Wednesday, June 10, 2009
A Sucker For Kate and Kacey and Corona!
I've come to realize I'm a sucker for pretty girls with guitars singing love songs. Maybe I'm getting more in touch with my feminine side or maybe I've been exposed to talent that's just too hard to resist. First, I was incredibly impressed by Taylor Swift's recent sold-out show at Staples Center. Now, identical twin sisters Kate & Kacey have me all a twitter with their exclusive Yahoo! performance. Check out the gals belting out their current single, "Dreaming Love," below. (If you like this track and the others featured, right click on the audio links below and hit "save as" to add them to your digital music library.)
Monday, May 25, 2009
Susan Boyle in Her Second Performance
Susan Boyle, the Scottish woman who took the Internet by storm with her performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from "Les Miserables" returned to "Britain's Got Talent" Sunday night with another Broadway show tune, this time "Memory" from the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical "Cats."
At the end of the show, Boyle was named a finalist, winning the "public vote" of viewers, who phoned in their picks. She'll appear in the final competition of the British reality television show on Saturday.
About 60 million people watched Boyle's original performance on YouTube, producers said. Read more...
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Kanye West to headline 'Stay In School' concert
Kanye West is set to headline a concert in his hometown of Chicago, in which he will encourage teens to stay in school until graduation.
The rapper will perform the second "Stay In School" event in honor of his mother, Dr. Donda West, who passed away in 2007 after a cosmetic surgery procedure.
The idea for the concert came from teenager David Abrams, who approached West seeking his assistance. West then decided his Kanye West Foundation (KWF) would be the sponsor, reports allhiphop.com.
The concert takes place at Chicago Theatre on June 11. Tickets are priced from $49.50, and go up to $500 for VIP tickets. They go on sale on Thursday (May 21) at Ticketmaster.
Singing sensation Boyle gets new chance to shine
Britain's unlikely singing sensation Susan Boyle, the frumpy church volunteer who wowed the world with her angelic voice, was on Saturday voted into the next round of a TV talent show that propelled her to global fame.
The 47 year old, who lives alone with her cat Pebbles in one of Scotland's poorest regions, will now perform in a live show on Sunday, weeks after her surprising performance of "I Dreamed a Dream" from the musical "Les Miserables" shocked judges and charmed tens of millions of people worldwide.
Boyle's performance last month on the "American Idol"-style show "Britain's Got Talent" has been viewed almost 60 million times on You Tube, and saw the shy Scot feted by celebrities, including Oprah Winfrey and Demi Moore.
The awkward looking Boyle, who says she's never been kissed, was greeted with giggles from a skeptical audience and eye rolls from the show's famously sardonic judge Simon Cowell when she appeared in April — but startled viewers with her soaring voice.
In an update on her Twitter Web site, Moore wrote that Boyle's voice had "made me teary!"
Cowell and his fellow judges said Saturday that Boyle is among 40 performers they've selected to advance in the competition.
Bookmaker William Hill makes Boyle a runaway favorite to win the final on May 30.
"She had a tremendous reaction because of the phenomenon that is YouTube — it's now all over the world and she's coping rather well," said the singer's brother, Gerry Boyle. "But I think some of the reality is now starting to sink in."
The youngest of nine children, Boyle grew up in Blackburn, a community of 4,750 people 20 miles (32 kilometers) west of Edinburgh, in Scotland — a district blighted by unemployment and crime. Boyle had learning difficulties as a child and was bullied by other children.
As an adult, she's struggled for work but had been a regular on her local karaoke circuit and performed in church choirs.
In an interview with The Associated Press at her home last month, she said the death of her mother had inspired her to enter the TV talent show. "I wanted to show her I could do something with my life," Boyle said.
Since then, she's appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and had a makeover, to tame her frizzy gray-tinged hair.
"I think she is coping very well at the moment, she is just Susan. Just as calm as you like. Just carrying on as normal," said Jackie Russell, manager of Boyle's local pub The Happy Valley Hotel, in Blackburn.
Sara Lee, a spokeswoman for "Britain's Got Talent" said that Boyle's performance on Sunday will be available almost instantly on Internet, allowing her international fans a chance to watch the singer's latest appearance.
But she refused to say what song Boyle will perform in the broadcast, which will be screened live in Britain.
Patrick Watson's Piñata Shop-Rocking, Musical Mad Science
Patrick Watson is a musical mad scientist." So begins the California-born, Montreal-based musician's official bio, which I would normally dismiss out of hand as some record company-generated hype. But I've seen the seen the future of musical mad scientists and his name is Patrick Watson. Strangely enough, that's also the name of his band, although more recently they've been called Patrick Watson & the Wooden Arms. The latter part of that moniker is also the title of the combo's recently released album.Watson and his bandmates-percussionist Robbie Kruster, guitarist Mishka Stein, and multi-instrumentalist Simon Angell--have been known to turn making their albums into musical adventures. With that in mind, my friends over at Yahoo! Music thought it would be a good idea to take the musical mad scientists out of their laboratory and stick them an unfamiliar environment. Check out what happens when Watson and company were transported to a piñata shop in downtown Los Angeles and set free to experiment with a bowed saw, acoustic and electric guitars, a megaphone backpack contraption, and a bin full of beans in this performance of "Hearts In The Park," a bonus track from Wooden Arms. Read more...
Adam Lambert -- The New King of Queen?
We already know Adam Lambert can rock eyeliner like the late Freddie Mercury, but can he front Freddie's band? The guys from Queen aren't ruling it out after their performance on the "American Idol" finale.
In a Rolling Stone interview, Queen's lead guitarist Brian May said, "It's not like we, as Queen, would rush into coalescing with another singer just like that. It isn't that easy. But I'd certainly like to work with Adam. That is one amazing instrument he has there."
He's talking about Adam's voice.
Saturday, May 23, 2009
Headbangers told: Wear a neck brace or risk serious injury
Medical experts in Australia have warned that headbanging is likely to be behind a silent epidemic of head- and neck-related injuries.
Dr. Andrew McIntosh, biomedical and injury expert at the University Of New South Wales, carried out research into headbanging, and published his findings in the British Medical Journal.
McIntosh issued a stark warning to music fans who headbang.
"We identified a definite risk of mild traumatic brain injury from headbanging," he said. "We would suggest a proper public health warning, as for smoking."
The report calls for fans to wear neck braces when headbanging in order to protect themselves from injury. McIntosh also recommended listening to less intense music, reports The Herald.
"Perhaps AC/DC should play something more appropriate, such as 'Moon River,'" he joked.
AC/DC gig draws complaints for being 'too loud'
AC/DC's gig at Munich's Olympic Stadium on Friday (May 15) drew over 100 complaints from irate residents.
According to police, some people who protested about the "overly loud" gig were as far as 12 miles away from the stadium, where the band performed to 70,000 fans.
Despite the complaints, German news website Thelocal.de reports that the gig was allowed to continue as planned and action has not been taken against the rockers.
Four people arrested at the gig for having counterfeit tickets.
Bands That Need to Break Up Already
GALLERY: Say goodbye to all of the bands that need to break up. 
Creed is reuniting. Oh, excuse me, it's not a reunion; it's a "renewing and a rebirth," says Scott Stapp in his typical overbearing, self-important, insufferable manner.
Can you tell I'm excited?
Seriously, does anyone need to be subjected to Creed again? Haven't we paid our dues? Didn't we retire them with the Bush Administration? Creed is like Dick Cheney. They don't know when it's time to say good-bye. I don't need Scott Stapp bringing down my summer just as I'm getting all exited about the Jonas Brothers tour.
Only one good thing could possibly come from a Creed reunion: they can provide a reality check for all the other bands that need to break up. Now. For good. For real. And forever. There are WAY too many bands that have overstayed their welcome and need to be shown the door. Allow me to direct you.
THE ROLLING STONES
"The greatest rock 'n' roll band in the world" is now just the oldest. Bassist Bill Wyman got smart in 1992 and bailed. The rest should have gotten the same clue. Instead, we're left with "Voodoo Lounge," "Bridges to Babylon," and 17 years of mediocrity that threaten to trample three previous decades of rock genius. 
HOOTIE & THE BLOWFISH
One could argue that it's more important for some bands to never form at all instead of break up. No argument here. Anyway, lead singer Darius Rucker seems more concerned with his "Who am I now?" solo projects these days (he's currently a country musician after trying to be an urban artist). I'll gladly take a Hootie solo record if it means seeing the Blowfish disappear.
REO SPEEDWAGON
REO represents an entire stable of '80s acts that are milking the retro cow for all she's worth. They lost their record deal at the end of the '90s and have spent the last decade touring the oldies circuit. Feels like it's time to pack it up. 
THE FIXX
I know what you're saying: "The Fixx are still together?" Yup. The '80s group that brought us "Red Skies" (loved that record, I admit it) is touring somewhere near you and is "currently in the studio," which is code for "Does anyone want us to make another record?" Nope.
STYX
You can find Styx playing "Mr. Roboto" on a double-bill with REO Speeedwagon. Seriously, they're on tour. There's one reason these guys should stop: Dennis DeYoung, their original lead singer, who split in the '90s due to an illness that left him light-sensitive (no one digs a concert without lights). Styx continued with a replacement. Lame. That's like Queen continuing without Freddie Mercury. Wait a minute...
METALLICA
Yeah, I said it. Metallica needs to quit. I don't know the first thing about them. I don't dig metal. I do agree that their last album sounded a bit distorted. Still, they look silly thrashing with their receding hairlines and hair plugs. A metal band needs to leave on top while they're young, rocking, and aren't likely to pinch a nerve from head-banging. It's a rule written somewhere.
THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND
Duane Allman's dead. Dickey's kicked out of the band. At the very least, they should change their name. How about "Southern Rock Band No. 256?"
THE B-52's
I love 'em. "Rock Lobster" will get me on the dance floor every time. But it's kinda creepy seeing them do the wild thing now. Admit it, would you leave your kid alone with Fred Schneider? 
THE BEACH BOYS
These guys have pissed all over Brian Wilson's good name and musical genius for more than 20 years with court battles, appearances on "Baywatch" and lame excuses for songs like "Kokomo." It's just a disgrace. They should finally do the right thing and retire so we can be left in peace with our copies of "Pet Sounds."
Thursday, April 30, 2009
American Idol Top 4
There was no saving Matt Giraud this time on "American Idol."
The 23-year-old dueling piano player from Kalamazoo, Mich., was rescued by the show's judges two weeks ago. But on Wednesday it was revealed that he received the fewest viewer votes on the Fox singing competition — just beneath this season's most formidable front-runner.
"I'll definitely remember being the cat with nine lives up here," Giraud said after his dismissal.
At the start of the show, host Ryan Seacrest split the finalists: Giraud and Kris Allen on one side, Danny Gokey and Allison Iraheta on the other. Seacrest then allowed seemingly unstoppable Adam Lambert to choose which group he belonged in. Lambert picked Gokey and Iraheta, but Seacrest dropped a bomb: Lambert was in the bottom three with Giraud and Allen.
"My mouth went open again," said judge Kara DioGuardi. "That's what happens with Adam."
The drama was extended after Seacrest sent Allen to safety, leaving Lambert and Giraud as the bottom two vote-getters. While the judges were split on Tuesday's "Rat Pack"-themed show over Giraud's "My Funny Valentine" rendition, they all agreed that 27-year-old theater actor Lambert's "Feeling Good" performance left them feeling, well, really good.
The Lambert alarm was all for naught, though. Giraud was sent packing.
Gokey and Iraheta, who both recently celebrated birthdays, were safe from elimination, but the 29-year-old church music director from Milwaukee and the 17-year-old high school student from Los Angeles weren't totally out of harm's way. Video was shown of them tangling in a cake-making brawl that left their kitchen a mess.
Gokey was served with the cleaning bill.
"You mean `American Idol' doesn't pay for this?" Gokey asked.
"Maybe we'll take care of it if you win," Seacrest responded.
The four remaining finalists — Allen, Gokey, Iraheta and Lambert — will perform rock 'n' roll songs next week, two weeks before the two-part finale.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
No word on paparazzi in police log on Madonna fall
BRIDGEHAMPTON, N.Y. – A police report on Madonna's fall from a horse in the Hamptons is silent on whether paparazzi scared the animal, as her spokeswoman has said.
The Southampton Town police report says only that the pop superstar "was a victim of a fall from a horse" Saturday and was taken to Southampton Hospital with "unknown injuries." It's unclear whether she told police anything about the circumstances surrounding the accident.
The 50-year-old singer was treated for minor injuries and bruises, according to her spokeswoman, Liz Rosenberg.
Rosenberg has said paparazzi leaped out of some bushes and startled the horse Madonna was riding in Bridgehampton, a haven for celebrities and the wealthy on Long Island's eastern end.
Photographer Thomas Hinton has said Madonna's host, Steven Klein, was the only photographer around when the singer fell. Hinton said he made pictures of Madonna from a public road before and after the accident but wasn't there when she fell.
Rosenberg said Monday she was unsure whether Madonna spoke to police about the incident but the singer stands by her statement.
"Isn't it kind of ridiculous that (photographers are) saying that they're not there when there are all of these pictures?" Rosenberg asked.
The "Material Girl" and "Like a Virgin" singer also was thrown from a horse in England in the summer of 2005, cracking three ribs and breaking her collarbone and a hand.
A couple of months later, she and talk show host David Letterman rode horses outside his studio as part of her appearance on CBS' the "Late Show with David Letterman" on CBS.
via yahoo
Music Web site MUZU signs Universal deal
LONDON (Reuters) – MUZU.TV, an Irish-based video Web site which has won plaudits from the music industry for the way it pays artists when their music is played online, has signed a deal with the world's largest label Universal.
MUZU.TV, which has also signed deals with EMI, Sony BMG, the Ministry of Sound and Cooking Vinyl, says it is purpose-built to pay artists through advertising when their music is played.
Users can either watch music videos on the MUZU site, on artist sites or embed them into social networks.
On Tuesday MUZU announced it had signed a video license to show videos in Britain and Ireland for Universal's global artist repertoire, including the likes of Amy Winehouse and U2. Universal is owned by Vivendi.
via Yahoo
It also said on Tuesday it was powering video for all Sony Music artists on the popular Bebo social network and it is the official partner on the Michael Jackson site for Britain and Ireland.
MUZU has been welcomed by the music industry which had previously criticized other sites such as YouTube for failing to properly compensate artists. The industry is also keen to develop their digital businesses as physical sales of CDs fall.
Green Day announces summer tour
NEW YORK (Billboard) – Green Day has announced a slate of 38 summer dates that begins July 3 in Seattle and marks the chart-topping rock band's first full North American tour in more than three years.
The summer trek, which will support the trio's May 15 album "21st Century Breakdown" (Reprise Records), heads clockwise through Canada and the U.S. The band plays Midwest, East Coast and Southern dates before finishing up in Los Angeles on August 25. Venues will be announced at a later date.
The new album, which follows 2004's Billboard 200-topping "American Idiot," was produced by Butch Vig (Nirvana, Smashing Pumpkins). Green Day will celebrate the release with a previously announced show at New York's Bowery Ballroom on May 18.
via Yahoo
Coachella organizers pull plug on the Cure
LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Coachella magic was at work during most of Sunday's closing date of the three-day festival in the southern California desert, from the hot-rockin' Gaslight Anthem out of New Jersey to the headliner, celebrated Britrock mood icons the Cure, playing until the plug was pulled just shy of 1 a.m.
The Cure's performance was slow-building with low-key songs. Then came the first round of crowd-pleasers including "Love Song," "Pictures of You" and "Just Like Heaven" as the crowd was taken away on dream-guitar fatalistic romance for more than 2 1/2 hours.
By the third encore, singer-guitarist Robert Smith informed the remaining audience that he was told he could do only one song but played three anyway. The final number, "Boys Don't Cry," turned into a sing-along as the video screen went dark and the sound system began to power down. It was the perfect finish to another wide-ranging year of offerings at the annual arts and music festival.
The Cure followed the highly anticipated My Bloody Valentine, which was bloody loud to the point of clearing nearly three-quarters of the field during a closing, seemingly endless white-noise drone. The band's earlier reined-in songs with actual melodies buried beneath the feedback architecture, still at painfully high volume if you were too close -- and that meant thousands of feet away.
Much more engaging were the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, whose Karen O is one of the most appealing rock frontwomen to surface since Chrissie Hynde. From thumpy struts to surging, hooky tunes, she charmed the crowd with self-effacing antics, warmth and plenty of smiles.
Like social networking sites, Coachella offers a make-your-own-festival approach, so no two people might have the same experience. Highlights from one of many possible versions included a late-afternoon set of pop delights from sublime Swedes Peter Bjorn and John on the Coachella Stage and the country-tinged electric folk of Okkervil River. In contrast, bad sound and cliches meant rapper Lupe Fiasco lived up to his last name.
Those willing to brave the event's hottest day, with temperatures in the low 100s, were rewarded with the Gaslight Anthem on the Outdoor Stage. The quartet is not really punk or alternative or whatever but instead is an honest-to-goodness rock 'n' roll band with heart-and-life-on-sleeve songs. The same field stage at night hosted Brit music veteran Paul Weller and the return of Public Enemy, which wasn't sure if it was delivering commentary or comedy -- a little of both, really.
X marked the spot for punk and postpunk of various eras in the Mojave Tent, anchored by the legendary Los Angeles outfit playing as though it was a club gig for friends. The tent also hosted appearances by the Brian Jonestown Massacre, the artsy Kills and another vet from the punk wars, London's reunited Throbbing Gristle.
Those seeking a detour from the Cure's extensive time onstage could've headed to the other side of the field to the Sahara Tent for varied dance experiences including Groove Armada playing DJs and the audiovisual performance art of Etienne De Crecy.
via Yahoo
Lollapalooza 2009 Lineup
Lollapalooza Lineup 2009 from C3 Presents Video on Vimeo.
Yahooo!!! Here's the official line up of bands that will be on Lollapalooza 2009 which will take place in Chicago's Grand Park on August 7. 8, and 9:
Depeche Mode, Jane's Addiction, TV on the Radio, Beastie Boys, Lou Reed, Tool, The Killers, Andrew Bird, Vampire Weekend, The Decemberists, Neko Case, Animal Collective, Band of Horses, Of Montreal, Fleet Foxes, Arctic Monkeys, Silversun Pickups, Crystal Castles, Bon Iver, Santigold, Dan Auerbach, Cold War Kids, Deerhunter, Lykke Li, Peter Bjorn and John, Heartless Bastards, Glasvegas, Gang Gang Dance, Dan Deacon, Passion Pit, The Raveonettes, White Lies, Bat for Lashes, No Age, Asher Roth, Friendly Fires, Delta Spirit, Chairlift, The Virgins, MSTRKRFT, Hercules and Love Affair, Kid Cudi, A-Trak, Rye Rye, Simian Mobile Disco, and Boys Noize. Read more...
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Madonna hospitalized after falling from horse
Madonna was thrown from a horse Saturday evening in New York's Hamptons, suffering "minor injuries and bruises," her publicist announced. The accident occurred when the 50-year-old singer's horse was startled by paparazzi who had "jumped out of the bushes" to photograph her, rep Liz Rosenberg said. Madonna—who was visiting celebrity photographer Steven Klein at the time of the accident, according to The New York Daily News—was treated at Southampton Hospital and released. No further information about her condition was disclosed, but in a statement, Rosenberg said the singer, reportedly recovering at friend Gwyneth Paltrow's Hamptons estate, would undergo additional tests and remain under a doctor's observation. Photographer Thomas Hinton, 34, who took photos of Madonna before and after the accident, told TMZ.com on Sunday that he was not present during the incident. Rosenberg didn't respond to requests for comment. In 2005, Madonna broke several bones in a horseback-riding accident at her country estate outside London, an incident she called "the most painful experience of my life."
source
Kelly Clarkson buys her own songs
KELLY CLARKSON has revealed that she gets excited buying her own music.
The American Idol winner said she gets a thrill from downloading her songs as soon as they are released.
She said: "Every time I have an album, I have to buy it the day it comes out. At midnight I buy it on iTunes and then I go buy it in the store. It's exciting."
Clarkson's latest album All I Ever Wanted debuted at number one on the Billboard 200 chart last month
McCartney, Morrissey and Leonard Cohen Kick Off Coachella
The 10th annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival got off to a fab start Friday (April 17), thanks to Sir Paul McCartney, who headlined the event with a marathon performance worthy of his long and lauded musical legacy. Proving himself the ultimate showman, Macca played a thrilling 2 hour 45 minute set that included a healthy collection of Beatles, Wings and solo material that kept the crowd of young and old singing along well past Coachella's midnight curfew.
Kicking off with the Wings classic "Jet," the 66-year old McCartney made the most of Coachella's new main-stage soundsystem (its first in six years), and delivered hit after hit to the audience packed onto the Empire Polo Field in Indio, California. Contrary to rumors circulating throughout the day, McCartney's set featured no appearances by Ringo Starr nor George Harrison's son Dhani, but Macca, dressed in a crisp white shirt and black suspenders, didn't disappoint Beatles die-hards, as he included anthems like "Drive My Car," "Blackbird," "Back in the U.S.S.R.," "Eleanor Rigby," "Let It Be," "I Got a Feeling" and "Hey Jude" into his 34-song, three-encore set.
Amidst the musical celebration, McCartney took time to poignantly tip his hat to his late collaborators. Macca plucked a ukulele and dedicated a moving rendition of "Something" to Harrison, while John Lennon was honored with a stirring medley of "A Day in the Life" and "Give Peace a Chance." Still, the most touching moment came when McCartney remarked that he was performing on the 11th anniversary of the death of his first wife, Linda. "She loved the desert, she loved music, she loved rock 'n' roll," he said. "She loved it all."
Paul McCartney wasn't the only elder statesman who took the Coachella crowd on a trip down memory lane. 74-year-old Leonard Cohen continued his comeback tour and dazzled the audience on the side stage with an elegant and haunting sunset performance. His set, which climaxed with a stirring rendition of "Hallelujah," hung ominously in the desert air until 50-year-old Morrissey interrupted the calm on the main stage with a thunderous, career-spanning collection of tunes that included Smiths classics like "This Charming Man," "Girlfriend in a Coma" and a surprising rendition of "Some Girls Are Bigger Than Others."
While the seasoned performers got top billing Friday, there were still plenty of exciting new sounds for sun-scorched ears to soak up throughout the day. Los Angeles quartet Silversun Pickups closed out Coachella's side stage with a raucous set of grungy rock 'n' roll that thrilled their antsy, energetic crowd. Canadian noise terrorists Crystal Castles devastated their audience with a raw, fist-pumping set of vicious tencho punk in the Sahara dance tent. And breakbeat duo the Crystal Method made a triumphant return to the Coachella with a powerful closing performance in the dance tent that erupted into a full-on rave. Standout appearances by favored indie-rock and dance artists M. Ward, White Lies, Ting Tings, Airborne Toxic Event, Beirut, Girl Talk, Franz Ferdinand and Conor Oberst also gave the massive crowd reason to celebrate under the desert skies.
Click to learn more...
The Coachella Valley Music and Arts festival is expected to draw close to 150,000 people during the weekend. The event continues on Saturday and Sunday with performances by The Cure, The Killers, My Bloody Valentine, M.I.A., TV on the Radio, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Public Enemy, Throbbing Gristle and 80 others artists scheduled over the remaining two days.
from Billboard
Jackson told to beef up for summer concerts
MICHAEL JACKSON has been advised to bulk up some muscle so he is strong enough to perform in London.
The 50-year-old singer, who starts a 50-date residency at the O2 Arena this summer, has been told he is currently "too fragile" to go ahead with the gigs because his BMI is too low.
A source told the Mirror newspaper: "Docs are worried he won't have the strength to perform. He's been told to drink protein drinks called Metric to beef up."
more
Susan Boyle : 'I'm happy the way I am: short and plump'
In a wide-ranging interview in London's Times Online, Susan Boyle says, "I'm happy the way I am: short and plump," and that while she might consider a "makeover later on," "I would not go in for Botox or anything like that."
The interview states that Boyle is a volunteer at Our Lady of Lourdes church in Whitburn, Scotland, and visits elderly members of the congregation at their homes several times a week. She admits ruefully, however, what with all the sudden media attention -- including a reported invitation this past Thursday to appear on Oprah -- "I haven't had a chance to see them this week."
Boyle's next song selection for Britain's Got Talent this week will reportedly be the Andrew Lloyd Webber composition "Whistle Down The Wind."
Friday, April 17, 2009
Sick
Former Guns N' Roses bassist Duff McKagan, who now holds that position in Velvet Revolver, also maintains a lower-profile career with this Seattle-based band. "Sick" is McKagan and Loaded's first album in eight years, so introductions may be in order: The lineup includes drummer Geoff Reading from Green Apple Quickstep and Alien Crime Syndicate guitarist Mike Squires and bassist Jeff Rouse. McKagan succeeds as a singer on these songs with simple, straightforward, honest and infectious hooks. He understands what people want from these tunes, which are lyrics they can sing along with and bop their heads to. He's particularly effective on "Translucent," which will have you instantly singing the words that you never heard before. Rock warrior McKagan even sounds comfortable on "Mother's Day" which could be described as soft punk.—Patrea L. Patterson
'Anvil!' Movie A Hit, 'Metal on Metal' Headed To 'Rock Band'
The surprising success and universal acclaim for the documentary "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" is "opening a lot of doors" for the Canadian headbangers, according to drummer Robb Reiner -- among them tour possibilities, inroads into video games, and re-recording some of the band's classic material.
After premiering in New York, Los Angeles and Toronto to rave reviews and huge crowds - as reported on film blog The Playlist, "Avil!" bested "Hannah Montana" in per-screen average last weekend - the film opens in five more cities Friday and seven more on April 24.
Reiner tells Billboard.com that Anvil hit the studio to record new versions of three songs -- "Metal on Metal," "666" and the first-ever studio recording of "Thumb Hang" by the Anvil pre-cursor Lips -- for inclusion in "Rock Band." "We did them in Toronto, just recently," Reiner says. "The original tapes were gone from the early records, but the band is far superior today than it was 30 years ago in every aspect. You can tell it's the same band that's only gotten better, so why not take a crack at this stuff?"
He adds that it was a particular kick for Anvil -- which also includes singer-guitarist Steve "Lips" Kudlow and bassist Glenn "G5" Gyorffy -- to take on "Thumb Hang."
"The actual concept, the riff is very ancient," Reiner says. "We put it together when we were, like, 14 years old, just jamming away in my parent's basement. Now we kind of modernized it and contemporized it in Anvil fashion, but the gist of the song is still in its original concept."
Reiner says the group is still hashing out final plans for a DVD release of the "Anvil!" movie as well as a companion soundtrack album; the latter, he says, will also include "Thumb Hang" and may be modeled after the "Pulp Fiction" soundtrack, incorporating dialogue from the film between the songs. Anvil is also looking into the possibility of re-releasing its 13-album catalog in both terrestrial and digital formats.
As previously reported, the group is currently on a seven-city "The Anvil Experience" tour with shows that include screenings of the film and a performance by the band; its remaining stops include Philadelphia, Pontiac, Mich, and Chicago. Anvil, meanwhile, has June shows booked in Dublin and London and is hatching plans for a more extensive tour.
"Like I said, a lot of things have opened up for us," Reiner says. "I'm completely excited about it. It's a great feeling...being discovered and rediscovered in one blast. Right now our focus is to build the movie and the band and see where it all goes from there."
Beyonce Announces U.S. Tour Dates
In support of her latest, chart-topping album, "I Am... Sasha Fierce," Beyoncé has announced her 2009 "I AM..." world tour dates in North America for this summer. The trek starts at New York's Madison Square Garden in June and caps off with a four-night residence at Encore at Wynn Las Vegas July 30-August 2.
Beyoncé will be backed by her all-female band. Winners of her "Single Ladies" video dance contest (read "Beyoncé Launches #250,000 Dance Contest") will see themselves on-screen during one of the centerpiece sections slated to appear during the "I Am..." tour.
Tickets for the concerts will be available as pre-sale for members of Beyoncé's Fan Club on Monday, April 20, starting at 10:00AM local venue time. Tickets for the general public will go on sale through Ticketmaster on Saturday, April 25, starting at 10:00 AM local venue time. Additionally, Beyonce is making 2000 seats available at each venue for $20 (plus applicable service charges).
Tickets for the four-night residence at Encore will go on sale at an as-yet unannounced later date.
Beyoncé's "I Am..." world tour is the artist's first full-length concerts since 2007's "The Beyoncé Experience" tour. The Beyoncé "I AM..." North American concert tour is co-sponsored by L'Oreal Paris and General Mills and produced by Live Nation and Music World Entertainment.
Here is a full list of the tour dates:
Jun 21: New York City, NY (Madison Square Garden)
Jun 24: Washington DC (Verizon Center)
Jun 26: Philadelphia, PA (Wachovia Center)
Jun 27: Greensboro, NC (Greensboro Coliseum Complex)
Jun 29: Ft Lauderdale, FL (Bank Atlantic Center)
Jul 1: Atlanta, GA (Philips Arena)
Jul 3: New Orleans, LA (Superdome -- Essence Music Festival)
Jul 4: Houston, TX (Toyota Center)
Jul 5: Dallas, TX (American Airlines Center)
Jul 7: Phoenix, AZ (US Airways Center)
Jul 9: Sacramento, CA (Arco Arena)
Jul 10: Oakland, CA (Oracle Arena)
Jul 11: Anaheim, CA (Honda Center)
Jul 13: Los Angeles, CA (Staples Center)
Jul 16: Minneapolis, MN (Target Center)
Jul 17: Chicago, IL (United Center)
Jul 18: Detroit, MI (Palace of Auburn Hills)
Jul 23: Uncasville, CT (Mohegan Sun)
Jul 30: Las Vegas, NV (Encore Theater, Wynn Las Vegas)
Jul 31: Las Vegas, NV (Encore Theater, Wynn Las Vegas)
Aug 1: Las Vegas, NV (Encore Theater, Wynn Las Vegas)
Aug 2: Las Vegas, NV (Encore Theatre, Wynn Las Vegas)
via Billboard
Official Secrets Act announce 'Bloodsport'
Official Secrets Act announce 'Bloodsport' - New Single out June 15th + NME hub and Rakes support.
'Bloodsport’ is mixed by Liam Howe, and an exclusive remix by The Filthy Dukes. The band will support The Rakes on tour in April, and then hit the festival circuit with gigs at The Great Escape, Glastonbury, Secret Garden Party, Rockness and many others.
Tour dates:
16 Apr - Roisin, Galway
17 Apr - Auntie Annie's, Belfast
18 Apr - Academy 2, Dublin
21 Apr - Concorde 2, Brighton (supporting The Rakes)
22 Apr - Wedgewood Rooms, Portsmouth (supporting The Rakes)
23 Apr - Club Academy, Manchester (supporting The Rakes)
25 Apr - Oran Mor, Glasgow (supporting The Rakes)
26 Apr - The Cluny, Newcastle (supporting The Rakes)
28 Apr - Rescue Rooms, Nottingham (supporting The Rakes)
29 Apr - KOKO, London (supporting The Rakes)
2 May - Cockpit, Leeds (Afternoon)
2 May - Music Festival, Stortford (Evening)
15 May - Luminaire, London (Channel 4 JD Set)
16 May - The Latest Bar, Great Escape Festival, Brighton
22 May - Liverpool Sound City
23 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Bristol
24 May - Dot to Dot Festival, Nottingham
7 Jun - Music Live Festival, Middlesborough
14 Jun - Rock Ness, Scotland
16 Jun - Beachbreak Festival, Cornwall
27 Jun - Glastonbury (Queen's Head Stage)
4 Jul - Monarchy Festival, Warwickshire
24 Jul - Secret Garden Party, Herefordshire
Susan Boyle Hype Revitalizes 10-Year-Old Cover
The song title "Cry Me A River" brings Justin Timberlake to mind for Generation Y. But that is likely to change thanks to Susan Boyle, the Scottish singing sensation whose Britain's Got Talent appearance wooed millions of broadcast and online viewers.
Boyle's moving rendition of "Cry Me A River" was uploaded to YouTube Thursday night, sparking further interest and frenzy over the extremely talented singer.
Boyle's "Cry Me A River" is a remake of the blues standard, not Timberlake's pop ballad. Boyle's track went virtually unnoticed when it was independently released 10 years ago on a charity CD reported Times Online. The Whitburn Community Council in West Lothian only pressed 1,000 copies of The Millennium Celebration compilation.
The singer, who said she has never been kissed, now has an offer on the table from Britain's Got Talent judge Piers Morgan who has said he would take her on a romantic date. Still, Boyle isn't eager to abandon her more homely looks for an extreme makeover just because she is on the television show.
"I wouldn't want to change myself too much because that would really make things a bit false," she told CNN's American Morning on Friday. "I want to receive people as the real me, a real person."
Thursday, April 16, 2009
VH1 Top 100 Hard Rock Songs
Here is VH1's Top 100 Hard Rock Songs, all the good bands are there but I don't agree with their list.
1. Blue Oyster Cult - (Don't Fear) The Reaper (5:09)
2. Skid Row - 18 And Life (3:51)
3. Journey - Any Way You Want it (3:23)
4. Jethro Tull - Aqualung (6:36)
5. AC/DC - Back In Black (4:15)
6. Joan Jett & The Blackhearts - Bad Reputation (2:44)
7. Heart - Barracuda (4:24)
8. Green Day - Basket Case (3:05)
9. Bawitaba (4:26)
10. Soundgarden - Black Hole Sun (5:17)
11. Ramones - Blitzkrieg Bop (2:14)
12. Steppenwolf - Born To Be Wild (3:30)
13. Dokken - Breaking The Chains (3:50)
14. Judas Priest - Breaking The Law (2:33)
15. Evanescence - Bring Me To Life (3:57)
16. Smashing Pumpkins - Bullet With Butterfly Wings (4:17)
17. Kansas - Carry on Wayward Son [live] (5:23)
18. Ted Nugent - Cat Scratch Fever (3:39)
19. The Runaways - Cherry Bomb (2:1Cool
20. Warrant - Cherry Pie (3:21)
21. Quiet Riot - Come On Feel The Noise (4:49)
22. Ozzy Osbourne - Crazy Train (4:57)
23. Living Colour - Cult of Personality (4:54)
24. AC/DC - Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (3:52)
25. Night Ranger - Don't Tell Me You Love Me (4:22)
26. Motley Crue - Dr. Feelgood (4:42)
27. Metallica - Enter Sandman (5:31)
28. Faith No More - Epic (4:53)
29. Pearl Jam - Even Flow (4:55)
30. Foo Fighters - Everlong (4:10)
31. Survivor - Eye of the Tiger (3:53)
32. Bad Company - Feel Like Makin' Love (5:13)
33. Edgar Winter Group - Frankenstein (4:47)
34. Korn - Freak On A Leash (4:15)
35. Freebird (9:04)
36. Give It Away (4:41)
37. Pat Benatar - Heartbreaker (3:30)
38. Black Sabbath - Heaven And Hell (6:5Cool
39. Jimi Hendrix - Hey Joe (3:37)
40. Creed - Higher (5:16)
41. Ronnie James Dio - Holy Diver (5:54)
42. Foreigner - Hot Blooded (4:23)
43. Van Halen - Hot For Teacher (4:44)
44. The Darkness - I Believe In A Thing Called Love (3:36)
45. Sammy Hagar - I Can't Drive 55 (4:16)
46. W.A.S.P. - I Wanna Be Somebody (3:43)
47. Twisted Sister - I Wanna Rock (3:03)
48. Iron Butterfly - In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida (17:02)
49. Stone Temple Pilots - Interstate Love Song (3:14)
50. Thin Lizzy - Jailbreak (4:05)
51. Led Zeppelin - Kashmir (8:2Cool
52. MC 5 - Kick Out The Jams (2:52)
53. Lita Ford - Kiss Me Deadly (4:01)
54. Rollins Band - Liar (6:33)
55. Buckcherry - Lit Up (3:35)
56. The Cult - Love Removal Machine (4:17)
57. Anthrax - Madhouse (4:19)
58. More Human Than Human (4:26)
59. Boston - More Than a Feeling (4:47)
60. Motorhead - Ace of Spades (2:50)
61. Jane's Addiction - Mountain Song (4:03)
62. The Who - My Generation (3:16)
63. Black Sabbath - Paranoid (2:52)
64. Andrew W.K. - Party Hard (3:04)
65. Megadeth - Peace Sells (4:02)
66. Def Leppard - Photograph (4:10)
67. Billy Idol - Rebel Yell (4:47)
68. Kiss - Rock And Roll All Nite (2:46)
69. Scorpions - Rock You Like A Hurricane (4:17)
70. RATT - Round and Round (4:25)
71. Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills (3:53)
72. Van Halen - Runnin' With the Devil (3:33)
73. Alice Cooper - Schools Out (3:30)
74. Search And Destroy (3:30)
75. The White Stripes - Seven Nation Army (3:51)
76. Winger - Seventeen (4:11)
77. The Clash - Should I Stay Or Should I Go? (3:10)
78. Rainbow - Since You Been Gone (3:20)
79. Velvet Revolver - Slither (4:09)
80. Foghat - Slow Ride (long version) (8:13)
81. Nirvana - Smells Like Teen Spirit (4:57)
82. Deep Purple - Smoke On The Water (3:44)
83. Whitesnake - Still Of The Night (6:36)
84. Queen - Stone Cold Crazy (2:16)
85. Cream - Sunshine Of Your Love (4:12)
86. Poison - Talk Dirty To Me (3:44)
87. The Beautiful People (3:42)
88. Europe - The Final Countdown (5:10)
89. Billy Squier - The Stroke (3:40)
90. Rush - Tom Sawyer (4:35)
91. Autograph - Turn up the Radio (4:3Cool
92. ZZ Top - Tush (2:17)
93. Aerosmith - Walk This Way (3:41)
94. Grand Funk Railroad - We're An American Band (3:25)
95. Guns N' Roses - Welcome To The Jungle (4:33)
96. Led Zeppelin - Whole Lotta Love (5:36)
97. The Who - Won't Get Fooled Again (8:32)
98. Alice In Chains - Would? (3:2Cool
99. Bon Jovi - You Give Love A Bad Name (3:43)
100. The Kinks - You Really Got Me (2:16)
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Crosby, Stills and Nash to play Musikfest again
Legendary singer-songwriter trio Crosby, Stills and Nash are returning to Musikfest.
The group will perform at 8 p.m. Aug. 9 at Sands RiverPlace main stage in Bethlehem.
Tickets go on sale at 10 a.m. April 20 to ArtsQuest members and April 24 to the general public.
David Crosby, Stephen Stills and Graham Nash rose to fame in the late 1960s and early 1970s on the strength of its hits "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes," "Teach Your Children," "Our House," "Carry On" and "Southern Cross."
The group previously performed at Musikfest in 2004.
The band first performed together at the Woodstock festival in 1969 and is currently working on a new album.
It will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in June.
Click on the arrow to watch the band perform "Suite: Judy Blue Eyes" at Woodstock.
Will Adam Lambert Win 'American Idol'?
Nothing is for sure in the world of "American Idol." Most years, there are a handful of strong contenders and the final vote is a real nail biter. Other years, such as season two when Ruben Studdard won, or last year's battle of the Davids, it was pretty clear who was going to take the crown for quite a while before the final reveal.
It's starting to feel that way this year as well. To be sure, there is strong competition among the remaining top seven. Teenager Allison Iraheta is proving week after week that she's a force to be reckoned with, and Danny Gokey continues to be one of the strongest contenders for the crown. There are also consistent dark horses Kris Allen and Matt Giraud, who could leap to the top of the pile with a breakout performance.
But at this point, none of them hold a candle to Adam Lambert, the 28-year-old Los Angeles musical-theater actor who seems to be getting stronger by the week as he dazzles the audience and judges with his original style and risk-taking. The game is his to lose at this point, so we present you with a handful of reasons why Adam Lambert will probably be your next "American Idol."
Experience
Lambert: When we first saw him step into the audition room to sing Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" in San Diego in January, there was something about Lambert that marked him as different. That may have had to do with his 17 years of experience in front of audiences, performing everything from musical theater to outrageous 1970s-style glam funk at L.A.'s long-running live avant-garde performance showcase, the Zodiac Show.
Lambert has put in his time on many stages, beginning at age 10, playing Linus in "You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown" at the Lyceum Theater in his hometown of San Diego. He's gone on to impress as Joshua in a lavish 2004 musical production of "The Ten Commandments" at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles alongside Val Kilmer and had a recent gig as an understudy in a production of "Wicked."
The others: Both Kris Allen and Danny Gokey have gained valuable experience learning songs on the fly and playing in front of a crowd as worship leaders in their respective churches and 16-year-old Allison Iraheta has been singing in front of audiences most of her life, in addition to taking the top prize on the 2006 Telemundo reality show "Quinceañera," which landed her $50,000 and a recording contract. Matt Giraud has released a pair of independent albums and has put in time as a dueling piano player in Michigan clubs. Lil Rounds began singing when she was 3-years-old but lacks the performance experience of the other contenders, and Anoop Desai appeared on a children's television show as a youngster and performed in an acclaimed a cappella group in college, but has not developed a unique identity as a performer yet.
Advantage: Lambert
Confidence
Lambert: The confident way he carries himself, looks the judges in the eyes when speaking to them and makes sure to humbly thank them for their compliments is likely a product of Lambert's extensive audition experience. Even when telling Paula Abdul that her concert was the first one he ever attended, Lambert didn't seem nervous or jittery making small talk with the judges during auditions. Only someone who was sure of himself would dare take a legendary song by Johnny Cash and perform it as a Middle Eastern call to prayer as Lambert did with "Ring of Fire" during country week.
The others: Gokey has a cool, calm demeanor that marks him as Lambert's equal in the confidence department, but the others have shown signs of insecurity when judged harshly by the panel. Giraud also seems at ease with himself, though his struggle to develop a clear identity as a performer on the show has hamstrung him a bit. Iraheta, even when faced with criticism, has shown a preternaturally mature attitude. The judges have frequently counseled Allen to work on his confidence, and both Allen and Rounds were visibly shaken when given harsh notes on last week's show. Desai has also seemed nervous when faced with criticism.
Advantage: Tie between Lambert and Gokey
Style
Lambert: This is hands-down Lambert's biggest advantage. His constantly morphing, David Bowie-esque glam-rock-meets-emo sartorial taste — which involves doing something different with his shock of raven hair almost every week — has made Lambert stand out amid a group of less fashion-forward singers.
The others: When the judges have noticed the other singers' clothes, it's typically been to mock them.
Advantage: Lambert
Musicality
Lambert: From his snake-charming "Ring of Fire" to a glam-metal cover of the Rolling Stones' "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" and his standing-ovation-demanding remake of Tears for Fears' "Mad World," Lambert has shown a range than encompasses everything from musical theater to rock, pop, R&B, soul and emo. Judges have repeatedly praised his musical versatility and commercial prospects.
The others: None of the remaining half dozen have been able to bring as many different looks as Lambert, though Gokey has consistently been a solid performer and has not had any major off nights. Iraheta is a close second to Lambert in range, proving she can sing pop, country, blues, R&B and rock equally well.
Eminem to perform at MTV Movie Awards
Eminem, whose new album Relapse drops May 19, is the first performer announced for the 2009 MTV Movie Awards, which will be broadcast live May 31 from Los Angeles' Gibson Amphitheatre and hosted by Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg. For the first time, MTV is allowing fans to help choose the nominees in all categories -- including Best WTF Moment. The first round of voting runs now through April 20. On May 4, the official nominees will be named, and fans will again vote to pick the winners.
Read more...
Monday, April 13, 2009
Bow Wow talks new CD, acting and growing up
NEW YORK – If there were any doubts that Bow Wow is all grown up, his new CD — which comes with a parental advisory sticker — will drive the point home.
The 22-year-old rapper says "New Jack City II" shows his growth, from the amount of control he had on it to the lyrical content.
He's also growing as an actor. He returns to HBO's "Entourage" this summer and appears in the Hurricane Katrina-inspired basketball drama, "Hurricane Season," with Forest Whitaker, Taraji P. Henson and Lil Wayne, later this year.
In a recent interview, he talked about executive producing his new CD, keeping his cool and why he thinks he'll win an Oscar before a Grammy.
AP: You used to be known as Lil Bow Wow. Do you feel like you've officially ventured away from the kid rapper image?
Bow Wow: I told myself that I would never force it upon people to make them think or make them believe that I'm grown (and) I said I'll just do it all through my music and that's something I always preach. I never acted out with my actions to show people that I'm getting grown, you never see me with a cigarette, or see me wilding out or doing anything like that.
AP: Did you ever wish you didn't grow up in the media?
Bow Wow: Not at all. Everything happens for a reason. I'm just one of the chosen few that actually grew up in the limelight and maintained and still be normal.
AP: What's been the most challenging part about it?
Bow Wow: Trying your best not to get stressed out, the hardest part is not to get down, not to let the business get to you. I think the business is more mental than it is talent. I think you can have the talent, but if you don't have it up here, I think you can easily just break down. That's why you see so many artists just go crazy (and people ask), "Why's he doing that? Why is he on drugs? Why? ..." Because the business can drive you to do that if you don't have it here. If you're not strong-minded here, it could steer you the wrong way and when it steers you the wrong way, then it might take forever to get back.
AP: What else do you want to do in your career?
Bow Wow: Take over the world if I can. I'm pretty much happy with the things that have been handed to me already. Seven albums, eight arena tours ... I think there's nothing I really would look forward to besides winning a Grammy one day if that would happen.
AP: Or an Oscar, right?
Bow Wow: I think I have a better chance at getting an Oscar before a Grammy.
AP: Why so?
Bow Wow: Because the music industry is so fickle, there's so many politics. I think a lot of people don't pay attention to the credits or the artistry no more. I think there's so much concern about what's going on right now instead of the actual artistry. But that's how the record business is, but for acting, I got that covered.
Bernard Butler to produce Tommy Reilly’s debut album
Eminent UK producer Bernard Butler has chosen nineteen year old Scot Tommy Reilly’s debut album as the first project he’ll take on since winning both a Brit and a Grammy earlier this year.
With a long and already distinguished career already under his belt, Butler won Producer Of The Year at the Brits and then went on to win a Grammy for his work with multi-million selling superstar artist Duffy on her debut album Rockferry in early 2009.
Understandably in huge demand, Butler was excited after hearing Tommy’s demos and decided to get involved. He says of the decision, 'I got asked to produce loads of Welsh blonde female singers but I turned them all down for Tommy. It's exciting for me to record with people who are different. A man with an acoustic guitar is a big opportunity in terms of where you can take things.'
The pair are currently holed up in Scottish legend Edwyn Collins’ London studios working on an album due out around June of this year.
Tommy signed to A&M Records (home to Duffy, The Courteeners and Dan Black) late 2008. Since then this nineteen year old singer/ songwriter from Torrance (a small town just outside Glasgow) has cemented his position as Scotland’s freshest young talent with two sold out national tours (including iconic venues like The Garage in Glasgow), a top 20 single debut with Gimme A Call and a nomination for Young Scot Of The Year.
It was this Torrance local’s live set - he sings, plays guitar, piano, drums and harmonica – that helped him win last year’s Orange Unsigned Act and has endeared him to a legion of fans across Scotland and the nation with the Sunday Mail proclaiming him a 'mascot for Scottish music'.
Read more...
With a long and already distinguished career already under his belt, Butler won Producer Of The Year at the Brits and then went on to win a Grammy for his work with multi-million selling superstar artist Duffy on her debut album Rockferry in early 2009.
Understandably in huge demand, Butler was excited after hearing Tommy’s demos and decided to get involved. He says of the decision, 'I got asked to produce loads of Welsh blonde female singers but I turned them all down for Tommy. It's exciting for me to record with people who are different. A man with an acoustic guitar is a big opportunity in terms of where you can take things.'
The pair are currently holed up in Scottish legend Edwyn Collins’ London studios working on an album due out around June of this year.
Tommy signed to A&M Records (home to Duffy, The Courteeners and Dan Black) late 2008. Since then this nineteen year old singer/ songwriter from Torrance (a small town just outside Glasgow) has cemented his position as Scotland’s freshest young talent with two sold out national tours (including iconic venues like The Garage in Glasgow), a top 20 single debut with Gimme A Call and a nomination for Young Scot Of The Year.
It was this Torrance local’s live set - he sings, plays guitar, piano, drums and harmonica – that helped him win last year’s Orange Unsigned Act and has endeared him to a legion of fans across Scotland and the nation with the Sunday Mail proclaiming him a 'mascot for Scottish music'.
Julio Voltio arrested on drunken driving charge
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Puerto Rico police say reggaeton rapper Julio Voltio has been arrested on charges of driving while intoxicated and speeding.
Police spokesman Lt. Carlos Camacho Santiago says officers pulled over Voltio in a gray BMW on Sunday when they spotted him driving 62 mph (99 kph) in a 50 mph (80 kph) zone in the coastal town of Luquillo.
Camacho alleges the suspect's blood-alcohol level was at 0.08 percent, just over the legal limit.
Voltio, whose real name is Julio Ramos Filomeno, could not be reached. It was not clear whether he has a lawyer.
Voltio is a fixture of Puerto Rico's homegrown reggaeton genre — a mix of tropical rhythms, reggae and rap with a large following in the U.S.
Twitter Worm
I am not very much into Twitter but I heard a lot about this Twitter worm that Twitter has been struggling to neutralize in the last few days. But it seems that the worm is eating its way fast into the microblogging service that many of my friends are into. Here's something about this worm from Haklab:
Alert to Twitter users: The 4th generation of the Mikeyy twitter exploit is out. Just by viewing a twitter profile an XSS code will be injected which will retweet the following tweets:
How TO remove new Mikeyy worm! RT!! http://bit.ly/yCL1s
This worm is getting out of hand Twitter. - Mikeyy
Twitter, your community is going to be mad at you... - Mikeyy
And it even changes your bio and put's the mikey URL in your URL field. It also changes the Hexx color to #mikeyy.
Steps to fix it:
1. Change your hex color/reset it
2. Change your bio and change the URL
3. DONT click on any profile that is suspicious and use another twitter client like TweetDeck instead of the Twitter website
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Metallica’s Rock and Roll Hall of Fame Performance Plus All-Star Jams Hit the Web
If you missed Metallica’s induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past weekend — or if your DVR screwed you over and cut off the band’s performance — you can catch it on Fuse’s Website now. The music network just posted highlights from this year’s Rock Hall ceremony from Cleveland (check ‘em out, above) featuring Metallica’s performance of hits “Master of Puppets” and “Enter Sandman” — a set that marked the return of bassist Jason Newsted, who was invited to the ceremony despite quitting the band in 2001. “I’ve been levitating all weekend,” Newsted said during his speech. The father of bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a tragic tour bus accident in 1986, also spoke, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea gave a fantastic induction speech.
Fuse also posted a pair of all-star jams featuring the majority of the night’s honorees: Spooner Oldham, Wanda Jackson, Jeff Beck, Little Anthony, Bobby Womack and many more sang “Jailhouse Rock,” while Metallica, Beck, Jimmy Page, Flea and special guest Ron Wood busted out “Train Kept A-Rollin’ ” for the Cleveland crowd.
Other highlights up at the Fuse site include Beck and Page’s awesome take on “Beck Bolero” and Eminem’s moving introduction speech for Run-DMC.
Rolling Stone was all over the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this past weekend — don’t miss our photos, video and reports from the main hall and backstage. For one last look at this year’s Rock Hall class, including their definitive playlists, their road to fame and their past Rolling Stone cover stories, be sure to check out our Rock Hall hub now. Read more...
The Ultimate Trip: “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” Heads to the Big Screen
Last year news broke that Tom Wolfe’s classic The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test — the literary legend’s 1968 book examining Ken Kesey’s Merry Pranksters — would be heading to the big screen. Rolling Stone has an update on the Gus Van Sant-directed film, which is due next year. Check out our story, where Prankster Ken Babbs, Caroline Garcia (a.k.a. Mountain Girl) and LSD impresario Owsley “Bear” Stanley weigh in on the project, and their relationship to Wolfe’s work:
• The Ultimate Trip: “Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test” Heads to the Big Screen
Jenny Lewis Hopes to Get “Intimate,” Debut Songs on “Acid Tongue” Tour
Jenny Lewis was just in Australia, where she learned that sports stars trump rock stars in the fame game. “We were on an airplane with two rival rugby teams and the paparazzi were waiting not as we got off the plane but as they got off the plane,” she tells Rolling Stone. “Later, on the news, I kind of saw our crew in the background.”
The Rilo Kiley singer isn’t fading into the crowd on her Acid Tongue headlining tour, a trek that has her hopping from giant festivals at Coachella and Bonnaroo to smaller club shows, which the singer admits she prefers. “In the club setting, you get to perform your intimate material. I’m hoping to do a little acoustic section within the show, but I don’t think that will necessarily work at an outdoor free show or Bonnaroo.”
Lewis’ band on Acid Tongue — her boyfriend (and fellow Laurel Canyon resident) guitarist Johnathan Rice, lap steel guitarist Farmer Dave Scher, drummer Barbara Gruska and bassist Jonathan Wilson — will back her on the road, and the singer-songwriter is eager to already start work a new LP. “I’d like to have the opportunity to play a couple new songs as I write them along the way on the new tour and dip into my old songs from many years ago and try to rework songs from Rabbit Fur Coat and Acid Tongue,” Lewis says of the acoustic set, which might also include reworked versions of Rilo Kiley songs. Fans of her band with Blake Sennett do come out to her solo shows: Lately, they’ve been screaming at her lap steel player to play the triangle. “They were going ballistic and sort of making a triangle with the shape of their fingers. A ‘More Cowbell’ sort of thing,” she laughs.
After road-testing the songs on Acid Tongue while touring for her debut solo album Rabbit Fur Coat, Lewis decided to document the laborious process of tinkering and perfecting the songs in the studio. The result is her first documentary Welcome to Van Nuys, which Lewis admits was inspired by Jean-Luc Godard’s Sympathy for the Devil, which tracked the Rolling Stones’ long road to recording the titular song.
“We set up three cameras in the studio during the entire recording process and we kind of left them rolling and over the past year. It’s taken me about a year to sift through all the footage,” Lewis says of Van Nuys. “One time, my dad stopped by to play on my record and he brought with him this harmonica synthesizer called the Millionizer. We were also rolling when Elvis [Costello] came down to sing with us, which was really exciting, to kind of see us all nervously waiting for him to get there.”
As far as Acid Tongue’s next single, Lewis says “See Fernando” is an option. “I’m not really single-minded,” she admits. “But it’s upbeat so I guess it makes sense, it’s not a total snooze. We performed it on that children’s show called Pancake Mountain, but the song is about a dope dealer. It was actually a joyous performance, the kids were dancing like maniacs, they loved it.”
Guns n’ Roses’ “Chinese Democracy” Coming To “Rock Band” April 14th
Get ready to sing like Axl and emulate whichever guitarist is in Guns n’ Roses these days: Gn’R debuted their song “Shackler’s Revenge” on Rock Band 2, and now Axl Rose will bring the rest of Chinese Democracy to the music video game on April 14th as a new batch of downloadable content. Thirteen tracks off Chinese Democracy — Rock Band is assuming you’ve already beat enough challenges to add “Shackler’s Revenge” to the in-game track list — will be available both in bulk and as individual tracks for Playstation 3 and XBox 360, while the Wii will only sell CD as individual tracks.
At least Axl is finally doing something to promote this album after failing to tour (so far) or give interviews through conventional channels or even release that video for “Better” that’s just sitting on a editing dock somewhere. As the album has failed to reach sales expectations since its release as a Best Buy exclusive on November 23rd, making the entire LP available to players might expose Axl’s long-in-the-works Chinese Democracy to a larger audience, ingraining itself into the skulls of users who might not have cared for “Street of Dreams” at first listen. Plus, people seem to use the Rock Band and Guitar Hero series as a way to discover new music. We have a friend who had never heard the Cars’ self-titled album until it became available in its entirety on Rock Band 2 in May 2008. Rock Band is the new MTV.
While tracks like “Better” and “Scraped” seem almost tailor made for a Rock Band release, we’re curious how the ballad “This I Love” will make the jump to Rock Band as it’s all piano and vocals until the guitar solo kicks in around the three-minute mark. Chinese Democracy was ranked Rolling Stone’s 12th best album of 2008. Gn’R become the latest band to have an entire album playable through RB, joining the Pixies, Foo Fighters, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Megadeth, Judas Priest and more.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Miranda Lambert
Miranda Lambert fans are in for a treat. She is debuting her new song on the ACM today. What's the title of her new song? "Dead Flowers". Here is what EW.com had to say about the new song:
6:33 Miranda says "Dead Flowers" -- which as far as I can tell comes down to the heartbroken protagonist now considering their life/love a waste, much like the titular subjects -- wasn't inspired by a specific event or person, just an image. "I got some flowers for Valentine's Day, and I had to leave town. So I threw them in the yard, and when I got home I saw them laying there and thought it was so sad," she said. "I just connected to it." The song came together fast, and she threw it into her recording sessions at the last minute; her nerves are pretty high in terms of debuting it on the telecast, but she has faith in her band to pull her through.
Read more...
ACM Awards
Here are some reasons why you need to watch the ACM awards:
1. Brooks & Dunn & Taylor Swift & Sugarland & Carrie Underwood & Rascal Flatts. Here's one for those with short attention spans. Nearly everything the ACMs have to offer in a tidy little 7 minutes! Host/country royalty Reba McEntire introduces the show by informing us that duo Brooks & Dunn is one of the most acclaimed acts in the history of the awards, but what follows isn't there time to shine. Instead, Brooks & Dunn become the anchor for whizz-bang medley. Swift rocked out with "Picture to Burn," looking more assured than ever. Underwood showed off her near-perfect vocals with a brief turn at "All American Girl," Sugarland was delightfully poppy and Rascal Flatts represented some country good ol' boys. "That's what I call a stimulus package," McEntire said. We'd rather have cash, but it was a solid opening. B+
2. Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night." The lead single from his upcoming greatest hits package is a pleasant enough up-tempo rocker, representing immediately how country award shows are different from the Grammys. Less than 15 minutes in, and we have an ode to being drunk. Rather than approach anything dangerous or reckless, Chesney spins this tale of hangin' at the local bar into a neat little slice of nostalgia. B.
3. Heidi Newfield's "Johnny and June." Standing in the center of a little circular fire moat, former Trick Pony singer Newfield tried to bring a bit of a rebellious edge to her her ode to Johnny and June Carter Cash. She handled the elements better than Swift last year, when the artist was dumped with water, and did her best to turn the cut into an arm-raiser. But standing around some fire doesn't necessarily bring any to the song. B-
4. Toby Keith's "God Love Her." Hey kids, you can be a little rock 'n' roll devil and ride your motorcycle, but that doesn't mean you're allowed to forgo your Bible studies. Keith's recent country hit was bar-band-fun, accentuated here with a little horn section. Huey Lewis & the News with a slide guitar. C+
5. Jamey Johnson's "In Color." The first ballad of the night comes from newcomer-ish Johnson. The cut has already won song of the year, and it's not. Performing largely in black-and-white here, this one is aimed straight for your heart. Isn't it sweet how he inspires us to reminisce about our grandmother and high school teacher? No. Skip the song and look through your photo album: C-
6. George Strait's "Troubadour." Enough. No more songs about looking back and remembering when you were young and raising hell and hanging out with tough-as-heck women. Strait suffers here because the show is one hour old, and this is already the fifth song about how good things used to be way back when. Nashville, no wonder why Swift is your biggest star right now. She stands out because she doesn't yet have a past to sing sappy songs about. What saves Strait here is he understands his mortality and place in the world. B-
7. Taylor Swift's "You're Not Sorry." OK, so the performance hasn't even started, and we have to deduct an automatic half point here because Swift was introduced to the stage via a David Copperfield magic trick and Pop & Hiss is strictly anti-illusionists. Nothing really country about this tune, as this is pure ol'-fashioned power ballad. Swift doesn't have the strongest voice, and she's better rocking out than singing at a piano. A backing string section, however, kicks in to save her from having to hit any high notes. After the performance, Swift gets an award for selling lots of records. At first, it seemed like an impromptu little thing, but Swift had an acceptance speech at the ready. C. (But if there had been no magic: C+)
8. Lady Antebellum's "I Run to You." The first moment of the night that's close to a current-events reference, with this Grammy-nominated country trio singing about the power of love no matter how crazy this mixed up world gets. It's a perfectly acceptable, perfectly forgettable mid-tempo tune. C-
--Todd Martens
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