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Author: Simon Vozick-Levinson (1-10 of 375)

Feb 9 2010 04:03 PM ET

White Stripes vs. Air Force Reserve ad: Musician addresses controversy: 'It's my responsibility'

Categories: Legal Troubles, News, Television

With the White Stripes threatening “strong action” against a U.S. Air Force Reserve Super Bowl ad that they say ripped off their song “Fell in Love With a Girl,” both the Air Force Reserve and the company that produced the spot have denied knowingly copying the Stripes’ tune. Now a musician who worked on the ad, which has since been pulled from TV and the Web, is taking the blame — but he, too, insists any wrongdoing was unintentional. “It’s my responsibility,” Kem Kraft tells EW. “I’m the one who composed the music. And I had no idea it was like that [song].”

Kraft, 56, who earns his living in Salt Lake City composing and recording music for advertisements and films, was hired to work on the Air Force Reserve ad around last Christmas. “They said they wanted some high-energy music, and I gave them three demos, all of them a little bit different. They asked me to tweak the one that they preferred, so I beefed up the drums or whatnot, added some echo to my guitar part.”

Kraft says he was “absolutely” surprised to hear of the Stripes’ accusations this week. “I went to the website and I go, ‘Yeah, that kinda sounds close.’ [But] I don’t even listen to those guys.” Asked if he had ever heard “Fell in Love With a Girl” prior to the controversy, Kraft replies, “God, I might have somehow or somewhere. I don’t know. That’s not the kind of music I listen to.”

Now Kraft says he’d like to speak with Jack White to clear things up. “I would say, ‘I’m sorry. I didn’t realize it sounded like your song. I had no intention whatsoever of copying you. If you need me to pay the money back that I made, which was 2,000 bucks, to you, I will do that if you want me to.’ This has gotten way out of proportion.”

Earlier:
White Stripes declare war on the U.S. Air Force Reserve
White Stripes vs. U.S. Air Force Reserve ad: Who’s to blame?

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 9 2010 03:04 PM ET

White Stripes vs. U.S. Air Force Reserve ad: Who's to blame?

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Legal Troubles, News, White Stripes

The U.S. Air Force Reserve has issued a statement in response to the White Stripes’ allegation that a recruitment ad aired during the Super Bowl used an unauthorized version of their song “Fell in Love With a Girl.” Their answer, in brief: Don’t blame us. “The Air Force Reserve, through its advertising agency, hired Fast Forward Music of Salt Lake City to score original music for its commercial,” the statement reads. “There was never any intention to utilize any existing music, or to sound like any music by the band White Stripes, or any other musical performer. Any similarity or likeness to any other music is completely unintentional. This ad was produced specifically for airing regional during the Super Bowl in some local markets. It was scheduled to be pulled after the Super Bowl. It only ran one time.” A spokesperson also acknowledged that the Air Force Reserve removed the ad from its website today in response to the controversy.

Fast Forward Productions, in turn, is pointing the finger at someone else. “We hired a local musician who does stuff for us in the past,” Fast Forward owner Michael Lee tells EW. “He created the spot. Never had I ever heard the White Stripes song before. What we thought we had was original. He claims it is original. He said he didn’t use ['Fell in Love With a Girl'], so that’s all I know.”

We’ll keep you updated as we hear more. In the meantime, do the latest statements change your take on this story?

UPDATE: White Stripes/Air Force ad musician addresses controversy: “It’s my responsibility”

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 9 2010 12:37 PM ET

White Stripes declare war on the U.S. Air Force Reserve

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Legal Troubles, News, White Stripes

The White Stripes are fuming over a U.S. Air Force Reserve ad that aired during the Super Bowl, which they say used a re-recorded instrumental version of their breakout single “Fell in Love With a Girl” without permission. “The White Stripes take strong insult and objection to the Air Force Reserve presenting this advertisement with the implication that we licensed one of our songs to encourage recruitment during a war that we do not support,” the band says in a statement posted on their official site. The statement goes on to threaten “strong action to stop the ad containing this music.” As of this afternoon, the Air Force Reserve has already pulled the ad from the Web.

We’ve reached out to the Air Force Reserve and the White Stripes for further comment. In the meantime, you can watch the Stripes’ “Fell in Love With a Girl” video below. Did you see the ad in question when it aired on Sunday? What do you think of this controversy?

UPDATE: White Stripes vs. U.S. Air Force Reserve ad: Who’s to blame?
White Stripes/Air Force ad musician addresses controversy: “It’s my responsibility”

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 9 2010 10:00 AM ET

Kidz in the Hall get personal on 'Land of Make Believe': The Music Mix interview

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Hip-Hop/Rap, Kidz in the Hall

Allow Kidz in the Hall to reintroduce themselves.

Rapper Naledge (pictured, left) and producer Double-0 (right) are spending the afternoon riding with me in a black SUV as their driver takes us on a full circuit around the island of Manhattan. Along the way they blast their third album as a duo, Land of Make Believe, which is due March 9. The University of Pennsylvania alums see it as their most personal release yet. “As an emcee, I’ve been good at expressing generalities and being playful and witty and telling allegories and fables and third-person stories,” says lifelong Chicagoan Naledge. “That’s not what this is. This album is me.”

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Feb 8 2010 09:31 AM ET

Super Bowl goes indie rock: Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear soundtrack ads

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Arcade Fire, Grizzly Bear, Television, What's That Song?

My friends and I just about stood up and cheered when Volkswagen’s big Super Bowl ad aired last night. Not just because we’re fans of Tracy Morgan and Stevie Wonder, who make cameo appearances in the spot, or because we enjoy the immortal sport of punch buggy — but because the ad was accompanied by the bright piano chords and sweetly rising harmonies of Grizzly Bear’s “Two Weeks,” one of the best singles of last year. Great tune + funny ad = win.

Speaking of Wins, indie rock got some more shine last night from all those NFL promos using Arcade Fire’s 2004 breakout song “Wake Up.” (In a generous gesture, Arcade Fire donated all of the no-doubt hefty licensing fees to Haiti relief.) Who knew the Canadian band’s emotional music would go so naturally with the all-American macho display of the Super Bowl?

Watch the Grizzly Bear/Volkswagen ad again below, then let us know: What was your favorite music moment in last night’s Super Bowl ads?

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 5 2010 06:37 PM ET

Jill Scott vs. her former label: Singer responds to lawsuit

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Jill Scott, Legal Troubles

Jill Scott plays the head of The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency on HBO, but the singer-actress might be heading to court in real life after her longtime label Hidden Beach Recordings filed a lawsuit against her earlier this week in L.A. According to Hidden Beach, which has released each of Scott’s official albums, from 2000’s Who is Jill Scott? Words and Sounds Vol. 1 through 2007’s The Real Thing: Words and Sounds Vol. 3, Scott left the label abruptly last fall with three albums still remaining on her contract. Hidden Beach is seeking damages to compensate for the loss of potential revenue from the albums it believes Scott promised. (If the case proceeds to trial, expert testimony could help determine the value of the allegedly undelivered albums.)

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Feb 5 2010 01:43 PM ET

Spoon rocks in black and white: Watch their 'Written in Reverse' video here

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Music Videos, Spoon

Spoon’s music has often been about doing a lot with a little. See, for example, the indie rockers’ video for “Written in Reverse,” the first single from their excellent new album Transference. In the black-and-white clip, the members of Spoon play their ripping tune in front of some mirrors. A press release notes that director Danny Clinch captured a live in-studio performance of “Written in Reverse,” separate from the version you’ll find on Transference.

So, Spoon rocking out in black and white. That’s about it — and that’s all it needs to be, I’d say. This song is too immediate in its appeal to require a high-concept treatment. Watch the video below and see if you agree.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 4 2010 07:03 PM ET

Radiohead rumor control: Their next album is NOT finished

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: In the Studio, News, Radiohead

We Radiohead fans have a way of getting all hyper-ventilate-y every time the slightest shred of news, gossip, or implication slips out regarding our beloved band. (No offense meant. I can say this of Radiohead fans because I most fervently am one.) So when a rumor got out today that the band threw a wrap party in L.A. last weekend to celebrate the completion of their eighth studio album, quite a few people got very excited.

Only one problem: It’s not true. I just asked Radiohead’s publicist whether the band had indeed finished recording LP8. “FALSE,” came the reply within minutes. As for the so-called “wrap party,” their rep couldn’t confirm or deny whether that happened — but if it did, it presumably had nothing to do with completing an album.

Looks like we’ll have to wait a little longer for the new album that guitarist Ed O’Brien promised us in 2010. Oh well. Fellow Radiohead worshippers, you may now return to your regularly scheduled activity of listening for the thousandth time to the unbelievable B-sides from Amnesiac, and I will do the same.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Photo Credit: Kevin Westenberg

Feb 3 2010 11:31 AM ET

Lady Antebellum tops the albums chart

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Charity, Charts, Lady Antebellum, News

The biggest band in the country this week is officially Lady Antebellum. The country trio sold a very nice 481,000 copies of their sophomore album Need You Now, according to Nielsen SoundScan, securing the top spot on the Billboard 200 chart. As Billboard notes, that’s the biggest opening week anyone has managed since Susan Boyle’s blockbuster 701,000 bow last November.

Lady Antebellum’s success was the only thing preventing the all-star Hope for Haiti Now charity compilation from staying a second week at the top of the chart. Instead the digital-only set dropped to No. 2 after selling another 143,000 downloads, only a slight decrease from the 171,000 that put it at No. 1 the previous week.

Barry Manilow made it to No. 5 with The Greatest Love Songs of All Time, his latest covers project. This one sold 57,000, a decent number on its own but a step down from the bows made by The Greatest Songs of the Eighties (78,000) and The Greatest Songs of the Seventies (113,000) in 2008 and 2007, respectively.

Corinne Bailey Rae sold 53,000 copies of The Sea, good enough for a No. 7 entry. That’s an improvement on the 40,000 her 2006 debut sold in its first week before eventually going double platinum.

Down at No. 9, Celtic Woman moved 42,000 units of their Songs From the Heart. Kidz Bop 17, meanwhile, shifted 36,000 for a No. 12 finish.

And that was it for Top 20 debuts this week. What do you think of those results? Did you buy any of these new releases? Sound off in the comments below.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

Feb 2 2010 02:25 PM ET

Michel Gondry on his colorful video for Mia Doi Todd's 'Open Your Heart' and more: The Music Mix interview

by Simon Vozick-Levinson

Categories: Mia Doi Todd, Michel Gondry, Music Videos, Things That Are European

For three, four, maybe even five years, Michel Gondry kept returning in his mind to the image of dozens of dancers wearing brightly colored outfits. “Sometimes you have a concept that doesn’t necessarily reflect some specific narrative,” the French film and music video director (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Be Kind Rewind) tells EW. “I have tons of ideas like that in the back of my head.” From time to time he’d suggest this idea to one musician or another. “They always wanted to add something to it, and I thought it would lose what I like in the idea, the simplicity…I was asked to maybe use it for a commercial, but I didn’t want to. I would rather pay myself and do it in a much lower budget than to ruin the idea and do it for a commercial.”

Then, about 10 months ago, Gondry met West Coast singer-songwriter Mia Doi Todd at a party. “I really fell in love with her music,” he says. “It’s incredibly fragile, personal, and very elevated.” They became friends, and soon Todd penned a new tune, “Open Your Heart,” that Gondry thought would work perfectly with the color-coordinated choreography he’d been wanting to use.

After signing on to direct the video for “Open Your Heart,” Gondry went with Todd to scout locations in east Los Angeles. “Basically, L.A. is not made for humans. It’s a lot of concrete and cars passing by. It’s very blank, which is a great background to put all these people with colors.” Next, they cast their stars. “I needed a group of people who could move together, but it would have been too affected if they were professional dancers. We found this marching band from Riverside Community College.” Over three sunny days, Todd and 100 or so marching band members-turned-dancers brought Gondry’s vision to life. Watch the video below to see how the video for “Open Your Heart” turned out. (More information on the song and video is available here.)

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