Search Results for: Jay Som

Terrorism struck the United States on a Tuesday, the day labels release albums, and that day had its share of potential blockbusters: Jay-Z, Bob Dylan and Mariah Carey were among the artists who released records on September 11, 2001. The first anniversary of the attacks, by contrast, will pass quietly in the nation’s record stores, with no big-name releases hitting shelves this week and retailers predicting that new records will be the furthest thing from fans’ minds. “It just seems to be in bad taste,” said bassist Joe Escalante of veteran punk band the Vandals, who chose a September 17… Read more »

Age brings change, but the changes were decidedly for the better Tuesday when the Rolling Stones kicked off their Licks World Tour, named for an upcoming compilation that marks the British supergroup’s 40th anniversary. On their ’90s tours, the Stones had largely become a grizzled stadium jukebox. On this trip, however, in addition to mixing stadium, arena, theater and club dates – often in the same city – the band is taking new liberties with its set lists. Tuesday’s two-hour-plus tour opener at the FleetCenter included its share of rarely and never-played nuggets that thrilled and puzzled the arena crowd.… Read more »

He may never win the Thug of the Year award, but his new friends the Patty Cake Man and the Pusha Man have vouched that Justin Timberlake knows the streets. “Working with Justin was crazy,” Malice, the older half of the Clipse affirmed last week in New York, the day before MTV’s 2002 Video Music Awards. The Patty Cake Man (a.k.a. Malice) and his brother Pusha T took to the stage at Radio City Music Hall as special guests for J.T.’s solo set of “Like I Love You.” “Justin recognized us,” Malice continued about working on the track. “He does… Read more »

With a nod and a wink to their big-tongued logo, the Rolling Stones kicked off their “Licks” tour on Tuesday night in front of 16,000 roaring fans who lapped up every minute of it. Four decades after the Stones first took their blues-steeped soul to the stage, Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of the band launched what may be their most ambitious tour yet with a two-hour show at Boston’s Fleet Center. “There’s nothing so exciting as starting an American tour on the first night,” the 59-year-old Jagger told the audience. “And there’s nothing so exciting as starting… Read more »

The world’s biggest music labels on Wednesday said they have offered major concessions to a group of angry pop stars to try to settle a high-profile dispute regarding recording industry contracts. But a representatives for the artists, who have been lobbying for a change to California labor law, said that a settlement was still not in sight. “I want the artist community to know that the record companies came to the table with substantial compromises and it’s now in the artists’ hands,” said Hilary Rosen, president and chief executive officer of the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Rosen said… Read more »

Disappointed in the Librarian of Congress’ recent imposition of high fees on web radio broadcasters and the resultant shutdown of many web radio broadcasts (including KIRO and KMTT in Seattle), U.S. Reps. Jay Inslee [right] (D-WA), George Nethercutt [below] (R-WA), and Rick Boucher (D-VA) introduced new legislation to change existing web radio laws. “The bill is designed to make the copyright royalty arbitration process more fair for smaller entities, and will go before the House of Representatives’ Judiciary and Small Business Committees… “Said Nethercutt, ‘No one wins under the current CARP standard – webcasters will close shop, consumers lose access… Read more »

From Run-DMC bragging about “My Adidas” to Foxy Brown touting “Foxy’s Bells,” hip-hop has always been a haven for men and women (but mostly men) with healthy egos and plenty of stories to tell about, well, themselves. After all, if P. Diddy didn’t have himself and his diamond-studded life to boast about, what would be left? The collapse of WorldCom? But when it comes to morbid self-obsession, Eminem has mad psyche. Just look at the chorus to his hit single “Without Me” for the evidence: “Now this looks like a job for me So everybody just follow me Cuz we… Read more »

Mark Cerami, co-founder of groundbreaking hip-hop imprint Priority Records, has launched a label called M.S.C. Music & Entertainment. The Los Angeles-baed label, which will focus initially on rap artists, has signed seven new acts. The first release on M.S.C. will be “Absolute Power” from Kansas City-based rapper TECHN9NE. The disc is due out Sept. 10 and will feature an hourlong bonus DVD. Cerami said he is in talks with three major label groups about a distribution deal for M.S.C. He has a long pedigree in hip-hop. Priority was home to some of the biggest stars of rap in the late… Read more »

Biggie and Tupac, Jay-Z and Nas, Axl and Kurt, Oasis and the bulk of humanity… some musical beefs are sublime, and some are ridiculous. The latest, between Weezer and Saves the Day, is a little bit of both. When reports surfaced that Weezer wrangled Jim Henson’s Muppets for their new video, “Keep Fishin’,” last month, the “emo and puppets” premise gave their former opening band a case of déjà vu. Nearly two months ago, Saves the Day – who opened for Weezer in February – wrapped a video for their second single, “Freakish,” featuring (surprise, surprise) a supporting cast of… Read more »

Linkin Park’s Reanimation is one step closer to coming to life. The album, consisting mainly of new versions of tracks from the group’smultiplatinum 2000 debut, Hybrid Theory, has gone through the mastering stage, and a final track list has been settled upon, according to the band’s manager. The 20-track LP is due July 30. Linkin Park are the prototypical rap-rock hybrid (in fact, the group’s original name was Hybrid Theory), and Reanimation doesn’t do anything to change their stance on crossbreeding genres. While Hybrid Theory employed looped beats, scratching and other DJ techniques, courtesy of Joseph Hahn, Reanimation puts a… Read more »