When Jay-Z performed at the Yankees’ World Series victory parade, it definitely seemed like “Empire State of Mind” was the biggest song in the country. Last Thursday it became official: Jay-Z has his first no. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100.
Sade Adu, the reclusive “quiet storm” soul singer who takes notoriously long breaks between releases, has regrouped with the band that bears her name and is recording her first album of new material since 2000’s Lovers Rock. The group is in the studio through June. Sony has not set a release date but hopes to put the record out by the end of 2009. “She is in the studio and the album will come when it is ready,” according to a source at Sony. “You don’t wait for years for one and then rush it.” Sade’s longtime bandmate Stuart Matthewman… Read more »
Just days before Phish embark on their reunion tour, the quartet are releasing a new track titled “Time Turns Elastic,” their first fresh studio recording since their five-year hiatus. If the title sounds familiar, it is because the track began as a collaboration between singer-guitarist Trey Anastasio and composer Don Hart. In addition, a classical version of the suite debuted with the Orchestra Nashville in September 2008 and was performed in Baltimore last week. The Phish rendition is now available on iTunes, while Trey’s studio version of Time Turns Elastic – along with his original demo – will be released… Read more »
Punk band Rancid will release its first album in six years on June 2, two days before it begins a North American tour with Rise Against in Vancouver, B.C. “Let the Dominoes Fall” (Hellcat/Epitaph), the band’s seventh album, was recorded at George Lucas‘ Skywalker Sound Studio in San Francisco, with production by Epitaph founder and Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. Stax organ legend Booker T. Jones plays Hammond B3 on the track “Up To No Good.” Rancid’s last album, 2003’s “Indestructible,” reached No. 15 on the Billboard 200. That album marked the band’s first and last for Warner Bros., though… Read more »
Kylie Minogue, who went from soap actress to become one of the world’s most famous female recording artists, wowed fans on Monday at her first performance in Chinese capital Beijing with an electric show. A beaming Minogue, who recently overcame breast cancer , belted out a series of her biggest hits, including “Can’t get you out of my head,” “Better the devil you know” and “I should be so lucky.” “It’s my first time ever here in Beijing and you’ve made me feel so welcome,” she told the crowd of some 6,000 who had gathered to see her at the… Read more »
DJ AM was back on the decks for the first time since surviving a fiery plane crash. The visibly scarred celebrity disc jockey, whose real name is Adam Goldstein, joined Jay-Z at a special concert Wednesday celebrating the reopening of the Hollywood Palladium, the historic venue which once hosted the likes of Frank Sinatra, “The Lawrence Welk Show,” Led Zeppelin and the Emmy Awards on its more than 11,000-square-foot circular wooden floor. The concert was 35-year-old DJ AM’s first performance since surviving a Sept. 19 plane crash with former Blink-182 drummer Travis Barker at the main airport in Columbia, S.C.… Read more »
Alice In Chains are set to record a new album this year, their first in 13 years. The sessions will also be the band’s first since frontman Layne Staley suffered a fatal drug overdose in 2002. The band, joined by their new singer William DuVall, will head into the studio in the autumn. Writing on the band’s website, band associate Baldy said: “October will arrive and Alice In Chains will reconvene to record the new album. “So, as 2008, winds down, band activity will be gearing up, and at some point in 2009 you’ll finally hear what I’ve been raving… Read more »
Soul legend Tina Turner on Friday unveiled plans to tour for the first time in eight years after her friend and film icon Sophia Loren told her it was time to hit the road again. Turner, 68, came out of retirement when she sang her hit song “Proud Mary” with R&B singer Beyonce at February’s Grammy Awards, and the pair brought the crowd to its feet. Turner, who has been living in Europe, said that after the duet fans begged her to go back on tour. An eight-time Grammy winner, Turner will bring her show to 17 cities across the… Read more »
Don’t hold your breath waiting for the next Spice Girls reunion. Geri Halliwell, a.k.a. Ginger Spice, said a second outing “probably won’t happen ever again.” The quintet’s Return of the Spice Girls World Tour wraps February 26 in Toronto. “This is the last time you will ever get to see this Girl Power, the five Spices on the stage as one,” said Halliwell, who left the group in May 1998 but was a chief proponent of the current reunion. That said, Halliwell told Billboard.com that she would not entirely shut the door on a bit more Spice if fans really,… Read more »
Last.fm has been a popular Internet music player, despite rarely playing exactly the music you want. You tell it what artist you like, and it plays music from similar artists – but not your favorite. The idea was to give users a way to explore new music and learn about other artists they might like. CBS Corp., which bought Last.fm last year for $280 million, announced Wednesday this has changed for visitors to Last.fm’s Web site. They can now play specific songs by clicking on them. Visitors will be able to play a song three times before they’re prompted to… Read more »
