We all know too well that old adage, “You can’t judge a book by its cover”. That definitely rings true for reggae singer and songwriter, Shauna McKenzie, better known to the world as Etana, who, in her sophomore release, “Free Expressions”, will show the world that it’s time to be free.
CHRIS MARTIN PLAYS “CHRISTMAS LIGHTS”
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Go in the studio with Coldplay’s Chris Martin as he performs an intimate version of the band’s latest holiday track, “Christmas Lights.” The song is available now on all digital outlets, including iTunes, and fans can watch the official music video on Coldplay.com. [youtube 6R1FplnGXzo nolink]
Delta Spirit, Waits Room EP
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Whenever a band releases a live album, B-sides collection–hell, even an EP–the word “stopgap” is often thrown around. By “stopgap”, of course, I’m referring to the critical go-to insult used to describe a holdover release bridging together “proper” releases, often simply a cuter way of saying a band is suffering from writer’s block. On…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15TH, 2010
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JUSTIN BIEBER CLEARED OF CRIMINAL CHARGES IN ASSAULT CASE Justin Bieber has escaped criminal charges after an incident at a laser tag park in October, when a 12-year-old boy accused the singer of punching him in the face. The Richmond Royal Canadian Mounted Police told RadarOnline.com that the “incident is now complete” and there…
AFRICAN CHILDREN’S CHOIR JOINS ANNIE LENNOX ON HER ALBUM
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On November 15th, Annie Lennox released her Christmas album titled A Christmas Cornucopia which includes well known songs such as “The Holly And The Ivy,” “Silent Night,” “The First Noel” and other, less-widely-known songs such as Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant, and Lullay Lullay. For tracks “Il Est Ne Le Divin Enfant,” “Lullay…
CELEBRITIES UNITE FOR “WE WANT PEACE” GLOBAL INITIATIVE FOR SUDAN
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With Sudan on the brink of a new civil war in January 2011 and the potential for genocide looming, George Clooney, Richard Branson, Alicia Keys, Peter Gabriel, U.N Secretary General and Nobel Laureate Kofi Annan, and President Jimmy Carter appear in Sudanese musician, warchild, and spokesperson for Refugees United and Amnesty International Emmanuel Jal’s “We…
DAVID LOWERY OFFERS TITLE TRACK TO HIS DEBUT SOLO
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David recorded and produced The Palace Guards in conjunction with John Morand and Alan Weatherhead. Key players include Miguel Urbiztondo on drums, David Immergluck on guitars and bass, Craig Harmon played organs and Ferd Moyse on upright bass and fiddle.
DANGERBIRD NEW SIGNING OF CALIFORNIA INDIE BAND THE LIMOUSINES
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As Dangerbird celebrates yet another successful year shepherding the careers of up-and-coming independent bands, the label has announced the signing of electro-pop sensations The Limousines. The group is currently prepping their upcoming Dangerbird album for release in spring 2011, and continuing to bolster their schedule with a series of high-profile tours and other live…
DJ EARWORM MASHES NELLY FURTADO
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Nelly Furtado recently released The Best of Nelly Furtado which features her single “Night Is Young” along with several fan favorites from the past ten years. DJ Earworm, whose “United States of Pop” has racked up over 30 million views on YouTube, has taken hold of Nelly’s greatest hits to craft one of his…
Green Children, Encounter
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“Encounter”, the title track from The Green Children’s debut full-length album, begins with buzzing nature sounds, the laughter of a small child, and a cheesy, whispered promise from frontwoman Milla Sunde: “I will always be with you”. Not a promising start. That same track eventually blooms into a micro-world of synth pads, cheap beats,…
THE LONELY FOREST’S DEBUT LP
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Continuing their steady climb to prominence from modest Northwest roots, The Lonely Forest unveils its Trans Records label debut Arrows, on March 22. The album release follows a year filled with recording, touring and the release of the band’s eponymous digital-only EP. Trans Records is the new label headed by Chris Walla, guitarist and producer…
YELLOWCARD ANNOUNCE FIRST TOUR IN 3 YEARS
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Fresh out of the studio from recording their new record When You’re Through Thinking, Say Yes, YELLOWCARD are getting ready for a busy first half of 2011 on the road. With UK and Asian tour dates already announced, the boys have announced the U.S. portion of their tour. Kicking off on the East Coast in…
ABUSED ROMANCE SET TO RELEASE DEBUT EP
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Los Angeles rock group ABUSED ROMANCE, are set to release their debut EP THE SOUND OF VIOLENCE January 18, 2011 (1-18-11) on iTunes and other digital retailers via indie Freeway Entertainment/Universal Music Group Distribution. THE SOUND OF VIOLENCE EP–which careens from chaotic to cathartic–is a fitting tribute of what’s to come, featuring five songs from…
JONNY LANG: FROM PRODIGY TO ULTIMATE PRO
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Jonny started playing guitar at the ripe old age of 12, played sax in junior high, and recorded his first album Smokin’ at age 14. Talk about putting in the proverbial 110% into his work! His 2006 release Turn Around enabled him to earn his first Grammy for Best Gospel Album.
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR TUESDAY, DECEMBER 14TH, 2010
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SELENA GOMEZ AND JUSTIN BIEBER HAVE PANCAKES Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have been pals for a while, but rumors that the teen stars are more than friends ramped up when the two were spotted getting pancakes arm-in-arm. Gomez denied there were any romantic overtones to the outing, saying instead that they were just getting…
ERK THA JERK NEW VIDEO “HA HA”
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Coinciding with this event is the release of his new video for “Ha Ha,” a track from the record featuring London, who provides the song’s infectious hook.
THE LONELY FOREST’S DEBUT LP MARCH 2011
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Continuing their steady climb to prominence from modest Northwest roots, The Lonely Forest unveils its Trans Records label debut Arrows, on March 22. The album release follows a year filled with recording, touring and the release of the band’s eponymous digital-only EP. Trans Records is the new label headed by Chris Walla, guitarist and producer…
KATY PERRY SCORE THREE NUMBER ONE SINGLES
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Global pop superstar Katy Perry continues her record-breaking streak by becoming the first female artist in 11 years to score three No. 1 singles from the same album on Billboard’s Hot 100. “Firework,” the third single from her Grammy-nominated No. 1 album Teenage Dream, claims the top spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 and Digital Songs…
THE DAVENPORTS VIDEO ‘FIVE STEPS’ DEBUTS ON AMC’S INTERVENTION
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Brooklyn based indie pop-rockers The Davenports penned “Five Steps,” the theme song to A&E’s Emmy-nominated Intervention. The video for “Five Steps” has been posted on the Intervention website to coincide with the new seasons Premiere on December 13th. SKOPE IT HERE!
RANDOM STABBINGS & ARTLESS CRITIQUE, DECEMBER 2010
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Runner Runner, Runner Runner (Capitol Records/CE Music) More emo lemmings for the pile, this bunch brought to you by CE Music, a new tentacle of David Letterman’s Worldwide Pants schlocktopus. Apparently Letterman’s drop in viewership (owing to the much better content being made available by Colbert, Hulu, and anything else that isn’t a Nerfball…
STOLI HEADS TO THE BEACH WITH SUZY SKARULIS
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Wow, what a weekend. I was in Boston for Skope Live! on Saturday night and lets just say I am still recovering. My guest today has got the perfect sound to help us ease into the week. Let me introduce the very talented & attractive Suzy Skarulis. I heard a preview EP of Suzy’s upcoming…
SKOPE EXCLUSIVES: Asher Roth and Nottz “Break Bread”
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We at Skopemag.com get hundreds of exclusive tracks via various vendors on a daily basis. The goal for us is to share with our readers as many tracks that come in. Please note that some of these links expire so you got to get it while it’s hot! Asher Roth and Nottz “Break Bread”: SKOPE…
RYE RYE PERFORMS SELECT DECEMBER TOUR DATES
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After wow-ing crowds at Art Basel in Miami last weekend, dance-rap dynamo Rye Rye hits the road on a select seven date tour kicking off on Decemeber 8th in LA, wrapping up in her hometown of Baltimore on December 18th. Rye Rye is gearing up to release her eagerly awaited debut album Go! Pop! Bang!,…
MOGWAI NEW VIDEO “HOW TO BE A WEREWOLF”
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In case you missed it, there is now available for your viewing pleasure a video for an edited version of Mogwai’s track “How To Be A Werewolf” off their forthcoming LP Hardcore Will Never Die, But You Will (out Feb. 15, 2011 on Sub Pop). The video is an excerpt from the upcoming documentary 30…
“TEACH ME HOW TO DOUGIE” CERTIFIED PLATINUM
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Cali Swag District’s massive single “Teach Me How To Dougie” was just certified platinum this week hitting over 1 million digital downloads to date. The four members, Smoove Da General, Yung, JayAre and M-Bone who are all long-time friends from Inglewood, CA have just released their follow-up single “KickBack.” Cali Swag District will drop…
CHEVROLET TAPS DAWES FOR NEW TELEVISION AD CAMPAIGN
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ATO Records is excited to announce that the much-adored Dawes single “When My Time Comes,” from their acclaimed debut album North Hills, has been selected to be the theme song of the new Chevrolet Silverado television ad campaign. The campaign, by arrangement with aboveandbiond produced by Detroit-based advertising agency Campbell-Ewald, began airing December 1 and…
Professor Pandemonium’s Cabinet of Wonders
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Very interesting! That pretty much sums up the listening experience of Professor Pandemonium’s Cabinet of Wonders. Douglas La Ferle is the man behind it all and boy does he have a surprise for you! The first thing I notice is a Medusa-like figure on the front cover of the CD with very detailed…
SKOPE LIVE! – SATURDAY DECEMBER 11 – BOSTON, MA – 9 PM
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Skope Live! is back at it this Saturday night in Boston, MA! We have got another incredible night of live music from the legendary Copperfields in Boston, MA. We will also be giving away cool prizes as part of our Guitar Hero tournament going on from 9 – 11 pm. Come on out for some…
T-MODEL FORD OFFERS “COMIN’ BACK HOME” MP3
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Recorded during a 14 show US tour this year, the groove on this new studio album is pure T-Model Ford. Backed by his regular touring band GravelRoad, and with stellar guest appearances by Brian Olive and Matthew Smith, Taledragger is a perfect party album with the feel and honesty of a night at the juke…
MOE GREEN “LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION” VIDEO
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Coming off the success of his debut album, Rocky Maivia: Non-Title Match, Vallejo California’s rising lyricist Moe Green is treating fans with a video for “Lights, Camera, Action,” the bonus track off his recently released project. [youtube I7dXysklPBQ nolink] www.myspace.com/moethedreamer
DEE-1 COMES CORRECT WITH NEW VIDEOS
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David Augustine aka Dee-1 always had a passion for music. After graduating from Louisiana State with a Bachelors in marketing, he began teaching middle school as a way of funding that passion.
THE MORNING CODE OFFER “SILVER” MP3 OFF NEW EP
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The Morning Code started out as Ashwin Alexander’s vision. After the release of 2007’s Superhero Complex, Alexander realized that he’d need a full band to complete the vision. Eric Vydel (guitar) and Doug Parsons (drums) joined the lead singer and songwriter to flesh things out for live shows.
EMINEM’S GOT THE BEST-SELLING ALBUM OF THE YEAR
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Eminem, the biggest selling artist of the 2000s, has kicked off a new decade with another extraordinary achievement as iTunes today announced Recovery (Aftermath/Interscope/Shady) as the best-selling album of the year in its Rewind 2010 roundup. iTunes Rewind 2010, now live on iTunes, reveals the year’s biggest-selling music, movies, TV, apps and more. Eminem’s…
LEANN RIMES RELEASES NEW SINGLE “CRAZY WOMEN”
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GRAMMY ® Award-winning singer LeAnn Rimes will release her new single “Crazy Women” digitally on December 21. The fun, up-tempo, brand new song is about how love makes everyone crazy sometimes. The song is being released as a special bonus track to LeAnn’s upcoming new album Lady and Gentleman, due out early…
MTV RADIO’S MORNING FACTS FOR THURSDAY, DECEMBER 9TH, 2010
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RACY CHRISTINA PHOTOS LEAKED Some racy pictures of Christina Aguilera popped up online yesterday. The pics show the singer trying on a rather risqué outfit that she wore in her “Not Myself” video. According to PerezHilton.com, the private photos were leaked by a hacker. Christina’s rep released a statement explaining the origin…
WEST COAST SEATTLE BOY, THE JIMI HENDRIX ANTHOLOGY
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WCSB is the latest offering by the Hendrix Family is available in a 16 cut CD, an eight LP Limited Edition version, a one CD one DVD Deluxe Edition, and a Box Set Collectors Edition version featuring four CD’s and a DVD. The release features both unreleased and alternative versions of Jimi’s songs. …
FLOATING ACTION OFFER “EYE OF A NEEDLE” MP3 OFF ‘DESERT ETIQUETTE’
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Named after a vintage Gretsch bass drum pedal, Floating Action is the pseudonym of Black Mountain, North Carolina-based musician, songwriter, and producer Seth Kauffman.
FRANKMUSIK NEW VIDEO “THE FEAR INSIDE”
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Already a success in the UK with three hit singles off his first album Complete Me, Frankmusik is ready to unleash his fresh brand of electro-pop stateside with his US debut Do It in the AM. Before crafting his own signature sound, Frankmusik (aka Vincent Frank) was known for his cutting-edge remixes for the…
JOSH GROBAN LANDS TWO ALBUMS ON BILLBOARD TOP 20 THIS WEEK
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Already enjoying the best reviews of his nearly decade-long career for his fifth album, Illuminations, internationally renowned singer and songwriter Josh Groban has two albums charting in the Top 20 on Billboard’s Top 200 chart this week: Illuminations, which lands at No. 9, and the 5x-platinum Christmas album Noel, at No. 18. Now a holiday…
MUTE ANNOUNCES DETAILS OF THEIR NEW STRUCTURE
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Following the recent announcement that Mute has reached an agreement with EMI Music which sees the company, led by Daniel Miller, return to being independent, Mute now announces details of the new structure which sees the record label, publishing company and a new artist/producer management company brought together under the Mute name. Says Daniel Miller;…
