New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio has confirmed that Wednesday, January 20 is David Bowie Day in the city.
Speaking of Bowie, the late and great legend turned down an opportunity to be featured on a Coldplay song. Drummer Will Champion told NME that the band once approached the "Ziggy Stardust" singer to be featured on a song and Bowie apparently replied: "It's not a very good song, is it?"
Champion then added: "He was very discerning – he wouldn't just put his name to anything. I'll give him credit for that!"
Yasiin Bey aka Mos Def has apparently quit music and acting and will release his final album this year.
Before the Syrian civil war, the countries orchestra had performed with Gorillaz and Damon Albarn and now the singer is looking to reunite the performers. Albarn and the orchestra under the conducting of Isaam Rafea will perform in London in June. It will be their first performance as an orchestra in five years.
In a new interview with Collide Art & Culture, Thurston Moore doesn't seem to understand why he is being blamed for the end of Sonic Youth. The singer was having an affair for years even though his wife Kim Gordon was in the band. The band ended in 2011 and he is now coming forward talking about the aftermath. He said: "I find it really strange that I get demonised [sic] for the break-up of Sonic Youth when I myself had no intention of breaking up the band; that was a real surprise to me. I get the reasons behind the band not existing at the moment — everyone has to be on the same page — but there was never any announcement. Well, I never made one." He added: "For me, it goes on and won’t end. I write songs now and people say, “It sounds kinda like Sonic Youth” — well, that’s my vocabulary, you know. What you’re not hearing is Lee and Kim because they’re not playing the music with me, so it’s a different situation."
Speaking to Rolling Stone, RZA has confirmed that an Ol Dirty Bastard biopic is in the works. He said: "I think it's a great idea, and there has been talk about it. There are a few wheels in motion with one done by our first cousin Rayshawn. He was the young guy there watching everything that happened. Him and ODB's wife have been talking and he has a pretty interesting script. I just saw a 12-minute teaser that he shot about a year ago and it felt pretty fucking cool. I watched it and was like, 'Wow, you may have something here.' He has the best thing that I've seen so far."
