LAS VEGAS — Apparently, the homestretch of this year’s presidential campaign runs parallel with the Strip here. As Senator John McCain marches through a final push in key swing states, his 23-year-old daughter, Meghan, is rubbing shoulders with punk-rock royalty at the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas. Meghan has turned up alongside Johnny Ramone’s widow Linda to thank campaign workers in this hotly contested western state. Nevada is a key battleground state, after all … and Linda assures us that being a Republican is very punk rock, so it all makes sense. (Plus, Meghan is a die-hard Ramones fans, even stealing her first kiss to one of their songs.) So while Senator McCain and running mate Sarah Palin continue their final push through Ohio, Pennsylvania and Florida, Meghan is on the western flank. “It’s just a good way for me to say hi to people while they kick back and have a drink at the end of the day,” McCain said. It’s a role that fits well in her comfort zone — despite a year in the spotlight, she’s still nervous speaking to large crowds (”I’ve got to give it up to my girl, Chelsea Clinton. She’s the one who rocked that, not me,” she said), and prefers one-on-one time with supporters. And she’s logged a lot of it over the past 18 months while hitting the trail with her father — a long, strange trip that’s been captured on her blog in all its giddy, gory and usually sleep-deprived glory. There are behind-the-scenes photos and videos of life on the road — Straight Talk shenanigans, hotel room hijinks and quiet moments when the candidate is simply “dad.” “I’ve had such an amazing experience, and I’ve gotten to live the life of a political rock star,” she said, looking back. “It’s been so amazing. I’m so grateful.” Amid the parade of snapshots, playlists and personal stories that populate her blog, Meghan has also published a children’s book (”My Dad, John McCain”), palled around with Heidi Montag and done time on “Larry King Live,” “The Tonight Show,” “The Today Show” and “The View.” She’s also made the leap from registered independent to card-carrying Republican, and become one of the hardest working members of her father’s campaign (quite a change from when MTV News first met Meghan, almost exactly a year ago, on the campus of South Carolina’s Clemson University). “I thought Hillary [Clinton] was going to be the nominee,” Meghan said of her initial expectations. “A lot of people thought [Mitt] Romney was going to be our nominee. Nothing has turned out the way I thought it would be, except I knew my father could pull it out.” No, little has gone according to script in this election year, so the campaign (and the blog) that were expected to fizzle out long ago are marching on. Meghan’s week includes more TV, radio and college appearances before meeting up with her father for a series of rallies. “We’re continuing to get the message out, and we’re giving back to the people who’ve given up so much for this campaign,” she said. “It’s not over. It’s nowhere near over,” she declared. And, of course, all of it will be fodder for her blog. “I love the blog and I love the people I meet and I have really great friends here with me,” she said. “It’s been the most liberating experience of my life. … I wanted to be a music journalist back in the day. I wanted to work for Rolling Stone and be the next Hunter Thompson. But I’ve kind of gone about it a different way.” It’s been a remarkable experience for Meghan, one that she’s not eager to let go. She admits that she gets emotional when thinking about how close this trip is to its end. “I’ve been doing this for a year and four months, right after I graduated college. Living on a bus for that long is a long time. I can’t believe it’s almost over. … I’m going to have to manage a band or something after this so I can stay on the road,” she joked. There has been disappointment, however, especially when encountering indifference during an election season offering up what she calls “two great candidates.” “I don’t know what’s going to inspire you if these two candidates don’t,” she said. And, of course, there have been the lessons that this unique race has taught us about gender issues. “I’m disappointed in how the media treated Senator Clinton,” she said. “I think it’s a shame. I think how they treat Sarah is also terrible. My mother, Mrs. Obama, myself … politics is a rough place for women. … I hope for more. I think that Senator Clinton and Governor Palin have broken a lot of barriers, and I hope that will continue in the future. “I think that a lot of male reporters have issues with interviewing powerful women,” she added. “It says a lot more about the media than it does about the public.” But the disappointments have been few. For Meghan, seeing her father’s success has been overwhelming at times. “I cried at the [Republican National] Convention — backstage and onstage — when I was watching him. My mom was pregnant with me at the ‘84 convention, so it kind of came full circle.” And the success of her blog, which Meghan calls “my baby,” has been an unexpected thrill as well. “I’ve totally opened myself up and made myself vulnerable. … I wasn’t sure how it would be received, but people have been so amazing. “If my dad does win, knock on wood, I’m going to keep the blog going and tell everyone what it’s like to be the first daughter,” she vowed. But before all that, how will she unwind after a year and a half on the campaign trail? What does life on November 5 look like? “I’ll relax a little bit, but I’m a total type-A personality,” she joked. “I’ve got to start looking for another job when this is over.” And what will be the first song on her playlist the day after the election? “Probably Queen’s ‘We Will Rock You.’ ” Get informed! Head to Choose or Lose for nonstop coverage of the 2008 presidential election, including everything from the latest news on the candidates to on-the-ground multimedia reports from our 51 citizen journalists, MTV and MySpace’s Presidential Dialogues, and much more.

We all have them, songs that seem to touch a secret place in your soul – sometimes secret even from you. They can grow and occasionally fester like an open wound, or they can fill you up, inspire you, and occasionally even heal you. Sometimes they don't even reflect your musical tastes. They can be shameful secrets that you keep from family and friends. You feel like a drug addict craving your next fix. At times like those you thank the powers that be for MP3 players - the syringe of those suffering with this affliction. This is the eleventh installment of songs that touch my soul and as always this edition is full of passion, desire, and lust. This is a form of therapy, this sharing of my neuroses, my secret inner lunacy, the big ball of crazy that is me. I know it's been awhile, but this edition marks the end of writers block…. I hope. "Flower of Scotland" - Various This is an ode to my adopted home country Scotland. A country that has given so much to our modern world; to quote Voltaire "We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilization." Scotland is a country of amazing people and achievements. It is because of the Scots that we enjoy so many conveniences and necessities in life, as the Scots are the inventors of much of the modern world. Things we take for granted from, tarmac, the telephone, television, the post office, radio, and the fax machine; to things you couldn't live without like, antiseptic, anesthesia, penicillin, the MRI machine, hypodermic syringe, and beta-blockers. It was during the Scottish Enlightenment of the 18th century, that the fathers of many of the modern sciences (geology, economics, chemistry, engineering, and medicine among many) lived, thought, and worked in the heart of Edinburgh's New Town - which they also designed and built. Men like Francis Hutcheson, David Hume, Adam Smith, Thomas Reid, Adam Ferguson, John Playfair, Joseph Black, and James Hutton are some of Scotland's greatest sons. Even the American Constitution can find most of its ideas and ideals in the philosophy of David Hume and America's economic principals (capitalism) are based on the works of Adam Smith. Quite a resume for a country that has never had a population of much more than five million people.page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

The Futureheads will release a new song, ‘I Wouldn’t Be Like This If You Were Here’ as a download on December 7. The song, recorded during the sessions for the band’s recent album ‘This Is Not The World’, will be available on iTunes, and is previously unreleased. Meanwhile, the Sunderland band are set to head out on a UK and Irish tour at the end of November. The Futureheads will play: London Astoria (November 29) Whitehaven Civic Hall (30) Glasgow ABC 2 (December 2, 3) Cardiff Point (5) Oxford Academy (6) Norwich Waterfront (7) Cardiff Duc 29 (8) Cheltenham Dakota Club (9) Sheffield Academy (12) Leeds Academy (13) Cork Cyprus Avenue (15) Limerick Dolan’s Warehouse (16) Dublin Academy (17) Gateshead Sage (19) York Duchess (20)

2008 is proving to be another highly successful year in the remarkable career of Joe Lynn Turner. Not only has he released what is actually his first ever live solo album Live In Germany (Frontiers Records), he has performed for the troops in the Middle East, and been busy touring. In fact the former Rainbow and Deep Purple front man has been so busy that I was extremely grateful that he took some time out to answer some questions. It’s been quite a year for you. I have just reviewed the Live In Germany CD, recorded last year, and really enjoyed it. It was great to hear your voice in typically excellent form. Isn’t that your first ’solo’ live album? If it is it definitely plugs a gap! Thank you for your kind words and yes, it is my first live solo disc. I have other live albums with other bands and projects. I see that you perfomed with Big Noize for the troops in the Middle East. How did that come about and how did they enjoy it? (I’d like to say thanks for going out there too - what they are doing puts our day to day lives in the shade.) My manager, Mark Wexler, and I started to look into this when our troops first went to Iraq. I had wanted to do a USO tour and they already had artists lined up, so we found a way to go via being booked by the Dept. of Defense here in the USA. It was a life changing experience. The soldiers were a very gracious, rock and roll audience and we were glad we could give them a break from their work in what is definitely a “hellhole.” Our Troops are doing great things in Iraq, they are on a re-building mission and helping the Iraqi people. In fact, several Iraqi people jumped over a fence to attend one of our shows. It was surreal and exciting to communicate in the universal language of music. Did you get any time with the troops themselves? Did they let you loose on any equipment? Yes and yes! We flew in C130, C17, and C5 aircraft which was our main type of transport. Chinook helicopters, Apache, Blackhawk. We flew in the simulators and I guess I really have a knack to become a pilot because a lot of guys said I was a natural at flying and they do not say this to everyone. We got to ride in so many land vehicles. New humvees, Canons, I could go on and on. Fantastic, sounds like a great experience. As you say, that is the power of music and for the guys to have such a major name come and visit must have meant a lot to them. Anyway how did Big Noize come about? page 1 | 2 | 3

What’s a nice Irish lass doing in a place like this? That’s what many in the crowd of 1,000 at the Boulder Theater might have wondered on October 21, 2008, when Gemma Hayes stepped to the microphone and said, “Hi. I’m Joe Jackson.” No offense to Jackson, the lanky, snow-white-haired, piano-playing, rock-steady, genre-bending chameleon from England, but Gentle Gem looks or acts nothing like the guy who was part of the New Wave movement in the late 1970s. The headliner of the night’s sold-out show is even old enough to be Hayes’ father, which he could be … if only he were considerably better looking. If Hayes’ introduction didn’t get the attention of the early arrivals, her dreamy 30-minute set certainly did. To answer the original question, Hayes was finishing up a series of dates in the United States opening up for Jackson to promote her third album, The Hollow of Morning, which was released September 30, 2008, via Second Motion Records. The record was co-produced by longtime collaborator David Odlum, a onetime Dublin busker and former member of The Frames who brought some gravitas to the proceedings with his blazing electric guitar runs. Not that the audience needed to be pumped up for Jackson’s arrival. They seemed content to sit through the soothing sounds of Hayes, whose smile alone could light up an entire theater. Resembling a petite version of Uma Thurman, Hayes is a wisp of a woman, and her songs seem even lighter. Not lightweight or lighthearted, mind you. Her profound words carry significant weight, yet with her feathery touch, they seemed ready to vanish into thin air, which would have been appropriate in this college town situated 5,400 feet above sea level. Though she dressed down for the performance, wearing jeans and a beige tank top, with her blonde locks wrapped in a ponytail, the striking beauty was there for all to behold. And that ethereal voice wasn’t bad either. Hayes began her six-song set with two selections from her 2005 release, The Roads Don't Love You, “Happy Sad” and “Easy On The Eye.” Wink, wink. After switching acoustic guitars for the lovely “In Over My Head” from The Hollow of Morning, Hayes told the crowd to hold on while she searched for a guitar pick in the back pocket of her jeans. “I swear I’m a professional,” she said apologetically. On the album, “In Over My Head” begins with the sounds of a gentle breeze blowing, birds chirping, and church bells ringing. It then transforms into a mid-tempo rocker blending her layered vocals with soaring guitars from My Bloody Valentine’s Kevin Shields. It was one of the highlights of her show and the album.page 1 | 2 | 3

This is the third installment of a series on the debut of electronic measurement for radio, digital audio platforms, and advertising agencies. The Portable People Meter Survey participants are provided a mobile meter the size of a cell phone, base stations for each household qualified listener, one Household Data Collection Docking Hub, and equipment allowing landline phones and Hub to co-exist in the landline jack. Everything is easy to install and is shipped to survey households. A meter recognizes all the coded radio or digital audio an individual is exposed to during the course of a day. Part of the technology built into the meter operates similarly to the electronic ankle bracelets that utilize landline phones to monitor the location of those serving jail time at home. These meters serve two purposes: indicating motion (when a panelist is carrying the meter) and recording the exposed coded silent radio and digital signals. The motion sensor on the meter reveals if a panelist is home or away from home. Cell phone-only households (CPOs) are also provided the necessary equipment to upload measurement information. Panelist Instructions At bedtime, each household panelist is instructed to place the meter in the base station for recharging and transference of coded broadcast signals for the day to the Household Data Collection Docking Hub. All the collected information from the individual base stations is then uploaded to a central computer at Arbitron headquarters. When docked for the night, the meter is still able to record encoded audio; however, only one hour of listening can be credited during the recharging/docking process.page 1 | 2

Tickets for Jarvis Cocker’s UK tour are available now. As was reported on NME.COM, the former Pulp frontman will embark on a handful of dates this November, which will feature several of Cocker’s labelmates at Rough Trade in support. The tour will call at Sheffield Carling Academy on November 25, London Shepherds Bush Empire (26), Manchester University (30) and Birmingham Carling Academy on December 2. For more tickets and information, head over to NME.COM/tickets. Seminal lo-fi rock band Built To Spill will also be heading out on tour this winter. Dough Martsch and his fellow bandmates will play Bristol Thekla on November 5, Oxford Carling Academy (6) and Leeds Brudenell Social Club (7). For your chance to grab tickets, go to NME.COM/tickets. Meanwhile, tickets for NME Radar star Florence And The Machine’s UK tour are also available. Florence will call at Lancaster Library on November 2, Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire (5), Bristol Louisiana (10) and Nottingham Bodega Social Club (11). For tickets, visit NME.Com/tickets.

This is the second installment on the revolutionary electronic measurement method that will change revenues for radio and advertising agencies forever. The Encoder To be electronically measured for ratings, radio stations (both Arbitron subscribers and non-subscribers) are eligible to receive free encoders that send out continuous silent audio signals. The Portable People Meters are worn by survey panelists and detect the transmitted inaudible codes. A Radio Broadcast Company has to inform Arbitron on the number of stations owned. There will be two encoders sent to each station. One will be activated and placed in the transmitter rack; the other serves as a backup. For individual recognition, each station gets an ID code, which is transmitted within the silent audio signal. Upon request, separate encoders will be sent to stations wishing to separately market other forms of digital audio, such as Internet, podcasts, or HD stations. Sirius/XM satellite radio will also be provided encoders for measurement. Although the encoders are free for radio broadcasters, only Arbitron subscribers can use the ratings results for sales or marketing. Survey Panel Selection The methodology for selection is the same as for Arbitron's paper diary markets: households are randomly chosen to serve on Portable People Meter panels, with family members referred to as panelists. The socio-demographic composition, age, sex, and race, determine the number of panelists for the sample size of a market. Arbitron uses information provided by the U.S Census Bureau for electronic measurement. Panels are built through the use of zip codes with listed landline phone numbers and cell phone-only households.page 1 | 2

Just four episodes into her scheduled six-episode guest-stint on “Ugly Betty,” Lindsay Lohan has left the ABC drama. According to the New York Post, Lohan was asked to leave early due to her bizarre behavior (which allegedly included obsessively cutting out tabloid photos of herself and leaving her dressing room a disaster) and a rumored feud with star America Ferrera. “I think it’s hysterical,” co-star Becki Newton told MTV News of the Post’s report. “It’s like right out of a script for ‘Ugly Betty.’ ” Newton admitted that she’d heard rumors about the actresses’ supposed feud, but she insisted that it’s nothing more than idle gossip. “We had a great time shooting [with Lindsay],” she added. “I’m not sure how many episodes she did, but if you watch the show, you’ll see that her story line ended exactly the way it was supposed to end, and we had a great experience filming with her.” A source told the Post that things were so bad on the set that during a rehearsal of a scene in which Ferrera is supposed to pull down Lohan’s pants, she made the guest star cry. But Newton said the story was false and that everything was just fine between the two actresses. “I’m clearing the air that real life is never as interesting as the drama people make up,” she said. “America is grateful to have had [Lindsay] on the show and thinks everyone should tune in to see how great the episodes are,” Ferrera’s rep told the Post. Meanwhile, Lohan’s rep said that “Lindsay was scheduled for six episodes and is appearing in four but had a lovely time.”

Still cited as the alma mater for modern electronica, the Artificial Intelligence series was the Warp label’s kiss off to the landscape it had helped shape. Although it did little for its creators bank accounts - it was hardly likely by definition to catapult the artists responsible into the charts as had happened to a number of their faddish acid house acts - the series of landmark releases in 1992-93 formed a controlled sequence of remarkable quality. It also defied easy categorization, the eponymous first outing being a compilation whose sleeve notes had described the contents as “Electronic listening music”, a descriptor which would be mistaken as a mission statement and that subsequently would give rise to the awkward handle “Intelligent Dance Music”. Despite Warp bosses Rob Mitchell and Steve Beckett’s disgust at the the popularisation of the latter term - press releases attempting to debug the origination were released - their actions fell between genuine admonishment and exploiting the chance to guerrilla market on which their organisation’s image and reputation had been built. Sean Booth and Rob Brown (AKA Autechre) had originally connected with each other in Manchester in the early 90’s over a shared love of old techno and hip hop. After Warp rejected their original submissions, they continued to cultivate a following on pirate radio and operate as part of the nebulous Gescom collective. Their perseverance - and a gradual movement towards a less hardcore orientated sound - eventually paid off, although at a price. After continuing to send tapes for the ensuing two years, a sudden agreement to commission a release left them forced to admit later that Incunabula was in effect a collection of their postcards as opposed to a definitively original work. This conjecture remained something of a floor show however, for it is indisputably the defining work in the series, built with both finesse and dogma, and a world away from the elevator music cliches the genre had snidely been pastiched as. Why? because Incunabula succeeds by being three things; human, symbiotic and profound. Human because it has a pronounced emotional range; for example the cascading timbres of closer “444″ are poignant, generating feelings of both contentment and regret within it’s skittering counter melodies and lush frequency. Its symbiosis comes from the source material, patching technology with a rarefied human insight into noise architecture. Both “Kalpol Intro” and its successor “Bike” have a capacity to breathe, to move in ways which machines cannot specify. This is not music defined by software and processors, it is organically charged, a freak of future nature. Finally, it is body of work that is profoundly focussed, with a sense of unitary, wordless purpose that stems both from austerity and minimalism. Take “Basscadet”, the only track to feature a human voice, processed and constrained, wracked with confusion and resignation whilst all around post modern bells of some next dimension church ring, sounding like metal rain falling on alloy trees. Here too was the music we recognised from our stilted twentieth century, “Lowride” opening with the kind of mesmerising laconic piano roll which a bionic Miles Davis might float into cyberspace. Only “Windwind” displays any obvious anchor points in history, plaintively ruminating on Kraftwerk’s essence. Hindsight has evidenced that Booth and Brown would refuse to let Incunabula be a career sarcophagus. The generation they signposted still see them as visionaries.