Cute Overload!

Rare black jaguar cub born at Huachipa Zoo in Lima, Peru.  Details here.

Via CuteOverload.com

The Decemberists’s Colin Meloy On “The Hazards Of Love”

Billboard has an interview with The Decemberists’s Colin Meloy and he shines some light on the new album and how to follow-up on the massive success of “The Crane Wife.” Said Meloy: “The album was going to be either quiet and subdued or just way over the top and ostentatious and we went for the latter.”

Word.

The article continues:

“The 17-song concept album takes common folk motifs and weaves them into a longform narrative, while dabbling in everything from acoustic interludes to heavy guitar rock. The story concerns the trials and tribulations of Margaret; her lover, William; the queen of a spooky forest; and a rake who interferes in it all.

The term ‘rock opera‘ has already been tossed around to describe it, a description that Meloy doesn’t protest. One reason is because he started working on “Hazards” as a theater piece, not as an album. ‘I like to think of it as a play through voices-something that you would sit and listen to,’ Meloy explains. ‘If you’re going to attach ‘opera’ to it, then it’s more of a ‘folk opera’-from the folk idiom. But then you get in trouble with the deep musical theater traditionalists. It’s sort of an experimental narrative, if anything.'”

“The Hazards Of Love” will be the band’s fifth overall and second major label LP and will drop on March 24. On March 18 , however, the band will play a live show of the album start-to-finish that will be broadcast on NPR stations and streamed on NPR’s web site.

I completely adored “The Crane Wife” and can’t wait for “The Hazards Of Love.”

Source: “Hazardous Conditions” (Billboard)
More: The Decemberists at Play Happy.

Michael Jackson To Play 10-Show “Curtain Call” In London

HOLY SHIT: Michael has announced that he will perform 10 concerts at London’s O2 arena starting July 8, 2009.

He said that he would play “the songs the fans want to hear”, and added, “This is it, these will be my last shows in London,” stating that the shows would be his “curtain call”.

AEG President and CEO Tim Leiweke (AEG owns the O2 Arena) broke the news early to Billboard and said that the run may be expanded to “20 or 25” shows.

O2’s longest run was Prince’s 21-night sold-out stint, which earned over $22 million.

Leiweke down-played rumors of the 50-year-old’s health: “The man is very sane, the man is very focused, the man is very healthy… Despite everything you read about him, he was fine. The man took a physical for us to go do these concerts.”

Leiweke said they had been in talks with Michael for two years before securing this deal. Michael’s last tour ended in 1997.

Tickets for Michael’s “curtain call” go on sale March 13, 7:00 AM GMT. Go here for more info.

So this begs the question: will he be any good (still)!?

More: Billboard / NME

Should I Buy The New Flo-Rida Track Or A Share Of Citigroup Stock?

…because they’re the same price.

Jon Stewart Destroys Rick Santelli, CNBC

Vodpod videos no longer available.
Note to self: don’t cancel on Jon Stewart.

Geneva Auto Show (Thankfully) Ignores Economy

The Aston Martin One-77 Photo: Sandro Campardo/European Pressphoto Agency

Infiniti Essence Photo: Martial Trezzini/European Pressphoto Agency

The NY Times has a slide show and article about the always-exotic show.

The LA Times has a more extensive slide show, including this beauty:

Bugatti Bleu Centenaire Photo: Martial Trezzini/Associated Press

Don’t Even Get Me Started On The Ice Machine