Music Filter: Pop/Dance

Taylor Hicks' Hair Debuts at #1

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 22:28:49 GMT

American Idol champion Taylor Hicks, the inspirational guiding light for men who refuse to use hair-color products, cements his legend by debuting at #1 on tomorrow's Billboard Hot 100. (Billboard.com)

Hicks' hit single is "Do I Make You Proud."

Yes, Taylor. You do. Make us proud, that is. For all us men who have felt the deceptively creeping, yet obviously deprecating ravages of chronology writ upon our graying scalps and vanishing hairlines, you are our guardian, our Greyhound on the freeway of mortality. Godspeed you, Taylor Hicks -- and let those who contemptuously wag their bottles of Grecian Formula be damned, cursed forever with split ends and deceitful toupees!

I haven't yet heard the song myself.

--Shrug

Michael Jackson's Neverland Ranch Ordered Closed

Fri, 10 Mar 2006 19:34:50 GMT

I guess "never" came early. Michael Jackson has been ordered to shut down his infamous Neverland Ranch over charges that he hasn't been paying employee salaries or workers' comp insurance. All though his recent molestation trial, pundits had noted that MJ had been in some serious financial straits with the cost of his legal defense and just general upkeep on the Ranch. What's happened now is that the Ranch has been closed until Jackson can pay over $400,000 in fines to help settle the insurance issue until the Ranch can be re-opened.

As it is though, MJ doesn't even spend much time there since he's taken up new digs in the Middle Eastern nation of Bahrain so we wonder if he'll even bother to save the Ranch. Don't worry though, Reuters reports: "State officials have arranged with local authorities for the care of the animals in Neverland's zoo." No word on Bubbles the chimp. (Source: MTV News)

How 'Kidz' Get Hip With 'Bop'

Tue, 28 Feb 2006 16:02:08 GMT

It used to be that the 18-25 demographic was the coveted one amongst music sellers, but increasingly, record companies are turning towards a younger generation of consumers. The LA Times reports on the astounding success of the Kidz Bop series, soon to be in its ninth edition. If you've never heard a Kidz CD, you either are not 10 nor have kids who are 10, but basically, they feature kids singing a variety of current pop hits in "a summer camp sing-a-long" fashion. It may sound like a novelty – having a gaggle of pre-teens knocking out their own version of Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends" – and it is ... but it's a very successful novelty. Kidz Bop 8 debut at #6 on the Billboard charts and people are expecting the ninth volume to do just as well, if not better. Says the folks at Razor and Tie, who put out the series, they're really going after 5 to 10 year olds:

"These are the kids now who say, 'Please don't play us baby songs,' and this way the parents can give them hit songs from today but also feel comfortable that they are not buying something questionable in content."

(Hint: "It's Hard Being a Pimp" is not on Kidz Bop 9). (Source: LA Times)

Clay Aiken's Fans Outraged Over Rumors

Tue, 21 Feb 2006 08:55:57 GMT

We seriously do not know what to do with this story ... if it were April 1st, it'd make a lot more sense: apparently, there is a group of Clay Aiken fans who are upset at rumors that the former American Idol singer might be gay. Recent tabloid reports have interviewed a retired soldier who says he's been intimate with Aiken. This news has proved upsetting enough to nine fans who are contemplating a class action lawsuit to ... get this: sue RCA and Sony BMG for promoting Aiken as a nice, non-sexual, icon. Yeah, in other words, they feel like Aiken's image as the charming man-boy from next door is a fraud now that they've heard he's been getting sweaty with in hotel rooms with a gay lover.

Seriously, this has to be some kind of weird joke right? Would anyone in their right mind actually make the following accusation:

"The recent media about Clay has shown this to, apparently, be a lie, and that image (was) only designed to enrich the record company at the expense of consumers. We think that is false advertising. So, through our complaints, we would hope to force the record companies to admit their culpability in this manner and give refunds to anyone who bought into the Clay Aiken myth... As former fans, we just feel ripped off and hurt."

Aiken has yet to respond; nor has RCA or Sony BMG. (Source: Contactmusic.com)

Britney To Perform For Mardi Gras

Tue, 14 Feb 2006 18:58:01 GMT

Wow, a story about Britney Spears that doesn't involve her driving habits or her husband's wack raps: the 24 year old singer – and Louisana native – will help participate in this year's Mardi Gras celebration, the first one since Hurricane Katrina devastated the city last summer and a key force in the city's financial and cultural comeback attempt. Says Spears, who grew up in Kenwood, Louisana:

""I am honored to be a part of the Mardi Gras celebration in New Orleans this year.It is so important for this amazing city to continue its annual traditions and I am really looking forward to being involved."

Spears is slated to be on Good Morning America on February 28 (aka Fat Tuesday aka Mardi Gras Day) where she will perform "for a group of very deserving young residents." (We will take a wild gander and assume that even if Spears participates in other Mardi Gras events, throwing beads at her will not yield the desired results). (Source: CNN)

Barry Triumphs Over the '50s, Aims For The '60s

Mon, 13 Feb 2006 08:18:58 GMT

Barry Manilow was so successful with covering songs of the '50s, what was left but for him to advance ... to the '60s! Yes, the crooner has decided that since he went #1 with The Greatest Songs of the Fifties, it was time to tackle the next decade; in fact, he's already begun.

The "standards" angle is working well for older singers like Manilow and Rod Stewart and Manilow tries to explain what the secret to getting covers right is:

"You have to find the dignity and beauty in these songs. "You can't do them campy, you can't try to copy the originals."

As with the '50s album, Manilow is working with uber-mogul/genius Clive Davis who's played in an instrumental part in picking the right songs for Manilow to tackle. Ever with an eye to business logic, Davis says that the right cover depends on forces both legal and personal:

"I love the fact of the dual association of how long an artist can last and reinvent himself, and with the right copyright and arrangement, how many ways a song can be reinvented."

All we know is if Manilow gets up to the '90s, we'll be afraid. Very, very afraid. (Source: Billboard)

Clarkson Snubs 'American Idol' Again

Thu, 09 Feb 2006 09:11:38 GMT

One last Grammy post (for now at least). Kelly Clarkson had a good evening last night, winning "best female pop performance" as well as "best pop vocal album." Personally, we wished she quit talking about how, "I said I wasn't going to cry," or "see, I'm not crying!" and just spent her time thanking everyone from her mom to her fans to Jesus. Guess who didn't get thanked?

Look, we're not trying to stir up more American Idol vs. Clarkson beef, especially after that previous affair where Clarkson wasn't allowing anyone, including Idol to sing her songs during the competition. However, you just have to wonder what's going on when Clarkson doesn't acknowledge the very show that helped get her to this point. Whatever beef she might have with how her early, post-show career was managed doesn't change the fact that the show is why she's even up for Grammys to begin with.

Some speculated that perhaps it was because CBS didn't want someone to give Fox (which broadcasts Idol) any attention but CBS officials said there was never a time where they prohibited anyone from mentioned a rival station. Like to see how this will get spun in the media; probably some "Kelly hates Idol" affair. (Source: MSNBC)

Barry Manilow, #1 Again After 29 Years

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 17:30:13 GMT

Are we living in a time warp? The Rolling Stones do the half-time show at the Grammys, Cream and the Sex Pistols are talking about reuniting for a few shows (respectively), and ... Barry Manilow has the #1 album in the country. Despite the fact that critics have largely panned his Greatest Songs of the Fifties, Manilow beat out Mary J. Blige and Jamie Foxx (whose albums came in #2 and #4); it's his first #1 album since 1977's Live.

Coming in high, at #3, is Andrea Bocelli's Amore, his best charting album ever. Also charging into the Top 10, at #5, is Heather Headley's In My Mind. Last week's #1, Ancora by pop-opera group Il Divo slides to #6, followed by Eminem's Curtain Call and Carrie Underwood's Some Hearts. James Blunt rebounds back into the Top 10 after sitting at #11 last week; his Back to Bedlam is #9, tailed by Train, who debuts into the Top 10 with For Me, It's You. Of the new albums entering the charts, keep an eye on Razor and Tie's Monster Ballads: Platinum Edition, currently at #18, and possibly ready to hoist itself into the Top 10, especially if the week is otherwise slow. (Source: Billboard)

'High School Musical' Primer

Wed, 08 Feb 2006 10:03:56 GMT

The NY Times reports on Disney's new High School Musical, a film (and soundtrack) that's become a phenomenon for the younger set (even if most of us over 30 have no idea what the heck is going on). The Times' Ben Sisario calls it "Grease for the tween set," and so far, it's proven to be a surprise blockbuster:

"Since its premiere on Disney Channel on Jan. 20, the movie and its four reruns have attracted more than 24 million viewers, Disney said, and the soundtrack, on Walt Disney Records, has raised eyebrows in the music industry for an unusual double play: reaching the Top 10 on the Billboard album chart with virtually no radio support and making a remarkable 45 percent of its sales online, through Apple's iTunes Music Store."

The plot is beyond simple: boy meets girl, boy and girl both sing, much singing thus ensues. Little surprise that a sequel is already in the works (we presume that there will be similar boy + girl + singing + dancing action in that film) and this could spur (uh oh) a whole new wave of musicals aimed at youth.

Certainly, the success of the film shows that a horizontally integrated media company like Disney can generate its own hype through a variety of channels:

"Though the songs have not been promoted to radio stations, they have been played on Radio Disney, a network of 53 stations.... Disney Channel hyped the show and its music for weeks before the premiere, introducing the cast on a New Year's Eve show and running music videos in heavy rotation. Disney offered "Breaking Free" as a free download around the movie's premiere, and after the first broadcast, quickly ran a special singalong version of the show, directing viewers to its Web site for the words; the lyrics were downloaded 500,000 times in 24 hours.

Lastly, Sisario thinks this could be the launch of a new generation of Disney-bred stars, similar to how the Mickey Mouse Club helped bring young stars like Britney Spears, Christina Aguilara and Justin Timberlake into their first public exposure. Is there a future Britney lurking out there? (Is that a good thing?) (Source: NY Times)

Mi Jac To Drop Papal Rhymes?

Tue, 07 Feb 2006 15:43:41 GMT

Is there such a thing as a "normal" Michael Jackson story? The latest chapter in his ever-bizarre life comes from Italy where a priest, Rev. actors reciting poems composed by the late pontiff. Now, the Rev. Giuseppe Moscati wants to put out a CD of poems written by the late Pop John Paul II (who apparently, was quite the lyricist) and recited by a variety of celebrities (it's sexier that way). Moscati wants Michael Jackson as one of the people to help read the poetry ... never mind that he's not Catholic or that he's an accused pedophile (insert obligatory Catholic Church scandal joke here).

We should note: this is so far in the early planning stages that it's barely even what you could call "an idea" since Moscati still has to 1) approach the Vatican and get permission from them to do a CD of the late pontiff's poetry, let alone 2) formally pursue Michael Jackson to record for it. But hey, strangers things have happened (especially when Jacko is concerned). (Source: AOL Music)

Paparazzi Rescue Britney

Wed, 25 Jan 2006 15:58:45 GMT

We don't make it a habit about posting about Britney Spears, let alone about Spears and her run-ins with the paparazzi. That's like posting that the sun came up this morning. However, this story made us chuckle enough to get over our normal boredom/disdain at tabloid gossip. Looks like Spears ran into car trouble the other day in Los Angeles when her Ferrari broke down (of course, it'd be a Ferrari. If she were driving a Prius, this would likely never have happened).

She and brother Bryan stalled in the middle of the road in Malibu (seaside town in L.A.) and luckily, paparazzi who had been tailing Spears got out of their car and helped push the Ferrari off the side of the road and waited with Spears and her brother until help arrived. Of course, they also took a bunch of photos (hey, it's their job, right?) but for a day, they earned a Good Samaritan award. (Source: antiMUSIC)

The Worst Pop Artists

Tue, 24 Jan 2006 09:38:09 GMT

Poor Geri Halliwell. The former Spice Girl has been chosen by London's Guardian newspaper as the worst pop star. Ever. What's notable is that Halliwell didn't get there simply because she was in the Spice Girls. In fact, writer Peter Robinson goes out of his way to actually compliment her for offering, "genuine empowerment in playgrounds across the planet." No, Halliwell nabbed the #1 spot through a fall from grace, described by Robinson:

"Around the time of Halliwell's 2005 album launch, everything that was bold and brash, fun and flighty about her Spice Girls persona was traded for utter desperation, as captured in a Channel 5 documentary. Her most recent single, 'Desire ', saw Halliwell clambering onto a boardroom table and lapping at a saucer of milk - easily the most ill-advised piece of pop posturing ever seen."

Other fun charters include 4) Seal:

"One good song ('Killer') and the ability to carry off leather trousers without looking like a middle-aged pub drummer are not, contrary to what Seal may believe, enough to justify God status.

... and 6) The Darkness:

"He is now a one-joke comedian unable to understand why he is not taken seriously: rock's Michael Barrymore."

Wait, can we get Robinson to do a list of the worst rap stars? Could be fun. (Source: Guardian)

Is "Pop" No Longer Popular?

Fri, 20 Jan 2006 08:01:41 GMT

MSNBC's James Sullivan has an article out on the fragmentation of pop into sub-genres. His basic argument is that the days in which everyone heard the same pop songs is fast disappearing because of advances in technology and music distribution (yes, the internet is to blame, yet again). He writes,

"Like every other corner of the marketplace — from cable TV to breakfast cereals — the pop music planet has imploded into countless little fragments filling countless little niches. With dizzying technological advances and ever more narrowly conceived channels of distribution, consumers are learning the fine art of discrimination.

In essence, given the decline of radio as the main source of musical exposure, people's listening habits are more specialized than ever. Music in the digital age means that people aren't forced to listen to whatever a single radio programmer decides; the power of selection has, in key ways, been flipped from broadcaster to consumer.

One obvious casualty, according to Sullivan, is the "Top 40," once practically a genre unton itself. Now the chart is filled with so many different genres – and sub-genres of genres – that it's "all but obsolete as a programming format of its own." Interestingly – or perhaps inevitably – one of the last refuges for bands who want to reach as wide and diverse an audience as possible is in licensing songs for commercials. Apple's iTunes ads are a good example of how both huge (U2) and small (Jet) bands benefit from national exposure through t.v. ads.

What's left to ask is: "so what?" This has seemed inevitable but Sullivan makes the debatable suggestion that this is also part of a process in which people are increasingly becoming isolated from one another:

"With our aptly named iPods, we’re coccooning ourselves from the world around us. Those of us who don’t think we care for hip hop, or country, or dancehall or neoglam or futuristic cheerleader pop, can tune it out more effectively than ever before. Sadly, we’re already frightfully good at ignoring each other as it is.

However, we'd suggest that it's not as if each listener exists within their own private mind garden; the expansion of sub-genres means that instead of there being one community exposed to a homogenous playlist, you now have many smaller communities reflective people's specialized tastes. Is that really so bad? (Source: MSNBC)

Kelly Clarkson Snubs 'Idol', Then Relents

Thu, 19 Jan 2006 08:24:38 GMT

Not to turn us into the "all American Idol, all the time" blog but one last story (for now). It was reported earlier yesterday that Kelly Clarkson, winner of the very first season of the show and thus far, its most successful alum, was barring the show's contestants from using any of her songs during the competition. Given Clarkson's history with the show, this struck many as fairly astounding, especially Simon Cowell who publicly accused Clarkson of ingratitude, saying,

"It's the public who bothered to pick up the phone to vote for her. If she refuses to give songs to be used on the show, it's like saying to every person who voted for you, 'you know what? Thank you. I'm not interested in you anymore.'"

By the end of the day, Clarkson had relented as her spokesperson confirmed that she will allow some of her songs to be used for the show, but on a "case-by-case basis." It's unclear right now if Clarkson deliberately asked that the show NOT use her songs; her spokesperson noted that Clarkson has kept a firm grip on her catalog for many different uses and that she might have been unaware that Idol would be affected by that. Idol contestants rejoice: now you can try to pull off "Since U Been Gone." (Sources: CNN, AOL News)

Justin Timberlake Teams With Rick Rubin

Fri, 06 Jan 2006 08:06:45 GMT

A few weeks back, we noted that Pharrell Williams had publicly stated that he wouldn't be working on Justin Timberlake's next album despite their fruitful partnership on his first LP, Justified. (Williams didn't have issues with Timberlake but rather, Justin's label). Looks like Timberlake is taking this all in stride since he's found a new producer to work with, none other than Rick Rubin.

In the last few years, Rubin's penchant for career revitalization has made him one of the most sought-after partners in pop music. The Bearded One helped give Johnny Cash a late-career comeback before his death, then he laced Jay-Z with "99 Problems," and most recently, he produced Neil Diamond's latest, 12 Songs. Timberlake tells MTV News that the idea to work with Rubin came from Chris Rock:

"He said, 'You know who you should work with? Rick Rubin. He never does anything bad.' I was like, 'You got a point.' I never thought about it myself ... And then I saw him at Coachella. I was standing in the middle of the crowd and I went up and approached him."

Timberlake has yet to name the new album but he doesn't think it will sound much like the R&B flavored Justified and given Rubin's prediction for both flexibility and eccentricity, that's probably a solid prediction. Says Justin:

"It's going to be interesting to see what comes out of this record ... This one, it's more fly by the seat of your pants. ... It's less concentrated to one sound. It's more broad as far as the styles I wanted to mix in to my own type of thing."

(Source: MTV News)

McKay and Cullum Experience Label Pains

Tue, 03 Jan 2006 18:24:35 GMT

Having beef with your label is kind of a musical rite of passage and of late, some young artists seem to be undergoing that ritual. We reported the other week that Nellie McKay, the eclectic singer/songwriter from New York, left Columbia just weeks prior to the release of her second album. According to today's NY Times, McKay says she didn't leave: her album was booted. Apparently, recent corporate changes at Sony/Columbia, along with what McKay describes as "personality" issues lead the label to shelve her album indefinitely (it was supposed to come out today). It's not certain what McKay will do now – to everyone's chagrin, reviews of the album are already appearing – but she remains upbeat (and acerbic) in quipping, "I think for both sides, it's liberating. You have no idea how much of a pain I can be."

Meanwhile, another young singer, from McKay's native UK, is experiencing label tensions of his own. Jamie Cullum (Twentysomethign, Catching Tales) has sold millions of his albums for Universal, most of them based on mix of pop and jazz-styled songs. However, for his next album, Cullum wants to work with hip-hop producers like Pharrell Williams and Dan the Automator (Cullum recorded a sly cover of William's 2003 hit, "Frontin'" for Twentysomething) and he thinks this may run into problems with the execs at Universal who are worried that a hip-hop-flavored album might alienate Cullum's fan base. Says Cullum,

"The label wants me to record a new album this year and it's going to be a battle. I've got an idea of what I'd like to do and they know what they want me to do, so we'll just have to see how it pans out."

(Sources: NY Times, Coolfer.com)

Nellie McKay's Career Detours

Mon, 26 Dec 2005 17:45:39 GMT

A funny thing happened on the way to Nellie McKay's second album; she left her label two weeks before the CD was supposed to drop. McKay impressed critics with her 2004 debut, Stay Away From Me, a quirky mix of pop songs written with a torch singer style. Some billed her as the anti-Norah Jones which might have been ironically accurate since Jones went multi-platinum and McKay only managed to sell 100,000 copies of her debut. She remains a critical favorite though and anticipation was high for her second album, Pretty Little Head.

A problem arose between McKay and her label, Columbia. The singer/songwriter wanted a 23 track, 65 minute album. Columbia wanted a 16 song, 48 minute version. The label began to send out advance press copies of the shorter album; McKay began giving out the personal email address of then-Columbia chairman Will Botwin (he's no longer with the company) at concerts, urging fans to email him to ask them to release the longer album.

One can only assume that a combination of these factors lead McKay to voluntarily leave Columbia this past week, leaving the fate of her album in limbo. (Read: download the bootlegs while you still have the chance!) In the meantime, she'll be joining Cindi Lauper on the Broadway production of The Threepenny Opera. (Source: Billboard)

The New Standards?

Thu, 01 Dec 2005 18:52:50 GMT

Interesting USA Today piece that ran, uh, today about the changing definition of "standards" in pop music (i.e. classic, "timeless" songs that artists return to cover again and again). Standards used to be the kind of Tin Pan Alley "songbook" tunes that jazz vocalists like Diana Reeves and pop artists like Rod Stewart have turned to. But the notion of what's a standard is also evolving. The article notes that British jazz singer Jamie Cullum has turned to such classic songwriters like Cole Porter but he also covers Jimi Hendrix, The Doves, even Pharrell Williams songs.

However, while standards have continued life in jazz, pop and country, they are becoming far more scarce in the world of R&B, notably because of the influence of hip-hop production. Journalist Alan Light notes, ""Hip-hop production has become such a dominant force; everything is more beat- and production-driven than song-driven." Bette Midler adds, "The beat has killed us. I love the beat, but the problem with new songs is you can't really sing them."

The article also notes that some artists are plumbing through their own catalogs for sources of cover material, something that Cindi Lauper did recently on her The Body Acoustic. Says Lauper, "What we consider standards will change as generations do. Things mutate, you know? It's only natural." (Source: USA Today)

Lawsuit Puts Madonna's "Frozen" On Ice

Tue, 22 Nov 2005 23:45:18 GMT

Madonna's hit "Frozen," off her Ray of Light album now has an ironic title: Belgian songwriter Salvatore Acquaviva has successfully sued Madonna, claiming that "Frozen" plagiarized parts of his composition, "Ma Vie Fout L'camp," a tune written in the early 1990s. Though Madonna can still appeal the decision, as of now, the Belgian court ruling effectively "freezes" copies of both the single and Ray Of Light from being sold in the country and record stores must remove all copies from their shelves within two weeks.

No monetary amounts have been throw out yet in terms of potential damages though expect to see this one go for some chingo bling. It doesn't seem that this will effect copies of either song or album in other countries besides Belgium however (at least not yet). (Source: The Post Chronicle)

Britney and Michael Make Music For a Change

Tue, 08 Nov 2005 16:32:48 GMT

Ah, music celebrity newsmakers actually making news about music for a change. First of all, Britney Spears is dropping a new album in ... two weeks. Impressively kept on the low while everyone was too busy going ga-ga over 1) her new baby's babblings and 2) her husband's rap babblings, B in the Mix: The Remixes will hit stores November 22. The album will feature, uh, remixes of Britney Spears songs including "Breathe On Me (The Thin White Duke Remix)," "Touch My Hand (Bill Hamel Mix)," and "Early Mornin' (Jason Nevins Remix)." There will also be one new song: "And Then We Kiss," which MTV News says, "has the potential to be a radio or club hit" except that Jive (Spears' label) is pushing this album out with little fanfare, trusting that viral marketing should do the trick instead.

Meanwhile, Bahrain's newest immigrant, Michael Jackson, is reportedly in the studio to record songs ... with his kids. Never mind that his youngest, Prince Michael II (aka Blanket) isn't old enough to, you know, sing. That won't stop MJ from teaming up with Prince Michael I and Paris to try to relive the glory days of the nascent Jackson 5 (just hopefully without all the Joe Jackson beatdowns). (Sources: MTV News, Monsters and Critics)

Michael Jackson Begins Work On Katrina Benefit Song (Finally)

Fri, 28 Oct 2005 15:24:25 GMT

After what seemed to be an unusual delay, Michael Jackson has finally gotten his Katrina benefit song underway. While Jackson had made a big hullaboo about the song back in September, claiming to bringing together a dozen or so big name artists to participate, there were conflicting reports about who had actually committed to it and who hadn't.

As it turns out, Jackson has been rewriting the song in recent weeks and determined he didn't need as many guests as originally planned. According to Billboard Magazine sources though, probable guests include Ciara, Snoop Dogg and Shirley Caesar, all of whom have shown up at Conway Studios in Los Angeles, where the song is being produced and engineered (Jackson has been delivering his contribution remotely, via phone and satellite).

The song was originally named "From the Bottom of My Heart" but will be renamed in the next few weeks. No release date has been set on the song yet. (Source: Billboard)

Madonna Hearts ABBA

Tue, 18 Oct 2005 18:03:46 GMT

In line with yesterday's Pet Peeve, here's a Madonna-related story that actually involves music, instead of her kids, or Kaballah, or whatever. On her new album, Madonna wanted to sample the 1979 song, "Gimme, Gimme, Gimme," by Sweden's ABBA for her own single, "Hung Up." The problem is that ABBA is very selective in what they allow to be licensed and therefore, Madonna took extra precautions to approach them, sending her "emissary" (Madonna has an emissary? Is she like a foreign country?) with a personal letter where she was "begging" and "imploring" them to allow her to use their song.

ABBA songwriters Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus thought it over and disclosed,

"This is only the second time we have given permission. We said yes this time because we admire Madonna so much and always have done. She has got guts and has been around for 21 years. That is not bad going."

(Just in caes you're curious, the first time was for the Fugees to sample "The Name of the Game" for their 1996 single, "Rumble in the Jungle" from the When We Were Kings soundtrack). (Source: NME)

David Byrne + Fatboy Slim + Imelda?

Mon, 17 Oct 2005 18:52:54 GMT

Ok, we weren't that surprised by the Johnny Cash musical but a musical being put together by Fatboy Slim (where's he been?) and David Byrne? Yeah, that surprised us. NME reports that the two are working together to create a musical about ... Imelda Marcos.

(Pause)

Yes, disgraced former First Lady of the Philippines (the shoe lady for those who really need a reminder). We're still reeling from this idea but apparently, the two were attracted to Marcos given her purported love of music and nightclubs. Here Lies Love will be staged at Australia's Adelaide Festival in March 2006.

We have NO idea what this would sound like – Fatboy + Byrne = an intriguing (or is that unfathomable?) pairing, let alone writing songs about Imelda but seriously, could it be any worse than, say, Lennon? (Source: NME)

(Not So) New Mariah Carey CD

Fri, 14 Oct 2005 17:49:44 GMT

We don't know if this is a new trend or what, but it's notable that two of the biggest selling albums of the year are being repackaged and sold again, trying to squeeze every last dime out of consumers suckere...er, we mean, encouraged to buy them. In the case of 50 Cent's The Massacre, they only added one song but included a bonus DVD with videos for every song on the original album. That's actually not a bad bonus, all things considered.

Now, Mariah Carey's chart-topping The Emancipation of Mimi is getting repackaged too as a Platinum Edition. According to MTV News, this will feature four bonus tracks, plus a bonus DVD with four videos.

It's not like these bonuses are meaningless but from where we're sitting, it pretty much just looks like a facilie attempt to boost album sales by trying to get fans to buy the same album twice with a modicum of new material. This isn't unprecedented, especially in the urban music world ... we can still remember when Biggie's Ready to Die was repackaged with a single new song, "Who Shot Ya?" And who can forget Jay-Z's bizarre Blueprint 2.1, the single CD version of his double-album, Blueprint 2 with a few bonus tracks, but mostly looked like a concession that the original album was so overbloated that no one wanted to spend $20 on it. (Source: MTV News)

Boy George: Drugs? What Drugs?

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 19:22:32 GMT

Not to clown Boy George given this new legal troubles (arrested for cocaine possession) but his legal defense is weak-sauce. Basically, it's the old, "it wasn't mine, I never saw that coke before in my life." (Hint: blame it on Kate Moss).

George was arrested for the coke on Friday, after he had called police to his house to report a burglary and officers found a small bag of cocaine in one of the rooms, in plain view. According to George's attorney:

"It was a small amount of drugs. He does not know where it came from. He's had a lot of people in his house. A man who has something to hide does not call police."

That last point might be true but we'd counter with the also-popular sayings, "a man coked up out of his head does not think rationally," and "what kind of burglar doesn't take a bag of snow left out in the open?" We're not saying George is guilty, except guilty of a bad defense. (Source: MSN Music News)

Madonna Causes Controvery (Yes, Again)

Mon, 10 Oct 2005 18:13:20 GMT

On the Surprise-O-Meter, this ranks up there with "gas prices rise": some rabbis are mad at Madonna. On Madonna's upcoming Confessions of a Dance Floor album, she records a tribute song, "Isaac," about Yitzhak Luria, a "16th century Jewish mystic and Kaballah scholar." As most have heard at some point, Madonna has become a big follower and proponent of Kaballah, a Jewish-derived mysticism/religion (Britney Spears has also been seen observing certain Kaballah practices). Madonna's even gone as far to adopt a Hebrew name, Esther, and visited Israel last year.

It seems that the mere existence of "Isaac," regardless of the song's content, is what's angered certain Jewish leaders. Rabbi Rafael Cohen runs the Luria Seminary in Israel and told reporters,

"Jewish law forbids the use of the name of the holy rabbi for profit. Her act is just simply unacceptable and I can only sympathize for her because of the punishment that she is going to receive from the heavens."

Ouch. He sounds like he's going for the whole Old Testament/fire and brimstone approach. And here we thought, Swept Away, was already a sign of Divine Retribution. (Source: MSN Music News)

Who's the Most Irritating?

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 18:10:03 GMT

Forget polls about who's the most popular, this is where it's at: a British retail recruitment website recently polled UK shop workers about which artists they find "most irritating" to listen to while at work. Christmas time brings on considerable aggravation from the constant replaying of the same four Christmas songs over and over, but for the rest of the year, it's pop and R&B acts that get workers' eyes rolling and head's aching. Who tops that list?

Yup, Britney Spears, #1 with a bullet! She's followed closely by Usher, Kylie Minogue, 50 Cent (wait, what retail stores play 50 Cent? Especially in Britain?), Robbie Williams, Akon, Beyonce, Blue, Justin Timberlake and last, but not least: Michael Jackson.

According to the researchers at Retailchoice.com,

"a third of shopworkers complained they suffered the same album being played up to 20 times a week in their stores, while 50 percent said customers also complained about store music driving them mad."

We feel their pain.

Melanie C Speaks Out

Fri, 23 Sep 2005 17:38:00 GMT

Sporty Spice might as well be named Salty Spice these days, given how the former Spice Girl, Melanie C has been taking pot shots at her former bandmates. Perhaps having a hard time dealing with the reality that being a pop sensation often means having brilliant but ephemeral careers, Melanie C has been smack-talking about other Spice Girls and how their faltering solo careers is now reflecting poorly on her:

"This year there's been the Live 8 cancellation, Victoria Beckham's never out of the press, Melanie B released an album that didn't do much and Geri Halliwell had an unsuccessful release - and that reflects badly. You're guilty by association."

Somebody get us a hankie.

Mel C has had the best solo career of the bunk though, as the article notes, "after once playing Wembley Stadium with the band, she was reduced to performing a free concert to just 80 people in an Australian shopping mall this week." Ouch. (Source: Monsters and Critics)

Evita Coming Back But Not Madonna

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:56:40 GMT

There's a new stage production of the musical Evita underway, helmed by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The show has had an interesting life considering that it began as a Broadway musical, only to be made into a movie in 1996, and now it's back to being a musical again. (Kind of like Mel Brooks' The Producers but that was film-musical-film).

In any case, Madonna played the title role in the film version – to rather mixed critical results if we recall – but don't expect her to show up again on stage. Webber explains it quite plainly: "She's not right for the part. We are looking for people in their twenties, for goodness sake." (Madonna, in case you haven't noticed, is not in her twenties). No word yet on Madonna's response but we can only imagine the language coming out of her mouth. (Source: antiMusic)

Catch This!

Mon, 19 Sep 2005 17:54:54 GMT

A British professor at Huddersfield University has devised a scientific method to determine what the "catchiest" songs are of all time. Dr. Rupert Tills breaks down songs into a few key components like how many steps you have to memorize in order to dance to it, how many chords are in play, and, in a nod to the real world of music, how much money the label shelled out promoting it.

With this "Catchiness Quotient," Dr. Tills has determined that (drum roll, please): "The Ketchup Song" by Las Ketchup is the catchiest tune in the world. Um ... we don't actually know that song though. We do know #2: Los Del Rio's "Macarena," as well as #4, Madonna's "Holiday." Anyway, here's the Top 10:

What? Where's "Hey Jude" and "Paul Revere"?
(Source: Monsters and Critics)

Michael Jackson's All Star Plans For Katrina Song

Thu, 15 Sep 2005 17:02:02 GMT

With each passing day, Michael Jackson's planned Katrina benefit song seems to attract more attention and marquee talent. It does feel rather odd, so close to Jackson's recent acquittal of child molestation charges, for him to be taking to the public eye in this fashion but it's not like MJ planned on a major disaster striking America either. As some of you older folk might remember, he was an integral part of the "We Are the World" benefit song in the 1980s so his desire to record the tentatively titled "From the Bottom Of My Heart," is not incongruous per se.

There is some controversy over who's actually committed themselves to the project. Jackson's staff claims that the following have all signed up: James Brown, Jay-Z, Mary J. Blige, Missy Elliot, Lenny Kravtiz, R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg and Ciara but representatives from a few of the above artists have not confirmed actual involvement yet. That list is also missing others who, in recent days, were purportedly committed to it, such as Mariah Carey. The song itself has not been scheduled for recording yet though you would think it'd have to be rather soon assuming they can iron out the logistical kinks. (Source: AOL Music News)

Cyndi Lauper Returns, Remakes Classics

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 19:14:33 GMT

It's been a while since Cyndi Lauper, the 1980s pop queen, has really made a loud splash on the musical world but for her ninth album, The Body Acoustic, she's already making some waves. It helps that Lauper is revisiting some of her biggest hits but with a twist: she's now recruiting some other big name artists to help out as guests.

This does smack of being a bit gimmicky but if you've ever heard the cover of "Time After Time" by Everything But the Girl, you have to admit: Lauper was actually a pretty good songwriter. For Lauper's own revisit of "Time After Time," she's recruited the dulcet tones of Sarah McLachlan (we approve), while Kelly Osbourne will appear on the remake of "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun." Adam Lazarra of Taking Back Sunday will help out with "Money Changes Everything," while "All Through the Night," welcomes ... Shaggy? Ok, if you say so.

Meanwhile, Lauper will be remaking a few classics solo, like "She Bop" and "True Colors" (yes kids, it's not just a Kodak commercial jingle). The Body Acoustic will be released in November. (Source: Billboard)

Mind Your (Mc)Manners

Tue, 13 Sep 2005 15:41:06 GMT

Who is Joseph McManners? Personally, we would have guessed he'd be an advice columnist in Dayton, but as it turns out, he's a 12 year old boy who is $3.6 million richer after Sony gave him a four album contract.

Yes, you read that right, a 12 year old, who, according to news reports, "has never had a music lesson," is getting $3.6 million to record four albums. When asked about the deal, McManners said, "I'd be crazy not to take advantage of an opportunity like this. But I don't think about the money, I just sing."

We know he's only 12 but those two quotes don't exactly support each other – obviously, you're thinking about the money if you realize that you'd be crazy not to take the money.

In any case, somewhere out there, we think Charlotte Church is wondering why her agent didn't net her this deal. (Source: Soulstrut.com)

The Simpson Sisters, Uncool?

Mon, 12 Sep 2005 16:58:34 GMT

On the lighter side of the news this Monday morning, famed photographer and recent filmmaker David LaChapelle (Rize) has gone out on a full-press offensive against the Simpsons (Jessica and Ashlee, not Homer, Marge, Bart, etc.). Apparently, the pop sisters flaked on letting LaChapelle shoot them for the cover of Rolling Stone and the photographer unloaded on the two at a recent charity event, saying,

"They're everything that's wrong with music. Out of everything combined, they're everything wrong with culture, and everything wrong with art, and what we think of as art and musical culture - in one family!"

But really David, what do you really think? Oh wait, here it is:

"I was only doing it because of my relationship with Rolling Stone. We were going to try and make the Simpsons look cool. I realize now that is an impossible task."

Ouch. I guess it's safe to assume neither Jessica or Ashlee will be hiring LaChapelle to do their headshots any time soon. (Source: NY Daily News)

Duff Disses Jessica, Britney

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:52:54 GMT

Pop star beef! (Always fun). Hilary Duff, whose *cough cough* "greatest hits" album is still the #1 LP in the country, has decided to school her older peers like Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson for sexualizing themselves too much. She says, "I think if you feel comfortable with what you're doing, more power to you, that's what you should be doing. But I definitely do not think taking your clothes off or going out and getting wasted every night is a sign of maturity. I do not want to look back years from now and go, 'Ugh, that's so embarrassing.'"
Given that Duff is 17, maybe she needs to get a little older herself and maybe she'll have a different perspective on the issue. Not that we disagree with her sentiment but statements like this are only likely to come back and sting her in the her demure behind if she decides to go all Maxim cover girl in about 7 years.

Also, the NY Times reports on pop/rock's power couple: Duff and Good Charlotte's Joel Madden.

Who Let the (Crazy) Frog Out? Whoomp, Here He Is.

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 17:19:31 GMT

You know it's a slow month when this week's notable release is an electronic frog that makes ringtone songs. It's sometimes easy to forgot in America that we're not always the leader in crazy musical trends – Europeans and the Japanese have been known for their share – and we own the U.S. debut of Crazy Frog to the insane popularity this computer-generated creation was wrought in the UK. "Axel F," the first single from Crazy Frog, not only has sold more than 1 million copies in Europe but it also knocked Coldplay from the #1 spot in the process. Did we mention this is a CGI frog? Whose beats are based off of cellphone ringtones?

Being thorough researchers, we took a listen to "Axel F" and have decided: yes, it is annoying but Crazy Frog sounds strikingly like blog-darling M.I.A. For the US release of Crazy Frog's new album, Crazy Frog Presents Crazy Hits, the electro-phibian remixes some classic jams like Technotronic's "Pump Up the Jam," Tag Team's "Whoomp (There It Is)," and (oh, dear lord), a remake of the Baha Men's "Who Let the Dogs Out," entitled "Who Let the Frog Out." Yes indeed, this is a very. Slow. Month.