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Today’s Music News: Kanye West’s ‘Yeezus’ remade as a Christmas album

by Staff

December 24, 2014

Taking the concept of a parody song to a new level, the group Local Business Comedy have remade Kanye West's entire Yeezus album as a Christmas album. That's right, the entire album. Listen below—but heads-up, despite the seasonal subject matter, the language is just as NSFW as the original.

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After a long, strange, sad odyssey, the remains of Casey Kasem have finally been laid to rest—in Norway, where his wife Jean inexplicably decided to bury the radio great. Kasem's children, who have been battling Jean for control of Kasem's remains, were not present at the interment ceremony, which took place last week. (Billboard)

Music mogul Irving Azoff has told YouTube to remove 20,000 songs he now controls the performance rights to—including songs written by John Lennonthe EaglesPharrell Williams, and many more. Azoff is threatening a $1 billion lawsuit if YouTube doesn't comply. At issue is YouTube's copyright claim procedure, which requires rights holders to file an individual violation notice for every single video they believe to be infringing. Azoff and other rights holders say the onus of proof should be the other way around: YouTube shouldn't post music videos unless the parties uploading can prove they have legal rights to the music. (Billboard)

As the vinyl boom continues, the record label Fat Possum has opened a new vinyl pressing plant in Memphis. Label founder Matthew Johnson said he's tired of going through the onerous procedure of having records pressed overseas. "I’ve had 3,000 Modest Mouse records stuck in customs that’s cost me a lot of money at Christmas," Johnson told Billboard, saying that U.S. record production facilities have months' worth of back orders piling up as they try to meet surging demand.

You can watch an 11-year-old Björk reading the Nativity story on Icelandic TV, circa 1976.

Future Islands frontman Samuel T. Herring says he was hurt by the often mocking reactions to his band's March performance of "Seasons (Waiting on You)" on David Letterman's Late Show. "It doesn't matter if it's a joke as long as it's not a joke to everybody," said Herring, according to NME. The video went viral thanks to Herring's distinctive dancing, helping the song to become an international hit.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Ee4bfu_t3c

Recently wed to his longtime partner David Furnish, Elton John shared an Instagram photo of many of the cards and letters he received—including a handwritten note of apology from Adele, expressing her love and her regret at having to miss the ceremony. (NME) So far, no sign has emerged that newlywed Lance Bass received anything similar from Justin Timberlake, who was the only member of 'N Sync to take a pass on Bass's bash. (Gawker)

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