Jack White to break a world record on Record Store Day

A few days after announcing the release of his new EP entitled Lazaretto, Jack White says he plans on breaking a world record for “fastest released record” for the albums’ title track. Rolling Stone magazine reports that White will perform on Record Store Day, April 19, in the Blue Room at his Third Man Records storefront in Nashville. He will cut and produce a 45, including the sleeve which will show a photo of him performing the song.  It will be sold at the store, exclusively on April 19, until demand ceases. A few select fans who are Platinum Members at Third Man Records will be able to purchase an “Ultra Ticket” to see White perform. The Lazaretto EP will be in stores on June 10. Jack White will be performing at Osheaga in August.

Cure frontman not happy with upcoming album

The Cure’s frontman Robert Smith has admitted he’s less-than-excited about his band’s upcoming album, Pitchfork reports. The new album entitled 4:14 Scream was recorded simultaneously with 4:13 Dream in 2008, and is set for release later this year. In an interview with XFM Radio, Smith says he wants to focus on recording with the band’s current lineup, as it has changed since the album was made. Veteran member Porl Thompson left the band in 2010, and two new members have joined after 4:14 Scream was recorded. Smith, who has been with the Cure since they were founded in 1976, says the band will likely never play songs from 4:14 Scream live in concert.

Michael Jackson to release new album

It’s good to know dying doesn’t play a factor in being able to release new music, at least not for Michael Jackson who will release an eight-song album, executively produced by L.A. Reid, CEO of Epic Records. Timbaland, Stargate, and Rodney Jenkins also helped in the collaboration. The album XSCAPE will be out May 13. A deluxe edition will also be available with the songs in their original form.

Reunion in the works for Love and Hole

Courtney Love and Hole will be reuniting, reports online magazine The Quietus. Love previously hinted at a reunion when she posted a photo on Instagram of her and old bandmate Eric Erlandson with the caption “2014 going to be a very interesting year.” Love and Erlandson will join Montreal native Melissa Auf Der Maur and Patty Schemel who recorded their last album Celebrity Skin in 1998 before disbanding in 2002. The four have “set aside differences” and plan on releasing new music together in the upcoming months. Love will embark on a solo UK tour in May.

Lady Gaga gets gagged on

At a recent performance, Lady Gaga was vomited on and then humped by performance artist Millie Brown, reports Rolling Stone. Gaga told Rolling Stone that this was art and “therefore worth it.” She compared the performance to the ideas of Martin Luther King and Andy Warhol, stating that, “Sometimes things that are really strange can save the world.” She clarified, however that she did not mean that vomit was going to change the world but that it was about respecting people as artists.

Celebrity moms to hawk healthcare

 Mothers of celebrities like Jonah Hill, Alicia Keys, Adam Levine and Jennifer Lopez are being featured in a video that promotes enrollment in the Affordable Care Act, reports Rolling Stone. The video, entitled #YourMomCares, shows the mothers of these celebrities telling stories about their children and encouraging people to sign up so as not to give their own mothers “a nervous breakdown.” At the end of the video, Michelle Obama appears and states, “We nag because we love you.”

Sorry girls, Justin’s jewels will be censored

A judge ruled on Tuesday that videos of Justin Bieber in police custody that show him partially naked will be released, however his genitalia will be blacked out. According to The Globe and Mail the videos include clips of him giving a urine sample at a Miami jail in January. In compliance with Florida’s broad public records law, once evidence, including photographs and videos are given to the defence, they become public record. Nonetheless, the judge ruled that Bieber had the right to a certain amount of dignity. Three clips will be released immediately and the others will be held until technicians finish blocking out Bieber’s naughty bits.

Arcade Fire frontman weighs in on Quebec politics

Win Butler, frontman for the band Arcade Fire, told CBC News that given his experience with France, secularism is not a good option for the province to pursue. “I’ve spent a lot of time in France, and I don’t think that France is necessarily [the country] I would model my charter of anything after, because they have some major race problems and some major conflict there,” Butler told CBC. Pauline Marois has often cited the France model as inspiration for the creation of her secular charter. Despite Butler’s wariness of the avenue Quebec is possibly headed down, he is optimistic about Quebec’s future and has no plans to live anywhere else anytime soon.

Sparks fly as Coldplay announces new album

Coldplay announced the release of their sixth studio album, Ghost Stories, set to come out May 19, reports Time. The British rock band also released two audio tracks from the album, “Midnight” and “Magic,” so fans can get a listen before the long-awaited date. “Magic” takes us back to the familiar sound of Coldplay’s earlier days, already making its way up the UK charts at number two.

Sink your teeth into Linkin Park and 30 Seconds to Mars’ upcoming Carnivores Tour 

Linkin Park and 30 Seconds to Mars join rock forces as they team up for their upcoming Carnivores Tour kicking off Aug. 8 said Billboard. With special guest AFI, the rockers will be making noise in Tampa, Montreal, Denver and other North American cities, ending their tour in California Sept.19. Touring together for the first time, fans will get a chance to check them out Aug. 23 at Parc Jean Drapeau.

Julian Casablancas goes solo…again!

Following the success of Julian Casablancas’ first solo album Phrazes for the Young, Casablancas has announced that a second solo album is in works reports Rolling Stone. Playing alongside the Voidz as his backup band, a preview of the album can be heard on YouTube. The album title and release date have yet to be announced, however some tour dates have been made public with Casablancas hitting the road later this month, with gigs at Lollapalooza in Chile, and Governor’s Ball in New York City.

Andre 3000 plays Jimi Hendrix in anticipated biopic Jimi: All Is By My Side

When Outkast is not busy headlining a million festivals this year, frontman Andre 3000 can be seen playing Jimi Hendrix in the awaited biopic Jimi: All Is By My Side. Set to premiere at Austin’s South by Southwest Music Festival on March 12, director John Ridley started this project seven years ago, said Rolling Stone. Ridley was highly inspired by Hendrix’s “Sending My Love to Linda” and wanted to know more about the girl in the title, and found out how much she inspired Hendrix. An exclusive clip of the biopic can be found on rollingstone.com, specifically a scene between Hendrix and the famous Linda Keith. Hendrix’s estate, however, is hesitant on the idea, making it so the feature won’t be including any of the guitarist’s original songs. Still, Andre will be seen covering Muddy Waters, The Beatles and other influential artists.

Bruce Springsteen gets Australian crowd twerking with Bee Gees’ cover

New Jersey rock legend Bruce Springsteen closed the Australian leg of his tour in an odd yet memorable way earlier this week. Springsteen along with the E Street Band covered the disco-era’s classic tune “Stayin’ Alive” and called on the audience to twerk, reports Billboard. The Boss also played several other covers, including a rendition of AC/DC’s “Highway To Hell” accompanied by Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder. Springsteen has been steadily touring since the release of his latest album High Hopes earlier in January.

One Direction’s Harry Styles claims a non-coveted award

Pop star and rumoured playboy Harry Styles of One Direction has snatched the title of “Villain of the Year”at the NME Awards, reports NME. Styles, who was up against fellow pop star Miley Cyrus, and Russian Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin, amongst others. Styles claimed the magazine’s award for a second consecutive year. Other less-than-envious awards went to The 1975, who won the unfortunate award for “Worst Band.” Other winners at the event include Lily Allen for “Best Solo Artist” and Arctic Monkeys for “Best Live Band.”

Online petition forces Katy Perry to remove religious symbol from her music video 

The 29-year-old pop star was forced to remove an Islamic symbol from her “Dark Horse” video reports Rolling Stone. An online petition started by Shazad Iqbal on change.org called for the removal of the symbol which he and over 65,000 petitioners deemed blasphemous. In the video, a man sporting a necklace with Allah’s name is burned alive. According to the petition, “people from different walks of life, different religions and from different parts of the world, agree that the video promotes blasphemy, using the name of God in an irrelevant and distasteful manner would be considered inappropriate by any religion.”

Pharrell auctions off “mountain” Grammy hat

The infamous brown hat that music mogul, Pharrell Williams, sported at the 2014 Grammy Awards is being auctioned off, reports Rolling Stone. Since making its debut television appearance earlier last month, Williams’ headpiece has been making its way steadily onto almost every media outlet, drawing comparisons to Smokey The Bear and Arby’s logo. The Vivienne Westwood hat, described on the auction website as a “mountain hat,” is starting at $10,500 on eBay. The funds collected from the auction will go towards the organization, From One Hand To The Other, started by Williams in 2008.

Bright Eyes frontman sues over rape allegations

Conor Oberst of the indie band Bright Eyes is filing a defamation lawsuit after being accused of rape, reports NME. In the comments section of xojane.com, a woman accused Oberst of raping her nearly a decade ago when she was 16 years old, says TMZ. Oberst is denying all allegations, and is suing the woman for the defamatory and damaging rumours against him for $1 million. In a recent public statement, Oberst’s publicist stated that “the recent allegations made about Conor Oberst by an anonymous commenter on the xoJane website are flagrant enough to demand our response. This individual’s accusations are absolutely, unequivocally false.”

The Exploited’s Wattie Buchan collapses during performance

Lead singer of band The Exploited, Wattie Buchan, collapsed during a live performance in Lisbon, Portugal, due to a heart attack. The frontman of the Scottish punk band has reportedly been in the hospital since the show last week, according to The Daily Record. All upcoming tour dates with fellow bands Hatebreed and Napalm Death have been pushed back to May at the earliest. In a recent statement, a spokesperson said that “due to a severe illness Wattie can’t continue with the tour. He will be in hospital for at least a week.” The Exploited last released an album in 2003 and were scheduled to make a stop in Montreal, but the show was cancelled after the group was denied access into the country.

Clay Aiken to run for Congress

Runner up of American Idol season two, Clay Aiken, announced last week that he would be running for Congress, reports CBC. A Raleigh, N.C. native, Aiken hopes to win his hometown constituency under the Democratic Party. The position is currently held by Republican Congresswoman Renee Ellmers who questioned Aiken’s qualifications. Ellmers is quoted as saying in a interview on WMAL Radio that “his performing career is not going so well and he’s very bored.” On his official campaign announcement video, Aiken explained that he is “not a politician — I don’t ever want to be one — but I do want to help bring back, at least to my corner of North Carolina, the idea that someone can go to Washington to represent all the people whether they voted for you or not.” Aiken will compete in the Democratic primary later this May.

X Factor cancelled after three seasons

The American version of the singing competition has been cancelled, according to Reuters. Simon Cowell, the X Factor’s creator and judge, is reportedly going back to the U.K. edition of the show “in an effort to help declining ratings there,” reports Reuters. Cowell was previously a judge on American Idol, but left the show after the 10th installment in 2010. Rock legend Steven Tyler of Aerosmith and pop icon Jennifer Lopez replaced Cowell after his departure from the competition.

Unusual Beatles autograph to be auctioned off

When The Beatles first landed in America 50 years ago, the lads from Liverpool performed what was to become one of the most important televised musical events in history. John, Paul, George and Ringo performed for the first time for 73 million viewers on The Ed Sullivan Show on Feb. 9, 1964. NME reports that during their visit, the Fab Four signed part of a stage set, along with other musical guests from the evening. The autographed wall will be up for auction in April in New York, and is set to sell for up to $1 million, reports AP.

Beyoncé course now available at Rutgers University

Beyoncé fans rejoice: New Jersey’s Rutgers University will now offer a class on the R&B icon. The course, called “Politicizing Beyoncé,” will examine themes of “American race, gender and sexual politics,” according to Rutgers Today. The class will be taught by a PhD student from the department of women’s and gender studies at the University, who told the campus paper that the lectures will revolve around comparing the singer’s music to works by prominent figures in the Black Feminist Movement, like that of Alice Walker, reports Rolling Stone.

Trent Reznor infuriated after this year’s Grammy snub

Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor took to social media to express his anger after being cut off at this year’s Grammy Awards, reports Rolling Stone. The performance closed the awards ceremony with NIN’s song “Copy of A” and Queens of the Stone Age’s “My God Is The Sun.” The performance also featured Fleetwood Mac’s Lindsey Buckingham and Foo Fighters’ Dave Grohl. The show was allegedly running too long, forcing producers to cut part of the performance. Reznor then tweeted “Music’s biggest night. . . to be disrespected. A heartfelt F*** YOU guys.” The night’s executive producer, Ken Ehrlich, later apologized to Reznor in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.

Rob Ford defends Justin Bieber

Notorious Toronto mayor, Rob Ford, has jumped to the defence of pop star, Justin Bieber. The 19-year-old was arrested in Florida earlier this month for drag racing and driving under the influence, but was later released after posting bail set at $2,500. More recently, Bieber turned himself in to Toronto authorities after allegedly assaulting his limo driver, according to Rolling Stone. In a statement Bieber’s attorney claimed that, “We anticipate that this matter will be treated as a summary offense, the equivalent of a misdemeanor in the United States.” The pop star is set to appear in court for an arraignment hearing on Feb. 14.

FIFA World Cup song chosen

The official anthem for this summer’s FIFA World Cup has been selected, reports Rolling Stone: rapper and pop star Pitbull will provide the song for this year’s edition of the international soccer tournament taking place in Brazil. Jennifer Lopez and Brazilian musician Claudia Leitte will also appear alongside Pitbull on the track entitled “We Are One (Ole Ola).” All three singers will perform the anthem on June 12 to kick off the opening ceremonies in Sao Paulo.

Kurt Cobain Day in Washington

Feb. 20 will now officially be recognized as Kurt Cobain Day in Aberdeen, WA, to commemorate the late musician’s birthday. Cobain, the frontman for the iconic grunge band Nirvana, was born and raised in Aberdeen. The city’s mayor, along with the city council, voted to pay tribute to the musician, with the possibility of even developing a ‘Kurt Cobain Week,’ according to Rolling Stone. Later this year, Nirvana will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, marking the 20th anniversary of Cobain’s death.

Soulja Boy arrested on gun charges

DeAndre Cortez Way, better known as Soulja Boy, was arrested earlier last week in Los Angeles, CA,  for the possession of a loaded weapon. CNN reported that the rapper was a passenger in a vehicle that was pulled over in the early hours of the morning. Way was later released after posting a $35,000 bail. The rapper was also previously arrested in 2011 for “felony weapons charges during a traffic stop on a Georgia interstate in October 2011,” reports CNN.

Yellow Submarine: Vans Edition

For a special limited edition, Vans will be releasing a collection of footwear featuring the legendary Liverpudlians, said Rolling Stone. The collection will contain four different styles, each with different scenes of the Fab Four’s film and record Yellow Submarine which marks the 50th anniversary of The Beatles’ arrival in America. The pairs, being released at the beginning of March, will range in price from $65 to $75.

Stage collapses at Luke Bryan concert

Country music sensation Luke Bryan’s concert stage collapsed in Columbus, OH last week, postponing the country star’s next scheduled performance, according to Rolling Stone. The stage reportedly collapsed after the show, injuring and sending several members of the crew to the hospital. TMZ reported that the accident occurred after “a forklift reportedly crashed into a portion of the stage.” Bryan, who won artist of the year at the 2013 American Country Awards, has a string of upcoming tour dates to perform.

Queen guitarist gets a clean bill of health

Following a health scare in 2013, Queen guitarist Brian May has been given the “all-clear” for prostate cancer after a series of tests, as reported in The Guardian. Upon receiving the good news, May wrote in his blog that he celebrated in the studio with a cup of tea. Recently, May has been spending time in the studio with fellow Queen drummer and bandmate Roger Taylor for a possible release of unfinished material dating back to recording sessions from the 1980s. May also wrote that he “can’t help but feel a buzz. I’m energised again. It’s nice to be putting the Queen hat on again for a while. This year will be interesting, to say the least.”

The Church of Yeezus

It would appear that The Church of Yeezus, or Yeezianity, is indeed a new, real religion. According to Noisey, the founder of the religion based on rap sensation Kanye West would like to remain anonymous because he “fears that any name-association with the religion will ruin it’s goal to help people anonymously.” The religion is based on five essential pillars including “No human being’s right to express themselves must ever be repressed.” As of now, West has not commented on the religion that bears his name.

Lady Gaga no longer blacklisted in China

Since 2011, many of Lady Gaga’s tracks have been banned by the Chinese government due to the fact that they posed a threat to “national cultural security.” However, NME reports that her latest album, ARTPOP, has been in its entirety approved, lifting the Chinese Ministry of Culture’s ban. The pop star has tweeted that she now hopes she can “come to perform.” Other songs blacklisted in the country include material from Beyonce and Katy Perry.

Flavor Flav arrested over 16 license suspensions

William Drayton, better known as Public Enemy rapper, “Flavor Flav,” was arrested last week for driving with over a dozen suspensions on his license. According to a New York State Police statement, the rapper was also in possession of “a small amount of marijuana.” Drayton was quickly released despite the suspensions and illegal substance possession, because he was allegedly driving to his mother’s funeral, according to Rolling Stone. Drayton has previously been arrested several times over driving offenses and is due in court at the end of January.

Miley Cyrus’ and Britney Spears’ music videos banned on French daytime TV

According to NME, Britney Spears’ and Miley Cyrus’ music videos are too risqué for primetime TV in France. The Conseil Superieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), the French equivalent of the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission, has deemed Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” and Spears’ “Work B*tch” too controversial to be aired before 10 p.m. on television.

Beyonce speaks to gender equality

In a new collection of essays called The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink; Beyonce Knowles tells all her single ladies that gender equality is a myth. A self-described “modern-day feminist”, Mrs.Knowles called upon men to join women in the push for true equality and show women that they can earn the same, or more, than their male-counterparts.

OutKast to reunite at Coachella

Coachella recently revealed its 2014 lineup: Arcade Fire, Muse, and OutKast will be headlining the famous summer festival confirming the rumors that circulated last November of a potential OutKast reunion. Nearly 20 years ago, OutKast released their debut album, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, in April of 1994. They will be returning to the stage in over 40 festivals worldwide this year, leaving Montrealers with fingers crossed that Osheaga may be on that list.

New York square could get a Beastie flare

The corner of Ludlow and Rivington Street in New York City will potentially be renamed “Beastie Boy Square,” according to Rolling Stone. The corner featured on the New York rap group’s album Paul’s Boutique is located in the Lower East Side and prompted a “superfan” to set up an online petition to get the corner renamed. The Community Board and the City Council will vote on the matter on Tuesday.