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Foo Fighters Perform "I Am a River" from 'Sonic Highways' on The Tonight Show with a Full String Orchestra [WATCH]
We all can agree that the last few months were marked by Foo Fighters overload. They released their eighth studio effort, 'Sonic Highways,' in November while the companion HBO series was already underway. Dave Grohl and Co. jammed for an entire week on "The Late Show with David Letterman" and, just last night (Dec. 18), they joined Jimmy Fallon on "The Tonight Show" for a thumping rendition of "I Am a River." -
Miguel Drops Surprise 'Art Dealer Chic' EP, Three Tracks Follow 2012's 'Kaleidoscope Dream' [LISTEN]
Miguel wants to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. The R&B singer dropped three new tunes in the form of an EP today (Dec. 19). The untitled effort is the first new music since Miguel's 2012 LP 'Kaleidoscope Dream,' aside from guest spots on tracks by Jessie Ware, Mariah Carey and Ludacris. The EP looks to be part of his 'Art Dealer Chic' series. -
South by Southwest Car Crash Lawsuits Surface, Organizers, Traffic Design Company Named in Wrongful Death Suits
Multiple lawsuits were filed recently against the organizers of South By Southwest for the unfortunate car accident that occurred in March and resulted in the deaths of four concertgoers. According to the Associated Press, Rashad Owens has been in jail since the incident occurred at the festival in Austin when the driver plowed through a barricade and drove into a crowd of people. Another two dozen people were injured. -
John Fry of Ardent Studios Dead at 69, Founder Produced Records by Led Zeppelin, The White Stripes, Big Star
John Fry, the acclaimed producer/engineer of Ardent Studios in Memphis, died yeserday (Dec. 18) at the age of 69. An unbelievable list of talent recorded with Fry at Ardent including Led Zeppelin, ZZ Top, The Allman Brothers Band and The White Stripes. However, it was Fry's involvement with Big Star that remains a partnership of legend to this day -
Snoop Dogg and Son Cordell Broadus to Star in ESPN's High School Football Reality Show [WATCH]
In case you didn't know, Snoop Dogg's son, Cordell Broadus, is a solid football player. He's actually one of he top college prospects in the nation at wide receiver. ESPN jumped at the opportunity to document the whole process recently in a a new reality show 'Snoop & Son: A Dad's Dream,' Vibe notes. A trailer for the series dropped today (Dec. 19) and it doesn't look half bad. -
Garth Brooks Talks Hiatus, Performs 'Mom' From 'Man Against Machine' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' [WATCH]
Garth Brooks stopped by 'Jimmy Kimmel Live!' last night (Dec. 17) to promote his new album, "Man Against Machine." Kimmel took the time to talk to the country icon before he hit the stage to perform the emotional ballad "Mom," and in the process he found out why Brooks took such a long hiatus from recording. He spent 13 years away from the music business to raise his children. -
Iggy Azalea, Skrillex to Headline Billboard's Winterfest During Sundance Film Festival, Alesso and Knife Party Also Confirmed
Bilboard's inaugural Winterfest Music Festival just added one of 2014's biggest names - Iggy Azalea. The Australian rapper will join EDM star Skrillex for the festival, which will run Jan. 22-31 in Park City, Utah, the same week as the Sundance Film Festival. More headliners will be announced soon, but Alesso, Knife Party, The Man, Portugal and Lindsey Stirling are already confirmed. -
Andrew Lloyd Webber Bringing Jack Black's 'School of Rock' to the Stage, Musical Will Premiere in 2015
Richard Linklater's School of Rock, a 2003 film about a wanna-be rocker who recruits some private school kids for a band, is being transformed into a stage production. The Jack Black movie will be adapted into a musical with the help of Andrew Lloyd Webber, Glenn Slater and Downton Abbey's Julian Fellowes. According to 'The Hollywood Reporter,' School of Rock - The Musical will premiere in 2015 -
Nicki Minaj Gets Emotional Over Ex-Boyfriend Safaree Samuels in Power 105.1 Interview [LISTEN]
Nicki Minaj's "The Pinkprint" is laced with relationship frustrations and heartache. It is considered one of the rapper's most personal records to date. Minaj stopped by Power 105.1's studios recently to talk about the album, and she even got a little emotional when she talked about her ex-boyfriend Safaree Samuels, whose presence on the record is looming, "XXL" noted."My relationship was based off of love," Minaj told Angie Martinez. "And there still is nothing but love there. This is not some person I picked up off the street. This is somebody I grew up with. Like I don't even know how I'm gonna function without that person in my life. I've never lived my life as a famous person without him."According to Minaj, the only reason the two are not married with children now is the music industry. -
Fox News Disses Jay-Z, Jon Stewart and 'The Daily Show' Come to Hova's Defense [WATCH]
Fox News committed a big foul when it dissed Jay-Z recently and brought up the rapper's past as a drug dealer. Sean Hannity took issue with Hova's inclusion in a meeting with New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to discuss justice system issues in the wake of the Eric Garner decision. Jon Stewart and members of "The Daily Show," as usual, did not understand the reasoning and decided to fire some satirical shots at the news organization, "Consequence of Sound" notes.Hannity shortened Jay-Z's entire résumé to being "a guy who sold crack, was a drug dealer and actually shot somebody," citing an excerpt from the rapper's book.Hova left that lifestyle long ago, as pretty much everyone in America knows, but that was not enough for Fox News. "Daily Show" correspondent Jessica Williams explains it perfectly in the clip below."Hova has done quite a few other things since his dealing days. You would think that'd impress people on Fox, because we all know how much they like to preach to black folks about responsibility, self-improvement and what's wrong with the black community," she says. -
Paul McCartney Talks Ringo Starr's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Honor on 'The Tonight Show' While Jimmy Fallon Does Impressions [WATCH]
Ringo Starr was recently announced as one of the members of 2015's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame class. He is the last Beatle to be inducted into the institution as a solo act. Paul McCartney, who was inducted as a solo act in 1999, had the pleasure of breaking the news to his bandmate, "Rolling Stone" reports. Macca also stopped by "The Tonight Show" to talk about his pal's recent honor. Jimmy Fallon took it as a chance to try all his Beatles impressions."I was talking to a friend and he said 'Brian Epstein is getting inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.' I said 'That's great, because he's the Beatles manager,'" McCartney says in the video below. "He says, 'Yeah, but Ringo's not in yet.' I said, 'Whoa. Wait a minute. We can't have that ...' Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, you got to put Ringo in. He's very famous."Starr's 2015 classmates include Green Day, Lou Reed, Joan Jett and The Blackhearts, Stevie Ray Vaughn and Bill Withers.McCartney also told Fallon that his favorite solo tracks by his former drummer are "Back Off Boogaloo" and "It Don't Come Easy" — he seems like he is about to say "Photograph" before Fallon cuts him off. Fallon jumped at the opportunity to show off his impressions of the Fab Four, nailing Starr, McCartney and John Lennon before fumbling through George Harrison. -
Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert to Headline Big Barrel Country Music Festival [FULL LINEUP]
The good people at Red Frog Events, who put on the Firefly Festival every year, are getting a little country in 2015. The company announced the Big Barrel Country Music Festival today, Dec. 18, which will be held at Firefly's site, Dover International Speedway in Delaware. Blake Shelton, Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert will headline the event scheduled for June 26 to 28 — the weekend after Firefly. Tickets go on sale today, "Billboard" notes.For a three-day pass ($99), concert-goers will be able to see a mix of popular country artists and acts on the fringes of the genre, like Lynyrd Skynyrd, Sturgill Simpson and Hurray for the Riff Raff. Legends like Loretta Lynn and Merle Haggard will also perform.Additional acts include:Jake Owen, Chris Young, Gary Allen, Eric Paslay, Jon Pardi, Dan + Shay, Cassadee Pope, Charlie Worsham, Jana Kramer, The Oak Ridge Boys, Joel Crouse, Chris Stapleton, The Del McCoury Band, Shakey Graves, Billy Joe Shaver, Nikki Lane, Jackie Lee, Logan Mize, Wade Bowen, Kaitlin Rose, Steven Lee Olsen, The Felice Brothers, The Stray Birds, Sam Lewis and The Deslondes. -
Stephen Colbert Sells R.E.M.'s Michael Stipe for a Quarter on the Second-to-Last 'Colbert Report' [WATCH]
Tonight, Dec. 18, marks the end of the Stephen Colbert era on Comedy Central. For nine years, "The Colbert Report" gave its politically hilarious host a forum to vent his frustrations with America and poke fun at the people running it. Guests ranged from top political figures to authors to actors to musicians. When Colbert's favorite band, R.E.M., broke up in 2011, the host gave frontman Michael Stipe a spot on his "Shelves of Honor." But since the show is coming to an end and Colbert is moving to CBS, he decided to have a yard sale to get rid of his excess junk.As Colbert introduces the skit, Stipe complains about not being dusted in a while."Hey! That's you in the corner, it's me in the spotlight! Read your contract," the host says, referencing R.E.M.'s 1991 hit "Losing My Religion." -
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett Perform 'Cheek to Cheek' Medley on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' [WATCH]
Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett stopped by "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" to promote their new collaboration "Cheek to Cheek." The pair performed the title track and "It Don't Mean a Thing" for the show while Gaga went solo for a Web exclusive performance of "Ev'ry Time We Say Goodbye." The whole affair was jazzy, classy and sparkly — thanks to Gaga's outfit.Fallon pressed the duo prior to the performance about how the album came together. Gaga said she sang some standards for a charity event in New York that Bennett attended."And then after the show was over, they said that Mr. Bennett would like to meet you and I said, 'Oh, I can't believe that Tony Bennett watched me sing a standard. What was I thinking!'" Mother Monster recalled.Bennett asked her after that performance if she would like to make the record that would eventually become "Cheek to Cheek." -
Bruce Springsteen in Netflix's 'Lilyhammer': Steven Van Zandt Talks About Directing 'The Boss'
Generally, Bruce Springsteen is the one giving orders to guitarist Steven Van Zandt of The E Street Band. He is, after all, The Boss. But when Springsteen decided to join Van Zandt on his Netflix series "Lilyhammer," the tables turned. The show's third season premiered on the streaming service in November, and for those who want to see Springsteen's acting chops, all they have to do is turn on the final episode titled "Loose Ends.""I know we're friends for 50 years, but still it meant a lot to me that he chose me and trusted me enough to direct him when literally everybody on earth's been wanting to do it," Van Zandt told "Billboard."Van Zandt plays an ex-mobster named Frank "The Fixer" Tagliano who is forced into hiding. He chooses Lilehammer in Norway as his place to lay low, but soon enough he is up to his old ways. Fans of "The Sopranos" will notice some similarities between Van Zandt's Frank and Silvio Dante.Springsteen joins the cast in season 3's final episode as Frank's brother. -
Ja Rule Has Three Albums Worth of Material Ready, 'Pain is Love 2' Rapper Also Prepping MTV Reality Show
It's been awhile since Ja Rule was a relevant name in the rap community. Nowadays, people talk more about his Pandora station than his latest albums. He put out Pain Is Love 2 in 2012, but it had a lackluster showing on the charts. His next effort, Genius Loves Company, is due out in 2015 and XXL recently caught up with Rule to see what he has in store for fans in the future. -
Lynyrd Skynyrd's First Six Albums to Be Reissued on Vinyl for Specialty Box Set
One of the greatest Southern rock bands of all time, Lynyrd Skynyrd, will be reissuing its first six albums on vinyl. The box set, out Jan. 26, will include albums from 1973 to 1977 like the group's seminal debut "Pronounced 'Leh-'nerd 'Skin-'nerd." Hits like "Simple Man," Gimme Three Steps" and "Freebird" will all be included on the reissues. -
Epic Christmas Lights Display Set to 'Star Wars' Themes Raises Money for Charity [WATCH]
'Star Wars' fans may faint when they watch this video. A house in San Francisco is now one of the frontrunners for best holiday lights display for its epic 'Star Wars' production. The display follows different themes and scores that John Williams composed for the beloved franchise. And to make things even better, the whole project raises money for charity. Now that's some Christmas spirit for you. -
Jennifer Lopez Covers 'Self' Magazine: 45-Year-Old Shows Off Body and Talks Plans for 2015 [WATCH]
Jennifer Lopez has a lot planned for 2015. She is working on new music, she has roles in movies and TV shows and "American Idol" is back for another season. The real news from J.Lo's recent "Self" magazine profile is that at 45 years old, she still has a fantastic figure. She revealed that her new partnership with BodyLab will be designed specifically for women and their diet/exercise needs.First thing's first. J.Lo will resume her judging duties on "American Idol" next year on Jan. 7. It is the show's 14th season and Lopez's fourth, although her appearances were not consecutive. Fans can also see the singer in a new NBC cop show titled "Shades of Blue."Lopez will star in the big-screen thriller "The Boy Next Door" alongside Kristen Chenoweth and Ryan Guzman. She will play a divorced woman who becomes infatuated with a new, young neighbor who has a dark secret. The movie premieres Jan. 23. -
The Band Perry Shares Video for Cover of Glen Campbell's 'Gentle on My Mind' [WATCH]
The Band Perry performed a moving tribute to Glen Campbell at this year's CMAs with their cover of "Gentle on My Mind." The family trio recorded the song for a new documentary about the Rhinestone Cowboy titled "Glen Campbell: I'll Be Me," which highlights the iconic singer's farewell tour and battle with Alzheimer's disease. In the video for the song, The Band Perry puts together some visuals of wandering to accompany Campbell's road tune, "Rolling Stone" notes.After a young man decides to leave his girlfriend behind and explore the desert, the country trio starts playing."And it's knowing I'm not shackled / By forgotten words and bonds / And the ink stains that are dried upon some line," Kimberly Perry sings while brother Neil plucks a banjo. "That keeps you in the backroads / By the rivers of my memory / That keeps you ever gentle on my mind." -
Eric Church Joins Taylor Swift, Sam Smith, Ariana Grande as 'The Outsiders' Goes Platinum
Move over, Jason Aldean, because Eric Church is joining the platinum party. The singer recently became the second country artist to reach the 1-million mark for albums sold in 2014 with "The Outsiders." Church is only the fifth artist this year to hit the milestone. Aldean, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Sam Smith were all certified platinum previously and the soundtrack for Disney's "Frozen" received the honor as well.As Church's website notes, "The Outsiders," released Feb. 11, sold 288,000 copies in its first week. It went straight to No. 1 on the "Billboard" 200 and Top Country Albums charts. Church received four Grammy nods, including Country Album of the Year, Country Song of the Year, Country Solo Performance of the Year and Country Group/Duo of the Year.The Outsiders also won the Album of the Year honor at the inaugural American Country Countdown Awards recently. He stressed the importance of albums during his acceptance speech. -
Nicki Minaj Talks Working at Red Lobster, Performs 'Bed of Lies' from 'The Pinkprint' on 'The Tonight Show' [WATCH]
Nicki Minaj was not always the chart-topping rapper she is today. Prior to finding success as a female wordsmith, Minaj was working odd jobs and studying to become an actress. Jimmy Fallon pressed the rapper on her former jobs on "The Tonight Show" last night, Dec. 16, eventually finding out that "The Pinkprint" mastermind used to work at Red Lobster. Skylar Grey then joined Minaj for "Bed of Lies."Fallon complimented Minaj on her acting chops in "The Other Woman," in which she played Cameron Diaz's assistant with a "terrible attitude." Minaj admitted that she was not always the most hospitable waitress before hitting it big. -
Scott Stapp's Unsettling 911 Recordings Surface, Creed Frontman Sounds Paranoid and Afraid During Calls [LISTEN]
A few more pieces of evidence that Creed singer Scott Stapp isn't doing well mentally recently surfaced. TMZ obtained several 911 recordings of Stapp calling police in Florida as well as the dean of his son's school. The singer sounds afraid, delusional and desperate in the recordings, making outrageous claims about his family and the terrorism group ISIS -
Iggy Azalea Working with Britney Spears, New Track is "Undeniably Great and Fans Are Going to Love It"
It sounds like that Iggy Azalea/Britney Spears collaboration is happening after all. Last month, Azalea responded to a follower who asked if she would ever consider working with the pop icon and the Australian rapper replied that she already did. Now, Ryan Seacrest is reporting that the pair's collaboration will be the lead single from Spears' next album and it is due in 2015. -
50 Cent Signs $78 Million Underwear Deal with Derek Jeter and Timbaland Company Frigo RevolutionWear
50 Cent has his hands in multiple business ventures including headphones, Vitamin Water and a G-Unit clothing line. Now, you can add underwear to that list. The music mogul recently posted a message to Instagram that says he closed a deal with Frigo RevolutionWear that totaled $78 million. There has been no clarification whether that all goes to 50 or if that's the sum for all of the celebrities involved (Derek Jeter, Carmelo Anthony and Timbaland). -
Iggy Azalea, Lorde, Sam Smith Top Google's 'Year in Search' Musical Artists List for 2014
As 2014 comes to a close, it's only proper that the good people at Google let us what's been popular in the world of online searches so that everyone can get on the same page. It turns out that Iggy Azalea was the most-searched musical artist of the year, followed by Lorde and Sam Smith. People also wanted to know about Taylor Swift, Daft Punk and "Weird Al" Yankovic. -
The Decemberists Share 'The Wrong Year' from 'What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World' [LISTEN]
In advance of their seventh album, "What a Terrible World, What a Beautiful World," The Decemberists have shared another new track. "The Wrong Year" is the third single from the upcoming album, due out Jan. 20, following "Make You Better" and "Lake Song."Colin Meloy penned a tune for all those heartbroken romantics who know all too well about loving someone who does not feel the same way."And she wants you / But you won't do / And it won't leave you alone / And the rain falls / On the wrong year / And it won't leave you alone," he sings over John Moen's syncopation.Take a listen to the tune below, via "Consequence of Sound." -
Idina Menzel Performs Joni Mitchell's 'River' on 'The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon' [WATCH]
Idina Menzel put out a Christmas album titled "Holiday Wishes" in October. The singer takes on the usual standards like "White Christmas," "Silent Night" and "Baby It's Cold Outside," but her shining moment comes closer to the end of the album. Menzel decided to include a breathtaking version of Joni Mitchell's Christmas-themed classic "River." Her performance of the tune on "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon" blew viewers away.Yes, we know you can sing, Idina. We have all heard "Let It Go" a million times, but this performance is devastatingly beautiful. Menzel lends her Broadway pipes and pop sensibilities to Mitchell's tune and lets the songwriter's words do the rest."I wish I had a river so long / I would teach my feet to fly / Oh, I wish I had a river I could skate away on / I made my baby say goodbye," she sings in the video below. Check it out."River" is off Mitchell's 1971 release "Blue." It is regarded as one of the folk artist's best pieces. -
'Billboard' Women in Music: Ariana Grande Wins Rising Star Award and Brother Frankie Basically Ruins It [WINNERS]
Some of the music industry's most powerful women gathered last week for "Billboard's" Women in Music Awards. Taylor Swift, Beyoncé and Aretha Franklin attended the ceremony while some of 2014's standout ladies took home awards. Ariana Grande's speech for her Rising Star Award was a talking point from the night, but mostly due to her brother Frankie.The most confusing part of the speech was Frankie's involvement. Why wouldn't a female artist present the award to her? And if there is going to be a family member involved, why not ask two of the women Grande mentions in her speech: her mother and grandmother? It was nice that Frankie was excited about the win, but tone it down a bit. Your sister can handle this by herself. Check out the awkward moment below and head to the 2:25 mark to see the Queen of Soul's reaction. -
Ludacris 'Burning Bridges' EP Featuring Rick Ross and Miguel Available as Free Download on Google Play [LISTEN]
Ludacris's new EP, "Burning Bridges," is available as a free download through Google Play. The effort contains six tracks including "Good Lovin" featuring Miguel and "Money" featuring Rick Ross. It will serve as a nice treat for fans anxiously awaiting the Atlanta rapper's next full-length release, "Ludaversal," out March 31, "XXL" notes.In August, Luda spoke with "Billboard" about his upcoming album."But I can definitely tell you in a nutshell there are a bunch of songs that define moments and are very emotional just for the simple fact this will be my most personal album to date in terms of talking about a lot of things that have gone on in my life and just really diving into who Chris Bridges is as a person. So that's what "Ludaversal" is all about," he said."Burning Bridges" is Luda's first stab at new music since his 2010 release "Battle of the Sexes," which featured tons of big-name guest spots. Lil' Kim, Nicki Minaj and Monica handled the female side of things while Trey Songz, Flo Rida and Gucci Mane represented the males.
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