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Today’s Music News: Apple announces new streaming music service

by Staff

June 08, 2015

On Monday at the Apple Worldwide Developers Conference in San Francisco, the computer giant announced a new streaming music service to be called, simply, Apple Music. The service will launch at the end of this month, at a price of $9.99 per month with the first three months being free. In addition to allowing you to listen to music of your choosing, the service will feature various music discovery services including a "worldwide radio station" called Apple Music Beats 1. On hand for the launch were Drake and the Weeknd; the latter group performed a new song in what was seen by some as an attempt to spotlight artists who are younger and hipper than U2. (Billboard)

Ice Cube announced that he'll perform at the BET Experience show in Los Angeles on June 27 with bandmates MC Ren and DJ Yella for the first time in over 20 years they'll be billed as N.W.A. Not expected to participate is Dr. Dre, though he's collaborating with Ice Cube and the widow of Eazy-E to produce the N.W.A. biopic Straight Outta Compton, which will be released on Aug. 14. (Rolling Stone)

Garbage announced an anniversary tour to be called "20 Years of Queer." On the tour, they'll perform their self-titled debut album in its entirety. The tour won't make any Minnesota stops, though it hits Chicago on Oct. 17 and Madison the following night. (Rolling Stone)

Ariana Grande has struck out against what she describes as sexist media coverage that became particularly acute in the wake of her breakup with former boyfriend Big Sean. Grande wrote a strong feminist statement that she posted to Twitter, closing with a Gloria Steinem quote.

On Sunday, Aretha Franklin performed "The Old Ship of Zion" at a Detroit memorial service for her late father, who died in 1984 and would have turned 100 this year, and her brother, who worked as one of Franklin's managers and died in 1989. (Detroit News)

Ahead of their final studio album reissues, Led Zeppelin have shared "Sugar Mama," a 1968 rave-up that's been widely bootlegged but never officially released. The track will appear on the Coda reissue, out July 31. Hear the track at Rolling Stone.

Kim Gordon and J Mascis have collaborated on "Slow Boy," a track from a new Converse compilation. (Pitchfork)

Foo Fighters have confirmed that there will be a second season of their documentary series Sonic Highways, and this time they might go international. (Billboard)

Beyoncé says she's going (mostly) vegan, and starting a vegan meal delivery service. (Billboard)

Just when you think you've seen Miley Cyrus naked in every conceivable situation, she outdoes herself.

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