Search Results for: Queen

Angst-ridden Mancunian rock quartet The Smiths have beaten off competition from the Beatles and the Rolling Stones to be declared music bible NME’s most important rock group of the last 50 years. The band, renowned for its fatalistic lyrics and fronted by the misery-wallowing Morrisey, have not troubled the pop charts for more than a decade, but NME – the fanzine formerly known as New Musical Express – ranked them as more important than Elvis, the Sex Pistols and Madonna. Bands were assessed on the number of front covers, letters and features they generated as well as end-of-year polls. Beatle… Read more »

Even where she doesn’t speak the native tongue, Mary J. Blige still gets her point across. The queen of hip-hop soul didn’t cut back on her usual motivational speeches and minister-esque lectures during her concert Friday night at Columbiahalle, a converted gym in Berlin’s Tempelhof district. The crowd ate up every word, despite the likelihood that Blige’s rapid-fire chatter and sassy-sista slang baffled even the most advanced English students in the house. But M.J.B. communicates with everything she’s got. At the end of “Children of the Ghetto,” the singer – clad in a black D&G tank top, skintight pants and… Read more »

Imagine one of the biggest hip-hop outings in history taking shape this summer. It would be dubbed the Triple Threat Tour and feature multiplatinum acts Ja Rule, Jay-Z and P. Diddy. To top it off, each would bring with him his musical family. Representing with Ja Rule would be Ashanti and the rest of Murder Inc. Jay would “Roc the Mic” with his boys Beanie Sigel, Cam’ron and Memphis Bleek. And Diddy and his Bad Boy crew would do their thing. Keep imagining; although it was almost a reality, the tour has been called off. Last week, while promoting her… Read more »

Mr. Cheeks and P. Diddy performing the remix of “Lights, Camera, Action!” together at Tuesday’s Urban Aid 2 was just a preview of things to come, according to the Queens MC. “We’ve been rolling since way back, but we have some time where we got to do some things together,” Cheeks said of his relationship with P. Diddy, who he may work with in the studio again. “We’ve got the tour coming with ‘NSYNC and Diddy.” Cheeks said P.D. has invited him to perform as part of the opening act on ‘NSYNC’s current second leg of their Celebrity tour. From… Read more »

Mr. Cheeks and P. Diddy performing the remix of “Lights, Camera, Action!” together at Tuesday’s Urban Aid 2 was just a preview of things to come, according to the Queens MC. “We’ve been rolling since way back, but we have some time where we got to do some things together,” Cheeks said of his relationship with P. Diddy, who he may work with in the studio again. “We’ve got the tour coming with ‘NSYNC and Diddy.” Cheeks said P.D. has invited him to perform as part of the opening act on ‘NSYNC’s current second leg of their Celebrity tour. From… Read more »

Marilyn Manson have set The Golden Age of Grotesque as the title for their forthcoming album, the band’s namesake singer announced Thursday (March 21). Although the group is still recording, Manson described the album on his official Web site as a “genius deluge of hardcore guitar-drum violence” and “reckless electronic-punk vaudeville mixed with ’30s cabaret decadence.” Producers Tim Skold (KMFDM) and Ben Gross (Filter) are working with the group on The Golden Age of Grotesque, for which Manson said several songs are finished, including one called “Use Your Fist and Not Your Mouth.” Manson described the album last fall as… Read more »

With a platinum debut album on their resume, Chicago nü-metal powerhouse Disturbed could have hired almost anyone to produce their second disc. Instead, they returned to Johnny K, who worked on the band’s 2000 LP, The Sickness. Disturbed entered the K’s Groovemaster Studios in Chicago last weekend to begin recording their second album, Believe, which is scheduled for release in September, the band’s publicist said. The record will include “Prayer,” which the band premiered on last year’s Ozzfest, and about 10 other songs that were mostly written since November. Once the album is completed, knob-twisting guru Andy Wallace (System of… Read more »

If Republicans, “Dukes of Hazzard” reruns and an abundance of heavy metal weren’t enough to convince you, No Doubt’s Rock Steady road show leaves little doubt that the 1980s are back. On the tour’s opening night, the Orange County ska-popsters mined flavors from across the retro-’80s spectrum, mixing driving hardcore and rasta riddims with slap-bass funk, new wave synth and pop queen balladry. With a punked-out rhythm section, two dread-stylie horn players, a guitarist straight out of a Duran Duran video and bare-bellied, necktie-wearing Gwen-just-wanna-have-fun-Stefani up front, they even looked the part. The drum set glowed under the Memorial Auditorium’s… Read more »

The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame welcomed its first members from the new wave and punk eras on Monday night, inducting The Ramones and Talking Heads along with classic rockers Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, soul and R&B icon Isaac Hayes, versatile vocalist Brenda Lee and singer/songwriter Gene Pitney. Legendary guitar sideman Chet Atkins was also inducted, as was Jim Stewart, founder of and driving force behind revolutionary soul music label Stax Records. The hall’s 17th annual induction ceremony got off to a rousing start with Hayes performing his Oscar-winning “Theme from ‘Shaft.”‘ Hayes, who saw eight of his… Read more »

‘Pop Idol’ Will Young has announced he is gay, and said he has never hidden his sexuality. The 23-year-old singer, whose first record became the fastest-selling debut single in UK history, said he was very comfortable with his sexuality. In an interview with the News of the World, the former drama student said: “I feel it’s time to tell my fans I’m gay.” “It’s totally no big deal, just part of who I am. For me it’s normal and nothing to be ashamed about. I’m gay and I’m comfortable with that. I really don’t know what the fuss is about.… Read more »