While laying down the drum tracks for their upcoming album, Franz Ferdinand decided to experiment by using human bones as percussive instruments. The remains came courtesy of an estate sale purchase made by Alex Kapranos and guitarist Nick McCarthy in 2007. Says frontman Kapranos, “We smacked the ribs together and we got this really weird, f*cked-up kind of a sound that was wicked.” [Guardian.co.uk]

It’s official… again… we think. According to industry reports, Guns N’ Roses’ long-awaited Chinese Democracy will finally see the light of day next month. The band’s first studio album since 1993 will be available in Best Buy locations starting November 23rd. Fans can also look forward to drinking some free Dr. Pepper, whose makers infamously pledged to send a can to “everyone in America” if Chinese Democracy arrived during 2008. [Reuters.com]

Brian Eno has funneled his ambient musicianship into a new iPhone application. Created with the help of Peter Chilvers, “Bloom” allows users to make their own music by touching expanding colored bubbles on the phone’s screen. [PitchforkMedia.com]

Fail to catch Beck’s recent appearance on the David Letterman show? No worries; you can watch his performance of “Gamma Ray” here. [Stereogum.com]

Punk fans are petitioning XM/Sirius Satellite radio to bring back Fungus, the former punk rock station that has since been replaced by 24/7 AC/DC coverage. Although the AC/DC channel expires in January, the company has yet to issue a statement on its replacement. [PunkNews.org]