Yes, it’s the first official weekend of summer, which means there’s plenty of rock shows to go see. Here are the ten across the country you shouldn’t miss: (more…)

More details on the fight against the new, bad deal for webcasters: On June 26, thousands of Internet radio stations will go silent for twenty-four hours to protest a recently announced hike in the royalty rates they pay to play music on their sites. If the new rates – which will be more than double the current rates for webcasters – go into effect as scheduled on July 15th, many stations say they’ll have no choice but to shut down. Leading the fight against the ruling is the SaveNetRadio Coalition, which includes large webcasters like Rhapsody, Yahoo! and Pandora, as well as dozens of smaller ones. “The arbitrary and drastic rate increases … threaten the very livelihood of thousands of webcasters and their millions of listeners,” says Jake Ward, a spokesperson for the organization. (more…)

• Smashing Pumpkins and Rage Against The Machine, will headline the fest, which will also feature Wilco, Fall Out Boy, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, and M.I.A..
• Queen + Paul Rodgers are nine songs into recording a new album, with more studio time scheduled for October. Rodgers anticipates the album will be released in 2008, with a tour likely to follow. We’re hoping by then they change their name from Queen + Paul Rodgers to Queen – Freddie Mercury.
• The Spice Girls have announced that they are making an announcement next week. Wishful thinking has it something to do with the paternity test results of Scary Spice’s baby.
• Live Earth Istanbul is dead, thanks to a lack of sponsor support. In other news, Enrique Iglesias has been added to the line-up of the Hamburg, Germany leg of the Live Earth series, with previously reported headliners Shakira, Snoop Dogg and Chris Cornell.
• When you’re done watching Peter Travers’ Sicko review, check out new videos from Bright Eyes (“Hot Knives”) and Rufus Wainwright (“Rules & Regulations”).
• There will be no new Britney Spears album (tentatively titled Omg is Like Lindsay Lohan Like Okay Like) until 2008.

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Mastodon bassist/lead singer Troy Sanders
“Mastodon is currently listening to the new Neurosis record Given to The Rising. The Gods of Thunder have answered all prayers and delivered another incredible dose of raw and pure beauty in their signature style of relentless, dark and powerful heaviness. Neurosis embody all things of brutal and epic proportions. Those that do not get it should be very, very scared. This shit is real and this shit is amazing!” (more…)

You know these ones: The love songs that sound sweet but are dripping with sarcasm; the ones you’re listening to while you’re drunk-dialing your ex-girlfriend; the ones you put on that mixtape for the ex you’re not over. Here are five of our favorite angry love songs. What are yours?

• REM - “The One I Love”
• Bob Dylan - “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright”
• Leonard Cohen - “Famous Blue Raincoat”
• Foreigner - “Urgent”
• Joan Jett and The Blackhearts - “I Hate Myself For Loving You”

Photo: Davis/Getty