Nicki Minaj

Duke University botanists have named 19 species of a new genus of fern after Lady Gaga, according to the New York Times. The fern has "somewhat fluid definitions of gender" and is found in Arizona, Texas and Mexico, as well as Central and South America. A grad student also found the sequence GAGA in the DNA base pairs of the fern. "We wanted to name this genus for Lady Gaga because of her fervent defense of equality and individual expression," Kathleen Pryer, director of Duke's herbarium and professor of biology, told the Times. "And as we started to consider it, the ferns themselves gave us more reasons why it was a good choice."

Republic Records will release a new 3 Doors Down best-of set, simply titled The Greatest Hits, on November 19. The collection features nine #1 hits that have been remixed and re-mastered, alongside three new songs. Republic Records President/CEO Monte Lipman comments, "3 Doors Down have been responsible for some of the biggest records of the last decade. This Greatest Hits album is an example of an extraordinary career thus far." 3 Doors Down will hit the road co-headlining with Daughtry on a fall tour, starting November 18 in Springfield, MO.

fun. has announced a number of tour dates in early 2013, as the band continues to ride the success of their album Some Nights. The new trek begins January 23 in St. Paul, MN, with dates announced up to February 16 in Nashville. fun. will also perform on Saturday Night Live as the musical guest on November 3.

Blink-182 has apparently parted ways with Interscope Records, as guitarist/vocalist Tom DeLonge wrote on Twitter yesterday: "Freedom! Blink as of today, is now an independent Artist!" Earlier this month bassist Mark Hoppus said that Blink-182 have commenced work on a new record. "We're starting to write the new record right now," he told NME. "We're going to tour Australia in February with Blink... [so the] proper tour and the new album probably won't happen for about a year."

The Airborne Toxic Event announced their first tour dates since they began recording their as-yet-untitled third LP. The band are playing New Year's Eve at The Metro in Chicago, and will follow that with a show at New York City's Webster Hall on January 15. The band are nearly finished recording their new album, due out sometime next year. They are recording in Nashville alongside producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Of Monsters & Men).

Rod Stewart has recorded a Rock album for the first time since 2006's Still The Same...Great Rock Classics of Our Time, and his first to feature original material since 2001's Human. "It's all done mate. I produced it myself. It's all finished, mixed, everything...Just a good, old-fashioned Rod Stewart album (with) a lot of mandolin and acoustic (guitar) and fiddles and good storytelling, I believe," he told Billboard.com, adding that a spring 2013 release is planned. In the meantime, Stewart will offer a holiday album, Merry Christmas, Baby, on October 30.