[drum roll please]

This year's W.I.L.D. lineup has finally been announced. Consisting of "four MCs and two DJs" (according to their website), Jurassic 5 will be storming into the Quad on April 19. And of course they will be toting with them their "unique" brand of "old-school revival" hip-hop.

And kicking off the show in fine fashion will be the Black Eyed Peas. I can't actually tell anything about their music from their website, only that there are many many opportunities to purchase their merchandise, but judging from Team 31's booking history they are most likely some sort of generic hip-hop group with little to no "musical instruments" or "popularity".

Normally I would rant and rave here about the way in which Team 31 has completely wasted the $100,000+ that they have been allocated by Studen Union on bands like the aforementioned and Fall Headliner "Reese", but instead I have just one thing to say: Right now I am listening to a CD of shoddily-recorded songs by Billy Corgan (formerly of The Smashing Pumpkins, currently of Zwan) back when he was only 18 years old and a member of a band known as The Marked. The songs are, for the most part, horrible. There is one, for instance, which is a looped drum machine and synthesizer and the words "Zieg Heil" repeated over and over again. In another, aptly titled "Go Play Guns", bassist Dale Meiners sings the line "violence kills, so what the hey" amonst others. The recording quality is not bad, all things considered, but even the most die-hard fans of Corgan consider these songs to be downright terrible. Despite all of this, I would seriously rather see the often-humorous Marked have a reunion at W.I.L.D. and perform than suffer through two more nondescript hip-hop bands. I'm sure I will have much more to say on the subject later this week.

(Incidentally, if anyone would like to share in my enjoyment of the Marked and the hilariously embarassing early years of Billy Corgan, let me know and I'll burn you a CD or something)