In what can only be described as 'bizarre', Pet Shop Boys have turned down a request by PETA – "People For The Ethical Treatment Of Animals" – to change their name to Rescue Shelter Boys.

How did this happen? Because "most dogs and cats sold in pet shops are sourced from profit-hungry breeders who may have bred them in cramped, filthy conditions."

Considering Pet Shop Boys have been known as Pet Shop Boys since 1981, and they just won an Outstanding Contribution To Music award at this year's Brits as Pet Shop Boys, it's not really surprising that Pet Shop Boys politely declined. Although they do admit that it "raises an issue worth thinking about."

The letter

"Dear Neil [Tennant] and Chris [Lowe]," reads PETA's request, which Pet Shop Boys have kindly posted in full. "You have many loyal fans of the Pet Shop Boys here at PETA."

"We have a request that may at first seem bizarre, but we hope that after considering the following facts, you will understand why we are asking this of you: will you please consider changing your name from the Pet Shop Boys to the Rescue Shelter Boys?"

According to Wikipedia, the duo – originally called West End – changed their name to Pet Shop Boys because of "some friends who worked in a pet shop, in Ealing."

Politically correct

Regardless, you've got to admire PETA's tenaciousness. What next? Free Range Chickenfoot? Or Non-Sacrificial Lamb Of God, perhaps?

Source musicradar

Bob Dylan's new studio album, Together Through Life, is due for release on April 27 and you can now get your first taste of the record by downloading a track from Bob's official site.

Beyond Here Lies Nothin', the opening song from TTL, is only available for 24 hours. The download window will close at midnight tonight (March 31, EDT).

Be the first to hear Dylan's latest sounds by clicking HERE!

Source MOJO

Former Beatles Sir Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr reunited last night at a charity gig in New York. The duo appeared at the event in aid of filmmaker David Lynch's charity which promotes and encourages transcendental meditation for young people.

Approaching the end of his solo set, Sir Paul introduced Starr to the audience as "Billy Shears", Ringo's pseudonym from the Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, before the two remaining Beatles gave a rendition of With A Little Help From My Friends. It was the first time the two had performed together since a concert in memory of George Harrison in 2002.

A tearful McCartney then paid tribute to the late John Lennon before dedicating Here Today, a song he wrote for the late Beatle. He also later dedicated Blackbird to US President Barack Obama.

For more on the catchily-titled David Lynch Foundation for Consciousness-Based Education and World Peace and Paul and Ringo's press conference click here.

Source Qthemusic

THE BEATLES BACK CATALOGUE has been digitally remastered and is due for release on September 9, 2009. This brace of reissues will coincide with the launch of The Beatles: Rock Band video game.

Each album will feature the original UK artwork, expanded sleevenotes and rare photos. For a limited period, each CD will also be embedded with a brief documentary film about the making of the album. On the same date, two new Beatles box sets will also be released.

As MOJO reported in our White Album Anniversary issue, the albums were remastered at Abbey Road Studios over a four year period.

In addition to the 12 original Beatles albums and Magical Mystery Tour, Past Masters Vol. I and II (the 1988 B-side/alternate version compilations) have been collated into a single title. This is also the first time the Fab's first four LPs (Please Please Me, With The Beatles, A Hard Day's Night, Beatles For Sale) will be available in stereo CD format. These 14 albums, along with a DVD collection of the documentaries, will also be available for purchase together in a box set.

The Beatles in Mono, a second collection, will gather all of the band's recordings in their original mono mixes. It is set to feature 10 of the band's albums and a further two discs in the Past Masters mould. The mono Help! and Rubber Soul reissues will also include the original 1965 stereo mixes (not been previously released on CD). All will appear in mini-vinyl CD replicas complete with original sleeves, inserts and label designs.

For more head over to www.thebeatles.com

Check out the teaser trailer for the reissues HERE.

The full list of remastered Fabs albums looks like this:

The Stereo Albums (available individually and collected in a stereo box set)

Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help!
Rubber Soul
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (also includes 1987 notes, updated, and new intro by Paul McCartney)
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles
Yellow Submarine (also includes original US liner notes)
Abbey Road
Let It Be
Past Masters (contains new liner notes written by engineer Kevin Howlett)

The Beatles in Mono (box set only)

Please Please Me
With The Beatles
A Hard Day's Night
Beatles For Sale
Help! (CD also includes original 1965 stereo mix)
Rubber Soul (CD also include original 1965 stereo mix)
Revolver
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Magical Mystery Tour
The Beatles
Mono Masters

Source MOJO

Twitter use has exploded with many artists using it to keep in touch with their fans. Now it seems artists are hooking up through it and twitter could be responsible for one of the most unlikely collaborations we've seen in some time.

Legendary U.S. singer-songwriter Neil Diamond (7000 followers) and lead vocalist Fred Durst (200,000 followers) of nu-metallers Limp Bizkit have hooked up through the site. Here's the concise 'twanscript'.

It started ordinarily enough one evening with Neil recommending a couple of books:

"2 book recommendations: "Going Deep" by Gary Smith -inspirational sports stories & "The Soul of Nature" by Herb Cohen- deep and fascinating."

An hour later Fred chipped in:

"@NeilDiamond I am a huge fan of yours. We should do a collaboration - Neil DIamond meets my band Limp Bizkit. Sounds fresh."

Possibly sleeping on it overnight, checking out the Limp Bizkit MySpace page, etc. (okay, we're guessing now) the singer of such hits as Sweet Caroline and Forever In Blue Jeans responded 24 hours later:

Neil:
"@freddurst I'd love to, where and when?"

Fred:
@NeilDiamond FANTASTIC!!!!! Incredible!! What a dream come true thanks to Twitter!! I'm in LA. Follow me and we can "direct message"

That's the last tweet on the subject - they might be in a studio now for all we know...

Is this the start of a trend? How about:

ladygaga "@bobdylan I'm a huge fan of your hair, glasses and the whole indie thing... it's like Razorlight, right? Wanna hit the studio?"

BobDylan: "@ladygaga don't think twice, sounds alright."

Source Qthemusic

To Jon Bon Jovi, tribute bands give him a bad name. Or at least one of them does: a female outfit called (until recently) Blonde Jovi. And the New Jersey rocker's attorneys have sent the girls a letter telling them to change their act.

A legal letter from the law firm Blakely Sokoloff Taylor & Zafman to Blonde Jovi states, "It has recently come to our attention that your band is using the mark and name BLONDE JOVI in connection with live musical performances; more specifically, a Bon Jovi tribute band.

"Our investigation also uncovered that you are using BJP's Heart and Dagger' Logo trademark prominently on your website. Unfortunately, and despite the fact that our client appreciates the reverence that your band pays tribute to Bon Jovi, as a tribute band, our client nevertheless is charged with the duty of enforcing its trademark rights.

"In this regard, BJP cannot allow your band to use the mark and name BLONDE JOVI (or any other BJP trademarks), as such use creates a likelihood of confusion with our client, and capitalizes on the goodwill and reputation of its well-known marks."

Blonde Jovi become 'Blonde Jersey'

In response, Blonde Jovi have chosen the temporary name of 'Blonde Jersey' (it is not known if BJP holds a trademark on the name 'Jersey'), replacing the earlier temporary moniker of Fiesta Hermosa.

Interestingly, Bon Jovi welcome - and even promote - other tribute acts, specifically a UK-based group called The Bon Jovi Experience.

Right there on the cover band's website, next to a picture of Jon Bon Jovi clone Tony, is a message that says, "The World's ONLY Bon Jovi Tribute to perform live with Jon Bon Jovi."

See photos of Blonde Jersey & Bon Jovi Experience at musicradar