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Daily Music News Report for 06/30/2016


Guitarist Learns To Play Again After Losing All 4 Limbs

(TeamRock Radio) A quadruple amputee from New Zealand has learned to play the guitar after losing his limbs to meningococcal septicaemia. Ripu Bhatia, a 22-year-old journalism student from Auckland, was diagnosed with the blood poisoning disease last July - and he feared he would never make music again.

But he was determined to get back to making music and developed a way to make it happen. He tells Music Feeds Australia: "I first picked up a guitar when I was 13 years old and just starting high school. I was really into the 90s alternative music scene at the time, and was listening to bands like Nirvana, Pearl Jam and The Smashing Pumpkins.
"Guitar wasn't something that came naturally to me at all. I took music as a subject at school and it didn't take me long to realise that there wasn't really anything special about me.

"I failed practically every assignment and my lack of confidence meant I struggled with performing." Bhatia continues: "But the last 12 months presented a challenge to me like none I had faced before. I was initially resigned to the fact that I wouldn't be able to play guitar again." Read more here.

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The Beatles 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' Cirque du Soleil Video

(Radio.com) The Beatles have released a new video collaboration with Cirque du Soleil for their classic "While My Guitar Gently Weeps." Apparently, it is based on Cirque du Soleil's new staging of the song from production of the The Beatles LOVE .

The new staging of the song was done for the 10th anniversary of LOVE, which is in residence at the Mirage Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. According to a press release, the video was directed by Dandypunk, Andre Kasten and Leah Moyer, and "highlights new artistic and performance elements from the song's LOVE show presentation.

Throughout the video, Dandypunk's hand-drawn illustrations connect LOVE's performer, Eira Glover, with projected imagery in a series of ethereal settings. All effects were created using projection mapping and captured live, in-camera. No post production CGI was used." Watch the video here.

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Vinnie Paul Was Floored By Christina Grimmie Murder

(Classic Rock) Former Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul says he was "floored" by the recent killing of US talent show star Christina Grimmie. The Voice singer, 22, was shot while signing autographs after a performance in St Petersburg, Orlando, Florida, earlier this month. She was attacked by 26-year-old Kevin James Loibl who then took his own life following a struggle with Grimmie's brother.

Following the incident, Pantera's Facebook page issued a statement saying Grimmie's death brought back memories of the 2004 shooting of guitarist Dimebag Darrell while onstage with his band Damageplan.

And when asked about the recent shooting by radio station KBAT, Paul says: "It just floored me, man. I never thought it would happen again. And that's really almost the same scenario that happened to my brother.

"It's just unbelievable that there's still people that are that fanatical and that crazy out there in today's world that we don't have enough security to keep that from happening."

"It's a dangerous world, man. You've got to keep your eyes and ears peeled and be on the alert all the time." Read more here.

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Prince's 'Purple Rain' Jacket And Ruffled Shirt Being Auctioned Online

(Radio.com) Prince's long-sleeved white ruffled shirt and motorcycle jacket from the 1984 movie Purple Rain will both be available on eBay as part of a three-day sale called The Hollywood Auction.

It's all part of a Loads of memorabilia from the entertainment industry will be available to bid on beginning June 29th. Prince's items will go on sale July 1st.

Both the jacket (Lot 1690) and the shirt (Lot 1689) were items originally worn by Prince in the movie. The bidding for the jacket will begin at $6,000 and $3,000 for the shirt. Read more here.

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50 Cent Insider On Rapper's Arrest For Cursing

(Radio.com) A source close to rapper 50 Cent (Curtis Jackson) has clarified the details regarding 50's recent arrest in St. Kitts, which occurred after he swore onstage. Before the show he was ordered by officials not to use profanity during his set.

The rapper wasn't originally scheduled to perform, he was supposed to host the St. Kitts Music Festival, but when he arrived on the island he was asked to play, reported Billboard.

An associate of the rapper, identified only as Rocky, said there was no language in 50's contract specifying that he could not use profanities. 'It was only when he was about to go onstage that the police commissioner told him he couldn't say f-, he didn't mention that he couldn't use any other curse words, so I guess it was okay to say bitches, hoes, whatever--but just don't say f-," Rocky explained.

Rocky also said that 10 to 15 police entered 50's dressing room, and the rapper quietly surrendered. He and bodyguard Bajar Walter were taken to the Basseterre police station and held for approximately three hours. The Royal St. Christopher and Nevis Police Force then posted on its Facebook page that both men were granted bail of $5,000.00 Eastern Caribbean dollars (about $1,820) and ordered to surrender their travel documents. Read more here.

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Prince Harry Joins Coldplay on Stage

(Radio.com) Kensington Palace is a treasured national landmark and royal residence in the United Kingdom, but on Tuesday (June 28) Prince Harry threw open the gates to host the palace's first-ever concert.

The grandson of Queen Elizabeth II did so for a good cause (eradicating HIV/AIDS), and invited Coldplay to perform. The concert was a benefit for Sentebale, the prince's charity that raises awareness for the AIDS epidemic in sub-Saharan Africa. In his introduction, Harry described why this cause (an extension of the cause his late mother, Princess Diana, began) is so close to his heart.

"What we know is that HIV is a virus that thrives off silence and feeds on stigma," said the prince before Coldplay's set began. "Every single one of us has a responsibility to educate ourselves - to do what we can to speak out and stamp out the silence, ignorance, and fear that the virus needs to win."

At the end of the show, Harry lent his voice to "Up&Up," alongside Coldplay and the Basotho Youth Choir. See a clip of the royal evening here.

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Lady Antebellum Cover Justin Timberlake's 'Can't Stop the Feeling'

(Radio.com) Justin Timberlake was spotted in the studio with Little Big Town back in March, but it's another country group that decided to cover the pop star's big summer hit "Can't Stop the Feeling." Lady Antebellum performed the song at Buckeye Country Superfest in Columbus, Ohio.

Lady Antebellum made their appearance on June 18th, when they took Timberlake's upbeat pop track and gave it a more rollicking beat fitting for their country style. Lead singer Hillary Scott spearheads the verses and most of the chorus, while Charles Kelley puts his spin on the build-in to the chorus.

Unlike the original song, the group's backing band breaks into a rock-heavy jam before taking everything down to the beat so that Kelley can break the audience into two and split the chorus' lyrics between them for a crowd pleasing finish.

Lady Antebellum are currently out on a short summer tour that will keep them busy through August. After pursuing different projects in late 2015, they are said to be working on a new album together. Watch their take on Timberlake here.

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John Mayer And Bob Weir Duet On Grateful Dead Classic

(Radio.com) John Mayer and the Grateful Dead's Bob Weir stopped by Andy Cohen's Watch What Happens Live clubhouse Tuesday night (June 28) to represent Dead and Company, and performed a snippet of "Friend of the Devil."

Cohen, a self-professed Deadhead, could hardly contain his glee. He was almost excited when talking with the musicians about Dead trivia and John Mayer's oft-discussed "guitar face."

"I don't mean to do the guitar face," said Mayer. He added that the high stakes of playing Grateful Dead music before diehard fans adds to his consternation. "Not only [am I] lost in the music, I'm worried about falling off the bike. It's a pained sexual face."

Members of the Grateful Dead spinoff band are currently promoting the group's summer tour. During his Bravo appearance, Mayer confirmed that his next album of solo music should appear next year.

Watch Mayer and Weir perform "Friend of the Devil" here.

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Mental Health Struggle Inspired Lacuna Coil's Latest Album

(TeamRock Radio) Lacuna Coil vocalist Cristina Scabbia says seeing a family member struggle with mental ill health made her want to tackle the subject on the band's latest album.

The band released Delirium in May and previously said they wanted it to conjure a "disturbing, cold and weird" atmosphere. They also said they were inspired by an abandoned mental asylum they once visited when writing the record.

Now Scabbia tells Metal Hammer there is also a personal element to the subject matter. She says: "We aren't the sort of band that sings about pure fantasy; I don't think that's ever been our style.

"But, because we had actual experience of these sort of places, it is more real. I've been in that situation and I've been able to breathe the heaviness of these places, and I just began to think about all the different experiences that these people could have.

"And for me, there is this parallel between this album and my personal life right now, because there is someone in my family who is suffering mental illness.

"So I see people trying to cure this problem a lot. I realised that insanity isn't just confined to a medical condition, it's everywhere in the little things in everyday life."

The Italian singer adds that she hopes Delirium will go some way to breaking down the stigmatism that surrounds mental ill health. Read more here.

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Se Delan Release 'Blue Bird' Lyric Video

(Prog) Se Delan have issued a lyric video for their track Blue Bird. The song comes from their second album Drifter, which was released back in April via Kscope.

Vocalist Belinda Kordic says of the track: "As the world is going to serious sh*ts - with a big no thanks to mankind - which the media so generously reminds us of every single day, I retreat to the comfort that there may be a higher being out there.

"Being grateful and finding joy in the little things in life gives me hope and keeps me grounded." Kordic and Justin Greaves previously issued a stream of Going Home and an animated video for Shadowbox(ers). Check out the new song here.

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Soundgarden's Chris Cornell Reflects On Johnny Cash Compliment

(Classic Rock) Chris Cornell was never complimented for his lyrics until Johnny Cash covered Soundgarden - and he believes it's because of the way his vocal can be buried in his band's music.

That's one of the reasons he enjoys his solo work as much as working with Kim Thayil, Ben Shepherd and Matt Cameron. Cornell tells Courant.com: "You can't always make out the words I sing with Soundgarden. When Johnny Cash covered Rusty Cage it was the first time I received compliments from my lyrics.

"To take this in another direction, when I covered Billy Jean by Michael Jackson, it was going to be a joke. I couldn't do it in the form it was originally recorded in so I slowed it down. When I did that, it wasn't funny any more - it's an amazing story, brilliant lyrics.

"When you break out the acoustic guitar, the words are the focal point unless you're the Jimi Hendrix of acoustic guitar. So the words have to have meaning." Read more here.

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Chuggaboom Go 8-Bit For New Animated 'Mad Skills Brah' Video

(TeamRock Radio) Metalcore/deathcore satirists Chuggaboom have premiered their new video for Mad Skills Brah! exclusively with Metal Hammer. It depicts the Chuggaboom-mask-wearing protagonist battling his way through various retro 8-bit games in a complete nostalgiagasm.

"Mad Skills Brah! is the story of the rise of online gaming in my life," says vocalist Levi Taurus. "I didn't realise it at first, but I'd become addicted. There wasn't a day that passed where I didn't think about my impeccable Kill/Death ratio, pwning noobs and yelling at my parents for being annoying. The song outlines my descent into darkness and how I came through it to become even stronger and more powerful than I was before."

The video for Mad Skills Brah! took a total of six months to animate. "The true tale of my tribulations would have been far too graphic to recreate in live action and I truly believe; what you see on the screen is remarkably closer to the actual events, than anything that could've been caught with a camera," says Levi.

"A lot of people have a lot of bad stuff to say about gaming and gamers. We are misunderstood. In most cases, we are smarter, better looking and more talented than normal people, we are just constantly fighting a virtual battle that we will never allow ourselves to lose. This video will shine a shiny light on us and illuminate our quest for online domination." Watch the video here.

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Kingcrow Release 'If Only' Video

(Prog) Kingcrow have released a music video for their song If Only. The track is taken from their latest album, Eidos. It follows last year's promo launch for The Moth.

On Eidos, the band say: "Musically, it sees the band exploring new territories and pushing the extremes of its sonic soundscape, with a darker atmosphere and a more progressive attitude.

"Eidos will open the doorway for what lies in wait for them." Meanwhile, Kingcrow announced last month that "50%" of their next album is already finished. Watch the new video here.

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Justin Bieber Covers Taylor Swift's 'I Knew You Were Trouble'

(Radio.com) Justin Bieber sat down with a guitar to perform an acoustic cover of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble". Dutch DJ Martin Garrix captured the moment in his Snapchat story, which brought joy to Beliebers and Swifties alike.

This isn't the first time Bieber has waded into Swift's discography: Just last month, Justin shared a video featuring a Carpool Karaoke-style singalong to Taylor's throwback hit, "Teardrops on My Guitar." If he's taking requests, can we hear "Blank Space" next?

Brief clips of the performance surfaced on Twitter for the whole world to enjoy. Watch a snippet of Justin's rendition as welll as his recent cover of "Teardrops on My Guitar" here.

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Adele Reveals Her Favorite Breakup Songs

(Radio.com) In a new interview with People, Adele said of life after a breakup, "I mope around for a little bit. I do embrace the fact that I'm heartbroken. I don't move on quickly." She listed her favorite songs to listen to during those moments.

She reveals that the songs that she turns to are a mix of classics like Etta James' "All I Could Is Cry" and more modern pop fare like Katy Perry's "Not Like the Movies."

Other selections include David Grey's "This Year's Love," Mumford & Sons' "After the Storm," and Florence + the Machine's "Cosmic Love." As for her number one choice, that went to Bonnie Raitt's classic "I Can't Make You Love Me." Read more here.

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James Van Der Beek Plays Diplo In Mad Decent Block Party Ad

(Radio.com) More and more commercials are parodying big names in music. Jamie Foxx plays Future's father "Past" in a new Verizon spot, and now James Van Der Beek pretends to be Diplo in order to plug the DJ/Major Lazer member's upcoming Mad Decent Block Party.

Diplo shared the extended ad on YouTube on June 28. In it, the camera finds Van Der Beek as Diplo sitting at the computer working on new beats. "Sup fam," he says.

Even though he's super in demand, he wants everyone to know he's just an average guy. So he presents "Day in the Life of Diplo," which reveals that he wakes up on silk sheets to a harp as his alarm clock, has elves helping him create fresh beats and he even has someone to oversee his social media account and add extra "fams" to all his tweets.

"'Why?' you may ask?," Van Der Beek tweeted. "Because I've found it's a lot more fun to ask 'Why not?'" Read more here.

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