Day in Pop Report for 08/06/2014
A visit to their website reveals that the pair are no longer making music together, via a new news post: "The Civil Wars' Joy Williams and John Paul White officially parted ways." "I am saddened and disappointed by the ending of this duo, to say the very least," Williams noted in a statement on the website. "JP is a tremendous musician, and I will always be grateful for the music we were able to create together . . . Looking ahead, I'm excited to share the music that I am writing and recording in the midst of this difficult transition. I've loved being back in the studio, and have missed performing live. I look forward to seeing you soon." Added White: "I would like to express sincere thanks to all who were a part of the arc of The Civil Wars - from the beginning, to the end, and all points in between. My deep appreciation goes out to all who supported, disseminated, and enjoyed the music. Whatever shape or form the next chapter takes, thanks for being a large part of this one." As part of the official breakup, the duo shared one last piece of music: a rendition of folk standard "You Are My Sunshine." The song was originally recorded years ago but had not been released digitally before now. more on this story
The victim says he was watching the Arctic Monkeys at about 9:35 pm perfectly sober ("All subsequent police and medical professional even remarked how odd it was dealing with someone so sober," he wrote) when a man, which he describes as being "between 5'7″ and 5'11," dark skin (maybe Hispanic, but not black), 170-210 pounds" body slammed his friend and started choking him. "I come from the other side and place my right arm on his right arm and my left arm on his right shoulder trying to pull him off," he wrote. "The attacker then turns his head and clamps his teeth into my arm for a good 5 seconds. He's not nipping at me. He's trying to bite through my arm." The assailant, according to the victim, then got up after taking 10 to 15 blows to the head and walked away. The Chicago Police Department told the victim that they've only see assailants act like that when they are on PCP or bath salts. More including the photo here.
She tweeted, "Like I've said many times, There are NO features on THE PINKPRINT as of now. Just enjoying this creative process. #AnacodaOniTunes" Of course, Minaj's addition of "as of now" could be quite telling. The Pinkprint is currently sans a release date, despite multiple song releases from Minaj alongside "Anaconda," including initial single "Pills N Potions." If the recording process with the new record isn't finished, an artist or two could find their way onto the final track list when it's released before the end of the year. more on this story
In a YouTube video posted Monday (Aug. 4), a mom, Eva Baker, shows in a 38-second clip how she gets her daughter to stop fussing - by playing her Katy Perry's "Dark Horse." Be warned that this isn't like countless other videos, where a baby suddenly becomes calm and maybe sings along a bit to the song in question but little else. This baby's shift is from sadness to ABSOLUTE TURNT UP GLEE in the course of about a second. Since its posting Aug. 4, the video has already scored nearly a million views. That's due in no small part to Perry herself, who tweeted the video early Tuesday morning. Watch it here.
For Electric Zoo 2014, concert promoters Made Event have produced a special anti-drug PSA entitled "The Molly" that all festival-goers must view to activate their wristbands and gain admittance into this year's festival. "Our message to concertgoers is simple: The Electric Zoo experience is exceptional and worth being present for," Made Event founders, Laura De Palma and Mike Bindra, said in a press release (via Brooklyn Vegan). "Molly can cause you to not only miss the moment, alienate your friends and have an overall adverse and unpleasant experience�but can also make you sick and can even be fatal. Fans will experience how great it is to 'Come To Life' at our concerts from lights, sounds and crowds." The clip features a dramatization of an EDM festival goer "rolling" hard on drugs he's smuggled into the event, much to the concern of a friend he runs into at the show. Watch it here.
TMZ is now reporting that the incident was the rapper's own fault, as the L.A. native lost his voice early in the performance and tried to mask it through antics. First he just turned the backing music up, then he allegedly threw water bottles into the crowd and even purportedly punched one fan. Watch some inconclusive clips from the incident here.
The Hollywood Reporter notes that concerts by Cee Lo Green and Megadeth scheduled for August will not go on as planned. Megadeth's concert was scheduled for tonight (Aug. 6) at the convention center in Tel Aviv, but the band announced its cancellation Monday (Aug. 4). "Due to an inability to confirm the guaranteed passage of the band and their gear into Tel Aviv in time for the show, the upcoming Megadeth concert, scheduled for Wednesday, August 6, 2014, has been canceled," announced a message on the rockers' website. "The band was looking forward to this concert and is disappointed they will not be able to put on the show for their fans but expect to return to Tel Aviv on their next international tour." Meanwhile, Green's concert was scheduled for a bit later in the month, Aug. 19, in Independence Park in Jerusalem. More details.
"Perfect Storm," the third song on Moonshine, is a mid-tempo country rocker that finds Paisley singing about a girl that would be a "single barrel Bourbon on ice" if she were a drink. Paisley equates his lady to many things, chief among them a thunderstorm. "She destroys me in that t-shirt," he sings on the chorus. "And I love her so much it hurts / I never meant to fall like this / But she don't just rain, she pours / That girl right there's the perfect storm." As he settles on the word "storm," the song's electric guitar rumbles and rises suddenly, as though it's emulating a clap of thunder. Check out the clip here.
Now she's released a video which doubles down on the cyberpunk aesthetic in her new music video for the song, released on Tuesday (Aug. 5). We start with a shot of Banks tied up in the desert, wearing a fittingly reflective motorcycle outfit. Combative to the end, she summons a futuristic motorcycle gang through the desert landscape with her guttural flow. Soon enough they rescue her and she stomps off into the sunset. Like all her best work, it's aggressive, futuristic, and in-your-face: heavy metal and reflective, indeed. Watch it here.
Since rising up in country, Aldean has accumulated over 21.5 million RIAA Digital Single Certifications including song downloads and on-demand streams. "This is such a huge honor, and one that everyone on my team earned together," Aldean said in a press release. "I love country music, and I wouldn't want to be doing anything else� there was never a Plan B for me. I can't thank the RIAA or country music fans enough for helping us get to this level� it's unbelievable!" more on this story
For their follow-up single to such a wide-reaching hit, the pair have invoked the name of the ultimate modern pop culture icon, Kanye West, for the track simply entitled "Kanye." With a jaunty piano melody and shout-along female chorus (courtesy of guest vocalist Siren), the tune sounds heavily influenced by Swedish duo Icona Pop. Fans hoping to catch The Chainsmokers live will have ample opportunity over the summer, as the guys are slated for slew of shows, with stops in Pittsburgh (Aug. 13), Austin (Aug. 29) and this year's Electric Zoo festival in New York (Aug. 31). Check out the new song here.
To go along with the new single, the band also shot a music video for "Selfless," which also hit the Internet. Having left Epitaph and signed with Hopeless Records in May, the 13-track album will be band's first full length with the label. "The goal for the new record was to make it sound really authentic and natural and not filled in," lead guitarist and vocalist Chad Gilbert said in a press release. "It was trying to make the biggest sounding record stripped down as four people." Several album and concert ticket pre-order packages are available via the band's website including album posters, clear vinyl LPs, t-shirts, lithos and downloads. For a cool $100, a limited number of fans will meet the band for a selfie, watch an exclusive soundcheck performance and receive a GA ticket, Resurrection CD, Resurrection LP, Resurrection album download, exclusive tee, commemorative VIP laminate and signed album lithograph. New Found Glory will set out on their fifth Glamour Kills tour with We Are The In Crowd, Candy Hearts, Red City Radio, Better Off and Fireworks. The 27-city tour kicks off Oct. 3 at House of Blues in San Diego. Check out the new song here.
In addition to this team-up with The Weeknd, which Grande said she revealed a snippet of at the request of her fans, her album also has collaborations with Zedd, A$AP Ferg and Big Sean. It will contain the hit single "Problem" with Iggy Azalea and her newly released single "Bang Bang" with Jessie J and Nicki Minaj. It also has the next single "Break Free," which Grande will debut live in a performance at the VMAs on Aug. 24 in Los Angeles after premiering the song last month. Check out the clip here.
"ATM" is a decidedly more upbeat track. For one, it features the Versace-loving Atlanta group Migos, who are just about the most fun trio in hip-hop right now. "We're big fans of their music and they've been exploding on their own path and they've just built a crazy fan base," Ray J told RapUp. "The homies told me to get with 'em and they was down, so it was just magic." "ATM" also has background vocals from Dria, who puts forth this analogy: "Got my legs open like an ATM / Cash in, cash out." Read more and check out the song here.
Shot in Johannesburg, South Africa, by Vaughan Arnell, the video celebrates the everyday heroes of the city and zones in on one in particular, a father on his workday. It's a heartwarming video that pairs well with the chorus: "When you've been fighting for it all your life / You've been struggling to make things right / That's how a superhero learns to fly / Every day, every hour Turn the pain into power." No Sound Without Silence is scheduled for a Sept. 30 release on Columbia. Check out the tracklist and the video here.
Fans can listen to his new song "Do It Like This, which calls out Hank Williams, Jr. by his proper birth name (Randall Hank) and threatens to "break out the fiddle [and] stay out all night." Between the moonshine, the moneymaker and the tailgating, it sounds like Rice is ready for an all-night party . Back in March Rice told Radio.com, "I'd like to come out with something this summer and give more music to the fans. October was when I released 'Ready Set Roll.' I'm not going to wait until October to release. I want to get more new music out right now." Looks like he got his wish. Check it out here.
The new track, which is titled "When We Were Young," features Canadian electronic duo Sultan + Ned Shepard and indie electro act The Chain Gang of 1974. "I called my manager one day, and I was like, 'I want to make a shirt that says 'money sucks, friends rule' in the Warriors font," Dillon said in an interview with Radio.com at Coachella. "I was like, 'that's the best title for an album.' Because I really feel that way. Friends are forever. Money isn't." more on this story
The night started off with Lauryn Hill helping Drake out with his "Draft Day," which samples her song "Doo Wop (That Thing)." She managed to show up on time for this one and not yell at the crowd. Later, he brought out Trey Songz for two songs ("Successful" and "Oh Na Na!") before bringing him back to help out with 50 Cent's song "Smoke." 50 Cent had his G-Unit boys help out on that track, along with "I Get Money" and "In Da Club." J. Cole performed his two tracks "Can't Get Enough" off his 2011 debut, Cole World: The Sideline Story and "Power Trip" off his 2013 album, Born Sinner. Drake even shouted out Kendrick Lamar during his portion in honor of all the young guys coming up. Drake also had a little fun with himself during "All Me," running a clip of him lint rolling himself at the Toronto Raptors game. His OVO signees PARTYNEXTDOOR came out for a run of songs, including "Recognize," which features Drake. DJ Khaled followed up with a set of three tracks that included "No New Friends" and "All I Do Is Win," which would only have been better if Emma Stone came out to lipsynch it. New singer, Tinashe came out to do her song "2 On," while YG walked out to perform his track "Who Do You Love?" which features a verse from Drizzy himself. It was Usher though who got the star treatment, performing six songs including old favorites like "Climax" and "Confessions Pt. 1 and 2," along with his latest track "Good Kisser." But the best guest might have been Drake's mom, who came out in a wheelchair to applause from the crowd and a little love from her son. How cute. More including the setlist here.
In the clip, a Kansas farmer, who Fast Company notes goes by the name of Derek Klingenberg, plops down in the middle of a field, trombone in hand. From there, Klingenberg blares a popular tune on his horn - that of "Royals," the No. 1 smash of 2013 by Lorde. As Klingenberg gets on with the tune, suddenly a few black cows appear over the horizon, heading in the direction of the excess-shaming song. Soon, he has a whole crowd hanging at his every whim. Yes, cows apparently identify with "Royals." But perhaps only when it's played on trombone. Band geeks, your hour is upon us. This isn't Klingenberg's first foray into popular culture using his farm. He released a parody of Ylvis' "The Fox" last year, titled "What Does the Farmer Say?" It's about as glorious as you'd expect. There is more. Watch the clip here.
Minaj sat down with Carson Daly to discuss the new track - as well as new album The Pink Print, which she revealed is coming sometime in the "fourth quarter" of this year. "I just have to say that I'm at such a different place as a human being," the rapper told AMP. "I know artists say that all the time but now I understand why. Nothing really surprises me anymore. I handle things more maturely. Just writing-wise I can put my thoughts together better I feel. "So sonically I think the album sounds so amazing. And there are so many surprises on the album. I had Drake come by the studio the other day and he was like "Omg, you're talking about new stuff, I'm so proud of you." And that's what I'm most excited about. I'm speaking about new things on this album. I'm excited I'm not allowing anyone else to define what the album is going to be. I'm comfortable, its not going to be rushed, I'm taking my time. But overall the music just sounds really, really great. There's no substitute for that." She also talked working with Beyonc�, whose "Flawless" remix, released last weekend, features Minaj. Read about that here.
I had just gotten out of a six month relationship that had went on for about 5 months too long because I was determined to make it work. You're often told that relationships are hard work. When the relationship had finally ended, I was writing a lot as a way of coping with how sad I was. As the months went on, things became much more clear, and I was able to reflect on how unhappy I had been. "Strange Heartbeat" came out in about one sitting with a friend and an acoustic guitar, and was a reflection on trying to convince yourself that something is better than it actually is. I started remembering how I had convinced myself that he was trying and it was going to get better: "you bought me a rose, I guess that counts for something." But then there were the countless let downs; "we were gonna spend the morning surfing, but then you got stoned with your friends and slept too long." And ultimately, your body will physically tell you in your gut or with a "strange heartbeat" when something is wrong, if you allow yourself to listen to it. When it came time to produce the song and add drums, a friend had pointed me to Zach Nicita of NICITA and MSMR on Youtube. I loved his remixes and overall creativity and feel, so I reached out to him on Facebook and shared a rough recording of the song. He agreed to program drums for it in his spare time while I sat at home tinkering with different synth sounds that I liked. I was very drawn to the eerie sounding one that you hear in the intro to reflect the uneasiness that you feel when you're trying to convince yourself that something is right when it's wrong. Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!
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