Tuesday 9 September 2008

Stevie Wonder To Receive Gershwin Prize

According to Billboard, Legendary singer/songwriter Stevie Wonder has been chosen as the second recipient role of the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song. The award presentation testament take place in the Library's Great Hall on Feb. 23, 2009. A concert celebrating the award is organism planned for the following evening.


In addition to the swag, Wonder has accepted the Library's offer of a musical commissioning. With that acceptance, Wonder enters a circle of noted composers-including Aaron Copland, Leonard Bernstein and Paquito D'Rivera-who take received Library commissions.

"It's an immense privilege to join such a noteworthy roster of musicians and composers," aforementioned Wonder in a statement. "I am touched to receive this honor and look fore to creating music for the celebration."

A winner of 25 Grammy Awards, Wonder was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Songwriters' Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2005 the Library of Congress placed Wonder's 1976 double album, "Songs in the Key of Life," in the National Recording Registry, which recognizes recordings that are "culturally, historically or esthetically important and/or inform or reflect life in the United States."

The first Gershwin Prize-established in tribute to the legacy of composer siblings George and Ira Gershwin-was awarded in May 2007 to singer/songwriter Paul Simon. This year's Prize advisory committee was comprised of Simon, singer/pianist Michael Feinstein, "Saturday Night Live" creator and producer Lorne Michaels, music producer Phil Ramone and New Orleans

Saturday 30 August 2008

Rage, Metallica, Killers - and Nirvana - lead Reading And Leeds Festivals 2008

Nirvana covers, political speeches, orchestras �?? the Reading And Leeds Festivals still again brought together tribes from across the musical spectrum o'er the Bank Holiday weekend (August 22-23).


Although all the Main Stage headliners at the result, which takes place concurrent on sites in the north and south of Britain, were from the US, the acts themselves couldn�??t be more varied.

Rage Against The Machine used their slot in Reading to work a secure political point, taking to the stage wearing Guantanamo Bay-style and denouncing George Bush and Tony Blair from the stage.


Although they toned this down by the time they reached Leeds, the reunited agitprop rockers inspired such a reaction in the crowd that they had to concisely pause their set request the consultation to gradation back to avoid a crush.

The Killers wHO used their performance to preview a song from their upcoming first album, while Metallica also showcased two new songs, as they blew chunks out of the English countryside with flamethrowers and fireworks.


Elsewhere during the weekend Arctic Monkeys�?? Alex Turner and The Rascals�?? Miles Kane, defined festival convention by donning suits and bringing a full orchestra to the NME/ Radio 1 Stage as they performed their brought their Last Shadow Puppets side project to life.

The Cribs meanwhile recruited The Smiths legend Johnny Marr as a total bandmember during the festival, while The Ting Tings, Vampire Weekend, MGMT, http://www.nme.com/news/foals/39207]Foals[/url] and Pendulum all played to giant crowds.

Bloc Party performed their first gig since the shock spillage of third album �??Intimacy�?? just three days advance (August 21), battling with council imposed sound restrictions on the Reading Festival main stage.


The likes of Santogold and Late Of The Pier emerged from the host of novel talent playing the event to ground themselves among the festival�??s highlights.


Meanwhile having been so closely associated with the Reading Festival while they were a going concern, Nirvana draw a strong shadow across the weekend, as Dirty Pretty Things, Feeder and the Manic Street Preachers �?? world Health Organization dedicated their set to missing bandmate Richey Edwards �?? all included covers of Kurt Cobain songs in their set.


And that�??s just the start. Relive all the action from the weekend Reading And Leeds Festivals 2008. We have news show, blogs, pictures and television interviews from both Reading And Leeds Festivals sites online now. Get this week's issue of NME, out Wednesday (August 27) for the ultimate Reading and Leeds review.


Plus influence next year's festivals by filling the NME Festival survey now.


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Sunday 10 August 2008

Antiloop

Antiloop   
Artist: Antiloop

   Genre(s): 
Trance
   Techno
   



Discography:


At The Rebel's Room (Cd2)   
 At The Rebel's Room (Cd2)

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 11


At The Rebel's Room (CD1)   
 At The Rebel's Room (CD1)

   Year: 2002   
Tracks: 12


Fastlane People   
 Fastlane People

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 10




After DJing for a couple of age, David Westerlund and Robin Soderman, childhood friends from the suburbia of Lidingo, just outside Stockholm, assembled Antiloop in 1994. Their first EP, called N.S.F.M.C., featured the hit unmarried "Sweetheart & the Beast." The club/dance dyad started climb music charts in Sweden, Norway, and France before issuing their debut and local-Grammy-winning record album coroneted LP. During 1997 and 1998, songs such as "Believe," "Nowhere to Hide," and "In My Mind" allowed them to set out touring all around Europe. In add-on, Antiloop earned 4 Swedish Dance Music Awards.


Robin Soderman and David Westerlund founded Rebels Room Records and became host of their have tuner show called P3 Dance.






Tuesday 1 July 2008

Manahan to stay at NYC Opera through 2011-12

NEW YORK —

Conductor George Manahan will remain a music director of the New York City Opera under incoming general manager Gerard Mortier, agreeing to a four-year contract through the 2011-12 season.


Manahan, 56, was hired as music director in 1996, effective with the 1997-98 season. In 2009-10, Mortier's first season, Manahan will conduct Stravinsky's "The Rake's Progress" and Britten's "Death in Venice." He is to conduct Szymanowski's "King Roger" in 2010-11, the company announced Tuesday.


"George is held in high esteem by the orchestra, singers and administration and gives me great confidence as I anticipate my inaugural season next year," Mortier said.








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Thursday 26 June 2008

Amy Winehouse's husband offers cash to beat up Pete Doherty - Tabloid Hell

Amy Winehouse's husband Blake Fielder-Civil allegedly offered an inmate at London's Pentonville Prison �20,000 to beat up Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty.

According to The Sun, Fielder-Civil was convinced that his wife was cheating on him with the singer/guitarist, so attempted to enlist Richard Lyttle, a former doorman who was serving time with him in jail, to harm him.

However, according to the newspaper Lyttle did not accept the money, and instead reported Fielder-Civil to the police when he left prison.

Police took no action, reports the tabloid.

"We were sitting in my cell and he (Fielder-Civil) said, 'If you get Doherty for me I'll give you �20,000'," Lyttle is quoted as saying. "He said, 'Amy's obviously sleeping with him.' He knew I used to be a doorman and knew some tough people. He said he wanted him smashed to pieces."

Oasis Dig Out Your Soul Album Details Announced

Oasis have named their next album as 'Dig Out Your Soul', which will be released on October 6th via their own imprint Big Brother Records.


A week prior to the band's seventh studio record, lead single 'The Shock Of The Lightning' will be released on September 29th.


Producer Dave Sardy worked on 'Dig Out Your Soul', after last working with Oasis on their 2005 album Don't Believe The Truth. As previously reported, Abbey Road in London was where the new songs were recorded and mixing took place in Los Angeles.


Noel Gallagher tells the NME of the album: "I wanted to write music that had a groove; not songs that followed that traditional pattern of verse, chorus and middle eight."


"I wanted a sound that was more hypnotic; more driving. Songs that would draw you in, in a different way. Songs that you would maybe have to connect to � to feel."


Speaking of the single, Noel added: "If 'The Shock Of The Lightning' sounds instant and compelling to you, it's because it was written dead fast. And recorded dead fast."


"'The Shock of The Lightning' basically is the demo." added Gallagher. "And it has retained its energy. And there's a lot to be said for that, I think. The first time you record something is always the best."




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Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck Deny Marriage Split

Jennifer Garner & Ben Affleck have hit back at reports that their marriage is in crisis.

Rumours that the low-key pair - previously thought to have one of Hollywood's more solid relationships - have split surfaced after the they were photographed spending time with daughter Violet separately.

But a spokesperson for Garner has called them "one hundred per cent completely fabricated".

The Juno star's rep adds: "There is not one ounce of truth to it."

Affleck and Garner married in 2005.