Music News

GNR Scraps South Africa Shows Due To Injury

2007-04-23T20:23:00.000-07:00

South Africa's biggest outdoor rock event of 2007 has been left without a major headlining act after Guns N' Roses pulled out of My Coke Fest due to an injury suffered by bassist Tommy Stinson. The group's planned appearances in Johannesburg on April 27 and Cape Town on May 1 were billed as the start of a world tour.

"Stinson recently sprained his left wrist in a fall and the injury has not yet healed. As a result, Guns N' Roses will not make their two scheduled performances at My Coke Fest in South Africa at the end of the month," reads a statement from promoter Big Concerts. Several others shows in Japan have been postponed indefinitely as well.

Organizers have promised a full refund for Guns N' Roses fans who no longer want to attend the events. My Coke Fest is the 2007 incarnation of last year's March Coca-Cola Collab Massive Mix, which was headlined by Metallica.

The 12-hour show is billed as South Africa's biggest rock event and is going ahead with international acts Hoobastank, Staind, 3 Doors Down and Evanescence. Local support includes the Springbok Nude Girls and the Parlotones.

Rap-A-Lot Records' Owner J. Prince In Court Over Alleged Assault Case

2007-04-16T15:26:00.000-07:00

In a lawsuit filed at April 12 in Harris County state district court, Ronald "Ronnie" Bookman owner of 7303 Records and Studio 7303 claims he was savagely beaten in an assault allegedly ordered by Rap-A-Lot Records owner J. Prince.

The lawsuit alleges breach of contract on the part of J. Prince (born James Prince), battery, unfair competition, duress, conspiracy and unjust enrichment. Bookman is also seeking a court order barring Prince and his business associates of coming within 500 feet of his home and business.

In the suit, Prince is accused of allegedly directing a half-dozen men to attack Bookman at a Houston recreation center owned by Prince on January 25 of this year. Bookman claims that the beating was an alleged attempt to put him and his 7303 Records imprint out of business. Bookman's Studio 7303's client list has included several major hip-hop artists including 50 Cent, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake and Missy Elliot.

Bookman's claim that he was lured to a gym after he was advised that Prince wanted to "make things right" regarding a dispute between the two men. According to the suit, the disagreement arose when Prince, who had allegedly agreed in 2005 to allow UGK member Bun B to record on 7303 recording artist JV's release Rap or Die and allegedly reneged on the agreement, failing to release the Bun B feature.

Bookman alleges that when he arrived at the gym, he was led to a weight room where he met with Prince. Prince then directed several men to enter the room and assault Bookman. He alleges that he suffered severe head trauma, a broken nose and injuries to both eyes. He was reportedly treated the next day at the ParkPlazaHospital emergency room in Houston, TX and alleges that he is still receiving treatment for his injuries.

"This was a vicious act of intimidation, plain and simple," says John B. Thomas, lead counsel for Bookman and a partner in Houston 's Hicks Thomas & Lilienstern, LLP. "We believe Mr. Prince's plan was to eliminate competition in the Houston Rap and Hip-Hop music business through the use of threats, intimidation and violence. We believe that Mr. Prince feared that his influence and financial well- being would suffer if Mr. Bookman and 7303 Records were successful."

Beatles Settle Royalty Dispute With EMI

2007-04-12T13:07:00.000-07:00

Apple Corps, the Beatles' company, has settled its £30 million ($59.2 million) royalties dispute with the band's label, EMI.

EMI would not disclose details of the settlement, which was reached last month. An EMI spokesperson tells Billboard.com, "I can confirm that we have reached a mutually acceptable settlement and that we are not going to say anything more than that."

Apple Corps launched its latest legal action in December 2005 at the High Court in London and New York's Supreme Court, against EMI and Capitol, respectively. The writ alleged unpaid royalties on Beatles albums based on an audit of sales between 1994 and 1999, a period which included the release of three "Anthology" compilations.

The latest settlement between Apple Corps and EMI follows a deal struck in February between Apple Corps and Apple Computer over the use of the Apple name.

That removed a major obstacle for Beatles tracks to appear on iTunes. Earlier this month, EMI chief executive, Eric Nicoli, confirmed the major was working on making the Beatles catalog available for legal download for the first time.

Apple Corps was created by the Beatles in 1968. The band's recordings are released under license by EMI. This week, the Beatles London-based company announced that CEO Neil Aspinall, who had worked with the Beatles for more than 45 years, had exited and was being replaced by Sony BMG executive Jeff Jones.

Fabolous Bumps Album Again, Preps New Single

2007-04-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

Fabolous has once again reset the release date for his Def Jam debut, "From Nothin' To Somethin'." The album is now due June 12. It was originally expected before the end of 2006, then pushed to February and most recently to March 27.

In the interim, the Brooklyn rapper will service his second single, "Make Me Better," produced by Timbaland and featuring labelmate Ne-Yo, to radio this week.

"From Nothin' To Somethin'" also features production from Just Blaze, Jermaine Dupri, Polow Da Don, Jazze Pha, and Steve Morales. Rihanna, Akon, Swizz Beatz and Lloyd make guest appearances.

First single "Diamonds" featuring Young Jeezy is No. 3 on Bilboard's Bubbling Under R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart and debuts this week at No. 83 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Fabolous was previously signed to Elektra and Atlantic. He hasn't released a new studio album since 2004's "Real Talk," which debuted at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 and spawned the hit single "Breathe." The track reached No. 2 on Hot Rap Tracks and No. 10 on the Hot 100.

Since then, he's turned up as a guest on albums from Jennifer Lopez, Syleena Johnson, Christina Milian, Tony Parker and DJ Clue.

Bullet For My Valentine In The Thick Of New Album

2007-04-12T12:57:00.000-07:00

Fans attending Bullet For My Valentine's current North American dates will hear a new song, "Scream, Aim and Fire." And guitarist Michael Padget says there's more where that came from.

The Welsh rockers recorded 11 songs for the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2005's "The Poison" in January and February with producer Colin Richardson at Sonic Ranch Studios in El Paso, Texas. Frontman Matt Tuck is slated to finish his vocals after the group comes off the road in May, with a hoped-for release this fall.

"It's definitely a heavier progression than 'The Poison,'" Padget tells Billboard.com. "There's a lot more guitar work, as in solos and classic guitar parts. The drum work is a lot more upbeat. It's just a forward progression of Bullet -- heavier, upbeat, better."

Padget says the group drew inspiration for the new album from "'80s bands" -- none specifically but more, he explains, "just vibes from that time. You watch movies on TV, the old ones with the 80's soundtracks and stuff -- it really gets us off," Padget says. "We're trying to sound older -- more '80s than 2000, I guess."

Fans will also hear some political commentary in "Scream, Aim and Fire," which Padget says is "about war on the front lines," and he expects Tuck to have even more topical lyrics in the other songs.

Bullet is planning only a bit of down time, however, with tours of Europe, Japan and Australia set for the late spring, summer and early fall before the new album is released. The group is currently promoting a new single, "All These Things I Hate (Revolve Around Me)," from "The Poison," but Padget thinks the album is nearing the end of its cycle.

"I think deep down inside we're all kind of getting a little bored of playing [those] songs live," he acknowledges. "We still like the album, but we just want to start playing some new stuff."

Police Cleared In Altercation With Rush's Lifeson

2007-04-12T12:55:00.000-07:00

Deputies didn't use excessive force in an altercation with Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson at a Florida hotel on New Year's Eve 2003, a federal judge has ruled.

Lifeson, whose real name is Alex Zivojinovich, had sued in federal court claiming that Collier County deputies violated his civil rights while subduing him and his son during a skirmish at a party at the Ritz-Carlton hotel in Naples. Tasers were used on the pair, and Lifeson's nose was broken.

But U.S. District Judge Paul A. Magnuson wrote in a ruling last week that deputies' actions "were objectively reasonable." The judge also ruled that the hotel and a security employee weren't negligent in the case. Lifeson's Naples lawyer, Michael McDonnell, said he plans to appeal.

The skirmish started when Lifeson's son, Justin Zivojinovich, agitated hotel security by getting up on a platform where the house band had been performing. Security called deputies, who escorted Justin out of the hotel with his father following behind. The two then fought with deputies in a stairwell.

Criminal charges resulted, and last year Lifeson, 53, and his son accepted a plea deal that included no jail time.

Rush's new album, "Snakes & Arrows," arrives May 1 via Atlantic. An extensive summer tour will follow.

'NOW 24' Trumps McBride, Duff, Timbaland At No. 1

2007-04-12T12:50:00.000-07:00

Amid five new releases debuting in the top 10 this week, the "NOW 24" hits compilation rises to the top of The Billboard 200 in its second week on the chart. Climbing 2-1, the set moved 213,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 7% drop from last week's sales. Despite a 46% drop in sales, last week's chart-topper, Tim McGraw's "Let It Go" (Curb), only slips to No. 2, moving 177,000 units.

Martina McBride's RCA album "Waking Up Laughing" enters the chart with 144,000 at No. 3, a tie for her best charting position yet. The country singer's 2006 covers release, "Timeless," had a similar start but sold more, at 185,000.

Hilary Duff scores her fourth straight top five debut this week with "Dignity," which climbs on at No. 4 with 140,000. The Hollywood release is the pop vocalist's fifth album, which includes her first holiday-themed set "Santa Claus Lane" and 2005's hits collection "Most Wanted." The latter album bowed at No. 1 with 208,000.

He's leant a hand to a number of other artists' chart-topping efforts recently (namely, Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado), but this week Timbaland earns chart ink for his own album, "Timbaland Presents Shock Value" at No. 5. Moving 138,000 copies, "Shock Value" (Mosley Music Group/Interscope) becomes the best charting and selling set of his solo career. His previous best was 2001's collaboration with Magoo, "Indecent Proposal," which debuted with 79,000 at No. 29.

Beyonce's "B'Day" pole-vaults 69-6 thanks to the release of a new double-disc version of the album with six new songs. That translates to a 903% gain to 126,000 units. Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut falls 6-7 despite a 48% sales increase at 98,000 copies.

Paul Wall's "Get Money, Stay True" (Swishahouse/Asylum/Atlantic) debuts at No. 8 with 92,000 copies. His last set, 2005's "The Peoples Champ" lived up top its title, crashing in at No. 1 with 176,000. Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) slips 5-9 with 75,000 copies, a sales increase of 12%.

Country/bluegrass veteran Alison Krauss notches her best charting position ever with "A Hundred Miles or More: A Collection" (Rounder) at No. 10 with 73,000. Her previous high came in 1995, when another compilation "Now That I've Found You: A Collection," reached No. 13.

The trio of Alan Jackson, George Strait and Jimmy Buffett score the No. 11 spot with "Live at Texas Stadium," a 15-song live album from a 2004 Dallas concert. The MCA Nashville album sold 67,000.

Chicago rock act Chevelle's Epic set "Vena Sera" enters at No. 12 with 62,000, short of the No. 8/89,000 entry of 2004's "This Type of Thinking (Could Do Us In)." Meanwhile, Blue Collar comedian Larry The Cable Guy's "Morning Constitutions" (Warner Bros.) bows at No. 16 with 56,000. His last album, "The Right to Bare Arms," started at No. 7 in 2005 with 92,000.

Other big debuts this week include a sales and charting best for Kings Of Leon with the RCA set "Because of the Times" (No. 25, 42,000); the Academy Is...' "Santi" (Atlantic, No. 32, 33,000); Static X's "Cannibal" (Warner Bros.) at No. 36 with 30,000; and the Almost's "Southern Weather" (Tooth & Nail) at No. 39 with 29,000. Shadows Fall, Black Sabbbath, Brandi Carlile, J. Moss, Anthony Hamilton and Fountains Of Wayne also boast debuts on The Billboard 200.

Album sales are up 15.7 % from last week's total at 10.6 million units and down 5.1 % compared to the same week last year.

Producer Nitti Inks Deal With Warner Bros.

2007-04-11T14:15:00.000-07:00

Atlanta-based producer Nitti has inked a production deal with Warner Bros. for his Playmaker Music label.

"I was looking for a home for my label where I could come in and bring new artists and they'd have a fair try," Nitti told Billboard.com during an exclusive interview. "I had a couple situations on the table for me. But when Warner reached out, it was the situation that I was trying to do."

The two-year deal also allows for Nitti, who produced and co-wrote the smash hit "It's Goin' Down" by Yung Joc, to continue to make music for other artists on the Warner Bros. urban roster. "We're slowly building our roster right now with Scrappy, E-40 and Crime Mob," explains Warner Bros. director of A&R Orlando McGhee. "One of the things we wanted to do was bring in a producer that can actually break brand new artists, and Nitti has done it twice with Boyz In The Hood and Yung Joc."

The first two acts Nitti hopes to bring over to his new home are rapper Young Capone and an R&B singer by the name of Tocarra Hamilton. He's also currently putting in studio time with a new Warner artist named Attitude, whose album will be co-produced by Timbaland. "That's gonna be real exciting cause I never been on an album that Timbaland produced on," says Nitti.

Nitti recently produced a track for T.I. and is also scheduled to work with Rick Ross for his next album.

Tobin, Cut Chemist, Spooky Spin For Stalin Series

2007-04-11T14:09:00.000-07:00

Amon Tobin, Cut Chemist, DJ Spooky and J-Rocc are among the acts scheduled to perform at Pravda -- a "progressive exploration of sounds, sights and philosophies of the Stalin era," set for May 26 at the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles.

The 10 p.m.-3 a.m. concert is part of the Shadow of Stalin series, presented by the Los Angeles Philharmonic. The event, which also features a May 24 performance from DeVotchka and Saul Williams, will explore the influence of political oppression on artistic expression in the Soviet Union during the era of Joseph Stalin.

Other confirmed artists for Pravda include Peanut Butter Wolf and Mumbles & Gone Beyond with special guests dublab soundsystem. The lineup of DJs, VJs and musicians will collaborate to remix the music of Russian composers Shostakovich, Prokofiev and Mosolov. The performances will be accompanied by footage from iconic Russian films and live onstage painting by Norton Wisdom, as well as a mobile video projection provided by MC This.

Pravda will also include a midnight performance led by German pipe-organist Christoph Bull, who will be accompanied by a 10-piece Theremin Orchestra. The performance is a re-creation of Leon Theremin's 1932 concert at New York's Carnegie Hall, and a birthday tribute to synthesizer pioneer Robert Moog, who died in 2005.

Tickets prices range between $30-$50 and are available through LAPhil.com.

Snoop Dogg Charged In Burbank Airport Arrest

2007-04-11T13:58:00.000-07:00

Rapper Snoop Dogg was charged at April 10 with sale or transportation of marijuana and possession of a gun by a convicted felon, a case that stems from his October arrest at a Los Angeles airport.

The 35-year-old performer, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, could face up to four years in state prison if he is convicted on both charges. He is due in court tomorrow for an arraignment.

Broadus was arrested on Oct. 25 after police at Burbank Airport, near Los Angeles, stopped him for leaving his car too long in a passenger loading area and found a gun and marijuana in the vehicle.

Prosecutors said they were unable to prove that the gun found in Broadus' car that day belonged to him, but that a later search of the performer's home turned up another firearm. He is charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm because of his 1990 felony conviction for possession of drugs for sale.

In November, Broadus was charged with possession of a deadly weapon after police found him carrying a collapsible baton through security at Orange County's John Wayne Airport. And in March, Stockholm police arrested Broadus for suspected narcotics use.

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Klaxons, Midlake Join Chemical Brothers' Party

2007-04-10T15:54:00.000-07:00

The Klaxons, Midlake, Willy Mason, Fatlip and Ali Love are among the guests on the Chemical Brothers' sixth album, "We Are the Night." As previously reported, the set is due June 19 via Astralwerks. Ali Love is featured on first single "Do It Again," a release date for which is pending.

Upstart U.K. rock act the Klaxons appear on "All Nights Reversed," while indie rock outfit Midlake guests on closer "The Pills Won't Help You Now." Mason, who also records for Astralwerks, is featured on "Battle Scars."

The Chemical Brothers will tour North America in September, but beforehand, will make a number of festival appearances in Europe this summer, including at the U.K.'s Glastonbury Festival in late June

Here is the track list for "We Are the Night":.

"No Path To Follow"
"We Are The Night"
"All Rights Reversed" (featuring the Klaxons)
"Saturate"
"Do It Again" (featuring Ali Love)
"Das Spiegel"
"The Salmon Dance" (featuring Fatlip)
"Burst Generator"
"A Modern Midnight Conversation"
"Battle Scars" (featuring Willy Mason)
"Harpoons"
"The Pills Won't Help You Now" (featuring Midlake)

Babies, Soulmates Inspire New Bedingfield CD

2007-04-10T13:40:00.000-07:00

U.K. pop vocalist Natasha Bedingfield will return in August with her second Epic album, "N.B." The set, which is due next week internationally, is led by first single "I Wanna Have Your Babies." That cut debuted yesterday (April 8) at No. 25 on the U.K. singles chart.

Among the contributors to the new album are producer Mike Elizondo, Maroon 5 vocalist Adam Levine (on "Say It Again"), rapper Eve (on "No More What Ifs") songwriter Danielle Brisebois ("When You Know, You Know") and producers such as Nate "Danja" Hills ("Not Giving Up").

"A lot of what I wrote about on this album is relationships," Bedingfield tells Billboard.com. "Having gone away from home for a year-and-a-half and been independent and on the road, I really just value relationships. That gave me a lot of ammo to write with."

The artist describes "Soulmate," which was written and demoed in a single afternoon, as "probably the most universal song on the album. I tried later to re-record it and sing it again, but nothing was as good as that first day."

Another cut, "Smell the Roses," dates back to sessions for Bedingfield's 2004 smash debut, "Unwritten." She says, "We quit writing it halfway through, because we wanted to write something more upbeat. Two or three years later, we were listening to some stuff, and we realized, this is a gem that we just forgot about."

Bedingfield will hit the road for an extensive tour beginning in September. "I've done so much gigging in the past couple of years," she says. "That has really added a live feel to my music. I've got a lot more live instruments and my voice has changed a bit."

Documentary Chronicles Marley Birthday Bash

2007-04-09T15:54:00.000-07:00

"Africa Unite," the documentary film capturing the 2005 concert in Ethiopia that celebrated Bob Marley's 60th birthday, received a work-in-progress preview Saturday in New York, with a little help from Marley's family and actor Danny Glover.

Before the screening at Lincoln Center's Walter Reade Theater, Glover remembered being dragged to a 1970s performance by Marley, and being forever inspired. With the Marley family's Tuff Gong Pictures, Glover's Louverture Films executive produced "Africa Unite,"

The film blends on-the-street and behind-the-scenes footage with snippets of the 12-hour concert, attended by an estimated 350,000. It features performances by Lauryn Hill, Angelique Kidjo, reggae mainstays Bob Andy, Rita Marley and Marcia Griffiths, and several of Marley's children, including Ziggy, Damian, Stephen, Cedella, Julian and Ky-Mani.

The latter also performed renditions of "Redemption Song" and "No Woman No Cry" with a small backing group before the film.

Directed by Stephanie Black -- who had previously worked with the Marleys on "Life and Debt," a look at the saga of Jamaica's beleaguered, post-Independence economy -- "Africa Unite" also delves into the purpose behind the 2005 concert: to inspire Africans, especially youths, to help themselves.

It introduces the viewer to students hailing from across the continent who were brought together in the Ethiopian capital of Adidas Ababa as part of the concert to discuss ways in which they could spur economic and educational reform and combat poverty and strife in their respective nations. It also follows the Marley brothers and a Rastafarian elder on their journey to Ethiopia.

Following the film Saturday, Marley's eldest grandchild, and his widow, Rita Marley, made brief comments before a group of drummers led a Rasta chant.

ADA Spearheading Indie Rock Compilation Series

2007-04-09T15:46:00.000-07:00

Distributor ADA and top indie labels are teaming to create a series of compilations modeled after the very successful "NOW That's What I Call Music" series. However, sources tell Billboard.com the series is "still in the super-early discussion phase," particularly regarding other labels that may opt to release one of the albums in the future.

According to Entertainment Weekly, Vice Records, which declined comment to Billboard.com, will release volume one, being eyed for July. No formal deal is in place but "Matador has expressed interest in putting out volume two, and Sub Pop has shown interest in volume three," according to EW.

A Sub Pop source says the label was asked by ADA for permission to include a Shins song on the compilation, which it granted. But any discussion of Sub Pop releasing one of the albums down the road is "putting the cart before the horse," the source says.

According to the report, the yet-untitled series will feature artists such as Bloc Party, the Shins, Bright Eyes, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah and Silversun Pickups.

They Might Be Giants Prep New Kids DVD

2007-04-09T15:42:00.000-07:00

After breaking through to a new audience with the 2002 kids album "No!" and the 2005 DVD "Here Come the ABCs," They Might Be Giants are eyeing an August release for a sequel to the latter Disney project, "Here Come the 123s." The DVD will boast an hour of original music plus videos specially commissioned by the duo.

"Not to sound like it is completely derivative, but it is inspired by 'Sesame Street,'" group member John Flansburgh tells Billboard.com. "The attitude we took to the 'ABCs' project is the same we took with this one, which is about numbers -- kids are going to learn this stuff anyway. But it's this vehicle for entertaining kids, which is all we really know how to do. We don't have educator skills so much. But the last one was a big success. It was a very satisfying experience hearing back from parents."

In the fall, TMBG will continue is practice of playing family shows in the daytime and more rock-oriented gigs at night in support of their upcoming album, "The Else," due July 10. "We're not getting rich doing any of this stuff, but it is absolutely satisfying work," Flansburgh says. "It's also grooming the next generation of They Might Be Giants fans."

Of late, TMBG has also been writing music for an animated film based on Neil Gaiman's book "Coraline." Says Flansburgh, "A girl finds a door in her house that first opens to a brick wall, but at night, there's a crawlspace, a portal to another world. It seems appealing at first but it becomes very dark."

"We're having trouble being as creepy as we need to be; having to write songs that are sincerely scary," he continues. "We have some experience with the creepy. We're not completely unversed in writing creepy stuff. But we're also trying to cook up a pop song to go at the beginning and we're still working on that one."

Full Take That reunion a possibility

2007-04-08T12:28:00.000-07:00

Robbie Williams could rejoin boy band

A full reunion of Take That could be a possibility following hints Robbie Williams would consider re-joining the band.

The star's mother, Jan Williams, has told her local paper the Stoke Sentinel that she believed her son could get involved in the group again.

"On the question of him doing something with them, I feel that will happen," she declared. "It would be something he wanted to do."

Williams quit Take That in 1995, with the group originally confirming a full split a year later.

However the band's other members - Howard Donald, Mark Owen, Gary Barlow and Jason Orange - successfully revived the group last year with a series of sell out reunion shows and have since topped the album and singles charts with their comeback material.

In contrast, Williams fortunes have faded somewhat, with recent - and more experimental - album 'Rudebox' being panned by critics, while the singer has also recently been in rehab.

However his mother insisted the singer was on the mend.

"He's okay, he's fine, he's on a good recovery," she explained. "He's doing a lot of writing, he spends a lot of time in his studio. He's in a very good place."

Kaiser Chiefs kick off US tour in Philadelphia

2007-04-07T15:12:00.000-07:00

Kaiser Chiefs hit the US with a bang tonight (April 6) as they played the first night of their north American tour.

Taking to the stage at Philadelphia's Electric Factory, frontman Ricky Wilson introduced his band as "the world famous Kaiser Chiefs!" as the band began their NME Presents The Kaiser Chiefs dates in front of a delighted, all-ages crowd.

Following performances by suppprt groups Annuals and The Walkmen, the Leeds exports launched their set the 2000 capacity venue with 'Saturday Night', before playing a mix of material from both their albums, 'Employment' and their latest release 'Yours Truly, Angry Mob'.

With the crowd's inital head-bobbing quickly developing into mini-mosh pits, the likes of 'Na Na Na Na Naa' and 'Every Day I Love You Less And Less' sent the audience wild.

Meanwhile Wilson ensured the band themselves were not left out of the excitement, as the singer ventured deep into the crowd, even managing an impressive stage dive during a show-stopping rendition of 'I Predict A Riot'.

Kaiser Chiefs played:

'Saturday Night'
'Every Day I Love You Less And Less'
'Heat Dies Down'
'Ruby'
'Thank You Very Much'
'Na Na Na Na Naa'
'Everything Is Average Nowadays'
'Born To Be A Dancer'
'Modern Way'
'Highroyds'
'Try Your Best'
'I Predict A Riot'
'Take My Temperature'
'Retirement'
'The Angry Mob'
'Oh My God'

The band's tour now continues with the following shows:

Washington DC, 9:30 Club (7)
Boston MA, Avalon Ballroom (9)
New York NY, Roseland Ballroom (12)
Montreal QUE, Spectrum (17)
Toronto ONT, Kool Haus (18)
Chicago IL, Vic Theatre (20)
Minneapolic MN, Trocaderos (21)
Vancouver BC, Commodore Ballroom (24)
Seattle WA, Showbox Theatre (25)
Portland OR, Crystal Ballroom
San Francisco CA, Warfield

Oasis, The Killers to record new version of 'Sgt Pepper'

2007-04-07T15:05:00.000-07:00

Oasis, The Killers and Kaiser Chiefs are to cover songs from The Beatles' 'Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band' to mark the 40th anniversary of the classic album's release.

The original album was released on June 1, 1967 and to mark the event the big names will all be covering tracks from the record for a BBC2 special to be aired on June 2.

Razorlight, James Morrison, The Fratellis and Travis are among the other acts taking part.

The BBC reports that Geoff Emerick, the engineer in charge of the original sessions will use the same equipment to record the new versions.

Radio 2 controller Lesley Douglas said: "This will be not only a unique radio event, but a very special musical moment.

"The range and quality of artists involved ensure that this will be a fitting tribute to one of the great albums of all time."

There is no news yet on which track the artists concerned will cover.

Smashing Pumpkins reunion won't include Iha

2007-04-07T14:58:00.000-07:00

"Guitarist says he's too busy with label, solo project"

James Iha has revealed that he has no intention of being a part of the upcoming Smashing Pumpkins reunion.

The band's former guitarist is busy working on a solo album and his indie record label, and is not planning on joining his former band mates on their upcoming tour dates scheduled for this spring and summer.

"No, I'm not part of the current Smashing Pumpkins album or tour, I haven't spoken to Billy (Corgan) in years," Iha told Rolling Stone.

"I'm writing for a solo record, which I'm going to record this year, and working on my indie label Scratchie Records," he said.

It appears that the only original members on board for The Smashing Pumpkins reunion so far are Corgan and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain.

Springsteen Steals The Show At Springsteen Tribute

2007-04-06T13:25:00.000-07:00

Twenty artists paid tribute to the music of Bruce Springsteen at New York's Carnegie Hall last night (April 5), but it was the man himself who stole the show with a surprise performance. The lineup for the third in a continuing series of fundraisers for Music For Youth featured Odetta, Steve Earle, Ronnie Spector and Patti Smith, who sang the Springsteen-penned number that earned her a top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit, "Because the Night."

Prior to the Boss' appearance, the evening comprised several memorable performances, including stark acoustic readings of "Born in the U.S.A." and "Dancing in the Dark" by Joseph Arthur and Pete Yorn, respectively; a passionate "Streets of Fire" by Elysian Fields; and an infectiously charged "Atlantic City" by the Hold Steady.

When Springsteen, acoustic guitar and harmonica in hand, arrived on stage just after the anticipated last act had exited, the crowd leapt to its feet, remaining there for nearly 30 minutes. Springsteen opened with some thoughts on the evening up to that point, noting how it was both "lovely and harrowing" to see his songs performed, and making special mention of Odetta, who he said "just did the greatest version of '57 Channels' I ever heard."

He then launched into an inspired version of "The Promised Land," his gruff voice sounding closer than ever to Bob Dylan's.

From there it was into fan-favorite "Rosalita (Come Out Tonight)." But Springsteen interrupted it barely halfway through to joke that the song "was too damn long." A humorous nutshell-summary of his career followed, culminating with, "And then people came to New York City from miles around -- well, from the tri-state area, at least -- to hear his songs," drawing jubilant applause.

After closing the abridged "Rosalita," Springsteen called all the performers back to the stage for a group sing-along, this time for the complete, seven-minute "Rosalita." The Boss instructed they "trash the hell out of the thing," but it proved a rousing finish.

Charles Feldman, Music For Youth's chairman, said the benefit raised "well over" $100,000 for MFY. Meanwhile, the event's producer, Michael Dorf, revealed that the next MFY benefit is slated for Oct. 10, though the honoree is still to be named.

Ex-Kiss Guitarist Mark St. John Dies

2007-04-06T13:15:00.000-07:00

Former Kiss guitarist Mark St. John died yesterday morning (April 5) from an apparent brain hemorrhage. He was 51.

Born Mark Norton in Hollywood, Calif., St. John was Kiss' third official guitarist, having replaced Vinnie Vincent in 1984. By this point, Kiss had done away with its trademark makeup and costumes, but the group was enjoying a career renaissance. The lone Kiss album on which St. John appeared, "Animalize," re-established the group as one of the world's top arena metal bands. The album spawned the popular MTV video, "Heaven's on Fire" (the only Kiss video to feature St. John).

St. John's flashy playing reflected the era's Van Halen-influenced rock guitarists, but it certainly helped spark the material on "Animalize," which many fans consider one of Kiss' strongest non-makeup releases. However, right around the time Kiss was to launch a worldwide tour in support of the album, St. John was diagnosed with a form of arthritis called Reiter's Syndrome, which caused his hands and arms to swell, and prevented him from playing guitar.

Guitarist Bruce Kulick filled in (St. John did manage to play one full show with the group, and portions of a few others) and eventually replaced St. John as Kiss' permanent guitarist.

His medical condition improved after leaving Kiss, and St. John launched a pop/metal outfit, White Tiger, with ex-Black Sabbath singer David Donato. Since then, St. John briefly teamed up with original Kiss drummer Peter Criss in a group that didn't release any recordings, and appeared as a guest speaker at Kiss conventions. In 2001, he released an all-instrumental album, "Magic Bullet Theory."

Wilson Just 'One Of The Boys' On New CD

2007-04-05T13:42:00.000-07:00

Country star Gretchen Wilson has set a May 15 release date for her third album, "One of the Boys," which will be released by Columbia in the wake Epic Nashville's closure last year. Wilson co-produced the 11-track set with Mark Wright and her Muzik Mafia mate John Rich of Big & Rich.

Rich also guests on first single "Come To Bed," which has thus far topped out at No. 32 on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart. The new album is the follow-up to 2005's "All Jacked Up," which has sold 1.2 million copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Lyrically, I think I reached a little further inside for a few of these songs," she tells Billboard. "But there is still a lot of ass-kicking country on it."

Wilson begins an extensive tour May 19 in Atlanta.

Here is the track list for "One of the Boys":

"The Girl I Am"
"Come To Bed" (featuring John Rich)
"One of the Boys"
"You Don't Have To Go Home"
"Heaven Help Me"
"There's a Place in the Whiskey"
"If You Want a Mother"
"Pain Killer"
"There Goes the Neighborhood"
"Good Ole Boy"
"To Tell You the Truth"

Chris Lighty: Hip-Hop's Dealmaker

2007-04-05T13:34:00.000-07:00

BEVERLY HILLS, Calif. - Yes, 50 Cent is one of rap's most lucrative entertainers. Yes, he's sold more than 11 million albums, and yes, he has built a rap empire.

But no, 50 can't count on selling his usual million albums the first week in these troubled musical times _ which is why he needs manager Chris Lighty more than ever.

Lighty didn't get to be hip-hop's go-to dealmaker by accepting the status quo. So while sales may be down, Lighty is still working magic to make sure 50 _ and other high-profile clientele like Diddy and Busta Rhymes _ keep getting very paid.

During an interview in the swank cafe of the opulent Beverly Hills Hotel, Lighty rattles off various opportunities for 50, including a vitamin supplement deal, a role in a Brett Ratner movie, and his own condom line. Coming soon for another client, LL Cool J? A Chapstick deal for the rapper known for licking his lips.

"Now you have to as many strategic alliances as possible to market your music and market your brand, to grow the brand and then in turn hopefully grow and help another brand," says Lighty.

"As music sales go down because kids are stealing it off the Internet and trading it and iPod sales continue to rise, you can't rely on just the income that you would make off of being an artist."

It's an aggressive and diverse strategy as the recording industry grapples with sharply declining record sales _ but not a new one for the 38-year-old Lighty, who has been a player in the hip-hop game since he was a kid DJ some two decades ago. He rose through the ranks at Rush Management (Russell Simmons' first company) before eventually founding Violator Management 10 years ago (Mona Scott and James Cruz are partners).

"A lot of people look up to Chris Lighty because of the blueprint that he's laid over the years," says Grouchy Greg, founder of the leading rap Web site allhiphop.com. "He started with KRS-One and Scott La Rock, and if you listen to early hip-hop records, you'll hear early mentioning of him. He's been instrumental in a number of influential artists' careers."

Now, with a roster ranging from Academy Award-winners Three 6 Mafia to maverick Missy Elliott to up-and-comer Papoose, Lighty's mission is to not so much to make musical superstars, but multifaceted entertainers who can be marketed in an array of ways: a sneaker deal here, a soft drink partnership there, a movie role down the road.

"He has helped me establish accomplishments on the level of business moves that have been very, very, very, very lucrative for me," says Busta Rhymes, who has worked with Lighty for years.

On this day, a tour Lighty is setting up for Diddy and Snoop Dogg is causing him headaches. He constantly checks his Blackberry during the interview (he jokes that he only shuts the device off when he falls asleep, "whenever that is, and whenever I wake up I still look at it.")

Headaches and violence are part of the job, especially when you work with 50 Cent. The latest is the arrest of G-Unit member and 50 Cent BFF Tony Yayo, for an alleged assault on the 14-year-old son of a rap rival. Lighty was by Yayo's side after his recent arrest.

Then there are the more mundane troubles _ a client with sagging sales, another looking for more attention, another questioning the direction of his or her career.

"I've had the 'How'd you mess me up?'" Lighty says. "I rewind back in time, and say, 'I?' We always make this decision together ... we always collectively make the decision. When things go left, we come up with emergency plans, and plan B, and C and D if necessary to move a project around."

"We've gotten blamed, and then unblamed quickly," he adds with a laugh.

He's had to tell clients to stop throwing money at a project that's not doing well. Or he's worked even harder than expected to boost things for a client: "With Lil' Scrappy right now we're having a hard way with his album but I still believe in him as a star."

But the commitment remains, through hits or duds. His relationship with many of his clients go back years _ Diddy, an old friend, signed on recently for promotion of his latest album, "Press Play," and clients like LL Cool J, who is coming out with a new album later in the year, have been connected to Lighty for more than a decade.

That's why Rhymes stays with Lighty _ and why, he says, no other agency has even tried to steal him away.

"They see the loyalty, they see the commitment, they also see the success and they see the history. And I don't think a lot of people have the courage to compete yet," he said. "What they would have to be offering me doesn't even exist yet."

On the Net:

http://www.violator.com

U.K. Gets New Anti-Piracy Powers

2007-04-05T13:19:00.000-07:00

New powers giving U.K. trade officials the right to seize physical copies of pirated music come into effect for the first time (April 6).

The move had been recommended by the 2006 Gowers Review, an independent report that re-examined U.K. copyright law, conducted by former Financial Times editor Andrew Gowers.

The move updates the country's Copyright, Designs and Patents Act (1988). This allowed trading standard officials the power to seize pirated brands like fake handbags, clothing, and shoes but, until now, the legislation did not apply to physical copies of copyrighted works such as music and movies.

According to the most recent figures from the BPI, the U.K.'s music-industry trade body, the sector loses about 16.5 million units of albums to piracy. That is valued at an estimated £165 million ($326 million) a year.

Previously, only piracy raids backed by police authorities could seize illegal recordings. But the new additions to the Copyright Act give the U.K.'s Trading Standard officers similar powers to the police. Section 107a grants trade officers the power to seize illegal CDs and other pirated physical musical recordings; and Section 198a grants them the right to seize bootleg recordings of live performances.

The legislative move, which comes 13 years after the BPI started lobbying the British government to amend the law, has been welcomed by Geoff Taylor, the BPI's recently appointed CEO.

"We are pleased that the government has now corrected the long-standing anomaly that prevented the Trading Standards from protecting copyright in the same way that they protect brands," he said in a statement. "This opens a new front in the fight against music piracy."

McBride Song Soundtracks Anti-Violence Campaign

2007-04-04T16:12:00.000-07:00

Martina McBride, a longtime advocate of anti-domestic violence efforts, including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, is lending her support to Lifetime Television's anti-violence campaign.

McBride's current hit country single, "Anyway," which she co-wrote with Brad and Brett Warren, will anchor a video trailer that will feature scenes from her her "Anyway" video, faces of sexual assault survivors by photographer Nobuko Oyabu and scenes from a new Lifetime movie, "A Life Inspired."

The movie, which stars Lea Thompson, is the story of Debbie Smith, who after a brutal sexual assault in her own backyard, became the voice, face and name behind one of most effective pieces of anti-rape legislation in American history. The legislation, known as "The Debbie Smith Act," helped to eliminate the nationwide backlog of untested DNA kits.

The video trailer will air at the end of the film and will be highlighted in an online viral e-card encouraging involvement in the cause. "It's always great when your music not only entertains but makes a difference in others lives," McBride tells Billboard.com. "Lifetime Television also does that with their programming. It's a good fit for me."

McBride has done several projects with Lifetime, including speaking at an anti-domestic violence event in Washington, D.C., where she met Smith. "I'm always thrilled to be associated with this network," McBride says. "They appeal to women of all ages and they take that seriously by also enlightening and uplifting women. I have three daughters so this means a great deal to me."

The movie premieres April 23 at 9 p.m. ET on Lifetime. McBride's new album, "Waking Up Laughing," was released yesterday.

The Shins, Wu-Tang, Crowded House Set For Bumbershoot

2007-04-04T11:20:00.000-07:00

The Shins, the Wu-Tang Clan, Panic! At The Disco, the reformed Crowded House and Lupe Fiasco lead the initial lineup for the 2007 installment of Bumbershoot: Seattle's Music & Arts Festival. The event will be held Sept. 1-3 throughout the Seattle Center. Steve Earle, Devotchka, Devendra Banhart, Roky Erickson, Allison Moorer and Magnolia Electric Company are also on the bill.

Rounding out the lineup are Gogol Bordello, Kill Hannah, Norma Jean, Plain White T's, the Gourds, Lyrics Born and the Holmes Brothers, with scores of acts to be announced. This year's Bumbershoot will be the first since organizers One Reel linked with AEG Live to bolster talent buying and sponsorship resources.

"They have been a great sounding board on our mainstage talent, since we were pretty far along in our bookings when we officially entered into our collaboration with AEG," One Reel artistic director Michele Scoleri tells Billboard.biz. "Our mutual focus this year has been to maintain Bumbershoot's unique identity. I think people will find we did just that this year while simultaneously making our lineup among the heaviest hitting to date."

Bumbershoot's non-musical activities will include three stages of comedy (up from two last year), the Flatstock poster art fair, readings from writers Miranda July and "This American Life" contributor Davy Rothbart, visual arts exhibitions, dance and theatre performances and the 1 Reel Film Festival.

"The foremost thing that distinguishes Bumbershoot is our pairing of the arts with popular music," Scoleri says. "We are still the only festival doing contemporary dance, theater and literary arts. Bumbershoot is urban, which lends itself to a much different experience because we have both indoor and outdoor venues. If you come to Bumbershoot, you have the chance to discover the next Modest Mouse or Death Cab For Cutie, two Northwest bands that have played Bumbershoot since the beginning of their careers."

Bumbershoot three-day passes can be ordered through the event's Web sitefor $75 through Aug. 17, after which the price increases to $95. Single-day tickets are $30 and go on sale July 13.

Fiction Plane Flight With New Album

2007-04-04T10:59:00.000-07:00

U.K. rock act Fiction Plane will release its second album, "Left Side of the Brain," May 22 via Bieler Bros., just before it begins its run as the opening act for the North American leg of the Police's reunion tour. The album is the follow-up to 2003's "Everything Will Never Be OK," Fiction Plane's lone release for MCA.

Since being dropped from Geffen last year, the band has "had tons of tunes swimming about without a home," frontman Joe Sumner tells Billboard.com. "When we scheduled this album we basically picked our favorite songs from the whole period. Then we took a month off and six brand new songs just plopped out of the sky, which now form the basis of the album. The single 'Two Sisters' was the first song which immediately felt like a hit single but which didn't feel like any kind of sell-out. In a lot of ways this feels like a debut album from a new band."

And while the 2005 EP "Bitter Forces and Lame Race Horses" featured more of a piano-oriented sound than the debut album, the new material returns to a guitar-driven approach. Sumner has also switched from guitar to bass following the departure of multi-instrumentalist Dan Brown last year.

"I'd say overall it's more groove-oriented than our previous stuff," Sumner says. "There's very little in the way of overdubs and nothing we can't pull off live. Musically we've lost a lot of fear. We're moving through quite a few genres from song to song, sometimes even during the course of a song. We're trying to make this epic album into an epic journey of epic proportions."

Sumner and drummer Pete Wilhoit admit the band was in an uncertain place at the end of last year, before the Police tour became a reality (Sumner is Sting's oldest son). "We didn't know what was going to happen with the band, and then the 'gift' was presented to us," Wilhoit says. "After we knew were going to play arenas and stadiums, we wanted to make an album that would play well in those venues. It's a trio, but it's never sounded bigger."

Beyond the single "Two Sisters," tracks include the stadium-ready opener "Anyone," "It's a Lie" and "Death Machine." Says Sumner, "I always tend to focus on the bad stuff so there's a healthy dose of alienation, war, death, alcoholism, hypocrisy, vanity and misogyny going on."

Here is the track list for "Left Side of the Brain":

"Anyone"
"Death Machine"
"Two Sisters"
"It's a Lie"
"Left Side"
"Cold Water Symmetry"
"Running the Country"
"Drink"
"Presuppose"
"Cross the Line"
"Fake Light From the Sun"

Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts

2007-04-03T15:49:00.000-07:00

Carrie Underwood - Some Hearts
Released: November, 15, 2005
Record Label: Arista

Album Review

Given the tightly controlled nature of American Idol, it's a wonder that the televised talent contest has never produced a winner who specialized in country music, since there's no segment of modern popular music that is controlled tighter than contemporary country. Maybe this thought was in the minds of Simon Fuller and the rest of AmIdol's 19 management when they went into their fourth season in 2005, since as soon as fresh-faced Oklahoma blonde Carrie Underwood showed up in the audition rounds, the judges -- alright, specifically Simon Cowell -- pigeonholed her as a country singer, even if there was nothing specifically country about her sweet, friendly voice.

From that point on, she was not only the frontrunner, but anointed as the show's first country winner, which apparently proved more enticing to the voters and the producers than the prospect of the show's first rock & roll winner in the guise of the Southern-fried hippie throwback Bo Bice. Which makes sense: cute, guileless young girls have a broader appeal than hairy 30-somethings. They're easier to sell and mold too, and Underwood proved particularly ideal in this regard since she was a blank slate, possessing a very good voice and an unthreatening prettiness that would be equally marketable and likeable in either country or pop.

So, the powers that be decided that Underwood would be a contemporary country singer in the vein of Faith Hill -- she'd sing anthemic country pop, ideal for either country or adult contemporary radio, with none of the delightful tackiness of Shania Twain -- and her debut album, Some Hearts, not only hits this mark exactly, it's better than either album Hill has released since Breathe in 1999. Which isn't to say that Carrie Underwood is as compelling or as distinctive as a personality or vocalist as Faith Hill: Underwood is still developing her own style and, for as good a singer as she is, she doesn't have much of a persona beyond that of the girl next door made good. But that's enough to make Some Hearts work, since she's surrounded by professionals, headed by producers Mark Bright and Dann Huff, who know how to exploit that persona effectively. While some of the songs drift a little bit toward the generic, especially in regard to the adult contemporary ballads, most of the material is slick, sturdy, and memorable, delivered with conviction by Underwood.

She sounds equally convincing on such sentimental fare as "Jesus, Take the Wheel" as on the soaring pop "Some Hearts," and even if she doesn't exactly sound tough on the strutting "Before He Cheats," she does growl with a fair amount of passion. In fact, the worst thing here is her chart-topping post-American Idol hit "Inside Your Heaven," which is as formulaic as the mainstream country-pop that comprises the rest of Some Hearts, but with one crucial difference: the formula doesn't work, the song is too sappy and transparent, the arrangement too cold.

On the rest of Some Hearts, everything clicks -- the production is warm, the tunes inoffensive but ingratiating, it straddles the country and pop worlds with ease, and most importantly, it's every bit as likeable as Carrie was on American Idol. Which means that even if she's not nearly as sassy or charismatic as Kelly Clarkson -- she's not as spunky as Nashville Star finalist Miranda Lambert, for that matter -- Carrie Underwood has delivered the best post-AmIdol record since Clarkson's debut.

Fergie Biography

2007-04-03T14:41:00.000-07:00

Like Martika, Jennifer Love Hewitt, and Rahsaan Patterson, Stacy "Fergie" Ferguson got her first major break as a youngster on the television program Kids Incorporated. Born in 1975, she did voice work for The Charlie Brown and Snoopy Show, as well as commercials, prior to becoming a Kids Incorporated regular from 1984 through 1989. Along with Stefanie Ridel and fellow Kids Incorporated alum Renee Ilene Sandstrom, Ferguson formed Wild Orchid, a teen pop group that released a pair of albums during the late '90s.

A few years after the group's split, Ferguson joined the Black Eyed Peas in time to record 2003's Elephunk. She became central to the group's mainstream success ("Let's Get It Started," "My Humps") and released her first solo album, The Dutchess, during September 2006.

Daddy Yankee Drafts Fergie, Akon For New Album

2007-04-03T13:17:00.000-07:00

Reggaeton star Daddy Yankee has Akon and the Black Eyed Peas' Fergie and will.i.am in his corner on "The Cartel: The Big Boss," due June 5 via El Cartel/Interscope. The first single is the Scott Storch-produced "Impacto," an English remix of which will feature Fergie.

Other guests on "The Cartel" include Jim Jones and the Pussycat Dolls' Nicole Scherzinger. Production was supplied by Akon, will.i.am, Mr. ColliPark, Eli "El Musicologo", Tiny Tunes, Diesel and Menace.

"The Cartel" is the follow-up to Daddy Yankee's 2004 breakthrough "Barrio Fino," which reached No. 1 on both the Top Latin and Top Tropical Albums charts. It featured the hits "Gasolina," "Lo Que Paso, Paso" and "No Me Dejes Solo."

Meanwhile, the artist is slated to make his film debut in "Talento de Barrio," due later this year. He is also in the midst of launching a charitable organization, Fundacion Corazon Guerrero.

Bruce Springsteen With The Seeger Sessions Band Live in Dublin on CD/DVD

2007-04-03T13:02:00.000-07:00

To commemorate his 2006 detour with his New Orleans-themed Seeger Sessions Band, Bruce Springsteen will release a live CD/DVD this summer that captures a 2006 performance with the outfit.

"Bruce Springsteen With The Seeger Sessions Band Live in Dublin" will be available online and in stores on June 5 via Columbia. The 23-track release will include a concert DVD and a separate two-CD set. It will be culled from the band's three-night stand at the Point in Dublin in November 2006.

Throughout the Seeger Sessions tour Springsteen traditionally performed the bulk of the album "We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions," versions of "When the Saints Go Marching In" and "This Little Light of Mine" and reworked versions of his own songs, such as "Johnny 99," "Open All Night," "The River" and "Atlantic City."

The three Dublin shows also saw the tour debut of a number of Springsteen-penned tracks, including "Highway Patrolman" and "For You."

Of late, the artist is rumored to have been spending time in Atlanta, where he recorded 2002's "The Rising" with producer Brendan O'Brien.

Here is the track list for "Live in Dublin":

"Atlantic City"
"Old Dan Tucker"
"Eyes on the Prize"
"Jesse James"
"Further on Up the Road"
"O Mary Don't You Weep"
"Erie Canal"
"If I Should Fall Behind"
"My Oklahoma Home"
"Highway Patrolman"
"Mrs. McGrath"
"How Can a Poor Man Stand Such Times and Live"
"Jacob's Ladder"
"Long Time Comin'"
"Open All Night"
"Pay Me My Money Down"
"Growin' Up"
"When the Saints Go Marching In"
"This Little Light of Mine"
"American Land"
"Blinded By the Light" (Credits)

Bonus Songs:
"Love of the Common People"
"We Shall Overcome"

"The Lost Tracks of Danzig."

2007-04-03T12:31:00.000-07:00

Hard rock pioneer Glenn Danzig has trolled through his archives for the 26-track collection "The Lost Tracks of Danzig." The double-disc set, which features all previously unreleased material, is due May 29 via evilive. Some of the uncovered songs were nearly finished, while others required new vocal and instrumental parts.

The track list runs chronologically. The first two cuts, "Pain Like an Animal" and "When Death Had No Name," root in late Samhain but evolved into two of the very first Danzig tracks, intended for the band's self-titled debut. "Angels of the Seventh Dawn" was originally recorded for the 1990 album "Danzig II: Lucifuge," while "Crawl Across Your Killing Floor" was considered for "Danzig 6: Satan's Child," and "White Devil Rise," was recorded for 1994's "Danzig 4p."

Also included are covers of T-Rex's "Buick McKane," David Bowie's "Cat People," the Germs' "Caught in My Eye" and a sparse acoustic version of "Come to Silver" originally written for Johnny Cash.

Danzig was most recently heard from on last year's "Black Aria 2," which reached No. 8 on Billboard's Top Classical Crossover Albums chart.

Here is the track list for "Lost Tracks of Danzig":

Disc one:
"Pain Is Like an Animal"
"When Death Had No Name"
"Angel of the Seventh Dawn"
"You Should be Dying"
"Cold, Cold Rain"
"Buick McKane"
"When Death Had No Name"
"Satan's Crucifiction"
"The Mandrake's Cry"
"White Devil Rise"
"Come to Silver (acoustic)"
"Deep"
"Warlok"

Disc two:
"Lick the Blood Off My Hands"
"Crawl Across Your Killing Floor"
"I Know Your Lie"
"Caught in My Eye"
"Cat People"
"Bound by Blood"
"Who Claims the Soulless"
"Malefical"
"Soul Eater"
"Dying Seraph"
"Lady Lucifera"
"Under Belly of the Beast"
"Unspeakable Shango Mix"

Amy Winehouse - Frank

2007-04-02T15:04:00.000-07:00

Amy Winehouse - Frank
Released: December, 02, 2003
Record Label: Island

If a series of unfortunate comparisons (like the ones to follow) cause listeners to equate British vocalist Amy Winehouse with Macy Gray, it's only natural. Both come on like a hybrid of Billie Holiday and Lauryn Hill who's had a tipple and then attempted one more late-night set at a supper-club than they should have. Despite her boozy persona and loose-limbed delivery, though, Winehouse is an excellent vocalist possessing both power and subtlety, the latter an increasingly rare commodity among contemporary female vocalists (whether jazz or R&B).

What lifts her above Macy Gray is the fact that her music and her career haven't been marketed within an inch of their life. Instead of Gray's stale studio accompaniments, Winehouse has talented musicians playing loose charts behind her with room for a few solos. Instead of a series of vocal mellifluities programmed to digital perfection, Winehouse's record has the feeling of being allowed to grow on its own -- without being meddled with and fussed over (and losing its soul in the process).

Simply hearing Winehouse vamp for a few minutes over some Brazilian guitar lines on "You Sent Me Flying" is a rare and immense pleasure. Also, like Nellie McKay (but unlike nearly all of her contemporaries), Winehouse songs like "Fuck Me Pumps," "Take the Box," and "I Heard Love Is Blind" cast a cool, critical gaze over the music scene, over the dating scene, and even over the singer herself. With "In My Bed," she even proves she can do a commercial R&B production, and a club version of "Moody's Mood for Love" not only solidifies her jazz credentials but proves she can survive in the age of Massive Attack.

EMI, Apple Team To Offer DRM-Free Music

2007-04-02T14:31:00.000-07:00

EMI Music has agreed to make its entire digital repertoire available free of digital rights management (DRM) restrictions, effective immediately. The move is groundbreaking for a major multinational music company such as EMI, as the majors have so far insisted that all their digitally distributed music be DRM-protected.

EMI's new "higher quality" DRM-free music will first be available on Apple's iTunes Music Store for $1.29 a track. At this morning's (April 2) press conference in London, EMI Group CEO Eric Nicoli and Apple CEO Steve Jobs were joined by Parlophone/EMI act the Good, the Bad & the Queen, who performed two songs.

The new premium versions of EMI's digital songs will complement the existing DRM-protected songs that iTunes is already selling. Other online music retailers are expected to come on board soon. Apple paid a $5 million advance to EMI for the right to sell music with DRM, sources familiar with the situation say. Apple and EMI declined comment.

Jobs called the EMI move the "next big step forward in the digital music revolution" and publicly appealed to "all other major and independent labels" to follow EMI's lead. He declined to reveal details of negotiations with other labels, but predicted that half of iTunes' catalog could be offered DRM-free by the end of 2007.

Nicoli said the move reflected EMI's philosophy and strategy of being "committed to embracing change and to developing products and services that consumers really want to buy.'' He added that EMI's attitude to its digital music offer was, "It needs to be good value for money, needs to offer choice and needs to be simple to understand and easy to use."

Industry observers and consumer groups have argued that digital music sales would not accelerate unless Apple dropped its proprietary DRM system, which locks iTunes customers into playing their music only on iPod digital players.

"From an iTunes perspective, we don't think most of our customers are hitting up against the limitations of the DRM," says Eddie Cue, VP of applications for Apple. "But the ability to know that the files could be used in the future without having to burn and rip a CD is an insurance policy that is worth a lot."

Apple digitizes its stock of tracks in the AAC format using its Fairplay DRM software, which prevents pirates from making unauthorized copies but also stops consumers from making unlimited copies for personal use. Conversely, digital music downloaded via other DRM software will not play on the iPod.

In February, Jobs publicly blamed the majors' insistence on using DRM for stalling improvement in digital sales. EMI began testing the DRM-free waters by releasing recordings by Norah Jones, Relient K and Lily Allen in unprotected MP3 format late last year.

EMI's embrace of DRM-free tracks was met with a string on no comments from reps for the other major labels. So far, EMI is the only label to pursue such a strategy but the move places increased pressure on the other majors to offer their catalogs in a similar fashion.

Privately, sources at rival majors are expressing annoyance that EMI is jumping head first into a DRM-free environment without adequate research and testing.

Bjork Voices Emotional Extremes On 'Volta'

2007-04-02T14:05:00.000-07:00

Bjork may be back to using instruments on her albums, but the human voice is still the highlight of the Icelandic artist's forthcoming "Volta." Due May 8 via One Little Indian/Atlantic, the 10-track album features a decidedly minimalist and meditative approach to its arrangements, including contributions from a brass section and tight drum patterns.

Beats produced by Timbaland are prominently featured on three tracks: the intense opener "Earth Intruders" (which hits iTunes April 9) the space-age "Innocence" and "Hope." The latter lyrically alludes to the quandary of terrorism, with Bjork singing, "What's the lesser of two evils? / If a suicide bomber made to look pregnant / Manages to kill her target or not? / If she kills them or dies in vain? / Nature has fixed no limits on our hopes."

Antony Hegarty's quivering voice is a significant presence on the love song "Dull Flame of Desire," trading off with Bjork's floating melody over layers of brass. He is also heard on "My Juvenile," a track about motherhood. "I See Who You Are" features a contribution by Min Xiao-Fen on the pipa, a Chinese lute.

Thematically, "Volta" sways between paranoia, defiance and alienation to love, introspection and hope. Tracks like "Earth Intruders," "Vertebrae by Vertebrae" and "Declare Independence" are the most aggressive, her voice reaching feverish pitches amid eerie, glitchy arrangements. Balance is restored with several slow cuts, such as "Pneumonia" and "Dull Flame of Desire."

Bjork is taking to the road in North America this spring, beginning with her April 27 appearance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in Indio, Calif. The itinerary also includes May 2, 5 and 8 shows in New York at Radio City Music Hall, the United Palace Theater and the Apollo, respectively.

Here is the track list for "Volta":

"Earth Intruders"
"Wanderlust"
"Dull Flame of Desire"
"Innocence"
"I See Who You Are"
"Vertebrae by Vertebrae"
"Pnuemonia"
"Hope"
"Declare Independence"
"My Juvenile"

'Guitar Hero' Team Adds Partners For 'Rock Band'

2007-04-02T13:51:00.000-07:00

The developers behind the hit interactive game "Guitar Hero" are launching a new franchise called "Rock Band" that targets virtual singers, bass players and drummers, as well as axmen.

The game, which was created Harmonix, a unit of Viacom's MTV Networks, is expected to be available by Christmas via Electronic Arts. It will be compatible with the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 gaming systems.

"Rock Band" players perform songs from popular rock acts using four peripheral "instruments" -- microphone, lead and bass guitars and drums. Users can form their own virtual bands with friends, or go online to play with others.

Harmonix has inked deals with EMI Recorded Music, Hollywood Records, Warner Music Group's Rhino Entertainment, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group to supply master recordings by their artists for use in "Rock Band." It has agreements in place with EMI Music Publishing and Warner Chappell Music to clear publishing rights for "Rock Band." Plans also are in the works to sell digital downloads through the online gaming environment.

MTVN acquired Harmonix last October for $175 million, but the rights to "Guitar Hero" were not part of the deal. The intellectual property to that game is controlled by Harmonix's previous publisher Red Octane, which sold itself to Activision last spring for $100 million.

The original "Guitar Hero" has sold more than 1 million units worldwide since its release in 2005, and continues to sell more than 10,000 per week in the U.S., according to NPD. The sequel, "Guitar Hero II" has sold more than 2 million copies worldwide since its release last year, and continues to sell more than 40,000 per week in the U.S.

In buying the brains behind "Guitar Hero," MTV is banking that Harmonix can create equally compelling games. "Rock Band" marks the first step in that effort. "We are striving to create a new platform that allows people to connect with their favorite music and artists in like they never have before," says Jeff Yapp, executive VP of MTV Program Enterprises.

The introduction of "Rock Band" comes as Activision and Red Octane prepare to launch a version of "Guitar Hero II" on Xbox 360 tomorrow (April 3_ in North America. Up to now it has been only available for PlayStation 2. The new Xbox version of the game will feature additional master recordings and downloadable songs from Xbox live.

It also sets Harmonix up for a potential showdown with "Guitar Hero" this holiday season. Activision reportedly is working on a new version of "Guitar Hero" in connection with game developer Neversoft that it hopes to release during its current fiscal year ending March 2008. There is no word yet if it will be available by Christmas.

Furtado, Billy Talent Win Big At Junos

2007-04-02T13:39:00.000-07:00

With five major wins, Nelly Furtado swept Canada's Juno Awards over the weekend. A total of 39 Juno trophies were handed out over two nights, Saturday (March 31) and Sunday (April 1) in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

Furtado, host of the two-hour CTV televised event on Sunday, won the five categories in which she was nominated: artist, album and pop album (both for her third Mosley Music Group/Geffen album, "Loose"), top single for "Promiscuous" and the Fan Choice Award.

Furtado made her entrance as host flying down on cables in a snazzy black-plumed bird costume. Later she appeared in a glittery black suit for a medley of songs with Toronto rapper Saukrates, including "Promiscuous," "Say It Right" and "Maneater."

Atlantic/WEA pop/rock band Billy Talent, which opened the show, was the only other act to win multiple Junos. Tied with Furtado for five nominations, the band won top group as well as in the rock album category for its sophomore album "Billy Talent II."

With just seven trophies given out, Sunday's national TV broadcast was primarily about performances. Artists including Furtado, the Tragically Hip, Patrick Watson, City and Colour, Billy Talent, Gregory Charles and Three Days Grace performed in front of an audience of some 13,000 fans at Saskatoon's Credit Union Centre. Montreal's rap-rock band DJ Champion closed the show in a fitting climax.

One of the evening's most poignant moments was the induction of producer and former Payolas guitarist Bob Rock into the Canadian Music Hall of Fame. This was in recognition of his work producing Motley Crue, Metallica, the Tragically Hip and Bryan Adams, as well as engineering albums for Aerosmith and Bon Jovi.

Singer/songwriter Tomi Swick won for top new artist, while Toronto-based jacksoul's "mySOUL" on Sony BMG was voted top R&B/soul recording. Montreal rockers Mobile, who record for M&B Records/Universal Music, won the top new group category.

Swollen Members' "Black Magic" album on Swollen Members Music garnered an award for top rap recording, and George Canyon's "Somebody Wrote Love" on Reiny Dawg Music took the honors for top country recording. Cape Breton's Gordie Sampson took home a Juno for top songwriter. The Dixie Chicks were winners in the international album category for "Taking the Long Way."

Heaven And Hell Commits NYC Show To CD/DVD

2007-04-02T13:19:00.000-07:00

Heaven And Hell, the resurrected, renamed, Ronnie James Dio-fronted version of Black Sabbath, kicked off the U.S. portion of its spring tour Friday (March 30) at New York's Radio City Music Hall during a show that was recorded for a live CD and DVD release later this year.

The packed show, weighted toward Sabbath's "Heaven and Hell" album, featured "The Devil Cried" and "Shadow of the Wind," two of the three new songs recorded for Rhino's new anthology, "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years," out today.

As Grim Reaper-like figures and massive crosses were projected on a curtain behind them, the Dio-led lineup seemed no worse for the years apart.

While it's been a decade since their last proper tour, Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Vinny Appice wowed a passionate and loud audience that roared during such classics as "Heaven and Hell," "The Sign of the Southern Cross" and the show-closing "Neon Knights."

"It's not about us, it's about you," Dio said toward the end of the show, thanking the crowd. "You supported us through the years, with and without Sabbath." Friday's show followed a string of Canadian dates. A longer run with Megadeth and Machine Head gets underway April 22 in Phoenix.

Here is Heaven And Hell's set list:

"After All (The Dead)"
"The Mob Rules"
"Children of the Sea"
"Lady Evil"
"I"
"The Sign of the Southern Cross"
"Voodoo"
"The Devil Cried"
Drum Solo
"Computer God"
"Falling Off the Edge of the World"
"Shadow of the Wind"
Iommi Solo
"Die Young"
"Heaven and Hell"

Encore:
"Lonely Is the Word"
"Neon Knights"

Danity Kane Keeping The 'Show' Going On New CD

2007-04-02T13:11:00.000-07:00

The show isn't stopping for Danity Kane. The "Making the Band 3" quintet, whose self-titled album debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 last August and launched the hits "Show Stopper" and "Ride for You," plans a fall release for its sophomore set and is already working on tracks for the as-yet-untitled project.

"We're working on our new album as we speak," the group's Aubrey O'Day tells Billboard.com, adding, "Most of the stuff we're working on right now is our own stuff we're writing and producing ourselves, within the group, and hopefully will get some placement."

Bandmate Dawn Angelique Richard admits that the platinum success of "Danity Kane" put some definite pressure on what the group does next. "To me, this is the turning point. This determines whether or not you're legit," she says. "The first album was fantastic and has had such success, but I think the biggest thing is your staying power. It's one thing to have one hit album, but it's quite another to have longevity, so it's very important that we make decisions that keep us in the game for a long time."

Richard says the five Danity Kane members have ProTools on their individual laptops and have been trading song ideas with each other. "Making the Band" producer Diddy remains involved but is also "giving us an opportunity to spread our wings and fly on our own." The group is considering some of the producers who worked on "Danity Kane" -- including Timabland, Scott Storch, Bryan Michael Cox and others -- but is also "trying to open up doors for new, independent producers or producers that have been kind of underground and are really talented."

Also under discussion is another season on MTV, this time documenting the aftermath of the first album's release, the group's current concert tour opening for Christina Aguilera and the making of the next album.

"There's always some type of cameras on us, whether it's MTV or our own personal cameras," Richard says with a laugh. And regardless of what MTV does, she says Danity Kane plans to keep its assorted Web sites filled with private and backstage footage.

"We are an Internet-based group," Richard explains. "We got our success off the Internet, and we definitely talk to our fans with our web sites and our MySpace and want to give them some inside access to Danity Kane with our own cameras."

Schnauss Says Hello Again With 'Goodbye'

2007-04-02T13:06:00.000-07:00

After laboring for the better part of two years, German electronica artist Ulrich Schnauss has set a July 10 release for his third album, "Goodbye." The 10-track Domino set features vocals on a handful of tracks from prior contributor Judith Beck, as well as a collaboration with Rob McVey of U.K. rock act Longview, of which Schnauss is now a full-time member.

Throughout, the music evokes the best moments of early Lush and My Bloody Valentine, a sound Schnauss obsessed over for months on end. "Sound-wise, I wanted to take the whole layering idea to the next level," he tells Billboard.com. "There's far more stuff happening in these tracks than on the previous two records. It just became really difficult to mix it in the right way. Some of these songs have about 100 tracks playing simultaneously, and I had a lot of trouble getting the balance right."

Schnauss says the Beck-featuring track "Stars" was a particular brain-teaser, "because it has a high dynamic range. It's starts pretty quiet and then gets really loud towards the end. It got a bit out of control."

"Up until last summer, I was really unhappy with this record and really frustrated," he admits. "I almost gave up on it. But in the last five or six months, I got it right, and now I'm very pleased with the results."

Schnauss' prior albums were released in Europe by the tiny German label City Centre Offices, but this time around, "Goodbye" is coming out via Independiente, home to Travis, Gomez and Martina Topley-Bird, among others.

"Last time, I think there was a gap of one year between the European and U.S. releases," he says. "This time, it is almost simultaneous. I'm really happy about it, because I enjoyed those trips to the U.S. and I'm working very closely with a lot of people in the underground scene there with this kind of music. To be honest, I think that scene in America is even more interesting than what's happening in Europe."

For now, Schnauss is in the studio with Longview making his first recordings with the group, but he is planning to tour this summer. "I'm still working on a new, hopefully a bit more interesting live setup, but that's not really finished," he says. "I had a really nice offer to play a small festival in New York in late June, so I'm thinking about using that as the first opportunity to play with a more improvisation-based setup."

Fridge Warms To 'Sun' After Six-Year Break

2007-04-02T12:49:00.000-07:00

U.K. experimental trio Fridge will break a six-year hiatus from the studio with a new album, "The Sun," due June 26 via Temporary Residence Ltd. In the time since 2001's "Happiness," group members Kieran Hebden (aka Four Tet) and Adem Ilhan have made names for themselves outside the context of Fridge, but returning to their roots was never far from their minds.

"We would talk about it all the time," Hebden tells Billboard.com of the group, which also features Sam Jeffers. "We've been friends since we were 13. Around Christmas or holidays when we'd all be off, we'd try to work on ideas and do bits of recording. Last year we had some time in the summer where we were finally able to go into the studio for a few weeks."

Guided by a desire to soak up "the pure enjoyment of the three of us being able to make music together," Fridge assembled new material by jamming in a rehearsal room and fleshing out the best bits with overdubs. "We love to use studio technology as an instrument, to take it beyond being a band recording," Hebden says.

Indeed, the simple, repetitive melodies of tracks like "Clocks" and "Oram" are enriched by all the music Fridge's members have soaked up since they last hit the studio. "People hearing Fridge seven or eight years ago, maybe it wasn't so clear the influence of things like hip-hop and dance music on us," Hebden says. "Now people know I've made a load of music heavily influenced by that stuff. It's hard not to listen and start to really notice the parallels."

If time permits, Hebden is hoping Fridge can play some shows this summer. The group performed for the first time in years last fall during Temporary Residence's 10th anniversary party in New York. "In the U.K., we toured a lot," he says. "We were 16 when the band got going, and we just couldn't even really cope with the idea of trying to push the band on a worldwide scale. We did one headline tour in America, but we never got as far as regularly touring each record."

R.E.M. to unveil tracks from new album

2007-04-01T14:14:00.000-07:00

DUBLIN, Ireland - R.E.M. plans to give fans a taste of tracks from their upcoming album during a series of gigs in Dublin this summer.

In a statement posted Friday on the R.E.M. Web site, the band said it would hold a five-night "working rehearsal" for the album at Dublin's Olympia Theatre June 30, July 1 and July 3-5.

Singer Michael Stipe said the concerts would provide "the great start we need for our next album's work."

"I intend to hit the ground running," he said.

Stipe and bandmates Peter Buck and Mike Mills are due to begin work on the as-yet-untitled 14th album this spring with producer Jacknife Lee.

Formed in Athens, Ga. almost 30 years ago, R.E.M. were college radio favorites in the 1980s with songs like "Radio Free Europe" and "Pretty Persuasion" before becoming mainstream stars with 1990s hits including "Losing My Religion" and "Everybody Hurts."

Their 13th album, "Around the Sun," was released in 2004.

The Beatles' music finally set for download release?

2007-04-01T14:05:00.000-07:00

Speculation is mounting that The Beatles' back catalogue will finally become available to download.

Apple have called a press conference at the EMI label headquarters in London tomorrow (April 2), where boss Steve Jobs will make a major announcement about iTunes.

The Beatles and Apple recently settled a long-running legal dispute over use of the Apple brand name, clearing the way for a deal to be struck over the digital release of their music. Since EMI control the band's catalogue, insiders are predicting that a deal between the two will be announced tomorrow.

The Beatles music has never been available to legally download before.

Recent changes in chart rules allowing downloads to count towards the singles chart have prompted speculation that when it is available, the band's music could dominate the UK Top 40.

Depending on the details of tomorrow's news, this could now happen as early as next Sunday (April 8). There is also speculation that the announcement could include information about the European launch of Apple's latest MP3 playing gadget, the iPhone, which is set to make its US debut this summer.

Proclaimers retain number one spot

2007-04-01T13:58:00.000-07:00

The Proclaimers have held onto the number one spot in the UK charts.

The Comic Relief version of their hit 'I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' featuring comedians Peter Kay and Matt Lucas holds onto the top spot, the song's first placing in the stop 40.

New chart rules means that the original version also makes it into the chart at number 29.

Meanwhile, Take That remain at the top of the album chart with 'Beautiful World'.

This week's top ten singles are:

1. 'Iâ€™m Gonna Be (500 Miles)' â€" The Proclaimers and Friends
2. 'Girlfriend' - Avril Lavigne.
3. 'The Sweet Escape' â€" Gwen Stefani ft Akon
4. 'Destination Calabria' â€" Alex Gaudino ft Crystal Waters
5. 'How To Save A Life' â€" The Fray
6. 'Glamorous' â€" Fergie ft Ludacris
7. 'Ruby' â€" Kaiser Chiefs
8. 'Shine' â€" Take That
9. 'What Goes Around Comes Around' â€" Justin Timberlake
10. 'Grace Kelly' - Mika

Lily Allen and The Bird And The Bee to relaunch New York venue

2007-04-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Irving Plaza to get overhaul from new owner

New York venue Irving Plaza is to be renamed Fillmore at Irving Plaza and is to be made over by its new owner.

Bought by promoter giants Live Nation, the venue will be renamed and redecorated to appear more like the legendary Fillmore Auditorium in San Francisco.

Famous for showcasing acts such as the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix and Janis Joplin, the Bill Graham-owned Fillmore Auditorium was one of the first venues in the US to specifically cater to live bands.

In addition to physical changes, the venue plans to offer free apples at the door, a tradition held at the San Francisco venue since opening its doors to live music in 1965

The original New York Fillmore venue, Fillmore East was located in the East Village and closed its doors in 1971 after Bill Graham became disillusioned with the music industry.

Lily Allen and The Bird And The Bee will perform at the venue's relaunch on April 11.

Daughtry Biography

2007-04-01T12:09:00.000-07:00

Bo Bice proved that American Idol could have a rocker as a finalist, but Chris Daughtry proved that the show could generate a successful rocker outside the context of the show. Of course, it helped that Daughtry was the polar opposite of Bice, a shaggy retro-rocker soaked in the South: bold and bald, he was the picture of a modern rocker, living by the rulebook written by Live and Fuel. These were the qualities that helped make Chris Daughtry the most successful new rock & roll singer of 2006.

Like any AmIdol finalist, Daughtry had a long run as an amateur musician. The North Carolina native -- born in Roanoke Rapids, he lived in Charlottesville, VA, before establishing himself in the Greensboro area -- began singing in local rock bands when he was 16 years old. He continued to play locally after his high-school graduation in 1998, marrying his girlfriend Deanna in 2000, a few months after the January 2000 birth of their son Griffin (he adopted Deanna's daughter from a previous marriage).

Family man he may have been, but Daughtry didn't let his rock & roll dream die, as he continued to play guitar and sing in a band called Absent Element. He auditioned for Rock Star: INXS in 2005 but was rejected -- a rejection that turned out to be rather fortunate since it freed him to audition for the far more popular televised singing competition American Idol. Daughtry was featured heavily during the show's seemingly never-ending audition rounds for two reasons: he was telegenic and he capitalized on the rocker promise of Bo Bice and Constantine Maroulis from the previous season. He was bald and handsome, he possessed a terrific smile, and his devotion to his family made for great TV. He sailed through to Hollywood and made it into the final 12, where he was hailed as a standout early on and soon seemed to be a favorite to win.

Daughtry mania began to peak in March when his rendition of Fuel's "Hemorrhage (In My Hands)" caused such a sensation that rumors began to fly that Fuel wanted to hire him as their lead singer -- something that proved no rumor, as the modern rock group, savoring the new press, practically pleaded for his presence after he was voted off the show. But this was still two long months away -- two months where he continued to be one of the top draws in the season, even courting some controversy when he sang Live's arrangement for Johnny Cash's "I Walk the Line." This moody reinterpretation was misinterpreted as a Daughtry original, and on the results show he had to clarify where he learned this version. Still, this controversy paled to when he was voted off the show in May: Daughtry was one of the final four and Katharine McPhee just narrowly beat him, a result that visibly shocked the rocker.

Daughtry would soon have the last laugh. After he was kicked off of Idol, he turned down Fuel's standing offer of replacing their lead singer and set off on his own career, signing with Idol's 19 Entertainment group and RCA Records in July of 2006. By the time the album materialized in November, it had turned into a project by a band called DAUGHTRY (spelled all in capital letters) -- the band featured guitarist Jeremy Brady, guitarist Josh Steely, bassist Josh Paul, and drummer Joey Barnes, but they did not play as a band on the finished album; Brady was replaced after the album's release by Brian Craddock -- a matter of semantics overlooked by most, especially in light of the album's blockbuster success.

Like many hotly anticipated albums of the SoundScan era, it debuted high on the charts but it didn't drop down quickly: it stayed in the Top Ten for month after month, as did the first single, "It's Not Over." This meant that DAUGHTRY was not only a huge hit by Idol standards, it was one of the few hit rock albums -- period -- in 2006. DAUGHTRY didn't debut at number one, but it climbed to the top in January 2007 (granted, it only sold about 65,000 copies the week it was at number one, but that's still an impressive feat) and stayed in the Top Ten well into the new year, as did the single "It's Not Over." By February, it was evident that his popularity eclipsed those of his American Idol rivals Taylor Hicks and Katharine McPhee.

Martina McBride - Waking Up Laughing

2007-03-31T16:52:00.000-07:00

Waking Up Laughing
MARTINA McBRIDE
Producer(s): Martina McBride
Label: RCA Nashville

The first album of original material that McBride has solo produced (she also handled "Timeless," her collection of country classics), "Waking Up Laughing" is another strong outing for one of country's most consistent stars. "Anyway," which marks McBride's first turn as a songwriter, is already a top five country airplay single, and there's plenty more to back it up. "How I Feel," another McBride co-write, is a driving description of what a loved one means to the singer, and "Love Land" tells the ultimately rewarding story of a couple whose marriage begins with an unplanned pregnancy. Not every song is uplifting, however. "If I Had Your Name" is a demonstrative tale of love gone wrong ("If I had your name, I'd be changing it by now"), while "Tryin' to Find a Reason" walks through the process of an inevitable breakup.

Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin

2007-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin
Released: March, 20, 2007
Record Label: Hickory

In retrospect, it's hard not to wish that underdog Elliott Yamin won the fifth season of American Idol. Ever a likeable, humble soul, Yamin never had as clearly defined a personality as Taylor Hicks, the white-haired leader of the Soul Patrol who wound up besting Elliott. If Hicks seemed like a bit like a seasoned bar band pro, Elliott always seemed like the neighborhood boy made good, a guy with a cockeyed grin (sadly now corrected with veneers; thanks cosmetic dentistry for all your modern wonders!), a guy with a fixation on Donny Hathaway and Stevie Wonder who felt more comfortable slyly delivering the jazzy soul of "Moody's Mood for Love" than belting out barroom blues-rock à la Taylor.

In other words, not only was he kinda shy but his gifts were subtle too -- the perfect ingredients to be a beloved underground on a televised competition, but not quite enough to push him into the winner's circle. But if he had won, he would have been well suited to the adult contemporary soul that producers would have pushed on him, the kind of soul that Taylor shunned in order to deliver a record that would have been more welcome in 1986 than 2006. Yamin, however, would have been willing to work with the powers that be, as he clearly demonstrates on this eponymous debut, which positions him as product instead of a personality.

Since Elliott is a very good, very versatile singer, sounding more assured on record than Katharine and sliding into different styles with an ease that Taylor never bothers with, this is a bit of a shame. Removed from the show, he remains a sweet, soulful singer, somebody who gently draws you into a song, and he sounds equally comfortable with the jazzy R&B of "Movin' On" as he does deliberate soft rock, typified by the slow, steady "I'm the Man." He's best when there's a heavy dose of smooth soul -- the sultry, slow Hi grooves of "Train Wreck," which proves that the stuttering Usher wanna be "Alright" just isn't his style: it's too rushed, too hurried, and it doesn't showcase the rich tones of his voice to his advantage. Which only proves that he's not very contemporary unless he's adult contemporary, and the AC here is just as likely to be sleepy as it is to be appealing (the Jon Secada-styled "Find a Way" and "Free" are standouts).

Unfortunately, there's just a shade too much of that calculated material here, and the production is just a bit too clean and colorless to rise above many similarly styled AC albums, but it's never Elliott's fault. He still sounds effortless and charming, which is why it's a shame he doesn't have the support he would have had if had won Idol: he would have had the biggest budget and the best collaborators, something that would help him make a record as distinctive as he is. Here, he and his producers try a little bit of everything -- a little old-fashioned soul, a little new-fashioned R&B, a lot of adult contemporary, a good cover of "A Song for You" -- in hopes that something will stick, leaving him as a singer in search of a style to call his own. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide

Joss Stone - Introducing Joss Stone

2007-03-31T12:57:00.001-07:00

Joss Stone - Introducing Joss Stone
Released: March, 20, 2007
Record Label: Virgin

Typically, artists dispense with introductions after their debut -- after all, that is an album designed to introduce them to the world -- but neo-soul singer Joss Stone defiantly titled her third album Introducing Joss Stone, thereby dismissing her first two relatively acclaimed albums with one smooth stroke. She now claims that those records were made under record-label pressure -- neatly contradicting the party line that her debut, The Soul Sessions, turned into a retro-soul project after Joss implored her label to ditch the Christina Aguilera-styled urban-pop she was pursuing -- but now as a young adult of 19, she's free to pursue her muse in her own fashion. All this is back-story to Introducing, but Stone makes her modern metamorphosis plain on the album's very first track, where football-star-turned-Hollywood-muscle Vinnie Jones talks about change ("I see change, I embody change, all we do is change, yeah, I know change, we're born to change" and so on and so forth), setting the stage for some surprise -- which "Girl They Won't Believe It" kind of delivers, if only because it isn't all that different from what Stone has done before. It's a sprightly slice of Northern soul propelled by a bouncy Motown beat that doesn't suggest a change in direction as much as a slight shift in aesthetic. Gone are the seasoned studio pros, in are a bevy of big-name producers all united in a mission to make Stone seem a little less like a '60s blue-eyed soul diva and a little more her age, a little more like a modern girl in 2007. So, the professional in-the-pocket grooves have been replaced by drum loops, the warm burnished sound has been ditched in favor of crisp, bright sonics, Harlan Howard covers have been pushed aside for cameos by Common and Lauryn Hill. It's a cosmetic change that works: Introducing does sound brighter, fresher than her other two albums, pitched partway between Amy Winehouse and Back to Basics Christina yet sounding very much like Texas at their prime.

Online Odyssey Stoking Interest In New NIN Album

2007-03-31T12:19:00.000-07:00

Trent Reznor could have just given a few interviews to explain Nine Inch Nails' new album, "Year Zero." But instead, he's utilizing a multifaceted Internet scavenger hunt, and in some cases, his own rabid fans, to help gradually build the story of the project, due April 17 via Nothing/Interscope.

Dystopian, apocalyptic themes are pervasive on the album, echoing topics the group has explored since 1989's classic "Pretty Hate Machine." Neither Reznor, his manager nor Interscope reps would speak to Billboard about the campaign, which has encompassed everything from cryptic phrases on T-shirts to Orwellian Web sites to MP3s found on USB drives in bathrooms at NIN concerts. But a source with knowledge of the project says Reznor may very well perceive it all not as a marketing campaign, but as "a new entertainment form."

Indeed, the source says the campaign forms the body of the "Year Zero" experience: "It is the CD booklet come to life. It precedes the concept album and the tour. And it will continue for the next 18 months, with peaks and valleys. No one has assembled the full story yet. The new media is creating the story as it goes."

"Year Zero" came to life in early February when Web-savvy fans discovered that highlighted letters inside words on a NIN tour T-shirt spelled out "I am trying to believe." Savvy fans added a ".com" to the five words and, voila, located a thought-provoking, eerie Web site. Other associated sites created by 42 Entertainment, where a dark future reigns supreme, were soon discovered. Within days, the blogosphere was rich with anxious NIN fans sharing their experiences on message boards.

According to one post, a male fan, allegedly by happenstance, found a USB drive in a bathroom stall during a NIN concert at the Coliseum in Lisbon, Portugal. This flash drive (yes, Reznor's idea) contained an MP3 of album track "My Violent Heart." Additional USB drives were purportedly found in Barcelona and Manchester, England; they included MP3s of album tracks "Me, I'm Not" and "In This Twilight," respectively.

Excited fans then began swapping and sharing these music files online. Another Web posting alleged that all this activity resulted in entertainment blog Idolator and other sites receiving e-mail from the Recording Industry Association of America, demanding that they remove the MP3s from their sites. An RIAA representative confirms this, a move that boggles the minds of many. "These f*cking idiots are going after a campaign that the label signed off on," the source says.

Ironically, with its numerous pirated downloads available, the whole album has not leaked yet. According to a source, the only leaks are the ones Reznor approved himself. And whether he realizes it or not, Reznor may be building a new option for presenting music that augments the existing CD/tour scenario. "It's not about slapping something on top of an existing experience," the source says. "It must be its own entity. Make the experience as immersive as possible for fans."

Flaming Lips Bringing 'Yoshimi' To Life As Musical

2007-03-31T12:07:00.000-07:00

The Flaming Lips are known for their outlandish stage shows, which can involve fake blood, mock UFOs, giant bubbles and scores of people jumping around in animal costumes. Now, the group is hoping to bring that sensibility to Broadway with a musical based on its 2002 album "Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots."

The project will be directed by Des McAnuff, who of late has directed hit productions such as "Jersey Boys," "700 Sundays" and "Urinetown." The script will be penned by Aaron Sorkin, best known for his work on "The West Wing" and "Sports Night."

"I hate to jinx it by thinking it has to be the greatest thing ever. Believe me, I don't truly understand the magnitude of having Des and Aaron Sorkin together," Lips frontman Wayne Coyne tells Billboard.com. "I wouldn't know what it really means. But it just sounds so absurd, it has to be interesting! Even if it doesn't succeed, this is worth pursuing."

Sorkin hadn't even heard the "Yoshimi" album until last month. But after spinning it in his car during a drive back and forth from San Diego to Los Angeles at McAnuff's recommendation, he proclaimed to Coyne, "Well, who is writing this thing? Because I fell in love with it and now I want to write it!"

The project is still at its earliest stages, but Coyne is already feeling his way through how best to contribute. "Every time I say, 'Just do whatever,' they're like, 'No, you've got to tell us,'" he says. "That's where me being an outsider to it may help us stumble upon some things."

"Des loves our stage show," he continues. "We f*ck with the audience quite a bit, throwing balloons and confetti at them. I think he sees all those as being new sorts of Broadway musical ideas. It isn't just this safe thing where you sit out there with your program."

Beyond "Yoshimi" songs, Coyne says the musical will likely encompass music from the Lips albums "The Soft Bulletin" and "At War With the Mystics." "Plus, we'd write some things to connect songs. That all sounds wonderful," he says.

Mudvayne Moving Forward On New Album

2007-03-31T12:00:00.000-07:00

It won't be out until later this year, but Mudvayne plans to wrap up the recording of its fourth album this week.

"I've got three songs left to track, but it's just vocal tracking," frontman Chad Gray tells Billboard.com. "It's just vocal tracking. All the guitars are done. All the drums are done. All the bass is done. We're just doing housekeeping right now. We're just listening, checking things out, reviewing stuff, making sure the performance is the right one -- the little odds and ends you do before you pack up everything and go home."

The quartet recorded the as-yet-untitled album in New Orleans with Dave Fortman, who produced 2005's "Lost and Found." Things went smoothly, Gray says, and he's confident that the final product will surprise -- and, he hopes, please -- Mudvayne's core fans.

"It's not light years away from what we've done in the past, but it's not the same," the singer explains. "This has got some really interesting music on it, stuff you don't expect. It just kinda moves forward; it's not linear from what we've done before. But I think it's gonna be a great record."

Gray says the band expects the album to come out in the fourth quarter of the year, with touring to follow. Meanwhile, he and guitarist Gregg Tribbett are stepping outside Mudvayne for the next several months as part of Hellyeah, the all-star group that includes former Pantera/Damageplan drummer Vinnie Paul and Nothingface members Jerry Montano and Tom Maxwell.

The group's self-titled debut comes out April 10 via Epic, and an upcoming world tour includes this year's edition of Korn's Family Values Tour.

TV On The Radio team up with Massive Attack

2007-03-30T16:13:00.000-07:00

TV On The Radio's David Sitek has been named as the producer of the new Massive Attack album.

The album will be the band's first new material since 2003's '100th Window'.

Sitek said he was intimidated when he first met the band.

"When we found out we were playing with them, I was like, 'How the fuck am I...'cause it's obvious that I steal shit. I thought he was going to take my lunch money or something," he said. "Then to be asked to work on it was like 'Holy fuck'. It's one of those things I don't even question."

Massive Attack's Robert Del Naja was equally apprehensive about approaching the band, so got rapper Mos Def to break the ice.

He said: "Mos Def did a track with us from the stage. I was there with a CD in my pocket and Mos Def goes backstage (and says), 'These are my boys.' (I thought) 'Well, in that case.' (I said) 'Here's a CD by the way - not from Mos Def but from me'."

The band have also worked with Dot Allison, Horace Andy and Mike Patton on the album, reports Spinner.

A release date is yet to be confirmed.

Babyshambles and co set to fight racists

2007-03-30T16:07:00.000-07:00

Artists including Babyshambles, The View and Albert Hammond, Jr. are teaming up to tackle cynical racists trying to exploit music fans.

The acts have been marshalled by Babyshambles bassist Drew McConnell to appear on a special CD to counter an attempt by far-right groups to sneak their messages across.

Following a similar ploy in the US, individuals with links to hate groups like Combat 18 are assembling a CD of white power bands for a compilation entitled 'Project Schoolyard'.

The racists plan to hand out free CDs to young children outside schools.

Deciding he couldn't tolerate this assault on young minds, McConnell has teamed-up with Trangressive Records singer Lisa Moorish and the Love Music Hate Racism campaign to release their own CD this summer.

"The manifesto for the CD is that multicultural Britain should be celebrated," McConnell told NME.COM. "Immigration is not to blame for unemployment or housing problems, and does not negatively affect the economy. The British National Party tell us this is the case. We want them to know they're not fooling us."

Along with Babyshambles, Lupe Fiasco and Roll Deep, are contributing tracks , as is Get Cape. Wear Cape. Fly - defying recent attempts by right-wing websites to stop his anti-racist message.

"Dirty Pretty Things, Fionn Regan and The Noisettes are getting involved and we're talking to loads more artists who are all keen to be part of it," added McConnell of the growing tracklist.

Lee Billingham, national organiser of Love Music Hate Racism, is hopeful that the bands' efforts will undermine the racists' musical offering.

"The BNP have been trying to recruit school students by putting their own CDs into schools. They are trying to recruit school students, university and college students to their cause," he warned. "We want to get there first. This compilation can be distributed for free in schools across the country but we wanted to get some really eye-catching acts on there first, so it really stands up as something people want to get their hands on."

The CD is set to be distributed this summer.

Rancid frontman to release solo album

2007-03-30T16:03:00.000-07:00

Rancid frontman Tim Armstrong is set to release his debut solo album 'A Poet's Life'.

The album was originally set to be only available as a free download, but will now get a full release on May 21.

It feature 11 songs, plus a DVD which will contain a video for each song on the album.

The tracklisting for the album is:

'Hold On'
'Wake Up'
'Oh No'
'Into Action'
'Among The Dead'
'Take This City'
'The Dark'
'Girl, I Only Want What's Best For You'
'Inner City Violence'
'Burning Angel'
'Cold Blooded'

Rancid are currently working on a new album, the follow up to 2003's 'Indestructible', reports Punk News.

Kasabian mix it with royalty

2007-03-30T15:55:00.000-07:00

Kasabian performed at the Royal Albert Hall in London on March 29, in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

The group got the packed crowd standing for the entirety of their set at the prestigious all-seated venue.

Taking the stage, the band launched into instrumental 'Brown Acid' and then, having been joined by singer Tom Meighan, 'Shoot The Runner'.

Kasabian were visibly excited to be performing in the auspicious surroundings, with Meighan telling the crowd: "It's so fucking surreal, it's fantastic!"

The singer was in a jovial mood all evening, even at one point joking the Queen was in attendance, saying: "Hello Ma'am! The Queen's here, you know!"

After playing a host of tracks, including 'Empire', 'Me Plus One' and 'Cutt Off', the group left guitarist Serge Pizzorno and drummer Ian Matthews to perform an acoustic version of 'British Legion', which the guitarist dedicated to the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Kasabian left the stage after the well-received 'The Doberman', but returned for a four-song encore, which included fan favourite 'Club Foot'.

Introducing the final track, 'LSF', Pizzorno told the crowd: 'I think this building was built for this song!"

Kasabian played:

'Brown Acid'
'Shoot The Runner'
'Reason Is Treason'
'Sun/Rise/Light/Flies'
'Cutt Off'
'By My Side'
'Me Plus One'
'Empire'
'ID'
'Seek & Destroy'
'British Legion'
'Processed Beats'
'Last Trip'
'The Doberman'
'Apnoea'
'Club Foot'
'Stuntman'
'LSF'

Support came from The Bees, who performed tracks from their back catalogue and new album, 'Octopus', including the reggae-tinged 'Listening Man', and psychedelic newcomers The Lea Shores.

Virgin Radio is set to broadcast highlights online from the Teenage Cancer Trust gigs at Virginradio.co.uk from April 2.

Jarvis Cocker hunts for local talent

2007-03-30T15:43:00.000-07:00

Jarvis Cocker is seeking out local bands to open for him on his upcoming tour of North America.

The former Pulp frontman posted a message on his MySpace page requesting recommendations for bands that would make for good support acts in cities including New York, San Francisco, Seattle and Vancouver.

Cocker wrote: "We are playing in North America soon & need support bands for New York (2 shows), San Francisco, Seattle & Vancouver - do you think you could help?

"Same idea as the Europe shows - you recommend LOCAL bands that would be good for the job (preferably with a link to somewhere I can hear their music) & I'll do the rest. It worked a treat before - let's unleash the magic again!"

The tour dates are:

New York, NY Webster Hall (April 22, 23)
Indio, CA Coachella Festival (27)
San Francisco, CA Fillmore (28)
Seattle, WA Showbox (30)
Vancouver, BC Commodore (May 1)

As previously announced, Cocker's solo album 'Jarvis' will get a Stateside release on April 3.

'Live Earth' US gig to change cities

2007-03-30T15:33:00.000-07:00

Al Gore's US leg of the 'Live Earth' concerts has run into location difficulties.

Gore's plans to hold the enormous concert in July at Washington's National Mall have been scuppered following the news that two other groups have plans to use the location for events.

The concerts, which will bring attention to the issue of climate change, are to be held in cities around the world including Sydney, London, Shanghai and Johannesburg. Performers lined-up to take part include Red Hot Chili Peppers, Foo Fighters and Jon Bon Jovi.

It is now reported that the US gig may be held in an entirely different city.

In other news, Al Gore is set to receive an honorary International Emmy Award for his involvement with launching the Current TV channel which has been on air almost two years.

An interactive television channel, Current TV screens short documentaries including content created by viewers.

The Bravery announce North American tour

2007-03-30T15:11:00.000-07:00

The Bravery have announced the dates of an extensive tour in support of their forthcoming album, 'The Sun And The Moon'.

In addition to playing three April gigs in the UK as previously announced, the New York rockers will play several dates throughout North America.

They'll kick off their American jaunt in Vancouver on May 14 and hit Portland's Wonder Ballroom, New York's Irving Plaza, and several points in between.

They'll wrap up the tour in St. Louis, Missouri on June 20.

The band's second full-length is due out in May in the US and July in the UK.

The first single, 'Time Won't Let Me Go', is now available via US iTunes.

The North American tour dates are:

Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom (May 14)
Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom (15)
Seattle, WA El Corazon (16)
Cleveland, OH Agora Ballroom (25)
Detroit Magic Stick (26)
Toronto, ON Opera House (28)
New York, NY Irving Plaza (29, 30)
Nashville, TN Exit In (June 3)
Philadelphia, PA TLA (5)
Washington DC 9:30 Club (7)
Reno, NV New Oasis (12)
Salt Lake, UT Club Sound (13)
Omaha, NE The Rock (15)
Minneapolis, MN Varsity (18)
Kansas City, MO Beaumont Club (19)
St Louis, MO Pop's (20)

DJ Drama Speaks Out About Arrest: 'I Took The Fall For Hip-Hop'

2007-03-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

ATLANTA — The only time you saw a pressured look on the faces of the artists coming in and out of T.I.'s Grand Hustle studios on Monday afternoon was when it came to fighting for bragging rights at "NB2K7," which was being played on a

You'd never know that the camp has a lot at stake in the next few months. T.I., the ringleader of the unit, is trying to follow up being the top-selling MC of 2006 after rap — like all genres of music — saw a heavy sales decline last year.

On Sunday night, Tip had Ciara in the lab working on his July release, T.I. vs. T.I.P., and on Monday he was preparing for producer Jazze Pha to put his soulful take on the album. Tip, who was taking full advantage of the summer-like temperatures on this early spring day, wore shorts, black sneakers and a T-shirt. After looking for and finding a script he'd left in one of the control rooms, Tip had a grin on his face as wide as the one he sported on Grammy night when he took home two wins (see "Timberlake Rocks; Blige Weeps; Chicks, Chilis Clean Up At Grammys").

"Hey, shawty," he said in his welcoming drawl. "I'm on my way to Detroit to see Eminem for this record."

Meanwhile, in another room, DJ Drama, who was waiting on a very late lunch of pizza and salad, killed some time by playing Gangsta Grillz, his first official label release (Drama is signed to Atlantic Records via T.I.'s Grand Hustle imprint). He got the name, of course, from his mixtape series, which has elevated him to the top of the food chain in the street-music game.

Drama, who also spins at some shows for T.I., turned his local popularity into national prominence over the past three years by working directly with artists to make albums for the streets. T.I., Young Dro and especially Young Jeezy can thank their installments of the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes for helping to break their careers, while Lil Wayne's two Gangsta Grillz: Dedication albums started getting him recognition as one of the nicest on the mic. Big Boi of Outkast, Busta Rhymes, Nelly and even Pharrell Williams are just some of the others who have worked with the DJ on freestyles and songs for his series.

In the Grand Hustle studio, Dram shares a big City of Brotherly Love smile with fellow Philadelphia native DJ Sense, his manager and business partner. He plays "Art of Storytelling 4," featuring Outkast and Floetry's Marsha Ambrosius, a definite highlight from the official Gangsta Grillz LP. Although they've played the record a thousand times over the past couple of months, it sounds just as fresh as if they had recorded it yesterday. When you hear Andre 3000's leadoff narrative verse, you almost want to pray that his rhyme never ends.

"She said why in the club you don't make it precipitate," Dre's recorded voice beckons as Drama stands up and raps along, his Aphilliate Music Group artist Willie the Kid nodding along. "You know, make it rain?/ When you can make it thunderstorm?/ I'm like, why? The world needs sun, the 'hood needs funds/ There's a war going on and half the battle is guns/ How dare I throw it on the floor when people are poor?"

Toward the end of the song, Drama himself comes on the track and makes one the boldest statements of his short career: "I took the fall for hip-hop."

"[That's] for what happened on January 16," he explained (see "DJ Drama Arrested In Atlanta Mixtape Raid"). "Police raiding the Aphilliate office and going on television and saying, 'DJ Drama and Don Cannon are bootleggers.' [Given] what mixtapes have meant to hip-hop in the last 25 years, this is a travesty. With what I've come to have as my career, to get to the levels of that and to get arrested ... I am an artist, a businessman, and more than anything I am a mixtape DJ with pride, so I took the fall for the game. After that I said, 'I took the fall for hip-hop.' I said, 'I stand here before you stronger than ever. Watch what happens next.' "

It's been more than two months since Drama and Don Cannon — one-third of the AMG triumvirate, with Drama and Sense, and one the top up-and-coming producers in rap — were put in handcuffs outside AMG headquarters in downtown Atlanta and taken into custody on charges of running a crime ring, bootlegging music and breaking racketeering laws under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations statute. Drama and Cannon were standing outside the building that served as recording studio and business office, getting ready for an interview when the police took charge.

"I saw cops jump out, M16s drawn, and they put me directly on the ground," Drama recalled. "They were screaming and yelling, causing a ruckus. It was a shock, really. My first reaction was to stay cool, calm and collected. Under the circumstances, you got an M16 to your head, you follow directions. Really, I was confused. I didn't know what was going on. I thought it was a mistake until I was moved over from where my vehicle was and the cop said, 'Tyree Simmons, you're under arrest under the RICO law.' I was shocked.

"They took me away, and I noticed Cannon was being arrested, too," Drama added. "They brought the dogs in there, basically asking, 'Where are the guns and drugs?' You tell them a bunch of times, 'Nah.' As you've seen on the news, they confiscated everything in the building. At this point, I was at the police station, so I saw it on the news like everybody else."

The news footage looked like something out of "New Jack City," when Ice-T and Mario Van Peebles' characters raided the infamous Carter housing project, and Chris Rock's Pookie character met his bloody demise. Instead of cocaine and money and weapons, though, it was mixtapes being confiscated — thousands and thousands of them. Also taken were studio equipment and hard drives containing Drama's just-about-finished album, which was originally scheduled for release this winter.

When Drama and Cannon were released the next day, they returned to their headquarters, only to find it looking like it did a year ago, when T.I. relocated his Grand Hustle offices and handed them the keys to the property: just about empty. For all intents and purposes, it is shut down indefinitely — but that barely slowed down Drama and crew at all.

"It was a shock to walk through there and see everything we've built from the ground up, bringing so much quality music to the game, gone," Drama said. "In a way it was shattering, but in a bigger way it was motivating. From the minute I got out, everybody pretty much came up to me and Cannon. We sat outside my house and had a talk: 'It's time to get to work.' Plain and simple. As shocking as it was not to see our stuff in there, it was like, 'OK, get some more stuff and get to work.' "

Drama maintains that although he was originally told he was being arrested on RICO violations, neither he nor Cannon have been formally charged with anything, and neither he nor Cannon have been back to court. He says he doesn't know what's going on with the case and is letting his lawyers handle everything. Instead he's been focusing on redoing his album. After getting acts like Young Jeezy and T.I. on the original version of the LP, he had to start over basically from scratch, since his hard drives are still sitting in police lockup as evidence. He was able to re-create some of the material, while other tracks, like his first single, "Takin' Pictures," are completely new.

Willie the Kid, who's featured on the record, originally made the Dame Grease-produced song for his debut LP. But after everything that took place within his camp, everyone decided it should go on Gangsta Grillz. On the chorus, a voice repeatedly says, "Feds taking pictures," which now serves as a musical wink to the fact that Drama and company were under surveillance.

Drama called out to his friends Young Jeezy, Jim Jones, T.I., Young Buck and Rick Ross — a handful of the MCs who also lent him their personal support — to join Willie on the track (see "T.I., Jeezy, Jim Jones Blast Mixtape Raid On New DJ Drama Track").

"I've gotten good support from the community," Drama said. "In the days after [the arrest] my pager just exploded with support from the streets and the fans. The first single was a song that had already been in the works and came to life after the situation had taken place. Instead of being in the dumps, I got on the phone and was like, 'It's time go to work.' Everybody was like, 'Drama, we got you.' "

At Grand Hustle studios, Drama showed how much love he's gotten in the wake of his arrest.

There's the album intro with Lil Jon, who actually does the "gangstaaaah grizzzills" mixtape callout, hyping up the track. Next comes "Million Dollar Baby," a dream pairing of producer Just Blaze with Lil Wayne, who comes to the battle with a finessed, talkative flow — his words are drowned in noise but still lyrically fly.

"I see the game like a umpire," Weezy boasts. "I'm fly and your boyfriend's a ostrich," he raps before taking a shot at radio DJ Wendy Williams. In between verses — or, in this case, rounds — Drama acts as the Birdman Jr.'s corner man, coaching him with the intensity of Burgess Meredith's Mickey in "Rocky." A tandem on the album that Drama took extra pride in bringing together were Beanie Sigel and Cassidy on "No Rules."

"They're both from Philly like me," Drama said with a grin. "I had to do it for the hometown."

After a few more selections, another posse cut, "Put Your Sets Up," caps off the preview. There, Willie the Kid, Yung Joc and Jadakiss form the lineup.

In the next few weeks, regardless of whether he is indicted, Drama plans to be dedicated to promoting the June 5 release of his album, continuing the Gangsta Grillz mixtapes and making AMG stronger. More mixtapes are definitely coming (see "What's Next For The Mixtape World After DJ Drama Raid?" ).

"I don't know, man," he said when asked why exactly the Recording Industry Association of America had targeted him. "All I can say is, 'Where do we go from here?' Now I'm in the position to help the game, help the youngsters, let people know mixtapes are vital to the game, vital to the streets.

"The past two months have been really good, to be honest with you," he added. "Obviously, after the situation occurred, some things changed — I call it 'the day the game changed.' But I've been working on the album. It's gotten a lot more attention, but we're doing what we do. The album is ready. Our positives have outweighed our negatives."

This report is provided by MTV News

Dave Matthews Band Bring Roots, Pete Yorn, Guster Along For Summer Tour

2007-03-30T14:13:00.000-07:00

For jam-band enthusiasts, it's become something of an annual tradition. Like backyard barbecues, baseball and lazy days spent soaking up the sun, sand and surf, it just wouldn't be summer without Dave Matthews Band. That's because the band has

consistently toured, summer after summer, since 1998. Likewise, the arrival of each spring usually brings with it a slew of amphitheater gigs. It's an unswerving pattern you could set your watch to.

Of course, Dave Matthews isn't one to disappoint his loyal fans — meaning, this summer won't be any different. The rocker will crisscross the U.S. with his namesake band, packing them into one arena after another starting July 8 in Bridgeview, Illinois.

The 36-show run will conclude with a two-night stand at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, which has been set for October 1 and 2.

A host of support acts &$8212; including Stephen Marley, Guster, Xavier Rudd, Toots & the Maytals, Umphrey's McGee, Robert Randolph & the Family Band, Pete Yorn, the Roots, the Wailers and Robert Earl Keen Jr. — has been tapped to join DMB on various dates along the way. Presale tickets will be available to members of the band's official fan club, the Warehouse, through April 9, with tickets going on sale to the general public April 21.

But before Dave Matthews Band can explore the 50, they'll be spending much of May in Australia and Europe, where Matthews has lined up several shows with longtime pal Tim Reynolds in late April.

DMB have been working on material for their next studio LP — the band's seventh — which is expected to hit stores before the end of the year. No additional details about the effort have been publicized. The offering follows 2005's platinum-selling Stand Up.

Dave Matthews Band tour dates, according to the band's Web site:

· 7/8 - Bridgeview, IL @ Toyota Park
· 8/1 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
· 8/2 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
· 8/4 - Hartford, CT @ New England Dodge Music Center
· 8/5 - Hartford, CT @ New England Dodge Music Center
· 8/7 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
· 8/8 - Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center at the Waterfront
· 8/10 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion
· 8/11 - Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
· 8/14 - Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center
· 8/15 - Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheater
· 8/17 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
· 8/18 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
· 8/20 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH @ Blossom Music Center
· 8/22 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
· 8/23 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre
· 8/25 - East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
· 8/26 - East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre
· 8/28 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
· 8/31 - George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
· 9/1 - George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
· 9/2 - George, WA @ Gorge Amphitheatre
· 9/11 - Gainesville, FL @ University of Florida/ Stephen C. O'Connell Center
· 9/12 - Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre
· 9/14 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre
· 9/15 - West Palm Beach, FL @ Sound Advice Amphitheatre
· 9/18 - Raleigh, NC @ Alltel Pavilion at Walnut Creek
· 9/19 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
· 9/21 - The Woodlands, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
· 9/22 - Dallas, TX @ Smirnoff Music Centre
· 9/25 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
· 9/26 - Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
· 9/28 - Chula Vista, CA @ Coors Amphitheatre
· 9/29 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
· 10/1 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl
· 10/2 - Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl

This report is provided by MTV News

Hacker To Lead 'Nashville Star' Tour

2007-03-30T13:18:00.000-07:00

"Nashville Star" winner and Warner Bros. recording artist Angela Hacker, as well as three of the reality show's finalists, will hit the road this summer for the 2007 Nashville Star Tour, sponsored by Sonic. Starting July 1 in Hershey, Pa., and ending Sept. 30, the tour may hit as many as 40 markets, according to organizers.

Hacker will be joined by her brother Zac Hacker, David St. Romain and Josh Stevens, the three runners-up on the country talent search contest. Members of the Nashville Star Band will back each artist at the 90-minutes shows.

Among the cities confirmed so far are Kansas City, Mo., Webster, Mass., Fort Myers, Fla., New Paltz, N.Y., and Mount Pleasant, Mich.

Hacker's debut album, "The Winner Is..." will be in stores Tuesday (April 3).

Neutral Milk Hotel Not Reuniting For Festival

2007-03-30T13:02:00.000-07:00

Cult favorite indie rock act Neutral Milk Hotel was supposedly reuniting to play the Tiny Mix Fest in Minneapolis in August. Trouble is, the band's agent knew nothing of the event. Nor did the manager of the Apples In Stereo, who are listed on a flyer on the Tiny Mix Tapes site in what its creators now acknowledge was an early April Fool's Joke.

Hair Police, Sage Francis, Atmosphere, Wooden Wand, Sunn 0))), Boris, Jesu, the Flying Lutenbachers, Busdriver, Dan Deacon, Mount Eerie and the Plastic Constellations were among the other groups on the phony bill.

This is the second Neutral Milk Hotel-related hoax to circulate online in the past year. Last summer, a Web posting attributed to reclusive group leader Jeff Mangum that referenced the progress on his first new album since 1998's iconic "In the Aeroplane Over the Sea" hit the Web. But Mangum, via Apples In Stereo principal Robert Schneider, quickly disavowed its authenticity.

Neutral Milk Hotel has not played live in nearly a decade, although Mangum has made sporadic, unannounced appearances at shows by Olivia Tremor Control and Elf Power in recent years.

Lloyd - Street Love

2007-03-29T23:09:00.000-07:00

Lloyd - Street Love
Released: March, 13, 2007
Record Label: The Inc

With an overabundance of ballads and swagger, cool crooner Lloyd's second effort is just too narrow to recommend to the casual fan of smooth, pillow-talk R&B. The redundant songs start rearing their heads about track number four, with tales of heartache, seduction, and sweetness repeated as if every day were Valentine's Day.

On the other hand, Street Love is actually a much stronger effort than his debut when you tally the number of highlights. Even more important, by never letting the singer out of his comfort zone, the album defines its artist and lays a solid foundation for a long career, even if it just looks like singles and guest appearances on hip-hop tracks at this point.

The forced thug posturing is gone and replaced by sweeter lyrics and an entirely convincing playfulness that allows for lines like "Is there something you're not telling me?/Are you the daughter of Frankie Beverly?" ("Get It Shawty") along with a flippant guest shot from Lil Wayne ("You," which samples Spandau Ballet's "True" by way of P.M. Dawn). Producer Jazze Pha offers a winner with his soulful and polished "Certified" while J Lack (James Lackey) gives the album its most creative moment as he lays broken soul music across "Hazel." Much of Street Love paints Lloyd as a replacement for another J Lack client, Usher, which is much more possible that the half-thug/half-Romeo role he played on his debut. Lloyd is more comfortable, committed, and believable on Street Love, and if taken in small doses, you can add satisfying to the list.

Musiq Soulchild - Luvanmusiq

2007-03-29T22:48:00.000-07:00

Musiq Soulchild - Luvanmusiq
Released: March, 13, 2007
Record Label: Atlantic

Musiq Soulchild's fourth straight strong showing, Luvanmusiq does not veer from the steadiness of its predecessors. Even though he was involved in a label trade (!) with Fabolous, which transplanted him from Def Jam's Def Soul wing to Atlantic, there's no audible evidence of change. (He remains, in fact, under the watch of Kevin Liles, the ex-Def Jam executive who initially signed him.) The only measurable difference between this and the past albums is its significantly shorter length, which only allows each song to get the attention it deserves. This really benefits Musiq.

The customary consistency of his material has been, and will likely continue to be, mistaken for lazy sameness, as if he really needs to spice things up with insincere trend-hopping or ill-fitting collaborations with hot MCs. Indeed, Luvanmusiq is just another one of his durable albums that straddles throwback soul and contemporary R&B. With the exception of lead song (and lead single) "B.U.D.D.Y.," which -- like several early rap tracks and Ini Kamoze's "Here Comes the Hotstepper" -- jacks the rhythm from "Heartbeat," Taana Gardner's early-'80s club classic, nothing is designed to pick the listener up and toss her around the room. Even the remaining uptempo songs have an easygoing disposition.

Past collaborators like Ivan "Orthodox" Barrias and Carvin "Ransum" Haggins remain involved, while the Underdogs ("Today"), Raphael Saadiq ("Betterman"), and the ever-rising Ne-Yo ("Ms. Philadelphia") also contribute in important, if smaller, amounts. Hopefully some of the more "grown R&B" stations will latch onto the slow grooves and ballads here. They're neither raunchy nor drab, and they're nearly a lost art form in 2007. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide

Marques Houston - Veteran

2007-03-29T22:33:00.000-07:00

Marques Houston - Veteran
Released: March, 20, 2007
Record Label: Universal Motown

At the age of 25, Marques Houston considers himself a veteran. Fair enough: roughly 15 years, from Immature's 1992 debut to Veteran, constitutes longevity in any field.

It's also worth noting that Houston is one of very few R&B artists with mainstream appeal who first appeared during the early '90s. Though he has dressed this album as something of a significant occasion, it is not a great progression from 2005's Naked, but it is a progression nonetheless.

There's a similar distribution of sexually forward roughneck tracks and heart-on-sleeve testimonies, with plenty of material that falls somewhere between the two extremes, but the overall quality of the songwriting and production work is greater than that of Naked and MH. After working beneath the surface, you can even hear Houston sound a little more like a mature adult -- "Pop That Booty" seems like a distant memory -- and he works the more romantic sentiments with enough conviction to indicate that he has more life experiences from which to draw.

Several past collaborators are involved, including Rufus Blaq and the Underdogs, and Houston also teams up again with Ne-Yo (who co-wrote MH highlight "That Girl") on "Wonderful," one of the album's several standouts

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

2007-03-29T22:01:00.000-07:00

Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank

Now that Modest Mouse have fully established themselves as a major-label indie rock band -- no longer an oxymoron! -- with the success of 2004's Good News for People Who Love Bad News (though they had actually been on Sony, through Epic, since 2000's The Moon & Antarctica), they face the difficult task of trying to follow up a mainstream hit while still retaining the adroit quirkiness that won them fans in the first place.

Finding that space between "creativity" and "accessibility" is not easy, but the band (with help from Johnny Marr, among others) is probably as well, if not better, equipped as anyone to tackle the challenge. The first single, "Dashboard," is catchy and interesting, even a little off-kilter, but it's also completely radio-friendly, in that dancey Franz Ferdinand kind of way, and the album's opener, "March into the Sea," has great juxtaposition between Isaac Brock's maniacal Cookie Monster laugh and lighter accordion and string work. It's slightly unconventional, and has that raucous energy the band has thrived on, but it's also wholly understandable and approachable, and a lot of fun.

Still, too often it seems as if Modest Mouse plays it safe on We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank. James Mercer, the singer of the "life-changing" Garden State darlings the Shins, shows up three times on background vocals, and while on "Florida" this works well enough, "Missed the Boat" and "We've Got Everything" are among the weakest tracks on the record, too predictable, in that radio-indie-rock style, to do much more than just take up space.

There's nothing overtly wrong with them (or the similarly boring "Education" or "People as Places as People") -- Brock's lyrics are as wackily introspective as ever -- but the band had never just gotten by on being nice-sounding and unmemorable. It's not that Modest Mouse has lost it, or sold out; tracks like "Parting of the Sensory" and "Fly Trapped in a Jar" combine digestible guitar lines and phrasing with a rawer intensity, and show that the group is indeed capable of moving innovate "indie" music to the mainstream ("someday you will die somehow and something's gonna steal your carbon," Brock sings ingeniously over pounding, swirling drums in a kind of postmodern chant in "Fly"), but overall, We Were Dead Before... has chosen the safer, more acceptable route over the more adventurous one. Modest Mouse is a talented bunch, and so the album still works, is still enjoyable. But because they've built themselves on pushing boundaries and traditional sounds, it's also a glaring representation of all they could do, but won't.

Akon Scores Second No. 1 Hit From 'Konvicted'

2007-03-29T21:35:00.000-07:00

Akon lands his second No. 1 Hot 100 hit on the album "Konvicted" as "Don't Matter" jumps 3-1 on the chart, where it is the fastest growing track at radio for a fifth week. The song follows "I Wanna Love You," which held No. 1 for two weeks in December. Another track from the album, "Smack That," peaked at No. 2 in November after making what was then the largest jump (95-7) in the history of the Hot 100.

That distinction now belongs to Beyonce and Shakira's "Beautiful Liar," which rockets 94-3 thanks to digital sales of 150,000 copies. The track comes from a new edition of Beyonce's "B-Day" album, due April 3.

Last week's Hot 100 No. 1, Fergie's "Glamorous," falls to No. 2, while Mims' former chart-topper "This Is Why I'm Hot" drops 2-4. Gym Class Heroes' "Cupid's Chokehold" featuring Patrick Stump is down 4-5, while Gwen Stefani's "The Sweet Escape" featuring Akon slides 5-6. Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" rebounds 8-7, followed by Rich Boy's "Throw Some D's" featuring Polow Da Don, down 6-8, Justin Timberlake's "What Goes Around ... Comes Around," which holds at No. 9, and Daughtry's "It's Not Over," which drops 7-10.

Katharine McPhee's "Over It" jumps 49-29 on the Hot 100 as the chart's greatest digital gainer. The song was featured on a recent episode of MTV's "The Hills," prompting online sales to jump 60% to 40,000. The chart's top debut comes from crooner Michael Buble's "Everything" at No. 46, his best Hot 100 showing to date. The artist's next 143/Reprise album, "Call Me Irresponsible," arrives May 1.

Also new this week is former "American Idol" contestant Elliot Yamin's "Wait for You" at No. 67, Big & Rich's "Lost in this Moment" at No. 72, Joss Stone's "Tell Me 'Bout It" at No. 83, Pink's "Who Knew" at No. 95 and Emerson Drive's "Moments" at No. 97.

Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U" is No. 1 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for a seventh straight week. "Glamorous" opens at No. 59 on that chart, Fergie's best debut there either as a solo artist or a member of the Black Eyed Peas.

Kenny Chesney's "Beer in Mexico" begins a third week atop Hot Country Songs, where Bon Jovi has a big arrival at No. 39 with "(You Want To) Make a Memory." The group reached No. 1 on this chart in 2006 with the Sugarland collaboration "Who Says You Can't Go Home," but here scores the highest non-collaborative debut by a non-core act in the 17 years since Nielsen Broadcast Data Systems has provided tracking.

Juan Luis Guerra Y 440's "La Llave de Mi Corazon" is No. 1 on Hot Latin Songs for a second week, while Lady Sovereign's "Love Me or Hate Me (F*** You!!!)" jumps 2-1 to overtake the Hot Dance Songs/Club Play tally.

Billboard's rock charts are unchanged, with 30 Seconds To Mars' "From Yesterday" at No. 1 for a second week on Modern Rock and Breaking Benjamin's "Breath" holding down Mainstream Rock for a third.

Rihanna Unveils Jay-Z-Assisted 'Umbrella'

2007-03-29T21:30:00.000-07:00

Def Jam recording artist Rihanna will debut her new single, "Umbrella" featuring Jay-Z, today at 5 pm ET. The C. Tricky Stewart-produced track is the first single from the singer's as-yet-untitled third album, due June 5.

The album is the follow-up to Rihanna's sophomore set, "A Girl Like Me," which featured hits like "S.O.S." and the Ne-Yo-penned "Unfaithful." The album, which reached No. 2 on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, earned the Barbados-bred singer four top honors at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards, including female artist of the year and female pop artist of the year.

Rihanna's 2005 debut, "Music of the Sun," peaked at No. 6 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and featured tracks like "Pon De Replay," which topped out at No. 2 on the Pop 100.

Snow Patrol, Flaming Lips Ensnared For 'Spider-Man 3'

2007-03-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

Snow Patrol, the Flaming Lips, the Killers, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Jet are among the acts contributing tracks to the "Spider-Man 3" soundtrack, due May 1 via Record Collection. Snow Patrol's "Signal Fire" is the set's first single and can be streamed from the soundtrack's Web site.

The Flaming Lips chip in with "The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How To Be in Love," while the Killers offer "Move Away" and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs contribute "Sealings." Beyond new tracks from Wolfmother, the Walkmen, Black Mountain, Rogue Wave and the Oohlas, the soundtrack also includes a track from actor Jason Schwartzman and "Spider-Man 3" star Kirsten Dunst, recording as Coconut Records.

"Peter Parker never seems to get over his introverted lack of confidence, at least in the classic comic books I remember," Flaming Lips frontman Wayne Coyne told Billboard.com today (March 29) in the midst of a tornado warning in his Oklahoma City hometown. "I was looking for some excuse to write a fight song, and then this came up. It has the chiming of the bell when they go into the ring. It's silly, but with the right storyline, it can be a lot of fun."

A special edition of the album is also in the planning stages, with details to be announced. "Spider-Man 3" opens May 4 in U.S. theaters.

Here is the track list for "Spider-Man 3":

"Signal Fire," Snow Patrol
"Move Away," the Killers
"Sealings," Yeah Yeah Yeahs
"Pleased To Meet You," Wolfmother
"Red River," the Walkmen
"The Supreme Being Teaches Spider-Man How To Be in Love," Flaming Lips
"Scared of Myself," Simon Dawes
"The Twist," Chubby Checker
"Sight Lines," Rogue Wave
"Summer Day," Coconut Records
"Falling Star," Jet
"Portrait of a Summer Thief," Sounds Under Radio
"A Letter To St. Jude," Wasted Youth Orchestra
"Small Parts," the Oohlas

Hellyeah Helps Pantera's Paul Face The Music

2007-03-29T21:14:00.000-07:00

It took some doing to get Vinnie Paul into a band again. Nothingface bassist Jerry Montano approached the former Pantera and Damageplan drummer to be part of the all-star outfit Hellyeah several times before Paul -- still mourning the December 2004 onstage shooting of his brother, Dimebag Darrell, at a Damageplan show in Columbus, Ohio -- acquiesced.

"I've known Jerry forever," Paul tells Billboard.com, "and he started calling me and said, 'Dude, you've gotta be the drummer for this band.' And I was like, 'Man, I'm not sure if I'm ready to do this. I just started my own label (Big Vin Records)."

"But persistence pays off," Paul continues. "He kept calling and finally one night he got me when I'd been drinking and listening to music. And I said, 'This sounds like a great idea.' The next day I talked to everybody and loved everybody's attitude and said, 'What the f*ck. I'm in!'"

Besides Paul and Montano, Hellyeah includes Nothingface guitarist Tom Maxwell and Mudvayne principals Chad Gray on vocals and Gregg Tribbett on guitar. All concerned say that Paul was the lynchpin for the group, whose self-titled debut album comes out April 10 via Epic.

"It wouldn't have been possible or feasible without him," says Gray. "He housed us. He provided resources. He provided the studio, the engineer. He provided know-how ... Everything we needed, really."

Montano adds that Paul particularly helped "when it came down to the nuts and bolts of recording and engineering. That's where that man shined. A lot of people don't know he (produced) those last Pantera records himself. The guy knows his stuff, and he worked his ass off on this record."

Paul says the hardest part, emotionally, was recording at the Chasin' Jason studio in the garage of Dimebag Darrell's Dallas-area home, which was loaded with photos and memorabilia from their days making music together.

"It was very tough at first," he acknowledges. "But once we got in there it felt like the dark cloud that was there went away, and it really felt like Dime was watching over us and guiding us. Everybody just really had nothing but positive energy from the get-go. That's what made it work."

Hellyeah plans a world tour to support the album, including some European festivals and a run on this year's edition of Korn's Family Values Tour.

Ice Cube To Dispense 'Tough Love'

2007-03-29T21:02:00.001-07:00

Ice Cube is attached to star in "Tough Love," another family-friendly comedy for the gangsta rap pioneer.

Inspired by the life of former New England Patriots defensive back Tebucky Jones, the story centers on a tough-as-nails NFL player who realizes that his kids have become spoiled brats. In an effort to toughen them up, he forces them to spend their summer in the mean streets of Oakland, Calif., where he grew up. Along the way, he realizes that he also might have some things to learn.

Ice Cube's next movie, "Are We Done Yet?" hits screens April 4. His other credits include "Are We There Yet?" and the "Barbershop" and "Friday" movies. In addition, he is developing a film adaptation of the 1970s television show "Welcome Back, Kotter."

"Tough Love" will be directed for Dimension Films by Thomas Carter, who was last in theaters with "Coach Carter. Ice Cube will also serve as a producer.

Kotche Drums Up Piece For Kronos Quartet

2007-03-29T20:48:00.000-07:00

Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche has completed "Anomaly," a 23-minute piece for the Kronos Quartet that will premiere in New York in October. The seven-movement composition came to life when Kronos member David Harrington approached Kotche after the 2006 release of the latter's latest solo album, "Mobile."

"I really dug in and spent a lot of time, because I've never written outside of percussion before," Kotche tells Billboard.com. "That was basically my November through the end of January."

"It's very percussive," Kotche says with a laugh when asked to describe the sound of the piece. "I'm not toning it down. I'm playing a multiple-percussion kit. It's really rhythmic; there's a lot of energy. Some parts are beautiful; things I couldn't play on drums. That's the way I treated the whole thing: four players in the quartet. I have each player to act like a limb to explore rhythmic ideas. If I could have a violin be my right hand and a cello be my left foot, what would it sound like?"

The Kronos Quartet's most recent release, "Gorecki's String Quartet No. 3," came out last week via Nonesuch. Kotche, of course, is about to begin touring in support of Wilco's new album, "Sky Blue Sky," due May 15.

In addition, Kotche has begun recording a new album with his duo, On Fillmore.

Live Nation Expands Fillmore Franchise In Three Cities

2007-03-29T20:43:00.000-07:00

Live Nation will greatly expand its Fillmore franchise with new Fillmore venues in New York, Philadelphia and Detroit, with others to follow. They join Fillmore venues in San Francisco and Denver.

In New York that concept will debut on April 11 with Lily Allen at the newly renovated Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza. In Philadelphia, the TLA is getting the makeover, and in Detroit the State Theatre will become a Fillmore venue.

The Fillmore concept dates back to the late promoter Bill Graham's legendary San Francisco venue that helped launch such careers as the Grateful Dead, Jimi Hendrix, Santana and Janis Joplin.

Bruce Eskowitz, Live Nation's CEO of North American Music, says the new Fllmores will hark back to that time, with signature "dark, sophisticated" red paint, the Fillmore's distinctive chandeliers, and vintage Fillmore and Fillmore East posters throughout.

Other improvements to Irving Plaza include upgraded artist dressing rooms, a renovated VIP section with dramatically improved sightlines and the addition of plasma screens throughout the club. "And the best is the apples at the door, just like the [original] Fillmore always had," says Eskowitz.

In addition to Allen, the opening evening at the Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza will feature DJ Aaron LaCrate and the Los Angeles-based duo the Bird and the Bee. The Philadelphia Fillmore debut is on April 27 with Todd Rundgren headlining. Details for Detroit are still being determined.

Eskowitz says LN will be "very aggressive" in the small and mid-sized venues with the House Of Blues and Fillmore brands. "A lot of times people don't realize that we produce thousands and thousands of club shows a year," he says. "We do this all day, so I think you can look at us converting other buildings we have in North America to House of Blues or Fillmores, as well as continue to expand."

Modest Mouse Steers Its 'Ship' To No. 1 Debut

2007-03-29T20:36:00.000-07:00

Modest Mouse scores the first No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 of its career this week as "We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank" debuts on top. The Epic set moved 129,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, more than double the group's previous best sales week. Modest Mouse's last album, 2004's "Good News for People Who Love Bad News," debuted at No. 19 with 68,000.

Joss Stone's third album, "Introducing Joss Stone" (Virgin), enters at No. 2, moving 118,000 units, also a career best for charting and sales. Stone's last album, 2004's "Mind, Body & Soul" peaked at No. 11.

"American Idol" 2006 third-place finisher Elliott Yamin's self-titled Hickory Records debut sold 90,000 copies to debut at No. 3. Yamin becomes the fifth finalist from last year's edition of the show to reach The Billboard 200, joining Taylor Hicks, Katharine McPhee, Kellie Pickler and this week's No. 4 artist, Chris Daughtry. Daughtry's self-titled RCA album holds tight in that position for a second week, selling 76,000 copies with a modest 4% drop in sales.

R&B singer Marques Houston's Universal Motown set "Veteran" debuts at No. 5 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums with 69,000 units. Houston's last album, 2005's "Naked," debuted at No. 13 on The Billboard 200 with 65,000.

Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) falls 5-6 after selling about a hundred copies less than "Veteran" at 69,000 (-4%), while Lloyd's "Street Love" (The Inc.) descends 2-7 with 55,000 (-62%). After bowing at the summit last week, Musiq Soulchild's "Luvanmusiq" (Atlantic) plunges to No. 8 with a 64% sales hit at 54,000.

Rich Boy's self-titled Zone 4/Interscope debut slips 3-9 with 49,000, a sales change of -56%. In its second week on the chart, Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Universal) falls 7-10 with 48,000 and a 6% sales dip.

Several more albums bowed this week in the top 50 on The Billboard 200, including Insane Clown Posse's Psychopathic set "The Tempest" at No. 20 (33,000), the group's eleventh album to enter the chart. Baby Boy Da Prince makes his Billboard 200 debut with sophomore set "Across the Water" (Universal Republic) at No. 26 with 26,000. Rapper Devin the Dude's "Waitin' to Inhale" (Rap-A-Lot) enters at No. 30 (25,000), which beats the No. 55 peak of his 2004 effort "To Tha X-Treme."

With only a couple dozen sales fewer than "Waitin' to Inhale," Crime Mob's "Hated on Mostly" (Reprise) slips in at No. 31. Stephen Marley's first solo album, "Mind Control" (Universal), bows at No. 35 with 20,000, while LCD Soundsystem's sophomore Capitol/DFA effort, "Sound of Silver," earns the James Murphy-led group its first Billboard 200 chart ink at No. 46.

"Last of the Breed," a collaboration between Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard and Ray Price via Lost Highway, is next to debut, moving 13,000 at No. 64. A trio of debuts, Andrew Bird's "Armchair Apocrypha" (Fat Possum), Juan Luis Guerra y 440's "La Llave de Mi Corazon" (EMI) and El-P's "I'll Sleep When You're Dead" (Def Jux), landed at No. 76, No. 77 and No. 78 respectively, all selling around 11,000.

Metal act Haste The Day has its best charting week with the debut of "Pressure the Hinges" at No. 89 (10,000). Ted Leo and the Pharmicists land on the Billboard 200 for the first time with "Living with the Living," the group's first record through Touch & Go, at No. 109 with 8,000. Two other new albums debut with around 8,000 copies: J Dilla's posthumous "Ruff Draft" bows at No. 112 while "Influence" by Shaw-Blades (comprising Jack Blades of Night Ranger and Tommy Shaw of Styx) enters at No. 117.

Maylene & the Sons of Disaster earn their first appearance on any Billboard chart with their aptly named sophomore set "II" at No. 156 with 6,000. Miguel Bose's "Papito" joins the chart for the first time at No. 160 with 5,000, while the second album from Everything But The Girl's Tracey Thorn, "Out of the Woods," bows with 5,000 as well at No. 172.

Album sales are up 2.6% from last week's total at 8.5 million units and down 18.2% compared to the same week last year. Overall album sales for the year are down 17% from last year at 108 million units.

Flyleaf Hoping New Songs Heal The Hurt

2007-03-29T20:29:00.000-07:00

Getting to the truth not only as a songwriter but as a band is what vocalist/lyricist Lacey Mosley hopes to accomplish with Flyleaf's follow-up to its 2005 self-titled album.

"There are things about the latest record that we did that are the most accurate reflection of who we are and then there are also things about the record that have nothing to do with who we are," Mosley tells Billboard.com. "It has to do with the fact that we have a lot of people who are paying for our record and we have to compromise. But the stages our (new) songs are at now are just completely ours and that's beautiful."

While Mosley cites "Sorrow" as a song that perfectly encapsulates the band's mindset on its Octone/J Records debut, it's the chopped-up "There for You" that exemplifies compromised creativity. However, Mosley says the concert stage is where the group's personal integrity is restored, with "There For You" being completely reworked. She chalks up the entire experience as playing the label game.

"Even back then when we were making the decisions, we were kind of talking and saying, 'OK, we can do it this way' and it was only later on (after we) listened to the songs that we were really upset and embarrassed," Mosley says. "Like, that's not really us. We're just going to play it the way we want to play it, and that's how our live shows have always been -- a little different from the record."

From a stylistic standpoint, Mosley isn't quite sure how to describe the seven new tracks currently in the mix, including "Have We Lost?" and "Again." The Texas quartet is now road-testing material on its latest headlining club tour, which runs through the end of April.

Mosley hopes to begin recording a new album later this summer for a possible late 2007 or early 2008 release. "Howard Benson, our producer, who is really great and a genius, told me something that changed my perspective," Mosley says. "He told me you can make a record that musicians will listen to and appreciate or you can make a record that the whole world will appreciate, and I understand that. We'd rather have more people listen to our music because I think the story behind the songs are important for the kids to hear for this generation, for different people that are hurting. I guess that's what music is for. And we all hurt sometimes. Everybody hurts."

Almond Inks With Sanctuary For New Album

2007-03-29T20:16:00.000-07:00

Vocalist Marc Almond, who was seriously injured in a 2004 motorcycle crash, has signed with Sanctuary for the June release of a new album, "Stardom Road." The 13-track set was produced by Marius de Vries and Tris Penna.

"Stardom Road" features covers of tracks like the Dusty Springfield-popularized "I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten" (featuring St. Etienne's Sarah Cracknell) and the Roberta Flack/Shirley Bassey-associated "The Ballad of the Sad Young Men" (featuring Antony Hegarty of Antony and the Johnsons).

The album also finds former Soft Cell principal Almond reinterpreting Frank Sinatra's "Strangers in the Night," T. Rex's "The London Boys" and Petula Clark's "Happy Heart"

Almond will play a few live shows this spring in Europe, beginning Friday (March 30) in Thessaloniki, Greece. Also on tap is sold-out May 4-6 run at London's Wiltons Music Hall.

Here is the track list for "Stardom Road":

"I Have Lived"
"I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten"
"Bedsitter Images"
"The London Boys"
"Strangers in the Night"
"The Ballad of the Sad Young Men"
"Stardom Road"
"Kitsch"
"Backstage (I'm Lonely)"
"Dream Lover"
"Happy Heart"
"Redeem Me"
"The Curtain Falls"

Black Eyed Peas' Taboo Arrested After Crash

2007-03-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Taboo of the Black Eyed Peas was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a collision, police said.

The 31-year-old hip-hop singer, whose real name is Jaime Luis Gomez, was taken into custody yesterday morning (March 27) after a collision in Industry, Calif., about 20 miles east of Los Angeles, said Los Angeles sheriff's Lt. Mark Relyea.

Gomez was released last evening with a citation for possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, possession of a prescribed medication without a prescription and driving under the influence, Relyea said.

No court date was disclosed.

Korn, Evanescence Team For Family Values Tour

2007-03-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

Korn and Evanescence will co-headline this year's Family Values tour, which will visit 31 North American cities starting July 16 in St. Louis.

Sharing the main stage on this year's Live Nation-produced festival are Atreyu, Flyleaf, Hellyeah and Trivium. Additional bands, venues and dates will be announced shortly.

Last year, after a five-year hiatus, Korn revived the Family Values tour for a summer run that featured Deftones, Stone Stour, Flyleaf and Japanese upstarts Dir en gray. The trek grossed $6.2 million and drew more than 347,000 fans in attendance for 26 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore.

Through Korn's partnership with Live Nation, the 2006 tour offered concertgoers lawn tickets priced at $9.99 for all amphitheater dates. This year's edition of Family Values will offer similar pricing.

Here are the cities for the Family Values tour:

St. Louis
Minneapolis
Chicago
Columbus, Ohio
Camden, N.J.
Boston
Washington, D.C.
Hartford, Conn.
Buffalo, N.Y.
Detroit
Toronto
Pittsburgh
Scranton, Pa.
East Rutherford, N.J.
Indianapolis
Atlanta
Orlando, Fla.
Miami
Tampa, Fla.
Dallas
Houston
San Antonio, Texas
Oklahoma City
Kansas City, Mo.
Denver
Albuquerque, N.M.
Phoenix
Bakersfield, Calif.
Sacramento, Calif.
San Francisco
Irvine, Calif.

Timberlake Extends 'FutureSex' Tour Into September

2007-03-29T14:17:00.000-07:00

Just as he prepares to finish the first leg of his North American tour, Justin Timberlake has announced a new slew of dates in support of his latest Jive album, "FutureSex/LoveSounds." Timberlake has once again tapped producer/collaborator Timbaland as a special guest for the trek, which begins Aug. 6 in his home state Tennessee at the FedExForum in Memphis.

The performances will continue to feature his 14-piece band on a 360-degree view rotating stage. Beforehand, Timberlake will tour Europe for the first half of the summer, which includes a quartet of dates at London's new 02 Arena.

Timberlake is also featured alongside Nelly Furtado on Timbaland's new single, "Give It to Me," from the latter's upcoming album, "Shock Value."

Here are Justin Timberlake's tour dates:

Aug. 6: Memphis, Tenn. (FedExForum)
Aug. 7: Atlanta (Gwinnett Center)
Aug. 10: Boston (TD Banknorth Garden)
Aug. 13: East Rutherford, N.J. (Continental Airlines Arena)
Aug. 15: New York (Madison Square Garden)
Aug. 18: Montreal (Bell Centre)
Aug. 20: Toronto (Air Canada Centre)
Aug. 25: Winnipeg (MTS Centre)
Sept. 1: Las Vegas (Mandalay Bay)
Sept. 5: Vancouver (GM Place)
Sept. 7: Portland, Ore. (Rose Garden)
Sept. 8: Tacoma, Wash. (Tacoma Dome)
Sept. 10: Sacramento, Calif. (ARCO Arena)
Sept. 12: San Jose, Calif. (HP Pavilion)
Sept. 16: Los Angeles (Staples Center)

Borland Back On Track With Black Light Burns

2007-03-29T13:59:00.000-07:00

There hasn't been much heard from the Limp Bizkit camp in quite some time, but the group's ex-guitarist, Wes Borland, will soon change that. On June 5, his new band, Black Light Burns, will release its debut, "Cruel Melody," which focuses more on Borland's musical quirks than the heavy rock of Limp Bizkit.

"There are remnants of what I used to do, but there are also new things that I've explored that I'm expressing now," Borland tells Billboard.com. "I would compare my previous work as 'knuckleheaded and immature,' and basically sort of really heavy party music. Which is never what I wanted to do. I was really behind [the debut Bizkit album] 'Three Dollar Bill Y'all,' and then because of how chaotic it was, was less happy with the music from there on. This is me 'redirecting'."

Produced by former Nine Inch Nails member Danny Lohner (who also plays bass), "Cruel Melody" also finds Josh Freese handling drum duties and Josh Eustis playing keyboards, while Borland pulls double duty as lead vocalist. On a forthcoming tour, Borland will be flanked by second guitarist Nick Annis, bassist Sean Fetterman and drummer Marshall Kilpatric (formerly of the Esoteric).

While some tracks will please longtime Bizkit fans (namely "Coward"), many detour off into territory usually occupied by Nine Inch Nails ("Animal") and Queens Of The Stone Age ("Mesopotamia"). Ex-Concrete Blonde vocalist Johnette Napolitano also makes an appearance on "I Am Where It Takes Me."

The album will be the first to be issued via Ross Robinson's new label, I Am: Wolfpack, and Borland couldn't be happier about his new home. "There's all these fresh people involved, and it's literally like I just went to heaven -- it's so easy to make moves now," he says. "It's literally like three or four people make a decision together, instead of an endless amount of paperwork."

Black Light Burns will make its live debut April 30 at the NARM convention, with more dates to follow. The band has also gotten a head start on album number two, having already penned five new tracks for the projected release, to be issued next year.

And for those still wondering, what are the chances of Borland playing beside Fred Durst once more? "You can never tell what's going to happen, because life is very up-and-down and interesting -- it throws new things my way all the time," he admits. "So you can never say 'never' to anything, but I seriously doubt it. Black Light Burns to me is like going out with the hottest girl in school. Why would I want to go back to going out with someone who's not very good looking to me and restricts me from doing anything? It's like, 'Wow, this is so awesome and easy.' Why would I want to go back to something so hard and painful for me?"

Snoop, Diddy Scrap U.K. Shows After Visa Flap

2007-03-29T13:52:00.000-07:00

Snoop Dogg has cancelled the U.K. leg of his European One Love Peace Tour after the British government refused the rapper a visa.

"With the late notice of Snoop being denied a visa, time has run out and it is too late reconfigure the show," according to statement issued on March 27 on behalf of the rapper. "Credible behind the scenes efforts were made to reverse the decision, to no avail."

The artist, whose real name its Calvin Broadus, was due to perform at London's Wembley Arena tonight, as part of his co-headlining tour with Diddy. However, British officials refused to budge on an earlier ban, which was placed on the artist after he and his entourage were involved in a fracas with staff and police last year at Heathrow Airport, resulting in numerous arrests.

Subsequent tour dates in Cardiff, Manchester and Glasgow were also cancelled.

"P. Diddy and Snoop were incredibly disappointed and devastated by the news," today's media release adds. "They really did not want to let fans down this way as the U.K. was a planned highlight of the tour. However, this ultimately was a situation out of their control."

The tour will roll on with performances March 31 and April 1 at the Point in Dublin.

Slayer, Manson To Shock And Rock On Tour

2007-03-29T13:02:00.000-07:00

In a formidable pairing, Slayer and Marilyn Manson are hitting the road together in North America beginning July 25 on the East Coast. The itinerary is expected to span 25 cities, with a confirmed schedule coming shortly.

The acts will first give the pairing a whirl at the U.K.'s Download Festival on June 9 in Donington, the Greenfield Festival on June 15 in Interlaken, Switzerland, and the Metaltown Festival on June 30 in Stockholm.

For Manson, the trek comes in support of his forthcoming album, "Eat Me, Drink Me," due in June via Interscope. According to his Web site, he hopes to release it in conjunction with his film project "Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll," based on the strange life of the creator of "Alice in Wonderland."

Slayer's last album, "Christ Illusion" (American), was released in August, and peaked at No. 5 on The Billboard 200. The veteran group will be on the road in Australia and Europe prior to its stint with Manson.

Tapes 'N Tapes Hoping To Hit Studio In June

2007-03-29T12:54:00.000-07:00

A whole bunch of untitled songs is what Tapes 'N Tapes singer/guitarist Josh Grier has at this stage of writing the band's next album, which will hopefully be recorded in June and tentatively released in the fall.

"None of the songs have been played live so far," Grier tells Billboard.com. "I've been holding off and wanted to get to the point where I was comfortable with them and liked how they were sounding."

That will change next month when the Minneapolis quartet hits the road for a headlining club tour, which begins April 16 in Columbia, Mo., and also includes a Coachella date. When asked if he's concerned about any of the new material finding its way onto the Internet, Grier laughs, "There's only so much you can control. I think that's part of the reason why we waited until this tour to play the new stuff, because I wanted to make sure we had the lyrics written so I wasn't just mumbling words."

Recorded in 2005 and released by XL Recordings last year, the outfit's debut effort, "The Loon," was described as an indie rock lover's dream flecked by the sounds of Pavement and the Pixies. As far as the next project, if Grier knows where Tapes 'N Tapes is headed, he's playing it tight to his vest.

"I think we always try to have each song be its own personality and its own sound so I'm sure there will be some stuff on there that doesn't have the same type of songs that we played before," Grier says. "That's what we always go for, to try out new stuff, so I think it'll sound like us. It's pretty much the same group of guys but I'm sure there's going to be, at least for us, a songwriting growth."

The upcoming tour is sponsored by 2K Sports, which featured the Tapes 'N Tapes song "Insistor" on the in-game soundtrack to the new "Major League Baseball 2K7" videogame.

"A couple weeks after we agreed to have our song on the videogame they asked us what we would think about them sponsoring us on tour," Grier told Billboard in an earlier interview. "We are all big [Minnesota] Twins fans, so it was like, 'Sweet, a baseball videogame -- that's right up our alley.'"

VA - Stax 50

2007-03-29T12:19:00.000-07:00

Stax 50: A 50th Anniversary Celebration

VARIOUS ARTISTS
Producer(s): Cheryl Pawelski, Rob Bowman
Genre: VITAL REISSUES
Label: Stax/Concord Music Group

Created in 1957 as Satellite Records, Stax was nicknamed "the little label that could." And it did. Between 1960 and 1975, Stax became synonymous with raw, unadulterated Southern soul. In contrast to chief rival Motown, the Stax sound (as co-producer Rob Bowman points out in the liner notes) was more "performance and process-oriented" as opposed to Motown's "more composition and product-oriented aesthetic."

What shaped this important chapter in music history can be heard on this 50-track, 50th-anniversary collection, which showcases the pioneering progenitors of the label's sound. Backed by an integrated rhythm-and-horn section, Stax's roster grew into a who's who that included Sam & Dave, Otis Redding, Carla and Rufus Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, the Emotions, Isaac Hayes and Booker T & the MG's. These and other acts rolled out unforgettable R&B and pop hits as well as emotion-packed tracks that later laid the creative foundation for such artists as Will Smith, Jaheim and Janet Jackson.

Scarlet Blonde release their debut single 'Electric' on April 2nd

2007-03-29T12:00:00.000-07:00

he most common advice to emerging bands and artists is “make music you love and don’t just follow the herd” That’s exactly what Scarlet BLONDE did when recording their first album, “Bedroom Superstars”, scheduled for release in 2007.

Unlike a lot of current bands, Scarlet BLONDE draw their influences from 80’s Synth, 70's Punk, New Wave, Dance, Hip-Hop, full on Rock, mashing together with catchy pop melodies to produce a unique sound. "We record what we love to hear" says Scarlet BLONDE's Ditch GBH, "We love pop music how it used to be, when it was played by musicians rather than created by a team of producers and we just try to put a modern slant on that".

After receiving great reviews from industry panels and press and being A-listed by a number of Internet Radio stations, Scarlet BLONDE are now ready to step up to the next level. "The positivity shown by people has been overwhelming" Says DawnyVic, the bands elfin like front woman, "From random well wishers on myspace to media personalities, everyone seems to have something good to say about our music!"

The music they produced led to them setting up their own Label and signing a deal in Europe and the States with dPulse records.

Scarlet BLONDE's Album "Bedroom Superstars" will be released in 2007 by HyperMEDIA Recordings and will be available from all good online and offline music shops and some bad ones too.

White Stripes confirm 'Icky' new album details

2007-03-29T11:49:00.000-07:00

The new album from the White Stripes will be called Icky Thump, the band has confirmed.

Jack and Meg White will release the follow-up to 2005's Get Behind Me Satan later this year, and are currently planning live shows to back the album.

In an online posting this week, it was confirmed that mixing and recording of the record has been completed at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

"We are doing our best (whatever that is) to release the album as soon as corporately possible," the statement reads. "And though we are tired, worn, weary, hungry, cold and left without an ounce of nutrition amongst ourselves, we are in the midst of planning performance type shows around the world."

Speaking about the recording process, the posting continues: "It was the longest time the delightful duo have ever spent in the studio, totalling almost three weeks. Jack and Meg were said to have been looking like they were 'into it almost.'

"And even Meg herself was quoted while leaving a local Nashville laundromat saying that the record was, in her best estimate, 'finished,' 'musical in nature,' and lastly, though slightly muffled, 'good.'"

Tracks set to feature include "Catch Hell Blues," "Little Cream Soda," "Rag And Bone," "Clicky Bump," "You Don't Know What Love Is (Just Do As You're Told)," and "I'm Slowly Turning Into You."

Jamiroquai's Jay Kay to retire

2007-03-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Jay Kay is quitting music, he has announced. The Jamiroquai star's deal with SonyBMG is understood to have ended recently, prompting the decision to retire.

In confirming the news, Kay said he was "bored" but suggested he might be back if his "inspiration" returns.

He explained: "I haven't been happy there for a while. I've had some ups and downs but in the end the downs were just too many. When we talked about me leaving, I jumped at the chance. I'm bored. I don't want to go back on the road. We all need a rest, to be honest. I don't need the money or a deal."

Jamiroquai have released eight albums, culminating in a greatest-hits colelction in 2006. However, Kay says we might not have seen the last of him.

"I might be back if I get my inspiration again, but who knows. All I'm going to do now is fly my helicopter and look for the right lady to have children with," he explained.

Kelis Busted for Racist Remarks

2007-03-28T19:44:00.000-07:00

Kelis' milkshake does wonders for the boys. But her mouth isn't winning her any points with the girls, particularly of the police persuasion.

The Grammy-nominated "Milkshake" purveyor was arrested in Miami's South Beach district early Friday after screaming racial epithets at two prostitutes—who turned out to be undercover female cops running a sting operation.

The 27-year-old Kelis, whose full name is Kelis Rogers-Jones, was taken into custody about 4:30 a.m. and booked on misdemeanor charges of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest without violence. She was hauled off to Miami-Dade County Jail and released on $1,500 bond hours later.

Kelis' publicist did not immediately comment on the arrest.

According to the police report, the two undercover officers were posting as call girls trolling the main drag in South Beach when the R&B chanteuse—whose father was African-American and mother Chinese Puerto Rican—approached and shouted profanities.

The officers said Kelis then charged at them, only to be restrained by members of her party, including her husband, rapper Nas. After calming down, she rushed them again. At that point, the officers opted for the takedown, but the songbird allegedly resisted after they identified themselves as cops.

The Harlem-born performer, who has collaborated with the likes of the Neptunes, Dallas Austin and Andre 3000, hit the big time in 2003 with the success of her third solo album, Tasty, which went gold, selling 528,000 copies, and spawned such club hits as "Milkshake" and "Not in Love," which teamed her with Enrique Iglesias. The follow-up, Kelis Was Here, debuted at number 10, but has failed to match the sales of the previous release.

Kelis married Nas in January 2005.

Bobby Brown Not Down with Radio Gig

2007-03-28T19:34:00.000-07:00

Freeing Bobby Brown isn't all it's cracked up to be.

One day after the entertainer was sprung from a Massachusetts jail cell, there are divergent opinions over who ponied up the $19,000 in back child-support payments to get him out and whether Brown welched on a promise to a radio station.

Here's what we know for sure. Brown got of the Norfolk County lockup about 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday and his brother, Tommy, was the one who delivered the check for $19,150.

After that things get confusing.

On Thursday afternoon, the Washington, D.C.-based Hot 99.5 WIHT-FM issued a press release saying it had come up with the dough in exchange for Brown agreeing to work for the station next week during the 5:30-10 morning show. The station said it was giving the trouble-prone musician/reality star a "second chance" and the opportunity to be a was to discuss his woes and "positive role model for the Washington, D.C., community."

Come Friday morning, though, the deal was off, with Brown and Hot 99.5 deejay Kane getting into a heated onair exchange.

Bobby: "You paid me some chips to be on your radio station."

Kane: "We didn't pay you to be on the radio station. We paid to get you out of jail."

Brown: "No, I was already out."

When asked where he got the money, Brown said he didn't know.

"So you snowed us," Kane said, "Through your attorney you went ahead and lied to us."

Speaking to E! Online later Friday, Kane said, "We have officially rescinded the offer to Bobby. We spoke with his attorney today and we decided it was in both of our best interests to agree to disagree and once we talked to him this morning, it was clear we weren't on the same page. The money will now be refunded and will be given to a D.C. charity."

According to Kane, the Clear Channel-owned outlet put up the money and secured Brown's release Wednesday night after negotiating with his Atlanta-based attorney, Phaedra Parks.

But, a rep for the Norfolk County sheriff confirmed that it was Tommy Brown who delivered the cash, thereby, to the mind of Brown camp, overriding the deal with Hot 99.5.

"We believe Tommy put up the money because he knew he was going to get the money from us the next day," Kane said, adding that Bobby Brown was more than happy to agree to Hot 99's terms when he was still behind bars.

However, Tommy Brown told E! Online Friday that his brother wasn't even aware of the proposal until his agent heard about it on Yahoo and Bobby was already out of jail by the time the radio station issued its statement.Tommy Brown said he called the station's management, who told him they were entertaining the idea of having the artist on for a week without realizing he was already out. Tommy also said there was "never any deal" for his brother to appear in person.

Brown's Atlanta-based atorney, Phaedra Parks, added that three other radio stations in different parts of the country made the same offer, but "not a penny of [Hot 99's] money they supposedly bailed him out with went to anything."

"I said send me your offer over and I'll review and they went head on reporting to their local TV station saying they're bailing bobby out," the legal eagle said. "In the midst of that, his brother bailed him out of jail. I never received a formal offer or proposal contract until Thursday afternoon. . .It's a publicity stunt. I don't know if they ever had a possible intentions other than to emasculate him."

As for the musician getting on the phone with Kane on Friday, Parks said Brown actually considered taking him up on the offer anyway, thinking it might be good publicity, but felt ambushed during the conversation when the deejay's probing about his paternal responsibilities suggested he was" predisposed" against him.

Bobby Brown was jailed on a warrant for failing to live up to a court-ordered payment schedule for his two children, LaPrincia, 17, and Bobby Jr., 15, with ex-girlfriend Kim Ward. If he hadn't come up with the $19,000, he would have faced up to 90 days behind bars.

On Thursday, the day after his release, Brown appeared in court and paid Ward an additional $8,589 to cover March's child support payments and medical fees. He also got a reprimand from Judge Paula Carey.

"This really shouldn't be the way we do this," she told Brown's family court attorney, Melissa Whish. "He really needs to pay this money on the first of every month."

Following the hearing, Whish told reporters that despite Brown's fame, her client has simply had bad luck finding work.

Radio stations, apparently, notwithstanding.

Meanwhile, Brown, who's in the midst of a divorce from Whitney Houston, said he plans to visit their daughter, Bobbi Kristina, Sunday in Los Angeles to celebrate her 14th birthday.

Idol Eliminates Four More

2007-03-28T19:20:00.000-07:00

Randy said her song was "way too big for her." Paula said something incomprehensible. Simon said she was "worse than last week." But luckily for Antonella Barba, America disagreed.

After a difficult week in which racy pictures of her were leaked on to the Internet and her performance of Céline Dion's "Because You Loved Me" was poorly received by the judges, Barba still managed to land a spot among the top 16 contestants on American Idol.

The New Jersey native, who has been praised more for her looks than her vocals this season, may well owe a large portion of her continued success to the Website votefortheworst.com, which has selected her as its female contestant of choice.

The anti-Idol site urges its visitors to vote for the least deserving candidates—those who "the producers would hate to see win," and claims past contestants John Stevens, Scott Savol, Kevin Covais, Kellie Pickler and Taylor Hicks among its victories.

Of course, Barba may also have also received a boost from a newfound fanbase that developed as a direct result of the aforementioned racy pictures.

Whatever the circumstances that enabled Barba to survive yet another round of eliminations, Alaina Alexander, Leslie Hunt, Nicholas Pedro and AJ Tabaldo weren't as lucky.

All four semifinalists were culled from the Fox competition Thursday after receiving the least amount of votes from viewers.

Pedro was the first to go, after his performance of "Fever" failed to generate much heat.

Simon Cowell admonished the eliminated singer for lacking charisma, saying, "It's about standing out in the crowd."

It was the second and undoubtedly final Idol journey for Pedro, who opted out of the Hollywood round last season after forgetting his lyrics during the group performances.

Alexander, who sang the Dixie Chicks' "Not Ready to Make Nice," was the next to go. The emotional Mariah Carey look-alike was too overwrought to complete her final performance, instead choosing the comforts of a group hug while the backup singers covered the vocals.

Next up was Tabaldo, whose performance of "Feeling Good" received positive reviews from the judges Tuesday night.

"Truthfully, this is a singing competition, yet I don't feel tonight reflects that," a stunned Paula Abdul said after hearing the verdict. "I think you're a brilliant singer."

Hunt, who also performed "Feeling Good," was the final singer sent home, a result she acknowledged she "had a feeling" about, after Cowell called her rendition "forgettable."

The night also featured a performance by Idol alum Kellie Pickler, who played up the Southern gal naiveté that became her trademark during the fifth season in a bit with Ryan Seacrest in which she pretended to believe that spider roll sushi actually contained spiders.

Unfortunately, while her lack of worldly knowledge may have been a somewhat endearing quality when she was actually competing on the show, the repeat performance fell flat.

Next week marks the final round of multiple eliminations, after which 12 finalists will remain in the running.

Last week, 30.5 million people tuned in for Wednesday's outing of the talent competition, featuring the female singers, while 29.5 million watched the male singers perform on Tuesday

Britney and Postpartum Depression

2007-03-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

When radio-marketing specialist Sandra Poulin first heard reports linking Britney Spears' recent erratic behavior to postpartum depression, she was skeptical.

The partying, the strip-club photo ops, the head shaving—none of that spoke to the experience of Poulin, who battled the disorder after the birth of her daughter, or to those of the women she interviewed for her book, The Mother-to-Mother Postpartum Depression Support Book.

"If she has the energy to party, that is very suspect to me that she in any way would have postpartum depression," says Poulin, who endured months of anxiety-driven sleepless nights.

But then Poulin did the math: Spears' youngest son, Jayden James, was born six months ago last September; postpartum depression is often diagnosed four to six months after the birth of a child.

"That's when it hits the hardest, because you are not sleeping well, and you really are not well," Poulin says. "People often think it's immediate, it hits you right away—no way."

According to Postpartum Support International, a California-based support and advocacy group, one in eight women will experience overwhelming helplessness, sadness or even anxiety after giving birth.

Brooke Shields and Marie Osmond belong to this not-at-all-exclusive club. Insiders in Spears' camp suggest she does, too.

Postpartum-depression experts don't disagree.

"I think it could definitely be a factor," says Susan Dowd Stone, a licensed clinical social worker and president of Postpartum Support International. "Quite frankly, I don't see how it could not be a factor."

"It isn't, 'Wow, isn't it weird Britney Spears had postpartum depression?' It's, 'Well, that's what was going on.' "

To Stone, Spears' acting out is in sync with a postpartum-disorder diagnosis, as well as potentially tied to classic risk factors such as marital problems and substance abuse.

Spears filed for divorce from husband Kevin Federline last November, en route to notching headlines for coast-to-coast clubbing, collapsing and vomiting.

"People think of depression as being in bed all day, or crying all day," Stone says. "But in manic states, [women] can engage in risk-taking behavior."

On Friday, and barring an early discharge, the 25-year-old Spears will mark her first full week in Promises, a Malibu clinic renowned for its alcohol- and drug-treatment programs.

Spears' camp has not expressly said what ails the singer—although paparazzi shots of Spears attending a not so anonymous Alcoholic Anonymous meeting on Wednesday night left a little less to the imagination.

Though short on public pronouncements, Spears' insiders are talking up reporters—and talking up postpartum depression, even if some incidents, such as her 55-hour marriage to Jason Allen Alexander, occurred prior to either of her pregnancies.

A source close to Federline told Tina Dirmann of E! Online's Planet Gossip show that Spears was "never the same after she had their kids," sons Jayden James and one-year-old Sean Preston.

"Even after the first baby, she had wild mood swings and her temper would go off at the drop of a hat," the source said. "After she came home the second time, she just seemed really unhappy all of the time."

True Britney Fans, in Good Times and in Bald

2007-03-21T19:09:00.000-07:00

Last month, Britney Spears gave herself a makeover. This month, her Website followed suit.

A new redesign of the official Spears domain features a photo of the singer in happier—read: hairier—days, alongside a space for fans to share their "thoughts and inspirations" with the rehabbing pop star.

Judging from a selection of missives posted on the site, true Spears enthusiasts remain as unwavering as ever in their dedication to the entertainer.

"You are the best female artist ever," an especially keen fan named Laura wrote.

"Be strong, be happy and know that you are loved! (not in a stalker way)," wrote another fan named Lauren, taking care to ensure her sentiment would not be misinterpreted.

Others expressed confidence that Spears still had a bright future ahead of her.

"It's all a journey, and the bumpy bits can be rough and scary, but I have absolute faith that there's a lot of good times ahead for you," a fan named Anthony assured the pop princess.

One fan even suggested that Spears was the most powerful mortal of all time.

"Britney, you are a very special person and you are one of a kind. There is no other person on this earth that can ever hold the power that you have," Tim F. opined.

Spears checked into the Promises treatment center in Malibu on Feb. 21, after a spate of erratic behavior that culminated with her shaving her head.

Reports have speculated that she is being treated for issues ranging from substance abuse and postpartum depression to bipolar disorder and bulimia, though there's been no official word on her condition.

Her estranged husband, Kevin Federline, has been a frequent visitor to the center, often with the couple's two sons in tow. She has also been observed leaving the Promises premises on several occasions to attend Alcoholics Anonymous meetings.

However, with Spears' 30-day mark fast approaching, Star magazine reports that Promises may be just as happy as she is about her impending discharge.

"Britney has a seriously bad attitude problem," an "insider" told the magazine. "She's been very demanding, acts like a 12-year-old and throws temper tantrums when she doesn't get what she wants!"

The source claimed Spears has had difficulty adjusting to life at Promises—as relatively luxurious as the $48,000-a-month facility may be.

"She refuses to pick up after herself and even asked if she could hire a maid!" the source told Star. "She's asking for this and that, special food, special everything--and she's not that nice to anyone. She has a serious entitlement problem."

Furthermore, her time in rehab has reportedly caused Spears to develop a serious Coke habit.

"She has been drinking tons of Coca-Cola—about two cases a day, or 24 Cokes in 24 hours. She drinks one after the other!" Star's source claimed.

Fortunately for Spears, loyal fans like Tim F. continue to embrace her, flaws and all.

"I love ya Britney and you mean a lot to me and to everyone," Tim F. wrote. "I support you, Britney, and I always will.

"I will never turn my back on you no matter how bad life may get, and I promise you that you can totally count on that."

And that should count for something.

Original Article

Coldplay to guest on Swizz Beatz album

2007-03-21T19:05:00.000-07:00

Coldplay are among the guest stars on the new Swizz Beatz album, it has been confirmed.

The U.K. rock heroes appear on the track "Part Of The Plan," which is taken from the American rapper and producer's forthcoming album, One Man Band Man.

There has been no confirmation which member is involved in the collaboration, although Chris Martin famously produced and sang on "Beach Chair" from Jay-Z's 2006 comeback album Kingdom Come.

Martin is also understood to have recorded a song entitled "Homecoming," which is scheduled to be the first single from the new Kanye West album.

Speaking to Billboard, Swizz confirmed plans to release "Part Of The Plan" as a single, with a video in the pipeline lensed by Crash director Paul Haggis.

Just Blaze and Kanye West are among the other stars on One Man Band Man, although Swizz insists he wants to be viewed in his own right.

"I didn't want my album to be like I was leaning on a whole bunch of other artists like crutches," he explained.

Original Article

Guns N' Roses fansite shuts down in protest over album delay

2007-03-21T18:56:00.000-07:00

A Guns N' Roses fansite has been shut down in protest at the seemingly endless delay over new album Chinese Democracry.

The webmaster of GNRonline has released a statement explaining his decision to close the site, which comes after the mooted release date was passed yet again.

The new album from Axl Rose and the current incarnation of the Gunners is perhaps the longest awaited record in the history of rock music.

Last month it was confirmed that the album, which is now around 10 years late, would not meet its March 6 unveiling, prompting the decision by the Italian site, which explains:

"The never-ending saga of 'Chinese Democracy', the lack of respect, clearness and mutual loyalty are just some of the reasons that has brought us down to this painful conclusion. Until now our detractors have always accused us of being 'Axl fanatics' (and to a certain degree, it is probably true) but today we aren't able to sustain Axl's project anymore, neither financially nor economically. We just can't afford to waste our heads on a project that has never even taken us into consideration. We still want to believe in Axl Rose and his record and we greatly wish that 'Chinese Democracy' would see the light of day before February 2008. If that will be the case we will make our best effort to re-open the site otherwise our domains will be lost and that will be the end of it."

Justin Timberlake - Take It From Here

2007-03-18T15:11:00.000-07:00

Take It From Here
Justin Timberlake

Sometimes (mmm)
Sometimes the world gets hard
Oh na na na
I'm gonna take it from here girl
Don't you worry

I wanna be your lake, or your bay
And any problems that you have
I wanna wash 'em away
I wanna be your sky
So blue and high
And everytime you think of me
I wanna blow your mind

I wanna be your air
So sweet and fair
So when you feel that you can't breathe
Ma, I'll be there

I wanna be your answer, all the time
When you see how I put your life before mine
With no question

When all the love feels gone
And you can't carry on
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here
Just as sure as the sun will shine
Every morning, everytime
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here

I wanna hold your hands
Review all your plans
I wanna make sure everyone of your dreams is there
I would be your broadway show on review
So I can act out how God was when he made you
I wanna be your lighthouse when you get lost
I'll light a bright and shiny path to help you across
I wanna be your mother, wait
See what I see
And when you see that can't nobody hold you like me
Cause I love you

When all the love feels gone
And you can't carry on
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here
Just as sure as the sun will shine
Every morning, everytime
Don't worry, girl (no no)
I'ma take it from here

And when there's no one there to hold
And you realize the world is cold
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here
That's what I'm gonna do
Just as sure as the sun will shine
Every morning, everytime
(Don't you worry, baby)
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here

Give me one reason why we should not be leaving
This world is so deceiving, the time is now
Let's fly away speeding
Through the Garden of Eden
Where all the sweet breathing of love surrounds

When all the love feels gone
And you can't carry on
Don't worry, girl
I'ma take it from here
Just as sure as the sun will shine
Every morning, everytime
Don't worry, girl (no no)
I'ma take it from here

Give me one reason
Why we should not be leaving
This world is so deceiving
The time is now
Lets fly away speeding
(We'll fly away)
Through the Garden of Eden
Where all the sweet and breathing
Of love surrounds

When all the love feels gone
And you can't carry on
Don't worry, girl
I'm-a take it from here
Just as sure as the sun will shine
Every morning, everytime
Don't worry, girl
I'm-a take it from here

Love ain't always the way they write in books
(No, no)
See there's the good guys
And also heartbreak crooks
Your hearts the real one
Just take a look inside
'Cause it's a colorful illustrated guide

So there you go
Don't worry
To help you weather the storm
I'll be there mami
No matter what time
No matter what place
You can always count on me
I'll take it from here

Justin Timberlake - Like I Love You - Lyrics

2007-03-18T14:56:00.000-07:00

Like I Love You
Justin Timberlake

Just Somethin' about you
Way I'm lookin at you, whatever
You keep lookin' at me
You're gettin' scared now
Right?
DonÂ¹t feel me baby
It's just Justin
Feel good right?
Listen

I kinda noticed something one nite
YouÂ¹re the one with the frump face
It's kinda weird to me
Since you're so fine
If it's up to me your face'll change

If you smlie then that should set the tone (just be limber)
And if you let go the music should move your bones (just remember)
Sing that song with me

Ain't nobody love you like I love you
You're a good girl and that's what makes me trust you (hey!)
Late at nite I talk to you
You will know the difference when I touch you

People are so phony
Nosy cause they're lonely
Aren't you sick of the same thing?
They say so and so was datin'
Loved you or they hatin'
And it doesn't matter anyway
Cause weÂ¹re here tonite

If you smile then that should set the tone (just be limber, baby)
And if you let go the music should move your bones (baby, just remember)
Sing that song with me

Ain't nobody love you like I love you
You're a good girl and that's what makes me trust you (hey!)
Late at nite I talk to you
You will know the difference when I touch you

Yea, you know what would make you happy?
I could change your life
If you give me that chance.. to be your man
I won't let you down, baby
If you give me that chance.. to be your man
Here baby, hold my jacket
And then...

Maybe we'll fly the nite away
(I just wanna love you baby, yea yea yea)
Girl, maybe we'll fly the nite away
(I just wanna love you baby, giirrl, oooooo)

Ma, what you wanna do?
I'm in front of you
Grab a friend, see I can have fun with two
Or me and you put on a stage show
And the mall kids, that's how to change low
From them you heard "wow, it's the same glow"
Look at me, I say "yeah, it's the same dough"
We the same type, you my air of life
You have sleepin in the same bed, er'night

Yo rock with me, you deservin' the best
Take a few shots, let it burn in your chest
We could ride down, pumpin' N.E.R.D in the deck
Funny how a few words turned into sex
Play #3, joint called Brain (I just love your... brain)
Ma, take a hint
Made me swerve in the lane
The name Malicious
And I burn every track
Clipse and J Timberlake
Now how heavy is that?

Maybe we'll fly the nite away
(I just wanna love you baby, yea yea yea)
Girl, maybe we'll fly the nite away
(I just wanna love you baby, giirrl, oooooo)

Ain't nobody love you like I love you (can't love you like I do)
You're a good girl and that's what makes me trust you (makes me trust you like I do, hey!)
Late at nite I talk to you (heeey)
You will know the difference when...

break it down...
Ya know, I used to dream about this when I was a little boy
Never thought it would end up this way
Drums..
Hey!
Kinda special right?
Yea, ya know, when you think about it
Sometimes people are just destined Destined to do what they do
And that's what it is
Now everybody dance

Justin Timberlake - Senorita

2007-03-18T14:54:00.000-07:00

Senorita
Justin Timberlake

Ladies and gentlemen
It's my pleasure to introduce to you
He's a friend of mine
Yes, yes I am
And he goes by the name... (haha)
Justin
Wowwww

All the way
from Memphis, Tennessee
And he's got somethin' special for y'all tonight
He's gonna sing a song for y'all
About this girl

Come in right here?

Yea, come on
On that sunny day didn't know I'd meet,
Such a beautiful girl walking down the street
Seen those bright brown eyes
With tears coming down (so he said to himself)
She deserves a crown
But where is it now
Mama listen

Senorita, I feel for you
You deal with things, that you don't have to
He doesn't love ya, I can tell by his charm
But you could feel this real love
If you just lay in my

Running fast in my mind
Girl won't you slow it down
If we carry on this way this thing might leave the ground
How would you like to fly?
That's how my queen should ride
But you still deserve a crown
Well hasn't it been found?
Mama listen..

Senorita, I feel for you (feel for you)
You deal with things, that you don't have to (no, no)
He doesn't love ya, I can tell by his charm
(he don't love ya baby)
But you could feel this real love (feel it)
If you just lay in my...

Ah, ah, arms...
(Won't you lay in my)
Ah, ah, arms...
(Mama lay in my)
Ah, ah, arms...
(Baby won't you lay in my)
Ah, ah, arms...

When I look into your eyes
I see something that money can't buy
And I know if you give us a try
I'll work hard for you girl
And no longer will you ever have to cry...

Senorita, I feel for you
You deal with things, that you don't have to
(Deal with things you don't have to)
He doesn't love ya, I can tell by his charm (no, no)
But you could feel this real love (feel it)
If you just lay in my...

Ah, ah, arms...
(Whoa)
Ah, ah, arms...
(My baby)
Ah, ah, arms...
(Oooh, yea)
Ah, ah, arms...

When I look into your eyes
I see something that money can't buy
And I know if you give us a try
I'll work hard for you girl
You won't ever cry

Now listen,
I wanna try some right now,
See they don't do this anymore.
I'ma sing something
And I want the guys to sing with me
They go:
"It feels like something's heating up, can I leave with you?"
And then the ladies go
"I don't know what I'm thinking bout, really leaving with you"
Guys sing!
It feels like something's heating up, can I leave with you?
And ladies..
I don't know what I'm thinking bout, really leaving with you
Feels good don't it? Come on
It feels like something's heating up, can I leave with you?
Yea, ladies
I don't know what I'm thinking bout, really leaving with you
Show the good to me

Sing it one more time
It feels like something's heating up, can I leave with you?
Ladies,
I don't know what I'm thinking bout, really leaving with you
Yea, yea..
It feels like something's heating up, can I leave with you?
Ladies,
I don't know what I'm thinking bout, really leaving with you

Gentlemen, good night, Ladies, good morning

That's it

Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High

2007-03-03T17:29:00.000-08:00

Fall Out Boy - Infinity on High
Released: February, 06, 2007
Record Label: Island

Album Review

A funny thing happened to Fall Out Boy on the road to Infinity on High: they got famous. Before 2005's From Under the Cork Tree they were just another pop-punk unit from suburban Chicago happy to break even at shows with gas money. Next thing anyone knew, they were headlining arenas and being heralded as the new face of pop-punk alongside their peers in My Chemical Romance.

It was a position that never seemed to rest easy with the guys, and because of this, Infinity on High seems a bit conflicted. Fall Out Boy wants to charm everyone here. They want to prove themselves to critics by moving past the confines of emo, allowing a love of all things pop to come right to the forefront. Yet they also want to resonate directly with those day-one fans who may long for the intimate VFW shows of yesterday. This disparity makes points of the record seem awkward, and for the first time, the band appears to over-think things. Pete Wentz's lyrics are oftentimes resentful, full of fame-induced angst, and really emphasize his need to drive home his position that stardom has not changed the band.

So it's in weird contrast to these sentiments that Jay-Z is the one opening the album and calling out haters who said FOB would fail. The glorification of their celebrity abruptly switches into Patrick Stump stating (pleading?) that the band is not buying into the hype -- nor do they even want it. "Make us poster boys for your scene/But we are not making an acceptance speech" is defiant, and when his sweet voice asserts, "Crowds are won and lost and won again/But our hearts beat for the diehards," it's clear that FOB still holds their roots close. But this is contradicted by the fact that the album's majority is far and away their poppiest material to date, more pop/rock than pop-punk, which inevitably means more interesting to those who know them just as that "Dance, Dance" band with the media-whoring bassist, Pete Wentz. So the results are hit-and-miss.

The Maroon 5-ish "I'm Like a Lawyer..." is glaringly one of the Babyface-produced tracks, and with a vocal hook uncomfortably close to Phil Collins' cover of "Groovy Kind of Love," it plays like the guys were the ruffled house band for a prom. It's ill-fitting, a notion that continues in cuts like the soft rock piano of "Golden" and the airy "The (After) Life of the Party." But on the flip side, the fizzy urban-pop nugget "This Ain't a Scene, It's an Arms Race" dances around double-time hardcore choruses and backing choral singers with dizzying precision and infectious results, while dramatic gospel flair excellently lines "Hum Hallelujah." Stump's vocal control and agility is incredible; he truly brings songs alive in a way uniquely his own, and it's a toss-up as to whether he or drummer Andrew Hurley should get this record's gold star.

So it's not to say the pop explosion that is Infinity on High is all bad. Even the studio extravagances -- multiple producers (Babyface and Butch Walker handle a few outside Neil Avron) and decadent layers of horns, string sections, and choirs -- don't detract from its overall enjoyability. Yet unlike My Chemical Romance, who knew exactly what they wanted in the grand theatrics of 2006's Welcome to the Black Parade and completely went for it without apology, Fall Out Boy is at odds. Previously, they could easily skip around with pop baggage, hardcore tension, cunning wordplay, and infectious melodies without losing their edge. Now they just seem too self-aware. Don't misunderstand: once Infinity on High sinks in, it's indeed a fun record. But for a band that was once so self-assured and able to utilize its talents so compellingly, the album is regrettably haphazard.

Fall Out Boy may hate people who "dissect us 'til this doesn't mean a thing anymore," but in trying to appeal to all of them, they lost something unique along the way.

Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree

2007-03-03T16:53:00.000-08:00

Fall Out Boy - From Under the Cork Tree
Released: May, 03, 2005
Record Label: Fueled by Ramen

Album Review

Fall Out Boy's 2003 LP stacked sarcasm, wronged romance, and hardcore-derived passion on the head of a punk-pop pin. Take This to Your Grave was urgent at every turn, and though it fit the conventions of its genre, it was bolder and more memorable than the average release on Kung Fu or Drive-Thru.

The kids responded -- Fall Out Boy were fast favorites of the online social networks (MySpace, etc.), and an endless tour schedule solidified their rep. With 2005's From Under the Cork Tree, the band fully delivers on their first full-length's promise. Sure, it nods a little more to the standard dynamics and production tweaks of pop-punk and emo in the mid-2000s -- Cork Tree was produced by Neal Avron, who's worked with A New Found Glory. But in many more ways it's the same album as Grave, a youth-intense blast of pop culture reference, pop-punk hyperactivity, and the feeling that we'll never understand life until Patrick Stump or Pete Wentz tells us about it. And we believe them.

Stump is Fall Out Boy's vocalist and guitarist, Wentz its bassist and lyricist. Wentz' verbiage can be lengthy -- "I Slept With Someone in Fall Out Boy and All I Got Was This Stupid Song Written About Me," one title goes -- but he has an innate ability to simultaneously acknowledge and deconstruct the mushy emo soliloquy. Temper that with a road-hardened cynicism about band life, superficial love, and the adventure of signing a record contract, and you have lyrics with a point beyond simply acting up or getting sentimental. "Champagne for My Real Friends, Real Pain for my Sham Friends" is blunt. "Yeah we're friends," Stump says, "Just because we move units." But the album also has a current of longing to it, of missing regular life, regular relationships.

Musically, Cork Tree's first five tracks are relentless, with razor-sharp melodies that seem familiar but sound totally unique at the same time. The "Oh! Oh!"s and punchy chords of "Of All the Gin Joints in All the World" are a thrill greater than any Jimmy Eat World album ever; "Sugar, We're Goin Down"'s half-time shifts are triumphs of tumbling words; and the opening track meditates wryly on all-ages shows' fame. Further, when Fall Out Boy rip into "Sophomore Slump or Comeback of the Year," summer 2005 will not be able to ignore them. "We're the therapists pumping through your speakers/Delivering just what you need," they sing. It's obviously time to embrace our inner mall kid.