It's been quite a day for rather unique news stories. It seems like just about every major artist has chosen April 1 as the day to foist major announcements upon the world. It's almost as if they were playing some sort of elaborate joke or something.
Coldplay took to their site to let it be known that they plan to record their next album not in a traditional studio, but on a modified Boeing 727 aircraft, in zero gravity. "Later this year, the band will board a modified Boeing, which can provide zero gravity for periods of 20-25 seconds at a time," a statement on the site read. "Wearing self-designed outfits based on early Russian cosmonaut suits, they will be joined by producer/collaborator Brian Eno, who will use custom-made 'heavy' microphones to record the sessions on a 1969 analogue cassette player."
"We've been searching for the right environment to record the perfect snare drum sound for many years now," Chris Martin added, "and I've just got a gut feeling that zero gravity is the place to do that, y'know?"
Perhaps not wanting to be outdone, Kid Rock, who announced via his Web site that he had signed an unprecedented deal with his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers, for exclusive naming rights to their stadium, formerly known as Comerica Park.
"This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and with the banks in trouble, it seemed like the right time for me to reach out to the fine people at Comerica Bank," Rock said in the post. "Since they relocated to Dallas after opening the stadium here, they were very open to the idea of making this deal. I've never been more excited for opening day, and I'm proud to be able to add my name to the legacy of my favorite baseball team."
Rock also announced that he had partnered with the Michigan Brewing Company to produce "the official beer of the Detroit Tigers."
Equally groundbreaking is Trent Reznor, who decided to one-up practically everybody by dropping a brand-new Nine Inch Nails album (being free of those major-label shackles sure is liberating) on his site.
Produced by none other than Timbaland — who also helmed Chris Cornell's solo album — the new NIN album is called Strobe Light and features songs like "Everybody's Doing It" (featuring Chris Martin, Jay-Z and Bono); "Even Closer" (featuring Justin Timberlake and Maynard James Keenan); and "Still Hurts" (featuring Alicia Keys). It's available for $18.98 — plus a $10 digital delivery convenience fee (how Web 2.0!) — by simply entering your e-mail address.
And finally, Icelandic ingénue Björk chose April 1 as the day to drop the news that she had accepted the position of lead singer for Led Zeppelin and that she would join the band for a world tour starting in June (we know, right?!?). Writing on her site, B said she only took the gig out of concern that Zep's long-standing touring plans would fall through without her behind the mic.
"It was evident that their world tour was in turmoil after original singer Robert Plant decided to concentrate on live work with Alison Krauss," the statement reads. "Björk has put forward her wish that they only cover songs from [Zeppelin albums] I and IV. The tour kicks off in June, after Björk has fulfilled her other engagements."
Seriously. All that happened today. We need a break. What's the deal with April 1 anyway?!?
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