Top 10 Albums of 2009

Here are the selector’s top 10 favorite albums for 2009…

1. Daweh Congo – Ghetto Skyline [MK-Zwo Records 2009] 
2. Willie Neslon & Asleep at the Wheel – Willie And The Wheel [Bismeaux Records 2009]
3. Easy Star All Stars – Easy Star’s Lonely Hearts Dub Band [Easy Star Records 2009]
4. Michael Franti and Spearhead – All Rebel Rockers [Anti 2009]
5. The Avett Brothers – I And Love And You [American Recordings 2009]
6. Julian Marley – Awake [Tuff Gong Records 2009]
7. K’Naan – Troubadour [A&M/Octone Records 2009]
8. Courtney John – Made In Jamaica [Jamaica Music/FiWi Records 2009]
9. Chali 2na – Fish Outta Water [Decon 2009]
10. Major Lazer – Guns Don’t Kill People…Lazers Do [Downtown Records 2009]

“Make Me” is the debut single off of Janet Jackson’s new greatest hit’s “The Best/Number Ones” the single and album are in stores now.

Superstar Janet Jackson is set to tear up the stage tonight performing on X- Factor and at the Capital FM’s Jingle Bell Ball.

 So far from what my sources have told me she will perform 2 songs on X-Factor, the new single “Make Me” and “All For You” off of the new greatest hits “The Best”. I tried to push for more information, but my friend wants me to be surprised. lol 

and

Straight after the X-Factor performance she will be going directly to the Jingle Bell Ball to close the show with an apparent 30 min performance of Rhythm Nation, All For You, Again, Escapade, Make Me and What Have You Done For Me Lately. So it’s set to be a hot night, I cannot wait. *Screams*.

*EDIT*: I will post the videos as soon as they are available so keep checking back. 

Pop & RnB Goddess Janet Jackson has revealed in an interview with the The Times newspaper (UK) that she is planning a European tour in 2010.  It has been over 9 years since Janet has embarked on a European leg, the last time was for “The Velvet Rope” tour in 1998. Her last tour “Rock Witchu” for 2008’s LP “Discipline” was planned to be worldwide but was cancelled due to her coming down with Vertigo, an illness which could be detrimental for a performer who dances around as much as she does.

As mega Janet fan I’m sure you know I’m screaming right now, really and truly this is what Janet needs I think f*ck the US they dont even know good music anymore, all their wrapped up in is whose shaking there coochie in a video. Tut!. 

Funny enough I’m not too surprised shes taking it over here I’ve noticed a lot of US artists are starting to promote overseas more than their home country, and to be honest it’s better, expand your market, improve your fan base and reach out to people who arent lucky enough to visit your shows in the states.

It’s been way too long since Janet’s rocked this side of the pond we all await her return, That’s the way love goes.

The promise of the digital revolution in the music industry takes another step forward with the creation today of Interscope Digital Distribution (IDD), by Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records.

Through http://www.interscopedigitaldistribution.com/, IDD will work in conjunction with TuneCore to distribute new and independent artists’ original music for sale on such leading retailers as the iTunes Store, Rhapsody, Amazon MP3, Shockhound, eMusic, and Napster, among many others worldwide.

IDD adds a fresh twist to the digital distribution model for independent music by offering unsigned artists a unique opportunity to reach the ears of A&R executives all while providing them complete freedom of choice. Interscope/Geffen/A&M’s top A&R staff will closely monitor the IDD service as a way to discover great talent. By signing on for distribution specifically through IDD, artists will have the chance to gain their attention. A number of artists may then be selected for development deals.

IDD is digital DIY done right – giving music artists a platform for self-expression, allowing them to retain all of the profits from their efforts, and presenting an opportunity for them to access the resources of a major record company.

Janet has signed a new deal with A&M Records, making it a homecoming of sorts being that A&M released her Control and Rhythm Nation albums. It’s a good thing, because for whatever reason her latest music on Island Records just wasn’t selling; even though her last album had some jewelz on it.

It’s a good thing that Ms. Jackson can still get a deal!

Janet Jackson is returning home. The pop star has reportedly inked a new deal with A&M Records, the label to which she was first signed.

A source tells the New York Daily News that Interscope Geffen A&M quietly signed Jackson to a recording contract in October. She was also seen at a UFC fight with Interscope head honcho Jimmy Iovine last month.

“Jimmy has given the mandate to make this Janet record a success,” says the paper’s source. “He believes that he has the right team in place to finally take Janet back to the top of the music charts. It’s a top priority for the label.”

The 43-year-old singer’s greatest hits package Number Ones was released this week through A&M. She is working on her eleventh studio album with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, who will oversee production. The project is in the early stages and is due in the second quarter of 2010.

The youngest Jackson began her career at A&M when she was 16 and released the 14x platinum Rhythm Nation 1814 on the label in 1989. She was most recently signed to Island Def Jam.

You do not f*ck with Ms. Jackson when it comes to a performance, girl has got this LOCKED DOWN!!! Choreography is tiiiight.

Rhythm Nation day’s, I love it.

As you know Janet will be opening the American Music Awards this year with an 8-minute medley so I felt this was an appropriate post to appreciate before the show on sunday.

The Goddess Ms Janet.

*EDIT*

Janet blows fan’s a kisses after Flash Mob Performance in The Grove Shopping area in Los Angeles, USA.

The flash mob, who came together less than a month ago mimicked moves from some of  Janet’s smash hits while performing it in front of her and a crowd of spectators.

Check out the full Flash Mob performance below:

IMG|SOURCE: XVA

Pop & Rnb Goddess Janet Jackson is set to open the American Music Awards this year with an 8 minute medley. this is not the first time Janet has performed on the show, but this will be her longest segment yet.

With so much in the pipeline for this year and next Janet’s team are not f*cking about this time, the performance of the evening I’m sure it will be and considering her greatest hits comes out that same week, a great performance in definitely store for us.

The American Music Awards 2009 airs on November 22nd

*EDIT*

The Promotional campaign for Janet Jackson’s Greatest Hits LP ” The Best” has begun. With the release date drawing nearer I find it important that everyone knows when the CD is out and how much she [Janet] has achieved over the years. It’s funny because a lot of the newer artist’s at the top now swagger-jack the hell out of Janet and try to pass it off as there own (I won’t mention any name’s), but with over 100 million records sold and counting, Janet is truly an icon in her own right.

“The Best” is out on Nov 17th , Make sure you get yours.

IMG|SOURCE:  JDJ Entertainment

Was für ein Wochenende, Freitag Disco mit Star-Gast Darshan Jesrani und Sonntag an gleicher Stelle nochmal Sunday Séance, schon leicht angeschickert dank dem Berliner Bier-Festival (Augustiner! Tegernseer! Kloster Andechs! Lecker…) wurden die wackeligen Bodenbretter der rappelvollen Spree-Terrasse insbesondere von DJ Hunee nochmal einer schweren Belastungsprobe unterzogen. Ich bitte um baldige Wiederholung.

You don’t have to put on the red light!

Sting wrote this song about the prostitutes he seen while in Paris. I first heard this song from Eddie Murphy in 48hrs and thought it was a joke until my father put me on once again. I had to be around 9 or 10 and my pops just came home from grocery shopping, as I helped with the bags I heard it, blasting out his Thunderbird was Roxanne and I loved it. Its sad The Police split so early but at least they left us a bit of their brilliance to reflect on. The Police – Roxanne

Un Long Play sin desperdicio alguno ya que todas las canciones son conocidas, mas bien por sus autores originales como por ellos que le dieron su sabor brasilero a estas canciones hasta a veces mejores que las originales he aqui algo sobre Sergio Mendes:

Este Musico, hijo de médico, Nacido en 1941, en un Estado de Rio de Janeiro llamado Niterói, estudio en un conservatorio de su ciudad ya que su deseo era convertirse en pianista clásico. Pero como el Jazz estaba en su auge y se intereso por este tipo de musica que tocaba en clubes nocturnos en los 50 cuando nacia la bossa nova. Su maestro fue Antonio Carlos Jobim con el que toca mas adelante. En 1961 forma el Sexteto Bossa Rio y graban un disco llamado Dance Moderno. Luego crea una banda sonora de la pelicula ” La Mirada del Amor” o “Casino Royale”. En 1966 reemplaza a Wanda de Sa por la cantante nacida en Chicago Lani Hall ( Dato curioso: ella aprendió portugués fonéticamente con Mendes) y se cambio al sello creado por Herb Alpert (esposo de Lani Hall) y Jerry Moss A&M (iniciales de sus apellidos) y lanza “Herb Alpert Presents Sergio Mendes and Brasil ‘66″ y graba el mas exitoso sencillo de una cancion de Jorge Ben “Mais Que Nada”. Los integrantes originales para esa epoca eran:

Mendes (piano), Vocalistas: Lani Hall y Janis Hansen, Bob Matthews (bajo), Jose Soares (percusión) y Joao Palma (bateria) y como guitarrista invitado John Pisano. Todos apoyados por Alpert con el que iban de tour a veces. Con esta banda grabaron desde 1966 hasta 1968 hasta que Hansen deja la banda y la sustituye Karen Phillip. En 1970 Lanni Hall se lanza a solista y se casa con Alpert (algunos dicen que Mendes se molesta con Alpert por años por “robarse” a Hall de su grupo). Su fama fue tal en esa época que le dio conciertos a los presidentes Lyndon B. Johnson y a Richard Nixon.

Los temas de este LP Son:

1. Mais que Nada (ma-sh kay nada) de jorge Ben
2. Scarabouroug Fair : tema de Simon & Garfunkel (me gusta mas esta version)
3. With a little help fom my friends: tema de los Beatles en version bossa nova
4. Like a lover cancion de Bergman
5. The look of love :tema de “Casino Royale”
6. Night and Day: de Cole Porter
7. Fool on The Hill otro tema de los Beatles
8. Going out of my head
9. Look Around
10. So many stars
11. Day Tripper: Canción de los Beatles muy buena version
12. Pretty World: Dato: este tema tambien esta en la version de JOSE LUIS RODRIGUEZ y se llama “La Marina”

Create a playlist at MixPod.com

Prendendo il nome da un libro del 1910,”Autobiography of a Supertramp”,Rick Davies alla fine degli anni ‘60 cerca membri per formare una band,i Supertramp appunto. Costituisce così un capitolo della storia del rock alquanto originale per le vicissitudini che poi si legheranno a questo nome. Dall’anonimato completo degli inizi che si rispecchia nei risultati nulli di vendita dei primi due album e in tournée disastrose(in Svezia il furgone con a bordo la strumentazione che precipita in un burrone,al Bataclan di Parigi davanti a 9 spettatori paganti di cui 7 alla fine si scopriranno figuranti assunti dal tour manager) fino ad una fama discreta,per poi sfociare nell’incredibile successo mondiale assolutamente inaspettato a cui li porterà “Breakfast in America” ed al ritorno alla normalità negli anni successivi.

Dicevamo…..la band riesce nei suoi esordi discografici ad ottenere un contratto con la A&m Records ed il sostegno economico di un mecenate olandese innamorato della loro musica, tal Stanley Arthur Miesegaes. Entrato nel gruppo Roger Hodgson,polistrumentista dalla voce eterea e reclutati altri membri i Supertramp sperimentano e cercano il sound definitivo che possa contraddistinguere la band. Nel 1974 la casa discografica minaccia i due leader di rescindere il contratto se il nuovo lavoro avrà risultati disastrosi come i precedenti. Così Roger e Rick cacciano gli altri componenti e si mettono alla ricerca di nuovi musicisti. La line up si completerà con l’arrivo di Dougie Thomson al basso,Bob C. Benberg alla batteria e John Anthony Helliwell al sassofono e fiati.

I cinque si rinchiudono ad libitum in un cottage della campagna inglese. Il risultato che ne uscirà é il loro album migliore(a mio parere assai superiore al più idolatrato “Breakfast in America”)che prenderà il titolo di “Crime of the century”. Con un artwork stupendo e un mix di blues,jazz e atmosfere progressive molto oscure ed un ampio uso di effetti sonori registrati dalla band stessa in giro, il disco balza al primo posto della chart inglese ottenendo successo anche di critica.

L’opera si apre con “School” ,una canzone capolavoro. L’armonica a bocca iniziale può essere scambiata per un grido,ma quello che caratterizza il pezzo sono l’assenza totale di un ritornello ed il lungo intermezzo che sembra provenire dalla colonna sonora di un film horror e che descrive i dubbi del bimbo in questione riguardo l’educazione data dagli insegnanti. “Bloody well right” é una perla di blues jazz old school,introdotta da un grande Rick Davies che vola sui tasti del piano elettrico,vero e proprio marchio di fabbrica della band.

“Hide in your shell” contiene nel suo ritornello il suono di una sega appositamente suonata da un artista di strada chiamato in studio.”Asylum” é totalmente coinvolgente,durante il suo ascolto si finisce sempre più ad immaginare di essere in camice bianco in un elegante giardino a contemplare quello che gli altri non vedono o non vogliono vedere.

“Dreamer” si basa totalmente sul piano elettrico,gli altri strumenti sono quasi totalmente assenti nell’arrangiamento e la sua melodia diventa talmente celebre che Renato Zero la utilizzerà per una versione italiana col testo completamente cambiato intitolata “Sgualdrina”.

“Rudy”,lunga quasi sette minuti,narra con un mood ed un pathos incredibilmente riusciti i tormenti di un innamorato.”If everyone was listening”,nel suo testo,mette in scena la vita come se fosse un’opera teatrale recitata da giullari e clown.

Chiude l’album “Crime of the century”,incredbile pezzo che come l’opener “School” é senza ritornello,e con una struttura che sembra  sospesa nell’aria.Forse la canzone più bella e tignosa al primo ascolto di tutta l’opera.

E’ strano al giorno d’oggi ascoltare questo disco. Lo stile dei Supertamp si basa soprattuto sull’uso di pianoforte e tastiere ed un ampio uso di sax di ogni tonalità e clarinetto. Il tutto in un mix che ,ci tengo a ribadire,in qualche caso risulta quasi inquietante nelle atmosfere che si vengono a creare.

“….Who are these men of lust, greed, and glory? Rip off the masks and let see…” diceva trent’anni fa Rick Davies mentre cantava “Crime of the century”…….

YVETTE D. GAYLE
VP Publicity for Interscope/Geffen/A&M Records

Yvette D. Gayle

SISTER SWAN

1. What are you working on right now?
50 Cent, Keri Hilson, and a stable of new up and coming R&B, Hip Hop, and Pop/Rock artists

2. What book(s) are you reading?
Put Your Dreams First: HYEB. It’s inspiring ☺.

I have a 3 year old and am addicted to buying him books. So this week we are reading The Lazy Lion, Hungry Hyena and Laughing Giraffe by Mwenye Hadithi & Adrienne Kennaway.

My favorite books are: Celestine Prophecy, Tuesdays With Morrie and A Pilot’s Wife.

3. Share something you do for work that’s harder than it looks.
The RED CARPET – folks think it is such a glamorous thing and you just show up and saunter down the press line and your celebrity gets covered. What about the tough times you show up with a client that no one wants to talk to. You run around like a maniac pulling all the “favors” you can. It can be quite embarrassing for you and for the artist especially if no one is interested. Artists often want to walk the red carpet before they actually should be walking the carpet. You have to be newsworthy to be deemed important to talk to but everyone wants to be in the mix. Publicists often have to juggle several clients at once. We try to give them particular times to show up but most of the time they run late and more than one shows up at once. That’s horrific. It’s impossible to clone myself and make everyone feel like they are the most important artist. But that’s a big part of my job.

4. Describe a moment of sweet vindication.
When folks think my artist is down and out and they actually come out swinging and shut all the haters up.

5. What’s the most dangerous aspect of the waters you navigate?
When the beef between artists turns to the streets it can get a little heavy. Traveling on the road with 14 men in bullet proof vests always seemed to raise the “Are You Crazy” eyebrows from friends and family but oddly enough I felt more comfortable on the road doing what I do best.

6. Name two places you call home.
A Business Class Flight (it’s the only place folks can’t track you down). My actual home as I try to create a separate space where work doesn’t infiltrate.

7. Who are your influences?
I’d have to say that Yvette Noel-Schure and Miguel Baguer have been the biggest influences in my career. They gave me my first job at Columbia 15 years ago. Yikes. I wanted to be just like them and tried to be a great publicist just like them.

8. What is your favorite creative food?
My husband and I took a Thai cooking class in Chang Mai, Thailand a few years
ago. I’d say the Red Curry Duck is the most creative thing I can make. It’s
delicious!

9. What is your guilty pleasure?
Raw Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough

by wildwoman1313

Chris Cornell Montreux Jazz Festival, 2005

When Andrew Wood died of a heroin overdose in 1990, a day after Chris Cornell came off tour with his band Soundgarden, Cornell dealt with the grief at the loss of his friend and vocalist for the band Mother Love Bone by writing a couple songs in Wood’s honor. “Reach Down” and “Say Hello 2 Heaven” had a softer, more melodic sound than the music Soundgarden was putting out, so Cornell approached Wood’s former bandmates, Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament, with the idea of a one-off collaboration as a tribute to their mutual friend. With the addition of guitarist Mike McCready, backing vocalist Eddie Vedder, and Soundgarden drummer Matt Cameron, Temple of the Dog was formed. Named after a line in the Mother Love Bone song “Man of Golden Words”, the band released the self-titled album Temple of the Dog, which included the aforementioned singles as well as “Hunger Strike”, a duet between Cornell and Vedder that still receives regular airplay. Released in 1991, Temple of the Dog was praised by critics but failed to catch on until a year later, when Vedder, Ament, Gossard, and McCready broke commercially with Pearl Jam. At that time, A&M Records re-released Temple of the Dog, realizing that what they had in their catalog was essentially a Soundgarden/Pearl Jam collaboration. The album has gone on to sell more than a million copies. Temple of the Dog didn’t tour as a band but performed short sets together on a handful of occasions when both Soundgarden and Pearl Jam shared a concert bill.

From: http://www.guitartricks.com

If you want to listen to good folk/world rock-influenced music, may I suggest to you the little known album Anybody Out There? by Burlap to Cashmere (1998).  If there’s one album, out of a handful, that I regularly turn to, it’s this one.

For all I know, the band is not together anymore and Anybody Out There? was their only full-length release.  They were formed in New York in the mid-90s.  Their name supposedly comes from an episode of The Bob Newhart Show. Their sound is a mix of Greek dance, back-woods folk, radio pop, and piano-driven ballads.

Songs like “Digee Dime,” “Eileen’s Song,” “Good Man,” and “Chop Chop” just make you happy.  “Basic Instructions” makes you want to dance at a big, fat, Greek wedding.  “Treasures in Heaven,” “Ancient Man,” “Skin is Burning,” and the title track work your mind over the railing.  “Divorce” and “Scenes” are rather eerie stories that will show you the darker side of the band.  The final track, “Mansions,” will make you longer for a better world than the one we have now.

Check it out.  Happy listening!

Ahhhh, NOVEMBER GROUP! We’ve done our share of album covers but rarely do we have the opportunity to make such a typographic statement as in this design. Our client was A&M Records.

Wunderschöner Dub Mix von Yvonne Turner aus dem Jahr 1986.