Day in Pop Report for 08/07/2014
On the last night of the three-day country festival, which took place in Brooklyn, Mich., July 17-19, a woman was allegedly raped by three men while navigating the parking lot after she lost her friends, according to Cambridge Township Police Department Chief Larry Wibbeler. "She was attacked in the dark near the parking area, and there didn't happen to be anyone around in that parking area," Wibbeler told MLive. "She was taken to Allegiance where they checked for injuries, and a rape kit was done and sent to the Michigan State Police lab to check for DNA," Wibbeler said, however the cops haven't been able to match the rapists' DNA with anyone in their database. more on this story
Jones, who had neck surgery in 2010, wasn't ready to laugh off his injury because he then escalated the situation and threatened Ludacris on his own Instagram account. Jones posted the a screenshot of Ludacris' pic and caption and added his own: "@ludacris nice post , now when I see you I'm beat your ass �. Now post that #p*ssy." more on this story
In a statement, bassist Jay DeMarcus said, "It is incredibly difficult to make the decision to cancel shows and disappoint our loyal fans who have been so good to us over the years. The schedule of shows this past weekend, coupled with media days in New York City, have left him without a voice. We promise to return as soon as we can and give our fans the best show possible!" more on this story
This beef's been simmering for years, and Nicki's recent successes (Fader cover, MTV Awards, "Flawless" remix, etc.) have stoked her rival's competitive flames - and Kim's own "Flawless" remix was apparently not enough. Kim takes a wise approach on "Identity Theft": rather than try and dominate high-octane modern production (Nicki's specialty, let's be real), the elder stateswoman opts for a laid-back, horn-driven beat reminiscent of her '90s heyday. She polishes her rap game bona-fides: "After I drop these flowers for Big off/I'ma come and blow your lid off." Nicki is the shiny modern Ferrari to Kim's vintage Mustang: on "Identity Theft" she demonstrates that her engine's got plenty of juice left. Listen here.
While there is a push to get Weird Al for this year's big game, we can now confirm the first game will get a little more serious, with performances by pop princess Ariana Grande, Pharrell Williams, and Soundgarden. The game will feature the coronation of champions Seattle Seahawks, so Chris Cornell and co. are perfect choices to be featured. Grande and Williams are also apt, just in that they are both wildly popular and killer performers. Grande will sing the National Anthem, while Soundgarden and Williams will perform a free concert outside Seattle's CenturyLink Field. more on this story
For the fall tour, Skrillex will be hitting a wide range of venues, including clubs, theaters, arenas and festivals to "showcase the vibrant and community-oriented dance music scene," according to a press release. Kicking off in Miami at the club Mansion on Sept. 26, the tour will touch down at upcoming festivals including TomorrowWorld, Austin City Limits and Voodoo Festival in New Orleans. Fans can expect Skrillex to bring along some marquee opening acts, with the likes of DJ Mustard, DJ Snake, A$AP Ferg and Big Gigantic to be among his support artists along the way. While he gets ready to head back on the road, Skrillex has also taken the time to make a video for his collaboration with Alvin Risk, "Try it Out." Watch it and grab the dates here.
"I'm a very hands-on person when it comes to my work," Dupri said in a statement to the magazine. "I put my all into every project. But when I'm not allowed to do what I do, then I know it's time for me to move on. Mariah and I enjoy working together and will continue to make great music together in the future." In addition to being her manager, Dupri was also the executive producer of her latest album, Me. I Am Mariah�The Elusive Chanteuse. The album did not sell as well as expected.
CBS Radio's K-Earth reports that the venue is going to be demolished to make way for a hotel development. AECOM and developer Combined Properties Inc. are reportedly planning on constructing "149 hotel rooms, 40 condos, five rental units and an entertainment venue at the House of Blues site" starting as early as 2015. The House of Blues' shutter follows in the wake of the Key Club's closure - which had opened in 1967 with bands like the Doors, the Byrds, and Van Halen on their marquee and more recently hosted many rap acts. more on this story
It involves Chinese takeout, something that's not exactly a newly discovered facet of West's life; dude loves Chinese takeout. A lot. However, it was revealed in the clip that Chinese food was a big part of the rapper's night in jail in 2008. Kardashian tells the story of the time West destroyed a paparazzo's camera six years ago and was later arrested and sent to jail (via Consequence of Sound). West got one phone call when he was sent to jail overnight for the offense, and instead of reaching out to a friend or family member, he did what any Chinese food-loving rapper would do: he ordered Chinese takeout from L.A. establishment Mr. Chow to be brought to him while he waited out everything in jail. Watch the clip here.
According to CBC News, police are asking concertgoers to turn over any drugs they purchased to investigators. As of right now, the police has no information on the types of drugs that caused the deaths and illness saying only that it could be "MDMA, it could be ecstasy, it could be GHB." Police are also urging the loved ones of those who attended the two-day festival, which featured performances from Armin van Buuren, Calvin Harris and Iggy Azalea, to seek out medical attention if they see any signs of possible medical distress. "If anyone you know was at that festival and you have concerns for their behaviour or how they are acting right now, or if they are in any kind of distress, it is important that they go to the hospital immediately and seek medical attention." more on this story
We're now learning that when they do arrive, at least one will star Zac Efron as a DJ in a torrid love triangle featuring model Emily Ratajkowski, best known for parading around nearly naked in Robin Thicke's notorious "Blurred Lines" music video. According to Deadline, Efron and Ratajkowski will be joined by Jon Abrahams (Scary Movie, House of Wax) in the film, We Are Your Friends (the title most likely borrowed from the 2006 dance club hit by Justice Vs. Simian), with Efron in the main role role of an emerging DJ who aspires to produce a hit track that will make him the next Martin Garrix (or something like that). Things get appropriately dramatic when he falls for the girlfriend (Ratajkowski) of his older DJ mentor. more on this story
Now the two reunite for a spin around the block with a video for the song. They take the premise of "b***hes on the party bus" quite literally: we're treated to an interior shot of a bus containing YG, Destructo and a buffet of posteriors. The beat is less of an EDM cheese-fest than you might expect; Destructo provides a low-slung late-night quasi-deep house type deal over which YG pontificates about girls, bottles, and being the only black person in the club. Watch it here.
On the refreshed track, Snoop demonstrates his unflagging work ethic over the anthemic production, dropping into the snarl characteristic of his hardest verses. Verses like "Get yo ass on the floor, open up the diz-oor/Slap yo mama in the face and ask what do she know" show Snoop bringing his charismatic sense of humor to the office. Well, the home invasion, but in this case they're the one and the same. Fiend previously popped up on Snoop's 2010 song "Woof!" that also featured Mystikal. Listen here.
He analyzes the systems of power and poverty that led to his imprisonment for the last five years: "They say my music make the goons keep goonin' / what about the government not giving us opportunity?" Boosie paints a compelling autobiographical picture: in a dangerous environment, back to the wall, he made mistakes. He went to jail and came out with an understanding of the psychology behind his actions, and the way that inequity forces the hands of the disadvantaged. He won't let anyone else define that psychology: "They say that I'm crazy, and sometimes I feel like I'm crazy, but I know I'm not crazy, my mistakes don't make me." Check it out here.
The song's lyrics, full of longing and thoroughly attained pleasure, is paired by director Gerard Victor (Fabolous, Black Milk) to a more Romeo & Juliet story of unquenched longing - an apt choice, since creating blue music videos can lead to a decrease in exposure. Interestingly, the majority of the video seems to have been shot in one location that is made to look like several urban shots - expedient, cost effective and clever. We follow (and occasionally fly above) Khalifa's innocent and charming interactions with his girl. The main story is offset, for whatever reason, by shots of him playing basketball with his boys. One of the most disconcerting and oddly fascinating of which shows the guys lined up behind him as he lip synchs the line, "Let's get caught in the moment," while they all stare directly into the camera. Unlike Romeo & Juliet, there are no barriers between these two lovers aside from the potential to mess up (reflective of Khalifa's lyrics, "Don't let me down/You made those promises"). Thus no real storyline to the video, just a pretty visual that follows a pair of young lovers in some lush urban jungle. Rather like the first half of West Side Story, before things got messy. Watch the video here.
Arlen Escarpeta told The Hollywood Reporter, "I really do feel like it does do her justice, and at the same time, I do understand their reservations." He went on to explain, "That's close to home. That's family. You have to respect family when it comes to matters of the heart. Respect to those guys absolutely. I understand that you do want to keep a bit of distance. If and when they do see the film, they'll see it came from a place of love." Whitney's mom, Cissy Houston told ET Online that she found it "difficult to believe people who knew and supposedly loved her would participate in a movie about her done by folks who didn't know her." more on this story
"'Rebound' is a departure from the normal maximal trap sound we pioneered," member Josh Young said in a press release. "We felt that after 'Mosh Pit' and 'TTU' with Waka we wanted to make a song that sounded like something we listen to at the crib, or in the car on the way home from a show. Curt (Cameruci) and I are both fans of mellow, downtempo music, and this is our nod to that world. This is an exciting step in a new, more mature direction for us." Listen to the track below. "Rebound" was released as part of a new 20-track Flosstradamus playlist that features a mix of the duo's tunes with remixes for the likes of Baauer and Lunice. more on this story
The script, which Ephron started before she passed away in 2012, is based on the 2008 British TV mini-series called Lost in Austen where a modern-day woman ends up being transported to the fictional world of Pride and Prejudice. Sounds like the perfect rom-com fare for the woman who wrote When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle and You've Got Mail. With Brownstein on board, the film will now take place in Brooklyn instead of London, according to Variety. This we imagine will make it easy for Brownstein to throw in a little hipster humor and hopefully a feminist bookstore or two. Because really, what better place to have a discussion about Mr. Darcy? more on this story
"We had such a great time putting together Influence Vol. 1, but there were still so many musical heroes of yesteryear that I learned from and wanted to honor," Travis tells Rolling Stone. "We had no choice but to release a second volume. The influence that the older, great ones had on me, and the influence that I may, somehow, have on the ones that come along after me, is God's way of allowing us to pay it forward." So whose songs does Influence: The Man I Am, Volume 2 tribute album feature? Hank Williams, Waylon Jennings, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard are all there, as the more obvious choices. For the more seasoned country listener, they will be happy to hear the songs of Ernest Tubb, Vaughn Monroe, Hank Snow, and Vern Gosdin. Stream the whole collection before the Aug. 18 release via Warner here.
On Monday and Tuesday of next week, August 11 and 12, St. Vincent will give a spot start as bandleader on Late Night with Seth Meyers, as Fred Armisen apparently can't work every single day of his life. This is Armisen's first time giving up the bandleader role since Seth Meyers took over the show in February. What will St. Vincent have in store? Probably some awesome shredding. Maybe she'll bring along some of her famous friends. But, really, the sky is the limit for her two days as the biggest reason to watch television. More on this story.
Kimmel sets up the bit with some facts about the current situation. "According to the National Weather service, the first seven months of 2014 were the hottest ever in California," he says. "And on top of that [California is] in the midst of a massive drought. State officials are urging citizens to conserve water every way that can." The problem, though, as Kimmel points out, is that "nobody listens to state officials. State officials are boring. But people do listen to celebrities." So to help get this important message out, he invited Owen on the show to sing about it. And let us be the first to say, 'you're in' for a treat. In the video, Owen starts of saying that, as a singer ("and as a water drinker"), he wants to "do [his] part" to "add some awareness." And so he wrote a song. "From the West Coast down to Texas, the land is parched and dry," Owen sings. "We can't wait for Mother Nature to give us what we need / It's time for you and me Jimmy, to go ahead and drink our pee." Yes, according to Owen, pee-drinking just became an important human cause, and also patriotic duty ("it's made right here in the U.S.A., and like America it's free").
As funny as it is, there may also be a little bit of truth in the shirt. Moz has managed to cancel about 13 tours, including last year's U.S. tour, citing severe stomach problems due to some bad pasta, and his most recent American trek for an illness he believes he caught from his long time opening act, Kristeen Young. Not every Morrissey fan on Reddit is that impressed by the tee though. Some seem to feel this joke isn't funny anymore, writing "i feel like this could of been a bit more creative" or "The idea is funny, the end product is not so good." Check out the "official" shirt here.
Keyboardist and accordion player Johnny Kongos, one of four siblings in the band, recalled the time he first heard the track on the air. "I do remember the first time we heard 'Come With Me Now' on American radio," explained Kongos. "We were driving to Riot Fest in Denver and KTCL spun the record for the first time and I remember thinking, 'Oh, this could be something,' because at this point nothing was happening. We were touring, playing some tiny shows around the country. I had no clue what it actually meant." Kongos had a hard time fathoming what the radio play might actually lead to. "It was really like one of those old school moments you see in the movies. It was really exciting. I just don't think we quite understood at the time how important radio was in the U.S. in terms of new music exposure and discovery." More on this story.
Max Martin, the hit maker behind so many pop favorites that we don't even begin knowing where to name them (but the list can start with 'NSYNC and keep running until you hit Taylor Swift), produced the song and brought Jessie into the fray first. When she heard the track, she thought it was "vocally exciting" and a track she could use to prove herself to the world again. "Basically, Max's idea was to almost create a girl band as opposed to featuring [girls]," says Jessie, "being a moment of empowering women and a song that gets you on your feet. I started it first, then Ariana jumped on and then Nicki jumped on. It kind of became what it is right now: a moment, a party." Jessie revealed as she was leaving our interview, on July 29, that she was flying to L.A. to shoot the video the next day. "The video is going to be lots of dancers, lots of performance, lots of leg�Me, Nicki and Ariana are all going to be there," J said. "Two days [of] sunshine, oil spray and looking hot. Like, actually hot. Like just heat rash probably with my luck." She also discussed some upcoming music here.
"Every day, because I am such a small woman, every day when I walk outside I feel vulnerable," she told Radio.com, while talking about her maximalist silver jewelry. "Because I'm so small, I feel helpless. Something as minimal as these rings make me feel a little bit tougher." Nika Roza Danilova is referring to the bands that cross her entire fist, creating a thin silver shield. She has matched them with silver cuffs, straight drop earrings and a dress and shoes by designer Rick Owens. "I really like Rick Owens and that's a lot of what I'm wearing," she said. "I like that he uses layers and shapes. He really designs for the woman's body. I'm five feet tall, but I have curves. I like that he doesn't make me feel like I can't have them." What she doesn't say about his curve-hugging designs that is that they, along with his menswear collection, have become a cornerstone in the hip hop community. Owens has been name checked in songs by Jay Z, A$AP Rocky and Rick Ross as well as a designer of choice for Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna. Owens mixes a grungy, street-wise vibe with glamour and unusual cuts that can sometimes appear to be influenced by a view of the nihilist near future (think Mad Max but clean and with elegant fabrics). It's a vision that meshes well with Danilova's aesthetic overall. On her new album, however, she says she's been influenced by recording in the wilderness of the Northwest not only sonically but visually. Read what she had to say about that here.
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