Weekly Music News: Belle & Sebastian, the Lumineers, and more

Apple buys Beats Electronics for $3 billion

The Apple corporation confirmed this week that it is buying Beats Electronics, Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine's audio product company, for the sum of $3 billion. As per the agreement, the Beats brand will continue to exist, though under the ownership of Apple who will offer both Beats' music service and its signature headphones. The purchase marks Apple's largest acquisition in its nearly 40 year existence. [via Pitchfork]

Belle & Sebastian, Andrew Bird announce new albums

Scottish indie pop group Belle & Sebastian confirmed this week that they have been working on a new record in Atlanta. The untitled record will be the band's ninth full-length, and it was reportedly influenced by the Eurovision Song Contest, an annual European songwriting contest whose past winners include ABBA and Celine Dion. It follows 2010's "Belle & Sebastian Write About Love."

Illinois songwriter and violinist Andrew Bird will release "Things Are Really Great Here, Sort Of…," a collection of covers by folk group The Handsome Family, on June 3. The album will include a rendition of “Far From Any Road,” the theme song to the popular HBO drama "True Detective."

The Lumineers sued by former band member for co-authorship compensation

Denver band The Lumineers are being sued by former member Jason Van Dyke, who alleges that he is owed over $1 million by the current members for co-authoring a number of the band's early songs. Van Dyke was a member of the Grammy-nominated folk group's during the band's early days when they were based in New York, and left when they moved to Colorado in 2009. Van Dyke claims in his New Jersey federal court complaint that he was told he would be an equal partner and that he was denied copyright royalties. [via Reverb]