Oy! I’m way behind schedule. But here are a few of the clips I promised from my interview with Death Cab for Cutie’s Chris Walla last week. And you can also click here to go back and listen to the clip I posted a few days ago about the new Death Cab record, which is due this spring. Enjoy.

Part One: Remember that blog post and subsequent news stories about the Department of Homeland Security nabbing his hard drive?

Part Two: Everybody’s doin’ their solo thing.

Part Three: Challenging

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I was a huge Portishead fan in the ’90s. But until this morning, I was this close to believing the British trip-hop band’s third album would go the way of Guns N’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” — as in it would never see the light of day after more than 11 years of speculation.

But then I read the news the band recently posted on its Web site.

REAL NEWS

23 Jan 2008

We’re pleased to announce that we’ll be releasing our album, titled THIRD. on April 14th 2008.

The album has

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There! I found a YouTube link for Girl Trouble’s “My Hometown” video that works this time. Woo hoo!

Anyway, click here if you don’t want spoilers to yesterday’s trivia challenge. Otherwise, you can check your answers below. And, yes, I had to slip my own hometown in there. I’ll give the first person who posts which one a prize. Haven’t figured out what yet, but I’ll think o’ somethin’:

Home sweet home trivia answers

1. Bakersfield, California

2. Oxford, England

3. Louisville, Kentucky

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I had a nice chat with Death Cab for Cutie guitarist/producer Chris Walla last week, during which we mostly talked about his new solo album “Field Manual” (due from Barsuk next week), politics and his plans to fit a quick solo tour in before the Death Cab machine fires back up. I’m working on a related story for GO this Friday, and I should have bunch of sound bites from the interview uploaded by then.

Meanwhile, Death Cab fans will be interested to hear what Walla had to say about the band’s new album, which he’s in the

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Time to put those useless trivia muscles to work, kids. Use ‘em or lose ‘em. Name the following acts’ hometowns. Then check back tomorrow for answers:

1. Korn

2. Radiohead

3. My Morning Jacket

4. The Gossip

5. The Shins

6. Bruce Springsteen

7. Outkast

8. Bob Dylan

9. Faith Hill

10. Jessica Simpson

11. Snoop Dogg

12. The Kinks

13. The Beatles

14. Elvis

15. Duff McKagan

16. Nickelback

17. R. Kelly

18. Michael Jackson

19. Prince

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This spring started shaping up quite nicely for Puget Sound comedy lovers as of this morning. I received Live Nation announcements that Chris Rock will appear at the Paramount Theatre on April 10 and 11 and that Margaret Cho will appear there on May 10. Now all we need is for Dave Chappelle to come back and for Dennis Leary to quit playin’ fireman and get back on stage. You think?

Margaret Cho tickets will go on sale at 10 a.m. Friday, while Chris Rock tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday. You should be able to

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Many bands have represented Tacoma well over the years. You’ve got the Sonics, the Wailers and soon-to-be-Rock-Hall-of-famers, the Ventures. You’ve got Girl Trouble and Seaweed carryin’ the torch for the alt-rock era. Hell, you could even go way back to Bing Crosby if you wanna. We’ve got a rich musical history here.

But who would be on your list of the absolutely, positively most definite Tacoma bands? And is there anyone holdin’ it down now that you would say represents Tacoma more than the rest?

Leave your picks in the comments section — as many as you

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Looks like the Fabulous Firwood may be open next weekend. At least Jan. 25 or 26 was the tentative target given by GM Hyon Kil when I spoke to him earlier this week.

The club – located at 8014 Valley Ave. E. in Fire – was shut down a month ago pending needed septic repairs.

"We inherited a (system) that’s been obsolete for a while," Kil said. "It’s taken a little while to get this thing going because the weather hasn’t given us much of a break at all."

Kil said the repairs could cost

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Rush announced dates for it’s 2008 world tour this morning, including a May 31 stop at the Gorge Ampitheatre.

It’ll be the the classic rock trio’s second stop in Washington to promote last year’s “Snakes & Arrows” album after last summer’s appearance at Auburn’s White River Amphitheatre. Click here if you missed that show.

Fanclub presale details will be provided at Rush.com Confirmed tour dates are below.

Rush’s Snakes & Arrows tour 2008

April 11: San Juan, Puerto Rico (Coliseo de Puerto Rico)

April 13: Ft. Lauderdale, Florida

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What to do for the next week? Hmmmm.

Oh yeah! Here’s some stuff:

Severus (Friday, Hell’s Kitchen): With Killing Roots, Dying to Bleed, De-Krepit and Killing Roots.

Kem (Friday, Emerald Queen Casino): The R&B crooner brings his smooth sounds to the EQ.

Clumsy Lovers (Friday, Jazzbones): The Clever Bastards open. (I’m sensing a pattern.)

Pierce County Executive’s Excellence in Hip-Hop Awards (Saturday, Tacoma Art Museum): Performance, panel discussion and awards ceremonies tied in to the South Sound’s hip-hop scene. Check Music Entertainment’s Web site for details.

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