MXDWN admires the theme of “go big or go home” that seems to be evident in trending music stories this week.
As musicians have their hands full of massive announcements or predicaments, others are taking their music to big screens. What started as a typical rogue fan trying to rush the stage during a Lamb of God show in Prague’s Club Abaton ended as a tragic death of a fan, with band member Randy Blythe arrested and charged for manslaughter.
The incident took place May 24, 2010 during Lamb of God’s club performance. The band’s management claims the fan, identified as “Daniel N,” jumped over the barricade and “rushed Randy during the performance” multiple times. On Daniel’s third and final try, security was unable to reach him, so Blythe reportedly “pushed him back into the audience” where he fell, hit his head, and died two weeks later from complications from those injuries.
This week, Blythe appeared in court after being arrested and charged with manslaughter by Prague authorities. The judge, Petr Fassati, ruled the musician to be a flight risk, yet bail has been posted for the U.S. equivalent of $200,000. Even with bail posted, Blythe is to remain imprisoned for at least ten days. If found guilty, Blythe could remain imprisoned anywhere from 5 to 10 years.
Despite Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All’s blatant and controversial homophobic lyrics in previous work, group member Frank Ocean bravely posted a statement via Tumblr that appears to confirm the circulating rumors of his homosexuality or bisexuality. It was rumored that Frank Ocean’s upcoming album Channel Orange contains lyrics that hint at him being a bisexual.
Ocean’s statement was posted as a screen captured TextEdit image, written on a plane to Los Angeles from New Orleans. The words were supposedly going to appear in the liner notes of Channel Orange. Within the text, Ocean describes meeting a man when he was 19, claiming him to be his “first love.” OFWGKTA front man Tyler the Creator even posted a congratulatory statement regarding Ocean’s brave announcement.
What with the Big Easy Express Railroad Revival tour of 2011, we know that Mumford & Sons like to do things big. With their recent announcement of 2012 tour dates as well as details of a series of Gentleman of the Roads Stopovers, we can see that nothing has changed in the caliber in which they present their music. The general tour commences August 1st in Hoboken, NJ, and from there, the band will tour across the U.S. for the entire month.
Additionally, the band has set up a series of mini festivals in specifically chosen cities, featuring local bands of the areas, hand chosen by Mumford & Sons. Titled The Gentleman of the Road Stopovers, the mini festivals have rapidly sold out. Each Stopover will kick off with a local band and feature fun activities, local businesses and people and Mumford & Sons as the headlining act. When asked about the Stopover concept, Mumford & Sons described it as an event “based loosely upon our favorite festivals like Colorado’s Telluride Bluegrass and Scotland’s Loopallu Festivals. We want to stop off in towns where bands don’t usually tour, and celebrate the local people, food and music.”
M83 front man Anthony Gonzalez plans to take his indie-electro sounds to the big screen, as he has signed on to score Tom Cruise’s next big sci-fi blockbuster, Oblivion. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, who directed 2010’s Tron: Legacy, which featured a score by Daft Punk, Oblivion is about a veteran soldier turned space explorer.
Thus, the futuristic, ethereal style of M83 seems to be a perfect match for the film’s anticipated vibe. As this is Gonzalez’s first time scoring a full-length film, he told The Playlist in a recent interview, “I’m going to push myself… My vision is really to have a combination of very electronic moments, very M83, and sometimes merge into something more soundtrack-y, but my kind of soundtracks.”
Also taking his music to the big screen is Skrillex, who is set to score James Franco’s upcoming film, Spring Breakers. The dubstep phenomenon that is sweeping the world seems to be currently led by the likes of Skrillex, who was hurled into the electronic music scene a little over 2 years ago. Director Harmony Korine handpicked Skrillex to score Spring Breakers, which will spotlight Disney stars such as Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens, as well as James Franco, who never seizes to astonish fans with his work choices. The comedy is set for a 2013 release.
Unplugging in Brief:
Lamb of God’s Randy Blythe Posts Bail But Remains in Czech Prison – After being arrested by Prague police and charged for manslaughter of a rogue fan who died after concert injuries said to be inflicted by Blythe, Lamb of God member has posted bail.
Frank Ocean Reveals Via Tumblr That His First True Love Was A Man – Odd Future member Frank Ocean has come out, revealing that his first love was a man.
Mumford & Sons Announce 2012 Tour Dates + Gentlemen of the Road Stopovers – Refusing to do anything short of epic, Mumford & Sons have announced a nationwide tour as well as a series of Gentleman of the Road Stopovers.
M83’s Anthony Gonzalez to Score New Tom Cruise Sci-Fi Movie Oblivion – M83’s Anthony Gonzalez will take his ethereal, electronic jams to the big screen for the first time.
Skrillex to Contribute Original Music to New James Franco Movie Spring Breakers – Also to contribute to a film’s soundtrack for the first time is dubstep leader, Skrillex.
