Foo Fighters announce Fourth of July celebration in D.C.

Do you have plans this Fourth of July?

Are the Foo Fighters on your concert bucket list?

Do you want to celebrate the nation’s birthday in the nation’s capital?

Well, if you answered yes to all of those questions, then we’ve got news for you!

On Tuesday (March 3), the Foo Fighters “Foo-rmally invited” fans to the DC incarnation of their JAM fest. Initially launched in California, Dave Grohl and company are taking the single-day event across the country to the nation’s capital.

Dubbed DC JAM Fest, the music festival will include performances from Chris Stapleton, Pharrell Williams, the Go-Go’s, Band of Horses, Beach Bunny, and more.

In addition to the genre-bending acts, the event will also include a BBQ competition where attendees will get to sample the goods, a tailgate party, rides, games, and other attractions.

Doesn’t that just scream “Fourth of July celebration” to you?

DC JAM Fest will take place on the Fourth of July at the FedExField in Landover, Maryland. Tickets for the event go on sale this Friday, March 6, on the festival’s website.

Before taking over the FedExField in July, the Foo Fighters will embark on their 25th-anniversary tour. Dubbed the “2020 Van Tour,” the band’s touring route will be an exact replica of their first-ever outing in 1995. Talk about taking it back to the van days.

The tour kicks off on April 12 at the Talking Stick Resort Arena in Phoenix and wraps up with their appearance at Boston Calling during the weekend of May 22-24. The full list of tour stops can be found here.

Beck announces ‘Hyperspace,’ shares Pharrell-produced new track

Surprise! Beck has a brand new album coming out later this year. On Monday (April 15), the musician unveiled plans to release his 14th studio effort. Titled Hyperspace, the new record will be released through Capitol Records, but there’s one catch; the release date is a secret.

According to a press statement, the record will be out “at an as yet undetermined point in the space time continuum.” With a name like “Hyperspace,” the musician’s statement makes sense.

Hyperspace is the follow-up to Beck’s 2017, Grammy Award-winning album, Colors.

While the release date is a mystery, it may be safe to assume that it will see a summertime release date. Last month, Beck announced plans to embark on a co-headlining summer tour with Cage the Elephant, so what better time than then to release some new tunes.

In conjunction with the new album announcement, the musician also released the album’s lead single, “Saw Lightning.” The new track finds Beck teaming up with Pharrell Williams for the funky new cut. Williams co-wrote, co-produced, and contributed “drums, keyboards, and mumbles” for the new song.

Listen to “Saw Lightning” above.

Beck has been quite stealthy this year when it comes to new music. Earlier this year, he released “Tarantula” from the Music Inspired by the Film ROMA album, “Super Cool” with Robyn and the Lonely Island which was featured on The Lego Movie 2 soundtrack, and most recently his collaboration with soon-to-be tour mates Cage the Elephant for “Night Running.”

In support of Hyperspace, Beck will hit the road with Cage the Elephant for their joint summer tour. The “Night Running” tour begins on July 11 at the Sunlight Supply Amphitheater in Ridgefield, Washington and concludes about a month and a half later on Aug. 30 at the Coral Sky Amphitheater in West Palm Beach, Florida.

The full list of tour dates can be found here.

Imagine Dragons, Mumford and Son, Neil Young lead 2019 BottleRock lineup

Imagine Dragons, Mumford and Sons, and Neil Young are just some of the musicians who will make their way to California in the spring for the 2019 incarnation of the BottleRock Napa Valley Music Festival. On Monday (Jan. 7), music festival organizers unveiled their musically diverse lineup for this year’s festivities due to take place in late-May.

Joining the aforementioned acts on the bill this year will be OneRepublic, Flogging Molly, Jenny Lewis, AJR, Lovelytheband, Pharrell Williams, Logic, Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweat, Juanes, Against Me!, and two of the “greatest living guitarists” Gary Clark Jr. and Carlos Santana.

“We definitely put the emphasis on the rock in BottleRock, with Santana and Gary Clark Jr. We’re also strong on the Latino influence with Santana and Juanes. And Pharrell Williams has produced some of the most well-known songs today,” Dave Graham of BottleRock Presents said in a statement.

“Imagine Dragons can cater to 12-year-olds, soccer moms and 25- to 30-year-olds, and their music appeals to my age and up. I’m 46. Since they played BottleRock the first time in 2015, they’ve taken off and exploded. In 2017, they came out with ‘Believer,’ ‘Thunder,’ ‘Whatever It Takes’ and ‘Natural.’ We’re glad to have them back,” adds Graham.

In total over 80 acts will take over one of six stages during the three-day event.

In addition to the rocking roster, the event will also include access to wine, food, and craft beers all from the Napa Valley area as well as a culinary stage, VIP experiences, spa and salon options, and a silent disco.

Three-day passes for the upcoming festival go on sale beginning this Tuesday. Jan. 8, at 10 a.m. PT. Single-day passes will go on sale this Thursday, Jan. 10. For more information about the music festival, tickets, or the lineup, head on over to BottleRock’s website here.

BottleRock will take place in Napa Valley during the weekend of May 24 – 26. Doors open each day at 11:30 a.m. while the last act ends at 10 p.m. each night.

The full lineup for this year’s BottleRock can be found below.

Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Los Unidades lead ‘Global Citizen’ EP

Pharrell Williams, David Guetta, Los Unidades, and African musician WIZKID are some of the artists to be featured on the upcoming Global Citizen EP 1 album. On Tuesday (Nov. 27), international advocacy organization Global Citizen announced plans to release a four-song record at the end of the week. Due out this Friday (Nov. 30), the EP will be released in partnership with United States-founded Atlantic Records and United Kingdom-based Parlophone.

In conjunction with the surprise album announcement, the first single from the record was released. Titled “E-Lo,” the song is performed by Pharrell Williams, Jozzy, and Los Unidades aka Coldplay under a new moniker. Watch the Nelson Mandela-inspired lyric video for “E-Lo” above.

Pre-orders for Global Citizen EP 1 are currently available here. All pre-orders come with an instant download of “E-Lo.”

Proceeds from the forthcoming release will go directly to Global Citizen’s campaigns and advocacy efforts to end extreme poverty as well as assist in areas such as gender equality, education, water, and sanitation.

Global Citizen’s veer into the music world is not at all surprising since the project is headed by Coldplay’s Chris Martin who also curates Global Citizen’s annual live music festival.

“For hundreds of years, we have witnessed the power of music in bringing people together to drive activism and demand change,” said Global Citizen CEO Hugh Evans.

“We are thrilled to release Global Citizen EP 1 with new songs from these incredible artists who stand with us in the fight to defeat extreme poverty, and we are extremely grateful to Dave Holmes, Parlophone Records and Atlantic Records for their dedicated partnership and support as we demand to see an end to extreme poverty by 2030.”

Coldplay manager Dave Holmes adds: “It was a real honor to help further the Global Citizen movement by putting together this release alongside Chris and Parlophone. We’ve ended up with so many incredible performers, and we’re all extremely proud of the finished EP. May it be the first of many.”

The EP will arrive a few days before this year’s Global Citizen Festival set to take place on Sunday, Dec. 2 in Johannesburg, South Africa. This year, the festival will honor the legacy of Nelson Mandela. Martin, Williams, WIZKID, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Cassper Nyovest, D’banj, Ed Sheeran, Eddie Vedder, Femi Kuti, , Sho Madjozi, Tiwa Savage, and Usher will all perform at this year’s event.

GLOBAL CITIZEN EP 1 TRACK LISTING:

1. “Rise Up (feat. Nelson Mandela)” – Stargate
2. “E-Lo (feat. Jozzy)” – Los Unidades & Pharrell Williams
3. “Timbuktu (feat. Stormzy & Jess Kent)” – Cassper Nyovest & Los Unidades
4. “Voodoo (feat. Tiwa Savage, Wizkid, Danny Ocean & David Guetta)” – Stargate & Los Unidades

Green Day, Stevie Wonder, The Killers to headline the Global Citizen Festival

Green Day, the Killers, and Stevie Wonder are just some of the big names set to invade New York City later this year for the 2017 Global Citizen Festival. On Tuesday (Aug. 1), the annual, good-cause music festival announced a diverse lineup for the 2017 incarnation of the musical event. Pharrell Williams, Big Sean, Andra Day, the Lumineers, Alessia Cara, and the Chainsmokers will also be featured on the lengthy bill. According to a press release from the music festival, more special guests will be announced over the upcoming weeks.

The goal of the Global Citizen organization is to ask their followers, referred to as Global Citizens, to hold their leaders accountable for major world issues. Prior to the big concert event, Global Citizen will be campaigning to create major changes in the areas of education, food security, healthcare, gender equality, and sanitation. In addition to that, the group also aims to end poverty, take on climate change, and fight all kinds of inequalities by 2030.

“We’re grateful to be a part of this year’s Global Citizen Festival,” begins Green Day’s Billie Joe Armstrong in a statement. “American aid programs make a significant difference in the betterment of lives at home and around the world, and we should all want these programs to become stronger, not weaker. We all play a part in seeing this mission through and it starts with calling on all our leaders.”

“In this crucial time, there is nothing more exciting to me than having the honor of giving my gift of song, words and motivation to the Global Citizen Festival,” said two-time performer Stevie Wonder. “When we commit ourselves to life issues, we are showing love of the Most High. I was, I am and will always be, a citizen connected to the spirit of everyone on this planet moving forward. Let’s go!”

“We can’t wait to get back to our hometown of New York City and play for 60,000 people who have done amazing things to change the world,” begins the Chainsmokers’ statement. “We are so thankful to our fans for getting online and taking action to support less fortunate people around the world. We’ll see you on Sept. 23!”

The 2017 Global Citizen Festival will take place on Sept. 23 at New York’s Central Park. According to the music festival’s website, they are expecting approximately 60,000 Global Citizens to attend the musical event. Like the past years, tickets for the show will be distributed via a lottery system. Fans can get involved and informed on how to become a Global Citizen by checking out the music festival’s website here.

Glastonbury 2015 Announce Complete 2015 Line-Up

When Glastonbury isn’t letting the selfie generation know that this festival is a “selfie stick optional” event, they are revealing the super long and jammed packed line-up for this year’s event.

Previously, festival organizers had revealed that acts likes Kanye West, Foo Fighters, The Who, Florence and the Machine, Pharrell Williams, Alt-J, Lionel Richie, Motorhead, Patti Smith, and many, many more would be making the trip to Pilton, Somerset (England) at the end of the month for the five-day music event.

With about three weeks left until gates open to let in all the musical craziness, organizers revealed the rest of the long list of acts.

Check out some of the new additions, and the official poster with the updated line-up, below.

New additions include: SBTRKT, Benjamin Booker, Jon Hopkins, Goat, Idris Elba, The Districts, Palma Violets, Frank Turner, Leon Bridges, Alvvays, Tricky, FFS (the joint project from Franz Ferdinand and Sparks), Mini Mansions, Shlomo, The Cribs, SOAK, Milky Chance, The Gaslamp Killer, Donovan, The Proclaimers, Nick Lowe, Burt Bacharach, and many more.

Russian band Pussy Riot will also appear at the event for a “live conversation” while Stephen Hawking and the Dali Lama will also make appearances.

Like the poster states, Glastonbury 2015 will take place from June 24-28.

YouTube Faces $1 Billion Lawsuit from Musicians

YouTube are in a little bit of a legal bind which can cost them up to $1 billion.

Yesterday afternoon, it was reported that Pharrell, The Eagles, and other musicians had filed a lawsuit against the popular music streaming site which can result in a major pay out. Lawyers for the artists have demanded that YouTube take down over 20,000 videos from the streaming site which they reportedly have no rights to.

According to Irving Azoff, the founder of a new legal group named the Global Music Rights, YouTube does not have the performance right to thousands of songs from his clients which include the previous named musicians as well as Chris Cornell, John Lennon, and Smokey Robinson, and more.

Azoff also claims that even though YouTube negotiated with the respected record labels for the rights to the music, they did not reach out to negotiate with the artists themselves. Azoff also says that his clients want to pursue YouTube first because they are the least cooperative of the companies and that their clients feel they are the worst offenders.

Google, who will be launching their own subscription music service next year in a partnership with YouTube, claim that the site does in fact have the performance rights from previous deals that had been made.

Global Music Rights’ lawyer Howard King says that has yet to be seen.

“Without providing a shred of documentation, you blithely proffer that YouTube can ignore the Notices because it operates under blanket licenses from performing rights organizations other than Global,” reads the letter King sent to YouTube earlier this month.

“However, you refuse to provide the details of any such license agreements, presumably because no such agreements exist for YouTube’s present uses of the songs in any service, but certainly with respect to its recently added Music Key service.”

But this streaming site vs artist battle is nothing new and has been escalating more a more over the past few months. The major hit came when Taylor Swift decided to pull her entire catalog off of Spotify which resulted in the music streaming giant trying to coax her back with “cutesy” letters. That did not work as we all know.

Recording Academy Reveal First Couple of Grammy Categories, Nominees

It’s that time once again. The time of year when the Grammys announce the nominees for the 2015 incarnation of the yearly award ceremony. Earlier this morning, the Recording Academy revealed the first set of categories and their nominees during CBS’s This Morning with the help of previous collaborators and nominees each, Pharrell Williams and Ed Sheeran.

Check out the first four categories below as well as their nominees.

Best Rock Song:

“Ain’t It Fun” – Paramore

“Blue Moon” – Beck

“Fever” – The Black Keys

“Gimme Something Good” – Ryan Adams

“Lazaretto” – Jack White

Best Rock Album:

Ryan Adams – Ryan Adams

Morning Phase – Beck

Turn Blue – The Black Keys

Hypnotic Eye – Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers

Songs of Innocence – U2

Best Country Album:

Riser – Dierks Bentley

The Outsiders – Eric Church

12 Stories – Brandy Clark

Platinum – Miranda Lambert

The Way I’m Livin – Lee Ann Womack

Best Pop Vocal Album:

Ghost Stories – Coldplay

Bangerz – Miley Cyrus

My Everything – Ariana Grande

Prism – Katy Perry

X – Ed Sheeran

In The Lonely Hour – Sam Smith

Best Urban Contemporary Album:

Sail Out – Jhené Aiko

Beyoncé – Beyoncé

X – Chris Brown

Mali Is – Mali Music

G I R L – Pharrell

Record Of The Year:

“Fancy,” Iggy Azalea ft. Charli XCX

“Chandelier,” Sia

“Stay With Me,” Sam Smith

“Shake It Off,” Taylor Swift

“All About That Bass,”  Meghan Trainor

As for the rest if the 75 categories that have yet to be announced, the Recording Academy will announce the rest around 11 a.m. PST while the big award of Album of the Year will be announced around 7 p.m. PST as part of CBS’ A Very Grammy Christmas special airing tonight.

“Baby Don’t Lie,” Gwen Stefani Has a New Song Out

It feels like ages since Gwen Stefani has released any new music, but the No Doubt frontwoman has returned with a new track.

After months of hinting at new music and that mega-producer and fellow The Voice judge Pharrell Williams would be producing her new record, the first single has been unleashed.

The song, which is titled “Baby Don’t Lie” is catchy, much like her previous albums without being too “juvenile.”

Instead of being a full-blown, overproduced, dance floor tune, the track seems to take those elements mix it together with some maturity and there you have it. With that being said, it feels like the opposite of what “Hollaback Girl” was, but then again, that was eight long years ago.

Check out the catchy song below.

“Baby Don’t Lie” which was co-written by OneRepublic maverick Ryan Tedder, will of course appear on Stefani’s third solo album which is expect to be released before the end of 2014.

As of now, no official title has been given for the upcoming record, though we assume with a release time frame of 2014, we’ll be getting the album title any day now.

2014 American Music Award Nominees Unveiled

The 2014 American Music Award nominees are here and like many of the other music-centric awards shows that are upcoming, many of the nominees include those that have taken over the radio.

Coming in with the most nomination is Australian rapper, Iggy Azalea with a total of six. With a total of five each, we have a tie between John Legend, Katy Perry, and Pharrell Williams.

Check out the full list of nominations below.

2014 AMERICAN MUSIC AWARD NOMINATIONS:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR:
Iggy Azalea
Beyoncé
Luke Bryan
Eminem
Imagine Dragons
John Legend
Lorde
One Direction
Katy Perry
Pharrell Williams

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR PRESENTED BY KOHL’S:
5 Seconds of Summer
Iggy Azalea
Bastille
Sam Smith
Meghan Trainor

SINGLE OF THE YEAR:
“Fancy”- Iggy Azalea Featuring Charli XCX
“All of Me” – John Legend
“Rude” – MAGIC!
“Dark Horse” – Katy Perry Featuring Juicy J
“Happy” – Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK:
John Legend
Sam Smith
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – POP/ROCK:
Iggy Azalea
Lorde
Katy Perry

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – POP/ROCK:
Imagine Dragons
One Direction
OneRepublic

FAVORITE ALBUM – POP/ROCK:
Pure Heroine – Lorde
Midnight Memories – One Direction
Prism – Katy Perry

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – COUNTRY:
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Blake Shelton

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – COUNTRY:
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Carrie Underwood

FAVORITE BAND, DUO OR GROUP – COUNTRY:
Eli Young Band
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum

FAVORITE ALBUM – COUNTRY:
Blame It On My Roots: Five Decades of Influences – Garth Brooks
The Outsiders – Eric Church
Just As I Am – Brantley Gilbert

FAVORITE ARTIST – RAP/HIP-HOP:
Iggy Azalea
Drake
Eminem

FAVORITE ALBUM – RAP/HIP-HOP:
The New Classic – Iggy Azalea
Nothing Was The Same – Drake
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 – Eminem

FAVORITE MALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B:
Chris Brown
John Legend
Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE FEMALE ARTIST – SOUL/R&B:
Jhene Aiko
Beyoncé
Mary J. Blige

FAVORITE ALBUM – SOUL/R&B:
Beyoncé – Beyoncé
Love in the Future – John Legend
G I R L – Pharrell Williams

FAVORITE ARTIST – ALTERNATIVE ROCK:
Bastille
Imagine Dragons
Lorde

FAVORITE ARTIST – ADULT CONTEMPORARY:
Sara Bareilles
OneRepublic
Katy Perry

FAVORITE ARTIST – LATIN:
Marc Anthony
Enrique Iglesias
Romeo Santos

FAVORITE ARTIST – CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL:
Casting Crowns
Hillsong United
Newsboys

FAVORITE ARTIST – ELECTRONIC DANCE MUSIC (EDM):
Avicii
Calvin Harris
Zedd

TOP SOUNDTRACK:
Frozen
The Fault In Our Stars
Guardians of the Galaxy: Awesome Mix, Vol. 1

The AMAs will take place on Sunday, Nov. 23 at Los Angeles’ Nokia Theater and will air on ABC. Newcomer and nominee, Charli XCX has already been confirmed as the first performer of the award show.

Voting for all categories, except for “New Artist of the Year” are currently up on the AMA’s website. The New Artists category will open on Nov. 1 and will close during the first hour of the telecast.