Search Results for: the voice

The term “singer-songwriter” makes Gavin DeGraw cringe. “It makes you feel like a weakling the way all the singer songwriters are marketed, you know what I mean? … It’s not masculine enough for me. I don’t feel like I fall into that category in a lot of ways,” he said about his “typecasted genre.” Maybe it’s because he was seen as the sensitive songwriter dude that the gregarious 31-year-old is anxious to break out of that mold. DeGraw – who sings, writes his own songs and plays multiple instruments – debuted his skills as a pop artist on his 2003… Read more »

As Portishead finished its meticulously sparse evening performance at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, the typically reticent Beth Gibbons suddenly leapt off the stage and ran a 100-yard dash along the fenced-in crowd, exuberantly shaking their hands. Percussionist Geoff Barrow and guitarist Adrian Utley soon exited more quietly. Barrow, though, paused in front of a microphone to say, simply, “Thanks for waiting.” After a ten-year hiatus, Portishead is back. This is not a reunion bow, though, but rather an energized reboot of a band that ten years ago found itself burnt out from a rock ‘n’ roll life… Read more »

Buzznet today announced the addition of Absolute Punk. Founded in 2000, Absolute Punk is the premier destination for alternative music, industry news, reviews, interviews and community, and has become the top source of information for devoted music fans. “The addition of Absolute Punk to our site helps us to deliver on our promise of making Buzznet the go to destination for all different kinds of fans across all genres of music,” said Scott Boyd, General Manager. “Buzznet is committed to delivering the most robust, diverse and all-encompassing music experience online. Absolute Punk’s loyal community and high quality editorial and social… Read more »

Is will.i.am angling for a job in a Barack Obama White House? The Black Eyed Peas frontman on Friday released another star-studded music video in tribute to the presidential campaign of the Democratic senator – this one is titled “We Are The Ones.” Backed by a simple vocal refrain of “O-BA-MA! O-BA-MA!,” stars such as Jessica Alba, Ryan Phillippe, Kerry Washington, George Lopez and others explain why they support Obama while others such as Macy Gray croon the candidates’ last name to the will.i.am-penned melody. The song is a follow-up to his inspirational video “Yes We Can,” a viral sensation… Read more »

Luke stands on his seat and strums wildly on his copycat rock guitar. Isabel and Jasper pogo and body slam with the best of them in the mosh pit. Potential crowd surfers and stage divers are held back by minders. The gig is in south London, the star is “Mr Ray,” and the audience are mostly between three and four years old. This is “Kindie” — a combination of kids’ and “indie” or independent music and a genre which is taking hold of British pre-schoolers and bidding to oust the grinding of “The Wheels on the Bus” from the family… Read more »

Dave Grohl has been leading the Foo Fighters for 13 years and was part of another rather consequential band before that, but he acted like a thrilled newcomer at the group’s debut Garden performance Tuesday. “Goddamn, we’re playing Madison Square fucking Garden!” he exclaimed at the beginning of the evening. Grohl and company, touring to support their Grammy-winning “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace,” clearly are giving it all they have. “This is gonna be a long night, this is no In-N-Out Burger,” he promised before taking mock bids on the length of the show. “Do I hear one hour?” he… Read more »

A woman who stalked Linkin Park lead singer Chester Bennington was sentenced Wednesday to two years in prison for using her work computer at Sandia National Laboratories to track and harass him and his wife. Devon Townsend has 60 days to surrender to a minimum-security prison in Phoenix, where she is expected to receive mental health care. She had pleaded guilty to stalking and other counts. Townsend, who worked in Sandia’s technology and manufacturing group, used lab computers to illegally access private information about Bennington and his wife, Talinda, in 2006. According to a plea agreement, Townsend said she obtained… Read more »

Feist’s musical palette contains many emotional colors, but there’s something to be said for joy. More than anything, a playful spirit explains why this was the Canadian singer-songwriter’s breakout year – that, and a well-timed iPod commercial. She’s up for four Grammy Awards at the Feb. 10 ceremony, including best new artist. One of Feist’s videos shows her flying through the air and literally being pulled back to Earth by someone suspicious of her fun. Another depicts her dancing through fireworks in what one onlooker at the production told her “looks like what falling in love feels like.” Her clip… Read more »

Between them, sisters Jessica and Ashlee Simpson have had one high-profile divorce, an embarrassing lip-synch scandal, plastic surgeries both obvious and subtle, blame for a Dallas Cowboys loss, and an impresario father looming over it all. Each shot to prominence – and up the pop charts – by taking the primrose path of MTV reality shows. Each has had shining success at selling records, followed by abject failure. And that’s just a sampling. If you’re a celeb-watcher (or football bettor), it’s juicy stuff. If you’re a Simpson sister, it’s beginning to look like a critical mass of negativity. Of late,… Read more »

Coachella’s indie roots will be watered down with classic rock this year. Pink Floyd frontman Roger Waters has been tapped for the festival’s closing slot, performing the band’s 1973 opus, Dark Side of the Moon, in its entirety, organizers announced. The full lineup for the 2008 edition of the music festival was revealed Monday at a news conference in Mexico, with mellow rocker Jack Johnson and trip-hop trio Portishead set to hold down the other two headlining slots. Other highlights at this year’s Coachella include Kraftwerk, the Breeders, the Verve, Death Cab for Cutie, My Morning Jacket, Rilo Kiley, the… Read more »