News Roundup: 3/12/2010
March 12th, 2010 | 2:00 pm est |
Although temporarily barred from appearing on TV, Conan O’Brien will keep himself visible by launching a comedy tour later this spring. One of his final stops is Bonnaroo, where the comedian will likely perform on the festival’s main stage — à la Chris Rock, who appeared in 2008 — to upwards of 75,000 attendees. [RollingStone.com]
Following a successful reunion tour, the members of Sunny Day Real Estate have begun working on a new album. The record, whose release details are still TBA, will mark the original lineup’s first studio appearance since 1995. [Pitchfork.com]
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British R&B vocalist Taio Cruz has set a record for the largest jump to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 by an act with its first charting single. Cruz’s song “Break Your Heart,” which features rapper Ludacris, jumped from 53 to 1. The record previously belonged to Kelly Clarkson’s American Idol song “A Moment Like This,” which leaped from 52 to 1 on Oct. 5, 2002. [
Love Never Dies, Andrew Lloyd Webber’s sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, opens this evening at the Adelphi Theatre in London. Set in 1907, ten years after the original story’s conclusion, the show finds the Phantom working in New York City as a successful Coney Island magician. After building a new opera house, he decides to track down his former muse, Christine, who has since married Raoul. Love Never Dies will open on Broadway later this year, with an Australian production planned for 2011. [
R.I.P. Mark Linkous of Sparklehorse, who committed suicide on Saturday at age 47. Linkous’ family released a statement, saying “We are thankful for his time with us and will hold him forever in our hearts. May his journey be peaceful, happy and free. There’s a heaven and there’s a star for you.” Linkous’ four Sparklehorse albums all earned critical acclaim. He was also a busy collaborator, working with PJ Harvey, Tom Waits, Daniel Johnston, and Fennesz on various projects, and with Danger Mouse on the 2009 album Dark Night of the Soul (which was recently cleared for official release). Prior to his suicide, Linkous was dead for two minutes in 1996, when a mix of Valium and antidepressants left him unconscious for 14 hours. Linkous had nearly finished a new Sparklehorse album for Anti- Records. [
Ron Banks, a founding member and falsetto vocalist for R&B/soul group the Dramatics, died yesterday at the age of 58. Banks had performed with the Dramatics throughout their 48-year career, which included a Top 10 single — 1972’s “In the Rain” — and a guest appearance on Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle. [
Rapper Guru awoke from a brief medically-induced coma today. In a conversation with AllHipHop.com, Guru said, “I am doing fine and I am recovering! I’m weak though.” The influential 43-year old rapper suffered a heart attack over the weekend. [
Country vocal group Lady Antebellum leads the nominations at the 45th Academy of Country Music Awards with seven nods including Best Album and Best Song. Also nominated were Carrie Underwood and Miranda Lambert, who are tied for six nominations each. Last year’s Entertainer of the Year winner Taylor Swift – who garnered five nominations this year in total — is up for the accolade again, along with Underwood, Kenny Chesney, Toby Keith, Brad Paisley, George Strait, Keith Urban and the Zac Brown Band. [
Guru of seminal rap duo Gang Starr and Jazzmatazz is in a coma after suffering a heart attack on Sunday. The 43 year-old will undergo surgery this afternoon. Born Keith Elam, Guru rapped on Gang Starr hits including “Words I Manifest,” “Just to Get Rep,” and “Full Clip,” and the group earned critical acclaim for Guru’s earnest, intelligent lyrics and DJ Premier’s innovative sampling and use of jazz in their music. With Guru’s Jazzmatazz, the rapper delved into jazz further while also collaborating with the Neptunes, Kelis, and Chaka Khan. He had recently hinted on Twitter that he and DJ Premier were set to work on new Gang Starr material, and had a Jazzmatazz tour planned. [
