Liner Notes

Some of the biggest music news this week came not from tour announcements or hologram creations (Whitney Houston lives again!), but from late night television. Stephen Colbert, famous for playing a larger-than-life version of a conservative blowhard on his long-running satirical news show The Colbert Report, started his show off with a fantastic week of live music. Taking a page from Jimmy Fallon who, in a move that had many initially scratching their heads and subsequently tapping their feet, asked The Roots to be his house band, Colbert got New Orleans’s own Jon Batiste and his band Stay Human to play him on every night. In late night, bigger and more versatile bands are definitely changing the musical landscape. When he announced Jon Batiste’s position on the show, Colbert said “I just like the guy.”

But the musicians at the top of Colbert’s new spot, which he inherited from Dave Letterman, were bookended by fantastic musical guests and performances. Colbert ended his first show with a massive performance of “Everyday People” by Sly and the Family Stone, performed by Mavis Staples. She was supported by Colbert himself, Ben Folds, Aloe Blacc, Alabama Shakes’ Brittany Howard, members of Beirut including Zach Condon, Buddy Guy, Derek Trucks and others.

Colbert also had Kendrick Lamar, Toby Keith, and most amusingly a band billed as Troubled Waters, the premiere Simon and Garfunkel cover band. The joke, however, was the band was fronted by Paul Simon himself, who Colbert coerced into admitting that “Paul Simon is kind of a jerk.” Simon played “Julio Down by the Schoolyard” with whistled accompaniment by Colbert himself, who may or may not be indicating to future musical guests that he’d like to get in on the action more than Jimmy Kimmel or even Fallon.

Over on Fallon’s show, however, viewers were given less novelty and more tradition. The History of Rap series, a fan favorite in which Justin Timberlake and Jimmy Fallon sing medleys from hip-hop’s storied past (and present). He also had a lip-sync battle with Ellen DeGeneres in which the daytime host sang “Bitch Better Have My Money.”

Music didn’t just happen on television, however. It happened in studios and in the streets. It happened in clubs and in arenas. Photos were released of Radiohead recording its new album, a follow up to 2011’s The King of Limbs. The pictures featured a string orchestra, Thom Yorke, and a half-eaten banana. Not much has been said yet about the next Radiohead album—tour dates, release dates, style. But band member Philip Selway told Pitchfork that the band would have “quite a full schedule” in the coming months.

Yoko Ono, to commemorate what would’ve been John Lennon’s 75th birthday, is seeking volunteers and peace-lovers world round (or perhaps just in the tristate area) to flock to Central Park in New York on October 6th (Lennon’s birthday is October 9) to form the world’s largest-ever human peace sign. Ono, who has an exhibition currently at the Museum of Modern Art, may or may not subject the crowd to her singing.

Sir Elton John has stated in the press that he wishes to have a long chat with Russian leader Vladimir Putin about his stance on gay rights. Under Putin, Russia has passed several pieces of anti-gay legislation, some even targeting LGBT minors. “I would like to meet him,” Sir Elton said. “He may laugh behind my back when he shuts the door, and call me an absolute idiot, but at least I can think I have the conscience to say I tried.”

A teenager recently uploaded a six hour video of himself covering, in chronological order, every song by 2020 presidential candidate Kanye West. Watching the video takes as much perseverance and endurance as it does to watch West speak at awards shows.