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B-Sides Report for 08/06/2015



Taylor Swift Nearly Grabbed On-Stage By Fan

(Radio.com) Taylor Swift had a close call with an overzealous fan on Tuesday. During her concert in Edmonton, Alberta, the 25-year-old singer was nearly grabbed by an audience member.

While Swift was singing her huge hit 'Bad Blood," she kneeled down on the stage. After she stood up the fan pushed his upper body up on the stage and nearly grabbed her leg just above the ankle.

The man immediately slipped back down to his front row seat and was escorted out of the arena by security. Swift didn't miss a beat and carried on like a true professional.

The incident was caught on video and posted on Instagram by user @allenavw with the caption: 'Some crazy town grabbed at Swifty Swift tonight! Jeez buddy, keep you hands to yourself. Glad security was on him right away and of course Taylor carried on like a pro." Read more here.

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Ghostbusters Theme Given Heavy Metal Makeover

(Classic Rock) Studio producer Leo Moracchioli has given the Ghostbusters theme a heavy metal makeover. He owns Frog leap Studios in Norway and regularly posts his own cover versions, along with guitar tutorials and other tricks and tips from behind the desk.

Moracchioli says: "There's been some suggestions on doing the Ghostbusters song for a while so I finally got around to it. This is a pretty nostalgic song and movie for me, so it was a blast doing it."

Moracchioli has released three full-length albums of covers which are available to buy digitally through iTunes. Check out his metal cover version of the Ghostbusters theme here.

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Blake Shelton Blasts Magazine Over Cady Groves Affair Claims

(Radio.com) Blake Shelton has had enough of the rumors. Shelton is denying any connection to country singer Cady Groves, who posted emotional tweets while public news broke out about Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert's divorce.

According to TMZ, Shelton is threatening In Touch magazine, after continuing to print about the alleged affair, and claims that Cady Groves is the instigator.

Shelton had his lawyer send a letter to the company, asking that they withdraw that story that says Groves was "infatuated" with the "Sangria" singer.

The letter goes on to say, "Mr. Shelton did not have a sexual relationship or affair of any nature whatsoever with Ms. Groves." Read more here.

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Katy Perry's Graffiti Dress At The Center Of Lawsuit

(Radio.com) Joseph Tierney, the street artist known as "Rime," has filed a lawsuit against Italian designer Moschino over the dress Katy Perry wore to the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Met Gala in May.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rime alleges that Moschino and Jeremy Scott (Moschino's Creative Director) took his mural "Vandal Eyes," and put it on Perry's dress.

"If this literal misappropriation were not bad enough, Moschino and Jeremy Scott did their own painting over that of the Artist--superimposing the Moschino and Jeremy Scott brand names in spray-paint style as if part of the original work," the complaint states. Read more here.

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Former G.O.O.D. Music Rapper Releases Kanye West Diss Track

(Radio.com) If there's anything we've learned from the Drake/Meek Mill beef, it's that a lesser known MC can raise his profile by engaging in a conflict with a more well known one. Yeah, hip-hop heads all knew Meek, but Drake is a huge pop culture figure and their current battle has, at the very least, raised Meek's profile in the mainstream considerably.

So, perhaps that's what former G.O.O.D. Music artist/former Def Jam signee CyHi the Prynce was thinking when he released a harsh new song about Kanye West called "Elephant in the Room." Or perhaps, he was just really mad at Kanye and needed to express it. Publicly.

The song begins with a fan asking CyHi about where his album is and then CyHi comes in asking 'Hey 'Ye, do you know what it feel like? / To really be signed to you in real life?" before saying "I hope when I'm done that we're still tight."

Later in the song, he invades Def Jam's offices, saying "OK, everybody on the f-in' floor/you and you by the double doors!/That was three shots and it holds 15 so I got a dozen more!" Which will probably not make Def Jam's staff sorry that he's no longer with the label.

Listen to the full track here.

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Brad Paisley And Carrie Underwood Return As CMA Awards Hosts

(Gibson) Country stars Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood will return to host "The 49th Annual CMA Awards," set for Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville. The event will be broadcast live on the ABC television network.

This year marks the eighth consecutive instance in which Paisley and Underwood have helmed the telecast. "We are so fortunate to have Carrie and Brad hosting the CMA Awards for the eighth time," said Sarah Trahern, CMA Chief Executive Officer. "They have real chemistry on stage and bring credibility, comic timing, and critical acclaim to 'Country Music's Biggest Night.'"

"Brad and Carrie are great hosts because they are very active collaborators in the process," said Robert Deaton, Executive Producer of the CMA Awards. "They are heavily invested in the continued success of the CMA Awards while being mindful of the prestige and history. They are not simply setting the bar for hosting an awards show, they are surpassing it every time they step out on our stage." Read more here.

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Paul Simon Joins Billy Joel At Nassau Coliseum

(Radio.com) In Long Island, Nassau Coliseum is an iconic venue, the home of the NHL's Islanders (who are moving to Brooklyn's Barclays Center next season). And, on Tuesday night, for its last major event, the building hosted one more concert by L.I.'s most iconic artist: Billy Joel.

Joel, of course, has an open-ended residency across the river at New York's Madison Square Garden, where he's been playing one concert per month since January of 2014, and will continue to do so indefinitely. But he's always been held near and dear to Long Islanders, much as Bruce Springsteen is in New Jersey, or Bob Seger in Detroit.

And at last nights show, the "Piano Man" was joined by another New York icon, Paul Simon, who, in the interest of honesty, admitted that he's actually a fan of the Islanders' arch-rivals, the New York Rangers. Boos ensued. Read more here.

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Perrie Edwards Comments Following Zayn Malik Breakup

(Radio.com) Earlier this week we reported the sad news that former One Direction singer Zayn Malik and current Little Mix singer Perrie Edwards had ended their engagement. Now Edwards has taken to her twitter to thank her fans for their support.

The couple are the latest in a rash of high profile music divorces including Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert, Gavin Rossdale & Gwen Stefani and Reba McEntire.

Malik has not publicly commented on the split. She tweeted, "Just Want To Thank All My Family, Friends And Fans For Helping Me Get Through This Hard Time! Because Of You All Im Still Smiling." She her second tweet here.

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Macklemore and Ryan Lewis Release New Track Featuring Ed Sheeran

(Radio.com) On Wednesday Macklemore & Ryan Lewis dropped a new single featuring Ed Sheeran. This song is a very personal one to Macklemore, as it was inspired by the birth of his daughter, Sloane Ava Simone Haggerty, who was born 2 months ago on May 29th.

Macklemore posted a message about the song to the duo's website. It reads: I wish that I could say that I was in a 'better place" when I found out the news. It would make for a far more polished and respectable story. But I think back to that night: praying on the floor at 2 am as Tricia went to the bathroom to take a pregnancy test I'd just purchased from Walgreens. I was scared. Scared to start working on new music. Scared of trying again and failing. Scared of the process of staring at myself through a page and seeing something that I wasn't proud of. Someone that I didn't like. Someone that wasn't ready to be a dad.

"I've always had some make-believe image in my head of who I would be as a father. I held on to clear expectations of where I wanted to be in my career, my age, my level of self-care, and my maturity. I basically assumed that I'd have it all together. But in actuality the hypothetical 'dad" version of me looked completely different than the man whose heart was beating out of his chest on the carpet, praying to a god or spirit I hadn't talked to in months. When Tricia walked out of the bathroom, I knew. And I knew I had to change.

"5 months later we were recording in a remote cabin away from the density that is Seattle. I was finally having fun in the studio for the first time in years. Songs were getting made, finally. I was going back to the city once a week to attend birthing class with Tricia. When I got back to the cabin the next day, Ryan had made a new beat that would eventually become the song that you're listening to. Half of it is advice about growing up. The other half is trying to figure out how to grow up myself.

"When you try to escape yourself, life has an interesting way of creating situations that force you to come back. To look at who you are. This is why 'Growing up" felt like the right song to re-emerge with. It's where I've been the last year. Through the up and downs. We didn't want to do a big campaign or anything over the top with this. We just wanted to put out good music, directly to the people that have been here since the beginning. Thank you for your patience. Hope you enjoy. Read more and check out the track here.

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5 Seconds Of Summer Release 'She's Kinda Hot' Video

(Radio.com) 5 Seconds Of Summer have released a video for their track She's Kinda Hot. They recently issued a lyric video for the single which is now available to buy via iTunes.

The song is set to appear on the follow-up to their self-titled 2014 debut which is expected to be released after they wrap up their North American tour next month.

Guitarist Michael Clifford said of the track: "I'm surprised people love that song because it's heavy as hell. I'm so happy that people are supportive of that type of music again - the type of music that we've wanted to make."

Clifford was injured in a pyro accident in London in May which resulted in the band replacing firebombs with confetti. Watch the video here.

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No Devotion Release Visualization Video For 'Addition'

(TeamRock Radio) No Devotion have released a lyric video for their track Addition which the band call an "official visualization." It's taken from upcoming debut album Permanence which will be released on September 25 via Collect Records.

The band features frontman Geoff Rickly and former members of Lostprophets. It's their third single from the record and follows Eyeshadow and 10,000 Summers.

In June, keyboard player Jamie Oliver revealed he had a lucky escape he encountered a mountain lion while jogging in LA. He said: "I'd decided not to wear headphones. This one thing alone probably saved my life." Watch the video here.

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EDM Hashtag Removed From Instagram

(Radio.com) Instagram has removed the searchable hashtag #EDM from its application due to the violation of community guidelines. The guidelines state that the app is 'an authentic and safe place for inspiration and expression" and adds 'please don't spam people or post nudity."

According to Time magazine, Instagram spokesman Gabe Madway explained the blocking of the hashtag: 'In this case, #EDM was being used to share content that violates our guidelines around nudity." Other hashtags that have been blacklisted include #weed, #sex, #lingerie and #underwear although #boxershorts is still acceptable.

Hashtags are intensely moderated on Instagram, especially following last month's fall out when the #curvy was banned. Many users were infuriated when the positive body image term was blacklisted from the app. The hashtag has since been reinstated. Read more here.

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Life Is Beautiful Partners With Insomniac

(Radio.com) The Life is Beautiful Festival has partnered with Electric Daisy Carnival creator Insomniac for the three-day music and arts festival, taking over Downtown Las Vegas, September 25-27.

According to festival organizers, Insomniac has curated the lineup of the new Troubadour Stage, which features dance acts from around the world. Artists playing the new stage will include Porter Robinson, Cashmere Cat and Knife Party among others. Full list below.

The Troubadour Stage will be a 120-foot wide mega structure, specially designed by Insomniac for the Life is Beautiful Festival. In addition to the roster of accomplished acts, Insomniac will be accepting submissions from up and coming DJs for the opportunity to play a set at the Troubadour Stage through the Discovery Project competition. Read more including lineup details here.

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Luke Bryan Returns With New Album 'Kill the Lights'

(Radio.com) In honor of the release of his new studio album Kill the Lights, singer Luke Bryan is Radio.com's Impact artist this week. Bryan, a two-time winner of the Academy of Country Music's Entertainer of the Year Award, is also one of the biggest concert draws in America, in any genre; he performed for 1.7 million fans in 2014, selling out seven football stadiums. When he co-hosted the ACM Awards with Blake Shelton in 2015, even that was held in a stadium.

And when he plays live, he makes it a priority to give the fans a great time; he often spends more time at the edge of the runways than he does on the main stage with his band, essentially putting himself in the crowd. 'My focus in life when I'm on stage is entertaining these fans," Bryan explains. 'If it's my smile and my demeanor, if it's my song that does it, if it's me picking up a child out of the audience and letting them sing, it's not being so premeditated that you can see it from a mile away. My main thing is: I'm a fan up there that just gets to sing. That's kind of how I've always approached it."

Kill the Lights is sure to bring more fan favorites to Luke's stadium shows for years to come. The lead single, 'Kick The Dust Up," leans on the farm-party theme that's become a hallmark of his persona, but with a strange neo-Middle Eastern vibe, and has become his 13th number 1 hit. 'Move" has a familiar dance quality and 'Scarecrows" pledges allegiance to his small-town roots.

Other new songs include the sexy slow jam 'Strip It Down," the surprisingly dark 'Razor Blade" and his duet with Little Big Town's Karen Fairchild on 'Home Alone Tonight." Then there's 'To The Moon And Back," inspired by Caroline, his wife of nine years. Read more here.

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Beyonce Launches Line Of Temporary Tattoos

(Radio.com) Beyonce has launched a line of temporary tattoos. The Beyonce X Flash Tattoos are available in a five-sheet collection including 57 different designs including a mix of words and phrases like 'Perfection, 'I woke up like this," and 'Naughty."

It also contains metallic and geometric black and gold designs, all designed to help fans unleash their inner Bey. Fans will also be able to adorn their bodies with some of her best-known song titles including 'Flawless," 'Blow," 'Crazy in Love" and 'Put a Ring on It."

The set also boasts three honeycomb cuffs, a metallic gold 'Diva" faux necklace and an assortment of various geometric designs including a cross that will take up the wearer's entire back and a golden gun. Read more here.

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Singled Out: URN's Cast in Amber

Today URN guitarist and lead vocalist Dominic St. Charles tells us about the song "Cast in Amber" from their brand new album "Epiphany", which is set for release on August 25th. Here is the story:

Our song "Cast in Amber" is actually a sequel to a song that we released on our second album called "Etched in Stone". I should preface that "Etched in Stone" has an interesting back-story in and of itself, as I originally wrote that song with a gothic rock band I was in during college, prior to URN, called Sacrosanct. Michelle Belanger, who most people would know from being the blind-folded psychic on the reality show Paranormal State and has come into great success as a writer, was my singer in that band and it ended up becoming a fairly popular song for us in the circuits that we played back in those days.

Regrettably, Sacrosanct would never record any material as, well, we were in college and we placed our priorities on actually graduating. (Yeah, we were nerds.) My grandmother had passed away from cancer around that time and that was the primary muse of my writing that song. She was very special to me and most of the music I write is a catharsis from some darker or negative emotion that I'm experiencing at that time and am trying to purge it.

I would eventually release that song ten years later once URN had established ourselves and I brought Michelle into the studio to do guest vocals and we both felt a sense of closure and accomplishment. I adjusted the lyrics so that it focused more on the loss of a loved one in general, leaving a stark emptiness in a person having to move forward.

Now, "Cast in Amber" takes on the opposite perspective, giving an even more somber focus. It is from the perspective of the person that has passed on and is retrospectively looking back in hope that the impression they left for their loved ones is a positive one.

So one would ask, "how can you write from a dead person's perspective?" The obvious answer is that you can't.

I, like millions of people who were living in America at the end of the first decade of the 21st century, had gone through a great deal of loss in both my personal and professional life. It catapulted me into a massive despair and I spiraled to view my existence as one colossal punch line.

This was all in my head of course, as my life at that time wasn't good by any means, but it was worth living. Nonetheless, I had considered suicide at one point and "Cast in Amber" would be in a way, not so much a suicide letter, but the words I would express if I did actually end my existence.

The song really was built around the melody in the interlude, which derived from a vocal exercise that I came up with when I was taking classical voice lessons at Columbia College in Chicago. In the initial version, I sang the part a cappella (and still do when we perform the song live). However, when we were in studio recording the song, we had our violinist at the time play the part and we felt it just really gave it a whole new dimension.

We felt so strongly about the song, this is why we made it the first single off our new release and filmed the video for it based on the lyrical narrative that song tries to portray. It is our intention that the listener would find solace in a time of despair and to hopefully re-discover the beautiful gift that life is.

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, check out the video here and learn more about the album right here!

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