Thursday, August 13, 2009

LES PAUL DEAD AT 94

Les Paul, a legendary music icon died today at the age of 94. Les Paul is credited with revolutionizing music and, by virtue of his inventions, essenially invented Rock and Roll.

In addition to pioneering the electric guitar, Les Paul has been credited with the invention of multitrack recording.

Nekesa Mumbi Moody wrote a very detailed accounting of the life of Les Paul for the Associated Press.







NEW YORK — Les Paul, the guitar virtuoso and inventor who revolutionized music and created rock 'n' roll as surely as Elvis Presley and the Beatles by developing the solid-body electric guitar and multitrack recording, died Thursday at age 94.

Known for his lightning-fast leads, Les Paul performed with some of early pop's biggest names and produced a slew of hits, many with wife Mary Ford. But it was his inventive streak that made him universally revered by guitar gods as their original ancestor and earned his induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as one of the most important forces in popular music.

Les Paul, who died in White Plains, N.Y., of complications from pneumonia, was a tireless tinkerer, whose quest for a particular sound led him to create the first solid-body electric guitar, a departure from the hollow-body guitars of the time. His invention paved the way for modern rock 'n' roll and became the standard instrument for legends like Pete Townshend and Jimmy Page.

Les Paul also developed technology that would become hallmarks of rock and pop recordings, from multitrack recording that allowed for layers and layers of "overdubs" to guitar reverb and other sound effects.






"He was truly the cornerstone of popular music," said Henry Juskiewicz, chairman and CEO of Gibson Guitar, which mass produced Les Paul's original invention. "He was futurist, and unlike some futurists who write about it and predict things, he was guy who actually did things."

Les Paul remained an active performer until his last months: He put out his very first rock album just four years ago, and up until recently played every week at a New York jazz club.


The news of his death prompted an outpouring of tributes from the music world.

"Les lived a very long life and he got to a lot of his goals, so I'm happy for him in that respect. ... At least he realized that he was legend in his own time while he was alive" said Richie Sambora, Bon Jovi's guitarist and a friend of Paul's, on Thursday. "He was revolutionary in the music business."

Said Kiss' Paul Stanley: "The name Les Paul is iconic and is known by aspiring and virtuoso guitar players worldwide. That guitar is the cornerstone of a lot of great music that has been made in the last 50 years."

A tinkerer and musician since childhood, he experimented with guitar amplification for years before coming up in 1941 with what he called "The Log," a 4-by-4 piece of wood strung with steel strings.

"I went into a nightclub and played it. Of course, everybody had me labeled as a nut." He later put the wooden wings onto the body to give it a traditional guitar shape.

The use of electric guitar gained popularity in the mid-to-late 1940s.

Leo Fender's Broadcaster was the first mass-produced solid body electric on the market in the late 1940s.

Gibson solicited Les Paul to create a prototype for a guitar, and began production on the Les Paul guitar in 1952. Townshend of the Who, Steve Howe of Yes, jazz great Al DiMeola and Led Zeppelin's Page all made the Gibson Les Paul their trademark six-string.


The Les Paul series has become one of the most widely used guitars in the music industry. In 2005, Christie's auction house sold a 1955 Gibson Les Paul for $45,600.

Les Paul was born Lester William Polfuss, in Waukesha, Wis., on June 9, 1915. Les Paul began his career as a musician, billing himself as Red Hot Red or Rhubarb Red. He toured with the popular Chicago band Rube Tronson and His Texas Cowboys and led the house band on WJJD radio in Chicago.

In the mid-1930s he joined Fred Waring's Pennsylvanians and soon moved to New York to form the Les Paul Trio, with Jim Atkins and bassist Ernie Newton.

Les Paul started out as an accompanist, working with key artists until he struck out on his own. His first records were released in 1944 on Decca Records. Later, with Ford, his wife from 1949 to 1962, he earned 36 gold records for hits including "Vaya Con Dios" and "How High the Moon," which both hit No. 1.

Les Paul had met Ford, then known as Colleen Summers, in the 1940s while working as a studio musician in Los Angeles. For seven years in the 1950s, Paul and Ford broadcast a TV show from their home in Mahwah, N.J. (Ford died in 1977, 15 years after they divorced).

Les Paul had made his first attempt at audio amplification at age 13. Unhappy with the amount of volume produced by his acoustic guitar, he tried placing a telephone ear piece under a string which was strung across a railroad tie. Although this worked to some extent, only two strings were amplified and the volume level was still too low.

By placing a phonograph needle in the guitar, all six strings were amplified, which proved to be much louder. Paul was playing a working prototype of the electric guitar in 1929.

His work on recording techniques began in the years after World War II, when Bing Crosby gave him a tape recorder. Drawing on his earlier experimentation with his homemade recording machine, Paul added an additional playback head to the recorder. The result was a delayed effect that became known as tape echo.

Tape echo gave the recording a more "live" feel and enabled the user to simulate different playing environments.


Les Paul's next "crazy idea" was to stack together eight mono tape machines and send their outputs to one piece of tape, stacking the recording heads on top of each other. The resulting machine served as the forerunner to today's multitrack recorders. Many of their songs used overdubbing techniques that Paul had helped develop.

"I could take my Mary and make her three, six, nine, 12, as many voices as I wished," he recalled. "This is quite an asset." The overdubbing technique was highly influential on later recording artists such as the Carpenters.

Les Paul's use of multitrack recording was unique: Before he did it, most recordings were made on a single tape. By recording each element separately, from the vocals to instrumentation on different tracks, they could be mixed and layered, adding to the richness in sound.





"In the old days, if you only had one track, you put a microphone in the middle of the music and hope for the best," Juskiewicz said.

In 1954, Les Paul commissioned the first eight-track tape recorder, later known as "Sel-Sync," in which a recording head could simultaneously record a new track and play back previous ones.

In the late 1960s, Les Paul retired from music to concentrate on his inventions. His interest in country music was rekindled in the mid-'70s and he teamed up with Chet Atkins for two albums. The duo were awarded a Grammy for best country instrumental performance of 1976 for their "Chester and Lester" album.

In 2005, Les Paul released the Grammy-winning "Les Paul & Friends: American Made, World Played," his first album of new material since those 1970s recordings and his first official rock CD. Among those playing with him: Peter Frampton, Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton and Richie Sambora.

"They're not only my friends, but they're great players," Paul told The Associated Press. "I never stop being amazed by all the different ways of playing the guitar and making it deliver a message."

Les Paul was inducted into the National Inventors Hall of Fame in 2005.

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Thursday, April 2, 2009

TRAVIS BARKER and BLINK 182 re-unite as Travis and SHANNA MOAKLER split up again

After a series of on-again, off-again reports, Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler have split up again, his rep confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (April 1).

The couple divorced in 2006, but reunited after Barker survived a plane crash last year. Unidentified sources told UsMagazine.com that the couple just couldn't make it work.

According to the magazine's sources, they decided to break up again "after a nasty fight broke out at his house last night and cops were called...[when] Shanna started freaking out and acting irrational."





Although no charges were filed, the source adds that "Travis confronted Shanna about her having an affair with Gerard Butler while he was in the hospital recovering." Last October, the rumor mill sped up when it was reported that Moakler was seen with Butler at the Hollywood opening of Shin Korean BBQ.

The source added that Barker "just wants to focus on his music and his children right now. He is done with her drama. The babies are the most important thing right now." Another insider said, "Shanna cheated on him and then told everyone they were in love again while she was having an affair and he was recovering from the accident."






Another friend of the former "Meet the Barkers" stars said, "It's over now and he just wants to move on."

Reps for both Barker and Moakler gave statements to US Magazine. "After surviving the plane crash, his driving force in life is the love he has for his kids. He is tired of all other drama and is ready to move on," his rep said. Moakler and Barker have two children together, Landon Asher and Alabama Luella. Moakler has a daughter with Oscar de la Hoya.

In a statement, Moakler's rep said, "They did break up but Shanna never cheated on Travis while he was in the hospital. Furthermore, Shanna is tired of playing out their personal relationship in the press."

Blink-182, the band with which Barker made his name, recently announced they are reuniting for an album and tour.








For some uncensored Pictures of Shanna Moekler naked check out

SHANNA MOAKLER PLAYBOY PICTORIAL

SHANNA MOAKLER the MILF

SHANNA MOAKLER NAKED - The complete Playboy Pictorial

Saturday, March 21, 2009

DAVE MATHEWS BAND CONCERT TOUR AND TICKET INFORMATION

DAVE MATHEWS BAND TICKET INFORMATION



Tickets for Dave Matthews Band's upcoming summer tour go on sale to the general public beginning today - and the band is keeping prices low, as usual. "Tickets for Dave Matthews Band's shows remain a great value," said Coran Capshaw, the group's manager and founder of Red Light Management. "Out of respect for its loyal fans, the band has always made every effort to keep tickets affordable."


Two-thirds of tickets for the shows will average $40 each while other ticket prices will range from $55 to a maximum of $75, depending on the venue. The band will launch this summer's tour on May 27th at the Darien Lake Performing Arts Center in Darien Center, NY. Then - on the eve of the release of Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King, the group's first studio album in four years - Dave Matthews Band will play two consecutive nights (May 29th & 30th) at Boston's historic Fenway Park. Tickets for most shows will go on sale to the general public on March 12th, 13th and 14th; Fenway Park tickets go on sale March 21st. Please check with your local venue or ticket retailer for details.





On June 2nd, RCA Records will release Big Whiskey and the Groogrux King. Produced by Rob Cavallo (Green Day, My Chemical Romance), the record is the follow-up to 2005's Stand Up, the fourth consecutive Dave Matthews Band studio album to enter The Billboard 200 at No. 1. The group, which will tour Europe from late June through early July, has sold a collective 35 million units (CD and DVD combined) and - with over 15 million tickets sold - has been named the top-drawing American band in the world by Billboard.

Dave Matthews Band is Carter Beauford (drums), Stefan Lessard (bass), Dave Matthews (vocals, guitar) and Boyd Tinsley (violin). Joining the group on tour will be Tim Reynolds on guitar, Rashawn Ross on trumpet and Jeff Coffin on saxophone, who are also featured on the new album.






Dave Matthews Band confirms Fenway Park shows




Dave Matthews (BMS file photo by Rory Flynn)
It's finally official, the Dave Matthews Band will return to perform at Boston's historic Fenway Park. The shows will happen on Friday, May 29 and Saturday, May 30. Willie Nelson & Family will perform as the band’s support on both dates.

Tickets will be available to American Express cardholders Thursday, March 12 through Tuesday, March 17. The general public can purchase tickets beginning Saturday, March 21 at 10:00 a.m. though Live Nation. No tickets will be sold at Fenway Park. Reserved field and reserved grandstand seats are $75. VIP Packages, which will include a ticket, early entrance, access to an exclusive party area with a complimentary gourmet buffet and beverages, and a limited-edition, souvenir laminated pas, will be available for $250.

The Dave Matthews Band will be touring in support of their yet-to-be titled next studio album, slated for release on June 2 via RCA Records. Of course, the Dave Matthews Band headlined two nights at Boston's famed ballpark in 2006. The two shows were recorded and released as part of the band's official bootleg series on Live Trax: Volume 6. For our review of one of the shows, click here.





Last year, Neil Diamond headlined Fenway for one show and three renditions of "Sweet Caroline." The Police, The Rolling Stones, Jimmy Buffett, and Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band have also performed at the park in recent years.

Here at BMS, we're holding out hope that DMB will add another opening slot for hometown favorites Eli "Paperboy" Reed and the True Loves, who will open for DMB on April 15 in New Jersey. You can catch the 2008 BMS Band of the Year at the Middle East Downstairs next Wednesday, March 11.

BUZZFEST TICKETS Creating a Buzz

BuzzFest Tickets 2009 go on sale today. Houston’s 94.5 presents BuzzFest.

The Buzz offers from the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in the Woodlands, Texas a cross selection of great alternative and indie rock bands.

Buzzfest not only allows bands to get their big break but always draws in some of the top bands in the Alternative genre every year. Though Alternative has certainly changed since the first Buzzfest in 1995, no show has kept itself up to date with the newest breeds of music like Buzzfest. Genres ranging from Grunge to Nu-Metal and beyond have all been big parts of Buzzfest, but no brand of music has flourished on the stage of Buzzfest like the Post-Grunge style. Newly arrived styles like Indie Rock have recently made a big mark at Buzzfest.

The event is May 10. Acts include KoRn, Blue October, 311, Theory of a Deadman, Hoobastank, and the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus.

Friday, March 20, 2009

BRITNEY SPEARS - 3 Ring CIRCUS to hit TORNOTO AGAIN

After decades of marketing by the Ringling Brothers, it's hard to hear the word “circus” without flashing on the phrase, “The Greatest Show on Earth.” Britney Spears' current tour could change that, however.

Dubbed “The Circus Starring Britney Spears,” it's a three-ring extravaganza that comes with all the bells and whistles. In addition to the usual array of dancers, video displays and costume changes, Spears added clowns, acrobats and even a magic act to her road show. High-tech and high-concept, it is a state-of-the-art spectacle, from the show-opening video sequence (featuring gossip blogger Perez Hilton in Elizabeth I drag) to the show-closing combination of fireworks and confetti cannons.

Yet for all that dazzle, there was precious little sizzle onstage at Toronto's Air Canada Centre Wednesday. Even though Spears always hit her mark, managing the complex choreography and constant costume changes with military precision, there was no sense of passion in her performance, none of the fire normally associated with star power.






Spears returns in first concert tour in 5 years
Unlike Madonna or Michael Jackson, who at their best always seem somehow larger than life, Spears came off as, well, merely famous. And while that added a certain sass to Piece of Me, with its “I'm Mrs. Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” refrain, it frankly wasn't enough to sustain a 90-minute extravaganza.

I hesitate to use the word “concert” here because, frankly, there wasn't a lot of music being performed during the show. Although Spears did have a small band tucked away on the west side of the centre ring, the bulk of what was heard came courtesy of pre-recorded tracks — and that included the vocals.

Apart from Every Time, which Spears sang while hanging from an oversized parasol, it was unclear how much of what came through the P.A. Wednesday was live Britney, and how much was tape. Certainly, she kept her lips moving. But there was nothing in her actions, in the way she moved or held her body, that seemed to convey the act of singing. Most of the time, she looked like a dancer acting out a recording.





Given the physical demands of the choreography — Me Against the Music, for example, literally had Spears running from one end of the stage to the other — it almost seems churlish to expect that she keep up with her dancers and sing decently, too. And she did at least keep up the pretense of vocalizing, which was more than could be said for her opening act, the Pussycat Dolls. Apart from Nicole Scherzinger, the Dolls for the most part didn't even bother pretending to sing, correctly assuming that dancing and preening were more important than musical proficiency.

The Pussycat Dolls' emphasis on strutting their stuff does raise one interesting point about the show, which was its curious approach to female sexuality. Between the stripper chic of the Dolls act (which, yes, included the obligatory dash of pole dancing) and the relentless kink of Britney's (the dancers kept turning up in bondage gear, and Spears had not one but two outfits featuring breast tassels), it would be easy to condemn the show for gratuitously objectifying the female form — which seems a bit odd, given that the audience was roughly 80 per cent female.

But as much as the staging stressed sex, there wasn't any heat to the bump and grind. Instead, the display of sexual attitude came off as a sort of muscle flexing, a show of strength rather than a come-on.





And in the end, that was perhaps the best thing about Spears' show. However scandalous her personal life may have been, she does manage to convey a generally positive message, something that keeps her Circus from descending to the level of empty spectacle. That may not be the greatest recommendation on earth, but it's still more than most pop tours deliver.

LIMP BIZKIT Frontmand FRED DURST talks about his affair with BRITNEY SPEARS

In response to the nonstop clamour for Fred Durst news, the Limp Bizkit frontman broke his silence to talk about his reported relationship with Britney Spears. Phew! We thought we'd get have to go the rest of our lives without ever thinking about that pairing again.

Durst claims he and Spears got together at the 2003 American Music Awards and had a torrid but tumultuous affair, prompting Durst to describe her on his band's website as "a person that I [wouldn't] have thought could make me feel this way." However, Spears had the good sense to vehemently deny any romantic shenanigans at the time.





"I think him for me, but not me for him," she told the British version of Glamour in 2003. "He's said some pretty amazing things about me. But, um, I think he leaped in too deep, too quick."

But even six years later, Durst is adamant that he was telling the truth about their coupling.

"It just became a fiasco of madness," the 38-year-old told MTV News yesterday. "[But] I always stay true to my heart and true to everything I did and my intentions, and I am in no way a liar."

In fact, Durst believes that their short-lived tryst and the resulting public feud was the real beginning to Spears' rollercoaster of troubles.





"I look back on it as very interesting [in terms of] how things have been sort of unraveling for her since," he said. "[But] it is what it is. I can sleep at night knowing I made decisions that I wanted to make. [Still] I'm a supporter. I was then, I guess I am now. I just guess at the time it was taboo for a guy like me to be associated with a gal like her."

Whereas now, it is totally hip and cool to be associated with Fred "Break Stuff" Durst.





Saturday, March 14, 2009

JILL GIOIA UPCOMING CONCERT INFORMATION

JILL GIOIA


Since performing the New York City Anthem at Madison Square Garden during the Big East College Basketball Championship Game Televised on ESPN, the popularity of ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA Contestant JILL GIOIA has sky rocketed.

If you liked JILL GIOIA'a performance at MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, you can see her again on April 9t, 2009 for the New York KNICKS vs. Detroit game where JILL GIOIA will once again perform the NEW YORK CITY ANTHEM.

If you aren't into sports and you want to catch a full JILL GIOIA CONCERT, you can check her out for her Tribute to Janis Joplin, Heart, and the Women of ROCK on April 24th 2009 at 7:30 pm
The APRIL 24th JILL GIOIA CONCERT will be held at DIX HILLS PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
FIVE TOWNS COLLEGE 305 N. Service Road Dix Hills, N.Y. 11746. For JILL GIOA TICKET INFORMATION call (631) 656-2148

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VAN MORRISON's 1968 Astral Weeks recordings are listed in over 200 publications the world over as one of the most important records in the history of music.

Born in Belfast, VAN MORRISON's father was an avid collector of American blues and jazz records. Morrison grew up listening to AMERICAN music like Leadbelly, Howlin' Wolf, Sonny Boy Williamson, Muddy Waters, Sonny Terry & Brownie McGee, John Lee Hooker, Mahalia Jackson, and Lightnin’ Hopkins. He grew up surrounded by every kind of American musical influence. From the age of 13, he was adept at playing guitar, sax and harmonica and played with a series of local showbands along with Skiffle and Rock 'n' Roll groups, including Brian Rossi at the Plaza Ballroom. His early love of music, for the music, has certainly paid off.

VAN MORRISON's music continues to have that authentic American Blues, Jazz and melodic Folk sound that he loved and listened to in his childhood, long before those early showbands and well before his initial 1964/5 hit records with his band called THEM. It’s a little recognized yet open secret that VAN MORRISON was, in fact, the band THEM.

In June 1966, at the famed Whisky-A-Go-Go, The Doors were the opening act for Them. According to Ray Manzarek, in his book, “Light My Fire”, ‘Jim (Morrison) was transfixed by Van. He studied his every move. He put the eye on him and he absorbed … The last night … saw us all in a monster jam session … Jim Morrison and VAN MORRISON onstage at the same time! And singing ‘Gloria.”







Backed by The Jim Daly Trio, VAN MORRISON began his solo career in Belfast supporting Alexis Korner. He toured Holland singing with Cuby and The Blizzards before going to New York in 1967, where he recorded an LP titled Blowin Your Mind with the producer Bert Berns, who had previously produced Them. Following Berns' death in 1968 Morrison recruited a group of jazz musicians to record the profound Astral Weeks, a timeless classic which brought together elements of true soul, improvised jazz and rhthym & blues - true Van Morrison signature sounds which run thoughout all of his music to date - both in subtle and not so subtle forms.

Initially living on a couch in Boston then moving on to California, VAN MORRISON produced a string of albums including Moondance, Tupelo Honey and St Dominic’s Preview while touring extensively with his band the Caledonia Soul Orchestra. His 1974 live set It’s Too Late To Stop Now marked the end of this prolific early phase as Van returned to explore his Ulster Scots roots. The ensuing album; the brillant Veedon Fleece (1974) featured a quieter, more pastoral sound and was to be his last release for three years to come.

VAN MORRISON returned to the public eye in 1977 with the aptly titled A Period Of Transition, an album co-produced by Mac 'Dr John' Rebennack. Following his re-location to London he released Wavelength (1978) and Into The Music (1979) by which time Morrison’s interest in spiritual matters was finding regular expression in his recordings.

The theme of spiritual quest came to prominence in the albums he made in the 1980's: Common One, Beautiful Vision, Inarticulate Speech Of The Heart, A Sense Of Wonder, No Guru No Method No Teacher and Poetic Champions Compose established Morrison’s status as an artist of unrivalled integrity and vision.

The refrain of ULSTER-SCOTS Celt is Van Morrison’s true signature sound, and the 1988 album Irish Heartbeat with The Cheiftains is a traditional example of this. In 1989 came the release of Avalon Sunset, which, at the time was his most commercially successful for those earlier years and concluded what had been a remarkably productive decade for Van Morrison.

As prolific as ever, Van varied his musical approach in the 1990s. Enlightenment (1990) and Hymns To The Silence (1991) continued down the road of spiritual proclaimation while 1993s Too Long In Exile leaned towards the blues, returning Van to the singles chart again with a re-working of Gloria, performed with his buddy and one of his all-time favourite bluesmen, John Lee Hooker.

After the acclaimed Days Like This (1995) came How Long Has This Been Going On (1995), an album of mostly jazz standards featuring his organist Georgie Fame.

Following the release of 1997s Healing Game came The Philosopher’s Stone (1998), an album containing 30 previously unreleased tracks recorded between 1971 and 1988, a mixture of new songs and interpretations of Morrison classics like Wonderful Remark and Bright Side Of The Road. In the same year (1998) Van won a Grammy for his collaboration with his favourite bluesman John Lee Hooker on Don't Look Back, which Morrison also produced.

Back On Top was released in March 1999 and was widely heralded as one of Morrison’s most accomplished and successful albums featured the Top 40 hit single Precious Time.

After a career spanning some four decades, it seemed appropriate that the year 2000 saw Van returning to his earliest musical influence, the one which drove the child from Belfast to get into the music, a musical full-circle, with The Skiffle Sessions - Live In Belfast. Re-uniting with the musical heroes of his youth, Van joined SKIFFLE KING Lonnie Donegan and Jazz trombone virtuoso and Skiffle string bass player, Chris Barber together on stage at Belfast’s Whitla Hall for a GRAND performance, and the energy and enthusiasm of both the performers and crowd was captured in full on this LIVE album, which met with huge critical acclaim.

In 2002, Van Morrison returned with his new album Down The Road. The album featured 13 brand new songs alongside a unique version of Georgia On My Mind and Evening Shadows, an Acker Bilk instrumental to which Van added his own lyrical magic.

In recognition of his unique position as one of the most important songwriters of the past century, Van Morrison was inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame by the late great RAY CHARLES at an awards ceremony in New York City in June 2003.

Later in the same year (2003) he signed a worldwide deal with the legendary Blue Note Records. Morrison’s debut release at the jazz label was What’s Wrong With This Picture? This album draws upon the jazz & blues influences that he has explored consistently throughout his career. What’s Wrong with this Picture? received a Grammy Awards nomination for Van Morrison in the 'Best Contemporary Blues Album' category.

Magic Time, released on Van’s own Exile Music Recordings label in 2005, showcased some of his most powerful songs to date like Stranded, Magic Time, Celtic New Year and Gypsy In My Soul. It was followed by Pay The Devil, a seamless combination of three originals (including the title track) and 12 covers of classic country songs written by such masters as Hank Williams, Webb Pierce, Merle Kilgore, Rodney Crowell, Curly Williams and Leon Payne.

Two originals, Playhouse and This Has Got To Stop, were among five songs reprised on a limited edition DVD filmed at the legendary Ryman Auditorium, Nashville, and packaged with Pay The Devil. This was followed by a two-disc DVD showcase of his performances at the Montreux Jazz Festival in 1974 and 1980. This was acclaimed by one reviewer as 'The chance to see a legend in his prime' and another as 'a truly rewarding experience from one of music’s most distinguished figures.'

Additionally, he was honored, in 2007, for his musical contribution to films. Presented by Al Pacino, this award highlights the depth and breadth of his compositions, as used by some of the most notable directors in the Motion Picture Industry today.

Throughout 2007 the legendary artist had a year that may be unprecedented for any living artist, having released three separate collections of his hits, with the latest, Still On Top entering the UK charts at #2 and selling platinum, proving the ongoing appetite for his unrivalled work.

2008 sees the release of Keep It Simple, Van Morrison’s 35th album. On KEEP IT SIMPLE, MORRISON wears all the “hats” as COMPOSER, ARRANGER, LYRICIST and proves himself once again an astute and accomplished PRODUCER, artfully choosing in this recording to keep all the vocals and instruments on this album in their organic form/ first takes. On Keep It Simple, Morrison honors all those varied influences - Ulster-Scots Celtic, Jazz, Folk, Blues, Country, Soul and Gospel - and an added surprise of a mighty Ukulele -most times melding them all together at once creating his unmistakable signature sound.

Amidst the ever-changing music business and complaints by artists and record companies alike that its ”hard to sell CD’s anymore”—if you have great music from the soul—it is not so hard—once again Van Morrison proves them wrong as he continues to sell large numbers of records every year. In a press release dated 2007 universal music president Doug Morris stated 'Van Morrison is a welcomed addition to Universal ...as his catalog is consistently selling around 500,000 hard copies a year” (this year was 1.8 million ). In 2007 VM signed with Universal Records and released the phenomenal hit record Still On Top- Universal press releases note that their corporations entire 3rd quarter sales figures relied on the powerhouse that is Van Morrison.

Despite Universal’s refusals to promote Still On Top or Keep It Simple records past their first week of release- both records sustained prominent places in the Billboard Top 50—on their own merit and power for quite some time. Van Morrsion is the only artist of note in 2008 so far to have 2 records (Still On Top and Keep It Simple) at the same time at the top of the Billboard charts.

As 2008 draws to a close Van Morrison proved once again to be a true iconoclast as he takes Astral Weeks live to the landmark venue Hollywood Bowl for its first ever cover to cover performance of a lifetime. Morrison is recording this show live for Listen To The Lion Records (his new label) and it will be released as "Astral Weeks Live At The Hollywood Bowl.”











Jane's Addiction, the classic alternative band fronted by Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell, has reunited with its original lineup and will play the event for the first time since its inception. The group is set to embark on a co-headlining tour with Nine Inch Nails, a band that also played on the first Lollapalooza tour and headlined the Chicago fest in 2008. (Nine Inch Nails is playing a separate solo Chicago show this year.)






The Beastie Boys, who were on the Lollapalooza tour in 1994, are preparing for the release of their follow-up to 2007's "The Mix Up" instrumental album. They are among the headliners of the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee in June.

Depeche Mode is prepping the April 21 release of "Sound of the Universe" and heads out on a North American tour on July 24. The Lollapalooza show will be its only Midwest appearance.

Kings of Leon and Jane's Addiction will meet earlier in the season when they both headline the Sasquatch festival at the Gorge in Quincy, Wash., on May 23-25.






Reports suggest the 50-year-old MICHAEL JACKSON could make tens of millions of dollars from the residency-style string of London CONCERTS, helping pay legal bills and debts racked up since the collapse of the abuse trial against him in 2005. Promoters AEG Live have not given details of what will be revealed at a 1600 GMT news conference at the O2, which hosted a comeback gig by legendary rockers Led Zeppelin in 2007, as well as a 21-night residency by Prince in 2007.

Reports have differed about how many concerts Jackson will perform -- a source close to the promoters told AFP last month he was in talks to perform up to 30 London shows this year. London's Evening Standard reported Wednesday that up to 50 concerts could be scheduled at the 20,000-seat O2 Arena in June and July, in a deal with AEG worth more than 100 million pounds (112 million euros, 141 million dollars). But hours before the ANNOUNCEMENT, posters appeared in London Underground stations trumpeting "MICHAEL JACKSON: This is It -- 10 shows, July '09, The O2 Arena," according to the BBC.





If confirmed, the concerts would be a spectacular return for MICHAEL JACKSON, who dominated the pop world with hit albums like "Thriller" and "Bad" in the 1980s but has virtually vanished from public view since his trial. MICHAEL JACKSON is reportedly close to completing his first new album since 2001, and has collaborated with a younger generation of stars like rapper Kanye West. But MICHAEL JACKSON has been dogged by rumours of ill health and bookmakers William Hill are already offering 5-1 odds that, should the London concerts go ahead, he will not turn up on the first night. However, the Daily Mirror tabloid reported Thursday that MICHAEL JACKSON had passed 50 health tests set by insurers to prove he was fit enough to perform.

The 02 Arena is in the giant former Millennium Dome in southeast London. MICHAEL JACKSON last performed in Britain at the 2006 World Music Awards, where he sang a few lines of "We Are The World". MICHAEL JACKSON's last official tour was the 1996-7 History World Tour, although he has played one-off gigs since. The singer became a phenomenally successful star, first with the Jackson Five alongside his brothers and then as a solo artist. MICHAEL JACKSON fame led him to withdraw into a private world at his Neverland ranch in California and he underwent a physical transformation, his skin lightening and his face showing signs of plastic surgery. MICHAEL JACKSON has denied undergoing cosmetic surgery, although it is fairly evident.

MICHAEL JACKSON's career hit trouble in 1993 when a 13-year-old boy made sex abuse allegations against him and prosecutors and police launched an investigation. A year later, MICHAEL JACKSON reached an out-of-court settlement with the boy's family, paying out 23.3 million dollars and the criminal case was dramatically stopped. MICHAEL JACKSON says he now regrets the payment.




TINTED WINDOWS has recorded its debut album at Stratosphere Sound Studios in New York, which Schlesinger and Iha co-own with Ivy's Andy Chase. A spring release is planned, on a label to be announced. In addition, TINTED WINDOWS plan to play SXSW on March 20th.

Monday, February 9, 2009

BLINK 182 TOGETHER - CONCERT DATES TO FOLLOW

Blink 182 are back together, after announcing on Monday that they intended to end their hiatus which began back in 2005. As the band themselves said: “To put it simply, we’re back.”

The pop-punk trio released a direct, matter-of-fact statement through their record company, Interscope, one that acknowledged the many “questions about the current status of the band"--questions that had been persistent since 2005, but became especially pertinent after Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker sustained serious injuries in a plane crash that had killed four others.

But lest there be any doubt, the Poway, CA-based band, known for playing sardonic, bratty brand of punk with a hint of pop sensibility and songcraft, stated that they’re “really back.” In the statement, the band said that they were “picking up where we left off and then some...[we’re] in the studio writing and recording a new album.”






Also announced were preparation for a world tour, and a somewhat cryptic note that hinted that past animosities were exactly that--past. The band asked for fans to “get ready” for “Summer 2009.”

No word yet on exact tour dates, or any album information aside from intended plans.

Related Links

For more on the PLANE CRASH THAT INJURED TRAVIS BARKER

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

FENDER WOLFGANG - "Indestructable" WOLFGANG FENDER

EDDIE VAN HALEN RE-INVENTS GUITAR and creates the FENDER WOLFGANG
After years of wearing down metal frets and having pieces of his guitar rip off or malfunction during shows, Van Halen says he's built a guitar that even he can't destroy. On the FENDER WOLFGANG, frets are fashioned of stainless steel, and metal gadgets are custom-made by a company that specializes in medical tools. Sections of wood are left unpainted so the instrument can breathe and age -- "like a Stradivarius," the 54-year-old musician explains with a degree of pride.

Eddie Van Halen talks about his upcoming WEDDING (EDDIE VAN HALEN AND JANIE LISZEWSKI) and, of course the FENDER WOLFGANG
We recently caught up with Eddie at his 5150 Studio, high in the hills above Los Angeles. It's where the album "1984" was recorded, along with every subsequent Van Halen record. The studio sits on seven acres, just a stone's throw from the Tudor mansion he bought in 1980. He and his fiancee/publicist, Janie Liszewski, scoot around the property in golf carts. The red, white and black-striped motif of his signature Van Halen guitar is painted on the walkway. The following is an edited version of the interview.

CNN: You've been tearing guitars apart and redesigning them all your life, haven't you?

Eddie Van Halen: It kind of started when I went to a Radio Shack-type of store in Pasadena. They had a 12-string guitar hanging there, and I didn't want 12 -- I wanted six. And so I asked the guy, "Could I take six strings off and try it?" And the guy said, "No, not unless you buy it." So I borrowed the money from my parents, bought it, took six strings off and voila -- did what I wanted. The guitar -- it's on the first album cover. It's called Frankenstein.

I'm always tinkering with stuff. And basically, the new Wolfgang is a combination of all the years of tearing things apart, ruining things, creating things and coming up with things that I later found out I could patent.

CNN: How many guitars have you accidentally broken on stage?

Eddie Van Halen: On stage? (He shrugs.) During the last show, I actually tried to break a Wolfgang, and it wouldn't break. I picked it up and I couldn't break the damn thing. I threw it up in the air, and later put it out in the rain. I picked it up half an hour later, and it was still in tune. It pissed me off.

CNN: The Wolfgang sells for about $3,000. Are you worried about introducing a high-end guitar when the economy is taking such a hit?

Eddie Van Halen: I just don't think that way. I'm really not a businessman, so to speak. The only reason I do it is because people are always asking me where they can get what I use.






CNN: Who are some of the musicians who have asked?

Eddie Van Halen: Everybody uses my stuff. They just don't like talking about it.

CNN: I'm told you can hear things that most people can't with the naked ear.

Eddie Van Halen: I have selective hearing. (Laughs)

CNN: I think a lot of men do!

Eddie Van Halen: Obviously, I've lost a little bit, at very high frequencies -- which is kind of like a woman screaming at ya.

CNN: "Ed, did you take the trash out?" "Can you wipe the dishes?" Are you hearing anything?

Eddie Van Halen: What was that? (Laughs) I don't know. I'm blessed with a good pair of ears. That's how I fooled my piano teacher. I'd watch his fingers and I'd listen to it, and I just kind of basically learned it by myself.

I can't read music. Instead, I'd do stuff inside the piano, do harmonics and all kinds of crazy things. They used to put me in these annual piano contests down at Long Beach City College, and two years in a row, I won first prize -- out of like 5,000 kids! The judges were like, "Very interesting interpretation!" I thought I was playing it right.

But everything is open to interpretation. Imagine if Beethoven had a tape recorder. Then you'd know exactly what he meant. Maybe he meant (singing the opening notes to the Fifth Symphony), "Da da da da" instead of "Boom boom boom boom!" Who knows.





CHECK OUT THE DETAILS ON THE FENDER WOLFGANG

CNN: Did you ever take formal guitar lessons?

Eddie Van Halen: No. That's why I do all this crazy stuff. It's not taught.

CNN: Do you think you'd approach music differently if you had taken guitar lessons?

Eddie Van Halen: Probably. But you only have 12 notes. Do what you want with them.

CNN: What kind of music do you listen to when you're at home?

Eddie Van Halen: I don't listen to anything, really. Believe it or not, I'm so slammed with ideas, and the man upstairs overloads me with stuff, so I'm always doing my own thing.

CNN: How was it having Wolfie on the road with you on the last tour? He was 16 when he took over as Van Halen's bass player in 2007.

Eddie Van Halen: It was a dream! That kid is truly amazing. I did name him after the right guy. (Laughs)

CNN: He's still in high school. Did he have a tutor on the road?

Eddie Van Halen: Yeah, he had four hours of school and then a gig at night. He worked three times harder than any of us.

CNN: How was it touring with David Lee Roth after all these years?

Eddie Van Halen: It was great.




The rapper turned actor, whose hit albums include "Year of the Dog ... Again" and "It's Dark and Hell is Hot," has been in legal trouble during the past year in Arizona, where he keeps a home near Phoenix.





In May, he was arrested on drug and animal cruelty charges after sheriff's deputies raided his home. Authorities found dog carcasses and malnourished pit bulls.

He also was charged with assuming someone's identity and giving false information during a trip to the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Arizona, in a suspected attempt to avoid paying the bill.

Simmons had pleaded guilty to the charges to settle three criminal cases against him and agreed not to own animals or possess firearms.

"After several run-ins with the law, Mr. Simmons is finally being held accountable for his actions. We will continue to prosecute aggressively all cases involving cruelty to animals," county attorney Andrew Thomas said in a statement.

Simmons' attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.