Nov 15
Jacko child abuse accuser pleads guilty to fraud
[source: NME.com] The mother of the boy who accused pop star Michael Jackson of child abuse has pleaded no contest to welfare fraud.
Janet Arvizo had been accused of illegally claiming thousands of dollars in assistance and committing perjury.
The news comes as Jackson prepares to perform his classic "Thriller" at the World Music Awards in London tonight (Wednesday November 15).
Los Angeles resident Arvizo, 38, was ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service and repay more than AU$11,000.
A no-contest plea is not regarded as an admission of guilt under California law but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing.
Arvizo was a key prosecution witness in Jackson's sex abuse trial of 2005, which ended with the singer acquitted of all charges.
Jackson's defence lawyers presented evidence of her alleged benefit fraud during the trial. However, Arvizo refused to testify about her financial situation on the grounds she might incriminate herself.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500107
Jay-Z faces legal battle
[source: NME.com] Jay-Z is facing a legal battle over a track on 2003's The Black Album.
Publishers Bridgeport Music allege the rapper used samples on "Justify My Thug" without permission. The company have now launched a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court, claiming Jay-Z violated copyright laws.
In the past five years, Bridgeport have filed more than 800 lawsuits, including a successful case against Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album. On that occasion, a jury found Bad Boy Entertainment had used part of "Singing In The Morning" by funk band Ohio Players without permission.
Bridgeport managed to block all sales of the late rapper's debut album and were awarded approximately AU$5.7million in damages.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3516632
Ms Dynamite in high-speed car crash
[source: NME.com] Ms Dynamite was taken to hospital earlier this week after a high-speed car crash.
The singer was filming for Sky One's The Race on Monday at Silverstone when AC/DC singer Brian Johnson struck the back of her car. The accident sent her Formula Ford spinning for about 50 metres before it came to a halt.
Ms Dynamite was treated by medics at the scene and kept in hospital overnight for observation, BBC News reported.
According to a Sky One spokesman, Ms Dynamite may have been travelling at more than 160 kilometres per hour when the crash took place.
"We take health and safety very seriously and cover it from every angle," the spokesman said. "We would not let them take part unless we were satisfied with the level of competence they were at and all the necessary safety measures were in place."
The competition saw five teams competing on the racetrack with the help of Formula One drivers Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503302
Axl Rose makes surprise appearance in New York
[source: NME.com] Axl Rose performed unannounced at a Parkinson's Disease benefit in New York on Saturday November 11.
The Guns N' Roses frontman sung "Live And Let Die", a cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings track, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Gunners previously covered the song on 1991's Use Your Illusion I.
The benefit, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's, held in aid of The Michael J Fox Foundation, was attended by Parkinson's sufferers Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox himself.
Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux were later joined onstage by Fox, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Rob Thomas.
Gunners: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502719
Paris Hilton inspires Jet track
Melbourne rockers Jet have revealed Paris Hilton inspired a song on new album Shine On.
Frontman Nic Cester, in town this week for a quick promo tour, said the lyrics to "Rip It Up" are about Hilton's homemade sex tape, sold online by the heiress's ex-boyfriend as One Night In Paris.
"Did you ever get the feeling you were born to lose?" the lyrics ask. "Smacked in the face with a silver spoon. From the bedroom, baby, to the city alight, you look pretty good but you're not so bright. Flashin' your stash ain't nothin' new."
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501552
Laura Veirs and Jen Cloher hit the road
Seattle-based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs will visit Australia for the second time in January.
Heralded by music bible Mojo as one of the most talented and underrated artists in the US, Veirs will perform in duo mode alongside long-time producer Tucker Martine. Local artist Jen Cloher will join Veirs for the week-long stint in support of Veirs' new album, Year Of Meteors.
"Veirs' songs qualify as poems," The New York Times glowed recently. "They're careful, word-conscious, narrative, neither foggy nor overwritten, and tend to give you a take on regular life experience that you don't quite expect."
Both artists will appear at The Harvest Festival in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula wine region (see http://www.harvestfestival.com.au for details), while their solo shows kick off at Sydney's The Basement on Thursday January 18. The tour then heads to Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Laura Veirs: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3534326
Jen Cloher: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3551411
Matisyahu to release new LP
Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu, who visited Australia in July this year, is set to issue a CD/DVD package called No Place To Be.
Out on Boxing Day, the DVD captures a live concert from Tel Aviv, Israel, in December 2005. It also features interviews, videos (including the clip for new single "Jerusalem (Out Of Darkness Comes Light)") and behind-the-scenes footage.
The CD features seven tracks, including two versions of The Police's "Message In A Bottle".
http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3537669
Eddie Vedder gives Howard a slap
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder embarked on a passionate rant against Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W Bush at the band's sold-out show in Melbourne last night.
"Your guy is blaming the economy over the price of bananas. I've got a banana for John Howard," Vedder told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena before grabbing his crotch. "Tell him to get his hand off Bush's banana!"
The band played old favourites "Jeremy", "Black" and "Even Flow" amid new material from this year's self-titled release. The two-and-a-half-hour show also saw the band cover Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix.
Pearl Jam's Australian tour continues this week.
http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500019
Victoria Beckham labelled anorexic
Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has labelled former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham "anorexic looking".
"Victoria Beckham is a very glamorous lady – she's a fashion icon – but I think she's ill," Harding told Closer magazine. "She could certainly afford to eat a chip, but she'd probably have one and want the plateful. I feel for Victoria. She's always in the press and wears child sizes even though she's a grown woman. It's sick. Have some food. What's sexy about being straight up and down and skinny? David [Beckham] can't like it. The female body should be an hour-glass figure – not anorexic looking."
Beckham has remained close-lipped about the comments.
Victoria Beckham: http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502006
Girls Aloud: http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502748
[source: NME.com] The mother of the boy who accused pop star Michael Jackson of child abuse has pleaded no contest to welfare fraud.
Janet Arvizo had been accused of illegally claiming thousands of dollars in assistance and committing perjury.
The news comes as Jackson prepares to perform his classic "Thriller" at the World Music Awards in London tonight (Wednesday November 15).
Los Angeles resident Arvizo, 38, was ordered to undertake 150 hours of community service and repay more than AU$11,000.
A no-contest plea is not regarded as an admission of guilt under California law but is treated as such for the purposes of sentencing.
Arvizo was a key prosecution witness in Jackson's sex abuse trial of 2005, which ended with the singer acquitted of all charges.
Jackson's defence lawyers presented evidence of her alleged benefit fraud during the trial. However, Arvizo refused to testify about her financial situation on the grounds she might incriminate herself.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500107
Jay-Z faces legal battle
[source: NME.com] Jay-Z is facing a legal battle over a track on 2003's The Black Album.
Publishers Bridgeport Music allege the rapper used samples on "Justify My Thug" without permission. The company have now launched a lawsuit in Manhattan Federal Court, claiming Jay-Z violated copyright laws.
In the past five years, Bridgeport have filed more than 800 lawsuits, including a successful case against Notorious B.I.G.'s debut album. On that occasion, a jury found Bad Boy Entertainment had used part of "Singing In The Morning" by funk band Ohio Players without permission.
Bridgeport managed to block all sales of the late rapper's debut album and were awarded approximately AU$5.7million in damages.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3516632
Ms Dynamite in high-speed car crash
[source: NME.com] Ms Dynamite was taken to hospital earlier this week after a high-speed car crash.
The singer was filming for Sky One's The Race on Monday at Silverstone when AC/DC singer Brian Johnson struck the back of her car. The accident sent her Formula Ford spinning for about 50 metres before it came to a halt.
Ms Dynamite was treated by medics at the scene and kept in hospital overnight for observation, BBC News reported.
According to a Sky One spokesman, Ms Dynamite may have been travelling at more than 160 kilometres per hour when the crash took place.
"We take health and safety very seriously and cover it from every angle," the spokesman said. "We would not let them take part unless we were satisfied with the level of competence they were at and all the necessary safety measures were in place."
The competition saw five teams competing on the racetrack with the help of Formula One drivers Eddie Irvine and David Coulthard.
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3503302
Axl Rose makes surprise appearance in New York
[source: NME.com] Axl Rose performed unannounced at a Parkinson's Disease benefit in New York on Saturday November 11.
The Guns N' Roses frontman sung "Live And Let Die", a cover of the Paul McCartney and Wings track, at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel. The Gunners previously covered the song on 1991's Use Your Illusion I.
The benefit, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Cure Parkinson's, held in aid of The Michael J Fox Foundation, was attended by Parkinson's sufferers Muhammad Ali and Michael J Fox himself.
Beatles tribute band The Fab Faux were later joined onstage by Fox, Elvis Costello, Sheryl Crow and Rob Thomas.
Gunners: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502719
Paris Hilton inspires Jet track
Melbourne rockers Jet have revealed Paris Hilton inspired a song on new album Shine On.
Frontman Nic Cester, in town this week for a quick promo tour, said the lyrics to "Rip It Up" are about Hilton's homemade sex tape, sold online by the heiress's ex-boyfriend as One Night In Paris.
"Did you ever get the feeling you were born to lose?" the lyrics ask. "Smacked in the face with a silver spoon. From the bedroom, baby, to the city alight, you look pretty good but you're not so bright. Flashin' your stash ain't nothin' new."
http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3501552
Laura Veirs and Jen Cloher hit the road
Seattle-based singer-songwriter Laura Veirs will visit Australia for the second time in January.
Heralded by music bible Mojo as one of the most talented and underrated artists in the US, Veirs will perform in duo mode alongside long-time producer Tucker Martine. Local artist Jen Cloher will join Veirs for the week-long stint in support of Veirs' new album, Year Of Meteors.
"Veirs' songs qualify as poems," The New York Times glowed recently. "They're careful, word-conscious, narrative, neither foggy nor overwritten, and tend to give you a take on regular life experience that you don't quite expect."
Both artists will appear at The Harvest Festival in Victoria's Mornington Peninsula wine region (see http://www.harvestfestival.com.au for details), while their solo shows kick off at Sydney's The Basement on Thursday January 18. The tour then heads to Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth.
Laura Veirs: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3534326
Jen Cloher: http://bigpondmusic.com.au/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3551411
Matisyahu to release new LP
Hasidic reggae rapper Matisyahu, who visited Australia in July this year, is set to issue a CD/DVD package called No Place To Be.
Out on Boxing Day, the DVD captures a live concert from Tel Aviv, Israel, in December 2005. It also features interviews, videos (including the clip for new single "Jerusalem (Out Of Darkness Comes Light)") and behind-the-scenes footage.
The CD features seven tracks, including two versions of The Police's "Message In A Bottle".
http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3537669
Eddie Vedder gives Howard a slap
Pearl Jam frontman Eddie Vedder embarked on a passionate rant against Prime Minister John Howard and US President George W Bush at the band's sold-out show in Melbourne last night.
"Your guy is blaming the economy over the price of bananas. I've got a banana for John Howard," Vedder told the crowd at Rod Laver Arena before grabbing his crotch. "Tell him to get his hand off Bush's banana!"
The band played old favourites "Jeremy", "Black" and "Even Flow" amid new material from this year's self-titled release. The two-and-a-half-hour show also saw the band cover Neil Young and Jimi Hendrix.
Pearl Jam's Australian tour continues this week.
http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3500019
Victoria Beckham labelled anorexic
Girls Aloud singer Sarah Harding has labelled former Spice Girl Victoria Beckham "anorexic looking".
"Victoria Beckham is a very glamorous lady – she's a fashion icon – but I think she's ill," Harding told Closer magazine. "She could certainly afford to eat a chip, but she'd probably have one and want the plateful. I feel for Victoria. She's always in the press and wears child sizes even though she's a grown woman. It's sick. Have some food. What's sexy about being straight up and down and skinny? David [Beckham] can't like it. The female body should be an hour-glass figure – not anorexic looking."
Beckham has remained close-lipped about the comments.
Victoria Beckham: http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502006
Girls Aloud: http://bigpondmusic.com/artistDisplay.asp?artistid=3502748
posted by nick at 11:25 PM
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