Avril Lavigne has responded personally to accusations that her hit song, “Boyfriend,” was plagiarized from a 1970s song by The Rubinoos. She wrote on her Web site, “They claim that a small part of the lyrics are the same and are saying that I took these from them. I had never heard this song in my life and their claim is based on five words! All songs share similar lyrics and emotions. As humans we speak one language.” She also took singer/songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk to task for a perceived slight in a recent magazine article. Kreviazuk worked with Lavigne on her second album, Under My Skin, and released a statement apologizing to Avril. “I would like to apologize for any misconceptions concerning Avril Lavigne, which may have resulted from statements I made in my interview with Performing Songwriter Magazine,” said Kreviazuk. “It was not my intention to call Avril’s songwriting ability or ethics into question. My statements and any inference from my statements, which call into question Avril’s ethics or ability as a respected and acclaimed songwriter, should be disregarded and are retracted. Avril is an accomplished songwriter and it has been my privilege to work with her.”
Courtney Love played a surprise show in London last night on her 43rd birthday. Love performed 11 new songs from her upcoming album, Nobody’s Daughter, along with a handful of Hole classics. The NME reports that she will also be playing gigs in Paris, New York and Los Angeles this week to road test the new tunes with her backing band.
The White Stripes have announced a brief U.K. tour for the fall, kicking off in Glasgow, Scotland on October 24 and winding up in London on November 2.
Rockers Fuel return with Angels And Devils on August 7, with founding members Carl Bell and Jeff Abercrombie joined by new singer Toryn Green and new drummer Tommy Stewart. The band will be touring extensively in support of the record, and will appear at a number of radio festivals this summer.
Seattle’s eclectic Bumbershoot Festival has grown to include Fergie, John Legend, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, (+) 44, the Apples In Stereo, Head Automatica, Menomena, Tokyo Police Club, Bert Jansch, Fleet Foxes, Joan As Policewoman, Ryan Shaw and the Bouncing Souls. The big event takes place from September 1 to 3, and also includes previously announced headliners such as The Shins, Wu-Tang Clan, Crowded House, Panic! At The Disco, Joss Stone, Kings Of Leon, Gym Class Heroes and Ted Leo and the Pharmacists.
Bon Jovi’s recent Clear Channel Online Stripped performance set a new record, as 602 CC stations’ Web sites participated in the promotion.
Randy Hubbard Parker, the 23-year-old son of rapper KRS-One, was found dead in his Atlanta apartment over the weekend in an apparent suicide. KRS-One’s wife, Simone Parker, said in a statement that her son’s death was related to “severe depression.” The family is planning a private memorial service in Florida on July 18, which would have been Randy’s 24th birthday.
On July 31, Friday Music will be re-releasing the last three classic Warner Bros. era recordings from Deep Purple: 1974’s Stormbringer, 1975’s Come Taste The Band and the 1976 live album Made In Europe. Each of the discs are newly remastered by Friday Music owner Joe Reagoso, with all of the original graphics, liner notes, and recently updated essays. This marks the first time in almost two decades that these albums have seen a CD release in North America.
