Music's biggest names are gathering in Austin this week for the annual South By Southwest music festival, and in addition to the influx of amazing talent, Austin will be bustling with some of the best parties of the year.

Among one of the most talked about events belongs to Perez Hilton who showcases his favorite acts each year at his One Night In Austin.

The gossip gangster has been unveiling a new special guest each day, and he has announced Swedish pop sensation Agnes as part of the lineup.

Buy Music:

Agnes on amazon.com

Agnes on amazon.co.uk

Agnes was the youngest contestant to win Sweden's version of American Idol, and ever since, she has been making a name for herself on the pop scene. With apt comparisons to Leona Lewis, Jennifer Lopez and Kylie Minogue, Agnes' first US single, "Release Me," is taking the U.S. by storm.

Watch "Release Me" video:

So much has happened to Agnes over the past four years that at just 21, she finds her star rising even higher. While she doesn't think fame has changed her much, she admits to continuing to develop a self-confidence that was just starting to brim when she took that risk on Idol.

"I am so excited about the US release and look forward to working hard. I feel good about coming over, performing. I want everyone to know my music but I also want everyone to get to know me."

Other acts set to perform One Night In Austin at SXSW on Saturday include Estelle, Snoop Dogg, Macy Gray, a Surprise Act, Alphabeat, Marina & The Diamonds, V.V. Brown, Mike Posner and more.

For more music and information, go to:

Perez Hilton Official Website

Agnes Official Website
Agnes MySpace

Felix Da Housecat has put out banger after banger since the release of his electro-pop smash, 'Kittenz and Thee Glitz' in 2001.

'He Was King', possibly his finest work yet, will be released August 25, 2009 on Nettwerk Records. Boasting Felix' larger-than-life persona and signature flair, the record serves up an endless supply of infectious beats.

Felix has teamed up with Karmaloop, to present the We All Wanna Be Price Remix Contest. Felix is pleased to offer fans the opportunity to remix his latest single and album gem, “We All Wanna Be Prince.” Click here for contest details

FREE Download: "We All Wanna Be Prince" MP3

The start-studded video for this track is coming soon, featuring cameos from Dallas Austin, Perez Hilton and more!

Felix Da Housecat will hit the clubs in support of his new album, performing live DJ sets across the country.

Buy Music:

Felix Da Housecat on amazon.com

Felix Da Housecat on amazon.co.uk

“With an electronic pop sound, Felix Da Housecat will craze club goers with his futuristic syntho-pop beats.” - BPM

"Departing from his dance/house roots, Felix Da Housecat has shown that he is able to grow as an artist by creating He Was King, a surprising well-crafted electronic pop album." - Filter Magazine

“Felix puts his own electro-tinged, drum machine-driven pop, robotic-vocaled stamp on everything.” - Paper Magazine

Felix Da Housecat 2009 US Tour Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

08/22: Atlanta, GA @ MJQ *
09/04: San Diego, CA @ Vouyer *
09/05: Los Angeles, CA @ Avalon *
09/06: Las Vegas, NV @ The Palms *
09/10: Boston, MA @ Underbar *
09/12: Brooklyn, NY @ 213 North 8th Street *
09/14: Chicago, IL @ Boom Boom Room *
10/30: Phoeniz, AZ @ Myst
10/31: Los Angeles, CA @ Monster Massive
Release Party = *

Felix Da Housecat
HE WAS KING
Nettwerk Records; August 25, 2009

Felix Da Housecat MySpace
Felix Da Housecat on Twitter

Relentless Records/EMI band The Mission District, have been garnering grade A fans for only being a baby band from Montreal.

Watch "Youth Games" video:

The Mission District on amazon.com

The Mission District on amazon.co.uk

Blog Queen of Media, Perez Hilton, has come out to support this band by saying "We're Obsessed" - which sums up the reaction of the crowds that have been out to see the band and have taken a listen to their Myspace. Busy touring the band has opened for the likes of Simple Plan, The Bravery, Elbow and others to a very exciting fan build up.

The Mission District also has been attracting music giants to work with them like Andy Green (The Feeling, Keane) Mark Needman (The Killers, Bloc Party, Iglu and Hartly and Metrostation), and remixes from British sensation Frankmusic. The band continues to build accolades on the press side of things as well with such notables as the lead singer being honored as Cosmogirl's "Hot Guy of the Year" as well as home page coverage on Myspace, MTV and others.

The single, "Heartbreaker" will be the sneak peak to their upcoming single, "So Over You". Both tracks will be worked to outlets as the band heats up the UK.

The Mission District 2009 UK tour dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

27 Mar Downtown Diner Ashford
29 Mar Chinnerys Southend
31 Mar Freebutt Brighton
1 Apr Boileroom Guildford
2 Apr Talking Heads Southampton
5 Apr The Jailhouse Hereford, Wales
6 Apr Barfly Club Liverpool
7 Apr Doghouse Dundee, Scotland
8 Apr Cathouse Glasgow, Scotland
10 Apr Plugged at Parr Hall Warrington
12 Apr Met Lounge Peterborough
13 Apr Roadmender Northampton
14 Apr Central Station Wrexham, Wales
15 Apr Barfly Club Cardiff, Wales
18 Apr Academy 2 Dublin, Dublin
19 Apr The Bunker Belfast
20 Apr Barfly (w/ Nightmare Of You) Birmingham
21 Apr Roadhouse (w/ Nightmare Of You) Manchester
24 Apr Pop Bubble Rock Nottingham
29 Apr Pop Bubble Rock Manchester

The Mission District MySpace

Following a smashingly successful springtime swing through North America that hit both coasts, Canada and the Coachella Festival, the fascinating and irrepressible Astralwerks singer-songwriter Yelle will return to the U.S. with her exuberant three-man stage show for a series of club dates in October 2008.

In the meantime, the French pop-sensation will release a music video for the new single "Ce Jeu (This Game)", an irresistibly hooky pastiche of Eighties club rhythms and visuals, that will premiere August 1st, 2008 on the notorious Perez Hilton celebrity website.

Yelle's growing American following can also sample the singer's energetic live show with the recent release of iTunes Live: London Festival 08 EP.

Accompanying Yelle on tour is album producer GrandMarnier on drums and vocals and collaborator/remixer Tepr on keyboards and programming. The five songs on iTunes Live: London Festival 08 EP were recorded during Yelle's triumphant July 10th performance at London's famous KOKO club. Before returning Stateside, Yelle will conclude her world-wide festival tour on August 10th at Japan's Summersonic Festival.

Fusing a young lifetime's worth of pop-culture influences with a fearless, DIY approach to lyric writing and a magnetic vocal presence, Yelle's album POP-UP was a Top 10 charter on Billboard's Top Electronic Albums listing, and also entered the Heatseekers chart shortly after its Stateside release in April 2008. (It was released digitally late in 2007, and charted among iTunes' top-selling electronic albums.) Yelle was Artist of the Week earlier in 2008, in MTV's 52 Bands / 52 Weeks program.

Yelle 2008 Fall tour dates:

Dates and information could change! Go to Yelle's Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

10/07 House Of Blues Dallas, TX
10/09 The Venue Austin, TX
10/10 Polish American Club Miami, FL
10/11 The Social Orlando, FL
10/13 9:30 Club Washington, DC
10/14 Webster Hall New York, NY
10/15 The Roxy Boston, MA
10/20 Magic Stick Detroit, MI
10/21 Congress Theatre Chicago, IL
10/22 Turner Hall Milwaukee, WI
10/24 Ogden Theatre Denver, CO
10/25 Urban Lounge Salt Lake City, UT
10/27 Neumos Seattle, WA
10/29 Berbati's Portland, OR
10/31 Mezzanine San Francisco, CA
11/01 Henry Fonda Theatre Los Angeles, CA
11/02 Beauty Bar San Diego, CA

Photo Credit: Ulysse Frechelin

Yelle MySpace
Yelle Official Website

No less a harbinger of 'what's hot' than Perez Hilton who has predicted that L.A.-based singer/songwriter Katy Perry will be "one of the breakout stars of the summer" when Capitol Records releases her debut album, 'One of the Boys', on June 17th, 2008.

Katy Perry will also join the traveling rock circus that is the 2008 Vans Warped Tour, for the entire trek this summer.

'One of the Boys' is a sharp and witty pop-rock gem filled with candid tales of neurotic ex-boyfriends like "Hot N Cold," "Ur So Gay" (watch video), "Mannequin", crazy road trips with friends with "Waking Up in Vegas", and figuring out who you are along the way, with first single - "I Kissed A Girl" and "Fingerprints".

While the album displays Perry's feisty, girl-power swagger, it also reveals her more vulnerable side on such regretful ballads as "Lost," "I'm Still Breathing," and "Thinking of You."

"I think people can appreciate a songwriter who shows different sides, and this album has many different colors," Perry says. "I can write my share of angry break-up songs but I wanted to balance it out with fun, summertime songs. But there are also sad songs about loss and making the wrong decisions. It's been blood, sweat, and tears making this record. I've put everything into it and I feel like it's my baby. When people listen to it, I hope they will understand where I'm coming from as a person."

To showcase her sharp, observational lyrics and big, charismatic voice, Perry worked with a host of noted producers and collaborators, including Greg Wells (Mika, Natasha Bedingfield), Glen Ballard (No Doubt, Alanis Morrisette), Dave Stewart (Eurythmics), Dr. Luke (Kelly Clarkson, Avril Lavigne), Max Martin (Leona Lewis, Robyn), Sam Hollander & Dave Katz (Gym Class Heroes, Boys Like Girls) and Butch Walker (Pink, The Donnas). "You can't get better than these guys," Perry says. "I feel like the luckiest bit** in town right now."

'One of the Boys' is the full-length follow-up to Katy Perry's debut digital EP, 'Ur So Gay' (available on iTunes since last November), which has already earned the 23-year-old Santa Barbara, CA, native a solid fanbase.

Perry performed "Ur So Gay," a hilarious kiss-off to a guyliner-wearing ex that Blender called "wickedly funny" and Billboard called "zeitgeist-capturing," on Last Call With Carson Daly on April 8th. The video for the clip, which premiered on MySpace had close to one million plays within one week of it being posted to the site. Perry has also been tapped for Yahoo!'s Who's Next Critical Eye and MSN's Ones to Watch for June.

Katy Perry will play a handful of live dates this spring on both coasts before heading out on the Vans Warped Tour. "Warped is going to be grueling and hot, but I'm ready to survive it - even without showers," Katy says. "Gwen Stefani did the tour back in 2000 with No Doubt and she looked fabulous hopping around on stage in her little polka-dotted dresses. You can find YouTube clips of her up there and all the girls in the audience are going nuts. I'm am so channeling that."

Katy Perry April 2008 shows:

April 11, 2008 - Los Angeles, CA - Key Club (Vans Warped Tour Kick-Off Party)
April 24, 2008 - New York, NY - Mercury Lounge

Photo credit: Michael Elins

Katy Perry on amazon.com

Katy Perry on amazon.co.uk

Get to know music's newest dynamite diva by visiting her websites:

Katy Perry on Myspace
Katy Perry's Blog
Katy Perry

Sia celebrated the album's release with a performance on "Late Night with Conan O'Brien" on January 8, followed by a tour of New York City in a specially designed bus that escorted her to 3 jam-packed performances at The Apple Store (Soho), Virgin Megastore and Starbucks.

Sia will follow all this with a very special performance on "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on January 25th, 2008 (tune in for a surprise!). Sia will also be featured in an upcoming two-page spread in the February issue of Spin, and a feature in Rolling Stone.

Fans excited for her upcoming North American tour, which kicks off February 15, can also check out exclusive performance videos from her recent show at Hiro Ballroom (NYC) on "AT&T Blue Room."

Music critics nationwide agree that 'some people have REAL problems' is one of Sia's finest:

"...stunning." - Entertainment Weekly (A-)

"Sia's Some People Have Real Problems is an exellent soundtrack for a cold January spent bundled up indoors..." - ABC News

"...you'll want to get caught up in the drama Sia has to offer on her [third] solo cd." - Associated Press

"From the moment she slips into her [opening track] 'Little Black Sandals' she grabs your heart." - Chicago Tribune

"...a Feist-y, airy crowd-pleaser of jazzy electropop." - WIRED

'some people have REAL problems' is a co-release in the U.S. and Canada from Monkey Puzzle Records and Hear Music. The album is available at Starbucks Company-operated locations and traditional music retailers in the U.S. and Canada.

Sia 2008 tour dates:

Dates could change! Go to Sia's Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

February 15 - San Diego, CA - Belly Up
February 16 - Tempe, AZ - Club Congress
February 18 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore
February 19 - Portland, OR - Wonder Ballroom
February 20 - Vancouver, BC - Richard's on Richards
February 21 - Seattle, WA - Showbox
February 23 - Salt Lake City, UT - Avalon Theater
February 24 - Boulder, CO - Fox Theater & Cafe
February 26 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line
February 27 - Milwaukee, WI - Turner Hall
February 29 - Chicago, IL - Metro
March 1 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick
March 3 - Toronto, ON - Mod Club
March 4 - Montreal, QC - Les Saints
March 5 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
March 7 - Washington DC - 9:30 Club
March 8 - New York, NY - Webster Hall
March 10 - Atlanta, GA - Variety Playhouse
March 11 - New Orleans, LA - The Parish
March 12 - Houston, TX - Warehouse Live
March 14 - Austin, TX Stubbs (SXSW)
March 15 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
(April 9 - Koko - London)

Sia on Myspace
Sia Official Website

Hear Music and ie:music, the artist management company representing the recording artist Sia (nee Sia Furler), have announced that Sia's new full-length CD, 'some people have REAL problems' will be co-released in the U.S. and Canada on Monkey Puzzle Records/Hear Music. The album will be available at Starbucks Company-operated locations and traditional music retailers in the U.S. and Canada starting on January 8, 2008.

With two major label solo albums already under her belt, Sia has enjoyed worldwide success and recognition both as a solo artist and as the vocalist for Zero 7 ("Simple Things", "When It Falls" and "The Garden"), Sia made her first U.S. splash as a solo artist when her song "Breathe Me" was featured in the final episode of the HBO cable television series Six Feet Under in late 2005, and which shot to #1 on iTunes the following day. Since then Sia has continued to gain critical acclaim and a growing fan base, touring this past month to sold-out shows across the U.S. in anticipation of her new release.

The new music on 'some people have REAL problems' is at once upbeat, quirky, and achingly gorgeous, featuring incredible song writing and lush arrangements. Sia also enlisted the help of a few talented friends when recording the album, including Beck, who sings on a track called "Academia."

The video for standout track "Buttons" which is featured as a hidden track on 'some people have REAL problems', has already garnered Sia a bit of attention after being posted by blogger Perez Hilton. The video has taken off virally, charting as the #1 most linked and #2 most viewed clip on YouTube the week it was leaked onto the Internet.

The co-release with Hear Music insures wide distribution for Sia's CD in North America beginning January 8, 2008, including simultaneous release through Starbucks company-operated locations in the U.S. and Canada and all other physical and digital music retailers in North America.

As a preview to 'some people have REAL problems', Sia recently released a 4-song digital EP on November 6 previewing tracks from the CD, including the first single, "Day Too Soon." The song was also made available as a free download to more than 1.5 million customers via Starbucks locations in the U.S. on November 6 as part of the company's "Song of the Day" campaign.

"It's an incredible honor for me to be a part of the Hear Music team," says Sia. "I am a huge admirer of the artists they have championed in the past and am thrilled that at this stage in my career we can be an exciting part of each other's future."

"Sia is a strikingly original artist who embodies the trailblazing spirit of Hear Music," says Ken Lombard, president Starbucks Entertainment who oversees Hear Music. "Hear Music is proud to co-release Sia's new album with Monkey Puzzle Records."

"It is such a great pleasure to be working with two of music's rising stars: Sia and Hear Music," notes ie:music's Tim Clark. "Sia is simply one of the most compelling, indeed irresistible, artists of her age. Hear Music is the brightest new music label on the block, already renowned for its choice of talent and its collaborations with some of the greatest artists in the world."

Listen: Download "Electric Bird" MP3 by Sia

Sia 2007 UK tour dates:

Dates could change! Go to Sia's Official Website for the latest tour dates and information.

27 November 2007 Night & Day - SOLD OUT Manchester, Midlands
28 November 2007 Cabaret Voltaire Edinburgh
29 November 2007 King Tuts Glasgow
2 December 2007 Thekla Bristol
3 December 2007 Barfly - SOLD OUT Brighton
4 December 2007 Kings College - SOLD OUT London
5 December 2007 Moles Bath

About ie:music
ie:music was founded in 1992 by two music industry veterans, Tim Clark and David Enthoven. David was renowned for setting up EG, home to King Crimson, T.Rex, Roxy Music and Emerson Lake and Palmer. Tim is a previous managing director of Island Records and worked closely with Cat Stevens, Bob Marley, Grace Jones and David's EG roster, among others. ie:music is privileged to represent a small roster that includes, apart from Sia, superstar Robbie Williams, renowned composer and artist Craig Armstrong and Archive, who have achieved much success in Europe.

About Hear Music
Hear Music is an innovative record label and partnership between Starbucks Entertainment and Concord Music Group. Rooted in quality, authenticity and passion, Hear Music works directly with artists, both emerging and established, to bring quality music to the widest possible audience, in both Starbucks locations and traditional music retailers worldwide.

Related: Joni Mitchell set to release Shine on Hear Music

Sia Official Website
Sia on Myspace