March 31, 2008 – The times are a-changin': As veteran labels scramble to adapt to the evolving music industry and tap other sources of financial gain to recoup lost revenues, U2 have opted to sign a 12-year contract with Live Nation, which will now handle the band's merchandising, digital, and branding rights, as well as touring management. The concert promoter/venue management firm does not get the band's recording contract, though: Bono and crew will continue recording for longtime label home, Universal Music Group. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. "It's not a do or die situation that we have to be involved in the recordings," Live Nation Chairman Michael Cohl said in an interview with Reuters.

March 31, 2008 – After 15 years and mountains of critical acclaim, Liz Phair's lo-fi, female-empowering, and romance-seeking 1993 opus Exile in Guyville will undergo the reissue treatment and release with additional tunes and a DVD June 24 courtesy of Phair's new label, ATO. Four extra songs -- "Ant in Alaska," "Wild Thing" (inspired by the Troggs' hit of the same name), "Say You," and an untitled solo instrumental -- and a DVD documentary will accompany the album's original 18 tracks. Focusing on the indie scene in Chicago's Wicker Park neighborhood, from which Phair's musical career was born, the DVD features an interview with Phair herself, as well as Windy City luminaries like Ira Glass of NPR's This American Life, actor John Cusack, producer Steve Albini, and members of Urge Overkill. Sick of musical nostalgia?

March 31, 2008 – After last week's spat between frontman Scott Weiland and drummer Matt Sorum, and subsequent reports of the band's demise, Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has now come forward, stating the rockers have not split, and will push on despite Weiland's plans to rejoin Stone Temple Pilots for a string of summer gigs. "There will be a third album," Slash told the Daily Star. "We don't know how or when but the core four guys will continue." [Via NME.com] If you're yet to tire of indie cash cow Juno, log onto iTunes April 8 and pick up Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs, the digital-only sequel to the film's original, chart-busting soundtrack, that features tunes from returning artists like Kimya Dawson, Buddy Holly, and Belle and Sebastian, as well as newcomers like Yo La Tengo. Also featured on Almost Adopted: Protagonist Ellen Page singing a tune penned by film screenwriter Diablo Cody.

March 28, 2008 – Spin's April issue is on newsstands now and arrives with plenty of goodies from cover to cover. Here, check out our cover story on R.E.M., plus Power Ballots, an article investigating musicians' role and influence on the campaign trail, and Who Earns What, a piece uncovering the income of those working in all facets of the music business. R.E.M.: R.E. BORN It's rare that a band gets the opportunity to grow older and wiser together -- rarer still that one does so by sounding younger and snottier than ever. After losing their way with a string of ho-hum albums, here's how R.E.M. found their noisy deliverance. MORE >> Who Earns What We all know that rock and raps stars can earn tens of millions each year, but what about the others who toil in the business of music? From managers to roadies to bloggers to bus drivers, here's how much they take home.

March 28, 2008 – Joining the likes of Death Cab for Cutie and Wolfmother before them, Franklin, TN's punk mavens Paramore were honored last night (March 27) at Hard Rock's state-of-the-art flagship venue in Orlando, FL with the rock'n'roll establishment's highest respect: The Hard Rock Artist of the Year Award. As 2008's recipient of the esteemed prize, Paramore were presented with a glass-encased photo of the band on the cover of this year's Hard Rock Annual, courtesy of Hard Rock president and CEO Hamish Dodds.

March 28, 2008 – There's nothing quite like the cold sting of a water balloon across the face -- especially in the dead of winter. And the six boys of Delaware's Spinto Band definitely know the feeling, sacrificing dignity and warmth for art's sake in the music video for "Summer Grof," a tune off their forthcoming album Moonwink. Conceptualized and directed by former Spinto member Albert Birney and filmed against a snow speckled and wooded rural New England backdrop, the video features slow-motion shots of each band member cringing in anticipation of an execution-style hail of water balloons, and later other random paint and food products.

March 27, 2008 – Yesterday (March 26), Dr. Pepper, you know, that syrupy brand of soda-pop, addressed Guns N' Roses' reclusive, dreadlocked frontman Axl Rose, placing the future of America's thirst in his hands, by offering each U.S. resident -- sans runaway guitarist Slash and Buckethead -- a gratis can of Dr. Pepper under one condition: the fractured hard rockers must release their nearly 17-years-in-the-making opus, Chinese Democracy, sometime in 2008. "It took a little patience for us to perfect Dr. Pepper's special mix of 23 ingredients, so we completely understand and empathize with Axl's quest for the perfect album," a company spokesperson said in a statement. No doubt, the inventive publicity stunt stirred a few taste buds and got a some pondering that ol' record once again -- notably, Mr. Rose himself. "We are surprised and very happy to have the support of Dr.

March 27, 2008 – You may have noticed that SPIN.com is entirely brand new this month. One of the big differences: our on-demand video section. With this new regular feature, we'll be dipping into our vast, growing video vault to show off some of our best clips. Today's clip recalls the scorching days of last summer spent at Brooklyn's McCarren Park Pool Parties, where many bands performed each Sunday. Amongst them: Philadelphia's Man Man. Watch video of the eclectic, eccentric six-piece performing "10 lb. Mustache," off their 2004 debutThe Man in a Blue Turban with a Face, to a packed and responsive crowd on July 1, 2007. Check back to SPIN.com for more picks from the video vault, and visit our video section for all the latest.

March 26, 2008 – Valiant indeed! In a selfless move made public to draw attention to the National Kidney Foundation, Valient Himself, frontman of Chapel Hill, NC rockers Valient Thorr, will go under the knife April 29 to have to a kidney removed and transplanted into his sick father. All of the band's shows have been canceled through June 10, at which point they will hit the road in support of Immortalizer, their latest album out June 17 via Volcom. Valient Himself, also the author of an amusing SPIN.com tour blog, hopes his noble move will motivate others to do the same. "If I can go from a hospital bed to playing in front of a crowd of 75,000 at the UK's Download Festival in just eight weeks, people out there might consider becoming organ donors as well," the Viking-like frontman said.

March 26, 2008 – You may have noticed that SPIN.com is entirely brand new this month. One of the big differences: our on-demand video section. With this new regular feature, we'll be dipping into our vast, growing video vault to show off some of our best clips. Today's clip is a newish one, recorded just two weeks ago at South by Southwest, the inaugural festival of 2008's very packed festival docket. We met many bands at our Austin outpost -- the SPIN/MySpace San Jacinto Saloon -- including post-hardcore rockers Hot Water Music, who offered up info about their recent reunion and the prospect of recording new material. Check back to SPIN.com for more picks from the video vault!