We all got to listen to Viva La Vida today, so we're sort of in the same boat here. Press play, and the album starts with "Life In Technicolor," a shimmery piece of keys and electronics that eventually moves into a "Where The Streets Have No Name"-y, lyricless rev-up, all of which is an announcement: Hey, did you hear we got Brian Eno to do this record? Hey, we did -- and now we're sorta hoping this to be Coldplay's Joshua Tree. Unfortunately, that it is not. But it is great at not being X&Y, which is a major accomplishment. Over three albums, Chris Martin found a simple and relatively understated formula for successful songwriting: melodically, he hit it on Parachutes -- verse, verse up an octave, falsetto hook -- expanded it on Rush Of Bood, and made an overblown parody of it on that last one. If nothing else, this album shows the band is thinking, and is self aware: say hello to less falsetto, different song structures, and a legendary producer. Already we're off to a good start.

Coldplay's been talking of wanting a Reinvention, a reinvention of everything but the fact that they are a massive seller. Balancing an artistic shift with maintaining commercial appeal is not easy (see: rock history). But let's at least start with giving props to the band for recognizing there was a problem with their last album, no matter how many millions (10 of 'em, actually) it sold: you can't just keep rewriting your hits (see: "Speed Of Sound" is "Clocks," "Fix You" is "The Scientist," etc.) and expect people not to catch on. To that point: We called "Viva La Vida" a rut buster, and the same can be said for the record. Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends is exactly the record this band needed to make: a slightly shifted Coldplay album, with some memorable moments, some new tricks, and an overall emotionality that will appeal to anyone who's ever liked a Coldplay song.

It's true, the Police are going out with a bit of philanthropy: The band added an extra and final show in New York City to raise money for Public Television. As The New York Times reports, the suggestion, broached by the band, arrived just as PBS was looking for ways to draw-in baby boomers. Synchronicity. And, really, this seems about as good a way as any to attract that valued age bracket unless -- hint, hint -- Public TV somehow got Eagles involved. For now, though, it's Sting, Andy, and Stewart stumping, fittingly, for Antiques Roadshow:

It's true, the Police are going out with a bit of philanthropy: The band added an extra and final show in New York City to raise money for Public Television. As The New York Times reports, the suggestion, broached by the band, arrived just as PBS was looking for ways to draw-in baby boomers. Synchronicity. And, really, this seems about as good a way as any to attract that valued age bracket unless -- hint, hint -- Public TV somehow got Eagles involved. For now, though, it's Sting, Andy, and Stewart stumping, fittingly, for Antiques Roadshow:

When we saw Swervedriver at Coachella they played a very solid set in a tent that was barely 1/3 full. Lame. One way for Adam Franklin & Co. to gain new fans amongst a younger crowd is to cover a song by a band like the beloved Wolf Parade. Bingo: On a forthcoming 7," Franklin takes on Boeckner-fronted Apologies To The Queen Mary rocker "Shine A Light" and Dan's Handsome Furs are set to do a still-unannounced track by Swervedriver. It'll be available digitally and as a limited edition "Shine A Light" 7" on colored vinyl via White Whale. We're told to expect the finished platter in "early summer," though Franklin's chilled, atmospheric, and haunted (but somehow tonally sunny) take's already available via iTunes. Or, you can stream it at MySpace. Pick a good song, Dan and Alexi. The popular "Duel" would be appropriate.

According to Billboard.com, the new Girl Talk is gonna be ready for download sometime "over the next few weeks." Gregg says this is his chamber pop masterpiece, featuring a 16 piece symphony orchestra, a vocal choir, and Brian Eno on production.

Totally JK it's totally gonna be another supersample cocktail obviously. More than 300 samples, to be more precise, whilst clocking in at 55 minutes. As for the libraries he's raiding:

"This project has always been about embracing pop," Gillis says. "I feel like the source material on this record has more in-your-face classics. Because of that, it's more over the top."

And if you were one of those that thought Night Ripper needed to linger on some of those inspired sample blends a little longer, Gregg's got you in mind, saying that he "spent time focusing on a particular song source ... rather than jumping" around "as quickly as possible." The only place this art will be available, legally, is Illegal Art. Price? It's up to you. No really, etc. We'll let you know when that happens. Also there will be shows -- the Capitol Hill Block Party and the NYC area APW festival -- and most likely there will be shirtlessness. Get ready to be tased, bro.

We heard from McCartney earlier this week when he performed "A Day In The Life live for the first time. Now he's offering up a song for (a minimum donation of ) to help raise money for Adopt-A-Minefield. The organization "encourages people to host dinners and collect donations to help landmine survivors and their families and allow communities to return land to productive use." The song's called "Lifelong Passion (Sail Away)," and was recorded as The Fireman, the name for McCartney's collaboration with Youth. The two released a pair of ambient, electro-based records in the '90s (Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest and Rushes). It turns out they're working on a new one and, as Paul's official site notes, this new track "gives you a taste of what is to come." We haven't heard it yet, so we have no idea what's to come, but Iamaphoney blog has/does:

It is more accessible than previous Fireman material. It has a full set of lyrics, although the vocal has more echo and is lower in the mix than most McCartney songs. It has an Indian flavor, but cleverly features a prominent harmonica.

The chorus goes:
Give me love love love love love love love
Be my lifelong passion
Sail Away Sail Away Sail Away

If you want to listen yourself, you can sign up until 6/12 to grab the track by clicking here and making the aforementioned donation.

On St. Elsewhere, Cee-Lo and Danger Mouse covered the Violent Femmes' "Gone Daddy Gone." Gordon Gano & Co. have now returned the favor, offering their take on "Crazy." (Which, yes, true, has already been covered by almost everyone, from Twilight Singers to Nelly Furtado and back.) So far less than a minute's streaming, but even from this sound clip we can see that the Femmes are staying pretty true to the original's script: Gano even does the "ha ha ha" where Cee-Lo lays his laugh. Because it's the Violent Femmes, though, it's a lot creepier (in a good way). And it sounds like the Violent Femmes.

Lou Reed isn't the sunniest guy in the world. Nor is he the most humble. Or so it's often alleged. Still, proven or not, it's not very surprising that he got bent out of shape in his responses to New York magazine's questions about his new Sirius radio show New York Shuffle once the interviewer, Andrew M. Goldstein, started asking about Reed's finances. Note: Reed's co-hosting the show with its producer, Hal Wilner. Remember Reed getting pissy at an audience member when he and Julian Schnabel discussed Lou Reed's Berlin at the Tribeca Film Festival? This time he doesn't bring up Lester Bangs. He does, however, bring up "a fucking piece of shit," among other things.

You thought it was when Tay Zonday covered the song with Weezer, but it is this, dear friends, that marks the logical conclusion of the "Pork And Beans" meta-meme. We hope. Until the DVD version comes out with Rivers' audio commentary (fingers crossed!). Like the video itself, this little behind the scenes package is fun for its pitting these YouTube Most Viewed stars in contexts outside their original 430px embed windows. Not dramatically different contexts, mind-- I mean, Afro Ninja and Daft Punk hands are what they are, and what they are is a precious thing not to be fucked with -- but at least you get to, like, see the face attached to those Daft hands. Unfortunately not the faces of those boxed up Daft Hands "response video" girls, though.

The other day we mentioned Metallica's forthcoming Guitar Hero. Of course, they also have a forthcoming record. Dave Grohl wrote a non-letter about it. So, the band gave some London-area journalists the chance to listen to part of the new album recently, but as Blinded By The Hype discovered, they then tried to erase the responses from the Internet. The case they investigated is an expunged review by UK bloggers The Quietus. Remember, though, the Internet doesn't erase that easily.