Beck

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Beck Is in a Weird Squabble With Leah Remini

Over his past, or lack thereof, with Scientology

(Newser) - Beck has long been reported to be a Scientologist—the singer's father is one, and Beck was married for 14 years to Marissa Ribisi, twin of actor Giovanni Ribisi and member of a well-known Scientology family—and he's discussed his association with the religion in multiple interviews. But...

Kanye to Beck: 'I'm Sorry'
 Kanye to Beck: 'I'm Sorry' 

Kanye to Beck: 'I'm Sorry'

Rapper is apparently on an apology kick

(Newser) - Is Kanye West perhaps actually admitting he was wrong? The rapper made headlines ( and enemies ) when he almost interrupted Beck's Grammys acceptance speech and later explained that Beyonce should have won , but it seems he's seen the error of his ways, the New York Post reports....

Shirley Manson to Kanye: No, You're the One Dissing Artistry

Garbage singer posts open letter after rapper questions Beck's Grammy

(Newser) - After Kanye West launched a post-Grammy tirade about Beck's victory over Beyonce for album of the year, rocker Shirley Manson is taking him to task, Us Weekly reports. West said Beck should have given Beyonce his award in order to "respect artistry." In an open letter on...

Kanye: I Wasn't Kidding About Beck's Win

Beck should 'respect artistry', give his Grammy to Beyonce

(Newser) - After Beck's surprise Album of the Year win last night at the Grammys, Kanye West stormed the stage and appeared to almost interrupt Beck as he took the mic—and the Internet laughed, assuming West was making a joking reference to the 2009 VMAs when he told Taylor Swift,...

Beck's Next Album: You Play the Songs, Not Him

Album will be released as sheet music only

(Newser) - If you want to hear Beck's new album, you better learn how to play a musical instrument. He'll be releasing Beck Hansen's Song Reader in December not as a CD, vinyl record, or digital files, but as … sheet music. "The Song Reader is an experiment...

Rocker Alex Chilton Dead at 59
 Rocker Alex Chilton Dead at 59 
OBITUARY

Rocker Alex Chilton Dead at 59

Heart attack likely fells singer of Box Tops, Big Star

(Newser) - Alex Chilton, the singer and guitarist known for his vocals on the Box Tops’ 1967 hit The Letter and a cult favorite to many of the past two decades' musicians, died today at 59. A heart attack is believed to the culprit, the Commercial Appeal of Chilton’s native Memphis...

10 Best Albums of 2008
 10 Best Albums of 2008 
GLOSSIES

10 Best Albums of 2008

Infernal visions, playful funk, unflinching examinations top Rolling Stone list

(Newser) - Dear Science tops Rolling Stone's year-end best list with an album “that sounded the most like America in 2008." The top 10:
  1. TV on the Radio, Dear Science: "Infernal visions of war and economic desperation," but "amid the fear and loathing" is "defiance."
...

2008's Top 10 Singles
 2008's Top 10 Singles 
GLOSSIES

2008's Top 10 Singles

Beyoncé heads Rolling Stone list of the year's best tunes

(Newser) - When it comes to belting out the single of the year, Beyoncé ran (wedding) rings around the competition, says Rolling Stone, which lists its top 10:
  1. Beyoncé, Single Ladies: "Irresistible and exuberant."
  2. Santogold, LES Artistes: "New Wave guitar hook of the year."
  3. MGMT, Time to Pretend:
...

7 Songs That Scream Summer
 7 Songs That Scream Summer

7 Songs That Scream Summer

It's not too late to add these tunes to your playlist

(Newser) - Salon’s critics pick the songs that sizzle in summer 2008—from Estelle and Kanye West's sartorial lust to Tilly and the Wall's bubble gum New Wave:
  1. Estelle with Kanye West, “American Boy”: Elegant English beats blend with in-your-face American lyrics.
  2. Jonas Brothers, “Burning Up”: Saccharine silliness that
...

Beck's a Bit Gloomy in New CD
 Beck's a Bit Gloomy in New CD 
music review

Beck's a Bit Gloomy in New CD

Modern Guilt is a far cry from the artist's early days

(Newser) - Beck’s new 34-minute-long record is a “simmering cauldron of postmillennial tension,” writes Leah Greenblatt in Entertainment Weekly, its paranoid lyrics “way past Bummerville” and nearing “Apocalypse Heights.” But producer Danger Mouse still manages to find “thoughtfulness and texture…if not exactly levity” that...

Beck Poised at Turning Point
 Beck Poised
 at Turning
 Point 
Interview

Beck Poised at Turning Point

As his record contract ends, the musician's not sure what's next

(Newser) - This week Beck will release Modern Guilt, his last record under a 14-year-old studio contract—an event that prompted the New York Times to ask him what's next. No idea, Beck said. “I haven’t bothered to plan anything. I don’t know where the record business is going...

Sia's Real Problems Pleases
Sia's Real Problems Pleases
NEW RELEASE

Sia's Real Problems Pleases

First album from songstress in 4 years is a winner

(Newser) - Folk and acid-jazz queen Sia Furler has returned with her first record in four years, and critics are singing the praises of Some People Have Real Problems. The New York Sun’s Bret McCabe pokes fun at Furler for signing with the Starbucks label—provenance of “laid-back background music...

Music Vids Shrink as $$$ Fade
Music Vids Shrink as $$$ Fade

Music Vids Shrink as $$$ Fade

As industry changes, artists embrace low budgets, new concepts

(Newser) - A music industry headed for financial crash-and-burn has radically downsized its once-extravagant videos, the AP reports. Viewers of today’s MTV Video Awards will see more single-camera videos and quirky YouTube-inspired concepts that save cash—all suited for play on small screens. "A comet hit the earth and the...

Put Your Best Line Forward
Put Your Best Line Forward

Put Your Best Line Forward

Attention-grabbing openers stand the test of time

(Newser) - It's good to lead off with a bang, especially if your business is song lyrics. Spinner.com lists the 25 best opening lines:
  1. "She's a very kinky girl" (Rick James, "Superfreak")
  2. "I was born in a cross-fire hurricane" (The Rolling Stones, "Jumpin' Jack Flash")
...

Best Celebrity Websites
Best Celebrity Websites

Best Celebrity Websites

Stars who deliver on the net, from the editors at PC Magazine

(Newser) - The editors at PC magazine gave high marks to sites they found imaginative (Jeff Bridges), surprising (Pat Sajack), or loaded with great content (Beck). And they dismissed money-hungry sites with a lot of gated content. Here, their faves:
  1. Jeff Bridges (www.jeffbridges.com)
  2. Tyra Banks (www.tyrabanks.com)
  3. Ken Jennings
...

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