Roboscalper: The Cover Story

The fans queuing in front of Tower Records on this sunny Sunday morning have yet to learn that they will not be getting tickets to the two U2 shows in San Jose April 9 and 10. If you plotted them on a continuum of who is about to get screwed most in today's international ticket buy, these people would be at the far left end of the spectrum -- the complete rubes. Read the full story.

The Mars Volta: A Column

Judging by the huge high-school turnout, even bigger white-boy Afros, and their love for the Mars Volta, Press Play can faithfully say that the kids are alright. Evidence to the contrary abounds: the success of High School Musical, Young Republicans, Good Charlotte. All these indicate a plastic, safe, and sane Generation Z, cowed by terrorism fears and interested in Choosing Life.

But not the fuckups in the cowtown of Petaluma. On August 9, forty miles north of San Francisco, the kids drink Slugarcanes (Slurpees, sugar, and hard liquor), smoke cigarettes, and metal-fist their support for the death of organized religion. The occasion? An incredibly rare, secret, and totally sold-out show by full-metal alchemists the Mars Volta. Read the full story.

Giant Robot Presents PRINTED MATTER III: Pics from LastNight

"A group art show dedicated to prints, including woodcut, silk screen, lithography, relief, etching, and other techniques." Reception: Giant robot Gallery, Saturday, February 16th, 6:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. Through March 12th. Photos by David Downs. See the full set.

HD Radio on the Offense

HD Radio promises clarity and diversity. What it delivers is a whole different story. By David Downs
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Net Radio Royalties: the Cover

The Day the Music Dies - Internet radio stations like SomaFM have launched bands and influenced what mainstream DJs play. On July 15, they could be gone forever. By David Downs Published: June 27, 2007 Read the full story.

Comcast vs. BitTorrent: The Cover Story

"Peter Eckersley could try out for the Navy SEALs of computer geekdom. He's what you might call a white-hat hacker, or a good hacker. The computer science Ph.D. candidate at the University of Melbourne works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Bay Area's internationally respected tech-rights nonprofit, and has biked over to my house this afternoon on his purple ten-speed to help me set an electronic trap." READ FULL STORY