This one man band has got enough peppy vocals and dance beats to keep you moving all night, but unlike some of his hyped up mainstream counterparts he feels more inclined to discuss old TV shows and having fun than getting trashed and having sex with girls.

If you’re aching for some new summer jams, then look no further….

So, what do you think?

AP Photo/Joel Ryan

It’s no secret that if something graphic about someone famous and dead hits the public, it will be watched by millions of people around the world in shameless awe – especially if that someone is Michael Jackson. Following his death, tabloid UsMagazine posted video footage from 1984 that shows Jackson’s hair catching on fire and is, as the Pepsi company describes it, “frightening”.

The company has stated that they are unsure of how the magazine obtained the footage, but they are more concerned as to ‘why’ than the ‘how’. It appeared on UsMag’s site with the tile “How Michael Jackson’s Pill Addiction Began: The harrowing, never-before-seen footage of the singer’s 1984 Pepsi commercial accident.”

Sounds fascinating, doesn’t it? Us seemed to think so.

But was it really fair for them to make that assumption of the event? Unnamed sources or none, there is no telling if the second- and third-degree burns he sustained during the incident were truly what led to his fatal addiction. It is sad to see that while most of the world is trying to remember Michael for his legendary music career, tabloids still feel the need to shed a poor light on other aspects of his life. He was a great man who touched a lot of people, and he does not deserve to have these videos and stories tarnishing his legacy.

How long is it going to take before tabloids have found someone new to trash and leave Michael alone?

The song, featuring the vocal talents of Cee-Lo Brown, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Brendon Urie of Panic! at the Disco, Travis McCoy of Gym Class Heroes, and Janelle Monae, was released in early March. If its upbeat melody and joyous chorus weren’t enough to do the trick, the music video that premiered on MTV this morning is sure to put a smile on anyone’s face.

It’s refreshing to see an ad meant to accomplish more than to just sell a product. Who says you need half-naked girls to make your product stand out? Everyone could use a little bit of extra sunshine, and the efforts of the musicians involved and the Coca Cola company are reminding people that this is possible.

While out on their first ever headlining tour, entitled the What Happens in Vegas Tour, a few members of Las Vegas’ The Cab took some time out of their busy schedule to sit down and chat with me for my webzine Fueled By Fans. Singer Alex DeLeon, keyboardist Alex Marshall, and new guitarist Bryan Dawson gave some insight into their music, their experiences, and each other’s strange habits in this three part interview.

Let me know what you think!

AP Photo/Richard Drew

Though his antics and bad habits have earned him a bad reputation, there is no denying that Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz is one of the most compassionate celebrities around – and he’s at it again with his new twitter campaign “The Power of 1 Million“.

In the days leading up to his reaching one million followers on the micro-blogging site, he began to promise something special to those who listened to his thoughts. On July 11th he tweeted, “when we hit a million, I’m gonna change, I’ve been planning it for days.”

The surprise, which he had said early on would not be the expected music or giveaway, turned out to be a new project meant to raise money for an organization called Invisible Children.

The group was started by three young men who ventured to Africa looking for a story and stumbled upon the unpublicized war in Uganda where child soldiers are the most prominent weapon. Wentz has became actively involved with the cause after seeing the documentary that sparked its creation, bringing information and representatives out on tours with his band as well as trying to get the word out about it as often as possible. This current campaign is likely to be his biggest contribution.

The concept is simple: Wentz wants every single one of his followers to donate just one dollar to the cause, because “if even half of the million people following [him] donate a dollar to this it will mean a huge difference for these kids.

I realize we can use Twitter as a social/philanthropic tool in new media too. So I figured my tweet for my millionth follower should be really special. I set up this site to make it easy for us to help our friends in East Africa… This is an example of how every single person counts.

He may make some stupid choices, but I find it hard to believe that anyone could deny that he has a decent head on his shoulders. Not only is he business savvy, he’s got a heart of gold beneath the eyeliner and black skinny jeans. Maybe if the media talked about the good that he does half as much as the bad, people might not have such terrible things to say about him.

AP Photo/Peter Kramer

The tour, beginning the day of the album’s release, will hit smaller venues across the country – both to allow for a more personal show and to cut fans a break from arena tour prices. The band told MTV:

We want to do something that’s really intimate and that our fans can be right up there and don’t have to break their banks [for tickets]

With a fan base as large as theirs, Paramore is surely going to feel the backlash when numerous fans find themselves without tickets since the shows are sure to sell out within minutes. But the thought does count, and its refreshing to see a band that could easily have fallen into a regular arena-sized tour circuit taking a step back to consider their fans. Maybe Blink-182 should have followed this younger band’s lead.

What do you think? Is this tour a nice sentiment or a looming problem on the fan base’s horizon?

Photo Credit: Devin MacDonald

This Monday, fans received an unpleasant surprise as rumors started to fly that Panic at the Disco would be breaking up. With a short stint with Blink-182 on the way and the announcement of a new single, no one was quite too sure what to think. Later that afternoon, a message from guitarist Ryan Ross and bassist Jon Walker appeared on the Decaydance Records website confirming the news:

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Ryan Ross and Jon Walker will be leaving Panic at the Disco to embark on a musical excursion of their own. Though the four of us have made music together in the past, we’ve creatively evolved in different directions which has compromised what each of us want to personally achieve.

As more details surfaced it was revealed that Ross and Walker would break off to create their own band while lead singer Brendon Urie and drummer Spencer Smith would continue with Panic! at the Disco (and yes, the exclamation point is back).

Close friend and record label owner Pete Wentz posted a large exclamation point on his blog with a link to the two remaining members performing a cover of Bob Marley’s “3 Little Birds.” Smith also sent out a twitter with a link to the song with the quote “….every little thing is gonna be alright”.

Smith and Urie have made their best effort to assure fans of the band’s bright future. Said Smith on the band’s website, “We’re really excited about the new songs were working on and can’t wait to release more.” Just in case anyone was having their doubts, he included a clip of a new demo titled “Oh Glory.”

Having heard what’s on the way, I have to agree with what Wentz said in a recent twitter – the new music “sounds more like a natural progression from Fever You Can’t Sweat Out“. Though Ross’ clever lyrics will be sorely missed, Brendon Urie has one of the strongest voices in the genre and that should be more than enough to keep the band afloat.

What are your thoughts on the future of the band?

AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes

As hundreds of record stores have closed their doors across the nation, iTunes sales have continued to rise. In 2008, the online music store was reported to have sold $3.34 billion by November – already up $844 million from 2007. This year, the store celebrated the sale of its six billionth song.

The continuing success of online music sales has had a backlash on record store chains. Where physical CDs accounted for 90 percent of music sales in 2006, now three years later it has fallen to 70 percent. In the past six years, over 3,000 record stores have closed their doors.

Easy Access

Consumers value convenience when they are making purchases. This was reflected in the results as the older and younger age groups are more likely to purchase a physical CD while internet savvy teen prefer the digital medium.

“I actually buy the CD,” said Shelby, girl of less than fourteen years of age from Indiana. At her age, going to a store to pick up a CD is an easier way for her to obtain music as parents do not tend to let kids have free reign on the Internet.

On the other hand, all but one teen asked said that the majority of their music was purchased online. Having grown up with new technology, this age group generally has the most ease in using the Internet to make purchases. Many prefer this as it is more convenient than going to a store. As one of the largest consumer groups this partiality has had a significant effect on record stores.

“I buy a lot of music, so for me to have to drive all the way to a store and then spend the time trying to find an album it’s much easier for me to just download it at home,” said Alex Rodman, 18, of Michigan.

The shift to the use of the iPod as a music player instead of the walkman has also influenced this change. “I get music on iTunes so that it’s easier to put on my iPod, which is how I listen to my music most of the time,” said Jessica Schomer, 17, of Bartlett, IL.

Money Matters

While the convenience of the web for many has crippled record stores, the issue of money has had an even larger impact. From young to old, many do not have the money to spend on music.

“I get a lot of CD’s burned for me,” said adult Gerald Holmes of Alabama. When asked how much she spends on music, sixteen-year-old music lover Olivia Parker of Rockville, MD said, “Zero dollars…because I have no money.”

Another teen who requested not to be named said, “I get all of my music off of Limewire and if I want, I create my own CD’s”. It has been estimated that one-third of all PC owners have the free music downloading software on their computer.

Musician Manuel Gomez, 18, of Kansas City explained, “People just download music for free. It used to be that if you had the record, it was real important to you and you had a connection with the artist. Now people just get it to have the song.”

He disagrees with this practice and believes that as record stores close, the emotional tie to music is lost. “As a musician I can tell you that I want people to buy my CD’s. I want people to spend their money because it makes me feel good… I know that they care about the music.”

Where do you buy your music, online or from a record store?

AP Photo/Julia Malakie

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Amidst the countless over-edited and racy songs on the radio, a few gems of musical love can be found. See how well you know the words to these super sweet hits.

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