/PASSENGER LAUNCH A REMIX CONTEST / DATES

/PASSENGER.’s debut album was released in the US on 8/5/08! Currently winding their way through a two-week tour, the band is giving American audiences another dose of their poignant tales spun as gorgeously melodic and well-crafted pop songs. 

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PLIES’ NEW COLLABORATION TREND

Plies is taking collaborations to the next level! The Florida has rapper already teamed up with artists like T-Pain, Akon and Ne-Yo to make mega hits…but why stop there? Plies’ second single, “Please Excuse My Hands,” features Jamie Foxx and The Dream, while his third single, “Number One Fan,” features Keyshia Cole and J. Holiday.  Plies’ latest album, The Definition Of Real, is in stores now.

STEVEN TYLER AND STING WITH THE BOSTON POPS

The Boston Pops are getting some rock-star attention. According to Blabbermouth.net, Steven Tyler and Sting will join them as part of a PBS special called Chris Botti Live in Boston. Botti is a famed trumpeter (and former Katie Couric boyfriend); he’ll be performing with the Pops over several nights in September. Steven Tyler and Sting will stop by on separate evenings. The shows will be broadcast next year during pledge drives. For ticket info, visit www.BostonPops.org.

QUOTED: KID ROCK GETS COMFORTABLE

Kid Rock has been in business of making music for sometime now. How has he changed as a songwriter? We put that question to him.

“I’ve done so many different things musically. And a lot of it was very tough at the beginning, people really didn’t understand you can make a rap song about being a cowboy with country picking guitar. I always snuck in a few hits here and there. With this record it just seemed I felt more comfortable in my own skin than I ever felt just being a song writer.”

Kid Rock is touring with Lynyrd Skynyrd.  They play New Orleans, Louisiana tomorrow. 

SUGARLAND’S SALES SWEETER THAN MILEY CYRUS’

This week’s top two records will flip flop on the new Billboard album chart. According to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, Sugarland’s Love on the Inside will rise to number one, while Miley Cyrus’ Breakout will slip to second place. The Mamma Mia! soundtrack, Kid Rock’s Rock N Roll Jesus and Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III all hold steady at numbers three through five, respectively. Third Day debuts in the number six spot with Revelation, Coldplay’s Viva La Vida will dip to seven and Kidz Bop’s Kidz Bop 14 will start at number eight. The Camp Rock soundtrack will fall to nine and Nas’ untitled album will descend two slots to round out the top ten.

LUDACRIS BACK WITH NEW SINGLE

Southern rapper Ludacris has a new single titled “Let’s Stay Together” off his forthcoming album Theater of the Mind. According to Billboard.com, Luda wants public figures in the music industry to put aside their differences and make up. He approaches the song from the perspective of a fan and even makes reference to Chingy and Shawna leaving his DTP label. He then points out all the drama in the hip-hop community and how it can alter opinions of all those who look up to celebrities.  The song is produced by Academy Award winners Juicy J and DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia. Be sure to check out “Let’s Stay Together” on iTunes.

NICK JONAS’ DIABETES AWARENESS CAMPAIGN

Most fans may already know that Nick Jonas of the Jonas Brothers suffers from Type 1 Diabetes.  According to FOX News, he now has a three-year partnership that he’s created with Bayer HealthCare.  In order to help the Jonas Brothers’ foundation, ChangeForTheChildren.org, Bayer has donated money to support the musician’s awareness campaign.  Nick received his diagnosis in 2005 at age 13.  Head over to FOXNews.com to check out the video of Nick spreading awareness about the disease

DAVE KOZ GREATEST HITS SEPTEMBER 16th / TRACKLISTING

Capitol Records will release Dave Koz – Greatest Hitson September 16th. It’s a fitting time for a career retrospective of the renowned instrumentalist/composer, with the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce recently announcing that Koz will be honored with a star in the sidewalk on Hollywood Boulevard’s Walk of Fame in 2009. Dave has had numerous No. 1 singles and No. 1 albums and been honored with six GRAMMY nominations and an NAACP Image award nod.

The track listing for Dave Koz – Greatest Hits is as follows:

1.    You Make Me Smile
2.    All I See Is You
3.    Can’t Let You Go (The Sha La Song) (featuring Luther Vandross)
4.    Faces Of The Heart           
5.    Together Again
6.    Honey-Dipped
7.    Emily
8.    Life In The Fast Lane
9.    Love Is On The Way (featuring Chris Botti)
10.    I Can (featuring BeBe Winans)
11.    Lullaby For A Rainy Night
12.    Bada Bing (featuring Jeff Golub)
13.    Love Changes Everything (featuring Brian McKnight)
14.    And Then I Knew
15.    Castle Of Dreams

ELECTRONIC TRIO MIDNIGHT JUGGERNAUTS FOUR US DATES HERE

Following previous stints through the U.S. supporting Justice, their own headline tour and a triumphant Coachella performance, Australia’s Midnight Juggernauts will return to the U.S. for a few fall shows not to be missed.  The trio will begin their U.S. trek on September 10th, headlining the Scion House Party with VICE Magazine in Los Angeles and will include a stop in San Francisco with Digitalism on September 12th (full schedule below).  The band is also set to release a new EP of remixes of their single “Into the Galaxy” on August 12th.

Midnight Juggernauts U.S. Fall Tour Dates:

Wednesday September 10th (Scion House Party, presented with VICE)
Los Angeles, CA
Vanguard
With HeartsRevolution

Thursday September 11th (Scion House Party, presented with VICE)
Austin, TX
Beauty Bar
With HeartsRevolution

Friday September 12th (public show)
San Francisco, CA
1015 Folsom
Digitalism (DJ Set) and Juan Mclean (Live)

Wednesday September 17th (Scion House Party, presented with VICE)
Baltimore, MD
Ottobar
With HeartsRevolution         

The Foley-McKenna Band, Moving My Feet

One word comes to mind when listening to The Foley McKenna Band’s Moving My Feet: unpolished. The five-song CD is an okay start, but it just seems to be missing something. The first track, “Kimberley,” opens with a soulful, beautiful guitar riff, proving that the band has a solid instrumental package. The verses are good, but they appear to build up to something bigger than the pre-chorus. The chorus, however, makes up for it, as its simplicity makes it the most beautiful part of the song.

While the weak pre-chorus is problematic, the song’s biggest shortcoming is its ending. Listening to the entire CD suggests that perhaps the band is just weak on writing endings. With “Kimberley” in particular, the song seems to be cut off too soon. Although as a listener I am grateful that they didn’t continue to sing, “Kimberley, time is killing me” for three minutes, the ending seems to come rather abruptly. It’s kind of like finishing a drink: you’re convinced there’s more in the glass, but nothing comes out, and you’re not ready to be done yet.

For all of “Kimberley’s” problems, the rest of the CD is okay. It’s not particularly memorable, but the concepts of “Brick Wall” and “Moving My Feet” are excellent. They’re also universal; virtually everyone can identify with being treated as someone’s strong, silent, unmoving brick wall. It’s also easy to relate to the idea of wanting to move on in our lives but failing to take the initiative. “Can’t move on without moving my feet.”

The songs are okay. The ideas are great. The instrumentals are fantastic. The Foley McKenna Band is getting there. With some work the CD might become more than okay, but for now the lyrics and melodies are less memorable than the lead guitar riffs.

www.myspace.com/thefoleymckennaband

Words By: Valerie Williams

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