Sting to Release First New Material in a Decade

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Release Dates, Upcoming Releases, Pop, Rock, Soundtracks,

Sting is set to release his first new material in a decade later this year.

The "Fields of Gold" singer has recorded his first full-length album, The Last Ship, since his 2003 record Sacred Love after taking inspiration from songs he had penned for the same-titled Broadway musical, scheduled to open next year. The play is set in the 1980s in Wallsend, North East England, near where Sting - real name Gordon Sumner - grew up and the 61-year-old musician will use several songs from the show along with tracks he wrote which weren't included in the final line up.

Sting - who is currently touring North America with his Back to Bass tour - has been working hard on the LP for three years and has called upon the help of several collaborators, including James Bond writer John Logan and Brian Yorkey. The record, which will be his 11th studio album, will be released by a grouping of labels Cherrytree, Interscope and A & M Records.

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Courtney Love Planning Kurt Cobain Film?

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Gossip, Rumors, Rock,

Courtney Love is planning a film about Kurt Cobain's life.

The Hole rocker is working on either a musical or a movie about the lives of her and her late Nirvana singer husband, who committed suicide in 1994.

"[Courtney Love and I] are currently working on a possible motion picture or Broadway musical based on the Nirvana catalogue, based on her life and Kurt Cobain's. She's an accomplished actress," said Sam Lutfi, who claims to be her co-manager.

Sam made his claims in a Los Angeles court, where he is suing former client Britney Spears' parents for libel and breach of contract. A source close to 48-year-old Courtney confirmed the movie plans, telling the New York Daily News, "She's been talking about doing a movie or play about her life with Kurt for a long time. It's been her dream to get her side of the story out."

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Freddie Mercury to Appear on Stage as an ‘Optical Illusion’

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Artist News, Performances, Rock,

Freddie Mercury is to appear on stage as an "optical illusion."

The late Queen front man - who passed away in 1991 - will seem to perform for an audience at musical We Will Rock You, which is based on the band's music, to mark the tenth anniversary of the show in London.

Queen guitarist Brian May told BBC news the new "effect" was "an optical illusion of sorts." He added, "People will come out saying, 'did we actually see Freddie?'" However, Brian said the effect used will be different to the hologram technology which made late rapper Tupac Shakur appear on stage and perform at Coachella festival in California last month.

"It's a little unfortunate they did that thing with Tupac as we've been trying to make Freddie appear on the stage for quite a while The hologram technique is something we've looked at ourselves but I think probably for a show that runs eight shows a week it's not really practical."

The special edition show of We Will Rock You will take place on May 14 at London's Dominion Theatre. Queen have previously made live appearances where Freddie appears to sing the band's hit "Bohemian Rhapsody" using a backing track and video footage of him singing the song.

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Damon Albarn Finds His Opera Hard to Explain

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Performances, Folk, Rock, Soundtracks, New Releases,

Damon Albarn worries people think he has "lost it."

The Blur frontman is currently focused on his Dr. Dee project - a play and accompanying album of folk opera inspired by Elizabethan mathematician Dr. John Dee - and admit she is "nervous" about the response to the music
because it is very different to his previous work.

"It's not an easy listen and it's not an easy thing to talk about. That's what's making me really nervous at the moment. I want to be enthusiastic about it and explain, but the language you have to inevitably use to explain a record like this, in the modern idiom - especially in pop music - just looks completely mad. It looks like I've completely lost it."

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Damon Albarn’s Dr Dee is ‘Spookily Evocative’

Posted by Andru Edwards Categories: Concerts / Tours, Performances, Classical,

The music of Damon Albarn's Dr. Dee project is "spookily evocative."

The opera, about the life of an Elizabethan scientist, first opened last year at the Manchester International Festival, and has been turned into a studio album which is described as "visual" and "evocative" by collaborator Mike Smith.

"It's spookily evocative, that's what I think when I play it. It's very visual. You can almost see it, it's that evocative. There's a dramatic element to the music on its own," he said.

Conductor André de Ridder agrees with Mike, calling Dr. Dee "emotional."

"It's very deep and emotional music. It's kind of magic but also mysterious subject matter but as it sinks in it grows on you. It's wonderful and it opens up new rooms and spaces each time you perform it," he said.

Damon previously said he wrote the opera because of his ''strong emotional connection'' to the character: "I've got a really strange emotional connection - it really gets to me, that haunted, magical England. It's something that really stirs me in an irrational way. It's just amazing how much color there is in his ideas. Just imagine the English now if we had kept that spirit in our hearts."

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VIDEO: Daniel Radcliffe Performs on Broadway

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Leaks, Performances, Videos, Soundtracks,

How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying hasn’t yet opened on Broadway, but someone managed to sneak a video recorder into one of the preview shows. We’re using their daringness to bring you a video of Harry Potter Daniel Radcliffe singing on the big stage. Frankly, we’re pretty impressed. Not too bad for a boy wizard!

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Video: Anne Hathaway and James Franco Want to Host for You, You, You

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Awards, Videos, Covers, Soundtracks,

The hosts of the 83rd Academy Awards really want to host for you, you, you, as this funny video clip proves. Anne Hathaway and James Franco put this little piece together to promote the event, a tribute to "You're the One That I Want" from Grease (which we teased last week). As much as we adore James Franco, we're coming around to the realization that he's no singer. Don't believe us? Listen to the video and find out.

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Original Glee Songs Will Be in a Future Episode

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Gossip, Release Dates, Pop, Soundtracks, New Releases,

Sony has confirmed the plot we almost didn’t dare believe: Glee will give us some original songs. Two new numbers (hopefully better than Rachel’s recent headband anthem) will be released on March 8. The songs will be included on the upcoming Glee: The Music, Volume 5 album, and we’ve got the song list. Follow the jump, and you’ll have it too. . .

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Glee Preview: Listen to Rocky Horror Songs

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Covers, Pop, Soundtracks, New Releases,

In the audio clip above, you’ll hear the cast of Glee performing “Time Warp,” which will be featured on the Rocky Horror-inspired Halloween episode of the series.

Rather than wait for October 26, why not hear some of the songs now? Entertainment Weekly has put up a gallery of tunes from the episode, including “Time Warp” and “Dammit, Janet” -- two of the movie’s better-known tracks.

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Glee Music: Season 2, Episode 1

Posted by K.C. Morgan Categories: Release Dates, Upcoming Releases, Covers, Pop, Soundtracks,

Glee didn’t just top the ratings charts last season, it orchestrated plenty of musical chart-toppers in its own right. The September 21 premiere of Season 2 will be jam-packed with exciting tunes that represent a mix of musical genres.

Jay-Z‘s “Empire State of Mind,” Poison’s “Every Rose Has Its Thorn,” Lady Gaga’s “Telephone,” Travie McCoy’s “Billionaire” and three Broadway standards—“What I Did for Love,” “Getting to Know You” and “Listen”—will all be featured in the premiere episode.

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