Life just isn’t working out for Madonna lately. Her recent tour has brought numerous negative comments about the part of the show where she crucifies herself while wearing a crown of thorns. Cities have publicly chastised her and network television refuses to air the now infamous part of her show. But just to add to her public humiliation, there is now drama surrounding her attempted adoption of Malawian boy David Banda.

A couple weeks ago the Malawi government said that the adoption should not be allowed because they don’t let just anyone adopt their babies. There’s a lot more to it than just providing material things (pun intended?). They also have to be assured that the child will be brought up in a nice, moral household. They actually said “moral.” Oh, and something about not letting non-Malawian people adopt their babies. Moral. Hah!

However, the plot thickens for good ol’ Madonna. Now, Yohane Banda, the birth father of little David said he thought the material girl was going to adopt the baby on his behalf (like not permanently). He said that had they told him that she wanted to adopt his son for the sole purpose of making him her son, he would not have allowed it.

“It would have been better for him to continue staying at the orphanage because I see no reason why my child should be given away forever when I can feed him,” Banda told Reuters. However, Madonna and her hubby, Guy Ritchie currently have temporary rights and already have little David in their home in London.

Wow, what a way to be a kidnapper, Madonna. You should stop trying to be like Angelina Jolie, who has apparently made it cool to adopt children from foreign countries. You’ll never be as cool as her. You’re over the hill. You were once cool, but you stopped after you picked up that British accent after what, like a week?

Also, way to go breaking that poor Malawian father’s heart. Way to steal his child. I’m proud of you.

But why am I the only person who notices that? Damn, I wish I was a rock star. Then maybe I could get away with crazy, heartless shit. Damn. I <3 Rock Stars.

Welcome to Sam's Town

By Christina R.

When their first album, Hot Fuss, was released in 2004, The Killers deservedly rose to the status of "retro new wave" gods. If you're familiar with The Killers, you have come to learn the certain feeling of the songs that's indicative of the band, but some of the songs don't quite fit, for example "Somebody Told Me" followed by "All These Things That I've Done". Not that fitting is essential. It allows for diversity of styles while maintaining a sort of "new wave" blanket. It was what made the album great.

It was what made their new album, Sam's Town, released Oct. 4, so anticipated. "Great things are going to come of this band," you heard all summer long in 2004. And the singles kept coming. A new album was imminent. But, aside from the first single, and perhaps a few other tracks, Sam's Town falls short of expectations.

There's no denying that Sam's Town has that "The Killers" feel. But there just seems to be something to the first album that is missing in this one. For the most part, the fun new wave sound is kind of hackneyed, stale. It's like Hot Fuss but without the novelty. It's too "Killers." There's very little that's new and refreshing.

It's, dare I say, borderline boring.

Of course, there are a few select tracks that are just as great as the favorites from the first album. The third track, "When You Were Young", is the album's first single. I can see why: it sure is catchy. It has pounding electric guitar riffs. It has that little element that all the standouts from the first album had that you can't quite put your finger on. It's fun. It's one of the few tracks on this album that actually does anything. But I guess it's not enough.

Though Sam's Town is a solid effort (and an interesting concept album based around a skeevy casino in Vegas called, logically, Sam's Town), it's not exactly what would have been expected from The Killers' second album. As a debut album, it would have done all right. But the final verdict as a follow-up: disappointing.

Tracks worthy of your time: "When We Were Young", "Why Do I Keep Counting?", "Bling (Confessions of a King)", and "Sam's Town".

According to the daily email from the friendly folks over at Rolling Stone, Wilco's Jeff Tweedy went and slugged a fan Monday at a show in Springfield, Missouri. According to an anonymous source, the victim/fan climbed on stage and tried to give Tweedy a "fat smooch" on the cheek. Logically, Tweedy grabbed the man by the throat and punch/slapped him in the face. "Tweedy freaks out like the retard from "[There's] Something About Mary" who doesn't like having his ears touched," the source said. Tweedy apparently apologized (kind of) and finished the set as quickly as possible.

The show's production manager, Pat Hagin, affirmed that the incident occurred, explaining that when you're on stage and someone tries to become part of the show, it can get pretty scary. Tweedy's response was, obviously, just a reflex. Because when people come up to me, my first impulse is to punch them in the face.

"This [fan] is an idiot," Hagin said. But think of all the "Cool Points" he gets now for being the guy Jeff Tweedy of Wilco smacked on stage. Or maybe they're more "Loser Points."

Either way, it'd pretty damned funny. Man, I <3 Rock Stars...




Edit: Here, I found this video of the incident. I love Jeff Tweedy. Good for him!

I'll meet you in The Back Room...

By Christina R.

"I'm so glad I found this / I'm so glad I did." Those are the first two lines of the very first Editors song I ever heard. It's called "Munich" and it's from their debut album The Back Room, released July 2005. It's track number two, but it's really what brings you into the album, full force.

The song's screaming guitars command you to move something. Tap your foot or wiggle in your chair. Something! The energy of the album is palpable (I can only imagine what the live shows are like!).

The driving beat of the drum and the taunting electric guitars just pump emotion out your speakers. "Don't say it's easy to follow a process / There's nothing harder than keeping a promise," the singer warns in the third track, "Blood." The guitars, again, push you through it: "If there's hope in your heart / It would flow to every part / If there's hope in your heart."

The Back Room is such a refreshing contrast to most of what's out in the world of pop music as of late. It is akin only to the likes of less widely known (though amazing) artists such as Doves or Radiohead. It's not rock the way rock is known now, with its punk pollution. The Editors album is rock the way rock should be.

Each song is just as fervent as the last; and with a sound somewhat similar to that of Doves, Radiohead, Travis (who actually sound a lot like Radiohead at times) and perhaps even Coldplay's last album all wrapped into one, Editors can make a great addition to your music library. The Back Room didn't become one of the UK's coveted Nationwide Mercury Albums of the Year for nothing!

If you haven't already picked it up, be sure you do. After one listen you'll be singing the first few lines of "Munich" just as loudly as I am.

"Suddenly I See" what's going on here...

By Christina R.

This song is, apparently, THE song to play in a movie or television show about someone in the fashion business. Not only has it appeared, or the audio equivalent of "appear", in The Devil Wears Prada and ABC's "Ugly Betty," it also actually appears to be about a model. (Edit: it was also played during a scene in ABC's "Six Degrees" in which two people go shopping for nice, dare I say designer clothes. Hmm.)

"And she's taller than most / and she's looking at me / I can see her eyes looking from a page in a magazine / she makes me feel like I could be a tower..."

It seems to say that models make people feel better about themselves. Perhaps my interpretation is off, but I'm not so sure about that. But negative-role-model issues aside, it's still a catchy song.

It begins with a wicked base line and a bass drum. There's also an unidentified electric (which means it's probably synthesized) sound that leads into an echoing electric guitar. The airy vocals of a female singer come in. It's airy, but it's grainy. It's possibly one of the best female voices ever. At least it's one of the best sounds for a female voice ever.

The bass drum continues as do some soft "oohs" in the same airy voice. "Suddenly I see / this is what I wanna be / suddenly I see / why the hell it means so much to me," repeats the airy chorus.

So maybe it's just about a role model in general. "She got the power to be / the power to give / the power to see yeah yeah." Yeah, yeah.

The repeated chorus brings it on home. The song never loses its urgent beat, carrying you to the end. Yeah, yeah.

Perhaps it has more appeal to women; perhaps it's more of a "chick" tune, but whatever. Doesn't mean it's not worth a listen. It's bass driven, it has (potentially) a good message. Hell, it's even got a chick singer. But it's not your typical chick rock.

This is actually good.

Mattox is my Prizefighter

By Christina R

Bain Mattox, a small band based out of Athens and Atlanta, Georgia, has scored again with its sophomore album, Prizefighter. This album, released November 1, 2005, tells the listener about the life of frontman Bain Mattox, the band's namesake. Though he's always been a strong and striking lyricist, Mattox's artfully worded songs about quarrelling, relationships and his father make this album a prime demonstration of the 24-year-old's growth since the release of the band's last album, the self-titled Bain Mattox, in 2003. The music is also a welcomed display of the band's maturation with age and experience. While maintaining the band's unique instrumentation like accordion and banjo, it is darker and heavier than most of the first album, and, at times, is reminiscent of Counting Crows, and Coldplay. Prizefighter, funded entiring by fans who pre-ordered the album, is a victory for the band, delighting old fans while attracting new. Album stand-outs include "Prizefighter," "Slowpoke," and the ever-heart-wrenching "Closer to Me."