Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Britney Talks....Music


Britney Spears appears on the cover of the lastest Rolling Stone Magazine. She talks about being old, dating and life as a mom. She also manages to say a word or two about Circus, her new CD.

Click her to listen to a sneak preview of Circus:

CIRCUS

Monday, November 24, 2008

Chris Brown Wins Big At American Music Awards

Justin Timberlake presents Merit Award To Annie Lennox

Alvin and The Chipmunks WINNER - Favorite Album, Soundtrack

Chris Brown WINNER - Artist of the Year
WINNER - Favorite Male Artist, Pop or Rock Music
WINNER - Favorite Male Artist, Soul / Rhythm & Blues Music

Mariah Carey WINNER - Honorary Award

Daughtry WINNER - Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Pop or Rock Music

Enrique Iglesias WINNER - Favorite Artist, Latin Music

Jonas Brothers WINNER - T-Mobile Breakthrough Artist Award

Alicia Keys - "As I Am" WINNER - Favorite Album, Pop or Rock Music
WINNER - Favorite Album, Soul / Rhythm & Blues Music

Annie Lennox WINNER - Award of Merit

Linkin Park WINNER - Favorite Artist, Alternative Rock Music

Brad Paisley WINNER - Favorite Male Artist, Country Music

Rascal Flatts WINNER - Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Country Music

Rihanna WINNER - Favorite Female Artist, Pop or Rock Music
WINNER - Favorite Female Artist, Soul / Rhythm & Blues Music

Jordin Sparks WINNER - Favorite Artist, Adult Contemporary Music

Taylor Swift WINNER - Favorite Female Artist, Country Music

Third Day WINNER - Favorite Artist, Contemporary Inspirational

Three 6 Mafia WINNER - Favorite Band, Duo or Group, Rap / Hip-Hop Music

Carrie Underwood WINNER - Favorite Album, Country Music

Kanye West WINNER - Favorite Male Artist, Rap / Hip-Hop Music
WINNER - Favorite Album, Rap / Hip-Hop Music

Chinese Democracy Is Finally Done, Really It Is



Guns N' Rose's 'Chinese Democracy': The saga of the long-delayed album
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

When the last new Guns N' Roses album came out, there were no iPods or digital downloads. There was no "American Idol." No music blogs. No MySpace.

"Use Your Illusion" volumes 1 and 2 instantly topped the charts as simultaneous releases in 1991. Guns N' Roses was one of the hottest bands in rock 'n' roll -- a sure hitmaker and stadium filler. Fans couldn't wait for the new material. Now, 17 years later, that new material arrives.

With an entirely new lineup -- save for founding frontman Axl Rose -- and after myriad stumbles and delays, Guns N' Roses' "Chinese Democracy" was released Sunday (and can be heard free at myspace.com/gunsnroses).

"Is this going to be 'Snakes on a Plane,' where the buildup is more exciting than the thing itself?" wondered Rob Brunner, senior editor for music at Entertainment Weekly.

Here's a look at the long evolution of the album that time almost forgot:


1994: Rose begins work on "Chinese Democracy."


1996: Guitarist Slash quits the band. Drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Duff McKagan follow. "That sort of seemed like the beginning of this album," Brunner said.


1998: Rose assembles a new band. They begin making music at Rumbo Recorders, where GNR's original lineup recorded parts of its multi-platinum 1987 debut, "Appetite for Destruction."

"That's when people started to think, 'What's he doing?' It seemed pretty bizarre to people who were fans of 'Paradise City,' " Brunner said.


1999: Rose invites Rolling Stone to preview tracks from "Chinese Democracy." The magazine anticipated the album could be released the next year.


2000: Rose hires two new musicians, including guitarist Buckethead. The singer appears onstage for the first time in years during a surprise performance at a small Sunset Strip nightclub.


2001: Rose and the new GNR band perform new material at the House of Blues in Las Vegas.


2002: A cornrowed Rose and his band unveil a new track during a three-song medley at the MTV Video Music Awards. "What was striking about this is how little anyone was talking about the music," Brunner said. "It was all about his appearance and the fact that he showed up. It had nothing to do with the song itself. ... That's when it started seeming like things were not going in the right direction."


2004: Geffen declares that it has spent enough money on "Chinese Democracy" and that it's Rose's "obligation to fund and complete the album." The label releases a Guns N' Roses greatest-hits record.


2006: Rose announces that "Chinese Democracy" won't be released in 2006 as planned and sets March 6, 2007, as the new release date. Four tracks from the album leak online.


2007: "Chinese Democracy" does not materialize. More tracks leak online.


2008: In March, Dr Pepper announces it will give a free soda to everyone in America if "Chinese Democracy" is released before the end of the year. (The company says it is making good on its promise.) Two tracks are officially released in the fall: one in the "Rock Band 2" video game and another in the film "Body of Lies." In October, Geffen announces that "Chinese Democracy" will hit stores on Nov. 23. On Nov. 20, the album's 14 tracks stream on MySpace.com.

"This is his shot," Brunner said. "If this doesn't connect now, I don't think anyone, another 15 years from now, will be panting over the long-awaited follow-up to 'Chinese Democracy.' "

Friday, November 14, 2008

Brad Paisley, George Strait, Kenny Chesney Win Big at CMAs

The 42nd Annual "CMA Awards" aired on ABC last night to the biggest ratings for the network in a long time.
George Strait's became the artist with the most CMA Awards in history, adding Single of the Year for "I Saw God Today" and Album of the Year for Troubadour, both co-produced by Strait and Tony Brown, to his tally. With these two trophies and two additional for producing, Strait's 22 CMA Awards trophies eclipse Brooks & Dunn's previous record of 19 Awards.
"I love this album and I really appreciate everyone who bought it," the humble Strait said after accepting his second Award of the night. "Everyone says they've got the greatest fans. Well, I really got the greatest fans."
One of Country's best showmen Kenny Chesney picked up his fourth Entertainer of the Year Award, tying Garth Brooks' record for the most wins in the category.
"As much as tonight is about Awards I really believe that being able to stand up here is more about great songs; it's more about the fans," Chesney said. "This is my fourth time standing up here and I am really humbled."
Earlier in the broadcast, Chesney brought out reggae group The Wailers to perform an island-flavored medley that combined Chesney's "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven" and Bob Marley's classic "Three Little Birds."
Brad Paisley and Carrie Underwood co-hosted the gala event live on the ABC Television Network from the Sommet Center in Downtown Nashville. Paisley remarked that he and Underwood "both grew up watching the CMA's each and every year," with Underwood joking, "We're new at this job so they can kick us out at any minute."
But it turns out that "Country Music's Biggest Night" was very good to its hosts.
Paisley picked up his second Male Vocalist and fourth Music Video of the Year Award for "Waitin' on a Woman," featuring legendary actor Andy Griffith and directed by Jim Shea and Peter Tilden. "I won't take long," Paisley said with his signature sense of humor. "I've talked enough."
Backstage, Paisley expressed excitement about Griffith's first CMA Awards win. "I can't wait to talk to him about it. I'm sure he is thrilled."
Underwood nabbed her third consecutive Female Vocalist of the Year Award. Upon accepting her Award, Underwood thanked those in the music industry who voted for her. "I got through here in an unconventional way and you guys didn't have to accept me," she said.
One of the most touching moments of the night was when Leslie Ponder, whose husband was killed in combat in Afghanistan, introduced Underwood's performance of "Just a Dream."
First-time Entertainer nominees Sugarland picked up their second consecutive Vocal Duo of the Year Award and lead singer Jennifer Nettles snagged her first Song of the Year Award for writing the duo's heart-wrenching single "Stay."
"You never know when you come up here if you are ever going to get to come up here again," Nettles said about their Vocal Duo win. "So we are very thankful."
Nettles and partner Kristian Bush later brought the house down with the powerful performance of "Love" from their third consecutive Platinum album Love on the Inside.
With their win for Vocal Group of the Year, Rascal Flatts tied The Statler Brothers for most consecutive wins in the category with six. The Statlers still hold the record for most total wins for Vocal Group with nine. Gary LeVox, Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney lavished praise repeatedly on the people that got them where they are today. "We thank all of our fans," LeVox said. "Again all of our fans, again all of our fans, again all of our fans."
Lady Antebellum picked up the coveted New Artist of the Year Award (formerly Horizon Award) after performing their breakout hit "Love Don't Live Here."
"It's very humbling," said group member Hillary Scott backstage with partners Dave Haywood and Charles Kelley. "We do not take this lightly at all. We have so much to prove."
The other performers nominated for New Artist of the Year included Kellie Pickler with the sassy "Best Days of Your Life," James Otto singing "Just Got Started Loving You," Jason Aldean with the rocking "She's Country," and Rodney Atkins offering a little slice of his backyard in "It's America."
In the pre-telecast ceremony, CMA Awards were given to two first-time winners - Mac McAnally for Musician of the Year and Robert Plant, who won the Musical Event of the Year Award with Alison Krauss for "Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)."
Paisley and fellow Entertainer and Male Vocalist of the Year nominee Keith Urban opened the show with their new vocal/guitar duet "Start a Band" from Paisley's Play album and then broke up later in the broadcast to each go solo. Urban performed "Sweet Thing" while Paisley offered CMA Award-winning song "Waitin' On a Woman." Fellow Male Vocalist nominee Alan Jackson brought along a few dozen friends to line dance to his party anthem "Good Time."
The Female Vocalist of the Year nominees showed why women in Country Music are a force to be reckoned with. Taylor Swift acted out a fairytale complete with Prince Charming in her performance of "Love Story," Martina McBride belted "Ride," and Miranda Lambert offered the poignant "More Like Her."
Vocal Duo of the Year nominees Brooks & Dunn got a little help from Musical Event of the Year nominee Reba McEntire to help perform "Cowgirls Don't Cry."
Vocal Group of the Year nominees the Eagles made a return trip to the CMA Awards, performing "Busy Being Fabulous" from their wildly successful Country effort Long Road Out of Eden. Two-time nominee Trace Adkins performed his hit "You're Gonna Miss This."
Country Music was infused with a little rock - Kid Rock. The Detroit native performed his mega hit "All Summer Long." Former Hootie and the Blowfish lead singer Darius Rucker showed his Country side performing No. 1 hit "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."
A little bit of Hollywood came to Nashville in the form of Awards presenters, including the stars of the upcoming film epic "Australia" Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, "Hannah Montana" stars Billy Ray and Miley Cyrus, and Reese Witherspoon, who appears in the forthcoming holiday comedy "Four Christmases."
Shania Twain made a special appearance, her first on the CMA Awards since 2005, to present the Entertainer of the Year Award and received a standing ovation from the audience.
Other presenters on "Country Music's Biggest Night" included Vince Gill, Julianne Hough, Heidi Newfield, Jake Owen, John Rich, Josh Turner, Jimmy Wayne, and Lee Ann Womack.
The winners of "The 42nd Annual CMA Awards" are:

ENTERTAINER OF THE YEAR
Kenny Chesney

MALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Brad Paisley

FEMALE VOCALIST OF THE YEAR
Carrie Underwood

VOCAL GROUP OF THE YEAR
Rascal Flatts

VOCAL DUO OF THE YEAR
Sugarland

NEW ARTIST OF THE YEAR
Lady Antebellum

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Troubadour
George Strait
Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

SINGLE OF THE YEAR
"I Saw God Today"
George Strait
Produced by Tony Brown and George Strait
MCA Nashville

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Stay"
Jennifer Nettles
Jennifer Nettles Publishing

MUSICAL EVENT OF THE YEAR
Robert Plant and Alison Krauss
"Gone Gone Gone (Done Moved On)"
Rounder Records

MUSIC VIDEO OF THE YEAR
"Waitin' On a Woman"
Brad Paisley featuring Andy Griffith
Directed by Jim Shea and Peter Tilden

MUSICIAN OF THE YEAR
Mac McAnally - Guitar

SOURCE Country Music Association
http://www.CMAawards.com

Wednesday, November 12, 2008

ARETHA FRANKLIN NAMED GREATEST SINGER EVER



She's already the Queen of Soul, but now Aretha Franklin has been named the greatest singer of the rock era in a poll conducted by Rolling Stone magazine.

Franklin, 66, came in ahead of Ray Charles at No. 2, Elvis Presley at No. 3, Sam Cooke at No. 4 and John Lennon at No. 5, according to the magazine's survey of 179 musicians, producers, Rolling Stone editors, and other music-industry insiders.

The 100-strong list will be published on Friday, when Rolling Stone hits the newsstands with four different covers.

The issue includes testimonials from musicians. R&B singer Mary J. Blige, for example, writes that Franklin is "the reason why women want to sing." Former Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant, who was No. 15 on the list, describes Presley's voice as "confident, insinuating and taking no prisoners."
Besides Franklin, the only other living people in the top 10 were Bob Dylan at No. 7 and Stevie Wonder at No. 9. Marvin Gaye was No. 6, Otis Redding No. 8, and James Brown No. 10.

Other notables included Paul McCartney at No. 11, one place ahead of his idol, Little Richard; and Mick Jagger at No. 16, also one ahead of a key influence, Tina Turner. Among the top 25, 50-year-old Michael Jackson was the youngest, coming in at No. 25.

Voters included Metallica frontman James Hetfield, folk singers David Crosby and Yusuf Islam, Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards, punk rock veteran Iggy Pop and English pop star James Blunt. They each submitted their top 20 choices, and an accounting firm tabulated the results.
SOURCE: YAHOO NEW; REUTERS

Red Hot Chili Peppers Front Man Headed To HBO




Red Hot Chili Peppers frontman Anthony Kiedis is developing a series for HBO based on his unconventional, rock 'n' roll childhood. Kiedis has partnered with Catapult 360 partners Marc Abrams and Michael Benson to create the series, tentatively titled "Scar Tissue."

A writer is still being sought for the script, which will center on Kiedis' relationship with his father, Spider, who sold drugs and mingled with rock stars on the Sunset Strip, all while aspiring to get into showbiz.

The show will begin with young Kiedis moving from Grand Rapids, Mich., to West Hollywood to live with his dad. But Kiedis' father, having been raised in a tyrannical household, decided to go to the other extreme.

"He introduced me to the arts, to a more culturally magnificent life," Kiedis told Daily Variety. "But some of it was this heavy, adult matter that I wasn't quite capable of digesting. ... It was a very rich but kind of challenging period of my life. I was thrust into this adult mentality by age 11.

Catapult 360 contacted Kiedis after Benson read the singer's autobiography, also titled "Scar Tissue." (Show is not based on the book, however, which focused more on Kiedis' life as a rock star.) Abrams and Benson sat down with Kiedis, who told them he wrote the memoir specifically to express himself on his early experiences with his father.

"To be able to look at a very famous figure and get an origin story, to see the pieces of the puzzle that put him on the path to fame -- it became very clear that this was a special project," Abrams said.

The show will also center on West Hollywood and Los Angeles in the early 1970s, including the rock stars encountered by Kiedis and his father (who, according to lore, was a drug dealer for the Who and Led Zeppelin, among others).

Kiedis plans to be heavily involved in the project and is regularly corresponding with his father, who now lives in Portland, to record memories of their life 30 years ago on Palm Avenue in West Hollywood.

"I love mulling over all this raw material," he said. "(My father's) into it too. He sees it as our last great hurrah. For us to be reconnecting to construct these memories -- the women and the rock bands and the doormen of these clubs -- is exciting."

Kiedis also is mulling the possibility of narrating the show (which is being developed as an hourlong drama with comedic elements) and even making cameos from time to time.

Tuesday, November 11, 2008

PARAMORE To Appear At Hot Topic in Hollywood






HOT TOPIC PRESENTS PARAMORE, PERFORMING A "LOST SHOW"
Beginning Tuesday, November 4, purchase the Exclusive Paramore t-shirt for $30 and receive a wristband that gets you preferred access to “The Lost Show” performance in the central courtyard, level 2, and guarantees the opportunity to meet the band following the concert at Hot Topic. One wristband per person. Space is limited. For more information see a Hot Topic associate or call 323.462.2590. **No cameras allowed and one autograph per person**

November 18 at 4pm

Source : Hollywood/ Highland Newsletter

Monday, November 10, 2008

Gavin Rossdale Inspired By Son


Gavin Rossdale Is Inspired by Son Zuma

Former Bush front man Gavin Rossdale is getting a little help being inspired nowadays, reports People.com.

He told the magazine of his two-month-old son, “He’s super mellow, and at the moment very Buddha-like.”

The rocker doesn’t even mind that already young Zuma is more trouble for mom Gwen Stefanie than older brother Kingston, as he calls his youngest, “perfect all the way.”

Rossdale even adds that he is seeing things more zen like now. “What I've found from having children is that they just want to make you be better,” he told the magazine.

He continued, “Beforehand, without children, I think that I was probably more reckless and thinking a bit less about the consequences, and now I want to make sure I'm good for them when they check me out.”

Speaking of Rossdale’s handy work, his performance Thursday night at the BAFTA/LA’s Brittania Awards, marked a comeback for the former “Bush” front man, who came out with his first solo album Wanderlust, with the hit song, “Love Remains the Same.”

He says of fans reconnecting with him, “It's just meant a lot, really, because of your faith. You keep making records and people hear them. I love singing and making music and so I'm into the success.”



source: CityLife; People.com