Public Enemy are asking fans to help fund the recording of their next album. The rap collective have signed a deal with fan funding engine SellaBand, and are aiming to raise $250,000 in increments of $25 in order to record and release the as-yet-untitled album. In return, fans who invest in the album will receive a share in the revenue of the album, as well as a numbered copy of it. Speaking about the deal in a statement, Public Enemy's Chuck D hailed SellaBand's business model. "SellaBand's financial engine model goes about restructuring the music business in reverse," he explained....
'Backbeat', the biopic about The Beatles' early years, is being brought to the stage by its original writer and director. A play version of the 1994 film which charted the Fab Four's "Hamburg years", will be staged at Glasgow's Citizens Theatre in February next year. The production is being directed by Iain Softley, who wrote and directed the original movie. He has also co-written the adaptation for the stage with Stephen Jeffreys. 'Backbeat' recreated The Beatles' formative years, focusing on the group's orginal bassist Stuart Sutcliffe, who died of a cerebral hemorrhage aged 21 in...
Radiohead's Thom Yorke debuted new material with an all-star backing band at an intimate venue in Los Angeles tonight. The frontman rolled out several tunes with the new band, which featured Red Hot Chili Peppers bassist Flea, REM collaborator Joey Waronker, Brazilian multi-instrumentalist Mauro Refosco, and producer Nigel Godrich. Tickets for the last-minute "secret" gig at the Echoplex were at a premium, selling out in a matter of minutes and reportedly being scalped online for as much as $3,000. Yorke was in incredibly high spirits, dancing, smiling and even joking with the audience,...
Apparently, Kanye West's character-check getaway isn't going too well. According to reports, the rapper showed up over the weekend to Common's highly publicized benefit show at the Hollywood Palladium, and threw another one of his egotistical tantrums backstage. The rapper was allegedly upset over his not being offered food while in the dressing room backstage. After spotting a man eating chicken, West blurted, "Why wasn't I offered chicken? You want me to perform for free, [and] everyone is eating... why am I not eating?" When the waitress explained that he never asked for food,...
Singer Kelly Rowland has demanded an apology from organisers of the Mobo awards after claiming her performance was affected by poor sound quality. The 28-year-old took to the stage during Wednesday's event in Glasgow to sing her current hit single, When Love Takes Over, with David Guetta. As she began to sing, the star did not look happy and momentarily stopped, appearing confused. She later posted on her Twitter feed that she was "livid" at show bosses. Mobo organisers have so far declined to comment. The star, who carried on with her performance, said: "I wanted you guys to be...
Jay-Z has sampled Regina Spektor 's song 'Chemo Limo' from her Soviet Kitsch album. The sample features on a new song called 'Crispy Benjamins' which is set to feature on the deluxe edition of Jay-Z's new album 'The Blueprint 3' , according to Consequence Of Sound. The deluxe edition of Jay-Z's album, featuring the Spektor sample, is expected to be released later this year.
Empire Of The Sun's Nick Littlemore has revealed that he has been writing songs with Elton John during his five-month absence from the band. Earlier this month Empire Of The Sun mainman Luke Steele admitted that he hadn't seen bandmate Littlemore for five months. Now Littlemore has revealed that he has been off globetrotting, working on the new album with his band Pnau. "We're making a studio album with Elton John co-writing on some tracks for the next Pnau album," he said. "We met Elton in Australia and his manager has now become our manager." Explaining why he hadn't been in touch...
The cause of DJ AM's death has been ruled as being from an accidental drug overdose. The DJ, real name Adam Goldstein, was found dead last month with a crack pipe and prescription pill bottles scattered around his Manhattan apartment. Reports from the New York City medical examiner's office say that the 36-year-old died from "A lethal cocktail of prescription drugs and cocaine", reports Associated Press. The toxicology report, which was released Tuesday (September 29), shows the DJ had traces of several drugs in his system including cocaine, OxyContin, Benadryl and another drug used to...
Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band have announced that they will perform an entire album from their back catalogue each night of their five-night New Jersey residency in October. Playing the Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, the group will play 'Born To Run' and 'Born In The USA' twice, while 'Darkness On The Edge Of Town' will be played at the other show. Springsteen has already tested out a full album performance playing 'Born To Run' in its entirety at a Chicago gig earlier this month. "Chicago convinced us that this was really worth doing," Springsteen's manager Jon Landau...
American hip-hop outfit the Black Eyed Peas received a traditional Aboriginal welcome on Monday ahead of their Australian tour. The four-piece of Fergie, will.i.am, apl.de.ap and Taboo arrived at Sydney airport from Singapore last night. There they attended a private 'Welcome to Country' ceremony performed by noted Indigenous elder Aunty Sylvia Scott. The ceremony also welcomed the NOMAD Two Worlds collaborative art project - a multimedia work conceived by Indigenous artist Clifton Bieundurry and fashion photographer Russell James, who is a good friend of the Black Eyed Peas. The art...
