Monday 8 September 2008

No Heart for McCain

Turns out Heart doesn�t heart John McCain.


The careen duo of Ann and Nancy Wilson demanded terminal week that the Republican party stop using its 1977 hit �Barracuda� to promote McCain and Sarah Palin�s candidacy.


Last Wednesday and Thursday nights, �Barracuda� blared through the arena in St. Paul, Minn., during the Republican National Convention. The song was secondhand to champ vice presidential nominee Palin, who�s been nicknamed Barracuda - ostensibly both dearly and non - since high school.




Universal Music Publishing and Sony BMG have sent a cease-and-desist order to the GOP afterwards the vocal was played at the convention Wednesday night.


�The Republican campaign did not ask for permit to exercise the birdcall, nor would they have been granted that license,� the members of Heart said in a statement. �We have asked the Republican campaign publicly not to use our music. We hope our wishes ar honored.�


The statement also �condemn(ed)� the utilisation of the song at the RNC.


When the band�s wishes were ignored Thursday night, Nancy Wilson told EW.com in an electronic mail: �Sarah Palin�s views and values in no room represent us as American women. The song �Barracuda� was written in the late �70s as a scathing claptrap against the soulless, corporate nature of the medicine business, particularly for women. While Heart did not and would not empower the purpose of their song at the RNC, there�s irony in Republican strategists� pick to make use of it there.�


According to the Associated Press, Palin adoptive the nickname Barracuda as a high school basketball player due to her fierceness on the court. The tag surfaced again after she defeated the incumbent mayor of her hometown of Wasilla, Alaska, in 1996.


IMAX in Boston


Attention Boston-area movie-goers: An AMC spokesperson has confirmed that Cinema 2 at AMC Loews Boston Common is being transformed into a digital IMAX theater.


It is not known when the theater volition open.


This means you soon will no longer cause to trek to Jordan�s Furniture in Natick or Reading to catch such films as �The Dark Knight� in IMAX. This is heavy news for moviegoers who�d rather walk or take the T to a movie and can�t wait to ascertain James Cameron�s hotly anticipated IMAX 3-D release �Avatar� in the city.


- James Verniere


IAMX in Boston


While Boston awaits word on when IMAX hits ithiel Town, we do know that IAMX will be at T.T. the Bear�s Place in Cambridge tomorrow night.


Pronounced �I am X,� it�s the solo project of British dance veteran Chris Corner, wHO gained accolades in the �90s with his downtempo act Sneaker Pimps. But where early Sneaker Pimps was the smooth soundtrack for the morning after, IAMX is glammed-out electro performance-art party from the night in front. We hear Corner�s stage show alone is worth checking out.





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Tuesday 19 August 2008

Composer Elliott Carter at 99

STOCKBRIDGE, MASS. --
ON THE morning I visited Elliott Carter last month, he was staying in a redness cottage in this quaint village in the Berkshires. Five miles up the road is Tanglewood, summertime home of the Boston Symphony, which was in the thick of hosting a 10-concert, 47-work festival of Carter's demanding medicine. Just down the road from the cottage is the Norman Rockwell Museum.


The weather was miserable. Audiences trudged through downpours to get to Seiji Ozawa Hall. A terrifying lightning storm threatened those trying to attain the restrooms in a neighboring building during one intermission. Still, good-sized audiences turned up, and loretta Young fans and musicians swarmed around the composer as if he were a rock star.


Despite the gloom, Carter appeared ever gay. I told him how I used to be able to follow his career either through live performances or with the help of recordings. But that was when he used to write a major piece on the average of once a year. Now works large and small come in such a torrent I struggle to keep up with him.


























"I wish I could write so much more that you couldn't observe up with it at all," Carter replied with a mischievous laugh. This morning he was 99 years, 7 months and 3 weeks old, yet he wasn't exaggerating around his yield. He contributed two young pieces for the Tanglewood festival, and the retrospective included more than a dozen works he had written since he turned 95. In September, a flute concerto will birth its premiere at the Jerusalem Festival. In December, the Boston Symphony will unveil his third piano concerto, "Interventions," which the orchestra commissioned for its music music director, James Levine, and Daniel Barenboim as soloist.


A few days later -- on Dec. 11, Carter's centesimal birthday -- the Boston Symphony will give the New York premiere of "Interventions" in Carnegie Hall. Also on that programme will be Stravinsky's "Rite of Spring," in laurels of the fact that the germinal score inspired Carter to become a composer when he first heard it as a teenager in Carnegie in the early 1920s.


The constant remark made about Carter during the Tanglewood fete was that he is unique in music history. No major composer has ever been so life-sustaining for so long. Verdi was 80 when he wrote his last opera, "Falstaff," which has always been considered a wonder of old age. Richard Strauss was 84 when he all over his vocation with his autumnal "Four Last Songs." Wearing a red shirt and suspenders in his cottage, Carter looked as though he might have stepped out of a Rockwell painting. But although Rockwell was born only 14 years before Carter, the painter glorified a bygone era. Carter, on the other hand, remains as unapologetic a Modernist as e'er, tirelessly composition what many still consider of as music of the future.


He has always prided himself on making every piece something fresh, typically experimenting with new harmonic methods and structural principles for major compositions. In his late late period, Carter has ground ways to become, if anything, less predictable.


Neither of the new pieces for "Carter's Century," as the Tanglewood festival was called, sounded remotely like anything he had written before. "Sound Fields," which can be heard on the Boston Symphony's web TV, is signally spare from a composer who is known for density. Carter invented that allowed him to let different kinds of musical characters speak at at one time, all moving at different speeds and in different ways. His music is often urban and tin can be noisy. In his thor- ny Third String Quartet, from 1971, the four instruments are treated like individuals, each with his or her possess voice, have tempo, possess everything.


Yet "Sound Fields" is rapturously ence identically. He likewise began to organize chords so as to create disorder from order. He wanted music to mimicker modern life and society.


The breakthrough was the massive First String Quartet in 1951. Carter has written that the quartet was an campaign to understand himself. He spent a year in the Sonora Desert close Tucson and it became his aspect of nature and military personnel, as experienced through the vagaries of time. Carter describes it as "a large experimentation in polyrhythms of all kinds. It really is the to the highest degree extreme realisation. I don't know how I did it, only I did.



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Saturday 9 August 2008

50 Cent: 'I Was Insensitive To Banks Tragedy'

Rapper 50 CENT risked breaking up his G-UNIT posse by pressuring LLOYD BANKS to promote his last record album ROTTEN APPLE after his father had died.


The In Da Club hitmaker admits he was "insensitive" to his pal's feelings when Banks quit a G-Unit tour of duty to be with his family, and refused to attend the funeral.


50, who in one case "hustled" with Banks' padre, says, "Because I didn't actually have a relationship with my dad... I couldn't realize what that (death of Banks' forefather) was whatever different from losing individual who would just be around us.


"Lloyd's cervix is tattooed with people that was around us that passed, and they died spell we was on turn, and we just kept going. So I didn't understand how you would actually stop."


Fellow G-Unit member Tony Yayo admits he disapproved of 50 Cent's hardline approach to Banks' heartache.


He tells Sister 2 Sister cartridge holder, "I was there at the wake and I was at the funeral and I realised what he was going through, but, at that point, I was more of a intercessor.


"50 was busy... making movies and running around. Banks, he was anguish."











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Tuesday 1 July 2008

Black Kicks Nicotine Habit

Comedian Jack Black has finally quit smoking - crediting his busy family life with helping him to kick the habit. The star and his wife Tanya recently celebrated the birth of their second son Thomas Black, and he admits he is so comfortable living a quiet family life, he has left his wild ways - and his nicotine addiction - well and truly behind him. He tells Britain's Closer magazine, "That's all come to a halt, with marriage and fatherhood. I don't have the energy! So if people stop me and say, 'Let's party, dude, I've got beer', I never know how to reply! "I've started going to bed at a reasonable hour. And, after more than 10 years of promising I would quit smoking, I've finally done so."


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Tuesday 24 June 2008

Donna Summer to Embark on the North American 'STAMP YOUR FEET TOUR' This Summer in Support of New Album 'Crayons'

'Crayons' Marks Donna's Highest Chart Debut in Over 20 Years

NEW YORK, June 23 -- This summer Donna Summer will embark
on a North American tour to promote her brand new album 'Crayons.' The
"STAMP YOUR FEET TOUR" featuring a new set, design and costumes will
include material from Summer's new album 'Crayons' as well as her classic
hits. 'Crayons,' Donna's first album of all new studio material in 17
years, debuted at #17 on the Billboard Top 200 Chart making it Summer's
highest debuting album since 1983's "She Works Hard For The Money."

Adding to her list of accomplishments is the recent success "I'm A
Fire," the first single from 'Crayons' which rose to #1 on the Billboard
Hot Dance Club Play Charts making it her 13th #1 single to top the club
charts and her 19th #1 charting single across all charts. The remix for the
second single "Stamp Your Feet" is also poised to top the dance chart.

Containing a potent mix of up-tempo tunes and ballads, 'Crayons'
showcases incredible new material, all-co written by Donna (who wrote or
co-wrote the majority of her hits of the 70's and 80's). Working with Donna
were renowned writers and producers including: Greg Kurstin (Lily Allen,
Pink), Danielle Brisebois (Natasha Bedingfield, New Radicals), JR Rotem
(Sean Kingston, Rihanna), Toby Gad (Fergie, Natasha Bedingfield), Evan
Bogart (co-writer of Rihanna's smash "SOS" and the son of legendary record
executive, Casablanca Records founder and Donna's mentor, Neil Bogart), and
Lester Mendez (Shakira, Santana).

"She still has the hot stuff..." says USA Today

"Twenty years after disco's heyday, Summer is still having the time of
her life..." says Chicago Sun times

Donna's long list of musical accomplishments include: 19 #1 Billboard
singles, 12 Gold and Platinum singles, 5 Grammy Awards, 6 American Music
Awards, 2 Double Platinum albums, 1 Platinum album, 8 Gold albums. Her song
"Last Dance" won both Oscar and Golden Globe awards.



http://www.DonnaSummer.com

TOUR DATES

7.5.08 FILENE CENTER AT WOLF TRAP
Vienna, VA

7.8.08 MEADOWBROOK U.S. CELLULAR PAVILLION
Gilford, NH

7.9.08 MOHEGAN SUN ARENA
Uncasville, CT

7.11.08 BETHEL WOODS CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Bethel, NY

7.12.08 BANK OF AMERICA PAVILLION
Boston, MA

7.13.08 LEBRETON FLATS PARK
Ottawa, ON

7.16.08 PIER SIX PAVILION
Baltimore, MD

7.18.08 PNC BANK ARTS CENTER
Holmdel, NJ

7.19.08 NIKON AT JONES BEACH THEATER
Wantagh, NY

7.20.08 SENECA ALLEGANY CASINO
Salamanca, NY

7.22.08 CASINO RAMA ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Rama, ON

7.23.08 CASINO RAMA ENTERTAINMENT CENTRE
Rama, ON

7.25.08 CAESARS ATLANTIC CITY
Atlantic City, NJ

7.26.08 CAESARS ATLANTIC CITY
Atlantic City, NJ

7.27.08 WESTHAMPTON BEACH PERFORMING ARTS CENTER
Westhampton Beach, NY

8.8.08 RIVER ROCK CASINO RESORT
Richmond, BC

8.9.08 RIVER ROCK CASINO RESORT
Richmond, BC

8.10.08 NORTHERN QUEST CASINO
Airway Heights, WA

8.13.08 THE MOUNTAIN WINERY
Saratoga, CA

8.15.08 PEPPERMILL HOTEL CASINO
Reno, NV

8.16.08 PARAMOUNT THEATRE
Oakland, CA

8.17.08 WELLS FARGO CENTER FOR THE ARTS
Santa Rosa, CA

8.20.08 VIEJAS CONCERTS IN THE PARK
Alpine, CA

8.22.08 HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Los Angeles, CA

8.23.08 HOLLYWOOD BOWL
Los Angeles, CA

8.27.08 CAESARS WINDSOR
Windsor, ON

8.28.08 CAESARS WINDSOR
Windsor, ON

8.30.08 RAVINIA FESTIVAL
Highland Park, IL

8.31.08 MYSTIC LAKE CASINO
Prior Lake, MN




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Wednesday 18 June 2008

George Carlin to receive Mark Twain humor prize

WASHINGTON —

George Carlin will be awarded the Mark Twain Prize for American Humor.


The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts said Tuesday that Carlin will be honored for his 50-year career as a Grammy-winning standup comedian, writer and actor. He will be the 11th recipient of the award.


It will be presented November 10th at a tribute performance that will be televised by PBS.


Kennedy Center Chairman Stephen Schwarzman says Carlin makes people laugh but also makes them think.


Carlin has released 22 solo albums and three best-selling books. He starred in a variety of TV and movie roles and is famous for his "Seven Dirty Words" routine.


Past recipients of the prize include Billy Crystal, Whoopi Goldberg, Steve Martin and Neil Simon.








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Leona Lewis Praises Amy Winehouse

Leona Lewis has praised fellow UK singer Amy Winehouse, claiming she is "an amazing artist".


The X Factor winner also told Parade that she worries about the image of the troubled singer in the public eye: "A performer's privacy is taken away. The media are always there. You can't make your mistakes in private."


"I have the advantage of a great support structure. I get honest opinions from my family and friends. They aren't always telling me what I want to hear, but the truth helps keep my head straight."


Both Leona Lewis and Amy Winehouse will be performing on the same bill later this month, when they play live at Nelson Mandela's 90th birthday celebrations in London's Hyde Park on June 27th.




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