Music Blogs

Taylor Swift (Photo: Kevin Winter)The latest news from the world of Taylor Swift? Unfortunately, it’s not a hot new boyfriend or gorgeously attired magazine cover. The superstar is currently making headlines for what seems to be a nasty lawsuit over a canceled live date last year.

The long and the short of it: Swift was invited to headline Ottawa’s Capital Hoedown music festival last August, and was paid a reported $2.5 million for the booking. Due to various problems, the organizers of the event were forced to cancel the event, and ticketholders were issued refunds.

Now, the ticket company is going after Swift in a recently filed lawsuit, saying that she walked away free and clear with the money—without ever having to lift a finger—while they were stuck refunding $1.8 million in ticket sales.

Swift’s camp told TMZ that she never contracted with the ticket company and has not seen the lawsuit yet. Still, this entire story sounds ugly.

The question remains—is Swift really liable in this position? Los Angeles entertainment attorney Michael Ackerman (who is not involved in the case) explains that, from what he can discern of the suit, it may not be that simple.

One of the major benefits of today’s out-of-kilter pop scene—where it’s entirely conceivable that the best-selling artists of the moment are likely to have a shelf-life of months, rather than years—is that today’s most sophisticated music fans can go about their business having absolutely no opinion about the latest works by Justin Timberlake, Rihanna, or Beyoncé and still sound like they know what they’re talking about.

Especially when they use big words!

And as we come to a new release week when there are no “major” new albums, no long-awaited returns to the scene by artists we’re likely to completely forget within five years, we can instead pick and choose from a wide array of truly interesting albums from artists both old and new--who apparently make records more for the sake of art rather than money, or of making an overblown career statement concocted purely to jettison them into the stratosphere of the super-rich.

Between you and me, I like the sexy ones best!

Celtic Thunder: Mythology (Celtic Thunder) A surprisingly straight return to the marketplace from metal titans Celtic Thunder—whose previous showstopper Grasping At The Short Hairs Of Cthulhu took all that was great about Switzerland’s Celtic Frost,

photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesCall it the Kelly Clarkson vs. Clive Davis rematch. And once again, I'm totally Team Kelly on this one.

Some context: Back in 2007, the Original Idol famously feuded with BMG Records honcho Clive over her "controversial" and largely self-penned third album, My December (aka The Album Clive Davis Didn't Want You To Hear), and its supposed lack of commercial appeal. Along with Kelly's poorly timed decisions to fire her management firm (um, called The Firm) and cancel her summer tour just two weeks before My December's street date, there were those distressing rumors about Clive "I Don't Hear A Single" Davis humiliating her in record-label board meetings. And that gossip about him dangling a $10 million carrot in front of her face, in an attempt to persuade her to excise five tracks from the album that apparently didn't sound enough like "Since U Been Gone Part 2: Electric Boogaloo." And so on.

While My December failed to sell as well Kelly’s first two albums (no doubt partially thanks to Clive's smear campaign and a lack of overall label support), it performed respectably, and her career eventually rebounded. But this battle isn’t over, apparently. This Tuesday, Kelly took to Twitter to blast her old mentor/nemesis over his recollection of their stormy professional relationship in his new autobiography, The Soundtrack Of My Life--and the virtual vitriol she spewed was actually reminiscent of My December’s ferocious first single, "Never Again."

photo courtesy of LogoI sure do love it when two of my favorite television shows collide. Like when Adam Lambert judges on "Project Runway," or Kelly Clarkson mentors on "The Voice," or Clay Aiken pops up on the set of "America's Next Top Model." And "So You Think You Can Dance" alums Travis Wall and Nick Lazzarini guesting on a ballet-themed episode of "RuPaul's Drag Race"? Oh, heck yes. Can I get an amen up in here?

TLC member T-Boz said the group planned to capitalize on the forthcoming VH1 documentary, Crazy, Sexy, Cool: The TLC Story, by releasing new music and embarking on a tour.

VH1 announced Tuesday that Joyful Noise actress and singer KeKe Palmer has been cast to portray TLC member Rozanda “Chilli” Thomas. Rapper and “America’s Best Dance Crew” judge Lil Mama and Step Up actress Drew Sidora were previously reported to play late group member Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes and T-Boz, respectively.

[Photos: Jeff Kravitz/FilmMagic, Inc; Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images]Anyone who's ever tried to write a song has come up against that feeling that someone else has already written it. Decades into this 'rock 'n' roll era and beyond' and it's gotten harder and harder to not snatch a melody from someone else. There are twelve notes in pop music and only four or five worth thinking about. After awhile, you rip off yourself.

There are still plenty more examples where these came from (who knows what the future holds here at the wild and wonderful Y! Music) and I even avoided songs sampled into other songs. Now be sure to listen to these tunes and see if you can hear where the subconscious lift or outright rip-off occurs. And be sure to list your own favorite tunes that ripoff one another in the generous space provided below…

Here's three to get us started!

Cat Stevens may have retired the 'Cat' brand, but it doesn't stop his people from confronting other artists who infringe on one of his melodies. Eventually these folks came to terms, but I