I. Lamb of God

Bad news for fans of Richmond, Virginia’s Lamb of God: not only do you like a band that contributed to something called “groove metal,” but frontman Randy Blythe is currently in a Czech prison over accusations of manslaughter. Details are hazy, but Czech newspaper Novinky reported that Blythe was arrested before the band’s recent Prague show due to an incident from May of 2010, where a fan injured his head after climbing onstage while the band was performing and eventually died. Somehow, that’s being pinned on Blythe. Some reports suggest he’s currently out on bail while others suggest he’s still behind bars, but Lamb of God’s publicists have insisted that he was “wrongfully accused.” Whatever the case may be, Blythe will likely be stuck in Prague for the next little while.

II. Olympian Takeover

Olympia’s not just the name of my favourite shitty beer — it’s also one of the most important cities for fans of DIY rock music. And despite it being a 14-hour drive from here, there are a ton of fantastic Olympian acts hitting town. On Sunday, July 8, riff-heavy smoke blowers Milk Music will play a house show (I’m not telling you where, but email spiritmob@gmail.com if you want the details). Then, on July 17, the K Records website says that indie icon and former Beat Happening frontman Calvin Johnson will be in town, though the venue’s listed as “TBA.” Finally, on August 18, forward-thinking post-punk group Criminal Code will hit Tubby Dog. Do you think any of them will cover “Olympia” by Hole?

III. Lauryn Hill

Apparently part of Lauryn Hill’s miseducation was the notion that she didn’t have to pay taxes if she didn’t want to. The troubled Grammy winner and former Fugee plead guilty to not paying her taxes between 2005 and 2007. In that time, she earned $1.8 million. Hill told a judge that she “intentionally and willingly” chose not to pay them because of political reasons, adding on her Tumblr that the IRS is “a media-protected military industrial complex with a completely different agenda.” Hill is now facing up to three years in prison. Girl, you know you better watch out.

IV. Girls

Speaking of Girls, Christopher Owens of the San Francisco indie pop duo has announced his departure from the band. The cult-raised, long-haired frontman and founder of the group wrote a not-so-detailed explanation on Twitter, saying, “This may come as a surprise to many & has been an issue of much thought for me. My decision was not easy to make. I am leaving Girls. My reasons at this time are personal. I need to do this in order to progress. I will continue to write & record music.” I wonder if his new music will also sound like Elvis Costello fronting Best Coast.

V. Based for Days

Because he loves all of us so much, glorious rap personality and probable future cult leader Lil B has just released his largest mixtape yet. It’s simply called the 855 Song Based Freestyle Mixtape, and collects many of the stream-of-conscious raps from previous releases alongside some new ones. If you’ve got five gigabytes of space and a few days to kill getting weird with B, be sure to grab this #rare collector’s item. Thank you Based God.