Easy Music Guides

<!– –>

<!– –>

On an unseasonably warm Friday evening in May, minutes before facing the biggest hometown crowd of his young career, Chance the Rapper races a skateboard around the barren downtown-Chicago office space that’s temporarily doubling as his dressing room. The 20-year-old rapper – dressed in a gray LDRS hoodie, black skinny jeans and mismatched plaid shoes – cracks jokes continuously, pausing only to accept a pot-brownie offering from two teenage fans giving him the thumbs-up through a clear glass window. “I don’t know if I should eat this,” he deadpans. “I might die.”

Moments later, Chance (born Chancelor Bennett) is a different person. He’s completely silent, head down, eyes fixed, as he gets ready to take the stage at the college street festival that he’s playing tonight. Officially, Chance isn’t the headlining act, but the few thousand people crammed into the tent where he’s about to perform – most of whom appear to be legitimately geeking out over the rapper’s appearance – suggest otherwise.

When he hits the stage, Chance transforms again, this time into a polished performer. He kicks quick, clever rhymes from his acclaimed new mixtape, Acid Rap, accompanied by manic, twerking dance moves. The crowd loves it. “When you get pissed, promise you’re just gonna smoke again,” he says to riotous approval.

Album Review: Chance the Rapper, Acid Rap

A few days later, nursing a blunt on a sun-drenched rooftop on Chicago’s West Side, Chance explains how his personality can seem to switch up at such whiplash speed. “Chance the Rapper is many things,” says the MC. “I’m constantly evolving. And it’s just the beginning.”

Chance, who is still technically unsigned, just returned from a five-day trip to Los Angeles. While there, he recorded new tracks and took business meetings with “nearly every major label,” including a sit-down with Epic Records CEO L.A. Reid. But for now, he says he’s holding off signing with anyone. “There’s still more time,” he says, “and still so many stages to Acid Rap.”

His debut mixtape, 2011′s #10Day – written over a 10-day suspension from high school for smoking weed – made some waves among hip-hop fans in the know. But Acid Rap is the rapper’s real introduction to the wider world. Recorded in Chicago, with turns in New York and L.A., it encompasses a collage of genres – from jazz (“Acid Rain”) to ghettotech juke (“Good Ass Intro”) to soul (“Everybody’s Something”). Chance’s nasal vocal cadences call to mind Lil Wayne and Kendrick Lamar as he ruminates on the diagonal-cut grilled cheeses and Rugrats lunch boxes of his youth and demands an end to his hometown’s unremitting violence.

The mixtape’s woozy, psychedelic, outside-the-box sound might have something to do with all the acid Chance dropped during the recording process. He specifically recalls one particular trip during which he vibed out to James Blake’s minimal “I Never Learnt to Share,” ultimately helping inspire Acid Rap standout track “Cocoa Butter Kisses.” “You’re more inquisitive,” he says of his experiences on what he deems to be a much-misunderstood drug. “I won’t ever know what Acid Rap would have sounded like if I’d never done acid.”

Chance grew up the older of two brothers in the middle-class neighborhood of West Chatham, an oasis in Chicago’s otherwise rough South Side. His dad, Ken Williams-Bennett, was a prominent presence in the city: He first served as an aide to former Chicago mayor Harold Washington and then worked for then-U.S. senator Barack Obama. Williams-Bennett, who is now a regional representative to the U.S. Secretary of Labor, dreamed that his son might one day hold office. But Chance was always more interested in the arts, performing in talent shows from his pre-school days through high school at Chicago’s esteemed Jones College Prep.

Chance knew he wanted to be a rapper after hearing Kanye West’s 2004 debut The College Dropout at age 10. “Kanye took me from a kid who listened to music to a kid who lived music,” he says. He spent his high-school evenings perfecting his craft: He performed slam poetry, recorded for free at the local library, attended open mic nights and got deeper into the local arts scene where he met most of the members of his musical crew, Save Money, including rappers Vic Mensa and Kami De Chukwu and rap-rock collective Kids These Days.

After failing out of high school and later earning his degree online, Chance enrolled at Harold Washington College in Chicago. He dropped out a week later, leading to a rift between the aspiring rapper and his father. They didn’t talk for months. “I think that’s our family’s way of showing disapproval,” Williams-Bennett says in a phone interview.

The September 2011 stabbing death of Chance’s close friend, Rodney Kyles Jr., brought father and son closer together. “It could have been Chance,” Williams-Bennett says somberly. He gave Chance a one-year ultimatum: Make it as a rapper or go back to school.

Chance redoubled his efforts to build a grassroots following, visiting local high schools, recording at all hours of the night and handing out thousands of copies of #10Day on the streets of downtown Chicago. His manager, Pat Corcoran, signed on after watching Chance deliver one particularly intense performance at the Chicago streetwear store LDRS 1354. “It was scary,” he says. “I didn’t know [Chance] could perform that way.”

Following #10Day‘s success, Chance sold out the 500-capacity Chicago club Lincoln Hall and toured nationally with Childish Gambino. This year, his upcoming two-night stand at the twice as large Metro, the historic venue that helped break Nirvana and Smashing Pumpkins, sold out in less than an hour.

Lighting a cigarette on the West Side rooftop, Chance pauses when asked where he currently lives. He has no permanent address – “I live around” – and Acid Rap is keeping things that way. This summer, he’ll hit the road on a 23-date European tour with Macklemore and Ryan Lewis. “I’m conditioning my body to get used to it,” he says. (A few minutes earlier, before coming upstairs to the roof, he casually pulled off a dozen reps on a perfect-pushup machine.) Chance hopes to bring a full band with him, but he’ll settle for a trio.

“What about bringing a stand-up bass?” Corcoran suggests.

“Ah, that’s it!” Chance exclaims, sitting up in his chair for the first time all afternoon. His eyes gleam with excitement. “Now that would be tight!”

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/chance-the-rapper-high-times-and-wild-nights-in-chicago-20130524

Sigur Rós continued their late night invasion on Friday, playing the dense and soaring title track to their forthcoming new album on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno. The Icelandic band had debuted the same song, “Kveikur,” on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon back in March, marking their first television appearance in nearly a decade. They also made a brief cameo alongside Bjork on last week’s episode of The Simpsons.

Kveikur, Sigur Rós’ seventh LP, is due out on June 18th through XL recordings. The band, currently out on a world tour, hits the Sasquatch Music Festival today. 

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/sigur-ros-rock-kveikur-on-leno-20130525

David Lee Roth posted a curious new addition to his YouTube channel this week. Under the title “DLRmovietrailer,” the Van Halen frontman offers what appears to be a 5-minute short film, in Japanese, about an assassin crashing a card game. According to the Van Halen News Desk, the video features famed Japanese sumo wrestler Konishiki, a friend of Roth’s. VHND also notes that Roth has been living in Tokyo part-time since last year, where he is studying sword training and martial arts.

Diamond Dave has just a single line in the film, which also shows him stripped down to a loincloth, getting pelted with fried chicken, and drinking greedily from the villain’s milk carton. “In the name of the moon, I shall right all wrongs and defeat all evil,” he says in Japanese that appears to have been overdubbed.

QA: David Lee Roth Vents About Van Halen’s Future

Although the video’s title on YouTube indicates a movie trailer, the pacing suggests something more like a short film. “Knowing Dave, he probably did this video just for fun. We’re not sure if there really is a longer version or not,” VHND says. 

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/david-lee-roth-stars-as-an-assassin-in-mysterious-japanese-short-film-20130525

<!– –>

<!– –>

Actor Christopher Lee plans to celebrate his 91st birthday in unusual fashion: by releasing a new heavy metal album based on the life of the French ruler Charlemagne. Recorded with Judas Priest guitarist Richie Faulkner, Charlemagne: The Omens of Death is the follow-up to Lee’s 2010 release Charlemagne: By the Sword and the Cross.

“The first Charlemagne album is metal, of course, but what I sang was more symphonic,” Lee, who is best known for his role as Saruman in The Lord of the Rings trilogy, told The Guardian. “Now on the second one, The Omens of Death, it is 100 percent heavy metal. I’ve done my bits and pieces, and they are heavy metal. I’m not screaming or anything like that, but it is definitely heavy metal.”

QA: Judas Priest on New DVD, Album Sessions, and Aging Metalhead Injuries

Lee worked with Faulkner before the guitarist left to replace K.K. Downing in Judas Priest. “Most of the songs were already there, but they needed riffs, drum parts and musical parts that reflected what the guys wanted – which was a metal record with an aim to be played live by a band,” said Faulkner, who was replaced by Hedras Ramos. “Some of the tracks didn’t have any music at all and were just Sir Christopher singing his melodies. I remember how surreal it was sitting in my place at the time with Saruman blasting out over the speakers! I’ve no idea what the neighbours thought.” 

The album is due out in the U.K. on Monday, which is Lee’s 91st birthday. Charlemagne ruled France and Italy and served as Holy Roman Emperor in the eighth century.

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/christopher-lee-readies-heavy-metal-album-for-91st-birthday-20130524

<!– –>

<!– –>

The split between the Stone Temple Pilots and former frontman Scott Weiland has escalated into a legal feud. The Associated Press reports that the band filed a lawsuit accusing Weiland of misusing the band’s name in to advance his solo work and asked a judge to block him from using the band’s name and their songs.

The lawsuit, which was filed on Friday in Los Angeles, claims that Weiland’s chronic tardiness and struggles with addiction had hurt the band’s earning potential when he was a member. It also claims that Weiland, who was fired from the band in February, has attempted to interfere with airplay of the band’s new single: According to the suit, Weiland’s lawyer had called the head of programming at LA radio station KROQ and told them that they would be infringing on Weiland’s rights if the station played the STP song “Out of Time.”

Chester Bennington Fronts Stone Temple Pilots at KROQ Weenie Roast

The band claims in the suit that they own the rights to the name Stone Temple Pilots, as well as all the group’s songs, copyrights and trademarks, citing agreements made in 1996 and 2010 that no former members can use the Stone Temple Pilots name. STP has asked the judge to stop Weiland from performing STP songs in his solo career, or even calling himself a former member of the band.

 At the KROQ Weenie Roast last week, the band made their appearance with a new frontman, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington. In an open letter to fans posted Friday on his website, Weiland wrote about learning of the new configuration. “To tell you the truth, it took me by surprise. And it hurt,” he wrote.

“But the band that played last weekend was not Stone Temple Pilots and it was wrong of them to present themselves as that. First of all they don’t have the legal right to call themselves STP because I’m still a member of the band. And more importantly, they don’t have the ethical right to call themselves Stone Temple Pilots because it’s misleading and dishonest to the millions of fans that have followed us for so many years.”

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/stone-temple-pilots-sue-scott-weiland-20130525

<!– –>

<!– –>

A screening of Kanye West’s “New Slaves” video in Houston came to an early end last night when police arrived to shut down the projection. According to the Houston Chronicle, the Houston police broke up an “upbeat, respectful crowd” who had gathered to watch the display at Rothko Chapel.

The paper reports that the police pulled several cars onto the grass with flashing lights and sirens, telling the crowd that they would be arrested for trespassing if they didn’t leave.

Kanye West Premieres ‘New Slaves’ With Video Projections Around the World

West debuted the song “New Slaves” last week with video projections on the facades of 66 buildings across the world. He announced a series of new locations for the display on Friday, including three sites in Houston. The Chronicle reports that neither of the two other Houston screenings worked out as planned: The projection at the Central Library was shut down due to “technical difficulties” and one planned for the George Bush Monument never materialized. 

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-wests-new-slaves-screening-shut-down-by-houston-police-20130525

<!– –>

<!– –>

Mary J. Blige is facing a hefty Internal Revenue Service lien for unpaid taxes. The IRS hit the 42-year-old singer and her husband Martin Isaacs with a $3.4 million lien in New Jersey and filed notice on February 7th, according to The Associated Press.

Bono and Mary J. Blige Perform ‘One’ at New York Benefit Concert

Court documents indicate Blige and Isaacs owed more than $574,000 for the 2009 tax year, more than $2.2 million for 2010, and more than $647,000 for 2011. The couple has a residence about 15 miles outside New York City in Cresskill, New Jersey. A representative for the singer said Blige has a new team and is working to “resolve all these issues as quickly as possible.”

Last November, Blige and Isaacs were hit with a lawsuit alleging they defaulted on a $2.2 million bank loan. She isn’t the only singer dealing with recent tax troubles: Lauryn Hill was sentenced to three months in prison earlier this month for failing to pay taxes on approximately $1.8 million in earnings.

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/mary-j-blige-faces-irs-lien-for-unpaid-taxes-20130524

<!– –>

<!– –>

Kanye West premiered his new track “New Slaves” by projecting visuals on 66 buildings across the globe last week, and he’ll be replicating the displays again this weekend in some new locations. West has updated the interactive map on his website with new locations in Europe and North America, and the new displays will again show “New Slaves.” He’ll continue the projections today in Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Milan, Italy; Birmingham, England; Tucson, Arizona; Philadelphia; and Houston. More displays will follow over the weekend.

Kanye West Premieres ‘New Slaves’ With Video Projections Around the World

“New Slaves” was one of two songs the rapper performed from the album last weekend on Saturday Night Live; “Black Skinhead” was the other. Both songs are expected to appear on West’s upcoming album, Yeezus, which he could release on June 18th.

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/kanye-west-plans-more-projections-this-weekend-20130524

Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan busted out a copy of the new issue of Rolling Stone with Daft Punk on the cover during yesterday’s Live with Kelly and Michael, proving that no one can escape the dance delirium instigated by the robots’ new album, Random Access Memories.

Listen to Daft Punk’s New Album ‘Random Access Memories’

Ripa – who couldn’t believe Daft Punk had gone away in the first place – marveled at fans’ willingness to purchase replicas of the French duo’s helmets, no matter the cost, while also pointing out that there’s a YouTube clip detailing how to make your own in 749 steps. That process, however, is a whole lot shorter if you’ve got your own Gelman: Ripa and Strahan proceeded to don two homemade Daft Punk helmets, which prompted the former football star Strahan to crack to producer Gelman, “Man, it looks like you went and stole this out of the Yankees’ garbage bin and painted it!” Strahan also noted that he would like one of those suave black suits you can see Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter wearing on our cover.

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/kelly-ripa-and-michael-strahan-talk-rolling-stone-daft-punk-cover-story-20130524

Good news for everyone not at the Primavera Sound Festival in Barcelona this weekend: several of the most anticipated performances will be broadcast via Primavera Sound TV hosted on YouTube. 

Wilco’s Sauntering ‘Dawned on Me’ at the Primavera Sound Festival

The three-day festival will include performances from the Jesus and Mary Chain, Dead Can Dance, James Blake, Swans and Wu-Tang Clan. 

Today’s performances include (all set times are Eastern): 

1:30 p.m. – Peace
2:30 p.m. – The Bots
3:35 p.m. – Manel
4:45 p.m. – The Jesus and Mary Chain
6:15 p.m. – James Blake
7:20 p.m. – Swans

Saturday’s performances:

11 a.m. – Guadaloupe Plata
11:50 a.m. – Extraperlo
12:35 p.m. – Adam Green and Binki Shapiro 
2 p.m. Poolside
3 p.m. – Dead Can Dance
4:20 p.m. – Wu-Tang Clan

Article source: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/videos/barcelonas-primavera-sound-festival-streaming-20130524