Today's Hotness: Ian Svenonius, Will Oldham, Dinosaur Jr.

>> After revisiting former Nation Of Ulysses/Make Up fronter Ian Svenonius' acting work in the DVD edition of "Half-Cocked" [read our review of the DVD here] we were particularly jazzed to learn more about his new talk show, which we first mentioned here in September. Anyway, the talk show is called "Soft Focus" and it is part of Vice Magazine's new online video play VBS.TV. The first episode of "Soft Focus", linked above this item, features Mr. Svenonius interviewing none other than Will Oldham, who is one of the weirder dudes out there. The interview was filmed in front of a live audience at the Guggenheim Museum and it is chopped up into four easily digestible chunks. And to be honest, Oldham often is more in control of the situation than Svenonius, who seems to be trying to play things like a mellow Tom Snyder. Things we learned about Oldham: he idolizes Lon Chaney as the Werewolf and Bill Bixby and Lou Ferrigno as "The Incredible Hulk;" he likes to drink coffee with Sambuca in it before every show; he hates Nina Simone but loves Madonna. And stick around to the end to have all your perceptions about dolphins shattered.

>> The forthcoming set from reunited indie legends Dinosaur Jr. apparently leaked this afternoon. Message board buzz is largely positive, with fans gushing about the first three tracks and three tracks in the middle of the record. The record, titled Beyond, will be released on Fat Possum May 1, and a live DVD of the second leg of the band's reunion tour will be issued shortly thereafter. Beyond is the first record released by Dinosaur's original lineup since SST released Bug in 1988. We reviewed here for World Of Sound the December 2005 Dinosaur Jr. show that makes up the bulk of the DVD that will be released in May.