The Current

Great Music Lives Here ®
Listener-Supported Music
Donate Now
The Current Music News

Music News: Did Bob Dylan crib his Nobel speech from SparkNotes?

A tribute to Bob Dylan outside Hibbing High School when the news of his Nobel was announced in 2016.
A tribute to Bob Dylan outside Hibbing High School when the news of his Nobel was announced in 2016.Derek Montgomery for MPR News

by Jay Gabler

June 13, 2017

Just imagine how Darius Rucker must feel. The Hootie and the Blowfish frontman was sued by Bob Dylan years ago over lyrics from Dylan's song "Idiot Wind" that were interpolated into the Hootie hit "Only Wanna Be With You." Now, it's Dylan who's facing charges of taking credit for words that weren't his.

Slate's Andrea Pitzer has identified some striking similarities between Dylan's taped Nobel Lecture in Literature and a SparkNotes page for Moby Dick, one of the three books Dylan discusses at length in the speech. The smoking gun, for Pitzer, is a phrase that Dylan attributes to author Herman Melville, but actually comes from the SparkNotes discussion of the novel.

Dylan hasn't yet responded to Pitzer's request for comment. (Slate, via MPR News)

PWR BTTM return

After being dropped by Father/Daughter Records, the album's original record label, PWR BTTM have re-released their debut album Ugly Cherries (2015). They're still in negotiations with a different label, Polyvinyl, to regain control of their most recent album Pageant (2017). Polyvinyl originally issued that album, then pulled it after band member Ben Hopkins was accused of sexual misconduct.

The band are now working with manager Lisa Barbaris, who also manages Cyndi Lauper. "To see Polyvinyl derail and potentially destroy the band's career in such an impulsive manner is very troubling," says Barbaris, who admits she wasn't even familiar with PWR BTTM before the controversy. "I've never seen a label respond in such an irresponsible way in the 30-plus years I've been in the music business." (Billboard)

Chuck Berry and Chuck Berry pay tribute to Chuck Berry

Chuck Berry’s son Charles Berry Jr. and grandson Chuck Berry III joined up with Nathaniel Rateliff on Monday's Tonight Show to pay tribute to the rock legend with a performance of "Big Boys," a song from the new album Chuck. (Billboard)

Polaris Long List released

Canadian music fans, start your engines: the long list of contenders for this year's Polaris Prize has been released. The list of 40 albums will be narrowed down to ten on July 13, with the winner of the annual prize for an outstanding Canadian album being announced on Sept. 18.

Both Gord Downie and his band the Tragically Hip have albums on the long list, as do artists including Leonard Cohen, Carly Rae Jepsen, Mac DeMarco, Feist, and the New Pornographers. (Pitchfork)

Frank Ocean stumps Jeopardy!

A question about Frank Ocean stumped all three contestants on Monday night's episode of Jeopardy! Could you name the answer?

As Billboard notes, Ocean is a favorite of the Jeopardy! question-writers: this is at least the third time he's been the subject of a question. Word to the wise if you're going on the quiz show: bone up on your Ocean.

Arcade Fire release cereal — er, song — ad

Arcade Fire are teasing the release of their new song "Creature Comfort" with an ad that pitches the song as if it's a brand of cereal. Kid-tested, parent-approved! (Pitchfork)