Every month, we will compile the best, weirdest, most interesting music and sound news from the past 30 days and serve it up to you in one handy, easy to digest list. May we present 33 Things that happened in June? This list is brought to you by our 33 1/3 intern, Katherine DeChant.
- 33 1/3 was featured on Pitchfork!
- Apple Music is launching today! Which of course brings to mind TSwift’s (possibly hypocritical) open letter to Apple, asking them to pay royalties to musicians during their three-month trial period. And her letter worked!
- Unfortunately, they’re not offering much money. Indie labels are still flocking to join now though, which might be a sad commentary on the state of the independent music industry.
- Unsurprisingly, Google decided it needed to get in on this ludicrous market too.
- We lost the beloved founder of free jazz, Ornette Coleman, but at least we got to say a beautiful goodbye.
- James Horner, the film composer known for his work on Titanic and Avatar, was killed when the plane he was piloting crashed. May you rest in peace, sir.
- “Yes” bass player Chris Squire also passed away. I guess celebrity deaths really do come in threes.
- In happier news, Queen is releasing a new brand of beer!
- Tyler, the Creator got annoyed with his Reddit haters.
- Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame sang a pretty cover of “Something.” Because who doesn’t start singing the Beatles whenever you find an unmanned piano?
- The Grateful Dead summoned a rainbow (???) to celebrate the SCOTUS decision!
- Speaking of which, let’s hear it for marriage equality!
- Glastonbury Festival happened!
- And the BBC couldn’t even handle Kanye’s language
- I don’t know whether to congratulate this guy or feel bad for him…
- And another story of determined adherence to “the show must go on”! Someone must have wished Dave Grohl “good luck” before the concert, because he broke his leg. And then proceeded to finish the show!
- What is even happening with Shia Labeouf these days? Just last month he was motivating us. (And in case anyone forgot last year…)
- Tony Bennet teamed up with Lady Gaga! Apparently they’re both still relevant.
- In a similar attempt to grasp at fading careers, Justin Bieber teamed up with Jack Ü to look sad in a music video for a song appropriately titled “Where Are Ü Now.”
- Orphan Black‘s Tatiana Maslany also starred in a music video, but it was cool and creepy.
- Muse released a new album, to colorful reviews.
- “Uptown Funk” may have finally given up its number one spot on the Billboard Hot 100 list, but that doesn’t mean we’ll ever get it out of our heads.
- Michael Giacchino continues to write awesome Pixar soundtracks.
- Steven Tyler might actually be a country singer now.
- Donald Trump’s racist comments lost him a Miss USA performer. Good for you, J Balvin!
- Sam Smith won BET’s Best New Artist award but was not there to receive it, supposedly because “he’s white and didn’t think he would win.”
- Smash Mouth yelled at concert fans because they were tired of having bread thrown at them.
- Dam-Funk attempts to ensure that we will never live in a world without funk.
- John Lennon’s great uncle was apparently a serial criminal in Victorian times.
- Ever thought Frida Kahlo paintings were only lacking a musical element? Well, the Villalobos Brothers are here to remedy that!
- Paul Weller quashed all hopes of “The Jam” reunion: “There’s not enough money in the world.”
- Look at Morrissey’s shirt!
- President Obama sang “Amazing Grace” at the funeral of one of the Charleston shooting victims. Sometimes the worst tragedies can give way to the most beautiful moments of bringing people together.
Reblogged this on Stormfields.