The Week in Rock

Hotel graffiti

That crazy Josh Homme! What will the wild, slightly frat-ish frontman of Queens of the Stone Age think of next? It turns out that some mild graffiti is on his agenda, as he revealed that, while on tour, he and a couple of friends have been doodling on the walls of their hotel rooms, a rather innocuous pastime considering what a lot of rock ‘n’ roll acts have done to their lodgings. Afterwards, Homme and his buddies post the images, which they scribe onto the walls behind pictures, headboards, and other such furnishings, on the web-o-net at www.secretwalltattoos.com.

"It’s like panties," the always eloquent Homme opined. "There’s something better behind the mystery." Amazingly enough, the hotel chain W is actually talking to Homme about officially redecorating their rooms with his delinquent art.

“Rock bands used to be known for trashing hotel rooms," Homme said, "But we’re now in the business of leaving something behind." I saw the pictures of the art, and it was kind of lame, but I guess it’s better than leaving a bunch of garbage or broken stuff behind. I mean, there’s a lot worse things a raucous bunch of rock ‘n’ rollers could be doing. So we should all give Homme a big pat on the back and check out his web site. ?”NB

A long reunion

Are you sick of hearing about the Dinosaur Jr. reunion hype yet? No? You say you want to hear more? Well, that’s great news, because on top of all those reissues and tours and rumors about reformation, the venerated pioneers of indie rock are not only playing more shows, their first for non-festival crowds, but the aging Mascis-Barlow powerhouse is going to be releasing a live DVD of their New York club dates! Can you believe it? It’s not all that far fetched, but really, who would have thought this whole reunion would last so long? Those two (and by that I mean J Mascis and Lou Barlow) were like oil and water before the highly publicized palling up that took place last year. Will it hold together? Will it join the ranks of the failed reunions that have taken place recently, such as the wavering Pixies? Only time will tell, but if the way these guys acted in their other bands is any indicator (yes, I am talking about Sebadoh, Lou) then they might be in for a bumpy ride.

Drug sniffing dogs

Ex-Libertines front man and perpetual punchline Pete Doherty, has been busted for drugs again. The shockingly untalented singer, whose new band Babyshambles proved me wrong in saying that the Libertines were the worst band ever, was grabbed on Oct. 1 when drug sniffing dogs began humping his leg. Doherty maintains his innocence claiming the dogs mistook a “rehab implant” in his arm for real dope. Authorities insist that it was not the implant that attracted the dogs, but rather the six pounds of cocaine he had stashed up his ass. ?” DT

A Sundance hit we’re telling you about before anyone else does

Ack! More reunions? Old timers the New York Dolls are getting ready to record a new album and have a documentary made about them, as if anyone but Morrissey cares about their group anymore. The film, called “New York Doll,” chronicles the late bassist of the group, Arthur Kane, and his return to the group amid battles with leukemia and Mormonism. Tomorrow is the date when the film will come out in New York and Los Angeles. It has already proven to be a hit with Sundance, but everyone knows that doesn’t mean shit anymore. So get ready, cause in a couple of months the Mercury and the Willamette Week will be hammering this into your head and saying that you have to see it, and when that does happen, just remember that you read it first in the Vanguard, gentle reader. In related news, the New York Dolls still suck. ?”NB

Sleater-Kinney cancels tour

If you’re anything like me, you feel like crap right about now. Congestion, headache, cough and constant runny nose that makes you miss a lot of class, whether or not you’re capable of actually going. Well, you can rest easier knowing that even rock stars can get under the weather, and they miss a lot more than some crappy Basic Design class. Yes, Sleater-Kinney has had to forgo their European tour due to major allergic reactions on the part of singer-guitarist Carrie Brownstein, to something that the band’s official web site was loath to mention. They did, however, offer a statement of explanation. “Her doctor has advised that she not travel/tour for prolonged periods of time until the condition stabilizes and further tests are conducted. The band apologizes to all the people that this cancellation affects.” Riding high on rave reviews of their new record and Sub Pop debut, The Woods, the band must be disappointed by such an un-rock ‘n’ roll mishap, but fans of the threesome have banded together and are sending batches of get-well letters to Brownstein. Now, if only my fans would do that for me. ?”NB

A purple Lamborghini

Rapper Cam’ron was shot in a botched carjacking earlier this week. According to reports, the rapper was at a stoplight shortly after midnight last Saturday in Washington, D.C., when an armed man tried to steal his Lamborghini. When Cam refused and began to drive away the man fired a shot that went through both of Cam’ron’s arms. According to Cam’s label, Diplomat Records, the rapper is recovering well. While D.C. has a reputation for having some of the worst crime rates in the country, there is still no explanation what Tom DeLay was planning on doing with the purple Lamborghini after he jacked it. ?”DT