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B-Sides Report for 12/18/2015



Azealia Banks Arrested In New York City

(Radio.com) Rapper Azealia Banks was reportedly arrested in the early hours of Wednesday morning for an alleged assault that took place outside of a club in New York City.

Eyewitnesses told People and Page Six that the fight broke out between Banks and two security guards: one male and one female. Sources say neither recognized Banks and she became irate--screaming, cursing and allegedly using racial slurs. Though she was admitted to the club, another altercation reportedly occurred which led security team to eject Banks from the venue.

Reports indicate that Banks spit in the female bouncer's face, bit the guard's breast and tore at articles of clothing members of the security team were wearing.

According to police reports obtained by People, the charges for second-degree harassment include "physical contact, disorderly conduct for a fight and violent behavior, and assault with the intent to cause physical injury." The collective charges amount to a class A misdemeanor.

The incident took place at Up&Down, a nightclub in New York's Meatpacking District. The club owner told Page Six that the second altercation began when Banks irately alerted security professionals that "she's on Rihanna's [forthcoming] album." Read more here.

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Adele's Hello Cover By Coheed And Cambria Frontman

(Prog) Coheed And Cambria frontman Claudio Sanchez has released a cover of Adele's hit single Hello. He's dedicated the acoustic version of the track to his mother, who he reveals heaped praise on the band's latest album The Color Before The Sun.

Sanchez says: "For my mother, who told me the new Coheed record is just as good, if not better, than the new Adele. Honestly, what else is a mother suppose to say to her son. I love you, mom."

Sanchez and his Coheed bandmates will play three shows in the UK early next year in support of their latest record - the first non-concept album of their career. Check out the cover here.

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Kelly Clarkson Accidently Lets On That She's Having Twins?

(Radio.com) Speaking with radio hosts Leigh Ann and Courtney Kerr on Thursday (Dec. 17), Kelly Clarkson discussed her second pregnancy, and she may have accidentally let the world in on a big secret.

Clarkson told the hosts that she had big plans after giving birth. 'I'm going to be everywhere once I get these kids popped out and done," she said. Kids? As in more than one?

When the hosts pressed her for more details, Clarkson just laughed and shuffled off the comment. On Nov. 7, the singer announced via an Instagram post that her daughter River will be getting a little brother. Could it be brothers?

Clarkson also admitted that this particular pregnancy was harder than her first. Read more here.

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Ariana Grande Previews New Christmas EP

(Radio.com) Ariana Grande is about to release some of the sexiest Christmas songs since 'Santa Baby". Last year, Grande released her super sweet debut Christmas track, 'Santa Tell Me".

The video gets a little risque when the pint-sized popstar dons an ugly sweater, knee-highs, and nothing else, but the song itself is innocent compared to the tracks we've previewed from her new EP.

Arianators have been impatiently waiting all week for their dose of sexy holiday cheer, which has only been promoted in the form of emojis and lyrics on Ari's social media accounts. Fans who follow her on Snapchat also got the chance to watch her Snapchat story. Read more here.

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Carly Rae Jepsen Performs Wham's Last Christmas On Late Late Show

(popmusiclife) Carly Rae Jepsen performed a cover of Wham!'s 1985 holiday single "Last Christmas" on The Late Late Show with James Corden on Wednesday and video of the performance has been posted online.

Jepsen recently announced dates for a US tour in support of her latest album "Emotion." The 2-month "Gimmie Love Tour" will begin in Raleigh, NC on February 12.

The Canadian pop singer's third album debuted at No. 16 on the US Billboard 200 upon its release with sales of more than 16,000 units in its opening week.

"Last Christmas" has been redone by several artists in the past thirty years including Hilary Duff, Ariana Grande and Ashley Tisdale, among others. Watch Jepsen's performance here.

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Pusha T Announces 'Darkest Before Dawn' Tour Dates

(Radio.com) Pusha T is gearing up for a tour for his Darkest Before Dawn tour, to support his new G.O.O.D. Music album, King Push-Darkest Before Dawn: The Prelude.

The tour rises on March 3rd in Vancouver, before hitting North America and Europe. The album will feature tracks from Kanye West, Timbaland, Baauer, Q-Tip, J. Cole, Nashiem Myrick and Diddy.

Pusha recently explained his approach to collaborating on the new set. 'I took the darkest parts of every producer's soul and made them hop on this joint," he told Rap Radar Podcast.

Darkest Before Dawn will also feature Beanie Sigel, Future, as well as a mini movie funded by Jay Z. Aside from his new album and tour, the G.O.O.D. Music president recently said he wanted to get out a new Cruel Summer sequel. Read more and see the dates here.

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Pharma CEO Martin Shkreli Arrested For Securities Fraud

(Radio.com) Turing Pharmaceuticals CEO Martin Shkreli has been accused of exerting undue financial influence over the music industry, drug markets and our political system. However, the latest set of charges he faces are unrelated and just might stick.

In Brooklyn, Shkreli was arrested by the FBI and charged with illegally taking stock from Retrophin Inc., a biotech firm he founded in 2011, according to CBS News.

The charges state he used those resources to pay off debts from other business dealings, according to Bloomberg. After ousting him from the company, the board sued Shkreli. Read more here.

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Jason Aldean Surprises Generous 10-Year-Old GirlPresents

(Radio.com) A little girl in New Mexico is being recognized for her good deeds. The Las Cruces Sun Times reports that Lillyanna Martinez decided to donate her birthday presents this year to homeless children at a local shelter.

Word of her kindness got to a local radio show, and the 10-year-old was invited to call in. That's when she was surprised by a message from her favorite country singer, Jason Aldean.

"Hey, what's up Lillyanna?" he said in a recorded message. "I heard what you were doing this year, giving your presents to needy kids and it's unbelievable. I think we need more kids to set an example like that."

Then Aldean gave her a present she won't want to donate. Read about that here.

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Fetty Wap and Remy Boyz Release New Track 'Handgun'

(Radio.com) Earlier this week, Fetty Wap released the festive single "Merry XMas," but it looks like the rapper has one more gift in store for his fans before the holidays wrap up.

Fetty Wap and Remy Boyz partnered up once again for "Handgun." Fetty Wap and Remy Boyz previously collaborated on the hit "679," but "Handgun" exhibits a more traditional rap structure.

"I never leave my house without my handgun," Fetty raps over off-kilter bells and a straightforward beat. Check out Fetty Wap and Remy Boyz's "Handgun" here.

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Drake's Father Collaborating With Justin Bieber?

(Radio.com) With 125,000 Instagram followers and counting, Drake's dad has cultivated a fan base in his own right. That's why a recent selfie with Justin Bieber prompted speculation that a collaboration is in the works.

"We have a surprise coming soon stay tuned," wrote Dennis Graham, a musician himself. Later on, Graham released cover art for his single "Kinda Crazy," which he has teased for more than a year.

The track appears to feature guest rhymes from Ze Monroe. Earlier this year, Graham placed an Instagram call looking for a "classy female rapper" to appear on the song. See the post here.

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Sia Reveals Song She Wrote For Rihanna

(Radio.com) As a songwriter for artists like Beyonce, Rihanna, Adele and Britney Spears, Sia has gotten accustomed to seeing her work hit the cutting room floor. The process of refining tentpole albums down to a dozen or so tracks leaves dozens more unrecorded or unreleased.

Next month, Sia will release her LP This is Acting, composed of 12 such songs that were meant for other singers. To tease the album, the intensely private singer-songwriter shared "Cheap Thrills," written for Rihanna. It's not clear which album the reject was intended for, but given the timing we could be hearing beats and lyrics first conceived around ANTi.

"Baby I don't need dollar bills to have fun tonight," the Australian pop star sings against a tropical beat. It might not have the high drama and minor key of textbook Sia singles, but hey--it wasn't even written for her. Listen to the track here.

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Sporty Spice Unplugs For 'Too Much' Performance

(Radio.com) During an appearance on the BBC's Chris Evans Breakfast Show, Mel C. (aka Sporty Spice) performed an acoustic rendition of the Spice Girls' "Too Much."

Fans will remember the song from the James Bond-inflected opening of their 1998 cult classic, Spice World. The lovely ditty prompted more speculation that Sporty will join Ginger, Posh, Baby and Scary for another reunion in the new year.

July 2016 will mark the 20-year anniversary of the Spice Girls' debut single "Wannabe," which took the pop world by storm and introduced millions of fans to the enduring legacy of "girl power." The rest is history: In 1998, Geri Halliwell left the band before "pulling a Zayn" was a thing. They reunited in 2007 for a successful world tour and in 2012 for an iconic performance at the London Olympics closing ceremony.

In a September interview with Meredith Vieira, Mel B. (aka Scary Spice) said, "There's nothing to really spill because nothing has been announced, nothing's official. I mean, yes, we are in talks because it's our 20th anniversary. And I want something to happen. I'm forcing them a little bit, but yeah. I've been saying it for five years, 'We are reuniting. We are, aren't we?'" Check out the acoustic performance here.

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Miranda Lambert Song Featured in 'Fuller House' Trailer

(Radio.com) Netflix's Fuller House trailer arrived this week, and it's already got fans excited for the show's Feb. 26 premiere. Although viewers don't see any original cast members, arguably the big star of the trailer is Miranda Lambert, whose song "The House That Built Me" scores the 1:15 minute video.

Beginning with shots of the Golden Gate Bridge and the famous San Francisco house where the original series was set, Lambert's acoustic guitar wistfully captures the nostalgia that underpins the entire endeavor. "I know they say you can't go home again/ I just had to come back one last time/ Ma'am I know you don't know me from Adam/ But these handprints on the front steps are mine," Lambert sings in the opening verse.

Lambert didn't write the song-Tom Douglas and Allen Shamblin did-but even her parents couldn't believe that other songwriters could so perfectly capture the difficult 8-year period that marked her childhood thanks to their financial difficulties. Speaking with Today in 2010, Miranda's father Rick Lambert said,"It's like the persons that wrote that song were channeling into our lives at that horrible but great time in our lives."

Interestingly enough, the song wasn't originally intended for Lambert. Her then-boyfriend Blake Shelton received a demo, but Lambert had such a strong reaction upon hearing it that he told her to take it. She explained, "It was beautiful. I mean, I just started bawling from the second I heard it. He was like, 'If you have a reaction to this song like that, then you need to cut it.'" Read more and check out the trailer here.

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Austin Mahone Giving Away 'This Is Not the Album'

(Radio.com) Austin Mahone released a new album Thursday, appropriately titled This Is Not the Album. In advance of his upcoming full-length debut album, Mahone gifted fans with something to tide them over. Bonus? It's available for free download.

The 19-track album features all new material and a laundry list of collaborators, including Chris Brown, Sage the Gemini, T-Pain, Kyle, Rob Villa and Kyle Dion, to name a few.

In a press release Mahone had this to say to fans: 'I've been working so hard on my new album, and I've taken a lot of time figuring out my new sound and making my debut perfect." Read more and grab the download link here.

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Rita Ora Launches Lawsuit to Be Released From Roc Nation Label

(Radio.com) Singer Rita Ora has had enough of jumping over hurdles to get her album released in America. She has filed a lawsuit against label Roc Nation and Jay Z to liberate herself from her contract.

Billboard reports Ora filed a complaint in Los Angeles accusing Roc Nation of abandoning her when the company turned their attention to sports management.

The complaint, in part, read, "When Rita signed, Roc Nation and its senior executives were very involved with her as an artist. As Roc Nation's interests diversified, there were fewer resources available and the company suffered a revolving door of executives. Rita's remaining supporters at the label left or moved on to other activities, to the point where she no longer had a relationship with anyone at the company." Read more here.

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Ice Cube Suggests Snoop As "Honorary Eazy-E" For Rock Hall Tribute

(Radio.com) Ice Cube is already thinking ahead, after receiving news that N.W.A will finally be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He is looking to Snoop Dogg to fill-in for the deceased Eazy-E during the show's performance.

"I think we can get Ren, Yella and Dre together," Ice Cube told Rolling Stone. "I think Snoop might do an honorary Eazy. I can't speak for him, but we'll ask him. We'll probably ask a few people."

This year's inductees include Cheap Trick, Chicago, Deep Purple, Steve Miller and and N.W.A., who had been passed over three times prior. "It's hard to sum up exactly what it means," Cube says. "It means a lot of things. It means that the group's mark is kind of solidified. It's all legitimized in a way because the whole music industry has to honor the group in a way. It's just hard to sum up in words, really."

While Cube is down for an N.W.A performance, don't expect the attitudinal rappers to jam alongside everyone else for the big group all-star jam. "I don't know [laughs]. It's all about if we can do something cool," he said. "If we're doing something and it's feeling kind of corny, I won't want to do it�They don't want to see some forced medley." Read more here.

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Matt Bomer Dances to 'Hotline Bling' On American Horror Story

(Radio.com) The world just can't seem to get enough of Drake's "Hotline Bling." After the countless covers from every artists under the sun to the many memes generated from the video, Drizzy's monster single provided the soundtrack for Matt Bomer's dance party on American Horror Story: Hotel.

While Bomer's private dance party is a must-see, it does get interrupted by Lady Gaga's drama.Matt Bomer plays the ageless and murderous Donovan. He's hanging out at the hotel dancing to Drake's song with a cigarette and a drink. Bomer cuts a rug like nobody's business when he hears the track.

While he's vibing to the music, a teary-eyed Lady Gaga walks in and shuts everything down. Why? Apparently, she just found out Bomer's character had something to do with the death of her lover.

Matt Bomer has some serious moves. Those dance lessons during the filming of the Magic Mike films seems to have helped. Check out Matt Bomer's Drake moment here.

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Jimmy Buffett Musical On The Way

(Radio.com) Jimmy Buffett fans will now be able to enjoy "Margaritaville" on the stage, as a musical "featuring the music and lifestyle" of the singer and songwriter is in the works.

The show is being produced by Greg Garcia and Mike O'Malley and will be directed by Christopher Ashley, who also oversaw the Broadway shows Memphis and Hands on a Hardbody.

According to Billboard, Buffett released the following statement: "The idea of turning Margaritaville into a musical has been percolating for quite a while, but finding the right people to tell the right kind of story to go with the right songs from my catalog took some time. Now we have found our crew and I am happy to sail with them to Margaritaville. It's going to be a fun voyage." Read more here.

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Singled Out: Drayter's Run

Dallas pop/rockers Drayter release their debut album "Nine" today (December 18th) and to celebrate we asked the band to tell us the story behind the song "Run." Here is the story:

"Run" is one of our more "happy" tunes off the new album. It's different than the music we've done in the past, and it was a lot of fun crafting this song. We've been through a lot, so after letting go of the struggles we feel refreshed and excited about the future.

The album definitely tells that story. "Run" is the beginning of it. We had an awesome creative environment and were having such a good time. We wanted to reflect that moment in a catchy, fun, and uplifting song. What better way to capture that feeling by mixing funk and an R&B vibe with our rock/pop roots.

This song is a feel-good track so the tempo, vocal melody, and musical composition reflect that. The vocal melody came first and then the words. We implore you to turn off your phones, connect with the crowd: Lyrics like, "Keep calm and come undone... And when you feel the sound, can you light it up? And say with me, because I give a funk!" The great-vibes anthem becomes melodic and airy in the pre-chorus with a beautiful message of hope and freedom like, "Never be afraid to fly, looking at the world so high...Get off the beaten path, run away and don't look back, run!"

Then the explosive main chorus hits. This was a main chorus that was all melody. One word pretty much sums it up - Run! What's the best part of the song? The church choir! It's always inspiring to hear a church choir featured on a song. This is one of those. We were honored to work with an amazing group of men and women who put the final spirit-like touch on this track. As a whole, the beat/drums, funk guitar, groovy bass line, killer vocals, and uplifting message really hit the note for us. It's the beginning of a great emotional ride on the album, "NINE."

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself here and learn more about the album right here!

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