Bachman & Turner 'Takin' Care of Business' in New Will Ferrell Film

Christie Goodwin, Redferns

Legendary Canadian rockers Randy Bachman and Fred Turner of Bachman & Turner will appear in 'Dog Fight,' an upcoming motion picture starring Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis.

According to the Winnipeg Free Press, the musicians spent four days in New Orleans on set of the film directed by Jay Roach ('Austin Powers').

"It was really hard work, long days and about 200 people on set," the band's manager Gilles Paquin said. "But it's one of the biggest movies of the year and it's great positioning for the band."

Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst Fights Efforts to Stop Omaha Anti-Bias Law

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

Bright Eyes' Conor Oberst and other Omaha musicians signed a Jan. 23 letter demanding Nebraska lawmakers stop a law that would prevent the city and other towns from passing anti-discrimination legislation. The musicians feel the law would send a "message to the world that Nebraska is not forward thinking or welcoming."

According to The Omaha World-Herald, Oberst and the other artists said it was "deplorable and unacceptable" to try to stop Omaha City Councilman Ben Gray from moving forward on an ordinance to ban discrimination against homosexual and transgender people. The letter was sent to state senators on Judiciary Committee of the state legislature.

"We were excited to learn that Councilman Ben Gray was going forward to put forth a citywide ordinance that would ensure equal employment opportunity for all, including our LGBT community," the letter says.

Mick Jagger Ditches Prime Minister's Event After Feeling Like a 'Political Football'

Kevin Mazur, WireImage

British Prime Minister David Cameron has made his musical tastes well known over the past several weeks, but recently he's found himself in a bit of a musical tiff. Rolling Stones frontman and jangly skeleton dancer Mick Jagger pulled out of an event hosted by the PM because he felt he was being used as a "political football."

Jagger was scheduled to appear at the Davos Summit in Switzerland to take part in a campaign to promote foreign investment alongside famous Brits like model Lily Cole and inventor Tim Berners-Lee who invented a little series of tubes called the Internet. However, he has now pulled out after wishing to steer clear of any outright political endorsements.

Craig Finn Makes Friends With Jesus, Stops the Beer-Throwing on Solo Album

Jeremy Balderson

With some time off from the Hold Steady and his creative juices still flowing, frontman Craig Finn needed a challenge. Rather than stay home in Brooklyn, Finn traveled to Austin to work with a new set of musicians and producer Mike McCarthy (Spoon, Trail of Dead). The result is is new solo album, 'Clear Eyes, Full Heart,' which takes its title from the 'Friday Night Lights' motivational speech, "clear eyes, full hearts, can't lose!"

The countrified tracks on the LP are much more somber and way less frenetic than Finn's usual writing for the Hold Steady, a stylistic turn that he says reflects a part of his personality that he rarely examines in his band's songs. Spinner recently caught up with Finn before his European tour to talk about the record, the wide influence of television, getting shot and being friends with Jesus.

Perfume Genius Video Stupidly Banned From YouTube for 'Adult Content'

Vimeo

So, apparently YouTube doesn't like gay men hugging with their shirts off.

Matador Records revealed that Perfume Genius' new teaser video for his upcoming album, 'Put Your Back N 2 It,' was rejected by the video site for violating its Adult Image/Video Content policy.

So, how bad is the ad? For a portion of the 16-second clip, Perfume Genius (aka Mike Hadreas) is shown embracing gay porn star Arpad Miklos. They have their shirts off but their underwear is on, somewhat like the longer, more sideboob-filled teaser video for Lana Del Rey's 'Born to Die.' Take a look for yourself below, thanks to the open-minded folks at Vimeo.

Chairlift Singer Deals With 'Crazy Girl' During 'Something' Record Release Show

Damon Dahlen, AOL

Some fans just can't take a hint. Chairlift singer Caroline Polachek was reminded of this earlier this week during the Brooklyn band's record release show for 'Something.'

"Btw, shoutout to the crazy girl who came on stage last night," the group tweeted the day after the Jan. 23 gig. "Sorry we had to kick u out, but that was not nice what u did. Caroline was almost killed but I didn't miss a note :0."

A YouTube clip of their performance at New York's Bowery Ballroom provides some insight into the comment. In the video, an overzealous fan climbs on stage with Chairlift and approaches Polachek. When the "crazy girl" goes in to harmonize, Polachek gently pushes her back.

Lookout! Records, Punk Label That Launched Green Day and Ted Leo, Folding

Getty Images

Although the label that launched Green Day has yet to make it official, it appears that Lookout! Records is no more. According to a blog post by Ted Leo on Jan 13, and reported by Punknews.org, the label -- which officially stopped releasing new material in 2006 -- has "sadly, shuttered it's windows for good."

In a post titled "Lookout! Ist Kapuut," Leo replied to fans who inquired about why some of the artist's albums "disappeared from all the digital services."

"A better eulogy should be forthcoming, but just to answer these questions, this means that these records have reverted to my complete ownership, which is kind of cool in some ways, I guess, except that it also means I have to basically run my own label for them now unless I wind up licensing them to someone else in the future," Leo wrote.

"I'm not happy to see Lookout gone, but having complete rights of usage and total and direct revenue from sales now, can ultimately turn this into a positive situation."

Adele's Boyfriend Is Married, Has a 5-Year-Old Daughter

GF/bauergriffinonline.com

It's no secret that all of Adele's success has come after some pretty severe heartache. Both of her albums, '19' and '21,' were written in the aftermaths of bad breakups, and it seems her new boyfriend, Simon Konecki, has had his share of romantic troubles.

As U.K. tabloid the Daily Mail reports, Konecki, 37, married stylist Clary Fisher in 2004 and has a 5-year-old daughter with her. The couple separated in 2010 and are in the process of divorcing, sources told the paper.

Kate Bush Stalker Breaks Into Singer's Home With Intention of Proposing

KateBush.com

Frank Tufaro isn't your average Kate Bush fan -- or your average stalker. According to the Daily Mail (via Brooklyn Vegan) the American music enthusiast has been obsessed with Bush since the height of her fame in the 1980s, and his love for the reclusive singer was reinvigorated with the release of her newest album '50 Words for Snow.'

No longer able to stifle his inner crazy, Tufaro purchased a $4,600 Tiffany diamond ring and booked a flight for London. Upon arriving, the Bush fan paid a cab almost $370 U.S. to drive him to a remote location in Devon, where Bush's home is. Tufaro used satellite images and local maps in order to pinpoint the million-dollar estate.

Tufaro knocked on the door, ready to propose to the singer, but no one appeared to be home. He then smashed a window and let himself in. "I was inside for about eight minutes before I realized I had to leave. I just walked around and looked at everything. It wasn't what I expected," Tufaro told the Daily Mail, adding that the whole situation "felt like a set-up."

Jimmy Castor, Funk Saxophonist Sampled by Numerous Rappers, Dead at 64

Gilles Petard, Redferns

Jimmy Castor, an acclaimed disco-funk saxophonist whose classic horn lines have been sampled by such hip-hop artists as Kanye West, N.W.A. and Eric B. and Rakim, died Monday, Jan. 16 in Las Vegas of unknown causes, Prefix reports. He was 64.

Born in New York City in 1947, Castor is best known for leading the disco-era group the Jimmy Castor Bunch, whose 'Troglodyte (Cave Man)' was a No. 4 R&B hit in 1972. Prior to forming that outfit, he played with numerous bands, and in the late '50s, he found his initial success as a singer, taking over for Frankie Lymon in the doo-wop group the Teenagers.

While 'Troglodyte' was his highest-charting single, another 1972 tune, 'It's Just Begun,' has perhaps proved his most enduring. The tune has been sampled by dozens of hip-hop artists, and it appears in the memorable breakdancing scene from the 1983 film 'Flashdance.'

Lana Del Rey on 'SNL': Brian Williams Bashes, Daniel Radcliffe Defends Her

Andy Sheppard, Redferns

Lana Del Rey is stirring up plenty of internet ire due to her tepid appearance on 'Saturday Night Live.' The singer even stirred up news anchor and NBC mainstay Brian Williams, who wrote in e-mail to Gawker that "Lana Del Rey had one of the worst outings in SNL history last night-- booked on the strength of her TWO SONG web EP." He went on to name her "the least-experienced musical guest in the show's history, for starters ... "

Art Brut frontman Eddie Argos was also not a fan. "Just watched SNL thats the Lana Del Rey you all like?" he tweeted. "I thought it was Kirsten Wiig doing one of her 'wacky' characters. You are all idiots."

However, not everybody with ears clamored for Del Rey to be shamed. The host of that night's 'SNL,' Daniel Radcliffe, came to her defense, saying, "It was unfortunate that people seemed to turn on her so quickly."

Headphone-Related Deaths Increasing in the US, Study Finds

Brendan Hoffman, Getty Images

According to a newly published study, the number of pedestrians in the United States who have been killed or severely injured while wearing headphones has apparently tripled in the last six years. We know what you're probably thinking: Maybe cars just need louder horns.

Perplexingly, more than half of these incidents involved pedestrians being run over by trains and "Two-thirds of the victims were males and under the age of 30." In response to this shocking inattentiveness, government officials reportedly suggested that dudes stop wearing their headphones as blindfolds.

Skrillex and Doors Members Release Video for 'Breakin' a Sweat' -- Watch

Brian Nevins

Are you still confused as to what it is DJs, specifically the dubstep ones, actually do? Well, this Skrillex video for 'Breakin' a Sweat,' his collaboration with members of the Doors for the 'Re:Generation' documentary, might help. Or, maybe not.

At the outset, we see Skrillex alone in a hotel room, working on his music. "I make all my records in hotel rooms, pretty much," he says in a voiceover. "Just wherever I can. I've made records in car rides, if we have like a long trip to a show. All I need is my laptop and my headphones. That's all you really need I think for what I do."

Above and Beyond: Genres Are Divisive, Like 'Race and Religion'

Anjunabeats

Above and Beyond's Jono Grant, Tony McGuiness and Paavo Siljamaki can rest comfortably knowing they've become a icons in the electronic dance music community. The rest of us, however, can only wonder how they've forged a career that spans over a decade, 400 Trance Around the World (TATW) radio shows, countless performances in front of tens of thousands of people at a time, their own record label, hundreds of singles and remixes and three massively well-received studio albums.

When we chatted by phone with Grant, the trio was preparing for the eight-hour, 400th episode of TATW. Broadcast from Beirut, Lebanon, the show featured sets from Gareth Emery, Kyau and Albert, Mat Zo, Jaytech and, of course, the A&B boys. We talked about their live shows, the downsides to electronic dance music's popularity in the States, dubstep and a "cheesy" habit some of their fans have.

Classixx Debut 'Fax From the Beach' Via E-Mail -- Watch

Classixx

After releasing their 2011 single 'Into the Valley,' Los Angeles dance duo Classixx have returned with a VHS-inspired video for their new song, 'A Fax from the Beach,' directed by Jerome Potter of LOL Boys and Johnny Woods.

The video arrived in an e-mail sent to their list, with the enigmatic subject heading "A Fax from the Beach." The body of the e-mail contained solely a pink and blue still, which clicked through to a YouTube link, and no further explanation.

Merle Haggard Hospitalized With Undisclosed Illness

Tim Mosenfelder, Getty Images

We're wishing a speedy recovery to Merle Haggard, who was hospitalized in Macon, Ga., Tuesday night (Jan. 17). According to Nashville's WSMV-TV, the 74-year-old country icon fell ill prior to a scheduled performance and was rushed to a local hospital.

Merle's tour manager, Frank Mull, confirms to the Ledger-Enquirer that the singer had been sick since leaving his California home last week. However, details regarding the illness have not been disclosed. His scheduled show tonight (Jan. 18) in Columbus has been canceled.

Young Statues Hang Out, Eat Pizza in 'Spacism' -- Video Premiere

Mitchell Wojcik

Philadelphia indie rockers Young Statues didn't intend for their music to be heard outside their inner circle of friends. But when singer Carmen Cirignano decided to go forward with the project, the music became his main passion.

The band's self-titled debut album strikes a great balance between edgy indie and solid pop. With a voice reminiscent of Death Cab for Cutie's Ben Gibbard, Cirignano's delivery is heartfelt and steady. New single 'Spacism' features some fantastic guitar work in the same vein as New Jersey's Real Estate, but with a clearer narrative.

The video for 'Spacism' was directed by Mitchell Wojcik and shows the band in their natural North Eastern habitat -- driving across the Verrazano Bridge, cruising over the gently rolling hills of New Jersey and drinking in the fine establishments of their home town.

Sinead O'Connor Heads to Hospital, Seeks Treatment for Depression

Stephen Lovekin, Getty Images

In recent weeks, Sinead O'Connor has used Twitter to document her on-again, off-again marriage to fourth husband Barry Herridge and generally keep the world abreast of her fragile mental state. It's been pretty hairy stuff, but now, she's finally tweeted some good news.

In a message posted yesterday (Jan. 17), the 'Nothing Compares 2 U' singer revealed that she's heading for a hospital and seeking the help she recently pleaded for and obviously needs.

"Treatment for depression," she tweeted. "Not at all well. But they will put me back together quick."

She added that she would be "back.. and smiling. Prolly 2 weeks ish."

Happy Mondays Reunite: Original Lineup Set to Perform in 2012

MJ Kim/Getty Images

After initial rumors were shot down, British rock band Happy Mondays have announced that they will indeed be reuniting their original lineup, according to a statement obtained by The Quietus. Their reunion will mark the first time brothers Shaun and Paul Ryder have played together since 2000.

"The rumours are true," the statement said. "Happy Mondays, the seminal Manchester band who changed musical culture forever has reformed and will be available for select live gigs across 2012."

The reunited lineup will be composed of original Mondays Shaun Ryder, Paul Ryder, Mark Day, Paul Davis and Gary Whelan, along with Rowetta Satchell, who joined the band in the '90s.

Ariane Moffatt, 'In Your Body' -- Song Premiere (Free MP3)

SPG Le Pigeon

Ariane Moffatt is an award-winning, platinum-selling Francophone artist from Montréal, Quebec who is skinny-dipping into the Anglo music scene with her latest electro-pop number 'In Your Body,' a woozy synth-drenched ode to sex addiction.

As Moffatt tells Spinner in inimitably French fashion, the song is a "short movie-like journey of an obsessed and skin-addicted character for the object of her desire. Circling her prey on her old bicycle, spying it to find the entering doors of it's body and hide between the flesh and the bone. Poor mad Aphrodite, she can't seem to control her sexual compulsions. When the sun comes out, you decide if she won or not."

Tribes Grow From Wallet-Stealing to Opening for the Pixies, Releasing Debut LP

Rachel Been

When it came time to mobilize a fanbase, London band Tribes chose to start simply, in a place many would consider outdated in this day and age. Rather than take to Facebook, Twitter, Bandcamp or any other social networking sites, the four-piece decided to forgo a Web presence in favor of more homegrown initiatives.

"We actually postered our gigs, which is totally unheard of in London," singer Johnny Lloyd tells Spinner in a thin voice that belies his plaintive onstage wail. "We put posters everywhere, flyered them and gave our mates a crate of beer if they went out and did all that."

Tribes have always done things in a slightly unorthodox way, including how guitarist Dan White met drummer Miguel Demelo. "Dan stole Miguel's wallet at a party when they were about 15," Lloyd says. "You can't leave anything lying around with Dan. He steals on a daily basis, I imagine. I just haven't caught him yet."

SOPA, PIPA: Radiohead, Flaming Lips, Trent Reznor Protest Internet Legislation

Getty (2)

The battle over the SOPA and PIPA bills -- the Stop Online Piracy Act and Protect Intellectual Property Act -- currently making their way through the U.S. Congress has hit a crescendo. Wikipedia, Reddit and other sites shut themselves down on Jan. 18 to protest the legislation which enables the U.S. government to block public access to any site accused of copyright infringement without their day in court.

Several artists are also now speaking out on the bills that are supposed to be protecting their rights.

Trent Reznor, MGMT, Nada Surf's Daniel Lorca, OK Go, Amanda Palmer, Erin McKeown and the Lonely Island, the comedic band fronted by 'Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg, wrote an open letter on Jan 17 stating their opposition to PIPA and SOPA.

The National to Curate UK's All Tomorrow's Parties

Frazer Harrison, Getty Images

Having wrapped up 2011 with a week-long string of New York City dates, the National will curate and perform at this year's All Tomorrow's Parties set for Butlins Holiday Centre, Minehead, England from December 7-9.

The first batch of artists confirmed includes the Antlers, Sharon Van Etten, Kronos Quartet, Boris, Tim Hecker and Owen Pallett. Wye Oak, My Brightest Diamond, Lower Dens, Megafun, Suuns, Dark Dark Dark and Buke and Gase rounds out the initial list.

The band -- who will make its lone British 2012 performance at ATP -- made the announcement earlier this morning on its site.

President Obama's Celebrity Wish List Reads Like Weirdest Festival Ever

JEWEL SAMAD, AFP/Getty Images

President Barack Obama may be up against an increasingly disjointed group of candidates but that hasn't stopped him from compiling this crazy wish list of celebrities, musicians, politicians and philanthropists to back his campaign.

The 194-person list dug up by the Tennesseean is chock full of curveballs (and no baseball players) but musically displays such incongruities as Vampire Weekend, the Band Perry, Eric Robertson and the Boston Boys (who?), Ricky Martin, Train and Arcade Fire, just to name a few.

Bruce Springsteen's New Album,'Wrecking Ball,' Due out March 6

Danny Clinch

Bruce Springsteen. 'Wrecking Ball.' It's on.

The Boss has finally revealed details of his 17th album, which is due out March 6 via Columbia. Featuring 11 tracks, the LP was produced by Ron Aniello and Springsteen.

Springsteen also gave fans a taste of what's to come by streaming the lead track 'We Take Care of Our Own.' Featuring a chorus with the line "Wherever this flag's flown, we take care of our own," the anthemic track's main difference from his classic work is the backing of strings.

Travis Barker's Nude Photo Leak: Drummer Threatens Legal Action Over Pics

Ethan Miller, Getty Images

The Internet is an interesting place. Hopes, dreams, shopping, music and Travis Barker's penis can all be accessed on the world wide web. Wait ... T. Bark pulled a B. Favre (alleged)? According to NME, gossip website MediaTakeOut.com published several NSFW photos of Barker's junk, reporting an "unnamed" musician had sent the photos to a female admirer.

Readers quickly discovered that the pics were of the Blink-182 drummer due to his incredibly distinctive tattoo collage. Now Barker is raving mad and has sicced his attorney on the website, claiming the photos are from over five years ago and were never intended to go viral.

MediaTakeOut has received a cease and desist letter from Barker's camp for their use of the unauthorized private photos. However, it still hasn't taken down the images and claims that Barker's "jank is the size of a microphone."

new-music-cherlise-ground-zero-mixtape

Rico Love’s Division 1 Entertainment presents the debut mixtape from emerging artist, Cherlise. This up and coming Miami-bred singer/songwriter is poised to make 2012 her breakout year, kicking off with the release of her brand new project “Ground Zero.” The 15-track mixtape features original material, including guest appearances from Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Rico Love and more.

Madonna, Elton John: Golden Globes Beef Explodes on Red Carpet

Getty (2)

Madonna won a Golden Globe award Sunday night (Jan. 15) for Best Original Song but it might be a while before Elton John is singing her praises.

The pop stars took pot shots at each other during a televised pre-show red carpet special on NBC with censors deleting John's comments. When asked by Carson Daly about the nominees in the category -- which included his song 'Hello Hello' from the, ahem, classic film 'Gnomeo and Juliet' -- John said, "Madonna hasn't got a f---ing chance."

A surprised Daly replied by saying, "Those are fighting words."

"No, those are accurate words," John said before the interview ended.

Paul Weller and Wife Have Twins, Name Them John Paul and Bowie

Gareth Cattermole, Getty Images

British rock icon Paul Weller and his wife Hannah Andrews announced the arrival of their twin boys John Paul and Bowie on Jan. 14.

"Both boys are healthy and doing well following the birth and Paul and Hannah are thrilled and over the moon," a post on Weller's site said today (Jan. 16). "Paul would like to thank his fans for all their well wishes over the last few months." The sentiments were also placed on Weller's Twitter account.

Lookout! Records, Punk Label That Launched Green Day and Ted Leo, Folding

Getty Images

Although the label that launched Green Day has yet to make it official, it appears that Lookout! Records is no more. According to a blog post by Ted Leo on Jan 13, and reported by Punknews.org, the label -- which officially stopped releasing new material in 2006 -- has "sadly, shuttered it's windows for good."

In a post titled "Lookout! Ist Kapuut," Leo replied to fans who inquired about why some of the artist's albums "disappeared from all the digital services."

"A better eulogy should be forthcoming, but just to answer these questions, this means that these records have reverted to my complete ownership, which is kind of cool in some ways, I guess, except that it also means I have to basically run my own label for them now unless I wind up licensing them to someone else in the future," Leo wrote.

"I'm not happy to see Lookout gone, but having complete rights of usage and total and direct revenue from sales now, can ultimately turn this into a positive situation."

Madonna's 'Masterpiece' Wins The Golden Globe

 

Madonna has a huge year ahead of her, and she's already getting some shine. At the Golden Globes on Sunday night (January 15), the pop star-turned-film director nabbed the Best Original Song prize for "Masterpiece," which was featured in "W.E.," which she wrote and directed.
Taking the stage in her glittering Reem Acra-designed dress, Madge thanked the many collaborators who helped her write the song featured in her first feature film, which opens in wide release next month.
"This is a surprise," she told the room, clutching her prize. "Thank you so much to the Hollywood Foreign Press for this acknowledgement. I need to thank my co-writers, Jimmy Harry and Julie Frost, my co-producer William Orbit, who's not here, whom I adore."