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Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
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'Weird Al' Yankovic Sues Sony Over Royalties
Parodist is seeking 50 percent of net receipts from digital downloads
By Rolling Stone
April 2, 2012 9:10 AM ET
"Weird Al" Yankovic is suing Sony Music Entertainment for $5 million over royalty disputes, Billboard reports. The music parodist alleges that Sony took improper and duplicate recoupments resulting in underpayment of his royalties, has not paid him his fair share of revenue from his YouTube hits and the label has not shared money from settlements with Napster and Kazaa. Yankovic is also seeking a 50 percent cut of net receipts from digital downloads of his music, as his deal classifies that as a license rather than a traditional sale, which has a much lower royalty rate.
Yankovic's company, Ear Booker Enterprises, filed the lawsuit in Federal court in the Southern District of New York. The musician's suit is likely to hold up in court, as a case last year on behalf of Eminem established a legal precedent that downloads count as a license, meaning that many artists signed to major labels before the early 2000s are entitled to 50 percent of net receipts on those sales.
“Weird Al” Sues Sony Music For $5 Million
Musical parody master “Weird Al” Yankovic is suing Sony Music Entertainment, the parent company of his label Volcano Records, for $5 million over digital royalty disputes, Billboard reports.
In a lawsuit filed Friday (March 30) in New York City, Yankovic — via his company Ear Booker Enterprises — claims that Sony “took improper and duplicate recoupments that has resulted in underpayment of his royalties.” According to the suit, Sony counted downloads of his music as “sales” rather than as “licenses,” which pay at a higher royalty rate of 50 percent of total revenue.
Yankovic is not the first artist to sue for this kind of payment, and the lawsuit could hold up, thanks to a 2011 precendent-setting case involving Eminem. That case established that digital downloads count as licenses rather than traditional sales, which yield lower royalty rates.
Yankovic is also seeking money from Sony’s settlements with Napster, Kazaa, Grokster and other file-sharing services to recoup lost revenue. Also on the digital front, the comedian-meets-musician seeks $2.5 million from Sony’s share of the 2006 sale of YouTube. When YouTube was sold to Google for $1.65 billion, major labels Sony, Universal and Warner Music Group reportedly made a collective $50 million from the sale, thanks to their respective shares in YouTube, which they received because they provided content to the video-sharing site. Yankovic claims that his 2006 video for “White & Nerdy” — which has racked up nearly 70 million views on YouTube — was among the most popular content on the video-sharing site, thus yielding him revenue he hasn’t been paid.
Weird Al’s most recent album, Alpocalypse, was released on Sony subsidiary Volcano Records last year.
–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local
http://wcbsfm.radio.com/2012/04/02/weir ... 5-million/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
'Weird Al' Yankovic Sues Sony Over Royalties
Parodist is seeking 50 percent of net receipts from digital downloads
By Rolling Stone
April 2, 2012 9:10 AM ET
"Weird Al" Yankovic is suing Sony Music Entertainment for $5 million over royalty disputes, Billboard reports. The music parodist alleges that Sony took improper and duplicate recoupments resulting in underpayment of his royalties, has not paid him his fair share of revenue from his YouTube hits and the label has not shared money from settlements with Napster and Kazaa. Yankovic is also seeking a 50 percent cut of net receipts from digital downloads of his music, as his deal classifies that as a license rather than a traditional sale, which has a much lower royalty rate.
Yankovic's company, Ear Booker Enterprises, filed the lawsuit in Federal court in the Southern District of New York. The musician's suit is likely to hold up in court, as a case last year on behalf of Eminem established a legal precedent that downloads count as a license, meaning that many artists signed to major labels before the early 2000s are entitled to 50 percent of net receipts on those sales.
“Weird Al” Sues Sony Music For $5 Million
Musical parody master “Weird Al” Yankovic is suing Sony Music Entertainment, the parent company of his label Volcano Records, for $5 million over digital royalty disputes, Billboard reports.
In a lawsuit filed Friday (March 30) in New York City, Yankovic — via his company Ear Booker Enterprises — claims that Sony “took improper and duplicate recoupments that has resulted in underpayment of his royalties.” According to the suit, Sony counted downloads of his music as “sales” rather than as “licenses,” which pay at a higher royalty rate of 50 percent of total revenue.
Yankovic is not the first artist to sue for this kind of payment, and the lawsuit could hold up, thanks to a 2011 precendent-setting case involving Eminem. That case established that digital downloads count as licenses rather than traditional sales, which yield lower royalty rates.
Yankovic is also seeking money from Sony’s settlements with Napster, Kazaa, Grokster and other file-sharing services to recoup lost revenue. Also on the digital front, the comedian-meets-musician seeks $2.5 million from Sony’s share of the 2006 sale of YouTube. When YouTube was sold to Google for $1.65 billion, major labels Sony, Universal and Warner Music Group reportedly made a collective $50 million from the sale, thanks to their respective shares in YouTube, which they received because they provided content to the video-sharing site. Yankovic claims that his 2006 video for “White & Nerdy” — which has racked up nearly 70 million views on YouTube — was among the most popular content on the video-sharing site, thus yielding him revenue he hasn’t been paid.
Weird Al’s most recent album, Alpocalypse, was released on Sony subsidiary Volcano Records last year.
–Jillian Mapes, CBS Local
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Yankovic-Gretzky
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
Flashback: 'Weird Al' Yankovic Unveils 'My Bologna' in 1979
Watch him sing his breakthrough hit
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... 9-20130219" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By ANDY GREENE FEBRUARY 19, 2013 11:15 AM
Watching this clip of 20-year-old Al Yankovic playing "My Bologna" at California Polytechnic State University college in late 1979, it's very easy to understand why his fellow students started calling him "Weird Al" soon after he arrived on campus. The Knack's "My Sharona" was the biggest hit of the year, and Yankovic recorded a parody of it in the bathroom of the college radio station. Accompanied only by his accordion, the song is a G-rated ode to bologna. In one of the weirdest twists of fate in the history of recorded music, it launched a hugely successful career that is going strong to this day.
"My Bologna" wasn't Yankovic's first parody song, but it was the first one to gain real nation attention. His longtime supporter Dr. Demento put it into heavy rotation on his syndicated show, and it hit Number One on his weekly countdown. Two years later Al signed to Scotti Brothers Records. Many of his early songs were also about food, including "I Love Rocky Road," "Addicted to Spuds" and "Lasagna," a parody of "La Bamba." Anybody can be funny singing a parody song about sex or drugs, but try writing one about potatoes and see how far you get.
The first record was a moderate success, but in 1984 he released "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. The first single, "Eat It," parodied Michael Jackson's "Beat It." It was another song about food, with such immortal lines as "Have a banana, have a whole bunch/ It doesn't matter what you had for lunch." MTV started playing the parody video, and suddenly Yankovic had fans all over the country. But the whole thing started in a bathroom at California State Polytechnic University, when the weirdest guy on campus played a song on his accordion about bologna.
Watch: Bonnaroo Unveils 2013 Lineup
Weird Al Yankovic hosts livestream today from 1-2 p.m. EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... p-20130219" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By ROLLING STONE FEBRUARY 19, 2013
Bonnaroo is halfway through its 2013 lineup announcement live stream, and so far the list of performers includes artists like: Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Wilco, The Wu-Tang Clan, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, A$AP Rocky, R. Kelly, Passion Pit, The xx, ZZ Top, Bjork, Pretty Lights, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Billy Idol, Cat Power, Alt-J, Animal Collective, Matt & Kim, Grizzly Bear, Jim James, Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Japandroids, Portugal. The Man, Porter Robinson, Beach House, Gaslight Anthem, Local Natives, Purity Ring, Action Bronson, Dirty Projectors, Baroness, The National, Dwight Yokam, The Vaccines, Holy Ghost, Killer Mike, Government Mule, Big K.R.I.T., Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis, Death Grips Of Monsters and Men, and Foals.
Stay tuned to the Weird Al Yankovic-hosted Bonnaroo Live Lineup Annoucement Megathon (B.L.A.M.) here on Rolling Stone to see who else will take the stage this year in Manchester, Tennessee. A surprise classic Bonnaroo concert will follow after the lineup at 2 p.m.
Photos: Backstage at Bonnaroo 2012 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictu ... 2-20120611" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Keep checking Rolling Stone as the bands are revealed; fans can also interact on Twitter using the #BLAM hashtag. Keep an eye on Bonnaroo's Twitter throughout the day for more updates.
Watch him sing his breakthrough hit
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... 9-20130219" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By ANDY GREENE FEBRUARY 19, 2013 11:15 AM
Watching this clip of 20-year-old Al Yankovic playing "My Bologna" at California Polytechnic State University college in late 1979, it's very easy to understand why his fellow students started calling him "Weird Al" soon after he arrived on campus. The Knack's "My Sharona" was the biggest hit of the year, and Yankovic recorded a parody of it in the bathroom of the college radio station. Accompanied only by his accordion, the song is a G-rated ode to bologna. In one of the weirdest twists of fate in the history of recorded music, it launched a hugely successful career that is going strong to this day.
"My Bologna" wasn't Yankovic's first parody song, but it was the first one to gain real nation attention. His longtime supporter Dr. Demento put it into heavy rotation on his syndicated show, and it hit Number One on his weekly countdown. Two years later Al signed to Scotti Brothers Records. Many of his early songs were also about food, including "I Love Rocky Road," "Addicted to Spuds" and "Lasagna," a parody of "La Bamba." Anybody can be funny singing a parody song about sex or drugs, but try writing one about potatoes and see how far you get.
The first record was a moderate success, but in 1984 he released "Weird Al" Yankovic in 3-D. The first single, "Eat It," parodied Michael Jackson's "Beat It." It was another song about food, with such immortal lines as "Have a banana, have a whole bunch/ It doesn't matter what you had for lunch." MTV started playing the parody video, and suddenly Yankovic had fans all over the country. But the whole thing started in a bathroom at California State Polytechnic University, when the weirdest guy on campus played a song on his accordion about bologna.
Watch: Bonnaroo Unveils 2013 Lineup
Weird Al Yankovic hosts livestream today from 1-2 p.m. EST
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/video ... p-20130219" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
By ROLLING STONE FEBRUARY 19, 2013
Bonnaroo is halfway through its 2013 lineup announcement live stream, and so far the list of performers includes artists like: Paul McCartney, Mumford & Sons, Tom Petty and The Heartbreakers, Wilco, The Wu-Tang Clan, Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes, A$AP Rocky, R. Kelly, Passion Pit, The xx, ZZ Top, Bjork, Pretty Lights, David Byrne and St. Vincent, Billy Idol, Cat Power, Alt-J, Animal Collective, Matt & Kim, Grizzly Bear, Jim James, Tame Impala, Kendrick Lamar, Japandroids, Portugal. The Man, Porter Robinson, Beach House, Gaslight Anthem, Local Natives, Purity Ring, Action Bronson, Dirty Projectors, Baroness, The National, Dwight Yokam, The Vaccines, Holy Ghost, Killer Mike, Government Mule, Big K.R.I.T., Mackelmore and Ryan Lewis, Death Grips Of Monsters and Men, and Foals.
Stay tuned to the Weird Al Yankovic-hosted Bonnaroo Live Lineup Annoucement Megathon (B.L.A.M.) here on Rolling Stone to see who else will take the stage this year in Manchester, Tennessee. A surprise classic Bonnaroo concert will follow after the lineup at 2 p.m.
Photos: Backstage at Bonnaroo 2012 http://www.rollingstone.com/music/pictu ... 2-20120611" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
Keep checking Rolling Stone as the bands are revealed; fans can also interact on Twitter using the #BLAM hashtag. Keep an eye on Bonnaroo's Twitter throughout the day for more updates.
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TMBJon
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
A pretty bland review but good exposure for casual fans who might not have known Al was touring this summer:
http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/ ... g-20130412" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
"Real talk: Nobody really catches a Weird Al show for the deep cuts."
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"Real talk: Nobody really catches a Weird Al show for the deep cuts."
I couldn't tell a dirt clod from a plate of caviar.
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
Realer talk: nobody really talked to us diehards.
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
'Weird Al' Yankovic Returning With New Album This Summer
Pop parodist announces date for first record since 2011's 'Alpocalypse'
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By Miriam Coleman
June 15, 2014 6:19 PM ET
"Weird Al" Yankovic will be back next month with his first new album in three years. The veteran pop parodist announced over Twitter Saturday that the record will be released on July 15th, after teasing the news with several hints of a "big important cryptic announcement coming." The final tweet was an image of Yankovic dressed in what appears to be a Russian military uniform over the date in a Soviet-reminiscent script.
'Weird Al' Yankovic Lets His Pop Absurdity Do the Talking
Although the title and track list for the new album have not yet been released, a couple of hints have emerged. Earlier this week, TMZ reported that Yankovic had approached Iggy Azalea backstage at KS107.5's Summer Jam in Colorado to ask permission to parody one of her songs. Patton Oswalt also dropped a tantalizing clue on Twitter back in May. "Just listened to @alyankovic's upcoming album & I am in awe," he wrote. "He satirizes a band I've worshiped since the 90s & it...is...beautiful."
The new release will be Yankovic's 15th studio album and his first since 2011's Alpocalypse. It will also mark the end of his current record contract, and he speculated in an interview last year that he might begin to focus on digital distribution after that, since it would allow him to be more timely and topical. In a June 2013 blog post, however, he clarified that he was merely weighing his options, and had no plans to retire. "I truly love what I do, and if I ever stop working, it won’t be of my own free will," he wrote.
Yankovic just finished his Alpocalypse tour last summer and published his second children's book, My New Teacher and Me! a year ago.
Pop parodist announces date for first record since 2011's 'Alpocalypse'
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By Miriam Coleman
June 15, 2014 6:19 PM ET
"Weird Al" Yankovic will be back next month with his first new album in three years. The veteran pop parodist announced over Twitter Saturday that the record will be released on July 15th, after teasing the news with several hints of a "big important cryptic announcement coming." The final tweet was an image of Yankovic dressed in what appears to be a Russian military uniform over the date in a Soviet-reminiscent script.
'Weird Al' Yankovic Lets His Pop Absurdity Do the Talking
Although the title and track list for the new album have not yet been released, a couple of hints have emerged. Earlier this week, TMZ reported that Yankovic had approached Iggy Azalea backstage at KS107.5's Summer Jam in Colorado to ask permission to parody one of her songs. Patton Oswalt also dropped a tantalizing clue on Twitter back in May. "Just listened to @alyankovic's upcoming album & I am in awe," he wrote. "He satirizes a band I've worshiped since the 90s & it...is...beautiful."
The new release will be Yankovic's 15th studio album and his first since 2011's Alpocalypse. It will also mark the end of his current record contract, and he speculated in an interview last year that he might begin to focus on digital distribution after that, since it would allow him to be more timely and topical. In a June 2013 blog post, however, he clarified that he was merely weighing his options, and had no plans to retire. "I truly love what I do, and if I ever stop working, it won’t be of my own free will," he wrote.
Yankovic just finished his Alpocalypse tour last summer and published his second children's book, My New Teacher and Me! a year ago.
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Yankovic-Gretzky
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
'Weird Al' Yankovic Lets His Pop Absurdity Do the Talking
Parodist begins summer tour in silly style
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By Ryan Reed
April 12, 2013 11:40 AM ET
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For a man of such hammy, spastic brilliance, "Weird Al" Yankovic doesn't speak much onstage. The world's most legendary pop parodist ended his Knoxville gig – the second date of his summer tour – with a spirited "Thank you, goodnight!," grinning like a schoolboy as he gazed out at the confetti-covered masses. For two previous hours at the elegant Tennessee Theatre, he let his epic meta-pop absurdity do the talking for him.
Bouncing onstage to a shrill synthesizer ditty, Al and his four-piece backing band (guitarist Jim West, bassist Steve Jay, keyboardist Rubén Valtierra, drummer Jon Schwartz) quickly launched into "Polka Face," a delirious medley of polka-fried covers from his latest album, 2011's Alpocalypse. Segueing in absurdist glee from cornball electro-pop (Owl City's "Fireflies") to hip-hop (Kid Cudi's "Day 'n' Nite") to country (Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now"), this was Grade-A Yankovic in its purest form. With this guy, the entire Top 40 is up for grabs, so why not cram it all into one ridiculous package?
Video: Lady Gaga: Weird Al Parody "Empowering"
What followed was hardly the textbook definition of a "concert." After finishing each song, Yankovic and company fled the stage for furious wardrobe changes; meanwhile, large screens projected a mix of goofy comedy sketches (a pointless riff on a Japanese game show called Wheel of Fish), awkwardly edited celebrity interviews (Antonio Banderas cutting the cheese, Robert Pattinson bumbling incoherently), and endless Al Nostalgia in the form of TV and movie clips (basically any Yankovic reference ever captured on tape).
When the versatile quintet did manage to strap on their instruments, they drew heavily from Alpocalypse, including a knee-slapping rendition of "CNR" (a tribute to the late Charles Nelson Reilly in the form of a Chuck Norris joke) and a spit-take worthy "Craigslist," which featured Yankovic dressed in iconic Jim Morrison leather, channeling the singer's intoxicated hippie bluster. A string of obscure gems emerged midway through the set, including "Rye or the Kaiser" (a hilariously nasally tribute to "Eye of the Tiger") and the Knack knock-off "My Bologna." During the hard-hitting New Wave stylings of "You Make Me," Yankovic glared at his synth with a mad scientist menace, projecting the grandiose showmanship of an alternate-universe Ronnie James Dio.
Real talk: Nobody really catches a Weird Al show for the deep cuts. Unavoidably, the evening's hugest shrieks were reserved for his tried-and-true parody anthems: the Michael Jackson-aping "Fat" (complete with monstrous fat suit), the choral Coolio send-up "Amish Paradise," the still-sharp grunge zinger "Smells Like Nirvana" (with Yankovic dressed as Cobain slacker, gurgling water and spraying the audience in a fumbled spit-bath).
There's a strangely communal quality to the Weird Al experience: few artists are able to wrangle such a disorienting blend of faces. Before the show, a balding middle-aged man proudly displayed his "Touring with Scissors" T-shirt, as buzzing couples traded set list stories and frat boys snapped selfies under a poster of Al's wise visage. Two rows from the stage, a mother and daughter clutched a copy of When I Grow Up, a children's book Yankovic penned in 2011. But the evening's most familial moment came at the end: with the stage lined with costumed Storm Troopers, Yankovic led the crowd through a stripped-down sing-along version of "The Saga Begins," transforming the Don McLean classic "American Pie" into his signature Star Wars parody. Swaying in a collective wave, nerds of all varieties swooned with that silly chorus ("Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi!") as if the words held a deep emotional resonance. And it's possible they did.
At a Weird Al show, there is no easy definition of "cool," if there is one at all. As the house lights broke, the singer's minions scattered into the night, pooling into giddy oceans of smiles. And there was Al, pop's eternal court jester, silently soaking in the spectacle.
Parodist begins summer tour in silly style
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By Ryan Reed
April 12, 2013 11:40 AM ET
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For a man of such hammy, spastic brilliance, "Weird Al" Yankovic doesn't speak much onstage. The world's most legendary pop parodist ended his Knoxville gig – the second date of his summer tour – with a spirited "Thank you, goodnight!," grinning like a schoolboy as he gazed out at the confetti-covered masses. For two previous hours at the elegant Tennessee Theatre, he let his epic meta-pop absurdity do the talking for him.
Bouncing onstage to a shrill synthesizer ditty, Al and his four-piece backing band (guitarist Jim West, bassist Steve Jay, keyboardist Rubén Valtierra, drummer Jon Schwartz) quickly launched into "Polka Face," a delirious medley of polka-fried covers from his latest album, 2011's Alpocalypse. Segueing in absurdist glee from cornball electro-pop (Owl City's "Fireflies") to hip-hop (Kid Cudi's "Day 'n' Nite") to country (Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now"), this was Grade-A Yankovic in its purest form. With this guy, the entire Top 40 is up for grabs, so why not cram it all into one ridiculous package?
Video: Lady Gaga: Weird Al Parody "Empowering"
What followed was hardly the textbook definition of a "concert." After finishing each song, Yankovic and company fled the stage for furious wardrobe changes; meanwhile, large screens projected a mix of goofy comedy sketches (a pointless riff on a Japanese game show called Wheel of Fish), awkwardly edited celebrity interviews (Antonio Banderas cutting the cheese, Robert Pattinson bumbling incoherently), and endless Al Nostalgia in the form of TV and movie clips (basically any Yankovic reference ever captured on tape).
When the versatile quintet did manage to strap on their instruments, they drew heavily from Alpocalypse, including a knee-slapping rendition of "CNR" (a tribute to the late Charles Nelson Reilly in the form of a Chuck Norris joke) and a spit-take worthy "Craigslist," which featured Yankovic dressed in iconic Jim Morrison leather, channeling the singer's intoxicated hippie bluster. A string of obscure gems emerged midway through the set, including "Rye or the Kaiser" (a hilariously nasally tribute to "Eye of the Tiger") and the Knack knock-off "My Bologna." During the hard-hitting New Wave stylings of "You Make Me," Yankovic glared at his synth with a mad scientist menace, projecting the grandiose showmanship of an alternate-universe Ronnie James Dio.
Real talk: Nobody really catches a Weird Al show for the deep cuts. Unavoidably, the evening's hugest shrieks were reserved for his tried-and-true parody anthems: the Michael Jackson-aping "Fat" (complete with monstrous fat suit), the choral Coolio send-up "Amish Paradise," the still-sharp grunge zinger "Smells Like Nirvana" (with Yankovic dressed as Cobain slacker, gurgling water and spraying the audience in a fumbled spit-bath).
There's a strangely communal quality to the Weird Al experience: few artists are able to wrangle such a disorienting blend of faces. Before the show, a balding middle-aged man proudly displayed his "Touring with Scissors" T-shirt, as buzzing couples traded set list stories and frat boys snapped selfies under a poster of Al's wise visage. Two rows from the stage, a mother and daughter clutched a copy of When I Grow Up, a children's book Yankovic penned in 2011. But the evening's most familial moment came at the end: with the stage lined with costumed Storm Troopers, Yankovic led the crowd through a stripped-down sing-along version of "The Saga Begins," transforming the Don McLean classic "American Pie" into his signature Star Wars parody. Swaying in a collective wave, nerds of all varieties swooned with that silly chorus ("Soon I'm gonna be a Jedi!") as if the words held a deep emotional resonance. And it's possible they did.
At a Weird Al show, there is no easy definition of "cool," if there is one at all. As the house lights broke, the singer's minions scattered into the night, pooling into giddy oceans of smiles. And there was Al, pop's eternal court jester, silently soaking in the spectacle.
-
Yankovic-Gretzky
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
'Weird Al' Enlists Jack Black, Aisha Tyler for Pharrell Parody 'Tacky'
Margaret Cho, Kristen Schaal and Eric Stonestreet also help Yankovic send up pop smash "Happy"
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By RYAN REED JULY 14, 2014 1:30 PM
"Weird Al" Yankovic writing a parody version of Pharrell's ubiquitous smash "Happy" is inevitable in all the most amazing ways – and now the world's leading purveyor of pop silliness has done just that with "Tacky," a hilarious cut from his 14th studio LP, Mandatory Fun. Nerdist premiered the song's cameo-laden video, which features Yankovic and comedy friends Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler and Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre (the same setting for Julianne Moore's apartment in The Big Lebowski).
"Weird Al" is in fine form throughout the track, showcasing his smooth falsetto on lines that demonstrate the various ways a person can be tacky in the 21st century: from taking a coupon book on a date to Instagramming pictures of your meals to owning a YOLO license plate to twerking in line at the DMV. "Are you pregnant, girl, or just really fat?" Yankovic sings at one point, mimicking Pharrell's smooth delivery, as the music follows the smooth jazz-funk flow of the original.
"Can't nothin' bring me shame," our tacky hero croons in the signature clapped breakdown. It's hard to pick the song's best line, but a good vote would be "Got my new résumé – it's printed in Comic Sans" or "Live-tweet a funeral, take selfies with the deceased."
Mandatory Fun, out July 15th (and available now for pre-order at iTunes), also features parodies of Lorde's "Royals," Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (of course) and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," alongside "style parodies" of the Pixies and Cat Stevens. As Stereogum notes, the album is Yankovic's final release in his current contract with RCA; the parody master recently told The New York Post that he's interested in self-releasing future material, saying, "The album format doesn’t seem to be the best for my stuff."
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Margaret Cho, Kristen Schaal and Eric Stonestreet also help Yankovic send up pop smash "Happy"
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By RYAN REED JULY 14, 2014 1:30 PM
"Weird Al" Yankovic writing a parody version of Pharrell's ubiquitous smash "Happy" is inevitable in all the most amazing ways – and now the world's leading purveyor of pop silliness has done just that with "Tacky," a hilarious cut from his 14th studio LP, Mandatory Fun. Nerdist premiered the song's cameo-laden video, which features Yankovic and comedy friends Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler and Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre (the same setting for Julianne Moore's apartment in The Big Lebowski).
"Weird Al" is in fine form throughout the track, showcasing his smooth falsetto on lines that demonstrate the various ways a person can be tacky in the 21st century: from taking a coupon book on a date to Instagramming pictures of your meals to owning a YOLO license plate to twerking in line at the DMV. "Are you pregnant, girl, or just really fat?" Yankovic sings at one point, mimicking Pharrell's smooth delivery, as the music follows the smooth jazz-funk flow of the original.
"Can't nothin' bring me shame," our tacky hero croons in the signature clapped breakdown. It's hard to pick the song's best line, but a good vote would be "Got my new résumé – it's printed in Comic Sans" or "Live-tweet a funeral, take selfies with the deceased."
Mandatory Fun, out July 15th (and available now for pre-order at iTunes), also features parodies of Lorde's "Royals," Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (of course) and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy," alongside "style parodies" of the Pixies and Cat Stevens. As Stereogum notes, the album is Yankovic's final release in his current contract with RCA; the parody master recently told The New York Post that he's interested in self-releasing future material, saying, "The album format doesn’t seem to be the best for my stuff."
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
"Weird Al" Yankovic
Mandatory Fun
***/***** 3/5 STARS
By NICK MURRAY
July 15, 2014
When we talk about timeless artists, the ones who truly cross generations, how come no one mentions Weird Al? Where his 1983 debut spoofed then hot singles like "Mickey," his 14th album turns Lorde’s "Royals" into "Foil" (as in aluminum) and Iggy Azalea’s "Fancy" into "Handy" ("I’ll fix your plumbing/When your toilets overflow"). The schoolhouse R&B of "Word Crimes" is clever enough to win over the harshest critics of Robin Thicke’s "Blurred Lines." Then there’s "Tacky," his sharp tongued take on Pharrell Williams’ "Happy." Sure, there’s a touch of hypocrisy in a guy as gloriously tacky as Al taking shots at the shameless but who really cares when it’s this much fun.
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Weird Al Shows Off Big Dictionary in Robin Thicke Parody 'Word Crimes'
Parody prince drops some grammar and spelling knowledge in new video
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By Jon Blistein
July 15, 2014 12:00 PM ET
Hard as it may be to imagine, but there are certain things in this world more grating and ubiquitous than Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines": Persistent spelling and grammar errors. Fittingly, "Weird Al" Yankovic has combined the two in "Word Crimes," a send-up of Thicke's 2013 hit that promotes proper punctuation and accurate verbiage, and calls out participle danglers, those who "do good" not "well" and anyone who uses numbers instead of letters, which is only acceptable if you're seven — or named Prince.
So if you're still uncertain about when to use "whom" or "who," and whether you're dealing with an "it's" or an "its," check out the clever, hashtag-filled "Word Crimes" video below. The only thing that could've made this better is if Yankovic had been able to enlist Kelsey Grammer Grammar.
Yankovic spoke about the new song during an appearance on The View Tuesday. "'Word Crimes' is about a year old. There were already about 10,000 parodies of ["Blurred Lines"] and they were all rapey," he said. "And I thought nobody had done a song about grammar."
When asked by one host if he wrote "Word Crimes" as a reaction to his 11-year-old daughter's linguistic skills, "Weird Al" curtly replied, "No, my daughter is fairly literate. We raised her that way."
"Word Crimes" is the second of eight videos "Weird Al" will drop this week to celebrate the release of his new album, Mandatory Fun, which is out today. On Monday, he kicked off the festivities with "Tacky," a take on Pharrell's "Happy," which rags on anyone who has ever live-tweeted a funeral, gotten a YOLO license plate or printed their résumé in Comic Sans. Yankovic enlisted a bunch of comedy friends for the excellent one-shot clip, including Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, all of whom traipse through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in the best worst outfits you've ever seen.
In a new interview with Diffuser, Yankovic spoke about his "eight video" strategy, which was inspired by the fickle nature of viral video culture. "Things burn really quickly, things tend to go viral for a day, and I figure, 'Well, ok, I'll let each of my videos go viral for day,'" Yankovic said. "Nowadays everybody's trying to figure out what works, and I'm not like every other artist. I'm a special case and there's really no precedent. So I'm just trying to see what works and this seemed like a fun thing to try."
You can check out the full interview below, in which "Weird Al" also talks about "First World Problems," a style-parody of one of his favorite groups, The Pixies, and what makes those pastiche numbers different from his spins on specific songs. Mandatory Fun marks Weird Al's final album under his current contract with RCA and also features send-ups of Lorde's "Royals," Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive," and Iggy Azalea's "Fancy."
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Lady Gaga
Weird Al parody 'empowering'
MAY 25, 2011 11:55 AM
"Iron Maiden changed my life," says Lady Gaga in this exclusive audio excerpt from an interview conducted by Brian Hiatt for the cover story of the latest issue of Rolling Stone. The singer tells an anecdote about sneaking on to the floor of a recent Iron Maiden show, and how her experience with that music and the band's fans gave her a clear vision of what she wants to accomplish with her own career. "Iron Maiden has never had a hit song, but they tour stadiums around the world, and their fans live, breath, die for Maiden," says Gaga. "That is my dream."
Later on, Gaga talked about feeling flattered by "Weird Al" Yankovic's parody of her hit "Born This Way," saying that having a song parodied by Yankovic is a "rite of passage" to the next level of one's career. "I actually really appreciate the philosophy behind the song," she says of Yankovic's "Perform This Way." "It's actually very empowering, I think."
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Last edited by Yankovic-Gretzky on Wed Jul 30, 2014 11:04 pm, edited 3 times in total.
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Re: Weird Al Yankovic on Rolling Stone
The Everything Index: It's Weird Al's World, We're Just Living in It
Yankovic is back, and he edges out Rihanna in this week's pop-culture power rankings
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By James Montgomery
July 16, 2014 3:55 PM ET
Welcome to the Rolling Stone Everything Index, where we rank the week's pop-culture power players...whether they like it or not.
The Everything Index: Taylor Swift is Here to Save the Day
Right off the bat: Yes, we realize this week's Index is a day late (and only half as long as usual), but we're hoping you'll forgive us – Grumpy Cat was in the office. Anyway, we don't think we'll get any complaints from "Weird Al" fans; after all, their hero sits atop our list. Yankovic managed to outgun perennial powerhouse Rihanna for the #1 spot...no small feat considering everything she's accomplished this week.
Since we're already late, let's get to our abridged version of the Everything Index. We'll be back at full-strength next week, we promise. Unless Lil Bub decides to pay us a visit.
1. "Weird Al" Yankovic: Patron Saint of Parody just dominating everything with week of music videos, new album Mandatory Fun. We could all use more Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz in our lives.
2. Rihanna: Partying with Germans. Supporting Palestine. Smoking all the pot. At this point, she's basically one Eurail Pass away from being the girl you tried to hook up with at that hostel in Amsterdam.
3. Marvel Comics: First, they gave us a female Thor. Now they're promising an "all-new era" for another major character. Please don't let it be Spider-Ham.
4. Kacy Catanzaro: Former gymnast crushes the course on American Ninja Warrior. Meanwhile, we're still attempting to master the art of eating Cheetos with chopsticks.
5. Adele's 25: Queen of Pain's new album supposedly coming out this year. That's barely enough time to meet someone, fall in love, then be heinously wronged.
6. Charlie Sheen: Tiger-blood guzzling meme machine returns to prominence with drunken performance in a Taco Bell drive-thru. "Sorry I'm so smurfin' hammered," he tells a fan. No need to apologize, dude.
7. Bleachers' Strange Desire: Debut album from Jack Antonoff's new band provides the soundtrack to our slo-mo, Spandau Ballet dreams. Always with the Capezios!
8. Michael Jeter: Late character actor gets inadvertent shout-out on CBS News' Twitter feed during MLB All-Star Game. Sure, they meant Derek, but Michael's always had better range.
9. SNL's Exodus: Sketch show sheds several bit players. Great, now where will we get our fill of John Milhiser?!?
10. Sex Tape: God-awful Cameron Diaz/Jason Segel "comedy" limps into theaters on Friday, will be forgotten about by Monday. At least until Award season.
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'Weird Al' Wards off Illuminati, Sandwich Mold in Lorde Parody Video
The 'Foil' clip features a cameo from comedian Patton Oswalt
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ByRYAN REED JULY 16, 2014 12:10 PM
As "Weird Al" Yankovic demonstrates in his new music video for "Foil," a parody of Lorde's minimalist electro-pop smash "Royals," aluminum foil serves two handy purposes: protecting your sandwiches from mold and your thoughts from alien visitors. The "Foil" clip, which premiered Wednesday via College Humor, is the third released so far this week (in a series of eight), all promoting his new LP, Mandatory Fun.
The goofy clip finds Yankovic hosting a TV cooking show with comedy friend Patton Oswalt playing a frustrated director. "That kind of wrap is just the best / to keep your sandwich nice and fresh," Yankovic sings in the first verse, mimicking Lorde's sultry croon. But the second verse finds the parody master shifting his focus, teaching viewers how to shield their thoughts from government spying and the Illuminati with an aluminum foil hat.
25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Yankovic's first video was "Tacky," a parody of Pharrell's funky smash "Happy." That clip pointed a critical finger at such annoyances as live-tweeting a funeral, proudly displaying a YOLO license plate or printing a résumé in Comic Sans, with featured guests Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet all grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in garish outfits.
Yankovic talked about the challenges of filming that video in a Reddit AMA held earlier this week.
"While it looks like there MIGHT have been an edit somewhere, I absolutely guarantee you, that was all done in ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT," he said. "That was a bit of a challenge for me, because I start the video on a 5th floor fire escape, and I reappear on street level wearing completely different clothes. That means - for EVERY TAKE - as soon as the camera was off me I had to run down 5 flights of stairs WHILE CHANGING MY CLOTHES so I could be on camera again at the end. Definitely got my workout THAT day!"
On Tuesday, Yankovic focused his parody skills on "Word Crimes," a grammar-centric send-up of Robin Thicke's ubiquitous single, "Blurred Lines." In that hashtag-filled clip, Yankovic highlights the evils of improper punctuation, noting the crucial difference between "whom" and who." Thicke himself gave the seal of approval, tweeting, "You should never write words w/ letters unless you're 7, or your name is Prince." Wise words @alyankovic."
In a recent interview with Diffuser, Yankovic talked at length about his "eight video" strategy, which was inspired by the fleeting nature of viral culture. "Things burn really quickly, things tend to go viral for a day, and I figure, 'Well, OK, I'll let each of my videos go viral for day,'" Yankovic said. "Nowadays everybody's trying to figure out what works, and I'm not like every other artist. I'm a special case and there's really no precedent. So I'm just trying to see what works and this seemed like a fun thing to try."
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'Weird Al' Gets 'Handy' Around the House in Iggy Azalea Spoof
For his next trick, the pop parody master takes on "Fancy" while fixing an overflowing toilet
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ByJON BLISTEIN JULY 17, 2014 11:35 AM
"Weird Al" Yankovic has already corrected your grammar and foiled the Illuminati this week — now he's here to fix your dishwasher. In the latest video from his new album, Mandatory Fun, the prince of pop parody sets his sights on Iggy Azalea's ubiquitous "Fancy," turning it into "Handy," an ode to a contractor's myriad skills, from repairing busted windows to installing formica countertops. He's got 99 problems, but a switch ain't one.
25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Weird Al' Yankovic
For the clip, "Weird Al" sports a ridiculous blonde wig and matching mustache, plus a denim-heavy outfit that's crucial if you're trying to do any work around the house. The video co-stars comedian Eddie Pepitone as an innocent homeowner stricken by overflowing toilets, a stinking refrigerator and outrageous heating bills, which Yankovic promises he can fix with some duct tape and some caulking. "Still rocking my screwdriver, got the whole world thinking I'm MacGyver," "Weird Al" spits in classic form.
With "Handy," "Weird Al" has hit the halfway mark of his Mandatory Fun release-week celebration, during which he's dropping eight new music videos. So far he's taken down the scourge of sandwich mold and the Illuminati in "Foil," his parody of Lorde's "Royals"; released a screed against poor grammar in the Robin Thicke-aping "Word Crimes"; and taken on 21st century faux pas in "Tacky," his send-up of Pharrell's "Happy."
While the "Word Crimes" clip was a hilarious, meticulously animated lyric video that'll make you laugh and teach you how to diagram a sentence, for "Foil," Yankovic took on the role of a TV cook expounding the usefulness of aluminum foil and exposing the shadow lords controlling our world — much to the chagrin of his director, played by Patton Oswalt. Meanwhile, the clip for "Tacky" was not only shot in one continuous take, but featured cameos from Yankovic's comedy friends Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, all grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in garish outfits.
Yankovic talked about his unique "eight video" strategy during a recent interview with Diffuser, saying it was inspired by the fleeting nature of viral culture. "Things burn really quickly, things tend to go viral for a day, and I figure, 'Well, OK, I'll let each of my videos go viral for day,'" Yankovic said. "Nowadays everybody's trying to figure out what works, and I'm not like every other artist. I'm a special case and there's really no precedent. So I'm just trying to see what works and this seemed like a fun thing to try."
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Yankovic is back, and he edges out Rihanna in this week's pop-culture power rankings
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By James Montgomery
July 16, 2014 3:55 PM ET
Welcome to the Rolling Stone Everything Index, where we rank the week's pop-culture power players...whether they like it or not.
The Everything Index: Taylor Swift is Here to Save the Day
Right off the bat: Yes, we realize this week's Index is a day late (and only half as long as usual), but we're hoping you'll forgive us – Grumpy Cat was in the office. Anyway, we don't think we'll get any complaints from "Weird Al" fans; after all, their hero sits atop our list. Yankovic managed to outgun perennial powerhouse Rihanna for the #1 spot...no small feat considering everything she's accomplished this week.
Since we're already late, let's get to our abridged version of the Everything Index. We'll be back at full-strength next week, we promise. Unless Lil Bub decides to pay us a visit.
1. "Weird Al" Yankovic: Patron Saint of Parody just dominating everything with week of music videos, new album Mandatory Fun. We could all use more Jon "Bermuda" Schwartz in our lives.
2. Rihanna: Partying with Germans. Supporting Palestine. Smoking all the pot. At this point, she's basically one Eurail Pass away from being the girl you tried to hook up with at that hostel in Amsterdam.
3. Marvel Comics: First, they gave us a female Thor. Now they're promising an "all-new era" for another major character. Please don't let it be Spider-Ham.
4. Kacy Catanzaro: Former gymnast crushes the course on American Ninja Warrior. Meanwhile, we're still attempting to master the art of eating Cheetos with chopsticks.
5. Adele's 25: Queen of Pain's new album supposedly coming out this year. That's barely enough time to meet someone, fall in love, then be heinously wronged.
6. Charlie Sheen: Tiger-blood guzzling meme machine returns to prominence with drunken performance in a Taco Bell drive-thru. "Sorry I'm so smurfin' hammered," he tells a fan. No need to apologize, dude.
7. Bleachers' Strange Desire: Debut album from Jack Antonoff's new band provides the soundtrack to our slo-mo, Spandau Ballet dreams. Always with the Capezios!
8. Michael Jeter: Late character actor gets inadvertent shout-out on CBS News' Twitter feed during MLB All-Star Game. Sure, they meant Derek, but Michael's always had better range.
9. SNL's Exodus: Sketch show sheds several bit players. Great, now where will we get our fill of John Milhiser?!?
10. Sex Tape: God-awful Cameron Diaz/Jason Segel "comedy" limps into theaters on Friday, will be forgotten about by Monday. At least until Award season.
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'Weird Al' Wards off Illuminati, Sandwich Mold in Lorde Parody Video
The 'Foil' clip features a cameo from comedian Patton Oswalt
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ByRYAN REED JULY 16, 2014 12:10 PM
As "Weird Al" Yankovic demonstrates in his new music video for "Foil," a parody of Lorde's minimalist electro-pop smash "Royals," aluminum foil serves two handy purposes: protecting your sandwiches from mold and your thoughts from alien visitors. The "Foil" clip, which premiered Wednesday via College Humor, is the third released so far this week (in a series of eight), all promoting his new LP, Mandatory Fun.
The goofy clip finds Yankovic hosting a TV cooking show with comedy friend Patton Oswalt playing a frustrated director. "That kind of wrap is just the best / to keep your sandwich nice and fresh," Yankovic sings in the first verse, mimicking Lorde's sultry croon. But the second verse finds the parody master shifting his focus, teaching viewers how to shield their thoughts from government spying and the Illuminati with an aluminum foil hat.
25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Weird Al' Yankovic
Yankovic's first video was "Tacky," a parody of Pharrell's funky smash "Happy." That clip pointed a critical finger at such annoyances as live-tweeting a funeral, proudly displaying a YOLO license plate or printing a résumé in Comic Sans, with featured guests Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet all grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in garish outfits.
Yankovic talked about the challenges of filming that video in a Reddit AMA held earlier this week.
"While it looks like there MIGHT have been an edit somewhere, I absolutely guarantee you, that was all done in ONE CONTINUOUS SHOT," he said. "That was a bit of a challenge for me, because I start the video on a 5th floor fire escape, and I reappear on street level wearing completely different clothes. That means - for EVERY TAKE - as soon as the camera was off me I had to run down 5 flights of stairs WHILE CHANGING MY CLOTHES so I could be on camera again at the end. Definitely got my workout THAT day!"
On Tuesday, Yankovic focused his parody skills on "Word Crimes," a grammar-centric send-up of Robin Thicke's ubiquitous single, "Blurred Lines." In that hashtag-filled clip, Yankovic highlights the evils of improper punctuation, noting the crucial difference between "whom" and who." Thicke himself gave the seal of approval, tweeting, "You should never write words w/ letters unless you're 7, or your name is Prince." Wise words @alyankovic."
In a recent interview with Diffuser, Yankovic talked at length about his "eight video" strategy, which was inspired by the fleeting nature of viral culture. "Things burn really quickly, things tend to go viral for a day, and I figure, 'Well, OK, I'll let each of my videos go viral for day,'" Yankovic said. "Nowadays everybody's trying to figure out what works, and I'm not like every other artist. I'm a special case and there's really no precedent. So I'm just trying to see what works and this seemed like a fun thing to try."
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'Weird Al' Gets 'Handy' Around the House in Iggy Azalea Spoof
For his next trick, the pop parody master takes on "Fancy" while fixing an overflowing toilet
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ByJON BLISTEIN JULY 17, 2014 11:35 AM
"Weird Al" Yankovic has already corrected your grammar and foiled the Illuminati this week — now he's here to fix your dishwasher. In the latest video from his new album, Mandatory Fun, the prince of pop parody sets his sights on Iggy Azalea's ubiquitous "Fancy," turning it into "Handy," an ode to a contractor's myriad skills, from repairing busted windows to installing formica countertops. He's got 99 problems, but a switch ain't one.
25 Things You Didn't Know About 'Weird Al' Yankovic
For the clip, "Weird Al" sports a ridiculous blonde wig and matching mustache, plus a denim-heavy outfit that's crucial if you're trying to do any work around the house. The video co-stars comedian Eddie Pepitone as an innocent homeowner stricken by overflowing toilets, a stinking refrigerator and outrageous heating bills, which Yankovic promises he can fix with some duct tape and some caulking. "Still rocking my screwdriver, got the whole world thinking I'm MacGyver," "Weird Al" spits in classic form.
With "Handy," "Weird Al" has hit the halfway mark of his Mandatory Fun release-week celebration, during which he's dropping eight new music videos. So far he's taken down the scourge of sandwich mold and the Illuminati in "Foil," his parody of Lorde's "Royals"; released a screed against poor grammar in the Robin Thicke-aping "Word Crimes"; and taken on 21st century faux pas in "Tacky," his send-up of Pharrell's "Happy."
While the "Word Crimes" clip was a hilarious, meticulously animated lyric video that'll make you laugh and teach you how to diagram a sentence, for "Foil," Yankovic took on the role of a TV cook expounding the usefulness of aluminum foil and exposing the shadow lords controlling our world — much to the chagrin of his director, played by Patton Oswalt. Meanwhile, the clip for "Tacky" was not only shot in one continuous take, but featured cameos from Yankovic's comedy friends Jack Black, Margaret Cho, Aisha Tyler, Kristen Schaal and Modern Family's Eric Stonestreet, all grooving through Los Angeles' Palace Theatre in garish outfits.
Yankovic talked about his unique "eight video" strategy during a recent interview with Diffuser, saying it was inspired by the fleeting nature of viral culture. "Things burn really quickly, things tend to go viral for a day, and I figure, 'Well, OK, I'll let each of my videos go viral for day,'" Yankovic said. "Nowadays everybody's trying to figure out what works, and I'm not like every other artist. I'm a special case and there's really no precedent. So I'm just trying to see what works and this seemed like a fun thing to try."
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