Mariah Carey was apparently in the mood to emancipate more than Mimi.

According to reports, during a recent performance in Germany, the singer suffered from a little wardrobe malfunction of her own.

Knowing how sensitive and prudish the German people are -- or more likely knowing the cameras would be coming out faster than you could say "Hasselhoff" -- organizers turned off the lights at the venue.

"Someone bring me a jacket or the show's off," MTV reported Carey as joking. "We all know how quickly these images can spread around the world."

Well some people do.

Unfortunately, a frantic and exhaustive search of the web by Sun sports writer Scott Fisher proved that Carey has nothing to worry about.

The diva is supporting her latest CD The Emancipation of Mimi -- I guess a better question is, "What's supporting her?" -- which is being hailed as a comeback album for her, and has sold much better than her last two albums Charmbracelet and Glitter.

Of that latter disc, which was accompanied by the resplendently terrible film by the same name -- presumably because they couldn't come to a consensus on how to spell "blecch!!" -- Carey now has some thoughts on why it stiffed.

It wasn't because she went nuts and, oh yeah, because most people found it odious, but rather because of different plots and attacks by two terrorist groups -- those by al-Qaida and those by a more treacherous group, el-Critics.

"I released it around 9/11," she's quoted by the website Softpedia as saying.

"I became a punching bag. I was so successful that they tore me down because my album was at No. 2 instead of No. 1.

"The media was laughing at me and attacked me."

No, Mariah -- we were laughing with you.

Sure, at it ...

But perhaps that's only because all of us were far too stupid to see the true genius that was Glitter, to fully comprehend we were in the company of someone on the cutting edge, someone with an omniscient understanding of the world.

"Glitter was ahead of its time," she said, apparently not jokingly.

"Today it's in to make '80s music."

And, yes, it's also in to make bad music.

That's something that never goes out of style.

LIFE TO THE PIXIES

Rejoice.

We soon could be in for a new studio album from newly reunited alternative rock gods the Pixies.

According to the band's frontman Frank Black, the relationship problems that caused the band to break up just over a decade ago -- more specifically the troubles between him and bassist Kim Deal -- haven't resurfaced

"It's all hugs and kisses, I'm pleased to report," Black's quoted as telling U.K. newspaper The Sun -- no relation to the Calgary Sun.

"We have been discussing recording a new album lately.

"As happy as we are with the success of the reunion tour, we really want to make a record for the right reasons, whether it is successful commercially or not.

"We would be satisfied if it played like our other records, never chart-topping but always in print."

The Pixies reformed last year for an incredibly successful tour, which brought them to the U of C's MacEwan Hall in April.

And since their reunion, they have recorded two songs: A tune that was rejected for the Shrek 2 soundtrack called Bam Thwok -- it's available via download -- and a cover of a Warren Zevon song for a tribute to the late singer.

Francis releases his new solo CD Honeycomb Tuesday.

QUICK HITS:

Local punk musicians wanting to get a little insight on how to further their careers, will want to mark Sept. 22 on the calender. That's when Vans Warped Tour founder Kevin Lyman will be speaking at MacEwan Hall, imparting his wisdom. Tickets are on sale now at Ticketmaster ... Speaking of Warped, it must be reiterated the best thing about this year's event was North Carolina band Valient Thorr. If you can get a copy of the Hawkwind meets Grizzly Adams rock band's new CD Total Universe Man -- do. It's even better than they were live ... A concert rumour? Whispers of a fall White Stripes date. Stay tuned.