Sarah McLachlan all about 'Forgiveness' with Release of Second Single

For all I say AGAINST ballads, there are certain singers who are right at home singing a ballad. One of those singers is Sarah McLachlan. "Angel," "Adia," "Fallen," - the majority of the singles she's released have been ballads and that's fine. Sarah McLachlan knows how to write AND sing a proper ballad and "Forgiveness" is no exception. Co-written by McLachlan and album producer Pierre Marchand, "Forgiveness" will be the second single off of McLachlan's 7th studio album, Laws of Illusion.  McLachlan's new album peaked on the Billboard 200 at #3 (having since fallen to #9), and while first single "Loving You Is Easy" failed to enter the Billboard Hot 100, it DID debut at #28 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary chart as well as hitting #38 on Billboard's Adult Top 40 chart.  "Forgiveness" is another Sarah McLachlan classic so here's hoping this one does well. Interesting that the single artwork for "Forgiveness" features the same autumnal color palette as "Loving You Is Easy."  Listen to the single below. It will be released July 13th.

Check out Sarah McLachlan on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Hot Video Alert: Sarah McLachlan - Loving You Is Easy

The beautiful Sarah McLachlan released the video for her beautiful new single "Loving You Is Easy" last week and it's fun and fancy free, much like the single itself. McLachlan looks gorgeous as she saunters through changing backgrounds. The single, which is currently sitting pretty at #17 on Billboard's Adult Contemporary Chart is the first official single off of McLachlan's new studio album, Laws of Illusion, due out June 15th.  Enjoy some stills from the video, directed by Liz Friedlander, below.

Sarah McLachlan Unveils 'Laws Of Illusion' Album Artwork

The album artwork for Sarah McLachlan's new album Laws Of Illusion was unveiled today and...wow. Sarah looks ABSOLUTELY stunning.  Laws Of Illusion will be McLachlan's first album of new material in 7 years, released on June 15th via Arista Records. A ways back I posted about the album's lead single, "Loving You Is Easy" (which is available to download on iTunes starting today!). Now, the single is the #1 most added song at the AAA radio format! Pretty impressive Ms. McLachlan! And the good news keeps coming!  The album is released just 2 weeks before the re-launch of McLachlan's pride and joy, Lilith Fair.  Fans who pre-order the new album will be offered the opportunity to purchase advance tickets to Lilith 2010 before they go on sale to the general public.  What's more, fans will get a free download of Sarah's new song "One Dream." That sounds like a sweet incentive to me.

Check out Sarah McLachlan on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

Sarah McLachlan Announces New Single, Album Release Date

Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah McLachlan unveiled her new single today on her official website and I love it! Due out on May 4th, "Loving You Is Easy" is the first single off her new album, (check it out on SarahMcLachlan.com) The Laws Of Illusion, due out via Arista Records on June 15th. So nice to have Sarah back! "One Dream" was...fine. It was the theme for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics so it was dramatic, a little cheesy, etc. THIS is a proper single.

Sarah McLachlan is quite a talent and I've been aching for new material since her 2006 holiday album, Wintersongs. I'm loving the single artwork too by the way. Nice sepia tone photo with some overlaid color spots. Very cool. While the color scheme reads a bit too autumnal for my tastes, especially considering that it's going to be a summer album - it's classic and classy, just like McLachlan. The album was produced by Pierre Marchand. You can catch McLachlan this summer on tour with the ladies of the 2010 Lilith Fair.

Again, learn more about the single on her official site and listen to it below.

Check out Sarah McLachlan on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter//YouTube

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
  

Lilith Fair Lineup Announced - Round #1

Last week part of the lineup for Lilith 2010 was announced. Wow. POWERHOUSE! One of the things that I love about Lilith Fair, aside from it's knack for showcasing strong, talented females in the music industry, is how much variety the line up has to offer. Nearly every genre of music is represented here and this is only the first round of artists! Included in the group we have Sarah McLachlan (of course), Sheryl Crow, Indigo Girls, Mary J. Blige, Brandi Carlile, Ke$ha, Sugarland, Tegan & Sara, Metric, Janelle Monae and more. Check out the full list HERE.

Check out Lilith 2010 on the web:

Official Site//MySpace//Facebook//Twitter

Lilith Fair 2010 Is Coming!

Yes, this is old news. We all knew that Lilith Fair would be making it's triumphant return in 2010 after a nearly 11 year hiatus but today a new website launched revealing the first batch of tour stops. While details are still emerging (expected talent, tour dates, etc.), the festival is clearly moving forward in a big way.

According to Nettwerk Music Group CEO and Lilith Fair co-founder Terry McBride, "I can't reveal anything further now, but I can assure fans that we have some exciting announcements over the course of the following weeks...Lilith 2010 is very much upon us." The official press release promises a "much bigger summer festival than it was in the past," travelling all over North America as well as making the trek overseas. How exciting. I can't wait to see the lineup!

The original all-female music festival ran from 1997 through 1999 and went on to be one of the most successful touring festivals in the world. Founded by Sarah McLachlan, Dan Fraser, Marty Diamond and Terry McBride, Lilith Fair featured fantastic live performances from some of today's top talent including Sheryl Crow, Christina Aguilera, The Dixie Chicks, Missy Elliot, Nelly Furtado, Jewel, Indigo Girls and more.

The first batch of cities include Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Minneapolis, Los Angeles, New York, Philadelphia, Portland, Seattle, San Francisco, and Washington D.C. In Canada, the tour will making stops in Calgary, Montreal, Toronto and Vancouver. Lilith Fair will also be crossing the pond and doing a show in London. For more information as it becomes available, make sure and check out Lilith Fair's newly launched website.

Check out Lilith Fair on the web:

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.