Archive: March 2010 (91-100 of 106)

Mar 8 2010 09:17 AM ET

Beastie Boys' Adam Yauch talks health, album plans

Filed under: News and tagged:

adam-yauchImage Credit: Steve Granitz/WireImage.comBeastie Boys rapper Adam “MCA” Yauch is on the mend after undergoing surgery and treatment for a salivary gland tumor last year. “I feel better,” Yauch told EW at the Film Independent Spirit Awards in L.A. on March 5. “It was touch and go there for a while, but I am finally getting my energy back.” (Yauch was at the awards to support nominated films The Messenger and Treeless Mountain, both of which were distributed by his company, Oscilloscope Laboratories; The Messenger‘s Woody Harrelson won Best Supporting Male.)

Next up: the Beasties’ album Hot Sauce Committee Part 1, whose release was delayed from last September due to Yauch’s cancer diagnosis. Yauch said they now hope to drop Hot Sauce this September. “It was really disappointing to have to hold the record and postpone the tour, but doctor’s orders. We may or may not [release the album] depending on how my health is come September. We want to but we have to play it by ear.”

Yauch said he and the other Beastie Boys are planning to give the album a final once-over soon. “I was just talking to Adam [Horovitz] and Mike [D] today on the phone and we were talking about working on it a bit. We finished the record over a year ago, so we want to take a look at it and re-evaluate and make sure it is what we want to put out there and that we are still happy with it. I don’t think we will change it up too much.” –Reporting by Carrie Bell

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Raekwon and Ghostface bring Wu-Massacre to NYC
Drake drops “Over”: Hear his first Thank Me Later single
Animal Collective transforms NYC’s Guggenheim Museum with trippy “Transverse Temporal Gyrus”
Kanye West visits The Cleveland Show: EW’s exclusive first look!

Mar 6 2010 12:15 PM ET

Raekwon and Ghostface Killah bring 'Wu-Massacre' to NYC's Nokia Theater

Wu-Massacre, the album that Method Man, Raekwon, and Ghostface Killah are dropping March 30, whittles down the Wu-Tang Clan to three of its finest. Last night, that line-up was pared further to just Raekwon and Ghostface, for what was billed as an early Wu-Massacre release celebration at the Nokia Theater in NYC’s Times Square. There was some sense in making the trio a duo. Rae and Ghost, in particular, have often felt like a group within a group on the Clan’s releases. These guys go together like peanut butter and jelly, or pasta and tomato sauce — speaking of which, they collaborate often enough to have come up with the acronym R.A.G.U. (for “Rae and Ghost United”) to identify their joint efforts.

The concert began with a string of unimpeachable cuts from 1995′s classic Only Built 4 Cuban Linx… — technically Raekwon’s solo debut, but one to which Ghostface contributed heavily, earning prominent billing on the album’s cover. Their undiminished chemistry was evident in the show-opening string of “Criminology,” “Incarcerated Scarfaces,” “Ice Cream,” and “Verbal Intercourse.” Both rappers are essentially storytellers, Ghostface narrating crime sagas with a jumpy urgency, Raekwon doing the same in gravelly and matter-of-fact tones. Together they strode the stage like giants, joining in on one another’s lyrics at key points for emphasis.

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 5 2010 04:05 PM ET

Drake drops 'Over': Hear his first 'Thank Me Later' single here

Drake has already performed at the Grammys and hit the top 10 of the Billboard 200 on the strength of mixtapes and an EP, but he has yet to confirm a release date or track list for his official debut album, Thank Me Later. Last night the Canadian rapper-singer took one step closer to that goal by releasing “Over,” the first single from Thank Me Later, as a free download. You can give “Over” a spin below. So how is it?

Not terrible. Not amazing, either. The hook finds Drake doing his Auto-Tune croon thing, reflecting on his rise to fame per usual: “I know way too many people here right now that I didn’t know last year/Who the f— are y’all?/…I’m living life right now, man/And this what I’ma do til it’s over/Til it’s over/But it’s far from over.” Reasonably catchy, but I liked this song better when it was called “Forever.” Otherwise the lyrics are typically punchline-packed. I smiled to hear a nod to Dead Prez (and ultimately Bob Marley) in Drake’s second verse, until I realized he was flipping those lines to talk about how his success has affected his love life instead of revolutionary politics. Then I shook my head and felt old.

How do you like “Over”? Are you still looking forward to Thanking Drake Later? Speak up in the comments below.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Animal Collective transforms NYC’s Guggenheim Museum with trippy “Transverse Temporal Gyrus”
Kanye West visits The Cleveland Show: EW’s exclusive first look!
Weezer on Yo Gabba Gabba: Watch an exclusive clip of their upcoming performance
Sade hangs on to the album chart’s No. 1 spot
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive

Mar 5 2010 02:17 PM ET

Dakota Fanning and Kristen Stewart take on 'Cherry Bomb' for Runaways movie: Stream it here

You want your adorable I Am Sam moppet in panties and mesh thigh-highs snarling about “dead end dreams” and “stone age love”? It is your lucky day, friend.

Fanning, as Cherrie Currie, takes on the Runaways‘ delinquent-Lolita anthem “Cherry Bomb” for the upcoming biopic of the original grrl band (co-star Kristen Stewart, as Joan Jett, sings back-up). Ch-ch-ch-ch-ch-check it out, below:

It basically sounds like the original, just less awesome. True, Dakota yell-talks more than sings, but that’s hardly unlike Currie; the Runaways were about teen rebellion and general bad-assery, not melisma. And she does nail the hair.

The movie comes to theaters April 9. Will you be there, neon angels?

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Animal Collective transforms NYC’s Guggenheim Museum with trippy ‘Transverse Temporal Gyrus’
Kanye West visits ‘The Cleveland Show’: EW’s exclusive first look!
Sade hangs on to the album chart’s No. 1 spot
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive
Chilly B of Newcleus dies at age 47
‘Glee’ cast hits the road this spring: Live tour dates announced

Mar 5 2010 01:04 PM ET

Animal Collective transforms NYC's Guggenheim Museum with trippy 'Transverse Temporal Gyrus'

animal-collective-installationImage Credit: Roger Kisby/Getty ImagesPractically the first thing the Guggenheim Museum‘s staff told journalists who inquired last month about the institution’s recently announced Animal Collective event was that it was “not a live concert (nor an art exhibition!).” After releasing an album deemed to be 2009′s best by EW as well as many other critics, the band is taking an extended break from touring in the traditional sense, preferring to travel the country to present avant-garde projects like their film ODDSAC and, well, this Guggenheim thing. Which was what, exactly? “For the Guggenheim’s 50th Anniversary,” the museum’s website explained, “the band Animal Collective has collaborated with artist [and ODDSAC director] Danny Perez on a site-specific performance piece that will transform the museum’s rotunda into a kinetic, psychedelic environment. Transverse Temporal Gyrus will feature original recorded music composed specifically for the event along with video projections, costumes, and props, rendering the band members and performers into intense, visual abstractions.” Watching the bizarre videos Perez has directed for Animal Collective’s “Who Could Win a Rabbit?” (2004) and “Summertime Clothes” (2009) gave some sense of what attendees might be in for. Only one thing remained: to visit the Guggenheim last night for the second of two performances and experience Transverse Temporal Gyrus first-hand.

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 5 2010 10:00 AM ET

Kanye West visits 'The Cleveland Show': EW's exclusive first look!

cleveland-show-kanyeImage Credit: FoxKanye West has kept a fairly low profile in recent months, but soon you’ll be able to catch him — or at least his animated alter ego — in the May 2 episode of Fox’s Family Guy spin-off The Cleveland Show. You can see the first official image of West’s guest spot in the new issue of EW, on stands today, or check it out right here in this post. In the episode, the rap megastar voices a 19-year-old local hero named, er, Kenny West, who gets into a lopsided rhyme battle with the show’s Cleveland Brown, Jr. over the affections of a young woman who’s voiced by Taraji P. Henson.

“We knew that Kanye was a Family Guy fan,” Cleveland Show co-creator Rich Appel tells the Music Mix. “He’s made reference to it on his website and stuff. In the writers’ room, we just thought it would be great to have him as a character on the town. So we came up with the story. He really liked it and said, ‘Sure!’” One year ago, West came in for a table read at the L.A. building where Family Guy, American Dad, and The Cleveland Show are all produced. “You know, I’ve worked on The Simpsons and Family Guy and King of the Hill,” says Appel. “We’ve had a lot of guest stars. It’s very rare that a guest star is eager and willing to come to the table read. He showed up 15 minutes early.” West went on to record his part last March. About a month ago, when the time came to re-record a few lines for the final cut, Appel says the star obligingly stepped into a booth at the studio where he’s working on his next album and sent the new dialogue over.

The experience went so well that West has already recorded an appearance for an additional episode of The Cleveland Show‘s upcoming second season — and Appel hopes there’s even more to come. “He could not have been more collaborative or easier to work with. We’re excited, because his character has become a recurring character in our universe…He’ll become our Sideshow Bob!”

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Sade hangs on to the album chart’s No. 1 spot
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive
Chilly B of Newcleus dies at age 47
‘Glee’ cast hits the road this spring: Live tour dates announced

Mar 4 2010 02:24 PM ET

Weezer on 'Yo Gabba Gabba!': watch an exclusive clip of their upcoming performance here

Season 3 of everyone’s favorite music-crazy kids’ show kicks off March 8, and we’ve got exclusive video of one of the show’s most anticipated guests yet. Check out Weezer–in bug costumes!–playing the tune “All My Friends Are Insects.” And be sure to check out our full Yo Gabba Gabba! story in this week’s issue of Entertainment Weekly.

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Sade fends off Lady Antebellum to rule the albums chart again
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive
Chilly B of Newcleus dies at age 47
‘Glee’ cast hits the road this spring: Live tour dates announced

Mar 3 2010 04:34 PM ET

Taio Cruz talks 'Break Your Heart,' his new album, and getting 'Dirty' with Ke$ha

Filed under: Music and tagged: , , , , ,

R&B singer-songwriter Taio Cruz (it’s pronounced “Tie-Oh”) has already made a name for himself back home in the UK, where the sweet-voiced 26-year-old scored a number one record last year with the club-ready “Break Your Heart.” (He’s also penned hits for Brit-centric acts like Tinchy Stryder, Cheryl Cole, and Sugababes.) Now, “Heart” is racing up the US singles charts, putting Cruz on track for transatlantic pop stardom. EW caught up with him this week to find out more about his upcoming album (due in the states this summer), his influences, and his new video with Ke$ha.

READ FULL STORY »

Mar 3 2010 03:21 PM ET

First Hole single, 'Skinny Little Bitch,' hits interwebs: Listen and weigh in here!

It’s almost as though Courtney Love doesn’t know it is her duty as a train wreck to announce a new record and then keep pushing the release date back and back and back until it disappears into a haze of Chinese Democracy-like proportions: Not two weeks after Nobody’s Daughter got a label and a release date of April 27th, the first single from the reanimated corpse of Hole is here… and it doesn’t suck.

Much like the clip of “Samantha” I linked to last time, “Skinny Little Bitch” sounds a bit like leftovers from the ’90s instead of something vivid and in the moment. But from the sludgy bar chords to Love’s aggro wail, it definitely sounds like Hole. And despite the fact that I am no longer 19 years old, I still really enjoy Hole, so, hey, awesometown.

You can download the clip for yourself at NobodysDaughter.com, if you want. Do you want, Mixers? What think you?

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Sade hangs on to the album chart’s No. 1 spot
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive
Chilly B of Newcleus dies at age 47
‘Glee’ cast hits the road this spring: Live tour dates announced

Mar 3 2010 11:53 AM ET

Sade hangs on to the albums chart's No. 1 spot, followed closely by Lady Antebellum

soldier-of-love-topMemo to all artists planning their next releases: Think twice before dropping your album any time near when Sade has a new one on shelves. The British soul act is ruling the new Billboard 200 albums chart for a third week straight after selling another 127,000 copies of Soldier of Love, according to Nielsen SoundScan. For now, at least, Sade is proving unstoppable.

Lady Antebellum are also doing pretty well for themselves on the charts. Just like last week and the week before, the country trio is close behind Sade at No. 2 with 118,000 copies sold of Need You Now. It remains to be seen whether they can surge back and recapture No. 1, where they resided for two weeks in February, but that prospect is looking less likely by the minute.

The first new entry on this week’s chart is Johnny Cash, whose latest posthumous album, the critical favorite American VI: Ain’t No Grave, checks in at No. 3 with 54,000 sold. With powerhouses like Sade and Lady A still going strong but not much of anything else out there, that’s enough for a solid bronze finish.

Down at No. 10 we find Alkaline Trio, whose This Addiction moved a modest but respectable 26,000. No other new entries made it into the top 20 this week.

What do you think of these results? Did you buy any of these albums last week? How long do you think Sade and Lady Antebellum’s No. 1/No. 2 stalemate can last?

(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Sade fends off Lady Antebellum to rule the albums chart again
Jack Johnson talks new album, new tour, new (lack of) haircut
Stream new Rogue Wave ‘Stars and Stripes’ here: A Music Mix exclusive
Chilly B of Newcleus dies at age 47
‘Glee’ cast hits the road this spring: Live tour dates announced

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