Search Results for: Alan Day

The Beastie Boys, Alanis Morissette, the Dave Matthews Band and Phish guitarist Trey Anastasio are among the artists banding together in the “New Power Project,” an effort to fight President George W. Bush’s energy plan. The members of the coalition – which also includes Tom Petty, Jackson Browne and Blues Traveler – hope to use their Web sites, online fan mailing lists and tours to get their fans to petition Congress and the Bush administration to alter federal energy policy. “President Bush’s energy plan recommends drilling for oil in the biological heart of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, bringing back… Read more »

Time was, pop stars who hit it big would ride out the success of an album and then lie low for awhile, presumably restoring their creative energies and also whetting the public’s appetite for the next record. Not any more. Today’s acts – wary of fickle fans and short attention spans – are pumping out albums in quick succession so as not to lose the spotlight to someone else. “Unfortunately right now, you have to just hit while you’re hot,” said teen pop starlet Jessica Simpson, who released her self-titled second album in June, a year and a half after… Read more »

While Madonna prepares to bring her “Drowned World Tour” to North America, her record label has reportedly jettisoned a half-dozen staffers. Daily Variety reported in its Friday edition that the president of Maverick Records had resigned while five other staffers were axed. The label, whose top acts include Canadian pop singer Alanis Morissette and hard rock band the Deftones, blamed deteriorating market conditions, the trade paper said. Label president Bill Bennett, who had been with Maverick for only two years, will not be replaced, Daily Variety said. It was not clear how many people are employed at Maverick. Madonna runs… Read more »

Britney Spears wants everyone to know she’s not a little girl anymore. That’s the message in her third album, due out Nov. 6, and her live concert special from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas airing Nov. 18 on HBO. “I really want this to be shocking and edgier,” Spears said Friday at the Television Critics Association summer gathering. “This show will be an event. It’s going to be to the next level as far as stunts.” The show will include Spears in a duet with her idol Cher on “The Beat Goes On,” the old Sonny and Cher hit.… Read more »

Hot on the heels of new releases from such established superstars as Janet Jackson and Mariah Carey, Virgin Records America is releasing seven key albums from developing artists the label hopes will follow in those multi-platinum footsteps. Ranging an eclectic musical spectrum from Pop-R&B to Urban-Alternative Rock to World Music, these artists reflect Virgin’s commitment to unique yet accessible music for which the label has become known. Forming the all-star rookie line-up are: Nikka Costa – All ears piqued when Tommy Hilfiger’s slick commercial hit TV screens last year, featuring that funky, rhythmic bassline from Nikka’s debut single “Like A… Read more »

Compared to a year ago at this time, MTV and Eminem are locked in a very reluctant embrace. MTV has agreed to play a new video by Eminem’s group, D12, but only during the overnight hours and only after several days of negotiations with the rap star’s record label, Shady Records/Interscope Records. The video for “Purple Hills,” the album’s lead track, had to be cleaned up to minimize overt drug references, MTV spokeswoman Jeannie Kedas said on Tuesday. “We had a dialogue with the label and they provided us with an acceptable version for our air,” she said. MTV will… Read more »

The old feud between rock music and organized religion has given way to a more open embrace of spirituality. But mixing the two is still as dangerous as ever – these days, appearing too religious can jeopardize an artist’s credibility and commercial appeal. “VH1 All Access: Rock & Religion” takes an in-depth look at the influence of religion on pop music – from imagery in music videos, to artists’ spiritual journeys, to the internal struggles faced by Christian roots rockers in the 1950s – when the latest edition of the hit weekly one-hour series premieres Thursday, June 21 at 10:00… Read more »

Continuing its mission of bringing music fans closer to the artists they love, global music media company GetMusic kicks off a stellar summer of unique programming, live events and interactive content with extensive coverage of the two-day KIIS-FM Wango Tango music festival in Los Angeles this weekend. In addition to interviewing artists for the site, GetMusic will be the exclusive sponsor of the event’s autograph-signing tent for fans on both Saturday and Sunday, June 16 and 17. Some of today’s most popular artists are scheduled to stop by, including Dream, Eden’s Crush, Samantha Mumba, 3LW and Nikka Costa. On Monday,… Read more »

Duet – a joint venture between music giants Vivendi Universal and Sony Corp – has quietly been lining up new leadership and negotiating with potential partners, including Microsoft Corp., sources close to the venture said Friday. Although rival online music service MusicNet stole the spotlight this week by striking a licensing deal with song-swap company Napster, Duet is expected to announce the appointment of Andy Schuon to head the year-old venture, a move that could come as early as next week, the sources said. Vivendi Universaland Sony Corpboth declined to comment on the expected appointment or on whether they are… Read more »

MCY today announced the signing of legendary rocker Dave Mason to MCY’s subsidiary, Pyramid Music. Pyramid will create a digital production from a June 2001 Dave Mason Band North American tour performance, which will be released on CD and DVD, as well as distributed through television and secure digital distribution channels. MCY CEO Bernhard Fritsch said, “We’re proud to help Dave bring his compelling, timeless rock into the digital era. He revolutionized rock-n-roll with Traffic and has been a powerful influence ever since.” Pyramid President Alan Jacobi concurred, adding, “Dave always pushes the limits to give fans an extraordinary experience.… Read more »