First things first: I'm saving pennies now to cross the pond to see the Victoria and Albert Museum's exhibit of Kylie-ania. From the V&A website:

200 objects including 45 costumes and 60 photographs will be on display, including the overalls Kylie wore as Charlene in Neighbours and the gold lame hotpants she wore in her Spinning Around video in 2000. Hats by Stephen Jones and costumes from recent tours will also be featured.

I'm squealing so very loudly. Can you hear me? The Guardian has a slideshow (watch out, it's a popup) of a few of those costume pieces -- and here's a handy visual reminder of those glorious hot pants:



Also from The Guardian, this just in: Wanna be a rock star? Get a MySpace account. Apparently, having a great live show and a marketable product help as well. Wow.

Weekend activity pick: Crackers United present O'Death, Mahogany, Daylight's for The Birds, and Relay on Saturday the 13th at Sin-E. Seriously, I'm thrilled to death over this bill and can't wait. It's not often the entire lineup of a show is worth seeing -- this one is!

In HIGH DEMAND for your weekend hijinx:

The Chalets -- NightRocker. (Let me know if you have problems playing this file, I've had issues with it.) Okay, I admit it -- occasionally a press release in the inbox will tip us off to something fun, and this seemed the perfect thing to kick off the weekend. These adorable Dubliners (whose album, Check In, was released in the UK in 2005 but is coming out stateside March 27) seem poised for some kind of global pop domination. Then again, they could just be another band in the vein of Morningwood or The Lovemakers (but goodness, we hope not!). (MySpace)

Fantasia -- Hood Boy (featuring Big Boi). Oh, kids. You know we have guilty pleasures, and we're completely charmed by this offering from American Idol winner and Lifetime Movie subject Fantasia. Thank goodness for BET Jams, or we might never have known about this song, given that promotion for this record seems to be hovering around nil. Say what you will about Idol participants, Fantasia has the goods -- her big, throaty voice is a welcome change from the hyper-vocalizing songbirds that seem to be popular these days. (MySpace)

Los Amigos Invisibles -- Yo No Sé. We mentioned these guys the other day; I was totes remiss not to post this for you! (MySpace)

Explosions in the Sky -- What Do You Go Home To? So apparently, Friday Night Lights, the TV version, has helped catapult Explosions in the Sky deep into the collective consciousness (who knew?), and for good reason. Just listening to EITS brings back all the best memories of living in Texas -- big open spaces, sparse landscapes, gorgeous sunsets. Yeah, okay -- we get a little homesick sometimes, even though we are loving life in the big city. (Also check out "Welcome, Ghosts" via the Temporary Residence website. Both tracks are from the bands new album All Of A Sudden, I Miss Everyone (site)