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Music News: Malcolm McLaren’s son to burn $7 million of punk memorabilia

by Staff

March 15, 2016

Joe Corré, the son of Sex Pistols manager Malcolm McLaren and fashion designer Vivienne Westwood, says he will conduct a public, ceremonial burning of his personal collection of punk memorabilia — valued at $7 million. Corré says he's protesting the official Year of Punk that's been declared to celebrate the 40th anniversary of punk. "The Queen giving 2016, the Year of Punk, her official blessing is the most frightening thing I’ve ever heard," says Corré. "Talk about alternative and punk culture being appropriated by the mainstream." Corré is inviting other punk fans to add their own memorabilia to the pile he'll set aflame on Nov. 26, the 40th anniversary of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." (Pitchfork)

Artists unite to fight poverty

Kanye Westthe NationalEllie Goulding, and more artists will collaborate on an album that will raise awareness and funds to fight extreme poverty. Ben Lovett of Mumford & Sons is the musical organizer of the project: a 12-track album named Metamorphoses that will be released in the fall. Participating artists will create original songs using words from stories shared by people around the world. (Billboard)

Today's White House news

The White House has shared video of Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda freestyling a rap inspired by cards held up by President Obama. Sample lyric: "It's the Oval Office/ Oh my gosh/ I can't believe I'm there/ It's so much more intimidating than if it was square." (Pitchfork)

Meanwhile, Michelle Obama is dropping another cut: "This Is For My Girls," a collaboration with artists including Janelle MonaeMissy Elliott, and Kelly Clarkson, will raise funds and awareness for girls' education around the world. (Billboard)

Aesop Rock gets therapy

Aesop Rock is getting ready to release a new album, The Impossible Kid, on April 29 on Rhymesayers Entertainment. In a series of videos leading up to the release, the rapper gets therapy from a cartoon bear. Watch at Pitchfork.

Today's cloth talk

M.I.A. is pairing with H&M for a drive that aims to recycle 1,000 tons of clothes into new garments for World Recycle Week next month. As part of the drive, M.I.A. plans to release a new music video via H&M's website on April 11. (Rolling Stone)

St. Vincent makes an Iggy Pop mixtape

Given that he's collaborating with the punk legend on a new album and tour, it's unlikely that Josh Homme really needs an Iggy Pop 101, but nonetheless, the Queens of the Stone Age frontman has asked St. Vincent to craft an Iggy Pop mixtape for her Beats 1 radio show. (Pitchfork)

Hozier breaks a record

Hozier holds the new record for most Shazam searches for a song featured in a TV show: the Irish singer-songwriter's "Arsonist's Lullaby" inspired almost 200,000 Shazam users to search for the song when it was featured in a recent episode of The Walking Dead. (Billboard)

Sony to buy the rest of Michael Jackson's publishing library

Maybe the smartest non-musical decision Michael Jackson ever made was to buy ATV Music Publishing — a library of songs including most of the Beatles' catalog — in 1985. The publishing library ballooned in value, and in the 1990s Jackson sold half of the library to Sony to cover some of his persistent financial needs. Now, Sony is exercising an option to buy the second half of the library from Jackson's estate: an estimated $750 million buy, meaning that the entire catalog is now worth about $1.5 billion — not a bad return on Jackson's 1985 investment of $41.5 million, which translates to about $91.5 million of today's dollars. (Rolling Stone)

What "royalty" is coming to Minneapolis?

According to Pioneer Press music critic Ross Raihala, Target Center plans to make a "concert announcement of royal proportions" on Wednesday morning. Who will it be? Prince? Queen featuring Adam Lambert? Kings of Leon? Sir Elton JohnSir Paul McCartney?

You spin me right round baby

A British company called And Vinyly (say it out loud) will press your cremated remains into vinyl record albums. Packages start at £3,000 pounds, but for that price you get 30 discs for your loved ones to spin when you're gone. (Mother Nature Network)

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