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Category: An EW Exclusive! (1-10 of 138)

Jan 27 2010 03:21 PM ET

Bruce Springsteen and Elvis Costello on Bob Dylan: Exclusive 'Spectacle' clip

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Bruce Springsteen, Elvis Costello, Video Exclusive

Last September, I was among the lucky few crowded into Harlem’s historic Apollo Theater for a taping of Elvis Costello’s Sundance Channel music/talk show, Spectacle. His guest that night was Bruce Springsteen. Elvis and the Boss proceeded to trade stories, joke around, and perform for nearly four hours, all told — enough to make two episodes of Spectacle where they’d only planned on recording one.

Part 1 of Springsteen’s Spectacle visit aired on the Sundance Channel last week. Part 2 is on tonight at 10 P.M., and we’ve got an exclusive clip from tonight’s episode right here on the Music Mix. As you’ll see, it’s a conversation between Springsteen and Costello on topics including the influence of Bob Dylan on both of their work. “He’s the father of the country that I recognize,” Springsteen says. “He’s the father of my country.” Albums like Highway 61 Revisited, he adds, “opened up your vision in a way that, for me at the time, school didn’t do.”

Check out the clip below. I’m not sure anything tonight can top the solo acoustic performance of “American Skin (41 Shots)” that Springsteen gave on last week’s episode — that was surely one of the most moving musical performances I’ve ever witnessed — but I’ll be tuning in at 10 anyway. How about you?

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

Jan 18 2010 01:23 PM ET

Little Steven defends his 'coolest garage rock of the last decade' picks. 'Bruce Springsteen? Call it employment insurance'

by Clark Collis

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Beatles, Bruce Springsteen, Listmania!, Music, News, Reissues, Rolling Stones

Steven Van Zandt recently counted down what he believes to be the coolest garage rock songs and albums of the decade on his Undergound Garage radio show. There’s a lot of great music on both lists. But there’s also some eyebrow-raising choices. For example, several of the acts Little Steven recommends are on the guitarist’s own Wicked Cool label. It also transpires that Steven is a huuuuuge fan of the CD Magic by Bruce Springsteen, who really is Van Zandt’s “Boss” when he’s playing with the E Street Band. We asked Van Zandt to defend five of his more “interesting” picks.

And he agreed!

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band: Magic
Van Zandt-featuring 2007 collection, widely regarded as being inferior to 2002’s The Rising
“Call it employment insurance [laughs]. I do have to occasionally see the man, you know! Obviously I can’t be too objective about it. But I honestly believe that was a terrific album. I think it’s a great statement that at this stage of his career my friend is continuing to write songs that are vital and serious. I looked at the three records we did in the last ten years (The Rising, Magic and last year’s Working on a Dream) and that one had the most resonance for me. It just seemed to be the one that was the most consistent. But it was a close call. It could have been any three of them. They’re all quite good, I think!”

(Read full post)

Jan 15 2010 11:06 AM ET

Katy Perry in the studio: Producer Dr. Luke talks with EW

by Tanner Stransky

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Buzzworthy, EW Exclusives, Katy Perry, Music, New Stuff, News, People

Can Katy Perry pull off another hit as blockbuster as 2008’s One of the Boys? She’s surely trying.

The bi-curious pop minx has returned to the studio with uber-producer Dr. Luke (né Lukasz Gottwald), who produced Boys and co-wrote both of Perry’s smash singles “I Kissed A Girl and “Hot ‘N’ Cold” (He’s also the man behind Kelly Clarkson’s “Since U Been Gone” and “My Life Would Suck Without You,” as well as Avril Lavigne’s “Girlfriend” and Ke$ha’s “Tik Tok.”)

“I’m working on Katy Perry’s record right now,” Dr. Luke told the Music Mix on Wednesday. “Literally, yesterday was our first day, but it was amazing.” The big question, of course, is whether Perry has the mojo to produce another album that could be as successful as One of the Boys, which went twice platinum in the U.S. and garnered her three top-10 singles.

At this early stage, Luke is optimistic about the prospects: “I think so, I think so, I hope so,” he says. “I mean, having said that, I’m really proud of the work we already did. You know, of my songs that I’ve done, ‘Hot ‘N’ Cold’ was one of my favorite ones. It’s just fun. I like making songs where you can make people have a good time and have joy. That’s like the best thing you can possibly do, you know?”

Oh, we do—and we’re hoping for more. Do you agree? Are you happy to hear that you’ll have some new KP jams by this summer?

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

Photo credit: Bob Charlotte / PR Photo

Jan 13 2010 05:31 PM ET

Mary J. Blige: Watch an intimate, intense performance of the 'Precious' anthem 'Color' exclusively here

by Leah Greenblatt

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Divas!, Mary J. Blige

Mary J—a lady who knows a thing or two about personal struggles—turned out one of 2009’s most affecting anthems with “Color,” the yearning, torchy ballad used to devastating effect in the critically acclaimed drama Precious.

Through January 17, Sirius XM Radio is honoring the queen of hip-hop soul with an official “Mary J. Blige Week,” seven days of special programming featuring interviews, archival clips and new music hosted by MJB herself.

Few can do drama like Ms. No More Drama; watch an exclusive video clip of Blige’s raw, intimate take on “Color” in the Sirius XM studio (the audio originally aired on Sirius in December, and re-airs this Sunday on The Heat at 6pm EST)—and her dramatic personal response to the film:

Jan 13 2010 06:50 AM ET

Heidi Montag says new album cost almost $2 million, left her broke, is as good as 'Thriller'

by Tim Stack

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Guilty Pleasures, MTV, Music, Music Biz, New Stuff, News, Television, Uncategorized

It’s taken three years, nearly $2 million, and one very questionable Miss Universe pageant performance, but Heidi Montag, star of the The Hills and wife of reality villain Spencer Pratt, finally released her debut album yesterday. Superficial, which Montag and Pratt are putting out on their own label, is an electro-pop collection of 12 tracks with party-friendly titles like “One More Drink” and “Hey Boy.” Montag chatted with EW about the album’s delay, her monetary issues, and why she thinks Superficial is as good as Thriller.

EW: Why did it take three years to put this together?

HEIDI MONTAG: Well, I did it independently. If you look back at the superstars throughout history it used to take that long to put albums together. Now it’s more manufactured. I really wanted to take my time, and every song means so much to me. And every song was a true journey. I had to track down the songs myself, because it was just Spencer and I doing it independently. We really took our time with every single process, because we wanted it to be the highest quality possible. I wanted it to be back to the Thriller days, to that kind of sound. It’s timeless music, so whenever it comes out was the right timing.

EW: Do you think Superficial holds up against something like Thriller?

HM: I definitely do. I think people might not see it now, because it’s my first album coming out. But I’ve spent as much time–maybe more, even–than Thriller. Every detail was very important to me, because I take this very seriously. Most artists, it’s not their own money, but I’ve actually gone broke putting every dollar I’ve ever made and my heart and soul into this music. For me, I have a different appreciation, a different understanding, and a different love of my music and for my album than any other artist possibly could. Because this is my money. This is my gamble. This is my chance.

EW: You’ve gone broke? (Read full post)

Dec 3 2009 10:00 AM ET

Stream new Cold War Kids, 'Coffee Spoon': it's a Music Mix exclusive!

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Cold War Kids, Downloads and Streams

Here’s a nice early Christmas gift from the Cold War Kids: Their Behave Yourself EP will be available for download, courtesy of iTunes, on December 21. (Physical product, for those who still care, isn’t out until January 19, oh-Ten.)

But because we strive to be like Santa at all times of the year, the Music Mix is happy to bring you an exclusive preview of “Coffee Spoon,” a track off this upcoming collection of songs recorded after the sessions for 2008’s Loyalty to Loyalty. “They didn’t belong there,” reports frontman Nathan Willett of the four tracks on this EP, “but they kept hanging around, starting trouble; made friends, and insisted that their story be heard.”

Have a listen and decide for yourselves, Mixers: Are you glad this track stuck?

Photo Credit: Matt Wingnall

Dec 3 2009 08:00 AM ET

Exclusive: 'Gossip Girl' co-creator Josh Schwartz gives us his take on the albums that defined the decade

by EW staff

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Listmania!, Television

For Entertainment Weekly’s Best of the Decade special issue, we asked some of the sharpest minds in film and television to give us their take on the past ten years. Josh Schwartz, creator of The O.C. and co-creator of Gossip Girl and Chuck, shared his insights into how and why America became Playlist Nation in the 2000s, and how the rise of digital music threatened to kill the album, but ultimately didn’t. To prove his point, Josh gave EW.com this exclusive list of the albums he feels best defined the decade. To read Josh Schwartz’s full essay on the decade in music, pick up the current issue of EW, on stands now.

In our new Playlist Nation, many felt the age of the album was over, with shuffle-happy listeners too busy downloading singles and ringtones. This is an attempt to present ten albums that defied that trend and defined this decade. Hopefully they will be heard for a long, long time. And no matter when you hear them, they will transport you back to this time. —Josh Schwartz

Best Albums by the Defining Artists of the ’00s

Radiohead, Kid A

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Jay-Z, The Blueprint

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[Schwartz's list continues after the jump...]
(Read full post)

Nov 24 2009 10:01 AM ET

Bryan Adams pens song for new movie 'Old Dogs': Listen to the exclusive stream here!

by Clark Collis

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Movies, Soundtracks

When Bryan Adams heard the folks at Disney were using his song “The Summer of ‘69″ in the new comedy Old Dogs, which is released tomorrow, he called the film company’s music chief to express his gratitude. “I said,’Thanks a lot for doing that,’ recalls the Canadian singer-songwriter, “He goes, ‘Hey, by the way, can you write me an original song?’ He told me a little bit about the movie, that Robin Williams and John Travolta are great friends, and then I sent him a song. Simple as that!” The track, which you can exclusively hear below, is a breezy number called “You’ve Been a Friend to Me.” Adams says that he was influenced by having spent most of the year doing acoustic shows: “The song’s got quite an acoustic swing to it, because that’s the instrument I’m using right now.”

Adams has contributed songs to numerous movies. Notably, his single “(Everything I Do) I Do It For You” became a global smash in large part thanks to its appearance in the 1991 Kevin Costner action-romp Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves. According to the Music Mix’s records, the song was a number one in Britain for seven years straight. “It’s still number one!” laughs Adams. “Actually, it was 16 weeks. I can remember my record company saying to me, ‘Listen, we have to pull the single, because we want to focus on the album. I said, ‘Just leave it’. I mean people were buying that record that never buy records. It struck a chord with people out there in the world that in some cases didn’t even speak English!”

Can you speak English? And, if not, how are you understanding this? Regardless, give a listen to Mr Adams’ newie, and tell us what you think.

Nov 20 2009 07:41 PM ET

Adam Lambert talks 'For Your Entertainment' at AMA rehearsals: More from our exclusive EW.com Q&A!

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: Adam Lambert, American Music Awards, An EW Exclusive!

Rehearsals for this weekend’s American Music Awards are underway in Los Angeles, and the Music Mix is on the scene to bring you as much of the action as we’re allowed to see. Sadly, so far, that hasn’t been much, as yesterday’s rehearsals — Adam Lambert and Jennifer Lopez, who coincidentally leaked a song called “Louboutins” today — were closed to media.

The LA Times’s Margaret Wappler was luckier than we: she managed to sneak a guerilla peek at Lamber t’s rehearsal (before being booted), and reported back that “dancers sashayed across the floor in spangly harem pants, leotards with torn tights and in one particular eye-catching costume, leather pants topped off with a few leather suspender-straps and silvery chains on an otherwise bare-chested male dancer.” We can certainly report that the bass beat of “For Your Entertainment” pounding through the closed doors of the Nokia was hella catchy, and that yes, Lambert’s high notes do carry.

We ran the first part of our post-rehearsal Q&A with the Glambert yesterday, in which he spoke openly about his feelings on the OUT magazine kerfuffle. After the jump, the rest of our short but sweet conversation: How his club kid friends have reacted to For Your Entertainment, how his “rock” voice fits in with Chad Kroeger’s “rock” voice, and which part of his AMA performance he’s dedicated to our EW.com readers. You know you wanna know. (Read full post)

Nov 20 2009 11:27 AM ET

The Black Keys take over the space radio: Watch Dan Auerbach's 'Trouble Weighs A Ton' performance, exclusively on the Music Mix!

by Whitney Pastorek

Categories: An EW Exclusive!, Black Keys

The Black Keys’ Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney have been spending some time apart of late — Auerbach with his great solo record, Keep It Hid, and Carney with Drummer, his promising new supergroup comprised only of drummers from other bands — but they’ll come together on satellite radio next week: The guys are co-hosting Jake Fogelnest’s show on SIRIUS XMU from 10-11 a.m. every day, leading up to the debut of their new side project, Blakroc, in which the Ohio rockers laid down tracks for artists like Raekwon, Q-Tip, Ludacris, Mos Def, and RZA.

Did you get all that? These boys are busy. And yet they make such gloriously simple music, as illustrated by Auerbach’s stop by the SIRIUS XMU Sessions, where his up-close-and-personal performance will air December 2 at 9 p.m. ET. To get you in the mood, we scored an exclusive peek at “Trouble Weighs a Ton.” Press play!

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