Music News - 2008-03-22

Chris Rock Isn't Laughing

2008-03-22 06:00:25.648019
Click href="http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/chrisrock/articles/story/19400269/video_gallery_chris_rock" target="blank">here to watch Chris Rock's greatest film and stand-up moments.

Here in the Time of Rock, wherein Christopher Julius Rock III rules again as he has ruled before, but only more so — international sweep! colossal forums! better transportation! — promptness counts for much. "There's no such thing as early," Rock himself will tell you, just as his late heroic father often impressed upon him under threat of belt strap. "There's on time and late. I'm always on time." Unsurprisingly, then, he has made it a point to be on time for his Time, which is a very good thing for a dire populace that suddenly seeks racial clarity with historic fervor (no mortal, of course, sifts matters of class and skin divide with sharper acuity than Rock, who is black but sometimes employs the term "a fine mocha" because he is just that precise.) Moreover, he concedes that seizing this seismic American...

Video Gallery: Chris Rock

2008-03-22 23:00:15.66514
Click href="http://www.rollingstone.com/news/coverstory/19551925" target="blank">here for an excerpt of the Chris Rock cover story.

Though Chris Rock had minor success on Saturday Night Live and with the HBO special Big Ass Jokes, his true breakout came in 1996 with the premiere of Bring the Pain. The stand-up special (and subsequent album Roll With the New) introduced the world to a number of instant-classic Rock bits, including "Niggas vs. Black People." The controversial routine is everything that's great about Rock: it's honest, insightful, vulgar and above all hilarious.

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Why Can't Adam Duritz Get Any Respect?

2008-03-22 01:00:15.611203
For half a second, Adam Duritz is airborne — and then he comes down hard. It's early February, during the second song of a rare Counting Crows small-club show in New York, and a moment ago, Duritz was teetering on a monitor speaker at the edge of the stage. Now, he tumbles backward, dreadlocks flailing, and his head collides with a piano. It looks painful. But Duritz springs back up, not missing a note — though his voice seems to quaver even more than usual as he sings, "Have you seen me lately?"

Then he climbs up onto that same speaker, again and again, like a man who has everything to prove. And maybe he does. Duritz is all too aware that some people hate him. They say his voice is whiny. They say his dreads are fake (which they are). And they don't like his band, either. "For some reason, everyone decided we were a piece of shit," he says a few days after the concert, describing a low point a couple of years back. "So the only thing to do was to go out there and show we weren't."

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"La Vie en Rose" singer steps into spotlight (Reuters)

2008-03-22 00:00:15.588267

By Ann Donahue Fri Mar 21, 8:39 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - When Marion Cotillard won the best-actress Academy Award in February for her portrayal of singer Edith Piaf in "La Vie En Rose," Jil Aigrot, at home in the South of France, became "very emotional."

"I was so very, very, very happy for all the team," Aigrot says, speaking as her daughter, Caroline, acts as a translator. "A lot of people worked hard for that movie."

Among them was Aigrot, who performed many of the vocals that Cotillard lip-synched to in the film, under guidance from the actress and director Olivier Dahan.

And while Cotillard may have received the bulk of the...

50 cent is the best hip-hop ar...

2008-03-22 09:00:11.567164
Last post 17 minutes ago by Makaveli4ever. 18 replies. Sort Posts: Previous Next 12 hours, 40 minutes ago deankin Joined on 01-24-2008 50 cent is the best hip-hop artist ever! in every way, he makes quality music, gives interesting interviews, involved

Beatles Sue To Block Release Of Recordings Made In 1962 In Hamburg, Germany

2008-03-22 16:00:13.758005
MIAMI (AP) - Lawyers for the Beatles sued Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group in 1962. The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd., the London company formed by the

Beatles Sue to Block 1962 Tapes' Release

2008-03-22 00:00:13.638133
Lawyers for the Beatles sued Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group in 1962. The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd., the London company formed by the Beatles that

Beatles sue to block 1962 tapes' release

2008-03-22 09:00:11.563919
MIAMI - Lawyers for the Beatles sued Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group in 1962. The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd Eight unreleased tracks are said to

Beatles sue to block 1962 tapes' release (AP)

2008-03-22 08:00:14.195122

By MATT SEDENSKY, Associated Press Writer Sat Mar 22, 1:35 AM ET

MIAMI - Lawyers for the Beatles sued Friday to prevent the distribution of unreleased recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group in 1962.

The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd., the London company formed by the Beatles that helps guard their legacy, and Fuego Entertainment Inc. of Miami Lakes stems from recordings the Fab Four apparently made during a performance at the Star Club in Hamburg, Germany.

Eight unreleased tracks are said to be among the recordings, including Paul McCartney singing Hank Williams' "Lovesick Blues" and McCartney and John Lennon singing "Ask Me Why."

Apple Corps claims that the songs were taped without the consent of the band and that Fuego and sister companies Echo-Fuego Music Group LLC and Echo-Vista Inc. have no right to distribute them.

"This appears to us to be a garden-variety bootleg recording," said Paul LiCalsi, an attorney for Apple Corps.

But Fuego Entertainment says the recordings were legally made. "Don't claim that these were just bootlegged," said Fuego president Hugo Cancio. "It's not like today, that you just go in with a phone or a blackberry and you record."

The lawsuit contends that the recordings are of poor quality and that circulating them "dilutes and tarnishes the extraordinarily valuable image associated with the Beatles."

Cancio said that he had not been served with a copy of the lawsuit, but that the filing demanding at least $15 million in damages was not expected.

"I'm surprised because up to a few weeks ago, we were in good-faith conversations with Apple," he said.

Also named in the lawsuit is Jeffrey Collins, a partner of Cancio who obtained the recordings. It's unclear how Collins obtained the recordings.

Cancio intended to release the songs as "Jammin' with The Beatles and Friends, Star Club, Hamburg, 1962."

"It's unfair to millions of Beatles fans not to allow this recording to be put out. The world deserves to hear these tracks," he said. "The fact is that we have it; they don't, and that is what's bothering them."

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Beatles' lawyers sue over recordings

2008-03-22 03:00:12.678193
Lawyers for the Beatles filed a lawsuit to prevent the distribution of never-released recordings purportedly made during Ringo Starr's first performance with the group. The dispute between Apple Corps Ltd., the London-based group formed by the Beatles

Britney Spears' TV wardrobe up for sale (AP)

2008-03-22 19:00:13.998683

2 hours, 20 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES - It seems almost everybody wants a piece of Britney Spears, and at least six pieces are officially for sale.

Spears' wardrobe from her guest-starring stint on CBS' "How I Met Your Mother" will be sold at an online auction to benefit the Natural Resources Defense Council, an environmental organization.

The weeklong auction begins Monday night, just after the episode featuring the pop star is set to air. Spears plays a flirty receptionist who falls for show's main character.

A half-dozen Spears-worn items will be available, including a navy print Juicy Couture dress, a yellow Nannette Lepore dress and a cream Nannette Lepore cardigan with blue flower details.

CBS and 20th Century Fox Television, which produces the show, are sponsoring the auction.

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CHRIS&RIHANNA HIT THE TOWN

2008-03-22 17:00:14.362015
In the UK for two sell out shows, Chris Brown kicked the easter holidays off in style by throwing a party at London hotspot MAYA. It was Chris who was the more lively of the two stars. After stopping to say hello to MTV News' Rickie , he got on the mic

Critics' picks - pop music

2008-03-22 17:00:14.360266
The Raveonettes (above) At Paradise Rock Club, tomorrow. The Danish garage-rock duo is touring in support of its well-titled third album, 'Lust Lust Lust,' a collection of woozy, nasty nuggets. Black Acid opens. Doors are at 7, the show starts at 8.

Cuban bassist Cachao dies; mambo pioneer (AP)

2008-03-22 16:00:13.725605

2 hours, 11 minutes ago

MIAMI - The Cuban bass player credited with creating the mambo has died at a Miami-area hospital.

Family spokesman Nelson Albareda says Israel "Cachao" (ka-CHAH'-o) Lopez died early Saturday at age 89 after falling ill in the past week.

The bassist and composer known simply as Cachao was a Latin Grammy-award winner and is widely considered a pioneer of the mambo.

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DJ Green Lantern Produces GTA 4 Soundtrack

2008-03-22 13:00:13.547975
Grand Theft Auto players will have a new soundtrack to make moves to, as the latest installment of the popular video game series will include a radio show featuring mixtape DJ Green Lantern. The show is among the surprises found on the forthcoming Grand

Dolly Parton releases album on own label (AP)

2008-03-22 19:00:13.170679

By JOHN GEROME, AP Entertainment Writer 26 minutes ago

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Dolly Parton knows a good investment when she sees one, and these days she sees one in the mirror.

Parton, whose business portfolio includes a theme park and an entertainment production company, says she's spending a lot of her own money trying to get back on country radio with her new CD, "Backwoods Barbie."

"I'm looking at it like an investment," she told The Associated Press. "I thought, 'I've made enough money. I can afford to invest a little in myself.'"

She has self-released the disc on her own label, Dolly Records, and hired a seven-member promotions team.

"I purposely tailor-made this to try to get some hits," Parton explained.

The album reached No. 2 on Billboard in its second week, her best showing in 17 years.

The first single, "Better Get to Livin'," a country-pop song she describes as sonically similar to Keith Urban, sputtered at No. 48. But the second single, "Jesus & Gravity," is just now arriving at radio.

At age 62, Parton remains an icon and inspiration to younger singers.

"I don't think there's anything that woman can't do," said rising country star Kellie Pickler, who calls Parton her greatest influence. "She just walks into a room and lights it up. She's got that 'it' factor that money can't buy. She's the whole package."

Music Row began to lose interest in Parton in the '90s as a new crop of country stars emerged. Her last Top 5 hit, "Rockin' Years," was in 1991, and she hasn't had a major label record deal in 10 years.

"When it changed I was still as serious as ever and was thinking I'm still as good as ever, if I ever was any good," Parton said.

She has watched with interest as new technology has created opportunities without the big labels.

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Fans take "wiki" over MySpace for music info (Reuters)

2008-03-22 08:00:14.602447

By Antony Bruno Sat Mar 22, 12:48 AM ET

DENVER (Billboard) - Search for an artist on any of the popular search engines, and the top three results are practically guaranteed: the artist's official Web site, Wikipedia entry and MySpace page -- often in that order.

But while artists and their handlers devote massive attention to the Web site and MySpace, the Wikipedia page is often overlooked. Recent data suggests they may want to reconsider their priorities.

According to data provided to Billboard from Yahoo -- the second-most popular search engine on the Web after Google -- those searching for artist information are selecting the...

Fueled By Ramen Co-Founder Launches Label

2008-03-22 18:00:12.545292
Vinnie Fiorello isn't Fueled By Ramen anymore, but he's sticking close to his grocery themed roots. The Less Than Jake co-founder/drummer and former head of Fueled By Ramen has started a new independent label named Paper And Plastick, which will focus

Latin stars moved quickly to stage peace concert (Reuters)

2008-03-22 20:00:16.722968

By Leila Cobo 54 minutes ago

MIAMI (Billboard) - The idea was born over lunch and drinks. It was early March, and Colombia, Venezuela and Ecuador were on the brink of war after a Colombian anti-guerrilla raid into Ecuador.

For Colombian star Juanes, the notion was incomprehensible. "I'll go to the border with my guitar and sing to fix this," he said.

"No," his manager, Fernan Martinez, replied. "If we do this, we go all out."

Ten days later, on March 16, Juanes -- along with fellow Colombian Carlos Vives, Venezuelan Ricardo Montaner, Spaniards...

Linkin Park Space Out For 'Leave Out All The Rest' Video, Eye July Start For Projekt Revolution Tour

2008-03-22 11:00:12.925777
When it comes to epic music videos, no one does it quite like the dudes from Linkin Park. And the forthcoming clip for 'Leave Out All the Rest,' the latest single from the band's 2007 LP Minutes to Midnight, will be no different. Linkin Park spent last

Mambo pioneer Israel "Cachao" Lopez dies (Reuters)

2008-03-22 22:00:13.669899

52 minutes ago

TALLAHASSEE, Florida (Reuters) - Cuban-born bassist, band leader and mambo pioneer Israel "Cachao" Lopez died on Saturday in Miami, media reports said. He was 89.

Lopez, who immigrated to the United States from Cuba in 1962, is credited with introducing the mambo musical genre to generations of adoring fans. He died on Saturday after complications from kidney failure, the Miami Herald reported in its online edition.

Known for years by a singular name, Cachao, Lopez was a Grammy Award-winning artist whose work was chronicled in a 1993 documentary by Cuban-American actor Andy Garcia.

Lopez, a classically trained bassist, continued to perform...

McCartney flies to bedside of 'Fifth Beatle' as he fights for life

2008-03-22 23:00:14.078965
Sir Paul McCartney has flown to New York to be at the bedside of the man known as 'the Fifth Beatle' who was last night fighting for his life in hospital. For more than 40 years, Neil Aspinall controlled the vast empire of the Fab Four. A quiet,

Music fans prefer Wikipedia to MySpace (Reuters)

2008-03-22 10:00:12.186596

By Antony Bruno Fri Mar 21, 9:50 PM ET

DENVER (Billboard) - Search for an artist on any of the popular search engines, and the top three results are practically guaranteed: the artist's official Web site, Wikipedia entry and MySpace page -- often in that order.

But while artists and their handlers devote massive attention to the Web site and MySpace, the Wikipedia page is often overlooked. Recent data suggests they may want to reconsider their priorities.

According to data provided to Billboard from Yahoo -- the second-most popular search engine on the Web after Google -- those searching for artist information are selecting the...

My new album not a remix, says Sophie

2008-03-22 12:00:11.664159
Cut trees to celebrate the World Forestry Day?. Ironical? Not quite, for this was what was exactly done by authorities of the Commonwealth Youth Programme Asia Centre, Sector 12, here today. A number of old shisham, mango, jamun and eucalyptus trees

Paul McCartney Forks Over Cash for Divorce Settlement

2008-03-22 04:00:23.010945
The former Beatles singer and ex-wife Heather Mills finally settled their year-long divorce last Monday, where a judge ruled that McCartney pay Mills approximately $48.6 million. The couple's only child, four year-old Beatrice, was also awarded

Q&A: Guster's Gardner puts eco-message into practice (Reuters)

2008-03-22 22:00:14.679572

By Mitchell Peters 2 hours, 29 minutes ago

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Adam Gardner has come a long way since nicknaming his band's tour bus "the Earth Eater." Last October, the Guster guitarist/vocalist, who also co-founded environmental nonprofit organization Reverb, traveled from his home in Portland, Maine, to Capitol Hill to testify in front of Congress about the benefits of biofuel to the music industry.

"I've never been more nervous in my life," Gardner recalls. But after wiping the sweat from his brow, he successfully relayed his Earth-friendly message to curious politicians in Washington, D.C. "I basically said, 'We'd love for Reverb to be out of business, as far as coordinating biodiesel for tours,"'...

Q&A: Rocker Tankian spreads the word on social justice (Reuters)

2008-03-22 22:00:14.200156

By Cortney Harding 1 hour, 15 minutes ago

NEW YORK (Billboard) - A few days before the fifth anniversary of the Iraq War, rock musician Serj Tankian is sitting in an Austin hotel room and ruminating on the costs of the endless battle. But Tankian isn't talking about dead soldiers or civilians; he's talking about the cost to the Middle East's environment, an issue that few people have raised.

"The topsoil there has been destroyed," he says, "and who knows what kind of damage all those bombs have caused to the ecosystems in the Middle East?"

Many bands these days are claiming the "green" label, but...

Swedish pop star Robyn gets her groove back (Reuters)

2008-03-22 05:00:54.705757

By Mitchell Peters Fri Mar 21, 9:05 PM ET

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Some could label her a rebel, but Robyn might best be described as a teen pop survivor of the music industry.

In the years after her U.S. breakthrough in the late 1990s, the Swedish singer had nearly abandoned hopes of maintaining a successful career. But more than a decade later, Robyn will return to the American music scene with a self-titled album that's hits shelves April 29 via Konichiwa/Cherrytree/Interscope.

"It is definitely like getting a second chance," Robyn says. "I had scrapped all my ideas of being an international...

US Pop Music Charts This Week - After 12 Weeks, a New #1

2008-03-22 00:00:14.77102
After 12 Weeks, a New #1 Newsletter - Sign up. Bill's Blog By , About.com Guide to since 2005 Add to: This Week - After 12 Weeks, a New #1 Thursday March 20, 2008 Yes, after Flo Rida ruled the pop singles chart for an incredible 12

Whitley Kros Fall 2008 Collection - The Soundtrack To Fashion

2008-03-22 07:00:13.949425
The tagline for the Whitley Kros Fall 2008 Collection Marissa and long time friend, Sophia Coloma The Whitley Kros Fall 2008 Collection Also within this more subdued side of the collection, Whitley Kros Models included America's Next Top Model cycle nine