The history of rock is full of “Eureka!” flashes of brilliance. Chuck Berry had the idea to fuse country with the blues. Bob Dylan took folk music electric. Nikki Sixx realized that the line “I’d say we’ve kicked some ass” could rhyme with “I’d say we’re still kickin’ ass.” For the Arctic Monkeys’ Alex Turner, the big light bulb idea came in 2005: Get huge by thinking small. Write scrappy little Brit-punk tunes about the humdrum town you’re stuck in, the pissy little pubs you can’t get into, the local girls who aren’t desperate enough to dance with you. Give… Read more »
Slowly but surely partners for the next season of “Dancing With the Stars” are being announced, and Kelly Osbourne is the latest contestant to have her dance partner revealed prior to Monday’s official announcement. “Access Hollywood” reports that when the season starts on September 21, Osbourne will be dancing with Louis van Amstel, who has partnered with Priscilla Presley and Monique Coleman in past seasons. The pair will begin rehearsals this week. According to a tweet by Osbourne, she’s been told by the show’s producers to get a bit tanner for the premiere next month. “Just met with wardrobe, hair,… Read more »
As a throwback to the old days of the two-song 45 rpm vinyl record, the iTunes Store launched a new “D45” section Tuesday, featuring discounted prices on packs of two digital song downloads. Just like old 45s, the iTunes D45 selection includes a popular single accompanied by a B-side song. Prices on the D45s range from $1.49 to $1.99. “iTunes is bringing this concept to a new age with D45s — two great tracks at an equally great price,” the iTunes Store reads. Music company EMI announced Tuesday that the release of D45s marks the 60th anniversary of the 45… Read more »
In early 1984, when Epic Records executives presented their slate of upcoming releases at the convention in Hawaii of parent company CBS Records they couldn’t resist playing up the success they were experiencing. So between the pitches for new albums, Epic inserted stock footage of semi trucks and a voice-over that thunderously announced, “There goes another load of Michael Jackson’s Thriller albums!” Trucks weren’t really leaving the warehouse every few minutes, but Thriller was still shattering expectations more than a year after its November 30, 1982, release. Epic was selling more than 1 million copies per month in the United… Read more »
Goodnight Sunrise and Go! Merch are currently offering fans an opportunity to pre-order the band’s upcoming EP, Stop, Drop and Roll, due to hit stores June 23rd. Hailing from Helena, Montana, the band is preparing a week’s worth of CD Release shows in its home state this month. Formed in 2006, Goodnight Sunrise (Dan Murphy, lead vocals, guitar; Justin Benner, guitar; Mike Ogle, drums; Sam Smetana, bass) went straight to work in the winter of 2007 to write and record its self-produced, debut EP, Close & Counting. Since releasing its debut, Goodnight Sunrise has played over 250 shows and is… Read more »
Kanye West is back in the lab, and there’s only word to describe his new rhymes: “awes-mazing” (that’s supposedly a cross between awesome and amazing). “I kill that rap sh–, that’s what I do,” West said of his upcoming opus. “Lyrics right now, they’re awes-mazing. They’re basically untouchable. I’m about to take it to a whole ‘nother level. I’d be scared if I was not me.” Kanye said he is always making an album, because he comes up with lyrics just by having conversations with people. He still does not write his rhymes down and has not in six years.… Read more »
Pop star Rihanna is prepared to take the witness stand next month if called to testify against former boyfriend Chris Brown, the singer accused of beating her, her lawyer said on Thursday. Donald Etra said prosecutors told him they will formally request his client, Rihanna, to appear at the June 22nd hearing in Los Angeles Superior Court. “She has always agreed to do whatever the law requires her to do,” Etra said. “She is totally willing to testify if called to do so.” Jane Robison, a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office, declined to comment. Brown, 20, the… Read more »
Green Day is continuing their march to an inevitable Number One album, setting up rock-opera shop at New York City’s Bowery Ballroom on May 18th for the East Coast live debut of 21st Century Breakdown. The band’s Bay Area guerilla gigs in April all featured the record in its entirety. But at the Bowery, Green Day played a pocket-jukebox edition of the album, starting with the opening title track and the first single, “Know Your Enemy.” Then the new six-piece band – with singer-guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong, bassist Mike Dirnt and drummer Tré Cool assisted on guitars, keyboards and extra… Read more »
I’m about to make a fairly simple comparison seem unnecessarily complex, but the situation demands it. So here it goes: Paramore are the new No Doubt. To do this to any other way would be lazy, not to mention a tad bit insulting. But in this case, there is one glaring similarity between both bands: the dynamic, iconic frontwoman who also doubles as the media focal point. In essence, Hayley Williams and Gwen Stefani are covered the same and contextualized the same. Yes, they’re both pretty girls with dye jobs who are showing the guys how it’s done and are… Read more »
Call him the “dark horse,” the “Come-From-Behind Kid,” the humble crooner. Call him whatever you like. But from now on you also need to call Kris Allen your “American Idol.” After a historic tally of nearly 100 million votes, the shy 23-year-old singer from Conway, Arkansas, pulled off one of the most surprising wins in the show’s nearly decade-long history by taking the crown from the theatrical season-long frontrunner, Adam Lambert. After nearly two hours of anticipation, when the time came for host Ryan Seacrest to announce the results, Allen and Lambert stood arm-in-arm, their friendship looking much more like… Read more »
