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Archive for the ‘Artist Reviews’ Category

What could be a better birthday present to a 16-year-old than a brand new Porsche? Not many things could top that list for a teenager, but Miley Cyrus has done a fabulous job following up the gifts of her sweet sixteenth by gaining a nomination for a Golden Globe Award, announced in last week’s awards show fervor. Cyrus’ new Porsche Cayenne took the backseat to the artist’s newest gift of a possible Golden Globe, as the Hannah Montana star recently secured her spot to the second awards show since November, when she performed at the American Music Awards.

Cyrus and singer-songwriter Jeffrey Steele picked up the Golden Globe nod for “I Thought I Lost You,” a song the two co-wrote for the Disney film Bolt. The single is up for Best Original Song in a Motion Picture, and it will compete against Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman with “Down to Earth” from Wall-E; Jamie Cullum, Clint Eastwood, Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens for “Gran Torino” from Gran Torino; Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarmon, Ian Dench, James Dring and Jody Street for “Once in a Lifetime” from Cadillac Records and Bruce Springsteen for “The Wrestler” in The Wrestler. This year’s Golden Globe Awards, the 66th annual presentation, will commence on January 11.

While 2008 has been one monumental year in the spotlight for Miley Cyrus, the teen pop sensation has been at the forefront of media attention ever since she was born, being the first daughter of country music legend and “Achy, Breaky Heart” vocalist Billy Ray Cyrus. Miley’s entertainer gene was evident from childhood, and she got the nickname Miley (her real name is Destiny Hope) as a shortened version of “Smiley,” a name she gained due to her cheerful disposition as a baby. Miley Cyrus made her debut into the entertainment world in 2003 when she made a cameo in the television series Doc, soon thereafter landing a small role in the Tim Burton film Big Fish. The child prodigy made her big break in 2005, however, when she gained the title role in the Disney series Hannah Montana. The TV show let Cyrus demonstrate both her acting and singing skills, as she played a character leading a double life as normal teenager Miley Stewart by day and superstar Hannah Montana by night. The first Hannah Montana soundtrack came out in 2006 following the release of the Hannah Montana film, and Cyrus absolutely exploded as a teen icon thereafter.

Since 2006, Cyrus has gone on to conquer all means of the entertainment industry, embarking upon several national tours and releasing many smash singles and albums both as Hannah Montana and as Miley Cyrus. Cyrus’ debut solo release as herself dropped in the summer of 2008 under the title Breakout, and that’s just what this sugar-coated pop tart has done ever since. Cyrus’ live performances are appropriate for all ages, so if you haven’t seen the Hannah Montana star rock the stage live, get Miley Cyrus tickets from http://www.stubhub.com/miley-cyrus-tickets and get the party started!

Author Bio: This article is sponsored by StubHub.com and was written by Jenna Jay. StubHub is a leader in the business of selling Miley Cyrus tickets, sports tickets, concert tickets, theater tickets and special events tickets.

The greatest compliment a band could be paid is knowing that fans are willing to go to great lengths to hear your work. In the past, that’s included hitchhiking or traveling across county-or even state-borders in order to hear their favorite performers live. But in the age of the Internet, there’s a darker side to this, and yes, it does involve illegal downloading.

While the ethical issues surrounding illegal downloading still offer a lot of territory for debate, two things are doubtless: Firstly, that it’s here to stay. Fans will get free copies of new albums one way or another. Secondly, that it does have an impact on an artist’s bottom line-and this is especially harsh on indie artists, who have smaller audiences and tend to work with independent labels (meaning they have smaller budgets for promotion). Read the rest of this entry »

Southern voice is an album from gorgeous country music artisit Tim McGraw. Take a look over at Amazon for reviews and other information.

Nashville’s biggest heartthrob Tim McGraw has surprised fans in the past with atypical collaborations (think Nelly and “Over and Over,”) and this Southern-fried country musician is at it again, this time with “I’m N Luv (Wit a Stripper)” rapper T-Pain. McGraw and T-Pain both met recently when making appearances on an episode of Saturday Night Live, and talk over going into the studio together emerged then and there.

While nothing has officially been nailed down yet, both McGraw and T-Pain have been talking up a storm, T-Pain even letting E! Online in on the nature of the collaboration, saying, “The hip-hop has been done with Tim and Nelly, so we gotta be more country than hip-hop.” With a partnership in the wings, T-Pain continues onward with tour dates alongside Lil Wayne, Keyshia Cole, Gym Class Heroes and Keri Hilson, while McGraw delves further into an innovative style, even reportedly contributing to an upcoming single “Human,” set to appear on hip-hop prince Chris Brown’s upcoming album. Read the rest of this entry »

Review

It’s hard to believe that just a year ago nobody had heard of Lady Gaga. Now, she’s a proper pop star – a genuine household name on both sides of the Atlantic, with a fair degree of cultural traction. And she has achieved this with a blend of hooky tunes and outrageous outfits, a mix that Madonna once offered.It’s all old-fashioned, really. That sci-fi clobber of hers, and her interviews where she talks up the Warholian nature of her project, flatter to deceive: (more…)

A cocktail pianist rippling tenderly along the background adds further classiness to a party. You can easily look over your phone book to come across amazing cocktail pianists to play during your engagement party, gala dinner or wedding, within these days. Often, most of these pianists accept special requests and can sing your favorite songs. Eddy Duchin, Liberace and Carman Cavallero are the great pianists being followed by the modern cocktail pianists among the others.

At the age of 40, Eddy Duchin was quite young when he died back then. Though he’s life was short, he handled it greatly and became one of the most creative and prominent cocktail pianist. He decided to quit his career of being a pharmacist and focus more on playing his favorite musical instrument ? the piano. His love for music was so intense that he made everything to reach his most wanted goal. His good looks, charm and engaging personality made him become very famous at the Central Park Casino despite not having a formal training. In the long run, Eddy took the lead in the orchestra and became even better known in that high-class nightclub. Read the rest of this entry »

After years of making music, it should come as no surprise that the kings of alt-rock have finally made it big in their home country. The southern rockers have long achieved massive stardom in the UK and Europe, selling out arenas, headlining tours and attending music festivals, but with their most recent album, and subsequent tour, they have finally made some headlines in their home, the good ol’ U.S. of A. Have you been a long time fan of the kings and want to prove to other reluctant fans that they haven’t “sold out?”

Talking to Tennessean, drummer Nathan Followill said “It’s our fourth record, and with every record you put out, the label and management say, ‘This is the one. This is the one that’s going to crack America,’ so each time we had one that didn’t, it wasn’t a letdown, you get used to it. But it was a little tough playing huge arena shows in the U.K. and Europe, and coming home and having to play smaller places. But man, this record [2008's Only the Night] kinda snuck up on us. You always hope for the best and expect the worst, so we’re pretty stoked. But now we’re realizing how much work you have to do if your record is actually popular.” Read the rest of this entry »

Many Beatles fans are unaware of the great impact British folk-singer and guitarist Donovan (Donovan Philips Leitch) had on the Beatles and their music in 1968.

Donovan was a friend of the Beatles, and when the group traveled to Rishikesh in India to study Transcendental Meditation in February 1968, Donovan came along. There were several other westerners present at the Rishikesh camp too, including Mike Love of the Beach Boys.

Many of the songs that would later feature on the Beatles’ 1968 album entitled The Beatles – also known as The White Album because of its white cover – emerged during the group’s stay in India.

One reason for this was the fact that Donovan was there. Between the mediation classes, he taught John, Paul and George a special finger-picking guitar style which can be traced on many of the songs on The White Album.

Take Paul McCartney’s Blackbird, for example. It was written in India, and it’s a prime example of how Donovan’s guitar-technique was applied by the Beatles. Listen how elegantly Paul picks the strings and how the guitar pattern supports the lead vocal brilliantly.

Acoustic guitars had arguably not sounded quite as sophisticated as that on previous Beatles recordings, perhaps with a few exceptions, such as Paul’s I’ve Just Seen A Face from 1965 and Lennon’s Girl from 1966. The Beatles had often used the acoustic to play rhythm guitar – which of course worked brilliantly – but the Donovan finger-picking style added yet another dimension their music.

Another of Paul’s songs, Mother Nature’s Son, also took shape in India. Also here Donovan’s influence is obvious. The lyrics, meanwhile, are said to have been influenced by a lecture given by meditation guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a central figure at the camp.

Paul was of course not the only Beatle who was inspired by Donovan’s guitar technique. Just listen to the songs Julia and Dear Prudence, both penned by John Lennon. Dear Prudence is actually about a specific incident that occurred at the Rishikesh meditation camp. The song is really about Prudence Farrow, sister of actress Mia Farrow, who also stayed at Rishikesh. Prudence, however, preferred to meditate in solitude in her chalet. In the end Lennon and George Harrison had to convince her to come out and join the others: Dear Prudence, won’t you come out and play?

Other songs written or inspired by the stay in India were Lennon’s The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill and Sexy Sadie, plus McCartney’s Why Don’t We Do It In The Road and Wild Honey Pie.

Sexy Sadie was originally called Maharishi after Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, the meditation guru. After having stayed in India for a while, Lennon lost trust in Maharishi, apparently because of a rumor that the guru had made sexual advances to a female member of the course. The Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill was about college graduate named Richard Cooke III who visited the Rishikesh community because his mother Nancy was staying there. They did indeed go tiger hunting, just like the song suggests.

Paul McCartney later said he got the idea to Why Don’t We Do It In The Road? in India, where he had seen two monkeys copulating in the road. Wild Honey Pie was a sing along that also emerged in Rishikesh.

The first Beatle to leave India was Ringo, who returned to London in early March. McCartney soon followed, while Lennon and Harrison left in April.

You can read about all the songs the Beatles released on my website: http://www.thebeatlesonline.com

Andreas Walstad is a journalist and the author of http://www.thebeatlesonline.com

Mention the name Bon Jovi to any girl and you are more than likely going to see smile on their face and hear a happy sigh to accompany it. For some reason, women of all ages continue to be drawn to both the band and the lead singer. If you want to get some brownie points with your girl, all you will need to do is get tickets to their next show.

The lead singer for Bon Jovi is the one and only Jon Bon Jovi. Time seems to have left him alone as he still has the good looks that he had when he first hit the stage over 25 years ago. He is one of those rare rock stars that has managed to stay grounded throughout his career and actually still lives in New Jersey to this day. He has made quite a name for himself over the past decades as not only a musician, but also as a businessman. He seems to have the golden touch in everything that he does.

Richie Sambora has been an integral part of the band over the years. His playing style is influenced by Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Jimi Hendrix and believe it or not, The Beatles. While he did grow in New Jersey, he has since moved out to California and has homes in both Los Angeles and Laguna Beach. While the band is obviously his main commitment, he has been known to make the occasional appearance in movies and television shows.

Dave Bryan plays the keyboards for the band and is just another Jersey boy. Like Jon Bon Jovi, he has chosen to remain in the state of New Jersey for his main residence. Anyone listening to him play will easily recognize some of his past influences. Southside Johnny and the Jukes and Deep Purple are among his favorites and they reign through in his playing style.

The tempo of the group is held by none other than Tico Torres. He is an exceptional drummer, but that is hardly his only talent. Outside of the band, he has own line of clothing for children called the Rock Star Baby Collection. Aside from his clothing line success, he is also an accomplished painter, sculptor and is no slouch on the golf course.

The band is currently on The Circle Tour and it is being met with incredible success. Actually, many of the coming shows and VIP packages have already been sold out. The mass appeal of the band is still as strong today as it has been for years. It is no wonder, as the stage presence of Jon Bon Jovi has not dwindled one bit over the last 20 or so years.

The tour is full swing and will continue through the spring and summer of 2010. After a quick stop in Canada, they come right back to the United States and will be performing in Philadelphia for a couple of shows on March 23-24. The dates are steady all the way through June, where they slow down just a bit to accommodate the travel (some international dates are mixed in) of the tour schedule. Tickets are going quick so if you plan to see them, it would be wise to check the calendar and lock up your tickets soon.

Author Bio: Written by Heather Maxwell, article sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Bon Jovi Tickets, Concert Tickets, and more to just about any event in your area.

Live At Madison Square Garden [DVD] [2009]

In a day and age where artists like Lady Gaga and the Black-Eyed Peas get most of the press, it is almost refreshing to hear the crooning of Michael Buble. His songs take us back decades to when singing was a true art form and less of stage show. His songs go deep into the heart to place were only a broken lover can reach and then come right back to lift up our spirits with his next tune. Simply put, he is an amazing talent.

Michael Buble first captured our hearts when he splashed onto the music scene in 2004. He won the Juno award as Best New Artist that year and has been growing his fan base ever since. Slowly but surely the world started to take notice of him and the awards really started to pile up. He continued to dominate the Juno Awards and finally broke through with a Grammy in 2008 for Best Traditional Pop Vocal. That pretty much served as his coming out party.

His more recent album, “Crazy Love” is a journey that few singers have been able to take us on in recent times. His version of the title song is something to behold and even if you are a loyalist to one of the many other artists that have made this song famous, it is hard not to feel as though you are hearing it again for the first time. To say that it evokes some special feelings is an understatement. However, only you will be able to make that call.

The overall sound of this album is very unique as he literally “left the doors open” when he was recoding the different tracks. He was trying to create a different sound and from what we have heard, he has done exactly that. He wanted the fans “to feel like they were in the studio” and this is very much the case. It is reminiscent of what we heard on albums that were put out 50 and 60 years ago.

Honestly, he may have one of the few styles that can experience success doing something such as this. Today, many of the artists are more concerned about capturing headlines than they are actually performing real music. This is not to take away from people them, it is just that there seems to be more work put into creating the special effects than there does the actual music. It is great entertainment, but sometimes it is better to be able to sit back and enjoy the actual artistry.

His current tour is in full swing and once he finishes up on the East Coast at Madison Square Garden on March 20th, he will start to swing west and work his way across the United States. The US portion of the tour will wrap up in April at the Staples Center on April 9th and then it is off to the United Kingdom. There are plenty of stops along the way so even if he is not in your hometown, you can rest assured that he will playing somewhere close.

Author Bio: Written by Heather Maxwell, article sponsored by Stub.com. Stub.com sells Michael Buble Tickets, Concert Tickets, and more to just about any event in your area.