As part of book giant Borders’ slashing of its DVD and CD sections, the store here in Athens, Ga., is selling its CD and DVD inventory at 50% off. The standard pre-liquidation price for a CD? $18.99. So at 50% off, most of the remaining inventory was still as much as it would have been at Best Buy, Target, or Wal-Mart. In fact, in most cases the prices were exactly twice what they were at the Big Boxers, particularly in the DVD/Blu-Ray section. I decided to document the dregs of Borders’ music collection to see what people weren’t buying, much like I did last year during the Circuit City fire sale. All of the releases documented after the jump had at least four copies for sale.
Ad Age reports that celebrities trying to earn some extra scratch from their name’s wattage might want to start looking somewhere that isn’t a fashion “partnership” with a retail outlet, what with the economy continuing its long, slow swoon and chains all over the country struggling to keep their lights on. Tough break, musicians who want to avenge those rejected FIT applications!
Ever wonder what it’s like to write a saccharine-sweet acoustic guitar pop song comparing a girl you allegedly like to the consumerist cesspool that is Times Square, then be destined never to match its success again? Well, if you’re a 13-year-old boy at the mercy of your well-meaning mother, you can now approximate this experience by shopping at Kohl’s, which now has via the Plain White T’s-inspired clothing line Urban Pipeline on its racks. Part of the same cringe-worthy campaign as the hoodie-stricken Avril line (“Inspired by the artists…worn by you”), the Plain White T’s line features only the finest in bro training wear, plus the obligatory formal t-shirt.
We’ve reported earlier on Denny’s attempt to reach out to the kids by inviting bands to design menu items, throwing Warped Tour afterparties, and playing alt-rock over the loudspeakers during the late-night hours. But since there’s no outpost of the 24-hour chain diner nearby, we couldn’t experience the marketing magic for ourselves–until last night, when the Idolator braintrust got invited to an event spotlighting the items on what Denny’s is calling its Rock Star Menu. Unfortunately the Metropolitan Pavilion didn’t have red plastic booths installed for the festivities (Denny’s-branded placemats would have to suffice), it was early evening and not the wee hours of the morning, and I was drinking rum-spiked Diet Dr Pepper instead of the virginal version that I’d normally be served. But otherwise former Denny’s beat reporter Anthony Miccio and I felt like we’d been transported back to the suburbs, complete with “Toxic” playing at top volume over the PA and me nearly choking on an onion ring. After the jump, our overall impressions of the menu’s musician-designed foodstuffs.
Soon, your visit to Denny’s will allow you to enjoy heart-shaped pancakes from the Eagles of Death Metal and milkshakes conceived by the Plain White T’s thanks to the eatery’s ever-evolving All Nighter campaign, which hopes to bring a “rock edge” to the restaurant during the wee hours. Restaurants will play nothing but alt-rock and the waitstaff will trade its regular uniforms for T-shirts and jeans! Suck on that, Waffle House!
This morning, Today sat down for a chat with Delilah DiCrescenzo, the young Olympic hopeful who inspired the Plain White T’s “Hey There Delilah” and who’ll be attending the Grammys next month as lead singer Tom Higginson’s date. Even though she has a boyfriend! More »
Today’s bit of Grammy-related news that isn’t related to the writers’ strike: The lead singer of the Plain White T’s has a date to the Feb. 10 awards show, and it’s none other than the titular lady from the band’s inescapable hit “Hey There Delilah.” OK, OK, it’s not really news per se, but it is a sorta-heartwarming story (as long as you forget about the whole “wait, so he’s crossing the picket line too?” thing). But the comment section attached to the USA Today story on the couple’s first date has turned into a heated discussion of whether or not Delilah is really going to the Grammys for the right reasons.
The Plain White T’s will stop at nothing to emote, and apaprently they’re just getting the sensitive-dude party started. The band is putting out a new album in 2008 featuring such doomed singles as “Not ‘Hey There Delilah'” and “Wait, Come Back, We’ll Sing ‘Hey There Delilah’ for You,” and Billboard is not afraid to bust out its creakiest music writing for the occasion.
