Weekend Newsmix: Nobody knows Bob Dylan, Ludacris loves big butts, and more

Weekend Newsmix: Nobody knows Bob Dylan, Ludacris loves big butts, and more

How often do songs translate so well into reality? This past Friday, legendary singer-songwriter Bob Dylan stumbled like a rolling stone into the yard of a New Jersey home during a rainstorm. The house’s occupants, disturbed by the “eccentric-looking old man” on their front lawn, called the police, who hauled Dylan away. The kicker? The officer jostling Bobby D around didn’t recognize him at first – even when he claimed to be who he really was.

I guess that’s how it feels to be a complete unknown, eh?

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Speaking of complete unknowns, Ludacris is on the lookout for a big one. And I mean that very, very literally. In a Craigslist ad for his latest music video, the Georgian emcee sought two women: One with “a great body… very curvy, and a little top-heavy.” The other? “Must be extremely plus size and able to play an acting role of an intimidating woman.” And to add insult to injury, the attractive one will get paid more. Way to enforce those stereotypes, Ludacris ol’ boy.

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And now, for something completely different: A man with two faces. Or at least, that’s how you might describe The Edge, who, in almost three decades as guitarist for arena-rockers U2, has cavorted around the world for various social-justice projects. After being called out by none other than David Byrne for touring with an excessively elaborate – and environmentally unfriendly – stage setup, The Edge responded, in short: “Everybody else is doing it, so why can’t we?” Yup, keep that good PR coming, guys.

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Been wondering what Ben Folds has been up to lately? Well, wonder no longer. Apparently the quirktastic singer-songwriter has been holed up in the studio with British writer Nick Hornby, author of High Fidelity and About a Boy, among other novels. Hornby, apparently a big fan of Folds’, has written all of the lyrics to Folds’ next album, to be released nest year. We don’t know much more than that yet, but at the very least, we can guarantee that both will be keeping their regular “dark humor” quotients.

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With the advent of Youtube and Myspace, it’s relatively easy to grab a bit of Internet fame for producing an inventive remix. But for the next month, The Crystal Method will offer you the chance to make it even easier. From now until September 15, the LA-based electro duo are offering you – yes, you over there with that yard-sale synth and copy of Pro Tools – a chance to remix their latest single, “Come Back Clean.” The best submission will net a microKorg XL synth, a tour of the band’s studio, and some free promotion (including getting your track streamed on the duo’s Myspace.) So get crackin’!

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