Wiz Khalifa arrested on marijuana charges<<Music News

When will rappers learn not to keep drugs and/or guns on their tour bus? Yesterday, rapperWiz Khalifawas arrested on drug charges after a concert in Greenville, North Carolina after police searched his bus and charged him with felony counts of trafficking marijuana, maintaining a dwelling/vehicle/place for sale or storage of marijuana and a misdemeanor charge of possession of drug paraphernalia.  Khalifa had been performing at East Carolina University. He was released this morning on $300,000 bail.

Admittedly the cops didn’t need to be MacGyver to figure out that the guy who bragged about a $10,000 per month weed habit and recently launchedhis own line of rolling papersmight have drugs on his bus. Oh, plushe tweeted“Smoke outs Greeneville, nc tonight. Fall thru wit ur finest plant life,” right before his arrest, but whatever. His first tweet after getting releasedwas,“waken…baken…wrist still achin. thnx for tha love and support,” so it sounds as if he’s definitely learned his lesson.

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Video: A behind-the-scenes look at Matador at 21<<Music News

Our good friends over atPitchforkare currentlystreamingsome of our footage from Matador at 21’s epic throwdown, but we also thought we’d point you towards one of the site’s original videos, which we must say, is quite hilarious. The video is titled“Tell‘em Stephen Malkmus Sent You,” and, while the title might suggest some sort ofPavementinfomercial, it’s really a behind-the-scenes look at the opening festivities of the Matador anniversary weekend.

Whether it’s Matador big dog Chris Lombardi describing his label in one word (“Greed”) orFucked Up’s Damian“Pink Eyes” Abraham giving you a guided tour of a party in the Hardwood Suite at The Palms Hotel (while topless and covered in soapy bubbles, we might add), this is a video definitely worth checking out. Give it a look below.

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Chris Brown settles lawsuit with photographer<<Music News

Chris Brownhas settled his lawsuit with a photographer who claims the singer’s bodyguard injured him while he was trying to snap a shot of Brown. The photographer, named Robert Rosen, alleged that he was seriously hurt after Brown’s bodyguard chased him through a gym last year.

Rosen initially filed the suit last May, charging assault and battery, and according to his attorney, the suit was settled last Friday, according toRadar Online. The case was also against LA Fitness, the gym where the incident took place. The terms of the settlement have not been made public.

Rosen was attempting to take photographs of Brown while he was playing basketball at the gym, just a month after his arrest for assaultingRihanna. Rosen’s claim, filed on May 27, 2009, stated that he fell down a flight of stairs after being chased by Brown’s bodyguard and said that LA Fitness failed to protect him.

This settlement means that the case won’t go to trial, although a trial date had been set for February 22, 2011.

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Damon Albarn records new Gorillaz LP on iPad<<Music News

Damon Albarn, the enigmatic frontman for theGorillaz, has never been one to do things by the books. For one, his live shows used to feature a screen depicting only his cartoon-fronted band, while himself and the other actual musicians that comprised the Gorillaz, were hidden by a silk-screened wall. Now, for the Gorillaz’ next album, Albarn has continued pushing the musical boundaries—this time, by exploring a new method of recording.

According to aninterviewwithNME(via Gorillaz News), the formerBlurfrontman says he has been recording the new LP on an iPad, which he admits, for him, is quite strange.“I’ve made it on an iPad,” Albarn says of his band’s upcoming fourth studio LP.“I hope I’ll be making the first record on an iPad— which is ironic, being the sort of technophobe and Luddite that I am. But I fell in love with my iPad as soon as I got it, so I’ve made a completely different kind of record.”

It also appears the recording, which occurred while Albarn was on a tour of North America, was an off-the-cuff production that the visionary musician hopes to have out by the holidays.“I’ve been recording a new record on the road, which I’m going to try and put out before Christmas,” Albarn said.“It’s a studio album made in hotel rooms across America.”
On his recent tour in support of the Gorillaz’ third album,Plastic Beach, Albarn has been bringing out an all-star cast of cohorts, who all made appearances on the stellar album  which we named one of the“Best of 2010…So Far.”) Some accompanying musicians on the tour have included hip-hop legendsDe La Soul,the Clash’s Mick Jones and Paul Simonon and soul-legendBobby Womack. While there is no word on specific guest collaborators for the upcoming release, with a Gorillaz LP it’s not if, but who will be joining forces with Damon. Stay tuned.

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Avenged Sevenfold announce“Nightmare After Christmas” tour<<Music News

Avenged Sevenfoldhave announced that they’ll be heading out withStone SourandHollywood Undeadat the end of the year on the“Nightmare After Christmas” Tour. This will follow up the band’s co-headlining trek on the UPROAR fest (alongsideDisturbed) and marks one of their largest headlining ventures of their career.

In turn, the band have added that their return to the States will feature all new production, so expect plenty of surprises. For onsale events, please see the events section of the band’sofficial profile.

Otherwise, here’s where it’s all going down:

Thursday, January 20, 2011
Reading, PA
Sovereign Center

Saturday, January 22, 2011
Lowell, MA
Tsongas Center

Sunday, January 23, 2011
Baltimore, MD
1st Mariner Arena

Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Huntington, WV
Big Sandy Arena

Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Knoxville, TN
Knoxville Coliseum

Friday, January 28, 2011
Lexington, KY
Rupp Arena

Saturday, January 29, 2011
Cincinnati, OH
US Bank Arena

Sunday, January 30, 2011
Evansville, IN
Roberts Stadium

Tuesday, February 01, 2011
Moline, IL
iWireless Center

Wednesday, February 02, 2011
La Crosse, WI
La Crosse Center

Friday, February 04, 2011
Battlecreek, MI
Kellogg Arena

Saturday, February 05, 2011
Detriot, MI
TBD

Monday, February 07, 2011
Sioux City, IA
Tyson Center

Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Grand Island, NE
Heartland Events Center

Friday, February 11, 2011
Boise, ID
Taco Bell Arena

Saturday, February 12, 2011
Kennewick, WA
Toyota Center

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Photos: Matt and Kim’s Secret Show in Burlington, VT<<Music News

“This is a celebration, bitches!”

These words did not come fro the mouth of Rick James. Or Dave Chapelle. At least not last night in Burlington, Vermont, whereMatt and Kimcelebrated the release of their excellent new record,Sidewalks, with a sweaty, unhinged live set at Higher Ground. In what looks to be one of our last secret shows of the year, Matt’s words proved to be prophetic: This was an all out bash.

The night started on an unplugged note as sing songwriterFletcher C. Johnsontook the stage, and they heated up when the eclectic punk duoJavelincame on. Playing songs from their debut,No Mas, they were a suitable, if not slightly dissimilar, warm up for what was going to come next. Strutting on stage with a couple of beers in hand, Matt and Kim’s live show, as is often the case, did not disappoint.

This is one of the only live acts that can promise an interlude in their set for a crowdsurfing booty dance, and that says a lot. Each song that the band played felt seismic and celebatory, so it was a good thing that we live streamed the whole thing as it went along. In case you missed it, there are more photos from the night below.

Photos by Aaron Farley

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Kanye West vs. George W. Bush: Both sides talk five years later<<Music News

In 2005, when notoriously outspoken rapperKanye Westshocked the world by uttering the phrase,“George Bush does not care about black people” during anNBC telethonfor Hurricane Katrina, West’s co-host Mike Meyers, and the rest of the world, couldn’t believe what they were hearing. (Meyer’s face is still classic even after watching this countless times). Now, five years later, the target of that outburst, former President George W. Bush, has finally responded. In an NBC interview with Matt Lauer, Bush called West’s comments“the most disgusting moment of my presidency.” Considering the catastrophic events that occurred during W’s time in the Oval Office, this seems a little exaggerated, but we’ll let Bush speak for himself.“”I didn’t appreciate it then,”I don’t appreciate it now,” Bush said of West’s verbal attack.“It’s one thing to say,‘I don’t appreciate the way he’s handled his business.’ It’s another thing to say,‘This man’s a racist.’“I resent it, it’s not true, and it was one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency.”

Naturally, West had to get in his two cents regarding Bush’s comments. In aradio interviewtoday with Houston’s 97.9 The Box, West responded to Bush’s interview—however, it seems any beef West once had with W have since evaporated. In fact, the rapper says he can now connect to the former President thanks to the public scorn he received following hisTaylor Swiftdebacle at last year’s VMAs.

“Well I definitely can understand the way he feels—to be accused of being a racist in any way,” West said of Bush.“Because the same thing happened to me, you know, where I got accused of being racist. And with both situations, it was basically a lack of compassion that America saw in that situation. With him it was a lack of compassion, with him not rushing—you know, him taking the time time to rush down to New Orleans. With me, it was a lack of compassion of cutting someone off in their moment. But nonetheless I think we’re all quick to pull the race card in America. And now, I’m more open. And the poetic justice that I feel, to have went through the same thing that he went, and now I really more connect with him on a humanitarian level… because the next morning, when he felt that, I felt the same thing.”

West went on to further  discuss the way in which he’s grown as a person.“I do think I changed a lot,” West said.“I’m just understanding that it’s not about me, it’s not about just what my opinion is all the time.“I became a better person, I needed that time off. Because a lot of times when people become celebrities, the moment when you don’t have to do your own dishes anymore, you don’t have that responsibility anymore, a lot of times you lose a level of humanity,” he explained.“It’s a growing process. I feel like a brand-new artist. I feel like respect is something that’s hard to earn and easy to lose, and I feel like I’m on that path to getting all that back right now.”

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