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Courtney Love is embroiled in a defamation lawsuit after posting insulting comments about designer Dawn Simorangkir on her Twitter, raising questions about whether celebrities should be held liable for defamatory posts made on social media platforms. Love is headed to a Los Angeles court on January 18; it’s the first high-profile lawsuit revolving around a celebrity posting unflattering comments on sites like Twitter. Love’s attorneys are hoping to prove that her mental state was not “subjectively malicious” enough to justify the lawsuit. [The Hollywood Reporter]
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Ever want to see Florence Welch do a headstand in a bikini? Head here to check out a cool, arty short that follows the Florence and the Machine singer around a recent trip to Los Angeles. The clip is the first in a three-part documentary series, directed by Tabitha Denholm, that trails Welch on her 2010 North American tour.
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Gerry Rafferty — the Scottish singer who wrote classic 1970s songs like “Stuck in the Middle With You” and “Baker Street” — died on Tuesday in Dorset, England at the age of 63. Rafferty passed away due to reported complications with his liver and kidneys. [The New York Times]
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Hear Snoop Dogg‘s spacey, weed-smoking anthem “That Good,” featuring rapper Wiz Khalifa, here.
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Mick Karn — bassist for the British New Romantic band Japan and collaborator with New Wave icons like Kate Bush and Gary Numan — died on Tuesday in London after a battle with cancer. He was 52. [NME]
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Psychedelic rockers …And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead and lo-fi up-and-comers Surfer Blood will hit the road for a 13-date North American in April. The trek, which kicks off at New York’s Bowery Ballroom on April 29, includes dates in Chicago, Detroit, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C. [Pitchfork]
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Titus Andronicus bassist Ian Graetzer has split from the band to pursue other projects after performing his last gig in New York on New Year’s Eve. “We still have great love for Ian,” frontman Patrick Stickles posted in a statement on the band’s site. “We are still friends.” No replacement has been announced, although the band is planning to play a February 10 show at New York’s Mercury Lounge. [titusandronicus.net]
