MUSIC NEWS YOU CAN USE...

TODAY IS WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 4TH...
TODAY'S BIRTHDAYS...
JUST ONE FOR YOU, ACTUALLY...CHRIS LOWE...KEYBOARDIST FOR THE PET SHOP BOYS...IS 47

* ON THIS DAY IN 1965...JOHNNY CASH WAS BUSTED FOR SMUGGLING SPEED ACROSS THE MEXICAN BORDER...
* BACK IN 1975.."THE" PINK FLOYD WAS ON TOP OF THE CHARTS WITH "WISH YOU WERE HERE"...
* AND IN 1982...A LITTLE BAND CALLED THE SMITHS MADE THEIR LIVE DEBUT AT THE RITZ IN MANCHESTER, ENGLAND...

YOUR MUSIC NEWS FOR THIS TUESDAY...
*HIP HOP RULES THE ALBUM CHARTS THIS WEEK...LUDACRIS IS AT THE TOP WITH THIS THIRD NUMBER ONE RECORD..."RELEASE THERAPY"...JANET JACKSON'S "20 Y.O." IS NUMBER TWO...TONY BENNET IS AT NUMBER THREE WITH AN ALBUM OF DUETS...ALAN JACKSON, HIS MULLET, AND HIS COWBOY HAT CLOG UP THE FOURTH POSITION...AND JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE'S "FUTURESEX/LOVESOUNDS" ROUNDS OUT THE TOP 5...

* IF YOU'RE WONDERING WHAT THE LOVELY LADIES IN SLEATER KINNEY WILL DO NOW THAT THE GROUP IS "NO MORE"....WELL, WE CAN FINALLY ANSWER FOR AT LEAST ONE MEMBER OF THE DEARLY DEPARTED BAND.
THE PORTLAND MERCURY REPORTS THAT DRUMMER JANET WEISS WILL BE MANNING THE SKINS FOR EX-PAVEMENT GUY....STEPHEN MALKMUS'S BAND...THE JICKS...ON A FULL-TIME BASIS.

* SPEAKING OF LOCAL ROCK HEROES...
IF YOU'RE LOOKING FOR AN EXCUSE TO GO OUT TONIGHT...THERE'S SOME GOOD MUSIC OUT THERE...
GUSTER AND NADA SURF BRING THEIR LITERATE...SOFT HEARTED...INDIE ROCK TO THE CRYSTAL BALLROOM...
THE SCISSOR SISTERS ARE FLYING THE RAINBOW COLORED FLAG OF GLITTERY DANCE-POP OVER AT THE ROSELAND...
AND A BAND THAT REALLY IMPRESSED ME WHEN I SAW THEM PLAY MUSICFEST A FEW MONTHS BACK...THE SHAKY HANDS...WILL UNLEASH THEIR JITTERY INDIE ROCK ON THE CROWD OVER AT THE DOUG FIR...