The mastermind behind the hugely popular Gangnam Style, PSY revealed in a press conference back in Korea that he is planning to either release a new single, or an album that includes a new single.  According to the singer, Universal Republic Records wants him to keep singing in Korean, but PSY expressed his wish to release an album where he will be singing in English towards mid or late November.

PSY also hinted that a future concert may take place in Madison Square Garden in New York.   On November 11^th, he is scheduleds to attend the MTV EMA’s in Frankfurt, Germany.

PSY’s hit dance which has been widely parodied, the various renditions going on to become viral on the Internet and has been mentioned on various national news stations, was recently parodied by the new president of North Korea Kim-Jong-un.  In the Korean dictator’s Gangnam Style-version, he sings about which K-pop is really the best, reports AllKpop.  Some of the revised lyrics include lines like, “The national pastime is to be oppressed” and “work, work, work, then sleep…torture” and another striking verse, “K-pop North Korean style.”

Photo courtesy via paludipan via Flickr.

It looks like another one of music echelons may be taking an indefinite break.  Justin Vernon of Bon Iver says that after touring relentless the past year in the wake of his 2011 Grammy win, he may be taking a hiatus with recording and touring.  Sunday night (9/23) Vernon told Minnesota Public Radio station 89.3 The Current’s Local Show that:

[I’m] winding it down. I look at it like a faucet. I have to turn it off and walk away from it because so much of how that music comes together is subconscious or discovering. There’s so much attention on the band, it can be distracting at times. I really feel the need to walk away from it while I still care about it. And then if I come back to it – if at all – I’ll feel better about it and be renewed or something to do that.

For fans who are dreading the impending hiatus, according to Paste, they can find relief in the Bon Iver’s live performance at the iconic New York City Music Hall currently being broadcasted by The Bowery Presents Live until Wednesday on YouTube.

Photo courtesy of James Duffin via Flickr.

James Franco has played a lot of roles, and we’re not just talking about acting roles.  He’s been a published writer as well as donning the occasionally cap of  journalist, and now he’s adding on music to his long list of credentials.

Franco’s collaboration with musician Tim O’Keefe has resulted in MotorCity, the debut EP from their band Daddy.  Franco told Rolling Stone the group is rooted in his penchant for Motown music during his stay in Detroit to film Oz: The Great and Powerful and the obscure soul tracks he found while watching Blue Valentine and Breaking Bad.  Or inspiration would suddenly arrive simply through his iTunes Genius recommendations.

Love in the Old Days, the lead single from MotorCity recently released a video, directed by Franco is a kaleidoscope of Instagram moments filled with a nostalgic haze.  Franco said he also asked his costars Selena Gomez, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson and Rachel Korine from Harmony Korine’s Spring Breakers to pose for the EP’s cover art.

But film isn’t the only medium that plays a prominent role in shaping the musical foundation of Daddy.  Lyrically, the EP is based on Franco’s master’s degree in poetry that he earned at Warren Wilson College.  His emphasis in poetry taught him to consider writing in rhythmic terms.  A road trip with O’Keefe, a classmate and a past collaborator also worked its way into the dynamics of the group.  Motown was the staple music listened to throughout the trip.

MotorCity is set for release today (9/25), which also features a guest spot from legendary Motown artist Smokey Robinson.

Photo courtesy of Casey Rodgers Photo via Flickr.

Today marks theofficial release of Green Day’s first of three album trilogy.  But prior drama has marred the triumph return of the punk rock trio.  Just days earlier lead singer Billie Joe Armstrong had to enter rehab due to his behavior at Clear Channel’s iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas.   According to reports, Armstrong was ranting and eliciting brash behavior right before smashing his guitar while onstage.

Green Day was among one of the headliners Friday night (9/21) at the MGM Grand.  LA Times reports that Armstrong cut off the band while they were playing a 1994 hit Basket Case and hollered that he wanted to play a new song.  When it was brought to his attention via a digital ticker that said the band had only one minute left onstage, he started to vent.

“Give me a … break,” Armstrong shouted. “One minute left. One minute … left. You’re gonna give me … one minute? Look at that … sign right there. One minute. Let me … tell you something. Let me tell you something. I’ve been around since … 1980 … 8 and you’re going to give me one … minute? You gotta be … kidding me … I’m not … Justin Bieber.”

Armstrong commenced to smash his guitar and storming offstage.  Rihanna closed the ceremony with a performance of her own.

A statement released on the band’s website says: “Billie Joe is seeking treatment for substance abuse.  We would like everyone to know that our set was not cut short by Clear Channel and to apologize to those we offended at the iHeartRadio Festival in Las Vegas.  We regretfully must postpone some of our upcoming promotional appearances.”

While Armstrong’s rant has out-staged future performances in anticipation of his bands’ release for ¡Uno!, MTV reports that this will not be affecting the singer’s upcoming appearance on “The Voice.”

Green Day releases the first in a trio of albums, ¡Uno! today.   Their tour is slated to kick off in November.

Photo courtesy of noamgalai via Flickr.

It seems like Honda is channeling Oprah in their latest good deed as a part of its “Honda Loves You Back” campaign.  But instead of cars, Honda took the LA-based band Monsters Calling Home by complete surprise when unbeknownst to them, the group showed up at the studio where ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live was taped, which later segued into Monsters Calling Home’s big break.

The band was discovered through a couple of music videos that had been shot entirely in Hondas owned by various band members, reports Autoblog.  The group first came to the auto company’s attention via a YouTube video for one of their songs “Fight to Keep”.

The band was reportedly lured to a LA location under the ruse that they will be playing the song live for Honda executives.  Little did they know that a Jimmy Kimmel Live audience waited behind the curtain.

Past efforts to demonstrate that “Honda Loves You Back” included throwing a parade for a guy who drove his Accord over 1,000,000 miles and making Jack-o-Lanterns that feature customer faces.

Photo courtesy of 427fan via Flickr.

Russian punks Pussy Riot received the LennonOno Grant for Peace in New York on Friday (9/21).  Yoko Ono presented the grant to Pyotr Verzilov, who is the spokesman and husband of Pussy riot member Nadezhda Tolokonnikove, reports Rolling Stone.  Verzilov was accompanied by the couple’s young daughter Gera and the entire legal defense team.

The members from Pussy Riot are modeled on riot-grrrl bands like Bikini Kill.  According to The New Yorker, these groups are heavily based on performance art, left-wing feminist politics, anarchist spirit, and critical theory.  Pussy Riot fulfilled all the above requirements when they performed and filmed the song “Punk Prayer—Mother of God, Get Rid of Putin” at the Cathedral of Christ the Savior on February 21^st.  The performance lasted a total of forth seconds before it was disbanded.  Three members of the group: Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina, and Yekaterina Samutsevich were convicted of “hooliganism” and for blaspheming the Church and the State.

The three imprisoned members of Pussy Riot are reported to be appealing their case and two-year prison sentence.  The other members, who have fled Russia to escape arrest, released a video thanking Madonna, Bjork, Green Day, The Red Hot Chili Peppers and other artists for their public support.  An image of a poster of Russian president Vladimir Putin was burned alongside their show of thanks.

Russian Prime Minsister Dmitry Medvedev has expressed his sympathy for the imprisoned members of the group.  At a regional meeting for the ruling United Russian party on Sept. 12^th, the Wall Street Journal reports that Medvedev conceded that the two-year prison sentence that three members of the Russian punk group is excessive and that the group should be freed.

Photo courtesy of Cea. via Flickr.

Singer-songwriter, Fiona Apple, released her first album after a seven year-hiatus early last summer.  While the Idler Wheel songstress was continuing down on the last leg of her North American tour in support of her new album, she was arrested on Wednesday (9/19) for possession of hash in Sierra Blanca, Texas, TMZ reports, at a border stop.  Apple was enroute to Austin where she was scheduled to play at Austin City Limits Live at the Moody Theater.

Apple, who freely admitted the drugs were hers, was held in Hudspeth County jail overnight and who was released after a $10,000 bail.  Apple’s concert at the Moody Theatre on Thursday was postponed.

But Apple is not the first musician to have been arrested for drug charges in the town of Sierra Blanca.  The 35-year old singer follows a string of celebrities who were arrested on drug charges in the tiny Texan town that includes Snoop Dogg, Willie Nelson, Arnie Hammer and Paul Wall.

Pitchfork reports that Fiona Apple shared the details of her jail time with a Houston audience last night (9/21):

“Now, most of the people were very nice to me. There are four of you out there, and I want you to know that I heard everything you did. I wrote it all down with your names and everything you did and said stupidly thinking that I couldn’t hear or see you. I then ripped the paper up, but not before I encoded it and– I got two lock boxes. We’ll call them “holding cell one” and “holding cell two”. In “holding cell one” is the encoded version of the shit that you did that I know was inappropriate and probably illegal. In “holding cell two” is the decoder. I’m the only one who holds the key, and you and I will be intimate forever because I will hold that secret forever. Unless of course the celebrity that you had so much interest in but you wanted to accuse me of bringing up while you laughed at me all night? Unless you’re interested in being a celebrity, I’ll make you fucking famous any time you ask and I’ll open those boxes. So why don’t you stay in your fucking holding cell?”

Photo courtesy of Andrew van Baal via Flickr.

This past Saturday (9/15), Black Keys drummer Patrick Carney and girlfriend Emily Ward said their vows in front of about 350 friends and family who attended the ceremony held at the Nashville home they share together.  The ceremony was officiated by former “Saturday Night Live” comedian Will Forte.  Rolling Stone reports that the bride walked down the aisle to Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells.  The groom was accompanied by the couple’s Irish wolfhound Charlotte.

Dan Auerbach, the Black Keys other counterpart, was among the guests.

Photo courtesy of margarita gonzalez l margaritaland.com via Flickr.

It has been confirmed through various entertainment news sources that Grammy-award winning artist Adele will be performing the theme song for the upcoming James Bond film, Skyfall.  The yet to be written song will have the same name as the film.

According to Paste, the forthcoming tune will be Adele’s first single since her breakthrough album 21.  Rolling Stone reports that the theme of the last Bond movie, Another Way to Die from 2008’s Quantum of Solace was penned by Jack White and featured White and Alicia Keys.  The new James Bond film which will be starring Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes and Berenice Marlohe, is set for release November 9^th in the US.

 Photo courtesy of jolearon via Flickr.

Pinback’s participation at the San Diego Music Thing music festival was already premeditated by bad news.  Pinback along with a couple other local bands on the Casbah stage were cut from the 94/9 Independence Jam lineup before their performance that was supposed to take place on Sunday (9/16).  94/9 program director, Kevin Callahan said in a statement to NCTimes that the San Diego Music Things fest was affecting ticket sales.  Pinback, Mrs. Magician, and Father John Misty were pulled from the Indie Jam lineup because they were already playing the weekend before at the San Diego Music Thing.

But it seemed like a turn of events may insure Pinback’s string of bad luck maybe taking a hike.  The Pinback show on Saturday night (9/15) at Sunset Temple in North Park as a part of the San Diego Music Thing went without a hitch for the first half an hour of the set when Pinback bassist/keyboardist/signer Zach smith glanced over his shoulder to the backstage area to his right, reports San Diego Citybeat.

“Hey,” he said, “did somebody steal my second bass over there?”  The set proceeded to come to a halt as Smith, guitarist / singer Rob Crow / and drummer Chris Prescott stepped offstage to investigate.

A few minutes later, Crow came back onstage and explained to the audience that Smith’s bass had indeed been stolen mid-set.  Crow entertained audiences by playing a slew of Pinback songs solo as well as crowd favorites like, Good to Sea, Fortress and Prog.

Meanwhile, Smith’s very rare and expensive custom-built bass made by the company Alembic was seen spotted outside the venue.  Pinback’s drummer said he saw a man attempting to stuff the bass into a trash can, and then he saw the man run down the street.

According to the Citybeat, Smith had decided not to press charges to the alleged thief who was later caught by the police, issuing this statement to the local San Diego rag, “I’m very grateful I got my bass back.”

It was reported that after about a 40-minute break, the full band started playing together again at around 12:17 am.

Spinner reports that according to a 2010 interview with PopMatters, Smith revealed that his first Alembic bass “was stolen and I was devastated.”

Pinback is currently touring and will be releasing a new studio album, titled, Information Retrieved next month.

Photo courtesy of groundcontrol_mv via Flickr.