After just one day on the market Brand New’s album, Daisy, is sitting pretty towards the top of the iTunes charts at number 4. While chart position may not be of the utmost importance to a band like Brand New, it is a testament to the quality of the album they’ve produced for the world to hear. With each album review a new comparison is made between Brand New and the likes of Modest Mouse, Radiohead, The Jesus Lizard, My Bloody Valentine and a slew of other ’90s alternative and indie rock icons. The reality of Daisy is that, “the remnants of pop-punk have dissipated” (StrangeGlue.com) and fans are left with what Slant Magazine called, “an ambitious leftfield stunner” and an an album that “explodes without warning” (SPIN).
Daisy is in stores now and can be purchased on iTunes.
Check out this video for a sample of the lead single, At The Bottom:
Underlining their timeless appeal and unique status in music, The Beatles have broken multiple chart records around the world following the September 9, 2009 (9-9-09) CD release of their digitally re-mastered catalogue. In the major music markets of North America, Japan and the UK, consumers purchased more than 2.25 million copies of The Beatles’ re-mastered albums, individually and in two multiple-CD boxed sets, one in stereo and one in mono, during the first five days of release (excluding non-traditional retail outlets whose sales are not tracked by the chart compilers).
The Beatles’ original UK studio albums were re-mastered by a dedicated team of engineers at Abbey Road Studios in London over a four year period, carefully maintaining the authenticity and integrity of the original analogue recordings. The result is the highest fidelity the catalogue has seen since its original release.
The most popular band of the 20th century, The Beatles are beloved by music fans in the 21st century, as evidenced by their current unparalleled global chart performance:
US: During the first five days of release, consumers purchased more than one million copies of re-mastered Beatles titles, and the individual CD and boxed sets debuted strongly across multiple Billboard charts.
- On Billboard’s Comprehensive Albums chart, which lists the most popular album releases in the US, including current and catalogue titles, The Beatles set a new record for the most simultaneous titles by a single artist (18), including five of the top 10 and nine of the top 20.
- On the Pop Catalog chart, The Beatles achieved another new Billboard chart first for the most simultaneous titles in the top 50 (16), a record they previously set themselves with 12 titles in December 1995. The Beatles have nine of the chart’s top 10 titles, and all 14 re-mastered CDs are in the top 20, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at number one and ‘Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’ at number two.
- On the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart, ‘The Beatles’ stereo boxed set debuted at number 15, and ‘The Beatles in Mono’ limited edition boxed set debuted at number 40.
UK: In last week’s chart, The Beatles had four titles in the top 10, seven in the top 40 and 16 in the top 75, including both the stereo and mono boxes, as well as 2000’s ‘Beatles 1’ compilation. This set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the UK charts according to the UK Official Charts Company. In this week’s UK chart, The Beatles have 13 albums in the top 75. A further 84,000 CDs were sold last week, bringing their total sales of the re-masters to more than 354,000 in 11 days and their total UK sales this decade to 6,755,000.
Japan: All 14 re-mastered titles and boxed sets debuted in the top 25 of the international chart, including seven of the top 10, led by the stereo boxed set at number two, the mono boxed set at number three, ‘Abbey Road’ at four and ‘Let It Be’ at six. Across all titles and box sets, more than 840,000 albums were purchased by consumers in Japan in the first three days of sales.
Canada: The Beatles have 15 of the top 20 catalogue titles including all of the top 11. The stereo boxed set is a new entry in the current albums chart at number four, the highest debut for a boxed set in Canada since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking sales. Cumulative sales across all titles were just under 160,000 over the counter.
France: All 14 of the re-mastered titles and boxed sets entered the latest album chart, including three in the top 10, led by ‘Abbey Road’ at number four, a new record for the most original studio albums in the French album chart in one week.
Italy: The Beatles have 17 titles in the current chart – all 14 re-mastered titles, the two boxed sets, plus the ‘1’ compilation, a record for the most simultaneous entries in the album chart.
Belgium: With 17 entries in the current chart - the 14 re-mastered titles, two boxed sets and ‘1’ compilation – The Beatles have set a new record for the most simultaneous albums in the Belgian chart as confirmed by chart compiler Ultrapop.
Official Site:
Although it may have shocked some people at the time, Ray Charles’ fascination with country and western music was anything but an overnight development. As a child in Florida, he’d listened to the Grand Ole Opry’s radio broadcasts through the Southern skies. Thus his 1962 gold-certified album Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music and its encore Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music, Volume 2 represented a lifelong dream - and may have transformed country music along with it.
The two albums, which featured the hits “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Take These Chains From My Heart” and “You Don’t Know Me,” will be reissued together in an expanded reissue titled Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music, Volumes 1 & 2 by Concord Records on June 2, 2009. New liner notes by musicologist Bill Dahl are included alongside original notes by Rick Ward and Charles’ longtime recording supervisor Sid Feller.
The reissue release is part of Concord’s ambitious Ray Charles reissue program that launched this year. A 17-time Grammy winner, Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame inductee and #10 in Rolling Stone’s Greatest Artists of All Time, Charles has sold more than 10 million CDs in the SoundScan era alone.
“Since joining ABC’s roster in late 1959 after permanently altering the rhythm & blues landscape that sired soul, Charles had been contemplating an LP of country chestnuts for years,” Dahl writes. “So to him it wasn’t a radical concept. What was earth shattering was the way he redefined each song. When Ray unleashed the roaring horn section from his recently formed big band, those country evergreens swung like never before.”
In preparation for the album, Charles asked Feller to bring him the biggest country and western hits from the preceding 20 years. According to Ward, “Completely confused and wondering what possible use Ray could make of such material, Sid began collecting songs. The more he thought about Ray’s idea, the more excited Sid became. And by the time the sessions rolled around, he was nearly the most enthusiastic person on the studio.”
Initially skeptical at first themselves, ABC Records gave Charles artistic freedom and was pleased when Modern Sounds in Country & Western Music became the label’s first million-selling album. A lot of this was due to the success of its first single, “I Can’t Stop Loving You.” Never intended to be a single, the Don Gibson-penned track was buried deep in the album sequence.
Yet when actor Tab Hunter covered the song, Feller quickly edited Charles’ rendition to single length and got it into the marketplace in enough time to bury the Hunter version. It topped the pop and R&B hit parades and won a Grammy for Best R&B Recording. “You Don’t Know Me” also proved a massive R&B and pop seller.
A few months later, Ray and his team convened at Capitol Studios in New York to plan Volume 2, Ray mining another dozen country standards. Within the month, the album was at retail and proceeded to reach #2 on the pop album chart. Hank Williams’ “Take These Chains From My Heart,” which kicked off the “ballad side” of Volume 2, became another huge Charles hit in mid-1963.
Having made countless new country converts by giving these 24 songs a soul-steeped urban dimension, Charles continued to dip into the country and western songbook. He covered Johnny Cash’s hit “Busted” to Grammy-winning acclaim in 1963, and his remakes of Buck Owens’ “Cryin’ Time” and “Together Again” hit during the mid-’60s. “Then again,” Dahl writes, “Ray’s unique vocal interpretations inevitably made any song from any genre entirely his own.”
Check out the widget:
http://widget.nabbr.com/oh_happy_day.html
EMI Music/Vector Recordings is set to release the highly anticipated recording Oh Happy Day: An All-Star Music Celebration on March 31. The album features performances by 3 Doors Down, Al Green, Patty Griffin, Heather Headley, Jon Bon Jovi, Jonny Lang, Queen Latifah, Joss Stone with Buick Audra and many more (see below for full track listing). For the project, these world-renowned musicians collaborated with Gospel artists and several of today’s top Gospel Choirs to record renditions of some of the most loved and recognizable inspirational songs. It’s been said you don’t just hear gospel music you feel it. It’s woven through the fabric of the American spirit and history and its influence can be felt and heard around the world today and in the background of many of today’s most talented artists and musicians.
The album’s concept resulted from a close partnership between EMI Gospel and Vector Recordings and was produced by Ken Levitan, Bill Hearn, Jack Rovner, Ken Pennell, Drew & Shannon, Johnny K, Sanchez Harley, Obie O’Brien, Keith Thomas, Tommy Sims, Cedric Thompson, Simon Climie, Michael McDonald, Joss Stone and Buick Audra. Of the project, Bill Hearn, CEO of EMI Christian Music Group comments, “We wanted to create an album that honored the legacy of gospel music—it’s the backbone of the American spirit—but also create unique artist pairings that fans could find no where else.” Vector’s Ken Levitan adds, “Gospel music has always been not only spiritually and musically uplifting but also a great American art form. With this project we’ve taken artists who have been successful in other genres and combined them with this great art form to create new powerful music.”
While recording the record at Ocean Way Studio in Nashville, Jonny Lang notes, “(Gospel music) is really all I’ve been listening to for the last few years…it’s my favorite form of music…at least for now…” Lang goes on to say, “it’s such an honor to record with the legendary Fisk Jubilee Singers, their very first take on the song just blew me away. They’re such pros…quite an honor…” Additionally, Heather Headley comments, “It’s not everyday that you get the opportunity to revisit a classic song like “People Get Ready,” record it with a great producer like Keith Thomas, and sing alongside a legend such as Rev. Al Green. It really was a pleasure, and I had a great time doing it.”
Track Listing:
1. Jonny Lang & the Fisk Jubilee Singers “I Believe”
2. 3 Doors Down & the Soul Children of Chicago “Presence of the Lord”
3. Robert Randolph & The Clark Sisters “Higher Ground”
4. Jon Bon Jovi & the Washington Youth Choir “Keep the Faith”
5. Al Green & Heather Headley “People Get Ready”
6. Mavis Staples & Patty Griffin “Waiting for My Child To Come Home”
7. Michael McDonald & the West Angeles COGIC Mass Choir “Storm Before The Calm”
8. Angelique Kidjo “Redemption Song”
9. Aaron Neville & the Mt. Zion Mass Choir “A Change is Gonna Come”
10. Queen Latifah & Jubilation “Oh Happy Day”
11. Joss Stone & Buick Audra “This Little Light Of Mine”
Available Exclusively At Walmart:
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.do?product_id=10928864
Here we go once again… the season of “Best Of” lists! Here at SoundMojo I’ll throw my Top 20 Albums of 2008 into the never-ending pile of opinionated lists that inevitably feature a variation of the same 50 bands or so… Without further ado, here are the 20 albums that I enjoyed the most this year:
20. Metallica - Death Magnetic
It’s nowhere close to Metallica’s best album, but its Metallica back doing what they do best with long intro’s, long guitar solo’s and songs that are actually interesting! Finally.
19. Santogold -Santogold
Nothing this year sounded as varied as this album. Santogold had a bit of everything on this album and somehow it all sounds fantastic. An indie/new wave/rock/electro hybrid that does not disappoint. Check out LES Artistes.
18. Frightened Rabbit - The Midnight Organ Fight
Anthemic Scottish indie rock. Sad songs that make you want to raise your fists in the air. “The Modern Leper” is one of the best songs of the year.
17. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
I’ve had my complaints about Coldplay in the past… I was a fan of the first 2 albums, but things then took a turn for the worse… Chris Martin was in the spotlight as much as Bono and their music took a nose dive. Enter producer Brian Eno and whammy! the band has its creativity and inspiration back. Viva La Vida expanded their sound and still left it accessible to the masses… a great album from start to finish.
16. Raconteurs - Consolers of the Lonely
Alright I’ll say it. Jack White is my hero. Consolers of the Lonely is a solid album of rock, hard rock, folk rock and garage rock. The band is somewhat of a side project from the White Stripes, but based on this album the Raconteurs are a force to be reckoned with and Jack could probably front another two bands.
15. Wolf Parade - At Mount Zoomer
While not as immediately grabbing as their 2005 debut, Wold Parade have crafted another classic album in At Mount Zoomer. The album does seem more mature, but everything you loved about Apologies to the Queen Mary is still there, its just a little harder to dig into. Once you do dig in, everything makes sense.
14. Constantines - Kensington Heights
This album seems to explode with the opening song of “Hard Feelings” and then steadily slow down with each progressing tune, but rest assured this is some of the steadiest songwriting the band has recorded. This band deserves to be much bigger than they are. “Trans Canada” is one of my favorite songs of the year.
13. Shearwater - Rook
Shearwater is made up of parts of Okervil River and Kingfisher, but based on this debut album the bands vision is unified and the creativity and potential seems huge. Dramatic and theatric vocals stand out, but the layered sound is equally as impressive.
12. The Verve - Forth
Another comeback album, this one was probably my most anticipated, and while not as spectacular is their older albums, Forth is pretty damn enjoyable. There was the obligatory single, “Love is Noise” which tried to recapture the mainstream glory of “Bittersweet Symphony”, and while the song was actually pretty good, it seemed a bit out of place on the album. More interesting were the psychadelic, spacey, guitar epics.
11. Blitzen Trapper - Furr
Americana music with great story telling. This album sounds like it was recorded in the mid 70’s and tracks like “Furr” and “God and Suicide” are some of my favorite songs of the year. Sometimes it doesn’t get much better than acoustic guitars and tall tales.
10. Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend
This was one of those albums that was buzzed about so much that I thought for sure I would hate it. Afro-pop infused indie rock from preppy college kids? Ya right… It turned out to be one of the most enjoyable albums of the year and probably one of the most unique debut albums in a while. Quirky songs and memorable vocals mixed with strong melodies, I guess the hype has to be right sometimes?
9. The War on Drugs - Wagonwheel Blues
For me this band came out of nowhere to be one of my most consistent listens all year long. With vocals that are a dead ringer for Dylan circa 1965 and melodies that will embed themselves in your head for days, I found this band incredibly interesting. With equal parts folk rock shuffle and shoegaze shimmer, I can’t wait to hear what these guys do next. Check out the song “Taking the Farm“.
8. Oasis - Dig Out Your Soul
Comeback album #4 on this list… Ok, Oasis never really went away, but it seems that every album since “(Whats the Story) Morning Glory” has been a comeback album, and Dig Out Your Soul finally delivers. Gone are the acoustic guitars and blatant rips of classic tunes, but back is the intesity and confidence of a band that knows how to deliver rock and roll. Oasis won’t convert any new fans with this album, but they’ve realised that and its now one of their greatest strengths. Its also nice to hear Noel writing consistently and also have the rest of the band contribute quality tunes.
7. The Stills - Oceans Will Rise
The Stills have been up and down over the last few years. Their debut was acclaimed, the follow up was different and thus confused fans, so they had decisions to make for album 3. They either regress back to their initial post-punk sound, continue in the rootsy sound of their second album, or combine everything and hope for the best. I’ve enjoyed everything the band has released and thankfully they chose option 3. With Oceans Will Rise they’ve crafted an expansive album of sounds and styles that flows together very nicely. Check out “Hands on Fire” and “Everything I Build” for an idea of the bands current sound.
6. Bon Iver - For Emma, Forever Ago
There is an interesting back story to this album that includes a secluded cabin in the woods, but I’ll let you look that up yourself. Whats important is that this is one of the prettiest albums of the year with falsetto vocals that should knock you flat. This is beautiful, melodic, acoustic-based music that you won’t soon forget. Listen to “Skinny Love” for an idea.
5. MGMT - Oracular Spectacular
Another album that rode the hype wave for a while before I finally listened to it. Another pleasant surprise. This one was hipster art students creating psychedelic electro indie-pop. Ya right again… wrong, awesome. The songs on this album are like an explosion of colour in your brain. Endlessly catchy, but at the same time interesting and layered this band is definitely on to something. “Time to Pretend” might be the song of the year.
4. Cut/Copy - In Ghost Colours
In Ghost Colours is an album that I slowly came to love over the year. One by one I would hear different songs on the album until I finally realized that all of them were fantastic. This is the best combination of Indie rock and Electro-dance music I’ve ever heard and fans of either genre would have no trouble getting into the album. Its like the band takes all the good parts of both genres and builds an exciting, creative and multi-dimensional style of their own. Check out “Feel the Love” or “So Haunted”.
3. The Black Keys - Attack and Release
God I love the Black Keys. Dirty, minimalist blues-rock from 2 dudes from Akron, Ohio that will make you wish you played guitar. Attack and Release sees the band fleshing out their sound with more texture and space as opposed to the blast of distortion that dominated their early music. Adding Gnarls Barkley mastermind Danger Mouse as the producer was a genius move and his hazy production elevates the Black Keys into new territory. A band that seemed so restricted by its 2 instrument delivery now seems like it has unlimited potential. Check out the song “I Got Mine“.
2. Plants and Animals - Parc Avenue
Is it possible for Montreal to continue producing such great bands at such a consistent rate? I was skeptical at first, but after one listen I was sold. Parc Avenue is a shambolic indie masterpiece of an album that takes cues from classic rock and progressive rock, folk and roots. Where this band goes next? I have no idea… but I’m looking forward to it. Check out songs like “Faerie Dance” and”Feedback in the Field” for an idea of the range on this album.
1. Fleet Foxes - Fleet Foxes
What is there to say about this band. If you haven’t listened to them then you have no idea what your in for. The song “White Winter Hymnal” stopped me in my tracks. Upon hearing it I had to immediately had to stop everything and find out more about this band. With nothing but an earlier ‘08 EP, the band is brand new. The music sounds like its from another era and the vocal harmonies are so rich and beautiful it will blow your mind. The band is drawing from a multitude of Folk and Rock influences, but its takes a fresh and direct vocal approach that fills the album with such grandeur that its hard to believe this is a debut album. Like I said, what is there really to say… listen to “White Winter Hymnal” and you should get it.
Thats it! On to 2009. Some notable bands releasing albums next year include:
- Midlake
- Arctic Monkeys
- Superdrag
- Phoenix
- Muse
- Grizzly Bear
- Beirut
- The Strokes
Maybes: Arcade Fire, Wilco, Daft Punk???
Gotta love these guys… from NME:
AC/DC have topped the charts in 29 countries with their new album ‘Black Ice’.
The veteran Australian rockers’ new album, which was released globally on October 20, has topped the charts in countries including the US, UK, Germany, Canada, France, Argentina, Japan, Australia, Belgium, Finland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.
‘Black Ice’ has sold more than 780,000 copies in the US alone, despite the fact that it is being sold exclusively at Walmart, Sam’s Club, and on the band’s website.
This is only the second time the band has topped the US chart in their three-decade-long career. Their first was in 1981 with ‘For Those About To Rock We Salute You’.
AC/DC are set to kick off their world tour tonight (October 28) in Pennsylvania, as previously reported.
A momentous moment in Pop music history:
Ahead of the MTV Video Music Awards, their supporters discuss the question with vigor, as to which band is actually the more incredible. There is talk of Tokio Hotel, the most successful German rock band, and the Jonas Brothers, currently America’s greatest pop band. At this year’s VMA awards on September 7th in L.A., they came together in the category “Best Pop Video”, further stoking up the discussion from supporters of both bands. And the question on everybody’s lips – does this translate to competition between the two bands themselves? The truth is there is nothing of the sort, quite the opposite. Tokio Hotel (who won the MTV VMA category “Best New Artist”) and Jonas Brothers have one thing in common: while Tokio Hotel are currently superstars in Europe who are successfully capturing great attention and fans across the United States, the superstars from America, Jonas Brothers, have planned to conquer Europe. No wonder the guys had a lot of things to tell each other, when they met shortly before the MTV VMAs in New York. They got along great and shared a lot of experiences – and for sure there will be more, next time they meet each other.
New York, NY) – Independent label Kedar Entertainment Group and 563 Entertainment is pleased to announce that the “sweet as chocolate and strong as coffee” crooner and platinum-selling recording artist Joe makes a splash with the release of his seventh (7th) album Joe Thomas, New Man. The CD is the #1 INDEPENDENT CD THE COUNTRY according Billboard’s “Top Independent Albums” chart and is also TOP 10 (#8) on “The Billboard 200 Chart” and Top 5 (#3) on Billboard’s “Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums” chart with sales in excess of 54,000 copies. This is an incredible feat for any independent label.
Joe Thomas, New Man was released on September 23rd and already the first single, “E.R. (Emergency Room),” has become a mainstay on the charts. According to Radio and Records, “E.R.” has the distinct of being the #1 most added in its first week going for radio adds on the Urban AC charts and subsequently “Most Added” for four (4) weeks. On the Mediabase chart, it currently sits at the seventh (7th) position with a total audience over 81.5 million. Since its release, “E.R. (Emergency Room)” has also held the “Most Increased Plays” status on this chart for five (5) weeks.
Few male R&B solo singers that graced our presence in the 90s can attest to the success that the seven-time Grammy Award nominated star Joe can. Over the span of a 15-year career, Joe has sold over ten (10) million CDs worldwide and released nine (9) Top 10 singles on Billboard’s “Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs” chart.
Joe Thomas, New Man is the perfect album detailing all that Joe is. From the sweet as cherry Kool-Aide lyrics on “Man In Your Life” to lonely teardrops of “Sorry” to the freaky deke of “Triple Black Room” remix featuring Diddy, Joe continues to dig deep into his own psyche for the best material. The album’s second single, “Why Just Be Friends” will be going for adds at Mainstream Urban radio on October 20th and 21st. Moreover, the Billy Woodruff-helmed video has been a staple on BET and BET J for the last five (5) weeks.
Joe is currently promoting the new album internationally with radio visits & shows, local television performances and print interviews throughout Germany, Belgium, United Kingdom, Japan, Holland and Africa.
In addition to his music career, Joe is also branching out into the world of business recently partnering with Kedar’s K’orus French wines that is distributed across the United States.
Check out these new photos from Solange’s show with Wyclef at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA! Geffen Records presents the sophomore release from Solange Knowles, SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams due for release on August 26th.
Solange hanging out with Wyclef
Solange performing at the House of Blues
Solange posing for the camera at the House of Blues
Talented singer, songwriter, artist, and entrepreneur, Solange Knowles AKA SoL-AngeL, is ready to set the world on fire with a sound that is sure to breathe life into a sometimes stagnant music scene. With her sophomore set, SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams, on her new label home of Geffen Records through Music World Entertainment, Solange takes us through a walk in yesteryear with an uber modern twist. SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams is due for release on August 26th.
On SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams, SoL-AngeL enlisted help from producers and songwriters that she knew would capture the sound she wanted to project instantly; but getting them to believe in her wasn’t easy.
“I literally had to beg Cee-Lo to listen to my music but once he did he signed on immediately,” states the giddy SoL-AngeL. “We wrote and recorded ‘T.O.N.Y’ and ‘Sandcastle Disco’ (produced by Soul Shock) that same week. Producer Jack ‘Splash’ joined in to produce ‘T.O.N.Y’ and went on to produce two more songs for me: ‘Would’ve Been the One’ and ‘Ode To Marvin,’ my special take on Mr. Gaye’s ‘What’s going On,’ both of which I wrote with Splash and Makeba.”
For the remainder of the album SoL-AngeL went on to work with Pharrell for the finger-snapping, feel-good first single “I Decided,” Lil Wayne makes an intoxicated guest appearance on “Champagnechronicnightcap,” Bilal helps write and appears on “Cosmic Journey” and “Wanna Go Back,” which Marsha Ambrosius of Floetry lends vocals to, and Raphael Saddiq produces the soulfully insightful, “Same Song, Different Man,” which features Estelle.
Solange Official Site:
http://www.solangeknowles.com
and MySpace page:
http://www.myspace.com/solange
SoL-AngeL and The Hadley Street Dreams iTunes Pre-order Link:
http://click.linksynergy.com/fs-bin/stat?id=amtEadlxNQY&offerid=78941&type=3&subid=0&tmpid=1826&RD_PARM1=http%253A%252F%252Fphobos.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewAlbum%253Fi%253D278448025%2526id%253D278447978%2526s%253D143441%2526partnerId%253D30
(July 15, 2008 - New York, NY) International superstar Mariah Carey’s newest single from her RIAA platinum album E=MC², the #1 Most-Added “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time,” will be the subject of a unique competition. Beginning July 15th, the “Mariah Remix Contest” will allow fans and remixers throughout the world to create distinctive new mixes of the song, using individual tracks from the master sessions of “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time.” The “Mariah Remix Contest” is being launched by MariahCarey.com, in conjunction with UltraStar Entertainment, the digital media company behind her official site and fan club, and IndabaMusic.com, the leading music collaboration website and online community for musicians.
Eight instrument stems from “I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time,” including lead vocals, keyboards, brass, bass, and drums, will be available at www.indabamusic.com/
Submissions will be accepted through August 28th, with online fan voting beginning the next day, and ending on September 12th. The 10 remix finalists, as voted by fans, will be judged by the celebrity panel of Mark Sudack (co-executive producer of E=MC2), Kerri Mason (Dance Columnist, Billboard), and Mantis Evar (EVP, Indaba Music).
The grand prize package will include $5,000 cash, the winning remix posted on Mariah’s official website, www.MariahCarey.com, her record label’s website, www.IslandRecords.com, and MySpace page, www.MySpace.com/MariahCarey, and the winning remixer featured as Mariah’s ‘Top Friend’ on MySpace for one month. The second prize winner will receive a complete Pro Tools recording system, courtesy of www.Sweetwater.com. All ten finalists will win a signed copy of E=MC².
In conjunction with the “Mariah Remix Contest,” fans will have the opportunity to take yet another step closer to Mariah by signing up for a complimentary 90-day membership to her fan club, Honey B. Fly, at www.MariahCarey.com/remix. Members of Mariah’s hugely popular fan club enjoy access to ticket presales, exclusive media, merchandise discounts, giveaways, and more.
“I’ll Be Lovin’ U Long Time” is the third single from E=MC², and follows up hit, “Bye Bye” E=MC² arrived in stores April 15th and debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with first week Soundscan sales of 463,000 copies - the biggest first week total of Mariah’s career.
“Touch My Body,” the album’s first single, made history when it became Mariah’s 18th #1 hit on the Billboard Hot 100 - surpassing one of the most enduring chart records of the past half-century, Elvis Presley’s 17 #1’s. “Touch My Body”’s two weeks at the top marked Mariah’s 78th and 79th cumulative career weeks at #1, which tied Elvis’ long-standing all-time high of 79 weeks at #1, as calculated in Billboard. At the same time, Mariah is now positioned as the only active recording artist in the 50 years of the Hot 100 (which began in 1958) with the potential to surpass the Beatles’ all-time high of 20 #1 hits.
The 11th studio album of her career, E=MC² follows-up The Emancipation Of Mimi (released April 12, 2005), Mariah’s worldwide 10 million selling #1 album. Mimi contained “We Belong Together” (Grammy winner for Best Female R&B Vocal and Best R&B Song) and “Don’t Forget About Us,” Mariah’s 16th and 17th #1 singles respectively - which tied Elvis Presley’s 17 #1’s. Mimi generated three Grammy awards (including Best Contemporary R&B Album), two #1 singles, and countless more honors during its 18-month stay on the charts. Mimi was an industry phenomenon for the mega-platinum award-winning superstar. Soundscan’s biggest-selling album of the year, it brought total sales of Mariah’s albums, singles and videos to over 160 million worldwide, securing her place as the top-selling female recording artist in history.
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