News bits

Label Lost Highway has set July 18 as the release date for supergroup (as super as it gets when the members' "real" bands aren't familiar names to 90 percent of the world) Golden Smog's next release. Billboard has a tantilizing preview here.

Also, remember when Best Buy announced that partnership with CDBaby to sell indie music at its big yellow horrible stores? And remember how I raised my skeptical little eyebrows at the idea, implying that I smelled a rat? Well, here's (scroll down a bit) the rat, as reported by the good folks at Pitchfork under the headline "Best Buy to Indies: Drop Dead": No one mentioned during negiotiations that Best Buy would be selling the CDs for $7.99, cheaper than wholesale. Now, I know what you're thinking -- finally someone is stopping the gouge going on with CD prices, what's wrong with that? Maybe nothing, depending on how you look at it. Or maybe something, if the idea of big corporations omitting certain information when dealing with little-guy businesses doesn't sit well with you. Or maybe everything, if you happen to own an indie record store. Definitely some food for thought here.

Now, depending on your politics, you may or may not dig this next news bit. But if you look at it from purely a music standpoint, you've gotta love it. A bunch of artists are uniting for a concert in New York next month called "Bring 'Em Home Now," a benefit to raise money for Iraq Veterans Against the War and Veterans for Peace. Taking part will be Michael Stipe, Bright Eyes, Devendra Banhart, Rufus Wainwright, Fischerspooner, Public Enemy's Chuck D, and Peaches, who kind of scares me, but maybe in a good way. Word is there are plans to take the show on the road after the March 20 show in New York. Will it be heavily political? You bet -- Cindy Sheehan is attending the NYC show, and I'm guessing she's not there to have a rap off with Chuck D. But will it rock? If you like Michael Stipe, Rufus Wainwright, Bright Eyes and all the rest ... the answer is hells yes.