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Today’s Music News: Courtney Love trapped in violent Uber protest

by Staff

June 25, 2015

Courtney Love is no stranger to protests, but in Paris on Thursday, she faced an angry mob that weren't mad about her—they were mad about her car. Love was riding a car from Uber, the transportation service that's recently been the target of blockades and protests by cab drivers who say Uber is threatening their livelihood. In a series of tweets, Love recounted her car being held "hostage" by protesters; according to the tweets, she had to escape on a motorcycle, chased by rock-throwing cabbies. (Billboard)

With longtime owner Louis Sirian preparing to hand over ownership of Minneapolis landmark Lee's Liquor Lounge to new owner Craig Kruckeberg on Tuesday, Saturday night's show by Dale Watson is shaping up to be especially poignant. The Texas country singer has played many shows at Lee's, and even released a song about the venue, "Louie's Lee's Liquor Lounge," in 1999. (Star Tribune)

Apple Music is revealing details about programming on Beats 1 Radio, the online station that will launch with the new streaming service on Tuesday. Among the station's hosts will be Dr. DreElton JohnPharrell WilliamsDrakeSt. Vincent, and longtime BBC1 host Zane Lowe, whose first guest will be Eminem. (Rolling Stone)

Now that Apple has agreed to pay artists for plays during Apple Music's three-month trial period, Taylor Swift has made it official: she'll allow Apple to stream her latest album 1989. (Rolling Stone)

In other Taylor Swift news, she's now half of the highest-paid celebrity couple in the world. She and boyfriend Calvin Harris made a combined $146 million last year. That puts them well ahead of runners-up Beyoncé and Jay Z, who only managed to scrape up a paltry $111 million. (Billboard)

Pete Townshend says that the Who are going to go the Grateful Dead route after they end their half-century career this year: Townshend and Roger Daltrey will continue to collaborate, but not as the Who. (NME)

Chance the Rapper is set to star in a feature-length murder mystery film, coming out next year. (Pitchfork)

According to band member Philip Selway, in September Radiohead are going to ramp up to a full-time schedule working on their new album. So far, work on the new album has been only episodic. (Pitchfork)

With Bobbi Kristina Brown, the only child of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, in hospice care, her court-appointed representative has filed a lawsuit against her boyfriend Nick Gordon for "loss of teeth, pain and suffering, and trauma that has required medical treatment." The lawsuit implies that abuse by Gordon was responsible for the injuries that Bobbi Kristina Brown is dying from. (Gawker)

The busy Nile Rodgers has teamed up with a perhaps unlikely collaborator: country star Keith Urban. Rodgers and Urban recently recorded two songs together, the Chic leader says. (Rolling Stone)

Meanwhile, EDM star Skrillex has also enlisted an unlikely musical collaborator: Katie Couric, who contributed vocals to some tracks Skrillex created during an interview with the TV host. (Pitchfork)

Presidential candidate Donald Trump is still peeved that Neil Young asked him to stop using "Rockin' in the Free World" at campaign events. Trump says Young is a "total hypocrite," since Young visited Trump when he was seeking funding for his Pono music player. As for the song, Trump says that he "didn't love it anyway." (Billboard)

Another political figure who's dipping his toe into music criticism is conservative commenter Sean Hannity, who's invited controversy among music fans by suggesting that if stores are to discontinue selling Confederate flags, they also ought to stop selling what he calls the "racist, misogynist, sexist" music of hip-hop stars like Jay Z and Ludacris. (Consequence of Sound)

Three Canadian politicians—Rachel Notley (premier of Alberta), Don Iverson (mayor of Edmonton), and Naheed Nenshi (mayor of Calgary)—have borrowed Nine Inch Nails' logo for a shirt that Nenshi says is funny because it's "lame." (SPIN)

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