Pitchfork

Confirming rumors running amok on the web for months, Rolling Stone reports that Kurt Cobain's widow, rock and roll trainwreck Courtney Love, has indeed sold 25% of her share in the Nirvana publishing catalog, for over $50 million. The buyer? Not Bono or Martha Stewart, but some guy named Larry. Larry Mestel, that is, formerly an executive at Virgin Records and currently of Primary Wave Music Publishing.

"I took on a strategic partner, Larry Mestel, to help me co-manage the estate because it was overwhelming," the former Hole frontwoman said. "I needed a partner to take Kurt Cobain's songs and bring them into the future and into the next generation. And this guy's the guy to do it."

Mr. Mestel's intentions, however, are pure gold: "Kurt was an incredible songwriter, and Courtney is an exceptionally talented person herself. So I felt the combination of Courtney's creativity and the things I can add can really help in creating more value for these copyrights."

Value, eh? Love was quick to dash murmurs about Nirvana's legacy enduring through Hummer commercials. "We're going to remain very tasteful, and we're going to [retain] the spirit of Nirvana and take Nirvana places it's never been before," Courtney assured the Stone.

That's funny, I thought there was nothing beyond Nirvana.

Love, meanwhile, still owns 75% of 98% of the Nirvana catalog (I leave the math to you). And she's still got her own career, whatever that's worth. Also according to Rolling Stone, Love has hooked up with lovable Moby, who will co-produce her next solo album, along with Linda Perry.

The sound-minded Love had this to say: "A long time ago, Moby was Christian, and I had this fantasy I was Mary Magdalene and he was Jesus. I've always had a little crush on him. And I trust him. I'll talk all sort of shit, and he'll keep trying to focus me back on the music."

NME recently reported that Love has also been collaborating with Billy Corgan, Jerry Cantrell, and members of the British bands Dirty Pretty Things and Dead 60s. Sounds like a mess.

In other Courtney news, the California label Sympathy for the Record Industry, which put out Hole's first single, plans to finally release recordings from Sugar Babydoll (or Sugar Babylon, depending on who you ask), Love's early band with Kat Bjelland (Babes in Toyland) and Jennifer Finch (L7). For those of us who spent our mid-90s high school years in babydoll dresses with barrettes in our hair, this is very exciting news indeed.