Stream Less Than Jake's "Seasons Greetings" EP

Less Than Jake are now streaming their brand new EP, “Season’s Greetings From Less Than Jake,” in its entirety. You can stream the whole thing here.  “Season’s Greetings…” was released on February 16th on the band’s own label, Sleep It Off Records.

Ferrari F12 Berlinetta Revealed

The latest and the the greatest Ferrari yet, the F12 Berlinetta has been revealed ahead of its official world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show next week. The successor to the 599 and rumored to be called the 620 GT, the F12 Berlinetta is the most powerful Ferrari road car ever with a a 6.3-liter V12 engine making 740 hp at 8500 rpm and 509 lb-ft of torque, 80 percent of which is available at just 2500 rpm. Mated to a dual-clutch transmission, the car can hit 62 mph in just 3.1 seconds and hit 124 mph in just 8.5 seconds. Plus, it’s the fastest road going F-car around the Fiorano circuit, with a lap time of 1’23”. Despite the massive performance increase, Ferrari claims the new V12 engine will be 30 percent more fuel efficient than the outgoing 6.0-liter V12 in the 599. Based on an all new aluminum chassis that is 20 percent stiffer than the outgoing unit, it weighs 154 lbs less than the 599. Shorter in length, many of the interior components, from the dash to the seats, have been lowered in the chassis, as has the engine. The aerodynamics of the body also play a major role in the car’s performance with downforce improved b 76 percent, to deliver 271 lbs of downforce at 124 mph, while the coefficient of drag has been reduced to just 0.299 cd. The car’s swoopy lines are more than just nice to look at, they play a major role, with an “Aero Bridge” on the hood that sends air to the side of the car, rather than over the top, to cut drag.

Gorillaz Unveil Video For New Track 'DoYaThing'

Check out the official video launch for Converse's newest 3 Artists, 1 Song titled "DoYaThing" featuring Gorillaz, Andre 3000, and James Murphy.

Burial Place Of Last Inca Emperor ‘Discovered In Andes’?

Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor, ruled over a vast terrain that stretched along the Pacific Ocean from Ecuador to Chile. After winning the crown in 1532 through a bitter civil war with his brother after their father's death, he was ambushed and executed by the Spanish explorer Francisco Pizarro. Although puppet Inca rulers were subsequently established, the independent Inca empire was extinguished, and Atahualpa's burial place was never discovered. But now an Ecuadoran researcher believes that she has found Atahualpa's tomb. Working with the French Institute of Andean Studies, Tamara Estupiñán Viteri has identified a site in the Andes mountains, about 40 miles south of Quito, Ecuador, as the emperor's tomb, Le Journal des Arts reports. The discovery of the ruins is the result of 10 years of research, and the excavations will begin in June, funded by Ecuador's National Institute of Cultural Heritage. Estupiñán Viteri and her team discovered an architectural complex at an altitude of 3,350 feet in the Andes mountains. It contains several rooms and includes an ushno, a layered pyramid, supporting a throne — structures linked to the cult of ancestors. "It's important to point out that in Ecuador as well as in Peru, no one has found an Inca king's tomb until now," Estupiñán Viteri told ARTINFO France in an email. She thinks that the site was constructed after Atahualpa's execution "to hide him from the Spanish conquistadors who were desperately searching for things accompanying the corpse, that is, his personal belongings or a small treasure." If this is true, then the excavations this summer could very well lead to groundbreaking discoveries about Inca civilization.

"Santigold" Unveils 'Master of My Make-Believe' Album Cover

Earlier today, The New York Times‘ T Magazine revealed the new album art for Santigold’s new album, Master of My Make-Believe, and that’s it up above. And, some real high-art went into the process, that article reveals:

"For the picture, she hired the photographer Jason Schmidt to shoot her three ways: as attendants wearing custom bodysuits designed by Alexander Wang in what she calls “Bond-girl, gold of course!”; as a distinguished army officer in a painting by the artist Kehinde Wiley; and as a dominating mafia Don in the center — “Some sort of ruler in my own reality,” Santi calls it. Referencing the 18th-century British artist Joshua Reynolds’s painting of Banastre Tarleton titled “Portrait of an Officer,” Wiley’s depiction of Santi is, in fact, his first of a woman ever (up until this point his work has focused solely on African-American men, whom he places against vividly colorful and cartoonish floral backdrops)."

The Times also posted a requisite “Making Of Video,” which you can see here. Master of My Make Believe hits stores May 1st via Downtown/Atlantic Records. In case you missed it, take a listen to the album’s lead single, “Disparate Youth”, below.

Sotheby's To Auction Historic "Beau Sancy" Diamond

The 35-carat pear-shaped diamond Marie de Medici wore at her coronation in 1610, one of the world's most famous gems, is to be auctioned in Geneva on May 15, Sotheby's announced. Passed down through the royal families of France, England, Prussia and the Netherlands, the Beau de Sancy has witnessed 400 years of European history. "The Beau Sancy is one of the most fascinating and romantic gems ever to appear at auction," David Bennett, from the auction house's jewellery department, said in a statement. The stone — which is expected to fetch $2-4 million — gets its name from diamond collector Nicolas Harley de Sancy, who bought it in Constantinople, now Istanbul, in the late 16th century. It is believed to have come from the city of Golconda, in central India, where other famous diamonds such as the Kohinoor and the Regent originated. The 34.98-carat diamond measures 2.3 centimetres in height, is 1.9 cm wide and 1.1 cm deep. Marie de Medici wore it mounted atop her crown for her coronation on 13 May 1610, the day before her husband, France's King Henry IV, was assassinated. The Beau Sancy, which has rarely been shown to the public in recent decades, will go on a world tour from March and will be exhibited in Hong Kong, New York, Rome, Paris, London and Zurich before being sold in Geneva. According to Sotheby's, when the last German Emperor and King of Prussia fled to exile in Holland in 1918, the crown jewels — including the Beau Sancy — remained at the Kaiser's palace in Berlin. At the end of World War II, the collection was transferred to a bricked-up crypt in Bueckeburg, where it was later found by British troops. It was returned to the House of Prussia, which is now auctioning it.

World's Tallest Ever Penguin Fossils Discovered

Paleontologists have constructed a model of a prehistoric penguin that stood almost 4 feet 6 inches tall when it lived in what is now New Zealand, approximately 25 million years ago. Named Kairuku, a Maori word that means “diver who returns with food,” the penguin was reconstructed from fossilised bones that were collected in 1977 by Dr Ewan Fordyce, a paleontologist from the University of Otago. The bones drew the attention of Dan Ksepka from North Carolina State University because of the unusual shape of the body. “Kairuku was an elegant bird by penguin standards, with a slender body and long flippers, but short, thick legs and feet,” said Ksepka in a press release. “If we had done a reconstruction by extrapolating from the length of its flippers, it would have stood over six-feet tall. In reality, Kairuku was around four feet-and-two-inches tall or so.” Aided by North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences colleague Paul Brinkman, Ksepka built the physical model of the bird using two separate fossils and the skeleton of an existing king penguin. The resultant reconstruction revealed a penguin that would have been the largest of the five species known to have lived in New Zealand during the Oligocene period. Said Ksepka in the release: “The location was great for penguins in terms of both food and safety. Most of New Zealand was underwater at that time, leaving isolated, rocky land masses that kept the penguins safe from potential predators and provided them with a plentiful food supply.” The results, which have been published in the Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology, are hoped will aid the research into the entire prehistoric penguin population in this area. “This species gives us a more complete picture of these giant penguins generally, and may help us to determine how great their range was during the Oligocene period,” says Ksepka.

"Mariachi El Bronx" Perform Cover Of Bob Dylan’s Song “Love Sick” On “The Tonight Show”

Last night, Mariachi El Bronx, the mariachi alter-ego of LA punk outfit The Bronx, performed a cover of Bob Dylan’s song “Love Sick” on “The Tonight Show.” You can check out the performance here. The song appears on the Bob Dylan Tribute album entitled “Chimes Of Freedom: Songs Of Bob Dylan Honoring 50 Years of Amnesty International,” which was released on January 24th.

Lamborghini SUV Concept Headed To Beijing Auto Show

Italian supercar maker Lamborghini will re-enter the four-wheel-drive market with a three-door SUV, expected to be unveiled at the Beijing motor show in April. It's the spiritual successor to the LM002 of the 1980s and will be called the MLC. The Lamborghini SUV is the company's second attempt at a third model line. Reports say the SUV project has gone beyond being a simple concept car, and is almost certainly bound for production in 2015. It will be based on the platform that will also be used on the Audi Q7, Porsche Cayenne, VW Touareg and Bentley SUV. However, Lamborghini has been given free reign to modify the platform to bring the car's kerb weight down and t that end engineers have been developing carbon-fibre versions of key cabin structures. As a result, Lamborghini is keen to keep the final figure below 2000kg. Unlike the Aventador and Gallardo, the new SUV will be front-engined. Power is likely to come from a 435kW version of the 5.2-litre V10 from the Gallardo, which will produce more torque from low revs. The SUV Lamborghini will also likely to be offered as its first hybrid model. The layout will be able to accommodate an electric motor and lithium-ion battery pack. Sketches of the SUV concept point to a high-rise version of the Estoque, the luxury saloon Lamborghini, seen at the 2008 Paris motor show. Lamborghini will introduce the SUV concept to the developing Chinese market first, and the expectation is that it will join the Aventador and next-generation Gallardo in 2015 or 2016.

"MxPx" Premiere Their First Single, "Far Away"

Bremerton, WA-based pop-punk trio MxPx released their music video for “Far Away” today on their official website. The track is the first single off their highly anticipated album “Plans Within Plans,” available April 3 via MRI/Rock City Recording Company (U.S./Canada), Europe/U.K. (Flix Records) and Australia/New Zealand (El Shaddai Records).

Morgan Page Releases Video For "Body Work" (Ft. Tegan And Sara)

Grammy-nominated Morgan Page has teamed up with Canada's Tegan and Sara for a new original tune -- "Body Work." Having remixed numerous cuts for the indie stalwarts, the three wanted to write something together from scratch. The result is one of the most exciting tracks off Morgan's much-anticipated 2012 studio album "In The Air." "Body Work" is a stellar example of Page's skills as a producer and as an artist: brilliantly balancing kinetic house music with blissful radio-ready pop.

"Pininfarina Cambiano" Concept Revealed Ahead Of Geneva Motor Show

Official images of the Pininfarina Cambiano concept car have been revealed ahead of the upcoming 2012 Geneva Motor Show.

According to Pininfarina, the Cambiano concept was approached with, “great attention to the environment, both as to the engine and as to the materials’ choice.” Engine wise, the Cambiano is a range extended electric vehicle with power coming from four 60kw (80-hp) electric motors, each powering one of the four wheels. A diesel turbine engine in the front is an acting generator to recharge the batteries. Pininfarina expects the Cambiano to accelerate to 62 mph in 4.2 seconds and reach a top speed of 186 mph. As for the interior, Pininfarina created a warm and airy cabin through the extensive use of wood across the floor, which then rises behind the rear passenger seat. Most interesting of all, the Cambiano is two design studies in one. When seen from its right side, the Cambiano is a sedan but from the left, it sports a coupe body-style. The Cambiano is the first Pininfarina design by its new chief creative officer, Fabio Filippini, who came to the design firm from Renault. Filippini admits that inspiration for the Cambiano’s design came from the 1957 Lancia Florida II, and that the design attempts to create a pure form (evidenced by its lack of B-pillars) with a strong impact.

Chinese Architect Wang Shu Wins Pritzker Prize

Chinese architect Wang Shu has won this year's Pritzker Architecture Prize, becoming the first Chinese citizen to receive the prize. Mr Wang is recognised for museums, libraries and other structures of his design across China. His work was commended for being aesthetically striking and environmentally sustainable, at a time of fast-paced urbanisation in China. He will be awarded $100,000 (£63,000) at a ceremony in Beijing in May. Past winners include Frank Gehry, Tadao Ando, Renzo Piano and Eduardo Souto de Moura. The selection represented a "significant step in acknowledging the role that China will play in the development of architectural ideals," said Thomas J Pritzer, chairman of the Hyatt Foundation which sponsors the prize. "China's unprecedented opportunities for urban planning and design will want to be in harmony with both its long and unique traditions of the past and with its future needs for sustainable development,'' added Mr Pritzker. "The selection of Wang Shu reflects the jury's view that his work represents that standard of excellence which will be so critical to China's future.'' Mr Wang's work included the Library of Wenzheng College at Suzhou University, the Ningbo Contemporary Art Museum, the Ningbo History Museum, and the Vertical Courtyard Apartments in Hangzhou. To cover the roof of the Xingshan Campus of the China Academy of Art, Mr Wang used more than two million tiles he had salvaged from demolished traditional houses. Mr Wang is head of the architecture department of the China Academy of Art in Hangzhou and runs his Amateur Architecture Studio firm with his wife, Lu Wenyu.

Japanese Firm Eyes Space Elevator By 2050

Japanese construction company Obayashi wants to build an elevator to space and transport passengers to a station about a tenth the distance to the moon.

The elevator would use super-strong carbon nanotubes in its cables and could be ready as early as 2050, according to Tokyo-based Obayashi. The cables would stretch some 60,000 miles, about a quarter the distance to the moon, and would be attached to Earth at a spaceport anchored to the ocean floor. The other end would dangle a counterweight in space. The elevator would zip along at 125 mph, possibly powered by magnetic linear motors, but would take about a week to get to the station. It would carry up to 30 people. Up above, the space station would have living quarters and lab facilities. Solar panels connected to the station would generate electricity that would be transmitted to the ground. NASA has also investigated space elevators, awarding $900,000 in 2009 to LaserMotive for developing a laser-powered robotic climber. Aside from the tremendous technological hurdles involved, while space elevators could significantly reduce space-related costs compared with rocket launches, the infrastructure could cost billions to build. "At this moment, we cannot estimate the cost for the project," the Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper quoted an Obayashi official as saying. "However, we'll try to make steady progress so that it won't end just up as simply a dream."

Utah’s Jeremy Evans Wins Slam Dunk Contest

Naysayers predicted that the Slam Dunk contest at All-Star Weekend this year would be a snoozer. They were right. The Utah Jazz’s Jeremy Evans won, beating the Houston Rockets’ Chase Budinger, the Indiana Pacers’ Paul George and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Derrick Williams. On Wednesday Evans was added as a replacement for injured New York Knicks guard Iman Shumpert. “It’s amazing,” Evans said. “I came in, they asked me how long have I been practicing, and I think I found out maybe Tuesday, Wednesday that I was really going to be in it. So I told them. Thursday night, I came in, they gave me the 45 minutes on the court. That’s about it. And last night I went in and stayed about three.” Evans’s top dunk came as he leapt over seated Jazz teammate Gordon Hayward and Hayward tossed two basketballs into the air. Evans caught both basketballs and slammed them home. Fans started to leave Amway Center as Williams attempted the final dunk of the evening, and scores of people streamed out of the arena before the winner was even announced. Each competitor made three dunks apiece, and for the first time, the winner was determined solely by fan voting, which could be done through Twitter, text message or on the league’s web site. In an interview in January, National Basketball Association (NBA) Commissioner David Stern discounted the notion that the Slam Dunk contest had run its course. “It’s only the grinches who want to say, ‘Oh, my God, that wasn’t fun enough,’” Stern said then. Perhaps the league should return to the drawing board.

Kasabian Unveil New Track 'Narcotic Farm No.II'

Kasabian have posted a demo for a brand new song on their new website, Kasabianlive.com. A video of the new song, which is titled 'Narcotic Farm No.II', can be seen below.  Earlier this month Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan insisted there was a "drought" of rock'n'roll bands in the charts. According to Contact Music, the singer said he was "glad" he and his bandmates provided an alternative to groups who were "frightened" of making more interesting records, while guitarist Serge Pizzorno claimed that music was "overrun by pop". Meighan said: "There's a rock'n'roll drought at the moment, so I'm glad we're here. People are frightened of making records that sound good on the radio".

Android-Powered Google Glasses Coming This Year?

It sounds like something out of a science fiction novel, but the New York Times is reporting that Google is developing a pair of electronic glasses that can stream information directly to the eyes of its user in real time, via a heads-up display. Loaded with a low-resolution, built-in camera, the Google glasses "will be able to monitor the world in real time and overlay information about locations, surrounding buildings and friends who might be nearby," the Times reported, citing several Google employees close to the project. "You will be able to check in to locations with your friends through the glasses," a Google employee told the Times. On Wednesday, Google would not confirm whether the ultra-modern eyewear is in development. "We do not comment on rumours and speculation," wrote Wendy Rozeluk. The Times reported that the glasses will be Android-based, have a 3G or 4G connection, and a small screen near the eye to allow users to optically connect to the Web. The report also says that the stateof-the-art spectacles, not designed for constant wear, will display information "in an augmented reality view, rather than as a Web browser page like those that people see on smart phones." The glasses will be integrated with other Google products, like Google Latitude to share location, Google Goggles to search images and identify what is being looked at, and Google Maps to search for nearby places, the Times reported. Operating the navigation system is said to be as easy as tilting one's head back and forth to scroll and click. According to the report, the glasses are expected to start selling at the end of the year at a price of between $250 and $600 - about the cost of a smartphone.

"Vulgar Display Of Power" Turns 20

Vulgar Display of Power is the sixth studio album by heavy metal band Pantera. It was released through Atco Records, on February 25, 1992. It is the last album where Darrell Abbott is credited as "Diamond Darrell". One of the most influential groove metal albums of the 1990s, Vulgar Display of Power is said to have played a major role in defining groove metal. Several songs from this release have become some of the band's best known, such as "Fucking Hostile", "Mouth for War", "This Love", and "Walk". The album is the band's first to be labeled with a Parental Advisory.

X-Ray Technology Authenticates Caravaggio Masterpiece

Italian art sleuths announced on Friday they have successfully authenticated a painting of the snake-haired Medusa from Greek mythology as the work of 17th-century master Caravaggio using X-ray technology. "The X-rays allowed us to see some sketches under the surface. This is therefore a creation, not a copy," Caravaggio expert Mina Gregori said in Rome at the presentation of a book about the project which has lasted several years.

The round painting has a diameter of 50 centimetres (20 inches) and is a smaller, earlier version of a Caravaggio Medusa in Florence's Uffizi Gallery. The legend of the Medusa monster being slain by the heroic Perseus was popular among Florence's famous ruling family and art patrons, the Medicis. Gregori said the painting could be dated to between 1597 and 1598, making it "the most important work from the youthful period" of the artist. The painting, which shows the decapitated head of the Medusa, is held by a private Italian collector and is currently kept in a safe in London. Michelangelo Merisi (1571-1610), or Caravaggio, is known as one of history's most tormented painters. He was involved in frequent brawls and vicious beatings and fled Rome after being sentenced to death for killing a love rival. He died of fever as he was returning to Rome and was buried in a mass grave.

Tokyo Auto Salon 2012

The Automotive scene makes home to many differently styles of tuning culture, be it Race cars, VIP cars, Drift cars or off the wall Exotics. But one thing that brings all these styles together is their shared love for cars. The Tokyo Auto Salon brings every style together under one roof and shares it with the world.

"High On Fire" To Release New Album In April

Californian sludge metal band High on Fire have just announced the release date for their upcoming album, ‘De Vermis Mysteriis.’ The band’s sixth record and follow-up to the critically acclaimed ‘Snakes for the Divine,’ ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ is set to drop on April 3. ‘De Vermis Mysteriis’ was recorded at the Salem, Mass., GodCity Studios, which is operated by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou. Produced by Ballou, the 10-song effort is heavily based in literature. The album title translates into ‘Mysteries of the Worm,’ named after a fictional grimoire novel by ‘Psycho’ author Robert Bloch. The theme was also incorporated by legendary fantasy author H.P. Lovecraft. According to the official press release, “The album carries a deeply mystical undercurrent, incorporating fantastical themes and lyrics detailing, among other things, time travel, a serum called liao that is made out of a black lotus and ‘a Jesus twin who can see the past through his ancestors’ eyes.’ And that’s just scratching the surface!” High on Fire frontman Matt Pike offered a short and cryptic teaser for the upcoming release: "Prepare for your dark journey".

Artega Roadster To Debut At Geneva 2012

According to a recent report, Artega will introduce the GT Roadster at the Geneva Motor Show. Details are limited, but the model is expected to feature a 3.6-liter V6 engine that develops 300 PS (220 kW / 295 hp). This enables the coupe to accelerate from 0-100 km/h in 4.8 seconds, before topping out at 270 km/h (167 mph). The model should also retain its aluminum space frame and carbon fiber bodywork, but the roof mechanism could add a few pounds so expect a curb weight in excess of 1285 kg (2,832 lbs).

Theatrical Trailer For "The Raid"

The U.S. trailer for one of the most buzzed about action films in quite a while has debuted. Directed by Gareth Evans, The Raid (which, in America at least, is now apparently adding a subtitle: Redemption), finds SWAT team member Rama (Iko Uwais) and his crew trapped in an Indonesian tenement building run by a nasty mobster type and crawling with his hired thugs and killers. The mission quickly turns lethal and soon Rama must battle his way out, fighting through an army of goons. Thankfully, Rama and some of the others are, to put it mildly, adept at laying the smack well and truly down and so the scene is set for a chaotic confrontation. It’s out in the States on March 23, but the UK will have to cool its heels until May 18.

Google Seaview: Street View For The Bottom Of The Sea

If you’ve always wanted to know what it would like to explore the bottom of the sea, but have no idea how to dive, or afraid of the water – Google’s Seaview project with the University of Queensland and the Catlin Group is here to help. Starting with the Great Barrier Reef, the collaborative effort will attempt to bring Google’s Street View service underwater by letting users explore it through 360-degree panorama shots. In addition to letting users view what it’s like in the Great Barrier Reef, it will also be used to monitor the health of the Great Barrier Reef and the fragile ecosystem that has become increasingly endangered. Driver Propulsion Systems and robotic subs will help create the 360-degree shots which will then be stitched together and placed online. There will also be a YouTube video series documenting the progress of the project and highlighting anything new that they learn.

"Autocar" Drives The Aston Martin One-77

Aston’s chief engineer, Chris Porritt, drives and drift the Aston Martin One-77 flat-out with Autocar’s Steve Cropley in the passenger seat. During the drive in the hypercar, they discuss the features and capabilities of the fastest Aston Martin ever. Power comes from a 7.3 liter V12 which hands out a wonderful 760 horsepower, making it the most powerful naturally aspirated engine to be found in a production car. The One-77 delivers a maximum torque of 750Nm. 0-100km/h is reached within 3.5 seconds and the top speed is 354.86km/h. The Aston Martin One-77 is hand built at Aston Martin’s Gaydon production facility in the UK. Only 77 will be built and each will be individual to the owners taste, as the name suggests. 

Gorillaz Release New Song 'DoYaThing'

Gorillaz have released their new single 'DoYaThing' as a free download - scroll down to the bottom of the page and click to listen to the song.  The track, which is a collaboration with OutKast's Andre 3000 and LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy, is available from Converse.com/doyathing. The song was recorded for Converse's 'Three Artists. One Song' campaign, which has previously brought together rapper Soulja Boy, Andrew WK and Matt And Kim to record a collaboration, and also saw Graham Coxon, Paloma Faith and ex-Coral guitarist Bill Ryder-Jones collaborate to record a track together in 2010. Gorillaz' Jamie Hewlett has also designed a new shoe range for Converse to go with the track, and is also working on an accompanying video. Singer Damon Albarn, meanwhile, recently commented that a 12-minute unedited version of the track would also be released in the future.

How Much Would The "Death Star" Cost?

Ever wonder how much it would cost to build a Death Star? I can tell you it’s not going to be cheap. The folks at Centives did the calculations for you. First, they needed the size of the Death Star, and that is 140km in diameter, and they made it the same density as a modern warship. Next, they calculated that it will need 1.08×10^15 tons of steel (that is 1 with 15 zeros!). You may think that the Earth could not hold enough iron, but that’s where you will be wrong. They also calculated that the Earth holds enough to make 2 billion Death Stars. Though the Earth has enough iron to build 2 billion Death Stars they have two things to keep in mind. First, most of the iron used to make those Death Stars will come from the Earth’s core. Secondly, at the production rate of turning iron to steel, it would take 833,315 years just to start building. The amount to make the steel needed would cost around $8,100,000,000,000,000. This is roughly 13,000 times the Worlds GDP.

So to recap of what’s needed to build your very own Death Star:

• 1.08×10^15 tons of steel
• Dig to Earth’s core to retrieve iron needed
• $8,100,000,000,000,000
• 833,315 years to just start the work                    

Metric Announces New LP Synthetica, Due June 12

Metric have revealed details of their brand new album, 'Synthetica', which is set for release on June 12. The band's fifth album was recorded at their own studio, Giant, in Toronto and at Electric Lady Studios in New York and was produced by Jimmy Shaw. According to the band's frontwoman Emily Haines, the album "sounds like the culmination of everything we have done. We've always had a sound in our heads that we hoped to realize and we finally heard it coming back out of the speakers this time." Writing at ilovemetric.com, Haines added: "'Synthetica' is about insomnia, fucking up, fashion, all the devices and gadgets attached to our brains, getting wasted, watching people die in other countries, watching people die in your own country, dancing your ass off, questioning the cops, poetic justice, standing up for yourself, sex, the apocalypse, doing some stupid shit and totally regretting it but then telling everyone it made you stronger, leaving town as a solution to unsolvable problems, owning your actions and owning your time." The Canadian electro/indie band released their last album, 'Fantasies', in 2009.

Australia Unearths Country's Largest Pink Diamond

A massive rough pink diamond has been unearthed in Rio Tinto's Argyle diamond mine in Western Australia, CNN reports. At 12.76 carats, the remarkable find is said to be the largest stone ever discovered in the country and is expected to sell for up to $10.6 million, according to the Herald Sun. Named the Argyle Pink Jubilee, the gem is similar in color to the 24-carat Williamson Pink given to Britain's Queen Elizabeth II as a wedding gift, explains the Telegraph. "A diamond of this caliber is unprecedented -- it has taken 26 years of Argyle production to unearth this stone, and we may never see one like this again," Argyle Pink Diamonds Manager Josephine Johnson said in a statement. The gem is being cut and polished into a single stone over a 10 day period and will be up for auction later in the year, Rio Tinto said. In November 2010, Sotheby's Geneva office sold a 24.78-carat fancy intense pink diamond for more than $46 million, which set the world's auction record for any diamond and jewel at $1.86 million per carat. More than 90 percent of the world's pink diamonds come from the Argyle mine.

"The Used" Release New Song “Hands And Faces”

 

The Used have just debuted a new track from their forthcoming album “Vulnerable.” The track is called “Hands And Faces” and you can check it out below “Vulnerable” will be released March 27th on Hopeless Records.

Posthumous Joey Ramone LP Set For Release

Several incomplete demos by the late Joey Ramone, including the ones written for Ramones and solo projects, have been completed and will surface on his second posthumous album, Ya Know, which comes out on May 17th. Overdubs were recorded in New York City in 2010 and provided by Joan Jett, Steven Van Zandt from the E Street Band, Richie Ramone and members of Cheap Trick. “We got friends who were really friends of Joey,” producer Ed Stasium told Rolling Stone. The album will include the tracks “Rock & Roll Is the Answer,” “New York City” and “Waiting for That Railroad.”

Lyonheart K: A New, Luxury Sports Car

Now celebrating its 50th anniversary, few automobile shapes are as imitated as the legendary Jaguar E-Type. Of course, Jaguar itself has drawn inspiration from its most iconic sportscar with the contemporary XK and the more recent C-X16 concept. Eagle has reinterpreted the classic with modern accoutrements. And about a year ago a Swedish designer by the name of Bo Zolland rendered a sumptuously retro re-imagination of the form with the Growler E. That design was slated to go into limited production by a firm called Visualtech, but now the design has resurfaced under a new moniker: Lyonheart. Based on a tweaked version of Zolland's renderings, designer Robert Palm has given the retro E a slightly more aggressive look, with more catlike headlamps and retro touches that are somehow even more pronounced. The new Anglo-Swiss outfit intends to render the shape in carbon fiber, stainless steel, brushed aluminum, chrome, leather and wood veneer and put it into limited production in England for 495,000 euros a pop – equivalent to about $650K. Power is slated to come from a supercharged 5.0-liter V8 with 550 metric horsepower and 500 pound-feet of torque, which – coupled with a curb weight targeted under 3,500 lbs – aims to propel the Lyonheart K from 0-62 mph in under four seconds and on to an electronically limited top speed of 300 kph (186 mph).

The Melvins Announce New Album ‘Freak Puke’

Washington hardcore act The Melvins is gearing up to release their new work, “Freak Puke”, in the near future. The album is set to hit stores on June 5 through Ipecac Recordings. The band underwent a little lineup change for “Freak Puke”, with founding guitarist/singer Buzz Osbourne and his longtime drumming partner Dale Crover being joined by bassist Trevor Dunn. This lineup will operate under the name Melvins Lite.

The guys reunite as a four-piece for their upcoming spring co-headlining tour with Unsane. The tour begins April 11 in San Jose, California, and runs through May 11 in Santa Anna, California. You can get all the tour dates here. 

Amazing £1m Vintage Ferrari Speedboat For Sale

The world record-setting boat is now due to raise £1.5million at auction. The legendary ARNO XI Hydroplane craft was the brainchild of wealthy boat privateer Achille Castoldi who wanted to break a world water speed record. He persuaded the great Enzo Ferrari to lend his knowledge and technical assistance in building the ultimate powerboat. The result was a 12-cylinder, 4,500cc, V12 Ferrari engine — the same as the one in the Type 375 Grand Prix car. In October 1953, ARNO XI went 150.2mph on Lake Iseo in northern Italy, setting a world speed record for an 800kg boat that has never been broken. When Castoldi was finished with ARNO XI, it was sold to a rich engineer, who went on to race it with great success for more than ten years, securing numerous wins. The boat went through various aerodynamic improvements during that time, including a modified nose and the addition of a fin. It finished its competitive racing career in 1960 with a European championship victory and numerous fastest laps, many of which still exist. The current unnamed owner acquired the racing boat over 20 years ago, restoring it to mint condition, and it is now being sold at auction. Peter Wallman, specialist at auctioneers RM Europe, said: "We are thrilled to be offering the historic ARNO XI for sale. "This awe-inspiring racing boat has beauty, history, provenance and performance; it simply ticks every box for any serious collector. "It's an exceptional piece of history, made even more famous by the countless models one sees of it in important collectors' libraries. "It is likely to appeal to serious car collectors as much as it will to traditional boat collectors." 

Corrosion Of Conformity Stream Entire New Album

North Carolina metal act Corrosion of Conformity are streaming their entire upcoming self-titled album right here. The album will officially drop February 28th on Candlelight Records. They will be hitting the road on a US tour in support of the album.

Santigold Unveils New Single “Disparate Youth”

Santigold has unveiled a second track from her upcoming sophomore studio LP Master of My Make-Believe.The singer has debuted the track 'Disparate Youth', which will be released as part of a five-track EP on April 8, featuring remixes from Switch and The Two Bears. 'Disparate Youth' follows the previously released 'Big Mouth' music video, which was unveiled last month. Santigold has worked with Greg Kurstin, Dave Sitek and Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on the new album. Speaking about her new LP, she recently explained: "My record is called Master of My Make-Believe because I want it to be about creating your own reality. I have a song called 'The Keepers' - 'We're the keepers, while we sleep in America our house is burning down'. Listen to Santigold's 'Disparate Youth' below: 

 

Swede Survives "Two Months" Inside Snowed-In Car

When snowmobilers discovered a car on a deserted road near the north-eastern town of Umea Friday they assumed it was an abandoned vehicle. But when they dug around three feet into the snow they saw 44-year-old Peter Skyllberg lying on the back seat inside a sleeping bag. Skyllberg was so weak he could barely speak but told police he had been in his car without any food since December 19, apparently surviving only by eating snow, reports the Guardian. Photographs from inside the car showing empty food and drink wrappers suggest Skyllberg did have at least some sustenance, notes the BBC. Police and doctors were shocked the man could survive that long considering temperatures in the area had dropped as low as -22F. One doctor told a Swedish newspaper that Skyllberg may have survived by going into a kind of hibernation. But others expressed skepticism saying that humans can’t really lower their temperatures significantly without going into a coma. At the very least it seems his warm clothes and sleeping bag were two important keys to his survival. Even though there have been other examples of people surviving for long periods of time with almost no food, “Skyllberg’s recent 60-day stint is an extreme case,” writes the BBC. Doctors believe two months is really at the upper limit of how long a person can survive. “That is about the time hunger strikers in prisons tend to die,” a doctor said. “But they are normally in warmer conditions.”  On Sunday, Skyllberg was “awake and able to communicate,” according to the hospital. The Telegraph cites local newspapers that talked to Skyllberg’s neighbor, who described him as a loner mired in debt.