The Fate of Beats: TechCrunch is reporting that Apple will be shutting down the Beats Music streaming service it purchased in tandem with its namesake headphones manufacturer for $3 billion. Representatives from Apple said the new was “simply not true.” Either way, Dr. Dre’s still rich.
Willie Nelson, Marijuana Miyagi: Nelson has been called a lot of things in his life; now he can add “Marijuana Miyagi” to the list. He recently had New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd on his tour bus to talk about avoiding unpleasant experiences with weed. “Honestly, I don’t do edibles,” he confessed. (It made him feel like his skin was falling off.)
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Polaris Prize goes to throat singer Tanya Tagaq: Canada’s annual Polaris Prize was awarded to someone who could actually use the money (so… not Drake). We also took a close look at the mysterious voting process behind the prize (spoiler alert — there’s alcohol involved).
New Replacements Album: The Replacements’ recent string of shows have been getting rave reviews. Now they’re hinting they have enough new songs to make an album.
Taylor Swift Listening Party: Taylor Swift invited a small group of her most devoted fans to her house to listen to her forthcoming album 1989. One fan instagrammed a photo of herself with the singer; the caption read, “Coolest thing that’s ever happened to me…& I’ve won a car on the price is right.”
Professor Pop: The John Peel Lecture is an annual lecture given by a musician who is invited to shape a debate about an issue in the music industry. This year,it’s being give by the Stooges’ Iggy Pop. He’s famous for songs like “Search and Destroy,” but the title of his lecture is more pedestrian: “Free Music in a Capitalist Society.”
Duran Duran Get Lucky: Thirty years ago, Duran Duran and Nile Rodgers teamed up for the band’s iconic hit single “The Wild Boys.” Now they’re working together again on Duran Duran’s new studio album, hoping to replicate the success of recent Rodgers hits with Daft Punk and Avicii.
Azealia Banks is Back: After splitting with Universal Music in July, the “fresh start” Azealia Banks hoped for may finally arrive. She’s got a new single, “Chasing Time,” and her long-delayed debut album, Broke With Expensive Taste, on the horizon. But now she has to compete with a second singer also named Banks.
Meat Free Monday: After Paul McCartney released an “urgent call to action” last week for support of his Meat Free Monday environmental-awareness campaign, the former Beatle has now released an original song for the cause.
L.A. La La: In advance of the release of Fergie‘s new single “L.A. Love (La La)” on Sept. 29, the Dutchess has released artwork for the track and it’s strange and colorful, if not glamorous.