Music News Net

Remix David Bowie's "SPACE ODDITY"

     MUSIC NEWS - 40 years ago to the day that Neil Armstrong stepped on to the moon, on July 20, 2009, EMI will create a unique opportunity for David Bowie fans: the chance for them to download and mix the original music multi-tracks of ‘Space Oddity,’ which also celebrates its 40th anniversary this year.  As David Bowie is a known pioneer of technology, and is keen to push the boundaries, now is the time fans are given the opportunity to have access to the original 1969 multi-tracks of ‘Space Oddity,’ allowing you to become remixer and create you own version of the song.

The ‘Space Oddity’ EP consists of four tracks (listed below). When you purchase the EP you will also receive the original eight stems/multi-tracks for free, enabling  you to remix the song through your own software or through iKlax Player.

Originally released on July, 11, 1969 to coincide with the Apollo 11 moon landings, ‘Space Oddity’ was a cultural landmark for David Bowie as an artist; it was featured by the BBC in its television coverage of the lunar landing, and the song later won an Ivor Novello award. The song’s mysterious character, Major Tom, has become a recurrent theme throughout Bowie’s work and career, being revisited in the song ‘Ashes To Ashes’.  More info at BowieNet

In other Bowie lunar news - The film, MOON, directed by his son, Duncan Jones is now in theatres thru Sony Pictures Classics and stars Sam Rockwell as Astronaut Sam Bell.  In this futuristic mystery, Bell lives on the far side of the moon, and is in the process of completing a three-year contract with Lunar Industries to mine Earth’s primary source of energy, Helium-3 as we watch his fight against time to discover the truth. what’s going on and how he fits into company plans.

‘Space Oddity’ EP tracklisting:

1. Space Oddity (original UK mono single edit)
2. Space Oddity (US mono single edit)
3. Space Oddity (US stereo single edit)
4. Space Oddity (1979 re-record)

Shwayze' New Single - "GET U HOME" Out Today

     Music News-  Shwayze's new single "Get U Home" is available on iTunes today!  The Malibu duo bring back their unique blend of pop, dance, hip hop and rock on the new track from their forthcoming album Let It Beat due out this fall from Suretone/Geffen.  Listen to the song (below) and head over to iTunes to download your copy today.

Shwayze

Robert Plant Bestowed Commander of the British Empire !

    MUSIC NEWS - Led Zeppelin lead singer and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Robert Plant was made Commander of the British Empire (CBE) on Friday. Prince Charles bestowed the honor at Buckingham Palace on Plant, who now ranks higher than Led Zep bandmate, guitarist Jimmy Page on the Royal ranking order. Page received his Order of the British Empire (OBE) four years ago.  Of the honor, Plant said; 

‘I owe everything to the musicians I work with. From the UK to Africa to Tennessee, it is their brilliance that I bounce off. Alone I’m nothing.’

Plant decided to not to participate in recent plans for a Led Zeppelin reunion tour, instead commited to additional work Allison Krauss, their Raising Sand Grammy winner album, and on tour with her. No other Led Zeppelin reunion plans have come to light since then.

ALLMAN BROTHERS BAND Museum in the Works

     MUSIC NEWS-  The Big House, the home in Macon, GA where Allman Brothers Brothers band members lived from 1971 until 1973 as there career took off is under renovation to be turned into anABBmuseum.  The simple, tudor style home was their home base when they moved to Macon at the behest of Capricorn Records' Phil Walden and where they planned, rehearsed and wrote music.  Some of the best known tunes, were written and created there -- Blue Sky, Ramblin Man and Midnight Rider. 

The effort to turn the once dilapidated house into a museum is being made by dedicate Allman Brothers Band fans with the spiritual support of the band.  Many of the renovation has been through the generosity ofABBfans; a free roof, landscaping, windows, paint.  Plans are for the space to feature over than 300,000 pieces of memorabilia collected by Kirk West, (among others).  Dan is the band's longtime photographer and tour manager.  Pollstar reports that everything from Duane Allman's jacket, which had been draped over a guitar case next to his coffin during his funeral, to one of the Hammond Organs played by brother, Gregg.  Included too will be posters, photographs and live recordings of the band with interactive computer terminals where museum guests can scan through digital photos and view concert footage.

Renovations at the Big Houseare ongoing, and the museum is planned to open in December.  The house is located at 2321 Vineville Av. (map here) , Macon, GA.  The help out and learn more, visit BigHouseMuseum.org.  And see Pollstar's post at "Welcome to the Big House"

Trent Reznor Explains Final NINE INCH NAILS Concerts

     MUSIC NEWS - Trent Reznor is back on the internet, and used the Nine Inch Nails website yesterday to offer up some details about NIN's farewell performances. Straight from Mr Reznor:

"Getting right to the point, we're going to play a handful of shows in NYC, Chicago and LA starting August 22nd. They will be informal affairs in medium to small venues with longer set-lists, possible special guests, cool openers and other surprises."

"Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets due to a limited allotted set length and many shows were in daylight - it just didn't feel right to end NIN that way.

"An offer to headline V-Fest in Toronto (being announced soon) set the idea in motion to play some FUN shows to end this up with. If we can get it together we'll film these shows, too." "Upon reflection, the NIN/JA tour felt like we had to rush through sets...it just didn't feel right to end NIN that way" Trent Reznor

He further explains"In NYC we'll be playing Bowery Ballroom, Webster Hall and Terminal 5. In Chicago, the Aragon Ballroom. In LA we'll be at  The Wiltern, The Henry Fonda, The Palladium and The Echoplex. These should be cool, unusual and unique shows and I hope you come out - this is it."  "So far, The Horrors will be joining us for some shows in NYC, Mew will be with us at other shows in NYC, Chicago and LA, and perhaps more. Details and ticket info will be announced shortly, so check back. Thanks, Trent"

Yes, I know, we've heard it before from artists; Farewell Tour, Final Shows, Good bye Tour, but we can only take Trent at his word, this is it!!!  But time will time if he gets the itch to re-visit NIN someday in the future. Just in case, go see one/two of these shows !!!  And, you could always go the reunion tour, too!

GET UP KIDS Are Up Again, and a 10th Anniverary Release Announced

     MUSIC NEWS - After several instantly sold out reunion shows at NYC's Gramercy Theater, Los Angeles' Troubadour and San Francisco's Great American Music Hall, the Get Up Kids have announced a full USA tour. The tour kicks off September 11 at Harrah's in the band's native Kansas City and will coincide with the 10th anniversary deluxe reissue of its landmark second album, Something to Write Home About, releasing September 8 via Vagrant Records.

The Get Up Kids formed in 1995, released a series of formative singles and EPs and in 1998 gave us the first album, Four Minute Mile, before establishing  the lineup that debuted on 1999's Red Letter Day EP and recorded Something To Write Home About; vocalist and guitarist Matt Pryor, brothers Ryan and Rob Pope on drums and bass respectively, guitarist Jim Suptic and keyboard player James Dewees. Subsequent Get Up Kids studio albums included the Scott Litt-produced On A Wire (2002) and Guilt Show (2004). The band officially broke up after a July 2, 2005 hometown swansong at the Uptown Theater in Kansas City.

But the Get Up Kids members have kept themselves active in the interim between their original break-up and the current reunion: the Pope brothers now run Black Lodge, the studio (which is for sale, btw) formed to record the Guilt Show album,  while Rob Pope now plays bass in Spoon.  Pryor has continued the New Amsterdams band he formed while still in the Get Up Kids, and has also released two albums of children's music with the Terrible Twos as well as his first solo album, Confidence Man. Suptic formed Blackpool Lights and co-founded the Curb Appeal label, while Dewees has continued his Reggie and the Full Effect project, and served as touring keyboard player for My Chemical Romance and New Found Glory.

LISSY TRULLIE Signs to Downtown Records, Recovers from Flu

      MUSIC NEWS - New Yorkers' Lissy Trullie have recently signed to Downtown Records in North America, and Wichita Recordings for the UK and other territories, and are currently in the studio writing songs and prepping to record their debut full-length, with a planned early 2010 release. With that, the band is excited to build upon the success of their debut EP Self Taught Learner, which since its release in February '09, has garnered praise from many corners including SPIN, Rolling Stone, The New Yorker, Blurt, and VICE among others.

This spring they also made their late night debut on Last Call With Carson Daly and played for and chatted with ABC Amplified's Dan Harris at their practice space.  Following a summer full of writing and recording, Lissy Trullie returns to the road in the UK with The Cribs and Adam Green this September. USA  tour dates are in the works.

Though they did have a challening Spring! After completing a tour of the US with The Virgins and Anya Marina in May, Lissy Trullie trudged on and crossed the Atlantic for what was to be a very fun and successful run through Europe and the UK. Yet after a couple of shows prospects headed south in Hamburg as bass player, Ian Fenger was diagnosed with the H1N1 virus (aka Swine Flu) on June 7th and was committed to a local hospital. 

JAYHAWKS Return to the Music Scene

       MUSIC NEWS - Often citied by critics and fans as one of the inventors of the alt-country music genre that rose up in the 80s/90s, the Jayhawks have returned with original line-up, appearing together for the first time together since 1995. Co-founder Mark Olson left the Jayhawks in 1995 but has returned to the lineup with co-leader Gary Louris (and bassist Marc Perlman, drummer/-vocalist Tim O’Reagan, and Karen Grotberg on keyboards and vocals). The re-united band played several music festivals in Europe and are booked to play their first USA show this Friday in Minneapolis at the Basilica Block Party (8:45 - 10:15pm). 

Olson had a disdain for the "rock star life" that took over the Jayhawks and quit the band. He toured Europe and released albums as the Original Harmony Ridge Creekdippers. The Jayhawks kept on without him, releasing out three more albums, 1997's Sound of Lies, Smile (2000) and Rainy Day Music (2003), before Louris finally annouced the band as dead in 2005.  For nearly six years, Olson and Louris didn't talk to each other often until they got back together in 2002 to write a song for a movie.  They started touring as a duo and earlier this year released an album via New West Records, "Ready for the Flood," produced by Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes.  But now, all has changed!

And tomorrow, Sony Legacy will release "Music From the North Country: The Jayhawks Anthology" (order below thru MNN), a collection that spans the Minneapolis band's history from Twin/Tone Records through American Recordings.  It'll be out as a single CD or a two-CD-plus-DVD package that includes Jayhawks music videos. In September, Sony Legacy will start re-releasing the Jayhawks' five major-label releases, with bonus tracks.

MICHAEL JACKSON Staples Center Rehearsal Video Clip

       MUSIC NEWS - AEG Live (promoter of MJ's London 02 Arena "return" concerts has released a video clip of Michael Jackson’s rehearsal, two nights before he died, on June 23.  Jackson and his dancers perform “They Don’t Care About Us” and it’s quite impressive.  The King of Pop looks in great shape and totatlly in control and mean, totally coherent, clear-eyed and in control.  Not an individual you would expect to be dead a few days later

We expect more clips from AEG, as talk of the Michael Jackson Staples Center tour rehearsals DVD release continue.

VIBE Magazine Shutting Down Immediately

     MUSIC NEWS- Popular USA music magazine, Vibe, which was primarilly covered politics, culture and  the hip-hip and R&B scene, is shutting down effectiv immediately, a spokesperson said today in NYC.   Vibe's demise leaves only one print magazine covering the musical genres, The Source, The New York Times has reported.

Magazine spokeswoman Tracy Nguyen told the NY Times the staff was being formally notified Tuesday afternoon, saying it's still unknown as to how many people would lose their jobs.  The Vibe Media Group chief executive Steve Aaron wrote in a memo to staff that the firm was unsuccessful in luring new investors or "to restructure the huge debt on our small company. The print advertising collapse hit Vibe hard, especially as key ad categories like automotive and fashion, which represented the bulk of our top 10 advertisers, have stopped advertising or gone out of business."

Vibe was begun in 1992 by musician/producer Quincy Jones and Time Warner and was sold in 2006 to a private equity firm, Wicks Media, and had a circulation of approximately 818,000 in the second half of last year but had fallen to around 615,000 recently.

THE FALLEN Respond to Cease & Desist Order With a New Name !

      MUSIC NEWS - Former Evanescence member's new band, previously (and shortly) known as The FALLEN have new name! The Fallen name, already got them in some legal trouble after a ceast-and-desist order from another group from Phildelphia, PA, with the same name,  helped them decide to adjust their name. So now they're We Are The Fallen, and they've just released their first single Bury Me Alive ( video below).

KINGS OF LEON and Bug Music Launch New Label

     MUSIC NEWS - Kings of Leon has worked out a deal with independent publisher Bug Music to launch a new record label.  The first release on the label, which was result of the a new deal between the KoL and Bug allowing Kings... to sign and develop artists with the publisher, will be Some Kind Of Salvation by Tennessee band The Features.

“Caleb, Jared, Matthew and Nathan are extraordinary tastemakers and constantly absorbing new sounds from all over the world,” says Bug Music CEO John Rudolph.  “The honesty in their music is what draws them to genuine artists. We are excited about developing new artists together as Bug Music continues to innovate and challenge the industry’s traditional thinking of a publisher.”

The Features have previously toured the UK and the US with Kings of Leon.  We're still waiting on the name of the new label and additional details.

The New Band, THE FALLEN, Sparks Legal Action Over the Name

     MUSIC NEWS - We had recently reported (see story here) that Ben Moody and other former Evanescence members  aligned with former American Idol finalist Carly Smithson to form a new band, calling it, THE FALLEN, but now get word of legal action against the new band.  The label bosses at SKH (Moody's band's record company) have been hit with a cease and desist notice from the managers of another act already calling themselves The FALLEN.  Alfadog Music executives fired off the legal action to Skh Music bosses, insisting that Moody and Smithson's group need to come up with another name.  The original The Fallen, were formed in 2005 and posted a message to fans of their website, sayig, "We are truly sorry for the confusion that stemmed from an unexpected announcement from Skh Music."   Ironically, the band has just released its second album, Between The Angels And The Deep Dark

The Philadelphia, PA based, THE FALLEN,  started in late 2005 as an experimental project between musicians Gabe Horning and Mark Bolger, added drummer Dwight Sensenig and vocalist Audra McLaughlin in late 2007 and completed in early 2009 with the addition of bassist Troy Feuerstein. In August of 2008 they released their debut album, 'Between The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea'. They recently released their second album in 2 years, 'Between The Angels And The Deep Dark Sky'.

We've contacted SKH over these charges but have not yet received a response.

Most of EVANESCENCE Becomes The Fallen, With an IDOL Finalist

     MUSIC NEWS-  After performing EVANESCENCE’s “Bring Me to Life” on the 2008’s American Idols Live tour, 7th season IDOL finalist Carly Smithson (6th place)  will now join up with three out of the four original members of the alternative band EVANESCENCE in a new band called The Fallen.

Smithson had released her first studio album for MCA Records in 2001 but was dropped from the label the following year.  Smithson found the former Evanescene guys as she knew the band's co-founder and guitarist Ben Moody’s housemate.  "I met him once or twice (at the house) before the band thing," says Smithson.

He quickly arranged a meeting with her after seeing videos of her performances. “Carly is a rock star. She was one of us,” Moody told USA Today.  The Fallen is comprised of Smithson, Moody and former Evanescence members, guitarist John LeCompt and drummer Rocky Gray, as well as bassist Marty O’Brien with the name coming from Evanescence's 2003 major-label debut album, Fallen.

Moody left the band following the release of Fallen due to creative differences with singer Amy Lee. LeCompt and Gray left the band in 2007.  The band’s first song “Bury Me Alive” is available for free download at WeAretheFallen.com (to the first 100,000 who register) with plans to tour beginning in September and to release new songs every few months.

On Friday, Amy Lee posted on Evanescence.com that the band's need to evolve and is currently working on new material, the first since their 2006 The Open Door.  Click here for USA Today story.

Landmark Athens, GA Concert Venue Destoyed by Fire

     MUSIC NEWS- Local Athens, GA police report that a major fire erupted at the landmark Georgia Theatre in Athens, GA this morning, a concert venue that helped break many now popular bands including REM, Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic and the B-52s.   It's been reported that the fire began around 7am Friday, 6/19/09. The converted movie theater was destroyed in the blaze.   Former Athens Mayor Doc Eldridge said he saw a huge plume of black smoke when he arrived at his nearby office in the downtown business district.  Fortunately, no injuries were reported.

In 2008 national touring acts such as the North Mississippi All-Stars, Galactic, Robert Earl Keen, Sister Hazel and Ghostface Killah played at the Georgia Theatre.  Eleven acts were scheduled to appear next weekend as part of the annual AthFest music festival. Festival organizers are looking for alternative venues and hope to find a place for the bands to play. The Morton Theater and the Classic Center were among venues under consideration.

From- Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

UPDATE- The Morton Theatre will be used for all AthFest events.