I think I'm the only one at D+T that is totally head over heals in love with Harry Potter. Regardless, here's the trailer for The Half Blood Prince, coming out in November. -SK

I love this video for "Toe Jam" by The BPA featuring David Byrne and Dizzie Rascal. Who is the BPA-you say? Why, evidently it is none other than everyone's favorite break beat-maker, Mr. Fat Boy Slim. Enjoy. I'm going to go unfurl the Twister mat, throw a Key Party and get my groove on. THE BPA - TOE JAM FEAT. DAVID BYRNE & DIZZEE RASCAL

As you're probably aware, last week's New Yorker cover, which depicted Barack Obama as a Muslim jihadist, made a big splash, and was rebuked by both conservatives and democrats.

The sensation surrounding the cover eclipsed its story, which documents Obama's rise in the corrupt and segregated Chicago-political scene. Like most of Ryan Lizza's work, "Making It: How Chicago Shaped Obama" is wordy and boring. Various characters weave in and out of the article, and since you haven't heard of many of them before and probably won't again, it's a task keeping track of who is who and how they relate to the subject. But the figures are effective in informing the reader of Chicago's delicate balance of power and the high-wire-balancing act involved in getting elected there.

In some respects, Lizza's Obama is christ-like: He materialized from nowhere (although his mother was certainly no virgin as you'll read in Dreams From My Father) to aid in the struggle of a disenchanted people whose unifying principle is worship. Also, the middle of his life is uninteresting, so just don't pay any attention to it.

Unlike christ, Obama knows that smooth-talking, power-hungry men inherit the Earth. And the whole "peacemakers are the children of god" thing? Forget about it: He "isn't opposed to war in all circumstances," and asserts that his grandfather, who enlisted after Pearl Harbor was bombed, did not fight "in vain." After all, the December 7th, 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor was a surprise attack, even though we had successfully been using RADAR for seven years.

Anyway, Lizza's article is about as long as The Old Man and The Sea. In summation, Obama ventured to Chicago to become powerful. He started his grassroots organization at the lowest possible level before bike messengers, squatters and junkies: the church. Joining Jeremiah Wright's particular church was a shrewdly calculated maneuver -- he realized
it was Chicago's best politically connected place of worship. (That should be an oxymoron, but isn't.) And when he delivered speeches -- this is the only place where Lizza sticks a carrot in our faces -- they tended to "read as if [they] had been written for a much bigger audience." There's nothing uber-nefarious about that final anecdote, though it is a trait commonly referenced by Hitler's biograhers.

Well, we all know where the skinny black kid with the funny name is today. However, there are two sentences in the article that, in spite of their objectivity, should raise your brow: "When he was a community organizer, he channeled his work through Chicago's churches, because they were the main bases of power on the South Side. He was an agnostic when he started, and the work led him to become a practicing Christian."

What a load of bullshit. Religion, especially the organized kind, fosters social stability through vague moral precepts and fables. To paraphrase Carl Sagan, if there exists a convincing doctrine that the next life is a paradise and the current one doesn't matter, that it really is some sort of test, there is little reason for any society's ruling class to not espouse itself to it. You can't head the ruling class without drinking the Kool-Aid, and that's the only thing that Obama has proven so far. - SB

Ok so maybe that's blasphemous but I just really wanted to take a moment and talk about my love for the tiny little sprite of radiance also known as Natalie Portman. She was the surprise guest on last night's Project Runway for their "green episode" (wherein designers had to make evening gowns out of environmentally friendly fabrics). Her first sentence on the show was something like "I'm so excited to be a part of this episode as ecological fashion is an incredibly important issue to our generation," thus proving once again that she is the coolest nerd on the planet. I remember watching her on CNN a while ago when she talked about the povertization of minorities and my heart went a twitter just listening to her. There was a 30 Rock episode this last season when Frank fell in love with a man and Liz Lemon told him that it's not possible to be gay for just one person unless you're a woman and it's Ellen. I'm going to add Natalie Portman to that list cause I would definitely be gay for both her AND Ellen.

Anyway, last night she was on Project Runway to promote her vegan shoe line, available online at Te Casan. She also helped to pick the winning dress by "I-Refer-To-Myself-In-The-Third-Person" Suede. I thought his dress was hideous and only something a cracked out tranny Russion ballerina would wear, but as soon as Ms. Amazing professed her love for it I was all like, "Hmmm, you know I could actually totally see myself wearing that."

For the rest of you that, like myself, just can't get enough of the fit-in-my-pocket adorable Natalie Portman, here's a recent music video she's in with that guy she's dating. I mean, I think Devendra Banhart probably sleeps with men but he's alright in my book if Natalie likes him! -SK

Coney Island's annual Siren Festival (brought to us by the lovely Village Voice) happened last Saturday and quite frankly I am still trying to recover from it. Putting an Irish girl in 100 degree weather and giving her an open bar is a weeee bit... um, awesome? Yeah, let's go with awesome.

I actually stayed in Friday night so that I could make it in time to see my favorite San Francisco band, The Dodos. I suppose I was overly proud of myself for getting to their set on time because afterwards I drank enough vodka and beer to miss every band after that. I heard that Stephen Malkums and Broken Social Scene were good though!

Here are some photos I took of The Dodos and then one that was taken of me with Meric Long. Believe it or not this little nugget of a photo (don't I look sober?) actually made it onto the Village Voice photo recap. Yikes! -SK

People seem to appreciate Beck's eighth studio recording and first collaboration with Dangermouse, Modern Guilt. It's a fantastic record that never bores its listener, and it sold about 85,000 copies in its first week. Mr. Beck will be promoting the record in the States over the next three months. The dates are listed below. SB








BECK TOURS BEHIND MODERN GUILT
08/21/08 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Resort and Casino
08/22/08 - San Francisco, CA - Outside Lands Festival
08/24/08 - Bend, OR - Les Schwab Amphiteater
08/30/08 - Seattle, WA - Bumbershoot Festival
09/19/08 - San Diego, CA - Street Scene Festival
09/20/08 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Bowl
09/22/08 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
09/23/08 - Albuquerque, NM - Kiva Auditorium
09/25/08 - El Paso, TX - Abraham Chavez Theatre
09/27/08 - Austin, TX - Zilker Park, Austin City Limits Festival
09/29/08 - Kansas City, MO - Uptown Theatre
09/30/08 - Minneapolis, MN - Wilkins Auditorium
10/02/08 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
10/03/08 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom

Remember that Sesame Street song, "One Of These Things Is Not Like The Other"? While perusing the Huffington Post the other day, I found myself whistling the tune, prompted as if from a deep recess in my subconscious. "What the shit??" I said out loud. Take a look at these graphics for Big News Pages: Sure, the "War Wire" make sense - your standard troop shot. "Food" - show some food. Easy enough. I'll even buy a George Bush photo for the "John McCain" post. I want a dig like that from the Huff. Things start to get a little funky with the "Bill Clinton" bit using the picture of Barack and Hillary, but whatever-that's funny. But what the fuck does cleavage have to do with "Technology"? And why the hell is the Pope depicting "Climate Change"? Hellloooo? Anybody?

Well, sort of. The other night I went to see Dungen's frontman Gustav Ejstes and drummer Johan Holmegard play an intimate show at Le Poussin Rouge in NYU town (is that technically Greenwich Village?). I would say it was not unlike an MTV Unplugged show as Ejstes played the piano for the most part, but there were a few electric guitar songs as well, plus MTV would never feature Dungen. Basically it was old and new songs completely stripped down. It was quite lovely and surprisingly jazzy. Who knew that without all the production and reverb Dungen could sound like that? I sure didn't. Given Dungen's ultra-loyal fans I was suprised that the place wasn't more packed. They played in the round (a la the Boredoms) but there was still ample room to spare for people to wander around. Holmegard needed a lyrics sheet for one of the songs which I politely snatched after he tossed it aside. All I can say is, Swedish is one freaky deaky language! -SK

I don't know when and I don't know where, but:

Stephin Merritt, (of Magnetic Fields, the 6ths, Future Bible Heroes and Gothic Archies, fame) will write the music and lyrics for a musical based on Neil Gaiman's children's novel, "Coraline."

Who's comin' with me?!

I captured a woodland creature called Bjork! I was lucky enough to go to Iceland and watch her and Sigur Ros (and a couple others) perform for environmental awareness. I also discovered the reason Icelandic people have such an interesting sense of style ...most people wear clothes in the order of fashion before health and comfort. Icelanders bundle up and THEN put the cute tiny dress on-so they look absolutely nutty, but at least they are warm. Lucky them. I was freezing ...but it was aaaaaaaaaamazing!

This past independence day, D+T got together with the lovely folks over at My Open Bar to throw an all-day event with booze and music (our two favorite things, of course). Indian Jewelry, Marnie Stern, Ponytail, The Apes, Double Dagger and Power Douglas all played to an enlivened crowd at The Yard along the Gowanus Canal. The lovely picnic benches and trees made us feel as though we were at SXSW but thankfully the sewage stench from the canal brought us back home and reminded us that Brooklyn is the best burough we know. The free Southern Comfort, PBR and ice cream (courtesy of the Ice Cream Man) weren't too shabby either!

Daft Punk's very first feature film is everything you might imagine from Peter Hurteau and Michael Reich - surreal, arresting, idyllic, strange, innovative, humorous at times, depressing at others, nonconforming, et cetera, et cetera. It's a fucking weird film but a gem, a moving story about two robots (played by Daft Punk, of course) who journey across American landscapes in what I can only assume is an attempt to become human. My favorite part is the scene below featuring a Todd Rundgren song. Not only is it awesome, but just the sound of it enticed our Creative Director to wander over and reveal his nerd-like tendencies for "The Rundgren."

D+T brought the raucous to the second SCMX of the summer this past weekend in Denver. Gnarls Barkley, D+T cover stars Blonde Redhead, Bass Nectar, Dead Confederate and Eagle Seagull all played to an excited audience of thousands behind Coors Fields in downtown Denver.

D+T's set up included free magazines and a Guitar Hero contest. The winner left us shaking and sweating in the wake of his skills. He'll get a package full of D+T shwag plus a bunch of free music, but honestly we'd much rather give him our virginity because he's obviously a Guitar Hero god.

Keep a look out for the videos we'll be posting of all the amazing interviews we did. By far our favorite was with the Southern boys of Dead Confederate. They sound like Nirvana and act like a bunch of drunken sailors. In other words they're our new best friends.

If you're in the area join us for the next SCMX in San Diego on August 23rd. It's going to be sweet!

(Photos from the top: Dead Confederate, the D+T Guitar Hero tent, Eagle Seagull interview, Gnarls Barkley and the boys of Blonde Redhead)

Smashing Pumpkins' guitarist/singer/songwriter/dictator, Billy Corgan, has just announced that Fender will be releasing the Billy Corgan signature Stratocaster. It's tailor made to suit Billy's "buzzsaw" sound. It's actually kind of a big deal. You've gotta be pretty fucking rad at guitar to get a Fender sponsorship. Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Richie Sambora--the only difference between Billy and these guys is that he didn't spend the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties blowing loads on tons of hot trim. And in terms of Billy's virtuosity, how many dudes do you know today that can play the solo in "Cherub Rock" note for note? I mean I can, but I'm not sweating it. SB

GOING TO BE IN NEW YORK CITY ON JULY 4th? COME TO OUR PARTY WITH MYOPENBAR.COM! DRINKS PROVIDED BY SOUTHERN COMFORT & PABST BLUE RIBBON! CLICK THE IMAGE FOR A LARGER VERSION. RSVP @ www.myopenbar.com/july4

This issue's cover boys, Grizzly Bear, will be appearing on The David Letterman Show on July 23rd. They will be debuting a new song called "Nine." I guess they are keeping up with the revolutionary spirit of performing unrecorded material on national television, as they did for their April 21st performance of "While You Wait For The Others" on Conan O' Brien. Also they're touring with Radiohead and The New Pornographers; the dates are listed below. Haven't read Doug Wallen's Death+Taxes cover story on Grizzly Bear yet? Click HERE. SB7/31 - - Nashville, TN - - Mercy Lounge
8/1 - - Chicago, IL - - Grant Park/ Lollapalooza
8/2 - - Louisville, KY - - 930 Listening Room
8/3 - - Noblesville, IN - - Verizon Wireless Music Center**
8/4 - - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - - Blossom Music Center**
8/6 - - Montréal, QC - - Parc Jean Drapeau**
8/7 - - Northampton, MA - - Calvin Theatre*
8/8 - - Jersey City, NJ - - All Points West Music & Arts Festival
8/11 -- Washington, DC - - Sixth & I Historic Synagogue
8/12 - - Camden, NJ - - Susquehanna Bank Center**
8/13 - - Mansfield, MA - - Tweeter Center for the Performing Arts**
8/14 - - Boston, MA - - Museum of Fine Arts Calderwood Courtyard (outdoor)
8/15 - - Toronto, ON - - Molson Amphitheatre**
*w/ New Pornographers
**w/ Radiohead

We love these Brazilian bunnies so much that you might be seeing them in the magazine very soon!