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2009-07-07T05:19:00.000-07:00

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Red Hot Chili Peppers : Stadium Arcadium

2007-12-15T16:18:00.000-08:00

In 2006 the band released the Grammy Award-winning Stadium Arcadium, produced by Rick Rubin. Although 38 songs were created with the intention of being released as three separate albums spaced six months apart, the band instead chose to release a 28-track double album, with the remaining ten tracks released later as B-sides. It was their first album to debut at #1 on the US charts, where it stayed for two weeks, and debuted at number one in the UK and 25 other countries. In the album's first week, it sold 442,000 units in the United States alone, and over 1,100,000 worldwide, setting a personal record for one week sales. By the end of 2006, Stadium Arcadium was named the best-selling album of the year, with over seven million units sold, and also recorded the highest one week in total sales of the year.
The record's first single "Dani California", was the band's fastest-selling single, debuting on top of the Modern Rock chart in the US, peaking at #6 on the Billboard Hot 100, and reaching #2 in the UK. "Tell Me Baby", released next, also topped the charts in 2006. "Snow ((Hey Oh))" was released in late 2006, breaking multiple records by 2007. The song became their eleventh number one single, giving the band a cumulative total of 81 weeks at number one (all singles combined). It was also the first time three consecutive singles by the band made it to number one. "Desecration Smile" was released internationally in February 2007 and has reached number 27 on the UK charts. "Hump de Bump" was planned to be the next single for the US, Canada, and Australia only, but thanks to positive feedback from the music video, it was released as a worldwide single in May 2007.
The band began another international world tour in support of Stadium Arcadium in 2006, beginning with promotional concerts in Europe and culminating in a two-month long European tour from late May to mid-July. The group then toured North America from early August to early November, returning to Europe later in November for a second leg that ran until mid-December. The Chili Peppers began the year of 2007 with a second North American leg, this time including Mexico in addition to the United States, from mid-January to mid-March. This was followed by the band's first shows in Oceania in seven years, including various cities in Australia and New Zealand, from early-to-mid April and two months later, and concerts in Japan in early June. The Chili Peppers recently finished touring Europe for another leg from late June to late August. They appeared at the Live Earth concert at London's Wembley Stadium on July 7, 2007. Throughout the course of their tour, the band appeared at several festivals, including the Oxygen Festival, Ireland in July 2006, Lollapalooza in August 2006 in Grant Park, Chicago, and a subsequent set at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Indio, California in late April 2007.
In February, 2007, the Chili Peppers won 5 Grammys: Best Rock Album (Stadium Arcadium), Best Rock Song ("Dani California"), Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal ("Dani California"), Best Boxed Or Special Limited Edition Package (Stadium Arcadium), Best Producer (Rick Rubin), and Best Short Form Music Video ("Dani California"). The ceremony included a live performance of "Snow ((Hey Oh))", their single at the time, complete with confetti snow.
On November 19, 2007, the Red Hot Chili Peppers sued Showtime Networks over the title of their TV series Californication, the name of the Chili Peppers' most successful album and a single on that album. The lawsuit declares unfair competition and dilution of the value of the name, claiming the title is inheritly distinctive, famous, and immediately associated in the mind of the consumer. The suit names the show's creator and executive producer, Tom Kapinos, who claimed to have first heard the term "Californication" in reference to Oregon via bumper stickers in the 1970s.

Dream Theater : Systematic Chaos

2007-12-15T16:10:00.000-08:00

Dream Theater is an American progressive metal band comprising James LaBrie, John Petrucci, Jordan Rudess, John Myung, and Mike Portnoy.
Dream Theater was formed in 1985 under the name "Majesty" by Petrucci, Myung, and Portnoy while they attended the Berklee College of Music in Boston, before they dropped out to support the band. Though a number of lineup changes followed, the three original members remain today along with LaBrie and Rudess. Dream Theater has become one of the most commercially successful progressive rock bands since the height of the genre in the mid-1970s, despite being relatively unknown in mainstream rock circles. Although the band has had a few successful hits (notably 'Pull Me Under' in the early 1990s, which received extensive MTV rotation), they have mostly stayed underground for their career, feeding off support from their fans.
The band is well known for the technical proficiency of its instrumentalists, who have won many awards from music instruction magazines. Dream Theater's members have collaborated with many other notable musicians. Guitarist John Petrucci was named as the third player on the G3 tour six times, more than any other invited guitarist, following in the footsteps of Eric Johnson, Robert Fripp, and Yngwie Malmsteen.
The band's two highest selling albums are the gold selling Images and Words (1992), although it reached only #61 on the Billboard 200 charts,[1] and Awake (1994) which reached #32 on the Billboard 200. Recently Systematic Chaos entered US Billboard 200 at #19. Dream Theater has sold over two million albums in the U.S., and over 8 million albums and DVDs worldwide.
The band is currently promoting their latest effort, Systematic Chaos with a world tour, which began on June 3, 2007 in Milan, Italy.

2007: Systematic Chaos

Dream Theater's latest album Systematic Chaos was released on June 5, 2007. The record marked their first with new label Roadrunner Records, a subsidiary of Atlantic Records. Roadrunner implemented increased promotion for the album, and as a result, Systematic Chaos reached number 19 on the Billboard 200, marking the highest initial charting album in Dream Theater's career. It also saw the release of a video for "Constant Motion" on July 14, the band's first music video since the mid-1990s. An authorized book entitled Lifting Shadows, detailing their first twenty years, is also set for release before the end of 2007. Systematic Chaos contains eight tracks, but technically only seven songs. The album contains an epic titled "In the Presence of Enemies", bookending the album as tracks 1 and 8, Portnoy's continuing AA Saga with the song "Repentance", and a song of political nature, "Prophets of War".
The 2007/2008 Chaos In Motion World Tour started off in Italy. Dream Theater played in the Gods of Metal concert on June 3, 2007. Dream Theater also appeared at the Fields Of Rock Festival in the Netherlands on June 17, 2007. They also played at various other European festivals including the UK's Download Festival and the French festival Hellfest Summer Open Air with other bands such as Megadeth, Korn, Mastodon and Slayer.
Dream Theater returned to perform the North American leg of the tour on July 24 in San Diego, California and wrapped up on August 26 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. They played with opening acts Redemption and Into Eternity. Dream Theater will continue their "Chaos In Motion" tour for the rest of the year and into 2008, and further shows in Europe, Asia, South America and, for the first time, Australia have been announced. The band has also mentioned a return to North America for live shows in the Spring of 2008, in which Opeth, 3 (Three), and Between the Buried and Me will be opening for them.

Christina Aguilera : Back to Basics

2007-12-15T16:00:00.000-08:00

In March 2006, Aguilera signed a contract with European cell phone operator Orange to promote the new Sony Ericsson Walkman phone. She was featured in a Pepsi commercial alongside Lebanese singer Elissa, as well as Korean pop singer Rain in May. The spot aired during the 2006 World Cup.
She posed nude for a Marilyn Monroe-inspired photoshoot in the May 2006 issue of GQ magazine. In the issue she expressed disappointment in fellow singer Mariah Carey, saying, "She was never cool to me... to the point that one time we were at a party, and I think she got really drunk, and she had just really derogatory things to say to me." In response, Carey issued a press release saying, "It is sad yet predictable that she would use my name at this time to reinvent past incidents for her promotional gain." Aguilera then released her own statement claiming, "My intentions were not to upset Mariah with any statements that were published or taken out of context. I have all the respect in the world for her."
Audio samples:
"Ain't No Other Man" (2006)
The lead single from her album Back to Basics.
"Hurt" (2006)
The second single from her album Back to Basics.
"Candyman" (2007)
The third single from her album Back to Basics.
Problems playing the files? See media help.
Aguilera's third English studio album, Back to Basics, released August 15, 2006, went to #1 in thirteen countries. The critically-acclaimed lead single "Ain't No Other Man" was a substantial success, reaching #2 on the United World Chart, #6 in the U.S., and the top 5 in Europe. Aguilera described the double CD as "a throwback to the 20s, 30s, and 40s-style jazz, blues, and feel-good soul music, but with a modern twist." Producers on the album included DJ Premier, Kwamé, Linda Perry, and Mark Ronson. One track, "F.U.S.S.", was written as a response to the animosity between Aguilera and Scott Storch during the recording of Stripped. In the interview with Maxim, she said, "That’s a way of burying my experience with him. We did great work on Stripped... When I tried to work with him again, he made uncalled-for demands. It was disappointing that someone would get affected like that." She received writing credit for every track and was the executive producer for the album, which debuted at number one in the U.S. and the U.K. The follow-up singles did very well in different regions, "Hurt" in Europe and "Candyman" in the Pacific. She co-directed both music videos, the former with Floria Sigismondi who directed her "Fighter" video, and the latter, "Candyman", with director/photographer Matthew Rolston which was inspired by The Andrews Sisters. The Back To Basics album has sold 4.2 million copies around the world as of 2007.

In late 2006 Aguilera collaborated with Sean "Diddy" Combs on a track, titled "Tell Me", from his album "Press Play". The single reached the top 10 in the UK and peaked at #47 in the U.S.
The "Back to Basics Tour" began late 2006 in Europe followed by a 41-date North American tour in early 2007. After this, she toured Asia and Australia, where it was supposed to end on August 3 in Auckland. She however canceled her last two dates in Melbourne and her final two in Auckland due to an illness. Her extravagent arena tour included cabaret, three-ring circus and juke joint sets with her 10 piece costumes designed by Roberto Cavalli. It was the most successful US tour by a female in 2007.
At the 49th Grammy Awards, Aguilera again won the Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for "Ain't No Other Man". She made a noteworthy performance at the ceremony paying tribute to James Brown with her rendition of his song "It's a Man's Man's Man's World". In January 2007, she was named the 19th richest woman in entertainment by Forbes, with a net worth of US$60 million.
Aguilera performed Steppin' Out With My Baby with Tony Bennett on the 59th Primetime Emmy Awards. That same evening, Bennett won 2 Emmys for Tony Bennett: An American Classic, which Aguilera was a part of. In addition, the Saturday Night Live episode in which Aguilera was the musical guest won an Emmy. "Steppin' Out" is nominated for Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards, along with a Best Female Pop Vocal Performance nomination for her third single "Candyman".

Personal life

In 2000, Aguilera was rumored to have dated MTV VJ Carson Daly. The relationship was the subject of much discussion after the release of Eminem's song "The Real Slim Shady", in which Eminem satirically suggests that Aguilera had performed fellatio on both Daly and Fred Durst, the lead singer of Limp Bizkit, and had given the rapper himself a venereal disease. Aguilera called the song's innuendo "disgusting" and "untrue." Aguilera and Eminem reportedly resolved the issue three years later backstage at the MTV Video Music Awards.
She dated Puerto Rican-born dancer Jorge Santos, he appeared on her tour and music videos throughout 2000. They dated for nearly two years until the relationship ended in September 2001. He remained her dancer well into 2002.
In early 2002, Aguilera began dating music marketing executive Jordan Bratman. Their engagement was announced in February 2005, and they married on November 19, 2005, in the Napa Valley. The couple celebrated their one year anniversary in Dublin, Ireland where she was on tour at the time. E! News reported that they are expecting their first child together. Producer Dallas Austin alleged in a video interview with SOHO Magazine that Aguilera had sex with him and several of his friends. He also alleged details about Bratman, who Dallas referred to as his old best friend. Several days following the incident, Dallas issued an apology stating, "My statement about Christina Aguilera was a reaction to an incident I care not to discuss in any forum - I do owe an apology to Christina." Aguilera's rep responded with, "She's not commenting on such ridiculous statements, and we are consulting a lawyer to explore her options."
On September 9, 2007, Paris Hilton confirmed that the singer is currently pregnant, saying, "Congratulations to the most beautiful pregnant woman in the world." Aguilera, however, had not yet publicly confirmed her pregnancy at the time. On November 4, 2007, Aguilera confirmed her pregnancy in an interview with "Glamour" magazine by saying "That'll be about the time I enter into mommyhood, so... I'm hoping to have started a beautiful family with my husband!." She said about her husband's feeling on the pregnancy, "Oh, he's thrilled! He's just great." She also appeared on the January 2008 cover of "Marie Claire" magazine pregnant and nude with only a crop jacket

MUSE : Black Holes and Revelations

2007-12-15T15:41:00.000-08:00

Black Holes and Revelations is the fourth studio album by English rock band Muse, released on July 3, 2006. The album sold 115,144 copies in its first week in the UK,[1] which is more than the first week sales of Muse's previous album, Absolution. Black Holes and Revelations is a BPI double platinum album.[2]
The album has political and sci-fi undertones.[3][4] Matthew Bellamy, the band's frontman, cites influences including Queen, Millionaire, Sly and the Family Stone, Depeche Mode, U2 and classical music from southern Italy.

Musical style

Black Holes and Revelations marks a significant departure from the styles of previous albums, and features a wide variety of alternative musical themes. The album is primarily alternative hard rock, and the first track, "Take a Bow", uses a similar intense, dramatic rock sound to the previous album, Absolution. Later tracks, especially "Starlight", described by one reviewer as "an ABBA gig on the moon",[6] follow a more mainstream album-oriented rock sound[7] which contrasts strongly with the funk rock, post-disco style of first single "Supermassive Black Hole".[5] Other tracks follow the intense style of earlier Muse albums, but the final track, "Knights of Cydonia", described by one reviewer as a "spaced-out intergalactic epic",[8] combines elements of surf rock [6][9] and the progressive rock that are more reminiscent of earlier Muse albums, to create a song which Bellamy describes as "pushing the epic side of the band to almost comical levels".[10]

Lyrical content

Black Holes and Revelations has a strong political[11] theme that follows the earlier albums and marks a new direction for the band. It often describes the more controversial elements of this topic, including "unjustifiable war, abusive power, conspiratorial manipulation and populist revolt",[10] and is strongly influenced by the conspiracy theories that are popular amongst the band.[12] Matt Bellamy stated that he finds "the unknown in general a stimulating area for the imagination",[10] and this interest is reflected throughout the album, which features alien invasion (in "Exo-Politics")[11] and rebellious paranoia (particularly during "Assassin").[13] The album also includes more emotional themes, including regret, ambition[13] and love,[9] again reflecting the romantic style of earlier albums.
The title "Black Holes and Revelations", taken from lyrics in "Starlight", is explained by Matthew Bellamy in his September 2006 interview for Q Magazine: "Black holes and revelations -- they're the two areas of songwriting for me that make up the majority of this album. A revelation about yourself, something personal, something genuine of an everyday nature that maybe people can relate to. Then the black holes are these songs that are from the more... unknown regions of the imagination."

Track listing

All songs written by Matthew Bellamy, Dominic Howard and Chris Wolstenholme unless otherwise noted.
1. "Take a Bow" – 4:39
2. "Starlight" – 4:00
3. "Supermassive Black Hole" – 3:29
4. "Map of the Problematique" – 4:19
5. "Soldier’s Poem" – 2:10
6. "Invincible" – 4:54
7. "Assassin" – 3:29
8. "Exo-Politics" – 3:53
9. "City of Delusion" – 4:48
10."Hoodoo" (Bellamy/Wolstenholme) – 3:42
11."Knights of Cydonia" – 6:03
12."Glorious" (bonus track) – 4:38
Originally released only on the Japanese version and the iTunes Store pre-order version, the song was later added to a second release of the album on iTunes. It is listed as "Album Only" with a digital booklet, unique for the second release as well. The song was also released in the UK as the B-side to the 7" version of the Invincible single.

Avril Lavigne: The Best Damn Thing

2007-12-15T15:34:00.000-08:00

The Best Damn Thing is the third album by Canadian punk-pop singer-songwriter Avril Lavigne. The album was released in North America and part of Europe on April 17, 2007, and in Australia and in the United Kingdom on April 16. It made its radio debut on Ottawa radio station HOT 89.9 at 6:00 pm on April 14.
The album's first single was the number-one hit "Girlfriend", the second single is "When You're Gone", and the third single is "Hot". It also includes "Keep Holding On", a single from the soundtrack of the film Eragon. The album was certified Platinum in the United States. It is certified double Platinum worldwide according to the United World Chart.As of November, 2007 the album has sold 1,311,386 million copies in the U.S and over 4.8 million worldwide.The album sold 289,000 copies in the U.S in it's first week & 770,000+ worldwide.

Album information

Lavigne described the record as "fast, fun, young, bratty, aggressive, confident, cocky in a playful way...all the good stuff." It is produced by Dr. Luke, Lavigne's husband Deryck Whibley, Butch Walker and Lavigne herself. Travis Barker (Box Car Racer, blink-182, +44, Transplants, Expensive Taste, Aquabats) has also recorded drums for the album.
The standard version of the album, released on April 14, has all the profanities censored. This applies to the songs: "Girlfriend", "I Can Do Better", "Everything Back but You" and "I Don't Have to Try". In "I Can Do Better", all uses of the word shit are replaced with a shhh sound, but the line "You're so full of shit" is changed to "You're so full of it", and in "Everything Back but You" the words bitch and slut (in the chorus line "...bitch, slut, psycho babe, I hate you...") are replaced with hey, similar to those in "Girlfriend". Also, the lyric "Get ready, motherfucker" is replaced with double "get ready" in "I Don't Have to Try". The term motherfucking is used in the track "Girlfriend". The word "bitch" is unedited on the song "Runaway". Only the CD/DVD version contains the unedited, explicit versions. This version of the album bears the Parental Advisory label because of the instances of profanity. It was Lavigne's first album in the U.S. to bear the label; in some markets the label was used on her second album, Under My Skin (2004). Because of this, and because the album title contains the word damn, some children's radio stations (e.g. Radio Disney) that previously played Lavigne's music are not playing her new singles.
In an interview on Much Music, Lavigne stated that, after numerous photoshoots, she could not choose a suitable image for the album's cover. Lavigne's husband, Deryck Whibley, took the photo which appears on the cover on the side of the road in a suburb of Los Angeles, which was taken in a "spur of the moment" decision by the couple.

Singles and other tracks

Before the release of "Girlfriend", "Keep Holding On" was released as a single from the Eragon soundtrack in North America, charting at number seventeen on the Billboard Hot 100.
"Girlfriend" made its debut on the Billboard Hot 100 chart at number five in March 2007. This is Lavigne's highest debut on that chart. On April 1, 2007, "Girlfriend" peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart on downloads alone, rising twenty-one places from the previous week. This is her highest chart position in the UK so far, ahead of her first single, "Complicated", which reached a peak of number three. On May 5, "Girlfriend" reached number-one on the Billboard Hot 100, the same week that The Best Damn Thing debuted at number-one on the Billboard 200. This is Lavigne's first number-one single in the United States; her previous peak was with "Complicated", which peaked at number two in 2002.
On March 8, 2007, Lavigne announced on Kiss FM that "When You're Gone" would be the second single released from The Best Damn Thing. The single debuted at number ninety on the Billboard Hot 100.
The song "Hot" has been reported to be the third single from the album, and Avril Lavigne has shot the video clip for the single already. "Hot" has a planned release of October 10 in Japan. The Japanese physical single will feature "Girlfriend" (The Submarines' Time Warp '66 mix) and an acoustic version of "When You're Gone" as its B-sides..Another expected B-Side for the single is a song called "It's All Because of You" but Lavigne or any of her management hasn't announced this yet. The track "Innocence" is played on satellite radio in the U.S and is now played on various radio stations in Canada. Fans presume it is a "radio-only" single.
Songs that were not released as singles appeared on some Billboard charts. The title track "The Best Damn Thing" debuted at number seven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and at number ninety-one on the Pop 100; "Runaway" debuted at number eleven on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and at number ninety-four on the Pop 100; and "Innocence" debuted at number sixteen on the Bubbling Under Hot 100. In a similar fashion, some album tracks debuted inside the top 200 on the UK Singles Chart: "Keep Holding On" debuted at number 175, "When You're Gone" at number 117 and "Innocence" at number 190.
Innocence has been released as a radio single in Italy, replacing Hot.
There is speculation about the fourth single between 3 songs: Runaway (which is a fan favorite and is used in various places), Everything Back But You (which was released as a clip before the CD was released), I Can Do Better (which is performed at live performances in many places, and on MuchMusic in Canada, there is an episode of "Born To Be" which features Avril working on a dance for "I Can Do Better)

Linkin Park Reemergence: Minutes to Midnight

2007-12-15T15:12:00.000-08:00

Minutes to Midnight is Linkin Park's third studio album that was released, depending on location, between May 9, 2007 and May 18, 2007. It has been certified 2x Platinum worldwide for sales of over 5.3 million copies, and has also been certified 2x Platinum just in the United States as well. It is also their first album with a parental advisory label.
The album debuted at #1 in the United States and in 15 other countries, including the UK and Canada, around the world. In the U.S. the album had the biggest first week sales of 2007 with 625,000 albums sold, but it was later surpassed by Kanye West's album Graduation. The album was certified Platinum (One million albums sold) in the U.S. and shipped over 3.3 million albums worldwide in its first four weeks of release.
There are two versions of the album cover. Both feature all six members of the band in black clothing. On the slipcase, the band members are looking away from the camera and on some of the standard jewel case covers, most of the band members are looking at the camera. The order of the band (from left to right) is as follows: Chester Bennington, Phoenix, Joe Hahn, Brad Delson, Rob Bourdon, and Mike Shinoda.
The lead single from the album, "What I've Done", was digitally released on April 3 in the UK and April 2 in the U.S. The CD single was released on April 30.

Sound

Overall Minutes to Midnight is Linkin Park's softest studio album, focusing more in layers and textures of the music, thus creating a more melodic, approachable sound. In an interview with Chester Bennington it is explained that the new album is a mix of punk, classic rock, and hip-hop beats. "Rick has brought more of a stripped down, classic-rock and hip-hop kind of feel."
In another interview with Chester, he stated "This time around, Mike Shinoda is singing a lot more. It may seem like he's not on the record, but he's doing a lot of the harmonies. He also sings a couple of songs alone. We're presenting ourselves in a different way."
"We were looking back at the things that we had done in the past… and I think we just figured that we had exhausted that sound. It was easy for us to replicate, it was easy for other bands to replicate, and we just needed to move on," said Mike Shinoda.
This is their first album where Mike Shinoda sings lead vocals for a full length track ("In Between"), rather than rapping. It is also the first to contain guitar solos (particularly on "Shadow Of The Day", "In Pieces" and "The Little Things Give You Away"). Unlike the two previous studio albums, Minutes to Midnight contains profanity and politically-charged lyrics.
Mike Shinoda performs his rapping vocals on only two tracks, "Bleed It Out" and "Hands Held High". This is a significant decrease compared to previous albums. The rap vocals on the album are much closer styled to Mike Shinoda's side project Fort Minor than his traditional Linkin Park verses. Despite a decrease of Mike Shinoda as rapper, he has two solo lead songs on the record. He raps on "Hands Held High", which features background vocals from the entire band (the "men's choir" singing "Amen" is actually each member of the band). He also sings solo on the bonus track "No Roads Left" in a much more aggressive rock style than on "In Between" with no backing vocals from Bennington. Bennington and Shinoda play guitar on "No Roads Left", the iTunes exclusive bonus track.
All scratching elements by Mr. Hahn that existed in the previous two studio albums are largely absent, except on the songs "What I've Done", "Valentine's Day", "In Pieces", "In Between" and "The Little Things Give You Away". Hahn contributes more with programming, electronica, and other elements to many of the songs.
Guitarist Brad Delson experimented with an E-Bow when the band was piecing together "The Little Things Give You Away". The band decided not to use the effect for the solo in that song and instead ended up creating "No More Sorrow" out of the effect (Brad shakes his finger on the strings of his guitar creating the long reverb effect similar to the sound of an E-Bow). In "Given Up" you can hear him jingling his keys while Mike Shinoda claps

Paris (Paris Hilton album)

2007-12-15T14:51:00.000-08:00

Paris is reality TV star Paris Hilton's debut album, released on her own label, Heiress Records, in association with Warner Bros. Records. The album was released in the U.S. on August 22, 2006. The entire album was posted on AOL Music on August 13, 2006, causing the album to be leaked on the internet before the release date.

History

Hilton first announced plans to record an album in 2003. In 2004, she met with producer Rob Boldt and began recording demo tracks. While collaborating with Boldt, Hilton came across the song "Screwed". Hilton recorded a demo for the song and began talking about it in many interviews, saying it would be the first single from the album. That same summer, Haylie Duff said in an interview that "Screwed" was actually going to be recorded by her and would be the first single from her album. The two girls began a legal battle for the song.[1] Not long afterwards, Duff was dropped by her record label which allowed Paris to claim the song as hers.
In 2005, Hilton was signed to Warner Bros. Records for distribution of her album. At that time, Hilton began working with Rob Cavallo, who had produced tracks for Green Day, Jewel, and Alanis Morissette. Initially, the album was planned to have a pop/rock sound. However, Hilton decided to move towards a pop/hip-hop sound after meeting with Scott Storch in Miami. After months of collaboration with Storch, the album was finally complete and ready for release.
Producers for Paris included Greg Wells, Kara DioGuardi, Jane Wiedlin and Scott Storch. Hilton collaborated with Fat Joe and Jadakiss on the song "Fighting Over Me." The first single from Paris, "Stars Are Blind," produced by Fernando Garibay, was released for download on June 20, 2006 and peaked at number eighteen on the Billboard Hot 100; "Turn It Up" and "Nothing in This World" followed as worldwide singles. All Music Guide commented that the album was "more fun than anything released by Britney Spears or Jessica Simpson, and a lot fresher, too." On the whole, critical reception was mixed.

UK CD vandalism

In August of 2006, British graffiti artist Banksy and hip-hop producer Danger Mouse replaced 500 copies of Paris Hilton's album in British music stores with altered album artwork of Paris Hilton topless with a dog head and a 40 minute instrumental song containing various statements she had made

Tracklisting

1."Turn It Up" (Scott Storch, Penelope Magnet, Jeff Bowden, Paris Hilton)
2. "Fightin' over Me" (featuring Fat Joe & Jadakiss)

3. "Stars Are Blind" (Fernando Garibay, Sheppard Solomon, Ralph McCarthy)

4. "I Want You" (J. R. Rotem, DioGuardi, Bogart, Gibb)
5. "Jealousy" (Storch, DioGuardi, Hilton)

6. "Heartbeat" (Storch, Billy Steinberg, Josh Alexander)
7. "Nothing in This World" (Lukasz "Dr. Luke" Gottwald, Solomon)
8. "Screwed" (DioGuardi, Wells)
9. "Not Leaving without You" (Kara DioGuardi, Wells, Hilton)
10."Turn You On" (Storch, Hilton, Jackson, Jackson, Triggs)
11."Do Ya Think I'm Sexy?" (Stewart, Appice, Hitchings)

Britney Spears' New Album, Blackout: A Track-By-Track Report

2007-12-15T14:31:00.000-08:00

There's hardly been a media Blackout for Britney Spears' next album, especially after many of the songs purportedly recorded for it leaked onto the Internet. Just two days ago, Britney's label, Jive, announced it was moving up the release date by two weeks, from November 13 to October 30, due to those leaks.
But as it turns out, few of those tracks are on Blackout — most of the leaked songs may have been demos — and the album contains some of Spears' strongest material from these sessions.
"This is Britney's fifth studio record, and it shows a lot of growth as a performer," said the singer's A&R rep, Teresa LaBarbera Whites. "She was very involved in the songs and how they turned out. It's her magic that turns these songs into what they are."

Not to mention studio magic. "Piece of Me," Spears' mission statement of sorts, finds the singer so vocoder-ized that it's hard to tell where the real Britney begins and ends — which is part of the point. "I'm Mrs. 'Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,' I'm Mrs. 'Oh my God, that Britney's shameless," she "sings" while dissecting some of her own media coverage. She sings "you want a piece of me?" with moans and sighs, as if she's offering herself up on a platter, but then she tweaks the idea with a wink, suggesting she's "bad media karma" and that we're all going to suffer in the end. "Now are you sure you want a piece of me?"
"Radar" — produced, like "Piece of Me," by Bloodshy & Avant (the Swedish duo did "Freakshow" and "Toy Soldier" as well) — also tries for an electro/Eurodisco approach, but keeps Spears' vocals more in the foreground. Instead of emulating a video game, she's accompanied sparingly by sonar pulses and distorted synths to keep the sound dangerous, because she's on the prowl. "I got my eye on you," she speaks at one point. "I can't let you get away."
The uptempo "Break the Ice" might have been a stronger album leadoff track than "Gimme More" (see "Britney Spears Fans [And Haters] Weigh In On 'Gimme More' Video"), since she re-introduces herself at the top and apologizes for being gone for so long. "It's about two people, a girl and a guy," Keri Hilson, one of the song's writers, said, "and the girl is saying, 'You're a little cold. Let me warm things up and break the ice.' " Here, Spears' breathy vocals are layered, so that she's singing, "Hot hot hot — ahh," on top of the chorus, and stopping the song à la Janet Jackson to say, "I like this part. It feels kind of good."
The Giorgio Moroder-inspired "Heaven on Earth" is far more layered — which is a good thing, considering her vocals are especially airy here. Three different vocal lines take place over the throbbing beat, in a way similar to Moroder's signature song, Donna Summer's disco classic "I Feel Love." Reciting what she wants as a come-on in one line ("Your love, your teeth, your tongue"), she tells her lover sleepily to "lay your head on my chest and drift away," while simultaneously singing in a more bouncy style in a third lyric: "You've taken me so far away, one look and you stop time." It's one of the more complex tracks she's attempted, with whispers sneaking in and out of other lyrics so that two or three songs could be happening at once.
By comparison, "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)" is far more simple. Produced by Danjahandz (who also did "Gimme More"), it's simply meant to be an uptempo dance track. "My body is calling for you bad, boy," she sings amid squiggly synth lines as a separate male vocal line makes the song sound tipsy. "I just want to take it off," she sings in response. "She wanna dance, she wanna dance, she wanna dance," Danja said of that track. "That's all she want to say. She just wanted high-energy music, and that's what we did."
"No disrespect to Danja, but 'Gimme More' is definitely not the best joint," said Sean Garrett, who co-produced and sang on "Toy Soldier." "They just warming up. I got the 'Whoop!' It's starting this artillery style of heat. It's going to be hot."
Garrett said that while most of the album "is definitely dance," a lot of the songs are also talking about Spears' life, "how she feels, how she sees things. It's hard to stay in the pop world that long," he said. "Obviously, she has something special. She's just down-to-earth. She's her. She's not trying to be nobody else but her. And she makes mistakes — we all make mistakes — but you gotta love her. She'll have the world dancing for her, if you give her an opportunity to show what she's made of."
And according to the bouncy "Hot as Ice" (known as "Cold as Fire" to those who heard the leaked version), Britney is made of fire and ice. "I'm just a girl with the ability to drive a man crazy," she sings in a higher register, as if she's trying to sound like a little girl. "Make him call me 'mama,' make him my new baby." T-Pain, who arranged the song and provided background vocals, said Spears was ultra-professional when they recorded the track, even though she was in the midst of her purported "breakdown."
"I thought she was going to be sitting on the couch eating Doritos or nachos or something," he said, "but she came in, shook my hand, gave me a hug and went right in the booth. She got in there and put it down" (see "T-Pain Talks About Recording With Britney Spears: 'She Was About Her Business' ").
Likewise, Hilson said she was amazed at Spears' work ethic — considering she was very pregnant when they did "Break the Ice" and "Perfect Lover," which is just about what it sounds like. "It's just, 'I would be the perfect lover for you,' " Hilson explained.
"When we were arranging the vocals in the studio at her house," she added, "she was about eight months pregnant, and she was standing up in the vocal booth, just banging it out. Three weeks later, she had the baby."
Despite everything going on in her life during the making of Blackout, all of Britney's co-workers said she put the music first. That was a huge accomplishment in itself, said Pharrell Williams, who produced her closing track, "Why Should I Be Sad."
"She's going through a lot that people don't recognize," Pharrell said. "You got to understand, she was a child star and she's held on way longer than most people can. You got to understand the pressure. Her record is cool, but you got to give her a second to get things back together. You're seeing a reality show that no one's producing, that no one's directing, and that's a problem."
The album, though, had plenty of producers adding to the mix in many different ways. "There's plenty in there for people to love," Danja said. "Take your pick. If you're a fan of Britney, you're going to love it."
Blackout's track list, according to Jive Records:
1. "Gimme More"

2. "Piece of Me"

3. "Radar"

4. "Break the Ice"

5. "Heaven on Earth"

6. "Get Naked (I Got a Plan)"

7. "Freakshow"

8. "Toy Soldier"

9. "Hot as Ice"

10. "Ooh Ooh Baby"

11. "Perfect Lover"

12. "Why Should I Be Sad"

Tahun Depan, Maia Estianty Rilis Album Baru

2007-12-14T15:06:00.000-08:00

Tampaknya, Maia Estianty, tidak bisa berlama-lama meninggalkan dunia nyanyi yang melambungkan namanya.Buktinya, meskipun prahara rumah tangganya dengan sang suami, Ahmad Dhani, belum juga mereda, perempuan kelahiran Surabaya, 22 Januari 1977 ini berencana merilis album musik teranyarnya. Yang menarik, dalam album tersebut, Maia tidak akan mengibarkan nama Ratu lagi.Hal itu diungkapkan Sheila Salomo, kuasa hukum Maia Estianty. "Di album baru Maia, dia tidak berniat pakai nama Ratu. Yang akan dipakai nama Maia sendiri. Jadi tidak usah dilarang pun, Maia memang tidak ingin menggunakan nama Ratu lagi. Sebenarnya, Maia sudah mendaftarkan nama Ratu di Ditjen HAKI (Direktorat Jenderal Hak Kekayaan Intelektual-red) terlebih dahulu, sebelum mediasi antara Maia dan Dhani terjadi. Tapi, Dhani mengklaim Ratu miliknya," bebernya.Senada dengan Sheila Salomo, Jan Djuhana, divisi Arts & Repertoir Sony BMG Indonesia, label rekaman dimana Maia dan Ratu bernaung, mengatakan, Maia memang sedang merilis album baru. Pada album tersebut, Maia akan tetap berduet tapi tidak akan menggunakan nama Ratu. "Album lagi proses mudah-mudahan, awal tahun depan sudah rilis. Tapi memang perlu waktu," tuturnya. "Udah ada beberapa kandidat. Tapi tunggulah saja nanti," imbuhnya soal duet Maia. (har/indoseleb).

PADI - "Tak Hanya Diam"

2007-12-14T15:02:00.000-08:00

Setelah sekian lama vakum, grup band Padi siap menghangatkan peta persaingan industri musik Indonesia.Dalam album teranyarnya yang bertajuk "Tak Hanya Diam", band yang diawaki Piyu (gitar), Ari (gitar), Fadly (vokal), Rindra (bass), dan Yoyo (drum), menjagokan hit single "Sang Penghibur". Tembang tersebut menceritakan tentang perjalanan hidup seorang anak jalanan dengan segala kompleksitas dan risiko yang dihadapi.
Track List :

01. Sang Penghibur

02. Harmony

03. Belum Terlambat

04. Rencana Besar

05. Terluka

06. Jika Engkau Bersedih

07. Teruslah Bernyanyi

08. Ode

09. Jangan Datang Malam Ini

10. Aku Bisa Menjadi Kekasih

Kangen Band: Antara Realitas Musik dan Idealisme Bermusik

2007-12-14T14:17:00.000-08:00

Fenomena “melecehkan dan mencela” band kembali muncul di atmosphere musik Indonesia. Sebenarnya fenomena ini sudah lama terjadi di atmosphere musik Indonesia, namun bedanya kalau dulu masih malu-malu krn ‘budaya timur yang menjunjung nilai sopan santu’ dan masih bersifat bawah tanah, kini mulai diangkat ke permukaan. Bahkan ada yg niat membuat lagu yang dikhususkan untuk ‘mencela’ beberapa band tanah air, satu diantaranya adalah Kangen Band.

Menurut saya ada beberapa hal yang membuat fenomena ‘melecehkan dan mencaci’ ini berkembang. Pertama adalah chauvinism sempit; bermaksud menyontoh yang terjadi di America, antara West Coast dan East Cost. Konflik yang timbul krn unsur daerah, region dan wilayah. Kedua adalah perbedaan genre musik; beberapa musisi ‘cinta buta’ dgn genre musiknya dan kemudian sampai ‘mencela’ genre musik yang lain. Bahkan hal tsb bisa terjadi dalam satu jenis genre musik, yang berbeda sub-genre ataupun mungkin dlm kualitas musik. Seperti hal-nya Punk Mellodic dan Punk Street, Punk Rock N Roll. Contoh yang aktual adl Kangen Band, yg mendapat ‘celaan’ bukan hanya dari musisi lain genre tapi juga satu genre yaitu Pop.
Ketiga adalah masalah idealisme dalam bermusik. Sebagian musisi berada pada jalur yang sangat idealis bahkan terlihat dipaksakan sampai kehilangan esensi dari seni itu sendiri: kebebasan untuk berekspresi dan berkarya. Dan beberapa yang lain menggabungkan ‘kebebasan berkarya’ dengan realitas musik Indonesia yang kemudian dlm bahasa kasar dikategorikan sbg ‘musisi komersil’. Lalu apakah salah jika kita bermusik untuk nyari uang? Sama sekali tidak! Tentu kita ingat kasus Superman is Dead yang dimusuhi kalangan musisi Punk yang mengaku paling ‘Punk’ krn bergabung-nya Superman is Dead dengan Major Label - Sony BMG.
Keempat adalah sikap yang menganggap band-nya paling ‘keren’, paling tahu musik, paling ber-kualitas musikalitasnya, paling hebat dengan dibarengi mencela band-band lain. Dan sayangnya lagi beberapa kalangan menyampaikannya dengan bersembunyi dibalik kampanye “menyelamatkan industri musik Indonesia dari band-band tidak berkualitas”. Hal ini memang sangat disayangkan dan sudah seharusnya tidak terjadi di industri musik Indonesia. Toh masalah musik itu kembali kepada masalah selera, it’s really depend on the market needs. Kita tdk bisa memaksakan idealisme bermusik kita dlm masy. yang plural. Tdk penting apakah penampilan-nya norak, kampungan, lagu-lagunya cupu selama masy. meng-apresiasi musik mereka, biarkan hukum alam yng menetukan; apakah akan eksis, berkembang atau mati.
Kita harus menghilangkan idealis-intervension terhadap musik. Bukankah musik merupakan kebebasan berekspresi? Kebebasan menciptakan sebuah karya? Janganlah kita menjustifikasi sebuah karya dari kaca mata kita, krn musik itu bersifat relative. Musik yg menurut lo bagus belum tentu bagus buat gw dan juga sebaliknya. Mungkin bagi orang2 yg biasa nongkrong di Hard Rock Cafe, Score Cafe, NU China.. musik keroncong adl kampungan, norak, primitif.. tapi bagi gw itu sebuah karya seni, gw tetep menghargai dan meng-apresiasinya. Begitupun dengan musik dangdut.. mungkin sebagian orang alergi dgn dangdut krn representasi-nya adl musik kelas bawah, musik kaum marjinal… tapi buat gw itu adalah karya seni, it is an art yg harus dihargai.
Tapi perlu diingat satu hal, ketika kita membicarakan sebuah band, maka topik perbincangan tdk sebatas pada masalah musik saja, tapi juga yg tidak kalah penting adl attitude. Jujur kadang gw juga benci pada beberapa band, bukan karna musiknya yang cupu atau tdk berkualitas ataupun alasan2 yang sudah gw sebutkan diatas tapi lebih krn attitude mereka; arogan, narsis, penuh gaya, songong, over action, over doing, lagaknya sudah kayak peraih Grammy Awards, sok paling jago, sok paling bener. Justru kepada Kangen Band saya sangat respect, melihat perjuangan mereka dan gaya mereka yang kalem. “biarkan Anjing menggonggong kafilah tetap berlalu”, gak usah dengerin ‘celaan dan makian’, maju terus buat Kangen Band.JAYA MUSIK INDONESIA

Dhani Feat. The Rock Nggak NgeRock

2007-12-14T14:01:00.000-08:00

Band terbaru Ahmad Dhani yang bernama The Rock ternyata tak sepenuhnya ‘beraroma’ ROCK. Pertama dengar band dengan nama The Rock, asosiasi gw adalah Avenge Seven fold atau SUM 41, ini adalah project idealisnya Ahmad Dhani, ini adalah ekspresi otherside atau wild side-nya Ahmad Dhani dan pastinya NgeRock abiess. Namun ternyata tidak (menurut gw loh..).
Melodi lagunya kurang menunjukkan aksentuasi rockyang mengandalkan teriakan-teriakan ala Axel Rose atau Sebastian Bach, melengking sampai 3 oktaf misalnya. Malahan yang muncul adalah melodi dalam gaya sentuhan mirip lagu-lagu pop Indonesia era 1980-an. Tetapi beruntung tidak terdengar cengeng.
Menyimak album ini setidaknya ada 3-4 lagu berirama jazz, dan 3 diantaranya merupakan swing jazz. Dan sisanya adalah lagu-lagu dengan berirama rock yang kurang kental unsur rock-nya. Satu hal yang nampak sangat ‘rock’ dalam album ini adalah gebukan drum Michael Bennet. Gebukan drum-nya emang mantab! tipikal hardcore-penuh semangat, terdengar mendominasi dalam setiap hentakan. Sayangnya raungan gitar Clancy Tucker terasa kurang gahar dan greget, hanya mengandalkan distorsi.
Ini album baru dari the rock dan ahmad dhani (Dewa 19)Track List :01. Kamu Kamulah Surgaku02. Munajat Cinta03. Aku Bukan Siapa Siapa04. Dimensi05. Aku Cinta Kau Dan Dia06. Rahasia Perempuan07. Kasidah Cinta08. Aku Bukan Siapa Siapa (Slow Version)09. Rahasia Perempuan (Slow Version)
But overall, album ini lumayan bagus, lagu-lagu ciptaannya Ahmad Dhani juga keren. 2 jempol dan 3 bintang untuk album ini. untuk lagu-lagunya bisa di download disini.
Sebagai informasi untuk para pembaca musik pribumi, grup The Rock adalah grup yang dibentuk oleh Ahmad Dhani bersama personil grup metal hardcore FireShark asal Sydney: Achary Haider-Keene (bas), Michael Bennet (drum), dan Clancy Alexander Tucker (gitar). Pertemuan Dhani dengan 3 bule ini sendiri bermula ketika Dhani melakukan rekaman The Swing di studio 301, Sydney, Australia. Setelah ngobrol-ngobrol bareng, dan Dhani menawari mereka untuk bergabung dalam sebuah band. Dan mereka tidak menolak ajakan Dhani.

2007-12-07T16:32:00.000-08:00

Usai meluncurkan album perdana Andra And The BackBones baru-baru ini, Andra langsung menggebrak Jakarta dengan menggelar konser mini di Hard Rock Cafe, Jakarta, Rabu (24/1) malam. Dengan bintang tamu Dhani Ahmad, Fadli 'Padi', Once 'Dewa', konser berjalan apik. Pengunjung yang hadir malam itu terhanyut dengan lagu-lagu dibawakan Andra Band. Sayang, karena keracunan makanan, Audy, yang juga sebagai bintang tamu, berhalangan

Staying Alive 2007, Nidji Ingatkan Bahaya AIDS

2007-12-07T16:20:00.000-08:00

Ajang tahunan Staying Alive kembali digelar. Kali ini Nidji jadi duta besar. Giring cs pun ingatkan bahaya penyebaran HIV/AIDS seraya memberi penjelasan secara detil seraya bermusik.Musik bisa jadi salah satu cara termudah untuk menyebarkan pesan anti HIV/AIDS di kalangan remaja. Sekedar informasi, kebanyakan orang yang terkontaminasi virus HIV dan menderita AIDS berada dikisaran usia 15-24 tahun.Jika tahun lalu VJ Rianti dan Christian Sugiono didapuk jadi duta, kali ini jatahnya band Nidji. Lagu mereka yang bertajuk Arti Sahabat juga dipilih sebagai theme song."Stay awake, stay aware dan stay alive ya," teriak Nidji di tengah acara yang digelar di Lapangan D Senayan, Jakarta Selatan, Sabtu (1/12/2007).Sejak siang hari, ratusan penonton telah memadati arena pertunjukan. Ten2Five, Cock Pit, Andity, Canonball dan Kungpow Chicken menghibur penonton di mini stage. Tak lama kemudian panggung utama mulai bersuara. Rama, ST 12, Drive juga Steven & Coconutz Tree membuka perjumpaan. Selepas adzan Magrib konser kembali dibuka sampai puncak acara. Tampil J-Rocks, Radja, Ungu, Naif, Repvblik dan tentunya Nidji.Semua pengisi acara tampil kompak dengan berkali-kali mengelukan kepedulian kita terhadap HIV/AIDS. Konser ini bisa jadi salah satu cara jitu membuat para remaja sadar bahwa semua orang mengkhawatirkan penyebaran virus yang belum bisa ditemukan obatnya itu.Secara keseluruhan konser berjalan lancar. Meski sore hari sempat dihiasi kehebohan saat seorang penonton yang asik berjingkrak menonton Steven & Coconut Tree tiba-tiba jatuh dan kejang-kejang. Rupanya penyakit ayan yang diderita pria itu kumat. Panitia dan beberapa penonton membawanya ke samping lapangan. Sayang, hingga ia sadar dan kembali tenang, tak terlihat satupun petugas medis yang menolong. Peduli AIDS bukan berarti tak peduli penyakit lain bukan. Selamat hari AIDS sedunia, tetap waspada!

The Rock Rilis Album Akhir Agustus

2007-12-07T16:13:00.000-08:00

Setelah setahun terbentuk, band The Rock yang beranggotakan Ahmad Dhani (Dewa 19), Mark Williams, Zachary Haidee-Keene, Michael Bennett, Clancy Alexander Tucker (Fireshark, Australia) akan melepas album debutnya akhir bulan ini.
"Album pertama The Rock akan kita luncurkan dalam waktu dekat ini, mungkin tanggal 30 Agustus," kata Dhani kepada wartawan, sebelum naik pentas dalam Konser Perpaduan Musik Sempurna di Shutterland, Dirgantara, Pondok Gede, Jakarta Timur, Minggu malam (26/08).
Menurut Dhani, album pertama The Rock masih menempatkan dirinya sebagai direktur, personil lain hanya mengikuti saja.
"Soalnya untuk kolaborasi belum memungkinkan. Mereka ini band underground sedangkan saya di Dewa bermain pop rock," katanya.
Ia mengatakan pula, kolaborasi dalam arti membuat musik dan lirik secara bersama-sama akan dilakukan di album kedua, sedangkan sekarang masih melihat reaksi pasar.
"Terus terang ini baru percobaan. Konser nanti kita juga masih pinjam lagu Dewa, Sedang Ingin Bercinta," katanya.
Sementara itu, personil lainnya mengatakan bahwa mereka sampai saat ini bisa menikmati bermain dengan Dhani dalam The Rock.
Konser 'Perpaduan Musik Sempurna' merupakan kolaborasi antara The Rock dan brand Marlboro Kretek Filter, yang memiliki keinginan sama untuk memperkenalkan diri kepada publik di Tanah Air.
Pertunjukan di Pondok Gede merupakan yang keempat digelar di empat kota dari 10 kota yang dijadwalkan.
Sebelumnya, pertunjukan sudah digelar di Tasikmalaya, Bogor dan Bandung, dan akan berlanjut di kota Solo, Semarang, Jogja, Malang, Surabaya, dan Denpasar, Bali.
Dalam konsernya, The Rock membawakan enam lagu, Sandman, Dimensi, Cinta Kau dan Dia, Rahasia Perempuan (feat. Ari Lasso), Munajat Cinta, dan Sedang Ingin Bercinta.
Selama tampil, sekitar 5.000 penonton turut bergoyang dan bernyanyi, terutama pada lagu-lagu hits yang mereka kenal.
Secara keseluruhan, pertunjukan menampilkan kelompok Es Coret, Fireshark, Andra and The Backbone, The Rock, dan terakhir Dewa 19.