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Music News: Prince's Vault suffered 'damage and degradation'

Photo of the exterior of Paisley Park.
Photo of the exterior of Paisley Park.Photo courtesy of Paisley Park NPG Records

by Jay Gabler

November 14, 2017

Variety has taken a close look at the court documents recently filed by Comerica Bank and Trust in response to claims of mismanagement by some of Prince’s heirs. One of the subjects of contention was the bank's removal of Prince's music and video archives from his legendary Vault at Paisley Park to a new storage facility in Los Angeles.

According to Comerica's representative, conditions in the Vault were highly unsuitable for archival storage.

None of the spaces being used for storage ... have climate control systems sufficient to preserve audio and video material. During its inventory, the Personal Representative discovered several indications of damage and degradation due to poor humidity and temperature controls. It encountered cardboard boxes that were adhered to shelves and had to be peeled off, mold and water damage on the materials, rusting film canisters, degrading film that smelled of vinegar (a sign of acetate degradation), and evidence of water intrusion on walls and ceilings in the vault and elsewhere.

Dave Matthews to rock St. Paul on Super Bowl eve

There's been another big music announcement related to the 2018 Super Bowl: the Dave Matthews Band will play the Xcel Energy Center on Feb. 3, the night before the big game. As the Star Tribune notes, "the DMB concert will compete with the official Super Bowl Host Committee's free Jam & Lewis-helmed concerts on Nicollet Mall that same Saturday night, and with the already-announced Florida Georgia Line performance at the makeshift Club Nomadic venue next to Mystic Lake Casino Hotel."

Bob Mould to open for the Foos

As Hüsker Dü celebrate the release of a major new box set, frontman Bob Mould has landed a big gig. He'll open for Foo Fighters at five shows next month. (Consequence of Sound)

Lizzo lands plaudits from Forbes

Forbes has just released this year's 30 Under 30 feature: a series of several lists of 30 individuals (or, in a few cases, groups) who are making waves in each of various fields. The music list includes Lizzo, whose career took off during her several years in Minnesota.

"Body-positive rapper-singer Lizzo," notes the feature, "real name Melissa Jefferson, released her lauded Coconut Oil EP in 2016. The critically-acclaimed record included 'Good As Hell,' which notched more than 10 million streams on Spotify. The Detroit-born musician's jubilant live show is informed by teen years spent rapping before joining a progressive rock band at 19."

Train: The wine

Train frontman Pat Monahan has announced a new signature wine portfolio: Drops of Jupiter wine. The new line, which follows Monahan's previous Save Me wines, offers a "potable interpretation of the song's core message, which is simply — to embrace this life." Proceeds from the wine will help support families of hospitalized children in San Francisco. (Billboard)

Taylor's on top of the world

It's official, in even less time than was expected: Taylor Swift’s Reputation is the top-selling album of 2017. It took the new album just four days to sell over a million copies, cruising past the Ed Sheeran LP that held the previous high-water mark. Swift now has four different albums that have sold over a million copies in a single week; no other artist even has three. (Billboard)

Swift made a surprise Monday night appearance on The Tonight Show to welcome host Jimmy Fallon back from a break he took to mourn his recently deceased mother; you could watch that video, and/or you could watch the below video, a "Look What You Made Me Do" satire designed to raise awareness of poor sanitation conditions around the world.