Perez Hilton — Who thinks it's a good idea to wear bling that looks like bullets at the airport? Oh wait, Snoop Dogg does. While going thru Beirut International Airport, Snoop D-O double G had to give up his necklace with a diamond studded bullet. We know security ... more info

8/1 — 150 - Band of Horses Everything All the Time149 - Ray Lamontagne Trouble148 - Franz Ferdinand Franz Ferdinand147 - The Acorn Glory Hope Mountain146 - Richard Thompson Front Parlour Blues145 - Iron & Wine Our Endless Numbered Days144 - Robert Wyatt Co... more info

L.A. Times - News — Ahmadinejad, blasting Israel on the occasion of Quds Day, questions the Holocaust and blames "Zionists" for Mideast wars. Reporting from Tehran and Beirut — ... more info

Said the Gramophone — The Ukeladies - "Sleep Today". They started the band as a kind of joke. Three girls who played ukulele - haha! The Ukeladies! Yes! They would play a few nights at Stu's, cover-songs mostly, then maybe get booked for Thunder Bay's big Victoria Day s... more info

CNN Showbiz — When I heard Snoop Dogg was coming to Beirut, I jumped at the opportunity to show the world a different side of the country I had grown up in. So I hit the phones, tracked down the promoter and before I knew it, I was driving to the airport to film S... more info

Culture Bully — "Postcards" was not only one of the band’s greatest achievements, but also a marker of where they would go with Flying Cup Club, the band’s next (and even better critically received) full length. more info

Persona Sauna — Then I demand you get into Fanfarlo as soon as humanly possible, assuming you haven't already.The video is for their second single "The Walls Are Coming Down" comes from what is easily one of my favorite albums right now, their debut Reservoir. It f... more info

The Vinyl Villain — Pictured above is the sleeve of a 6-track EP that I picked up on a whim earlier this year - partly as the ever entertaining Matthew aka Toad had talked about them in glowing terms and partly as I liked the sleeve.Here's what their own myspace site s... more info

All About Jazz — All About Jazz is celebrating Rabih Abou-Khalil's birthday today! JAZZ MUSICIAN OF THE DAY Rabih Abou-KhalilThe oud virtuoso Rabih Abou Khalil was born in Beirut Lebanon in 1957 and grew up during the two decades when Beirut was on of the most cosm... more info

L.A. Times - News — Reporting from Beirut — President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today named a hard-line loyalist with strong ties to the Revolutionary Guard and the pro-government Basiji militia to oversee the country's vast intelligence infrastructure. more info