More Top Stories: Beach Boys, Justin Timberlake, U2

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Despite rumors that the Beach Boys were contemplating a lawsuit against Katy Perry over her song "California Gurls," Mike Love said the band is "definitely not suing" the current Rolling Stone cover star. "In fact, we are flattered that her fantastically successful song is bringing to mind to millions of people our 1965 recording of the Beach Boys' 'California Girls.' We think her song is great and wish her all the success in the world," Love said. [ Entertainment Tonight ]

In addition to providing the voice of Boo-Boo in the upcoming Yogi Bear flick, Justin Timberlake will also lend his vocal talents to a pair of roles on the Fox cartoon The Cleveland Show, including one gay character. [ Us Weekly ]

Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane has signed with Universal to release his debut record, a collection of 1940s and '50s show tunes but not spoofs of the Broadway classics. "It's rare in this day and age to have the opportunity to create an album that celebrates the classic, sophisticated sound of rich, lush swing orchestrations. It will be an absolute joy to sing this music," MacFarlane said. [The Hollywood Reporter]

Trevor Horn and Geoff Downs of the Buggles, whose "Video Killed the Radio Star" was the first music video MTV ever broadcast in August 1981, will reunite on September 28th, 2010. The duo's last album was 1981's Adventures in Modern Recording, however they last performed together in 2004. [Slicing Up Eyeballs]

Tyondai Braxton has parted ways with math rockers Battles. "Due to Battles' ambitions of finishing their second studio album followed by commitments to a full touring schedule in 2011, and Tyondai's own commitments as a solo artist and his desire not to tour, both Battles and Tyondai have decided to move on without each other," the band said in a statement. [Warp]

Glastonbury organizer Michael Eavis revealed that he already has two of the three headlining spots for the 2011 festival already locked in and that he's "absolutely thrilled." The third spot? Eavis said he's offered it to U2, who were forced to cancel a headlining spot this year as Bono recovered from back surgery. [BBC]

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Song Stories

“The Everchanging Spectrum of a Lie”

The Joy Formidable | 2011

The opener off the Welsh group’s The Big Roar album was an epic one, but the band was worried that track had polarized fans. “The first song is eight minutes long,” Rhydian Dafydd, the Joy Formidable bassist, said. “If you did that in the Seventies people would be, ‘Whatever.’ You do it now, people think, ‘Holy s---!’ Some people think it’s the f---ing greatest track on the entire album, and some people think it’s f---ing boring. It’s that element of needing to challenge people.” The band concluded through the song’s lyrics that love was the “everchanging spectrum of a lie.”

More Song Stories entries »

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