Upfront/Konvict/SRC/Universal Motown multi-platinum selling artist, producer and entrepreneur, Akon, announced today that his third album - ‘Freedom’ - will be available on slotMusic™, a new form of DRM-free MP3 music on a microSD card beginning Tuesday, December 2nd, 2008 - the same date his album will be released digitally and on CD.

Akon on amazon.com

Akon on amazon.co.uk

The new slotMusic card will give fans a chance to enjoy Akon’s album in a variety of ways and on a host of devices - from their microSD-enabled mobile phones to their computers and MP3 players.

Going beyond the original thirteen songs that are on the CD version of the album, the slotMusic Freedom card will carry a mini-documentary video on Akon’s life and influences, the new video for “Right Now (Na Na Na),” and exclusive hi-res images and songs including fellow SRC artist Tami Chynn’s debut single “Frozen” featuring Akon.

“When I went into the studio to put together ‘Freedom’, I focused on making more than just a collection of songs; I made an album that tells a story from the first track to the last,” said Akon. “To me, slotMusic is the return of the album in all its glory, but updated for today’s mobile world.”

Steve Rifkind, Chairman of SRC Records and SRC Marketing, who was instrumental in establishing the slotMusic and Akon partnership stated “SRC has always offered its artists the freedom to share their music through new technology. slotMusic will allow Akon’s fans to listen to his new record on their phones, MP3 players and PCs that support the microSD format,” he added.

“The release of Freedom on the slotMusic card is a chance for me to give my fans a full entertainment experience using devices they already have in hand,” added Akon.

slotMusic is an innovative physical format for music with a pre-existing install base for DRM-free music. The plug-and-play slotMusic card eliminates the compatibility questions and the hassles of managing files, downloading here, transferring there by offering music in a physical format that is simple to use, works well with many different devices.

The near ubiquity of microSD slots makes slotMusic cards the ultimate format for creating a true portable music experience. SanDisk Corporation (NASDAQ: SNDK), inventor of the microSD format, is leading the technology development and standardization behind slotMusic.

To preorder Akon’s slotMusic card and for more information please visit:

slotMusic Official Website

About Akon
An internationally recognized Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum selling artist, producer, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Akon is one of the most influential voices in music today. In addition to having two multi-platinum albums, 21 songs on the Billboard Hot 100 and over 145 guest appearances with artists such as Michael Jackson and Gwen Stefani to his credit, Akon is the only artist to ever accomplish the feat of holding both the number one and two spots simultaneously on the Billboard Hot 100 charts twice.

In addition to the anticipated December 2nd release of his third album Freedom, 2009 is shaping up to be the biggest year of Akon’s career as the Konvict CEO is prepping releases for T-Pain, Lady Gaga, Kardinal Offishal, Flipsyde Dolla and Colby O’Donis. His fashion line, Konvict Clothing is set to launch in January with an upscale line, aptly named Aliuane, is set for release in the Fall. Finally, Konfidence Foundation, the charity Akon has personally funded for four years, has teamed up with songwriter/philanthropist Peter Buffett to launch Is There Something I Can Do?, a Google of sorts for charitable foundations.

Akon Official Website
Akon MySpace

Very few music fans who were around during the mid-eighties were indifferent to The Smiths – you might love them or hate them, like Marmite really, but you were unlikely not to have much of an opinion. This is what drove their success of course - the fans were the kind of fans who would queue for hours, days even, to get tickets for gigs or the latest release.

With that kind of adoration, the fact that there was also a bunch of people going around saying how much they hated them (not simply didn’t think much of, or even actively disliked, but hated) only served to intrigue the uninitiated, who would then be all the more likely to buy the latest single/album/gig ticket to see what all the fuss was about, and would then either end up slagging them off at every opportunity or queuing for hours in the rain in Wolverhampton hoping to sneak in to the show.

Not that you could do much to get away from them during their heyday, they were everywhere, Top of the Pops, NME, Smash Hits even. For a few years, the Smiths simply were indie music - not that there was too much competition - never forget this is the era that gave us the Wonderstuff and Neds Atomic Dustbin.

The reason they elicited such polarised opinions was of course their front man, Morrissey, he of the curiously flowered back pocket. The music was new too, no doubt, and influential (Travis and Coldplay are the distant dismal ancestors of their bright sparkly sound) but they were riding the wave the new style, rather than being its originators, and anyway, it wasn’t the kind of musical revolution that inspired deep seated passion in and of itself (unlike punk which felt like the end of the world or a new dawn depending on how many Emerson Lake and Palmer records you had). No, when a white-socked casual said they hated the Smiths, what they meant was they hated Morrissey, his attitude, his persona, the whole world-view expressed in his lyrics.

This double CD, ‘The Sound Of The Smiths’, complete with glossy photo booklet, is a pretty impressive document of the band’s activities over those five years from ‘83-’87, all the singles, most of the B-sides, some live recordings and alternative takes. The obsessive fans will have all this stuff already, the equally passionate haters would rather gnaw off their own genitals than have to sit through nearly two hours of the stuff; I guess the CD is intended to introduce the kids to their back catalogue and a jolly good job it will do of that.

For myself, I can’t believe that this stuff is all upwards of twenty years old. Given that it is all such ancient history, the band sounds fantastic. No scrap that, the band sounds fantastic full stop. I remember loving Johnny Marr’s guitar then, and I still do now, but I had forgotten (or not noticed) how effective the rhythm section of Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce was. Those three drove the songs along beautifully, and the music they produced was timeless.

Although I owned a few Smiths records, and thanks to my friend Marcus (who was one of those obsessive fans) listened to pretty much all of it at one time or another, I was never able to make that jump into full-scale fandom, and it was Morrissey that got in my way. I was young and impressionable enough to think that I must have been missing something, perhaps I wasn’t sensitive or poetic enough, I don’t know, but now I am old and ornery I can say with my head held up high that he just wasn’t much cop.

There is room for sensitive poetic young men in popular music, of course there is, but a room containing Nick Drake and Morrissey would only contain one sensitive poetic young man and he wouldn’t be from Manchester. Sticking flowers down your trousers only makes you sensitive if you develop a rash; I challenge any listener to this CD to find even one line which shows any concern whatsoever for the feelings of others.

Writing couplets such as ‘Does the mind rule the body or does the body rule the mind? I don’t know’ (and just sticking it in a song a propos of nothing) does not make you a poet, it only shows that you like to sound clever and profound and that you have no inclination towards metaphysical speculation. Come to think of it, Francis Rossi is more of a sensitive poetic young man than Morissey ever was. (Compare ‘I was looking for a job and then I found a job’ and ‘I like it I like it I like it I like it I la-la-la-like it, la-la-la-like it’; at least in the latter the repetition imparts a rhythmic urgency to the sentiment rather than making the line fall flat on its face - I’m only half-joking.)

If you knew and loved the Smiths, buy this CD for completeness’ sake. If you haven’t heard them, buy it and make your own mind up. Me, I’m off to make some toast and see if I still like Marmite.

By: Jim Driscoll

*** To celebrate the release of The Sound Of The Smiths, an unprecedented 45-track Anthology of hits, b-sides, live tracks and rarities released November 10, 2008 in the UK and November 11th in the US, Inked Mag.com is hosting a tattoo contest.

Entrants are eligible by submitting a photo of their Smiths and / or Morrissey tattoo. Grand prize winner will receive a copy of The Smiths UK Singles box set with a runner-up to receive a copy of the Deluxe 2-CD edition of The Sound Of The Smiths.

Contest ends November 30, 2008. More info at Inked Mag.com / The Smiths ***

Listening Party Links:

qtime
wmedia - low
wmedia - high
real

Listening Party Track list:

1. Hand In Glove
2. This Charming Man
3. What Difference Does It Make? (Peel Session version)
4. How Soon Is Now? (12″ version)
5. That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore
6. There Is A Light That Never Goes Out
7. Panic
8. Girlfriend In A Coma
9. Meat Is Murder (Live)
10. The Queen Is Dead

The Smiths on amazon.com

The Smiths on amazon.co.uk

The Sound Of The Smiths Track Listing (US release):

SINGLE-CD VERSION

1. “Hand in Glove” - Single Version
2. “This Charming Man” - Single Version
3. “What Difference Does It Make” - Peel Sessions Version
4. “Still Ill” - Album Version
5. “Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now” - Single Version
6. “William, It Was Really Nothing” - Single Version
7. “How Soon Is Now?” - 12″ Single
8. “Nowhere Fast” - Album Version
9. “Shakespeare’s Sister” - Single Version
10. “Barbarism Begins At Home” - 7″ Version
11. “That Joke Isn’t Funny Anymore” - Single Version
12. “The Headmaster Ritual” - Album Version
13. “The Boy With The Thorn In His Side” - Single Version
14. “Bigmouth Strikes Again” - Single Version
15. “There Is A Light That Never Goes Out” - Album Version
16. “Panic” - Single Version
17. “Ask” - Single Version
18. “You Just Haven’t Earned It Yet Baby” – Single Version
19. “Shoplifters Of The World Unite” - Single Version
20. “Sheila Take A Bow” - Single Version
21. “Girlfriend In A Coma” – Single Version
22. “I Started Something I Couldn’t Finish” - Single Version
23. “Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me” - Single Version

DOUBLE CD DELUXE VERSION
(Includes the Single CD along with the following)

1. “Jeane” – Single B-Side
2. “Handsome Devil” - - Single B-Side, Live 1983
3. “This Charming Man” (New York vocal)- 12″ Single
4. “Wonderful Woman” - 12″ Single
5. “Back To The Old House” - Single B-Side
6. “These Things Take Time” - 12″ Single B-Side
7. “Girl Afraid” - Single B-Side
8. “Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want” - Single B-Side
9. “Stretch Out And Wait” - Single B-Side
10. “Oscillate Wildly” - 12″ Single B-Side
11. “Meat Is Murder” - Live In Oxford - Single B-Side
12. “Asleep” – Single B-Side
13. “Money Changes Everything” - Single B-Side
14. “The Queen Is Dead” “Take Me Back To Dear Old Blighty” - Medley
15. “Vicar In A Tutu” - Single B-Side
16. “Cemetry Gates” - Single B-Side
17. “Half A Person” - Single B-Side
18. “Sweet And Tender Hooligan” - 12″ Single B-Side
19. “Pretty Girls Make Graves” — Single B-Side, Troy Tate Version
20. “Stop Me If You Think You’ve Heard This One Before” - Album Version
21. “What’s The World” -Live In Glasgow
22. “London” - Live In London

The Smiths on Wikipedia

The five royal Princes of The Hives Nation have teamed up with the Queen of Queens from Queens, Cyndi Lauper, to record the best holiday song this side of White Christmas (ok… maybe Silver and Gold as well).

The Hives and Cyndi Lauper “In A Christmas Duel” will be released via The Orchard on December 1st, 2008 in the UK and one day later on December 2nd in the US. As an early present to fans who have found themselves being particularly awesome this past year, the single will be exclusively available for free download via the band’s website throughout Thanksgiving weekend, Friday, November 28th through Sunday, November 30, 2008.

While some would expect one of those warm-your-toes-by-the-fire-while-snuggling-up-to-your-loved-one-between-sips-of-hot-cocoa-and-smooches-under-the-mistletoe type of songs, The Hives and Cyndi Lauper offer more of a unique take for this holiday season. Let’s just say that the pair get a little scrappy. It also features a piano. Yay.

The Hives explained, “It may sound weird and come as a surprise to some, but we had to. It came to us. It landed in our lap and was way too good to shake or toss. We knew we had to record it. A sign if you will.” Cyndi Lauper offered “this goes to show even rat sideswipers can have a good Xmas too.”

So there you have it. The Hives and Cyndi Lauper bring you “A Christmas Duel”, wrapped in a box with a huge black and white bow atop.

Also, be sure to check out The Hives performance on Jimmy Kimmel Live, November 20th.

The Hives Official Website
The Hives on amazon.com
amazon.co.uk

Cyndi Lauper Official Website
Cyndi Lauper on amazon.com
amazon.co.uk

Leonard Cohen review, O2 Arena, London - 14 November 2008

Have you ever seen Annie Hall? If yes, then you’ll recall the scene where Alvy dates a music journalist played by Shelley Duvall and they emerge from a Stones concert, Duvall’s character rhapsodising about how the gig was ‘transplendent’. Well before you go any further, I should confess: that was me, after witnessing the legend that is Leonard Cohen in London.

After a hellish journey from Oxford to London and then to North Greenwich, we found ourselves slightly late, hungry and cranky. Now anyone who knows me will testify to my horrendous hunger grumps. So it’s no mean feat that three hours later, I was in seventh heaven. Like Leonard advised, we forgot the past and were transported to another place by a performance which is best described as sublime.

Dressed in a pin-striped suit and rakishly tilted fedora, Cohen looked ice cool. He and his band gave the appearance of a thirties era group of gangsters, their iconic appearance matched in panache by a set in which it was clear Cohen meant every word of his poetic and mystical lyrics. A magnificent “Hallelujah” was a case in point.

The laughter lines around his eyes may have belied his 73 years, but the way he skipped on and offstage, teasing us with yet another encore, hinted that he took a youthful glee in the pleasure he generated in the adoring crowd. Cohen acknowledged his absence from the touring circuit with his usual charm and a humorous eloquence: ‘It’s been a long time’, he admitted, following this with a wry, ‘fifteen years, I was just a kid with a crazy dream’.

This self-awareness and gentle humour inflected Cohen’s every gesture with a disarming humility and grace, which was evident in the generous relationship he shared with his band. Collaborator and singer in her own right Sharon Robertson was given solo duties on “Anthem”, showcasing a seemingly effortless and creamy, fulsome voice. Cohen also afforded backing vocalists The Webb Sisters a spot, with Hattie on harp adding an angelic quality to harmonies evocative of Alison Krauss or the Carter Family. Cohen stood back in the shadows for their stints, literally taking his hat off to them and holding it to his heart in a respectful and gentlemanly manner which indicated he was as beguiled by their performances as the rest of us.

Cohen’s entire band were nothing short of flawless, and in the cavernous and corporate space that is the O2 the entire audience were drawn like magnets to the stage, spellbound by a set both flawless and utterly soulful - we could have been in an intimate and cosy jazz bar, such was the way Cohen held us in the palm of his hands. He’s a legend without even trying: dapper and iconic, his words and his philosophy get right to the heart of the human condition.

Given his advanced years and godfather like status in the annals of music, never more have lines such as ‘I was born like this, I had no choice/I was born with the gift of a golden voice’ and ‘I ache in the places I used to play’ seemed more pertinent and moving. It was an inescapable fact that we were in the presence of a true legend on Friday night and there was thankfully no sense of it being underwhelming, as so often the case with such feted figures - I feel genuinely honoured to have witnessed the man himself. Cohen proved an inspiring and elegant presence whose lyrics are an honest and, I would argue, necessary soundtrack to the revolutions of life in all it’s permutations. As he recited some of his poetry, I reflected that his words give no trite answers, but great comfort and hope.

I’ve never understood why people find the work of this wonderful man depressing; I see hope more than anything else in lyrics like ‘There is a crack, a crack in everything/That’s how the light gets in’. A rousing rendition of “Democracy” in the encore sums this up - both timely in the wake of the American Democrats victory as well as impassioned, it stirred the whole audience up irrespective of nationality. The beauty of Cohen’s songs are that they implore us to strive beyond the mundane towards a spiritual otherness much, much greater than the physical, whilst still embodying a deeply sensual quality. Seeing him live really encapsulated this power- as I looked around my companions I saw the same rapt expression in their eyes accompanied with a irresistible urge to sway and move in time with the movement of the music, mouthing the words to classics like “So Long Marianne” and “The Tower of Song” as if motivated by a deep collective unconscious.

Cohen’s performance was both gracious and professional; his deliciously rumbly voice has acquired an even greater patina of wisdom as he’s aged which made some tracks seem like sermons from a great sage. Highlights for me were the elegiac and tragical “The Partisan”, “In My Secret Life” and of course, “Hallelujah”, which moved me to tears - I’m sure I wasn’t the only one.

A septuagenarian who still has the capacity to totally seduce both men and women with his song, he is truly a very special individual whom I still keep pinching myself to believe I’ve seen! What most impressed itself on me was how at peace with himself Cohen seemed; he joked that he’d explored the philosophy of religions and tried ‘prozac, effexor … ‘ and all number of medications, but found that ‘cheerfulness kept breaking through’!

He may have been talked into doing this tour, but he genuinely seemed to be enjoying it and in the unlikely event that any remaining dates are not already sold out, I would urge you to get along to a gig, whatever it takes (yes, even if that means leaving the country - he’s that good). Seeing Leonard Cohen was a life-defining experience and I don’t care how much hyperbole I’ve employed in this review - I will never forget the three hours of magic he gave to me.

Transplendent, just transplendent.

Leonard Cohen on amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

Leonard Cohen Official Website

By: Lindsey Davis

Her debut album for Hear Music doesn’t arrive until in the spring of 2009, however now, futurists can get a taste of one of next year’s most dazzling artistic arrivals with the release of ‘The Boom EP’, a 3-song digital only EP from creatively fearless singer/songwriter, Anjulie.

Watch “The Heat” video:

Anjulie on amazon.com

Born to immigrant parents from Guyana and raised in Toronto, Anjulie is an intriguing, authentic new voice on the pop landscape, with the melodic gifts, vocal prowess and sophistication that announce her as a true original.

Obsessed with music as a child, Anjulie has been singing and writing songs since she was a teen, and the years she spent honing her craft are readily apparent on this special digital only 3-song EP and her forthcoming self-titled debut album for Hear Music.

Download “Boom” MP3

Co-written with her producer and collaborator Jon Levine (of Canadian R&B hit makers The Philosopher Kings), Anjulie sets intensely personal stories about her life, loves, obsessions, and heartbreaks to a glittering genre-blending mix of pop, hip-hop, rock, and world rhythms she heard as a child growing up.

‘The Boom EP’ features the slinky, dark Nancy Sinatra-esque 60’s vibe of “Boom”, (a current favorite of KCRW’s tastemaker Chris Douridas) the sweet pop sophistication of “Love Songs” and “Day Will Soon Come” on which her personal and musical confessions come to life.

For more music and information, go to:

Anjulie MySpace

MySpace Music is proud to announce the worldwide premiere of the highly anticipated new album from Beyonce. The album titled ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ is available on MySpace Music now.

Watch If I Were A Boy video:

I Am…Sasha Fierce (Deluxe Edition) on amazon.com

I Am… Sasha Fierce [Deluxe Edition] on amazon.co.uk

MySpace users worldwide can listen to the entire album for free on MySpace Music a week before its officially released anywhere else.

“I am happy that my fans will get to listen to my new album first at MySpace. I have put my heart and soul into ‘I Am…Sasha Fierce’ and cannot wait to hear the feedback from the fans.” — Beyonce

Check out Beyonce’s page for her latest music, videos and more:

Beyonce MySpace
Beyonce Official Website

With a Top Ten album debut, a Top Ten radio single and a run of sold-out club shows, singer/songwriter Brett Dennen announces plans for a Hope For The Hopeless headlining tour that will stretch from January 2009 into the spring (see dates below).

Hope for the Hopeless on amazon.com

The tour will hit major venues across the country including two nights in Brett’s hometown of San Francisco (The Fillmore) and two nights in his adopted hometown of Los Angeles (House of Blues LA). Tickets go on sale Saturday, November 22, 2008.

Brett Dennen’s ‘Hope For The Hopeless’ debuted as the #4 Independent Album, the #6 Digital Album and entered at #41 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart. The first single, “Make You Crazy,” is a Top Ten hit at tastemaker AAA stations across the country and features Nigerian Afro-beat legend, Femi Kuti.

Brett will perform “Make You Crazy” on “Good Morning America Weekend” November 15. The video for the song co-starring actress and fan Mandy Moore is featured on AOL Music sites and can be seen across the web.

Rolling Stone named Dennen one of their “Artists to Watch in 2008″ and said “his third disc suggests he may soon give Dave Matthews a run for his tour grosses.” John Mayer, Michael Franti and Jason Mraz are outspoken advocates for Brett. His songs have been featured in episodes of “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Scrubs” and “House” among others. NPR, Entertainment Weekly, USA Today, and The Washington Post are among the publications that have spotlighted his narrative-rich lyrics and distinctive voice.

Brett Dennen 2009 Hope For The Hopeless Tour Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

January 16 Orlando, FL The Social
January 17 Ft. Lauderdale, FL The Culture Room
January 18 Tampa, FL State Theatre
January 21 New Orleans, LA Parish
January 22 Houston, TX Warehouse Live Studio
January 23 Austin, TX La Zona Rosa
January 24 Dallas, TX The Loft
January 26 Birmingham, AL WorkPlay Theatre
January 27 Knoxville, TN The Square Room
January 29 Nashville, TN Exit/In
January 30 Atlanta, GA Variety Playhouse
January 31 Athens, GA Georgia Theatre

February 2 Columbia, SC Headliners
February 3 Asheville, NC The Orange Peel
February 5 Carrboro, NC Cat’s Cradle
February 6 Falls Church, VA State Theatre
February 7 Towson, MD Recher Theatre
February 8 Northampton, MA Pearl Street
February 10 Philadelphia, PA World Café Live
February 11 New York, NY Webster Hall
February 13 Burlington, VT Higher Ground
February 14 Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club
February 15 Montreal QC Cabaret du Musee Juste Pour Rire
February 16 Toronto, ON The Mod Club Theatre
February 18 Ann Arbor, MI Blind Pig
February 19 Traverse City, MI City Opera house
February 20 Columbus, OH The Basement
February 21 Cleveland, OH Beachland Ballroom
February 23 Minneapolis, MN Varsity Theatre
February 24 Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall Ballroom
February 26 Chicago, IL Park West
February 27 Indianapolis, IN Music Mill
February 28 Madison, WI Majestic Theater

March 2 Louisville, KY Headliners
March 3 St. Louis, MO Duck Room
March 4 Lawrence, KS Bottleneck
March 5 Des Moines, IA People’s Court
March 12 Vancouver, BC The Plaza
March 13 Portland, OR Crystal Ballroom
March 14 Seattle, WA Showbox at the Market
March 16 Spokane, WA Knitting Factory
March 17 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
March 19 Reno, NV Grand Sierra Theatre
March 20 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
March 21 San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
March 22 Sacramento, CA Boardwalk
March 24 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
March 25 Los Angeles, CA House of Blues
March 27 San Diego, CA House of Blues
March 28 Phoenix, AZ Clubhouse
March 29 Tucson, AZ Rialto Theatre
March 30 Santa Fe, NM Santa Fe Brewing Company

April 1 Aspen, CO Belly Up
April 2 Boulder, CO Fox Theatre
April 3 Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre
April 4 Salt Lake City, UT Murray Theatre

Erin McCarley supporting January 16 through January 31
Angus and Julia Stone supporting March 12 through April 4 except in Reno, NV

Brett Dennen Official Website
MySpace

Former Savage Garden frontman Darren Hayes continues his defiant musical journey by releasing ‘This Delicate Film We’ve Made’; a DVD album in surround sound with extraordinary animated visuals.

Watch trailer for ‘This Delicate Film We’ve Made’:

Darren Hayes on amazon.co.uk

Darren Hayes on amazon.com

Hayes commissioned two animators and almost 18 months of their time to create a collection of short animated and filmed music video pieces to accompany songs from his latest album.

With music remixed and re-mastered in 5.1 surround sound - Hayes describes the DVD as “the way the album was always meant to be seen”.

Buzz for the DVD has already begun with director Richard Cullen’s video for “Who Would Have Thought” being short listed for a BIMA award (British Interactive Media Association) at the London ceremony on November 27, 2008 presented by Digital Arts Magazine.

Richard Cullen, who is Hayes’ partner, has most recently worked on animated visuals for George Michael’s Stadium shows and the upcoming Keane arena tour. He began his career as a director of theatre and eventually lectured in film at Greenwich University before going on to creating visuals for music videos and concert tours. Director Damian Hale has had a long history of creating music videos and concert tours, most famously for U2 and Janet Jackson.

Darren even directed one video himself, for the intensely personal “Neverland”. The song, which touches Hayes’ painful childhood experience of growing up with domestic violence was a true hands on affair. Darren made props, designed costumes and called the shots on the London set.

The DVD marks the final release in support of Hayes’ double Album ‘This Delicate Thing We’ve Made’ which he released on his label ‘Powdered Sugar’ in 2007.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

- Directed by Richard Cullen
with Damian Hale and Darren Hayes

- Animations written and directed by Richard Cullen
(of Pixelfing) and Damian Hale (of Onedotzero)
Neverland written and directed by Darren Hayes
with Richard Cullen

- Concepts and stories by Darren Hayes and Richard Cullen
- Music written and produced by Darren Hayes with Justin Shave
and Robert Conley
- Mixed in surround sound by Ash Howes

A FEAR OF FALLING UNDER
WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT
WAKING THE MONSTER
HOW TO BUILD A TIME MACHINE
NEVERLAND
STEP INTO THE LIGHT
CASEY
SETTING SUN
WORDS
A HUNDRED CHALLENGING THINGS A BOY CAN DO
MAYBE
A CONVERSATION WTIH GOD

For music and more information, go to:

Darren Hayes Official Website
Darren Hayes MySpace

Acclaimed guitarist, singer and songwriter Robyn Hitchcock is set to embark on an 11 date, full band tour in February 2009, performing songs from his forthcoming album ‘Goodnight Oslo’.

Robyn Hitchcock on amazon.co.uk

Robyn Hitchcock on amazon.com

Recorded with friends and longtime cohorts The Venus Three - Peter Buck (guitar) and R.E.M. mainstays Scott McCaughey (bass, vocals) and Bill Rieflin (drums) - and Ryuichi Sakamoto, ‘Goodnight Oslo’ is Robyn’s first album in three years. It follows previous Venus 3 collaborations ‘Ole! Tarantula’ (2006) and the ‘Sex, Food, Death and Tarantulas EP’ (2007).

Boasting ten new songs, ‘Goodnight Oslo’ features “Up To Our Nex”, a track written for Jonathan Demme’s acclaimed new film ‘Rachel Getting Married‘ starring Anne Hathaway, which opens early next year after premiering at last month’s London Film Festival.

Robyn recently journeyed to the Arctic with the Cape Farewell Project, part of an intrepid crew that also included Martha Wainwright, KT Tunstall, Jarvis Cocker and Feist. He is currently touring the US with his ‘I Often Dream Of Trains’ show.

Robyn Hitchcock February 2009 UK Tour Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

February 2009

Sat 7th GLASGOW, ABC2
Sun 8th NEWCASTLE, Academy 2
Tue 10th LEEDS, Brudenell Social Club
Wed 11th BIRMINGHAM, Glee Club
Thu 12th LONDON, Union Chapel
Fri 13th BURY, The Met
Sat 14th BRACKNELL, South Hill Park Arts Centre
Mon 16th BRIGHTON, Komedia
Tue 17th CAMBRIDGE, Junction 2
Wed 18th BRISTOL, The Fleece
Thu 19th CARDIFF, The Globe
Support provided by Catherine Feeny

Tickets On Sale Now

Robyn Hitchcock Official Website
MySpace

The two-Disc Collection includes unreleased recordings of the band playing a small club in San Francisco just weeks before “Light My Fire” made them stars.

Rhino and Bright Midnight Archives present ‘Live At The Matrix 1967′, the latest instalment in The Doors‘ acclaimed series of archival concert releases.

Watch “Break On Through (To The Other Side)” video:

Live At The Matrix on amazon.com

Live at the Matrix 1967: San Francisco on amazon.co.uk

This two-disc addition to the band’s live canon contains two club shows witnessed by few but bootlegged by many. Restored and carefully mastered from first-generation tapes acquired by Elektra Records and The Doors 40 years ago, these historic shows never sounded better. The collection, featuring cover art by legendary San Francisco artist Stanley Mouse, will be available November 18, 2008 at all retail outlets, including www.rhino.co.uk.

Where the previous three Bright Midnight Archives releases documented The Doors’ final tour in 1970, ‘Live At The Matrix 1967′ rewinds to the band’s early days for a pair of shows at a San Francisco club in March 1967.

Only a handful of people showed up, so Jim Morrison, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, and Ray Manzarek played for each other, exploring song arrangements and jamming on a few blues favourites. Ironically, only a few weeks after the Matrix shows, the band’s second single, “Light My Fire,” would make them famous, selling a million copies on its way to topping the chart during The Summer of Love.

“It was early 1967 and The Doors were about to enter the consciousness of the nation. And this is the way it sounded,” Manzarek writes in the album’s liner notes.

In spite of the empty room, the band is fully engaged, using the time to give “The End” and “Back Door Man” extra lyrics and extended sections. “This is probably the closest we’ve come to a true document of The Doors without constraints,” says Bruce Botnick, the album’s producer and the band’s long-time co-producer and engineer.

The band performs much of its self-titled debut on the first disc, including “Soul Kitchen,” “Alabama Song (Whisky Bar),” and the first single, “Break On Through (To The Other Side).”

Along with those early originals, the band indulges its love of the blues with Bo Diddley’s “Who Do You Love,” Muddy Waters’ “I’m A King Bee,” and Allen Toussaint’s “Get Out Of My Life, Woman,” which has never appeared on any previous Doors albums.

The second disc offers a glimpse of the band mapping out its future, working out early versions of several songs from upcoming albums: “Crawling King Snake” (LA Woman); “Summer’s Almost Gone” (Waiting For The Sun); and nearly half of the songs from The Doors’ second album, ‘Strange Days’.

‘Live At The Matrix 1967′ Track Listing:

Disc One

1. Break On Through (To The Other Side)
2. Soul Kitchen
3. Money
4. The Crystal Ship
5. Twentieth Century Fox
6. I’m A King Bee
7. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar)
8. Summer’s Almost Gone
9. Light My Fire
10. Get Out Of My Life Woman
11. Back Door Man
12. Who Do You Love
13. The End

Disc Two

1. Unhappy Girl
2. Moonlight Drive
3. Woman Is A Devil/Rock Me
4. People Are Strange
5. Close To You
6. My Eyes Have Seen You
7. Crawling King Snake
8. I Can’t See Your Face In My Mind
9. Summertime
10. When The Music’s Over
11. Gloria

The Doors Official Website
The Doors MySpace

Check out the world premieres of these highly anticipated new videos by Oasis and Kings of Leon, from MySpace Music.

Oasis

MySpace Music is proud to announce the worldwide premiere of the highly anticipated new music video from international rock sensations Oasis. The video is for the hit single “I’m Outta Time” off of the band’s ‘Dig Out Your Soul’ album which premiered globally on MySpace before hitting store shelves in October 2008.

The video is available on the band’s official MySpace profile. Oasis joined MySpace in 2004 and has more than 350,000 friends on MySpace.

Watch “I’m Outta Time” video from Oasis:

Oasis on amazon.com

Oasis on amazon.co.uk

Kings of Leon

MySpace Music is proud to announce the worldwide premiere of the highly anticipated new music video from Kings of Leon. The video is for the hit single “Use Somebody” off of the band’s ‘Only By The Night’ album, released in early September 2008 and is available on the band’s official MySpace profile. Kings of Leon has more than 240,000 friends on MySpace.

Watch “Use Somebody” video from Kings of Leon

Kings of Leon on amazon.com

Kings of Leon on amazon.co.uk

Oasis MySpace
Oasis Official Website

Kings of Leon MySpace
Kings of Leon Official Website

I think this is an appropriate song of the day:

Jimi Hendrix - The Star Spangled Banner

One of the most historic musical moments to accompany one of the most historic days in my lifetime.

Congratulations America; Barack Obama.

Tennessee born singer and songwriter Josiah Leming will release his eagerly anticipated debut album for Reprise Records in early 2009.

Josiah Leming MP3s on amazon.com

The 19-year-old newcomer, who made a splash with his powerfully expressive voice and passionate performance style, recorded the songs, all of which he wrote himself, during several weeks over the summer with producer/musician David Kosten (Bat For Lashes, Faultline).

To give listeners a sneak peek at the album, Leming is releasing Angels Undercover: Selections from Josiah Leming’s album debut. A five-song sampler of tracks from the album. The tracks - “Arctic Outcry Wind,” “Angels Undercover,” “Theysay,” “This Cigar,” and “To Run” - will be sold digitally via iTunes and all participating digital retailers, as well as on CD via www.myspace.com/josiahleming and at his upcoming shows.

Download “Arctic Outcry Wind” MP3

On November 12th, 2008, Josiah Leming hits the road for several low-key shows to give fans a preview of the debut. Many of those fans will recognize Leming from his appearance on Season 7 of American Idol.

His electrifying performances and moving story struck a chord with viewers who turned up in droves on Leming’s MySpace page to send messages of support and listen to the original songs he had posted. Since then, the page has racked up nearly 3.5 million views, while Leming’s songs have been listened to nearly three million times collectively.

Leming left his home in Morristown, TN, at age 17 to make it as a musician, hoping to find a way to help support the family he was leaving behind — eight siblings (six of whom are adopted), an out-of-work stepfather, and a mother with terminal cancer. Leming traveled around the Southeast playing open-mic nights in any club or coffeehouse that would have him, sleeping in his car and taking odd jobs to pay for food and gas, all the while dreaming about the album he would make one day. His appearance on American Idol landed him a manager who brought him to Warner Bros. Records who signed him in June 2008. For Leming, the dream of making an album has finally arrived.

“People need to know about Josiah Leming.” — Ellen DeGeneres

“A genuine talent… His voice is unique, his story compelling” — Buzz Sugar

“Leming is magnetic in person… disarming and electrifying. (His) music drips with a deep hurt but remains defiantly hopeful.” — LA Times

“Leming does not play piano so much as he assaults it. The music that explodes from the rickety piano is booming and urgent, a little unsettling, incredibly raw. Honest. And then there’s his voice, which is startling as much for its clarity as for the reckless way Leming wields it.” — MTV.com

Josiah Leming November 2008 tour dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

November 12 - Biltmore Cabaret - Vancouver, BC
November 13 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
November 14 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
November 16 - Red Devil Lounge - San Francisco, CA
November 18 - Downtown Brew - San Luis Obispo, CA
November 19 - The Coach House - San Juan Capistrano, CA
November 20 - Plush - Tucson, AZ
November 22 - Dos Amigos - Odessa, TX
November 23 - Midnite Rodeo - Abilene, TX
November 24 - The Marquee - Tulsa, OK
November 26 - Young Avenue Deli - Memphis, TN

Josiah Leming MySpace

In keeping with the history of glamorous pop trios, The Pipettes have undergone what they call in the business, a line up change. In that the band are effectively a brand new entity, with none of the original members left. But any preconceptions the audience might have had of inter-band awkwardness or forced camaraderie seemed to have been left at the door. And if there was any residual concern within the crowd, the band’s carefree attitude would have immediately dispelled such fears.

Polka dot prom dresses and co-ordinated dancing filled the space in the upstairs of the Carling Academy in Oxford (October 26, 2008) even before the Pipettes came on stage, in homage to the trio’s vintage style. There was a party atmosphere to the gig from the offset, which injected some much needed glamour and kitsch into the Academy’s stark surroundings.

When the ladies sashayed on stage, led by a suited band, they certainly looked amazing. The charismatic Gwenno, the longest standing member, introduced newbies Anni (also her sister, trivia fans) and Anna, and led the way into what was a good old fashioned knees up. The changes in Pipettesland didn’t seem to have dented the quality of music - the new songs were as infectious as the likes of “Pull Shapes” (they did); “Dirty” and, like the band’s matching eighties style outfits, there was a hint of eighties pop infusing the newer material which was well received.

Of course it was the oldies people wanted to hear and they weren’t disappointed - not only did tracks like “ABC” see the audience boogeying and handclapping with the best of them, they also treated the crowd to the girl’s choreography. OK, so it wasn’t up there with the likes of the Pussycat Dolls, but it looked like the threesome were having damn good fun. Their harmonies were pretty much bang on the money and I admit to being pleasantly surprised by how strong their voices were live. The Pipettes are pure pop with a credible indie cachet which means that their live show should definitely prove a success in any student town - and in my opinion, should be successful in a more mainstream sense as well.

This was quite possibly one of the shiniest, poppiest, and damn right catchiest gigs I suspect has graced the precincts of the Carling Academy for a long time. The band’s retro leanings recall Phil Spector’s girl groups but with a postmodern twist.

Live, they proved they can more than hold a tune. After listening to the Pipettes’ attitude-filled Betty Boop style pop, there’s only one question left to be answered (and it’s rhetorical): Who needs Girls Aloud?!

The Pipettes on amazon.co.uk

The Pipettes Official Website
MySpace

By: Lindsey Davis

Warren Zevon moved to Spain in the summer of 1975, dropping out of the music business after nearly a decade. During his self-imposed exile, he performed regularly at the Dubliner, a colorful bar owned by a former mercenary who helped Zevon pen the classic “Roland The Headless Thompson Gunner.”

Zevon’s luck changed when his friend Jackson Browne contacted him about a recording deal. He signed with Asylum Records in 1975 and began recording his major-label debut, ‘Warren Zevon’.

Watch video: Warren Zevon w/ Jackson Browne ‘Mohammed’s Radio’ (Dec 1976):

Warren Zevon on amazon.com

Warren Zevon on amazon.co.uk

Today, many consider his self-titled album a high water mark not only for Zevon, but for the decade as well.

Rhino will reissue a Collector’s Edition of ‘Warren Zevon’ that includes the original album remastered, along with a bonus disc filled entirely with unreleased demos and alternate versions of album tracks.

The two-CD set will be available November 11, 2008 from all retail outlets, including www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $24.98 (CD) and $13.99 (digital).

Jackson Browne produced the album and also enlisted some of the West Coast’s biggest names to help out, including members of the Eagles, Fleetwood Mac, David Lindley and J.D. Souther. Providing Zevon with an outlet for his pent-up creativity, he unleashed a barrage of sharply observed songs that pulse with dark wit and sophisticated melodies.

Many of his best-known tracks are included here, such as “Hasten Down The Wind,” “Poor Pitiful Me,” “Carmelita” and “Mohammed’s Radio” - all of which were later covered by Linda Ronstadt. The album also contains “I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead,” “Frank And Jesse James” and “Desperados Under The Eaves,” a song Zevon wrote about staying at the Hollywood Hawaiian Motel with no way to pay his bill.

The bonus disc uncovers 15 unreleased tracks, including different versions of every song on the album. Several demos capture Zevon alone at the piano, including a poignant take on “Frank And Jesse James,” a song he wrote while touring with The Everly Brothers. A demo Zevon recorded for “Hasten Down The Wind” features a full band.

In addition, the collection presents alternate versions of “Poor Pitiful Me” and “Carmelita” along with different takes from the sessions for “Join Me In L.A.” and “Desperados Under The Eaves.” The live bonus track of “Mama Couldn’t Be Persuaded” was recorded in October 1976 during an appearance on the Cleveland radio station WMMS.

‘Warren Zevon’ (Collector’s Edition)

Track Listing

Disc 1

1. Frank And Jesse James
2. Mama Couldn’t Be Persuaded
3. Backs Turned Looking Down The Path
4. Hasten Down The Wind
5. Poor Pitiful Me
6. The French Inhaler
7. Mohammed’s Radio
8. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead
9. Carmelita
10. Join Me In L.A.
11. Desperados Under The Eaves

Disc 2 (Previously Unissued)

1. Frank And Jesse James (Solo Piano Demo)
2. The French Inhaler (Solo Piano Demo)
3. Hasten Down The Wind (Band Demo)
4. Carmelita (1974 Demo)
5. Mohammed’s Radio (Solo Piano Demo)
6. Backs Turned Looking Down The Path (Take 1 - 1/28/76)
7. Join Me In L.A. (Take 2 - 11/20/75)
8. Poor Pitiful Me (Alternate Version)
9. Frank And Jesse James (Alternate Version)
10. Mohammed’s Radio (Take 2 - 11/6/75)
11. The French Inhaler (Take 1 - 1/13/76)
12. Carmelita (Alternate Version)
13. Desperados Under The Eaves (Take 2 - 1/13/76)
14. Mama Couldn’t Be Persuaded (Live WMMS 10/13/76)
15. I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (Alternate Version)

‘Warren Zevon’ (Collector’s Edition)

Listening Party Track List:

1) Poor Poor Pitiful Me
2) The French Inhaler
3) Desperados Under The Eaves
4) Frank & Jesse James (Solo Piano Demo)
5) Carmelita (1974 demo)
6) I’ll Sleep When I’m Dead (Alternate version)

Click links for songs:

QT

WMA

REAL

Warren Zevon Rock And Roll Hall of Fame Induction Petition

MySpace
Warren Zevon Official Website