Today’s Music News: Har Mar Superstar and Macaulay Culkin make the National Enquirer
by Staff
December 15, 2014
During their recent shared tour, Har Mar Superstar and former child actor Macaulay Culkin of the Pizza Underground made a habit of locking lips on stage while covering the Association's "Never My Love." Most fans understood the makeout sessions to be just part of the show, but the National Enquirer decided that clearly Culkin and Har Mar must be gay. In a story headlined CULKIN GAY SHOCKER!, the Enquirer refers to Har Mar as an "R&B star" who "often performs his shows nearly nude, seemingly obsessed with his own sexual prowess." Har Mar proudly shared the story, writing on Instagram, "Look ma! I'm a gay shocker."
DIIV are being open about turmoil within their band after bassist Devin Ruben Perez allegedly made sexist, racist, homophobic, and anti-Semitic comments on the Internet forum 4chan. According to a statement released by the band, Perez and DIIV frontman Zachary Cole Smith are discussing Perez's future in the band. "What Devin said is inexcusable. It will not be tolerated in the band or anywhere. But ultimately Cole and Devin are very close friends so this is a very hard thing for him to swallow, seeing such unexpected behavior like this from such a close friend. It is not being tolerated and is being dealt with right now." (Pitchfork)
The Academy Awards released the long list of 79 songs that are advancing towards possible nomination for Best Original Song at the 87th Oscars. Among the possible nominees is Bon Iver's "Heavenly Father" (Wish I Was Here), though likely frontrunners are Lorde's "Yellow Flicker Beat" from The Hunger Games—Mockingjay Part 1 and Lana Del Rey's "Big Eyes" from the Tim Burton movie of the same title. Also in contention is "I'm Not Gonna Miss You"; described as the final song by Glen Campbell, who's suffering from Alzheimer's, it appeared in the acclaimed Campbell documentary I'll Be Me. The final nominees will be announced on Jan. 15, and the Oscars will be presented on Feb. 22. (Billboard)
John Hampton, a producer and engineer who was best known for his work with the White Stripes and who also engineered archival reissues by the Replacements, died of cancer on Friday at the age of 61. (Consequence of Sound) Also recently departed is Graeme Goodall, who died on Dec. 4 of natural causes at age 82. Goodall, who Billboard calls "a pivotal, if somewhat overlooked, figure in the development of Jamaica’s music industry," was a co-founder of Island Records.
Win Butler of Arcade Fire is the latest musician to announce a signature coffee—and in this case, proceeds will go to charity. Butler's "RaRa" is grown in Haiti and roasted in Philadelphia, and is now available for pre-order from La Colombe Coffee. (Rolling Stone)
No quarter-life crisis for Taylor Swift, who celebrated her 25th birthday on Friday with a performance at the Z100 Jingle Ball and a party at her New York apartment with guests including Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Justin Timberlake, Sam Smith, HAIM, Selena Gomez, and Charli XCX. The all-star partiers reportedly scarfed snacks from Whole Foods, eight bags of Japanese food, 20 pizzas, Blue Moon Belgian White, and Stella Artois. (Us Weekly)
Former Creed frontman Scott Stapp is continuing his downward spiral, with friends and relatives expressing increasingly urgent concern for his mental health. Stapp, who is reportedly under the delusion that he's a CIA agent hired to assassinate President Obama, has now lost custody of his three children and has been barred from the home he formerly shared with his wife. (Billboard)
Not a delusion is the fact that federal agency USAID ran a taxpayer-funded covert campaign to infiltrate Cuba's hip-hop scene with the aim to incite a youth movement in opposition to the Cuban government. After the Associated Press revealed the campaign's existence, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont), who chairs the Senate's State Department and Foreign Operations Appropriations Subcommittee, strongly criticized the campaign. "USAID never informed Congress about this and should never have been associated with anything so incompetent and reckless," said Leahy. "It's just plain stupid." (Billboard)
Pink Floyd's David Gilmour jumped on stage with Bombay Bicycle Club during a Saturday night show at London's Earls Court—the last show ever at the venue, which is slated for demolition and redevelopment. Gilmour played lap steel guitar on Bombay Bicycle Club's "Rinse Me Down," then performed Pink Floyd's "Wish You Were Here." (Rolling Stone)
