Round Up: Yo-Yo Ma, Steve Martin, Oasis, Metallica, Jonathan Ross

Nobody has time to read all the music news, but if you’re looking to squeeze in some interesting snippets from today, here’s a quick overview:

• President Obama said he will emphasize a “transparent” presidency, but one inauguration performance contradicted that ideal. In their performance of John Williams‘ “Air and Simple Gifts,” cellist Yo-Yo Ma, violinist Itzhak Perlman, pianist Gabriella Montero and clarinetist Anthony McGill are reported to have played along unamplified with a recording. So that historic performance you thought you heard… was a fake. Bummer. Read what the artists had to say about it in the full story.
• Steve Martin will release a (comedy-free) album called “The Crow: New Songs For the Five-String Banjo” on Jan.27. The 15-track album will be sold as a three-month Amazon.com exclusive with a slew of guests, including Dolly Parton, Vince Gill and Tim O’Brien. The album doesn’t include any stand up, but it will be interesting to see if the comedian can control his knack for subtle quips amid all the bluegrass. Read the full story here.

• Metallica fans are gearing up for the release of Guitar Hero: Metallica, but longtime fans may have a bone to pick with the band’s choice to leave out the late original member Cliff Burton. So Trujillo gets all the glory. Well at least Burton is spared from the current band’s sellout-syndrome. Read the full report from Rolling Stone here.
• Oasis will play their first shows in China in early April. If you’ve been in denial about China’s rising in the ranks as a world superpower, this is some indisputable evidence. The pop-rock legends from Manchester will play Beijing April 3 and Shanghai April 5.
• Jonathan Ross will be back on the BBC tonight after being suspended for a prank-call-scandal. Franz Ferdinand’s pre-recorded performance will be featured on the show tonight, but the peeps over at NME decided it would be more fun to imagine that another band is playing. So they’ve come up with a rather punny list of possible band names that pay, er… tribute to Ross – and his phone antics. My favorites are: Jonathan Sigur Ross, The Sachs Pistols, Lewd Reed, and Radio Scandal Head

What would you add to the list?

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