Tampa Calling

Here’s what piqued my interest while sitting outside, soaking up this warmest of winter days and scanning the ‘Net:

• Eccentric R&B diva Erykah Badu on her freshly minted album New AmErykah, Part One (4th World War) (New York Times).

• More good news for everybody’s favorite singer/tabloid star and recent Grammy winner: “Amy Winehouse will not face charges” (Reuters).” On a related note, New Yorker pop music critic Sasha Frere-Jones weighs in with a rather pedestrian Winehouse “think piece” — did you know “the lens recording her movements is wider than anything a ’60s celebrity would have encountered”? It’s titled “Amy’s circus: The strange power of junkie retro soul.”

• Progressive-blues duo the Black Keys team with Gnarls Barkley-producer Danger Mouse on new album (Rolling Stone).

• Decemberists frontman Colin Meloy talks to Billboard about his upcoming solo tour — sorry, no Florida dates — and live album due out April 8.

• Arcade Fire “Rock Ohio for Obama” (Pitchfork); explain that they’re really not Canadians.

• Hipster alert: Ever heard of Neutral Milk Hotel (Slate)?

• Mardi Gras Indian Chiefs keep it funky in New Orleans (Village Voice).

• The soundtrack to the hit TV series Heroes drops March 18. Album features previously-released tracks by Dylan, Wilco, Bowie, My Morning Jacket and others; plus a new number by Jesus and Mary Chain dubbed “All Things Must Pass” (CMJ). The band recently performed the song on Letterman (here’s the YouTube clip).

• Hair metal has-beens like L.A. Guns battle over ownership of the groups’ names (Los Angeles Times).

• “Episode 23 of SMAsh Radio features an exclusive interview with local-boys-done-good, Tres Bien! They discuss touring, their love of Britney Spears, the Tampa Bay scene and also give us the scoop about their recent run on Fox TV’s Next Great American Band.” Click here to read my interview with Tres Bien! and check out the comment posted by “Alissa 69,” who questions whether the band “sold out.”

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