IRON MAIDEN’S MANAGEMENT TO OPEN ROCK HOTEL

Iron Maiden’s management has taken on a new mission: opening a luxury hotel dedicated to musicians.  The execs plan to gear the London inn to music’s A-list, with mini-bars hidden inside giant speaker stacks, a desk clerk dressed in black, a bar that serves cocktails 24 hours a day and an open-air hot tub on the rooftop terrace.  According to TimesOnline.co.uk, the hotel, called the Sanctum Soho, also boasts heavy security to keep out paparazzi and fans.  It’s being dubbed a retreat for both Iron Maiden and other musicians playing in London, but all guests, even the hardest of rockers, are required to be well behaved.  The Sanctum is scheduled to open in April.

DUFF McKAGAN NOW PLAYBOY FINANCIAL COLUMNIST

Playboy has a new financial columnist and it’s former Guns N’ Roses bassist Duff McKagan.  The rocker, who currently has a weekly column online at SeattleWeekly.com, will now be writing about money matters for the men’s magazine.  Duff has attended business school and has been interviewed about finance in the music industry so he has the knowhow for the position.  You can learn more about why he took it on at SeattleWeekly.com.

TOM DELONGE TALKS APOCALYPSE AND SHOES / VIDEO

Tom Delonge is talking about the apocalypse again. The former Blink-182 singer claims that the world as we know it will end in 2012 and he sees it as an opportunity to help sell his new line of shoes from his company Macbeth. In a video piece on the clothing company’s site, Tom discusses how there won’t be much left behind when the end comes, but their shoes will stand the test of time. Let’s hope the earth lasts long enough to see a Blink reunion.

Here’s the link to Tom’s clip:

SKOPE IT HERE!

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE VIDEO FOR “DESOLATION ROW” AVAILABLE

My Chemical Romance fans are thrilled to have their band back in the picture with their cover of Bob Dylan’s “Desolation Row” off The Watchmen soundtrack. You can view the video now over at iTunes and purchase it for $1.99. The song will appear on the soundtrack, which is released on March 3rd, three days before The Watchmen lands in theatres.

NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC! COMING TO TV?

Now That’s What I Call Music!, the popular hit-single compilations, may be coming to television.  American Idol and So You Think You Can Dance creator Simon Fuller is shopping around the show and says that it “will be nothing like American Idol and definitely won’t be a spinoff” but “it will be a new take on music programming.”  According to Billboard.com, the core of the show will be the hits themselves, by such acts as Britney Spears, U2 and Jay-Z.  This could include performances by artists from the compilations, whether through concert footage or in-studio appearances.  Fuller added that veteran acts like the Rolling Stones or Madonna could also be involved.  They don’t have an official title for the program yet.

BEEF: 50 CENT VS RICK ROSS

Five days after Rick Ross released “Mafia Music” which takes aim at 50 Cent, MTV News has learned that 50 has finally responded back. Fiddy pokes at the alleged rumors regarding Rick’s previous job as a correction officer and claims this new beef is just “an appetizer.” The G-Unit leader then also calls out to Lil Wayne as his next target. You might ask where is this stemming from? Turns out, the “A Milli” rapper has an issue with 50’s best friend, Eminem. Don’t be surprised if 50 takes aim at Weezy next.

…RICK ROSS ISN’T IMPRESSED

A few hours later, Rick Ross contacted Shade45 morning host Angela Yee to let them know that he is not offended or impressed by 50 Cent’s lyrical jabs. The “Here I Am” lyrist said that 50 needs to try harder and explained, “We gonna give him 48 hours. Time to come up with another one!” Could this be a new hip hop beef brewing? Apparently, Ross is pretending he “didn’t hear that” and awaits a better response.

Both dis tracks can be heard at their Myspace pages now:

Rick Ross: www.myspace.com/rickross

50 Cent: www.myspace.com/50cent

IRISH PAPER REVIEWS NEW U2 ALBUM

Slowly but surely reviews on the new U2 album are coming in. The band debuted the record in their hometown of Dublin recently to members of the press and U2.com has some of the media’s thoughts. A track by track description of each song, done by Irish paper The Independent, can be found on the site. Some words they use to describe the effort? “Atmospheric…moody…rousing…grungy, pop…trip, hop beat…rocker.” No Line on the Horizon is out on March 3rd.

AMY WINEHOUSE GETS ROBBED

It seemed as if things were finally turning around for Amy Winehouse – a nice long vacation in St. Lucia, a new non-drug addict man on her arm – and then she gets hit with some horrible news.  According to British paper The Sun, the “Rehab” singer’s London home was broken into and almost 30-thousand dollars worth of personal possessions was taken.  NME.com reports that Winehouse, who was in St. Lucia, is “devastated” by the situation.  Among the items taken were a flat-screen TV, expensive recording equipment and five vintage guitars.

LIL WAYNE RESOLVES ROLLING STONES LAWSUIT

Lil Wayne settled his copyright lawsuit with the Rolling Stones on Thursday regarding his song “Playing with Fire.”  Reuters reports publishing company Abkco Music Inc – which owns the rights to the Stones’ catalog – claimed the track was altered in “in a recognizable way.” The suit also asserted that the tune Wayne sampled included the rock band’s music “with the original lyrics.” However, the suit has finally come to a close as the rapper provided “an amicable settlement.” The song was taken off his album Tha Carter III and all download providers.

FOREVER THE SICKEST KIDS FEATURED IN NIKE FOOTBAL RE-CAP / VIDEO

Forever the Sickest Kids are featured in a Nike Football Rewind of 2008 Music Video that will air on or around the Super Bowl. You will have a first view of it here. 

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BUN B CONFIRMS RELEASE DATE

According to BallerStatus.com, Bun B has confirmed the release of the final album from the legendary duo UGK. Bun told the site that with the passing of his partner, Pimp C, he hopes the final LP will be “a fitting bookend” to the group’s 20-year span. The set will follow their 2007 critically-acclaimed UGK (Underground Kingz) album. The Texas rapper announced that the last disc will drop this spring.

BEEF: VOLETTA WALLACE VS LIL KIM

According to MTV News, Voletta Wallace is fed up with Lil Kim’s complaints as to how she was portrayed in the Notorious film. The mother of the late Christopher “Notorious B.I.G” Wallace told MTV Lil Kim needs to “sit down” if she doesn’t like how the flick came out. Kim complained that the actress playing her was “too dark” and Ms. Wallace explained to the site, “Do you know why the character was too dark for her? Because she’s a white woman trapped in a black woman’s body.”  Voletta feels Kim needs to “go find herself” and realize the movie was centered on Big. Notorious is in theaters now.

QUOTED: DOES GAVIN ROSSDALE GET IN THE STUDIO WITH WIFE GWEN STEFANI?

Gavin Rossdale might be known for his time as frontman for Bush; He might be known for his hit debut solo album Wanderlust; or he simply may be known as the man who married pop superstar Gwen Stefani.  The “Love Remains The Same” singer told us about working, or not working, with his famous wife.  

“We’ve worked in the studio plenty because she’s sung on lots of my demos because its really nice when you have a girl’s voice tucked in there, makes it sound good, so loads of times, but not where I particularly direct her, I just let her sing and just go downstairs and do something else, so no, we keep it separate.”

Gavin Rossdale’s Wanderlust is in stores now.

KELLY CLARKSON MAKES HISTORY ON BILLBOARD HOT 100

Kelly Clarkson broke Britney Spears’ record for the biggest one-week jump in Billboard Hot 100 history, making the leap from number 97 all the way to number one.  After three weeks at number one, Lady Gaga’s “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’ Donis drops to number two which pushes down Beyonce’s “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)” to number three and Kanye West’s “Heartless” to number four.  Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” sticks at number five while “Gives You Hell” by the All American Rejects remains at number six.  T.I.’s “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna slides down three spots to seven while The Fray’s “You Found Me” jumps eight slots to number eight.  Britney Spears’ “Circus” moves up one to number nine while Jason Mraz rounds out the top ten with “I’m Yours.”

JENNIFER HUDSON GETS BACK TO WORK

Not only is Jennifer Hudson set to sing the “Star-Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XLIII, but she is back to promoting her self-titled album. The four-time GRAMMY nominee shot a video for her second single, “If This Isn’t Love,” in Los Angeles. The clip debuts the week of February 9th.

FREE AAR DOWNLOAD

Walmart Soundcheck has a special offer and it has to do with the All-American Rejects.  The band recently went to Walmart’s studios and played their new hit “Gives You Hell” and a few of their classics too, like “Dirty Little Secret” and “Move Along.”  Not only that, but they gave an exclusive interview as well.  Everything is up online and available to be seen right now, and just in case that wasn’t sweet enough, if you go to Soundcheck.Walmart.com, you can get a free AAR download too.

RIHANNA TEAMS UP WITH THE DREAM

Pop princess Rihanna is turning to the men who penned her big hit “Umbrella” one more time. RNBXclusive.com features Ri Ri’s song “Hatin’ on the Club” produced by The Dream and Tricky Stewart.  In the track, Rihanna blames a night club for her man cheating on her. The song is an unreleased cut from the Rihanna’s remix album Good Girl Gone Bad: Reloaded. However, it can be found on Big Mike & DJ Neptune’s R&B Kings Part Two mixtape.

QUOTED: JORIS VOORN PRESENTS BALANCE 014 MARCH 2009

BALANCE 014 represents another step forward for the acclaimed DJ-mix series. Across two discs and using-remarkably-over 100 tracks, Dutch DJ/Producer JORIS VOORN constructs a layered and seamless mix of some of the best tech house, minimal and electronic dance music. An epic mix in the very best sense of the word, BALANCE 014 achieves the rare feat of combining variety and consistency, making it perfect for trainspotters and dancers alike. The tracks change quickly and quietly, but the beat goes on… and on…and on.

“The process of making these mixes has been more like painting with sound rather than performing a traditional dj mix. As you can see I have used a lot of tracks, my intention while working on these mixes however, has not been ‘more is more’. Some of the tracks have been reduced to a 2 bar loop, or just the break or the intro. It was inspired and inspiring, and although the mix CD project has finished, it has created many new leads and ideas for future works. I hope that people will enjoy the results, some listeners will be surprised, but I believe I’ve pushed my own boundaries in a technical, but even more so, in a musical and artistic way”. -Joris Voorn.

EXIT STENCIL SIGNS LIKE BELLS / MP3′S

Like Bells is a predominately instrumental band, but avoids many of the pitfalls that are commonly found in the genre; such as over-reliance on the “loud / soft” dynamic, and the need for all songs to be of epic length and needlessly esoteric.

“Atlas” MP3:

SKOPE IT HERE!

“Yeti” MP3:

SKOPE IT HERE!

www.myspace.com/likebells

SLAYER MAKE MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT / VIDEO / DATES

SLAYER and MARILYN MANSON will co-headline this summer’s ROCKSTAR ENERGY DRINK MAYHEM FESTIVAL tour.

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NEW SINGLE FROM SHUTTLE “ROTTEN GUTS” / MP3

Welcome to the brave new world of Shuttle. You may have come across his remix work as Etan (for instance for Daedelus, The Death Set and The Little Ones), but nothing can quite prepare you for where he’s ended up.

Epic, retro-futuristic, with a calm centre offset by rib-loosening bass squelches, “Tunnel” is a fantastic calling card for this young producer, originally from Southern Maryland who, after stints in DC and Baltimore, made his musical home in Boston.

Shuttle – “Rotten Guts” feat. Cadence Weapon:

SKOPE IT HERE!

www.myspace.com/shuttle

COMPANY OF THIEVES ON LAST CALL / VIDEO

Local Chicago band Company of Thieves have a solid buzz building in front of the 2/24 release. Company of Thieves makes their television debut on Last Call with Carson Daly.

SKOPE IT HERE!

DOVES ANNOUNCE NEW STUDIO ALBUM KINGDOM OF RUST SET FOR RELEASE ON APRIL 7TH

Acclaimed British trio the Doves will release their much anticipated new studio album, Kingdom of Rust (Astralwerks Records) on April 7th, 2009.  Kingdom of Rust is the Dove’s 4th studio album, their first since Some Cities debuted at # 1 on the U.K. album charts in February, 2005.  The Doves, comprised of Jez Williams, Andy Williams and Jimi Goodwin are offering fans a sneak peak by offering album track “Jetstream” as a free download for two weeks on their website www.doves.net. A U.S. tour is expected to hit stateside in late spring.

Kingdom of Rust Track Listing:

1. Jetstream
2. Kingdom of Rust
3. The Outsiders
4. Winter Hill
5. 10.03
6. The Greatest Denier
7. Birds Flew Backwards
8. Spellbound
9. Compulsion
10.  House of Mirrors
11.  Lifelines

www.doves.net

YOUTH GROUP TO RELEASE ‘THE NIGHT IS OURS’ APRIL 2009 / MP3

For their new record, The Night Is Ours, Australian stars Youth Group decided to forgo the more traditional approach employed for their previous records.

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ISLAND DEF JAM MUSIC GROUP FORMS STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH AUTHOR TINA WELLS

Tweens everywhere will discover a new heroine this spring with the May 5th appearance of Mackenzie Blue, the first in the series of HarperCollins Children’s Books about the many adventures of seventh-grader and aspiring pop star Mackenzie Blue. 

Island Def Jam Music Group and author Tina Wells have formed a strategic partnership to launch a major talent search and discover the REAL Mackenzie Blue, it was announced today by Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid, Chairman, Island Def Jam Music Group.  This forward-looking ‘360’ arrangement will bring the fictional Mackenzie Blue to life as the leader of her own recording and touring pop band.  The talent search will be the prelude to Mackenzie Blue’s first EP release on Island Def Jam coinciding with the publication of the debut book in May.

www.umusic.com

KATY PERRY ALBUM ON iTUNES

A new album featuring Katy Perry has been released on iTunes.  MTV News reports that it was recorded in 2003 and is the self-titled debut from production trio The Matrix, who have worked with such artists as Britney Spears and Avril Lavigne.  The album was quietly shelved in late 2004 because they didn’t want their production duties affected by fame.  Hear the record now over at iTunes and check out the full story over at MTVNews.com.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD KEYBOARDIST DIES

Lynyrd Skynyrd keyboardist Billy Powell has died.  Powell, who was the only keyboardist the band ever had, passed away at his Jacksonville, Florida home Tuesday night.  While no cause of death has been announced, Skynyrd updated their Web site to announce the passing, calling it “a great loss” and saying, “The family and band request your respect and understanding during this difficult time.”  Powell was 56.  He was responsible for creating the intro to “Free Bird” and survived the 1977 plane crash that killed two of his bandmates.

McCARTNEY’S SON MAKING MUSIC

Paul McCartney seems to have passed musical talent through his genes.  His son, James, is reportedly working on an album with members of the British punk band The Dead 60s.  James had previously appeared on his dad’s 1997 album Flaming Pie.  This will be his first complete solo record and, according to NME.com, at times it sounds like Nirvana and at times it sounds like Sir Paul.  James’ famous dad may even appear on the record.  In 2007, Paul told Billboard he was working on recording with his son.  No word on when the record is due out.

SCARLETT JOHANSSON COVERS JEFF BUCKLEY

Actress Scarlett Johansson is leaking her love of music into her movies. The star covers Jeff Buckley’s unforgettable tune “Last Goodbye” for the He’s Just Not That Into You soundtrack. You can hear her cover the late legend over at Stereogum.com now. Also on the soundtrack are My Morning Jacket, Talking Heads, The Cure and others. Chick flick fans everywhere will be lining up when He’s Just Not That Into You is released on February 6th.

JA RULE EXPANDS HIP HOP IN EUROPE

It’s not over for Ja Rule! According to AllHipHop.com, the Queens rapper will hit Europe to perform in Latvia and Romania next month. Ja is currently in the studio working on his untitled upcoming solo album. And even though Ja will be overseas to expand his hip hop brand, he also has a film coming out soon. Fans can expect to catch the rapper in the upcoming flick Don’t Fade Away – opposite Mischa Barton.

COLDPLAY AND THE KILLERS TEAM UP FOR WAR CHILD CONCERT

Coldplay and The Killers are pairing up for some good. The two bands will play London’s O2 Shepard’s Bush Empire in aid of the War Child charity, which raises money to help children in war torn countries. According to NME.com, the concert will take place on February 18th directly after the annual Brit Awards and each band will play a 45 minute set. In a statement, Coldplay said they are thrilled to raise money for the charity and call The Killers “one of our favorite bands.” The Killers say sharing the stage with Coldplay will be an “honor.”

DIRECTOR LANDIS SUING MICHAEL JACKSON

Director John Landis is pretty peeved with Michael Jackson.  Landis, who was behind the classic “Thriller” video, is suing the King of Pop for royalties from the clip.  According to E! Online, MJ owes Landis about a million dollars.  That number might go up since the singer just signed a deal to turn “Thriller” into a Broadway show.

BEN KWELLER PREMIERES MUSIC VIDEO FOR “FIGHT” / DATES

Ben Kweller is proud to announce the premiere of his new music video for “Fight”.

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X-CLAN STREAM ENTIRE NEW ALBUM ON MYSPACE PAGE

Hip-hop legends, X-Clan, have streamed their entire new album, “Mainstream Outlawz” online. The album was recently released through Suburban Noize Records and features guest appearances by Bun B of UGK, Medusa and Supanatural.

SKOPE IT HERE!

THE BREAK MISSION TO RELEASE ‘THE PROSPECT EP’ FEBRUARY 10

The Break Mission is a Brooklyn trio showcasing a unique talent for impassioned storytelling and lilting dynamics.  Critics and fans alike have described the band as sublime, anthemic and refreshing. Their newest release, The Prospect EP builds on the momentum of 2007′s, As Much Light As It Will Take, and introduces a beautiful complexity to their endearingly fresh sound.

*The Break Mission will be playing the following NYC dates:

Friday, Feb 6th at The Annex, New York (EP Launch) – 8:30pm
Thursday, March 5th at Crash Mansion – 11:00pm

www.thebreakmission.com

BRING PEACE NOT PAIN ANNOUNCES THE PEACE SONG CHALLENGE

Bring Peace Not Pain, an organization formed to further the message of peace through the efforts of individuals and various partnerships and entertainment programs, announced the launch of the Peace Song Challenge. Open to anyone who aspires to bring their message of peace through music, the Peace Song Challenge will award one grand prize winning entrant an exclusive Gibson Guitar and the opportunity to spread the word of Peace through their very own words on an international platform of publicity and promotion. Bring PEACE Not Pain returned from the Sundance Film Festival where the campaign was embraced by actors, musicians and festival goers from around the globe. Photos of the campaign’s activities at the festival are on the website.

Submissions for the contest are due on July 25, 2009 and must be submitted with a signed official application which can be retrieved by downloading it from the website. Forms of entry may include video, DVD, CD and written lyrics. All must be signed and dated by the original composer and be accompanied by a letter stating that they are original works.  Each entry will not be returned and will automatically become exclusive  property of Bring Peace Not Pain if chosen for any level.  Winners will be announced by November 1, 2009.  For an official entry form and Artist Release along with a complete list of rules and regulations, interested individuals can email PeaceSongChallenge@bringpeacenotpain.com.

www.bringpeacenotpain.com

MR. PLOW UNLEASHES THE RAUNCH IN THE USA

Celebrating his 10th year of erratic springing, Mr. Plow releases his latest masterpiece APOCALYPSE PLOW on Crusty/Reversed Records, March 17th, 2009.

Mr. Plow is a solo acoustic, punk folker hailing from the back corridor of east Vancouver, B.C. Mixing a raunchy overtone of comedy with a punk folk and roll flavor. (Best described as GG Allin meets Neil Young in a bar room brawl on roller skates without the flinging pooh!)

www.myspace.com/mrplow

THE KIN MUSIC USED FOR SUPER BOWL XLIII PROMO / VIDEO

The Kin have scored again. This time the boys from NYC by the way of Australia have their song “Nowhere To No Where” in the promo clip for the big game on Sunday. Mark our words, The Kin are on the way to stardom!

The Kin’s / Superbowl XLIII Promo:

www.nfl.com

K.O. THE LEGEND PREMIERE’S VIDEO ON HIPHOPDX

K.O. The Legend has recently put out a mixtape with Clinton Sparks and is premiering the music video for his radio single “She Wants 2 Get It” on HipHopDX.com. K.O. The Legend has shared the stage with KRS One, Sean Kingston, and Shwayze.

SKOPE IT HERE!

www.kothelegend.com

RAZORLIGHT NEW VIDEO “WIRE TO WIRE” / DATES

After captivating British fans for more than four years, London-based Razorlight – fronted by lead singer/guitarist Johnny Borrell – now turns its attention to the U.S. as the newest addition to the Mercury Records roster in America.

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