S i N g E r N e W s

'Talks to settle' Jackson case

2006-01-06T14:17:00.000-08:00

Lawyer Edgar Pease III said he was "negotiating a resolution" to claims brought by Janet Jackson against Henry Vaccaro, from New Jersey.

Michael Jackson has stopped pursuing his portion of the case, which centres on a warehouse full of memorabilia.

Ms Jackson's spokespeople were not available to comment on the case.

The items include gold-trimmed costumes, financial documents, letters, awards and one of Michael Jackson's first outfits worn with the Jackson 5.

Underwear and other items were seized by authorities in Santa Barbara, California during their unsuccessful prosecution of Mr Jackson on child abuse charges.

Storage facility

Mr Vaccaro says he was awarded the items after years of legal wrangling following a failed business venture which ended in bankruptcy proceedings.

He had taken the items from a storage facility after the Jackson family had allegedly failed to pay a bill for the items.

Michael and Janet Jackson sued, saying some of the items still belonged to them and Mr Vaccaro only had a right to property belonging to their parents and their brothers, Tito and Jermaine.

Mr Pease said virtually all of the memorabilia - except for some of the items seized in the child abuse investigation - had been sold on and Mr Vaccaro no longer has them.

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Soul singer Rawls dies of cancer

2006-01-06T14:02:00.000-08:00

The performer, best-known for his 1976 hit You'll Never Find (Another Love Like Mine), died at the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, his publicist said. During a career lasting more than 50 years, Rawls won three Grammy Awards with his distinctive, velvety voice. He released more than 75 albums, and was also known for his collaborations with Sam Cooke. He leaves his wife Nina and an infant son.

Church choir

Rawls' publicist, Paul Shefrin, said he died with his wife at his bedside. Rawls was admitted to hospital last month, but was still well enough to give an interview to the Arizona Republic newspaper.

"Don't count me out, brother," Rawls said. "There's been many people who have been diagnosed with this kind of thing and they're still jumpin' and pumpin'." Born in Chicago, Rawls grew up performing in a church choir, and was introduced to gospel music by his grandmother. He moved to Los Angeles in the mid-1950s to join touring gospel group the Pilgrim Travellers.
After a two-year stint in the army, Rawls rejoined the group where he sang with Sam Cooke.
In 1959 he performed with Dick Clark at the Hollywood Bowl, and opened for The Beatles in Cincinnati during the 1960s. Rawls was playing R&B clubs in Los Angeles when his four-octave range caught the ear of a Capitol Records producer, who signed him to the label in 1962.

His debut album Stormy Monday was one of 28 he went on to make with the label. In 1966, his song Love Is a Hurtin' Thing topped the charts and earned Rawls his first two Grammy nominations. He won three Grammys during his career and released his most recent album, Seasons 4 U, in 1998. Rawls also appeared in a number of TV series and films, including Leaving Las Vegas and Blues Brothers 2000. Rawls was diagnosed with lung cancer in December 2004 and brain cancer in May 2005. He leaves four children - Louanna Rawls, Lou Rawls Jnr, Kendra Smith and Aiden Rawls. There is some confusion surrounding Rawls' age. His family and publicist say the singer was 72, while other records indicate he was 70.

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Hilary Calls Joel 'The Most Respectful Boyfriend I've Ever Had'

2006-01-06T13:45:00.000-08:00

Hilary Duff and Joel Madden aren't as unlikely a couple as you may think. At least that's what they're saying in the new issue of Teen People, for which they posed for their first cover together.
"You're automatically prejudging us because Joel has tattoos or I have blond hair," Duff told the magazine. "He has tattoos so he's bad, I smile all the time so I'm perfect."

"[People] think I'm this crazy guy," Madden said. "I went to the ATM and this lady backed away, and Hilary asked me, 'What is it like when someone scoots away because they're scared?' I never notice it, she notices it for me."

So to set the record straight, Madden isn't a bad influence. He hangs out with Duff's mom, even when his girlfriend isn't around. He covers Duff's butt when she bends over if she's wearing low-cut jeans. And he's been drug- and alcohol-free for the past two years. In fact, Duff's usually the one who has to drag Madden off the couch to go out at night. "I'm the most normal, low-key, sit-at-home, watch-TV type," he said. "She's made me more social, 'Come on and hang out with my friends!' It's not me going, 'Come on, Hilary, get on a motorcycle and ride into the sunset to a raging party!' "

"And when we do get in the car, he's always the one who says, 'Put your seatbelt on!' " Duff added.

The couple revealed their long-rumored relationship two months before Duff turned 18 (see "Hilary Duff, Joel Madden Go Public With Lovestyle Of The Rich And Famous"). Since then, they've become more comfortable dealing with public perceptions, especially regarding the fact that Madden started dating Hilary when she was underage and that there's an eight-year difference between the two of them. "I didn't care what the press would say," Madden said. "I cared what my mom would say."

The couple says they have the same maturity level — Duff says Madden sometimes acts like a teenager and Joel says Hilary is wise beyond her years. "We're on the same level, even though he's so much older," Hilary told the magazine.

But they certainly don't have the same level of experience, which is why they're taking it slow. "Joel is the most respectful boyfriend I've ever had," she said. "We had five or six dates before we even kissed."

"This is the slowest relationship, physically, that I've had," Madden said. "It's grown at the right pace, organically and naturally."

They're also in no rush to get engaged or elope. "We think about the future, but not marriage," Madden said. "I just hope we're always happy."

"I don't ever think about being apart from Joel," Duff said. "We just feel so comfortable with each other, and we know we're not going anywhere."

Still, Madden let it slip that if he had a daughter Hil's age, he wouldn't let her date a guy his age. "I wouldn't let it happen," he said.

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Bob Geldof to help the Conservatives

2005-12-28T13:55:00.000-08:00

Bob Geldof is to help the Conservative Party it has been revealed today (December 28).

The Live8 organiser will join the Tories' policy group on global poverty, though stressed the role is strictly non-partisan.

Defending his decision to link-up with the Tories, Geldof declared: "I don't care who I have to go to to try to make this agenda work."

Announcing the new policy group, the new Conservative leader David Cameron explained that Geldof - once singer of the Boomtown Rats - would help the Tories "go in the direction that he and we both want to go".

He added : "This summer, millions of British people took part in the Make Poverty History campaign. A new generation of concerned citizens want prosperity for themselves and progress for the poor, whether living on the other side of the street or the other side of the world."

The policy group will be chaired by former Conservative cabinet minister Peter Lilley, BBC News reports.

"He (Geldof) has an enormous knowledge and expertise. He's been working on this area for 20 years," said Lilley of his new consultant. "He knows more people, he's got access to more expertise than almost anybody else in the world and that's why I'm thrilled to have him as an advisor to the group".

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Album reviews: Santana, R. Kelly..

2005-10-29T15:03:00.000-07:00

ARTIST: CARLOS SANTANA

ALBUM: ALL THAT I AM

On "All That I Am," guitar legend Carlos Santana jams again with an all-star cast, while sneaking in fiery instrumentals and Latin grooves. His trademark guitar wraps around vocal offerings by Michelle Branch, Mary J. Blige and Sean Paul, to name a few. The familiar recipe works best on the lovelorn power ballad "Just Feel Better," where Santana's warm, bluesy cascades meet with Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler's deliciously rugged voice. Other highlights: the Spanglish hookfest "I Don't Wanna Lose Your Love" (with Los Lonely Boys) and "Twisted," a groovy slow-burner with neo-soul man Anthony Hamilton. But like its two predecessors, "All" relies on a hybrid hit formula to feed most radio formats, and too often Santana sounds like a guest on his own show. What is unforgivable: No one in the room stopped "American Idol" Bo Bice from joining the cameo parade ("Brown Skinned Girl").

ARTIST: R. KELLY

ALBUM: TRAPPED IN THE CLOSET CHAPTERS 1-12

Despite its long, melodramatic plot about infidelity and secrecy, the "Trapped in the Closet" series expertly draws on the immediacy of theater, the grandiosity of opera and the sexiness of R&B. The roughly 50-minute "Chapters 1-12" features jaw-dropping (albeit pretentious) moments and resolves cliffhangers from the first five chapters released on Kelly's "TP.3 Reloaded" album. In addition to recurring characters Sylvester (Kelly), wife Gwendolyn, Chuck, Rufus and Cathy, the saga introduces Big Man aka the "midget" and his lover Bridget, among others. As the tale unfolds, a gunfight ensues and a pregnancy is revealed. Kelly uses the same melody throughout and even interrupts mid-scene to acknowledge the absurdity of the events. Though bizarre, this soap opera-like musical is replete with drama, humor and tragic relationship observations, and should at least be celebrated for its unique approach.

ARTIST: RICHIE HAWTIN

ALBUM: DE9: TRANSITIONS

If dance were pop, Richie Hawtin would be Beck: a maverick with serious indie cred who makes music that just happens to be palatable to more mainstream fans. "Transitions," the third installment in the trailblazing DE9 series, is not your typical DJ mix. Rather than consecutively blending 10 or 12 pre-existing tracks in their complete, original forms, Hawtin compiles snippets from many sources, creating music that is entirely new. The result is a 75-minute symphony of techno bliss, with each sample (culled from tracks by underground heroes like Maurizio and Ricardo Villalobos) serving as a unique instrument. Track separations and titles are incidental, as Hawtin originally intended to present this as a single piece, and only added made-up names to fit the CD format. Sure, Hawtin's aims are those of a knob-twiddling futurist, but "Transitions" is an old-fashioned booty-shaker regardless.

ARTIST: E.S.T.

ALBUM: VIATICUM

Sweden's Esbjorn Svensson Trio has been putting a spin on the standard piano jazz trio for several years. While E.S.T. has yet to crack the U.S. market (despite two excellent albums for Columbia), "Viaticum" finds the group delivering a potent brew of lyrical beauty, subtle electronica textures and relaxed grooves. The music has pop appeal without succumbing to dumbed-down fusion exercises: Evocative instrumental storytelling is key to the band's success. Case in point: the dynamics-driven "The Unstable Table and the Infamous Fable," which runs through plot lines featuring bassist Dan Berglund's eerie, electric guitar-like arco playing, drummer Magnus Ostrum's scampering beats and pianist Svensson's roil, followed by a graceful postlude.

ARTIST: DIANA KRALL FEATURING THE CLAYTON/HAMILTON JAZZ

ORCHESTRA

ALBUM: CHRISTMAS SONGS

After focusing on her own songs with the 2004 album "The Girl in the Other Room," Krall returns to the pop/jazz standards that brought her to prominence on her first Christmas album (not counting a 1998 seasonal EP). Dedicated to Rosemary Clooney, it is largely patterned after classic Christmas sets by her role models: Lead track "Jingle Bells" nods to Ella Fitzgerald and even boasts Krall's first studio scatting. While many tunes rely on brisk, big band arrangements, others, like Krall's smartly disguised take on "White Christmas," hew to her more intimate small group style. Krall, clearly comfortable in both contexts, arranged the latter cut with panache. Bassist/cohort John Clayton arranged much of the rest, with the great Johnny Mandel also putting his indelible stamp on three songs, including closer "Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep," which Krall sang at Clooney's memorial.

ARTIST: SPEECH

ALBUM: THE VAGABOND

Drawing from a palette that encompasses soul, hip-hop and world music, Speech issues this autobiographical tome. Against his melodic canvas, the Arrested Development frontman discourses on where his intertwined musical/personal journeys have taken him. Integrating singing and spoken word, Speech's music recalls predecessors like Gil Scott-Heron and his own group. On opening track "Braided Hair," Speech compares life's ups and downs to the twists and turns of said hairstyle. The song also features 1 Giant Leap and the talented Neneh Cherry. Speech gets his Prince vibe going on the funky-but-smooth "Shine" and shifts into instrumental alternative mode on "Catch the Fire." For those who like their hip-hop with an experimental edge, this is for you. By the way, the Grammy Award-winning A.D. has reunited for a new album due in 2006.

Elvis Could Get Own License Plate in Tenn

2005-10-29T14:52:00.000-07:00

The folks who keep the world supplied with Elvis T-shirts and coffee mugs have a new project in the works — an Elvis Presley license plate.

Not a fake Elvis license plate, mind you, but a real one sanctioned by the state of Tennessee.

Elvis Presley Enterprises Inc. can move ahead with its plan when 1,000 orders for the plates are assured. The state requires that minimum number of sales to approve a so-called specialty license plate, which costs $35 more than a regular tag.

If approved, the Elvis license plates would be available only for cars registered in the state of Tennessee. Proceeds would go to the Regional Medical Center, the Memphis region's main publicly supported hospital and home of the Elvis Presley Memorial Trauma Center.

The license plate would feature an image of Presley with a guitar and "1956" in large, bold numbers. That was the year Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" made No. 1 on the pop music charts.

3. U2

2005-10-27T13:56:00.000-07:00

Ireland’s U2 is the most important and influential band of the post-punk era, joining ringing guitar rock, punkish independence, Celtic spirituality, innovative production techniques and electronic experimentalism — all held together by singer/lyricist Bono’s transcendent vision and charisma.

U2 — Bono (Paul Hewson), guitarist the Edge (Dave Evans), bassist Adam Clayton and drummer Larry Mullen — formed in Dublin in 1976 as a Beatles and Stones cover band while the players were all still in high school. In 1980 they were signed to Island Records and released their spectacular first album, “Boy,” produced by Steve Lillywhite.

U2, with guitarist the Edge and lead singer Bono, is now a mature, confident, still amazing band that knows it doesn’t have all the answers, but isn’t afraid to keep asking the right questions.
The band’s sparkling, radiant sound jumped from the grooves from the first note of “I Will Follow” and rode Mullen’s massive drums and the Edge’s angular, careening guitar into history. Neither “Boy” nor its follow-up “October” (with the glorious “Gloria”) tore up the charts at the time (though both are now platinum), but “War” — passionate, martial “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” melodic wailing “New Year’s Day,” and the fierce, new wavy love song “Two Hearts Beat As One”—turned U2 into a worldwide phenomenon in 1983.

In preparation for 1984’s “The Unforgettable Fire,” producer Brian Eno had a long conversation with Bono, as he later told Q Magazine. “I said, ‘Look, if I work with you, I will want to change lots of things you do, because I’m not interested in records as a document of a rock band playing on stage, I’m more interested in painting pictures. I want to create a landscape within which this music happens.’ And Bono said, ‘Exactly, that’s what we want too.’”

The results of this fateful change of direction were Eno productions of U2 standards “The Unforgettable Fire” (including “Bad,” “Pride In the Name of Love”); Grammy’s 1987 Album of the Year, the personal yet universal “The Joshua Tree,” which made the band superstars (with “Where the Streets Have No Name,” “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For,” “With Or Without You” and “One Tree Hill”); 1991's “Achtung Baby,” a brilliant and emotionally dark move toward electronica (“Even Better Than the Real Thing,” “One,” “Until the End of the World,” “Who’s Gonna Ride Your Wild Horses” and “Mysterious Ways”); and “Zooropa,” deeper still into Euro-dance music and electronics (‘93, with the title track, “Numb,” “Lemon,” “Stay”). Wow, what a journey.

U2 was the leading rock band of the '80s because its members, like perhaps only Bruce Springsteen in the U.S., still believed that rock ‘n’ roll could save the world, and they had the talent to make that notion not seem hopelessly naive.

This earnestness and willingness to shoulder the heaviest of responsibilities led to soaring heights of achievement and escalating psychic and artistic demands that eventually led the band to adopt irony as its basic means of expression for a time in the '90s.

2. The Rolling Stones

2005-10-26T07:46:00.000-07:00

When the Beatles ceased to exist in 1970, the title of “World’s Greatest Rock ‘n’ Roll Band” fell with very little dispute to the Rolling Stones, who by then were in the middle of such a wondrous creative peak that they might have challenged the Fab Four for the title anyway. It’s a title the one-time “anti-Beatles” haven’t relinquished since. Not only have the Stones been the greatest rock band in the world for more than 30 years, but they have been a functioning rock ‘n’ roll unit for more than 40, the longest run in history.

Boyhood friends Mick Jagger and Keith Richards, along with guitarist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart, formed the first version of the Rollin’ Stones in 1962, and with the crack rhythm section of Charlie Watts on drums and Bill Wyman on bass soon on board, were ripping it up in an eight-month residency at London’s Crawdaddy Club shortly thereafter. A young and ambitious Andrew Loog Oldham saw them there:

“I saw them April 23, 1963 and then I knew what I had been training for,” he said in a phone interview from his home in Colombia. “The main thing they had was passion, which has served them to this day,” Oldham continued. Oldham’s first act as manager was to demote the shambling Stewart from the band’s live act for not keeping with his image of a lean, mean and sexy Stones (Stewart was the band’s road manager and recorded with them until his death in 1985).

At the time the Rollin’ Stones (named for the Muddy Waters song, Oldham added the “g”) were a ragged R&B cover band, but their run at the Crawdaddy had generated much attention, and with the Beatles on their way up no one wanted to miss the next big thing. Oldham quickly got them signed to Decca Records, which was still smarting from having turned down the Beatles.

In June of '63 the Stones’ first single, a cover of Chuck Berry’s “Come On” went to No. 21 in the UK. The follow-up in November was a cover of the dreaded Beatles’ “I Wanna Be Your Man,” which rose to UK No. 12. By February of '64, they reached the UK Top 10 with Buddy Holly’s “Not Fade Away,” which also cracked the Top 50 in the U.S. — the bad boys were on their way

Despite their advancing age, Mick Jagger, left, and Keith Richards and their band, the Rolling Stones, are a better band live now than they were in the 1970s.
Oldham split with the band amid the insanity and media frenzy of drug busts in 1967, but he and the band generated some amazing music during the two years between the squirmingly lascivious “Satisfaction” — considered by many the greatest rock song ever — released in May 1965, and the hit-filled “Flowers” compilation, released in July '67. Included was the incredibly self-aware narcissism of “Get Off Of My Cloud,” chamber music gentility and vulnerability of “As Tears Go By,” bemused urban modernity of “19th Nervous Breakdown”; and the Stones’ first classic album, “Aftermath,” with the simultaneously mocking and empathetic drug song “Mother’s Little Helper,” deeply groovy and misogynistic “Under My Thumb” and “Out Of Time,” lovely “Lady Jane,” and exotic, roiling “Paint It Black.”

Then came the Stones classic late-'60s/early-'70s period between “Beggar’s Banquet” and “Exile On Main Street,” possibly the most productive run in rock history, when the Stones turned an unequaled alchemy of rock ‘n’ roll, blues and country into something dark, dangerous and enduringly deep.

The 1967 busts seemed to spur Jagger and Richards to another creative level, but Brian Jones appeared beaten and sinking fast. He was absent from the devilish, riff-rocking “Jumping Jack Flash” single. He barely worked on 1968’s exceptional, bluesy “Beggar’s Banquet” (seductive, percussive and stinging “Sympathy For the Devil,” guitar-pounding “Street Fighting Man,” slashing and sinful “Stray Cat Blues”), was out of the group by June '69, and dead at the bottom of his swimming pool less than a month later.

Young Mick Taylor joined as Jones’s replacement, and his hefty bluesy leads were the perfect foil for Richards’ open-tuned rhythm work, and the sound and imagery grew darker and harder still on “Let it Bleed” (the sex and death apocalypse “Gimme Shelter,” Robert Johnson’s anguished blues “Love In Vain,” mysterious “Monkey Man,” the druggy camaraderie of the title track, powerful and murderous "Midnight Rambler,” and the oblique, uplifting coda “You Can’t Always Get What You Want”).

The band’s dance with the devil bore bitter fruit when they put on a free concert at Altamont Speedway outside San Francisco on December 6, 1969 (just three months after Woodstock) where a fan was stabbed to death in view of the stage by Hell’s Angels (all the mounting bad juju was captured for posterity in the film “Gimme Shelter”).

“Get Yer Ya-Ya’s Out” (1970), one of the most satisfying live rock albums ever, focused on their '68-'69 hits, including an extended, definitive “Midnight Rambler,” and showed how integral Mick Taylor had become to the Stones’ roaring live sound.

The band’s first release on their own Rolling Stones Records was the druggy, shambling, brilliant “Sticky Fingers” (1971), with the infamous working-zipper cover by Andy Warhol. Taylor again sparkled and the Jagger/Richards songwriting continued at the highest level: swaggering “Brown Sugar,” plaintive “Wild Horses,” jazzy grooving “Can’t You Hear Me Knocking,” horn-rocking “Bitch,” chilling “Sister Morphine” and countrified “Dead Flowers.”

The murky, dense, jumbled double album “Exile on Main Street” closed the era of Stones invincibility in 1972. A yeasty blend of all the band’s roots influences — blues, country, soul, gospel and rock — “Exile” yields fresh revelations more than 30 years later, and “Rocks Off,” “Rip This Joint,” “Tumbling Dice,” “Sweet Virginia,” “Happy,” “All Down the Line” and “Shine a Light” are among the band’s best work.

The Stones have been a different band ever since: Mick Taylor left in 1974, replaced by the stalwart Ronnie Wood. They have released a couple great albums: “Some Girls” (1978), their rough response to the challenges of disco and punk (“Miss You,” “Some Girls,” “Respectable,” “Beast of Burden,” “Shattered”), and “Tattoo You” (1981, their top-charting album ever — nine weeks at No. 1) with standouts “Start Me Up,” “Hang Fire” and “Waiting On a Friend.” They have also released a lot of simply good albums: the '70s were better than the '80s, which were better than the '90s.

In the 1990s, the band took in a staggering $750 million from three tours. When I watched them live from Madison Square Garden on HBO early last year my eyes confirmed that these craggy, gaunt guys are about 60 years old, but when the cameras pulled back 30 years melted away and the magic was real and grew in intensity as the night wore on.

What a great show! The Stones are a better band live now than they were in the '70s when their lives, bodies and minds were a quagmire of sex, drugs and alcohol. Age has focused them, yet taken away very little of their maniacal energy, and Keith Richards is still the greatest rhythm guitarist who ever lived.

Long live rock ‘n’ roll — long live the Rolling Stones!

The 10 best rock bands ever

2005-10-25T01:33:00.000-07:00

When tackling a project as audacious, slippery and fraught with diagnostic peril as “the 10 best rock bands ever,” one can either cower in anticipation of the monsoon of disagreement sure to come and load the package with every manner of weaselly equivocation, or one can swagger ahead blissfully secure in the universal righteousness of one’s judgment. Being American, I choose the latter.

1. The Beatles

The Beatles are unquestionably the best and most important band in rock history, as well as the most compelling story. Almost miraculously, they embodied the apex of the form artistically, commercially, culturally and spiritually at just the right time, the tumultuous '60s, when music had the power to literally change the world (or at least to give the impression that it could, which may be the same thing). The Beatles are the archetype: there is no term in the language analogous to “Beatlemania.”

Three lads from Liverpool — John Lennon, Paul McCartney and George Harrison — came together at a time of great cultural fluidity in 1960 (with bit players Stu Sutcliffe and Pete Best), absorbed and recapitulated American rock ‘n’ roll and British pop history unto that point, hardened into a razor sharp unit playing five amphetamine-fueled sets a night in the tough port town of Hamburg, Germany, returned to Liverpool, found their ideal manager in Brian Epstein and ideal producer in George Martin, added the final piece of the puzzle when Ringo Starr replaced Best on drums, and released their first single in the U.K., “Love Me Do/P.S. I Love You,” all by October of 1962.

Their second single, “Please Please Me,” followed by British chart-toppers “From Me to You,” “She Loves You,” “I Want to Hold Your Hand,” “Can’t Buy Me Love” (all Lennon/McCartney originals), and the group’s pleasing image, wit and charm, solidified the Fab Four’s delirious grip on their homeland in 1963.

The Beatles generated an intensity of joy that slapped tens of millions of people in the face with the awareness that happiness and exuberance were not only possible, but in their presence, inevitable. They generated an energy that was amplified a million times over and returned to them in a deafening tidal wave of grateful hysteria.

Though centrifugal force began to take its toll, they still managed to produce three more album masterpieces, double-album “The Beatles” (1968, a.k.a. “The White Album,” with “Back In the USSR,” “Dear Prudence,” “Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da,” Harrison’s “While My Guitar Gently Weeps,” “Blackbird,” “Birthday,” “Helter Skelter”), “Let It Be” (recorded in early 1969 but not released until 1970, with the title track, “Two Of Us,” “Across the Universe,” “I’ve Got a Feeling,” “The Long and Winding Road” and “Get Back”), and the fitting climax “Abbey Road” (1969, Harrison’s “Here Comes the Sun” and “Something,” Ringo’s “Octopus’s Garden,” “Come Together,” “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer,” “I Want You,” “She Came In Through the Bathroom Window”).

They made an incredible promise and instead of backing down from that promise they delivered and delivered and delivered for eight years until the full implications of the promise finally hit them: they were staring into the jaws of an insatiable, ravenous beast that was no less beastly because it smiled and waved and gave them money. The Beatles finally suffered a collective inability to pretend that the beast was not a beast, and in 1970 they broke up and returned to being human.

Green Day Finishes The 14-Minute 'Jesus Of Suburbia' Video

2005-10-22T15:08:00.000-07:00

"It's the new 'Thriller,' " Billie Joe Armstrong said

Punk band Greed Day just finished shooting the 14-minute video for the song "Jesus of Suburbia", directed by veteran video director Samuel Bayer. And, according to their statement, this is "the greatest Green Day video that's ever been done".

"A lot people say that 'Jesus of Suburbia' is their favorite song, and maybe this is the conversation that destroys my relationship with Green Day [for talking about it in advance], but talk to the guys about it because it is the most powerful ... wow, I feel weird saying this stuff. It's a cool video. It's done. Yes there is a 'Jesus of Suburbia' video."

The band teamed with director Samuel Bayer, who shot "Wake Me Up When September Ends," to film a 14-minute short video for "Jesus of Suburbia", the song from the band's album "American Idiot".

The singer also confessed that the short movie features dialogue in addition to the music. "It's the new 'Thriller,'" Billie Joe Armstrong said.

"'Jesus of Suburbia' is really a long song, so already it's quite a task. You can't think of it as making a video, but a short film, and that's what Sam did. There's dialogue. It follows the story of the song more so than the other videos from American Idiot," Billie added

Kylie Minogue Dispels Treatment Rumors

2005-10-21T16:39:00.000-07:00

Kylie Minogue is dispelling rumors about her battle with breast cancer, telling fans "not to believe stories of dramatic weight loss and desperate searches for alternative therapy," Reuters reports.

"Despite the wealth of rumors to the contrary, (Minogue) is in good spirits and is as healthy as can be expected whilst undergoing her treatment regime in Paris," says a statement released by her record label, EMI, on Friday.

Reps for the singer say the statement is intended to combat the flurry of rumors surrouding the 37-year-old Australian singer's condition. Reports in the British media have stated that Minogue has suffered a severe weight loss and that she is actively seeking alternative forms of therapy for her cancer.

She released the statement to set the record straight especially so that others with the illness wouldn't be misled.

"Kylie has made it clear to her representatives that she doesn't want fellow sufferers to be misguided by the false stories regarding her condition and her choice of doctors," says the statement.

Minogue was diagnosed with breast cancer last spring while on her "Showgirl" tour of Australia. "Hopefully all will work out fine and I'll be back with you all again soon," she said in a statement at the time.

She underwent surgery in Australia before moving to Paris with her boyfriend, Unfaithful star Olivier Martinez, to continue her treatment.

Kanye, Kids Run Amok In Surreal Macy's For New Clip

2005-10-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

"This sounds weird, but it's kind of a surrealistic Christmas world that Macy's becomes,"
the Maroon 5 singer said of director Michel Gondry's video for Kanye West's "Heard 'Em Say," which features Levine as a guard. "I let Kanye and his family in, after hours, to spend the night. And he's got three kids with him and they're running around and I'm chasing them."

Kanye and Michel have collaborated before — West performs in Gondry's upcoming documentary, "Dave Chappelle's Block Party," and the director actually played drums on the rapper's "Diamonds From Sierra Leone" but "Heard 'Em Say" marks their first video together. The clip is also Levine's first with Gondry, who is best known for his innovative videos with the White Stripes and Björk, as well as for last year's feature film "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind."

"I've been dying to work with him forever," Levine said. "I was just blown away that I got the opportunity. Then I read the treatment and I found out that I would being a little bit of, you know, video acting, which is funny."

Jon Brion, who co-produced the song, also appears in the video, playing a miniature piano in the store's toy section, but the true star is Gondry, who created a "Mary Poppins"-inspired fantasy world inside the department store, where Kanye and his fictional kids run amok. Utilizing his signature special effects, the director created a seemingly endless race track that comes together piece by piece within seconds, sofa beds that fold and unfold to the beat, and more.

"There's this one scene where we're driving, like, a police-car bed," Levine said. "It's so weird! There's dancing suits in the men's section, all kinds of craziness, but I'm excited about it."

Gondry shot the video in the Macy's flagship store on 34th Street in New York, working overnight while the store was closed.

"That was an experience, culturally — and being there doing what we were doing was just so fun," Levine said. "It's inspirational to push yourself past what you're used to. It's nice to be a little bit uncomfortable if it can yield more interesting, unique results."

Adam and Kanye first worked together when Maroon 5 commissioned West to remix "This Love," and their friendship blossomed when they sat together on a flight to Rome for last year's MTV Europe Music Awards.

"He started playing me stuff on his iPod — which was far fancier than my iPod — all this new material for his record, and I was really excited about it in general," Levine recalled. "Then he played me this song that was kind of what 'Heard 'Em Say' eventually became. He was rhyming over it, and I had just written a hook that was so perfect for it. It was one of those natural collaborations where you're so excited because it's all very pure and very easy."

U2 fans find what they're looking for

2005-10-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

All Bono expects out a of U2 concert these days is to feed the starving, eradicate malaria, guarantee human rights to all and cement his band's status as rock's standard bearer for another generation.

Darned if the lead-singer-cum-activist didn't do the latter Wednesday at the first of two sold-out shows at the MCI Center, and he made more headway on the rest than any rock star has a right to do.

Politics and rock are uneasy bedfellows, to say the least, but U2 tries its best to be both politically engaged and bipartisan, a surreal juggling act in the nation's capital.
The band even gave repeated props to America for its humanitarian efforts, a virtual no-no in rock circles these days.

It all starts with the music, and if a live act can crank out a juicier quartet of rockin' selections than U2 did Wednesday to kick off the show, we'd kill to see it. "City of Blinding Lights," "Vertigo," "I Will Follow" and "Electric Co." all rang out before the audience had time to fully appreciate the images on the video screen above the stage featuring all four band mates.

You know the players by now: the Edge, his guitar looking both impossibly heavy and light under his command; Adam Clayton, the strong, silent type whose steady bass lines rarely get a spotlight; and Larry Mullin Jr., the golden-boy drummer whose skills anchor the band's repertoire.

Even in repose, Bono can't stop undulating. Patrolling the oblong-shaped catwalk, the erstwhile Paul Hewson turned most musical bridges into a chance to vamp, injecting song snippets and performance-art nuggets into the preening.

Yet his innate sense of cool still bathes him in a rock-star halo.
By the time the band tore through "Electric Co.," U2's faithful were all but begging for a ballad.

"That is a great feeling," Bono muttered, as if the number's sheer strength caught him off-guard, too.

It took Bono getting on his agitprop high horse for the show to decelerate its frenetic pace, proving the best of humanitarian intentions can put a snag in a fine rock show.

Endlessly pumping up the One Campaign -- an effort designed to thwart poverty and disease worldwide -- Bono lectured his brethren with so much passion that it depleted his stamina when it came time to sing the U2 song of the same name.

Stones Roll On

2005-10-21T12:54:00.000-07:00

"I can't think of a tour that's kicked off with such wonderful enthusiasm," raves guitarist Keith Richards, twenty shows into the Rolling Stones' A Bigger Bang tour. "It usually takes more time than this to hit it," he says during an off night in Philadelphia. "But we're flying. All of the planets are in alignment."

That doesn't mean the notes are always in the right place. During the October 10th show in Philadelphia, Richards hit the riff to "It's Only Rock and Roll" -- as the rest of the band jumped into "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction." "They're in different keys, too," he notes, laughing. "But somewhere in the first verse or two, it all segued into 'Satisfaction' -- without falling apart.

"But we are not up there playing by rote," Richards insists. "Even at this late date, this is an adventure."

The tour -- which ends in the U.S. in mid-March, then goes to Japan and Europe -- is on course to eclipse the Stones' record-breaking $126.4 million ticket gross from their 2002-2003 trek. "By the time we finish [in the U.S.], we'll have done sixty shows, where we did forty-nine last time," says the tour's promoter Michael Cohl. "And we've done more stadiums this time. There were a couple of shows where we set out to do 40,000 and went to the wire: 39,900, 39,600. But in general, we're at one hundred percent."The Stones are also performing at least four songs a night from A Bigger Bang, including "Rough Justice," "Oh No, Not You Again," the dirty blues "Back of My Hand," Richards' showcase "Infamy" and "Rain Fall Down." While the album debuted at Number Three on the Nielsen SoundScan chart and has sold 277,039 copies to date, Jagger is more pleased by the audience response to the material -- "They actually seem to be listening" -- and Richards says the new songs "feel like old friends. When I play 'Rough Justice,' it's as if I'm playing something I've known all my life."

Madonna In The Mix On New Dance Album

2005-09-24T01:12:00.000-07:00

Madonna has finalized the track list for her new album, "Confessions on a Dancefloor." Producer Stuart Price tells Billboard the 12-track set, due Nov. 15 via Warner Bros., is continuously mixed and that closer "Like It or Not" was the perfect choice to conclude the album.

"Basically, it's Madonna saying, 'This is who I am. This is what I do. Take it or leave it,'" Price said of the track during a Q&A earlier this week at the 12th annual Billboard Dance Music Summit in New York.

Radiohead Go Back in the Studio

2005-09-24T01:06:00.000-07:00

Work resumes on their new album

Radiohead are back in the studio working on their new album.

The band spent some time last month working on songs for the follow-up to 'Hail To The Thief', and recently contributed a brand new track, 'I Want None Of It' to the War Child compilation 'Help: A Day In The Life'.

Writing to fans online, guitarist Jonny Greenwood said the band are working on tracks and everything is "fun and well".

He continued: "(Radiohead artist) Stanley (Donwood)'s here too, or at least in the shed out back, painting again. The rats have got in and eaten all his blue paint, and there's blue rat shit everywhere: but at least he's got a good dub cd to listen to while he's working."

Greenwood said he's spent the last six months listening to "just dub reggae". He wrote: "Six solid months of nothing but Lee 'Scratch' Perry, Ken Boothe, Junior Byles, Marcia Aitkin and hundreds of others. It's to make a compilation which may or may not ever be completed - I hope I'm not just proving a point to myself - but either way, there's been nothing else on my iPod since April."

Radiohead's new album is set for release next year.(via by nme)

Coldplay and Oasis Pull Shows Amid Hurricane Fears

2005-09-23T05:55:00.000-07:00

Both bands were due to appear in Texas

Coldplay and Oasis have both postponed shows in Texas because of a hurricane.

Both bands were due to appear at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the coming days (Coldplay on September 24, Oasis on September 25).

However, as Hurricane Rita approaches, the shows will be unable to go ahead as planned.

A statement reads: "Due to Hurricane Rita and circumstances beyond our control, PACE Concerts is postponing all performances scheduled for this weekend at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. This action is taken in the best interest and safety of the fans, artists and staff in the face of Hurricane Rita."

The 16,000 capacity Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion opened in 1990 and is an outdoor amphitheater in the Greater Houston region. Both bands were due to play there on separate north American tours.

Unheard Nirvana material due

2005-09-23T04:49:00.000-07:00

A new compilation could even be out this year

A new Nirvana compilation is set for release next month, according to US reports.

The album, which is due in November, has been titled 'Sliver' and will be a single disc featuring three unheard tracks, and material from last year's box set 'With The Lights Out'.

Ideas for the cover image were put together by Courtney Love and her child with Kurt Cobain, Frances Bean Cobain.

Peter Asher, who manages Love, told Rolling Stone: "Courtney and I involve Frances in Nirvana/Kurt decisions whenever we can. She's very perceptive and has cool ideas."

A UK spokesperson for the band was unable to comment on the compilation.
(via by nme)

Pet Shop Boys bid for Battleship tour

2005-09-19T22:59:00.000-07:00

British duo the Pet Shop Boys have expressed their hopes of touring with their soundtrack to the classic Sergei Eisenstein film Battleship Potemkin.

Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe first gave a public performance of the soundtrack at a free concert in London's Trafalgar Square in September last year, alongside a screening of the 1925 film .

At the time, the concert was linked to anti-war sentiment in the UK capital.

Tennant told BBC World Service's The Music Biz programme he was hopeful of taking the performance on tour - specifically to places where the film's message could be highly sensitive.(via bbc)

Green Day Bites The 'Bullet' On DVD

2005-09-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

Green Day will release a live DVD Nov. 15 via Reprise, dubbed "Bullet in a Bible." The material is drawn from the band's June performances at the U.K.'s Milton Keynes National Bowl, during which it played to its largest-ever crowds in the country.

"Bullet in a Bible" was directed by Samuel Bayer, who recently won two MTV Video Music Awards for his work on the Green Day clip "Boulevard of Broken Dreams." The DVD is rounded out by band interviews and backstage footage.

Live DVD Bolsters 50 Cent Videogame

2005-09-18T16:42:00.000-07:00

Vivendi Universal Games (VUG) is offering an exclusive 50 Cent live DVD as a pre-sell bonus to consumers who order his "50 Cent Bulletproof" videogame, due in November on PlayStation 2 and Xbox. Mixed by 50 Cent's G-Unit producer Sha Money XL, the DVD was taped Sept. 14 in Germany and includes live performances of "What Up Gangsta," "Wanksta," "Heat," "U Not Like Me," "Gotta Make It to Heaven," "21 Questions," "P.I.M.P.," "In Da Club" and "Poor Lil Rich."

Maximizing convergence, consumers will pick up the exclusive DVD with the game at launch, which will coincide with the release of the 50 Cent-starring "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" from Universal Studios.(via billboard.com)

David Bowie and Arcade Fire team up

2005-09-17T13:43:00.000-07:00

David Bowie has revealed himself as the Arcade Fire's biggest fan.

Last week (September 8) Bowie joined the band for a supposedly one-off rendition of the Canadian band's song 'Wake Up' during the Fashion Rocks event at New York Radio City Music Hall , and he's done it again.

Joining the Arcade Fire last night (September 15) at Summerstage show in New York City's Central Park , both acts played together on a version of Bowie's 'Queen Bitch', then did 'Wake Up' again.

For the full story and an exclusive interview on Arcade Fire and David Bowie's collaborations see next week's NME out on Tuesday 20 in London, and nationwide a day later.
(via nme.com)

Ryan Adams confirms new album details

2005-09-16T04:30:00.000-07:00

'Jacksonville City Nights' will feature Norah Jones

Ryan Adams has confirmed the tracklisting for his second album of the year.

'Jacksonville City Nights' is released on September 26, and will feature a duet with Norah Jones on 'Dear John' .

The album was produced by Tom Schic and is again credited to Ryan Adams And The Cardinals.

The tracklisting is as follows:

'A Kiss Before I Go'
'The End'
'Hard Way To Fall'
'Dear John'
'The Hardest Part'
'Games'
'Silver Bullets'
'Peaceful Valley'
'September'
'My Heart Is Broken'
'Trains'
'Pa'
Withering Heights'
'Don't Fail Me Now'

Adams and his band are playing the Mojo Aid benefit gig at Irving Plaza , New York , on September 18.

There is no word whether Adams will tour the UK yet. As previously reported he was forced to cancel several UK dates in the summer due to an ear infection.

SEAN PAUL'S SONG FOR DEAD PAL

2005-09-16T04:16:00.000-07:00

Dancehall star SEAN PAUL has dedicated a new song to a friend who was murdered earlier this year (05).

Paul credits the unnamed pal with helping him find fame - and wrote IT'S NEVER GONNA BE THE SAME in his honour.

He say, "I was in the whole crew with him and this year he passed on violently. I had to write a song about loss called It's Never Gonna Be The Same.

"It makes you really take a look at a certain type of energy that's out there and say boy, I don't wanna be a part of that." (via contactmusic)

TATU Producer Angers Russia With Suicide Bomber Singer

2005-09-14T15:55:00.000-07:00

Russians, still in shock at the Beslan tragedy, have reacted angrily to a music producer’s plans for what he calls a “terror concert”, with a female singer dressed as a suicide bomber on the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

The singer, called n.A.T.o. in a spin-off of the “lesbian schoolgirl” t.A.T.u. duo that took the West by storm, wears a long black dress, a veil, and sings in Arabic. Producer Ivan Shapovalov, who launched both groups, does not deny that the resemblance to a suicide bomber is intentional.

Tickets to Saturday’s show have also been made to look like plane tickets.

“Shapovalov is exploiting the topical theme of terrorism ... The tragedy in Beslan did little to stop his creative drive,” the Izvestia daily wrote.

Shapovalov, meanwhile, does not rule out that there may be problems holding the concert. “Because everyone’s so scared…I feel some doubts on their part,” he told MosNews, speaking of the organizers.

The concert will feature the latest news footage from the Middle East, and references to al Qaeda and Iraq.

An official from the Ministry of Culture also spoke out against holding the event. “The coming concert is absolutely politically incorrect in form,” Interfax quoted the official as saying.

He added that while he has indicated this to Shapovalov’s representatives, the Ministry of Culture does not have any legal means of canceling the concert.

“This is sick. That man is sick. The producer should be jailed for doing that after so many people died across Russia in the past weeks,” Reuters quoted a Muscovite as saying. “I am sure the concert will be cancelled.”

But while he admits that his protegee is supposed to look like a suicide bomber, Shapovalov doesn’t see why people are upset. “If people are scared by a woman wearing a black headscarf, that means they are sick themselves,” Izvestia quoted him as saying.

When MosNews asked him about his use of terror imagery in his ad campaign for n.A.T.o., he says, “I’m not leading a campaign. I like her songs and I like it when others listen to things I like.”
MosNews

Kanye West Stands By Critique Of President Bush At $2 Bill Show

2005-09-13T01:47:00.000-07:00

More than a week after his emotional off-script statement at a September 2 Hurricane Katrina telethon — comments capped by the declaration "George Bush doesn't care about black people" — Kanye West explained the move on Saturday night. "I wasn't trying to particularly dis anybody like that," he said.

West, who characterized the last two weeks as "crazy," told the audience assembled at Hollywood's Henry Ford Theatre that he wasn't interested in reading the scripted words that scrolled across the teleprompter during NBC's "A Concert for Hurricane Relief" telethon, and instead spoke from the heart. West added that he remains undaunted by any subsequent public backlash that followed in the wake of his remarks, and said he stands by his critique.

"People are like, 'Yo, aren't you scared that something's going to happen to you?' I was like, 'I can think of a lot worse things that could happen to me, like how about not eating for five days? Or how about not knowing where my f---ing family is?' Everybody's always concerned about theyself."

West expressed that Americans largely close their eyes to the problem of poverty, including politicians.

"I just feel like America's always been pushing the [impoverished] under the counter, trying to act like it's not really there," he said. "And what happens if you're cleaning the kitchen and you're always dusting something under the counter? If you spill something, it's going come up and be in your f---ing face."

West urged the audience to get more involved in the ongoing relief efforts that are now underway in the region devastated by Hurricane Katrina.

"I can't even imagine being in that situation," the rapper said. "It's horrible, and we just need to come together [to] do what we can."

Live 8 concerts get DVD release

2005-09-12T11:56:00.000-07:00

The Live 8 concerts staged around the world in July are to feature on a DVD which will raise money for charitable causes in Africa.

Organiser Bob Geldof put out a rallying cry in a bid to make the four-disc DVD the biggest seller of all-time.

The full line-up from the UK and US Live 8 concerts will be featured, including Madonna and Coldplay, along with excerpts from the other concerts.

The DVD set will go on sale in the UK on 7 November.

'End the disgrace'

Geldof said the DVD "deserved" to be the biggest-selling DVD of all time.

"More importantly, perhaps, it should be, for it will help us achieve our goal of changing the lives of the extreme poor for the better and making our generation the one that helped end the disgrace of poverty," he said.

More than 150,000 watched the concert in London's Hyde Park, with 9.6 million watching it on TV.

About 150 TV channels and 400 radio stations around the world broadcast the concerts.

Unlike the original Live Aid, Live 8 was not about raising money but raising awareness of the plight of Africans living in poverty.

A percentage of profits from the DVD will go towards charities working in Africa.

It took nearly 20 years for Live Aid gigs to be released on video or DVD.
posted by bbc.

BEATLES TRACK NAMED BEST BRITISH SONG

2005-09-12T00:11:00.000-07:00

THE BEATLES hit A DAY IN THE LIFE has been named the Best British Song of all time, by a magazine poll.

Music experts, quizzed by Q Magazine, chose the track over THE KINKS' WATERLOO SUNSET, and OASIS' WONDERWALL - which occupied second and third places respectively.

They hailed A Day In The Life, "The ultimate sonic rendition of what it means to be British."

JOHN LENNON described the 1967 song, after its release as "a sound building up from nothing to the end of the world".

The top ten is as follows:

1. A DAY IN THE LIFE - THE BEATLES

2. WATERLOO SUNSET - THE KINKS

3. WONDERWALL - OASIS

4. GOD SAVE THE QUEEN - SEX PISTOLS

5. BOHEMIAN RHAPSODY - QUEEN

6. MY GENERATION - THE WHO

7. ANGELS - ROBBIE WILLIAMS

8. LIFE ON MARS? - DAVID BOWIE

9. SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL - ROLLING STONES

10. UNFINISHED SYMPATHY - MASSIVE ATTACK.

Hurricane Katrina Relief Campaign Concerts

2005-09-09T21:49:00.000-07:00

MTV has organized a hurricane-relief special to help Hurricane Katrina victims.

"ReAct Now: Music & Relief" airs tomorrow, September 10th, from 8 to 11 pm ET/PT on MTV, VH1 and CMT. The commercial-free special features live and taped performances and messages from numerous artists and benefits the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, America's Second Harvest and similar organizations.

Linkin Park

Old-school hip-hop, traditional classic rock, and spooling electronic vibes were the initial factors behind the building of the alternative metal quintet, Linkin Park. The band's southern Californian musical roots were also an underlying basis, for drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, and MC/vocalist Mike Shinoda formed a tight friendship while still in high school. Shortly after graduation, art student and DJ Joseph Hahn hooked up with bassist Dave "Phoenix" Farrell and Shinoda for the band, Xero. Hybrid Theory came later, but the band opted on the name Linkin Park when singer Chester Bennington was the last piece added to the band in 1999. Soon the band became a noticeable face at ~the Whisky as well as favorites in and around Los Angeles.

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ARCADE FIRE INVITED FOR U2 TOUR SUPPORT

2005-09-09T19:24:00.000-07:00

ARCADE FIRE have been invited to play with their heroes U2 for two winter dates in their hometown, MONTREAL.

The Canadian seven-piece, whose album track 'Wake Up' has consistently appeared on the opening music for the Dublin four-piece's 'Vertigo' tour, look set to perform with the Irish megastars for their sold out shows at Montreal Bell Centre on November 26 and 28.

Speaking about the invite, lead singer Win Butler said: "We have been asked to do some dates with them in Montreal so we are definitely gonna try and at least do one. I saw them play when I was 16 and I didn't know any better at the time. It was one of the best shows I have ever seen.”

He added: "The first time they played 'Wake Up' on tour somebody emailed a clip of the show to me and it looked incredible seeing all those people at their shows jumping up and down. It would be amazing to see in person."

Britney Spears does't want pain

2005-09-08T16:46:00.000-07:00

Britney Spears has reconsidered having a natural birth, now that she's talked to her mother. The singer told Elle magazine for its October issue that her pregnancy has been therapeutic, since "all the secrets from your family come out of the closet for some reason." One of those secrets, though, was her mother's revelation that "giving birth was the most excruciating thing she's ever gone through in her life." Now, Spears tells the mag, she'd prefer to have a Caesarean, and if that's not an option, "I'll be like, 'Epidural, please!' ... I don't want to go through the pain."

Message to funs from Britney
Dear Fans

My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and any other states that might be affected by Hurricane Katrina. All of my family members there are safe and thank you to all my fans your concern.

Love, Britney

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Apple Unveils a New IPod

2005-09-08T13:55:00.000-07:00

Apple moved on Wednesday to extend its dominance over the digital music marketplace, introducing a compact iPod called the nano and confirming a widely reported digital music partnership with Motorola and Cingular.

The iPod nano, which stores either 500 or 1,000 songs and is priced at $199 and $249, is intended to replace an existing model, the iPod Mini. The new device will be available in the United States, Japan and Europe this week.

By replacing the Mini, which accounts for more than half of all iPods currently sold, the company risked a huge revenue shortfall if the new product had been delayed,Apple's chairman, Mr. Jobs said. Despite that risk, he said, the nano reflects several innovations.

He focused on the shift away from the small disk-drive storage device used in the iPod Mini to the solid-state flash memory at the heart of the nano. He said the custom chips and the miniaturized circuit board used in the nano had also been potential stumbling blocks.

The nano comes with a color screen and the company's distinctive click-wheel navigation feature. It measures 1.6 by 3.5 inches and is a quarter-inch thick; the Mini, by comparison, is 2 by 3.6 inches and a half-inch thick.

Several analysts said that Apple had moved the introduction of the nano ahead to ensure it would be widely available for the holiday season.

IPod Phone Isn't Perfect, but It's a Start

IPOD phone." It has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?Now, plenty of current cellphones can already play music - but not with Apple's sense of style and polish.They can't play songs from Apple's iTunes Music Store, either, which is where 10 million people - more than 80 percent of the world's online song buyers.

Yesterday morning when Steven P. Jobs, Apple's chief, took the wraps off two new products. One was a new iPod model - the iPod nano - that's so thin, it looks like a traditional white (or black) iPod that's been squished by a steamroller. Its two models ($199 and $249) hold 500 and 1,000 songs in memory; there's no hard drive, which helps the nano crank out 14 hours of music on a charge.

The other new product was, yes, a new combination cellphone and music player, a collaboration among Apple, Cingular and Motorola, called the Rokr E1, which will cost $250 with a new Cingular contract.

The Rokr doesn't look like an iPod. It's a lot better looking in person than in photos, and the design certainly trumps most slab-style phones

The Rokr doesn't have a click wheel; there wouldn't have been room on this tiny device, 4.3 by 1.8 by 0.8 inches. Instead, it has a five-way nubbin, much like the one on some Palm organizers.

The phone doesn't contain a hard drive. It comes with a tiny, 512-megabyte TransFlash memory card. Incredibly, though, you can only store 100 songs on the phone, tops, no matter how much room is left on the card.

You can't download songs directly onto the phone. You must load music onto the phone from your copy of iTunes 5.0, a sleek new version of Apple's free jukebox software for Mac and Windows.

You can't use songs as ring tones, at least not the songs you've bought from Apple's music store.

the phone doesn't have a FireWire or U.S.B. 2.0 connector. It connects to your Mac or PC with a U.S.B. 1.1 cable.

If you're looking for an iPod phone, in other words, the Rokr isn't it; it stands no chance of living up to the hyperventilating hype of the last few weeks. But as an iTunes phone - the only one on earth that lets you carry subsets of your Apple store-bought music on errands and other short missions - the Rokr is great-sounding, reasonably priced and a lot of fun.

50 CENT'S ICELANDIC ORGY

2005-09-08T08:37:00.000-07:00

Rapper 50 CENT proved so popular with his female admirers when his tour visited Iceland recently, he was unable to attend his own after show party.

The CANDY SHOP star had such a long line of women queuing outside his Nordica suite, he told his G-UNIT entourage to go to the party without him, reports RapDirt.com.

The website also says that 50 Cent, real name CURTIS JACKSON, requested several boxes of condoms as part of his backstage rider at last month's (AUG05) MTV Video Music Awards.

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News From Green Day

2005-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

IDIOT CLUB
The new Green Day IDIOT CLUB is now officially open for
business... we're giving tickets away to all the upcoming
shows - congrats to those IDIOTS who already won tickets
for the Boston, Ottawa and Philadelphia shows! The first
batch of Green Day's answers to your questions also went
live today.
Click here to learn all about it and join today!

Green Day on TV
Green Day will play the NFL Opening Kickoff on ABC 9/8
at 5:00pm... MTV, VH-1 and CMT will air the Hurricane
Benefit Relief Concert live on 9/10... FUSE will air Loaded
today at 2:00pm, Live at Irving Plaze 9/7 at 12:30pm and
9/12 at 12:30pm, the Making of Wake Me Up When
September Ends 9/12 at 12:00pm... NEXT will air Planet
Rock Profiles 9/11 at 7:00pm and 9/13 at 6:30pm... VH-1
will air Storytellers 9/10 at 8:00pm

VH-1 Hurricane Benefit
Green Day have signed on to play VH-1's Hurricane Relief
Concert, September 10th. The event will span four cities
and will be broadcast live on MTV, VH-1 and CMT.

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The Rocker : Avril Lavigne

2005-09-07T12:19:00.000-07:00

Avril Lavigne Sings on 'GMA'
In just three years, Avril Lavigne has sold more than 21 million records. Her first album, "Let Go," put her on the map and turned wearing a tie into a girl thing.

Lavigne appeared in New York City's Bryant Park to sing hits "He Wasn't" and "My Happy Ending" from her latest album "Under My Skin" for "Good Morning America's" Summer Concert Series. Her performance concluded with "Sk8er Boi" from "Let Go."
She is currently on a worldwide tour called "Bonez" for her latest album, "Under My Skin."

Her second album, "Under My Skin," truly showcases Lavigne's talents. In addition to the guitar, she plays drums and the piano. She co-wrote all the songs with singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk. Released in May, the album has already sold more than 7 million copies.There's big news in Lavigne's personal life, too. The 20-year-old rocker recently got engaged to fellow Ontario native Deryck Whibley, Sum 41's lead singer. And, she's sporting quite a ring!

The rocker, who grew up in a devout Christian household in a small town, said her family is happy about her musical career.

For the record : Quick news on Avril Lavigne
Avril Lavigne is auctioning off concert tickets, autographed photos and other items to benefit Health Care for All - California, a nonprofit organization supporting single-payer-model approaches to universal healthcare. Details are available at AuctionsForChange.com. ...

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Do you listen to KEANE ?

2005-09-06T16:03:00.000-07:00

Keane to record "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road" for Warchild charity album
Keane will be recording a cover of Elton John's "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road"
for the upcoming Warchild charity album "Help - A day in the life".
All artist are going to to record their contributions on September. The album will be available for download on the same day and in the shops a couple of weeks later.

Keane with Special guest The Long Winters
Sep 20 2005 8:00PM Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA

Doors open 7:00 PM

$25.00 Advance General Admission - $27.50 Day of Show General Admission
Prices subject to applicable service charges.

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Eminem is Again Irritating Society

2005-09-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

Eminem: 'I'm Not Retiring'
If you bought into recent reports that Eminem has decided to hang up his mic and settle into a quiet life out of the spotlight, the man himself has a message for you.

"I'm not retiring," Em told MTV during a recent stop on his Anger Management Tour.

Reports from the rapper's hometown of Detroit had sources close to Em saying that he planned to retire following his Anger Management run. He's tired of the limelight, they said. He wants to produce other artists, they said. They even gave a date — September 17, when he's slated to play Slane Castle in Ireland on the last scheduled show of the Anger Management Tour — for his last concert.

Not so fast, said the man himself.

Eminem has been nominated for two 2005 MTV Video Music Awards:
BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO - "MOSH"
BEST RAP VIDEO - "JUST LOSE IT"

Eminem Cancels European Tour
Eminem announced today that he will be canceling his European tour dates, which run from September 1st through 17th. Eminem is currently being treated for exhaustion, complicated by other medical issues. The shows are not expected to be rescheduled.

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Everything About Mariah Carey

2005-09-06T06:56:00.000-07:00

CAST YOUR VOTE FOR SHAKE IT OFF!

Mimi has delivered another HOT video for her third single Shake It Off be sure to cast your vote for the video each day on all the countdowns!

Thanks to your votes, Mariah is steadily 'shaking off' the competition at TRL so let's take Mimi to the top spot by voting on:

MTV's Total Request Live - Monday-Friday at 5:00pm ET/PT

Be sure to cast you VOTE ONLINE or CALL 1-800-DIAL-MTV (1-800-342-5688) during the following hours:
4:25pm - 5:00pm Eastern Time
3:25pm - 4:00pm Central Time
2:25pm - 3:00pm Mountain Time
1:25pm - 2:00pm Pacific Time

BET's 106 & Park - Monday-Friday, 6:00pm-7:30pm ET/PT

Cast your VOTE ONLINE or CALL 1-800-617-LIVE (5483) between 5:30 and 6:00pm ET.
VH1's Top 20 Video Countdown

Request Shake It Off on VH1 by sending an e-mail to videorequest@vh1mail.com or cast your vote online in the Top 20 Video Countdown Message Board.

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50 CENT

2005-09-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

"Get Rich or Dy Trying"
Watch the trailer for 50 Cents "Get Rich or Die Trying" HERE.

50 Cent Nominated for 2005 MTV Video Music Award
50 Cent has been nominated for a 2005 MTV Video Music Awards:

BEST MALE VIDEO - "CANDY SHOP"

50 Cent: Bulletproof!!
50 Cent's video game "50 Cent: Bulletproof" was announced at E3 this week. Click the links below to watch the trailor and stay tuned for more updates.

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U2

2005-09-05T14:50:00.000-07:00

It's Official!
All Because Of You will be the fourth single release from How To Dismantle
An Atomic Bomb.

The new single, released in the UK on October 10th, will be issued on 2 CDs and DVD.

B-sides include a new version of Miss Sarajevo, recorded live at Milan's San Siro stadium in the summer, as well as an acoustic version of the album track A Man And A Woman.

The DVD features the video for All Because Of You which was shot by Phil Joanou last winter on the back of a truck on Brooklyn Bridge - with a cast of thousands including New York cops, sirens and lots of barely believing fans. Also featured is the video for the last single City of Blinding Lights, shot live in Vancouver on the opening leg of the tour.

UK Premiere: 'All Because of You'
U2's next UK single, All Because of You, is aired on UK TV this weekend.
If you want to catch it, tune in to CD:UK this Sunday morning at 10.50am.

Best Selling Rock
The band were named 'Best Selling Rock Artist' at the World Music Awards in Hollywood on Wednesday night.

At the same ceremony, The Killers, who recently supported U2 on some of their
European stadium dates, were named Best New Group.

U2, who have been on a break before the third leg of Vertigo '05 kicks off in less than a fortnight, were not at the ceremony. Manager Paul McGuinness has said that sales of How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb, which went to No.1 in 32 countries, indicate it could eventually become the band's best-selling record.

R&B singer Usher collected the award for Male Entertainer of the Year and Rapper 50 Cent was named World's Best-Selling Pop Male Artist.

The World Music Awards are based on record sales, certified by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry.

'A Bluer Kind of White'
The U2.Com Shop has a new look - and a new range.

Our Store has just taken delivery of a range of new stock. As well as a great collection of 'Vertigo//05' merchandise, we've also got North American and Dublin tour shirts.

Take a sec to check it all out here.

(In case you missed it, the retail-sales kind of headline to this story is from a rather wonderful song called Zooropa. Remember that?)

Countdown to Fall Dates
The third leg of Vertigo '05 will open in Toronto in less than a month's time.

Opening at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on September 12th, U2 will play 51 shows in 27 cities over three months.

After an indoor leg of North American arenas in the Spring and an outdoor leg of European stadiums this summer, the band are on a break for a month before the Fall shows. By the end of the year the band will have played more than 100 shows to more than 3m people.

Here's the dates for the Fall.

12th September Toronto - Air Canada Centre

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