Eric Wang sends the link to the NME.com article:

STROKE ME IF YOU'VE HEARD THIS ONE BEFORE

MORRISSEY and members of HOLE and REDD KROSS gathered at the DRAGONFLY CLUB in HOLLYWOOD last night (March 13) to watch The STROKES, the highly rated NEW YORK five-piece, play their first LOS ANGELES show.

The Strokes, who to date have released just one EP, 'The Modern Age', in the UK, were supporting Doves at the club. Doves themselves showed their appreciation for the band by pogoing wildly during the Strokes' track 'Last Nite'.

Meanwhile, The Strokes, who played their first major UK gig in early February at the NME Carling Awards show at London Astoria, will return for a more comprehensive tour in early May. Dates have yet to be finalised.

The band have also been at work at Sear Sound Studio in New York recording the follow-up to 'The Modern Age'. Though currently untitled, it will be released through Rough Trade to coincide with a late spring tour.

The Strokes will also play at the South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas on Friday (March 16).

a. sends the link to the Q4music.com article:

Stereophonics about press:

Stereophonics Attack Press

Single About 'Sad' Journalists

Stereophonics have launched a bitter attack on the music press while explaining the inspiration behind the new single, Mr Writer, citing journalists who "Follow bands into the right parties and namedrop them, but when they actually start writing about them, they call them a complete fuckin’ c**t." Speaking to Q4music, Kelly Jones commented that the song was meant as a response to the way the band were represented in the press by "lonely, sad characters". "We used to wonder why people were writing about us in a certain way," he said. "You were meeting these people who were just out of college and think that music is just about Suede and The Smiths.

"When the NME do something like the 100 coolest people, you never see people like Aretha Franklin or Otis Redding, but they were just as cool as people like David Bowie and Morrissey. It pisses me off and all the kids think that’s what music is."

De Winter from Spain writes:

In a recent interview in Madrid’s gay magazine Shangay, the author of ‘Babylon’ gives a new and contradictory version on the Smiths / Morrissey issue. (Note: I’m translating this from Spanish. Sorry if my English is not perfect). This is how it went:

Q: The poetic sense in your lyrics reminds me of Morrissey…
A: It’s strange, I loved The Smiths, they were the first group I saw live. I haven’t listened to their records in years, but at that time I thought they were unbeatable. I ‘ll have to go back and rediscover them…
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Related items:

• David Gray at it again - Mar. 9, 2001
• David Gray on Moz / Smiths - Feb. 6, 2001