Archive: April 2010 (41-50 of 139)

Apr 22 2010 10:21 AM ET

Johnny Depp directs an arty video for Babybird: Watch here

Categories: Music Videos

Johnny Depp: Is there anything the man can’t do? The Mad Hatter’s latest project is directing a music video for British rockers Babybird‘s “Unloveable,” which you can watch after the jump.

As you’ll see, it’s a stark, dramatic clip. We open in black and white, with singer Stephen Jones about to be executed by hanging for crimes unknown. Our hero escapes the gallows, dodges pursuers, and flashes back to past experiences, until — well, I won’t ruin the surprise ending for you, but you might remember it from middle-school English. As Vulture notes, the video’s plot is taken from Ambrose Bierce’s 1890 short story “An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge,” a trippy classic set during the Civil War that was later adapted into a Twilight Zone episode. How literary!

Check out the video after the jump and let us know what you think of Depp’s handiwork.

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2010 09:21 PM ET

DJ Premier releases statement on Guru's passing: 'Our time together was beautiful'

DJ Premier, the partner of Guru (born Keith Elam) in Gang Starr, has released the following statement on his passing yesterday at age 48.

“It was a sad day for me to get confirmation on the death of a man who I will continue to call my brother, Keith Elam, better known as Guru of the legendary Gang Starr.

“Fron 1988-2004, we experienced so much success together that we were able to expand our businesses independently and give each other what Guru called ‘creative space,’ before planning to reunite for our 7th EP when the time was right. Tragically, we will never reach that day.

“I’ve been asked to comments on a letter speaking ill of me which was supposedly written by Guru in his dying days. All I will say about it is that our time together was beautiful, we built a hip hop legacy together, and no one can re-write history or take away my live for him. One thing I would never do is play around with the truth abouthis life.

“I will celebrate Guru’s life… I will honor his memory… I will grieve with the Elam family over his untimely death… I will remember the Gang Starr Foundation and all of the original members of Gang Starr who came before me — we all know each other…. Mostly, I will cherish everything we created together as Gang Starr, forever I’m gonna miss hearing his signature monotone voice when he walks in the room, but the songs will always bring it back to me….His rhyme flows were insane, and I will never remove him from my heart and soul…….Rest in peace to the man who felt ‘satisfaction from the street crowd reaction’ … I love you Goo…….DJ Premier”

More on Guru:
Guru’s family releases statement: ‘Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much’
Guru, RIP: Our four favorite songs
Guru of Gang Starr dead at 48

Apr 21 2010 04:29 PM ET

Summer tour exclusive: As I Lay Dying, Underoath, and more launch Cool Tour 2010

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Tours

cool-tourEW.com has learned exclusively that As I Lay Dying, Underoath, Between the Buried and Me, Blessthefall, the Acacia Strain, Architects, Cancer Bats, and War of Ages are teaming up for Cool Tour 2010, launching July 12 in Orlando, Florida. The tour will run 18 dates, ending in San Francisco Aug. 1, and according to Cancer Bats frontman Liam Cormier, “The whole thing is gonna be total flip flop mosh, parking lot bro down to the max!”

For more information, visit www.cooltour10.com. Tickets go on sale via Ticketmaster April 30. Full list of dates after the jump!

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2010 02:37 PM ET

B.o.B dethrones Rihanna on the Hot 100

BoBImage Credit: Tim Mosenfelder/Getty ImagesWhen Billboard releases its Hot 100 singles chart tomorrow, there will be a new No. 1. After sitting behind Rihanna‘s “Rude Boy” for more than a month, B.o.B will move up to the top spot, according to Billboard. Rihanna will trade places with his “Nothin’ on You” for No. 2.

Check out our Q&A with Bruno Mars, who’s featured on the Atlanta native’s smash here.

But the good news doesn’t stop there. B.o.B’s next single, “Airplanes” (featuring Paramore‘s Hayley Williams), will debut at No. 12.

B.oB’s debut album, B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray hits stores on April 27.  Check out the “Nothin’ on You” video after the jump.

READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2010 01:39 PM ET

Guru's family releases statement: 'Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much'

guruImage Credit: Dalle/Mielniczek/LandovThe family of late Gang Starr rapper Guru (born Keith Elam) released a statement today on his passing. The family’s remarks clarify the circumstances of Guru’s death, saying that he battled a white blood cell cancer for more than a year before suffering a heart attack and entering a coma two months ago. Read the full statement below.

“The Elam family wishes to thank the fans of our son/brother/father/uncle/nephew/cousin Keith aka GURU for the outpouring of love, concern and support. Our hearts are broken by the loss of someone we loved so much. GURU was devoted to his young son, who will most keenly feel his absence. GURU suffered from multiple myeloma for over a year. Accrued complications from this illness led to respiratory failure and cardiac arrest. As a result, GURU was in a coma from mid February until his death and never regained consciousness. Early on the morning of April 19th, he became hypertensive due to low blood pressure. He again went into cardiac arrest and slipped away from us. GURU died far too young but he was, and we are, proud of all his many legendary musical contributions. The family is not aware of any foundations established by GURU. We know and understand that countless fans want to express their condolences and love and, to that end, we are planning a memorial event in the near future that will be all-inclusive. Please look for further details from the family as they become available.”

More on Guru:
Guru, RIP: Our four favorite songs
Guru of Gang Starr dead at 47

Apr 21 2010 01:11 PM ET

Eddie Vedder serenades Conan O'Brien in Seattle: Watch it here!

Categories: Grunge, Pearl Jam, Video Gaga

Conan O’Brien’s “Legally Prohibited from Being Funny on TV” tour swung through Seattle last night, and Eddie Vedder of Pearl Jam (who were Conan’s first Tonight Show musical guests) stopped by for a three-song set of emotional essentials. There was inspiration in “Rise Up,” from the Into the Wild soundtrack. There was love via the John Lennon-inspired “Oh Coco.” And there was fight-the-man passion, as Vedder closed the set slamming tambourines into the Who’s “Baba O’Riley,” with guitarist Mike McCready in tow, and the Legally Prohibited Band (formerly the Max Weinberg 7) in full force. Never knew that song was missing a horn section until this morning. Anyway, watch ‘em all embedded after the jump and weigh in. As my co-worker Leah Greenblatt might ask, is this amazeballs? (Note: Conan sure thought so, which is more or less all that matters these days. Oh, Coco!) READ FULL STORY »

Apr 21 2010 01:07 PM ET

Justin Bieber tops Billboard album chart again, while MGMT manages second place

justin_bieberImage Credit: Pamela LittkeyThis planet still revolves around Justin Bieber. For the second straight week (and third nonconsecutive) his My World 2.0 is No. 1 on the  Billboard 200 albums chart, selling 92,000 records.

It was a slow week on the chart: Bieber’s World is the lowest-selling album in the top spot in almost a year. The last to hold that dubious distinction was Chrisette Michele’s Epiphany, last May.

Psychedelic rockers MGMT‘s sophomore album, Congratulations, is the chart’s biggest debut, landing at No. 2 with 66,000 sold. It’s the best chart showing of their career, Billboard noted. Oracular Spectacular, their last album, never sold more than 17,000 in a week, but its steady sales have led it to a 606,000 total in the U.S.

The chart’s second-highest debut is Coheed and Cambria’s No. 5. ranking for their Year of the Black Rainbows, which sold 51,000 copies. It’s a step down from their last album, 2007′s No World For Tomorrow, which bowed at No. 6 but sold 62,000 units.

Usher, last week‘s No. 2, is now down to No. 4. His latest effort, Raymond v. Raymond, sold 64,000.

Riding off her performance on NBC’s Saturday Night LiveKe$ha‘s Animal returns to the top 10, moving from No. 16 to No. 8 with 31,000 sold.

Monica‘s Still Standing is doing just that in the top 10, holding steady 30,000 records sold at the No. 9 spot.

And Justin Bieber’s first installment of My World falls two spots No. 10 with 30,000.

Surprised MGMT couldn’t knock Bieber out of No. 1? Did you buy anything new this week? Let us know.

Apr 21 2010 10:59 AM ET

Courtney Love changes name, says she is 'sick' of talking about Kurt Cobain

Courtenay-Love-240.jpgImage Credit: Ferdaus Shamim/Getty ImagesCourtney has no more use for Love, she tells England’s NME magazine (via the BBC).

The Hole frontwoman, whose Nobody’s Daughter arrives this week, says definitively, “Courtney Love is dead. We’ve all decided we don’t like her any more.”

“We love her when she goes onstage,” she continues,” but I don’t need her in the rest of my life. The name Courtney Love is a way to oppress me.” Instead, she will now go by her given name, Courtney Michelle Harrison.

And she doesn’t want to talk about Kurt anymore, either. “I am not his spokesperson on Earth. I don’t know what he’d be like now, he could be into society girls, he could be into fat girls, he could be homosexual. We don’t know, he died at 27.”

UPDATE: A spokesperson tells MTV that the name-change sentiment was taken “100 percent out of context” by NME (in which the quote runs verbatim). “She’s not changing her name,” her rep continues, “unless it’s to ‘Courtney Love Mellencamp’ or ‘Big Baby Jesus.’”

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
‘Sex and the City 2′ soundtrack: Meet your divas
Michael Jackson to get his own Cirque du Soleil shows: Dream? Nightmare? Or BOTH?
Rapper Guru, RIP: Our four favorite songs
Coachella 2010 Sunday: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke close out the festival
Grace Jones vs. Lady Gaga: ‘I wouldn’t go to see her’
Ke$ha’s amazingly bland Saturday Night Live performances: Watch here

Apr 20 2010 03:18 PM ET

'Sex and the City 2' soundtrack: Meet your divas

Alicia-Keys-Jennifer-HudsonImage Credit: Alicia Keys: Dave Hogan/Getty Images; Jennifer Hudson: Dimitrios Kambouris/WireImageCarrie, Miranda, Samantha, Charlotte: say hello to Alicia, Leona, Jennifer and Liza.

As in Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis, Jennifer Hudson, and Liza Minelli —all slated to appear on the soundtrack for May’s gyno-magical Sex & the City 2. Marc Malkin of E! Online reports that Keys will cover Blondie’s 1980 hit “Rapture,” as a mash-up with the original SATC theme song.

Hudson won’t be back to reprise her role in the first big-screen adaptation of the series; instead, she’ll duet with Lewis on an original ballad, “Love Is Your Color.” Minnelli, already slated for a wedding-scene cameo in the film, will make like a certain other squeakquel and take on Beyonce’s deathless “Single Ladies,” as well as the Cole Porter standard “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.”

The full soundtrack, due May 25, will also reportedly feature contributions from Dido and Cee Lo. So tell us what you think, readers—more potential here than the musical material lassoed for Sex 1.0? (Granted, the bar set by Fergie’s pop-poopsicle “Labels or Love” is not high.) Or—she couldn’t help but wonder—is something missing?

More from EW.com’s Music Mix:
Michael Jackson to get his own Cirque du Soleil shows: Dream? Nightmare? Or BOTH?
Rapper Guru, RIP: Our four favorite songs
Coachella 2010 Sunday: Gorillaz, Pavement, Thom Yorke close out the festival
Grace Jones vs. Lady Gaga: ‘I wouldn’t go to see her’
Ke$ha’s amazingly bland Saturday Night Live performances: Watch here

Apr 20 2010 03:10 PM ET

Jack Ingram Q&A: 'The rest of my career, however it plays out, I guarantee it will be my voice.'

Jack-IngramImage Credit: David McClisterOne of the best performances on Sunday night’s Academy of Country Music Awards was Jack Ingram‘s “Barbie Doll,” a raucous throwdown with pal Dierks Bentley that ended with two dozen girls mobbing the men on stage and rubbing up against them in all sorts of inappropriate ways.

“Barbie Doll” first appeared on Ingram’s 1999 Hey You, a terrific album from the days when Ingram was a superstar in Texas and nowhere else; it was repurposed on last year’s Big Dreams & High Hopes, Ingram’s first record after winning Top “New” Artist at the 2008 ACMs, 13 years into his 15-year career. For old-school Ingram fans, his transition from Texas to Nashville has been more than a little awkward to watch, like a perfect junkyard dog after a trip to the groomers: it’s not that we don’t want him to be clean, we just fell in love with him dirty. I took him to task for Big Dreams & High Hopes, but thankfully, Ingram’s still speaking to me, and we caught up backstage after his ACM rehearsal for an honest conversation about why he’s currently touring smaller venues, what he hopes the “Barbie Doll” performance will accomplish, and why up until now, his mainstream country career has just been “small talk.”

How do you feel about where you are in your career, and how things are going? I know you’re out playing bars and small clubs, and it’s a return to where you started. Where are you hoping that leads?
It’s kinda just coming back around. Making a run through and hopefully coming back out the other side again. There’s a certain intimacy that you get in a bar show that  you can’t get opening for people in front of thousands. And I’ve got so many fans in the last five or six years that haven’t been in that scene with me, so I feel like they maybe missed out on a certain energy that might create separation between me and other artists that are doing as well as I am. It’s still a business on some level. I’m not selling as many records as I want to, and I’m not headlining yet. So I still need to figure out how to make that big move that I came here for. And I think part of that is making a deeper connection with my existing fans, and letting them know why — I mean, in music we try to pretend that it’s not competitive or whatever. But there needs to be some separation, me saying why I’m important to you in a different way that Artist #17 is. READ FULL STORY »

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