The Format announced yesterday that they are putting the band on hiatus after a half-decade career, with lead vocalist Nate Ruess posting the following message on the band’s website:

We have just put out word that we will not be making a new Format album. Please understand this was a tough decision and we’re both upset about it. While we accept there will be false speculation as to why, understand that Sam and I remain extremely close and in fact are still passing the twin peaks box set back and forth in an attempt to figure out who REALLY killed laura palmer. We also want to thank everyone with and within the Format, particularly Mike, Don, and Marko, whom without, none of this would have ever even been fully realized. We both suggest you support their musical talents and whatever they decide to do. And lastly we want to thank the fans who made this the best 5 years of our lives.

Dog Problems, their last album, was an indie pop achievement surprisingly fueled by a nasty break-up and major label woes. Although it’s good to hear that the parting is amicable, it’s a real shame The Format couldn’t channel the circumstances surrounding their dissolution into another album.

MP3s:
The Format - “Dog Problems”
The Format - “Dead End”

Snoop Dogg appeared on Larry King Live Friday, where he obviously made a big fan out of Larry (who actually dropped words like “crackalackin’” and “shizzle”). During a pre-taped segment, Snoop even took King to his favorite restaurant, Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n Waffles. In case you missed it, here’s Hypeful’s list of the 10 best things said by Larry King during the Dogg Father’s appearance on CNN’s longest-running interview program:

1. “[Rap] is music, right?”
2. “Was it G-A-N-G-S-T-E-R or G-A-N-G-S-T-A?”
3. “You’ve always been know for keeping it real, right? That’s one of your things…”
4. “Do you know [Barack Obama]?”
5. “I’ll have an ‘Arnold Palmer’. That’s a combination iced tea and lemonade.”
6. “Anybody ever call you Calvin?”
7. “[The 2008 Penthouse Desire Super Bowl party] is going to feature a lot of pretty girls.”
8. “Do you think they were unreal - the Huxtables?”
9. “I’m told some in the hip-hop community are fans of dog fights.”
10. “Did you like Walk the Line, the movie?”

Now that Snoop has treated both David “D-Beck” Beckham and Larry King to Roscoe’s, can VH1 or someone please give him a talkshow set in the L.A. eatery?

VIDEO:
Larry King and Snoop Dogg @ Roscoe’s Chicken ‘n Waffles

There are many mysteries in the world.

From where do we come?

What is the spark called love?

And the third, but no less important, how does the voice of Band of Horses come from Ben Bridwell?

Read the rest of this entry »

Artist Deborah Johnson has created a hypnotic video filled with expanding tentacles, trails of dots, and flashes of color for Sufjan Stevens’ short and sweet “Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake.” The video will be included, along with 30-some other videos by Asthmatic Kitty artists, on the upcoming <em>Encyclopedia Asthmatica Volume 1 DVD. Check it out below.

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Call it “O’Brienstorm” - after weeks of funny feuding over which one of them “made” presidential candidate Mike Huckabee, three of America’s best late night hosts made cross-over appearances on each others’ shows to finally settle the debate. Saving the big battle for network TV, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert dropped in on Conan O’Brien and showed that late night’s alright for fighting. Featuring Arctic Monkeys’ “Brianstorm” and a Huckabee cameo, check out the clip below.

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