11.29.05 (MusicPortal.com) One of the most eagerly anticipated singles of the year will be unveiled this Thursday, December 1st. CRAZY FROG's Christmas single, 'Jingle Bells,' has been subject to a worldwide embargo until that date. No mean feat, as CRAZY FROG is signed to more than 30 record companies throughout the world, and each label have been working together to ensure that the embargo is adhered to. 'Jingles Bells' will receive its first radio play in Britain between 8am and 9am on December 1st. In a move that befits the multi-platinum-selling star, only a limited number of watermarked, traceable promotional CDs were made available recently. The animated video, for 'Jingle Bells,' created by Kaktus Films, will also receive its first broadcast on Thursday, which has been proclaimed "International Crazy Frog Day." CRAZY FROG's recording of the classic Christmas song was recently second favorite at 5/1 for the Christmas Number 1 spot with a duet by WESTLIFE. Gennaro Castaldo, HMV spokesman said then: "Westlife won't have forgotten that they came off second best to Bob The Builder in Christmas 2000, so they may not relish a chart encounter with the Crazy Frog this time around. Novelty songs always sell well at Christmas, and you'd be foolish to write off the Crazy Frog's chances." CRAZY FROG has simply dominated the International Pop charts in 2005. His debut single, 'Axel F,' was No. 1 for 4 weeks in Britain, and he has since notched up 21 No. 1's throughout the world - including 3 months at #1 in New Zealand as well as 3 months in France, where 'Axel F' has sold an amazing 1.6 million copies. CRAZY FROG has also dished up a festive treat for his fans with a special Christmas edition of his multi-platinum-selling chart-topping album, "Crazy Hits." In addition to the massive 'Axel F' and the artist's second single, 'Popcorn,' CRAZY FROG has recorded his own versions of classic Christmas songs, including 'Last Christmas,' 'Wonderland,' and 'Jingle Bells' as well. These sit snugly alongside classics such as the theme to "Dallas," Felix's 'Don't You Want Me,' TECHNOTRONIC's 'Pump Up The Jam' and 'The Pink Panther' theme. The Crazy Frog recently joined Amir Khan in the UK to turn on the Christmas Lights in Bolton (wearing underpants provided by "Make Poverty History" in order to protect his modesty), and his services were also called upon to switch on the Christmas Lights in Swansea. "Crazy Hits Crazy Christmas Edition" Track Listing: 1. Intro • 2. Jingle Bells • 3. Last Christmas (with frog vox) • 4. U Can't Touch This • 5. Axel F • 6. Popcorn • 7. Whoomp! (There It Is) • 8. 1001 Nights • 9. We Like To Party • 10. Don't You Want Me • 11. Dirty Frog • 12. Magic Melody • 13. Pump Up The Jam • 14. In The 80's • 15. Who Let The Frog Out • 16. Wonderland • 17. Theme From "Dallas" • 18. The Pink Panther • 19. Get Ready For This • 20. I Like To Move It • 21. Crazy Sounds (Acapella)
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11.18.05 (MusicPortal.com) Just in time for the holidays come two live releases from musical genius TODD RUNDGREN, "The Best Of Todd Rundgren Live," a CD compilation that spans 25 years of touring, and "Liars Live," a concert DVD filmed during his critically acclaimed 2004 international tour. The CD has just been released this week, with the DVD following on November 29th, both available via Sanctuary Records. "The Best Of Todd Rundgren Live" CD is a collection of 13 of his favorite songs, performed during a variety of different tours over a 25 year period (1979-2004). Rundgren personally selected performances from concerts as far afield as Tokyo, and as a special bonus included two new songs recorded during the "Liars" tour in 2004: 'Soul Brother' (originally released on his 2004 album, "Liars"), and a haunting cover of THE BEATLES' 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps.' Both also appear on the "Liars Live" DVD. Other classic Rundgren songs on the Live album include 'I Saw The Light,' 'Can We Still Be Friends' and 'Hello It's Me.' Rundgren was intimately involved in the compilation and mastering of this special collection, even going so far as to add his own annotations to the extensive liner notes. "Liars Live," the new concert DVD, was shot in June of 2004 in Albany, New York, and is filled with over two hours' worth of material totaling eighteen songs; eight taken from the "Liars" album, another eight from his more recent history, plus his defining 'Hello It's Me' and 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps,' which Rundgren first performed on the George Harrison tribute album. The DVD includes special bonus features such as a tour scrapbook and a "Japan Video Diary," filmed during the band's Japanese leg of the tour. TODD RUNDGREN's "Liars" album was his first all new studio album in a decade. He recorded, produced and mixed the critically acclaimed record and played all instruments, wrote all the songs and performed all of the vocals himself. Shortly after its release in April of 2004, Rundgren formed a new band called THE LIARS, enlisting musicians John Ferenzik, Prairie Prince, Jesse Gress and long-time UTOPIA associate Kasim Sulton. The band toured the U.S., Europe and Japan extensively using an amplifier-free sound system that incorporated digital modeling to emulate the sounds of traditional amps. The tour was also the first in Rock history to illuminate the stage using only LED (Light Emitting Diode) lighting. Even the guitars, bass and keyboards were run off of innovative technology, plugged into notebook computers and run directly to the PA system. "The Tablet PCs that we took essentially replaced all the backline equipment. We ran two pieces of emulation software to recreate the sound of amplifiers. There are no amps, racks or floor monitors anywhere on stage," notes Rundgren. That also left the gas guzzling semi-trucks behind, and allowed the band to transport their entire stage set up in a simple trailer behind the bus.

11.04.05 (MusicPortal.com) On November 14th, UNITING NATIONS' debut album, "One World," will be released by Gusto Records. A feast of endorphin-inducing feelgood tracks that kicks off with the massive hit 'Out Of Touch,' swiftly followed by their second single, the original 'You and Me' before launching into a host of uplifting dancefloor anthems, Their forthcoming single 'Ai No Corrida' featuring Laura More will be released released on this Monday, November 7th. So who is Laura More? You may already know her as most of the UK spent last Summer watching her do amazing things with a towel in the video for Eric Prydz's 'Call On Me.' Despite not being born when 'Ai No Corrida' was first released by Quincy Jones, More suspected it would make a perfect Pop/Dance hit for 2005. A must for every DJ and self-respecting clubber, UNITING NATIONS' cements group members Daz and Paul's reputation as two of the foremost hit songwriters working in Dance music today. With the exception of 'Out Of Touch' and the extended 'Out Of Touch (I Love You So Much),' all songs were written and produced by Daz and Paul. The duo employ a pretty unusual method for songwriting, with Paul in Glasgow, Scotland and Daz in Manchester, England, the two file share using MSN Messenger, enabling Paul to carry on with his day job as a policeman while having a virtual online studio. Unusually, the album also has a section of "DJ Tools," with accapella versions of 5 of the songs as well as guitar and drum samples enabling bedroom DJ's to remix them with ease. UNITING NATIONS have also created a site on myspace.com with DJ Tools (www.myspace.com/unremix), and the best remixes sent to unitingnations@blueyonder.co.uk will be used on future releases. Previously, Daz had a string of hits straddling the worlds both of Pop and Dance music. He was the frontman and writer in the group BUS STOP, whose single 'Kung Fu Fighting' featuring Carl Douglas sold 250,000 copies in the UK and was a major international hit. He was half of the duo RIKKI & DAZ, whose debut single 'Rhinestone Cowboy' (Giddy Up Giddy Up) -- featuring a new vocal from Country music legend Glen Campbell, reached #12 in the UK. He also had a top 40 UK hit with THE BARNDANCE BOYS, and became a regular on Chris Moyles' Radio 1 show as a member of BLOWN OUT. Daz also has remixed the likes of LOVE INC. and DJ Bobo, and as a member of FRAUD SQUAD, he had a No. 1 club hit in the UK and France with 'Together We Can Make It.' Paul was newer to the music industry, but had remixed the likes of BCD, and collaborated with Pianoman on several tunes, including a version of 'Hungry Eyes' which was not only a Northern club hit but inspired Flip & Fill's cover of the same song. The first fruits of their labour were released as Project Four (Direction/Sony), whose track 'Special Lady' became something of an anthem in Liverpool, and introduced Daz and Paul to the crucial network of radio and club DJs who have supported them ever since.
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11.03.05 (MusicPortal.com) ROGUE TRADERS have unleashed their new album "Here Come The Drums" in Australia, rocketing onto the charts for a #9 debut on the ARIA Top 50 Album chart. The band's new single 'Way To Go!' is also causing a crossover ruckus at #1 on the Dance chart and #9 on the Top 50 Singles chart. Two years may have passed since they last graced the Australian charts, but the Electronic Rock single that signalled their return, 'Voodoo Child,' exploded across the airwaves with a fresh immediacy - debuting in the Top 10 back in June with its warped, insistent Hammond organ riff and singer Natalie Bassingthwaighte's cracked, Rock snarl. But for ROGUE TRADERS, the song was always more than just a single. "It was a signpost for the album", says band member James Ash. No longer a Dance act, the group has evolved on "Here Come The Drums" with a new look, a new member (Bassingthwaighte), and a whole new sound. The seeds of their evolution can be traced all the way back to October 2003, when ROGUE TRADERS Ash and Steve Davis stood on the podium at the Sydney Convention Centre grasping their ARIA Award for "Best Dance Single" for their inspired remix of the INXS classic, 'One Of My Kind.' Although Ash and Davis were thrilled with the recognition, they secretly wondered if they would ever taste such success again. Despite the fact their debut album 'We Know What You're Up To" was predominantly self-penned, 'One Of My Kind' was such a monstrous crossover hit that Ash and Davis were immediately stereotyped as producers, not as artists who could write their own songs. "At that moment", recalls Ash, "We drew a line in the sand and said, 'We are going to be known for our own material.'" The early success of "Here Come The Drums" is sweet vindication of their self-belief and their creative integrity. Two years in the making, self-written and self-produced, the album is the sound of a band finding their voice within the genre that they were perhaps least associated: Pop/Punk. "We were at a point where we felt that we had gone as far as we could go with conventional dance music," says Ash. "And we wanted to have a sound that broke out of it. At that time dance music was taking itself very seriously, and the music that we'd really been enjoying for the past couple of years had been rock acts. They had loads of energy, but they also had amazing production and really big melodies and the musical depth that I was after." "Here Come The Drums" siphons the guitar Rock energy of young British acts like BLOC PARTY, melds it with the Glam-tinged 80s Pop-smarts of BLONDIE, ROXY MUSIC and Gary Numan, then lashes it together with the Punk snarl of the mid to late 70s. It's a heady mix that's intoxicating and infectious. "We love our rock music and we love our electronic music, and on this album we're meeting right in the middle", says Ash. "We're making music that will work on the dance floor and on radio. We're not afraid to have a pop influence, but we also wanted attitude. So that's why I'd say The Sex Pistols are the single biggest influence on the album. They were about energy, and it's exciting to listen to them."
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[Electronic News: October 2005]
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