[HOT]
LIPS GET STATE SONG HONOR
All U.S. states have “official songs,” but did you know that several states have official Folk songs, official Polkas, official Waltzes and official children’s songs, as well? A couple of the cooler states even have official Rock songs — Ohio’s is “Hang on Sloopy,” while Washington’s is the lewd and lascivious (maybe?) “Louie Louie.” Now, Oklahoma has become the next state to name an official Rock song — hallucinogenic art rockers The Flaming Lips’ “Do You Realize?” (also, coincidentally, the official song of Mitsubishi). It was officially bestowed that honor earlier in the week, despite disapproval of some members of the Okalahoma House. A resolution to pass the song was rejected by the House reportedly because Lips bassist (and part-time Northern Kentucky resident) Michael Ivins wore a shirt with a hammer and sickle, which, of course, means the band members are all just a bunch of commie pinko bastards who hate America. Oh, and Wayne Coyne said “fuck” in public once. Governor Brad Henry intervened and signed an executive order giving the tune “Official Rock Song” status. Thankfully, the prudish House objectors didn’t look past a couple of public appearances and into the band’s pre-mainstream-success years, when they released songs like “Talkin’ Bout the Smiling Deathporn Immortality Blues,” “Hari-Krishna Stomp Wagon (Fuck Led Zeppelin)” and “Jesus Shootin’ Heroin.”
[WARM]
SHE’S MARRIED TO GOD (BUT ONLY IF HE’S A DUDE)
Miss California Carrie Prejean may have received a lot of flack for her comments during the Miss USA pageant about “opposite” and gay marriage – she’s against the latter and for the former (whatever it actually means) – but if she ever decides to become a Christian music singer, it seems she already has a built-in fanbase. Prejean’s antigay-marriage statements caused her to, according to some, lose the pageant, but at the Dove awards (the God Music Grammys) recently, she received a standing ovation while introducing one of the performances. In fact, we might just have another Sarah Palin on our hands — the Christian right has also become smitten with the beauty queen. Prejean said she wouldn’t say anything differently (even the “opposite marriage” comment?) if she could do it all again, though she would have worn the baby blue onepiece instead of the pink French bikini during the swimsuit competition.
[COLD]
GUTEN GLIEBEN GLAUCHEN GLOBEN, Y’ALL
The career arc of an aging Rock band can go a few different directions — they can keep on rockin’ and sell a bazillion records if they’re lucky (AC/DC, Van Halen), they can fail to capitalize on former successes and end up on an “oldies” type tour with a bunch of non-original members or they can hit the community carnival circuit. But Bon Jovi’s success on the Country charts has presented a new option — go Country! Pioneers of the British Heavy Metal scene, Def Leppard raised some eyebrows in the Rock world with news that they were co-writing with Tim McGraw and performing duets with Country pop tart Taylor Swift. Now, they’re officially ingrained in the Country music world, earning early nominations for three Country Music Television awards. From touring with Whitesnake to tapping into the lucrative Country market — guess it’s really a no-brainer for any super-money-minded artist. We expect Foreigner, Journey, Styx and Bang Tango to whip out their cowboy hats and boots any day now.
