The Who to Release New Music

As their 50th anniversary approaches, The Who will mark this historic event by releasing an archival set that spans their career. What’s even more exciting is that The Who Hits 50! will include the band’s first new song in eight years.

Rolling Stone reported Roger Daltrey and Pete Townshend recorded “Be Lucky” with Zak Starkey, bassist Pino Pallodino, keyboardist Mick Talbot, and producer Dave Eringa. The song is the band’s first release since their 2006 comeback album, Endless Wire.

Out on October 27th, The Who Hits 50! includes 41 of their greatest hits ranging the band’s history.

The Who plan to go on a final world tour next year.

Pornhub launches Own Record Label

In an odd attempt to revitalize his dying career, former rapper Coolio announced that he has plans to release a record through Pornhub. The website launched their label today, and have a contest to find an anthem for Pornhub.

Matt Blake, who is head of PR at the company, also told Billboard that he thought that the website had “always seen a strong music presence from the beginning.”

Vice President Cory Price said that even though Coolio achieved considerable interest in his anthem “Take it to the Hub” (which is, you guessed it, centered around masturbation), the label were “looking for acts that aren’t necessarily porn-focused.” However, who will actually go to the website to watch a music video? Price does recognize this by saying that ”we’re an ad-based network looking for content that appeals to our demographic. Mature lyrics for an adult audience; no boy bands or teen-pop, for instance.”

Producers can enter the contest and one winner will be chosen who will win $5,000 towards a music video with a minimum of 500,000 views guaranteed.

Jack White and Neil Young Among Artists Who Will Perform at Bob Dylan Tribute

A gala concert in February will honor Bob Dylan with an impressive lineup.

Some of the artists that are set to play are: Jack White, Neil Young, Beck, The Black Keys, Norah Jones, Willie Nelson, Eddie Vedder, Tom Jones, John Mellencamp, Bonnie Raitt and Crosby, Stills and Nash.

The concert commemorates The National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences’ choosing Dylan as the 2015 MusiCares Person of the Year. The concert will be held on February 6 and will be part of Grammy Week.

Neil Portnow, CEO of the MusiCares Foundation and The Recording Academy, said in a recent statement, “In celebrating the 25th anniversary of our MusiCares Person of the Year tribute, it is most fitting that we are honouring Bob Dylan, whose body of creative work has contributed to America’s culture, as well as that of the entire world, in genuinely deep and lasting ways.”

Money going to the concert will be donated to MusiCares, which is a foundation that provides help to musicians in need. The Person of the Year award honors musicians for both their artistic achievements, and their philanthropy. Recipients include Brian Wilson, James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen.

Members of Pop All Star Band Cover the White Stripes and Phil Collins

Joining together, members of Arcade Fire, The Strokes and Bon Iver perform a cover of Phil Collins’ ‘In The Air Tonight’ on Saturday (September 20).

Justin Vernon (Bon Iver), Strokes bassist Nikolai Fraiture and Arcade Fire’s Win and Will Butler performed together as Pop All Star Band at the third annual Pop Vs Jock game in Montreal at this year’s Pop Montreal festival.

The performance was held at half time during the basketball game at the McGill Sports Complex. Kid Koala, while wearing a koala costume, leading a parade of people in animal costumes, a kazoo competition and NBA player Luke Bonner sang karaoke with an Alanis Morrissette song. The supergroup performed ‘In the Air Tonight’ and “Seven Nation Army.”

Butler’s wife and bandmate Regine Chassagne played organ in the arena while Kid Koala and A-Trak played a DJ set with tracks by LL Cool J, Michael Jackson and Beastie Boys before the game. Mozart’s Sister sang the national anthem.

The game the musicians team with NBA players Brent Barry and Matt Bonner against the McGill and Concordia college basketball teams. Montreal Gazette reports that Team Pop won the game 101 points to 92. James Murphy from LCD Soundsystem DJed the afterparty.

Pop Montreal concluded September 21 and hosted performances from Twin Shadow, Panda Bear, Against Me! and Schoolboy Q.

The Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

1. Digital Witness – St. Vincent

2. Every Time the Sun Comes Up – Sharon Van Etten

3. October – Broken Bells

4. I’m Only Joking – Kongos

5. Four Walls – Broods

6. Silhouettes – Colony House

7. Do You – Spoon

8. Do It Like You Do – Lettuce

9. Pressure – My Brightest Diamond

10. I Can See Clearly Now – Jimmy Cliff

11. Take It As It Comes – J. Roddy Walston and the Buisness

12. How Good Does It Feel – Empires

13. Long Time Coming – Saints of Valory

14. Water Fountain – Tune-Yards

15. Girl That I Love – Falls

16. Ordinary Girl – Rebelution

17. Bad Wings – The Glitch Mob

18. I’m a Cuckoo – Belle and Sebastian

19. Give Me A Reason – The Rosebuds

20. Right Time – Nikki Lane

Melodic Tree’s Weekly Playlist

Spoon Covers Jay Reatard at Their Milwaukee Performance

Spoon, who have been spending the last few months on tour for their newest album, They Want My Soul, performing to local and festival crowds weekly. Last night, the band played a show in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. This show was important, as it was the first time the band had played in the city since New Year’s Eve 2009. Spoon brought in the new year with Jay Reatard that night, who was found dead in his Memphis home two weeks later.

As a tribute to the late punk musician and his final performance, Spoon began their encore with a cover of Reatard’s “No Time.”

Ben And Jerrys Forced to Consider Changing Name of Led Zeppelin Inspired Ice Cream

This year, ice cream company, Ben & Jerry’s, released “Hazed & Confused”, an ice cream flavor inspired by Led Zeppelin’s Dazed and Confused.

Even though customers have enjoyed the fudge chips and hazelnut core, others have found its name troublesome and downright insensitive for apparently making “light of student hazing.” The company is now considering renaming the flavor, The Huffington Post reports.

Since February, Ben & Jerry’s has received four complaints about the flavor. The Kowiak family, whose son had died during a hazing ritual in 2008, were “shocked and […] dismayed.” about the the flavor.

While the creamery plan on discussing a possible name-change next month, they also noted that the flavor was “never intended to have any association with hazing. The ice cream contains hazelnuts, so it was always meant as a pop culture reference to ‘Dazed and Confused,'” Sean Greenwood, spokesperson for the company, told The Huffington Post.

He also said, “Ben & Jerry’s believes that hazing and bullying have no place in our society. No individual, group, or entity should benefit by marginalizing others.”

Paul McCartney Asks for Support on Meat Monday

Paul McCartney has asked fans for support on “Meat Free Monday.”

Former Beatle and singer-songwriter recorded a video message asking the public to not eat meat once a week to help reduce carbon footprints. The request comes a week before the UN Global Summit.

The campaign was launched by the McCartneys and Rt Hon Gregory Barker MP, Climate Advisor. For more information visit pledge.meatfreemondays.com.

September 17th Declared Foo Fighters Day

Tonight, Foo Fighters will perform in Richmond, Virginia for the first time in 16 years to play a crowdfunded concert at The National. Following Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel, who honored David Bowie with his day, Richmond Mayor Dwight Jones has declared September 17th as “Foo Fighters Day”.

In the proclamation, Jones recognized “this fan-orchestrated event that brought Foo Fighters back to Virginia’s capital city.” Four Foo Fighters fans, in March, began to sell tickets to the hypothetical gig at $50. By the time the crowdfund ended, 1,400 tickets were sold and the band booked flights to Richmond.

Watch Foo Fighters Full Performance At Invictus Games Closing Concert

Sunday night, Foo Fighters closed England’s first Invictus Games with a 14-song set spanning the their career. That included their upcoming LP Sonic Highways. Foo Fighters did not play any songs off of it in full, they did perform a bit of a new song, “Outside,” which was put in the middle of “The Pretender.”