iTunes to drop prices, DRM protection

This just in from Macworld, yesterday's San Francisco-based celebration of all things Apple...

This coming April, iTunes, which currently charges 99 cents per song, will lower a "vast majority" of its single-song prices to 69 cents, although some popular tracks could remain at 99 cents or go up as high as $1.29. Most albums will be sold at $9.99.

Hmmm, I'm thinking now you'll be able to get, say, Journey or John Waite for lower prices (rejoice, '80s fans!), but Rihanna or John Mayer could cost you more. We'll have to wait and see...

Also, Apple will drop DRM -- digital rights management -- copy protection from a "vast majority" of its 8-million song catalog; among other bummers, DRM often limited whether you could copy a song onto a CD or another computer (and, for that matter, how many times you could copy said song). Previously, music from EMI and several independent labels weren't subject to DRM. Now material from three major music honchos -- Sony BMG, Universal and Warner -- will also be DRM-less.

I'm thinking this is extremely good news, because now I can send out even more copies of SD's party CDs! Yep, just like THIS ONE, which one critic raved "I feel all cold, like I'll never be happy again."

For more on Apple-mania, go HERE.

Don't sprain anything!

Do you like the '80s? Do you like to dance? Think you can keep up to the funkiest mash-up of all time? Here you go, DJ John's It Takes Two 2 Kiss. There's a whole lotta nostalgia sequenced into this sucker (the second-half is insane). I often stick this song on my party mixes and watch drunk people try to shift gears. Good times, good times.

COMMENCE THE BOOGIE!

Disturbing medical graphic courtesy of TheFinalSprint.com

My new obsession

For years, I was obsessed with Waffle House. I had NEVER been to one, mind you -- they were always just out of reach -- but I talked about the breakfast joint often, as if it were some syrupy, heart-stopping paradise. After a decade of hearing me Rain Main the possibilities of this culinary dreamland, the Forever Fiancee (we were living in Maryland at the time) finally stuffed me in a car and drove me to one, a mere hour away. The verdict: delicious. As a Floridian, I'm now surrounded by Waffle Houses, and I'm proud to say I enjoy my hash browns scattered, smothered, covered and chunked.

Since then, I've developed other fast-food obsessions: In-N-Out Burger, El Pollo Loco and so on. Each one has been conquered and enjoyed to the fattest. My newest obsession (poor FF) is Whataburger (since 1950!), which I finally visited the other day. There's one on Ulmerton Road in Largo. Every time we passed it, even if we were talking about the kids or taxes or jobs, I'd drop the conversation immediately and wonder aloud how majestic Whataburger was inside.

The answer, it turns out, is not very majestic at all. It's the epitome of generic fast-food design: ugly brown colors, hard booths, harsh lighting, plastic flora. The chow, however, was pretty good. The onion rings were battered and fried just right, crispy with some give. There was a condiment hostess wandering the premises like a ketchup cigarette girl. And as for the burger (I got the Bacon & Cheese Whataburger, jalapenos on demand), it's a big'un. My buddy Steve Persall complains that there's too much bread, and he's right: They boast of a 5-inch bun. But it's sweet, and squishy, and it works well with the sublimely greasy patty and slathering of onions, lettuce, tomato, pickles and "famous" mustard. I'd definitely pick Whataburger over McDonald's, Burger King, probably even Wendy's. In fact, I might go back this weekend to investigate further...

TOP 5 FAST-FOOD BURGER JOINTS
5. Whataburger
4. White Castle
3. Fatburger
2. Five Guys
1. In-N-Out Burger

NEW MUSIC: Glasvegas

London music mags (a cynical bunch for sure) are calling Glasvegas the "best new band in Britain." This noise-pop quartet merges the working-class jangle of their Scottish roots (that’s the "Glas-") with the glittering optimism of Sin City (that’s the “-vegas”). Think the sturm of My Bloody Valentine meets the sheen of the Killers. Here's Geraldine from their self-titled debut.

I killed free beer

Remember that glowing tribute I penned about the Busch Gardens Hospitality House, that longstanding Valhalla of free suds? Um, I take it all back...

READ 'EM AND WEEP.

Great, now I need to find a new place to have my ashes scattered.

Look who's coming to town

Here's the upcoming Tampa Bay concert schedule. Things are filling up rather nicely. Can't wait for that James Hunter-Ryan Shaw show. (Shaw comes back with Bonnie Raitt in March, too.)

Jan. 29 is absolutely stuffed, but I'm aiming for the John Legend show, where I'm anticipating a slew of special guests. There's also buzz that Springsteen's press conference for the Super Bowl could be that same night. Maybe that means the Boss might pull a Prince, who declined to answer questions during his Super Bowl press conference and instead played a short set for the media. One can dream...

If anything on here looks particularly good or totally crappy, feel free to sound off.

1/8 Bryan Adams -- Ruth Eckerd Hall
1/16 Wu-Tang Clan -- Jannus Landing
1/18 Erin McCarley -- State Theatre
1/22 James Hunter/Ryan Shaw -- Skipper's Smokehouse
1/23 James Otto -- Dallas Bull
1/28 Celine Dion -- St. Pete Times Forum
1/29 The Eagles -- SPT Forum
1/29 John Legend -- Ruth Eckerd Hall
1/29 Rihanna & Fall Out Boy -- Ford Amphitheatre

2/1 Bruce Springsteen -- Super Bowl
2/5 B.B. King & Buddy Guy -- Ruth Eckerd Hall
2/11 George Winston -- Ferguson Hall
2/14 Blind Boys of Alabama -- Skipper's Smokehouse
2/26-2/27 Jerry Seinfeld -- Mahaffey Theater
2/28 Cute Is What We Aim For -- State Theatre

3/1 Taylor Swift -- Strawberry Festival
3/2 Olivia Newton-John -- Ruth Eckerd
3/4 Morrissey -- Jannus Landing
3/5 Billy Joel & Elton John -- SPT Forum
3/8 Britney Spears -- SPT Forum
3/15 Bonnie Raitt/Ryan Shaw -- Ruth Eckerd
3/17 Willie Nelson -- Ruth Eckerd Hall
3/20 Ani DiFranco -- Tampa Theatre

4/28 Katy Perry -- Jannus Landing

Last stop for 1,000 stories...

American Idol. The Super Bowl in Tampa. The Grammys. A trip to Hollywood (more on that later). Bruce, Britney, Billy, Elton. Fame, fortune, glory, the new burrito joint around the corner. 2009 just tipped off, and there's already a ton of to-do crap on our calendars. That's right: our. I've said it before, I'll say it again: We're in this mess together. And if we're not, don't tell me, 'cause I can't handle the rejection.

We have no other option but to face this onslaught of fluff journalism head on, chin up and relatively sober. So let's kick things off with a playlist to get us fiery and focused. These are the songs that never fail to jazz us, spazz us. Songs that act like a B-12 shot to the rump. We need the juice. We need the momentum. Let's go get 'em, boys and girls...

**THE POP LIFE PEP RALLY**
B.O.B., OutKast (LISTEN)
Sabotage, the Beastie Boys
Shot Shot, Gomez
99 Problems, Jay-Z
The Boys Are Back in Town, Bus Boys
Ain't That a Kick in the Head, Dean Martin (LISTEN)
Going in the Right Direction, Robert Randolph (LISTEN)
Tick Tick Boom, the Hives
Good Times, INXS & Jimmy Barnes
Bring tha Noize, Public Enemy & Anthrax (LISTEN)
Shoot to Thrill, AC/DC
Cowboy, Kid Rock
Banned in the USA, 2 Live Crew (LISTEN)
Kickstart My Heart, Motley Crue
Undercover of the Night, the Rolling Stones
Won't Get Fooled Again, the Who

Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders photo courtesy of the Associated Press

Prince to stuff '09 with new music

According to the LA Times and Billboard, the Purple One will release two new albums -- plus a third with protege Bria Valente -- in 2009.

Prince's albums are reportedly called MPLSOUND, which has been described as "experimental" and "trippy," and the guitar-based Lotus Flower, which includes a cover of Tommy James' Crimson & Clover.

Because he's Prince, he will release these albums without (1) the help of a major record label and (2) talking to anyone. There's buzz of a major retailer possibly selling physical copies of Prince's discs. I really hope Wal-Mart's not involved. That place gives me the willies, although you can buy a 5-gallon bag of Funyuns for $1.99.

Prince's last studio album, 2007's Planet Earth, pretty much sucked, but 2006's 3121 was consistently badass and is often played when the FF cleans the garage.

For more on the story, GO HERE.

Photo courtesy of the Associated Press

The unbearable lightness of Bryan

On the surface, there's nothing overtly remarkable about Bryan Adams. The Canadian popster looks like your brother's buddy, the one who played a little minor-league hockey with the Leafs. You can't get more pedestrian (or un-rock-star) than his name — unless, of course, it was Ryan Adams. And almost every song the 49-year-old sings is single-minded sentiment about love lost or found. In fact, when he plays an intimate acoustic show at Clearwater's Ruth Eckerd Hall on Jan. 8, it’ll be interesting to see how BA intros each tune:

"Um, yeah, this one’s about love, too. Except this time, uhhh, it wasn’t a one-night love affair. Nope, this time, uhhhh, it kinda cut like a knife...”

And yet, despite Bryan's unerring Adamsness, many of his songs have been firmly stuck in my melon since his ’80s salad days. In fact, for great chunks of my 38 years, my sterling gifts of seduction and woo have been centered around the lyrics of 1984 album Reckless, the radio-ready high-point of Adams’ career. (“Hey, baby, how you doin’ tonight? You know, I was thinkin’ about all our younger years. There was only you and me. We were young and wild and free. Oh, and naked. Yeah, naked.")

So yes, while he’s not that exciting, and while he’s certainly not that hip, he is, in the end, Bryan Adams. And for better or worse, that seems to be enough.

Bryan Adams performs 8 p.m. on Jan. 8 at Ruth Eckerd Hall, 1111 McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater. $39.75-$47.50. (727) 791-7400. BUY TICKETS HERE

"Your sex is on fire..."

Kings Of Leon |MTV Music

Kings of Leon should be your new favorite rock band. Four albums in, they should be huge by now. Their backstory is irresistible: Three sons (and a nephew) of a Pentecostal preacher gamboling in the fuzzy space between sin and salvation. Party, plead for mercy, repeat. It's Southern, but it's not country. Lead singer Caleb Followill has genuine desperation in his vocals, a creepy wariness that can summon the gooseflesh. Here's "Sex on Fire" from KoL's new album "Only by the Night."

HELP WANTED: Good USF Bars?

I need a little help from my local Pop Lifers.

On Friday night, I'll be cheering on the mighty 11th-ranked Syracuse Orange hoops team (and my alma mater) against the University of South Florida Bulls. Big East basketball, baby, nothing better. That's right. Don't give me any of your ACC crap, either.

Anyway, the game is at the Sun Dome in Tampa -- and on ESPN, so you can watch me streak the court during the second half. I'd love some guidance regarding pregame watering holes near the USF campus. What are the best bars over there? The college-ier, the better. 'Cause lord knows the coeds love me.

Thanks in advance for your help. If I really like your suggestion, I'll send you a nonsensical text message at midnight.

Now let's see, where did I put that orange chest paint?

Best. Year. Ever.

Sending this from my new BlackBerry. (Nerd alert!) Surrounded by Red Bull. Just played Wii for 4 hours. I'll be lucky if I see 2010. Happy New Year, Pop Lifers!

The Time Flies Playlist (2009? Holy crap!)

I stopped caring about New Year's Eve a long time ago. Too much stress, too much hype. As long as I'm surrounded by Crown Royal and good movies -- oh, and family, yeah, family -- I'm quite content to ring in a new one without pomp and regurge.

That said, I care a lot about the new year. What's out there? Looming? Smirking? 2008 was a tricky one: Mai-Mai joined the party, my mother fought (and beat) cancer; the newspaper industry continued to crack, my newspaper career continued to do just fine. Made some good friends, lost a few, too. I'm not crazy about odd numbers, but 2009 should be another loop-de-looper. In my solipsistic worldview, there's a lot of cool stuff on the horizon, stuff you'll be hearing about real soon. You know, besides flying cars, which should be here by March.

It sounds like sucking up, but it's true: With another season of American Idol (and the Grammys and Oscar fashion snark and podcasts and videos and TV and...) on the horizon, it's nice to know I'll have you guys to help me out. I rely on Pop Lifers more than I should, but that's only because you're so damn smart and funny. So thanks for all that, boys and girls. I luv ya for it.

And now, without further ado, the final playlist of 2008. Fill it however you like. If there's a song to get you rolling into the new year, go for it. I'm getting all heavy with the time theme here. But if you want to party like it's 1999, that's fine, too. I'll see you guys on the other side...

THE TIME FLIES PLAYLIST
1) Funny How Time Slips Away -- Willie Nelson
2) Here We Go Again -- Norah Jones & Ray Charles
3) Time Passages -- Al Stewart (LISTEN)
4) Another One Bites the Dust -- Queen
5) Time -- Alan Parsons Project
6) The Calendar Hung Itself -- Bright Eyes
7) The Time Warp -- Richard O'Brien and Rocky Horror cast (LISTEN)
8) This Year -- Christina Aguilera
9) Happy -- the Rolling Stones
10) Papa's Got a Brand New Bag -- James Brown

When I die...

...I'd like my ashes to be scattered among the glorious freeloaders in the Hospitality House at Busch Gardens. I love that peaceable drinkable kingdom, almost more than the roller coasters themselves.

Have you ever been to this Valhalla of free beer? The Hospitality House, which I believe turns 50 years old this year, sits not far from the park's main entrance. It's style of architecture is Tiki-Germanic, aka Teutonic Tropicale, a warm, lush setting for your "two" complimentary "samples" of delicious Anheuser-Busch products. Of course, it doesn't take Butch Cassidy to turn your "two" free cups into, say, "twelve." Without getting into specifics, there are two lines, four bartenders -- and your identical twin Larry with the backwards ballcap and inside-out Rays shirt. Factor in the surrounding lagoon, flora, fauna and drunk tan tourists, and we're talking paradise, people.

One of the great charms of "the free beer ride," a staple of the park since it opened in 1959, is that it's a logical stop before you hit the nearby and nefarious Land of the Dragons, the intense kiddie zone with its spazzy tykes and toothless guardians. The FF and I always make sure to get our "two" cups before braving the dragons. It makes us much better parents.

During a recent trek to Busch Gardens, I ditched the family for a "bathroom break" and swerved into the Hospitality House. After getting a frosty cup of American Ale, I picked up a napkin. And on this napkin it boasted: ANHEUSER-BUSCH IS THE ONLY MAJOR BREWER THAT'S STILL AMERICAN OWNED. Well, no. But isn't it pretty to think so? The St. Louis beermaker was recently purchased by the Belgian-Brazilian company InBev, which makes Stella Artois and Beck's. While the factually inaccurate napkin didn't kill my buzz, I did get back in line for fear of jingoistic sobering. Stella is Clydesdale urine! Long live the King of Beers!

Anyway...now that I have annual passes to Busch Gardens (thanks, Mom), I'm contemplating coming to the park just so I can sit in the Hospitality House. Contemplate. Drink. Feed a parrot or two. It's like a pilsener purgatory, a hops holding station. Nothing bad can happen to you at the Hospitality House. In the Land of the Dragons, however, it's just a matter of time before Darlene from Lutz, a mother of two with crushed dreams, attacks me with a spork while waiting in line for the bungee bridge.

So come, my friends, join me in the idyllic wilds of the Hospitality House. The first "twelve" are on me.

SONG OF THE WEEK: Savage's "Swing"

Savage
Song: Swing
Album: Savage Island (Universal Republic)
In stores: Now
Why we care: I love portly musicians, the tubbier the better. Mama Cass, Raul Malo, Elvis circa ’73, the entirety of the Fat Boys. New Zealand-based rapper Savage (kiwi-hop!) is certainly large enough to join the poundage party. Labels have been trying to break the Samoan for years, and now Universal Republic is pushing his rambunctious party jams on the heels of Flo Rida’s Low.
Why we like it: Utterly profane, ultimately irresistible, Savage’s club-banger Swing is all about sublime pendulosity and an appreciation for the zaftig form. Over chunky synth and ziggy beats, the plus-sized MC doesn’t exactly put it that way, but he loves people of all shapes and sizes. Especially if you’re butterball nekkid and washing his car. (LISTEN AT YOUR OWN RISK)
Reminds us of: “Shawty got low, low, low...”
Grade: B

Chuck & Lisa's Love-a-Thon!

On Saturday -- and well into Sunday -- I DJ'd a swinging shindig on the infamous Party Block. My mix lasted 4.5 hours and some 70 songs. Truth be told, it peaked a little early for the festive girl-on-girl dance party. But the mix repeated rather nicely during the totally unnecessary 3 a.m. after-hours.

Pop Lifers will be familiar with most of the playlist, but the partygoers were all "I love this! Who sings this? Can I burn this? Why are you seductively undoing your seven buttons?"

If you want to check out the majesty that is "Chuck & Lisa's Love-a-Thon!" click on the link right below.

Stephanie Hayes is insane...

...but I'd smoke and drink with her during work hours anytime.

Top 5 Stephen King Books

I've now been up for 23 straight hours. Christmas Day started at 5 a.m., when Kid Lulu discovered that Santa had left a Barbie scooter under the tree. "Come on, Daddy! GET UP! You gotta see this!" Alas, no Hulk Hands for yours truly, but that right jolly old elf did gift me a giant bottle of Crown Royal (ooh, and matching tumblers!), so picture me toasting all of you right now.

Along with rockin' Busch Gardens passes, I also scored not one but two Stephen King books: Just After Sunset, his new short-story collection, and Duma Key, a novel based down thisaway. It's the former read that's contributing to my current insomnia. Ol' Stephen, he's a mind-messer for sure.

I need to put some distance between SK and night-night (or morning-morning, as it were), so I thought I'd check in with you guys. Back in 2001, I wrote a rather lengthy defense of King (not that he needed it) in the pages of the Washington City Paper. If you want, you can read that HERE. I'm not sure how well my scholarly prose holds up seven years later, but man, god bless alt-weeklies and all that cussing you could do! Basically (and obviously), King's books are about much more than the boogeyman -- he's an adept chronicler of the crumbly human condition who just happens to know how to wield a zombie. Brilliant.

Anyway, as I stave off nightmares, here's my Top 5 Stephen King books. I totally reserve the right to change my mind after a good night's rest (or until Lulu wakes me up in a couple of hours)...

1) Pet Sematary (1983) -- Ayuh, my absolute favorite. Legend has it, this is the one the author had to shelve for awhile 'cause even he was getting freaked out. If King has a weakness, it's the clunky ending. But when wee Gage Creed comes back from the titular burial ground, the finale is perfectly horrific.

2) Misery (1987) -- In the movie, Paul merely gets hobbled. In the book, Paul gets axed, and you better believe King details every bone-scraping moment. I'm gonna say that Annie Wilkes is his best villain ever. (No. 2? Kurt Barlow from 'Salem's Lot.)

3) The Stand (1978) -- I read this apocalyptic epic when I was 12. 12! Man, my parents were either really cool or really clueless. One of the books that made me want to be a writer. (Another one? John Irving's The Water-Method Man.)

4) The Green Mile (1996) -- The story of condemned prisoner John Coffey was originally serialized, and I bought each of the six segments the day they came out. The movie got too gushy, but the book stayed smartly understated. Hang in there, Mr. Jingles.

5) Night Shift (1978) -- The Abbey Road of short-story collections, every pop note is perfect. Children of the Corn is the famous entry in here, but even better is Strawberry Spring, one of King's first ghoulish dissections of the unreliability of the human mind.

Yeah, that didn't help at all. I pretty much just freaked myself out even more. Sweet dreams!

Merry Christmas, Pop Lifers

I love the attic scene in "Christmas Vacation." In fact, at the clip's 4:00 mark, the movie itself goes from great to classic status, when Clark W. Griswold, all bundled up in women's finery, watches those home movies while Ray Charles' "That Spirit of Christmas" swoons in the background. Perfection.

Nog 'n' snog it up tonight, boys and girls. I'll check in tomorrow with a full rundown of Christmas Day merriment, including whether or not Santa left me Hulk Hands under the tree.

I believe, Big Man. I believe.

Dottie, it's time for dictation

The family is asleep, the rum is mixing well, the Grizzly Adams beard is itching like a son of a gun -- and I'm holed up in my office, playing music and putting off wrapping presents. This is what I'm listening to. Click HERE to enjoy with me. 

The Bird and the Bee
Album: Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future (Blue Note)
In stores: Jan. 27
Why we care: This mod-sexy L.A. duo oozes Space Age cocktail swing and retro electro pop. The music is made to accompany a highball binge (or at least an affair with Dottie your secretary). The lyrics, on the other hand, are modern and cheeky — or as modern and cheeky as a love song about David Lee Roth leaving Van Halen. "Come on, Dave!"
Why we like it: Inara George is the bird, and despite her aloof delivery, she's an active singer, layering myriad vocals that flirt and flutter. Producer-bandleader Greg Kurstin is the bee, buzzing the tracks with fly-by keyboards and intricate beats that hip, hop, repeat.
Reminds us of: Brit brat Lily Allen
Download these: My Love and Diamond Dave
Grade: A