Random Music News for July 21, 2014

On this day in 1983, it was -89.2 at a Russian research outpost in Antarctica.  And it was dark, too.

1. Vertu, the company that makes $22,000 cell phones, wants to go against Apple, Samsung and everyone else in the wearable tech market.
2. Japanese pop is weird. VERY weird.
3. Here’s an interesting study that links the kind of radio you listen to with the kind of car you buy.
4. Trent Reznor talks about the Apple-Beats deal in this new interview with the Associated Press.
5. The lineup for the eighth annual iTunes Music Festival has been announced.
6. A man died at the Pemberton Music Festival in BC.  Cops call the death “suspicious.”
7. Turns out Casey Kasem’s body is in Montreal.  Maybe.  WTF?
8. Marky Ramone has an interview with a Brazilian music blog.  He doesn’t seem to like CJ Ramone very much. “CJ is not a Ramone.” (Thanks to Tom for this.)
9. Beyonce is now shilling for bad mommy porn.
10. YouTube bans the original RickRoll video.
11. Meanwhile, Universal Music has struck a deal with YouTube to reach young music fans.
12. Shakira becomes the first person to reach 100 million Facebook “likes.”
13. Music Canada, the nation’s largest recording industry trade association, has a new website that’s full of interesting information.
14. Playing the drums as a form of music therapy?  Well, duh.  You get to hit shit! (Thanks to John for the link.)