I was pretty sure that rap song that cropped up during Beck’s encore during the final night of Sasquatch last month was called something on the lines of “1,000 BPM” (because, like, he kept going “1,000 beats per minute.” But come to think of it, I’m not even sure Beck was actually onstage since the guy with the M-I-C was wearing a bear suit. Weird.) But I now have confirmation, thanks to the story I read at MTV.com about his forthcoming rap album.

“Hell Yes” is one of my favorite cuts from last year’s “Guero.” So all

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Just a little post Ozzfest note: It was good to see namesake Ozzy Osbourne back with a fresh set of pipes Thursday at White River, especially after his voice went out last year, prompting the Prince of Darkness to shuffle quickly offstage in the middle of Black Sabbath’s set. But now it’s time to work on the clapping. Is it just me, or can Ozzy not keep the beat to save his life, God bless him?

Sure, everyone clapped along on cue. It’s Ozzy! But am I wrong? Am I wrong?

While I’m a (mostly) recovered comic book nerd, I’m still a sucker for just about any superhero movie this side of “Daredevil.” (God! That suuuuuucked! But not quite as bad as the sequel, “Elektra.”) So I thought I’d come up with a good iPod mix for all the other dorks who are excited about the opening of “Superman Returns” today:

"I Am Superman" R.E.M.

"Superman" Eminem

"Superman" Bush

"Superman" Jucifer (If you haven’t caught on, a lot of people have written songs called "Superman." I’ll leave it at those three.)

"The Man of Metropolis Steals

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I just got off the phone with Max Messmer, the guy who recently bought the Brickyard, 5602 S. Washington St. (the place where I learned how to do the Texas two-step, in case anybody cares.)

Messmer – also the food and beverage director for Access Golf – briefly outlined plans to turn it into The Factory. His plans are to cater to a 28- to 40-year-old crowd with mostly live music, a majority of it coming from cover bands, but also R&B, blues and maybe a little country.

Mesmer said he’s sunk quite a bit of

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There’s sad news for Sleater-Kinney fans. It looks like Carrie Brownstein, Corin Tucker and Janet Weiss – the trio that scored their most critically acclaimed album yet with last year’s “The Woods” – are going their separate ways, according to a message posted on their Web site. It reads like this:

“After eleven years as a band, Sleater-Kinney have decided to go on indefinite hiatus. The upcoming summer shows will be our last. As of now, there are no plans for future tours or recordings.



“We feel lucky to have had the support of

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Tacoma native and Buckley High School grad Blaine Larsen is officially a sophomore on the national country scene with the release of “Rockin’ You Tonight,” his second record for BNA records, last week.

He will also open for Kenny Chesney and Gretchen Wilson Saturday at Qwest Field. And after several months of trying, I finally caught up with the rising country star, who talked about how much had changed since his days of headlining Godfather’s pizza in Enumclaw:

* First he talked about his most recent tour mate and duet partner Gretchen Wilson.

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Ozzfest will kick off at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre next Thursday (June 29.) And while Ozzy shows his disregard for the South Sound by only talking to Seattle papers (booooooooo!!!) I did manage to catch up with this year’s official co-headliners thanks to System of a Down drummer John Dolmayan and Disturbed frontman David Draiman.

Here’s some of what those guys had to say. (I had a bad connection during my interview with Draiman, so you may have to kick the volume up on your computer. All apologies):

* First of all, what’s up with having

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Just got off the phone with Lamb of God’s Chris Adler, and he let me know about a new band promo site that launched today. You can hear “Redneck,” the first single from the band’s forthcoming album “Sacrament,” by clicking here. It has kind of a Pantera feel to it.

I’ll fill you in on more and post clips from the interview as the Unholy Alliance tour’s Seattle date (July 14) approaches.

Thom Yorke’s solo debut “Eraser” showed up in my inbox a few hours ago, easily the highlight of an otherwise crabby Monday. So I was quick to transfer the nine new tracks to my iPod and have kept them close and playing in the background all day.

Since creating the greatest rock album of our generation (1997′s “OK Computer,” for those keeping track) Yorke and his Radiohead cronies have subverted expectations and pushed the envelope to extremes on subsequent releases. That said, the stuff on the solo disc feels disappointingly familiar.

Fans can expect minimal melody; crisp,

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Don’t fret if you didn’t jump online in time to buy tickets for Tool’s recent headlining gig at The Paramount, and you didn’t have $200 to $500 to shell out for scalped tickets. The prog-metal titans are headed back this way for a headlining date at The Gorge, set for 8 p.m. on Aug. 27.

Tickets are $49.95 to $65, and Ticketmaster will have them for sale beginning 10 a.m. Saturday (June 24). (Here’s the part where some of the peeps who shelled out 500 bones for the Seattle show experience buyer’s remorse and reassess their

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