"U2 have announced they are releasing a ground-breaking 3-D concert film next summer. The band were filmed playing in South America earlier this year in “the first-ever 3-D multi-camera shoot” during their Vertigo tour. The results are currently being edited together, with talks with several major distributors currently ongoing for a planned cinematic release next summer ." via gigwise.com
" Amy Lee is returning to the forest, only this time there's no Big Bad Wolf. "There's the me in all white and it's really wintry," the Evanescence singer said on the set of the "Lithium" video on Wednesday, pointing to an elaborate array of snow-covered trees. "And then there's the all-in-black Amy under the surface of the water of this lake in the forest. So it's the happiness and the sorrow and we're almost singing to each other, trying to figure out how both of us can work." Unlike the Little Red Riding Hood concept for the "Call Me When You're Sober" video, which was an abstract take on somewhat literal lyrics, the follow-up is a literal take on somewhat abstract lyrics. "So it's not so in-your-face to make the video more literal," Lee justified of the video, which Paul Fedor (Sarah McLachlan, Seether) directed based on her concept. "Really, though, I think it's all about touching somebody and I hope it does that." "Lithium," the second single from the recently released The Open Door, is about making the choice between the comfort of sorrow and the idea of happiness. "You get in these cycles where you're stuck in bad situations or relationships or whatever and it's hard to make yourself get out even though it's negative and hard," Lee explained. "So that's sort of what it's about, breaking free." She chose the title "Lithium," which is also the name of a classic Nirvana song, because it's "a metaphor for happiness from a negative point of view." "It's looking at it like, 'I don't want to numb myself and not feel anymore,' " added Lee, adorned in an elegant white dress, pale white makeup and bright red lipstick. Evanescence decided to release "Lithium" only recently, as Lee struggled with the single-selection process. "It was a really, really hard call because there were like four different songs I thought would be awesome for the second single," she explained. "But I think we got a couple [more] singles to go." "Call Me When You're Sober," which Evanescence also shot in Hollywood, has been a "TRL" hit, and The Open Door followed accordingly, debuting atop the Billboard albums chart (see "Evanescence Butcher The Killers In Battle For Billboard #1"). "It's been a big wonderful surprise," Lee said of the success. "I definitely wrote the record thinking about myself and what I wanted and pushing myself to do better than what I've done. And I almost expected a lot of people to hate it because I love it so much and I wasn't trying to do it for anyone else. And you have to imagine if you're not making any compromises, there's going to be haters, because it's definitely different from the first record. But everything I've heard has been very positive and it's a great feeling to have other people appreciate it too." via mtv.com
"R&B star Rihanna declined to go topless during a recent cover shoot with a German magazine, citing her desire to be taken seriously as a musician as the reason. “I don’t like to wear things too skimpy,” said the Barbados-born singer, according to Female First. “If I do shorts on the bottom, it’s gotta be something very conservative on top. If it’s skimpy at the top, it’s gotta be long jeans or something.” She went on to say that she strives to be like fellow songstress Alicia Keys when it comes to balancing her music with her sexy image. “That’s what I admire so much about Alicia Keys. She became so successful off of just her music. She was really conservative about her style at first.” Rihanna will have a chance to put her words into action on Sunday, August 20 when she performs her hit song “S.O.S” at the 2006 Teen Choice Awards. Speaking of Rihanna, rumors are swirling that she was the inspiration behind Beyonce’s new single “Ring The Alarm.” On the track, Beyonce shouts: “Ring the Alarm! I’ve been doin’ this too long. But I’ll be damned if I see another chick on your arm.” Some believe that the words are directed at Rihanna, who was rumored to be spending quality time with Beyonce’s boyfriend Jay-Z in New York while she was off filming Dreamgirls in L.A. It might be good timing on Beyonce’s part, as the Caribbean starlet plans to join Jay-Z on a 3-date tour of South Africa in October. But the inspiration behind Beyonce’s “Ring The Alarm” may not be the biggest question. Some reports regarding the song have Beyonce fans wondering if the track will even be her next single at all. After lukewarm reception from focus groups, Beyonce’s management group has reportedly decided to nix the fiery track and go with Swizz Beatz “Get Me Bodied” or The Neptunes' “Green Light” as the second single, according to rap-up.com. A video for “Ring The Alarm” has already been shot and was scheduled for release on Yahoo! Music this week. However, the video has since been removed from the site’s list of “Upcoming Premiers.” Beyonce is scheduled to perform the song at the MTV Video Music Awards on August 31." via vibe.com
"Thom Yorke has admitted that Radiohead have been on the verge of splitting on a number of ocassions. The celestial singer says that at times the band have felt like not getting together after hiatuses. But Yorke, who is nominated for the Mercury Music Prize with his solo effort ‘The Eraser’, says that such ideas weren’t always started by himself. Asked by Pitchfork whether there were moments when Radiohead didn’t feel like reconvening, he said: “Yeah, we have them all the time. “It'd be deeply unhealthy if it weren't like that. And that's not just instigated by me. Sometimes people just have enough - they just can't deal with it anymore.” Yorke went on to hint that the band’s recent summer jaunt has helped bring them closer together, topped off by their appearance at Bonnaroo. He said: “When we played Bonnaroo, we got such a nice vibe, a genuine good feeling from the first beat. Things like Bonnaroo give you hope that you can do it the other way.” via gigwise.com
"Coldplay singer Chris Martin lives the life of a poor fan so his resulting bad mood inspires an even better performance. The husband of Hollywood star Gwyneth Paltrow claims he often travels to gigs on public transport and queues up for “over-priced hot-dogs” (hang on – isn’t he supposed to be a veggie?) to keep in touch with the plebs on the street.| It is this slum-life that keeps the righteous frontman’s performances razor-sharp... apparently. He tells the Daily Mirror, “I try getting to shows at the same time as everyone else. I've been stuck in traffic, I've been on an over-crowded train and I've lined up to buy an overpriced hot-dog. Quite often this will put me in a bad mood. So I know just what it's like for everyone else who is paying. "It makes me more determined to get on-stage and really deliver a show that makes it all worthwhile for everyone." Chris Martin - he suffers for our sins.." via gigwise.com
"Richard Ashcroft has expressed his concerns about the media circus that surrounds Arctic Monkeys. He’s says that with the media all trying to get their piece of Alex Turner especially, this could effect the singer. He said: "He's a very young guy and you'd be surprised how he'll suddenly be like honey. "There'll be so many bees buzzing around him, everyone will want their little bit,” quotes contactmusic." via gigwise.com
"In just under a weeks time, on May 12, Guns N’ Roses will begin a run of four nights at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, a run that reportedly sold out in three minutes. The US dates are to be warm up shows for the group’s upcoming European tour that will begin at Juan Carlos Arena in Madrid on May 25, and will even include two German shows supporting the mighty Rolling Stones’ A Bigger Bang world tour in early July. The New York shows will be the bands’ first American dates since the infamous aborted tour of 2002, but speculation is rife concerning just who will be taking the stage alongside one, W. Axl Rose. As most will be aware, the band has been through numerous lineup changes over the past decade leaving Rose as the sole remaining member of the band whose debut record, “Appetite For Destruction” went on to sell over 16 million copies and become the biggest selling rock debut of all time. The rumor that the original lineup will be reforming for the upcoming tour has been gathering steam since rock photographer Ross Halfin posted the following on his official website on February 3 this year: “…the original lineup of Guns N’ Roses is supposed to play Download in June with metal chums, Metallica”. Halfin’s posting came a couple of days before the official Metallica announcement but has since been removed. Speculation continued, however, as news begun to surface about trouble brewing within Velvet Revolver with Slash allegedly having left the band. The guitarist offered only a very brief statement on the matter claiming that, as far as he knew he was still in the band. Interestingly though, his band mates have remained relatively quiet. In the meantime, music sources are adamant that a full scale reunion of the classic GnR lineup (including Use Your Illusion era and current Velvet Revolver drummer Matt Sorum behind the kit rather than original drummer Steven Adler) is happening. Sorum, one of Rose’s most vocal critics in times past recently spoke of reconciliation with the eccentric singer on his website, news that was then followed on May 4 by a report that Axl was recently spotted having dinner with former guitarist Izzy Stradlin. Add to this the bizarre outbursts of Velvet Revolver singer Scott Weiland directed at Rose and we have, if nothing else, a very intriguing Rock N’ Roll soap opera. One thing is for sure though, once the lights go down on the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York on the night of May 12, we will know more." via stereoboard.com
The Grammy Awards will open with a meeting of the Material Girl and the virtual world. Madonna and the Gorillaz will perform together for the first time at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards, which will be presented Wednesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. The 47-year-old pop star will sing with the Gorillaz, who will be appearing in 3-D animated color. The brainchild of Blur frontman Damon Albarn, the Gorillaz are a melding of rock and hip-hop that represents band members as cartoon alter-egos created by animator Jamie Hewlett. Paul McCartney has been added to the list of performers, the Recording Academy announced Thursday, who also include Mariah Carey, John Legend, Kanye West, Bruce Springsteen, U2 with Mary J. Blige, Coldplay, Faith Hill with Keith Urban, Sugarland and Jamie Foxx. It will be McCartney's first ever performance at the Grammys, the Academy said. This year, he is nominated for three awards, including album of the year for "Chaos and Creation in the Backyard." The Gorillaz are nominated for four Grammys, including record of the year for "Feel Good Inc.," which features De La Soul. Madonna, who has won five Grammys, released "Confessions on a Dance Floor" in November. She is not nominated this year. The Grammys will be broadcast by CBS on Wednesday (8 p.m. EST).
Ain't irony, ain't rock & roll--and granted, most of America tunes into this Super Bowl gig to get amped about grown men doing things with muscles and balls, not to see whether the camera hides Jagger's facial lines, particularly the vertical indentations that look like dental floss holding up his lower jaw. But goddamn, if any crackpot wanted more proof for his "sports are the pre-militant arm of Biblebeat, USA" conspiracy theory, here it was: the most sexually charged ("they brought the sex that the Beatles forgot," says mom), rock&roll lifestyling (inventors of the cliche?) youth-wasters of forever, invited onto a televised stage to make emasculated examples of their emasculated selves, their dollar-billed skin and bones one of the more mind-melting commercials in Bowl history: Seriously, Just Say No. Forget the censored lyrics stuff--nothing new there--what better way to stick it to liberals than let the Stones, those avatars of something surely, hang themselves in front of the biggest television audience of the year? Unclear whether those shots were more vicious than the cuts of old drunk women with boob jobs jumping around with their daughters saving up for them, but glad to know this morality play certainly had room for a supporting cast. Janet may have been the most rewound moment in TiVO history, but people forget, that was also a pretty great half-time show before the malfunction. So much energy she and Timberlake amassed, their body-rocking towing the line, sure, but what a fantastic if not fantastical assertion of youth / freedom / pop as age-defying, race-defying, universally relevant medium, etc. Even the year after, when the NFL asked McCartney to perform, there was a bit of self-parody involved, as if to say "look, if we're gonna play it cool, we're gonna play it really damn cool--cool as ice." And then somebody in the NFL board room would make the sound ice makes. But however much Jagger was in on the joke of his skin flailing about in the Detroit wind or the irony of old bitch Britain entertaining cornfed America on its most cornfed, most American day ever, this performance was good proof that comedy and tragedy share a bloodline, and no number of lucky charms stuck in Richards's hair can fend off the fates. Well OK yeah, the performance wasn't completely humorless, what with Jagger's aside before "Satisfaction" (something about being able to have played it at Super Bowl I) and the retractable tongue thing which retracted literally seconds after my friend Chris said, concerned, "I think there are people trapped under that tongue." Maybe people will buy A Bigger Bang after hearing "Rough Justice," which the band snuck between the out-of-breath "Start Me Up" and the shamelessly prophetic "(Can't Get No) Satisfaction," as obvious and predictable of choices for the set as any. But the thing about those two songs, and the thing about the Rolled Stones playing them then and there, was how poorly they've aged after decades of overexposure, and how nastily that point was made a visual. And you thought the Dove commercial was too much.
Though no official, Corgan-sanctioned announcement has been made, news is trickling in from different sources confirming that Smashing Pumpkins are indeed reuniting this spring. NME is reporting that a spokesperson for Azoff Management confirmed Thursday that they had signed Jimmy Chamberlin and Billy Corgan, who are working on new music together, as Smashing Pumpkins. Melissa Auf Der Maur, the band's former bassist, also confirmed a reunion in interviews this week. "From what I understand, Billy [will be] making a Pumpkins record over the next little while," she told MTV News. "Everyone knows Billy doesn't need too many people to make a Pumpkins record, other than Jimmy, who he has [on board]." Auf Der Maur didn't know if other former Pumpkins D'Arcy Wretzky (whom she replaced in 1999) or James Iha had been approached for the reunion, but she said that she would be happy to join if asked. "My services are there for him whenever he needs them," she said. "Assuming I'm not on tour, but even then, we can cross paths. I love the Pumpkins, and to play those songs again would be nothing but fun for me. It was a big part of my life."
Rumors of a Pumpkins reunion have been circulating since last June when Corgan took out a full-page ad in both local Chicago papers announcing his intentions to “renew and revive” the band. Corgan later added fuel to the fire with a cryptic post on his Myspace page on December 11 that teased, “The surprise I have in store for you all will be announced soon enough....hold on to your horses. Afterall [sic], good things surely comes to those who wait....Don't you just love the suspense?” Most recently, the reunited band was rumored to be headlining Coachella, an assertion that turned out not to be true after the lineup was announced this week.
Paul WellerPaul Weller just isn’t in a good mood this week, fresh from saying he’d “rather eat my own shit than duet with him” over rumours he may perform with pap whiner James Blunt at the Brits, the modfather has gone on record attacking some of the biggest names in rock history. In a interview with Uncut Weller didn’t hold back when launching scathing tirades on the likes of David Bowie, Freddie Mercury, Sting, U2 and Bob Geldof. Weller, who will take home the Lifetime Achievement Award at this years Brits, said of one time winner Geldof: “Bob Geldof. What’d he win it for? Can’t be for his music, man. I mean, if it’s for his charity work in Africa then you can’t knock it, but Boomtown Rats, fuck off.” Next in the line of fire was Sting, of whom he said: “Fucking horrible man. Not my cup of tea at all. Fucking rubbish. No edge, no attitude, no nothing.” Then on U2 front man Bono he fumed: “The whole thing of Bono becoming the Pope - what the fuck’s all that about? Pseudo-American rubbish.” Weller didn’t have any respect for the dead, blasting Queen legend Freddie Mercury. “He said he wanted to bring ballet to the working classes. What a cunt.” A finally he called the quality of David Bowie’s output into question and his receiving of the Lifetime gong, saying: “Wrong! I like about three records of his. The rest of it’s pish.” All Gigwise can say is the interviewer must having been rubbing his hands together. Oh, and Weller - remember the Style Council?!
As OutKast’s critically acclaimed new album, Stankonia, continues to sell more copies, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has simultaneously certified the release gold, platinum and multi-platinum. Several other albums made the list for November gold and platinum RIAA certifications. The list is as follows: Multi-platinum (2 million units or more moved): R. Kelly – R. (7 million); Dr. Dre – Dr. Dre 2001 (6 million); Eminem – The Slim Shady LP (4 million); OutKast – Stankonia (2 million); Baha Men – Who Let The Dogs Out (2 million) Platinum (1 million units moved): Ja Rule – Rule 3:36; Dido – No Angel Gold (500,000 units moved): Scarface – Last of a Dying Breed; Trina – Da Baddest Bitch; Boyz II Men – Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya; Shaggy – Hotshot
The end is near - Destiny's Child will perform for the last time on February 19. The trio will travel back to their hometown of Houston to sing the national anthem before the NBA All-Star Game on February 19, according to Reuters. Fans who can't make it to the game can watch it live on TNT. Despite their breakup, the girls are definitely keeping busy. Beyonce will appear on the big screen beginning February 10 when The Pink Panther hits theaters. Kelly Rowland's second solo album will be released on June 13 and Michelle Williams' new album should be out this summer.
Radiohead and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are among the artists set to perform at the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this summer. The alternative rock band and the veteran "Free Fallin'" artist will headline the three-day camping and music festival, which will be held June 16-18 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tenn., festival promoters said Tuesday. Other artists include Beck, Elvis Costello and the Imposters, Bonnie Raitt, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Damian Marley, Buddy Guy, The Neville Brothers and Blues Traveler. Organizers will sell only 80,000 tickets, reducing capacity by 10,000 people to make the event more comfortable, the festival's Web site says. Bonnaroo began mainly as a roots-rock festival in 2002 but has gained respect in the music industry for its commitment to diversity in presenting established artists and newcomers of all eras and genres. Past performers include Bob Dylan, Norah Jones and The Roots.
The Arctic Monkeys may be the best phrase to use as a pun in the newspapers this, and I'm guessing many other weeks to come, but they don't think they are the best when it comes to music. Having had two number one singles and a debut album, which broke the record for the best selling debut album, fame hasn't got to them. Guitarist Jamie Cook said: "We know we're not the best band in the country, so why say we are? If we do fail, at least we can say, 'We told you so.' "That's not us being down on ourselves. That's just being honest."
'Cosmic Sound' established in the summer of 1999, consisted of Yiannis Mihelinakis (LEGO BOY) and Manos Stamatakis (MANNO). They started organizing their events and in co-operation with various djs & producers in known bars & clubs of the island (ICE FACTORY, STAVLOS CLUB, CARGO CLUB, FOUGARO CLUB, FUSION DANCEFLOOR, BAR FLOU, BAR AKTEOROS,etc). In the year of 2000 their elaboration & sound mixing for the theatrical show “O Gigantas tou Vounou”(The Giant of the mountain) of OMMA STUDIO’s, earned very good critique. In that year they finished their first single titled ‘Into Your Eyes’. In 2002 finished a 2nd single under the title ‘Into Your Eyes" with the ‘Deep Connection’ & ‘My Club’ making a difference. In that year they found DOWNTEMPO PRODUCTIONS having as main aim the production of music and the co-operation with other producers for their common music production. They experiment all the time in their productions and the most recent result is the "LOVE ME" and "GET BACK". Their musical influences in the section of production are coming from EXPERIMENTAL and ELECTRO but with many elements from the GROOVE of HOUSE. They work with several radio stations (Mousiko Kanali, Star fm, etc). In their DJ SETS their sound is from Progressive House and electro house. They have worked with names such as: John Digweed, Dave Seaman, Sigmatron, Area 51, Miss Lefki, etc. Complete works of the team: INTO YOUR EYES (SINGLE 2000-WHITE LABEL), INTO YOUR EYES II (SINGLE 2002-WHITE LABEL), PIXEL LIFE (ALBUM 2003-WHITE LABEL), and the KINKY MINDS (ALBUM 2005). Visit the official site here:
For any chart-topping rock phenom, it doesn't hurt to carve out a nest egg for the future while the getting is good. Invest in some property. Get cast in a Hollywood flick. Start a label. Or, as in the case of Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz, turn into an A&R scout with a golden touch. Two Wentz-supported acts under the Fueled by Ramen umbrella have quietly turned into massive, steamrolling phenomena: Band of the Day alum Panic! at the Disco and the Academy Is, today's outfit du jour.
They may have a song called "The Dandy Warhols Love Almost Everyone," but that's not the tune that the band are singing about the record industry these days. In a track off their new album, Odditorium Or Warlords Of Mars, called "All The Money Or The Simple Life Honey," they sing all about hardships of a band "doing whatever the man says." This should come as no surprise to fans who have seen DiG!, the documentary that chronicles seven years in the lives of The Dandy Warhols and The Brian Jonestown Massacre. The film — and singer Courtney Taylor-Taylor's extended rants in it — made it clear that they didn't have the coziest relationship with their record label. Still, Taylor-Taylor tries to downplay the situation, at least at first. "Well, the record label is a misnomer. It's a bunch of separate individuals and some of them are frustrating and some of them are less frustrating," he says diplomatically. He does go on to admit that life would probably be better without them, though. "The ultimate thing to do would be to just make records and that's it and go on tour and not even ever talk to labels." While that might be impossible, the band are doing the next best thing with their studio (and album namesake) Odditorium. Within that environment, they take care of everything from music to videos and images. "We do everything," he says. "That's what our studio is. A quarter of a city block of fucking film production, web design, graphic design, screening room, surround mix, stereo mix, a kitchen, a library, dining room, bathroom, you know. We can stay inside this massive, massive space and it's incredible looking. And we can just stay in there and get all our work done. "It's really hard to interface with a big, fat, bloated, desperate, irresponsible company, so you've got to really focus on finding two people, three people there that will work for you. You find the people that understand — find the least stupid people and you fucking go into business with them. The company itself is going to be frustrating. They're all a joke. Every big label is just, like, bad and fucked up." As far as Taylor-Taylor's concerned, it's important for the band to do as much by themselves as possible, because they can't trust the record company to do something that they'll like. "They will fuck shit up. They'll make dumb things. They'll pull stupid shit and you've got to stay on top of it," he says. As frustrating as the business side of music can be, though, The Dandy Warhols try to keep the bigger picture in mind. "What lasts in history is just the stuff you do," Courtney muses. "The ads go away, the radio remixes and edits go away. All that's left standing is actually the work of the artists." Here are The Dandy Warhols' Canadian dates: # November 15 Vancouver, BC Commodore Ballroom # December 2 Montreal, QC Spectrum # December 3 Toronto, ON Opera House By: ChartAttack.com Staff
After officially leaving Reprise following its 2003 release "Everything to Everyone," the members of the Barenaked Ladies are finding the indie world to be filled with new opportunities for releasing music. The group is now aligned with Nettwerk Music Group via its own imprint, Desperation Records. Singer/guitarist Ed Robertson tells Billboard.com the band is currently working on 30 new songs and fans should expect to hear them all sooner rather than later, or never. "We're not whittling it down to what we think are the 12 or 14 songs that are going to be the next record," Robertson says. "We're recording everything and we're going to put out everything. And not a big double or triple album, but [we'll] put out an album and go out on tour. And the next tour leg, put out an EP, another five or six songs, and just keep putting stuff out because I think that keeps us fresh and it keeps the fans interested and aware of what we're doing. It's just a new era." Robertson is most excited about new tracks "Down to Earth" and "Everything Had Changed," He says these could be among the many unreleased songs that receive stage time on the band's upcoming holiday run, which begins Nov. 21 in Montreal. Speaking of which, the quintet known for its quirky live shows is giving fans full access to concert recordings via its Web site as well as Apple's iTunes Music Store, which is selling more than 30 concerts. "Another function of what we do these days is we record all of our shows on a full Pro Tools rig and mix them the next day," Robertson says. "We bring an engineer on the road with us, then those shows are uploaded and available for fans to get." Robertson says the band may do some touring in the late spring or summer of 2006, with a full outing to coincide with the release of BNL's next, still untitled, album, due in about a year. As for where the group is headed sonically, he says, "I think we're going rawer, less slick sounding and more rock. We really want the record to sound like the band and not like this magical moment that happened in the studio and can never happen anywhere else. We want people to hear the five of us playing a rock song." By:John Benson, Cleveland
Elvis Costello is slated to head into the studio the week of Thanksgiving to begin a collaboration with songwriter/arranger/pianist Allen Toussaint. Joe Henry will produce the album for Verve Henry likens the project to Costello's 1998 pairing with Burt Bacharach, "Painted from Memory" (Mercury/Universal). "That project was a very legitimate collaboration between the two artists, and this will feature Elvis as a singer doing both classic songs that Allen has written as well as new material [the two are writing]," Henry tells Billboard.com. New Orleans veteran Toussaint recently performed with Costello at a number of New York benefits for the victims of hurricane Katrina. Toussaint, who has written such songs as Dr. John's "Right Place, Wrong Time" and Lee Dorsey's "Workin' in a Coal Mine," appeared as a pianist on some of Costello's early 1980s albums. "Elvis, like a lot of people, re-committed himself to the importance of the legacy of [New Orleans] music," Henry says. "I was talking to Allen about doing a solo record, and Elvis had appeared with Allen on stage at various benefits in New York, and the wheels were turning." Henry, who has toured with Costello in support of his own solo releases, recently produced Bettye LaVette's "I've Got My Own Hell To Raise" for Epitaph's Anti- imprint, as well as the multi-artist "I Believe to My Soul" for his newly formed Work Song label. The latter was released via a partnership with Rhino Records and Starbucks' Hear Music, and features Toussaint, Billy Preston, Mavis Staples, Ann Peebles and Irma Thomas. Henry says he and Costello have discussed working together for a few years now, and Henry had been prodding Toussaint to record a solo effort for Work Song. "Elvis and I talked off and on about working together," Henry says. "He's been a big booster of 'I Believe to My Soul' and he's a big a Bettye LaVette fan. After the hurricane, it brought home to him how significant that relationship with Allen was." By:Todd Martens, L.A.
printer version
"R&B star Rihanna declined to go topless during a recent cover shoot with a German magazine, citing her desire to be taken seriously as a musician as the reason.
"Thom Yorke has admitted that Radiohead have been on the verge of splitting on a number of ocassions. 
"In just under a weeks time, on May 12, Guns N’ Roses will begin a run of four nights at New York’s Hammerstein Ballroom, a run that reportedly sold out in three minutes. 
Radiohead and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers are among the artists set to perform at the fifth annual Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival this summer. 
full story
