England’s most famous summer music festival, Glastonbury, is going back to its guitar roots this summer. The organizers of the event just got Bruce Springsteen to sign on to be the headlining act. Last year, rapper Jay-Z was the headliner of the fest which made a lot of die-hard fans unhappy. Michael Eavis, the Somerset farmer who has hosted the event since 1970 said “I’m so pleased that Bruce Springsteen has agreed to come to Worthy Farm for the first time. He’s one of the all-time rock legends and I’m confident that this will be one of our best shows ever.â€
Beyonce must have Oscar envy because the singer and actress decided to don a gold print on black creation at the 2009 Academy Awards this past Sunday. The dress was curve enhancing and showed off her body beautifully. Other than that, it was pretty boring. I expected more from her considering her fashion is pretty over the top when it comes to fabulous on most days. The sad part, her mom Tina Knowles made this dress. I know how big Beyonce is on family but this is the Oscars we’re talking about. She should have gone with a more notable designer instead of her mom if she wanted to be on the best dressed list.
It was reported that Kelly Clarkson’s entire new album was leaked last Friday onto the internet, a month before its official release. The culprit has been found out and surprisingly, it’s the people at iTunes Norway who are to blame. A glitch in their system allowed users to buy the album in its entirely and some of them decided to share their good fortune with the rest of the world wide web. I wonder if Apple has to pay up big bucks to Kelly and her record label for this mishap. What’s good about the album getting leaked though is that it’s good publicity with the fact that the album is really really good.
New Kids On The Block have just premiered the video for their song “2 in the Morning.” Shot at a mansion in Pacific Palisades, CA, the video follows a feuding couple throughout the house. Donnie describes the concept of the piece as “somewhat based on a very literal translation of the song with a twist.”
Posted by Sam on 25th February 2009 in Debut Album
On Tuesday, March 24, 2009, 16 Frames released Where It Ends, the band’s debut recording for Verve Forecast and its first on a major label. The album features 11 perfectly-crafted pop songs, all written by Steve Sulikowski, 16 Frames’ front man.
Where It Ends pairs immediately catchy rock melodies with complex, often dark, melancholy lyrics. The music resonates with fans of bands such as The Fray, U2, and Matchbox 20.
Songs from Where It Ends have already been showcased on television programs such as MTV’s The Hills and ABC’s Men In Trees, helping to establish 16 Frames as a new force in modern pop music. The band features Sulikowski on guitar and vocals with Josh Dunahoo on guitars, Dylan Wilson on bass, and Daniel James on drums.
Throughout the album, Sulikowski mines the depths of relationships between lovers and friends, parents and partners for his song lyrics. For example, his girlfriend feeling depressed one evening inspired him to write the explosive opener “Close Range,” a devastating tale of waking up to see your loved one with bags packed and headed out the door into the arms of another. The title track draws on a past relationship that came to a close since he and an ex continued to make the same mistakes over and over. Sulikowski wrote “Back Again,” the album’s gem of a first single, “at a really dark time when things couldn’t look any worse, career-wise, life-wise, just in general.”
Other songs featured on Where It Ends include the spirited “Daylight,” the hit-bound power ballad “Let’s Not Pretend,” and the touching “Coming Home.”
The band’s name comes from the world of filmmaking: it takes 16 frames for movement on film to progress from choppy to fluid. The cinematic imagery also details Sulikowski’s journey in creating the music. “My manager would tell me making a record is a lot like making movies: you have rewrites, you have dailies, and I started to look at the whole songwriting and creative process unfolding in a way like a movie. Sixteen frames is that moment when things become focused, become clear.”
16 Frames premiered the video for their single, “Back Again,” last week on mtvU where they are now spotlighted on this week’s installment of The Freshmen. Check out the video here and head over to mtvU.com to start voting.
Chris Cornell has added ten more dates to his spring tour in support of his forthcoming album, Scream – produced by Timbaland and released by Mosley Music/Interscope on March 10. The 28-date tour now includes a Canadian stop in Vancouver in addition to U.S. cities such as Denver, Seattle, San Francisco and Los Angeles. Tickets for the 10 newly announced shows go on sale to the public this Friday, February 27. All previously
announced shows are on sale now. Scream showcases a new, seductive sound – dark, multi-layered and full of puzzles and surprises. The songs bring a cinematic scope to Cornell’s performances with potent visual imagery echoing the non-stop musical assault from his internationally acclaimed live band. “Musically, this is the most ambitious thing I’ve been a part of. It’s almost like a movie soundtrack,†says Cornell, who will also be playing other music from his two-decade, 14 –album career.
Get SCREAM with TICKET PURCHASE
Cornell has also announced that fans who purchase tickets online tothe upcoming tour
will also receive a digital copy of his entire new album, Scream. A code will be sent to
online ticket purchasers to redeem a digital copy when the album is released nationwide
on March 10. Chris hopes this will give fans something extra at a time when money’s
becoming tighter for everyone.
Newly Announced Tour Dates – On Sale This Friday, February 27 at 10am ET
April 21: St. Louis, MO – Pop’s
April 22 : Kansas City, MO – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
April 24 : Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
April 25 : Salt Lake City, UT – The Depot
April 27 : Seattle, WA – Showbox SoDo
April 28 : Vancouver, BC, Canada – Commodore Ballroom
April 29 : Portland, OR – Crystal Ballroom
May 1 : San Francisco, CA – Grand Ballroom
May 2 : Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
May 3: Los Angeles, CA – The Wiltern
Previously Announced Tour Dates – On Sale Now
March 28 : Dallas, TX – House of Blues
March 29 : Houston, TX – Warehouse Live
March 30 : Austin, TX – Stubbs Bar-B-Q
April 1 : Atlanta, GA – CW Center Stage
April 3 : Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa
April 4 : Philadelphia, PA – Electric Factory
April 5 : Washington DC – 9:30 Club
April 7 : New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 8 : New York, NY – Webster Hall
April 10 : Boston, MA – House of Blues
April 11 : Montclair, NJ – Wellmont Theatre
April 13 : Cleveland, OH – House of Blues
April 14 : Ann Arbor, MI – Michigan Theater
April 15 : Indianapolis, IN – The Vogue Theatre
April 17 : Milwaukee, WI – Pabst Theater
April 18 : St Paul, MN – MYTH
April 19 : Chicago, IL – Riviera Theater
The Soundtrack to Jonas Brothers’ new film “Jonas Brothers: The 3D Concert Experience” is available today! The jam packed album includes live versions of favorites like “Hello Beautiful” and “S.O.S” as well as performances with Taylor Swift and Demi Lovato, a Shania Twain cover, and one new, never-before-heard studio recording called “Love Is On Its Way.” The highly anticipated film goes behind-the-scenes with Kevin, Joe and Nick on last year’s Burning Up Tour, following their every move along the way.
Check out footage from their MTV special last night and head over to iTunes to grab the Soundtrack.
The Pussycat Dolls have teamed up with two time Oscar winner A.R. Rahman for an English interpretation of the song “Jai Ho!”, the spectacular finale to the Oscar winner for Best Picture, Slumdog Millionaire. Listen here for a preview of A.R. Rahman and the Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger “Jai Ho!” (You Are My Destiny).
Super-producer Ron Fair (Fergie, Christina Aguilera) produced the lead vocals for Nicole, whose voice blends with that of composer A.R. Rahman. Visit People.com for more info on the story.
Rise Against announce a summer tour with punk rock legends Rancid as their special guests. The tour kicks off June 4th in Vancouver and continues through July 31st. See below for a list of U.S. & Canadian tour dates. More dates to be announced soon.
Rise Against released their fifth studio album, Appeal To Reason, on DGC/Interscope Records last fall and it debuted at #3 on the Billboard Top 200 album chart as well as spending one week at # 1 on the iTunes album chart. First single, “Re-Education (Through Labor),†was a top 2 hit at modern rock radio and new single “Audience Of One†is poised to top the charts as well.
Currently Rise Against is on a European headlining tour followed by some dates in Australia and Japan. The band will be back in the states to play the Bamboozle Festival in East Rutherford, NJ on May 3rd with No Doubt.
Also on the bill this summer will be Riverboat Gamblers (June dates) and Billy Talent (July dates) opening the shows. Below is a list of summer tour dates for Rise Against with special guest Rancid:
June 4th Vancouver, BC Pacific Coliseum
June 6th Edmonton, AB Rexall Place
June 7th Calgary, AB Calgary Corral
June 8th Saskatoon, SK Prarieland
June 11th Denver, CO Red Rocks Ampitheatre
June 12th Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club
June 13th St. Louis, MO Pops (Outdoors)
June 15th Cleveland, OH Time Warner Cable Amp
June 18th Montreal, QC Parc Jean Drapeau
June 18th Quebec City, QC Agora
June 19th Ottawa, ON Civic Centre
June 22nd Cincinnati, OH PNC Pavilion
June 24th Detroit, MI Fillmore
June 26th Minneapolis, MN Myth
July 6th Seattle, WA WaMu Theatre
July 8th Reno, NV Reno Events Center
July 10th San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amp
July 11th Los Angeles, CA The Forum
July 13th Las Vegas, NV The Joint
July 14th Phoenix, AZ Mesa Arts Center
July 16th Dallas, TX Palladium Ballroom
July 17th Austin, TX Stubb’s
July 18th Houston, TX Verizon Wireless
July 20th Orlando, FL House of Blues
July 21st Orlando, FL House of Blues
July 23rd Myrtle Beach, SC House of Blues
July 24th Baltimore, MD Ram’s Head
July 25th Philadelphia, PA Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
July 28th Boston, MA House of Blues
July 29th Boston, MA House of Blues
July 30th Buffalo, NY Agri Center
July 31st Toronto, ON Molson Ampitheatre
Posted by Sam on 23rd February 2009 in American Idol
You can count on every batch of American Idol wannabes to harbor at least a few hardened criminals. What’s surprising about this season’s group is that it looks like only one out of the top 36 has spent time in the slammer. Jessica Langseth, a singer from Minnesota, was busted a few years back on DUI. She pled guilty, spent four days in jail and was put on probation for two years. It was more than enough time to master the art of bare-knuckled combat. Jessica’s probation was cut short and she officially became a free woman this past December.
Posted by Sam on 23rd February 2009 in BRIT Awards
Nashville rock band the Kings of Leon won big at the 2009 Brit Awards which was held at London’s Earls Court this past Wednesday. The brothers Jared, Caleb and Nathan Followill as well as their cousin Matthew Followill picked up awards for both International Act and International Album for ‘Only by the Night’ beating out Fleet Foxes, the Killers, AC/DC and MGMT. At the ceremony, Kings of Leon performed their hit song ‘Use Somebody’. The group also picked up a Grammy for Best Rock Performance earlier this month. Congratulations! I would also like to mention that the boys looked really good that night wearing somewhat matching Burberry outfits.
Posted by Sam on 23rd February 2009 in BRIT Awards
Brit Awards 2009: Winners list
Here are the winners for this year’s Brit Awards, held at London’s Earls Court on 18 February. Winners are in bold
Best British male
Ian Brown
James Morrison
The Streets Paul Weller
Will Young
Best British female
Adele
Beth Rowley Duffy
Estelle
MIA
Best British group
Coldplay Elbow
Girls Aloud
Radiohead
Take That
Best British live act
Coldplay
Elbow Iron Maiden
Scouting For Girls
The Verve
Best British single
Coldplay – Viva La Vida
Duffy – Mercy Girls Aloud – The Promise
Leona Lewis – Better in Time
Scouting for Girls – Heartbeat
Best British Album
Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends Duffy – Rockferry
Elbow – The Seldom Seen Kid
Radiohead – In Rainbows
The Ting Tings – We Started Nothing
Best British breakthrough act
Adele Duffy
Last Shadow Puppets
Scouting For Girls
The Ting Tings
Best international album
AC/DC – Black Ice
Fleet Foxes – Fleet Foxes
Killers – Day & Age Kings of Leon – Only By The Night
MGMT – Oracular Spectacular
Best international male
Beck
Neil Diamond
Jay-Z Kanye West
Seasick Steve
Best international female
Beyonce
Gabriella Cilmi Katy Perry
Pink
Santogold
Best international group
AC/DC
Fleet Foxes
Killers Kings of Leon
MGMT
Brandon Flowers’ woman must be so happy to have such a loyal husband. On Wednesday, Australian pop star Natalie Imbruglia made a play for the front man of The Killers at one of the 2009 Brit Awards after parties. Unfortunately for her, Brandon completely ignored her advances. A source said “Nat made a beeline for Brandon, and plonked herself beside him. She took off her jacket and spun her legs towards him for a chat. But Brandon wasn’t taking any notice of her flirting.†Natalie must have been completely embarrassed after getting dogged. The very least she could have done for Brandon was get him flattered even though he’s completely uninterested.
Cinema Bizarre. Who would have thought those two words could so perfectly sum up this five piece Berlin based band? The individual look, the explosive shows and the glamour of the movies tied in with a sound that refuses to be pigeonholed. First and foremost there is the music. Glam, New Wave, Electro, New Romantic, Rock. It’s a fusion of all of these and more! As lead singer Strify explains, “Our sound stands for a big firework – musically and emotionally. We want to fascinate the people and lead them to another world with our songs.”
Along with Strify, Kiro, Yu, Shin and Luminor found each other on the internet – a series of chance emails and a shared love of ‘Visual Kei’ the Japanese youth culture. It’s all about individuality, self development and rebellion and for many in Japan a way of showing the world that won’t be suppressed. The bond is natural. As bassist Kiro says, “Every one of us is fascinated with Visual Kei and it’s a part of us – together as a band, we’re taking it one step further and making something of our own out of it.” From cyberspace, they met up for the first time at a Manga/Anime convention and secured a record deal shortly after. Just three easy steps!
And then the album. “Final Attraction”. A collection of songs that reflect the individual music tastes of each of the band whilst still having that Cinema Bizarre sound! The album went Top 10 on initial release in the crowded album market at the end of last year whilst the first single “Love Songs’” followed the same path. And in keeping with all that Cinema Bizarre are about, the video for “Love Songs” has already been viewed over a million times on YouTube! The follow up single “Forever Or Never” is showing the same credentials with over 100,000 views of the video in it’s first week.
And it is the internet where Cinema Bizarre has grown from the very start. Naturally, organically and at an incredible rate! There are websites and forums dedicated to the band all over the world. In far flung areas where their individual look and sound has been welcomed like an oasis in the musical desert. Over 10,000 visitors a day visit sites to find out the latest on the band.
And this interest and passion for the band has extended to luminaries like King of Punk, Malcolm McClaren, who has offered to write for the band and Depeche Mode, who gave the band rare permission to sample one of their hits, Everything Counts, on “Escape To The Stars”. Some praise indeed!
With this kind of backing coupled with a rapidly expanding army of Cinema Bizarre lovers around the world promises great things for a band whose look and sound are undeniably different. The release of Final Attraction looks likely to turn into a case of First Love for anyone that hears it!
A completely sold out Final Attraction Tour 2008 with thousands of fans all across Europe and Eastern Europe reflects once more that Cinema Bizarre are on a successful path and ready to conquer the world.
The New Year has already started with another milestone: In January 2009 Cinema Bizarre was awarded with the “European Border Breaker Award” for best selling debut album of a German band in Europe.
Entire Album Available for Free Streaming on February 20th, Days Before Hitting Stores
MySpace Music myspace.com/music, the world’s premier online music portal, announces the exclusive world premiere of No Line On The Horizon, the new studio album from U2. Beginning on February Feb. 20th ,MySpace U.S. users will be able to stream the album in its entirety from U2’s official MySpace Music profile at www.myspace.com/u2, giving fans a chance to preview it before the U.S. release on March 3rd. No Line On The Horizon will be available for purchase on MySpace Music starting on March 3rd.
U2 recently premiered their latest video for the hit single Get On Your Boots on MySpace Music to fans around the world. No Line On The Horizon is the group’s highly anticipated 12th studio album and their first release since How to Dismantle An Atomic Bomb came out in late 2004. Recording sessions for No Line On The Horizon were held in various locations around the world, including Fez, Morocco, the band’s own studio in Dublin, New York’s Platinum Sound Recording Studios, and Olympic Studios in London. Long-time U2 collaborators Brian Eno and Danny Lanois produced the album, with additional production by Steve Lillywhite.
For more information about U2 and to stream No Line On The Horizon, visit their MySpace Music official profile at: myspace.com/u2.
Posted by Sam on 20th February 2009 in Clique Girlz
Check out this week’s “Hijinks†episode of Clique Girlz TV. After goofing off at the airport, the trio head to Target and continue their crazy antics in the store.
Clique Girlz’ Incredible EP is available now.
Here is a news blurb on Hollywood Undead. They have been creating some serious buzz with their album Swan Songs, and are about to go on tour with the Saints and Sinners tour. If you would like to set up an interview, or a contest/giveaway, I can definitely set that up, and any features that we can get would be even better. Let me know if you are interested. Thanks!
Hollywood Undead is the Band to Look for in 2009!
It looks like it is going to be a very strong 2009 for rock band, Hollywood Undead.
According to recent reports, Hollywood Undead’s album, Swan Songs has topped its own best sales numbers in multiple weeks since its debut. Hit single “Undead†as tracks “Everywhere I go,†and “City,†have also drawn a significant amount of attention from radio and fans alike.
The band has been reported as the fastest selling developing rock band, reaching the Top 15 in modern & Top 10 in active rock radio, as well as hottest night record of the year. Look for them on the Saints and Sinners Tour which kicks off February 27th in Fr. Lauderdale. Check out their MySpace page to find a show near you!
Static-X has just posted the first single off their forthcoming album, Cult of Static on their official MySpace page. “Stingwray†was inspired by Wayne Static’s wife, former adult film star Tera Wray Static, and the Corvette Stingray she drives.
Keeping the integral tones, Static-X encompasses shredding guitars with solos that have brought the band to a level of playing to be reckoned with. The cybernetic stomp of “Hypure” and “You Am I” bludgeon, bruise and break with precise grooves. Elsewhere, the staccato riffs on “Terminal” crush through an unmistakable guitar tone. Guitarist Koichi Fukuda blazes through incendiary solos, while Tony Campos bolts down demonic bass lines and Nick Oshiro pounds out deadly rhythms. Front-man Wayne Static riffs pure violence and screams out his soul. “Over the years my voice has been destroyed from excessive touring… and I love it,†exclaims Static. “The vocals on the new record are raw and brutal.â€
A song you may already be familiar with is “Lunatic” as it was included on the Punisher: War Zone movie soundtrack. Although “Lunatic†is relentless and raw, brandishing a ripping groove and an impenetrable barrier of guitars the album cut was re-recorded to feature a solo by legendary Megadeth front-man Dave Mustaine. “I’ve been a huge Megadeth fan for years,†explains Static. “We’ve toured with them twice. Mustaine and I really hit it off on the road. His lead style is one of the most distinctive styles out there. There’s something amazing about it. When you hear him solo, you know it’s him.”
Since their breakthrough debut, Wisconsin Death Trip, Static-X has sold over three million records, and they’ve completed numerous successful world tours including three Ozzfests, The Family Values Tour and Gigantour. Cult of Static is the bastard child of a 10 year journey of metal annihilation, unleashing the beast to all in their path. “I can hardly believe it’s been a decade since the release of our first cd, “Wisconsin Death Trip,” and we’re still going strong thanks to all of our loyal fans,†explains Static. “The title Cult of Static is meant to be a big thank-you to everyone who has supported us through the years. I’m looking forward to seeing you all on the upcoming world tour.â€
Cult of Static hits stores on March 17th on Warner Bros Records
Jessica Simpson performed at Madison Square Garden as the opening act for Rascal Flatts last week in New York City. During the concert, the 28-year old wannabe country singer shared the inspiration for one of her songs saying “To any woman out there who is in an abusive relationship, let me tell you that each and every single woman, you can take your heart and run so far away and fall in love again, and that’s the reason I recorded this song called ‘Remember That’.†She might not have said Rihanna’s name but you can tell that Jessica was talking about the alleged assault on the Barbadian babe by Chris Brown.
The Jonas Brothers presented a list of the ‘Top Ten Surprising Facts about the Jonas Brothers’ in their first appearance on the Late Show with David Letterman last week. Dave also asked them whether they’d had any “famous relationships, like Miley Cyrus. Was there somebody here involved with Miley Cyrus?†Nick confessed that “we went on tour with Miley Cyrus… Again, going back to the ups and downs, I think that I was 14, so it’s, you know, I was pretty young, so I think you can just consider it a young little relationship.†Dave also threw out Taylor Swift’s name and Joe, who dated the country singer, said “No, um, yeah, you know, we didn’t work out.â€
