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Day in Pop Report for 06/19/2015



Trailer For Robin Williams Final Film Appearance Goes Online

(Radio.com) The tragic death of Robin Williams still hurts, and will keep on hurting for a long time to come. But we do have his many films to keep close and remember him by.

Now there is one more. And based on the trailer just released this week, it sounds like a doozy. Boulevard stars Williams as Nolan Mack, a married, middle-aged banker who is questioning his sexual identity. He's caring to his eldery father and his wife (Kathy Baker), but inside he's confused, carrying a heavy weight he's been burdened with for a long time.

On impulse one night, however, he meets a young street hustler (Roberto Aguire), paying not for sex but for companionship. This unhinges his routine and opens the door to change.

"This is one of the kindest characters Williams has ever played," Variety reported on Boulevard after a screening at the 2014 Tribeca Film Festival, "which makes his self-imposed turmoil all the more tragic." The reviewer goes on to say that Williams "[taps] into that same loneliness felt in One Hour Photo and Good Will Hunting" and "projects a regret so deep and identifiable, viewers should have no trouble connecting it to whatever is missing in their own lives."

In other words, this promises to be a far more impactful experience than, say, Night at the Museum 3: Secret of the Tomb, the late 2014 release that also featured one of Williams' final roles.

Being described as Williams' final on-screen performance, Boulevard was directed by Dito Montiel, the story conceived, according to Variety, after his parents split up late in life.

As Mack's friend (played by Bob Odenkirk) says at one point, 'Maybe it's never too late to start living the life you really want." Watch the trailer here.

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Lil Wayne Announces Release Date For 'Free Weezy Album'

(Radio.com) Lil Wayne has had a rocky relationship with release dates over the last year or so, but he's now given a believable new date for his Free Weezy album. It seems like a concrete plan is in place.

Wayne is currently on a nationwide club tour, and during a stop in Anaheim, Calif., last night, he took the opportunity to address the crowd about the album. In a video captured by a fan, he announces that the project will come out on July 4--the perfect date, considering the context behind the project.

Considering that Wayne recently signed with TIDAL and JayZ, there's speculation the record will be made available as an exclusive on the streaming service, but nothing is confirmed. Though if it was on TIDAL, a subscription service, would that really make it free? Or does free have a different connotation here (see: free Weezy from his label contract)? Read more here.

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Deadmau5 Trying To Stop Parody Musical

(Radio.com) Deadmau5 has issued a cease and desist to a new Toronto musical parody that pokes a little fun at him and his helmet. Deadmouse: The Musical is a parody of EDM culture that is set to premiere next month at the Toronto Fringe Arts Festival, but in Deadmau5's opinion it's an example of "how not to be creative" and why "its always best to approach people beforehand."

The DJ tweeted his lawyer's cease and desist letter writing, "while i appreciate their intent, they REALLY went about this the wrong way and dont fully understand how this diminishes certain endeavours."

The reason he may think the show, which states it's about "a mouse who wants to be a house DJ but is discriminated against for being a mouse�. Think Ratatouille meets Book of Mormon," may think it went the wrong way is some of the obvious nods to him.

Example, the main character is named Joel Zimmermouse, quite close to Deadmau5's real name, Joel Zimmerman. It also includes other characters named David Goudda and Avicheese.

Zimmerman's letter claims intellectual property violations against the production stating he owns the rights to "deadmau5″ and "proprietary right in the exclusive marketing of his personality, image and name for gain." He also states that he can't allow them to use the play off his name because it may confuse fans into thinking he has something to do with the production. Read more here.

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Florence and the Machine, Ozzy, Zac Brown Band Lead Voodoo Lineup

(Radio.com) One of the last music festival lineups of the season has just shown its cards, and Voodoo Music + Arts Experience seems to have benefited from the late announcement in terms of the uniqueness of its overall 2015 lineup.

Headlining this year's event, which will be held from Oct. 30-Nov. 1 in New Orleans, will be Florence + the Machine and Jack U on Friday; Ozzy Osbourne featuring Geezer Butler, Tom Morello and Slash on Saturday; and Zac Brown Band and Deadmau5 on Sunday.

And while the headliners will incorporate country, rock and EDM into the mix, the rest of the lineup will expand the fest's multi-genre pull, including appearances from Jane's Addiction, Modest Mouse, Chance the Rapper and Alesso.

But it is further down the lineup that Voodoo grabs some names not appearing on many other lineups, like electronic pioneer Giorgio Moroder, former My Chemical Romance lead singer Gerard Way, Santigold, Babes in Toyland, The Cult and The Joy Formidable.

Read more and see the full lineup here.

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Dolly Parton Announces First Full Nashville Concert Since 2002

(Radio.com) Though Dolly Parton's namesake theme park is 200 miles east of Nashville, the country legend is one of Music City's biggest icons, having lived in the city since 1964 and having become a member of the Grand Ole Opry in 1969.

But, as Rolling Stone points out, concerts from Parton in Nashville have been a rarity since the beginning of this century, with her last concert at the city's Ryman Auditorium taking place 13 years ago.

But that will all change on July 31, when Parton returns to Ryman for the Dustin Wells Foundation's Gift of Music concert to benefit the W.O. Smith School of Music.

Parton released a statement about the show, saying "The 'Gift of Music' is something that runs deep within my kin folks. I love and cherish the Ryman and I am really excited to perform there to help raise money for the Dustin Wells Foundation." Read more here.

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Darlene Love Releasing First Album Of New Material In Decades

(Radio.com) First a little history lesson: Darlene Love is a pop singer that rose to some fame in the 1960s, particularly for her number one hit, "He's a Rebel." She had a minor recording career resurgence in the 1980s and she starred as Danny Glover's wife in the Lethal Weapon series, but it has been decades since Love last released new music.


This will all change in the fall, as Love has signed on to release an album, titled Introducing Darlene Love, which will be released on Stevie Van Zandt's Wicked Cool label.

The album will feature Love singing compositions from a number of classic songwriters, including Van Zant (who also produced and arranged the album), Elvis Costello, Bruce Springsteen, Jim Webb, Linda Perry, Desmond Child, Joan Jett, and the songwriting team Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Read more here.

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Chris Brown, Tyga And ScHoolboy Q Release New Video

(Radio.com) Like many exciting situations in life, the video for Chris Brown, Tyga and ScHoolboy Q's "B--es N M---juana" starts off with an iPhone alarm. Tyga picks up--it's his buddy Chris, of course. The two of them have already scored a major hit this year with "Ayo" and it's time to do it again. The two share a moment of dialogue--Brown is watching a National Geographic show about whales, which Tyga finds "interesting."

Soon enough, though, they settle on a plan for the evening: they're going to throw a party. Tyga jumps out of bed from in between two slumbering gal pals and heads immediately to his old stomping ground, the strip club, because these days it just wouldn't be a Chris Brown video without a visit to a strip club.

Except this isn't just any strip club. It's filled with giant swaying paint-splattered sheets, giving it the impression of a futuristic laundry room, with LED light wheels adorning the ceiling. The camera swoops around the room, staying just on the right side of the divide between entrancing and nausea inducing.

Brown shows off his dance moves. Schoolboy Q demonstrates proper appreciation for the strippers. A good time is had by all. Watch it here.

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Josh Turner Gives Father A Sun Studio Recording Session

(Radio.com) Lewis Lusk's dream was to become a country singer but family and other obligations made him put his dream on the back burner. But as an early Father's Day present, Josh Turner and the Today Show presented Lusk with a once in a lifetime gift: recording one of his songs at the iconic Sun Studio in Memphis, where artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash have recorded.

Lusk showed up in Memphis expecting to perform a few songs at a luncheon. That's when Al Roker surprised him with a bus ride to Sun Studio with his family, neighbors and kids, adding that they were in on the big surprise. "I have always thought of them first," he told Roker about his kids. "They meant so much to me. I don't know what I would have done without them."

Once Lusk met Turner, who would be helping him perfect his recording in the studio, Lusk informed the "Lay Low" singer that he imagined himself having the success that he has had.

"I never had any doubt when I was 13 years old that I would be doing what you're doing today," he told Turner. "More important things came up. I had to take care of the bills. I had to feed the kids."

Turner then helped Lusk in the studio as he performed his original song "Sally & Jack." Read more here.

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Robyn Debuts Song From La Bagatelle Magique Collaboration

(Radio.com) Despite Robyn's ever growing popularity, the Swedish pop singer has been incredibly unconventional when it comes to the methods of her musical releases. Her last solo work was 2010's Body Talk, which was released in installments and its highlights eventually repackaged as a definitive version.

Since, she has offered a collaborative EP with Royksopp, and now a new project, which will also steer away from a traditional LP.The project is called Robyn and La Bagatelle Magique, which finds her teaming with Markus Jägerstedt and the late Swedish producer Christian Falk. The project plans to release a "mini-album," though the title and the release date are apparently coming soon.

Still, Robyn has unveiled the first track from the upcoming release, titled "Love Is Free." The track was premiered Thursday (June 18) on the Annie Mac BBC Radio 1 show. Read more here.

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Lauryn Hill Reveals Cover Of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good'

(Radio.com) On June 26, Netflix will air "What Happened, Miss Simone?", a documentary about the legendary blues and jazz singer Nina Simone. In celebration of the film, the filmmakers have compiled a special tribute album, called Nina Revisited.

The album features 16 Nina Simone covers--including 'Ne Me Quitte Pas," 'Feeling Good" and 'I Put A Spell On You" --from contemporary artists like Lauryn Hill, Common, Mary J. Blige, Usher and others.

The album will come out July 10, and now we have the first taste of it: Hill's cover of "Feeling Good." Rolling Stone points out that Lauryn Hill has a strong connection to the documentary through Jayson Jackson, producer of What Happened, Miss Simone?-- he used to manage the Fugees. Read more here.

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Miley Cyrus Fan Having 29 Tattoos Of The Pop Star Removed

(Radio.com) A man who spent nearly $5,000 to get 29 Miley Cyrus-inspired tattoos has realized that maybe it wasn't the best idea after all. 42-year-old Carl McCoid has decided to remove all of his fan body art, including tattoos of Miley's faces and many hairstyles from 2010 up until the present and her name spelled out across his fingers.

What brought on his revelation to get rid of them? He decided they were "ugly" and "creepy" after Miley used those exact words to describe them in an interview. The singer has also blocked him on Twitter.

"I'm only regretting them now," he told Daily Mail. "I never thought about it too much, but they have had a psychological effect on me." McCoid, who is a father of three and even named one of his daughters Miley, is also motivated to remove them because he's looking for a girlfriend and wants to "look to the future." Read more here.

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Tori Kelly Talks 'Unbreakable Smile'

(Radio.com) Tori Kelly might have started as a YouTube cover star, but she's rocketed past that marker to become singer of the hit track "Nobody Love" which you heard on the radio all spring. When Kelly performed an unplugged version of the song on the Billboard Music Awards earlier this year, she blew everyone away. But that doesn't mean she won't still do a cover now and then.

"I tend to do 'Vision of Love' by Mariah Carey [at karaoke,]" Kelly tells us with a self-conscious laugh. "I think because I sang it in some competition when I was 7 or 8 and I won�with that song. So that song has always been really special to me. I geeked out when she tweeted me the other day. Oh, I freaked out. It was cool."

Kelly also talked to Radio.com about writing with Ed Sheeran for her debut album, taking her guitar-oriented style in a pop direction and more insight into her latest album, Unbreakable Smile, out June 23. Stream the interview here.

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Kanye West Makes Surprise Appearance At E3

(Radio.com) Whenever Kanye West pops up somewhere unannounced, it always causes commotion. But that was to an even more magnified degree when the rapper made a surprise appearance at E3 on Wednesday.

Without giving any reason for his visit, West stalked the corridors of the Electronic Entertainment Expo, stopping to play games like Star Wars Battlefront and pose for pictures with fans.

So, why was he there? Of course, it's possible that West attended to collect research for his wife's hugely successful game Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. Then again, he also could have been getting insights for his own game--inspired by his single "Only One"--which he revealed he was working on back in February and includes gameplay of his mother going to heaven and trying to reach the highest gate of heaven possible.

Or he could have just been nerding out at E3 like everyone else, which wouldn't be surprising considering he's a longtime fan of video games. It was actually video games that inspired him to start making beats, after all. Read more here.

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Amy Schumer Lands Madonna Opening Slot In Unusual Way

(Radio.com) Comedian Amy Schumer lived up to her job title when she made a big announcement: that she'll be opening for Madonna in New York this fall, and she did it in the most hilarious and adorable way possible, by posting an "audition tape" on Twitter.

The tape shows an adolescent Schumer dancing to Madonna's "Like a Prayer," an enthusiastic grin plastered across her face. "Guess who auditioned for Madonna and got the part? See you in NYC on Sept 16, 17 and 19," she tweeted.

Madonna will be touring in support of her album Rebel Heart, which came out in March. Rebel Heart made a sizable splash, selling 116,000 copies. Read more here.

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James Taylor And Jimmy Fallon Are 'Two James Taylors on a Seesaw'

(Radio.com) Because one James Taylor isn't enough, the easy listening icon and Jimmy Fallon joined forces to bring you two James Taylors' on a seesaw earlier this week.

To promote his new album Before This World, Taylor made a special appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, during which he and the talk show host performed a skit and a song dubbed "Two James Taylors on a Seesaw."

Dressed identically, the pair sang their song from the playground ride with multitasking finesse. As it turns out, a seesaw is perfectly in sync with the tempo of Taylor's songs and for this one it mirrored the lyrics. "You go up while I go down / This whole world keeps spinning 'round/ I get short and you get tall" he sang, before Fallon came in on the chorus: "We're just two James Taylors on a seesaw." Watch it here.

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Arnold Schwarzenegger Punks Fans

(Radio.com) You know how some of those wax figures at Madame Tussauds look like they're real? Like, really real? Well, sometimes�they are. Some fans recently learned this the hard way, when they checked out the new Terminator statue at the museum in Hollywood, California.

Arnold Schwarzenegger, in full on Terminator: Genisys gear and makeup, posed as a statue at Madame Tussauds and gave several visitors a surprise they'll never forget. Watch the totally hilarious video above.

He also walked around Hollywood in costume, probably making the Terminator imitator he encounters in this video a bit nervous. Ditto for the truck driver he commands to "GET OUT" (the guy actually does).

Ah-nuld, ever the good sport, says, "Just kidding!" The whole stunt was to promote an Omaze campaign, where, by entering, you can win a chance to attend the Terminator: Genisys premiere with Arnold himself. He promises that the winner will be able to join him in uttering classic phrases like "Hasta la vista, baby!" and "I'll be back!" Watch it here.

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Years & Years Talks 'King', Ariana Grande And More

(Radio.com) For most American music fans, "King" is the introduction to British dance-pop trio, Years & Years. The song's shiny, synth-driven pulse and island vibe make it a perfect summer song, made clear by how its taken up residence on pop radio playlists around the country.

On top of the band's sound is singer Olly Alexander, whose emotive vibrato and passionate delivery can recall such synth-pop legends as Andy Bell of Erasure and Jimmy Somerville of Bronski Beat.

Alexander turned to music after cutting his teeth in the world of acting, both in movies (Enter the Void) and television (Skins, Penny Dreadful) before making a full-time commitment to music.

Years & Years quickly became a phenomenon in Britain, culminating earlier this year with the band winning the prestigious BBC Sound of 2015 poll, positioning them as the next band to watch (previous winners include Sam Smith, HAIM and Ellie Goulding).

The singer was charming and open during a recent phone interview with Radio.com, frank in his assessment of the band's burgeoning status in America and how they found themselves to be cast as the music world's next big thing.

Radio.com: Congratulations on the success of 'King" --what was it like watching that happen?

Olly Alexander: I guess it was'surprising. We were all very shocked and to be honest, I think it was so surreal to have such a big hit. Running up to it, every day there was some new, crazy thing that was happening and the song was getting bigger and bigger. They told us it definitely wouldn't make it to No. 1 but then it did. It was like being in some strange dream land. The craziness has exponentially grown.

Radio.com: In a good way, hopefully?

Olly: Oh, yeah. I feel like the best thing is that we're getting to play more shows to more people with better time slots. We're not stuck playing at 11 a.m. on Sunday when we do festivals anymore. We have more fans getting in touch all the time, which is amazing. It's all still new for us, so it's still exciting.

Radio.com: You did an interview last year where you talked about how hard it was at the time making the band's debut album. Now that it's presumably finished with a title (Communion) and release date (July 10), are you happy with the final product?

Olly: We only just finished it last weekend. It still hasn't really sunk in yet. It's been exhausting, exhilarating--just so many emotions. Making a debut album for us has been kind of a challenge because we've had to do touring and promo and rehearsals and lots of other things at the same time. It's been a strange process, but it just feels like such an achievement.

Radio.com: Is there a song on the album that you're most proud of?

Olly: At the moment, the song I'm most proud of is one called 'Real." It's something we wrote about a year and a half ago, maybe a bit longer. It feels like the coming together of all these different influences. I think our sound kind of came together when we wrote that song, took on a whole new direction. It came together really quickly and yeah, I'm proud of that one.

Radio.com: You've made it pretty clear that you're a big fan of Ariana Grande, so I'm wondering if you've met her yet?

Olly: Not yet, but I feel like it will happen one day. I will probably be too nervous to speak to her. It will be great. She has this shiny, perfect quality that I find fascinating, and her music is great. She just seems'perfect, which is very interesting to someone who feels very imperfect. We're all human, but her veneer feels shinier than most.

Read the full interview here.

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Singled Out: Jonny Polonsky's Lay Down Your Arms

Today Jonny Polonsky tells us about the song "Lay Down Your Arms" from his brand new album "The Other Side of Midnight," which was released last month. Here is the story:

The music for Lay Down Your Arms was originally written during a jam with a friend of mine. We were playing in a huge, empty warehouse made out of corrugated metal, with big concrete floors. It was the middle of summer and it was really hot that day.

The guitar and drums sounded incredible in that room and I'm sure influenced the big, epic chords. I also had some melody ideas, and sang everything into my iPhone and saved it for later.

Eventually lyrics started coming. Usually they start with vowel sounds and I end up filling in the rest of the words. Once I get an idea of what the song is about---either a clear idea or just a feeling or a mood--then it's pretty smooth sailing.

The title popped up and that helped. I read a John Fogerty interview when I was a kid where he said it always helped him to start with an evocative title. He said he got that from Duane Eddy. I always remembered that. I love the feeling of being part of a tradition, a lineage.

And Neil Young said he takes titles of really famous songs and writes his own version (i.e. taking Jimi Hendrix' Little Wing for his own Hawks and Doves record). He does it on purpose, maybe it gives him some sort of perverse thrill. I dunno.

Anyway, there's an old Chordettes song called Lay Down Your Arms, recorded during WWII. (They also did Mr. Sandman, incidentally. I've loved that song ever since I saw Halloween when I was ten.)

To me, the song is a look back at a time in your life that felt great at the time and everything seemed so easy, but you had no idea how much darkness you were setting yourself up for in the future.

And it's also talking to someone who resents you for something you did or that they blame you for. Life can get messy. Sometimes we steamroll over each other, even if we don't mean to. Or even if we don't realize it unless much later after the fact.

It's funny, I usually love hearing about writers' motivation and inspiration for their work. But sometimes it shuts down the possibility for your own interpretations, which is always more important.

Hopefully you can get something out of this song. That's the goal--to communicate something to people and have them take away whatever it is they need to take away--not to take away what I want you to, or what I think you need.

Thanks for listening.

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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