5 things we've learned about music this week

In a week oddly dominated by The Cure (yes, they've been very busy) it's time to take stock of the things we might have missed.

The five (other) things we've learned this week, are…

1. John Mayer is recording a rock album…. Shhhhhhh

"I think this record might be a rock album. Shhhhhhh," Tweets the ever-talkative John Mayer. Whether it's more rock than his last blues-rock record, only time will tell. Thanks to Twitpic, however, we do know he's using a Fender La Cabronita Especial to record it with.

Custom Shop Telecaster, TV Jones Power Plus pickups, Greasebucket tone control in a relic Shoreline Gold finish. Nice.

2. Ticket touts are one step closer to being quashed

In response to a distinct lack of a response from the government, the Concert Promoters Association (CPA) has developed a website (officialboxoffice.com) to 'eliminate ticket touts'. Users can buy or sell genuine tickets from each other at a genuine price. How thoughtful.

3. Beastie Boys have gone a bit 'weird'

"If toilet talk and fart jokes are political…" joked King Ad-Rock last year when referring to the Beastie Boys' new 'Politically-inspired' direction. This week, however, fellow Beastie Adam Yauch has described the tentatively-titled Tadlock's Glasses record as "bizarre" and "strange" in, not one, but two interviews. Better believe it, then.

4. Nicolas Sarkozy loves MGMT, MGMT want to sue him, can't

So, the French president Nicolas Sarkozy used MGMT's Kids as a campaign soundtrack because A) he thinks it'll impress the other 'kids', B) he just digs MGMT or C) all of the above. Whatever the answer, MGMT claim that Sarkozy and the UMP didn't have permission, and probably saw the 'symbolic gesture' of one euro (£0.89) as a bit of a kick in the face. Regardless, 'blanket licenses' and ropey copyright claims are sure to follow.

5. Explicit lyrics prompt under-age sex

A total of 711 teenagers have been quizzed about their sex lives in relation to their music listening habits. Results in a nutshell: 'listening to music with degrading sexual lyrics could prompt teenagers to start having sex at an earlier age'. Specific artists were not named, but songs about specific body parts were cited. Cue lots of worried parents banning hip-hop…