Channing Tatum and Zooey Deschanel make their SNL hosting debut next month

New York, NY - January 11, 2012 - Channing Tatum makes his debut as host on February 4. Tatum can next be seen alongside Jonah Hill in the feature film "21 Jumpstreet" due out March 16. His past film credits include "Coach Carter," "Step Up," "Stop-Loss," and "Dear John."
The Grammy-nominated band Bon Iver will make their SNL debut alongside Tatum. The group released their second album, "Bon Iver," in June 2011 to critical praise garnering attention for many of their singles including "Holocene," which received two Grammy nominations and "Calgary."
Zooey Deschanel will make her debut SNL appearance as host on February 11. Deschanel stars in the hit sitcom "New Girl," for which she recently earned Golden Globe nominations for both Best Actress and Best Television Comedy. Deschanel has starred in several films including "500 Days Of Summer," "Yes Man," and "Elf;" and along with her many film and television credits, boasts an impressive musical career as one half of the critically acclaimed band, She&Him. Deschanel was nominated for a Grammy Award for her original song "So Long," written and performed for the feature film "Winnie The Pooh."
The "swag pop" music duo, Karmin, will make their first musical guest appearance on February 11. Best known for their covers of Billboard chart toppers, Karmin are releasing their debut album with their own original songs including "Crash Your Party" and "Broken Hearted."
"Saturday Night Live" is produced in association with Broadway Video. The creator and executive producer is Lorne Michaels.

Red Hot Chili Peppers reschedule tour dates due to injury

Red Hot Chili Peppers rescheduled their entire upcoming U.S. tour due to lead singer Anthony Kiedis' recent foot injuries. The sold-out Dallas date at American Airlines Center, originally scheduled for March 9, will now be on Oct. 2.
According to his publicist, "Kiedis recently underwent surgery to remove a crushed sesamoid bone and correct a detached flexor tendon in his foot and is expected to make a full recovery."
All tickets for the postponed dates will be honored at the rescheduled dates. The Peppers' tour supports their latest album, I'm With You, the first with new guitarist Josh Klinghoffer.

Nickelback launches tour, plays Dallas in early June

We love to hate them, but they are huge. Yes, I'm talking about Canada's Nickelback, a favorite whipping band in the popular music pantheon.
Chad Kroeger and his band mates will embark on a 39-city trek that brings them to American Airlines Center June 1. Special guests on all tour stops are Bush, Seether and My Darkest Days. Nickelback will support its latest CD, Here and Now, and will of course be playing material from the 2005 8-million-selling disc All the Right Reasons.
Tickets for the June 1 Dallas gig go on sale Jan. 21 at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.
Photo: Chad Kroeger performs during haltime of the CFL 99th Grey Cup November 27, 2011 at BC Place in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada (Photo by Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images).

Passionate 'Zelda' fans help make symphony performance special

The man I was looking at certainly looked like he belonged at a symphony performance. He was sharply dressed, with well-kept hair and a clean-shaven face. He was talking to a couple of other well-clothed people as they take their seats, chatting about classical music.
In a clichéd movie scene, he would have pulled a stopwatch out of his jacket pocket at this moment. Instead, he pulls out a Nintendo 3DS to see how many people he has StreetPassed with over the past few minutes.
The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses performance last night by the Dallas Symphony Orchestra was filled with one of the most amazingly diverse crowds I've ever seen, which played a big part in making it special. The show itself is interesting in that in combined video games - a medium not always thought of as being related to "high art" - and classical music. Milling around the Meyerson Symphony Center before the show you never knew whether you were going to see men and women in suits and dresses, younger gamers in Zelda-themed t-shirts or devoted fans dressed from head to toe in costumes inspired by the series.

Chiddy Bang Get Stoned With Keith Richards in the Studio

Gino DePinto, AOL

While recording their first official album, 'Breakfast,' rap duo Chiddy Bang got to do something that's probably on thousands of bucket lists: Get stoned with Keith Richards.

At the time, the group's MC Chiddy was unaware that the man he shared his stash with was a rock legend. "Before anyone told me that was Keith Richards, I didn't even know," he revealed in a recent interview with our hip-hop sister site The Boombox. "I was walking down the hallway smelling like reefer and he was like, 'Hey!'"

That random encounter led to a daily ritual among the Rolling Stones guitarist, Chiddy and his partner, producer Xaphoon Jones, during the two weeks they shared the studio. "Everyday he would peek his little British head in the door and he'd [Chiddy] be like, 'Wanna smoke something?'" Jones remembered.

U2 Reveal Work on Three New Albums, Doubt R.E.M. Break-Up Permanent

Dave Hogan/Getty Images

With the band finally off the road following 360, their record-breaking moneymaker of a world tour, U2 have shed some light on their current studio work, including that they are working on three separate albums.

"We're working on three albums at the moment and we haven't decided what order we're going to put them out but 'The Songs of Ascent' have the kind of beautiful intimacy that we're speaking of now," Bono said in an exclusive interview to members of the band fan club on U2.com and revealed on fan site U2 Hellas. "They fit into this moment, the mode of some of these artists that I was hanging out with on Christmas Eve."

Bono is referring to busking in and around Dublin on Dec. 24 with fellow musicians -- including the Swell Season's Glen Hansard -- for two homeless charities: the Peter McVerry Trust and Simon Community. The singers played 'Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)' and 'Silent Night.'

Lisa Loeb Pregnant With Second Child

Kevin Winter, Getty Images

Lisa Loeb and husband Roey Hershkovitz have announced that they have a second child on the way. According to People Magazine, the famously bespectacled singer will deliver her new baby this coming June.

"I grew up with a big family, so I'm excited for Lyla to have a sibling!" the 43-year-old tells People. The past few years have seen the actress/vocalist get married in 2009, debut her signature line of eyewear and release her first children's book. Despite her hectic schedule, Loeb says that she always puts her family first. "It's a little bit of a challenge to try to balance my work with my family, but my family comes first."

Loeb is currently on tour for her most recent project, 'Lisa Loeb's Silly Sing-Along: The Disappointing Pancake and Other Zany Songs,' a children's book full of choreography, recipes, music and more.

The Doors Release 'She Smells So Nice,' First New Track in 40 Years

Michael Ochs Archives, Getty Images

2012 has been proclaimed "The Year of the Doors" and will be celebrated with a series of releases. Kicking the whole shebang off is 'She Smells So Nice,' the first completely new and unreleased song from the band in 40 years. The track was discovered when the album's co-producer Bruce Botnick was reviewing the 'L.A. Woman' session tapes for an upcoming reissue.

'She Smells So Nice' is a fleet-footed shimmy with roots in rhythm and blues. The next release from the Doors will come on Jan. 20 when there will be a one-time screening of 'Mr. Mojo Risin': The Story of L.A. Woman' at the Egyptian Theatre in Hollywood. The album would be the Doors' last with Jim Morrison, as the frontman decamped to Paris upon its completion and passed away several months after its release.

Shins Unveil 'Simple Song,' Preview Long-Awaited Fourth Album

Douglas Mason, Getty Images

In the half-decade since the last Shins album, singer James Mercer has parted company with every member of the 2007 lineup, recorded an album with Danger Mouse and even done a bit of acting. Clearly, a lot has changed, but now that the band is streaming the brand-new 'Simple Song' (listen below), it seems one thing remains the same: Mercer still isn't writing simple songs.

Taken from 'Port of Morrow,' the band's long-awaited fourth album, 'Simple Song' is classic Shins: catchy yet convoluted. This one's a little less ambiguous than, say, 'Phantom Limb,' the lead-off single from 2007's 'Wincing the Night Away,' but even as Mercer seemingly aims for straightforward statements about love and hope, he can't resist the urge to get a little weird.

"When I was just 9 years old, I swear that I dreamt your face on a football field," he sings early on, "and a kiss that I kept under my vest, apart from everything but the heart in my chest."

Elton John: AIDS Epidemic Book Will Feature Freddie Mercury

SNAPPER/bauergriffinonline.com

Elton John will pen a personal account of his life during the AIDS epidemic with proceeds going to the Elton John AIDS Foundation.

According to Reuters, 'LOVE IS THE CURE: Ending the Global AIDS Epidemic' will be published by Hodder & Stoughton and will be a "very personal story of Elton's life during the AIDS epidemic, including his agony at seeing friend after friend perish needlessly." An audio book version will also be released with John providing the voice for it.

The book, which will be published this July to coincide with the 2012 XIX International AIDS Conference in Washington, D.C., will include his relationships with the late Queen singer Freddie Mercury who died from AIDS-related illness in 1991.

At the Drive-In Reunite After 11 Years

Martin Philbey, Redferns

For the past several years, chances of seeing highly celebrated post-hardcore band At the Drive-In reunite have been slim -- until today. The blogosphere is jumping from buzz created by the defunct rock group's newly minted Twitter account, which told fans that they were breaking their silence after an 11-year hiatus.

At the Drive-In have not yet fully committed to a reunion, and many unanswered questions remain. Since their dissolution in 2001, Cedric Bixler-Zavala, Jim Ward, Omar Rodríguez-López, Paul Hinojos, and Tony Hajjar have created two separate bands: Sparta and the Mars Volta. Founding member and guitarist Jim Ward has been busy lately with a series of solo acoustic EPs while still maintaining membership in Sparta with Hinojos. Rodríguez-López and Bixler-Zavala went on to create the massively successful prog-rock outfit the Mars Volta.

Coachella 2012 Lineup: Radiohead, Black Keys, Dr. Dre & Snoop Headline

Shirlaine Forrest, WireImage

At long last, Coachella has announced its official 2012 lineup, revealing that the Black Keys, Radiohead, and Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg will be headlining the two-weekend event, which takes place April 13-15, and April 20-22.

Coachella leaked the official lineup via Twitter earlier today, offering concertgoers a glimpse at the highly anticipated 2012 lineup poster, which includes many expected names, some newly reunited legends, and a few surprises.

Radiohead Add US Tour Dates, Will Play West Coast Before Coachella

Getty Images

Radiohead have added four additional dates -- three of them on the West Coast -- to their upcoming tour, the NME reports. In the days leading up to their April 14 and 21 appearances at Coachella, the enigmatic British rockers will play Seattle on April 9 and then head to California for shows in San Jose and Santa Barbara on April 11 and 12.

Three months later, on July 25, Thom Yorke will twitch and mumble to the delight of fans at Taiwan's Nanang Exhibition Hall in Taipei.

Radiohead had previously announced 10 U.S. shows -- a run of dates starting in Miami on Feb. 27 and ending on March 15 in Glendale, Ariz. -- and the group is also slated to headline Portugal's Optimus Alive festival and Spain's Bilbao BBK festival in July.

k.d. lang and Partner Jamie Price Ending Domestic Union

Dimitrios Kambouris, WireImage

k.d. lang and her partner Jamie Price are ending their relationship. According to court documents obtained by TMZ, the singer has filed to dissolve the couple's domestic union. In the state of California, a domestic partnership allows same-sex couples to share property rights, spousal support and make health care decisions for one another.

lang and Price have been an item since 2003, and no explanation has been given for why the relationship has ended.

Bryan Ferry Married! Singer Weds 30-Year-Old Girlfriend Amanda Sheppard

Marc Piasecki, Getty Images

Bryan Ferry has wed longtime sweetheart Amanda Sheppard in Turks and Caicos. According to the Daily Mail, the 66-year-old singer married his 30-year-old girlfriend in an intimate ceremony on Jan. 4.

This is marriage number two for Ferry, who divorced wife Lucy Helmore in 2003 after 21 years and two children. The Roxy Music frontman is no stranger to age-varied relationships, as he once dated dancer Katie Turner, who was 35 years younger. Ferry and Sheppard have reportedly been dating since 2008, but tried to keep the relationship on the down-low due to Sheppard's past involvement with Ferry's son Isaac.

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Radiohead, Black Keys, Snoop and Dre Headlining See the Entire Roster Matt Cardy, Getty Images previous pause next Spotify: Free Users Will Be Limited to 10-Hour Monthly Cap Posted on Jan 10th 2012 4:00PM by Cameron Matthews Comments SpotifySpotify Music streaming services are all the rage lately, with European crossover Spotify leading the pack. Now, the Verge reports that the beloved free program may soon cost you a few bucks a month. As detailed in Spotify's original terms of service, early U.S. sign-ups gave users six months of unlimited free streaming from its launch on July 14, 2011. As of this January, the Swedish company has ended the honeymoon phase and will soon implement a 10-hour monthly cap on all free accounts. According to Billboard (via Social Times), Spotify's earnings jumped from just under $18 million in 2009 to $99 million in 2010. Despite the tremendous increase, Spotify still lost $41.5 million due to the extreme costs of licensing thousands of songs. Continue reading Spotify: Free Users Will Be Limited to 10-Hour Monthly Cap Filed under: News 5121 Jack White Barters for an Elephant Head on 'American Pickers' -- Video Posted on Jan 10th 2012 3:00PM by Theo Spielberg Comments 5min How much would you pay for one large elephant head? Well, even if you're remotely like Jack White and you "love the majesty of taxidermy," you'll probably drive a hard bargain. After all, not everybody has enough space or cash (or spacecash?) to accommodate a gigantic elephant head. The whole scenario went down Monday night on an episode of the History Channel's 'American Pickers.' White invited show hosts Mike Wolf and Frank Fritz down to Third Man Records in Nashville (which we imagine looks something like a cross between an episode of hoarders and a rock 'n' roll reliquary) for a little old-fashioned bartering. Continue reading Jack White Barters for an Elephant Head on 'American Pickers' -- Video Filed under: News 2233 Jason Isbell Accuses 'D-Bag' Dierks Bentley of Stealing Song in Twitter Feud Posted on Jan 10th 2012 2:30PM by Jason MacNeil Comments Jason Isbel and Dierks BentleyGetty Images/AP Photo Jason Isbell, singer and former Drive-By Truckers member, launched a Twitter feud with country singer Dierks Bentley last week. According to Billboard, Isbell says Bentley's new single 'Home' is similar to 'In A Razor Town,' a song from Isbell's 2007 solo album 'Sirens Of The Ditch.' Isbell raised the issue on Jan. 6 with a tweet repeatedly misspelling Bentley's first name before saying the following in series of follow-up tweets: "'Dierks' has officially ripped off my song 'In A Razor Town.' Dierks is a douchebag. The song of Dierks is called 'Home.'" Later Isbell called Dan Wilson -- who co-wrote the song with Bentley and Brett Beavers -- a "super smart songwriter" but added "I bet he's never heard my song. I bet Dierks brought that idea to the table and Dan ran with it." The accusations riled up Bentley fans who began replying to Isbell. "I think this is a good time to ask all Dierks Bentley fans to unfollow me," Isbell added. "We just weren't meant to be friends." Continue reading Jason Isbell Accuses 'D-Bag' Dierks Bentley of Stealing Song in Twitter Feud Filed under: News, Holy Hell 712 Real Estate's 'Easy' Video Features a Dangerous Street Team -- Watch Posted on Jan 10th 2012 1:30PM by Cameron Matthews Comments Real EstateFunnyOrDie.com Real Estate's new album 'Days' has been blowing up the blogosphere, and the band's latest video illustrates exactly why. The clip for 'Easy,' directed by Tom Scharpling for Funny or Die, follows the New Jersey indie rockers' street team as it aggressively pursues coverage for the band. Lead by UCB funnyman Chris Gethard, the band's cronies antagonize common city dwellers for not knowing enough about Real Estate, and, in one instance, force headphones upon an innocent passerby. After driving around in their van with the group's image plastered on back, the street teamers land upon Jake Fogelnest's radio show. Continue reading Real Estate's 'Easy' Video Features a Dangerous Street Team -- Watch Filed under: News, Video, New Music 300 Van Halen 'Tattoo' Video: The Legends Premiere Clip From Upcoming Album Posted on Jan 10th 2012 1:00PM by Carlos Ramirez Comments vhnd.com Earlier today, Van Halen premiered 'Tattoo,' the first video and single from their long-awaited comeback album, 'A Different Kind of Truth.' The black-and-white clip was filmed at The Roxy, a famed club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Van Halen had been using the venue this past November and December to rehearse for their upcoming world tour. The 45-date trek will kick off next month in Louisville, Ky., with tickets going on sale today, Jan. 10, at 9:00AM EST. 'A Different Kind of Truth,' Van Halen's 12th studio album, will hit stores on Feb. 7 via their new label home, Interscope Records. The 13-track collection was produced by John Shanks (Unwritten Law, Bon Jovi), Ross Hagarth (Sick Puppies, DevilDriver) and the band. 'She's the Woman,' one of the cuts on the new album, was originally demoed in 1976, but never made it onto any official releases. The group decided to record a new version of the song for 'A Different Kind of Truth,' and also performed it at their recent Café Wha? club appearance New York City. Continue reading Van Halen 'Tattoo' Video: The Legends Premiere Clip From Upcoming Album Filed under: News, Video 4722 Israel Baker Dead: 'Psycho' Violinist and Classical Legend Dies at 92

YouTube

Renowned violinist and concert master Israel Baker passed away at his Studio City home after suffering a stroke, the Los Angeles Times reports. He was 92 years old.

In the realm of classical violinists, Israel Baker was about as close to a movie star as one could get. As concertmaster for the orchestra of that scored Alfred Hitchcock's 'Psycho,' Baker helmed one of the most iconic pieces of score in movie history: The shrill, high-pitched violins that accompany the infamous shower scene.

In addition to scaring people out of hotel showers for over half a century, Baker contributed his generous talent to dozens of other films over the decades, including 'Jonathan Livingston Seagull' in 1973 and 'Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom' in 1984.

Van Halen 'Tattoo' Video: The Legends Premiere Clip From Upcoming Album

vhnd.com

Earlier today, Van Halen premiered 'Tattoo,' the first video and single from their long-awaited comeback album, 'A Different Kind of Truth.'

The black-and-white clip was filmed at The Roxy, a famed club on Hollywood's Sunset Strip. Van Halen had been using the venue this past November and December to rehearse for their upcoming world tour. The 45-date trek will kick off next month in Louisville, Ky., with tickets going on sale today, Jan. 10, at 9:00AM EST.

'A Different Kind of Truth,' Van Halen's 12th studio album, will hit stores on Feb. 7 via their new label home, Interscope Records. The 13-track collection was produced by John Shanks (Unwritten Law, Bon Jovi), Ross Hagarth (Sick Puppies, DevilDriver) and the band. 'She's the Woman,' one of the cuts on the new album, was originally demoed in 1976, but never made it onto any official releases. The group decided to record a new version of the song for 'A Different Kind of Truth,' and also performed it at their recent Café Wha? club appearance New York City.

Real Estate's 'Easy' Video Features a Dangerous Street Team -- Watch

FunnyOrDie.com

Real Estate's new album 'Days' has been blowing up the blogosphere, and the band's latest video illustrates exactly why. The clip for 'Easy,' directed by Tom Scharpling for Funny or Die, follows the New Jersey indie rockers' street team as it aggressively pursues coverage for the band.

Lead by UCB funnyman Chris Gethard, the band's cronies antagonize common city dwellers for not knowing enough about Real Estate, and, in one instance, force headphones upon an innocent passerby. After driving around in their van with the group's image plastered on back, the street teamers land upon Jake Fogelnest's radio show.

Jason Isbell Accuses 'D-Bag' Dierks Bentley of Stealing Song in Twitter Feud

Getty Images/AP Photo

Jason Isbell, singer and former Drive-By Truckers member, launched a Twitter feud with country singer Dierks Bentley last week. According to Billboard, Isbell says Bentley's new single 'Home' is similar to 'In A Razor Town,' a song from Isbell's 2007 solo album 'Sirens Of The Ditch.'

Isbell raised the issue on Jan. 6 with a tweet repeatedly misspelling Bentley's first name before saying the following in series of follow-up tweets: "'Dierks' has officially ripped off my song 'In A Razor Town.' Dierks is a douchebag. The song of Dierks is called 'Home.'"

Later Isbell called Dan Wilson -- who co-wrote the song with Bentley and Brett Beavers -- a "super smart songwriter" but added "I bet he's never heard my song. I bet Dierks brought that idea to the table and Dan ran with it."

The accusations riled up Bentley fans who began replying to Isbell. "I think this is a good time to ask all Dierks Bentley fans to unfollow me," Isbell added. "We just weren't meant to be friends."

Jack White Barters for an Elephant Head on 'American Pickers' -- Video

5min

How much would you pay for one large elephant head? Well, even if you're remotely like Jack White and you "love the majesty of taxidermy," you'll probably drive a hard bargain. After all, not everybody has enough space or cash (or spacecash?) to accommodate a gigantic elephant head.

The whole scenario went down Monday night on an episode of the History Channel's 'American Pickers.' White invited show hosts Mike Wolf and Frank Fritz down to Third Man Records in Nashville (which we imagine looks something like a cross between an episode of hoarders and a rock 'n' roll reliquary) for a little old-fashioned bartering.