Heidi Montag is really determined to get her music out there. And with this new track, "Fashion", I'm not too sure she'll be grabbing platinum status anytime soon. However it is definitely a song giving at least one listen to — even if it leaves you shaking your head and wondering, "What was she thinking?"
Yesterday, the McFly guys made one of the biggest announcements of their career.
Nine Inch Nails' latest, Slip, may have been available online for free, but Trent and the guys have decided to release a limited amount of physical versions of the album. Out on July 22, the 250,000 exclusive copies (yep, that's it) will include a DVD of rehearsal performances for NIN's Lights In The Sky tour and a 24-page booklet. There will also be a vinyl version of Slip, packaged with the same 24-page booklet. 
Celebrate the borough with the Cold War Kids, Elvis Perkins in Dearland and Sam Champion tomorrow night (June 27) at Prospect Park Bandshell. Since the show is free, I highly suggest you get there before 7 p.m. (when the show starts).
Recently reunited The Verve have finally spilled the beans on Forth This is the band's latest record after 1997's Urban Hymns, which featured their hit, "Bittersweet Symphony". "Love is Noise" will be the record's first single, which you can listen to now on The Verve's MySpace. Forth is set to release on Aug. 18 in the UK and Aug. 19 in the U.S.
You could spend your New Year's Eve at Madison Square Garden with My Morning Jacket. Tickets go on sale on June 25 (aka today) from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Get your tickets at Ticketmaster now. (Password is evinye)
After her fainting spell on June 16, doctors weren't too sure what has happened to Amy Winehouse. Finding an irregular heartbeat, doctors mulled over trying to find out what she's got, including testing her for TB (which came out negative). But after all the tests, she's finally been diagnosed with emphysema. It's a progressive disease that causes its sufferers to experience difficulties in breathing. In an interview with the Sunday Mirror, Amy's dad, Mitch Winehouse, he fears his daughter will end up in a wheelchair and hooked up to an oxygen tank if she doesn't stop her smoking and cocaine use. Let's hope after all of this, Miss Winehouse will get her act together once and for all, especially since she's got one set of amazing pipes.
Lily Allen is back in the studio working on her follow up to her '06 debut, Alright Still. And it looks like she may be taking risks on this sophomore effort. "Guess Who Batman?" takes a jab at the British National Party (ok more like a blow to them. At first it was written about the BNP, but "this issue has become relevant pretty much everywhere," Allen writes on posted on her MySpace blog. "we are the youth , we can make coolness for our future , its up to us . go green and hate hate." Masked behind an upbeat light pop beat, the heavier lyrics sound so much prettier than they really are. It's an interesting take on the passive aggressive approach. Perhaps "Guess Who Batman?" could be her next hit? Give it alisten on Lily Allen's MySpace.
Spend a night listening to Talib Kweli, Pete Rock, Buckshot and a special guest at NYC's Museum of Natural History. Only $20, you can view the latest in visual art, groove to the hot beats and enjoy the stocked bar. How could you go wrong with this one?
Stone Temple Pilots, REM and NIN will be headlining this year's Voodoo Experience in New Orleans. Held from Oct. 24 - Oct. 26, the bill will also include Panic at the Disco, Cold War Kids, Erykah Badu, Dashboard Confessional, Joss Stone, Death Cab for Cutie, Lupe Fiasco and Tokyo Police Club. 
Last Thursday (June 19), I got to catch show featuring singer-songwriter Phil Bensen and pop/rock band Sparky's Flaw at Maxwell's in Hoboken. Walking into the small Jersey venue, I wasn't too sure what to expect.
As Phil Bensen walked on stage, you can feel the small crowd of teen/tween girls, who came to see him that night, silently blushing and giggling. Scratching your head as you look at this familiar face? Well, if you're a fan of a popular band of brothers by the name of Jonas, he's opened for them. (Enter high pitched screams here...) The Jersey native kicked off his set with a sweet acoustic solo and set the mood for chill show. Moving with a swagger that he refers to as "the white man sway," Bensen's music is light on the ears but has a presence that resonates with you. Songs like "A Little Respect" show off his Motown/blusey influences and give a different dynamic to this young musician. His smooth voice and even more fluid falsetto are reminiscent of Jason Mraz, and that's definitely not a bad thing. 
"Bruised" has a nice pop feel to the strong, and it's melody has elements that sound a bit like the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back" — a song he's been known to cover at his shows, including this one. And you know how I love covers. After playing a fun set with his band, Bensen went back to playing solo — taking requests from the crowd. Taking a fan's immediate and very enthusiastic request, he played "Paper Airplanes", a ballad that obviously made all the girls swoon. But what made it better was the nice transition into a quick rendition of John Denver's "Leaving on a Jet Plane". Phil Bensen is not only a charismatic performer with a short list of jokes. His free-flowing music and effortless voice bring a smile to your face.
Although I didn't catch Bensen at this year's Bamboozle, I did see Virginia-based Sparky's Flaw. After catching Red Jumpsuit Apparatus at one stage, I floated over to one of the smaller stages where I found a band who'd probably be one of my favorite finds of the year.
Sparky's Flaw may play pop music, but they're not synchronized choreography, coordinating outfits and oozing cheesy lyrics. They write the songs and play the music — and good music at that. Sparky's Flaw sounds like a hybrid of some of today's popular bands like The Fray and Maroon 5. And although there is a commonality this band shares with some of their influences, Sparky's Flaw take pop/rock and make it their own whether its Kit French's sax skills or Will Anderson's soothing yet edgy vocals.For me, what usually makes an amazing performance is if a band is able to sound even better live than on the recording, and this band does just that. "Words Meet Heartbeats" was already a favorite of mine, but seeing (and hearing) the fusion of the eerie synth in the beginning welding with uptempo beat and harmony of voices made the song an even memorable one. That can also be said about "Under Control", which has undertones of Maroon 5 — not necessarily a bad thing. 
What makes the band even more enjoyable to watch is that they're all so comfortable onstage — as if you're sitting in on a jam session. The band ended their set with "New Year", an upbeat track where the guys get to rock out. Watching them play this song shows just how much fun Sparky's Flaw has on stage. There's a sheer genuine vibe that emits from each one of them and together as a band. And even though there was a blip during "New Year", the guys took it like pros and played as if nothing happened. 
Surprise, surprise! With almost 9 million (8.9 mil to be exact) viewers, Camp Rock was the big hit of the weekend. And even though it didn't beat High School Musical 2, it was still one enjoyable 2 hours of Disney Channel musical fun. Besides the pop styles of the Jonas Brothers and new pop princess Demi Lovato, there are more beats on this one with songs like "What It Takes" and "Hasta La Vista". Whether you're a singing-star-in-training or up for reliving camp memories, the show is an upbeat movie to check out. 
The flyer explains itself. Tickets are going fast; so if you like Modest Mouse, you better get on Ticketmaster now.
Brooklyn breakout Santogold has already gained rave reviews for her self-titled debut, graced the cover of The FADER and teamed up with Strokes frontman Julian Casablancas and Pharrell to record "My Drive Thru" for Converse's 100th birthday. And now she'll be supporting Coldplay (who look like they'll be the band of the summer) on a few dates of the band's North American tour. 
The first song I heard by Primal Scream was "Rocks", which made me fall for this band's rock and roll sound. These seasoned rockers are coming out with a new record, Beautiful Future, but before that drops, they've released a song that's free for download. Primal Scream has recently covered Hawkwind's "Urban Guerilla", and you can get to it on myfreedownload.co.uk without dropping a dime.
For all you Boys Like Girls fans, they're coming out with a new music video. Be sure to catch "Thunder" on the new MTV show F'N MTV on Friday at 8 p.m. The band is currently the road with Good Charlotte, The Maine and Metro Station for The Soundtrack of Your Summer Tour.
Secret Diary of a Call Girl premiered on Showtime last night, but it wasn't the show itself that caught my attention but the girl playing Belle (the main character).
Thanks to Brooklyn Vegan and Klaus Kinski, Futureheads will be closing Rock n ROFL tomorrow night at Pianos. The gig will also feature a local band at 9 p.m. and will open at 8 p.m. with a funny set with comedians like Mike Birbiglia and Dave Hill. Tickets, which were on sale via TicketWeb earlier today, will be available at the door tomorrow for $12. There's a limited amount; so I suggest getting there early.
You definitely read that right. According to the Official U.K. Charts Company, Coldplay's Viva La Vida will debut at the top spot on the UK Album Chart this week. But what's more interesting is that it's already sold over 300,000 units since it dropped on June 12. It looks like it's well on its way to becoming one of Britain's best-selling albums Hopefully it'll spark the same success on American soil — I don't think that's too far from reality. 
You may know her for singing about cherry chapstick and lip-locking with another girl, but don't think it's all about that. The album shows many sides of this singer-songwriter. She pushes the envelope with "Ur So Gay" — hating on a metrosexual ex who doesn't like boys (though the song title may beg to differ). Then there's the upbeat pop track "Hot N Cold" that makes you dance while thinking about the ups and downs of a relationship. "One of the Boys" is probably my favorite song on the album — just for its sheer honesty. Besides, I can totally relate to just about every word on that tune. Although the critics may be on the fence about Katy's One of the Boys, it's an album that should be given at least one listen.
And in case you're in the Hollywood area, you can meet her and catch a performance. Here are the details...
Although they're from Florida, it's only now that the Black Kids have been circulating their sound in the U.S. And they've just announced a U.S. tour!
Remember when MTV was about the music videos? The Buggles made a hit riding on that idea.
Unfortunately the Coldplay dates I posted earlier last month have been pushed two weeks. According to the band's Web site, there are production delays and can't make the proposed June 29 show. The kick off date will now be July 14, and the final show will still be on Aug. 4 in Boston instead of Chicago. Refunds will be issued for tickets to the old dates, and for more info on the show, check out Coldplay.com.
Back in February, I posted that Missy's new album will drop in May, but it's already June and still nothing. But Billboard has confirmed that Missy is looking toward an August release. Titled Block Party, the song will feature a bunch of new dance tracks and will reunite Missy with Timbaland. Missy always delivers great beats and tracks to shake your pom pom to; so it's an album to look out for. 
If you loved the first season, Live From Abbey Road will be even better in season two. Set in one of the most historic studios, this season will feature the likes of Kate Nash, The Hossiers, Mary J. Blige and Panic at the Disco (who recorded tracks for Pretty. Odd. in that same studio). The new season kicks off on June 12 on the Sundance Channel. So make sure to set those Tivos.
Katy Perry has put down her mic for a hot minute to stop by CBS' The Young and the Restless to show off her acting skills. CBS even put out a little behind-the-scenes look on the set. You can catch that episode on CBS at 12:30 p.m. EST. 
In honor of Converse's 100th Birthday, Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D. and New York's own Santogold and The Strokes' Julian Casablancas have collaborated on My Drive Thru, which will be available for free download tomorrow on converse.com. 
They said she looked to sexy for the Christian music and maybe she could hack it in the Country world. But Jessica Simpson has hit Billboard's Hot Country Songs at #41 with Come On Over. It's a pretty catch tune, and it's pretty nice to not have to hear her belt the hell out of something like on all those power ballads. But do will this and her forthcoming album have the power to beat Country's current princess, Carrie Underwood?
The Love Guru won't be in theaters until June 20, but here's a sneak peak at the movie's soundtrack (out on June 17). You know how much I love a good cover, and not to say this is one of the best, but it's definitely hilarious. The Love Guru (played by Mike Myers) exercises his pipes with a Bhangra-inspired version of blues rockers Steve Miller Band's The Joker.
Jack White and the rest of The Raconteurs have announced the cities they'll be playing this fall. And if that's not good enough for you, they'll be joined by punk/rock duo The Kills — now you should be excited!
Rock 'n' roll legend Bo Diddley died of heart failure today in his home in Archer, Fla. He was 79. 
Now that the indie Helmsley boys are blowing up across the pond, it's no surprise they've decide to redo their video for You and Me. Opposed to their black-and-white-good-times-at-home feel, One Night Only look a bit more grown up with a more formal yet fashionable style opposed to their t-shirts and jeans in the first video. And the bar fight doesn't hurt much either. 
