21-year-old Camilla Kerslake begins her small screen charge THIS Friday, October 30th, with her television appearance on GMTV in a filmed studio piece with Gary Barlow, which is immediately followed by a live performance in the GMTV studio on Monday (November 2nd).

Newly signed to Gary Barlow’s record label Future Records, Camilla is the voice of Waitrose’s Christmas TV ads, with her sublime version of “How Can I Keep From Singing”.

It’s one of the many standout tracks from her magical self-titled debut album, released November 23rd.

Other highlights include a breathtaking performance of “Rule The World” in Italian and immaculate version of “She Moved Through The Fair”, which is being championed by Terry Wogan on Radio 2.

In addition to this, Camilla has been inundated with TV performances and appearances in the weeks leading up to the release of her debut album including:

Children In Need, Alan Titchmarsh, The One Show, This Morning, BBC Breakfast and Singing For The Troops on Christmas Eve.

The story of Camilla Kerslake is one that dreams are made of. Only this summer she would incessantly drop off demos at a London studio for weeks on end. Inside Take That were recording and Camilla was determined to give Gary the demo tape she had saved up to record. Her persistence paid off and he eventually listened.

Camilla is a special guest for Il Divo’s two Christmas shows at Hammersmith Apollo, December 7th and 8th where she performs two duets with them as well as three solo performances.

Buy Music:

Camilla Kerslake on amazon.co.uk

GMTV Official Website

Camilla Kerslake Official Website

Live On Letterman Webcast Concert Will Be Streamed This Evening

Tim McGraw will launch his upcoming album, Southern Voice, with a series of national television appearances.

Tonight (October 12th) he will perform on Late Show with David Letterman and play an exclusive “Live on Letterman” webcast concert from the Ed Sullivan Theater.

The concert will be streamed on the “Late Show” website (www.cbs.com/late_night/late_show) tonight at approximately 8:00 PM, ET/5:00 PM, PT, and will also be simulcast live on 11 CBS RADIO country music stations across the country.

This Friday, October 16th, McGraw will return to the “Late Show” for a performance and an interview with Letterman.

Later this month, Tim McGraw will perform on TODAY (October 23) as part of the Toyota Concert Series on Rockefeller Plaza, The Jay Leno Show (October 27), where he’ll be joined by special guest Gregg Allman, and Ellen (October 29).

Southern Voice, Tim McGraw’s first studio album in two and a half years, will be released on October 20, 2009 by Curb Records and he will play a very special show that evening at the intimate Joe’s Bar in Chicago with special guest Chris Young.

Proceeds from the concert, which is sold out, will go to The Neighbor’s Keeper Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a charitable fund created by Tim and his wife, Faith Hill.

Recorded with his longtime producer, Byron Gallimore (Faith Hill, Sugarland), Southern Voice’s 12 songs represent a new level of depth and intensity for McGraw; they tell unforgettable stories of lives lived and lessons learned, and reveal a man staring down what it means to be a father, a husband.

McGraw, who was recently featured on the cover of Billboard, gave the title track, which is also his current single, its national television debut last month on the NBC/NFL Network simulcast of “NFL OPENING KICKOFF 2009 PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS.”

Plans are currently being finalized for a major Tim McGraw tour, which will kick off in February 2010. Details will be announced shortly.

Buy Music, Movies, more:

Tim McGraw on amazon.com

Tim McGraw Official Website

McGraw’s website unveils cover art for Southern Voice, his upcoming album, scheduled for October 20th release

Megastar Tim McGraw will perform on “NFL OPENING KICKOFF 2009 PRESENTED BY EA SPORTS,” which will be simulcast on NBC and NFL Network on Thursday, September 10, 2009, from 8:00 – 8:30 p.m. ET.

The show celebrates the kickoff of the 2009 season and honors the six-time Super Bowl champion Pittsburgh Steelers and the city of Pittsburgh. The live pregame broadcast, which leads into the season opener between the Steelers and the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field, will also be available via NFL Mobile Live only from Sprint.

McGraw and The Black Eyed Peas will kick off the celebration, hosted by Seth Meyers of “Saturday Night Live,” with a free concert open to the public at Point State Park in Pittsburgh. Additional concert details will be announced shortly.

Curb Records will release ‘Southern Voice’, Tim McGraw’s first studio album in two and a half years, on October 20th. Fans can now get a sneak peek of the cover art at McGraw’s website: www.timmcgraw.com

Lead single “It’s A Business Doing Pleasure With You” was #1 Most Added for two consecutive weeks at radio and is already 12* on the Billboard Country Singles chart. It is available now at all digital retailers. Recorded in Nashville with McGraw’s longtime producer, Byron Gallimore (Faith Hill, Sugarland, Phil Vassar), ‘Southern Voice’ is the follow-up to ‘Let It Go’, which debuted at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in April of 2007.

Buy Music:

Tim McGraw on amazon.com

Tim McGraw Official Website

Appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live July 24th; featured on Weekend Edition and Fresh Air

Fresh on the heels of appearances on NPR’s “Weekend Edition” and “Late Night with David Letterman,” EELS will be featured on “Jimmy Kimmel Live” July 24, 2009 performing a track from their latest record, ‘Hombre Lobo: 12 Songs of Desire’, out now on Vagrant Records.

Released June 2nd, ‘Hombre Lobo’ debuted at #43 on the Billboard 200 chart surpassing the first week success of its predecessor. In addition to the “Weekend Edition” piece, Hombre Lobo was also featured in a review on NPR’s “Fresh Air” on July 9th.

Reviewer Ken Tucker says of lead singer Mark Oliver Everett (aka E), “Whether he sings in a growl meant to be heard over loud guitars or a high-tenor croon with more gently-strummed instruments, E is a sensitive soul, unafraid to sound yearning.”

Recently The New York Times named Hombre Lobo a “Critic’s Choice” while the Huffington Post raves that the record is “so sharply executed that it’s hard to compliment without outright fawning.” See more critical praise below.

EELS is the ever-changing project of singer/songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Mark Oliver Everett. The band’s first record since 2005’s critically acclaimed ‘Blinking Lights and Other Revelations’, ‘Hombre Lobo’ was recorded entirely at E’s studio in Los Angeles with Koool G Murder (bass, keyboards and guitar) and Knuckles (drums and percussion).

“I wanted to write a set of songs about desire,” says E. “That dreadful, intense want that gets you into all sorts of situations that can change your life in big ways.”

E has embarked on a number of projects since the release of 2005’s ‘Blinking Lights and Other Revelations’. In 2008 E published his acclaimed autobiography Things the Grandchildren Should Know. Also in 2008 the BBC-produced multiple-award winning Parallel Worlds, Parallel Lives documentary film about E and his quantum physicist father Hugh Everett III was broadcast on PBS’ “Nova” series in the U.S.

“All this time during the making of all these other projects, I was always writing and recording music,” says E. “Every time I branch out and try something else, I think it will be some kind of relief to take a break from music. But I always come back with my tail between my legs, because there’s nothing I enjoy more than making music. The other projects have been great experiences for me, but this is what I love to do.”

Buy Music:

Eels on amazon.com

Eels on amazon.co.uk

EELS, HOMBRE LOBO: 12 SONGS OF DESIRE

“Critic’s Choice” – The New York Times

“Moody rock music with rough edges and tuneful melodies.” – NPR “Weekend Edition”

“Vividly sketched, with the EELS delivering muddy roadhouse rockers. The ballads really shine.” – Rolling Stone

“Like much of E’s work, the album is complicated. It’s both sad and uplifting, dark and humorous, and always worth picking up.” – Associated Press

“Mark Oliver Everett takes his latest album title quite seriously, unleashing predatory howls over distortion-ridden stompers.” – SPIN

“Lean and timeless” 4 stars – MOJO

“There are few songwriters who could handle this material better than E—actually, perhaps there aren’t any.” 4 stars – The Sunday Times

“So sharply executed that it’s hard to compliment without outright fawning.” – Huffington Post

Eels Official Website
MySpace

“This has been a rich and creative year for British and Irish music,” says Simon Frith, Chair of Judges. “There are seven fine debut albums on the list and five outstanding records from more established acts, all marking out new ground. What most impresses is the imaginative verve with which British and Irish musicians continue to explore musical possibilities, push musical boundaries and refuse to be pinned down by genre”.

The 2009 Albums of the Year are:

Bat for Lashes Two Suns
Florence & The Machine Lungs
Friendly Fires Friendly Fires
Glasvegas Glasvegas
Kasabian West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum
La Roux La Roux
Led Bib Sensible Shoes
Lisa Hannigan Sea Sew
Speech Debelle Speech Therapy
Sweet Billy Pilgrim Twice Born Men
The Horrors Primary Colours
The Invisible The Invisible

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize celebrates the year in music. The shortlist, chosen from an entry of over 260 albums by UK and Irish artists, was announced by Lauren Laverne.

The event was hosted by The Hospital Club in Covent Garden, the club for creative industries.

The winner of this year’s Barclaycard Mercury Prize will be announced live on BBC Two on Tuesday 8 September 2009 as part of the BBC’s coverage of the Awards Show.

A second programme on BBC Two will be broadcast on Friday 11 September.

The programmes will be presented by Lauren Laverne, with the Awards Show itself hosted by Jools Holland.

The Barclaycard Mercury Prize for ‘Albums of the Year’ is open to all genres of music from the UK and Ireland. It is judged solely through consideration of the music on the albums – it does not have categories, nor does it take into account sales, media exposure or live performances.

The Prize also celebrates the best live music in the UK through monthly ‘Barclaycard Mercury Prize Sessions’ with the Hospital Club - a stand alone, new initiative, which is not linked to the ‘Albums of the Year’ competition.

Barclaycard is one of the pioneers of new forms of payments and is at the forefront of developing viable contactless and mobile payment schemes for today and cutting edge forms of payment for the future. They have recently launched a new music site for their customers

Shop:

Music on amazon.co.uk

Barclaycard Official Website

Mercury Prize Official Website

2009 Grammy Winners They Might Be Giants Release New Kids Album!

Kicking Off US Tour in Support of Here Comes Science Release at The Museum Of Natural History

Alternative rock band They Might Be Giants are proud to announce the release of a brand new kids CD and full length animated DVD, ‘Here Comes Science’, the follow up to this years Grammy Award winning Best Children’s Album ‘Here Comes the 123s’.

The 2-disc set will be available as exclusives physically on Amazon and digitally on iTunes September 1, 2009, full-scale release September 22nd on Idlewild/Disney Sound.

Buy Music:

They Might Be Giants on amazon.com

John Flansburgh and John Linnell have put their heads together once again to create engaging and educational tunes, this time for older kids!

Though this release is geared towards post-toddlers, like most They Might Be Giants family releases, adults won’t be surprised when they catch themselves popping these songs into their own iPod.

Packed with TMBG’s signature melodies and highly energized arrangements, ‘Here Comes Science’ examines a wide array of scientific ideas. Titles include “Photosynthesis,” “Meet the Elements” and the fully rocking “I Am a Paleontologist”.

THE STORY OF TMBG’s MUSIC FOR KIDS
Brooklyn’s international rock legends entered the world of kids’ stuff in 2002 with their self-styled kids album No! The project was immediately met with audience and critical raves, quickly becoming an unexpected commercial success. They followed up that effort with a collaboration with fine artist Marcel Dzama on the CD & picture book Bed, Bed, Bed (Simon and Schuster), and then joined forces with Walt Disney Records for the album and DVD Here Come the ABCs.

TMBG is already a familiar sound in many kids’ daily routines. Most recently they reached out to Little League baseball teams offering rock & roll sponsorship to teams across America!

The band has created many original themes for television including Higglytown Heroes, The Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, The Oblongs, PBS Kids Share-A-Story, along with their GRAMMY-winning theme “Boss of Me” for Malcolm In the Middle. They have also appeared on Blue’s Clues and Home Movies.

AND HERE COMES THE TMBG VIDEO PODCAST!
Every song on ‘Here Comes Science’ comes with a video! TMBG will be adding new videos to their popular “They Might Be Giants Family Video Podcast” in August 2009, which can be found on iTunes.

A new song with video will be featured every week – the perfect destination for families looking to share a musical moment together right before bedtime.

They Might Be Giants 2009 US tour dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

07/25: Camden, NJ @ Wiggins Park at XPN Fest
09/13: Clark, NJ @ Union County Music Fest @ Oak Ridge Park
09/19: Raleigh, NC @ North Carolina Museum of Art
10/01: Ithaca, NY @ State Theatre
10/02: Albany, NY @ Hart Theatre/The Egg
10/03: Albany, NY @ Hart Theatre/ The Egg
10/04: New York, NY @ American Museum of Natural History
10/08: Detroit, MI @ St. Andrew’s Hall
10/09: St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant
10/10: Chicago, IL @ Vic Theatre
10/11: Madison, WI @ Barrymore Theatre
10/13: Indianapolis, IN @ The Vogue
10/15: Cleveland, OH @ Beachland Ballroom
10/16: Millvale, PA @ Mr. Small’s Theater
10/17: Kutztown, PA @ Kutztown University – Schaeffer Auditorium
10/18: New York, NY @ NYU – Skirball Center for the Performing Arts
11/14: Los Angeles, CA @ Royce Hall @ UCLA
11/15: Santa Barbara, CA @ Campbell Hall @ UCSB
11/21: Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
11/27: Uncasville, CT @ The Wolf Den at Mohegan Sun Casino
11/28: Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club

“They make defiantly uncool look and sound unbelievably cool…” – Village Voice, September 2008

TMBG “combined a Dadaist sensibility with smart hooks.” – The New Yorker, March 2009

They Might Be Giants Official Website
They Might Be Giants – Facebook

David Guetta is dominating dance floors and airwaves around the world with “When Love Takes Over” which hit Number 1 in the UK and is racing up the U.S. Top 40 Radio Airplay Charts

Guetta Produced The Black Eyed Peas Number 1 Selling Smash And Current Top 10 Radio Hit “I Gotta Feeling”

Guetta’s New Album ‘One Love’ To Be Released August 25, 2009

International Artist / DJ / Producer David Guetta and pop-R&B superstar Kelly Rowland are set to perform their global hit “When Love Takes Over” for the first time on US television this Thursday, July 9, 2009 on Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance.”

The hit single from David Guetta’s upcoming album ‘One Love’ has become one of the songs of summer 2009 around the globe.

Buy Music:

David Guetta on amazon.com

amazon.co.uk

Already hitting #1 in the UK, France and Ireland and #1 on the US Billboard Dance Charts, “When Love Takes Over” is now climbing the Top 40 Radio Airplay chart where it is currently #32.

“When Love Takes Over” isn’t Guetta’s only hit on the charts, he produced the Black Eyed Peas most recent single “I Gotta Feeling” which is the #1 selling single in the U.S. and is top ten at Top 40 radio.

The sexy video for “When Love Takes Over” shot in Venice Beach, CA by famed director Jonas Akerlund is seeing airplay on Music Choice, BETJ, MTV Hits and Logo and has been streamed over 1.8 million times in just 3 weeks on Guetta’s official youtube channel.

Guetta’s upcoming fourth studio album, ‘One Love’, scheduled for August 25th release on Astralwerks, is an ambitious, ingeniously crafted album that sets forth nothing less than a bold and beautiful manifesto for the global pop and dance audience.

Guetta’s unique blend of dance/electronic with contemporary urban flourishes is showcased throughout ‘One Love’ with guest vocals by superstars Rowland, will.i.am, Akon, Estelle, break-out stars Kid Cudi, Novel, Wynter, Makeba and longtime collaborator Chris Willis.

With killer vocals provided by each artist, Guetta serves up a body-rocking, all-embracing blend of hip-hop, soul and electro – an audacious fusion that’s been sorely missed ever since rap and dance audiences became polarized at the turn of the 1990s. With a global following of nearly five million celebrants at over 200 DJ performances just last year attesting to his musical authority, it’s no wonder that Guetta has emerged as a catalyst and a curator of an exciting new musical hybrid.

DAVID GUETTA’s name is synonymous with the world’s greatest house and dance music, and with the parties that bring that music to life. Since releasing his first pioneering single “Up 1 Way” in his native Paris, France in 1992, David Guetta has sold over 2 million albums worldwide and over 3.2 million singles. He has been France’s No. 1 club DJ for a decade, and was named the world’s No. 1 House DJ in 2008.

Attesting to his global appeal, Guetta is also a bona-fide YouTube star, holding the record for “most watched” of any artist in the electronic music genre with over 32 million views of his 2007 classic “Love Is Gone”.

In Europe, Guetta has previously released three chart-topping albums (Just a Little More Love, 2002; Guetta Blaster, 2004; Pop Life, 2007). Guetta and his wife Cathy are also famed for staging the mega-sized dance parties, F*** Me I’m Famous, for tens of thousands of house, electro, and dance-loving fans from Ibiza to Miami, New York, London, Barcelona and Paris. They have released four best-selling compilation packages of the same name.

For more information on David Guetta, please visit:

David Guetta Official Website
MySpace
David Guetta YouTube Channel
David Guetta on Twitter

——

Kelly Rowland on Twitter
Kelly Rowland Official Website

To coincide with the launch of Rufus Wainwright’s debut opera – the Premiere of which is on Friday 10th July, 2009 at the Palace Theatre Manchester – Alan Yentob has followed Rufus for an Imagine special airing Tuesday 7th July at 22.35 on BBC One.

IMAGINE: RUFUS WAINWRIGHT, PRIMA DONNA

More information:

In this Imagine, Alan Yentob explores the rapid rise of the most mercurial talent of the modern music scene, Rufus Wainwright. Rufus is a truly extraordinary singer and composer of some of the most sophisticated pop music and affecting lyrics of the last thirty years – a man who Elton John called the “best songwriter in the world”. The film both tells Rufus’s colourful story and follows his journey as he creates his very first opera, Prima Donna and he is plunged into the very midst of the classical world.

Opera has always been a great love of Rufus’s, but in this documentary Rufus reveals to Alan how he arrived at this point. He talks candidly about his background; the family of musical luminaries (father: Loudon Wainwright; mother Kate McGarrigle; sister Martha Wainwright), his troubled personal history with drugs and also the tensions that have informed his music.

It is the creation of the opera that provides the spine of the film. From the first workshop through to the run up to opening night, Imagine have captured the highs and lows as Rufus embarks on the mammoth task of creating his first opera. Alan finds out what it felt like being the outsider when all the more established opera colleagues ganged up against him and his co-librettist.

Alan Yentob catches up with Rufus in his childhood home in Montréal, in New York where he now lives and where he performs with his family for a Christmas special, and of course in Leeds and Manchester where the opera, Prima Donna, will make its bow. The film also contains footage of Rufus in Berlin where we see him creating his first classical work with avant garde director Robert Wilson, and performing in a solo show.

This is a unique insight into an artist at the height of his powers, and a snapshot of a star taking a leap into the unknown.

As well as interviews and special performances or songs old and new with Rufus himself, the film includes interviews with Kate McGarrigle, Loudon Wainwright III, Anna McGarrigle, Martha Wainwright and celebrated soprano Renée Fleming.

© Pixelboost/ Isis Productions Ltd. 2009

For more information, go to:

BBC One – Imagine ; Rufus Wainwright, Prima Donna – BBC One

Rufus Wainwright Official Website

Ever wondered how music affects our brains?

Be sure to tune in to NOVA on June 30, 2009 as we talk with the famous neurologist and acclaimed author Dr. Oliver Sacks about his myriad patients who are struggling to cope with debilitating medical conditions. While their ailments vary, many have one thing in common: an appreciation for the therapeutic effects of music.

Watch a preview and see their amazing musical talents:

Can the power of music make the brain come alive? Throughout his career Dr. Oliver Sacks has encountered myriad patients who are struggling to cope with debilitating medical conditions. While their ailments vary, many have one thing in common: an appreciation for the therapeutic effects of music. NOVA follows four of these individuals, and even peers into Sacks’ own brain, to investigate music’s strange, surprising, and still unexplained power over the brain in Musical Minds premiering Tuesday, June 30, 2009 at 8pm ET/PT on PBS (check local listings).

You can also submit questions for Dr. Sacks on our website and he’ll post his answers to selected questions on July 6th.

For more information and local listings, go to:

Musical Minds on Nova Official Website

Grammy Award winner Eminem joins FAMILY GUY’s Stewie Griffin to host ANIMATION DOMINATION Sunday, May 17, 2009 on FOX. The evening will feature interstitials voiced by and featuring an animated version of the hip-hop superstar.

Fans should tune in for an exclusive surprise MySpace Music announcement they won’t want to miss and visit http://www.myspace.com/music that evening for additional details.

“It was a thrill to work with Stewie,” said Eminem about the youngest member of the Griffin clan. “I’m a big fan of talking babies and their humor.”

On working with Eminem, Stewie said “I was just about to meet him, but after I shook hands with his stylist, his assistant, his lawyer, his bodyguard, his other bodyguard, his photographer, his manager, his hanger-on, his flower girl, his driver, his videographer, his notary, his historian, his her-storian, his texter and his own greased-up deaf guy, I got the swine flu.”

On the season finale of FAMILY GUY airing Sunday, May 17, 2009 (9:00-9:30 PM ET/PT), Peter has his palm read by a psychic who reveals that he had a fascinating past life in the 17th century as Griffin Peterson, a dignified gentleman from the newly founded colony of Quahog who vied for the love of Lady Redbush. It was a time of great love and adventure where King Stewart reigned supreme, the smartest dog in the room was the court jester, army lieutenants were merely boys and even old England loved “How I Met Your Mother” (Neil Patrick Harris, Josh Radnor and Jason Segel guest-voice).

Eminem’s fifth full-length album, ‘Relapse,’ is set to be released on May 19. The album’s debut single, “Crack a Bottle,” was released in February and set a first week record for digital sales at the time, while the first official single and video, “We Made You,” debuted in April. To date, Eminem has sold more than 75 million albums worldwide. His previous studio album, ‘Encore,’ reached No. 1 and dominated the charts in late 2004. The Grammy-nominated disc was certified quadruple-platinum, generated four Top 40 Hot 100 hits and has sold more than 11 million copies. In October 2008, Eminem published “Eminem: The Way I Am,” a compilation of thoughts, stories and memorabilia that entered The New York Times Best-Seller List at No. 11.

FAMILY GUY is a 20th Century Fox Television production. Seth MacFarlane is creator/executive producer, Mark Hentemann and Steve Callaghan are executive producers/show-runners and David A. Goodman, Chris Sheridan and Danny Smith are executive producers.

Buy Music:

Eminem on amazon.com

Eminem on amazon.co.uk

Family Guy Official Website

Eminem Official Website

MySpace

Eminem on Twitter

Groundbreaking electro legends Depeche Mode will shut down Hollywood Boulevard in Los Angeles for an exclusive outdoor nighttime performance to be broadcast live on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live! on Thursday, April 23, 2009 (12:05-1:05 a.m. ET/PT).

This will be Depeche Mode’s first late-night talk show performance since announcing their upcoming “Tour Of The Universe,” which will include material from their highly anticipated twelfth studio album ‘Sounds Of the Universe’ (Mute/Capitol/Virgin) to be released on April 21st.

The band’s special performance will feature a multi-song set for the fans on the boulevard including two songs to be broadcast on Jimmy Kimmel Live! one of which will be their new single, “Wrong”.

This unique performance will take place on a custom-built stage on the corner of Hollywood Blvd. and Vine St. at the doorstep of the new W Hollywood Residences. Only KROQ listeners can win VIP section tickets. Fans should visit www.KROQ.com for complete entry details. This exciting Jimmy Kimmel Live! event is taking place in conjunction with the W Hollywood Residences, Gatehouse Capital, Rogue Films “Fighting”, Relativity Media and KROQ FM.

“Dave Gahan’s voice is as captivating as ever and Martin Gore’s songwriting is still in full form..it serves as foolproof evidence that Depeche Mode has no plans for retirement.” – FILTER MAGAZINE

“Sounds of the Universe is Depeche Mode’s most tune-packed and sonically adventurous album for over a decade.” – MOJO MAGAZINE

Buy Music:

Depeche Mode on amazon.com

Depeche Mode on amazon.co.uk

For music and more information, go to:

Depeche Mode Official Website
Depeche Mode MySpace

The international Irish music sensation, Celtic Woman, will make a very special appearance on ABC TV’s hit series Dancing with the Stars, Tuesday April 21, 2009.

The group will sing Brendan Graham’s beloved “You Raise Me Up,” a longtime Celtic Woman concert favorite.

Now in its seventh week of the 8th season, Dancing with the Stars is hosted by Tom Bergeron (”America’s Funniest Home Videos”) and Samantha Harris (”The Insider”). The celebrities perform choreographed dance routines judged by renowned Ballroom judge Len Goodman and dancer/choreographers Bruno Tonioli and Carrie Ann Inaba.

Buy Music

Celtic Woman on amazon.com

Celtic Woman on amazon.co.uk

Named #1 Top World Music Artist by Billboard Magazine, Celtic Woman is currently on an extensive 73 city U.S. tour through July 2. While receiving standing ovations every night, the group took time to visit NBC’s Today Show and also rang the closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange. The 2009 “Isle of Hope” tour is Celtic Woman’s most magical production yet, featuring a blend of fan favorites and stunning new music. Upcoming tour highlights include a return to the Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on April 25th, multiple nights in Seattle (May 15-17), Philadelphia (June 20-21) and wrapping at the majestic Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver (July 1-2).

Celtic Woman “is a bona fide phenomenon” (Boston Globe), featuring the “breathtaking harmonies” (Dallas Morning News) of Chloë Agnew, Lynn Hilary, Lisa Kelly, Alex Sharpe and Celtic violinist, Máiréad Nesbitt. Known for heavenly renditions of Irish standards, classical favorites and contemporary hits, Celtic Woman has inspired audiences of all ages with their PBS TV specials, stunning live performances and their latest album, The Greatest Journey.

REMAINING 2009 TOUR DATES:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

4/23 Phoenix, AZ Dodge Theatre
4/24 Costa Mesa, CA Orange County PAC
4/25 Los Angeles, CA Greek Theatre
4/27-28 Palm Desert, CA McCAllum Theatre
4/29 San Diego, CA SD Open Air Theatre
5/1 Fresno, CA Saroyan Theatre
5/2 Santa Barbara, CA Santa Barbara Bowl
5/3 San Jose, CA San Jose Civic Auditorium
5/5 Sacramento, CA Memorial Auditorium
5/6 Oakland, CA Paramount Theatre of the Arts
5/8 Spokane, WA Spokane Arena – Star Theatre
5/9 Portland, OR Rose Quarter – Theater of the Clouds
5/10 Eugene, OR Hult Center for the Performing Arts
5/12 Salt Lake City, UT E Center of West Valley
5/13 Boise, ID Morrison Center for the Performing Arts
5/15-17 Seattle, WA Paramount Theatre
5/27-28 Ft. Myers, FL Barbara B. Mann Performing Arts Hall
5/29- 30 West Palm Beach, FL Kravitz Center
6/1 Savannah, GA Johnny Mercer Theater
6/2 Charlotte, NC Ovens Auditorium
6/4-5 Roanoke, VA Civic Center Performing Arts Theatre
6/6 Raleigh, NC Progress Energy CPA
6/7 Portsmouth, VA Ntelos Pavilion
6/8 Vienna, VA Filene Center at Wolf Trap
6/10 Cincinnati, OH Aronoff Center
6/12 Youngstown, OH Chevrolet Centre
6/13 Cleveland, OH Playhouse Square Center
6/14 Richmond, VA Landmark Theatre
6/16 Lexington, KY Rupp Arena
6/17 Nashville, TN Tennessee Performing Arts Center
6/20-21 Philadelphia, PA Mann Center for the Performing Arts
6/22 Trenton, NJ Sovereign Bank Arena
6/23 University Park, PA Bryce Jordon Center
6/24 Fort Wayne, IN Allen County War Memorial
6/26 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
6/27 Little Rock, AR Alltel Arena
6/28 Tulsa, OK Mabee Center Arena
7/1-2 Morrison, CO Red Rocks Amphitheatre

Dancing With The Stars on ABC

Celtic Woman Official Website

Butch Walker, who has seen success as a solo artist and front man while also producing and writing GRAMMY-nominated hit songs for some of the world’s biggest artists including Pink, Katy Perry and Dashboard Confessional, marks the success of his critically acclaimed fourth studio album ‘Sycamore Meadows’ with the announcement of national TV and radio performances, a worldwide ad campaign and nationwide tour.

Watch Butch Walker “Ships in a Bottle” video – homemade video that documents the remains of his house before it was cleared away after the fire. Read more below.

Butch Walker on amazon.com

Butch Walker on amazon.co.uk

Walker will make his national TV debut on The Ellen DeGeneres Show with a performance of his new single “Here Comes The…” featuring Pink, who also appears on the album track, on Tuesday, February 3, 2009.

Watch video – Butch and Pink on Ellen:

The two have contributed to each other’s albums in the past and Ellen will mark their first TV performance together. Prior to the Ellen performance, on January 29th, Walker will perform songs off of Sycamore Meadows on NPR’s premiere music program World Café, which is syndicated on 168 NPR stations nationwide.

In addition to his work on the latest Pink album, ‘Funhouse’, Butch’s new Katy Perry single “Thinking Of You” just entered Billboard’s Top 20 chart and his Top 5 Secondhand Serenade smash “Fall For You” is nearing towards double platinum sales. He recently completed work with Dashboard Confessional on their next album and had the unique experience of working with the all-star cast of Cee-Lo, Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Janelle Monet, Travis McCoy from Gym Class Heroes and Brendon Urie from Panic at the Disco on the new global theme for Coca Cola, “Open Happiness.”

After playing a string of sold-out dates around the release of his album in October and November of 2008, Walker will head out on a national headlining tour that will kick-off in Toronto on March 5th and visit over 20 cities.

Walker’s latest album ‘Sycamore Meadows’ has received rave reviews from the press. Billboard referred to the album as a “new high point for the already accomplished Walker”, Filter stated, “as a songwriter his storytelling ability alone wins the day” and USA Today says “best thing I’ve heard from him.”

***

Sycamore Meadows, the street where acclaimed musician Butch Walker lived and worked in Malibu, CA has drastically changed as a result of the massive wildfires that destroyed much of the area last November. And like many other Southern California residents, Walker lost his entire house and all his personal possessions in those fires, including his studio and every master recording he’s ever made. But inspiration sometimes comes from tragedy and so it became that this event incited Butch Walker to create music unlike anything he had ever done before.

The result is his fourth studio album, ‘Sycamore Meadows’ (Power Ballad/Stay Platinum/Original Signal).

The album, which was written and produced entirely by Walker, features a classic and introspective sound highlighting his poignant lyrics and unforgettable melodies, further proving the staying power of Walker as a solo artist.

2009 U.S. Headlining Dates:

(Dates and information subject to change.)

3/5 Toronto / Lee’s Palace (19+)
3/6 Detroit / Magic Bag (18+)
3/7 Grand Rapids / Mixtape Cafe
3/9 Minneapolis / Varsity Theater
3/10 Chicago / House of Blues (17+)
3/11 Cleveland / Grog Shop
3/13 Pittsburgh / Mr. Smalls
3/14 New York City / Webster Hall (16+)
3/15 Philadelphia / TLA
3/16 Boston / Paradise Rock Club
3/18 Providence RI / Club Hall
3/19 Hoboken / Maxwell’s
3/20 Asbury Park / Stone Pony
3/21 Washington DC / 9:30 Club
3/23 Raleigh, NC / Lincoln Theatre
3/24 Asheville, NC / Orange Peel
3/25 Atlanta / Variety Playhouse
3/27 Nashville, TN / Exit/In (18+)
3/28 Athens, GA / 40 Watt Club (18+)
3/29 Orlando / The Social

Butch Walker MySpace
Butch Walker Official Website

I’m not sure what I was doing when the Gilmore Girls series began in 2000, but somehow it slipped by me until now. 2009. Well, actually I started watching it late last year. I was still living in the States when it first aired in 2000, but it’s funny to be so taken with the show and its characters now, here in England. Luckily E4 has been airing the shows everyday and it’s become a favorite past-time of mine. It’s too bad the series ended in 2007.

The whole Gilmore family cracks me up. Lorelai, played by Lauren Graham, is full of jokes and her close relationship with daughter Rory (Alexis Bledel) is touching. Lorelai’s parents, Emily and Richard Gilmore, played by the wonderful Kelly Bishop and Edward Herrmann, are unmissable, as is the often sourly but lovable Luke (Scott Patterson). The quirky residents of the fictional town of Stars Hollow, Connecticut are hilarious – characters that keep the show interesting and special.

Which leads me into the musical aspect of Gilmore Girls. Carole King sings the catchy theme song “Where You Lead” with her daughter Louise Goffin. That in itself is a treat. The song was originally recorded in 1971 and each time that it’s played on the show I enjoy hearing it, and haven’t gotten sick of it yet!

Not only the theme song though, but most episodes have mentions of bands – whether it’s the musical Lane (Keiko Agena) with her stashed CDs hidden in her bedroom under the floorboards in sections by genre; a Bangles concert attended by the Gilmore girls and friends; or current bands of the time being played during certain scenes, it’s fun listening out for band references and the ‘background’ music. The show gets even better when the rock band comes to fruition, and Sebastian Bach guest stars. Brilliant.

The episode that aired today was the one with the Stars Hollow Firelight Festival, and the Stars Hollow busker/Troubadour AKA Grant-Lee Phillips (Grant Lee Buffalo) was playing the Grant Lee Buffalo song, “Mockingbirds”.

Watch “Mockingbirds” video:

I hadn’t heard that song in a long time, and actually, had no idea that it was a Grant Lee Buffalo track until I looked it up now. I really like that song, and it just goes to show how great a platform Gilmore Girls was for music and artists – and continues to showcase music now in syndication, with shows still being broadcast around the world.

Gilmore Girls on amazon.com

Gilmore Girls on amazon.co.uk

Grant Lee Buffalo Official Website

Gilmore Girls – Wikipedia

By: Jenny May – BandWeblogs.com

Colin MacIntyre releases a new version of “You’re A Star” on Jan 26th, 2009 through his own Future Gods Recordings label. The single is taken from his current album release ‘The Water’, which has already won universal critical acclaim.

Following on from his last single “Famous For Being Famous”, this is another dose of MacIntyre sugar rush. Available from iTunes and all usual download sources.

Watch “Famous For Being Famous” video:

Colin MacIntyre on amazon.co.uk

Produced by Lemon Jelly’s Nick Franglen, “You’re a Star” sneers at the attention-seeking antics of the no-knickers brigade,” say The Guardian.

It’s one of the finest moments of ‘The Water’, an eclectic set that includes the sea shanty title track, the infectious “Famous For Being Famous”, and a very special spoken word guest appearance by Tony Benn on “Pay Attention To The Human”.

“You’re A Star” is the title track for Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh’s hilarious new ITV mockumentary comedy drama, Good Arrows, aired Jan 30, 2009, 10pm on ITV4, on week of release.

Good Arrows on amazon.co.uk (DVD scheduled for February ‘09 release)

Good Arrows is set in South Wales, where the world of minor celebrity meets the world of professional darts. The video for “You’re A Star” is directed by Irvine Welsh, and co-directed by Balazs Bolygo (Life On Mars), and features Colin and moments from the film, starring Jonanthan Owen (Wedding Belles, Shameless), as Andy ‘The Arrows’ Samson, Katy Brand (Katy Brand’s Big Ass Show) and Brian Hibbard (Twin Town, Revolver) and is Welsh’s directorial debut on a feature film. It features the mysterious Jenkem, “the ultimate credit crunch drug”. The film also features MacIntyre’s MHS hit, “The Final Arrears”. It airs during the World Darts Championship.

Irvine Welsh says: “It is a satire on the most vacuous and self-defeating foible of our times – the cult of minor celebrity.”

The previously unreleased track on the single’s download release will be “Dry Me Out”, which Colin originally recorded for his first MHS album ‘Loss’. ‘The Water’ is the first album to be released under MacIntyre’s own name having dropped the Mull Historical Society pseudonym following three critically acclaimed sets; 2001’s ‘Loss’, 2003’s ‘Us’ and 2004’s ‘This is Hope’. MacIntyre will also launch a series of exclusive downloads of ‘The Water’ tracks in conjunction with a number of leading websites.

MacIntyre, who is now recording his next album for 2009 back in his old school classroom, has been made an Ambassador for World Fair Trade Day in May 09.

“Sharp riffs… pop perfection” – The Guardian 4/5

“MacIntyre’s fourth album is blessed with the genetics of such a beautiful, tranquil place woven into it” – NME

“From the adrenalin fix of You’re A Star to the spiky Famous For Being Famous, here is a one-man anthem maker with more ambition and scale than many a band.” – The Sun

Colin MacIntyre Official Website

Colin MacIntyre MySpace