The hard rock band Mindless Self Indulgence has been asked by iTunes to change where the band is listed on the music service. Currently, The New York City electropunk band is listed under the genre 'religious'.

The band said that their choice to list themselves under the religious genre has all to do with their "fan base and cult-like following," claiming to have sold 180,000 CDs last year.

Apparently the religious tag has angered Christian organizations and has prompted them to file complaints with iTunes. The band's last album "You'll Rebel To Anything" hit #27 on the iTunes Christian/gospel charts, which probably sparked the complaints.

MSI's singer, Jimmy Urine, was quoted as saying: "It was iTunes, not us, that interpreted 'religious' to mean Christian. What is offensive to some people is obviously inspirational to others. To our fans this IS inspirational music. I have no intention of changing the genre listing of this album."

What do you think?

Labels: Christian Rock, Mindless Self Indulgence, MSI, MSI vs. iTunes, Religious Rock

A long, but interesting article in Salon written by Courtney Love is the most in-depth look at the music industry I've read in a long time.

Love shows how musicians and bands really don't make as much money as we all think they do, unless they hit it medium to really big.

In the article, Love also explores the new advantages that musicians have today. They can leave their labels behind thanks to all of the advances (and lower cost) of recording technology and distribution channels, most notably the Internet. (We are planning to publish a whole list of bands that have left big labels to create and distribute their music solo.)

[Update 2/1/07 1:20am: Love's manager and American Idol's executive producer Nigel Lythgoe say Courtney will not be a judge on American Idol and that Paula Abdul is not being replaced. The story below was written before that news.]

On a related note, there are rumors swirling around the blogs and the news shows that Courtney Love may be replacing Paula Abdul on American Idol. Wow, if you think about that, it may attract viewers who otherwise haven't really watched the show but may with Courtney Love as a judge. Not just because she is the widow of Kurt Cobain, but also an accomplished musician herself.

But more than all of that, people will want to see how she judges and how she behaves. People will want to see if she may be on drugs like they have suggested Abdul is on (alcohol is a drug, right?).

Labels: American Idol, American Idol Judges, American Idol News, Courtney Love, Kurt Cobain, Paula Abdul, Simon Fuller

It's official!
Rumors that the legendary rock band The Police, who are among the first trail blazers of alternative rock in the 1980s (when folks like me needed to escape Wham, Motley Crew, Cindy Lauper, Duran Duran) are going to reunite for a performance at the Grammy Awards on Feb. 11 have been confirmed according to the website of the original and only drummer Stewart Copeland.

The band is reportedly setting up in Vancouver, Canada for rehersals prior to their Feb. 11 reunion performance. This has fueled speculation that the band is planning a reunion tour for this summer to mark the 30th anniversary of the hit single that made them big, "Roxanne".

Make sure to check back because as soon as a concert tour is announced (if it is), we will send out an email alert to all of our subscribers who choose to receive email alerts. Or subscribe in just seconds to IRC's RSS feed now.

Labels: Grammy Awards, Police Reunion, Police Set for Grammy's, The Police, The Police Reunion Tour

The progressive indie rock band Deerhoof has released its new album, Friend Opportunity, on Kill Rock Star/DRA Records, to high critical acclaim.

Fans of the group will likely not be let down. The band shines on this album in a way they have not before.

But don't worry - they have preserved their mysterious complexity of song writing and musical mood changes while at the same time cranking it up a notch on experimental rock pop songs like "Matchbook Seeks Maniac", " +81" and "Cast Off Clown."

Much of the album is representative of their musical styles, and experimentation with different textures and some engineering tricks and switches that give the songs a polished quality while not sounding overly produced or mainstream Top 40.


First time listeners of Deerhoof are encouraged to listen to the bands other albums like Apples O' or The Runners Four first for a better context for which to listen to Friend Opportunity.


The songs featured here are for listening only. You can buy Deerhoof's music from any number of downloading sites or buy their CDs online or in the stores.


If you are already a new fan, or a long-time fan, make sure not to miss the band if they are playing near you.

Deerhoof's Concert Dates 2007

Jan 30 2007
8:00P
Great American Music Hall
San Francisco, California

Feb 1 2007
8:00P
Neumo's Crystal Ball Reading Room
Seattle, Washington

Feb 2 2007
8:00P
Richards On Richards
Vancouver, British Columbia

Feb 3 2007
8:00P
Wonder Ballroom
Portland, Oregon

Feb 4 2007
8:00P
W.O.W. Hall
Eugene, Oregon

Feb 11 2007
8:00P
Black Cat
Washington, DC, Washington DC

Feb 12 2007
8:00P
Cat‘s Cradle
Carrboro, North Carolina

Feb 13 2007
8:00P
Grey Eagle
Asheville, North Carolina

Feb 14 2007
8:00P
Cumberland‘s
Charleston, South Carolina

Feb 15 2007
8:00P
Headliners
Columbia, South Carolina

Feb 16 2007
8:00P
Jack Rabbits
Jacksonville, Florida

Feb 17 2007
8:00P
Poplife
Miami, Florida

Feb 18 2007
8:00P
Crowbar
Tampa, Florida

Feb 19 2007
8:00P
The Social
Orlando, Florida

Feb 20 2007
8:00P
Common Grounds
Gainesville, Florida

Feb 21 2007
8:00P
40 Watt Club
Athens, Georgia

Feb 22 2007
8:00P
Mercy Lounge
Nashville, Tennessee

Feb 23 2007
8:00P
The Warehouse
Winston-Salem, North Carolina

Feb 24 2007
8:00P
Sattellite Ballroom
Charlottesville, Virginia

Feb 25 2007
8:00P
Ottobar
Baltimore, Maryland

Mar 2 2007
8:00P
The Epicentre
San Diego, California

Mar 3 2007
8:00P
Club Congress
Tucson, Arizona

Mar 4 2007
8:00P
Rhythm Room
Phoenix, Arizona

Mar 7 2007
8:00P
Conservatory
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Mar 8 2007
8:00P
Gypsy Tea Room
Dallas, Texas

Mar 9 2007
8:00P
Emo‘s
Austin, Texas

Mar 10 2007
8:00P
Numbers
Houston, Texas

Apr 1 2007
8:00P
The Rosemount
Perth, Western Australia

Apr 3 2007
8:00P
The Annandale
Sydney, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 4 2007
8:00P
The Zoo
Brisbane, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 6 2007
8:00P
Great Escape Festival
Sydney, Australian Capital Territory

Apr 7 2007
8:00P
Corner Hotel
Melbourne, Australian Capital Territory

Deerhoof Official website There are some videos, news and tour information, but not much more than that. A little surprising for a great band that has been around for a while.



Deerhoof Lyrics

Labels: Deerfhoof Music, Deerhoof, Deerhoof Concert Dates, Deerhoof News, Deerhoof Videos, DRA Records, Friend Opportunity, Kill Rock Stars Label

After the much publicized "green-screen challenge" with Stephen Colbert of Comedy Central, we are happy to say it has been put to rest. Or has it?

Regardless, The Decemberists gained a lot of new fans from the Colbert Nation show who are probably to see them live.

IRC has obtained the quirky indie pop group's most updated concert dates (listed below) to support their latest album, The Crane Wife.

The gig-packed tour begins March 21 in New Jersey with My Brightest Diamond opening the show. Many of the venues are small, which is reportedly what the band members prefer. (Now there's some real independent thinking). The group will tour through early May.

Decemberists' Tour Dates:

03/21 - Jersey City, NJ - Loews Theater
03/22 - Jersey City, NJ - Loews Theater
03/23 - Boston, MA - Avalon
03/24 - Boston, MA - Avalon
03/26 - North Bethesda, MD - Strathmore Music Center
03/27 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theater
03/29 - Wellesley, MA - Wellesley College (students only)
03/30 - Buffalo, NY - Center for the Arts
03/31 - Grantham, PA - Messiah College
04/01 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
04/02 - Raleigh, NC - Meymendi Concert Hall
04/04 - Knoxville, TN - Tennessee Theater
04/05 - Nashville, TN City Hall
04/06 - Atlanta, GA – Tabernacle*
04/08 - Orlando, FL - Hard Rock Live
04/09 - Tallahassee, FL - The Moon
04/10 - Birmingham, AL - Alabama Theater
04/11 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theater
04/13 - Louisville, KY - Brown Theater
04/14 - St. Louis, MO - The Pageant
04/15 - Champaign, IL - Foellinger Auditorium (University Of Illinois)
04/16 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater
04/18 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
04/19 - Chicago, IL - Riviera Theater
04/20 - Madison, WI - Orpheum Theater
04/21 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theater
04/22 - Denver, CO - Fillmore Auditorium
04/25 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
04/26 - San Francisco, CA - Warfield Theater
05/03 - Eugene, OR - McDonald Theater
05/04 - Seattle, WA - Paramount Theater
05/05 - Bellingham, WA - Western Washington University

Related Links:

The Decemberists - Official Website
The Decemberists and Stephen Colbert - Green-Screen Challenge
The Final Video - "O Valencia"

Labels: Decemberists Tour Dates, Great 2007 Concerts, Music Video, O Valencia, Stephen Colbert vs. The Decemberists, The Decemberists