Blog Posts by Matthew Perpetua

Graceland Replica to Open in Denmark
A replica of Elvis Presley's Graceland estate is about to open in Denmark. The building, which is nearly identical to the original in Memphis, will feature nearly 6,000 pieces of Presley memorabilia. [BBC]

Lil Wayne's Bodyguards Face Charges
Two of Lil Wayne's bodyguards are facing charges for impersonating police officers at a nightclub in Bloomington, Indiana. Police say the two men led a caravan of tour buses in a car with flashing red and blue lights and a blaring siren. [Billboard]

Lady Gaga to Appear at MTV Japan Event
Lady Gaga has been confirmed as a performer at MTV Japan charity event on June 25th. This fundraising event is being held instead of the network's annual Video Music Awards Japan ceremony. [Billboard]

Village Voice Ends Siren Festival
The Village Voice has pulled the plug on its annual Siren Music Festival at Coney Island in Brooklyn after 10 years. The free weekly will replace the event with the 4Knots Music Festival at Manhattan's

"Judas," the second single from Lady Gaga's upcoming album Born This Way, leaked online today. (The song was originally scheduled to debut on Tuesday.) Though some of the songs we've heard from Gaga's new album find her embracing bombastic Eighties rock and early Nineties house music, "Judas" is a straight-ahead dance pop number that plays to the singer's established strengths. Though "Judas" certainly has its own charms and at least three insanely catchy hooks, it leans hard on Gaga's signature moves and basically sounds like a cross between "Bad Romance" and "Poker Face." Check it out for yourself in the stream below.

Photograph by Mariano Vivanco

Lady Gaga has come under fire from Catholic and Latino activist groups who claim that the singer's as-yet unreleased video for her upcoming single "Judas" is racist and intolerant of Catholicism. In the clip, Gaga is said to appear as Mary Magdalene.

Photos: Lady Gaga's Best Looks

Jorge Serrano of the group Take Back Aztlán claims that the plot of the music video involves Gaga witnessing a crime and falling in love with a black Jesus figure. According to Serrano, Lady Gaga -- or "Lady Rerun," as he calls her -- is ripping off Madonna and "exploiting the Catholic religion, which many Latinos follow." It is unclear whether or not Serrano has inside information about Gaga's video, or if he is simply going on rumor and speculation.

Photos: Lady Gaga's Fashion Icons

The Catholic League and Chicanos Unidos Arizona have also criticized Gaga's choice to appear as Mary Magdalene, insisting that Gaga's portrayal of Catholicism is offensive and opportunistic. According to Cecilia Maldonado of

Soundgarden Announce Summer Tour
Soundgarden are heading out on the road in July for a brief four-date tour. The band are set to play the Molson Canadian Amphitheatre in Toronto on July 2nd, the Festival Pier at Penn's Landing in Philadelphia on July 13th, Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver on July 18th and the Forum in Los Angeles on July 22nd. The band have promised more dates to be announced later. [Press release]

Santigold Releases New Song with Karen O
Santigold has released a new single called "GO" featuring Karen O of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs on Jay-Z's new lifestyle site Life + Times. In addition to Karen O's guest spot on vocals, the electro-rock banger also features guitar by the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Nick Zinner and production assistance by Q-Tip and Switch. [Life + Times]

Ozzy Osbourne Pays Off Tax Debt
Ozzy Osbourne and his wife Sharon have paid off $1.7 million in tax debt to the U.S. government. In a statement released to the blog Perez Hilton, Sharon Osbourne explained that the family

LCD Soundsystem's James Murphy has confirmed that a DVD release of his band's final concert at Madison Square Garden is in the works. Murphy revealed his DVD plans when responding to a fan question on the LCD Soundsystem Facebook page. According to Murphy, the show was filmed and recorded, and the band's footage and audio is superior to what was streamed live on Pitchfork. Murphy says that the footage needs to be edited and that he will personally mix the music.

Contest: Last Chance to Vote for Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone!

In the days immediately after the show, footage from Pitchfork's stream surfaced on YouTube, but Murphy has since had all of it removed. A fair amount of amateur footage remains online, though at this point fans ought to just wait a little while for the official disc to either relive the night or get a glimpse of the band in action one last time.

RELATED:
LCD Soundsystem Pull Out the Stops for Epic Farewell Show
Photos: LCD Soundsystem's Last-Ever Show

Click to listen tUnE-yArDs' album 'w h o k i l l'

tUnE-yArDs' second album w h o k i l l is one of the year's most startling and original records, a collection of funky, rhythmic, immediately catchy songs that showcase the powerhouse vocal chops of songwriter Merrill Garbus. Garbus sings with incredible authority, bringing great urgency to bangers like "Bizness" and "Gangsta" and a centered sweetness to more gentle tracks like "Powa" and "Doorstep." Like a lot of the best albums, w h o k i l l isn't easy to classify - it's a bit folk, a bit R&B, a bit rock, a bit Afro-pop - but it's entirely compelling. The record will hit stores on April 19th, but you can stream it in full now.

Review: tUnE-yArDs' 'w h o k i l l'

Photo by Anna McCampbell

New York Magazine's Vulture blog has confirmed that the prom episode of Glee will include a cover version of Rebecca Black's viral YouTube hit "Friday." According to the site's sources, the song will be performed by three of the show's male cast members -- Kevin McHale, Mark Salling and Chord Overstreet.

Choose the Cover of Rolling Stone, Round Two: Vote by April 14!

Earlier this week, Black's much-mocked music video for "Friday" surpassed 100 million views on YouTube, making it one of only 43 clips to do so in the history of the site. The digital single for the track has sold 159,000 units in four weeks. Given the enormous popularity of Glee, the stats for "Friday" are likely to spike once again, pushing into further into the realm of becoming a genuine mainstream hit rather than just a bizarre internet phenomenon.

RELATED:
Exclusive: Rebecca Black Fighting Ark Music Factory Over 'Friday'
Rob Sheffield: Why Rebecca Black is a Demon-Wizard Child Piper
What You Need to Know About Teen

Lindsey Buckingham Plans New Album and Tour
Fleetwood Mac's Lindsey Buckingham has finished work on a new solo album titled Seeds We Sow. The singer plans to release the album in September, but has not committed to a label and says he is considering putting it out himself. Either way, Buckingham will tour in support of the record in the fall. [Reuters]

Alicia Keys to Reissue 'Songs in A Minor'
Alicia Keys is set to release a 10th anniversary reissue of her debut album Songs in A Minor on June 28th. A deluxe two-disc set and a three-disc Collector's Edition will be released with previously released and original bonus material. The album will also be released on vinyl for the first time. [Press release]

Eminem and Elvis Costello Headline Osheaga Festival
Eminem, Elvis Costello, the Flaming Lips and Death Cab For Cutie have been announced as headliners for the Osheaga Festival in Montreal. The festival, which will be held at Parc Jean-Drapeau on July 29th to 31st, will also include sets by