Monday Monday

•A new, lost Elliott Smith song, "Grand Mal," from the XO era, surfaced and disappeared here, and also here (and certainly elsewhere). 

•Jay-Z and Beyonce went to a Grizzly Bear show (the real news should have been: did they stay till the end?). Oh, and Michael "What A Fool Believes" McDonald sang on the new Grizzly Bear single. What's next, GB? A party at the Playboy Mansion?

•Paula Abdul (remember her? She had that big hit "Straight Up" in the late-'80s?) is back in the news. Hey, good for her!

•But my favorite, for reasons of equal parts sentiment and schadenfreude, must certainly be the one that begins like this:

Dearly beloved, it is with a heavy heart and a sad face that I say this to you this morning.
  


As of last Friday the 28th August, I have been forced to leave the Manchester rock'n'roll pop group Oasis.
  


The details are not important and of too great a number to list. But I feel you have the right to know that the level of verbal and violent intimidation towards me, my family, friends and comrades has become intolerable. And the lack of support and understanding from my management and band mates has left me with no other option than to get me cape and seek pastures new.
  


I would like firstly to offer my apologies to them kids in Paris who'd paid money and waited all day to see us only to be let down AGAIN by the band. Apologies are probably not enough, I know, but I'm afraid it's all I've got.
  


While I'm on the subject, I'd like to say to the good people of V Festival that experienced the same thing. Again, I can only apologise - although I don't know why, it was nothing to do with me. I was match fit and ready to be brilliant. Alas, other people in the group weren't up to it.

In closing I would like to thank all the Oasis fans, all over the world. The last 18 years have been truly, truly amazing (and I hate that word, but today is the one time I'll deem it appropriate). A dream come true. I take with me glorious memories.

Now, if you'll excuse me I have a family and a football team to indulge.
  


I'll see you somewhere down the road. It's been a fuckin' pleasure.
  
Thanks very much.
  


Goodbye.
  


NG.

NG, of course, is Noel Gallagher, founder/songwriter/leader of "the Manchester rock'n'roll pop group Oasis." Though if you're under 35 and not a resident of the United Kingdom, or possibly Europe, you can be forgiven for not knowing that. And for not knowing who NG, or Oasis, is. Are. You can be forgiven. It's a great story, nonetheless, because Oasis was never about their rock'n'roll pop. They were about the soap operatic (Coronation Street, specifically) melodrama and comedy of Noel Gallagher and his brother Liam, lead singer of the band, as well as full time rock'n'roll poser, thug, and all around dim bulb. Together they made four or five memorable songs, and a forest's worth of fantastic music mag headlines. Stick around for the reunion tour. It should be happening in a week or two.