The Stooges, Genesis Inducted Into Rock Hall Of Fame
The Stooges, Genesis, ABBA, The Hollies and others were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on Monday, March 15 in New York City. The Stooges had been nominated seven times, but finally made it in. During his acceptance speech, Stooges guitarist James Williamson said, "We were beginning to think we would have to take pride in not getting in." Iggy Pop was described by Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong as "the most confrontational singer we will ever see... They symbolize the destruction of flower power and the creation of raw power." Genesis was inducted by Phish's Trey Anastasio, who is a life-long fan. Benny Anderson and ex-wife Anni-Frid Lyngstad were the only two ABBA members who attended.
Jack Johnson Releases New Album in June, Begins Tour In July
Jack Johnson's new album titled To The Sea will be released on June 1 via his own label, Bushfire Records. "You and Your Heart" is the first single to be released in early April. Johnson will begin his U.S. tour on July 9 in Hartford, Connecticut and end on October 13 and 14 at the Santa Barbara Bowl. For Johnson's To The Sea tour, his production team will continue to pave the way in green touring practices and community engagement. Greening actions include fueling tour vehicles with sustainable biodiesel, offering eco-friendly tour merchandise, and promoting ride share programs. In addition, venues and fans are encouraged to reduce waste, recycle, use water refill stations and offset carbon emissions.
Snow Patrol Sang With Dislocated Jaw... 8 Years!
Apparently Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody has been singing with a dislocated jaw for eight years! His condition recently came to light when it became too painful for him to sing, and Lightbody revealed that the accident occurred when he took a drunken tumble down a flight of stairs at a nightclub in Glasgow. But because he was so drunkenly rude to the nursing staff at the hospital, X-rays were never taken and the problem went undetected. "Let me be clear right now I am not pissed off with the nurses at all. They take shit like I gave out that night every weekend and I am only ashamed of myself, not annoyed with them," Lightbody wrote on the Snow Patrol website. "A few years after that incident my jaw started to get very sore and has been a source of pain for years and I have seen all kinds of people about it. My mistrust of western medicine meant though that never once did I get it x-rayed... After we finished the Tired Pony record in Portland and I came down to L.A. with Garret to mix it and to start a film soundtrack my jaw got to be so sore that I couldn’t take it any longer and went to a doctor who promptly x-rayed me and discovered that it was dislocated." He is currently recovering from his injury, and the band is still scheduled to tour Europe in May and June.
Eddy Grant Accuses Gorillaz of Infringement With “Stylo”
Did Gorillaz rock down to Electric Avenue and rip off a song by Eddy Grant for their Plastic Beach single “Stylo”? That’s what Grant himself is alleging, saying in a statement that Damon Albarn and his animated band borrowed heavily from his electro cut “Time Warp.” “I am outraged that the Gorillaz have infringed the copyright of my song ‘Time Warp’ claiming their song ‘Stylo’ to be an original composition,” Grant said in a statement (via Addict Music). “My song sits almost note to note with their release and is a blatant rip off.” Grant faults EMI Publishing’s administration division, who oversee the work of both Grant and Gorillaz, for not spotting the likenesses sooner. “I do not blame my publishers but, the state of the industry at the current time with all labels and publishers folding into one and becoming incestuous,” Grant said. “It’s such an obvious copy that from day one the band and their management should have taken control of this situation with EMI Publishing.” It’s unclear whether Grant is seeking monetary damages for the supposed rip-off, but he is demanding that he receives an apology from the animated band as well as a full credit for the track. Requests for comment from Gorillaz’s reps were not answered by press time.