EXCLUSIVE!!

The authentic original, unedited cell phone video of Saddam's hanging - from start to end! Three Iraqis arrested were not responsible for making the video available on the Internet

Update, Jan. 4, 2007: IRC was the first blog on the Internet to post the original, unedited cell phone video of Saddam Hussein's hanging that you won't see on TV news or YouTube. Since three people have been arrested in Iraq concerning the video, we have received many media calls. Our answer: No Comment!



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Labels: Cell Phone Saddam Hanging, Cell Phone Video News, Google Video, Saddam Cell Phone Video, Saddam Video, Saddam Video Execution, Video of Saddam Hanging, YouTube

Investigation shows Colbert claim was all wrong

The green-screen video challenge and then the finale "Shred Down" between Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central's The Colbert Report and the once-indie, quirky rock band The Decemberists created tons of blog entries and chatter in the music and entertainment world.

But was it all based on a lie, or a simple mistake? Has it been just another prank to attract media attention and blogger buzz?

Whatever the case, the Indie Rock Cafe blog was the first on the Internet to report the likeness of The Decemberists contest published on their website in November and a simliar contest by Stephen Colbert. IRC published a follow-up story the morning after the finale, which Colbert claims he won.


NEW DEVELOPMENT - EXCLUSIVE IRC REPORT!

IRC is working on a story from evidence we have discovered that directly contradicts Stephen Colbert's claim to an "original idea" of having fans participate in the final production of a green-screen video. We have the evidence to support it.

We are waiting to hear something from the producers at The Colbert Nation. Will Mr. Colbert directly address the weight of the evidence we have unearthed or cut and run?

We love ya Steve, but let's set the record straight, try out some of that "fair and balanced" BS they dish out over on FOX News. (Sorry Shep. Not sorry O'Reilly.)

All we can say for now is stay tuned!

IRC may publish the story on our blog in the days to come, especially if we hear from the Colbert show's producers, or Stephen himself.

This scoop, if you will, may also be published in a national newspaper or high-profile website like Smoking Gun, Spin or Pitchfork Media.

Send us an email if you're interested in being alerted when this story is published.

Labels: Exclusive IRC Report, Green-Screen Challenge, Green-Screen Scandal, Music on TV, Stephen Colbert vs. The Decemberists, Television, The Colbert Video

Released in 1999, Simon Basic by Barcelona [MP3s below] is amazing indie pop music fused with synthesizers and shifting, deep baselines. That is why it is being featured in IRC's "Digging The Archives" series.

Barcelona is a great, largely forgotten indie pop group and Simon Basic is their crown jewel. We call it "indie blueberry music" because it is one of those albums that once you start spinning it, you can't resist to spin it more and more to the point that everything else is momentarily unimportant.

Experience proves, however, that much of the best indie rock and pop music out there - from approximately 1980 to now - is lost in the thousands of CDs reviewed by "the critics" during the past quarter century. Meanwhile, indie music has thrived.

The band was formed in Washington, D.C. in 1998. Band members Jennifer Carr on bass, Jason Korzen, singer and guitarist, Ivan Ramiscal (moog/keyboards/ guitar) and drummer (guitar/singer), Christian Scanniello found time between their passion for soccer and computers to make indie pop music.

Digging up, reporting, writing, editing, packaging and presenting to you the best of indie, old and new, is what sets IRC apart from all the other indie rock music websites and blogs.

From the moment Simon Basic starts spinning, there's an automatic attraction to it's poppy sound, soft, melodic harmonies and upbeat sytheniziers that play-off of, and merge with, each other for a full and intriguing experience.

Computer sounds and themes are spliced throughout the album, most notably on "I Have The Password to Your Shell Account" and "The Downside of Computer Camp."

"Space Guy Blues" and the cheery "Indian Names" and are mini-indie classics, supplying all the ingredients of indie pop rock with infectious energy, wit and grounded rythmatic baselines laden with catchy guitar and keyboard riffs. Other songs like "1/2", "Unreal," and "Summer Songs", which should have been a hit are album highlights as well.

Check the music downloads from Simon Basic below for your listening pleasure. You can also find the tracks for sale on sites like MP3.com, Amazon and Emusic.

Be warned: If you can get the CD, don't lend it out. You're probably not going to get it back. It's that good. Sometimes a great artist that was previously unknown to the masses re-emerges to popularity deserved long ago, but it is usually from a television commercial or movie soundtrack.

A year after the debut of Simon Basic, the group pumped out two reasonably good (with some stand-out songs) song collections in 2000 on the EPs Robot Trouble and Zero One Infinity .

Barcelona's music is similiar to a bunch of artists, including Mates of State, Matt Pond PA, The Close Lobsters and The 6ths.

The old-skool meeting place where you talked with store clerks, other customers and friends about a great indie album that you didn't know about and that you listened to 20 times or more will fade away into a computer screen.

Labels: Album Reviews, Alternative Classic CDs, Añejo Mockingbird, Barcelona, Best Indie Albums, Best of Indie Rock, College Indie Rock, DC, Independent Record Labels, Underrated Classics, Washington

As the spirit of the holiday season continues through the week, IRC will be posting some rare covers of traditional Christmas and holiday songs by indie artists.


Taking Back Sunday skyrocketed from indie to "commercial indie" in just the past year or so. They also recorded one of the best indie CDs of the new century, Where You Want To Be. The album was a huge success ore leaving Victory Records before moving on to Warner.

So whether or not TBS is indie doesn’t matter because the group offers this playful, alternative version of “The 12 Days of Christmas” in video animation. Just click play to watch it now (no download required):

Labels: 12 Days of Christmas, Alternative Christmas Songs, Independent Christmas Video, Indie Christmas Music, Indie Christmas Songs, Taking Back Sunday

While no one knows what exactly an Indie Christmas should be like, we have put together a package of mostly non-commercial, independent Christmas songs, which are sprinkled throughout this report.

Labels: Alternative Christmas Songs, Christmas Songs, Christmas Tunes Mp3s, Free MP3s, Indie Christmas Music, Indie Christmas Songs, Sufjan Stevens

Rumors on the Internet that the original video tape of Steve Irwin being struck by a stingray are false.

Anyone can use a search engine to find what they THINK is the tape, but the real tape was actually posted and taken down from a website.

There are a number of videos (including those on YouTube), including disrespectful parodies, showing Irwin in the water scuba diving, but they are not the authentic tapes of the moment Irwin was struck by the sting ray's barb.

The one video showing Irwin swimming with sea creatures was filmed in 2004.


Remember, what you see on the Internet may not actually be real or true, and that distinction will become more difficult to make as the technology and popularity of making and showing videos keeps driving forward.

There is one tape that may be the actual one of when Irwin was struck, but we have not yet confirmed this.

Labels: Lethal Sea creatures, popular videos, Steve Irwin and sting ray, Steve Irwin Death, Steve Irwin Video Tape, YouTube

That's not all. IRC offers cash and gift card rewards for indie contests winners, and the latest in daily news, reviews, concert listings, music downloads, streaming audio, MP3s and live indie radio.

Labels: Alternative Rock Writing Contest, Best of Indie Rock, Blogs for Writers, Indie Music Contest, Indie Music Writing Contest, Music Writing Contest