Archive for July 8th, 2008

Site Was Hacked; Clean Now

Posted July 8, 2008 By Dave Thomer

UPDATE: Google has finished reviewing the site and has found it to be clean; they’ll be removing the warnings from the site’s search results. The hackers were able to insert new files onto the server and insert malicious code into WordPress that created a number of problems. I’ve deleted all the malicious files, and I also deleted all the WordPress files and replaced them with clean versions I downloaded this morning. So all systems are now go.

ORIGINAL POST: I’ll update this later, but this morning I discovered that the site had been hacked. I believe the problem has been fixed; I apologize for any inconvenience, and urge you to run any spyware/malware/virus scans you may have available to you.

More of an update later today, and hopefully I’ll fix the look of the site as well – getting rid of the hacked code also took out some of my customizations.

OK, I Really Gotta Update Now

Posted July 8, 2008 By Dave Thomer

Matthew Sweet has updated his web site and announced a release date for Sunshine Lies, his next album. Two tracks can be sampled at the web site, and more are available at his myspace site. So far I’m very partial to Byrdgirl, which is one song more attached than I became to his last album.

Joie Calio from Dada released three tracks to mp3.com back in 2001 from a project that, at the time, he was calling Candy Apple Black. Those sessions form the basis of Happiness in Hell, an album released under the band name X Levitation Cult. The three mp3.com tracks are on the album, with different mixes that I can’t quite get used to after six-plus years. But the rest of the album is really good power-pop.

R.E.M.’s show at the Mann Center – which included Eddie Vedder guesting on Begin the Begin and Johnny Marr on Fall on Me – is easily my favorite of the five performances I’ve seen. I was pretty impressed with opening act The National as well, but I’m trying to figure out if their studio recordings have the same vibe that appealed to me live.