Moogfest Rolls Out Additions to 2011 Lineup

Dan Deacon, one of many new artists added to the Moogfest lineup

A mere three weeks after announcing an already strong initial lineup including the likes of the Flaming Lips and Crystal Castles, a Youtube video posted today announced further acts whose presence will grace Asheville, NC this October for this year's Moogfest. The new acts include ambient music pioneer Moby, the Antlers, and the perpetually entertaining Dan Deacon, among others. Also announced was a performance by Baltimore's Wham City Comedy Collective, a live variety show of sorts combining comedy, bizarre costumes, avant-garde performance art, and musical performance (in which Deacon is prominently featured). Other exciting add-ons include Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox performing under his solo Moniker, Atlas Sound, and powerhouse dubstep producer kode9. The official website for the festival promises that the "final Moogfest 2011 lineup will ultimately feature performances by over 60 internationally acclaimed artists," with the current lineup sitting at an even forty after today's rollout, so it's safe to say we can expect another major announcement in the near future. In the meantime, you can check out the Moogfest website at http://moogfest.com for tickets, a lineup with artist bios, and general festival info, and you can see today's announcement video after the break.

News: J.K. Rowling Explains "Pottermore"

Last week, a cryptic web page launched at Pottermore.com, bearing only pictures of owls and J.K. Rowling's signature beneath a message that read simply: "Coming Soon." Today, the page has been updated with a video of Rowling thanking fans for years of support and briefly explaining what the Pottermore site would become. Though details in the video were mostly rather vague, Rowling seemed to hint that Pottermore would be a social network where "fans of any age can share, participate in, and rediscover the stories." She also confirmed Pottermore will come equipped with an online store, which will contain exlusive downloads of the Potter series as digital audiobooks and, for the first time ever (but we knew it was coming eventually), eBooks. Additionally, Rowling states that she will be contributing new stories to the potter canon available only on Pottermore. The full site is scheduled to launch this October; however, fans can sign up for an email list now and will receive further details and possible early access on Harry's birthday, July 31st. The email signup has been experiencing technical problems with the site administrators acknowledged through the Pottermore Twitter account, but head on down to http://www.pottermore.com to give it a try anyway.

So Far This Year: Kyle's Top 10 Albums of 2011

10. Bright Eyes "The People's Key" - Any new output from Bright Eyes is always exciting. This, in particular, stands as an exquisite blend of his "Digital Ash" days and his newer turns with the Mystic Valley Band. If you add in, of course, a rambling paranoid (Denny Brewer of Refried Ice Cream (please, do yourself a favor and click that link)) and the Oberst's unmistakable voice, you have the makings of a fantastic album.

09. R.E.M. "Collapse Into Now" - As a dyed-in-the-wool R.E.M. fan, I was trembling with excitement with their latest "return to form," having been moderately unimpressed with their last "return to form," "Accelerate". That is not to say that R.E.M. has released a bad album, as they certainly have not, but "Collapse Into Now" is like running into an old friend.

Bruce Campbell's 53rd Birthday

Today, June 22nd, is screen legend Bruce Campbell's 53rd birthday. Rocketing out of Michigan with 1983's "The Evil Dead," the controversial horror film debut of both Campbell and fellow Michigander Sam Raimi, he has been an ever present part of the alternative culture of the United States. His popularity has risen in those almost thirty years as now even our old, conservative relatives get a huge charge out of his character Sam Axe on USA Network's Burn Notice. But those are only bookends on what is an incredible career for Mr. Campbell, working with Coen Brothers on The Hudsucker Proxy and Fargo, taking a turn as Elvis in Bubba Ho-tep, as well as bit parts in The Majestic and Sky High. You can catch his voice in Cars 2, playing Rod Redline, and as previously mentioned, catch him on Burn Notice on USA Network, starting its new season Thursday, June 23rd 2011 at 9pm/8c.