Joey “Shithead” Keithley, frontman of Vancouver hardcore pioneers D.O.A., is the subject of a new documentary from Scott Crawford called 'Something Better Change' (named after D.O.A.'s 1980 debut album), Rolling Stone reports. It shows the journey of a punk-rocker to a position of power, and possibility to change stuff. The doc will explore "connections between music and activism," and it features Henry Rollins, Keith Morris, Jello Biafra, Krist Novoselic, Duff McKagan, and Beto O'Rourke.

Foo Fighters, Katy Perry, Demi Lovato and Bon Jovi performed at the star-studded inauguration of the new American president. The theme of the concert was unity, with Bruce Springsteen kicking off the event with his song 'Land Of Hope and Dreams'. John Legend powered through a big band arrangement of Nina Simone's 'Feeling Good', while Demi Lovato sang an upbeat cover of Bill Withers' 'Lovely Day', accompanied by doctors and nurses in their hospital scrubs. Texan soul band Black Pumas played their uplifting anthem Colors, and the concert was closed by Katy Perry, who sang a rousing, orchestral version of her signature song 'Firework'. Alexis Petridis compares this and previous inauguration: "Donald Trump couldn’t secure a Springsteen tribute band for his inauguration, whereas Biden had Springsteen himself – plus Lady Gaga, Jennifer Lopez and even a Republican in Garth Brooks". Outside the official ceremony, Indie Drummer Collective - including drummers of Thursday, The Promise Ring, Helmet, Titus Andronicus, and Cymbals Eat Guitars covered 'We Are The World' for Inauguration Day.

Rappers Lil Wayne has been pardoned and Kodak Black has been commuted by Donald Trump in his last full day in office, according to Hollywood Reporter. Late on Tuesday, the outgoing American president granted 73 pardons and commuted the sentences for 70 other individuals. Pardon was also given to current Roc Nation CEO Desiree Perez who had a conviction for conspiracy to distribute narcotics from the early '90s, and a commutation was given to Death Row Records co-founder Michael Harris, who was serving a prison sentence on drug-trafficking and murder charges.

"British musicians, dancers, actors and their support staff have been shamefully failed by their government" - the letter signed by over 100 UK musicians sent to their government said, after the official London confirmed it had turned down an EU offer that would have enabled frictionless touring. Sir Elton John, Liam Gallagher, Sir Simon Rattle, Sting, Brian May, Radiohead, Sheku Kanneh-Mason, Roger Daltrey, Glastonbury Festival founder Michael Eavis. and Nicola Benedetti are among 110 artists who have signed the open letter. Everyone on a European music tour will now need costly work permits for many countries they visit and a mountain of paperwork for their equipment, Sky reports.

Emerging artists are facing “massive competition” from classic acts such as Queen and the Beatles on streaming services - the UK MPs from Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) committee inquiry into the economics of music streaming have been told. Peter Leathem, the CEO of music copyright collective PPL, said that musicians at the start of their careers have “got the last 50 years of the music industry to compete with” on digital platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music, BBC reports.

TikTok skateboarder @420doggface208, who went viral last year with his Fleetwood Mac 'Dreams' video, is scheduled to appear as part of Joe Biden’s virtual inauguration parade later this week, TMZ reports. The American President-elect’s planning team reportedly tapped Nathan Apodaca “because they saw how his feel-good video uplifted the world this past fall during social unrest and pandemic anxiety”. Also, New Radicals will reunite after 22 years to perform at Joe Biden’s inaugural parade, Rolling Stone reports. The band will perform their signature hit 'You Get What You Give' to close the virtual Parade Across America on Wednesday, January 20th.

The outgoing American president Donald Trump issued an executive order to build a “Garden of American Heroes”, statues of 250 people spanning entertainment, sports, literature, and politics, CoS reports. Musicians include Johnny Cash, Miles Davis, Aretha Franklin, Billie Holliday, Frank Sinatra, Ray Charles, Elvis, and Whitney Houston.

The Black Music Action Coalition teamed with the #breathewithme Revolution and several musicians to make a '17 Ways Black People Are Killed in America' urging Joe Biden and Kamala Harris to launch a United States Commission on Truth, Racial Healing, and Transformation (TRHT) during the first 100 days of administration. It features Alicia Keys, Mary J. Blige, A$AP Ferg, Offset, Rapsody, Ty Dolla $ign, Vic Mensa, 070 Shake, Khalid, Asian Doll, Summer Walker, and others reading off names of police brutality victims and the unconscionable reasons they were killed, such as "Walking down the street, Elijah McClain", "Jogging, Ahmaud Arbery", "Sleeping in your car, Rayshard Brooks", "Accused of using a fake 20, George Floyd", and "Sleeping in your bed, Breonna Taylor". n similar news, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris have shared the official playlist for their upcoming inauguration, which includes artists like Kendrick Lamar, MF DOOM, Tame Impala, Beyoncé, Bruce Springsteen, SAULT, Mac Miller, Bob Marley, and A Tribe Called Quest.

Iced Earth guitarist Jon Schaffer was arrested on Sunday (January 17th) after turning himself into authorities for his role in January 6th riot at the U.S. Capitol building. According to the FBI, the veteran metal musician faces six charges, Loudwire reports.

BBC talked to Hockey, leader of the band Rap Against Dictatorship, who said they want to reform the monarchist system of their country. The monarchy says RAD are just too rude and vulgar. Hockey now faces prison for his songs.

It was the UK government's choice to end visa-free touring for musicians in the EU, officials in Brussels told the BBC. The EU says that it was London who "refused" a plan that would have let musicians tour without visas. "From last March, we made fairly ambitious proposals in terms of mobility, including for specific categories such as journalists, performers, musicians and others" - the EU's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said, but the UK didn't agree on it. Since Brexit, British musicians and crews may need extra work permits to play in certain European countries such as Germany and Spain.

“We sought a mutually beneficial agreement that would have allowed performers to continue working and perform across the continent without the need for work permits" - the UK culture secretary Oliver Dowden told NME about Brexit negotiations with the EU regarding work permits for musicians. However, Dowden claims "musicians, artists, entertainers and support staff would have been captured through the list of permitted activities for short-term business visitors. This was a straightforward solution for our creative industries which would have benefited all sides. But the EU turned it down, repeatedly. It did not propose and wouldn’t accept a tailored deal for musicians and artists". The Independent got unofficial information from the EU side that it was the UK who didn't agree to a special agreement for musicians.

The EU offered the UK visa-free tours by British musicians to EU countries, but the UK government refused it, the liberal London paper Independent reports. A “standard” proposal to exempt performers from the huge cost and bureaucracy for 90 days was turned down, because the government is insisting on denying that to EU artists visiting this country.

Ariel Pink has officially been dropped by his longtime label Mexican Summer after the artist attended this week's pro-Trump riots at the U.S. Capitol, Rolling Stone reports. Ariel Pink has previously been accused of both sexist and racist behaviour. In similar news, Jon Schaffer, guitarist and leader of Florida metal band Iced Earth is being sought by the police for storming into the Capitol building during the same pro-Trump riots, Blabbermouth reports.

Under the Brexit deal, British musicians planning to play in Europe will now have to secure work permits for each individual country on a tour and face further red tape when it comes to transporting equipment and crew - Guardian reports about worries of industry figures and artists after the UK has finally divorced from the EU. Work permits were going to be a particular problem when touring with larger classical groups since there could be dozens of musicians needing to get a work permit. UK artists have already been calling for the government to possibly renegotiate a free culture work permit for UK performers in the EU.

The UK government has announced that it had tried to secure better conditions for UK touring musicians during the Brexit negotiations, but the EU rejected its proposals, BBC reports. From 1 January, free movement of people between the UK and the EU will end, which means that touring musicians and their technical crews will face new rules, and could be subject to additional visa costs and paperwork. UK nationals will need a visa for stays of longer than 90 days in a 180-day period, and there will be restrictions on their activities. Spain, Italy and Denmark will require additional work permits.

The US Congress included a provision to the latest COVID-19 relief package that makes illegal streaming a felony, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The “Felony Streaming” copyright proposal attaches felony penalties to commercial platforms that are dedicated exclusively to streaming unlicensed works. If found guilty of such actions, operators of these platforms could face up to 10 years in prison.

The American Congressional leaders agreed on a $900 billion rescue package, which includes $15 billion for live entertainment venues and independent movie theaters, the New York Times reports. Senator Chuck Schumer said "these venues are so important to my state and so many other states across the country. They are the lifeblood of our communities. They were the first to close and will be the last to open. This bill gives them a fighting chance”.

Some of UK's most successful songwriters "are driving Ubers" to make ends meet - songwriter Fiona Bevan told UK MPs giving evidence to digital, media, culture and sport committee inquiry into the future of music streaming, Bevan, who has written songs for One Direction, Steps and Lewis Capaldi, said many writers were struggling because of the way streaming services pay royalties, revealing she had earned just £100 for co-writing a track on Kylie Minogue's number one album, 'Disco'. "The most successful songwriters in the world can't pay their rent", she added. Chic's Nile Rodgers said - "every single time I've audited my partners, I find money. Every single time. And sometimes, it's staggering, the amount of money".

South Korea has changed its military service law so as to allow the members of BTS to extend their careers, and the lifespan of the band, New York Times reports. South Korean men must perform compulsory military service once they turn 28, and two of the members of the K-pop group, Jin and Suga, will soon turn 28. The law change, however, has extended the maximum age to 30 for those allowed to defer their service.

The current system of payment for music streaming is threatening the future of music in the UK - Elbow’s Guy Garvey said in front of the UK parliament committee on the first day of an inquiry into the impact of streaming on the music industry. Garvey, and musicians such as O’Brien of Radiohead, Tom Gray of Gomez, and Nadine Shah have put forward equitable remuneration, increased transparency and user-centric streaming models as ways in which the industry could be reformed and made fairer for artists.

Morrissey has been dropped by his label BMG, because, as Morrissey Central reports, the new executive "has announced new plans for 'diversity' within BMG's artist roster, and all projected BMG Morrissey releases/reissues have been scrapped". Morrissey commented that "this news is perfectly in keeping with the relentless galvanic horror of 2020. We would be critically insane to expect anything positive". Morrissey has been involved in several controversies lately involving his far-right remarks.

The luxurious nature of rap music could be a factor in the increase in support for Donald Trump among Black male voters - Barack Obama suggested in The Atlantic interview. "People are writing about the fact that Trump increased his support among Black men, and the occasional rapper who supported Trump” he said, adding - "I have to remind myself that if you listen to rap music, it’s all about the bling, the women, the money. A lot of rap videos are using the same measures of what it means to be successful as Donald Trump is. Everything is gold-plated. That insinuates itself and seeps into the culture”. Election polls saw an estimated 20% of Black men voted for Trump this year, two percentage points higher than the 18% who voted for him in 2016.

The British government has announced the latest round of its £1.57 billion Culture Recovery Fund, with this new tranche of aid totaling £18 million to be shared by eight arts and cultural organizations, among them Ronnie Scott’s Jazz Club in London, the London Venue Group, and the Academy Music Group. Music Business Worldwide compares this concrete help to the one US venues are being offered.

System Of A Down have just come together to release their first new music in 15 years, inspired by near-war tensions between Armenia and Azerbaijan. They released two new songs, 'Protect The Land' and 'Genocidal Humanoidz', the former in a more hard-rocky tone, and the latter more classic SOAD ska-metal.

Kanye West has admitted defeat in American presidential elections, and has turned his attention to the next election, in 2024, the USA Today reports. West cast his vote in Wyoming, where he penned his own name on a 2020 election ballot. The 43-year-old artist appeared on pre-printed ballots in just 12 states: Arkansas, Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Utah and Vermont. West got 60,000 votes across these 12 states, Deadline reports.

Owners of big music companies like Madison Square Garden and Liberty Media have continued to spend millions of dollars supporting Republican causes like President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign and Republican candidates for House and Senate races, while the employees of those companies have turned toward Democratic candidates, especially presidential challenger Joe Biden, in record numbers, Billboard reports on the interesting political topic.

Tracy Chapman performed on television night for the first time since 2015 to sing her most famous song 'Talkin' Bout a Revolution' on Seth Meyers' show, to remind American viewers to vote on Election Day. The 56-year-old songwriter did get some grey hair, but she sounds as fresh and powerful as ever..

Atlantic Records has launched the 36% Campaign, named after the fact that only 36% of eligible voters aged 18-29 voted in the 2018 midterm election in the US, with songs stripped down to 36% in the innovative campaign. Atlantic artists Portugal. The Man, Kelly Clarkson, Jack Harlow, Meek Mill, and Cordae are releasing rough-cut, shortened videos of some of their biggest hits, Variety reports. Pta. T M's five-time platinum Grammy award-winning 'Feel It Still' (or 'Fl Sl') has been edited to be 36% visible and stripped of key instrumental elements, including its signature bassline. In other political-related news, Snoop Dogg says he believed his criminal records precluded him from being able to vote (it didn't), The Atlantic reports.

Indigenous people of Brazil are taking a stand against the government and violations of their overlooked rights with music, combining urban music with their ancestral music. Singer and composer Kaê Guajajara merges hip-hop, traditional instruments and elements from her mother tongue Ze’egete to talk about her indigenous identity. The most prominent Indigenous rapper is 19-year-old Kunumi MC, a native of the Guarani people, who talks "against everything happening to the Indigenous peoples in Brazil now". São Paulo band Androyde Sem Par blends pop and rock in Guarani-inflected songs. A political message is also the first ingredient in indigenous heavy-metal band Arandu Arakuaa's music. The Guardian tells the important story.