The National opened up for (Modest Mouse) & REM last night in LA @ The Hollywood Bowl.  We’re so proud of our boys!  They were amazing.  Here are some photos taken by  Michael from Q Department.  Chk them out in a town near you!

http://tintinusa.blogspot.com/2008/05/farah-2nite-national-modest-mouse.html

Actually, I’m not even sure Katrina was ever this big into crowd immersion, but Mr. Berninger is…. clip of the week for sure.

We’re still awaiting word as to whether he went all Stuart Murdoch at the Hollywood Bowl last night, but we can only hope he got the proper leg support from the less agile R.E.M. demographic.

Until someone uploads it to RedTube, it seems like the only place that isn’t banning the new Sigur Rós video is, well….  their own web site.

Straight talkin’ Orrí spoke to a local paper today and put it pretty plan and simple:

“This is just typical,” Orri Páll Dýrason, the drummer of Sigur Rós explains to 24 Stundir. “We were expecting something like this. It seems to be okay to show scantily clad women spreading their legs as long  as a little strip of cloth covers their crotch, not to mention the violence that is allowed to be shown. [This video] only shows a group of beautiful people frolicking. It’s innocence, not vulgarity.”

Well said….read the rest of the story here.

Mad "cheers" to our UK design folks for re-upping a pretty nice looking new home page at Beggars.com.  Go explore The Group’s wares people.

It’s recently come to my attention that the WWE has perpuutrated one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in not yet recognizing the contributions of one of the greatest wrestlers to ever grace the ring. To date, "The Birdman" Koko B. Ware has yet to be inducted to the WWE HALL OF FAME while both Killer Kowalski AND Ivan Putski are in?!? Mr Fuji never had his own theme song and Paul Ordorff never sang in a music video.

I’m starting a write in campaign to get Koko his due. and to be honest I think Frankie deserves a little mention as well especially after the tragic events in 2001.

Please join me in writing the "powers that be" to GET KOKO IN.

WWE Corporate Headquarters
Attention: Vince McMahon
1241 East Main Street
Stamford, CT 06902

 This is Koko’s year!

Koko’s theme song

 Official "Piledriver" music vid (featuring Koko on lead vox)

Well… if you thought that The Mountain Goats cancelling some tour dates was the end of activity for the band this year well you were sorely mistaken.  John has fired it up and is engaging in a few, oh so very special events and before long he’ll be back in your town (we’re sure)

Last week John was in New York City to play a benefit show and for a reading of his new 33 1/3 book MASTER OF REALITY at the Housing Works Book store.

READING PHOTOS HERE

ORDER THE BOOK HERE

John has also recorded a few tunes for MGs vs. Daytrotter 2.0 which sees John tackling a few tunes, old and new ("San Bernadino" from HERETIC PRIDE for one, two older numbers and one BRAND NEW SONG!!)

DAYTROTTER SESSION HERE

The Mountain Goats are playing a show at the Natural History Museum  in LA on Friday June 6th.  The performance is part of the museum’s First Friday clebration and also includes a tour, a discussion of the parallel evolution of apes and dolphins and a performance by The Annuals as well. Heady stuff

FIRST FRIDAYS at The Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County

 
photo by Daniel Bowen

Well, we could wage war on the fans.  Or we could just sit back and enjoy the many tributes to Ratatat on YouTube…. for days.

All this week, Tapes ‘n Tapes are mtvU’s House Band.  Why?  Cuz Tapes have a shit-hot video for "Hang Them All" that you can watch below along with footage from last year’s Lollapalooza.

And speaking of that shit-hot video, have you picked up our first-ever Beggars USA Webstore Vingle?

As things go… albums eventually make their way into the public forum.  Inevitable as death and taxes.

Rather than trip on it, Evan woke up this morning and fired off this video for Mirando to accompany the first mp3 we’re letting fly off LP3 (which you can pre-order and get those songs from our 7" for free right away as mp3s).

Enjoy your long weekend good people.

Apparently, Adam didn’t get much sleep after his sold out gig @ The Troubadour on Wed. night & was riding that buzz when he & his band (including two choir singers with some sweet chops) arrived at Amoeba last night in LA.  They played a generously long set for an instore & entertained the crowd.  Here are some photos I took from my (getto) phone.  Enjoy!