News …

Madonna and Guy Ritchie reach divorce settlement over an estate worth more than $445.6 million – The Times Online U.K.

You’re probably shouldn’t invite Jackson Browne and Senator John McCain to the same party anytime soon – Wired / Listening Post

Can’t wait until the 23rd to listen to Chinese Democracy? It’s streaming right now on MySpace – Guns N’ Roses’ MySpace page 

Huh? 10 free songs a month from the Zune digital store? What’s the catch? Well, for one thing, you probably need to buy a Zune – Associated Press

Does Oklahoma City have what it takes to become the next Austin, Texas, for live music? – OKCbusiness.com

Views …

Bob Dylan in Montreal – “The blues carried him through the night, from a stompin’ rendition of The Levee’s Gonna Break to the swinging Highway 61 Revisited and set-ending Thunder on the Mountain.” – The Gazette

Coldplay in Dallas – “The packed arena greeted nearly every song and gesture with a lusty roar and near-constant flashbulbs.” – Star-Telegram

McCoy Tyner in Oakland, California – “ … when he walked on stage Tuesday at Yoshi’s in Oakland for the first of two sets, the audience stood and cheered out of pure love and respect.” – San Jose Mercury News (registration may be required)

Buckcherry, Avenged Sevenfold, Shinedown and Saving Abel in Evansville, Indiana – “All four bands were able to harness the raw energy that defines rock and roll, and the crowd loved it.” – Evansville Courier & Press

Girl Talk in NYC – “Girl Talk’s big party trick, which worked again and again throughout the 90-minute set, is to combine hip-hop sex boasts with triumphal rock, so that high-flown anthems accompany lowdown raunch.” – The New York Times (registration may be required)

James Blunt in Edmonton – “Seriously at least two-thirds of the arena shows this year having been packed with screaming women.” – Edmonton Sun

They Say It’s Their Birthday …  (Or so says Associated Press)

Dick Smothers is 70
Norman Greenbaum is 66
Joe Walsh is 61
Jim Brown (UB40) is 51
Jim Brickman is 47
Todd Nance (Widespread Panic) is 46
Mike D (Beastie Boys) is 43
Sen Dog (Cypress Hill) is 43
Dierks Bentley is 33
Josh Turner is 31