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Today’s Music News: David Byrne organizes all-star concerts with colorguard teams

by Staff

January 22, 2015

Colorguard: yes, it's that flag-waving team you remember from high school. David Byrne became fascinated with the activity after a team asked to use some of his music in a routine, and he's now organized four all-star concerts, in New York and Toronto in late June, that will pair colorguard teams with artists including himself, tUnE-yArDs, St. Vincent, Kelis, and Nelly Furtado. (Rolling Stone)

Jack White baseball card

Rush fans, rejoice: the Canadian rock juggernaut are celebrating 40 years as a band with a North American tour that will include a May 12 stop at the Xcel Energy Center. (Consequence of Sound)

A man suspected of being the hacker who leaked tracks by Madonna was arrested yesterday in Israel. The man's name has not been released, but Billboard says "local reports have already surfaced identifying the man as a former contestant on one of Israel's most popular singing competition TV shows."

After an eight-year hiatus, the Live Earth event will return in 2015 under the direction of Al Gore and Pharrell Williams, who will serve as creative director of the event. On June 18, Gore and Williams plan, "over 100 artists will perform across seven continents." Beyond Williams, no participating artists have yet been announced. (Rolling Stone)

Pharrell has also been added to the list of this year's performers at the Grammys on Feb. 8. In addition to previously announced performers MadonnaAC/DCEric ChurchAriana Grande, and Ed Sheeran, the Grammy stage will feature PharrellSam SmithUsher, and Miranda Lambert. Also, Common and John Legend will perform "Glory," their song from Selma. (Billboard)

Michael Angelakos, lead singer of Passion Pit, has opened up about his struggles with bipolar disorder in a short video released as part of #StrongerThanStigma, a campaign to raise awareness about mental illness. (Rolling Stone)

Dropping gas prices are making it a lot easier for touring bands to fill their tanks. Billboard estimates that a band like Chromeo, who travel with one semi truck and one bus, would be saving about $2,000 a month compared to what it cost them to tour just last summer. (Billboard)

Kim Kardashian shared a video of her husband Kanye West, at age 12, reciting a poem he wrote in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. (Billboard)

HAIM are in the studio working on their second album, again working with producer Ariel Rechtshaid, who produced their debut Days Are Gone. (Billboard)

Sia has shared behind-the-scenes footage from the making of her controversial "Elastic Heart" video. (Billboard)

Morrissey has ebola. At least, that's what one fan says the Smiths frontman said in declining to sign an autograph. (Stereogum)

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