Sunset Strippers & other: June 2008

Friday, 27 June 2008

Associates

Artist: Associates

   Genre(s):
Pop

Discography:

The Singles Collection

Year: 1990
Tracks: 17

Formed in Edinburgh, Scotland in 1979, the Associates comprised vocaliser Billy Mackenzie and multi-instrumentalist Alan Rankine. Built on an eclecticist mix of influences and interests ranging from art rock to glam and discotheque, the radical debuted with a frenzied cover of David Bowie's "Boys Keep Swinging," which earned them a foreshorten with Fiction Records. Their 1980 debut LP, The Affectionate Punch, was a critically acclaimed work which expanded the duo's level-headed into both crude reductivism and melodramatic ballads, earning Mackenzie's powerful voice favourable comparisons to Scott Walker.

After jumping to the Situation Two label, the Associates released a series of singles which explored a continually various array of styles and textures. With 1982's "Party Fears Two," issued below their possess Associates label embossment, the group at last make the U.K. Top Ten, and the review singles "Society Country" and "18 Carat Love Affair" both reached the Top 30. 1982's Sulkiness was the group's determinate statement, a enthralling blending of lush, New Romantic popcraft and dark, surreal club stylings.

Next the LP's succeeder, however, dealings 'tween Mackenzie and Rankine soured, and the latter left the group for a solo calling, cathartic the albums The Day the World Became Her Age (1986), She Loves Me Not (1987), and The Big Picture Sucks (1989). Undaunted, Mackenzie maintained the Associates advert and teamed with Martin Rushent to record an album which went unreleased, although a few of the tracks later emerged on 1985's Perchance, fleshed out by keyboardist Howard Hughes and guitar player Steve Reid.

A long layoff followed, with some other album, The Glamour Chase, recorded just jilted by label chiefs. In 1990, the Euro-disco-flavored Groundless and Lonely emerged, and its deficiency of winner effectively over the Associates' tarradiddle. In early 1997, piece in the thick of preparing for a protruding comeback, Mackenzie committed felo-de-se.

The Greenhornes

Thursday, 19 June 2008

Britney Spears - Spears Is Given The Ok To Move

BRITNEY SPEARS has been cleared to become a Valley girl in Los Angeles.

The pop star is househunting in the Calabasas area of California so she can be closer to her young sons and ex-husband Kevin Federline.

But before she can even think about moving from the Hollywood Hills, Spears had to make sure her plans were OK with the commissioner overseeing her conservatorship.

The judge, Reva Goetz, granted Spears permission to sell up and move on Tuesday (17Jun08) after meeting with the pop star's attorneys.

Goetz used the occasion to uphold plans for a 31 July (08) trial date into Spears' conservatorship.

The singer's father Jamie and attorney Andrew Wallet were appointed co-conservators of the singer's affairs in February (08).

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Wednesday, 11 June 2008

Stranger Cole

Artist: Stranger Cole

   Genre(s):
Reggae

Discography:

Bangarang CD2

Year: 2003
Tracks: 26

No More Fussing and Fighting

Year: 1986
Tracks: 8

Naomi Campbell hospitalised in Brazil

Thursday, 5 June 2008

Critically Acclaimed My Morning Jacket Promotes Latest Album With Ecast

"Evil Urges" to Be Pre-Released on Ecast to Catch the Attention of Music
Trend Watchers

SAN FRANCISCO, June 3 -- Breakthrough rock band My Morning
Jacket is premiering their upcoming album on the Ecast network of digital
jukeboxes found in more than 10,000 bars and nightclubs nationwide.

Beginning today, My Morning Jacket's fifth full-length studio album
"Evil Urges" is live on the Ecast network one week before its release on
ATO Records. To drive music plays of the album, "Evil Urges" appears in
established Ecast promotional features including the Just Added playlist,
an artist-dedicated interactive video loop, and the Ecast New Releases
video loop, which are seen by half million music enthusiasts each week.

"Ecast's jukeboxes are fun, and easy to use with the widest variety and
selection of music available. Making ATO's music available on the Ecast
network with the pre-release of the My Morning Jacket album only helps us
capitalize further and compound word of mouth and excitement about 'Evil
Urges'," said John Biondolillo, general manager, ATO Records.

My Morning Jacket has been praised for their masterful blend of indie
and classic rock influences since their 1998 debut album. Best known for
selling out venues with electrifying live performances, My Morning Jacket
has been garnering acclaim from the music industry's toughest critics. They
have had the opportunity to tour with Guided by Voices, the Doves and the
Foo Fighters, and are perennial favorites at festivals like Bonnaroo and
Coachella.

"Bands are turning to new and different methods for promoting their
music and a growing trend in the music world seems to be pre-releasing
their records on digital jukeboxes like Ecast's," says Lisa Tiver, SVP
business affairs, Ecast. "When a fan favorite such as My Morning Jacket
partners with us before their record is for sale, they reach people in a
place where music is one of the most important parts of the experience. In
bars and nightclubs, current fans expose new listeners to the music and a
new fan is born."

Promoting a new release on the Ecast network is a winning combination
for bands and artists trying to reach the young, music listening audience.
In fact, a recent Arbitron study found that the touchscreen media network
not only reaches young adults who frequently recommend new music to family
and friends, but 70 percent agree that the Ecast touchscreens are a good
way to introduce friends to music they like.

ABOUT ECAST:

Ecast operates the largest broadband touchscreen media network in the
United States, providing digital music to over 10,000 bars and nightclubs
across the country. The unique touchscreen music service allows locations
to put the power of choice where it should be: with the consumer. Utilizing
the speed and scalability of broadband, Ecast delivers music, advertising
and other forms of entertainment to the young-adults most responsible for
affecting purchasing decisions and consumer trends. Ecast is changing the
way people listen to music in public places and revolutionizing out-of-home
advertising. Ecast's investment partners include Crosslink Capital, DCM, El
Dorado Ventures, Focus Ventures and Mobius Venture Capital. For more
information, please visit http://www.ecastnetwork.com.

This release is available on the KCSA Strategic Communications site at
http://www.kcsa.com.

CONTACT INFO:
Rob Manfredo / Charlotte Maumus
KCSA Strategic Communications
(212) 896-1213 / (212) 896-1269
rmanfredo@kcsa.com / cmaumus@kcsa.com

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Monday, 2 June 2008

Wombats close Liverpool Sound City with 'buttock touching' show

The Wombats brought Liverpool Sound City to a suitably climatic close last night (May 30) with a homecoming show at the city's St Georges Hall.

Taking the stage at 9.30pm (BST) to loud applause, the local band played a raucous set which saw them thrill with tracks including 'Kill the Director', 'Moving To New York' and 'Patricia The Stripper'.

Lead singer Matthew Murphy was characteristically vocal throughout the set, interacting with the crowd between every song with banter about "spooning", the audience "touching each others buttocks" and a gig they done in Manchester, which prompted mass boos from the Scouse crowd.

As well as performing favourites from album 'The Wombats Present A Guide To Love, Loss And Desperation', they also played a brand new song, 'How to Pack Your Bags and Leave', which rapturously received by the capacity crowd.

Murphy told the audience he wrote the song on New Years Day after "coming back from the shops".

However the highlight of the night came in the form of 'Let's Dance To Joy Division', which included backing vocals from seven local teenagers from various schools across Merseyside.

The Wombats had earlier taught the teens to play the entire song in "two hours".

Forgoing the conventional encore, Murphy instructed the audience to chant "one more song" while the band hid behind speakers before they emerged again in mock surprise.

The band then finished off with 'My First Wedding' and riotous closer 'Backfire At The Disco'.

The Liverpool trio rounded off four days of gigs, conferences and parties across the city, which were part of one of the biggest musical event the city has seen.

Other acts to have playing the last night include Hot Club De Paris, Robots in Disguise and IwasACubScout, while the likes of Santogold had played early in the week.

AFTRA - Amptp Still Apart

A deal between the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers may not be around the corner as many industry observers had forecast. In a message to AFTRA members on Monday, union President Roberta Reardon said, "We are confronting a number of challenging issues, and a resolution may not be quick or easy." She indicated that because both sides had agreed on a press blackout, she could not disclose the nature of the disagreements. Nevertheless, she assured members, "our discussions with the Industry have been professional and businesslike, and we remain focused on continuing negotiations in this vein." Reardon's message did note that AFTRA, like the Screen Actors Guild, will continue to insist that its members consent to the use of their performances in new media, i.e., the Internet.

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Katie Holmes congratulates Kidman

Actress Katie Holmes has congratulated her husband's former wife Nicole Kidman on her pregnancy.
According to People magazine, the 29-year-old actress, who is now married to Tom Cruise, said: "I'm so happy for her. It's wonderful."
Kidman announced earlier this week that she is expecting a baby with her singer husband Keith Urban.
The 40-year-old actress pulled out of filming for her next movie 'The Reader'.
Kidman and Cruise have two adopted children from their marriage, 15-year-old Isabella and 12-year-old Conor.

Low-fat salsa

Tito Nieves has long been one of Latin music’s biggest stars - literally. He earned the nickname “The Pavarotti of Salsa” as much for his wide girth as his powerful pipes.
Salsa fans who haven’t seen Nieves perform in the past year are in for a surprising sight when he appears tomorrow night at Berklee Performance Center as part of The Lat Pack with fellow salseros Gilberto Santa Rosa and Jose Alberto.
There’s going to be a lot less of him to see.

“I’m down to a 36 waist from a 56, and a size 42 jacket from a 58,” said the Puerto Rico native, who has lost nearly 115 pounds since undergoing gastric bypass surgery last summer. “I’m down to 238 (pounds) from 352. When I walk on stage now, some people go, ‘That’s not him!’ ”
But it is. According to Nieves, who has taken salsa to new audiences by doing songs in English as well as Spanish, his voice is better than ever.
“Before I had the operation, people would say to me, ‘Tito, it’s going to affect your voice’,” he said from his home in Orlando, Fla. “It did - now I have more energy. (Losing weight) has enhanced my voice, because I’m not carrying this other person around with me.”
Nieves can belt it out, but on nearly 30 albums in his three decades in the business, he has earned a reputation as a salsa singer who likes to stretch out and take risks. From his early days cutting his teeth in New York with the Hector Lavoe Orchestra and performing with Tito Puente and Celia Cruz, to collaborating with reggaeton stars Nicky Jam and K-Mil, Nieves has been a Latin artist who won’t allow himself to be boxed in.
Which is why the 49-year-old singer was among the first of his generation to cross over in a major way. His infectious English-language hit, “I Like it Like That,” climbed the pop charts in 1997, was a dance club staple and became part of a massive Burger King ad campaign.
Nieves has salsa-fied songs by Barry White, Carole King, the Dells and the Beatles, and although his latest albums have been primarily in Spanish, including his recent tribute to Mexican singer Marco Antonio Solis, he still has a warm spot in his heart for singing salsa Anglos can comprende.
While Nieves says there won’t be any Frank Sinatra covers at tomorrow’s Lat Pack show, there will be the same kind of easy simpatico between himself, Santa Rosa and Alberto that the Chairman of the Board had with his Rat Pack of Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop.
“The three of us have been friends for 30 years , so we have a real chemistry together,” Nieves said. “We’ll be covering our own songs from the ’70s and ’80s right up until today. And we’re definitely going to have a lot of fun doing it.”
Just like Frank and Dean and Sammy, but with salsa on top.
Tito Nieves, Gilberto Santa Rosa and Jose Alberto, at Berklee Performance Center, tomorrow at 8 p.m. Tickets: $48-$68; 617-323-2441.

Crystal Castles close The Great Escape

Crystal Castles closed The Great Escape festival with a chaotic show in the early hours of this morning (May 18) at Club NME at the Brighton Barfly.

Taking the stage at 2am (BST) the duo played a raucous set of energetic electro-rock, which saw singer Alice Glass spend almost the entire show suspended above the crowd, balancing on both security guards and crowd members.

The security guards seemed baffled by the singer's frenetic stage style, seemingly unsure whether to attempt to pull her back from the crowd or help suspend her. As such she was ducked back and forth repeatedly as she sang.

The gig was rammed, with fans having queued extensively for a chance to catch the band. Various crowd members joined in Glass's chaotic antics, crowd surfing past her while she sang the likes of 'Air War' and 'Courtship Dating'.

The gig wrapped up the three-day festival, which saw hundreds of bands play gigs across venues in the coastal city.

Before Crystal Castles' set at the Barfly Lightspeed Champion played a well-received show at the venue. Wearing his trademark furry hat he played songs including 'Galaxy Of The Lost' and 'Midnight Surprise'.

Lightspeed Champion � aka Dev Hynes � was on energetic form, mounting a speaker stack near the death of the set while playing his guitar, then hurling himself onto the keyboard causing a cascade of sound as he smashed against the keys and the instrument collapsed.

Earlier in the day, at 4pm, Kid Harpoon played a secret gig at the Audio venue with singer/songwriter Soko.

The duo took it in turns to sing backing and lead vocals and play the ukulele. They played songs including 'Milkmaid', 'Peanut Butter' and 'Late For The Devil' and were watched by members of Friendly Fires.

Ida Maria was another performer to play a secret gig, playing on the balcony outside the Theatre Royal. The singer played a three-song set, bringing movement on the pavement below to a standstill as fans clamoured to catch the short show.

Dead Kids, meanwhile, played an impromptu jam on the seafront, then much to fans� delight hurled themselves into the ocean for a splash around.

Over at the Revenge club Cheeky Cheeky And The Nosebleeds played an energetic set of retro-pop, with the band asking fans to dance along to their songs, 'Slow Kids' and 'Fascinating'.

Despite playing her jovial secret gig with Kid Harpoon earlier, Soko was in a wretched mood during her later show at the Concorde 2 venue at the bash organised by MTV2 Gonzo.

Complaining about the lighting levels, the singer/songwriter said, "Well, do you care if it's on MTV or do you care if I play a good gig? So, please can I have some low lights?"

The lights were eventually turned down for Soko and she continued her set, which included 'How are you?'.

However, Soko soon began complaining again, this time about the noisy audience, many of whom were chatting amongst themselves. "If you feel like talking can you go outside?" she said angrily. "Thank you for talking, and thank you for the lights" she later said before leaving the stage.

Later on many bands headed to Club NME at Barfly to drink and dance the last night of the festival away.

Nine films on Foreign Oscar longlist

Nine films have gone forward to the next round of voting in the Best Foreign Language Film category for the Oscars.
Sixty-three films, including the Irish-language film 'Kings', had originally qualified in this category.
The nine films in contention are: 'The Counterfeiters' (Austria), 'The Year My Parents Went on Vacation' (Brazil), 'Days of Darkness' (Canada), 'Beaufort' (Israel), 'The Unknown Woman' (Italy), 'Mongol' (Kazakhstan), 'Katyn' (Poland), '12' (Russia) and 'The Trap' (Serbia).
The Oscar nominations will be announced on Tuesday 22 January with the awards ceremony taking place on Sunday 24 February.

Ferguson Writing Tell-All Book

TV host Craig Ferguson is to write a shocking tell-all autobiography chronicling his past drug addictions and the depression which once led to a failed suicide bid. The Scottish-born comedian grew up in Glasgow, Scotland and tried out numerous different careers before he moved to America in the 1990s and shot to fame on hit TV program The Drew Carey Show. The new book - titled America On Purpose - will detail his previous work in a punk rock band, as a club bouncer and a construction worker. It will also reveal his dark days as an alcoholic and the moment he considered committing suicide by jumping off London's Tower Bridge in 1991 - insisting the only reason he didn't do it was because he was offered another drink and simply "forgot" to carry out his plan. The Late Late Show host tells New York Post gossip column PageSix that he is writing the book "in the hope that it will inspire other alcoholic, punk-rock drummers from Scotland."

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