• Sadly, the Cramps frontman Lux Interior died yesterday of a pre-existing heart condition. Born Eric Lee Purkhiser, Lux formed the Cramps in 1973 with his wife, Kristy Wallace, aka Poison Ivy, whom he supposedly picked up hitching hiking. Fusing 50’s rock, punk, horror films, and sexual fetishism, the Cramps performed consistently over their 30 odd year span and released 13 albums and a slew of singles. While the band’s lineup changed frequently, Lux and Poison Ivy never wavered and became true pioneers of psychobilly and garage rock in general, and their influence can be heard in the sound of innumerable bands ever since.
  R.I.P. Lux!

• A no less theatrical act, Spinal Tap, confirmed that they’ll be recording new material this year, to be released as a digital download first and then in physical form. Bassist Derek Smalls (Harry Shearer) hints that they’ll record “Warmer Than Hell,” performed at Wembley Stadium in 2007 for Live Earth, and possibly as song titled “Gimme Some More Money” — “with probably with some dubious results,” adds Smalls.

• Think you’re going to just slip in to watch Radiohead perform at the Grammys and then slip out? That’s doubtful now that the list of performers has grown to include Stevie Wonder, Neil Diamond, Allen Toussaint, and a so-pregnant-she’ll-deliver-any-moment M.I.A.. And they’re added to the already long list including Coldplay, U2, Paul McCartney with Dave Grohl, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, T.I., Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Kid Rock, the Jonas Brothers, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katy Perry, Kenny Chesney, Rihanna, Estelle, Taylor Swift, Chris Brown, Adele, Sugarland and a Four Tops tribute with Ne-Yo, Jamie Foxx, Duke Fakir, and a tribute to Bo Diddley. All that in less than four hours? Good luck! … and potentially good watching!

• Fleet Foxes fans can check out a new another great video from Sean Pecknold, brother of frontman Robin Pecknold and director of the previous and great stop-motion video for “White Winter Hymnal.” Here’s an exclusive from Pitchfork TV for “Mykonos”:

• Frequent KEXP visitor John Vanderslice announced yesterday that he’s shifted labels, heading over to Dead Oceans, where he’ll release Romanian Names on May 19 — and he’s got a redesigned website to boot. John talked with us while he was in Berkeley last week about the new album, his upcoming tour, and the label change. Check it out here.

• Despite claiming the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, it seems Bruce Springsteen can’t catch a break lately. He recently apologized for a Wal-mart exclusive release and took a camera to the crotch during his recent Superbowl halftime performance, for which he’s presently facing mild accusations of lip syncing. Now, he’s fuming mad at Ticketmaster, who he claims was redirecting fans buying tickets to his shows to TicketsNow, a secondary broker site where people exchange, trade, and, sell tickets, often with inflated prices. The CEO of Ticketmaster Entertainment, Irving Azoff, has since responded, saying, “While we were genuinely trying to do the right thing for fans in providing more choices when the tickets they requested from the primary on-sale were not available, we clearly missed the mark.”

• In sunnier news, Ezra Furman and the Harpoons finally released a video for “Take Off Your Sunglasses,” which was featured recently as one of KEXP’s Song of the Day podcasts:

• Super Bowl half-time performer (wasn’t it awesome?) and blue collar hero, Bruce Springsteen has apologized for the Wal-Mart Greatest Hits exclusive, telling the New York Times: “It was a mistake.” It would be old hat to rehash the evil Wal-Mart has wrought with its child labor violations, anti-union stance, and lack of employee benefits — and how all that is intrinsically against Springsteen’s own views — but the Boss is clearly feeling guilty enough.

• Coachella has announced its 2009 line-up and indie kids everywhere now have an excuse to flock to California come April 17-19. Friday night’s line-up will be anchored by the old guard, with Paul McCartney, Leonard Cohen, and Morrisey mixing it up with M. Ward, The Hold Steady, and Girl Talk. Saturday’s headliners are The Killers and Sunday has the one-two depressing punch of The Cure and the reunited My Bloody Valentine.

• Detroit scenester Jim Shaw is in a losing battle with cancer, but the scene he was once so dedicated to is stepping up to help him out with a fundraiser. Included in the auctioned goods are original photos of the Misfits and The Stooges, and just added to the collection is a drumkit from Meg White used in the video for “The Hardest Button to Button.

• Robin Pecknold, frontman of Seattle’s hottest commodity Fleet Foxes, shot down rumors of the band leaving local hub Sub Pop for the major label pastures of Virgin: “Fleet Foxes will never, ever, under no circumstances, from now until the world chokes on gas fumes, sign to a major label.” Point taken.

• Bang Bang Eche have a brand new video for their single, “4 to the Floor.” You can still download their EP for free on their website.

• Have you ever wondered what the soundtrack would be to the latest issue of National Geographic? Wonder no more as The National Geographic Society has formed Nat Geo Music, a label designed to bring us music from around the globe. We’re guessing they’ve never heard of Seattle-based Sublime Frequencies?

• Rapster Records have rounded up the samples… er… songs used by Massive Attack for the compilation, Protected: Massive Samples, to be released February 21. This is not the first time the label has undertook such a calling, doing the same for Daft Punk in 2007.

• Brooklyn band Bishop Allen are ready to release Grrr…, their third full-length, on March 10. Right now, they’re offering two songs from the album on their website. Look for them as they hit the road in March.

On the steps of the Lincoln Memorial last night, performers including Bruce Springsteen, U2, Bettye LaVette, Beyonce, and many others, joyously celebrated the impending Inauguration of Barack Obama with songs like “America the Beautiful,” “This Land Is Your Land,” and “One Love (Let’s Get Together).” With the “hope” so palpably in the air, even the more the poignant songs like Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” seemed to imply that the change was already here. Certainly, such hope can make us think so, but today, on the commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s life and legacy, it is important that we remember not just how far we’ve come but also how far we still need to go:

Odetta - Glory Halleluja (live at Garrison Institute)

Ben Stanfield

Here are a few selections from the Inaugural kickoff concert, “We Are One,” last night on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, where artists like U2, Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Shakira, Pete Seeger, Bon Jovi, John Mellencamp, Usher, Beyonce, and Bettye LaVette performed for hundreds of thousands of supporters and onlookers.

Stevie Wonder with Usher and Shakira - Higher Ground

Valerie Hinojosa