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Today’s Music News: Black Friday fuels vinyl surge

by Staff

November 30, 2014

Shoppers across the country were busy the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday. Many music fans flocked to record stores for special releases, adding fuel to a continuing surge in vinyl sales. The vinyl comeback isn't just an American phenomenon: over the weekend U.K. vinyl sales for the year topped one million—making 2014 the first year since the mid-90s to see over a million vinyl records sold in the U.K. (Billboard)

AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd, charged with threatening to kill as well as drug possession, made a required appearance in a New Zealand court over the weekend. Rudd didn't seem particularly somber in court, goofing around with one of his security guards. (Billboard)

Scott Stapp, the former Creed frontman whose solo career brought him to the Minnesota State Fair this past summer, is seemingly facing mental health challenges. Stapp, who has been open about the chemical dependency issues he's faced in the past, posted a video on Facebook last Wednesday saying that money was missing from his accounts, that he'd been sleeping in his truck, and that his estranged wife was attempting to have him committed for psychiatric care. Over the weekend, more details—and more videos—emerged. It turns out that Stapp had been on psychiatric hold, and that his wife has indeed filed documents in an attempt to have Stapp re-committed. In his most recent statement, on Friday, Stapp said that he's "going to step back and let God control everything" and that he's done making further statements "until after justice is served." (Billboard)

In conjunction with the release of Bob Dylan's Basement Tapes Complete and a collection of songs by an all-star group, calling themselves "the New Basement Tapes," who wrote melodies for lyrics to unfinished Dylan songs, Dylan gave his first audio interview in a decade. He comments briefly on the recording of the original Basement Tapes, and says he'd never seen the "New Basement Tapes" lyrics since the day they were written. (Consequence of Sound)

Meanwhile, lyrics for two more unrecorded Dylan songs are going up for auction at Christie's on Dec. 4. Each is expected to fetch about $40,000. (Rolling Stone)

The pre-Grammys MusiCares Person of the Year tribute concert for Bruce Springsteen will air on PBS on Dec. 5. The concert featured performers including Neil Young covering "Born in the U.S.A."; Elton John playing "Streets of Philadelphia"; and Patti Smith playing "Because the Night," a song she co-wrote with Springsteen. (Rolling Stone)

With her song "Bed of Lies" debuting at number 70 on Billboard's Hot 100, Nicki Minaj ties Madonna and Dionne Warwick for third-most Hot 100 hits by a female performer; both now have 56. Ahead of them are Taylor Swift with 66 Hot 100 hits, and Aretha Franklin with 73. (Billboard)

Busta Rhymes appeared at a Thursday night concert by his protege O.T. Genasis, and left the stage face-first. (Billboard)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bXSmpp4a28

A new Geico ad features Salt-n-Pepa telling a pregnant mom, a guy mowing his lawn, and a guy trying to open a door to...well, you know.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pE0_GaLsX1Y

Lady Gaga and Tony Bennett, meanwhile, appear in a new H&M ad. Bennett, 88 looks spry and seems to be enjoying his status by oldest artist ever to have a number-one album.

Bette Midler and Ariana Grande swear there's no beef between them, despite the fact that Midler told the Telegraph that Grande looks "ridiculous" in her sexy outfits, adding "you don't have to make a whore out of yourself to get ahead." Grande says it's "all love" between the two, and Midler apologized, saying her comments were "spoken like a reformed old whore!" (Billboard)

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This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.