What went wrong with Mariah Carey’s live TV performance on New Year's Eve? The star sang only parts of the songs she was scheduled to perform on Dick Clark’s New Year's Rockin' Eve With Ryan Seacrest, and her manager later said that Carey's audio equipment didn't work. All of Carey's vocals for "We Belong Together" were heard even when she stopped singing, apparently revealing that the performance was intended to be in part lip-synced.

The show's producers dispute the claim that the audio equipment was malfunctioning. "Every monitor and in-ear device worked perfectly," said a producer responsible for the equipment. "I can't comment beyond that and don't know what her nontechnical issue may have been." (New York Times)

Meanwhile, at St. Barts, Paul McCartney made a surprise guest appearance with the Killers at Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich’s New Year's Eve party. At the party, McCartney sang the Beatles’ "Helter Skelter." (Billboard)

That same night at Masonic in San Francisco, Sleater-Kinney were joined by Britt Daniel (Spoon) and members of the Thermals for a performance of David Bowie’s "Rebel Rebel." Earlier in the show, Sleater-Kinney covered George Michael’s "Faith." (Pitchfork)

Dozens injured in Australian festival stampede

Over 60 attendees at Falls Festival in Lorne, Australia were injured over the weekend when "a stampede broke out between headlining sets from DMA's and London Grammar," reports Pitchfork. "Several fans lost their footing running from the Grand Theatre tent to the Valley Stage, causing several people to get trampled." The event's producers have "made some immediate requirements for change to the facility to make sure that there is not a repeat event," says Creative Industries Minister Martin Foley.

Ray Davies knighted

Ray Davies (the Kinks) has been awarded a knighthood by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to the arts. "Initially I felt a mixture of surprise, humility, joy and a bit embarrassed," said Davies in a statement, "but after thinking about it, I accept this for my family and fans as well as everyone who has inspired me to write." (Rolling Stone)

Michael Stipe sings "Happy Birthday" to Patti Smith

On Friday, Patti Smith celebrated her 70th birthday with a concert in her native Chicago. Michael Stipe made a surprise appearance, with a birthday cake, to lead the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" to the punk poet. (Rolling Stone)

Vinyl sales hit 25-year high in U.K.

In 2016, vinyl sales in the U.K. hit a 25-year high, and for the first time in the Internet era, U.K. spending on vinyl exceeded money spent on digital downloads. Vinyl sales this year, a leading retailer told the Guardian, were fueled by listeners looking for legacy albums as they mourned performers like David Bowie — and, also, by fans looking to invest in physical copies of new music they discovered through streaming.

ZULUZULUU added to birthday lineup

We've announced the fifth act for night two of our birthday party, on Jan. 28 at First Avenue: ZULUZULUU! Tickets for both nights are available now.

xxoo

Congratulations to Romy Madly Croft of the xx, who has announced her engagement to designer Hannah Marshall. Croft will also soon have a new album to celebrate: the xx's I See You comes out Jan. 13. (Pitchfork)