Mus News

pLong before he was the center of many various controversies, Michael Jackson led his group of brothers through what essentially served as a foundation for his early solo career. Released less than a year before Michael#39;s 1979 adult break-through, Off the Wall, The Jacksons reached a new level of success with Destiny. Arriving almost in time to celebrate its 30th anniversary, Epic/Legacy has reissued the album on CD featuring sterling remastered audio. /p pAn RIAA-certified platinum album, Destiny holds up today as a fresh and danceable collection of tunes that showcases the natural brilliance of Michael Jackson. Jermaine Jackson had left the group by this point to pursue his solo career. Tito, Jackie, Marlon, and Randy don#39;t contribute as frequently to the vocals as Micheal, but their presence as harmony singers remains strong. Michael contributes the lion#39;s share of lead vocals here, which makes this release a must-have for his fans. It really is refreshing to look back on an era when Jackson#39;s name was synonymous with music rather than tabloid headlines./p pHighlights include the only non-original track, quot;Blame It On the Boogie,quot; which was a significant Ramp;B hit. Interestingly, the songwriting credits for the track include two different Jacksons, neither of which are any relation to the group. The tightest groove (and biggest hit) is quot;Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground).quot; This is an electrifying dance track, easily earning its place on numerous best-of compilations. The title track, a country-tinged soul ballad, is another favorite. The acoustic guitar work provides a nice change of pace from the rest of the album. quot;Push Me Awayquot; is a tender slow jam, beautifully sung by Michael. The ensemble vocals on quot;Bless His Soulquot; are a prime reminder of how potent The Jacksons were./p pThere are two bonus tracks included on this reissue, neither of which is particularly revelatory. Even so, these dance mixes of the two best known tracks, quot;Blame It On the Boogiequot; and quot;Shake Your Body (Down To the Ground),quot; are nice to have for collectors and completists. I wouldn#39;t say that either of them improves upon the original, but they provide nice alternate versions. The remastered sound throughout ensures that this album sounds right at home in 2009, with buoyant bass lines popping from the speakers. New liner notes allow for a closer look at Destiny, an under-appreciated classic of #39;70s Ramp;B. /p br

pIt was the best of times; it was the worst of times; it was the most heavily European-flavored show I think I have ever been to. It was a night that was highly invigorating and helped get my 2009 concert series off with a bang. I was beginning to feel a bit deprived of live music, having not been to a show since mid-December when I saw The Misfits. I have to say that it was great to be back in the club watching live metal and drinking a beer. The crowds, the equipment, the bustle of stage hands and sound guys, it is always an experience./p pI arrived at the Chance shortly pastnbsp; eight PM and got at the end of the slow moving line. Somehow I knew it was going to be a mistake to show up so late. Of course, I was not expecting the line to be moving quite so slowly. It would not have been so bad had the wind not been whipping through the alley leading to the entrance./p pBy the time I got inside, my friends in Downfire were nearly finished with their set. This is the second time in a row that I have either missed all or part of a Downfire set. Hopefully, the same thing won#39;t happen when I go to see them again on 2/28. Still, thenbsp; one song I got to hear most of sounded great. These heavy hard rockers definitely know how to put on a solid show. I also got to see them with their newest member, bassist Jim Norton, an incredible player I have seen play with a number of acts and looks to be a good fit here. I am looking forward to actually seeing them play a whole set in the near future./p pThe next band fails from Finland, Swallow the Sun. Their style has been called a cross between Melodic Death and Doom metal. I am not the most knowledgeable when it comes to genres, but from what I heard, that sounds about right. When the six-piece first took the stage, with five members lined up across the front of the equipment-crowded stage, I cannot say I was immediately wowed by them, but by the end of their half-hour set, I was looking to sign on as a fan. I believe my initial indifference had to do with a muddy sounding mix. It was hard to really distinguish what they were doing. That was rectified rather quickly and as the mix came into focus, so did the band, and the result was something else. Their sound is heavy, atmospheric, and aggressive. They are led by a think wall of sound that lay the bed for their dark music. Particularly impressive was their drummer, Pasi Pasanen, the guy all over the kit and it sounded great./p pSwallow the Sun ended their set and the stage was set up for a little bit of an American flavor. Warbringer was preparing to bring some thrash to the stage, and I was ready for it. This is the main band I was looking forward to seeing this evening and to make it a little special, I ventured from my usual safe distance into the pit area in front of the stage./p br

p p Another Jay-Z song leaked online last month #8212; that’s OK, just make some more. Kanye West says he’s just a handful of records away from finishing Jay’s The Blueprint 3, again. /ppI finished his album and he released four songs that were potentially gonna be on the album, West said last week on Sway and King Tech’s Wake Up Show. So I gotta go back and do four. I just did one beat the other day in Hawaii #8212; probably one of the best hip-hop beats of all time, if I do say so myself. I just gotta do three more beats and we’re done, ’cause he’s got classics. He’s got songs that are better than any of the things you’ve heard leaked. /ppTwo records that Kanye says should make B3’s final cut are Everyday a Star is Born and Forever Young. /ppYou know what it was #8212; every year I do two albums’ worth of really dope beats, he explained. This year, Common did his album with Pharrell, and I did 808s amp; Heartbreak and Blueprint 3. So just imagine the caliber of beats on the last two Common albums I did #8212; Jay-Z has those types of beats. Those caliber of beats. A beat like ‘The People,’ that’s the highest caliber of beat. /ppIn 2009, at least one album’s worth of beats looks like it will be set aside for a Kanye LP. /ppI’m just gonna do what I’m gonna do and people are gonna love it because I do really fresh sh–, he laughed. When I do it, I feel like I’m gonna rap, I’m gonna go back-and-forth on it. I feel like I’m gonna sing here and there. Because I used Auto-Tune so much, it put me in the mode of doing melodies. I got a new song coming out with Beyonc#233; called ‘Ego.’ I don’t know why she wanted me on it. I didn’t use Auto-Tune, but I hit certain lines because I used it so much it’s like almost having training wheels. So it’s incorporating new styles. /ppKanye doesn’t have a release date for his LP, and there’s no firm date for The Blueprint 3, either. /p /p br

pNormally when you think of steel guitar, especially pedal steel guitar, the last thing in the world that’s going to come to mind is African American gospel music. A country gospel tune like Will The Circle Be Unbroken sure, but you don’t ever expect to hear one playing in one of those earth shaking, hip swinging gospel choirs that inspired today’s funk, soul, and blues musicians. Yet if you were a congregation member of The House Of God, Keith Dominion churches, steel guitar in shape or another is exactly what you’d have been hearing since the 1930’s./p pSacred steel music was born out of the popularity of the Hawaiian Steel guitar in the early part of the twentieth century. Two brothers, Troman and Willie Eason were responsible for bringing the steel guitar to the House of God services in the 1930’s. While Troman had learned how to play in the Hawaiian style, Willie had not had any formal training and simply played the music he was familiar with on this guitar. From such humble beginnings a genre was born./p pThe Lee Boys are a family group consisting of three brothers; Alvin (guitar), Derrick, and Keith (vocals) and three nephews; Roosevelt Collier (pedal steel guitar), Alvin Cordy Jr. (7 string bass), and Earl Walker (drums). They each grew up making music in a House of God congregation in Perrine Fl. where the brother’s father was pastor and steel player. Having been playing together, or individually, in the church since they were seven they’ve not only developed into proficient musicians but have also learned the key elements for staging a successful show. You don’t need to look any further than their new DVD release Live At Bonnaroo for evidence of just how impressive they are.br/ img src=http://musnews.net/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/52621.jpg /br/ Sunday mornings at folk festivals were reserved for gospel groups from all over, and I guess Bonnaroo is keeping up that tradition as this recording is of a Sunday morning performance The Lee Boys gave at last year’s festival. Now I can’t think of a tougher time, or a harder audience to play for, than the Sunday morning of a festival. Half the crowd is either recovering from the night before, if they’ve even gone to bed yet, and the other half are just wandering onto the site and getting their bearings. A band has to be pretty special and be able to deliver a red hot performance in order to first grab, and then hold, this type of audience’s attention for the length of the concert./p br

Proving her undying commitment to her art – or perhaps not wanting to turn down the biggest publicity opportunity of her career? – M.I.A. has confirmed she’ll perform at the American music industry’s night of nights this weekend, the Grammy Awards, on Sunday February 8th. What makes that so special? M.I.A. is literally due to give birth to her first child on the very same day. M.I.A. is up for Record Of The Year, with her track Paper Planes having climbed the Billboard charts in 2008 thanks to its inclusion on the soundtrack for Seth Rogen’s stoner flick Pineapple Express. It’s an interesting turn of events for the ever-fashionable MC, considering only a few years back she was denied entry to the US because of her father’s questionable history as a �terrorist’ (he was a member of revolutionary Sri Lankan group the Tamil Tigers).

One of the hardest-working R&B stars to come out of the New Orleans area during the Oldies era would have to be Lloyd Price, who even today — after more than fifty years of performing — still has a few irons in the fire. Growing up in nearby Kenner, young Lloyd's education in the music of New Orleans included everything from singing in his church choir to hanging around the jukebox in his mother's small restaurant. While still in his teens, he joined with his brother Leo to form a local musical group that eventually began to draw wider attention, leading to a 1952 recording session — one of historical significance. With a moonlighting Fats Domino handling the piano, Lloyd sang what would become one of the all-time classics of New Orleans R&B music, "Lawdy Miss Clawdy." It made the young singer a star, and when he followed up with several other good songs, including "Tell Me Pretty Baby" and "Ain't It a Shame," he appeared to be on his way to a long career. Unfortunately, the Korean War — and the draft — was next for Lloyd, and when he finally got back to music in 1954 he found that the ever-fickle public had moved on to singers like Little Richard and others. But Lloyd began rebuilding his career and making recordings, first for his own newly-formed company and later through a tie-in with ABC-Paramount. By 1958, he'd generated a huge Number One hit with "Stagger Lee," an updated version of the old song "Stack-A-Lee" made more appealing to mainstream audiences. As the years passed, Price continued to veer toward a more pop-oriented sound, selling a lot of records with songs such as "I'm Gonna Get Married," and one of his biggest, "Personality." (Video below.) He also continued to follow his business sense, re-forming his own recording company and finding success not only with his own music but also by promoting newcomer Wilson Pickett. But trouble was right around the corner. Price's longtime business partner Harold Logan met a violent death, and music began to seem less important. Over the last couple of decades, Price has still found the time to sing once in a while, but has become more and more involved in business investments and opportunities. For one thing, he's very involved in a specialty food company that might have its roots in a childhood spent at his momma's restaurant. In any case, he's still workin' hard.

Tony Shapiro understands the basic music cues and generates a consistent message throughout the Marley & Me Soundtrack. The soundtrack is basically a mix of generic movie cues. Chases, traveling, romance, and growth are all represented. I understand that the album follows musical cues from the movie, but the biggest flaw about the soundtrack is that it depends on the visuals to make it successful. The length of the tracks exemplifies that each fit a specific place in the movie. “Two Year Montage” is one of the longest tracks and it makes for a decent, generic pop/rock tune. I assume from the title that it’s supposed to represent time passing, but other than the increasing in key, it doesn’t feel progressive. The Irish arrangement in “Off to Ireland” is well-produced and shows a feeling of flight, adventure, and appreciating the unknown. The song makes you want to get up and do a jig. There is something that connects to the video game The Sims while listening to this soundtrack, which is probably the oddest compliment this album can get. A track like “Dog Farm” could fit perfectly in the computer game as part of customizing your family pet. “Labor Pains” and “Snow” have a similar “building/furnishing a house” theme that The Sims uses. Some of the tracks provide wonderful background music without being overbearing. I don’t understand why several of the tracks include a generic Latin sound, though. Instead of providing either a well-composed or organized track, the songs “Walking the Plank” and “Leg Love” have this almost basic keyboard preset, something very Casio Cha-Cha. I thought that maybe it was the last of it, but then out of nowhere a similar riff picks up in “Employed.” I appreciate the attempt at variations to the soundtrack, but I wish that the execution was cleaner. Several of the tracks include an interesting arrangement for volume. For “Walking the Plank,” the electric guitar is warbled out of control. In “Obedience School,” the horn is unfortunately stifled into the background instead of being the lead. “Leg Love” makes a crescendo of success in the middle and is a little too loud for its own good. “First Sleepless Night” also crescendos out of control. It then just fades to nothing. This whole soundtrack could benefit from the listener having to manually adjust the settings of their volume or else a lot of the music will end up distorted. The album has an interesting mix of tempos, styles, and arrangements. I would hesitate to suggest this for playing in the background because of tracks like “Boy and Dog” which crescendos way too loud for its own good, though. Overall, the music is standard soundtrack fare. Tony Shapiro didn't reinvent the soundtrack wheel with this one.

What we have here is a DVD that comes exactly as advertised. Which is to say that it delivers on its promise of a series of live performances recorded in the studio, without any big production values — hence its "from the basement" title and theme. The performances seen and heard here were also done mostly without any audience. I say "mostly" only because light applause can occasionally be heard. As for the artists represented here, they fall mostly under the banner of what might be called "alternative" — whatever that means these days, since what is heard here is stylistically pretty much all over the place. But there are some big "alt-rock" names here, including Beck, PJ Harvey, the White Stripes, and Sonic Youth. The biggest of these names is of course Radiohead, who also get the lion's share of the playing time here with four tracks represented. Two of these ("Down Is The New Up" and "Videotape") close the DVD and are credited to lead vocalist Thom Yorke, who does perform them solo. But let's face it, they are still Radiohead tracks. The full band opens the DVD with "All I Need" and "Reckoner," two tracks from the great In Rainbows album. I had already seen Radiohead's stuff when it was shown on VH1 last year, but it's still nice to have here to play whenever the mood strikes. You can never have enough of Radiohead playing stuff from In Rainbows. But Radiohead are not the only highlight here. The two White Stripes tracks serve as a reminder of just how great Jack White is on guitar (and how Meg pounds the shit out of those drums). The Beck stuff is, well, Beck. PJ Harvey hits some unearthly high notes behind a metronome and an acoustic piano on "The Devil." Sonic Youth sound great as well, walking a tightrope between post-punk and psychedelia on "The Sprawl" and "Pink Steam." As for the rest of what's here? Well, I have to be honest and admit I skipped through some of it. I'm sure Neil Hannon and Laura Marling are fine songwriters, for example, but I lasted less than a minute with each of them. Something about those acoustic guitars and dour faces, I guess. Hey, I had a deadline, okay? On the other hand, there were also some quite pleasant surprises on From The Basement. I definitely liked the doomy, lo-fi minor chords of Autolux, for example, even if their song "Let It Be Broken" sounded suspiciously like a slowed-down version of "Pinball Wizard." I also dug the fuzzed-out rock of Albert Hammond Jr. and the sleepy dirge-rock of Super Furry Animals. And I was already a fan of the Shins. Ditto the Eels. So my short review reads like this: If you're a Radiohead completist, you'll want this. Just consider the White Stripes, Sonic Youth, and PJ a nice little bonus. But if you're not, there's plenty of other great stuff here you might also like or otherwise be surprised by as much as I was. There's also some filler. But that's what the skip button is for.

Canadian singer/songwriter Justin Nozuka and Australian singer/songwriter Missy Higgins are co-headlining a hectic tour across the US. They start the tour on Feb 19 at Houston TX and hit 24 cities including Ft. Lauderdale, FL; Philadelphia, PA; New York, NY; Kansas City, KS; Los Angeles, CA and San Francisco, CA before ending the tour on March 25 at Solana Beach, CA. Both artists are extremely excited to be touring the US amidst immense popularity. Nozuka released his debut album ‘Holly’ last spring which was instantly popular and reached No. 6 on Billboard’s Top Heatseekers chart. He named his debut album after his mother Holly Sedgwick, sister of actress Kyra Sedgwick. On the other hand, Higgins is promoting the second album ‘On a clear night’ which was released early 2007. The album features three hit singles including the latest ‘Peachy’ which was released last November. Justin Nozuka & Missy Higgins 2009 Tour Dates 02/19/2009 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues 02/20/2009 - Austin, TX - Antone’s 02/21/2009 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues 02/24/2009 - Tampa, FL - State Theater 02/25/2009 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room 02/26/2009 - Orlando, FL - House Of Blues 02/27/2009 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft 02/28/2009 - Greenville, SC - Handlebar 03/02/2009 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club 03/03/2009 - Annapolis, MD - Ram’s Head On Stage 03/05/2009 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre of Living Arts 03/06/2009 - New York, NY - Terminal 5 03/07/2009 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues 03/08/2009 - Troy, NY - Revolution Hall 03/10/2009 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues 03/11/2009 - Detroit, MI - Royal Oak 03/13/2009 - Chicago, IL - The Vic Theater 03/14/2009 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theatre

It’s been more than two years since UK dance music prodigy James Zabiela’s last solo mix CD. He’s finally set to return this month with guns well and truly blazing, putting together the latest episode of Renaissance’s epically titled The Masters Series. It’s Zabiela’s first CD in the series, and he follows in the footsteps of Dave Seaman and Hernan Cattaneo. “I’m delighted to step-up and join the ranks of The Masters Series,” said Zabs of the new release. “I can’t wait for it to hit the shelves. I haven’t done a solo compilation in over two years so I really went to town on it,” he added. There are two discs included in the package, which Zabiela has imaginatively titled Up and Down. Jokes aside, Up will be the clubbier mix, while James describes Down as an �audio travelogue’. “An intricately produced collage of beautiful electronica over-laid with his own �field recordings’,” hypes press release. “A suite of ambient sounds and spoken word that represent both his journeys on the road and in the air, and time and thoughts between gigs.” Truth be told, it does sound pretty interesting. James Zabiela The Masters Series is due out in the UK on February 23rd, with North America to follow on March 31st. Stay tuned for details on the Australian release date.

Los Campesinos! have extended their tour of North America, with a run of dates that will see them on the road until April. The band are touring in support of their second album �We Are Beautiful, We Are Doomed’, which was released in November 2008, just seven months after their debut �Hold On Now, Youngster…�. The updated tour dates are: Grand Rapids, MI Calvin College/Ladies Literary Club (February 10) Columbus, OH Wexner Center for the Arts (11) Swarthmore, PA Swarthmore College/Olde Club (12) Boston, MA Paradise Rock Club (13) New York, NY Bowery Ballroom (14, 15) Philadelphia, PA Theatre of Living Arts (29) Burlington, VT Higher Ground (30) Montreal, PQ La Sala Rosa (31) Toronto, ON Opera House (April 1) Detroit, MI Magic Stick (2) Milwaukee, WI Turner Hall (3) Minneapolis, MN Fine Line Café (4) Omaha, NE Waiting Room (5) Denver, CO Bluebird Theatre (7) Seattle, WA Neumo’s (10) Vancouver, BC Richard’s on Richards (11) Portland, OR Wonder Ballroom (12) Sacramento, CA Harlow’s (13) San Francisco, CA Slims (15) Santa Barbara, CA Velvet Jones (16) Indio, CA Coachella Music Festival (17)

The issue of domestic violence was pushed into the spotlight this weekend when reports emerged that singer Chris Brown was allegedly involved in a physical confrontation with girlfriend Rihanna. While police are not identifying Rihanna as the woman injured in the incident that occurred on Sunday morning, TMZ has reportedly confirmed that the the 20-year-old singer was the victim in the case and that she identified Brown, 19, as her attacker. The alleged assault has shed light on a 2007 interview Brown did with Giant magazine, in which he said his mother had been physically abused by his stepfather. “He used to hit my mom,” the singer told the magazine. “He made me terrified all the time, terrified like I had to pee on myself. I remember one night he made her nose bleed. I was crying and thinking, ‘I’m just gonna go crazy on him one day.’ … I hate him to this day.” Emil Wilbekin, editor in chief of Giant, told MTV News on Monday (February 9) that if the allegations prove true, they fit a sadly predictable chain of abuse. “In the 2007 article, he talks about his abusive stepfather beating on his mother, and unfortunately, that type of behavior often becomes a pattern within families,” Wilbekin said. “It’s a little sad, because he is a role model for so many young men and has so many young female fans. It does send a really bad message.” Detectives investigating the alleged domestic-violence felony battery booked the singer for criminal threats in the case and released him on $50,000 bail; additional charges may be filed. A spokesperson for Brown could not be reached for comment at press time. TMZ is reporting that an unnamed police source said Rihanna suffered contusions and bite marks in the alleged assault. The incident came just two days after the end of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness and Prevention Week, a three-year-old effort to get out the warning signs about violence among young people (16-24) in relationships. Among those signs, according to experts, are intense jealousy, excessive text messaging or calling, monitoring calls or e-mails, frequently showing up unannounced, telling the other person what to do or wear, publicly embarrassing your partner, frequent accusations of “cheating” or flirting, keeping your partner from doing things they enjoy, and threats of suicide or self-injury in the event of a breakup. The awareness week brought some sobering statistics from around the country, such as those from the Texas Council on Family Violence, which reported that 75 percent of Texans age 16-24 who were surveyed reported experiencing dating violence or knowing someone who had. Back in 2007, one victim, Kendrick, shared her story with MTV News of being physically and emotionally abused in her first relationship, in order to let other teens know that they’re not alone. Just 14 when she started dating a senior in high school, Kendrick said she and her boyfriend, known for his quick temper, rapidly escalated to saying they loved each other and would be together forever within months of beginning their relationship. After her parents forbade her to see her boyfriend, she snuck off to meet him, and it was during those times when he would become physically abusive. “You’re stuck. You’re being controlled. You don’t know what to do,” she said, describing the situation as being “stuck in a black hole.” Even after breaking up over the phone, Kendrick said she was terrified for weeks that the boyfriend would physically harm her but that the emotional abuse she suffered was equally damaging. “When someone has that much power over your routine and your schedule, and you’re getting no say in your own life, that’s a form of abuse,” she said, referring to the use of e-mail, IM and texts by an abusive partner as a means of control. “Teen dating violence, it can be prevented. This isn’t a disease that we’re trying to find a cure for,” she said. “This is something that can be prevented if we teach people about it.” For more information on teen dating violence, head over to Think MTV for a video handbook on spotting the warning signs of abuse.

It seems strangely appropriate that this album should be coming out this year — which also heralds the 50th birthday of Motown Records — because if anyone has taken on the mantle of soul singer extraordinaire for the 21st century, then it’s the phenomenal Ruthie Foster - something that was, not coincidentally, the title of her last album. Foster has been kicking up a storm in her home state of Texas for a fair wee while now, with her winning combination of soul, classic R’n'B, and folk and blues. It’s surely only a matter of when, rather than if, she breaks internationally. From the opening, classic soul blast of “Stone Love,” through the big ballad “When It Don’t Come Easy,” and into the dynamic blues of “Truth!” this album just keeps on delivering. Hailing from a family of gospel singers, Foster studied music at university before taking the unusual route of touring with the US Navy band, Pride. Then there was an abortive period with Atlantic Records, who tried to mould her into a hybrid of Anita Baker-meets-Tracy Chapman before she broke free and headed out on the road playing at just about every folk club in North America. She’s been making albums since 1997, when her debut Full Circle came out, releasing Crossover before signing for Houston’s Blue Corn Records, which has seen another three excellent releases - Runaway Soul and the live album Stages, prior to the aforementioned The Phenomenal Ruthie Foster. Of course, it’s no real surprise that the musical performances are straight out of the top drawer. When you have the likes of former Black Crowe’s guitarist Robben Ford popping in to lay down some steaming hot lines, you know you’re in for a treat. Add in a whole pile of Memphis magic, courtesy of keyboards man, Jim Dickinson, who’s worked with, well, everyone from Aretha Franklin to the Rolling Stones, and a funked-up dose of the Memphis Horns, and you’re set up for an inspirational time. The coup de grace, though, are the vocals of Foster herself. She has that rare skill of being able to go from a whisper to a scream without losing any of the warm, welcoming glow of her remarkable voice. Frame it in slow blues, like Nickel And A Nail, then sit back and prepare to be blown away. There’s also some room for some funky Southern soul, and Dues Paid In Full, which comes punctuated with brass blasts courtesy of Wayne Jackson and the Memphis Horns, is one of the album’s highlights. The album has a cocooning feel, beautifully produced by Chris Goldsmith, who has worked with the Blind Boys Of Alabama, and I can just imagine the acoustic blues of Joy On The Other Side being given the full gospel treatment. The album finishes up with a sweet up-tempo groove called Thanks For The Joy, but it’s me who should be thanking Foster for putting a little joy into my life.

Chiefs at Spotify, the music streaming service that allows users to listen to music free, generating money from advertising, have announced that they will add “over one million” new songs to their library after signing a deal with independent music distributer CD Baby. The deal will mean that songs by artists who have had material distributed by the company, including Regina Spektor, Gary Jules and Jack Johnson, will be available to listen to on the service. The news comes in the same month that Spotify was forced to cull its library because of the details of deals with labels with regards to music releases in different regions. Spotify founder Daniel Ek said that the new deal took the company “closer to our dream of gathering all the world’s music in one place”.

Coldplay have announced the initial dates of a summer tour of the US and Canada, kicking off July 10 in Portland, OR. The band are performing at the Grammy Awards this Sunday (February 8), and are nominated for seven awards including Record Of The Year, Song Of The Year, Album Of The Year and Best Rock Album for �Viva La Vida’. The album has sold almost eight million copies worldwide so far. The dates are: Portland, OR The Amphitheater at Clark County (July 10) George, WA The Gorge Amphitheatre (11) San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheatre (13) San Diego, CA Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre (16) Carson, CA Home Depot Center (18) Dallas, TX Superpages.com Center (21) Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion (22) Maryland Heights, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater (24) East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre (25) Toronto, ON TBD (29) Mansfield, MA Comcast Center (August 3) Raleigh, NC Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion (6) Charlotte, NC Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre (7) Tampa, FL Ford Amphitheatre (9)

Promoters behind Ministry Of Sound’s new New York weekly night at Mansion (the venue that was formerly Crobar and has just been renamed M2) have revealed that they’ll be prioritising bottle service over dancing, to differentiate themselves from rival superclub Pacha New York. “We do not have a dancefloor, and that makes a huge difference. It’s more about table service, sitting, more about entertainment, production, aerialists, and performers,” Mansion chief Mark Baker told Blackbook writer Stephen Lewis. “I also think that the average age of our client here is slightly older than they have at Pacha. Pacha is definitely a legitimate DJ-driven music venue,” he added. In a follow up article, Baker described Pacha’s musical direction as вЂ?harder, younger… tribal, progressive, trance’ and promised that Ministry’s sound will be вЂ?a lot more vocal driven, a lot house-ier and a lot sexier’.

One year after being released on double CD, and a full two years after the event itself, Opeth The Roundhouse Tapes finally came out on DVD in November 2008. It has been reviewed here before: check out the excellent review by Blogcritics own Aaron Fleming, written from the perspective of someone fortunate enough to have been there on the night. For those of us that missed it, we now have this nicely packaged DVD set to fall back on. So wind up that surround sound, dust off your flat screen, check that the neighbours are out for a couple of hours, pull open a beer, and watch one of rock’s finest bands at their intense and passionate best. Obviously the double CD release, reviewed by BC’s Chris Beaumont late last year, captures the gig but there is something about the presence and charismatic power of Sweden’s Opeth that cries out to be seen. They are, in short, one of the premier epic metal bands of recent times. This concert not only captures them live but does so in one of London’s most famous and atmospheric haunts, the world renowned Roundhouse. It arrives nicely packaged. One disc, an artistically photographed booklet, hard sleeve, and the nice additional touch of a set of postcards of each band member. For extras you have band interviews, fan interviews, a gallery, but best of all is the fascinating film of the band’s sound check for the gig. They open the concert itself with the full on drama of “When”, taken from their 1998 album, My Arms Your Hearse. The film constantly cuts from band member to band member, back to the crowd, all from numerous angles, in a fast paced sequencing that helps to bring out the drama and scale of the event. The sound is excellent, the film crystal clear, and the angles well used. The crowd are up for it and the band hit their trademark high from the off. Since forming in 1990 Sweden’s Opeth has always been at the pinnacle of progressive death metal. Heavily influenced by elements ranging from folk to epic metal, Opeth move from dark to light, dynamic to the softest melodic acoustically based shifts, creating an unforgettable, and relentlessly intense atmosphere.

Just before the soundtrack to the movie Into the Wild came out I became involved in a conversation over band front men releasing solo albums. The brother-in-law was pontificating that it was quite unusual for a band as prominent and long-running as Pearl Jam to not be having solo albums from their lead singer. We ran through famous front men that have put out solo albums: Mick Jagger, Robert Plant, Jerry Garcia, David Lee Roth, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Collins, Don Henley and then began to think that maybe it wasn't such a bad idea for Eddie to stick with the band. That led naturally to lead singers who had not formed solo projects and quickly realized that brother-in-law was wrong, it had happened lots. The exercise quickly became pointless, but ongoing (Does it count if they go solo after the band breaks up? What if it is labeled as a solo album, but most of the band actually played on the record? Does Into the Wild even count as it is a movie soundtrack and not a true solo record?) Into the Wild actually turned out to be a better record than it was a movie, though it was neglected by the Academy Awards. It is also, in my opinion better than a number of Pearl Jam records. Truth be told though, I mostly gave up on them some years ago. Oh there was a time when I was very much a fan. I can remember seeing "Evenflow" on the MTV and freaking out at how brilliant it was. When I got the album, I listened to it over, and over, and over…til my ears bled. Well, maybe not that much but it got a lot of playtime. I once even mimicked Eddie's MTV Unplugged performance of writing "Pro-Choice" on my arm while in the church van on our way to a devotional (being the good boy back then I did change the wording to read "Pro-Life" but the passion was just the same.) Etc. In the decade since those days I've found I like some of their songs, and can dig their ability to hang around with good talent, but I am no where near a worshipful fan. I even tried to give Pearl Jam the old Bootleg Country try, but I could never make it. I listened to a couple of a shows a couple of times, but each time I could never really grab on. I like their energy, and many of their songs, but somehow live they just don't click for me.

Every year the Grammy Awards come around and prove once again that I am listening to the wrong radio stations. The 2009 collection is no different. The 2009 Grammy Nominees CD includes an amazing cross-section of the radio waves, some of which I hadn't heard before listening to the CD. 2008 was a great year for pop, rock, and R&B artists across the board, and on February 8, 2009, we'll know who wins in the usual categories: Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, Best New Artist, Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Coldplay's album and song "Viva La Vida" is up in multiple categories, including Record of the Year, Album of the Year, Song of the Year, and Best Pop Performance by a Duo or group with Vocals. It's amazing how many times I've seen amateur renditions of this song on YouTube this year. Next we have Estelle with her song "American Boy" (featuring Kanye West) off her album Shine. "American Boy" is up for Song of the Year and faces some stiff competition in the category. After that we have Sara Bareilles "Love Song" released as a single in 2008, which is up for Song of the Year and Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. "Love Song" has received a ton of play on my local radio stations, and I have to admit it's pretty catchy. I haven't checked out the rest of her album Little Voice, but hope to do so. Ne-Yo's album Year of the Gentleman is up for Album of the Year. You'll find the first track, "Closer" on the Nominees CD. And Ne-Yo is competing with Lil Wayne for Album of the Year. Lil Wayne's album Tha Carter III is represented on the CD by "Got Money", which also features T-Pain. One of my own favorite albums of the year, Raising Sand by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, is up for Album of the Year and Record of the Year. The song "Please Read the Letter" is on the CD, represents the album, and shows the fruit of this amazing duo. Radiohead, another great group with staying power, is up for Album of the Year with In Rainbows. "House of Cards" is here and proves that Radiohead still has what it takes to create amazing music. Lady Antebellum came on the country music scene last year and is up for Best New Artist. Their song "Love Don't Live Here" from their self-titled album was chosen to represent. The Jonas Brothers are also up for Best New Artist. Their song "Burnin' Up" is off their album A Little Bit Longer. This is a hugely popular group at my eldest daughter's elementary school. Jazmine Sullivan is another artist up for Best New Artist. Her album Fearless is represented with her song "Need U Bad."

After the banner year in music that was 2007, I suppose it was inevitable that 2008 would be a let down. And it was. It's not that there wasn't any good music released this year; after all, I was able to come up with a full list of 20 (unlike with 2006, where I wimped out at ten). But there was a lack of greatness this year, with albums that rank very highly this year that would have ranked much lower the year previous. In fact, until I seriously started to think about how this list would shape up, many of the albums on it had failed to grab me throughout the year. In part, this has more to do with the fact that I spent the year listening to older music, but still, if I loved these albums like I loved the ones that topped last year's list, I would've taken notice much earlier. The result is a list where I'm more comfortable with the bottom half (20-11) than I am with the top half. Not because the albums at the bottom are better (if they were, they'd be higher on the list), but because those albums feel like 20-11-type albums, whereas the albums that place highly on this album don't really feel like high placing albums, but this year they are. Honourable Mentions: Jenny Lewis - Acid Tongue, Gnarls Barkley - The Odd Couple, Tapes 'N Tapes - Walk It Off, The Stills - Oceans Will Rise, Coldplay - Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends 20. Q-Tip - The Renaissance: It's become tradition for me to include at least one hip-hop album in my year end lists, in a futile attempt to show that I listen to more than just indie rock. Former token representatives Common and Kanye West each released albums this year, and, well, let's just say neither contended for this list and leave it at that. Instead, Q-Tip makes his triumphant return to the world of hip-hop in the appropriately-named The Renaissance, his first album since 1999 (and first work of his I've paid attention to since A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes and Life from 1996). If you've been missing that old Quest sound, rejoice that the Abstract has returned with an album that stacks up to some of the best that group had to offer, while staking out new territory for itself. 19. Cat Power - Jukebox: Normally, cover albums are the death of artistry, the final sign that a singer has nothing new to offer, and instead tosses out a bunch of standards, hoping people will still pay to hear them sing even after they've tired of listening to what they have to sing about. But in the case of Cat Power, real creativity is applied to the songs Chan Marshall decides to cover (it helps that they aren't all standards).