[Hot Video Alert] Joss Stone - The High Road

"The High Road" is the second single lifted off of UK soul singer Joss Stone's sixth studio album, The Soul Sessions Vol. 2, released July 16th via Stone'd/S-Curve Records.  If "The High Road" sounds familiar, that's probably because it's a cover.  The original was written by James Mercer & Danger Mouse (AKA Broken Bells), off their eponymous 2010 debut.  Stone's rendition is a more soulful (OBVIOUSLY) take on the original - the 25 year olds bluesy rasp attacking every note in the brilliantly written track - bringing an entirely fresh perspective to one of my favs off the Broken Bells' album. Make sure you check out the stunning Brian Savelson-directed video for "The High Road," featuring Stone exiting a subway station, landing in an ethereal dreamworld that's part Jumanji, part Avatar with a little bit of Salvador Dali surrealism thrown in for good measure.

Read more »

Joss Stone Announces 'Soul Sessions' Volume 2; Unveils Album Artwork

It's hard to believe that soulful singer/songwriter (and Grammy winner) Joss Stone has been making music for almost 10 years now!  While she's had her fair share of career ups & downs, Joss has always remained elegant and classy throughout, no matter what sort of adversity is thrown her way.  On July 23rd in the UK and July 31st in the U.S. Stone will release a new album, Soul Sessions Volume 2, a sequel of sorts to her multi-Platinum 2003 debut album.  This album, her sixth studio album, will be released as a joint effort between her self-started label, Stone'd Records and the original label that made her a star, S-Curve Records.  I cannot wait!

Read more »

Norah Jones Set To Release New Danger Mouse-Produced Album May 1st

Photo Credit: Frank W. Ockenfels

I think it's safe to say that Little Broken Hearts might be my most anticipated Norah Jones album of her entire career and I really have to thank musician, producer, 1/2 of Gnarls Barkley AND 1/2 of  Broken Bells  - Danger Mouse - for that. I've been a fan of Norah Jones since she released her highly acclaimed, Grammy-winning 2002 debut Come Away With Me, but there's something about a Danger Mouse collaboration that just gets me all sorts of giddy. Throw on Norah Jones' trademark bluesy vocal and you've really got something to talk about.  Jones is set to release her 12-song fifth studio album via Blue Note/EMI on May 1st, with plans to back the release with an extensive international tour.  Check out this snippet from the official press release:

"Little Broken Hearts is the fascinating next step in the artistic evolution of one of the music world’s most consistently intriguing singer-songwriters. Jones first emerged on the world stage 10 years ago this month with the February 2002 release of Come Away With Me, her self-described “moody little record” that introduced a singular new voice and grew into a global phenomenon, sweeping the 2003 Grammy Awards and signaling a paradigm shift away from the prevailing synthetic pop music of the time. Come Away With Me has just become the #10 best-selling album of the Soundscan era. The album has sold 25 million copies worldwide."

Read more »

Hot Video Alert: Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside (Live on Jimmy Kimmel)

I CAN'T get enough of this song! Check out this live performance of the new Broken Bells single "The Ghost Inside," performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live this past Thursday. There's just something that's so sexy to me about James Mercer's voice. It's really making me think that I need to go back and listen to The Shins (who I'm not very familiar with). If you haven't already seen the spectacularly EPIC video for "The Ghost Inside," make sure you watch that now.

Epic Video Alert: Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

EPIC VIDEO! Wow. The new Broken Bells video that I talked about previously became available to stream on VEVO today and it's absolutely brilliant. Starring the beautiful Christina Hendricks (Mad Men) as a stunning android with dreams of becoming an intergalactic super star. The action-packed nearly 5 minute video tells an actual story about a robot girl who gives up nearly everything she has (including her hands and feet) for some lofty dream of making it big. Does she realize her dreams in the end? Watch the video and find out. Truly a work of art. Absolutely stunning!

Catch Broken Bells on tour if you can:

06/04/10 BOSTON, MA - ROYALE NIGHTCLUB

06/05/10 NEW YORK, NY - THE FILLMORE AT IRVING PLAZA SOLD OUT!!!

06/06/10 PHILADELPHIA, PA - ELECTRIC FACTORY

06/07/10 WASHINGTON, DC - 9:30 CLUB SOLD OUT!!!

06/10/10 ATLANTA, GA - CENTERSTAGE

06/11/10 ATHENS, GA - 40 WATT CLUB

06/21/10 LONDON, UK - ROYAL FESTIVAL HALL (MELTDOWN FESTIVAL)

06/25/10 PILTON, UK - WORTHY FARM (GLASTONBURY FESTIVAL)

07/17/10 MONTREUX, CH - MILES DAVIS HALL (MONTREUX JAZZ FESTIVAL)

07/30/10 NIIGATA, JAPAN - FUJI ROCK FESTIVAL

08/12/10 OSLO, NO - MIDDELALDERPARKEN (OYA FESTIVAL)

10/08/10 AUSTIN, TX - ZILKER PARK (AUSTIN CITY LIMITS)

Hot Video (Snippet) Alert: Broken Bells - The Ghost Inside

The video for the new Broken Bells single, "The Ghost Inside" is NOW available to purchase on iTunes for $1.99. Not only that, but iTunes has the bands' debut album on sale for $7.99 for a limited time only. Had I not recently purchased the album, I might have considered getting it digitally. Even though I've talked about them before, here's a quick refresher. Broken Bells is Danger Mouse (Brian Burton) and James Mercer of The Shins. First single "The High Road" peaked at #19 on the Billboard Alternative Rock Chart and #25 on Billboards' Rock Chart. The album debuted in the Top 10 at #7 when it was released in March.

Photo via Entertainment Weekly Online

Follow up single, "The Ghost Inside" stars the striking Christina Hendricks (Mad Men's Joan), whom the band asked to be in the video, not even expecting a reply. According to an interview in Entertainment Weekly, Mercer explains that Hendricks happened to be a fan of the Broken Bells, which worked out nicely considering he and Danger Mouse were also big fans of Mad Men. Fancy that!

Mad Men premieres on AMC July 25th. If that little snippet above isn't enough for you...and $1.99 is too steep of a price, "The Ghost Inside" premieres on VEVO June 3rd. Check out the boys on tour this month in a city near you:

6/1 - Detroit - St. Andrews Hall

6/2 - Toronto - Queen Elizabeth Theatre

6/4 - Boston - Royale NightClub

6/5 - NY - The Fillmore New York at Irving Plaza

6/6 - Philadelphia - Electric Factory

6/7 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club

6/10 - Atlanta - Center Stage

6/11 - Athens - 40 Watt Club

Check out Broken Bells online:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

Musical Snippets: Erik Hassle, Blake Lewis, Ting Tings, Katie Melua, Helping Haiti & More

Tweet & Get A Free Erik Hassle Remix: You all know by now that I'm a BIG fan of the poofy-haired Swedish singer/songwriter Erik Hassle. Well, his label here in the States, Universal Republic is offering his fans the chance to download the Penguin Prison Remix of debut single "Hurtful." Simply click on the "Post To Twitter" link HERE and get the remix. It's that easy! Hassle's album is due out in the States this Spring. Those lucky peeps in the UK can expect remixes from the incomparable Wideboys, Michael Mind, FattyPhunk and more.

Blake Lewis - Heartbreak On Vinyl - The Remixes: While I'm a little bit behind on this, remixes are now available for American Idol Season 6 Runner Up Blake Lewis. As much as I enjoyed "Sad Song" (and subsequent remixes by Jason Nevins, Craig C. and Pilotpriest) "Heartbreak On Vinyl" has always been one of my favorite tracks from Lewis' second album of the same name. Remixes are available to download on iTunes right now. Giving Lewis the remix treatment this time around, we have Bimbo Jones, Chew Fu and LA Riots. Good stuff right here! You might as well check out the remixes for "Sad Song" HERE.

The Ting Tings Take SNL By Storm: While I rarely tune in anymore to see Saturday Night Live, I will tune record it if I know an awesome band will be making an appearance. On January 16th, the Ting Tings graced the SNL stage and performed 2 of their hits, "Shut Up & Let Me Go," and "That's Not My Name." Brilliant. Loved seeing them live last year. So good! Can't wait for their new album, which the band is working on right now in Germany. Oh! And congrats to the band for their recent Grammy Nomination for Best New Artist. I was definitely rooting for a Ting Tings win. Watch their SNL performances HERE.

Katie Melua Announces New 2010 European Tour, New Album Coming Along: Katie Melua's music is definitely more on the mellow end of the spectrum when it comes to my musical tastes. That being said, I respect an artist who not only has a beautiful instrument, but also has the ability to express herself so beautifully through her songwriting. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Melua live last year in a more intimate setting and hope to do so again. Starting this Summer Melua will embark on a massive European Tour that will take her to Denmark, Norway, France, Belgium, Germany, The Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK. For a full list of her European tour dates, check out her WEBSITE. The tour kicks off July 1st in Odense, Denmark. In other Katie Melua-related news, famous electronica producer William Orbit (Madonna) is producing Melua's new album. Orbit confirmed the news via Facebook and has been Tweeting about it as well. Can't wait to hear what they come up with. Should be interesting!

Sarah McLachlan Releases "One Dream" Music Video: Singer/Songwriter and Vancouver native, Sarah McLachlan has written, recorded and shot a new music video for her song "One Dream," which is being used to promote the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics (which begin with the Opening Ceremony this Friday, February 12th). The video saw it's broadcast television premier on January 24th during the 2010 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships and Countdown to the Vancouver Olympics on NBC. Check out the video HERE and download the song on iTunes. Sarah's also busy with Lilth 2010, so check out the official site for another round of additions to the lineup as well as new cities added to the tour.

Broken Bells Premiere "The High Road" Video: Checkout the new Broken Bells video for their debut single, "The High Road." Directed by the talented Sophie Muller, this video is visually stunning and features the gentlemen of Broken Bells - James Mercer of The Shins and Danger Mouse - in all their glory. The single is available to download on iTunes now (free for a limited time). Check out the video HERE. The debut album is due out March 9th, 2010. Pre-Order the Deluxe Edition from the band's website.

Real Housewife - Remixed - Tracy Young Remixes Kim Zolciak's DBTFTP: Superstar DJ Tracy Young has remixed Real Housewife of Atlanta, Kim Zolciak's single "Don't Be Tardy For The Party." HOT HOT HOT. Remixes will be released digitally (via Ferosh Records) on Tuesday February 9th. The mixes will hit all digital retailers including iTunes, Masterbeat, Juno, Amazon, Napster, etc. Young also hints at a physical release at some point down the line as well. For those of you who want a sneak peak of the remixes, head on over to Perez Hilton and check out what appears to be a radio edit. Make sure you get your copy!

Stars Come Together for Haiti - "Everybody Hurts" Released in the UK: The Simon Cowell-produced Haiti Charity Single, a cover of R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" has been released in the UK, along with a video. The track was re-recorded in both LA and London and features the vocal stylings of 21 artists including Robbie Williams, Alexandra Burke, Cheryl Cole, Susan Boyle, MIKA, James Blunt, Rod Stewart and more. Check out the video HERE and if you're in the UK, show Haiti some love by downloading the single.

Miscellaneous Snippets:

• Dionne Bromfield has revealed that she is in fact recording a follow up to her debut album, Introducing Dionne Bromfield. Syze-Up (Desert Eagle Discs) is one confirmed producer on the project.
• New Calvin Harris Single, "You Used To Hold Me" is out now in the UK. On the remix, we have the uber-talented Laidback Luke. Check out the video HERE.
  
• Good news Kimberley Locke fans! We can expect her new single (via Curb Records) on March 16th. It's called "Strobe Light" and it's produced by Randy Jackson.
• New single artwork from Evanescence, Heidi Montag, Norah Jones, P!nk, Jamie Cullum, Ellie Goulding, V.V. Brown, Mariah Carey, Fantasia, Whitney Houston, Guy Sebastian, Toni Braxton (#1 & #2), Natalie Bassingthwaighte, Jedward, JLS (#1 & #2) and Goldfrapp
• New album artwork from Usher, Boyzone, Ellie Goulding, Justin Bieber, Ricki-Lee, Amy MacDonald, Goldfrapp
  

If It Ain't Broke...Broken Bells Album Due Out in March

I have got to admit, I'm really feeling the debut single from Broken Bells - a new band featuring Danger Mouse (AKA Brian Burton) and The Shins' frontman James Mercer. "The High Road" is now available for download on iTunes (it came out December 22nd). It's really got a nice mellow feel to it which sort of suits my mood these days. It definitely makes me excited for the band's self-titled debut album, due out March 9th. Pre-order the album in either the standard version or the deluxe version right now on Sony Music Digital. If that's not enough to whet your appetite, a new 7" vinyl featuring "The High Road" and "An Easy Life" (Instrumental) will be available at select independent record shops here in the U.S. on January 19th. Every purchase also includes a free MP3 download of the two tracks. So cool! Go to RecordStoreDay.com to locate a store near you.

Check out Broken Bells online:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

Musical Snippets: Britney Spears, Joss Stone, Ryan Ferrada, Alexandra Burke, Rob Thomas & More

Lots going on in the pop music world of late. Here's a little rundown of what caught my eye.

Britney Spears - 3 - This week saw the release of the new Britney Spears single, "3" which will be the lead single off of Britney's upcoming The Singles Collection due out November 24th. The track was debuted on September 29th on New York's Z100 and will be available to download October 6th in North America. Major Industry publications and blogs are a buzzin' over the new single, which was produced by hitmaker Max Martin. I too am lovin' the track. It's nothing new and sounds like it could have come off of her last record - but it's fun. I am a little bummed that "Unusual You" wasn't really promoted here in North America as that has always been one of my favorite tracks off of Circus, but with the tour over and a new album in the works - I guess it makes sense to cease promotion. Listen to the single HERE.

Joss Stone on Jimmy Kimmel - If you're going to be in the LA area Thursday, October 1st (tomorrow) you can grab your tickets to see Brit songstress Joss Stone. I totally would if I were in the area! I've been dying to see her live for years. Girl needs to do a small club tour or something to promote her new album, Colour Me Free out October 20th in the States (November 2nd in the UK). First single "Free Me" is oozing with sexy soul appeal and with collaborations from Nas, Sheila E, and Raphael Saadiq - it's looking to be a hot one. Get your tickets HERE.

Photo by Kenton Thatcher

Ryan Ferrada - Room 501 - The half American, half Spanish ALL SEXY Ryan Ferrada is gearing up to release his latest album, Room 501. If sexy first single "Dirty In The Club" was any indication, his album is going to be HOT, harmless poppy fun. According to Ferrada's latest blog post, "90% of the album is up-tempo, and 90% of the lyrics are about sex!" For the ballad lovers, don't worry. There's at least one ballad on the album as well as a song dedicated to Ferrada's grandmother. Room 501 looks to have it all - dance, R&B, pop ballads and even the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. Producer Greg Fitzgerald (Kylie Minogue, Madonna, Jessica Simpson) worked with Ferrada on the album, which is due out before the end of the year. "I am not a fabricated puppet," Ferrada says. "I'm fully involved in every aspect of the album. From writing the lyrics, to directing the producer so he understands the kind of music I love doing." Sounds like he's a boy that knows what he wants.

Alexandra Burke - Pre-Order Overcome Today - The debut album from X-Factor winner, Alexandra Burke, doesn't come out in the UK until October 19th, but you can pre-order it now on various websites. Lead single, "Bad Boys" featuring Flo-Rida comes out in the UK on October 12th. A U.S. release is also expected sometime in the new year, following a five-album record deal with Epic Records. Overcome features production from Stargate, Red One, Ryan Tedder, Freemasons, Element and The Phantom Boyz who produced the first single. Pop singer Pixie Lott also gets writing credit for a track on the album. This looks to be one of the pop albums of the year. Pre-order the album on Amazon, HMV, Play and Tesco.

Rob Thomas - Someday (Video Premiere) - Matchbox 20 frontman and solo artist Rob Thomas premiered his new video on VH1 this week. Check it out HERE. "Someday" is the second single off of Thomas' second solo album, Cradlesong, which came out in June. His first single, "Her Diamonds" managed to hit #23 on Billboard's Hot 100 and #1 on Billboard's Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks. The video for "Someday" was filmed on the streets of New York City. Thomas is currently on tour right now with special guests OneRepublic and Carolina Liar. Check out upcoming tour dates HERE and watch the music video for "Someday" HERE.

New Band - James Mercer (The Shins) & Danger Mouse (Gnarls Barkley/Gorillaz) - This is exciting news. The Shins frontman James Mercer is joining forces with Danger Mouse to create a brand new band - (temporarily) called Broken Bells. The group's debut album is due out next year on Columbia records and has been in the works for a while now. In an interview with Pitchfork, Mercer teased at a new project. According to a new story on Pitchfork, this collaboration isn't just a one night stand. Mercer and Danger Mouse are in it to win it and have already started conceptualizing past the first album. I'm very intrigued by this collaboration, but sincerely hope that we haven't heard the last of either Gorillaz or Gnarls Barkley. Sign up for Broken Bells updates on the OFFICIAL SITE.

Jewel Records Up-tempo Album - Don't mistake me - by up-tempo, we're not talking about another 0304 (which I don't think would be the end of the world to be honest) - we're talking about a sound similar to that of 2001's This Way. OK. I can live with this. I loved This Way, which featured the single "Standing Still," which managed to hit 25 on Billboard's Hot 100. The album also featured "Serve The Ego," which turned into the first club hit for Jewel, hitting #1 on Billboard's Club and Dance Charts. According to Jewel via her blog, the upcoming new album will be produced by Dann Huff (whom she worked with on This Way) and will be serviced to country radio. According to Jewel, "I'm very excited about how the music business is changing...there are no rules, and everything seems possible." The singer goes on to say "I'm looking at making more records more frequently and releasing them, but maybe start to cut back on the two year-promo it has typically taken to get them out there." Sounds good to me. As long as she releases the occasional club track, I'll be happy.

Alesha Dixon - To Love Again - To help celebrate the re-release of her second album, The Alesha Show - The Encore (due out November 22nd), Alesha Dixon is releasing a new single called "To Love Again." The "sumptuous," new single is a piano-led ballad written by Gary Barlow due for release in the UK on November 15th. The three-track digital single can be pre-ordered now on the UK Itunes store for £1.99. No remixes included but a boy can dream. Listen to the new single HERE.

Photo credit to Alex Lake

Amy Winehouse Launches Lioness Records - If we are to believe what we're reading, Amy Winehouse is on the mend. It's about time! And while I'd love to hear more information about Amy's forthcoming 3rd album, I'll take all the news I can get! Amy has launched her own label, Lioness Records, the name for which was inspired by a Lioness pendant given to Winehouse by her grandmother. The labels first release will be Introducing Dionne Bromfield, the debut album from 13-year old Brit Dionne Bromfield - due out October 12th. Wow. Pretty talented! No wonder Amy set her sights on making her a star. According to Bromfield's official MySpace Blog, she was taking to the London Streets to film the video for first single, "Mama Said" on Tuesday September 29th. Pre-order Dionne's debut album HERE. This is all fine and good...but bring on some new Amy material!

Sarah McLachlan Releases New Single - One Dream - Hard at work on her new album, due for release in April 2010, the new single is already available for download on iTunes. Get it HERE! I'm definitely excited for some new pop balladry from this uber-talented Canadian. In addition to prepping for a new album, Sarah McLachlan will also be readying Lilith Fair for a Summer 2010 comeback. Busy lady! She was lovely singing "I Will Remember You" during this years Emmy Awards. Very touching. I'll always have a soft spot for Sarah.