11.30.05 (AP) A constellation of Hip-Hop stars gathered Wednesday for closing arguments in the trial of a top Rap executive who prosecutors say laundered more than $1 million in drug money for a notorious cocaine kingpin. Irving Lorenzo, chief of the Murder Inc. label, and his brother Christopher knew Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff was a "a thug and a drug dealer, and they were helping him cover it up," Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Pokorny said at the Lorenzos' racketeering trial. Between signing autographs at the Brooklyn courthouse, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Ashanti, Fat Joe and Russell Simmons took front-row seats in support of Irving Lorenzo, a music producer and entrepreneur known professionally as Irv Gotti. "Poverty and ignorance is more of a problem in our community than convicting our poets," Simmons told reporters outside court. Defense attorney Gerald Shargel argued that the Lorenzo brothers were victims of guilt by association. "There's nothing illegal about knowing a criminal, about socializing with a criminal, even doing business with a criminal, unless you commit a crime," Shargel said. "Irv and Chris Lorenzo committed no crime." The government claims Murder Inc., home to Ashanti and Ja Rule, struck an illicit deal with "one of the biggest, baddest, most dangerous drug lords in New York City," Pokorny told the jury. McGriff allegedly funneled more than $1 million in drug money through Murder Inc. in return for serving as the Lorenzos' protector and enforcer. A government witness who once worked at the label testified that he saw a "huge amount" of money delivered in shopping bags and a shoe box in 2000. Murder Inc. cut tens of thousands of dollars in checks for sham corporations controlled by McGriff, including a movie company that produced a straight-to-video film called "Crime Partners 2000," Pokorny said. The label also covered his expenses as he traveled around the country masquerading as an entertainment executive, she added. The defense has portrayed the Lorenzo brothers -- both charged with money laundering -- as legitimate businessmen who made it big adopting a gangster persona and starting Murder Inc. with Def Jam, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group. They decided to invest their own money in McGriff's movie because he was an old friend from their Queens neighborhood, Shargel said. "Even if Supreme McGriff was the biggest drug dealer in the world, and even if 'Crime Partners' was the worst film in the history of American entertainment, there is nothing illegal about giving backing to a movie," he said. The brothers are free on $1 million bail. McGriff, who faces murder charges, will have a separate trial. The judge barred prosecutors from introducing evidence that the Lorenzos knew about an alleged plot by McGriff to shoot 50 Cent amid the rapper's ongoing war of words with Ja Rule. Investigators believe 50 Cent, who famously survived the shooting, had angered the drug lord by writing the song 'Ghetto Koran' about him.

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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11.23.05 (AP) It has been announced that singer/actress JESSICA SIMPSON has split with husband Nick Lachey, both of whom turned mid-level music careers into Hollywood superstardom by celebrating their marriage in an MTV reality show and several television specials. The couple are calling it quits after months of persistent breakup rumors. "After three years of marriage, and careful thought and consideration, we have decided to part ways," they said in a joint statement released by their publicists today. "This is the mutual decision of two people with an enormous amount of respect and admiration for each other." Calls from The Associated Press seeking further comment from publicists Meredith O' Sullivan and Rob Shuter were not immediately returned. JESSICA SIMPSON and Nick Lachey have been dogged by rumors that their marriage was in trouble - Us Weekly reported that they split in an October 17th issue - but Simpson, 25, and Lachey, 32, brushed the article aside as speculation and insisted they were still together. In the December/January issue of Teen People, which went on newsstands earlier this month, JESSICA SIMPSON denied rumors that the marriage was kaput. "Hopefully mine and Nick's story will continue for the rest of our lives, like what we vowed, through sickness and in health," said Simpson, who famously professed that she remained a virgin until she got married. The couple wed in October 2002, back when they were known simply as Pop singers. But JESSICA SIMPSON hadn't quite achieved the multi-platinum successes of peers Britney Spears and Christina Aguilera, while Lachey was a member of the boy band 98 DEGREES, which sold far fewer albums than such acts as 'N SYNC and BACKSTREET BOYS. The couple's MTV reality show, "Newlyweds: Nick & Jessica," which chronicled their daily lives in a new California home, turned them into unlikely stars. The show, which ran for three seasons, made Simpson infamous for her dippy-blonde moments, including the time she confused the tuna she was eating for chicken, or when she eschewed Buffalo wings because "I don't eat buffalo." JESSICA SIMPSON's star status has begun to outshine Lachey's recently. She played Daisy Duke in this Summer's hit movie "The Dukes Of Hazzard," and she endorses "Dessert," a beauty line that includes flavored body creams. Lachey, whose solo album has had disappointing sales, appeared in some episodes of the television show "Charmed." Besides appearing in "Newlyweds," JESSICA SIMPSON and Nick Lachey entertained U.S. troops earlier this year in the ABC special "Nick & Jessica's Tour Of Duty," and last year they hosted the ABC variety special "Nick & Jessica's Family Christmas." A coffee table book, "Jessica Simpson I Do: Achieving Your Dream Wedding," also was released last year.
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11.21.05 (AP) MARIAH CAREY continues her journey along the comeback trail, heading into Tuesday's 33rd annual American Music Awards with a leading four nominations, including two for her chart-topping album, "The Emancipation Of Mimi." Rockers GREEN DAY, rapper 50 Cent and "American Idol" alum Kelly Clarkson have three nominations each. Other multiple nominees included the BLACK EYED PEAS, DESTINY'S CHILD, Eminem, Fantasia, Toby Keith, Tim McGraw and Gretchen Wilson. Among the acts slated to perform are Carey, THE ROLLING STONES, Cyndi Lauper, Sarah McLachlan, Lindsay Lohan, Keith Urban, EURYTHMICS, SANTANA and LOS LONELY BOYS. Carey's album has sold about 6 million copies to date, re-igniting the 35-year-old's career and helping earn her a string of honors at September's Vibe Awards and World Music Awards. At the American Music Awards, Carey is vying for honors along with a cadre of other hitmakers, including Gwen Stefani and Clarkson in the "Best Female Pop Artist" category, and Ciara and Fantasia for "Best Female Soul/R&B Artist." "The Emancipation Of Mimi" is nominated for favorite album in the Pop/Rock category along with GREEN DAY's "American Idiot" and Clarkson's "Breakaway." Carey's album also was nominated in the Soul/R&B category along with Pop trio DESTINY'S CHILD's swan song, "Destiny Fulfilled," and Fantasia's debut, "Free Yourself." GREEN DAY was vying for favorite Pop/Rock band, duo or group against the funky BLACK EYED PEAS and rockers 3 DOORS DOWN. The "American Idiot" rockers were also up for a favorite artist honor in the Alternative category along with Britain's COLDPLAY and metal band SYSTEM OF A DOWN. Rounding out the Pop/Rock category, actor-rapper Will Smith, 50 Cent and former matchbox twenty frontman Rob Thomas were contenders for the favorite male artist honor. R. Kelly, John Legend and Omarion were up for the same honor in the Soul/R&B division. In the Hip-Hop/Rap class, Eminem, 50 Cent and Ludacris shared nods for favorite male artist, while Missy Elliott, Lil' Kim and Miami-based vocalist Trina were up for favorite female artist. In the Country music division, Keith, McGraw and Kenny Chesney received nods for favorite male artist, while Martina McBride, LeAnn Rimes and Wilson vied for the favorite female artist honor. Other awards were to be presented to artists in the Latin, Contemporary Inspirational and Adult Contemporary categories. Cedric The Entertainer will host the three-hour ceremony, broadcast live on ABC from the Shrine Auditorium in Los Angeles. Nominees were chosen on the basis of record sales, with winners selected through a survey of about 20,000 listeners.
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11.16.05 (MusicPortal.com) A new studio album from THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND is set for a February 7th release via Columbia Records. "Songlines," the first new recording by the band in nearly four years, and the first studio album to feature the full-throated, impassioned vocals of their newest member, Mike Mattison, "Songlines" signals THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND's arrival at a spiritual plateau after a decade-long journey of musical discovery, and cements Derek Trucks' reputation as one of the greatest guitarists of his generation. While "Songlines" embraces the group's big-eared love of Rock, Blues, Jazz, Latin and World Music, it is unquestionably their most cohesive album to date. "Songlines" features several originals written by THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND with collaborator Jay Joyce - from the Hammond B3 groove of 'I'll Find My Way' to Joyce's anthemic, fiery 'Revolution' and the shimmering Derek Trucks instrumental, 'Mahjoun.' Elsewhere, traditional Blues (a wickedly funky 'Crow Jane' rendered in with a cutting falsetto by Mattison) mingle with the band's stirring, tent revival take on Roland Kirk's classic 'Volunteered Slavery,' and their epic reading of the Nusrat Fateh Ali Kahn composition, 'Sahib Teri Bandi/Maki Madni' - a song that swells from a delicate tone piece to a whirling dervish and back again. "Songlines" takes its name from an Aboriginal tradition which claims the culture's totemic elders traveled the Australian continent literally singing their world into existence.Ê In turn, the "songlines" they created became a map for finding one's way through life. Derek Trucks has followed his own songlines from a very early age. A professional, touring musician since the age of twelve, Trucks now spends over 300 days a year on the road with THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND. Now 26, Derek Trucks is the youngest guitarist to place on Rolling Stone's recent "100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time" list. THE DEREK TRUCKS BAND are currently on the road, and can be seen at some of their upcoming shows alongside MOFRO (11/16, 11/17, 11/19, 11/20) and the SUSAN TEDESCHI BAND (12/30, 12/31). Tour Dates: 11/16 Portland, NE [State Theatre] • 11/17 Poughkeepsie, NY [Bardavon Theatre] • 11/18 Uncasville, CT [Mohegan Sun Casino] • 11/19 Boston, MA [Avalon Ballroom] • 11/20 Lebanon, NH [Lebanon Opera House] • 11/22 New Brunswick, NJ [State Theatre Of New Jersey] • 11/23 Norfolk, VA [NorVa Theatre] • 11/25 Danbury, CT [Premier Music Hall] • 11/26 Huntington, NY [Inter-Media Arts Center] • 12/02 Louisville, KY [Headliners Music Hall] • 12/03 Pittsburgh, PA [Manchester Craftsman's Guild] • 12/28 Charlotte, NC [McGlohon Theatre Of Spirit Square] • 12/30 Atlanta, GA [Variety Playhouse] • 12/31 Atlanta, GA [Variety Playhouse] • 01/14 North Bethesda, MD [Music Center @ Strathmore] • 01/19 Cleveland, OH [Odeon Concert Club] • 01/20 Easton, MD [Historic Avalon Theatre] • 01/24 Johnson City, NY [Magic City Music Hall] • 01/25 Buffalo, NY [Center For The Arts] • 01/27 Cincinnati, OH [Bogart's] • 01/28 Chicago, IL [Park West] • 03/30 Savannah, GA [Trustees Theater]
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11.16.05 (AP) More than two months after Hurricane Katrina, all 21-year-old trumpeter Terrell Batiste has is a temporary home, a donated horn and a chance to eke out a living by playing New Orleans music in other parts of America. On Wednesday, the Jazz Foundation Of America is holding an auction in New York City to help Batiste and hundreds of other hurricane-displaced musicians with food, clothes, housing and jobs. Among those playing at the fund raiser will be 95-year-old tenor saxophonist Max Lucas, who once performed with Louis Armstrong, and 91-year-old alto saxophonist Fred Staton, who played with Art Blakey, Count Basie and Billy Strayhorn. On the auction block are more than 50 Jazz treasures, including Miles Davis' boa constrictor snakeskin jacket and the Boesendorfer grand piano from Manhattan's Blue Note club. Auction items also include guitar lessons from Bucky Pizzarelli, sax tutoring from Joe Lovano, and a 1961 New York Times photo that shows Louis Armstrong playing for his wife in front of the pyramids in Giza, Egypt. Roberta Flack is offering a vocal coaching session, and Billy Taylor a jazz piano lesson. The presale estimates range from $200 for the Times photo to $65,000 for the Blue Note piano. An online component of the fund-raiser offers the chance to record a track with the bass player and drummer for Jimi Hendrix's original BAND OF GYPSIES. Members of the HOT 8 BRASS BAND - Batiste, who lives in a Red Cross-sponsored apartment in Atlanta, and nine other young men whose edgy new Jazz was at the heart of pre-Katrina New Orleans - were flown in for the evening at B.B. King's Blues Club & Grill at Times Square. The New York-based foundation, which fields up to 20 requests a day for help, already has delivered more than $120,000 worth of new instruments. More than 100 musicians have been relocated into new homes or helped with mortgages on destroyed homes. With money from the band PEARL JAM and other donors, the foundation will pay 126 New Orleans evacuees to perform in the next six months for schoolchildren in Louisiana, Texas, Georgia, Illinois and New York. "People are hearing a lot more of what was just in the streets of New Orleans," said the HOT 8 BRASS BAND's manager, Lee Arnold. "It's a good opportunity both for the country and the musicians." The Jazz Foundation Of America was created in 1989 by Billy Taylor and businessman Herb Storfer to help elderly Jazz musicians. Young and old, the New Orleans musicians are rooted in America's homegrown soundtrack, said Wendy Oxenhorn, the Jazz Foundation Of America's executive director. "This music was born out of the atrocities of slavery, when families were tortured and separated," she said. "They became these magnificent, strong, powerful people who ended up giving back a gift to the world that has gotten all of us through life. The musicians will survive."

11.15.05 (MusicPortal.com) Singer/songwriter JON NICHOLSON unofficially represents the Rock & Soul branch of Nashville, Tennessee music collective The MuzikMafia, which he founded with friends Big Kenny, John Rich and Cory Gierman. His new album, "A Lil Sump'm Sump'm," contains an impressive mix of songs that cross genres well, and is now available via Warner Bros. Nashville Records. Born and raised in a state that reveres Polka music as if it were a contemporary art form, JON NICHOLSON is something of a musical revelation. The Wisconsin native grew up tuning his stereo to the middle-of-the-road Rock 'N' Roll and mainstream Country music that permeated the airwaves of the Midwest. But, given time, he eventually discovered the rhythmic Soul of Otis Redding, the R&B stylings of Al Green and Teddy Pendergrass, the Gospel feel of Donny Hathaway, and an amalgamation of others cut from the same ilk. "I think Wisconsin is a real soulful place," Nicholson says proudly. "A lot of great artists have come out of Madison or hung out there for a long time, and there are a lot of those old cats still up there." Clyde Stubblefield, James Brown's original drummer, is just one of the many old-school musicians who still finds the time to jam every Sunday night at a small club in Madison, where Nicholson used to hang out back when he was living just south of the state capitol in the small town of Verona. And, of course, the 31-year-old Nicholson would be remiss not to mention the fact that Otis Redding unfortunately perished on December 10, 1967, when the 26-year-old's charter plane crashed into a frozen Lake Monona Bay. More than a decade later Nicholson and his friends would spend many summer afternoons waterskiing on the same lake. "Maybe I kicked up some Otis spirits on a wakeboard or something," Nicholson ponders. In any case, music was an influence at the Nicholson household as far back as Jon can remember. At the urging of his mother, he started learning to play the piano when he was just 3 years old. "She felt like God put me on Earth to make music for other people," Nicholson says, "and to be a flyin', singin' preacher." A year later he became a multi-instrumentalist when he picked up the violin, and before long he was playing piano during Sunday morning church services and singing for the congregation. So it's no surprise that after only two years of college -- he was a pre-Med student at the University Of Wisconsin Eau Clair and also a member of the football team -- his family supported his decision to drop out and pursue music as a career. After all, as opposed to all night sessions with his study group or long hours of viewing game films with his teammates, Nicholson spent most of his time writing songs and jamming with his friends in the dorms. By this time he had also begun traveling to Nashville on a rather regular basis. Though it's often referred to as the Country Music Capital, it also had been home to most of Nicholson's favorite songwriters such as Kris Kristofferson and Willie Nelson, so inevitably Music City was a natural progression. "I think coming down here and figuring out who I was as a songwriter brought me back..." [full story]
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11.14.05 (AP) When a brash New York disc jockey named Irving Lorenzo decided to call himself IRV GOTTI and start a music label called Murder Inc. in the late 1990s, he said it was all about selling records. Records by stars like Ashanti and Ja Rule sold in the millions for Murder Inc., turning Lorenzo into a Rap mogul. The problem, according to federal authorities, was that his gangster persona wasn't mere hype. Lorenzo, 34, and his brother Christopher Lorenzo, 38, were scheduled to go on trial Wednesday in New York City, accused of laundering drug money for a notorious crack kingpin. The federal racketeering case mixes elements of corporate scandal - Murder Inc. is partly owned by Def Jam, a subsidiary of Universal Music Group - with inside glimpses of feuds in the Rap world. Prosecutors say that the kingpin, Kenneth "Supreme" McGriff, was allowed to secretly funnel more than $1 million in drug money into Murder Inc.'s coffers in exchange for being the label's protector and enforcer. They hope to introduce evidence that the Lorenzos knew about an alleged plot by McGriff to assassinate rapper 50 Cent. "What the facts show is that they didn't give just give themselves names like Gotti," prosecutor Sean Haran said Monday at a pretrial hearing. "They wanted to be gangsters." Lawyers for the Lorenzos say their clients' relationship with McGriff, a childhood friend, gave them "street credibility." But they also insist their business was legitimate. "These two defendants did not receive cash from McGriff," said Gerald Shargel, who represents Christopher Lorenzo. The brothers, who are free on $1 million bail, were charged in January in the same indictment as McGriff. But U.S. District Court Judge Edward Korman agreed to grant them a separate trial after the defense argued that prosecuting them with McGriff, who faces murder counts, would prejudice the jury. McGriff, 44, and Lorenzo met on the streets in the 1980s as McGriff rose to power at the head of a ruthless crack-dealing crew called The Supreme Team. The crew apparently employed scores of dealers, took in $200,000 a day and was responsible for at least eight murders in 1987 alone. McGriff served about 10 years in prison. Once released, he renewed his association with Gotti by helping Murder Inc. produce "Crime Partners 2000," a straight-to-video film starring Ja Rule, Snoop Dogg and Ice-T. Prosecutors say the film was financed with drug cash. McGriff allegedly ordered the shooting of 50 Cent in May 2000 amid the rapper's ongoing war or words with Ja Rule. Investigators believe 50 Cent, who survived the shooting, had angered the drug lord by writing a song about him, titled 'Ghetto Koran.' Murder Inc. changed its name to The Inc. last year after executives said the label's image was hurt by the racketeering case. If convicted, the Lorenzos face up to 20 years in prison.

11.10.05 (MusicPortal.com) The fourth title in ROD STEWART's Grammy award-winning chart topping "Songbook" series, "Thanks For The Memory...The Great American Songbook: Volume IV," has entered the Billboard Top 200 chart at #2. The "Songbook" albums have evolved into a virtual musical and cultural phenomenon, and are now the biggest-selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history. "Thanks For The Memory..." is highlighted by vocal duets featuring ROD STEWART with Elton John (on Ray Charles' signature remake of 'Makin' Whoopee'), Chaka Khan (on Sam Cooke's 'You Send Me'), and Diana Ross (on the Gershwins' 'I've Got A Crush On You,' from 1940's "Strike Up The Band," echoing the original duet by Mickey Rooney and Judy Garland). The new album is the follow-up to 2004's #1 "Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III," which won ROD STEWART his first Grammy this year for "Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album." Performing on the album "Thanks For The Memory...The Great American Songbook: Volume IV" are also a number of guest star appearances of major virtuoso instrumentalists who span several generations: guitarist George Benson on Harold Arlen's 'Let's Fall In Love,' trumpeter Chris Botti on 'I Wish You Love,' trumpeter Roy Hargrove on 'My One And Only Love,' and Dave Koz on 'Nevertheless (I'm In Love With You).' Other solo performances by Stewart on "Thanks For The Memory..." include a pair of Irving Berlin standards, 'Blue Skies' and 'I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm,' Jerome Kern and Ira Gershwin's 'Long Ago & Far Away,' Vernon Duke's 'Taking A Chance On Love,' Rodgers & Hart's 'My Funny Valentine,' and the title song, Bob Hope's eternal theme, 'Thanks For The Memory.' In anticipation of the upcoming holiday season, a deluxe 4-disc box set entitled "The Great American Songbook" will package "Thanks For The Memory... The Great American Songbook: Volume IV" along with "Stardust...The Great American Songbook: Volume III," 2003's "As Time Goes By...The Great American Songbook, Volume II," and the album that started it all in 2002, "It Had To Be You...The Great American Songbook." The four albums -- which have since become the biggest-selling ongoing series of new music recordings in history -- have cumulative sales of more than 13 million copies worldwide now. The new box set will arrive in stores next week on Tuesday, November 15th and features over 60 songs from all four chart-topping titles. The package also contains a bonus live concert DVD and a special 20-page booklet with never-before seen photos and detailed liner notes.
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11.09.05 (MusicPortal.com) Here's an update from Australian sextet THE CAT EMPIRE regarding their recent Canadian tour: "We rolled into Toronto, and immediately realized how easy it was to talk to the locals. Not that venue staff in the U.S are hard to talk to, but it's more a case of Australians and Canadians being fairly similar. When doors opened at the Opera House in Toronto, there was a queue of Steve-Winwood-Live-in-Cleveland-like proportions, the kind of queue that had mostly eluded us previously in the USA. This is it. Welcome to Canada. We started with 'The Wine Song,' the first time we've ever done so, and it went down a treat. Later on, some friendly locals, pissed sherpas, old acquintances and single-serving friends showed us around town, to a shady local pizza place and a jazz club a few doors down. Thankful that Wayne Carey hadn't left without us again, we climbed aboard the bus for the trip to Montreal. The drive there was literally a get-in-the-bus-in-Toronto-and-fall-asleep-and-then-wake-up-at-the-venue-in-Montreal deal. We knew we were in for a hell of a show. After all, those crazy cats who drove across the border to our show in Burlington on the last tour and partied so hard that they got arrested were from Montreal. By the time doors opened, there was a queue of 'Nightcat' early 2003 proportions streaming down the stairs of Cafe Campus and out into the rain, up the street, and around the corner. Most of these were the people who didn't have tickets and would miss out on the show. Yes indeed, I'm glad we finally toured Canada. It was like the Burlington show, but with a full house. The crowd favourite seemed to be, obscurely, 'Rhyme and Reason,' which they learnt the words to from a downloaded copy of the song. It just so happened that our agent Jordan Burger was in town with all his buddies for his bachelor party, on the same night that we had a gig. After the show we all met him around the corner at a bar that I can't quite remember the name of. The bouncers seemed intent on making everyone standing out in the rain for no reason. Not even Harry's snakeskin boots got us in, apparently because it's 'not that kind of place.' That is so backwards and wrong I don't even know where to start. Anyhow, they finally let me in, and Jordan convinced them to let everyone else in. We were met with an even more fearsome sight: a room full of people who really WANTED to be in this elitist shithole. As the ludicrously-priced drinks kept coming from the impossibly attractive bar staff, I realised I only had one option to redeem my pride: get thrown out of this place before it was time to leave. I began to entertain the most efficient way of doing this without getting seriously injured. But before I had a chance to walk up to the nearest table of intimidating-looking wannabe-mobsters and wryly down all their drinks, the rest of our crew started to leave anyway. I guess we'll never know how many ribs I would have made it out of there with."
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11.08.05 (MusicPortal.com) "The Rising Tied," the much-anticipated debut album from FORT MINOR, will be released by Machine Shop Recordings/Warner Bros. on November 22nd. FORT MINOR is the side Hip-Hop project of vocalist Mike Shinoda from LINKIN PARK. The album finds Shinoda playing nearly every instrument on the release, while he gets some serious vocal backings from the likes of fellow labelmates STYLES OF BEYOND and Holly Brook, in addition to Common, Black Thought of THE ROOTS, Kenna, John Legend, and Jonah Matranga. Jay-Z was brought on as executive producer for "The Rising Tied," which was also produced and mixed by Shinoda, who wrote every track and "slaved over every detail," as he puts it, as well. So how do you thrive in the shadow, substantial and arena-sized, of a group that has sold over 35 million albums? If you're Mike Shinoda of LINKIN PARK, the answer is to shine your own light. Shinoda is half the vocal firepower of the multi-platinum, Grammy-winning group, trading diaphragmatic diatribes with singer Chester Bennington and infusing searing Alternative Rock with equally intense Hip-Hop. From album to album, Shinoda and his bandmates have garnered a reputation based on their appetite for striking new ground. On his first outing alone, Mike Shinoda is ready to show people that he is still hungry. Shinoda's Rap roots have always had to share space with other elements - until now. "The Rising Tied" is a wholly unique, unadulterated Hip-Hop album, owing as much to Shinoda's polished lyricism as his musical adeptness. The variety of themes, styles, and moods he creates make this "side project" likely to do much more than simply satisfy existing LINKIN PARK fans; it threatens to expose Shinoda as a Rap devotee who is as at home in Hip-Hop as he is in the cross-genre hybrid of LINKIN PARK. While Shinoda chose the name FORT MINOR to reflect the dynamic between opposites -- something big and strong vs. something small and slight (or musically dark) -- the title of the album is also a play on words. All of the guest artists on "The Rising Tied," are also coming up together in the music world, among them Machine Shop Recordings artists STYLES OF BEYOND and Holly Brook. While remaining an essential shard in the mosaic of LINKIN PARK, the desire to create songs that resonated with his youth as a Hip-Hop producer and MC led Shinoda to write, then record, a progression of Hip-Hop-rooted songs. As they began to coalesce into an album bearing Shinoda's solo imprimatur, he also felt it was essential to keep it "organic," making his own samples and breakbeats with live instruments, and avoiding sequenced keyboards. "The Rising Tied," channeling some of the signature dynamics and frustration of Linkin Park, reveals a more personal range of themes slagged inside a distinctly Hip-Hop crucible. Not to say that it's an entirely homogenized collection. On the track 'Believe Me,' excerpts from a decaying relationship tremble over... [full story]
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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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11.01.05 (MusicPortal.com) A new collection from ISAAC HAYES entitled "Ultimate Isaac Hayes: Can You Dig It?" will be released on CD and DVD tomorrow via Stax Records, now an imprint of Concord Music Group, Inc. Over the course of its original 15-year history, Stax Records was home to a plethora of stars such as Otis Redding, SAM AND DAVE, BOOKER T. & THE MG'S, THE STAPLE SINGERS, Johnnie Taylor, and THE DRAMATICS. As talented and great as the aforementioned artists were, none of them ultimately had the impact on black popular music that ISAAC HAYES did from 1969 through 1975. His story is one of epic proportions. In the mid- to late 1960s, Hayes and songwriting and producing partner David Porter, played a seminal role in creating the nascent sound of modern Soul music, writing and producing such genre-defining records as SAM AND DAVE's 'Soul Man,' 'Hold On I'm Comin',' 'When Something Is Wrong With My Baby,' 'Wrap It Up' and 'I Thank You.' In their spare time, the dynamic songwriting duo also penned hits for Carla Thomas, Johnnie Taylor, Ruby Johnson, Mable John, and THE SOUL CHILDREN. As a session man, Hayes played on dozens of additional hits as well. His songwriting, production, and session work alone would make Isaac Hayes worthy of any music hall of fame that one could possibly name. Yet, as monumental as his contributions were in this first part of his career, they are dwarfed by the impact of his solo albums such as "Hot Buttered Soul," "Shaft" and "Black Moses." With those albums, ISAAC HAYES would become the biggest artist Stax Records ever produced, and one of the most important artists in the history of Rhythm And Blues. From 1969 through 1975, Hayes single-handedly redefined the sonic possibilities of black music - in the process opening up the album market as a commercially viable medium for black artists. The fact that one musician could be responsible for such disparate but equally great and influential music as ISAAC HAYES produced in the 1960s and '70s simply boggles the imagination. Hayes was born in Covington, Tennessee in 1942. By the time he came to Stax, he had been singing or playing the piano in various bands around Memphis for a number of years, cutting his first single for Chips Moman's Youngstown label in late 1962. His first session at Stax was as the keyboardist in baritone saxophonist Floyd Newman's band in 1963. Impressed by Hayes's playing, Stax owner Jim Stewart began booking him for sessions while the company's regular keyboard player, Booker T. Jones, was off at college. Within two years, ISAAC HAYES had hooked up with David Porter and embarked on a writing and producing career. As Hayes was becoming successful behind the scenes, he still entertained thoughts of a career as a performing artist. Stax executive Al Bell had similar ideas. "As a marketer I'd look at Isaac Hayes," mused Bell, "and (I'd) see him banging on the piano and (I) watched his approach which, in terms of the way he held his hands, was sort of like the kind of stuff I..." [full story]

[Urban News: October 2005]
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