MUSIC BLOGS
MUSIC BLOGS
category: music
15 Oct 2009

If there was ever a question of what would come of Wolfmother after the departure of two founding members then now is the time to stop asking and start listening. Wolfmother has just unveiled their entire forthcoming album, Cosmic Egg, on MySpace and with each track a nail in the coffin of the past is hammered further in resulting in a full blown rock explosion into the present. When describing the new Wolfmother Kerrang! said the band, “have exceeded expectation, proving themselves modern masters of riff-centered, bass-heavy bong rock alchemy. Almost every track contains something fresh and off kilter while remaining immediate and throat-grabbing at the same time.”


Cosmic Egg :30 Snippets

Cosmic Egg officially arrives October 27th, and features the single “New Moon Rising.” For more information on Wolfmother, and where you can catch them on tour, visit www.Wolfmother.com.

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category: music
08 Oct 2009

Multiple Grammy Award-winning singer and songwriter Norah Jones will release The Fall, her fourth studio album on Blue Note Records on November 17, 2009. Jones wrote nearly all of the songs in the past two years since completing tours in support of her 2007 global chart-topping, U.S. double-platinum album Not Too Late.

Beloved by fans for her sultry vocals and jazz-informed, piano-driven pop songwriting, Jones has taken a new direction on The Fall, seeing it as a chance to experiment with different sounds and an opportunity to work with a new set of collaborators, including Jacquire King, a noted producer and engineer who has worked with Kings of Leon, Tom Waits, and Modest Mouse among others. Jones also enlisted several songwriting collaborators, including Ryan Adams and Okkervil River’s Will Sheff, as well as her frequent partner Jesse Harris.

“I knew I wanted to try some different things on this album,” Jones says. “I’d been playing with the same musicians for a long time. We’re all still friendly and I hope we play together again, but it felt like a good time to work with new people and experiment with different sounds. As far as a producer, I wanted someone who could take me out of my comfort zone and find the right musicians to capture what I wanted to do with this collection of songs. I got in touch with Jacquire initially because he engineered one of my favorite records of all time, Tom Waits’ Mule Variations. He was really eager to do it and we got along really well, which was important.”

Stream The Fall album single “Chasing Pirates”

King helped Jones put together a new group of musicians to perform on the album, including drummers Joey Waronker (Beck, R.E.M.) and James Gadson (Bill Withers), keyboardist James Poyser (Erykah Badu, Al Green), and guitarists Marc Ribot (Tom Waits, Elvis Costello) and Smokey Hormel (Johnny Cash, Joe Strummer). Jones and King tailored the songs to the musicians’ strengths. “I think the record sounds different due to the variety of musicians we used,” Jones says, “I knew I wanted to play with grooves more than I have on previous albums. Some of these new songs lent themselves to having driving rhythms underneath.”

Another noticeable change on Jones’ upcoming album is that she plays mostly guitar. “I actually write more on guitar than I do on piano,” she says. “It just felt more natural for me to play it on these songs.”

Since coming on the scene in 2002, Jones’ has sold a collective 36 million albums worldwide. Her three studio albums, 2002’s eight-time Grammy Award-winning Come Away With Me, 2004’s Feels Like Home, and 2007’s Not Too Late have each topped the Billboard top 200 album charts in the U.S. and gone to No. 1 around the world. All three have been certified multi-platinum, while Come Away With Me has been certified diamond.

Since 2007, Jones has collaborated with a number of artists, including Herbie Hancock, Talib Kweli, Willie Nelson, Q-Tip, Irma Thomas, and Andy Samberg’s comedy troupe The Lonely Island. She has also contributed to various soundtracks, including Ken Burns’ The War, Ethan Hawke’s The Hottest State, and Wong Kar-wai’s My Blueberry Nights, as well as the Fats Domino tribute album Goin’ Home. In 2007, Jones starred opposite Jude Law in My Blueberry Nights and made a cameo in this year’s season finale of 30 Rock. Also this year, Jones was featured as a flagship artist on Apple’s GarageBand, presenting a tutorial on how to perform her song “Thinking About You.”

The track listing for The Fall is as follows:

1. Chasing Pirates (Norah Jones)

2. Even Though (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris)

3. Light As a Feather (Norah Jones/Ryan Adams)

4. Young Blood (Norah Jones/Mike Martin)

5. I Wouldn’t Need You (Norah Jones)

6. Waiting (Norah Jones)

7. It’s Gonna Be (Norah Jones)

8. You’ve Ruined Me (Norah Jones)

9. Back To Manhattan (Norah Jones)

10. Stuck (Norah Jones/Will Sheff)

11. December (Norah Jones)

12. Tell Yer Mama (Norah Jones/Jesse Harris/Richard Julian)

13. Man Of The Hour (Norah Jones)

Official site link, MySpace:

http://www.norahjones.com

http://www.myspace.com/norahjones

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category: music
06 Oct 2009

Cyber rockers POWERMAN 5000’s new album, Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere, is finally hitting stores this week. The collection finds the band returning to the hard groove of their earlier work which included hits like “When Worlds Collide” and “Nobody’s Real.” “We made this record with a clear vision and a purpose,” explains frontman, Spider. “We wanted to reclaim a sound we created and represent certain influences as only a band like Powerman 5000 can.

While writing, we would watch ‘Godzilla’ or ‘Ultraman’ films to ensure the sonics were on point. We knew that this record needed to sound like the footsteps of a giant robot!”

“On the surface, this album is a big fun electro metal romp…though there are bigger concepts hidden within. A quote from HG Wells sums it up best, he said, ‘Man is the unnatural animal, the rebel child of nature.’ That is an ongoing theme in the songs, our inability to find a place in our own world. I couldn’t be happier with the results. I finally feel like we have made a record that not only is exactly wanted we wanted it to be, but also a record that the fans are going to love!”

The band has released 2 singles from the new album so far, “Super Villain” and “V Is For Vampire,” and recently filmed a video for the latter with horror film director Robert Hall.

Check out Somewhere on the Other Side of Nowhere, in its entirety, below:


Somewhere On The Other Side Of Nowhere

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category: music
24 Sep 2009

Affectionately referred to by Elton John as “the greatest songwriter on the planet” and praised by The New York Times for his “genuine originality,” Rufus Wainwright has established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters of his generation. He is the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright but Rufus has achieved his success by carving out his own singular sound in the worlds of rock, opera, theater, dance and film.

Wainwright has released six albums and two DVDs to date, and has appeared on numerous soundtracks and compilations, as well as collaborating with artists like Elton John, David Byrne, Rosanne Cash and Keane. Rufus’ last album was a live recording from his Carnegie Hall concert titled, Rufus Does Judy At Carnegie Hall and it was nominated for a Grammy. It was released concurrently with a live DVD (Rufus! Rufus! Rufus! Does Judy! Judy! Judy!) capturing his celebrated Judy Garland tribute performance at the London Palladium in 2007. His previous album, Release the Stars, went Gold in Canada and the U.K.

After his successful global tour in support of Release The Stars, Decca has just released the eagerly anticipated new live CD/DVD Milwaukee at Last!!! this week. Containing a 10-track CD and DVD boasting 23 songs, Milwaukee At Last!!! was filmed by the legendary documentary film maker Albert Maysles at the Pabst Theatre in Milwaukee, Wisconsin on August 27th 2007.

Check out the entire album below:


Milwaukee at Last!!!

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category: music
06 Apr 2009

Check out a quick teaser for the new Green Day album, and check back often as the widget will be updated regularly:

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category: music
10 Feb 2009

Check out the single - “Losin’ It

South Florida’s Fallbrooke was originally started by Singer/Guitarist: Eric McNeely & Drummer/Singer: Kevin Schwarz in the summer of 2005. After several EP’s and small shows, they independently produced and distributed their first album (”26 Seconds”) in March 2007. Following the album’s release, the band did small tours up the East Coast of the US throughout the spring and summer. They underwent several band member changes but gained their close friend, Augusto Vega on Bass. Soon after, they were contacted by the founder of RMR Music Group; Paul Palmer (Trauma Records: Bush, No Doubt) who flew the band out immediately to Los Angeles after hearing a few songs. Fallbrooke signed with RMR in Winter 2007. With a year in the making, their upcoming album is currently being wrapped up and is planned to be released early 2009.

Check out the video for “Losin’ It

and the band online at

OFFICIAL WEBSITE: http://www.fallbrooke.com

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category: music
07 Jan 2009

Here’s a first look at what the new U2 album will be like. From RollingStone.com:

“Get On Your Boots”
The likely first single, this blazing, fuzzed-out rocker picks up where “Vertigo” left off. “It started just with me playing and Larry drumming,” the Edge recalls. “And we took it from there.”

“Stand Up Comedy”
Another hard rock tune, powered by an unexpectedly slinky groove and a riff that lands between the Beatles’ “Come Together” and Led Zep’s “Heartbreaker.” Edge recently hung out with Jimmy Page and Jack White for the upcoming documentary It Might Get Loud, and their penchant for blues-based rock rubbed off: “I was just fascinated with seeing how Jimmy played those riffs so simply, and with Jack as well,” he says.

“Crazy Tonight”
“It’s kind of like this album’s ‘Beautiful Day’ — it has that kind of joy to it,” Bono says. With the refrain “I know I’ll go crazy/If I don’t go crazy tonight,” it’s the band’s most unabashed pop tune since “Sweetest Thing.”

“Unknown Caller”
This midtempo track could have fit on All That You Can’t Leave Behind. “The idea is that the narrator is in an altered state, and his phone starts talking to him,” says the Edge.

“Tripoli”
This strikingly experimental song lurches between disparate styles, including near-operatic choral music, Zooropa-style electronics, and churning arena rock.

“Cedars of Lebanon”
“On this album, you can feel what is going on in the world at the window, scratching at the windowpane,” says Bono, who sings this atmospheric ballad from the point of view of a war correspondent.

“Magnificent”
“Only love can leave such a mark,” Bono roars on what sounds like an instant U2 anthem. Will.i.am has already done what Bono calls “the most extraordinary” remix of the tune.

“Moment of Surrender”
This seven-minute-long track is one of the album’s most ambitious, merging a Joshua Tree-style gospel feel with a hypnotically loping bass line and a syncopated beat.

“Every Breaking Wave”
A swelling soul-pop song, with bright synth sounds influenced by OMD and, Bono says, “early electronica.” “You don’t hear indie bands doing blue-eyed soul [like this],” he adds.

“No Line on the Horizon”
The title track’s relentless groove began as a group improvisation. “It’s very raw and very to the point,” says the Edge. “It’s like rock & roll 2009.”

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category: music
31 Oct 2008

Check out the music video for “I’m So Paid”, the hot collaboration from Akon starring Lil Wayne and Young Jeezy! Akon’s new album ‘Freedom’ hits stores on December 2.

AKON ft LIL WAYNE & YOUNG JEEZY - I’M SO PAID- NEW MUSIC VIDEO!

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category: music
23 Oct 2008

Sweet 17 - Laura Warshauer

About Laura:

Pop singer-songwriter Laura Warshauer is a storyteller first and foremost. Through her music, she examines loss, love and life. The 24-year-old New Jersey native crafts sonic gems, through combining massive pop melodies and flourishes of folk. Her lyrical sensibility hearkens back to songsmiths like Joni Mitchell and Fiona Apple, while the music possesses a pop rock passion a la U2. Laura wants to take listeners on a journey, and her music’s the perfect vessel. “Convince Myself,” “December Night” and the first single, “Sweet 17,” are entrancing, soothing and infectious. She’s paved her own path, and the ride has just begun.

Laura will release her self-titled seven-song debut album on September 23 via Island/Pink Chariot/Fontana. The music is like an aural embrace, pulling listeners in and holding them tightly. “Please Don’t Lie” features orchestral textures that perfectly compliment her warm, ethereal vocals. She describes her sound best, “There’s definitely a folk sensibility, but it’s really about grand melodies. I have a very classic pop structure in terms of my writing style, but lyrically, I offer a unique angle.” That angle sees Laura exploring experiences intimately and in a relatable manner. Songs come naturally to Laura, and she lets inspiration take hold. “I say everything I need to in my songs. It’s my job to stay out of the way and let the songs do the talking.”

The songs spoke loud and clear, and Laura’s immense talent caught the ear of Island Def Jam Chairman Antonio “L.A.” Reid. He received one of her demos, and he had to go see her play.  “He came to a Sunday night rehearsal, and his hands were in the air when he heard me. Afterwards he was speechless. The next day he asked me what I envisioned for myself. I looked him right in the eye and said, ‘I want to rock stadiums, and I want to be doing it in 25 years.’ He replied, ‘I want to do it with you.’” Their partnership has set the stage for Laura’s album this fall and her full-length, Such A Lovely Place, due out in 2009. There’s no doubt she’s on to big things.

The songs say it all. “Sweet 17″ is a dreamy anthem of unrequited love. Laura reminisces about her high school years while exploring the relationship she could’ve had with a romantic interest. “I wanted to capture that nostalgic feeling of being 17. At the end of the day, it’s a song about love: finding it, losing it, wondering if it exists or if it’s only in your head. I bring a fantasy that I longed for to life. This wasn’t necessarily the reality of my own life, but the song asks, ‘What if it could’ve been?’” “Sweet 17″ highlights Laura’s unique voice and her knack for a big hook. “My Fault” further showcases her diversity. The heartfelt ballad explores abusive relationships intimately. “That song is especially poignant for me. I would love to be involved in organizations that speak out against domestic violence.  People can relate to this song if they’ve ever been in a relationship where they’ve lost themselves. ‘My Fault’ captures what it feels like to be in an abusive situation.”

Laura’s created a compelling live show through numerous club concerts and festival dates. Her performances all at once encapsulate her strength and vulnerability. In addition to traditional gigs, she’s been involved with Musicians On Call since she was 16. Musicians On Call began in the pediatric cancer ward at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, and the group allows artists to play bedside for patients. About these special performances, Laura comments, “You have three minutes to make a difference. You’re either going to, or you’re not. You can feel the results immediately.  You want to take that person somewhere else.”

In addition to an escape, Laura wants to give audiences something they can truly connect to. “People respond when you’re honest in your art. I love it when people get a sense of something real, organic and human from my music. I want to make my music mean something, and I want them to feel an emotional connection. I also want to bring them on some sort of ride.” It’s going to be the ride of a lifetime, and Laura’s driving.

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category: music
17 Oct 2008

50 Cent exploded onto the music scene with his blockbuster debut Get Rich Or Die Tryin’.  Now he’s set to deliver his fourth major label album, Before I Self Destruct (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), on December 9, 2008.

For the explosive Before I Self Destruct, 50 Cent returned to working closely with Dr. Dre and Eminem as he did on his first album.  But Before I Self Destruct is more than an album.  The package also includes a DVD with an original, gritty, feature-length movie he wrote, directed and starred in.  50 Cent proves with Before I Self Destruct that no one on the hip-hop scene is more aggressive about putting the street on stage.

With Dr. Dre and Eminem each producing and guesting on tracks, and led by the club-friendly first single, “Get Up,” produced by Scott Storch, Before I Self Destruct is darker and harder than last year’s Curtis.  50 Cent wrote much of the album while he, as Curtis Jackson, was also penning the 90-minute film of the same name that would be his directorial debut.

The film Before I Self Destruct is a coming of age story about an inner city youth raised by a hardworking single mother.  When his dream of becoming a basketball player fails to materialize, he finds himself employed in a supermarket.  After his mother is tragically gunned down, Clarence (played by Jackson) is consumed by revenge and takes up a life of crime in order to support his younger brother.

“My film captures the harsh realities that reflect so many communities today. There will be some who will greatly identify with the characters and the situations presented and then there will be others who may be shocked at the struggles that go on in the inner city,” states 50 Cent. “I made the film for both groups.”

Before I Self Destruct, both album and film, continues 50 Cent’s phenomenal rise from street culture hero to superstardom.  2003’s Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ sold 872,000 units in the first four days of its release, making it the fastest-selling debut disc in the SoundScan era (since 1991).     The #1 Pop, #1 R&B/Hip-hop album was the biggest seller of 2003 and has sold more than 12 million copies worldwide.

2005’s The Massacre, again #1 Pop, #1 R&B/Hip-hop, was the second biggest-selling album of that year and has sold more than nine million copies worldwide.  With the album’s “Candy Shop,” “Disco Inferno” and “How We Do,” 50 Cent became the first solo artist in Billboard history to have three singles in the Top 5 in the same week.

2007’s Curtis reached #2 Pop and #2 R&B/Hip-hop, selling more than five million copies worldwide.  Three tracks reached the Top 40 of the Hot 100: “I Get Money,” “Ayo Technology” and “Straight To The Bank.”  Time magazine named “I Get Money” one of “The 10 Best Songs of 2007.”

Thanks to Curtis, 50 Cent was honored as the year’s Best-Selling Hip-hop Artist at the 2007 World Music Awards. His music career has also been marked by an impressive 13 Grammy nominations, from Best New Artist to Best Rap Album.

In addition to his record label, G-Unit Records, 50 Cent has enjoyed enormous global success across a vast array of entrepreneurial ventures, including videogames, books, clothing, footwear, beverages, personal care products, automotive and more.  He has also starred in a handful of films, including 2005’s semi-autobiographical Get Rich Or Die Tryin’, Al Pacino and Robert De Niro’s Righteous Kill and now Before I Self Destruct.

Check out the Trailer for the album:

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