R.I.P. Donna Summer
BREAKING: Disco queen Donna Summer has passed away at the age of 63. We remember moments from her life: http://bit.ly/Kiry8e
[ MTV News]
Tag Archives: Music
Steven Tyler Makes First Ever Visit to the Playboy Mansion
Steven Tyler walked up the driveway to the entrance of the Playboy Mansion in Los Angeles like it was a second home. Surrounded by a large entourage as he was led to the red carpet, Tyler stopped to bare a Cheshire Cat’s grin as he looked at the four lovely Playboy Bunnies waiting to pose for pictures with him. The rock star and the equally iconic home that has hosted thousands of parties seemed made for each other, but this was Tyler’s first visit ever to the Holmby Hills grounds.
How was that possible that in all the years of Aerosmith’s success, the frontman had never been to one of the famous Halloween parties or a Midsummer Night’s Dream? “I was too busy in someone’s bathroom getting high,” Tyler told Rolling Stone. “I was too busy on tour, I was too busy writing songs. We were just busy.”
While he had never been to the house that Hef built, Tyler has crossed paths with the famed Lothario, Hugh Hefner. And Tyler is a big fan. “I love people that are committed to their crimes of passion and he is the gentleman of all time,” Tyler told us. “He’s been on every man’s mind around the world at least a hundred times in their lifetime for what he did. So he signifies the joys of womanhood and not the degradation . . . and even women lovePlayboy.”
What finally brought Tyler to the mansion after more than 40 years in the spotlight was Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camp, a program that allows people to live out their rock & roll dreams and spend four intense days training with counselors to play with Tyler or other superstars, such as Kiss’ Gene Simmons, who will be the headliner at an upcoming event in Las Vegas from October 10th through 14th.
Tyler got involved with the camp last year through Mark Hudson, a counselor in the program who co-wrote Aerosmith’s “Livin’ On The Edge.” “We spoke last year, I was doing a book, and they asked me here and I said I would, and I spoke in front of the whole camp. It’s called just being a mentor, if not to incite a riot,” he says.
Tyler had a challenge for this week’s campers, who joined him on stage at the mansion last night. “I just dared them all to learn an Aerosmith song to see how good they can do it,” he says. “If they do it good, which I’m sure they will, I’m gonna pick the best group of them all, we’re gonna pick straws and the best one out of that gets to ride around in my car and hear the new Aerosmith album.”
When Tyler says, while speaking of the upcoming record, “I’m on fire, as you can tell,” he is not exaggerating. Despite being pulled away by several handlers, he doesn’t want to stop talking about the new music, which is now in the mixing stages. “It’s one of the best Aerosmith albums ever,” he says. “I’m one of the worst judges of my own music because I’m very harsh, highly critical. [But] we waited until we had at least four really good songs that were representative and we got 19.”
Jennifer Lopez’s Music Video for “Follow the Leader”—Check It Out!
The finished product is finally here!
In March, we saw some sneak peeks of Jennifer Lopez shooting the video for Wisin & Yandel‘s single “Follow the Leader”—which is directed by her boyfriend Casper Smart—in Mexico, and now we get to see how it all came together.
[eonline]
Interview: Mike Shinoda Talks New Linkin Park Album And Ranks His Top 5 Rappers
Photo by James Minchin.
When the Cali-based “rock meets rap” outfit Linkin Park released their first album, Hybrid Theory, it beat out Britney Spears to become the best selling record of 2001. That level of success freaked them out. After releasing their second album, Meteora in 2003, they regrouped and re-emerged four years later with a completely new sound that caused an uproar amongst loyal stans.
The albums Minutes to Midnight and A Thousand Suns bore the sonic signature of legendary producer Rick Rubin. Rubin was also behind the boards for the band’s latest studio effort, Living Things, which is set to drop June 26th.
Last Friday Complex got a chance to hear a few tracks and chat with Linkin Park co-founder and resident MC, Mike Shinoda. He’s a smart dude with an interesting take on the band’s place in music history.
The new songs have a big, modern polished sound, but with that warm, fuzzy, hard-hitting Rick Rubin feel to them. Linkin Park has evolved from MTV frat-house faves into a class act and MC Mike Shinoda makes that clear in the rap-heavy joint “Until It Breaks” off Living Things. Over a bed of big healthy drums, he confidently spits, “I’m a Banksy / You’re a Brainwash / Get the picture like that?” Yes, we get the picture.
Interview by Jeff Sanico
Do you keep abreast of rap current affairs?
I think I do. These days everything moves really fast. There’s all kinds of sub-genres so it all depends on what you’re talking about. For instance, just this morning I heard about this track. It’s a Foster The People remix for “Blue Jeans” (by Lana Del Rey) that Azealia Banks raps on. She’s dope. The guy that mixed our record was doing her record right after ours and I was like, “Dude, can I sneak in?” I’m excited to hear Azealia Banks’s stuff.
What excites you about the new Linkin Park album?
It doesn’t lose any of the creativity of the newer stuff and it brings in the energy of the older stuff. It’s kind of a comprehensive sound. I feel like we’ve been able to take all the stuff we’ve learned on the way and put it all together in each song and still keep it fresh and forward-thinking.
Whenever we get in the studio we react really badly to anything feeling like it’s a throwback or a repeat of what we’ve done—as long as it feels like we’re taking a step forward it feels good. This record echoes a lot of different random things from what we’ve learned along the way. I think every artist’s “new album” is their favorite one.
We’ve been immersed in this one for a year. It’s like we are currently in the eye of the storm. All of my focus is on getting this record perfect and presenting it to the fans in the way that I think is the perfect way. It’ll never be perfect, but we just do our best to make it the best it can be. I’m thrilled about the record, I couldn’t be more excited about people hearing it.
Top 10 Music Festivals
No Glastonbury this year, but there are lots of other festivals to keep you rocking and rolling all summer
Headbangers unite - rock out to Metallica, The Prodigy and Black Sabbath at Download
Download (June 8-10)
Metallica roar into Download
More than 80,000 metalheads will descend on Donington Park in Leicestershire to mark Download Festival’s 10th anniversary. The highlight of the weekend will be Metallica, playing their iconic Black album in its entirety on the Saturday night. The boys from Black Sabbath have kissed and made up with Ozzy and they take to the main stage on Sunday night. Dance act The Prodigy headline the Friday night. Other bands to rock out to include Machinehead, Slash, Soundgarden and Megadeth
The deal: Day tickets from £82.50 camping tickets from £190
Rock Ness (June 8-12)
Loch in - Mumford & Sons at Loch Ness
The shores of Loch Ness provide the perfect setting for Ed Sheeran, Mumford & Sons and Noah & the Whale. Sassenachs who want to join the party should book the RockNess Express. Leaving from Euston on June 7 (back on the 11th) it arrives in Inverness (via Birmingham, Derby, York and Newcastle). The train will have music, food and drink for £225 including a VIP ticket to Rock Ness.
The deal: Day tickets from £64, camping from £159
Hop Farm (June 29-July 1)
His Bobness - Dylan plays Hop Farm
No sponsorship, no branding, no VIP areas. It’s all about the music at this Kent festival, something that Bob Dylan appreciates… this year he’ll be making his only UK festival appearance here. Also appearing are Bruce Forsyth and his big band, Joan Armatrading, Peter Gabriel, Patti Smith, The Stranglers and Billy Ocean. Free entry for kids under 12.
The deal: Day tickets from £55, weekend tickets £162
Womad (July 5-8)
Interview: Norah Jones Talks About Her New Album, Danger Mouse, and Murder Ballads
First two Norah Jones shots by Frank W. Ockenfels. Last, with Danger Mouse, by Noah Abrams.
“Go out with me!” These are the kind of requests—or rather, orders—that came flying at Norah Jones as the sultry vocalist took the stage at South by Southwest to play her forthcoming album …Little Broken Hearts (out May 1) in its entirety. “I think I’m taken,” she responded, flattered.
“Is it weird hearing music you’ve never heard?” she asked while floating from the piano to the guitar. “No? Great!” Indeed, the packed-out crowd was obviously in love with Norah’s latest work, produced in collaboration with Brian “Danger Mouse” Burton, who’s worked on projects as diverse as the Jay-Z/Beatles mash-up The Grey Album and Gnarls Barkley. Working with him was a bold move for an artist who’s sold tens of millions of records and earned a slew of Grammys on her own. Though she still gets dismissed by some critics as a soft jazz act.
Broken Hearts more or less chronicles the stages of grief that occurred during Norah’s split with her boyfriend last year. It opens with “Good Morning,” in which she awakens realizing that she’ll be leaving her unfit man. She confronts him about the younger woman he’s seeing on “She’s 22,” then threatens to kill her on “Miriam.”
Her feathery vocals carry all these hefty subjects with ease, while writing partner and producer Danger Mouse provides a bounce that knock those “coffee shop singer” critiques on their ass.
The day before her SXSW show, Complex met up with Norah, 33, in a worn-down house just outside of Austin’s downtown area. She met us outside on the patio’s bench swing in a denim jacket over a long summery dress. Her publicist offered lemonade. Walking across the creaky wooden floor, Norah kicked off her shoes, curled up on the living room couch, and talked about everything: her critics, her breakups, working with Danger Mouse, and that song about killing off her man’s mistress.
Written by Brad Wete (@BradWete)
Some critics describe your music an “uneventful.” Others say it’s amazingly well built contemporary jazz. How would you describe it?
Some critics describe your music an “uneventful.” Others say it’s amazingly well built contemporary jazz. How would you describe it?
How do you feel when they say you’re a “coffee shop singer”?
That makes me cringe a little bit. I don’t think it’s really fair to lump somebody up like that. But also, who cares? [Laughs] Some people don’t mean things as an insult. Some people do.
I heard you say that you want to do a “real” jazz album or a “real” country album. What do you mean by that? Is your new album not “real”?
People always ask me, “What would you love to do?” I would like to do it some day. I mean to kind of go back to my roots and really do what I intended to do when I was young, even though I strayed from that path and I am really happy I did. My world has been a little bit more open. But that’s the kind of music I grew up loving and I really wanted to play it for so long. It would be fun to play it again. For my mom, for my teachers growing up, stuff like that. I think it would be sentimental and really nice.
Who Is Rita Ora?
Meet the girl who’s leading Roc Nation’s British invasion.
Rita Ora is on top of the world right now, but it’s been a long time coming. The 21-year-old Roc Nation artist has put in nearly three years working on her debut album, which is due out later this year.
Some may remember the sexy UK-based singer from her collabos with Craig David on “Awkward” and “Where’s Your Love,” others may be more familiar with her acoustic covers of Outkast’s “Hey Ya” and Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know.” But now she’s bringing original songs to the table. With tracks produced by The-Dream and her latest, ‘R.I.P.,’ written by Drake, Rita’s taking her career to a whole new level.
The video for her latest single “How We Do” dropped on Tuesday, nearly a month after she and Jay-Z walked into New York’s Z-100 FM and the powerhouse pop station added the song on the spot. She’ll be playing a showcase at SOB’s this Wednesday—a sure sign of big things ahead.
Complex caught up with Rita at the Shoreham Hotel bar the day after she performed at the Cartier Juste un Clou party—where she sang a rendition of “Say My Name” with Beyoncé and Jigga watching in the audience. Freshly tattooed and sipping a watermelon martini, Rita told us about growing up in West London, what she thinks of all the Rihanna comparisons, and explained that “drunk sex feeling” she sings about on “how we do.” So read on to learn all about Rita. This girl’s going places.
As told to Lauren Nostro (@LAURENcynthia)
The Forbes Five: Hip-Hop’s Wealthiest Artists 2012
Back in 2007, Jay-Z, Diddy and 50 Cent released “I Get Money (The Forbes 1-2-3 Billionaire Remix).” The song was a celebration of the artists’ inclusion atop the first-ever Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings list, now an annual package on the genre’s top-earning artists. It seems fitting that those same three artists find themselves in an even more exclusive group—the Forbes Five, a short list of hip-hop’s wealthiest moguls.
Indeed, the original trio boasts a combined net worth well over a billion dollars, rendering their lyrical prognostications accurate. They’re joined by Dr. Dre, flush with cash from his Beats headphone line, and Cash Money Records cofounder Bryan “Birdman” Williams.
“One of my motivations in life is to be a billionaire,” said Birdman in a telephone interview with FORBES. “We’re going to keep working hard until we get our brand to be as big as possible. That’s the goal in life, that’s what I live for.”
Diddy is the closest to becoming a billionaire, leading the pack with a net worth of $550 million. The Bad Boy Records founder has remained a mainstream mainstay for 15 years thanks to his knack for self-promotion. Lately, he’s been channeling that energy toward Diageo-backed Ciroc vodka, much to the benefit of his bank account: he receives double-digit millions annually as a share of profits. Sales of the spirit spiked 122% last year in the wake of strong demand for new flavor Ciroc Peach; he is entitled to a nine-figure chunk of cash if the brand is ever sold.
Diddy also boasts stakes in clothing lines Sean John and Enyce, marketing firm Blue Flame, record label Bad Boy and a handful of tech startups. But it’s his deal with Comcast to launch cable channel Revolt in 2013 that could push him into billionaire territory. He’ll own the channel outright, and based on projected viewership totals, its value could soar into the low-to-mid nine figures within the next few years.
Full Coverage: The Forbes Five
Next up is Jay-Z at $460 million. Unlike his fellow Forbes Five members, Jay-Z still churns out music and goes on tour—most recently with pal Kanye West—adding to his considerable war chest. He sold his Rocawear clothing label for $204 million in 2007 and signed 10-year $150 million deal with Live Nation in 2008, and also holds stakes in the New Jersey Nets, his 40/40 Club chain, ad firm Translation, cosmetics company Carol’s Daughter and other businesses. (For more on his rise as a businessman, check out Zack’s Jay-Z biography, Empire State of Mind).
1. Diddy: $550 Million
2. Jay-Z: $460 Million
3. Dr. Dre: $270 Million
4. Birdman: $125 Million
5. 50 Cent: $100 Million
Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller Announce Under The Influence Of Music Tour
Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller have headlined a national tour before, but this time they have packed a group of notable MCs to join them. The Rostrum Records signees will bring along Kendrick Lamar, ScHoolboy Q, and Chevy Woods for their Under The Influence Of Music Tour. The tour is scheduled to start on July 26 and at the Riverbend Music Center in Cincinnati.
“I’m really excited for this tour, for the fans and as a fan of music myself. It’s gonna be trippy!” said Khalifa in a press release. “I’m excited to go on a tour like this because it brings a group of individuals together to move across the country as a unit to showcase great music,” adds Miller.
Tickets are set to go on sale on April 20 at 4:20 pm at Ticketmaster and Livenation. Check out the confirmed dates below. Additional dates and more opening acts will be announced soon.
July 26 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
July 27 Chicago, IL First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
July 28 Indianapolis, IN Klipsch Music Center
July 29 Toronto, ON Molson Canadian Amphitheatre
August 01 Boston, MA Comcast Center
August 02 New York, NY Nikon at Jones Beach Theater
August 03 Philadelphia, PA Susquehanna Bank Center
August 04 Pittsburgh, PA First Niagara Pavilion
August 05 Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
The Hold Steady Aim to Start Recording New LP This Summer
Band debuts two new tunes in Texas
Craig Finn of The Hold Steady.
Tim Mosenfelder/Getty Images
By CHAD SWIATECKI
Fans of the Hold Steady in Texas recently got their first listen to a pair of new tunes that are likely headed for the band’s next album. During a three-date swing through the Lone Star State last week – their first batch of shows in 2012, since frontman Craig Finn has spent recent months touring solo – the band debuted “Wait Awhile” in Austin and another as-yet-untitled song the following night in Dallas.
Finn describes the tuneful, anthemic “Wait Awhile” to Rolling Stone as a sort of “advice song” that mines familiar territory for the band. “This is in the same vein of the kind of songs that we had a lot of on the last record, of an older and wiser person saying to someone else, ‘You know, this might be some good advice.'” explains Finn. “There’s a long tradition of those throughout rock & roll, and that’s what we’ve been doing a lot of over the last couple records.”
The Hold Steady have completed rougly a dozen songs for the new album since they began writing in November, Finn says, and they’ve scheduled time at an Austin rehearsal space to work on more material. They hope to make enough progress to book studio sessions by as early as June. No decision has been made yet about where the band will record the LP or who will produce it.
When asked whether Clear Heart Full Eyes, Finn’s debut solo album released last year, has affected the band’s new material, he says that it’s too early to tell whether there will be any lasting differences between the two. “The solo stuff is what I guess I would consider more traditional songwriting, as most people think of it,” Finn says. “The band thing is so different because it comes much more out of the riffs, and I just worry about the lyrics. A lot of it is me just trying to find places to sing in between all the other noise.
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