In some unfortunate music news, it looks like R&B singer Kelis filed divorce papers this afternoon against her husband of four years, Nas. I read a blog post about it a few hours ago but couldn't find anything substantiated on the subject. But after just checking out VIBE.com, it appears the rumor is true. Nas and Kelis are headed for splittsville.

On the surface they seemed like they had a good chance of working out but longevity and celebrity marriages rarely happen. The cause for Kelis filing for divorce hasn't been revealed yet, but what is known is that the couple is expecting their first child together this summer. Currently, Kelis is seven months pregnant.

Last night, Seattle rapper GMK opened up for Wale, and apparently put on an impressive show. Unfortunately, I missed his set (doh!) and feel crappy that I did. But I get a feeling that GMK is going to be making a strong push this summer as he's gearing up for the release of his EP, Songs For Bloggers. Hopefully that means he'll be playing a good amount of shows locally as the weather warms.

I just saw this video that he put on his website a few minutes ago and had to share. Why you posted this for the world to see, GMK, I'll never know.

Bob Dylan
Together Through Life
(Columbia)

In 2000, Bob Dylan won an Academy Award for "Things Have Changed", a pop-blues number he wrote for the Wonder Boys soundtrack. Ever since then, the little golden Oscar statue has joined him onstage, perched atop his amplifier. When I first noticed the Oscar at Dylan's Portland State University show in 2005, I took it as a joke. After all, Dylan always been possessed with a wry sense of humor--what good was an Oscar if he couldn't show it off like a kid tacking "A+" homework to his parent's refrigerator? But listening to his new album Together Through Life, it struck me that the Oscar might actually represent something about the music he's been making so far this century. I played the album back-to-back with 2006's Modern Times and 2001's Love and Theft and it all came together--21st Century Dylan has been about creating a fictional America, his own Invisible Republic, if you will. And his songs have been nothing if not cinematic.

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Ryan Lewis

Here's a relatively new track from Seattle rapper, Sol. It's the same Sol that nearly won the EMP Sound Off competition a few months ago and has been making a name for himself with his witty raps and playful rhymes. He actually sent this track to me on April 20 but it got caught in my spam and I didn't see it until recently.

The track is called "Spliff," hence the 4/20 release date and features rapper Philharmonic doing a guest verse and some shit-hot production. I dig the overdubs and laid-back 93 Til Infinity vibe on this one. Click here to listen to the song.

Barsuk Records recently signed Austin folk band the Wooden Birds (pictured courtesy Aubrey Edwards)-- the new project of American Analog Set songwriter Andrew Kenny-- and it's right up my dusty country road. Their first record, Magnolia, hits stores May 12, and I've been thoroughly enjoying the hushed vocals and lazy string folk melodies that comprise it. It reminds me a little of Vetiver, but the lyrics don't have the same old-timey personality. But the Wooden Birds' more modern interpretation of folk music doesn't mean the record wants for authenticity; in fact, its sincerity stems from its refusal to indulge in kitschy Appalachia-speak (not to insult countrified lyrics-- I like those, too). Basically, Magnolia is the perfect backdrop for the hot warm, lazy summer evenings that, with any luck, we'll be enjoying up here very soon. For a little taste of the band, you can listen to and/or download Magnolia's first song, "False Alarm," on Barsuk's website, though my own personal favorite tracks on the record so far are actually "Never Know" and "Seven Seventeen." If Barsuk releases either of those for free, 'll be sure to write a big old blog post and alert you.

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Promoter/DJ Tigerbeat and friends are launching tonight what promises to be quite the luau at See Sound Lounge. Dubbed "Bangers & Mash," the new weekly focuses on bass-heavy electro, Baltimore Club, and Top 40 remixes (ya know, for the kids). The guest headliner is Drop the Lime--an inspired selection to usher in a gala dedicated, in part, to the grimier side of electronica: The NYC jock is well-known for his dark and bass-tinged style. (His label is called Trouble & Bass for a reason.) Other spinners include Fourcolorzack, of the popular War Room parties "2080s" and "Yo! Son," and Tigerbeat himself. So many choices, so little gas money.

Yes, Reverb has given into the Twitter craze and set up an account. We're online cranking out daily content in a new form now, and you can follow us at @swreverb.

Right now, new writer Hollis Wong-Wear, who some people might now from her role in the group Canary Sing, is "twitterviewing" Geo of Blue Scholars. Hop on our twitter page right now if you want to see him answer some interesting questions.

For a lot of fans of spoken word poetry, Ursula Rucker is a hero, and a pioneer. The Philadelphia-bred writer/artist/musician is, in my opinion, a bridge between new urban poetry (the kind you might see on HBO Def Poetry) and old school veterans like Sonia Sanchez, June Jordan, and Nikki Giovanni. What sets her apart from many of her contemporaries is that she often records her poetry over soulful hip-hop/electronica production and has made music with groups like 4Hero and the Roots. If you want to get a quick feel for how she's revered as an artist, definitely check out the video above.

She's playing Chop Suey on May 22nd and she's got the dynamic DJ, King Britt accompanying her as well. He's real big into spinning blacktronica artists and those two together should make for a great show. All the details are below. If anybody out there is a fan of these two artists, please let me know.

Heidi Jackson Presents:
Ursula Rucker and King Britt
with Black Stax and KBCS's City Soul Radio DJs
AC, Atlee & Lewis
hosted by: Christa Bell and Suntonio Bandanaz
Friday, May 22 2009
Chop Suey
8PM/ 21+ / $10 Adv $15 DOS
www.ticketweb.com

Here's an oldie but goody from the early days of the Conan O'Brien show. I had no idea the children of Frank Zappa were such big John Tesh fans. You've just got to watch it to believe. But be mindful, apparently watching this video on repeat could give some fellas Teshticular cancer.

Here's the latest incarnation of the partial line-up, with the addition of Franz Ferdinand and Os Mutantes. Oh, and one subtraction, because the Ting Tings canceled.

Anyway, I sort of slept on the initial Bumbershoot line-up announcement, but now that I've finally gotten around to checking out the roster and mulling it over, my feeling so far is that, like Sasquatch, it's a pretty mixed bag. This collection of bands runs the gamut on my own personal excitement-nausea scale from "I'm so excited I may pee my pants," to "Listening to this band for more than five minutes makes me ill." On one hand, seeing Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan in tandem, De La Soul and Raphael Saadiq will be super. And there are a lot of great local bands on the roster as well.

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