Random music news for Friday, January 20, 2023

When is a tank not a tank? When Ukraine classifies them as “recreational vehicles.” On to music news for January 20, 2022.

1. RIP Van Conner, co-founder of Seattle band Screaming Trees.
2. RIP Bruce Gowers, a pioneering director of music videos including Queen’s “Bohemian Rhapsody.”
3. Lisa Marie Presley’s grave is being readied at Graceland.
4. Twitter is having trouble paying the bills because over 500 advertisers have bailed on the platform since Elon took over.
5. George Santos, Republican congressman (aka the lying liar who lies), once performed in Brazilian drag shows using the name “Kitara.”
6. Even the Kardashians can’t understand Kanye’s new marriage.
7. The Michael Jackson big screen biopic will start production in 2024. We already know how it ends.
8. Streaming fraud: It’s snowballing.
9. The US Senate will hold a hearing on the Taylor Swift-Ticketmaster debacle on January 24. (My take? It’s political grandstanding. Nothing will come of this.)
10. Apple just announced a brand new HomePod.
11. Looking for interesting and unique band merch? Try The Guitarwrist. (Via Tom)
12. Diggy Stardust [sic] is at work.
13. Rapper Flo Rida is getting US$82.6 million in a settlement with Celsius, the energy drink company.
14. A very metal gift: Jewelry made from Iron Maiden guitar strings.
15. SAS Rogue Heroes is a great WWII series on Amazon Prime. Part of what makes it great is the soundtrack with music from across the decades.
16. This was a very, very bad day for the Sex Pistols in 1978.

BONUS: Having trouble understanding four-dimensional space? This video could help.

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