys, who shot to fame on the Internet and broke all records with their debut, has won the coveted Mercury Prize for the Best British album of the year.

"It's good tunes -- that's what we try to do," said frontman Alex Turner after the group accepted the £20,000 ($35,000) award.

The Mercury Prize judges tend to court controversy every year by picking quirky and offbeat winners rather than chart-topping blockbusters.

This year was a glaring exception with the prize going to the Arctic Monkeys who in January smashed the British record for the fastest-selling debut album.

"Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am Not" sold over 363,700 copies in its first week.

Even Turner admitted on Tuesday to being surprised that they had won. "Normally it doesn't go to a band that has sold as many albums as we have. But we are very pleased with it," he said.
Continue reading this article here.

 

Posted by Meghan at 02:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From eonline.com:

Posted by Katie at 02:13 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

From CNN.com:

NEW YORK (Billboard) -- Beck wants to have a little fun with the artwork for his upcoming album, "The Information," and he wants his fans to contribute.

The set, due October 3 via Interscope, will feature blank packaging and one of four sets of sticker sheets designed by artists from the United States and Europe, allowing consumers to customize the cover however they wish.

Although details have yet to be announced, a contest is in the works to select the best album cover creation, with final approval coming from Beck himself. Plans also call for displaying the sticker designs at select art galleries.
Continue reading this article here.

Drop by beck.com to hear two new singles, view the gallery and watch videos.

Odelays to Karen for sending us the link!

Posted by Meghan at 04:32 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you ever wanted to be in a band? Seventeen year old Molly Montgomery was just playing at birthday parties and local gigs with two of her girl friends when they were "discovered." Their new manager added two guys to their girl-band and made them rocket to fame, but touring in a band isn't nearly as fun as it looks. All that Molly ever wanted was to be just like her heroine, Ruby X, the feminist guitarist who inspired the girl-band movement. Molly's Very-Cherry-Red-hair makes her look so cool, but she feels horrible inside. In the opening chapter, Molly admits that her record company is suing her for 5 million pounds, but you have to read the book to find out why!

I loved Guitar Girl and I can't wait to read Sarra Manning's new book Pretty Things, which is about four teens at a summer drama workshop in which Brie loves her gay best friend, Charlie, who's crushing on straight Walker, who's fallen for lesbian Daisy.

Want to start your own band? Find a friend and go for it. Or check out the Garage Band Cookbook or read a rock star biography!

Posted by Lissa at 09:18 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

At least this break-up can’t be blamed on MTV.  Following in the footsteps of several other Hollywood types, Kate Hudson and her hubby, Chris Robinson, have separated after 6 years of marriage. 

Straight from the HP Newsline:

Posted by Meghan at 09:35 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Meghan at 04:06 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Two of Hollywood’s most beautiful women are in the news, one for a break-up and the other for a make-up (and impending marriage).

Carmen Electra and Dave Navarro are amicably splitting after nearly three years of marriage. You might remember their reality show on MTV, Til Death Do Us Part: Carmen + Dave, capturing their plans and wedding (as I recall, her dress was gorgeous).

On the flipside, Pamela Anderson is finally settling down with long-time on-again-off-again beau Kid Rock. From MSN.com: "Feels like I've been stuck in a time warp," said the "Baywatch" bombshell in her cryptic diary entry. "Not able to let go of MY family picture ... it's been sad and lonely and frustrating ... I've raised my kids alone in hope of a miracle. Well my miracle came and went. And came back and back because he knew that I'd wake up one day and realize that I was waiting for nothing."

Did you know that Pamela and Carmen have been paired together on numerous television shows and movies? Both were on Baywatch and starred in the Scary Movie films (although not in the same ones). Carmen guest starred on an episode of Stacked in 2005, a show that centers around one of the library’s favorite topics (books, duh).

 

Posted by Meghan at 11:04 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Meghan at 10:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fanboys and fangirls the world over are in mourning at the possibility that Weezer will never put out another album. Can this really be it?

From CNN.com:

NEW YORK (AP) -- Rivers Cuomo says that, for now, Weezer is "done."

Cuomo, the band's bespectacled songwriter and frontman, told MTV that while he remains in touch with his bandmates, "we've never mentioned getting together."

"Really, for the moment, we are done," he said. "And I'm not certain we'll ever make a record again, unless it becomes really obvious to me that we need to do one."
Continue reading this article here.

Posted by Meghan at 12:04 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Mark your calendars—it is exactly one year from today when Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix hits theaters! It has also been rumored that Scholastic is trying to pin down J.K Rowling for a 2007 release date.

I know, it’s a long time to wait. In the meanwhile re-read the series (the audiobooks read by Jim Dale are fantastic), re-watch the first four movies, check out all the fan sites, write your own HP fanfic, perfect your Aragog costume (going as a muggle simply won’t suffice), play quidditch or wizard chess, listen to Harry and the Potters new album (listen to it on their myspace)… The year will simply fly by!

Posted by Meghan at 11:36 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Over 50 people enjoyed the Country-Rock music of local band Percival last night.  The band was playing as part of the Driven to Read events for teens this summer at the library.







Percival performed an 11 song set, including all of the songs from their new CD Indian Summer. Oliver’s guitar solos were popular with the crowd, as was the song “Milwaukee” which was about a girl (not a beer). Brett (who is also a library employee) was described as “crazy versatile” by an observer. Brett alternated between playing pedal steel, guitar and a grand piano. With Mark playing bass and Tom providing a dance-able beat on the drums, the sound was complete.








Towards the end of the show, Justin took requests from the audience – although not for songs. Teenagers in the audience called out different things for an improvised song he and the band would make up on the spot and perform. A song about refried beans, giant otters, I don’t know, and the library was born.  And judging from audience comments, it was a success! “That’s honestly the best otter-related song I’ve ever heard,” said one listener.

Not only did the band end with a Johnny Cash cover, but they added useful advice – more information about Cash and his music could be found in the library’s 780’s section, or under B-Cash for biographies.

A girl waiting to get her new Percival CD autographed by the band members described the experience: “It’s just the way those guys work together to make music. It’s like magic.”

Percival is Justin Klinksick, vocals, acoustic guitar; Oliver Zeltner, vocals, electric guitar; Tom Reid, drums, vocals; Mark Harvey, bass, vocals; Brett Resnick, pedal steel, keyboards, guitar.

Visit Percival's website http://www.percivalmusic.com/ and listen to three of the songs from their new EP and watch video clips of the band.

Posted by Lissa at 11:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Have you heard Avril Lavigne lately? You might have and just not known it. Over the Hedge (in theaters right now!) features Avril’s voice as the opossum Heather. She also has a few more movies coming out soon; Fast Food Nation starring Greg Kinnear and Patricia Arquette and The Flock with Claire Danes and Richard Gere. She’s also featured on the new campaign for the Youth Aids project (she is “hear no evil” to Pink’s “speak no evil” and Eve’s “see no evil” along with several other celebrities).

Heard more celebrity gossip? Drop us a comment or send an email to let us know!

Posted by Meghan at 10:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Britney Spears hasn’t released an album of new material since 2003 or given an interview in over 8 months, but it seems everywhere you look there she is.  Most of the media surrounding Britney lately is negative.  Is she going to divorce Kevin (or K-Fed, as he has been dubbed)?  Is she a has-been?  Is Britney a bad mother?

If you want to remember Britney before she went all domestic, check these out.

Posted by Katie at 01:58 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

for teens, by teens
Emily, age 13, thinks you should:
Read this!  When She Hollers by Cynthia Voight, The Other Side of Dark by Joan Lowery Nixon, and The Specter by Joan Lowery Nixon, and R. L. Stine’s Fear Street series
Watch this! Cheaper by the Dozen and The Grudge
Click this!  http://music.yahoo.com/  http://www.runescape.com/
Listen to this! Vanessa Carton, Avril Lavinge, Kelly Clarkson

Posted by Lissa at 11:37 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Can’t figure out what to do this weekend? You’ve already done everything, seen every movie, and got a bad sunburn from hanging out poolside?  If you have one more glass of lemonade or one more ice cream sandwich, you’re going to pop? (Okay, just kidding about the ice cream- you can never have too much of that!) Grab your sunglasses and put on some comfy shoes—Wakarusa Fest is back in Lawrence!

Headlining this year is ever eclectic and eccentric Flaming Lips. Other bands to check out:

Tim Reynolds (of Dave Matthews fame)
Bela Fleck and the Flecktones
Cracker
Buckethead (yes, THAT Buckethead formally of Guns ‘n Roses)

And some bands with truly terrific names (not sure about their sound, but might be worth checking out):

Continue reading "Wakarusa 2006 is the place to be this weekend!" »

Posted by Meghan at 10:06 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)

There’s no other place I’d rather be this summer than hanging out by the pool, pretending I’m in St. Elsewhere. Why not? Gnarls Barkley’s smooth rhythms and hypnotic beats in Crazy are perfect for relaxing while their remake of Gone Daddy Gone sounds almost better than the original. Although they don’t have any dates for KC yet (we can always hope!), you can listen to them on their myspace page, check out the winners of their poster contest (my personal fav is a toss up between the Napoleon Dynamite one and Wayne’s World) or play around in St. Elsewhere.

Posted by Meghan at 11:29 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Posted by Meghan at 12:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)