Quick Hits: Pink, Radiohead, Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Maroon 5, Flo Rida / Cee Lo / B.O.B., 2 Chainz, Monster Energy Aftershock Festival, Kanye West, 3 Doors Down, Two Door Cinema Club, Afghan Whigs, London Olympics, Allen Stone
June 20, 2012
Pink will return with the new single, "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)," on July 9. The singer used a video message to announce her forthcoming new track, in which she said: "I've got an announcement to make. My new single, off my new record, off my new life, is called 'Blow Me (One Last Kiss)' and it's very exciting. And I wrote it with Greg Kurstin (Kelly Clarkson), who is amazing. And we had an incredible time. [My daughter] Willow played bells and bass on a couple of other songs, but I think you're really gonna like it 'cause I really like it and I like it enough for all of us." Pink's full album is expected on RCA Records later this year. You can see Pink's video message to fans here:
The investigation into Saturday's fatal stage collapse before Radiohead's scheduled Toronto concert has begun. According to Toronto's The Star, four companies have been contacted as part of the investigation, including Radiohead's own Ticker Tape Touring and Live Nation. The Ministry of Labour has issued orders, "mainly to Live Nation," to comply with the investigation. Matt Blajer, a spokesperson for the Ministry, told the Star, "We’re still trying to figure out who owns what, who’s responsible for what. You’ve got lighting technicians, sound technicians, the band’s people — we’re trying to figure out who worked for whom."
Rihanna has been cast as the voice of one of the lead characters in the upcoming animated film Happy Smekday! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Rihanna and The Big Bang Theory's Jim Parsons will voice the two main characters in the movie about aliens who escape to Earth. Happy Smekday! is due out from DreamWorks in late 2014.
Lady Gaga tweeted today that an MRI shows she had no serious injury following her concussion onstage recently. Gaga wrote, "Went for an MRI. No harm from the concussion but it appears my brain is just water and a large floating jellyfish."
Maroon 5
Maroon 5 will do an MTV special next Monday, June 25, to premiere the video for their new single, "One More Night." MTV First: Maroon 5 will begin at 7:53 p.m. ET and will be followed by a 30-minute Q&A with the band on MTV.com. Maroon 5's new album, Overexposed, is due on June 26 and features 10 new tracks from the band.
Flo Rida, Cee Lo Green and B.O.B. have teamed up for the brief R You on the List tour. Kicking off with the release of headliner Flo Rida's new album on July 3 in his hometown of Miami, the nine-city arena tour will also feature Karmin and Kirko Bangz on select dates. The trek runs through July 28 in East Rutherford, NJ.
Nicki Minaj has tapped 2 Chainz to participate in the North American leg of her Pink Friday tour. The trek kicks off in Chicago on July 16 and wraps in Vancouver on August 12. Meanwhile, 2 Chainz' debut album, Based on a T.R.U. Story, is scheduled to drop on August 14.
The first annual Monster Energy Aftershock Festival, presented by KRXQ (98 Rock)/Sacramento, is set for Sunday, September 23 at Discovery Park in downtown Sacramento. The initial lineup for the event boasts Stone Temple Pilots, Deftones, Bush, Chevelle, Hollywood Undead, Theory of a Deadman, Oleander, Escape the Fate, Otherwise, Gemini Syndrome and more. Tickets go on sale Friday, June 22 at 10 a.m. PT. "When you're bringing a new rock festival to any city, it's important to have a great local radio partner, and a strong feeder system of stations to support the show," says festival creator/producer Danny Wimmer of Arms Division Concerts/DWP/Right Arm Entertainment. "Sacramento has this and more. Its deep foundation in rock – including bands like Deftones and Oleander, music executives coming out of the area, and vital stations like KDOT, KBRE, and our partner station 98 Rock – proves that rock is a mainstay in Northern California."
Kanye West has confirmed the first live performance for his G.O.O.D. Music label collective. According to Vibe, the outfit – presumably comprised of Kanye, Big Sean, Pusha T and 2 Chainz – will perform together at the BET Awards in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 1. They join previously announced performers Usher, Chris Brown and Nicki Minaj.
3 Doors Down plans to include three new songs on a greatest hits collection that the group is putting out this fall. Guitarist Chris Henderson says that the songs are "written and ready to go," and he told Billboard.com that the band will be hitting a Nashville studio later this month to record them. "These new tracks are a little heavier, a little more modern, but it still sounds like 3 Doors 'cause no one can sing like Brad (Arnold)," Henderson said. He added that 3 Doors Down already has "a couple of songs in the kitty" for its next album, which he predicts will "probably happen pretty quick. Within the year we'll probably start working about. We're still writing songs better than ever, playing better than ever. We feel great. So our career is still going."
Two Door Cinema Club has announced their sophomore album, Beacon, will be out September 4 on Glassnote. The new record from the UK indie rockers was recorded in April with producer Jacknife Lee (R.E.M., Silversun Pickups, U2).
The Afghan Whigs have extended their reunion tour into October. The band has new dates booked from September 28 in Washington, DC to October 25 in Cincinnati.
The London 2012 Festival, a cultural celebration across Britain tied to the Summer Olympics, kicks off this Thursday and runs through September 9. The festival will include 12,000 arts events and performances across the country, but one of the biggest will be a BBC Radio 1 show that the station says will be its "biggest-ever free live music event." The lineup for the June 23 and 24 extravaganza includes Jay-Z, Rihanna, Flo Rida, David Guetta, Jessie J, Lana del Rey, Leona Lewis, Tinie Tempah, Plan B, Florence and the Machine, Jack White and more. Elton John also will play a big concert in September at Wembley Arena in London that will mark the closing of the London 2012 Festival.
Up-and-coming Soul singer Allen Stone has signed with ATO Records, and the label will give his self-titled album its wide release on July 31. Stone will then perform on The Late Show with David Letterman on August 14, and he'll launch a fall tour on September 24 in Philadelphia. The fall outing will feature special guests Tingsek, Sister Sparrow, Yuna and Selah Sue on select dates, and 50 cents from every ticket sold on the tour will go directly to the Keep A Breast Foundation.