Archive: April 2009 (91-100 of 171)

Apr 15 2009 03:39 PM ET

Rascal Flatts soars, Neil Young flops on the albums chart

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Categories: Charts, Neil Young, Rascal Flatts

Rascalflattsyoung_lCountry-pop juggernauts Rascal Flatts hit No. 1 yet again on this week’s Billboard 200, debuting with 351,000 copies sold of their aptly titled Unstoppable, according to Nielsen SoundScan. This is their fourth time at the top of the chart, which, as Billboard points out, is more times than any band has gotten there in the past decade. Good for them! I am not personally a fan of Gary LeVox and Co., but clearly there are hundreds of thousands of people out there who are happy to celebrate this milestone.

Meanwhile, a bona fide rock legend, Neil Young, debuted way down at No. 19 after selling a pitiful 28,000 copies of Fork in the Road. That’s a substantial drop from the first-week numbers his last two studio efforts put up — 54,000 for 2007′s Chrome Dreams II and 60,000 for 2006′s Living With War. I’m sure ol’ Neil isn’t losing too much sleep about his Nielsen SoundScan figures at this stage in his career. Especially not for Fork in the Road, a concept album about a fuel-efficient car prototype that’s probably one of the least commercially-oriented entries in his voluminous discography. But what can I say? As a chart-watcher, it’s still depressing to see him humbled that way.

Other chart debuts came from New York rap vet Jadakiss, at No. 3 with a strong 135,000 copies sold of The Last Kiss; Nashville star Jason Aldean, at No. 4 with 109,000 copies of Wide Open; and Christian rockers MercyMe, at No. 18 with 30,000 copies of 10. What do you think about this week’s chart? Any surprises or disappointments?

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Keith Urban and Prince battle it out on the chart
NOW That’s What I Call Music!: The latest edition outcharts Miley Cyrus and everyone else
Neil Young Archives: They’re really coming this summer

Apr 15 2009 02:42 PM ET

Dave Matthews Band kicks off 2009 tour at Madison Square Garden

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Categories: Concert Reviews, Dave Matthews Band

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“Who starts a tour at Madison Square Garden?” That was the question Dave Matthews posed before a sold-out crowd at that very arena last night. And the guy has a point; expectations for MSG shows are typically pretty high amongst fans, and they’re usually met by an unpredictable set list (check) and a surprise guest (check). If last night’s show, which kicked off a tour that runs into early October to promote the band’s new album Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, is an indication of things to come, it’s going to be a fun summer.

Full disclosure: I’m biased. I’m nothing short of a DMB fanatic (no, I do not play beer pong, and no, I do not possess a hackey sack.) So, hopefully for fellow fans who couldn’t make last night’s show, I can provide a little color commentary. And for haters, I can give you an opportunity to reach your daily quota of the word “sucks.” Read all about it after the jump.

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 15 2009 01:30 PM ET

Day26: Who's buying the 'Making the Band 4' band's new album?

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Categories: Day26, Diddy, Downloads and Streams

Day26_l_2"TODAY IS A BIG DAY!!!", Diddy informed the Twitterati yesterday afternoon. How so, Diddy? "ITS DAY 26 DAY!!!!!" Meaning…? "THE DAY 26 ALBUM FOREVER AND A DAY IS IN STORES TODAY! And on iTUNES!" Ah. What would you like us to do with this information, Diddy? "Go GET RT. NOW!!!!" Got it. One last question: How hot would you say this album is, on a scale beginning with ice-cold ashes? "FIRE!!!"

In his excitement, Diddy understandably misspelled both the name of his proteges and the title of their album: It’s Day26 (one word), Forever in a Day (not "and"). But no matter. If all of Diddy’s 504,280 Twitter followers followed his instructions yesterday, then Forever in a Day must have already far outpaced the 190,000 copies that Day26′s debut sold in its first week last March. Even if not, though, and all kidding aside, the Making the Band 4 alums seem likely to make a decent dent in the chart when the SoundScan numbers roll in next week. Some people will buy this album just because they love reality-show drama. Others will be looking for more of Day26′s polished pop’n'B tunes — like current single "Imma Put It On Her," featuring Diddy and Yung Joc, which you can stream below. Still others, perhaps, will be Donnie Klang fans who mistakenly think that other Making the Band 4 contestant is a member of Day26 for some reason. So, are any of you planning on picking up Forever in a Day?  And if so, which camp do you fall in?

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Jamie Foxx’s Miley Cyrus tirade on Sirius: Too much?
Dave Matthews Band’s new single: Snap judgment
Eminem to play the MTV Movie Awards: Will you be watching?

Apr 15 2009 01:00 PM ET

Exclusive: Stream new track from Better Than Ezra, "Just One Day"

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Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Attack of the '90s, Better Than Ezra, Downloads and Streams

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Okay, so Better Than Ezra never technically went away. But since non-devotees may be hard-pressed to identify anything beyond their 1995 smash “Good” — and even hardcore fans have been on hold for new music since 2005 — the May 12th release of their latest album, Paper Empire, does feel like another drop in the ’90s Revival Bucket, currently overflowing with the resurgence of old friends like Darius Rucker, Third Eye Blind, Limp Bizkit, Blink 182, No Doubt, Eminem, etc, etc, etc. (Dear Tastemakers: Does this mean I can put my legwarmers and acid washed jeans back in storage? Please advise.)

Give a listen here to the string-soaked maturity of “Just One Day,” streaming exclusively on the Music Mix, and then give us a shout in the comments: Are you ready to welcome Better Than Ezra back? Or should they stay on the shelf with James and Chumbawumba and Ace of Base and my Sporty Spice pants?

Apr 14 2009 09:30 PM ET

iTunes' Tuesday freebies: Ida Maria, Cage the Elephant

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Categories: iTunes, Things That Are Free!

The tiered pricing that went into effect last week on iTunes may have freaked out a lot of regular users, but one thing about the site still comes in the glorious key of free: its weekly seven-day song giveaways, starting each Tuesday and lasting until the next one.

As with so many things offered at no cost — pharmaceutical samples, grocery-store parking-lot boxes of kittens — the quality can vary; still, this week’s mixed bag features a track from one of my favorite new Nordics, the raucous, husky-voiced troubadess (is that a word? maybe!) Ida Maria: the highly chant-alongable single, "I Like You So Much Better When You’re Naked" that everybody seems so crazy about, from her new album Fortress ‘Round My Heart. Though I’m actually partial to album opener "Oh My God," I’m happy to listen to this one fully clothed.

Also on offer? Missouri cowgirl Jessica Harp, once a member of the Wreckers with Michelle Branch, and her solo debut single "Boy Like Me," from the upcoming summer album A Woman Needs. Honestly, it’s not my cup of juice, but it’s been on the country charts for a few weeks, so what do I know.

I’m more intrigued by Cage the Elephant, a bunch of crazy young Kentucky hooligans who thoroughly entertained me at 2007′s Lollapalooza with their outsized stage antics (crowd-terrorizing, amp-jumping, accidental vomiting) and shambolic, Southern-fried riffs — like if the Kings of Leon loved Iggy Pop and didn’t care about their hair.

The stuff I’m hearing on record is still good, if a little more slick, standard-issue rawk-boogie in a sort of cleaned-up, White Stripes-y vein. But go to iTunes to download "Ain’t No Rest for the Wicked," or watch the video below, and tell me if you agree:

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Coachella set times announced, brain already exploding
Moby’s new video with David Lynch: Wonderfully strange
Extended Play: Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, Bill Callahan

Apr 14 2009 08:33 PM ET

Coachella set times announced, brain already exploding

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Categories: Coachella, Music Festivals

Coachella has released their set times for this weekend and I’m not happy, Mixers. What sort of benevolent festival god would schedule The Airborne Toxic Event, M. Ward, Los Campesinos!, and the Hold Steady all at the same time on Friday? You expect me to believe there’s good in the universe now??

argh.

After the jump, check out the full lineups and leave your scheduling nightmares in the comments…
READ FULL STORY »

Apr 14 2009 08:07 PM ET

Moby's new video with David Lynch: Wonderfully strange

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Categories: Moby, Music Videos, Strange Bedfellows, Things That Are Beautiful

Don’t call it a comeback. Actually, yes, let’s call it a comeback: Today, Moby released a new video for "Shot in the Back of the Head," a purely-instrumental song deliciously heavy on mood and atmosphere, and the first single off his forthcoming June 30 album, Wait for Me. (His official site will offer it as a free download beginning tomorrow.) To be fair, the man has been steadily making music since his 1999 breakout album Play and solid 2002 follow-up 18, though not all of it has been good.

The exquisitely animated black-and-white video boasts an impressive pedigree: It’s directed by David Lynch, the mastermind behind Twin Peaks and Mulholland Drive. (Apparently, he and Moby are friends.) The dream-like tone of the track (reminiscent of French electro duo Air) matches perfectly with Lynch’s bizarro, Persepolis-style visuals, which center on a man in love with a floating head. Yes, you read that right: a floating head. Watch it below, courtesy of Pitchfork.tv.

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Beck rarity ‘Teenage Wastebasket’ surfaces: What do you think?
St. Vincent’s ‘Actor Out of Work’ video: Is it as ‘cheesy’ as she feared?
Feist’s short film with Cillian Murphy: Watch it here

Apr 14 2009 06:56 PM ET

Dave Matthews Band's new single: Snap judgment

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Categories: Dave Matthews Band, New Stuff, Snap Judgment, Things That Are Free!

Dave Matthews fans, rejoice! Not only does the band’s spring tour kick off this evening at Madison Square Garden (I’ll be there, et tu?), the first single from their upcoming June 2 release Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King is now available for free download on the band’s official website.

The questioning, socially-conscious anthem "Funny the Way It Is" is fairly familiar DMB stuff. (Sample lines: "Somebody’s goin’ hungry / And someone else is eatin’ out / Funny the way it is /Not right or wrong/ Somebody’s heart is broken/ And it becomes your favorite song.")

It’s a pretty Dave-heavy song, not just in the lyrics, but in the prominent electric guitar work as well. And though I’m partial to acoustic, "Funny" feels right with the electric (here’s to hoping GrooGrux has a nice mix of both.)

Sadly, Dave aside, by far the most noticeable thing about the song is the absence of saxophonist and original member LeRoi Moore, who passed away in August of 2008. Bela Fleck and the Flecktones’ Jeff Coffin and trumpet player Rashawn Ross will be filling in on tour and on the album (and both have done outstanding jobs on the road with the band), but it’s still an adjustment not hearing Moore’s signature sound.

In addition to the download, you can also check out the YouTube clip below, and try your hardest to not find yourself singing that catchy little chorus all day. What do you think, Music Mixers? Was it worth the wait? Are you counting down the days until the June 2 release of Big Whiskey?

More from EW’s Music Mix:
Jamie Foxx’s Miley Cyrus tirade on Sirius: Too much?
‘Pride and Prejudice’ and Rob Zombie?
Eminem to play the MTV Movie Awards: Will you be watching?

Apr 14 2009 04:41 PM ET

Jamie Foxx's Miley Cyrus tirade on Sirius: Too much?

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Categories: What the...?

Jamiefoxxcyrus_lYou may know him now as the affable Oscar-winner/R&B star who gets buddies like Jake Gyllenhaal and Ron Howard to appear in his music videos. Many forget, though, that Jamie Foxx got his start on the far-raunchy spectrum of stand-up comedy.

The guy who once banked on a more dangerous brand of humor (see his turn on the boundary-goosing ’90s sketch show In Living Color) was in full effect yesterday on his Sirius radio show, Foxxhole — ripping into teen superstar and current box office queen Miley Cyrus in a brief, expletive-laced segment.

The catalyst? A caller singling out Cyrus’s recent displeasure with indie-rock demigods Radiohead, who refused to meet her backstage at this year’s Grammys (she later threatened on another syndicated radio show to "ruin them.") Foxx responds incredulously, "Who is Miley Cyrus? She’s gonna ruin Radiohead’s career? The same Radiohead that gets paid a million dollars just to sample their songs?"

Cyrus, he goes on to say in an obviously jesting but possibly defamatory riff, should "make a sex tape and grow up. Get like Britney Spears and do some heroin. Do like Lindsay Lohan and start seeing a lesbian and get some crack in your pipe. Catch chlamydia on a bicycle seat…"That’s what I want." Cubicle dwellers, grab your headphones for the full and very NSFW clip after the jump:

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 14 2009 03:31 PM ET

'Pride and Prejudice' and Rob Zombie?

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Categories: What the...?

Prideprejudicezombies_lEarlier this year I spoke to author Seth Grahame-Smith about his then about-to-be-published horror novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies which mashes up Jane Austen’s classic book with the walking dead genre. To be honest, I thought this was something that people would be more interested in reading about than actually reading. I was wrong. PaPaZ currently sits in third place on the New York Times bestseller list and, given Hollywood’s continuing love affair with zombies, it is now surely just a matter of time before the novel is turned into a film. But who should direct? My suggestion is metal overlord-turned-horror auteur Rob Zombie (and not just so I could write the headline "Pride and Prejudice and Rob Zombie?"). I have my problems with Mr Zombie’s filmography and found his 2005 movie Devil’s Rejects to be a pretty disgusting celebration of serial killers. But he does know how to scare the hell out of people and is an absolute film nut who, as I know from personal experience, is as happy chatting about the cinematography in Stanley Kubrick’s costume drama Barry Lyndon as he is the amount of fake blood they used in the original Texas Chainsaw Massacre. I think he could bring to life the world of Austen—and then, of course, drench it in buckets of gore. Plus, a Zombie-directed PaPaZ would allow for a soundtrack that further mashed-up different genres by featuring lyrics about upper class tea parties and slavering zombies, and industrial rock.

Does that sound like a good idea to you?

More from EW’s Music MIx:
Phil Spector: What’s your verdict?
Bon Jovi member talks Toxic Avenger: The Musical!
Wilco’s new DVD: An exclusive full-song clip
Metallica, Run-DMC inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame

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