She plans to scout talent for Jay-Z, says her cuz
New York Daily News Apr 15, 08 8:47 AM CDT
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Now that Beyoncé has finally tied the knot with Jay-Z, does that mean she's all set for retirement? That's what cousin Angelica Knowles tells the New York Daily News . Though Beyoncé will finish work on a new album, after that she plans to give her vocal chords a break and seek out new talent for her hubby's new label, the Carter Music Group, says cuz.
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Wacky New Wave band releases its first new album in 16 years
NPR Apr 14, 08 2:30 PM CDT
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Sixteen years after the release of their last album, the B-52s are still rocking the cosmic party, this time with the all-new album Funplex . The Georgia band still performs regularly, but "if we're going to keep doing this, we need new material," guitarist Keith Strickland told NPR. "And our fans were beginning to sort of bang on the door."
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Little Simpson gets her Fall Out Boy; wanted fans 'to hear it straight from us'
MTV Apr 10, 08 9:09 AM CDT
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Ashlee Simpson and Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz are engaged. “We wanted to be the first to tell you and to hear it straight from us,” the couple wrote in a joint statement posted last night on FriendsorEnemies.com. But despite the public announcement, don’t hold your breath for wedding details. “We consider this to be a very private matter,” the couple wrote. Simpson and Wentz began dating in late 2006, reports MTVNews.
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Stellar 1972 shots of the King set for exhibit at Graceland
Associated Press Apr 10, 08 2:55 AM CDT
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Close to 40 photographs of a jump-suited, cape-toting Elvis Presley rocking the house at Madison Square Garden in 1972 have surfaced and will be on display next month at Graceland in an exhibit entitled, "Elvis Jumpsuits: All Access." One of them already graces a Times Square billboard. A longtime official Garden photographer discovered the shots while sifting through old files, AP reports.
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Der Spiegel Apr 9, 08 1:03 PM CDT
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Frank Zappa may have once called the Zappanale “amazing,” but now his widow is taking the music festival to court, Der Spiegel reports. Gail Zappa is seeking $236,000 in damages over the sale of T-shirts bearing a cartoon version of Frank’s face. The case cuts to the heart of Zappa’s image, pitting Zappa the freedom-loving rebel against Zappa the exacting musician.
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Prestigious prize is a-changin' as icon becomes first rocker to score a nod
Associated Press Apr 8, 08 8:53 AM CDT
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You who still think Bob Dylan hasn't gotten the recognition his 50-year career merits—now is the time for your cheers. The genre-shifting icon won a special Pulitzer Prize yesterday, marking the first time the honor has gone to a rocker. The citation noted Dylan's "profound impact on popular music and American culture, marked by lyrical compositions of extraordinary poetic power."
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Tuning electric guitar becomes hands-off job
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Apr 7, 08 12:24 PM CDT
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One less thing is standing between you and a perfect jam session: tuning your electric guitar. A newly launched battery-powered compact device that mounts on the instrument's body is accurate to within 2% of a note, reports the Seattle Post-Intelligencer . "It's just a dream, being able to pick up the guitar and see whether it's in tune or tune it quickly," says a beta user.
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Calls Velvet Revolver 'handful of discontents,' will rejoin Pilots
Billboard Apr 3, 08 12:51 PM CDT
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Rock madman Scott Weiland isn’t accepting his new pink slip from super-group Velvet Revolver without some choice parting shots, Billboard reports. Weiland was especially insulted by ex-colleague Slash’s suggestion that he lacked dedication—and remembers not just the “moments of joy, inspiration, fun,” but also the “multiple trips to rehab every member of the band” took.
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With her 18th No. 1, she moves into 2nd place behind Beatles
Los Angeles Times Apr 2, 08 7:46 PM CDT
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Mariah Carey unseated Elvis for the No. 2 spot in chart-topping songs this week. Her single "Touch My Body" became her 18th No. 1 and pushed Elvis into third place, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Beatles' all-time record of 20 remains, but Carey could eclipse the Fab Four by the end of summer.
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Or at least, that's what Sa Dingding hopes to become
Independent (UK) Apr 2, 08 12:45 PM CDT
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China may be storming the world right now, but it’s never had good luck with pop starts. That could change with Sa Dingding, a half-Mongolian singer/songwriter, who sings entirely in Tibetan over a velvety mix of traditional instruments like the zither and modern electronica. Universal’s hoping the whole eclectic, ethnic mix will make her prime iPod material, the Independent reports.
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Downloading, disconnection leaving generation without a soundtrack
Politico Mar 29, 08 12:37 PM CDT
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So where are all the anti-war anthems? Opposition to the Vietnam War spawned a genre of classic counterculture songs, but not so the Iraqi war, despite widespread opposition. The main reason, Politico notes, is the narrowed scope of the music industry today. Singers still sing protests songs, but only their particular fans tend to hear them—alone with their iPods.
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Fans can work
with Rivers Cuomo
via YouTube
Pitchfork Media Mar 27, 08 9:05 PM CDT
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In yet another example of the Internet democratizing the music industry, Weezer's frontman is using YouTube to get some help writing a new song. Rivers Cuomo is broadcasting himself (don't miss the campy moustache) in a series he's dubbed "Let's Write a Sawng." His latest dispatch asks fans to "come up with some chords yo," Pitchfork Media reports.
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Bad weather in Antarctica snarls plan to play on all the continents
NME Mar 27, 08 6:04 PM CDT
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MTV faves Fall Out Boy won’t be taking its place alongside champion hand-walkers and fingernail-growers in the Guinness Book of World Records, NME reports: Nasty weather has kept the band from traveling to Antarctica, where it was to become the first group to have played on all seven continents. Said bassist Pete Wentz, “It’s an utter f---ing disappointment."
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