slam buzz music

Janet Jackson Says She 'Had Michael's Back' On 'Scream'

Though Janet Jackson had not performed the choreography from "Scream" since she and her brother Michael shot the video in 1995, it couldn't have been a more fitting tribute to him. Jackson talked about the making of that video along with how she prepared for the Video Music Awards in the half-hour special "The Making of Janet Jackson's VMA Tribute Performance," which aired Saturday (September 19), and re-airs Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on MTV.

According to Janet, "Scream" was a turning point for Michael, who used the video to express frustration over his legal troubles. " 'Scream,' there was so much going on at that time," Jackson recalled. "That's when the — I hate to say this but — the first allegations [of child molestation] came out and the whole bit. He was very upset and very angry and he had so much pent up in him that he wanted to get out and say. And when you listen to the lyrics, that's what it's about."

When Michael asked Janet for her help with the song, there was no way she could say no. "I played the role that I've always played in his life: his little sister that was there by his side, that had his back no matter what," she said. "That's what 'Scream' was for me."

The MTV special followed Janet as she relearned the intricate choreography for the VMA tribute along with her backup dancers, a crew of renowned choreographers including Tyce Diorio, Tina Landon, Jeri Slaughter, Travis Payne, Brian Friedman, Cris Judd, Dave Scott, Mia Michaels, Laurie Ann Gibson and Wade Robson.

Sore muscles aside, the group couldn't have been happier to get the chance to honor the man who inspired their own careers.

"As soon as I got the phone call I was absolutely thrilled and on board 110 percent," Slaughter said. "It's an honor to be in this for Michael."

After costume fittings, a cross-country flight to New York and a final run-through in Radio City Music Hall, Janet and company mounted the stage to a standing ovation, performing alongside images of Michael from the 1995 video.

"I know he was watching," Jackson said. "I know he was looking down. I hope he enjoyed it."

"The Making of Janet Jackson's VMA Tribute Performance" re-airs Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and 5 p.m., and Tuesday at 7 p.m. on MTV.
source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621925/20090919/jackson_michael.jhtml View Here...

Amanda Seyfried makes movie leap from musical ingenue

Labels: news update amanda seyfried

Just six years ago, Amanda Seyfried was an Allentown, Pa., high school grad who longed to break into movies. Her dreams came true in a big way. "Mean Girls" (2004) put her on the map. "Alpha Dog" (2006) created buzz. And "Mamma Mia!" (2008) turned her into a household name.

During the last year, she's partied at the Golden Globes with Meryl Streep, performed on the Oscar telecast alongside Hugh Jackman and Zac Efron, and been profiled in Allure, Entertainment Weekly and Vanity Fair.
Most significantly, she's snagged starring roles in a quartet of flicks, each with a ritzier pedigree than the last. Up first is "Jennifer's Body," a horror shocker with Megan Fox which opened Friday in area theaters. In February, Screen Gems is releasing "Dear John," a decade-spanning romance with Channing Tatum. Also arriving in the new year are "Chloe," an erotically-charged thriller co-starring Julianne Moore, and "Letters to Juliet," the saga of an American girl vacationing in Verona who sets out to reunite a pair of star-crossed lovers (Vanessa Redgrave, Franco Nero).

Unpretentious and friendly, Seyfried admits during a midnight phone interview from her folks' Allentown home how overwhelming instant success can be.
"I can't really believe it sometimes," she says. "There are so many opportunities and they just keep growing, but sometimes I worry when are they going to stop. But none of this would have been possible without "Mamma Mia!' That movie absolutely changed my life."

So popular was the Abba musical, it smashed records all over the world and, after picking up $600 million at the box-office, became the most successful songfest of all time, outgrossing "Chicago," "Cabaret" and "Grease." So far, Seyfried has done a good job keeping her feet on the ground. Self-deprecating almost to a fault, the actress jokes she's only tracked by the paparazzi if "they're having a slow day." As for Hollywood producers who promise her the moon and the stars, Seyfried says, "You can't actually take anything they say seriously. Half of them are full of (baloney)."
(2 of 2)

Karyn Kusama, who directed Seyfried in "Jennifer's Body," isn't surprised by the actress' fast climb up the Hollywood ladder. "What's lovely about Amanda is she has this expressive face that can be very still. She has so much going on behind her eyes."

If Seyfried had been trying to find a film far removed from her "Mamma Mia!" ingenue role, she couldn't have done a better job than "Jennifer's Body." Written by "Juno" Oscar winner Diablo Cody, the flick stars Megan Fox as Jennifer, a satanically possessed cheerleader who begins feeding on the cute boys in her small Minnesota farming town. It's up to Jennifer's best friend Needy (Seyfried) to slay the beast and save boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons) from becoming a meaty snack.
"It's unique because it's woman's film, a slasher flick, a human comedy and a drama all rolled into one," says the 23-year-old Seyfried, who dates her "Mamma Mia!" co-star Dominic Cooper.
"Jennifer's Body" might be fun to watch but it was anything but fun to make. Seyfried was puked on (with paint substituting for black bile), submerged in cold water and bruised on the inside of her legs from straddling Fox's hips for two days straight. And then there was the already-infamous lesbian kiss between the stars. So, what was it like to smooch a sex bomb like Fox?
"It was a little strange," says Seyfried. "She's so feminine; she has such soft, nice, full lips. But she had the same smell as my sister."
Oddly enough, Seyfried has another same-sex make-out session in "Chloe," the saga of a doctor (Julianne Moore) who hires a prostitute (Seyfried) to test her husband's (Liam Neeson) fidelity, only to fall in love with the woman herself.
"I'm so proud of "Chloe,' " says Seyfried. "That's my pride and joy. It was such a difficult movie for me because there's a lot going on with my character. I just saw it and I don't know what the reaction is going to be, but I don't give a damn. It was the best experience for me."
source:http://www.courierpostonline.com/article/20090920/LIFE/909200313/1041/RSS05 View Here...

Beyonce to perform in Malaysia despite dress code

Labels: news update beyonce

Beyonce Knowles says she will perform in Malaysia in October, two years after canceling a show in this Muslim-majority country after protesters threatened to disrupt the concert because of her sexy image and clothing.
The R&B superstar's upcoming show is already drawing the ire of conservatives in this country, where female performers are required to cover up from the shoulders to knees with no cleavage showing..

Knowles said on her Web site that she will take the stage at a stadium in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia's biggest city, on Oct. 25. "Beyonce for the first time ever has decided to make Malaysia part of her 'I am.' World Tour," her Web site said..

Knowles canceled a planned concert two years ago following protest threats by Malaysia's opposition Islamic party. At the time her talent agency said the show was called off due to a scheduling conflict..

Instead she went to Indonesia, which has less stringent rules about how performers should dress and behave..

Sabki Yusof, youth vice head of the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, said Sunday that they would send a protest note to the government over the concert. He said it was the government's "responsibility to protect the people of Malaysia" from what he described as immoral Western influences..

"We are not against entertainment as long as it is within the framework of our culture and our religion," Sabki said. "We are against Western sexy performances. We don't think our people need that.".

He said besides the protest note, the party had no plans so far to disrupt the concert. Organizers for Beyonce's October show could not immediately be reached for comment..

Artists such as Avril Lavigne and Gwen Stefani have performed in Malaysia under similar protest threats by conservative Muslims, forcing the artists to don attire that revealed little skin..

In the most recent controversy, the government late last month at first barred, then reversed the order forbidding Muslims from attending a Black Eyed Peas concert because it was sponsored by a beer company. With the ban lifted Muslims can now watch the U.S. hip-hop stars at a theme park near Kuala Lumpur on Sept. 25..

In family and personal matters, Muslims, who make up two-thirds of Malaysia's 28 million people, are governed by Islamic law, which forbids the consumption of alcohol. The laws do not apply to non-Muslims.
source: http://new.music.yahoo.com/gwen-stefani/news/beyonce-to-perform-in-malaysia-despite-dress-code--61994233 View Here...

Annoying Music: Beatles Cover Songs

Labels: news update beatles

You've probably already heard plenty about the reissue of The Beatles' entire catalog, as well as the release of the new Rock Band video game. So in honor of the Beatles remasters, Weekend Edition host Scott Simon spoke to Jim Nayder — host of The Annoying Music Show! on Chicago Public Radio — about even more Beatles music, but without John, Paul, George or Ringo.

Nayder says that nearly everyone, from Tom Jones to Elvis Presley, has done covers of The Beatles, to varying degrees of success. For many artists, it can be tough to record any popular song, but the bar is higher for a Beatles cover. Some try to put their own spin on it, as in Tiny Tim's Latin rendition of "Hey Jude" on the album Girl with the Brave Combo.

"Who thought doing it as a cha-cha?" Nayder says of Tiny Tim's cover.

Or take the Alan Copeland genre mash-up of "Norwegian Wood," which borrows the distinctive theme from Mission: Impossible, recorded in 1968 by The Alan Copeland Singers.

"You can laugh all you want, but 40 years ago, this won a Grammy award for 'Best Contemporary Pop Paranoid Schizophrenic Arrangement,' " Nayder jokes.

Nayder says that the best annoying music is often produced when two great forms of music are combined and it "creates music so annoying, it's actually dangerous." Nayder points to Cathy Berberian's cover of "I Want to Hold Your Hand" as an example.

"Cathy Berberian in the 1960s did operatic versions of contemporary songs, and luckily for The Annoying Music Show! she chose The Beatles," Nayder says.

"That's the beauty about the best annoying music," he adds. "It's when it's a serious attempt. For whatever reason, you know it when you hear it when it goes awry."
source: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=112966018&ps=cprs View Here...

Nuns at Lady Gaga's school aghast at her video

Labels: news update lady gaga

New York, September 19 : The nuns who teach at a New York-based school where pop star Lady Gaga once studied were reportedly far from happy when shown a video of her performance.

The nuns at the Convent of the Sacred Heart girls school were shown the video of the singer’s performance at VMA Awards.

The singer, real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, is presently known for her scanty costumes and such lyrics as "I wanna take a ride on your disco stick."

"When someone showed the nuns a video of her bloody performance at Sunday night''s VMA Awards, the good sisters were not amused," the New York Post quoted a source as saying.

A spokesman for the school was not available for comment. View Here...

Michael Jackson's Mother Allowed Permission to Challenge Executors of His Estate

Labels: news update michael jackson

Michael Jackson's mum Katherine has been given permission to challenge the executors of the King of Pop's estate without jeopardising her position as a will beneficiary. The superstar appointed attorney John Branca and business associate John McCain to take charge of his affairs, while his mum Katherine Jackson was left 40 per cent of the net value of his assets.

Since Jackson's death in June (09), Katherine has reportedly been fighting to have a say in all decisions regarding her late son's estate.

The conditions of the will stipulate the Jackson matriarch risks losing her share of the singer's fortune if she attempts to challenge the appointment of the executors to gain more control over his affairs.

A lawyer for the star's mother has previously denied the 79 year old is looking to contest her son's will, saying: "Despite false reports, neither Mrs. Jackson nor any of her lawyers has or will be contesting the will. Nor has she decided whether or not to raise any challenge to the appointment of the executors named in the will or whether to seek the appointment of an additional co-executor. Her top priority remains the care of her son's three children."

However, a probate judge ruled on Friday (18Sep09) that Katherine is allowed to challenge Branca and McCain's appointment on the grounds of "undue influence", should she choose to - and still remain a beneficiary, reports TMZ.com.

The court decision comes just one day after the star's mother landed a monthly allowance of US$86,000 to cover living expenses for her and those of the singer's three children, who she was given guardianship of in July . View Here...

Mariah Carey Talks ‘Precious’ And Marriage With Nick Cannon On Oprah

Labels: news update mariah carey

Mariah Carey and her husband Nick Cannon appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show today live from New York’s Central Park to give their first ever joint interview. The two lovebirds sat down to talk about everything from when they first met to how Nick popped the question. Nick, who says his celebrity crush was always MC, said that he credits the “power of faith” with bringing them together. “I wake up feeling like the luckiest, most blessed man every morning seeing my beautiful wife,” he told Oprah.

Before Nick came out, Mariah spoke with Oprah about her buzzworthy role in the powerful film, Precious. View Here...

Natalie Imbruglia's nude handycam caper

Labels: news update natalie imbrulia

SINGLE and proud of it, Natalie Imbruglia wasn't joking when she proclaimed she was going to get sexy on her new record Come To Life. Imbruglia films herself half-naked in the video for her new single Want, which has been steaming up websites since its debut.

The song - a kiss-off to a former lover who may or may not be her ex-husband Daniel Johns - has struggled for support from radio stations in Australia and the UK.

But the video, which also features Imbruglia's face stained by tears and mascara, should do the trick.

Just hours before shooting the video, the Australian pop artist revealed the clip was going to be "pretty full-on''.

"Once again, it's not what people would expect me to do. It's just me in the video so it's going to be intense; very personal, very raw and it's pushing me out of my comfort zone,'' she said.

"I always look at videos as a chance to make mini-movie so emotionally, this one is stretching me a bit." View Here...

Beyonce tells fans 'her special purpose'

Labels: news update beyonce

THE flick of her weave was pure Diana Ross, the strut and her phenomenal pins every inch Tina Turner, but last night Beyonce Knowles - and her stage alter ego Sasha Fierce - made Acer Arena her own. The moment the wind machine caught her first curl and the spotlight turned her crystal-corsetted body into a human disco ball, it was clear the world's best female performer was in the house, Sydney Confidential reports

Telling the Sydney crowd her "special purpose was to empower women", there wasn't a single lady, or married one for that matter, who was not entirely on board the Beyonce soul train.

The all-woman band somehow kept pace with this force of nature who swept on stage to Crazy in Love and almost three hours later - seemingly without drawing breath - left the audience panting and spent.

The fashion icon changed into one incredible costume after another - from a Mad Max look that would have had Mel Gibson on his knees, to an angelic wedding dress for a rendition of Ave Maria guaranteed to have raised the sails of the Sydney Opera House.

All the single ladies loved her tortured torch song mixed with samples of Alanis Morissette's You Oughta Know and Sarah McLachlan's Arms of an Angel.

The single blokes appeared to squirm in their seats and on to their feet for Irreplaceable as Knowles put every bloke with an ego and a mistress in his place with her staggering self confidence and sheer strength of personality.

And that booty? That just had a life of its own, coming alive for Bootylicious and Single Ladies.

Whether crumping, sweeping across the stage in towering heels, or simply standing still, Beyonce was dynamite, blasting the benchmark for concert performers forever. Good luck trying to follow that act whoever you are. View Here...

The Top 10 Songs For Writers

Labels: news update music

Writers are a funny breed. They are often depicted as eccentric recluses who go for days without eating, sleeping or bathing because they are completely obsessed with getting their ideas on paper. Musicians have a never ending love affair with the written word. After all, songwriters must be just as adept at putting words together as they are at putting chords, melodies and rhythms together. That is unless you're a musician focused solely on instrumental music. It's no surprise that the very best lyricists are also serious fans of books. The lives of authors and the stories found in novels have inspired countless songs.However, for this playlist I wanted to put together songs that are specifically written about the act of writing itself, or the writer in general. As opposed to songs inspired by a particular novel or author..

What's your favorite song about writing?

Songs For Writers:

1. Every Day I Write The Book - Elvis Costello

2. Paperback Writer - Paul McCartney

3. Lady Writer - Dire Straits

4. Writer's Minor Holiday - Calexico

5. Shadow Stabbing - Cake

6. Dancing In The Dark - Bruce Springsteen

7. When I Write The Book - Nick Lowe

8. There She Goes, My Beautiful World - Nick Cave

9. Wrapped Up In Books - Belle and Sebastian

10. Screenwriters Blues - Soul Coughing
source:http://new.music.yahoo.com/blogs/yradish/41948/the-top-10-songs-for-writers/ View Here...

Tickets to Michael Jackson movie go on sale September 27

Labels: news update michael jackson

The film about Michael Jackson's final three months, which uses video of rehearsals for his concert comeback, will run in theaters worldwide for two weeks only beginning October 28, according to Sony Pictures.

Tickets for "Michael Jackson: This Is it" go on sale Sunday, September 27, Sony said in a news release Thursday.

"Audiences will be given a privileged and private look at the singer, dancer, filmmaker, architect, and genius as he creates and perfects his final show," Sony said.

Kenny Ortega, who was working with Jackson to create the "This Is It" concert, is also directing the documentary.

"As we began assembling the footage for the motion picture, we realized we captured something extraordinary, unique and very special," Ortega said. "It's a very private, exclusive look into a creative genius' world."

Ortega said "This Is It" "may go down as the greatest concert that no one got a chance to see," since the pop singer died three weeks before it was to debut in the O2 Arena in London, England. "But with this film, we get a rare portrait of Michael as he prepares for his final curtain call and what I believe was going to be his master work."

Sony began editing the film last week after concert promoter AEG Live handed over about 100 hours of video it shot during April, May and June 2009.

The initial release date was set for October 30, but Sony said it decided the "special, limited, two-week engagement worldwide" would be moved up two days.

A Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved the deal last week to allow the special administrators of Jackson's estate to sign a contract with Sony and AEG Live to allow the production.

The judge has yet to decide on a deal that would allow AEG Live to conduct a three-city tour of a Michael Jackson memorabilia exhibition to coincide with the film's release.
source:http://edition.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Movies/08/20/michael.jackson.movie.tickets/index.html View Here...

Kanye West Finally Apologizes to Taylor Swift

Labels: news update kanye west, news update taylor swift

After Taylor Swift's Tuesday appearance on The View, the country singer received a telephone call from rapper Kanye West, who apologized for his behavior Sunday night at the MTV Video Music Awards.

"Kanye did call me, and he was very sincere in his apology, and I accepted that apology," Swift told ABC News Radio.

She added that she believes there won't be any conflict in the future.

Earlier in the day, Swift appeared on The View and said that while she would accept a face-to-face apology from the rapper – "Sure!" – he has made no effort to get in touch with her since disrupting her best female video award acceptance speech at Sunday's VMAs.

"He has not personally reached out or anything," she said, "but if he wanted to say hi..."

The singer explained what was going through her mind Sunday night as she watched West grab the microphone and announce that her award should have gone to Beyoncé.

"My overall thought process went something like, 'Wow, I can't believe I won. This is awesome. Don't trip and fall. I'm going to get to thank the fans, this is so cool ... Oh, Kanye West is here! Cool haircut! What are you doing there? And then, ouch. And then, I guess I'm not going to thank the fans.' "

West apologized on his blog later that night, and on Monday, he told Jay Leno that he'd like to apologize.

"I'm not going to say that I wasn't rattled by it," said Swift on The View, "but I had to perform live five minutes later so I had get myself back to the place where I could perform."

Swift said she was touched by the outpouring of support from fans and fellow singers like Kelly Clarkson, who blogged that West was "a sad human being."

"I just never imagined that there were that many people out there looking out for me, so it was really wonderful to see that people were out there defending me so I didn't have to."
source:
http://www.people.com/people/package/article/0,,20302940_20304567,00.html?xid=rss-fullcontentcnn View Here...

Civility: A thing of the past?

Labels: news update kanye west, news update taylor swift

A politician, an athlete and an entertainer. What do they have in common? Some would say rude behavior. In less than a week, millions of people witnessed displays of anger and rage that have many wondering whether decorum is a thing of the past.

Kanye West's behavior at the MTV Video Music Awards was widely condemned.
"I think we're seeing a decline in our protocol and etiquette skills,'' said Pamela Eyring, director of the Protocol School of Washington.

Last week on Capitol Hill, South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson yelled "you lie!" at President Obama as he addressed Congress on heath care.

"It was an obvious breach of decorum. There's a time and a place for everything, and that was obviously not the time or the place," said Sen. John Cornyn, D-Texas.

Wilson apologized to Obama but has balked at the idea of giving a formal apology before the House of Representatives.

Just days later, in a heated display of frustration over a questionable call, tennis star Serena Williams threatened a line judge at the U.S. Open.

The outburst, like Wilson's, was seen by millions on live television. Williams later issued an apology and has tried to put the incident behind her.

One day after the Williams meltdown, it was Kanye West's turn. But this wasn't a fit of rage; it was an outrageous display by the rapper toward singer Taylor Swift.

The 19-year-old was accepting her award at the MTV Video Music Awards ceremony Sunday when West took the microphone from her hand and told the audience that singer Beyonce Knowles' video had been better. West was booed off the stage.

Eyring says these three high-profile incidents serve as reminders to public figures and regular people alike to watch their behavior.

"They're mentors, like it or not. They are mentors, and they need to show their good side," she said.

It's one thing for a public figure to have a bad or very bad moment. But more and more Americans are wondering whether rudeness has become the norm in society in general.

"Everybody's lashing out for no apparent reason. It's starting to be this virus that's going on these days now," said David Stuart of Washington.

How did it get to this point? Eyring blames technology. "Blogging, texting, the twittering; we're finding that people aren't focused on their people skills any longer, and so they're doing outbursts. They're just saying what they feel and what they want to say, when they want to say it."

Eyring is quick to point out that not all of society is lacking in people skills. But she does stress a return to simple gestures: opening a door for someone, giving up your seat for an elderly person or simply saying "thank you."

"I think actions are more powerful than words. We have to learn this, and you can do it, and it doesn't cost anything. You can do it. It costs nothing to be nice or civil or polite. It's easy, and it makes you feel good."
source: http://edition.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/09/18/disappearing.civility/index.html#cnnSTCText View Here...

Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley Separate

Labels: news update avril lavigne

Life's going to be a little less complicated for Avril Lavigne. Avril Lavigne and Deryck Whibley married in California in July, 2006.After months of facing rumors about trouble in their marriage, the pop star and husband Deryck Whibley announced Thursday that they are separating on good terms.

"Deryck and I have been together for 6-an-a-half years. We have been friends since I was 17, started dating when I was 19, and married when I was 21," Lavigne, 24, wrote on her Web site. "I am grateful for our time together, and I am grateful and blessed for our remaining friendship."

She added: "I admire Deryck and have a great amount of respect for him. He is the most amazing person I know and I love him with all my heart. Deryck and I are separating and moving forward on a positive note."

In a message on the MySpace page for his band Sum 41, Whibley also posted a message about the split. "The past 6 and a half years have been the most amazing years of my life. It's sad it has come to an end but Avril and I are still family and moving forward in the most positive way possible," the note read.

"Our decision to part ways is amicable and she holds a special place in my heart and forever will be a great and amazing friend," Whibley added. "Thanks to all our family, friends and fans for all the support."

Whibley, 29, and Lavigne, who are both from Canada, tied the knot in July 2006 at a private estate in Montecito, California. But save for one appearance together last month, the pair had been living apart for some time.

"They really want the best for each other," a source tells PEOPLE. "They're handling everything as amicably as possible."

In fact, says the source, Whibley produced much of Avril's upcoming album.
source:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/SHOWBIZ/Music/09/18/avril.lavigne.divorce/index.html?section=cnn_latest View Here...

Linkin Park's Bennington Talks New Band, Debut

Labels: news update linkin park

Dead By Sunrise's debut album, "Out of Ashes," doesn't come out until Oct. 13, but frontman Chester Bennington is guaranteeing it will be a going concern, though always subject to the demands of his other band, Linkin Park.

"We'll make records when we can," Bennington -- who started forming Dead By Sunrise, originally as Snow White Tan, in 2005 -- tells Billboard.com. "I don't think people should expect to see an album every couple of years. I'm definitely not going to tell Linkin Park, 'Hey, can you guys take some time off so I can go work on Dead By Sunrise?' That's not gonna happen. But we definitely see this as something we'll continue to do. This isn't a one-time thing for us. Every five years or so I could imagine there'd be a Dead By Sunrise record."

And, Bennington adds, his bandmates in Linkin Park have become his "No. 1 support group" for Dead By Sunrise.

"I think they see how much time I put into it," he says, "and they definitely can tell these songs are different from what Linkin Park is doing. I still contribute 110 percent to Linkin Park. I think they know (Dead By Sunrise) is not something I would do if it meant jeopardizing what we have in Linkin Park."

With the album's first single, "Crawl Back In," already out, Bennington -- who co-produced the album with Howard Benson -- and the Dead By Sunrise crew are itching to play some live shows in support of "Out of Ashes." "We really are looking forward to going and playing small venues for a few hundred people," he says, "and really having the people who want to hear us play getting sweaty with us and having speakers right in their faces and blasting them pretty loud."

The fledgling group will also offer fans some bonus material, including a cover of the Misfits' "20 Eyes" and acoustic renditions of the "Out of Ashes" songs, some of which will be available for download with the purchase of the album.

While he's preparing for "Out of Ashes' " release, however, Bennington is also in the studio with Linkin Park working on the band's fourth album. Rick Rubin is again on board as co-producer, and Bennington says the group would like to have the set out by mid-2010 but "won't put anything out until we can pull a batch of super-stellar songs together."

"We're really experimenting a lot with sounds and time signatures and (song) structures," Bennington reports, "really not being constrained by any kind of preconceived ideas that we might have ourselves. So it's really promising."
source:http://www.billboard.com/#/news/linkin-park-s-bennington-talks-new-band-1004014067.story View Here...

Tori Amos Gets Into Holiday Spirit For 'Midwinter Graces'

Labels: news update tori amos

The holidays are shaping up to be rather bright for Tori Amos fans, as the singer-songwriter is set to release "Midwinter Graces," her first collection of holiday music. Due November 10 on Universal Republic, the twelve song set features holiday standards such as "What Child, Nowell" and "Star of Wonder," as well as original compositions such as "Pink and Glitter" and "Our New Year." Amos recruited longtime collaborators Matt Chamberlain on drums, Jon Evans on bass, Mac Aladdin on guitars and arranger John Philip Shenale.

The main parts of the album were recorded at Amos's studio in Cornwall, UK with additional sessions taking place this summer in Los Angeles and New York City.

"Midwinter Graces" will conclude a very busy year for Amos, who released "Abnormally Attracted to Sin," her tenth studio album this past May. According to Nielsen SoundScan, "Sin" has sold 92,000 and peaked at No. 9 on the Billboard 200. According to a release, Amos has had a long history with seasonal themed music, honing her chops as a youth at her father's church where he was a minister. Amos has also been known to cover Christmas staples "Little Drummer Boy" and "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" in concert.

Amos is currently on tour in Europe through October 10 and will head to Australia in November. Currently, there are no holiday themed shows scheduled.

Here is the track listing for "Midwinter Graces":

"What Child, Nowell"
"Star of Wonder"
"A Silent Night With You"
"Candle: Coventry Carol"
"Holy, Ivy, and Rose"
"Harps of Gold"
"Snow Angel"
"Jeanette, Isabelle"
"Pink and Glitter"
"Emmanuel"
"Winter's Carol"
"Our New Year" View Here...

Alice In Chains Are Back In 'Black'

Labels: news update alice in chains

In the midst of its first reunion tour in the summer of 2006, veteran hard rock act Alice in Chains played to a crowd of 30,000 at Portugal's Super Bock Super Rock festival. As the band performed a set of its classic cuts, a handful of fans unfurled a 25-foot-long sign that read, "Alice in Chains Get Born Again."

With the Sept. 29 release of "Black Gives Way to Blue," Alice in Chains' first full-length in nearly 14 years, the band's reincarnation reaches its conclusion. The band says "Blue" serves as both a synthesis of past achievements and a tribute to lead singer Layne Staley, who died in 2002 of a drug overdose, and fans are greeting it with open arms. The Elton John-assisted title track and the lead single, "Check My Brain," is No. 1 on Billboard's Rock Songs chart.

"There's a lot of personal stuff here that we're making public," drummer Sean Kinney says. "But I'm proud of everything we've done. We've grown as individuals and as a collective."

Following the chart-topping release of its self-titled third album in 1996, the band stopped touring and went on an indefinite hiatus. The first hint of a reunion came in 2005, when Kinney, guitarist Jerry Cantrell and bassist Mike Inez performed together at a Seattle benefit concert for South Asian tsunami victims. The members started jamming and soon recruited their longtime friend, Comes With the Fall frontman William DuVall, to share vocals with Cantrell.

After the band played European festivals and select U.S. club dates in 2006, it faced a decision the following year: whether to record new material. "There was never an intention to do these shows and then make another record, but they kept feeling stronger about it," manager Susan Silver says. "At the end of 2007, Jerry dug deeper than I've ever seen him dig and wrote many of the songs, and in 2008, they decided it was time to lay them down."

Recorded at the Foo Fighters' Studio 606 in Los Angeles, "Blue" is Alice in Chains' first release on Virgin/EMI, which signed the band this spring.

As the band gears up for a European tour in November and a U.S. trek in early 2010, Kinney has no reservations about making the album and plans to keep recording with the band's current lineup. "It'd be a disservice to Layne's legacy to not keep moving forward with this project," he says. "You hope it strikes a chord, but to me, this record's already a success." View Here...

infolinks: a smarter way to make money online

Labels: infolinks

REVIEW:

It captures my imagination as it trully reflects the fact about interntet marketing. Many times users will just ignore advertisements as it seems so boring in design and have little to offer. With infolinks, it's a perfect match for any text base webpages as it will not distract the overall design of your page. It is fully automated and the links are information base that even those who know about infolinks sometimes think it's part of the design for additional referrences.

And this is what this video clip has clearly captured. it has the big idea that sells, it gives information and most of all it entertains. the overall production is professionally made. The camera angles and composition frame by frame are superb and can make hollywood videographers run for thier money. In fact, i think each frame can stand alone as a still photo complete with exceptional lighting, compositing and special effects. The presentation using a realatively old computer helps set the tone of the video as it captures the need for publishers more money and those average internet users specially those who come from third world countries.

As far as the audio is concerned, a little improvement could have been done but still it's a perfect fit for its picture. Maybe the quality of the video deteriorates as it's only uploaded in youtube (i love to see the actuall high resolution file).

To top it all the characters carry their roles like no other. All are worthy of a place in the movie industry. They could become one of the greatest stars in hollywood.

Kudos!

I have rated this video in youtube as awesome. It's highly recommended. Its artistic style clearly delivers the message. It links and informs...infolinks: a smarter way to make money online. View Here...

Britney Spears Gets Naked (Again) In VMA-Nominated 'Womanizer'

Labels: news update britney spears

'If she was a car with a paint job, I was going to show off the paint job,' director says of the steamy sauna shots, in Behind the Lens.

Picture it: you, Britney Spears, a sweaty sauna, and nothing else between you. Like the body-hugging sparkly catsuit in "Toxic" that got tongues wagging, veteran video director Joseph Kahn knew the sight of Britney lounging in a sauna in the "Womanizer" clip would set off a buzz bomb.

Mission accomplished. Like his work on Eminem's "We Made You," which is also nominated for Video of the Year at Sunday's 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, "Womanizer" was the first clip from a crucial comeback album for Britney and Kahn was behind the camera to make sure it went smoothly.

As Kahn has said, he approached "Womanizer" not so much as a sequel to "Toxic," but as an answer to that clip. "I had no idea what the song was going to be, so I had no ideas when I met her about what we would do," said Kahn. "She had a basis of an idea to make a 'Toxic 2.' There are things she's really good at, like having a really natural knack for knowing what girls want."

While his previous collaborations with Spears on "Toxic" had a revenge-on-a-boy scenario, and "Stronger" bore an empowerment message, in "Womanizer" Britney was interested in exploring what her man was doing when he was cheating on her by showing up in different tempting outfits. "It's just a great girl fantasy," Kahn said of the concept for the video, in which Spears portrays a handful of forceful, hyperstylized characters. "The problem was we only had two days to shoot it and it involved multiple costume changes, multiple locations and Britney could only work 12 hours a day."

That meant Kahn had to hustle even more than usual, so he said he was, literally, running around the Los Angeles sets like a maniac, plotting out every second of the shoot like an Army lieutenant.

Although the hectic schedule was a white-knuckle grind, Kahn admitted that one aspect of the shoot was no hassle at all. "That was definitely an interesting thing to bring up," he said of his suggestion to Spears that they film a scenario in which she (barely) covers her naked, sweaty body with just her hands while lounging in a sauna. "I knew that the whole world would be watching, so I wanted something in there that stated, 'This is Britney, this is why you should respect her.' "

Despite the idea of seeking respect through nudity seeming counterintuitive, Kahn explained that he was so angry about how Spears had been attacked over the previous years for her yo-yo-ing weight that he wanted to quash all that talk by ... well, in his own words, "If she was a car with a paint job, I was going to show off the paint job. It was a way for her to gain back her body and smash all those shallow jokes."

As with "Toxic," Kahn had to clear everyone off the set when the time came to shoot the scene, leaving just him and Britney alone for two hours. "We worked together on each costume in the video and we went into a costuming session where she played dress-up for a while," he said, explaining the different sexy looks Britney shows off in the video. "She walks out in different outfits and I'm like, 'Let's try the striped shirt.' I'm sitting there thinking, 'I can't believe they pay me for this. I probably have the best job in the world!' Even Obama would want my job."

By Gil Kaufman
source: http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1621190/20090910/index.jhtml View Here...

Céline Dion's Genes Will Go On and On

Labels: news update celine dion

Titanic-voiced songbird Céline Dion is expecting her second child with male cougar hubby René Angélil, her rep confirms to E! News.

No further details were given, but the Journal de Montreal reported that the 41-year-old Canadian chanteuse and her 67-year-old manager-husband conceived after undergoing a round of fertility treatments in New York. The French-language paper also reported that Dion is due in May, meaning she may be pregnant, but only just.

Is it us or do things move faster on the metric system?

The duo has made no secret of similar efforts taken in conceiving their first child, son René-Charles, who was born in 2001. He was born through in vitro fertilization after six years of trying.

While the details of this pregnancy haven't been released, Dion told Oprah Winfrey back in 2004 that it was only a matter of time before she and Angélil tried again—and she had just the egg with which to make the attempt.

"We have a little embryo in New York which was produced at the same time as René-Charles," she said. "To be honest with you, there's no way for me as a mom, knowing that this embryo is part of René and me and is waiting for us in this iceberg...I need to bring this baby to the sun...I have to give it a try."

A new, sunshiny day has come.

source: http://www.eonline.com/uberblog/b139870_ceacuteline_dions_genes_will_go_on_on.html View Here...

People: Mariah Carey, Nicole Kidman, Audrina Patridge

Labels: news update mariah carey

Most stars get glammed up for their movie roles, but sometimes, going homely can work wonders for a career. Mariah Carey recently got a serious make-under for Precious, in which she plays a frumpy social worker. The critical huzzahs are a far cry from what she heard when she gussied up for Glitter.

Other examples:

• Nicole Kidman was fitted with a prominent prosthetic proboscis and won an Oscar playing Virginia Woolf in The Hours.

• Charlize Theron's reverse glamour shot in Monster included 30 extra pounds, shaved eyebrows, fake teeth and splotchy skin. She took home the Oscar, too.

Says she

"I barely talk to Lauren. We'll text every now and then, but that's about it. Heidi, um, keeps asking me to go to Bible study with her." Audrina Patridge, on her relationship with Lauren Conrad and Heidi Pratt, her co-stars on MTV's The Hills, in the October issue of Maxim View Here...

BOXING:

PACQUIAO VS. COTTO COVERAGE

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