Search Results for: the voice

The pervading feeling between dueling former Van Halen frontmen David Lee Roth and Sammy Hagar may never be love, but fans showed a lot of it Wednesday at Blossom Music Center. Vintage Van Halen T-shirts peppered the fiery crowd. Fortysomething women fashioned the Van Halen symbol with their hands as they shook their shoulders to songs such as “5150” and “Panama.” A group of teenage boys wrote with marker “f– Eddie” on their arms, referring, of course, to VH guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The admiration was mutual between the crowd and Roth and Hagar. Mop-haired Hagar opened the show at… Read more »

Bennett Zier has a fine idea for a new radio format. His eyes light up as he tells you about it. “We play Sinatra, Sammy Davis Jr., Dean Martin, Bobby Darin,” he says. “The great thing about it is what we call it. You ready?” He pauses. “Vegas Radio! Is that great or what?” Zier can imagine the whole scene – the deejays, the jingles, the ironic retro-swinger patter. It’s his music, the kind he plays in his car. He’s in love with this idea, and with his natural salesman’s charm, he’s making you love it, too. So why doesn’t… Read more »

The people who tried to take away your VCR are at it again. Hollywood has always dreamed of a “well-mannered marketplace” where the only technologies that you can buy are those that do not disrupt its business. Acting through legislators who dance to Hollywood’s tune, the movie studios are racing to lock away the flexible, general-purpose technology that has given us a century of unparalelled prosperity and innovation. The Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) filed the “Content Protection Status Report” with the Senate Judiciary Committee last month, laying out its plan to remake the technology world to suit its… Read more »

Rest assured, Will Smith will rid the world of aliens again, but first, he’ll perform for them. While the first single from the “Men in Black 2” soundtrack, “Black Suits Comin’ (Nod Ya Head),” is gaining popularity, Smith deliberately steered clear of the tried-and-true methods of creating a summer hit – heavy samples and big-name cameos – so as not to oversell the song, a Sony Pictures publicist said. But you know Smith, he can’t keep that simplicity up for long. Especially when there’s a video to be shot. The clip, directed by Francis Lawrence, features Smith, clad in the… Read more »

Even a fortune teller couldn’t have predicted the diverse range of guest talent that will appear on Third Eye Blind’s third album, Crystal Baller, which the band hopes will be ready for release by October. Of the 12 or so songs on the record – the group currently has 26 nearly completed tunes from which to choose – at least three will feature cameos. Limp Bizkit main man Fred Durst co-wrote and will play guitar on “Misfits,” party-meister Andrew W.K. will provide back-up vocals on “Messed Up Kid” and Kimya Dawson from the Moldy Peaches will sing on “Self Righteous.”… Read more »

Multi-platinum Chicago-based Disturbed offer a rare glimpse of life at home, on the road and in the studio on “M.O.L.,” their debut DVD out June 4, 2002. The disc also features stunning live performance footage of “Down With The Sickness,” “Voices,” “Stupify,” “Conflict,” “Fear” and others captured during Disturbed’s 2001 “Music As A Weapon” headline tour of the U.S. last fall. Sold-out shows at Los Angeles’ Palladium and Disturbed’s hometown, Chicago’s Aragon Ballroom are featured. Disturbed have gained national prominence and worldwide attention since the release of their debut album, “The Sickness,” in March 2000. The album’s 2 million-plus sales… Read more »

John Forté conducts all of his interviews by mail. Not because he’s shy or eccentric, but because he doesn’t have a phone. See, he’s the only Grammy-winning convict at Pennsylvania’s Lorreto Federal Penitentiary with a new album to promote. Forté, 27, was behind bars when his confessional second album, I, John, was released in April. That’s why he’s done most of the interviews about it via letters from his cell. “Spiritually, I’ve never been more free in my life,” wrote the former Fugees confidant, who was sentenced to 14 years in prison in November after being found guilty of possession… Read more »

It feels like Ja Rule is just starting to make his mark on hip-hop, but the husky-voiced MC is already talking about calling it quits. “I’m going to retire after two more albums,” Ja said at Tuesday’s BET Awards press conference, where at least a few reporters thought he was joking. “I’m serious!” he insisted. The “Always on Time” rapper said he’ll deliver The Last Temptation and then a fifth and final album before leaving music to “do a lot of films.” Minutes later, however, Ja revealed that one of his biggest inspirations is basketball legend Michael Jordan, who “retired”… Read more »

“Let me take you to a place nice and quiet,” Usher sang on “Nice and Slow” halfway through an hour-and-a-half headlining set at Key Arena Wednesday night. “Nice” was all taken care of – and “nasty” got equal time, with Usher playing the roles of both sweet lover and triple-X seducer – but the Key was the furthest thing from quiet. The screams of thousands of lust-crazed female fans surged at every hip thrust and low croon, shaking the arena’s foundations in a way even last year’s 6.8 magnitude quake couldn’t touch. Boasting more outfit changes than Cher, the R&B… Read more »

Considering their last album was released in 1993, you’d think the Breeders could have come up with an album title in that time. Instead, they named their new release Title TK, which in journalism jargon means “title to come” – used when information is still forthcoming. As coolly detached as she is, frontwoman Kim Deal wasn’t being a slacker. This title was conceived even before this album, due May 21, was. “I always thought Title TK sounded cool. Even when Last Splash didn’t have a name, I thought I’d call it Title TK, but I didn’t use it then. And… Read more »