Headlines for October 27, 2009
By: Christina Ivanowich
Morrissey Hospitalized
Pop icon (and former Smiths frontman) Morrissey collapsed on stage at a concert in Swindon, England on Saturday night (Oct. 24). According to The Independent, he had just made it to the end of the first song when he fell to his knees and was helped off the stage by members of his band. This is apparently only the latest of numerous incidents in the last year where he has been forced to cancel shows due to his health; a spokesperson for the ambulance service said he was suffering from "respiratory problems". A brief note posted on his website yesterday (Oct. 26) says that Morrissey has been released from hospital and is resting at home. Monday's scheduled concert was also cancelled, and ticket holders have been told to check for updates on re-scheduling or refunds. In happier news, Morrissey's new b-sides album, Swords, was released October 26 in the UK.
Second New Vampire Weekend Single Announced
Vampire Weekend's publicist has confirmed that they are preparing to release the second single from their upcoming album Contra (due to hit stores January 12). The single is called "Cousins", and will be available digitally on November 17 and more tangibly on 7" vinyl December 15 (just in time for Christmas, mom!). Pitchfork has a preview of the nifty new cover art, and the band recently performed "Cousins" on MTV Live.
Kanye Gets Community Service
The ever-controversial Kanye West is back in the news, and his lawyer was back in court. West and his manager faced three misdemeanour charges from an incident in September 2008, when the two allegedly smashed the camera equipment of some paparazzi in Los Angeles. His lawyer appeared in an LA court on Friday (Oct. 23) where all charges were dropped, provided the two men each perform 50 hours of community service for the Red Cross. In preparation for this ruling, West has already attended 12 hours of anger management classes and financially compensated the photographers involved. You know, it's really not fair that, just because he has money, he can keep acting nuts...
Them Crooked Vultures Album on the Way
Super-group Them Crooked Vultures have announced the release date of their hotly-anticipated first album. The self-produced record, entitled Them Crooked Vultures, will be released November 16 in the UK and November 17 in Canada and the US, and will feature 13 tracks of new material the group debuted on their brief fall tour. Now that the album release has been confirmed, tour dates are being announced, which so far include ten European shows in December and six shows in Australia and New Zealand in January. Be sure to check their website for updates.
