SoundMojo.com

THE NKOTB ARE BACK…?!

stephanie — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 21:18:54 +0000

I’m way too excited for this (I’m from the generation that was too young to go see them in concert when they hit it big, but now…). “Step 1: We can have lots of fun…”

NKOTB TO REUNITE

US boy band prepare to comeback after 14 years

New Kids On the Block are reportedly preparing to reunite after 14 years.

The hugely successful American boy band, which broke up in 1994, are expected to make an official announcement in the coming weeks, reports People magazine.

The band’s website has been dormant, but is now active in anticipation of the announcement.

New Kids On The Block sold more than 70 million albums worldwide during their 10 years together from 1984 to 1994.

Original members include brothers Jordan and Jonathan Knight, Joey McIntyre, Danny Wood and Donnie Wahlberg, who has had a successful acting and producing career.

–By our Los Angeles staff.

http://www.nme.com/news/nme/33935

Music Video of the Week: “A-Punk” by Vampire Weekend

jackhammer — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 17:56:42 +0000

Granted this video is on the mainpage of YouTube and Vampire Weekend is the buzz band du jour, but this is a great video. Creative use of sped up rocking and a catchy as hell tune equals good things. I particularly like the drumming sequences! Check it out now:

http://www.myspace.com/vampireweekend

Israel to Beatles: Please Come Back

froosh — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 15:17:36 +0000

Under the odd and random category:

More than 40 years after it barred the iconic British band from playing there, Israel said it wants the surviving members of the Beatles to participate in a concert celebrating the country’s 60th birthday.

But the Israeli embassy in London denied a report that the Jewish state had apologized for its original refusal to let the Beatles perform in the country. The band had been booked to appear in 1965, but the government refused to grant the necessary permits on the ground that its music might corrupt the country’s morals.

“Israel missed a chance to learn from the most influential musicians of the decade, and the Beatles missed an opportunity to reach out to one of the most passionate audiences in the world,” Israeli ambassador Ron Prosor said in a letter addressed to Sir Paul McCartney. “On our 60th anniversary, we would like to take the opportunity to offer you a second chance to play in Israel.”

Read more and see our profiles on The Beatles here:

Indie Electronic Rocker, Cassettes Won’t Listen, Leaks First Single from Upcoming EP

jackhammer — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 22:09:54 +0000

Cassettes Won’t Listen, the one- man instrumentalist and producer Jason Drake, is set to release his latest EP Small- Time Machine on March 11th, 2008 and the first single, Paper Float, is officially being leaked today. Following his highly praised past releases, Cassettes Won’t Listen’s genre-bending blend of electronic and indie rock creates a sound often mistaken for a full band.

The buzz surrounding Cassettes Won’t Listen, including his EP of cover songs One Alternative, has landed him spots in Billboard, Spin, and Urb, just to name a few. With positive online attention from the likes of Perez Hilton and a front page feature on Myspace, Cassettes Won’t Listen is ready for the next chapter in his musical styling with the release of Small – Time Machine.

Cassettes Won’t Listen was just one of Drake’s monikers that quickly became noticed as a legitimate ‘band’ after catching on with musical tastemakers and fans alike. After fooling people into believing CWL was an actual band, Drake admitted to single handedly creating the music that Urb Music placed in their Next 100 for 2007. Cassettes Won’t Listen has also created remixes for such notable artists as Aesop Rock, El-P, and Midlake, among others.

When Jason isn’t writing his electronic pop gems as Cassettes Won’t Listen, he can be found in the Def Jux offices where he is the Director of Marketing. Jason has been involved with the leading indie hip hop label since 2001, just as Aesop Rock’s Labor Days was hitting record store shelves. While Cassettes Won’t Listen is informed by hip hop, the lyrics and voice of Jason are transcendent.

Listen to Cassettes Won’t Listen’s First Single “Paper Float” here:

Cassettes Won’t Listen - “Paper Float” (right click, save as)

What the Press is Saying About Cassettes Won’t Listen:

…he’s making electronic pop gems… - Billboard.com

…it’ll most likely leave your neck stiff from all that head bobbin’. – Urb Magazine

…So infectious it’ll be hard to see past tomorrow. - SPIN

…will no doubt become a staple of DJ sets everywhere… - Gorilla Vs. Bear

For More Info about Cassettes Won’t Listen Visit:

http://www.myspace.com/cassetteswontlisten

www.casetteswontlisten.com

Cassettes Won’t Listen – Small-Time Machine Track List:

01. Metronomes
02. Large Rado
03. Paper Float
04. Freeze and Explode
05. The Broadcast
06. Two Kids
07. The Finish Line

I Wish The Best For You

MaryJane Bogart — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 15:44:54 +0000

Singer/songwriter Emerson Hart digs deep into past, often painful, emotions and memories for inspiration on his introspective solo debut, Cigarettes & Gasoline, his first for Manhattan Records. The 12-track CD, which Hart began conceiving in 2005 after moving to Nashville, showcases his penchant for writing thoughtful, memorable songs about life, love and loss, wrapped in some of the most irresistible pop-rock melodies you’ll hear this year. Hart also enlisted the production talents of Bob Rock (Metallica, Bon Jovi), Jason Lehning (Guster, Steve Forbert) and Mike Napolitano (Squirrel Nut Zippers, Joseph Arthur) for the recording sessions in Nashville and New Orleans.

As former lead singer for alt-rock radio and concert favorites Tonic, Hart enjoyed platinum sales, chart topping singles and albums–including the # 1 hit “If You Could Only See”–and two Grammy nominations in 2003.

I Wish The Best For You E-Card

MP3 of the Week: “The Righteous Path” by Drive-By Truckers

jackhammer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 22:31:32 +0000

Call it Southern Rock, Alt-country, Cow-punk, but what really matters is that these guys are a great rock and roll band. The Drive-By Truckers have consistently been on best-of lists and yet they seem to struggle for recognition. Their sound is definitely reminiscent of Southern rock bands of old like Lynyrd Skynyrd, but its hardly derivative and the songwriting is top-notch, especially considering that it comes from multiple songwriters within the band. Their latest album is called Brighter Than Creation’s Dark and the song “The Righteous Path” is a great introduction to the band if you’re new to their music. Its got a driving beat that doesn’t let up and immediate lyrics that’ll paint a thorough picture in your head. Check it out:

Drive-By Truckers - “The Righteous Path” (right click, save as)

Mp3s are for sampling purposes only. They are left up for a limited time. If you like the music, please support these artists. If you represent an artist or a label and would prefer that the link to an mp3 be removed, please email us at media@watchmojo.com

Rivers Cuomo talks Weezer and Demo Album

jackhammer — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 16:15:55 +0000

Here’s a solid e-mail exchange interview from Pitchforkmedia.com

Let’s be honest: No matter what Rivers Cuomo releases, we’ll jump at the chance to talk with him, even for a one-pass e-mail interview like this one. He’s just released his first collection of demos, Alone, but Weezer’s upcoming sixth album looms large on the horizon. For those who want Weezer to shake things up a bit, it appears you may get more than you bargained for. But we shouldn’t underestimate Cuomo, when these home recordings unearthed they had more than their share of surprises– a bit of the more introspective bedroom tracks, certainly, but then there’s the Ice Cube cover and a Gregg Alexander cover, not to mention the songs inspired by Romantic-Minimalism, the experiments with counterpoint in vocals, and the forays into MOR pop… it’s no surprise to hear that Cuomo is a restless listener, and just as restless a musician of late, if his reports on Album Six are to be believed. Given the breadth covered on Alone, and all the music he’s got in the vaults, these promises are likely just the tip of the iceberg.

Pitchfork: Your best estimate: How much unreleased material of yours is in “the vault,” so to speak?

Rivers Cuomo: My best estimate: About one hour of music that is close to Alone’s level of commercial viability and about another eight hours of music that is at least semi-decent.

Pitchfork: Will we see more of these releases if Alone is successful?

RC: I’m talking with the record company now to figure out a way for me to release as much of my material as I want, regardless of commercial success.

Pitchfork: Why not sneak these songs out online, as you have in the past? The collection hangs together quite well as a record, I think, but I’m curious when you decide a song becomes “worth” releasing as a physical product.

RC: If enough people out there want a physical product, I’ll be happy to make one. I’d say about 10,000 people is “enough.”

Pitchfork: Do you think the internet has granted you more or less control over your music and how it’s released?

RC: The internet has not granted us more control in relation to the record company because we’re still bound by an agreement with them not to release our music without their consent. But they generally let us do what we want, anyway, so it doesn’t matter who’s officially in control.

Pitchfork: Generally speaking, why do you think fans become so fixated on “lost” records? Lifehouse, The Basement Tapes, Songs From the Black Hole, etc…?

RC: Yeah, it’s funny, huh? I don’t know. I was fixated on Prince’s Black Album for a long time.

Pitchfork: Now that you’re on the other side of that, what’s it feel like? Do these unfinished projects get blown out of proportion by fans?

RC: Yeah, it seemed like people thought the Black Hole was much more substantial than it is.

Pitchfork: You say in the liners to Alone that you’ll play your demo tapes to anyone who will listen. Of all those you’ve played potential Weezer songs to, who do you think your harshest critic has been (aside from yourself, of course)?

RC: Todd Sullivan, who signed Weezer to Geffen Records in 1993 and has been in and out of the Weezer camp over the years, has been my harshest critic.

For the rest of the interview head over to PitchforkMedia

2008 Grammy Nominees CD

jackhammer — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 20:40:21 +0000

What do Amy Winehouse, Justin Timberlake, and Feist have in common? Besides having an incredibly successful 2007, each artist has been nominated for a Grammy® and has secured a spot on the 2008 Grammy® Nominees CD. The 15th edition of the best-selling compilation includes 21 tracks nominated across the spectrum of categories this year. Over 15 million Grammy® Nominees CDs have been sold worldwide!

The 50th Grammy Awards will air live on February 10th at 8pm ET/PT on CBS

Here is the tracklisting for this years Nominees CD:

1. Justin Timberlake
What Goes Around… Comes Around (Interlude)
Record of the Year

2. Amy Winehouse
Rehab
Record Of The Year
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance
Album Of The Year
Song Of The Year

3. Beyoncé
Irreplaceable
Record Of The Year

4. Foo Fighters
The Pretender
Record Of The Year
Album Of The Year

5. Maroon 5
Makes Me Wonder
Best Pop Vocal Album

6. Feist
I234
Best Pop Vocal Album
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

7. Bon Jovi
(You Want To) Make A Memory
Best Pop Vocal Album

8. Paul McCartney
Dance Tonight
Best Pop Vocal Album

9. Christina Aguilera
Candyman
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

10. Nelly Furtado
Say It Right
Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

11. Kanye West Featuring T-Pain
Good Life
Album Of The Year

12. Herbie Hancock
River Featuring Corinne Bailey Rae
Album Of The Year

13. Vince Gill (Guest Vocalist: Sheryl Crow)
What You Give Away
Album Of The Year

14. Carrie Underwood
Before He Cheats
Song Of The Year

15. Plain White T’s
Hey There Delilah
Song Of The Year

16. Corinne Bailey Rae
Like A Star
Song Of The Year

17. Green Day
Working Class Hero
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

18. Daughtry
It’s Not Over
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

19. Nickelback
If Everyone Cared
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

20. The White Stripes
Icky Thump
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

21. U2
Instant Karma
Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

Spin’s 8 Bands To Watch in 2008

jackhammer — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:52:13 +0000

Via Stereogum.com:

Jay Reatard
Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s
Santogold
Black Tide
The Wombats
B.o.B.
Duffy
Chester French

Behold… ACDC.com lights up!

jackhammer — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 16:47:30 +0000

Hmm… apparently ACDC.com used to be a porn site, and I’m sure it wasn’t the easiest or cheapest URL to buy back, so they must have done it for a good reason… like say, a new album being announced soon? In any case, its always nice to post some news on AC/DC, keep your fingers crossed for a new album and tour! Here is more on the new site:

The day of reckoning is upon us. ACDC.com has been returned to its rightful owners and we’re ready to light up. It’s been a long time coming, but it’s finally here, and we invite all of you to join us as we turn on the power at AC/DC’s official website, ACDC.com!

Over the last few months at ACDC.com, you’ve gotten plugged in, rocked out to “Back In Black,” given us a tour of your private AC/DC sanctums and taken a peek at the band’s personal stash of photos. You had your taste – now it’s time to dig in whole hog.

Visit ACDC.com today and get:

- The latest news on the band, from rumors dispelled to the latest on album releases, appearances and more
- A tour of AC/DC’s past, complete with a daily lesson in AC/DC history (schoolboy uniform not required)
- The band’s official bio
- Video previews of AC/DC DVDs
- A chance to browse photos from the band’s personal collection
- A grab-bag of banners to snag and hang on your personal webspace
- A chance to win amazing AC/DC prizes. For starters, we’re offering a Peavey bass Cliff Williams will be signing in-between jamming with campers at the Rock and Roll Fantasy Camp in Los Angeles next month. Click here for your chance to win!