Random music for Thursday, June 11, 2026

This weird story from the BBC is too strange for words. I needed to make that clear up front. As for music news for June 11, 2026…

1. Since we’re on the subject, is the iPhone to blame for its decline?
2. RIP Talay Riley, who wrote songs for Britney Spears. He was stabbed to death at the age of 35.
3. Canada is looking at a social media ban for people under 16. The UK is considering the same thing.
4. Are you into prediction market apps like Polymarket and Kalshi? Predicting music things could be worth US$400 million.
5. The American Federation of Musicians is suing Warner and Universal over how they used members’ music to train AI.
6. Spotify is the subject of a lawsuit regarding how the company calculates and pays out royalties.
7. Berklee School of Music has a new report on “how music is discovered, licensed, created, and used across today’s social media video ecosystem.” It also talks about AI.
8. There’s a fake Angine de Poitrine working in Russia.
9. What’s blink-182 teasing? It’s gotta be something to do with the 25th anniversary of Take Off Your Pants and Jacket.
10. Kim Thayil of Soundgarden, who has a new memoir, has been talking about the loss of both Chris Cornell and Kurt Cobain.
11. A new unauthorized book on Slipknot is coming in August.
12. What’s next in hip-hop? Phonk and Rage Rap, apparently.
13. More than 30 years after he was shot dead, Tupac Shakur has a new acting gig.
14. Justin Trudeau and Katy Perry: Still a thing.
15. These memes will never die because the UK is officially preserving them for all time.

More music news? Go here.

BONUS: Time for another bit of Trump trolling with LEGO video from Iran.