Britney Spears apologizes to friends and family for her erratic behavior & other: 2008

Saturday 30 August 2008

Variety is cool for Koh

SOPHIE Koh has come a long way from the girl who strolled down the street with a guitar in the video to her happy-go-lucky song Anywhere three years ago.

She's grown up and glamorous, with a new album under her arm -- quite a contrast to the artist unearthed by Triple J when she was working as an optometrist in Darwin.

"Looking back at that video clip and that song, I just feel like I'm so far away from it now," Koh says. "I don't think I would write a song like that very easily now."

Audio: Listen to Sophie's song, In My World

Audio: Also, hear Objects in this Mirror

Instead, she's come up with a sophisticated collection of songs that feature her sweet voice layered over artful instrumentation.

The album title, All Shook Up, reflects its variety -- the project ranges from love songs and a poem she was given by a 16-year-old boy when she left her home in New Zealand to Gan Lan Shu (or Olive Tree), an old Chinese folk song sung in Mandarin.

Koh, who lives in Melbourne, used to listen to her Malaysian parents singing the song with their karaoke machine at home. The equivalent of something like Over the Rainbow, it's about not knowing where your homeland is, an apt choice for a woman who has moved countries several times.

Koh was born in New Zealand and went to school in Singapore until she was 10.

It was at high school that Koh, a classically trained pianist, picked up the guitar after discovering a band called Nirvana.

She studied optometry in Australia, then went to work with remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory.

But apparently you can't get far with a guitar in Darwin without someone asking you to play a tune.

Soon she was being booked to support artists such as Paul Kelly.

Koh grabbed the opportunity of going to East Timor to work as an optometrist, but again it was her music that drew the attention.

"One day we had a really quiet clinic, so I brought out the guitar and before I knew it, there were these kids who had walked up the mountain -- I asked them to teach me the national anthem," she says.

"I visited lots of villages and these little kids had built their own guitars out of tree trunks. They don't really sound like anything, but they look like guitars. It was incredibly inspiring."

Koh says her secret ambition is to be a tour guide, so returning to the Top End to play the Darwin Festival this month, she's eager to show her bandmates around.

"We're hiring a 12-seater van," she says. "We're just going to all the water holes and stuff . . . showing all these pale Victorians what the sunny tropics are like."

All Shook Up is out now.

More info

Wednesday 20 August 2008

Nine Inch Nails reveal massive fall tour

Though static in the midst of a US summer circuit, Nine Inch Nails [ ] have rolled out a full slate of shows that will go through the industrial rockers canvas North America this fall.

The group, which wraps up its current US leg early future month, will spend the first half of October on a South American jaunt, and will kick off their next batch of North American roadwork with a trio of previously proclaimed mid-October shows in Mexico. The South of the Border dates segue into the new announced batch of US and Canadian dates, which comprise more than 30 shows stretching into mid-December.

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Details for NIN's North American tour ar included below, and the South America dates are posted at the group's website.

NIN is working the road behindhand "The Slip," a full-length album that bandleader Trent Reznor self-released for discharge via the Internet in May. The downloadable version of the set is still available at NIN's website, and a physical configuration surfaced last month in the form of 250,000 individually numbered digipaks housing an audio CD of the album and a live DVD featuring footage of the group rehearsing five songs for its 2008 tour.

A vinyl interlingual rendition of the album, featuring the record's 11 tracks on 180-gram vinyl with a 24-page booklet, hit stores in the US and Canada last week.

As of last month, "The Slip" had been downloaded 1.6 million times worldwide since its May 5 outlet, according to a press release.

Joining frontman and sole fulltime NIN extremity Reznor on the current tour ar guitarist Robin Finck, keyboardist Alessandro Cortini, drummer Josh Freese and bassist Justin Meldal-Johnsen. Aside from Meldal-Johnsen--best known for his work with Beck--all have played with the band in the past, with Cortini and Freese having participated in the band's 2005 and 2006 world tours, and Finck a ex-serviceman of the band's tours behind 1994's "Downward Spiral" and 1999's "The Fragile."

"The Slip" follows NIN's surprise March handout, "Ghosts I-IV," a four-disc, 36-track instrumental collection. The first of the album's four volumes can be downloaded free from NIN's website, and fans have the option of paid $5 for the other three volumes. The collection was also offered in a variety of configurations ranging from $10 for a physical double-CD mark to $300 for an "ultra-deluxe circumscribed edition" that sold taboo within in the number one two days of the album's release.

[Note: The following tour dates have been provided by artist and/or tour sources, who verify its truth as of the publication time of this story. Changes may occur before go on sale. Check with official artist websites, ticketing sources and venues for belated updates.]

August 200818 - Dallas, TX - American Airlines Center20 - St. Louis, MO - Scottrade Center22 - Cleveland, OH - Quicken Loans Arena23 - Auburn Hills, MI - Palace of Auburn Hills25 - Toledo, OH - Seagate Convention Center27 - East Rutherford, NJ - Izod Center29 - Philadelphia, PA - Wachovia Center31 - Lexington, KY - Rupp ArenaSeptember 20082 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheater3 - West Valley City, UT - The E Center Of West Valley5 - Oakland, CA - Oracle Arena6 - Inglewood, CA - The ForumOctober 200818 - Mexico City, Mexico - Foro Sol19 - Guadalajara, Mexico - VFG Arena21 - Monterrey, Mexico - Arena Monterrey23 - San Antonio, TX - AT&T Center25 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Festival28 - Orlando, FL - UCF Arena29 - Jacksonville, FL - Veterans Memorial Arena31 - Nashville, TN - Sommet CenterNovember 20081 - Greenville, SC - Bi-Lo Center3 - Greensboro, NC - Greensboro Coliseum Complex5 - Charlottesville, VA - John Paul Jones Arena8 - Manchester, NH - Verizon Wireless Arena9 - Worcester, MA - DCU Center11 - Ottawa, Ontario - Scotiabank Place12 - Montreal, Quebec - Bell Centre14 - Hamilton, Ontario - Copps Coliseum15 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena17 - Columbus, OH - Schottenstein Center18 - Fort Wayne, IN - Memorial Coliseum20 - Cedar Rapids, IA - US Cellular Center21 - Columbia, MO - Mizzou Arena22 - Tulsa, OK - BOK Center25 - Minneapolis, MN - Target Center26 - Council Bluffs, IA - Mid-America Center28 - Rapid City, SD - Rushmore Plaza Civic Center Arena29 - Billings, MT - MetraPark ArenaDecember 20081 - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan - Credit Union Centre4 - Kelowna, British Columbia - Prospera Place5 - Victoria, British Columbia - Save On Foods Memorial Centre7 - Portland, OR - Rose Garden Arena8 - Nampa, ID - Idaho Center9 - Missoula, MT - Adams Center12 - Sacramento, CA - Arco Arena13 - Las Vegas, NV - Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino

More info

Sunday 10 August 2008

Wilson Phillips

Artist: Wilson Phillips

   Genre(s):
Rock: Pop-Rock
   Pop
   Rock

Discography:

California

Year: 2004
Tracks: 11

The Best Of Wilson Phillips

Year: 1998
Tracks: 10

Shadows and Light

Year: 1992
Tracks: 13

Wilson Phillips

Year: 1990
Tracks: 10

A female vocal troika consisting of Carnie and Wendy Wilson (daughters of Beach Boy Brian Wilson) and Chynna Phillips (girl of John and Michelle Phillips of the Mamas & the Papas). They skint through to wondrous pop success with their debut album, which sold four-spot billion copies. The follow-up, Shadows and Light, got off to a fast go in the spring of 1992. Although the album was successful, merchandising over a one thousand yard copies, it didn't have the staying power of their debut. Wilson Phillips skint up the following year. After a decennium of activeness apart that included solo albums, marriages, kids, speak shows, motion picture show roles and televised operations, the trio got back in concert in 2003 to record an record album of California songs. The resulting album entitled California was released in May of 2004.

Tuesday 1 July 2008

Dyango

Artist: Dyango

   Genre(s):
Latin

Discography:

Dyango

Year: 2001
Tracks: 20

Comparable to Julio Iglesias and JosÃ© JosÃ©, Spanish ace Dyango has been renowned for luxuriant, soupy, romantic Latin pop since the '70s. Dyango is non the singer's tangible name; he was innate JosÃ© GÃ³mez Romero in Barcelona, Spain, where he grew up. Dyango is a stage name that he adopted after deciding to pursue a career in music; the call Dyango was divine by the keen romany jazz guitar player Django Reinhardt, wHO is among Dyango's idols. But Dyango, unlike Reinhardt, is non a malarkey musician -- Latin pop singing has long been his area of expertise. Dyango started performing live in the '60s, merely it wasn't until 1974 that he sign his first recording sign. That year, Dyango sign-language with EMI's Latin segmentation, and his debut album came out in 1975. After that, it didn't consume him recollective to become a major genius -- not only in his native Spain, merely also, all o'er Latin America and in heavily Hispanic areas of the United States. Dyango went on to build a immense catalog at EMI and Capitol. He recorded oftentimes passim the '80s and '90s, a ten that set up him recording for the Latin divisions of RCA as advantageously as Polygram. Along the way, Dyango had more than his share of major hits -- "Corazon Magico," "Esa Mujer," "La Radio," "A Donde Vas Amor," "Querer y Perder," "Hay Algo en Ella," and "Esta Noche Quiero Brandy" ar among the unnumbered hits that he is noted for in the Spanish-speaking globe. In the early 2000s, Dyango maintained a fussy schedule and continued to control a firm following.

Cesare Picco

Thursday 19 June 2008

Spears sparks pregnancy rumours

Pop singer Britney Spears has sparked reports that she is expecting her third child after being photographed shopping for a pregnancy test.
The photographs, which appear on People magazine's website, show Spears and her new boyfriend, paparazzo Adnan Ghalib looking through pregnancy tests at a shop.
The pictures were reportedly released by Ghalib's photo agency, FinalPixx.
The rumours come in the same week that Spears fled a courthouse without attending the most recent hearing over custody of her two young sons.
The boys are currently in the sole custody of their father Kevin Federline after a judge stripped Spears of her visitation rights following a custody dispute at her home.
The singer later had to be hospitalised for evaluation after she was deemed to be under the influence on an unknown substance.

Thursday 12 June 2008

Celebs Swappin' Spit

A kiss is just a kiss ... until it is snapped by a paparazzo! And for some of these stars, the kiss isn't quite the same as it is in movies.
Celebs Swappin' Spit -- click to launch

See Also

Friday 6 June 2008

Hudson confirms dramatic Corrie exit

'Coronation Street' star Tom Hudson has confirmed that he is leaving the soap in a dramatic storyline.
The 21-year-old actor, who plays Jack Duckworth's grandson Paul Clayton in the show, will reportedly leave Weatherfield after setting Leanne Battersby's Italian restaurant on fire.
According to reports, Paul will set the premises on fire in order to claim the insurance money for the failing restaurant.
Hudson told The Sun: "I've loved it on 'Corrie' but I've got other things planned."
"Paul's just like his dad Terry and he'll definitely return to Weatherfield to cause more trouble for his granddad."
Speaking about his exit storyline, Hudson said: "It's a great storyline - exactly the kind of exit I hoped for."

Thursday 29 May 2008

Ashlee Simpson - Simpson Bridesmaids Get Keepsake Necklaces

The bridesmaids at ASHLEE SIMPSON's weekend wedding (17May08) in Encino, California were each given a 14-carat Dillon Rogers necklace as part of a gift bag from the bride and groom.

The jewellery featured a gold pendant with each girls' initial, a wishbone design on a pearl disc and another gold 'coin' with Simpson's lucky number three engraved on it.

The necklaces cost an estimated $650 (GBP325) each.

Simpson wed Fall Out Boy rocker Pete Wentz on Saturday night.

See Also

Sunday 25 May 2008

John Surman, John Warren

Artist: John Surman, John Warren

   Genre(s):
Jazz

Discography:

The Brass Project

Year: 1993
Tracks: 9

Singer Amy Winehouse is arrested

Singer Amy Winehouse has been arrested as part of an investigation into perverting the course of justice.
Police confirmed that the 24-year-old singer was arrested yesterday when she went to a London police station by appointment. She was later released on bail.
A representative for Winehouse's publicity agency said: "It was voluntary and pre-arranged."
The singer is due to return to a London police station in March pending further inquiries.
Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil is currently being held on remand accused of grievous bodily harm and conspiracy to pervert the course of justice.
The singer recently cancelled all her remaining concert dates for this year, claiming that she could not perform while her husband was in jail.

Soundclash

Artist: Soundclash

   Genre(s):
Drum & Bass

Discography:

XS002

Year: 2006
Tracks: 2

Davina McCall: I'm not quitting Big Brother

'Big Brother' presenter Davina McCall has denied reports that she is quitting the Channel 4 show after this summer's series.
Speaking at last night's world premiere of the new 'Sex and the City' movie, McCall told reporters: "I'm not leaving 'Big Brother'; they would have to kill me before I'd stop doing it."
'Big Brother' will return for a ninth series next month, despite reports that Channel 4 bosses were considering resting the show for a year.
Of the new series, McCall said: "We're going to be much tougher with rules this year."

Strictly Come Dancing Judge Was Teenage Rent Boy

Acid-tongued Strictly Come Dancing judge Craig Revel Horwood is to reveal how he was paid for gay sex as a teenager.
The dance supremo has detailed in his upcoming autobiography how a middle-aged TV star in his native Australia before he found fame and fortune.
Horwood was paid for sex for over a year by the as-yet-un, named TV personality, who he met as he worked in a restaurant near his native Melbourne.
A source tells the News Of The World, “Craig was working there late one night when the man came in after filming a TV show.
"One thing led to another and Craig was with him on and off for a year. In today's money, Craig would have been making around £100-an-hour."
Horwood himself has defended his decision to include the revelations in his new autobiography, ‘All Balls and Glitter: My Life’.
He tells the paper, “I feel it's a part of my life that is very important I'm honest about."
The book, due to be published in September to coincide with the new series of Strictly, is also said to include details of backstage revelations from the hit show.

Fall Out Boy To Enter Studio Soon, But Michael Jackson Cover Could Delay Them A Bit

You would think, given recent events, that Fall Out Boy would be shying away from making grand proclamations.
But that's just not the FOB way. Despite the whole Antarctic fiasco, they're at it again, this time telling MTV News that they're planning to spend their summer vacation working on a new album, the follow-up to last year's Infinity on High and their third studio effort in less than three years.
"It was sort of a plan of ours to downplay the fact we are recording a new record soon. Not that we don't care or don't want people to know, but I think we were a little swamped with the press surrounding Infinity on High," guitarist Joe Trohman wrote in an e-mail. "So we wanted to slightly scale that aspect back, make it somewhat more of a surprise so that people would all of a sudden get hit with our new record one of these days.
"As far as when/where we are going to record, the 'when' will be sometime in the next couple of months, the 'where' will be in the Los Angeles/ Burbank [California] area, but we have not chosen an exact date to start preproduction and we have not chosen a studio," he continued. "We have talked about revisiting Ocean Studios in Burbank, where we did From Under the Cork Tree, but honestly, we haven't locked anything down. ... As far as a release date? No f---ing clue."
Trohman added that while the band hasn't decided on a producer for the project, Neil Avron, who worked on both Infinity and Cork Tree, "would be present during the sessions."
Though the band has yet to record a single note, the follow-up to Infinity already has a fairly long — and factually spotty — history. The album was first reported to be heavily influenced by folk music, reports the band spent much of last year trying to live down. It was then described by bassist Pete Wentz as being inspired by the "distorted, awesome riffs" of Oasis. So what's the latest take on how it will sound?
"We've said time and time again that we derive our songs from many different sources. Have you ever heard Patrick [Stump] sing? There's the bulk of the R&B right there. Folk? I think that was more of a lyricism aspect, though there is something musically reminiscent in some of the demos," Trohman wrote. "The riffs I've sent to Patrick have had somewhat of an Iggy Pop feel, as he's an obsession of mine. Others [have a] somewhat Smiths-y/ late-'70s-to-early-'80s Manchester sound."
Of course, FOB's summer plans could very well have changed by the time you read this. In a separate e-mail to MTV News, Wentz admitted that Fall Out Boy fully intend to hit the studio in June or July, but things could be different now, given the success of their cover of Michael Jackson's "Beat It," which has quickly become a mainstay in the iTunes top 10. Seems they're now planning to promote that (Wentz said they'll shoot a video for the track next week) rather than gearing up to enter the studio.
"It's been an interesting back-and-forth. Before Chile, we weren't sure when we were going to record. Then during the process, we felt a new energy and planned for the summer," Wentz wrote. "Now we are back in limbo, especially with 'Beat It' kind of taking on a life of its own. There's a part of us that just wants to go to another country and lay something down and see how it goes, but right now we are just kind of on autopilot trying to figure out the next move."
Wentz did go on to say that FOB still hope to have a new album in stores by "late fall," and he added that they have plenty of songs ready to go, though it's still too early to talk about them in any great detail, lest we have a repeat of the whole "folk" thing.
"It's so interesting how whatever comment you make about new music becomes the 'set-in-stone' description of your new music. ... It's too early to tell what it will sound like, but my only guess would be a progression again," he wrote. "Also, it's so early that we don't really have any names for the songs. They all have joke titles like 'MC Hammer and Ms. Piggy Bank.' "