October 31, 2003 – By: Chuck KlostermanToday we are going to learn about the Strokes. We are going tolearn who the Strokes are—or at least who they are supposedto be. But this will not be easy: There will be holes. There willbe misdirection. And it will be up to you to fill in the gaps. Today we are going to learn about the Strokes. We are going to learn who the Strokes are—or at least who they are supposed to be. But this will not be easy: There will be holes. There will be misdirection. And it will be up to you to fill in the gaps. And this is intentional. "The one thing I've never understood about the media is this whole idea of the public's 'right to know.' Just because people want to know something does not mean they have a right to that information." Julian Casablancas is sitting in a diner in lower Manhattan, drinking a glass of water and considering how much he needs a cigarette.

October 30, 2003 – By: Andrew BeaujonUnless you skipped dinner, you probably didn't see Detroit nativeObie Trice on this summer's Rock the Mic tour--Eminem's latestprotege opened the shows at 6:30 P.M. "It's either this or the'hood," says former drug dealer Trice, stoically, minutes beforehis ten-minute set in Baltimore. Most people in the arena are stilllooking for their seats, but Trice, 25, hits the stage hard,barking his CD's release date every 20 seconds. After watchinglabelmate 50 Cent's album explode, he's ready. "It's time to go,"he says. "It's my time." Eminem (who had Trice record a vocal on "Without Me") executive-produced his Shady Records debut, Cheers, featuring the snaky single "Got Some Teeth," which is about going home with a less-than-fine young lady. Trice quickly points out that despite what happens in the song's video, he has never found his bedmate's choppers in a water glass.

October 30, 2003 – JULY 5: INDIANAPOLIS Andy Granelli: First day of the tour. We wereall really excited to play. We got ready: Istretched, Brody warmed up, Ryan drank abeer, and Tony smoked. Then God spat rainand wind from his anus, and they canceledour set.We cried like little babies. Actually, itwas okay, because we spent the day gettingused to everything. It's strange to be munchingon a tuna-and-potato-chipper and haveChris Cornell walk by with the Audioslaveguys in tow. It's even stranger to have themlook over and say "Hey." Brody Armstrong: First day of Lollapaloozaand we get rained out. I made friends withsome people from Indianapolis who broughtme moonshine, which makes your facepucker on the spot. It gets you drunk withinone minute.

October 27, 2003 – By: Alex PappademasIt's all about context. Genuine Jersey Shore hair-metal bands arekind of sad. But a group of New York City wiseacres pretending tobe a Jersey Shore hair-metal band? That's comedy gold. Or at leastcomedy bronze. In August, Satanicide--whose over-the-top songs anddim-witted stage demeanor flawlessly evoke heavy metal'sheyday--opened for Mr. Brownstone, a Guns N' Roses cover band, atManhattan's Tribeca Rock Club. Here's how they rocked. 11:10 P.M. "This is the best Zeppelin song!" a guy with a buzz cutexclaims. The song playing on the sound system is Heart's"Barracuda." The room is as hot and wet as the inside of a Crock-Pot. If I had a mullet, it would be sticking to the back of my neck. 11:15 P.M. Offstage, someone screams into a microphone: "NEWYORK CITY!

October 27, 2003 – By: Jason TanzTriumph the Insult Comic Dog has appeared on Late Night WithConan O'Brien, Hollywood Squares, and, infamously, onpast MTV Video Music Awards, where he begged to sniff J.Lo's buttand nearly came to blows with Eminem. This month, the trash-talkingrubber puppet (voiced by Saturday Night Live writer RobertSmigel) releases his debut CD, Come Poop With Me, whichfeatures such ditties as "Underage Bichon" and "Lick Myself." Wetook him out to a nearby dog run and got the straight poop. Triumph, every dog I've ever owned has died after a few years. How have you survived in this business for so long? The key is having dirt on everyone. A dog is like a four-legged fly on the wall. Your new album, Come Poop With Me, has taken longer to come out than David Gest. Why the delay? It takes me a long time to tune my guitar. Are the streets still feeling you?

October 24, 2003 – By: Ginny YangIn the midst of rising CD prices and RIAA lawsuits, Apple's iTuneshas been hailed as a ray of hope for the long-suffering musicindustry. The revolutionary music store recently celebrated its 10millionth download (at 99 cents a pop), offering a cheap and legalalternative for music-loving technophiles since debuting in April.However, the company's market has remained limited, since theservice did not reach the estimated 95 percent of computer userswho own PCs. As a result of the success of their Mac version,iTunes introduced an identical Windows format this past Thursday tothe increasingly competitive business of legal downloads. Despite being considered one of the best online music stores, Apple faces several rivals that threaten their Windows franchise. According to www.afternapster.com, there are still over 50 websites that offer illegal file sharing.

October 23, 2003 – Elliott Smith: He's Mr. Dyingly Sad, And You're Mystifyingly GladBy RJ Smith Elliott Smith recovers nicely. Just one hour ago he was sitting in a tiny backstage room, enjoying a postshow libation and breathing in a blue cloud of smoke courtesy of a gang of well-wishers. Soon, the crowd diminishes, enough for one dogged follower to claim Smith's attention. "You must be a Cat Stevens fan, the kind of music you play," this young man with oppossum eyes says. Having commandeered the singer's attention, he bangs on about how fame drove sensitive strummer Cat Stevens nuts, drove him into the hands of Islam, drove him to call for the head of Salman Rushdie. Other fans back away; band members stick their head in the room and quickly withdraw. All but Smith, who politely listens with nary a squirm. Until finally he can't take it any longer.

October 22, 2003 – By: Chuck KlostermanLast week, I found myself in a debate about downloading music, adebate I seem to have more and more. But this conversation wasdifferent from the usual "Is this stealing, or is this notstealing?" argument. Our dialogue had nothing to do with the ethicsor legality of getting free music off the Internet. What we werediscussing was why people like downloading music so much and whatit means for the future of rock'n'roll. What seems to be the case--and I could be wrong about this, but I doubt it--is that people like the process of downloading more than they like listening to whatever it is they've acquired. The biggest thrill of downloading "Electric Avenue" has almost nothing to do with Eddy Grant; the thrill is that (a) downloading is kind of like socially sanctioned crime and that (b) downloading actually works.

October 22, 2003 – By: Marc SpitzTo the untrained eye, it would appear that Fabrizio Moretti isvegging out happily, watching VH1 Classic in the comfy East Villagestorefront office of Wiz Kid Management. But the 23-year-old isactually haunted by a dark insecurity. He's reaching out forapproval, acceptance, some kind of relief. Finally, he can hold itin no longer, and with the gravest of expressions, he asks, "Do youlike these pants?" I carefully examine the dark-blue jeansstretched over his skinny legs. He braces himself. "Are they new?"I ask. "Yeah," he answers. "They're new." Moretti is the drummer of the Strokes, arguably the coolest band inAmerica, Europe, Japan--everywhere, really. He is in a serious relationshipwith Drew Barrymore. He just bought his own apartment after rooming and renting for years. But he cannot decide whether his new pants are lame, and it's killing him.

October 22, 2003 – By: Ginny YangSinger-songwriter Elliott Smith was found dead in his Silverlakeapartment on Tuesday, October 21. The apparent cause was suicide bya self-inflicted knife wound, according to the Los AngelesCoroner's office. Smith was brought to the University of SouthernCalifornia Medical Center by his live-in girlfriend after shediscovered the artist's body at 12:18pm. Smith was pronounced deadan hour after arrival. Elliott Smith, né Steven Paul Smith, was known for haunting acoustic compositions and unusual chord structures, earning him frequent comparisons to Nick Drake and the Beatles. Born in Nebraska in 1969, Smith began writing songs at the age of 14 and established himself as a fixture in Portland's thriving indie rock scene in the early '90s.