Mark has posted a blog entry  about his stay in New York

New York CIty!! Spent today at Fuse, doing an interview and hanging out with Chris Tomson from Vampire Weekend. We’ve kind of been friends for a couple of years and it was good to see him again. Super nice guy, and I’m stoked for all the success they’re having. He also taught me what an “oxford comma” is.

Then walked around the city aimlessly for a couple of hours, trying to take artsy photos of the beautiful architecture here, with mixed results. The MoMA is currently running an exhibit of Tim Burton’s work, and we got to check that out in the evening. So amazing!! As always, completely blown away by his creativity and talent.

Here are some photos.

HOMETOWN:
Oakland, CA

THE BASICS:
Frontman Zach Rogue’s 2003 solo effort earned him a record deal with venerable indie label Sub Pop. Later joined by core member Pat Spurgeon (drums, guitar, vocals), the quintet — whose music you’ve heard in movies like Napoleon Dynamite, Just Friends, and Spider-Man 3 — has just released their fourth album, Permalight, a sprightly departure from their brooding earlier work. That should translate to good times for partygoers at SPIN’s annual SXSW bash March 19, where the band is set to perform. They’re also one of SPIN’s 50 Must-Hear Bands for SXSW 2010. Read more about them here, and check out the full list of 50 bands.

WHERE HOPP HEARD THEM FIRST:
“I’ve seen the name Rogue Wave quite a bit over the past couple of years, but never took the time to listen to their music. Last weekend, while searching for new records for my newly-installed turntable, I saw their new album on the shelf and picked it up. Best decision I made at the record store in a while.”

WHY THEY ROCK:
“Indie rock in the vein of Death Cab for Cutie (although I can already guess they’re tired of the comparison). From mellow low-fi to upbeat pop to electronic to acoustic. Great lyrics and melodies. I really dig the way they’ll break from a 4/4 structure into a few bars of 3/4 time then back into 4/4. Hopefully I’ll get a chance to watch them live sometime soon.”

The whole article here

Mark wrote on his blog:

[...] And the European Tour this summer. And the studio when we finally get recording with blink-182. By the way, there are several dates on the European tour yet to be announced, so keep your eyes open. [...]

Mark has written a review of the movie Alice in Wonderland for MTV.com

On Thursday night in Los Angeles, Blink-182’s Mark Hoppus and Fall Out Boy’s Pete Wentz hosted an advance IMAX 3-D screening of Tim Burton’s much-anticipated “Alice in Wonderland” (just one of the perks of collaborating on a song for the film’s soundtrack, we assume). They ate popcorn and wore goofy 3-D glasses, posed with a Mad Hatter lookalike on the red carpet, and afterward, took the time to write up their reactions to the film for MTV News. What can we say? They’re good guys.

Here’s what Hoppus had to say about “Alice in Wonderland,” Tim Burton’s much-anticipated latest opus, which stars Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter and many others, and hit theaters Friday (March 5). Check out Wentz’s review right here!

“I think it would be an incredibly daunting task to create an ‘Alice in Wonderland’ film that simultaneously stuck to the original text, held true to the beloved animated version, and set out to blaze its own trail. Tim Burton did an amazing job of incorporating all three into a great movie. It looks and sounds amazing, the effects are incredible, and the story moved along quickly. Johnny Depp ruled as the Mad Hatter.

“To be honest, I was a little scared walking into the theater. ‘Alice in Wonderland’ is one of my favorite books of all time, and I grew up loving the original animated version. How could anyone possibly attempt to build on that which has been held as perfection by generations? Tim Burton nailed it.”

HOMETOWN:
Provo, Utah

THE BASICS:
When guitarist Chris Allen moved from Southern California to Utah for college, vocalist-keyboardist Tyler Glenn followed him, and soon they formed the foundations of Neon Trees. Their peppy, synth-fueled sound should appeal to fans of OK Go’s bubbly guitar pop and the Killers’ first album. It even piqued the interest of an actual Killer: Drummer Ronnie Vannucci heard Neon Trees and talked them up to his label, Island/Def Jam, who eventually signed the young upstarts and will release their debut, Habits, on March 16. They’re scheduled for a handful of gigs at this month’s SXSW conference in Austin, Texas, before hitting the road with 30 Seconds to Mars and Mute Math, starting April 9 in Las Vegas.

WHERE HOPP HEARD THEM FIRST:
“A journalist pal sent me a list of SXSW bands to check out, and this one hit me right away. Listened to it four times in a row, then watched the video.”

WHY THEY ROCK:
“Any song with bass as the lead instrument in the first verse gets my vote for super awesome. Very catchy and dance-y, with the vocals crazy high in the mix. Great chorus, tasty breaks and drops. Keyboard synth coolness. And, oh yeah — handclaps! I dig the timbre of the singer’s voice, and I may cop his unstable haircut. Can’t wait to hear what else this band has up its collective sleeve.”

The whole article here