If you pay them, they will learn?

This just doesn't make any sense to me, but I guess it's what the world is coming to (man, that makes me sound old). Washington, D.C. officials announced a new incentive program that will pay middle schoolers up to $100 a month for, well... being students. The pilot program, called Capital Gains is similar to one being run in NYC and gives students the opportunity to earn cash money for attending class, doing homework, getting good grades and staying out of trouble. Isn't that what kids are supposed to do? I would've loved to have something like that when I was in school. Instead, my incentive for doing all of that stuff was keeping my parents off of my ass... a "program" that seemed to be pretty effective. But I guess in a city where only 36% of middle schoolers are proficient in reading and 33% in math, it's worth a try.

This week's late night TV lineup

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Lupe Fiasco

SNL - Feist

Hooray Friday!

- This definitely warrants the top spot this week. Listen to the new TV on the Radio track "Golden Age" off of their upcoming release Dear Science (Sep 23rd) on the band's website. Thanks to Metro D for the heads up.

- Get ready for a superfecta from I am fuel...

1. fun is Nate Ruess' (former Format lead man) new band and "Benson and Hedges" is their demo. Take a gander.
2. Sounds like Wilco is looking eyeing the spring of '09 to release their new album, which I couldn't be happier about. Over the past few weeks, they've been testing the waters with two new songs: "One Wing" and "Sunny Feeling."
3. More new stuff, this time from the National apparently titled ""A Thousand Black Cities."
4. I am not a big Smashing Pumpkins fan, but understand that I am in the minority here. Flashback to 1997 when they played the Bridge School Benefit.

- Even more new music, this one from Bloc Party's latest Intimacy (digital - now, CD - Oct 27th) entitled "Trojan Horse." Thanks to Ultra 8201 for the K.

- And the last bit of new music news, could this be a new song from Radiohead that they performed during soundcheck recently?? You Ain't No Picasso has us scratching our noggins.

Get your tour dates here

• The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers
• Andrew Bird
• Black Lips
• Black Mountain
• Ghostland Observatory
• The Walkmen (dates added)
• Nine Inch Nails (dates added)
• Neil Young (w. DCFC and Wilco)
• Fleet Foxes
• Coldplay (dates added)
• Iron and Wine
• Yeasayer
• Kings of Leon
• Jose Gonzalez (dates added)

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Tuesday - Huey Lewis and the News

Late Night w/David Letterman

• Monday - The Black Kids
• Tuesday - N.E.R.D.
• Wednesday - Low vs. Diamond

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Phantom Planet
• Tuesday - The Hold Steady
• Thursday - MGMT

The Hold Steady - 9:30 Club (8/14/08)

Good ticket karma is a beautiful thing. I showed up for the sold-out Hold Steady concert on Thursday thinking I was straight with a ticket (courtesy of some character on Craigslist). Unfortunately the bastard was a no-show and I was forced to quickly reevaluate the situation and come up with an alternate plan of attack. As I stood there contemplating my options, a guy who had a few extra tickets and was eager to get into the concert handed his extras to the lady working the ticket window and asked her to give them to whoever needed a ticket. After pinching myself a few times to check that I wasn't dreaming, I walked up to the window and asked the lady if she happened to have an extra ticket. Haha yes! I was already looking forward to seeing The Hold Steady in concert. Seeing them for free... eh niiiice!

These fellas sure do bring it in concert - something you wouldn't initially expect when you look at them. They came out of the blocks running and didn't let up for almost 2 hours. I'm a huge fan of their most recent effort, Stay Positive and hearing almost every track off of it on Thursday made me appreciate it even more. Their enthusiasm was infectious and efforts were definitely appreciated - so much so that the crowd hung around screaming and chanting even after the house lights went up. And in a truly classy move, The Hold Steady returned to thank their fans with one last song. Not bad for $0!

RatBat Bear might be pitching a tent because The Hold Steady and Drive-By Truckers just announced a fall tour that swings through State College. And while it's not from their current tour, NPR has a few of The Hold Steady's concerts and a studio session up on their website.

Say goodbye to that case of the Mondays...

Fact: The LOML+1 and I are addicted to this show. Funny shit!

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live!

• Monday - The Cool Kids

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Tuesday - The Hold Steady
• Friday - Emmylou Harris

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Monday - Amy Smart (Not singing, but VERY easy on the eyes)

Hooray Friday!

- Nuts! I hate to start the weekend off with bad news, but 2/3's of Wolfmother is no longer. Sounds like Andrew Stockdale is going to try to make the name live on though. Metro D, who initially got me hooked on the boys from down under, with the info.

- Back to back love from the Newport Folk Festival last weekend. Live sets from She & Him and Jim James (acoustic style) thanks to Aquarium Drunkard.

- I am Fuel hooks us up with a nice little zip file of goodness from Fleet Foxes' concert in Denver recently.

- King of Leon has released the new single "Sex on Fire" from their upcoming album on their mySpace page.

- Download "Id Engager," Of Montreal's first single from their upcoming Skeletal Lamping (out Oct 7) courtesy of Stereogum.

- Looking for more music to keep you motivated while getting your swell on? The Art of Manliness has 52 workout songs for your iPod. Not sure about "No Woman No Cry" being much of a pump-you-up song, but whatever works for you.

This week's late night TV lineup

Jimmy Kimmel Live

• Monday - The Cool Kids

Tonight Show w/Jay Leno

• Wednesday - Conor Oberst
• Thursday - Solomon Burke
• Friday - Scarlett Johansson (don't worry, she's not singing)

Late Night w/Conan O'Brien

• Tuesday - N*E*R*D

Last Call w/Carson Daly

• Monday - Flobots
• Wednesday - Brett Dennen

Late Show w/David Letterman

• Monday - Fleet Foxes
• Tuesday - Spiritualized

Late Late Show w/Craig Ferguson

• Thursday - Conor Oberst

The Black Keys - Live from Abbey Road

The benefits of house/dog-sitting for friends who have HD cable and a obscenely lairge boob tube. Doesn't quite make up for the number of times their dog whizzed in our place, but whatever. This is bad-ass none the less. Hells yeah!

"I Got Mine"

TV on the Radio - Dear Science

[The Brothers Brick]

So far 2008 lacks an album that blows the effing doors off the hoopty from top to bottom. Will Dear Science fill that void? Man, I hope so. But we'll have to wait until Sept 23rd to find out. Wonder if this sucker's gonna leak...

Tracklist and tourdates are out (courtesy of Filter-Mag). Uhhh fellas, no love for DC?? Oiy.

Dear Science Tracklist
01 Halfway Home
02 Crying
03 Dancing Choose
04 Stork & Owl
05 Golden Age
06 Family Tree
07 Red Dress
08 Love Dog
09 Shout Me Out
10 DLZ
11 Lover's Day

Tourdates
September
5 Portland, Or - Roseland
6 Seattle, WA - Showbox
12 Boise, ID - Big Easy
13 Salt Lake City, UT - In The Venue
14 Morrison, CO - Red Rocks (Monolith Festival)
19 San Diego, CA - Street Scene
20 San Francisco, CA - Treasure Island Festival

October
10 Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
11 Providence, RI - Lupo's
13 Boston, MA - Wilbur Theatre
14 Brooklyn, NY - Masonic Temple
15 Brooklyn, NY - Masonic Temple
18 Cincinnati, OH - Bogart's
19 Indianopolis, IN - Vogue Theatre
20 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
21 Minneapolis, MN - First Ave.
22 Chicago, IL - Riviera
24 New Orleans, - LA Voodoo Festival
25 Atlanta, Ga - Tabernacle
26 Knoxville, TN - Bijou Theatre
28 Dallas, TX - Lakewood Theatre
30 Austin, TX - Stubb's
31 Oklahoma City, CA - Diamond Ballroom

November
6 Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern
8 San Diego, CA - 4th and B