Fuse

Obama Gives Al Green Sales Bump, Gets Courted By Drake

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 07:30 PM

Barack Obama only sang one line from Al Green's classic track "Let's Stay Together" at an Apollo Theatre fundraiser last week, but it was enough to boost sales of the reverend's most famous song up nearly 500%.

According to Billboard, Obama's performance, which went viral almost immediately after airing, spurred a 490% increase in paid downloads, the best sales week for the song since downloads began being included as part of total sales in 2003.

In related presidential news, Drake was at Sundance Film Festival, where the former "Degrassi: The Next Generation" star discussed his dream role. "I hope somebody makes a movie about Obama’s life soon because I could play him," said the rapper, who we hope will somehow be ineligible due to his Canadian citizenship (They're taking all our good jobs). While we imagine Drake telling a foreign aggressor that they'll "catch a body like that" while he writes a bill in hashtag rap ("More complex than healthcare #premiums"), let's give this one to Denzel.

 

Tagged as: Drake , Music , News

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Free Music: Eleanor Friedberger, Wild Nothing & More

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 06:52 PM

Wild Nothing, “Nowhere”
Breakout Virginia haze-rockers Wild Nothing are preparing a new 7” for release this February, but as a preview the band have unveiled its a-side a few weeks early. The track, called “Nowhere,” features accordion, a departure for the reverb-wash guitar rockers, plus vocals from Twin Sister’s Andrea Estella. [Soundcloud]

Gangrene, “Dark Shades”
West Coast hip hop outfit Gangrene, a collaboration between the production duo of Oh No and the Alchemist, just dropped “Dark Shades,” a track from their new second full-length album Vodka & Ayahuasca. The track also features verses from rappers Roc C and Evidence. [SPIN]

Nneka, “My Home (Coki of Digital Mystikz Remix)”
In advance of the February 28 release of her third album, Soul Is Heavy, the Nigerian-German hip hop rhymer and soul singer has dropped a remix of single “My Home,” courtesy of Coki of the Digital Mystikz. [The Fader]

James Murphy Stars in New Movie
Well, it’s not music… but… hey, look, it’s clip of a new film starring former LCD Soundsystem frontman James Murphy! Called The Comedy, the film follows a character played by Tim and Eric star Tim Heidecker as he "whiles away his days with a group of aging Brooklyn hipsters, engaging in acts of recreational cruelty and pacified boredom." [Jagjaguwar]

Azealia Banks, “Bambi”
The rising New York City rapper-singer took to Twitter to post this bangin’ track, which she recently lent to the fashion line Mugler to use as the soundtrack for their runway show in Paris. Banks wrote that the beat was produced by Paul Epworth, who has worked with the likes of Adele, Cee Lo and the Rapture, and who is working with Banks on her upcoming debut studio LP. [Pitchfork]

Eleanor Friedberger, New Video, Tour & EP
The sometime Fiery Furnaces singer unveiled a new music video for “Heaven,” from her debut solo effort, Last Summer, which released – ha! -- last summer. She’s also launching a short West Coast solo tour on February 2, and guest-starring on the Portlandia Live tour, which kicks off February 19 in Philadelphia. Expect a bucket of laughs and some kickass tunes. And there’s more: download Friedberger’s live EP, courtest from Merge Records, in exchange for joining her mailing list. [The Awl]

Tagged as: Music , News

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D’Angelo Returns For First Show in 11 Years

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 05:00 PM

Elusive R&B crooner D’Angelo has become more mythical figure than actual human since the release of 2000’s Voodoo. Following its release, the singer embarked on a decade-long drug- and alcohol-fueled sabbatical, leaving Spin to sum up the feelings of many of his fans: What the hell happened? Rumors of a third album began to appear around 2001, yet the album itself has become the source of Detox levels of anticipation.

Finally, we have some tangible, concrete proof of the singer’s return, as D’Angelo kicked off his “D-Tour” in Stockholm, culling tracks from Brown Sugar and Voodoo and including a new song entitled “Sugar Daddy.” Check out video of his performance below, but if you want the quick and dirty: despite this being his first proper performance in 11 years, the singer sounds just as soulful as a decade ago. “Sugar Daddy” leans more toward the funkier side of D’Angelo’s catalog, sounding more Raphael Saadiq than Teddy Pendergrass. The cornrows remain, yet the singer has slimmed down and is a far cry from his 2010 mugshot.

?uestlove told Pitchfork that the singer’s third album, tentatively titled James River, is “97% done.” Between that and a hopefully healthy tour, 2012 may actually be the year the smoothest singer of the decade comes out of his shell.

D'Angelo - "Sugar Daddy"

 

Tagged as: News , Video

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Joseph Gordon-Levitt Covers "Hey Jude" at Sundance

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 04:34 PM

A lot of people have side hustles from their daily jobs. Your waiter friend is really an actor. That girl in retail sells homemade jewelry on Etsy. And your buddy in that small film that grossed $825 million worldwide strums a guitar in his free time. After watching this and this, we figured JoGoLe couldn't raise his cool quotient, but then he turns up at Sundance with a guitar and pulls out "Hey Jude." Because he's Joseph Gordon-Levitt. And he can do no wrong.

 

Joseph Gordon-Levitt - "Hey Jude"

 

Tagged as: News , Video

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Miley's Penis Cake, Rihanna's Tattoo, 40/40 Shutdown

Posted on January 27, 2012 at 03:30 PM

Why did Miley Cyrus get a red velvet penis cake? What did Rihanna tattoo on her knuckles? And why was Jay-Z's club 40/40 shut down by the Department of Health one day after it re-opened? Damn, there were a lot of questions in the music world this week, but Fuse host Elaine Moran's got all the answers (read: jokes) in this week's "Happy Fun Music Time," the only show that's Happy! And Fun! And about Music! And, um, Time! Enjoy.

 

Tagged as: News , Rihanna , Video

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