It may seem it was only yesterday when Sir Paul McCartney was 64, but in reality it was six years ago. But the GRAMMY-winning icon, who celebrated his 70th birthday on June 18, is still putting in many a hard day's night. In the past year, McCartney married Nancy Shevell; was honored as the 2012 MusiCares Person of the Year; closed the 54th GRAMMY Awards; and released a new album, Kisses On The Bottom. As fate would have it, fellow GRAMMY-winning legend Brian Wilson celebrated his 70th birthday on June 20. "I feel great! I don't think I look or act 70," Wilson told Rolling Stone. "I feel more like I'm in my mid-40s." Wilson and the Beach Boys are quite active with the recent release of their reunion album, That's Why God Made The Radio, and touring in celebration of their 50th anniversary, which kicked off with a memorable performance at the 54th GRAMMYs. Fittingly, Wilson received a call from an old friend on his special day. "[Paul] said, 'Happy birthday, friend!" said Wilson. "I said, 'Happy birthday to you, Paul.' He told me he was headed into Abbey Road. I told him we were on our way to Montreal." While good vibrations are keeping Wilson going, just how is McCartney keeping such a rigorous pace? "Y'know, he's gettin' it every night onstage and hopefully in bed with his new wife!" Aerosmith's Steven Tyler told ABC Radio. "God bless him."
We've heard of aiming for the moon, but the creators of website Stuff Monsters Like are taking the phrase to a literal level. The site has kicked off a fundraising campaign at Kickstarter for a multifaceted project that involves the Moon and the real estate, architecture and music industries. Site creators Sarah Giavedoni and Jim MacKenzie are looking to purchase the Lunar surface, construct a Moon base and write a folk album, to be titled Lunar Aid 1985. Time is apparently of the essence, since the "Russians have announced their plans to permanently live on the Moon too." Is this project legit? "Hell yeah, we're for real," said Giavedoni and MacKenzie in a statement. "We want to be the John Denver of space folk!" Further details about the project's concept and a sampling of the site creators' musical talents are available to preview in the project's video synopsis. Pledges of $1,000 will net a "free Moonbucks Coffee Membership for Life" while those contributing one dollar will get "warm fuzzies/a good feeling." We here at TWIM are mulling the $25/autographed album copy and $50/pet moon rock options.
It's no secret that the Flaming Lips appreciate a good game of musical antics. On Halloween in 2011 the band, led by frontman Wayne Coyne (who has been known to bounce along a crowd encased in a bubble) launched a website to stream their new song "7 Skies H3." Only this was no ordinary song — it lasted for 24 hours straight. Obviously believers in the "rock and roll all night" mentality, the Flaming Lips are embarking on another 24-hour adventure as they aim to break the Guinness World Record for most live concerts in 24 hours in multiple cities. The band will begin June 27 with a 3:30 p.m. show in Memphis and end June 28 with a 4 p.m. performance in New Orleans. All in all, the band will travel to eight cities in 24 hours. Will the Lips cover "Rock Around The Clock" at the shows?
With a No. 1 album and worldwide tour, it seems Madonna is back and more fierce (and demanding) than ever. Apparently, Madge is also still befitting of her title as the Material Girl, given the items listed on her current tour rider. Along for the MDNA journey is a 200-person entourage, 30 bodyguards, a team of personal chefs, a yoga instructor, an acupuncturist, and a dry cleaner. Additionally, she requires her dressing rooms to feature 20 international phone lines and flowers (white and light-pink roses and lilies to be exact, cut at exactly six inches). "She requires all furniture be removed from the rooms and replaced with her own pieces that she has shipped in," a source told In Touch magazine. If Madonna looks like this onstage, we're afraid to see what she's capable of offstage if her demands are not met.
Nearly three decades after they topped the pop chart with songs such as "Careless Whisper" and "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," Wham! may be ready to make it big all over again. According to a Daily Mirror report, Andrew Ridgeley and George Michael are planning to reform for a one-off show and comeback single. "Things are still in the early stages but everybody is getting really excited about it," said an anonymous source, who also revealed "they do want to commemorate the event with a big gig ... and an even bigger party afterwards!" A Wham! reunion was originally planned at a Michael concert in London in 2006 but Ridgeley became "too sick with nerves" to perform. These days, Ridgeley maintains a low profile while Michael is set to resume his Symphonica tour in September after a bout with life-threatening pneumonia. Will Wham! give their fans everything they want? Stay tuned …
Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" is tops on the Billboard Hot 100 and iTunes singles charts.
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