Tampa Calling

Oklahoma is cooler than Florida! At least as far as official state rock songs are concerned. Residents declared The Flaming Lips‘ “Do You Realize?” the rock anthem of Oklahoma via an online vote. However, the Oklahoma state House rejected the resolution. Some representatives, inclined against all things cool, protested the vote, citing the band’s profanity and provocative wardrobe. A bandmember once wore a hammer & sickle t-shirt? Say it ain’t so! When all was thought lost, Gov. Brad Henry, part-time rock savior, overruled the legislature via executive order and threw his support behind the people’s choice. Oklahoma is now cool despite the best efforts of certain politicians. As for the Lips (pictured right), they are currently prepping a double album.

Joey Ramone passed away back in 2001, but his family still throws the annual Joey Ramone Birthday Bash to raise money for the Joey Ramone Foundation for Lymphoma Research. In addition to sets by Fishbone and Supersuckers, this year’s show will feature a listening party of previously unheard Joey Ramone demos and rough mixes.

(Nick Cave’s Gladiator sequel, reissues from R.E.M. and Stone Roses, and more after the jump!)

True story: The Guardian reveals Russell Crowe asked Nick Cave to write a sequel to Gladiator.  But Hollywood would never make a film this ridiculous awesome.

One of Radiohead’s managers admits to advising the band to split prior to In Rainbows, because “two years after leaving EMI Radiohead were still no closer to recording an album.” Thank fuck bands don’t always listen to management.

R.E.M. fans should scoop up the Reckoning deluxe reissue on June 23. The set features re-mastered audio and a full-length concert from 1984 aired on a Chicago radio station; 180g vinyl of both Reckoning and the already available Murmur hit stores the same day.

More reissue goodness: The Stone Roses‘ debut gets 20th anniversary treatment on August 11. Much like the recent Pearl Jam Ten set, there are a variety of choices ranging from just the remastered album to a 3-LP “Collectors Edition” that also features a lemon-shaped USB drive.

Alice In Chains signed a record deal with Virgin/EMI. No, this is not a repeat from 1988. Unless zombie Layne Staley stops them, expect a new album with their new singer (pictured left) this fall.

So Apple will sell explicit Nine Inch Nails albums on iTunes, but they won’t update the NIN Access iPhone app due to objectional material? Trent Reznor called out Apple, and they relented.

Jane’s Addiction frontman Perry Farrell tore a calf muscle in Atlanta on Sunday. Thankfully, he was at 100 percent for last Saturday’s show at the Ford Amphitheatre.  Doctors want him to rest, but he’ll keep the tour going as scheduled.

The Mighty Mighty Bosstones reunion started with sporadic concerts and picked up steam from there. Shows led to tours, writing songs led to a new 7″, and now the band will hit the studio this summer for their first new full-length since 2002.

If you bought any of the Sonic Youth gear stolen back in ‘99 and return it, maybe you’ll get lifetime guestlist privileges for their concerts … just like this guy.

Scary consequences of the current music business climate: when pressing plants like 33 1/3 go bankrupt, venerable indie labels like Matador come thisclose to losing tons of masters! Thankfully, everything turned out okay.

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