Puff'n'Stuff

After a huge first half of the month, what with the likes of Bleeding Through, Motion City Soundtrack, and Alex Lloyd visiting our fabulous town, the rest of May is set to be even bigger, if that's possible. Which of course it is. All things are possible. Well, not all things. Big second half of the month type things are.

Do you wanna be famous? Well, sort of...Local pop-rockers Poly And The Statics are giving a dozen or so lucky boys and girls the chance to be on the cover of the band's upcoming EP 'Daydreams'. Anyone can enter and they've assured Puff there's nothing to be embarrassed about - you'll only have to be half an inch tall and willing to be stuck into a busy street-scene 'Where's Wally' style. So if you think you're game, get in touch with the guys for more info on www.polyandthestatics.com - go on, it'll be a super cool thing to show your friends, future grandchildren, or potential employers to prove that you are the sex.

Make sure you also catch St. Kilda's Cold Harbour when they accompany the mighty Beasts Of Bourbon at the Governor Hindmarsh on Thu 25 May to show off their newly released, self-titled debut EP. If a fusion of psychedelia, garage rock, classic blues and spaghetti western themes sounds like your musical cup of tea, don't miss.

Join in the rock'n'rumble and witness the Swayback rockers strut their stuff against the mod might of The Green Circles and The Unspoken Things at the Wheatsheaf Hotel on Fri 2 June...Mods vs Rockers, The Who vs The Stones, Vespa vs Tiumph - let's get it on! Puff hears there'll be a groovy door prize for the most dedicated follower of mod/rocker fashion, so wear your finest. And the best part is it's completely free.

Or alternatively come along to the Governor Hindmarsh to check out Poetikool Justice who will be headlining the main stage with supporting slots from the likes of Co4Sure, J-Hoe, Fraud Millionaires. Oh, and make sure you stick around on the night for a few other cool little surprises.

Former New Zealanders-cum-Melbournians Batrider will also be embarking on their very own Australian tour de-force in support of the debut album 'They Said You Were Hideous', along with some special friends by the name of Hit The Jackpot and Straight To Video, so be at the Rocket Bar on Thu 1 June.

On the subject of very special friends, former Machine Gun Fellatio frontman/songwriter Pinky Beecroft has formed himself a new band and called it The White Russians. Consisting of Nick Stewart (George), Christian McBride (Field Day), Ken Folan (Dublin Arsonists) and Cameron Bruce (Gud, Dave McCormack), rumour has it the band is a massive departure from Beecroft's MGF territory and a step in a whole new direction. Nevertheless, Puff says bring it on quick, fast and in a hurry.

Actually it's collaborations a'hoy lately, what with the brand new supergroup going by the name of The Saboteurs (a.k.a. Jack White from The White Stripes, Jack Lawrence and Patrick Keeler from The Greenhornes and soloist Brendan Benson) very appropriately coming together in an attic one hot summer's day. The band is currently locked in for an international promo tour, which may very likely see them visiting Australian shores too, so Puff recommends you definitely keep an ear out for this one.

REM, Ryan Adams and Idlewild have also decided to join forces and come together on a tribute album dedicated to the cult '70s rock'n'rollers Big Star which is scheduled for release sometime in late May. Big Star themselves also feature on the album with one of their own tunes, as do Ryan Adams' old bandmates from Whiskeytown.

In other news (and general juicy gossip), the ever-so-cheery Thom Yorke, he of Radiohead, has officially announced his long-time-in-the-making solo album 'The Eraser' will be released in July. Yorke, it seems, is a bit of a jack of all trades, having not only written all the tracks but playing all the instruments on the album too. And unless you really want to piss him off, make no mistake, this is going to be no Radiohead record by any means - produced by Nigel Godrich, 'The Eraser' will see Yorke dipping his toe in the waters of beats and electronics.

After walking away from his musical career thirty years ago and converting to Islam, and more recently, after being refused entry into the United States due to his name ending up on a terrorist watch-list, the artist formerly known as Yusuf Islam (but you can call him Cat Stevens) is releasing an album. Pop-orientated and produced by Rick Nowels, Stevens has described the album as his personal attempt at uniting Islam and the west through music.

Trying to make the world a better place is also one Bono of U2, who has taken on the role of editor for an African newspaper with the hope of promoting his anti-AIDS campaign. Tony Blair and Gordon Brown are just some of the interview subjects the singer has managed to feature in the paper, as are U2 guitarist The Edge and Eddie Izzard who have added their two cents on how to rebuild New Orleans' culture after Hurricane Katrina.

Pink isn't very pleased with the state of affairs in the world apparently either. The singer has penned a letter to the Queen complaining that the Buckingham Palace guards cease wearing their ceremonial bear-furred hats and swap them for faux fur immediately. This comes not long after Pink's recent feud with food-chain giant KFC over the restaurant's treatment of chickens.

Meanwhile, the oh so cuddly Snoop Dogg (or Calvin Broadus and his mamma knows him) has also admitted fault and taken responsibility for a violent brawl which occurred at London's Heathrow Airport and led to his arrest after some of his crew were refused entry to the plane's first-class lounge. Apparently Heathrow Airport is atrocious in its service, because rapper DMX was arrested over the weekend after giving its staff a mouthful too and refusing to buckle up his seatbelt for landing. But Puff suspects it's nothing personal and that it's just airports in general DMX has beef with, considering the rather embarrassing 2004 incident in which he crashed his car through New York's JFK Airport in a fit of rage.

Speaking of feuds, Puff hears that Razorlight's mainman, and god knows never one to hold back his opinion, Johnny Borrell has gone on record to claim his band is better than the Arctic Monkeys. Currently piecing together the band's second album, the singer has revealed that he feels like a genius surrounded by average, if not awful bands, and offering his explanation to British mag NME as to the success of the Arctic Monkeys, "The door was open for them and they blew the hinges off."

More angry people: Bob Marley's bassist Aston Barrett is none too happy these days either. Following his argument that he was owed US$115 million in royalties for songs which he co-wrote with Marley and filing a lawsuit, the judge has decided against Barrett, pointing out a 1994 settlement in which he agreed to only US$500,000. Subsequently, Barrett (also going by the name of 'Family Man' due to fathering an incredible 52 children) currently owes US$4 million in legal fees.

For those of you who have been hanging out for the new and much talked about Oasis EP, well you'll just have to sit tight and wait a little longer. Word from the Gallagher camp is that the songs that were due to appear on the EP have been discarded for the time being because the band reckons they're just not good enough. And by a wait, Oasis really mean a wait - the full length album will not be seeing the light of day untli at least 2008...In the meantime, as Noel Gallagher told NME magazine, "We're having the year off instead."

No Doubt are working on a new album at the moment as well, minus Gwen Stefani that is. Despite the fact her solo career has sky-rocketed of late, Ms Stefani has decided not to turn her back on her old bandmates (as expected) and will be returning to the studio to record a newie with the band once she gives birth. No Doubt have revealed that the album will be taking a somewhat different direction with strong leanings towards reggae and rock. It's been five years since the band's last release, 'Rock Steady'.

On the other hand, definitely parting ways this month is Sum 41 with guitarist Dave Baksh who has decided to leave (on friendly terms, of course) the band for the time being so as to focus on his own metal side project Brown Brigade. But it would appear that Baksh's decision to leave will not have much of an effect on the band, as vocalist Deryck Whibley told MTV, "Dave lost interest a long time ago". Sum 41 are currently in the studio working on a follow up to 2004's 'Chuck'.

Someone else taking a new direction is electronic duo Daft Punk who have made a decision to give the music side of things a rest for the time being and concentrate their energies on film. Rumour has it the duo's film, currently in the making, will center around a couple of robots and their journey to become human. The movie will be added to this month's Cannes Film Festival, though this will not be the first time Daft Punk will try their hand at filmmaking - the duo collaborated with Lelji Matsumoto three years ago on an animated feature.

It seems everyone is heading for Splitsville these days, what with Paul MacCartney and second wife Heather Mills calling it quits after four years of marriage, blaming the ever so intrusive media for ruining their relationship and causing them to grow apart. McCartney, worth around UK$1 billion, is not a happy chap at the moment, Puff hears - Mills did not sign a prenuptial agreement.

Not exactly a poor one either, Paris Hilton is currently recording her debut album with Scott Storch, Lukasz 'Dr. Luke' Gottwald and Three 6 Mafia. Usually well known for incredibly embarrasing public behavior, word has it that Ms Hilton has been very well mannered in the studio and, gulp, even down to earth. Producer J.R. Rotem has gone as far as to describe the hairess to MTV recently as nothing less than "professional, focused, warm, and round." ...Go figure.

No stranger to humiliation is also one Pete Doherty who this time is reported to have been involved in what can only be described as a 'syringe fiasco.' During an interview with the media, Doherty apparently thought it would be really cool to squirt a syringe full of his own blood at the camera and reporters, yelling "That was a wicked shot! That's going to make a cracking link, that is!" Doherty's own fellow bandmates didn't find the joke quite as funny, however, Drew McConnell having to apologize to the media before describing the incident as "Fucked up," then getting the hell as far away from Doherty. Puff hears that thousands of pounds worth of camera equipment was sterilized pronto.

Despite recovering from a freak fall from a palm tree while holidaying in Fiji and the consequent head surgery, Keith Richards reckons he's ready to start touring a.s.a.p. Following his recent release from a New Zealand hospital, Richards is currently very closely monitored by doctors as an outpatient. The only thing Richards isn't happy with? That the Rolling Stones' European tour has been rescheduled from this month to next.

Smashing news indeed, but Puff reckons these crazy rockstars shouldn't get to have all the fun - so go out and climb some trees, squirt your blood at the unsuspecting media, or shoot your mouth off at innocent flight attendants...Or, considering so many treats like Butterfingers, After the Fall and the Hard Ons are coming our way in the next couple of weeks, head down and check them out. Whatever you do...

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