Search Results for: sting

Chris Blackwell knew he wanted to be a part of the documentary 1 Giant Leap as soon as musicians Jamie Catto (Faithless) and Duncan Bridgeman played him the rough demos of songs they’d written for the program. The same man whose gut feeling led him to sign Bob Marley and U2 to his Island Records imprint heard what the two musicians had to offer and gave them the green light. “I loved the music of it,” says Blackwell of the documentary due out in March. “I loved the way the music was put together. I loved the different influences of… Read more »

They were destined to be the next big thing before Nirvana arrived in ’91. They literally launched the career of Oasis (former label mates who called them “the best band in the world”). Those two strikes aside, Teenage Fanclub’s indie-cred, sugar-sweet melodies and twinkling guitars have forged them a fine career. But as a textbook “cult band” (under-the radar commercial success bemoaned by drooling, faithful fanbase) over six albums, the Fanclub have literally painted themselves into a power-pop corner – you know, the neighborhood where the three-chord songs about girls live. Howdy! is the beginning of the journey out of… Read more »

Papa Roach will release the follow-up to their triple-platinum debut, Infest, on June 25th. The album, lovehatetragedy was produced by Brendan O’Brien, who’s worked with Pearl Jam and Rage Against the Machine. Next month, the band will head to Atlanta, where singer Coby Dick – who is now going by his birth name, Jacoby Shaddix – will finish recording his vocals. The track listing is still tentative, but the album is expected to be finished by March. According to Shaddix, many of the album’s songs were written while touring with Ozzfest. “Decompression Period” is about the pressures of being in… Read more »

Marilyn Manson, Disturbed’s David Draiman, Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington, Static-X’s Wayne Static, and Orgy’s Jay Gordon have been drafted to sing five tracks co-written by Korn’s Jonathan Davis and multi-instrumentalist Richard Gibbs for the upcoming “Queen of the Damned” soundtrack. The Warner Bros. album is due Feb. 19; the film, starring the late Aaliyah and based on the novel by Anne Rice, arrives three days later in U.S. theaters. “Queen of the Damned” also stars Stuart Townshend as the vampire Lestat, who becomes a rock star with the band Satan’s Night Out. As previously reported, contractual restrictions prevented Davis from… Read more »

Pop music fans will want to pick up a copy of “Longshot,” due March 26 on DVD from Spartan Home Entertainment. The film features cameo appearances by some of the biggest names in teen pop, including Britney Spears, ‘N Sync, O-Town, and LFO, among others. The film was produced by Trans Continental Pictures, a company owned by Louis Pearlman, the man who launched the careers of the Backstreet Boys and ‘N Sync, among others. He’s also the creator of the ABC/MTV series “Making the Band,” which spawned the act O-Town. Pearlman co-wrote and co-produced the feature, which was released last… Read more »

C-Murder was arrested and charged with first degree murder and fraud on Friday (January 18). The rapper, whose real name is Corey Miller, is being held on $1 million bail, according to a spokesperson for the Jefferson Correctional Facility in Gretna, Louisiana. Police are not releasing any further details at this time. This is the second time in less than six months that C-Murder, younger brother of Percy “Master P” Miller, has been in legal trouble. In August, he was charged with attempted murder and released after posting $100,000 bail (see “C-Murder Out On Bail After Turning Himself In”). Representatives… Read more »

Canadian singer Alanis Morissette, U.S. bands Korn and Papa Roach, and Pink Floyd legend Roger Waters will be among the featured stars at the Caracas Pop Festival in March, organizers said on Friday. The second annual edition of the festival – which last year attracted Oasis, Sting and Christina Aguilera – will take place in a 35,000-seat open-air stadium near Venezuela’s steamy Caribbean capital Caracas. Morissette, who won four Grammy awards with her 1995 album “Jagged Little Pill,” will perform songs from her latest production, “Under Rug Swept,” which is due to be released in February, organizers said. The festival… Read more »

Midem kicked off with more flash than usual Saturday with a touch of Britneymania, a surprise appearance from Virgin mogul Richard Branson and the NRJ awards, France’s answer to the Grammys. Pop icon Britney Spears, braving the chill at the 36th installment of the annual music market in a skimpy floral dress, was on hand to promote her upcoming feature film, “Crossroads,” scheduled for Valentine’s Day release in the United States, as well as her third album, “Britney,” already approaching 8 million units worldwide At a packed Carlton hotel press conference, Spears expressed her hopes for her first foray onto… Read more »

Paul McCartney, No Doubt and Barenaked Ladies have been added to the Super Bowl pre-game show at the Louisiana Superdome on February 3. McCartney will headline the event and lead what is being called a “Tribute to Everyday Heroes” to honor the acts of kindness and heroism that people contributed in the wake of September 11. The Beatles bassist will perform his song “Freedom” with 500 young people who will symbolically represent the 180 countries broadcasting the football game across the globe. The pre-show party will begin hours earlier with a performance by Barenaked Ladies at the Fox Tailgate Party… Read more »

Chart-topping singer Dido had her nomination for a British best-newcomer award revoked Wednesday, after officials realized she wasn’t that new after all. The singer, who rose to stardom after rapper Eminem chose her song “Thank You” as the backing track to his chart-topper “Stan,” was nominated Monday in the category for a Brit Award, Britain’s equivalent of the Grammys. Observers pointed out that the 30-year-old Dido, whose real name is Florian Cloud De Bounevialle Armstrong, had been nominated for best female artist the previous year. The Official U.K. Charts Company, which compiled the list of eligible artists, said Wednesday it… Read more »