06.30.05 (MusicPortal.com) Castle Music will release THE BOO RADLEYS' "Find The Way Out," the first-ever anthology of one of Creation Records' finer artists this Monday, July 4th. Compiled in conjunction with the band, the 2-disc package features key albums tracks, newly remastered singles, b-side rarities and unreleased gems spanning the 1990s. With deluxe packaging and artwork by THE BOO RADLEYS' original designer, Stephen Wood, "Find The Way Out" is the ultimate package for long-standing fans of the band, boasting all of their many hits, from the Top 10 favorite 'Wake Up Boo' to the Indie anthem 'Lazarus.' In addition to the best of their Creation recordings (1992-1998), the set includes six rare pre-Creation tracks for the Action Records and Rough Trade Records labels, including selections from their rare debut album, "Ichabod And I." Formed in Liverpool in 1988, THE BOO RADLEYS originally consisted of vocalist/guitarist Sice, guitarist/songwriter Martin Carr, bassist Timothy Brown and drummer Steve Hewitt. The band released their first album, "Ichabod and I," on a local independent label in 1990, after which Hewitt was replaced by Rob Cieka. With the support of influential DJ John Peel, the band signed with Rough Trade Records, releasing the EP "Every Heaven" in 1991. By 1992, THE BOO RADLEYS had signed to Creation Records releasing "Everything's Alright Forever," which gained glowing reviews and built them a burgeoning fan base. Topping several Best-Of-The-Year lists, 1993's "Giant Steps was also a huge critical success and led to 1995's Pop-oriented "Wake Up!" album debuting at No. 1 on the UK album charts. THE BOO RADLEYS returned in Autumn 1996 with "C'Mon Kids," a self-consciously loud and arty album designed to shake off the band's newfound Pop fans. It worked - the album debuted in the Top Ten but it soon fell off the charts, despite overwhelmingly positive reviews. In 1998, "C'Mon Kids" was followed up by "Kingsize," with THE BOO RADLEYS officially breaking up just months later.

06.30.05 (MusicPortal.com) August 29th sees iconic DJ ANDY SMITH return with the third volume in his successful "Document" album series. "Document III," released by Discotheque (a label owned by Sanctuary Records) showcases ANDY SMITH (best known as Tour DJ and break supplier for PORTISHEAD) bringing together the classic grooves of yesteryear with the booming beats of today, taking in Funk, Hip-Hop, Rock and Reggae. Fusing tracks by artists as diverse as GRANDMASTER FLASH, THE KINKS, BLACK SABBATH and THE UPSETTERS, the 28-track mix album also includes exclusive re-edits. Cramming 28 tracks onto one disc, Smith mixes, cuts and layers each track with his usual flair, working a vibe that few others can achieve. ANDY SMITH is the originator of the major-label multi-genre mix album. When his mix-CD "The Document" hit the streets in 1998, it became the soundtrack for a generation who had heard Coldcut's "Journeys By DJ's," but needed to hear more. It segued tracks from artists such as Tom Jones (before he came back in vogue with "Reload"), Peggy Lee (sample source for the BEASTIE BOYS single 'Ch-Check It Out'), THE JUNGLE BROTHERS and even THE SPENCER DAVIS GROUP. This appreciation of different genres made ANDY SMITH the ideal person to provide sample material for PORTISHEAD. He went on to make his name as the band's world tour DJ reflecting their respect for both the art of digging for breaks and Hip-Hop scratch DJing. Those Hip-Hop elements formed the basis of the unique PORTISHEAD sound. Since touring, ANDY SMITH has established himself as an underground producer of some of the most irresistible Hip-Hop breaks-based music around, working with Scott Hendy (Boca 45) under the name DYNAMO PRODUCTIONS. Their album "Analogue featured San Diego-based MC Profile from the much respected SOUND PROVIDERS CREW. Following on the success of "The Document," which sold in excess of 100,000 copies, ANDY SMITH released "Document 2" to critical and popular acclaim. Smith regularly appears in clubs across the world, and his strong cult following has secured him constant DJ bookings, including several well-known club residencies.
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06.29.05 (MusicPortal.com) Castle Music will release the ultimate JOE MEEK anthology box set in "Portrait Of A Genius: The RGM Legacy" on August 22nd. The deluxe 4-disc set chronicles the UK's first successful independent record producer, Robert George "Joe" Meek. The anthology combines elements from his independent career, as well as from his time as a successful engineer at the IBC and Landsowne recording studios, where he'd cut many hits for the major UK record companies (albeit often without receiving a label credit). This is the first compilation to draw the two separate phases of JOE MEEK's all-too-brief career together. Meek's very first UK chart entry came in October 1955, with Gary Miller's 'Yellow Rose Of Texas,' and he subsequently carved out huge hits for Humphrey Lyttleton, Anne Shelton, Frankie Vaughan, Lonnie Donegan, Johnny Duncan, Chris Barber, Marty Wilde, Emile Ford, etc. Between January 1960 and his violent death in February 1967, he carved out a reputation as a wildly eccentric maverick, famous as much for his "difficult" personality as for his pioneering, innovative recording techniques. One of his very first independent projects was the legendary "I Hear A New World" album and he soon began registering hits with Michael Cox, Danny Rivers and Mike Berry. He cracked it big in the Summer of 1961 with John Leyton's UK No. 1, 'Johnny Remember Me,' repeating the trick the following Summer with THE TORNADOS and 'Telstar,' which went on to become a worldwide No. 1 record. After successfully launching Heinz as a major solo singer, JOE MEEK found the hits harder to come by, although THE HONEYCOMBS briefly restored him to No. 1 in 1964 with the stomping 'Have I The Right,' This led to Meek recording R&B/Freakbeat groups like DAVID JOHN & THE MOOD, THE CRYIN' SHAMES and THE RIOT SQUAD during 1965/66 in his eternal search for new sounds & styles. "Portrait Of A Genius: The RGM Legacy" juxtaposes some of JOE MEEK's biggest independently-produced early 60's hits alongside a carefully chosen selection of collectors' rarities, previously-unreleased B-sides and demos. They are all sequenced chronologically, enabling the listener to trace his wildly uneven career path in his interminable quest to make hit records. "Portrait Of A Genius: The RGM Legacy" is simply the ultimate JOE MEEK anthology.

06.28.05 (MusicPortal.com) It started with '26 Cents' in 1998, and now seven years later Canadian family trio THE WILKINSONS are back with their third album, entitled "Highway." Father Steve Wilkinson is convinced hundreds of other artists began their careers the way THE WILKINSONS did. "We started around the kitchen table," Steve remembers. "I would come home from work after hammering nails all day, and after supper I would have a cup of coffee and play the guitar." But how many of those artists would soon garner the attention of millions, creating a perfect debut CD and single and follow it up with three equally amazing releases? THE WILKINSONS are far from other artists, building a successful career on their signature "blood harmonies" and creative songwriting. "Amanda always had a voracious appetite for singing. She would run up to me as soon as I walked through the door and say excitedly, 'I learned a new song today. Can you play it?' She just assumed that I knew how to play everything. So I would learn it and then we would all sing. That was our past time." After singing for a friend's wedding, Steve and Amanda were approached about performing at a local fair. Things just took off from there. "People were approaching us about singing for this or for that. Eventually Tyler joined us on stage. That is when it all fell into place." In 1997, the father-daughter-son act were struggling to decide whether to move from their native Canada to Nashville to try to get a publishing contract. Just two weeks after moving to Nashville, they not only had a publishing deal -- they had nearly every major label in town vying to record their fresh, family harmonies. By the end of 1998, The Wilkinsons were the biggest new Country act of the year. Through their first effort, "Nothing But Love," the Canadian trio established themselves as an act with a firm grip on both the sound and the direction they wanted their music to take. From listening to their first single '26 Cents,' a song that tells the story of a girl eighteen years young with nothing but her mother's love and a crumpled note, it's easy to see why the group's self-penned tune garnered so much attention. '26 Cents' was the... [full story]
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06.24.05 (AP) It's a scene familiar to any Summer music festival - open fields full of sweaty young bodies writhing in time. But this one appears to be missing a vital element - sound. At Britain's famed GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL this weekend, festivalgoers can take part in a "silent disco." The music, instead of being pumped out through stacks of speakers, will be streamed to the audience through personal sets of wireless headphones, and it'll look like the dancers are jumping around to a nonexistent beat. "I imagine it will be quite funny to see a couple of thousand people dancing in complete silence," says Emily Eavis, a festival organizer and daughter of GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL founder Michael Eavis. As famous for muddy hijinks as for the music acts it attracts, Glastonbury has become a staple on Britain's Summer arts calendar since it was first held in September 1970. The 125,000 tickets for this year's three-day event - which started after torrential rains this afternoon at a farm near Glastonbury in southwest England - sold out within 24 hours. Besides featuring performances by COLDPLAY, THE WHITE STRIPES, FATBOY SLIM and BASEMENT JAXX, this year's festival continues the Glastonbury tradition of seeking out the quirky - pole dancing workshops, circus acts, burlesque and belly dancing. In recent years some of the GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL's frivolities have been curbed by local council noise restrictions, which mean the main performance stages are forced to shut shortly after midnight. While the introduction of headphones in one of the dance areas at this year's festival will allow the music and dancing to continue into the night, Eavis says the decision is as much about keeping with Glastonbury's quest for the odd. "There's so many ridiculous and quirky things that go on here, it's just another opportunity to do something silly," Eavis says. The wireless headphones, which work by having partygoers tune into a restricted radio frequency through which the music of the disc jockey or band is broadcast, are the brainchild of Nico Okkerse and business partner Michael Minten from the Netherlands. Okkerse says the pair perfected the technology at raves, and Glastonbury will be... [full story]

06.24.05 (MusicPortal.com) Drive-Thru Records has announced the upcoming release of "Listen To Bob Dylan: A Tribute" on August 16th. The double-disc set features 21 BOB DYLAN songs covered by a variety of artists including STEEL TRAIN, ANBERLIN, SOCRATIC, THE FORMAT, THE STAY AT HOME JONESES, RX BANDITS and more. The ambitious project has been a labor of love for Stefanie Reines, owner of Drive-Thru Records. Reines has been an avid BOB DYLAN fan since the age of sixteen, although she wasn't always a lover of his music. In fact, it took an introduction to Dylan's music by her favorite band at the time, THE ALARM, to bring her around: "Every single show they (The Alarm) played, they would cover Bob Dylan's 'Knockin' On Heaven's Door,' which I hated. When I found out that they were touring with Dylan I wasn't too pleased. I had no idea that about six shows into the tour, something inside me would change. It was an amazing, fun and insightful discovery and I completely fell in love." As a result, Reines is now a devout BOB DYLAN fan, having seen him perform over seventy times. Inspired by her own experience, Reines decided to spearhead "Listen To Bob Dylan: A Tribute" - intended to introduce a new generation to Dylan's music. For the project, Reines knew she wanted artists that she considered to be makers of timeless music, as BOB DYLAN himself does. So she hand-picked a majority of the bands, but some contacted her and really wanted to be involved. "I felt if the band really loved Dylan, then they belonged on the CD," says Reines. At one point there were so many bands turning in beautiful covers, she couldn't say no to any of them, so she decided to make the tribute a double album. "I had to include them all because they were so great and (the songs) were done with a lot of thought." The result is a double-disc filled with contemporary interpretations of BOB DYLAN's music by artists of diverse backgrounds and musical styles. "Everyone is expecting a punk rock tribute, and it's so far beyond that," says Reines. "Plus I'm so excited just to see Bob Dylan's name and the Drive-Thru logo on the same CD!"
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06.22.05 (MusicPortal.com) ANTHONY HAMILTON's long-lost "Soulife" album will finally be issued next week on June 28th by Atlantic/Rhino Records. Before Hamilton earned six Grammy nominations and lent his vocal performance to the NAPPY ROOTS hit 'Po' Folks' in 2002, the Charlotte, North Carolina-born Soul singer had to overcome a pair of underdeveloped record deals that left two albums unreleased. Hamilton's rough career start began in 1995 when his debut album for Uptown Records, "XTC," was shelved - a casualty of that label's financial trouble. That same impressive album was eventually released one year later on MCA Records, but simply didn't gain the attention that it deserved. After the release of "XTC" in 1996 and before "Comin' From Where I'm From" sold over a million copies for Arista Records and spent more than 75 weeks on the Billboard Top 200 chart, ANTHONY HAMILTON recorded a full album for Soulife Records that also went unreleased, hence the "Soulife" title. The tale of the lost "Soulife" sessions began in 1999 when Hamilton joined Soulife, a Los Angeles-based record label. As fellow Soulife artist Sunshine Anderson climbed the charts with her debut album, "Your Woman," in 2001, it appeared as though the label would be in a good position to push Hamilton and his new recordings over the top. But his label's grim financial realities intervened once again as Soulife folded, leaving Hamilton's recording efforts in limbo. Co-written by Hamilton, "Soulife" includes songs recorded with veteran producers such as Grammy-winner Mark Sparks, which showcase the singer's amazing ability to establish a mood with just a few notes. Reminiscent of Bill Withers' style, ANTHONY HAMILTON's smooth and precise delivery provides soulful depth to the sensual rhythms of "Soulife." In 'Ball And Chain,' Hamilton demonstrates his remarkable vocal ability while expressing the longing desire to break free from life's speedy track and move towards a simpler life of happiness. The album also features a duet with Grammy-winner Macy Gray on the ballad 'Love And War' - a song originally released on the "Baby Boy" soundtrack.
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06.22.05 (MusicPortal.com) Germany's LIQUIDO recently updated their fans with what's going on at their camp. The following was posted at the official website: "Dear friends! Here's some short news about what's happening these days. Last week we shot our new video for 'Love Me Love Me,' our next single, in Berlin. It was fun again working with Conchita (Soarez) and Bernard (Wedig). The video itself will be finished by end of next week, and we will put it on our site as soon as possible... The single tracklist ist going to be crazy stuff: We've got some remixes from Gabry Ponte, LSD Underground, Grossstadtgefluster and more. The festival season has also started, which means good fun, some rain, many flights and some good beer all over Europe. The last shows were great, and we hope that many of you join in in the following weeks - wherever! As well, we're working on the single's cover. As soon as we have a final version we'll show you on our website. Bye for now." - Wolfgang. Upcoming Tour Dates: 06/22 Chemnitz, Germany [Campus Fest] • 06/23 Neustrelitz, Germany [Sommerfest Carolinum] • 06/24 Nurnberg, Germany [Konfed Cup] • 06/25 Dischingen, Germany [Rock Am Hartsfeldsee] • 06/26 Wien, Austria [Donauinselfest] • 06/30 Antalya, Turkey [Summersplash] • 07/01 Munchen, Germany [Circus Krone] • 07/02 Biel, CH [Braderie] • 07/07 Wien, Austria [Chelsea] • 07/08 St. Polten, Austria [Stadtfest] • 07/09 Wurzburg, Germany [18 Jahre Radio Gong] • 07/22 Ansbach, Germany [Townquake Festival] • 07/23 Pforring, Germany [Open Air] • 07/28 Travemunde, Germany [Travemunder Woche] • 07/29 Braine L'Alleud, Belgium [Octopus Festival] • 08/05 Beratzhausen, Germany [Ccump Axe] • 08/07 Homberg, Germany [Burgbergfestival] • 08/13 Fremdingen, Germany [Steinbruch Open Air] • 08/18 Gampel, CH [Open Air] • 08/20 Rotenhain, Germany [Rock Im Feld] • 08/26 Pischelsdorf, Austria [Steiermark Oststeirerhalle] • 08/27 Bildein, Austria [Picture On Festival] • 09/02 Mosbach, Germany [Nena Open Air] • 09/10 Langen Am Waldsee, Germany [Adrenalin Festival] • 09/28 Potsdam, Germany [Waschhaus] • 09/29 Leipzig, Germany [Werk 2] • 09/30 Rohrberg, Germany [Sporthalle] • 10/01 Coswig, Germany [Borse]
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06.21.05 (AP) The mystery of who gunned down THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G. - and why - has frustrated and fascinated the Hip-Hop world for eight years. With FBI and police investigations failing to net even a suspect, a swirl of theories implicated corrupt cops, gang hits, bi-coastal beefs - or all three at once. None have been provable - so far. The case finally is in court, as a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the New York rapper's family against the city of Los Angeles and its police department. On Tuesday, a nine-person jury was selected. The panel is expected to at least get a peek inside the so-called murder book showing whom the Los Angeles Police Department interviewed and which leads were followed. Both sides also presented opening statements, and THE NOTORIOUS B.I.G.'s mother Voletta Wallace dabbed at her eyes with a tissue as an attorney recounted the night of her son's death. The rapper, whose real name was Christopher Wallace, was killed shortly after midnight March 9, 1997, on a Los Angeles boulevard after someone in a dark sedan fired seven shots into his sport utility vehicle while both cars were stopped at a light. Wallace was heading to a hotel following an awards show after-party. The suit claims LAPD officials covered up a former officer's involvement in the slaying and ignored a systemic problem of potentially dangerous moonlighting. The family claims a number of off-duty officers associated with gang members while providing security for Death Row Records, home of Wallace's West Coast rival, Tupac Shakur. Shakur was slain on the Las Vegas Strip six months before the 24-year-old Wallace was killed, and the two are forever linked in Hip-Hop culture. Both savored the good life but were obsessed with death. Shakur flaunted bullet wounds and rapped of dying young. Wallace, a.k.a. "Biggie Smalls," titled his 1994 debut "Ready To Die," and posed for the cover of his posthumously released second album, "Life After Death," leaning on a hearse dressed for his own funeral. Wallace was discovered by then-rising producer Sean Combs, now known as P. Diddy. Combs groomed the baritone rapper for a mainstream audience through dance-happy samples, guest spots on R&B songs and even a collaboration... [full story]

06.20.05 (AP) Latin superstar vocalist GLORIA ESTEFAN, former President Clinton, and members of President Bush's cabinet are among those confirmed for events during the national convention of the nation's largest Hispanic civil rights organization. The League Of United Latin American Citizens is expecting about 10,000 members to descend on Little Rock, Arkansas from June 27th to July 2nd, says Brent Wilkes, LULAC's national executive director. Clinton will headline a presidential banquet at the Statehouse Convention Center on July 1st, said Skip Rutherford, head of the Little Rock-based Clinton Presidential Foundation. "They told us to expect 10,000," Rutherford said Saturday after taking Wilkes, LULAC President Hector Flores and others on a tour of the Clinton Presidential Library. "To have LULAC in Arkansas is huge for us." Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, Housing And Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson and Treasurer Anna Escobedo Cabral will speak at some of the week's events. GLORIA ESTEFAN and Cabral are both slated to speak at a women's luncheon on July 1st. Meanwhile, Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean and his Republican counterpart, Ken Mehlman, are also confirmed participants. A large gala dinner in the Clinton Library's Great Hall is scheduled for June 29th, following a debate among the three declared candidates for Arkansas governor in 2006: Republicans Asa Hutchinson and Win Rockefeller, and Democrat Mike Beebe. Wilkes said Saturday that Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and comedian George Lopez had also been invited to speak, but both declined. Arkansas' Hispanic population is still relatively small, with just over 100,000, or about 3 percent of the total population, recorded in official census counts. But that represents a 437-percent increase since 1990, second only to North Carolina over that span, and in response, the Mexican government has announced plans to establish a consular office in Little Rock.
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06.17.05 (MusicPortal.com) On August 20th, Sony BMG Music Entertainment will release "Spandau Ballet: Live From The N.E.C.," a DVD showing the group riding high on a wave of worldwide success, 18 months after appearing at the first Live Aid. Originally filmed in December of 1986 as an in-concert special for television music show "The Tube" and directed by Emmy nominee and Grammy award winner Geof Wonfer, "Spandau Ballet: Live From The N.E.C." captures SPANDAU BALLET in performance during their "Through The Barricades" tour, which at the height of their success saw them play to over a million fans. Emerging from London's underground fashion and club scene of the late 1970s, they were part of the New Romantic movement in the UK pioneering styles of Electronic dance music and white Funk, before moving on to huge worldwide commercial success with the blue-eyed Soul album, "True." SPANDAU BALLET notched up 20 hit singles and spent a combined total of nearly 500 weeks on the UK charts (about 9 years), achieving album sales in excess of 20 million units worldwide along the way. "Spandau Ballet: Live From The N.E.C." serves to illustrate why Tony Hadley (vocals), Gary Kemp (guitar), Martin Kemp (bass), Steve Norman (saxophone and percussion) and John Keeble (drums) sold so many concert tickets as well. By the time the "Through The Barricades" tour -- which promoted the band's fifth album -- took place, SPANDAU BALLET's live prowess was well-known, and venues were booked accordingly - Casa Di Campo (a huge park in Madrid), bull-fighting rings throughout Spain, football stadiums all over Italy, and multiple night-after-night shows in the famous arenas of Europe like Wembley, the Ahoy in Rotterdam, and many others. 13 songs were filmed and recorded at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England on December 16th and 17th of 1986 for "Spandau Ballet: Live From The N.E.C.," the stage set and production being the group's most ambitious to date with a spectacular tilting circular lighting design by Patrick Woodruffe.
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06.17.05 (MusicPortal.com) DemonVision has announced that for the very first time on DVD, a unique collection of the visual works of ELVIS COSTELLO, "The Right Spectacle: The Very Best Of Elvis Costello - The Videos," will be released on September 5th. From his first Radar Records single in 1978, 'I Don't Want To Go To (Chelsea),' to his final video for Warner Bros. Records, '13 Steps Lead Down' (from 1994's "Brutal Youth" album), "The Right Spectacle" is a must-have for all serious ELVIS COSTELLO enthusiasts and fans alike. Widely regarded as one of today's most respected singer/songwriters in Rock and Pop, Costello was instrumental in pioneering the promotional music video in its early days - most of which became regular viewing on MTV and other noted music television channels. "The Right Spectacle" boasts a grand total of 27 videos that includes material rarely seen since the original release of the singles they supported, while the DVD can be alternatively watched with audio commentary that ELVIS COSTELLO has recorded especially for each video. Costello's witty and lively explanations provide insights into where, why and how the videos were created. Bonus features include over 70 extra minutes of early and ultra-rare television archive footage, culled from an array of TV channels from the Netherlands, Sweden and the UK. The footage includes ELVIS COSTELLO along with THE ATTRACTIONS performing 'Alison,' 'Lip Service' and 'No Dancing' on the British TV show "Granada Reports" from 1977, 'Oliver's Army' on Dutch TV show "Countdown" from 1978, "Shipbuilding" on The Tube from 1983, and more. "The Right Spectacle" is also presented in a collectible digipack, with comprehensive production notes written by ELVIS COSTELLO himself, as well as a surprise Easter Egg strategically hidden away on the DVD for the most ardent of Costello enthusiasts to find. When ELVIS COSTELLO's first album was released in 1977, his bristling cynicism and anger linked him with the Punk and New Wave explosion. A cursory listen to "My Aim Is True" proves that the main connection that Costello had with the punks was his unbridled passion. He tore through... [full story]
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06.15.05 (MusicPortal.com) JAMIE LIDELL's long-awaited new album, "Multiply," has been released via Warp Records. Producer, singer, beatboxer and all-out showman without equal, Lidell has crafted a twisted Electronic Soul classic that has the power and emotion of vintage Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder while adding a unique Electronic twist and fat drums. The brand new JAMIE LIDELL website also went live recently, courtesy of Graphic Havoc and with video and gallery sections to poke around in. Lidell (along with the help of co-conspirator Pablo Fiasco on video, film and costumes) has earned a justified reputation as one of the most mind-boggling live acts around these days, receiving standing ovations everywhere from The Royal Festival Hall to Fabric to the dirtiest basement in Berlin. He plays live dates throughout June and July, kicking off with Sonar this weekend, with a full band show that includes Mocky on guitar, Pablo Fiasco on decks, Snax on synths and Lidell manning the Electronic boxes. With the release of "Multiply," JAMIE LIDELL has evolved into an all-out prodigious performer, fusing elements that evoke several giants of the music world without ever appearing derivative. "Multiply" is a pantheon to Soul music, a panoply of melodic styles sparkling with soulful motifs. Assimilating tender ballads, Funk, and dripping with honeyed street-corner harmonies, the new release is a work of intensive retrospection, where Lidell deftly delves into the past and forges something fresh and uplifting. "What electronic music is lacking," states Lidell with quiet confidence, "is just a cool song that's not trying to prove anything or compete in a sonic space race." JAMIE LIDELL has been shocking audiences for the past three years with his extraordinary live shows, which careen from glitzy Funkadelic extravaganza to hard Electronic Avant-Garde showpieces. He was top draw at both the Sonar (Barcelona) and Ether (London) festivals of recent years, performing at Ether juxtaposed with the London Sinfonietta, a bill that has toured to sold-out coliseums and major performance houses across Europe. A peerless vocal performer, JAMIE LIDELL's largely improvised shows have seen reviewers liken him to "a 21st century reincarnation of Little Richard," with "a soul voice fried in honey like Sly Stone or Prince, and a beatboxing talent to make Muhammad Ali quake in his Everlasts."
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06.13.05 (AP) Wanly blowing kisses of gratitude to his screaming fans, MICHAEL JACKSON left court a free man Monday and went back to Neverland to pick up the pieces of his shattered career after he was cleared of all charges in his child-molestation trial. Jackson, 46, heard the words "not guilty" uttered 14 times in a deathly still courtroom. The Peter Pan of Pop music could have gotten nearly 20 years behind bars if convicted of charges that he molested a 13-year-old cancer survivor at Neverland in 2003. A motionless Jackson dabbed at his eyes with a tissue as the verdicts were read, and he later was embraced by his chief lawyer, Thomas Mesereau, Jr. Another member of his defense team burst into tears, and some of the women in the jury also wept and passed around a box of tissues. Jackson, looking drawn, walked out of court minutes later to shrieks from fans, waved weakly and was driven home to his Neverland ranch, where applauding fans ran after his caravan as it disappeared behind the bunting-decorated gates. "Justice is done. The man's innocent. He always was," Mesereau said on a MICHAEL JACKSON website. Jurors also acquitted Jackson of getting the boy drunk and of conspiring to imprison the accuser and his family at Neverland, bringing an end to a four-month trial in which the pop star insisted he was the victim of mother-and-son con artists and a prosecutor with a vendetta. Jurors remained guarded about details of their 30 hours of deliberations over seven days but offered some insight during a news conference, saying they were irritated by the testimony of the accuser's mother, who at one point snapped her fingers at them. "I disliked it intensely when she snapped her fingers at us," said one juror, a woman. She said she thought to herself, 'Don't snap your fingers at me, lady.' The jurors were not identified during the media session. Another juror later told The Associated Press that testimony about Jackson sleeping with boys made him believe Jackson probably was a molester, but it wasn't proven in this case. Two boys testified about the entertainer's allegedly improper relationships with several youngsters in the early 1990s, and Raymond Hultman said... [full story]
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06.13.05 (MusicPortal.com) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN has announced a new group of North American solo tour dates for the months of July and August. The dates will follow Springsteen's sold-out tour of Europe, which wraps up June 28th in Berlin, Germany. Springsteen's new album, "Devils & Dust" topped the pan-European charts for three weeks, while the album has been certified Platinum in two countries and Gold in an additional eight countries. "Devils & Dust" entered Billboard's U.S. Top 200 albums chart at the top spot, receiving extremely enthusiastic reviews. BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN also toured the U.S. in the spring, netting excellent reviews for his first solo tour since the 1995-1996 "The Ghost Of Tom Joad" tour. Upcoming Dates: June 13th Munich, Germany [Olympia Hall] • June 15th Frankfurt, Germany [Festhalle] • June 16th Dusseldorf, Germany [Phillipshalle] • June 19th Rotterdam, Holland [Ahoy] • June 20th Paris, France [Bercy] • June 22th Copenhagen, Denmark [Forum] • June 23th Gothenberg, Sweden [Scandinavium] • June 25th Stockholm, Sweden [Hovet] • June 27th Hamburg, Germany [Color Line Arena] • June 28th Berlin, Germany [ICC] • July 13th Ottawa, ON [Corel Centre] • July 14th Toronto, ON [Air Canada Centre] • July 16th Albany, NY [Pepsi Arena] • July 18th Buffalo, NY [HSBC Arena] • July 20th Bridgeport, CT [Arena At Harbor Yard] • July 23rd Atlanta, GA [Philips Arena] • July 24th Charlotte, NC [Charlotte Coliseum] • July 26th Greensboro, NC [Greensboro Coliseum] • July 28th Pittsburgh, PA [Petersen Events Center] • July 31st Columbus, OH [Schottenstein Center] • August 1st Cincinnati, OH [U.S. Bank Arena] • August 3rd Grand Rapids, MI [Van Andel Arena] • August 6th St. Louis, MO [Fox Theatre] • August 7th Milwaukee, WI [Bradley Center] • August 10th Portland, OR [Rosegarden Theatre Of The Clouds] • August 11th Seattle, WA [Key Arena] • August 13th Vancouver, BC [Pontiac Theatre At GM Place]

06.01.05 (AP) Twenty years after the Live Aid concerts, musical superstars are joining in a five-city spectacular to push a new political solution to African poverty. "We don't want people's money. We want them," BOB GELDOF, the driving force behind the original Band Aid and Live Aid campaigns, said Tuesday as he announced plans for Live 8 concerts on July 2nd, just days before leaders of the world's richest countries, the G8, meet in Britain. Performers including Madonna, Paul McCartney, U2, Brian Wilson, Sting, Stevie Wonder and Jay-Z will grace take to the stage in the cities of London, Philadelphia, Berlin, Paris and Rome. The 1985 Live Aid concerts, held in London and Philadelphia on the same day, sold out both venues, drew a TV audience of millions around the globe, and raised $40 million for poverty relief in Africa. Since then, Geldof said, Africa has only become poorer. "Twenty years on, it strikes me as being morally repulsive and intellectually absurd that people die of want in a world of surplus," Geldof said. "This is to finally, as much as we can, put a stop to that." Geldof also mentioned that he has always resisted any recreation of Live Aid, but relented to pressure from U2's Bono and others: "It seemed to me that we could gather again, but this time not for charity but for political justice." BOB GELDOF, who enjoyed modest success fronting THE BOOMTOWN RATS but found fame through the Live Aid appeal, said organizers had "scrambled like crazy to put this together." Elton John, who will also perform at the London concert, sat alongside Geldof at the news conference and said he was happy to be part of an event that was drawing the "creme de la creme." "When the Live Aid concert happened 20 years ago I was pretty much a self-obsessed drug addict and, although I was really pleased to be part of a great day, I really wasn't adult enough or mature enough to realize the full consequences of what we were doing," John said. "Now I'm fully aware of what's going on and seeing the injustices going on." BOB GELDOF also said he had invited Pope Benedict XVI to join the Edinburgh gathering. "I think he should show up. I think it should be his first gig," Geldof said.

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