Dec 6

New Radiohead material to premiere on new show
[source: NME.com] Thom Yorke will perform new Radiohead songs on a download TV show.
Featuring live sound courtesy of Radiohead producer Nigel Godrich, From The Basement will launch on Monday December 18 and can be accessed via www.fromthebasement.tv.
Yorke will play "Videotape" and "Down Is The New Up", songs that may appear on the next Radiohead album, due in 2007.
The White Stripes and FourTet's Kieran Hebden also feature on the show.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Radiohead.aspx

Pixies star to release Christmas album
[source: NME.com] Pixies frontman Frank Black will release a Christmas album later this month.
Christmass, out Monday December 18, is comprised of live acoustic recordings from summer 2006, along with five tracks recorded partly in hotel rooms and partly at Planet Of Sound Studios in Hartford, Connecticut. There's also a DVD with selections from one of the live acoustic shows.
The package is currently only available as a mail-order release from www.cookingvinylrecordstore.co.uk.
As reported exclusively by NME.COM in October, Pixies are planning to reconvene in January to start work on their first album in 16 years.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Pixies.aspx


Panic! At The Disco to ring in 2007 in Times Square
[source: NME.com] Panic! At The Disco are set to give a special performance in New York's Times Square on New Year's Eve.
According to NBC, the Las Vegas band will perform on a prime location "atop all the action" as part of the channel's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly. Times Square will host 250,000 people while an estimated 20 million will watch live on TV.
The hour-long show will be broadcast simultaneously on four TV channels in the US, as well as a live stream on www.nbc.com.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Panic-At-The-Disco.aspx


Mary J. Blige dominates Billboard Awards
[source: NME.com] Soul singer Mary J. Blige claimed nine trophies at the Billboard Music Awards on Monday night.
Blige, whose latest album The Breakthrough topped the US charts, was among the performers at the ceremony held in the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Although she won many of the main categories, including R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year, Blige lost out to Rihanna in the Female Singer Of The Year category. Other big winners included Nelly Furtado and Nickelback.
The awards are presented to the year's chart-topping artists, with winners determined by Billboard magazine's year-end chart listings, based on record sales and airplay.

The full list of winners:

Billboard Century Award: Tony Bennett
Artist Duo/Group Of The Year: Nickelback
Artist Of The Year: Chris Brown
New Artist Of The Year: Chris Brown
Album Of The Year: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood
Female Artist Of The Year: Rihanna
Male Artist Of The Year: Chris Brown
Female Billboard 200 Album Artist Of The Year: Carrie Underwood
Hot 100 Artist Duo/Group Of The Year: Nickelback
Hot 100 Airplay Song Of The Year: "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige
Female Hot 100 Artist Of The Year: Rihanna
Pop 100 Single Of The Year: "Promiscuous" – Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland
Pop 100 Artist Of The Year: Rihanna
Rap Artist Of The Year: T.I.
Rap Album Of The Year: King – T.I.
Rap Album Artist Of The Year: T.I.
Rap Songs Artist Of The Year: T.I.
Country Songs Artist Of The Year: Kenny Chesney
Country Album Of The Year: Some Hearts – Carrie Underwood
New Country Artist Of The Year: Carrie Underwood
Female Country Artist Of The Year: Carrie Underwood
Female R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year: Mary J. Blige
R&B/Hip-Hop Artist Of The Year: Mary J. Blige
R&B/Hip-Hop Songs Artist Of The Year: Mary J. Blige
R&B/Hip-Hop Album Artist Of The Year: Mary J. Blige
R&B Hip-Hop Album Of The Year: The Breakthrough, Mary J. Blige
R&B/Hip-Hop Song Of The Year: "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige
R&B/Hip-Hop Song Airplay Of The Year: "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige
Rock Album Of The Year: All The Right Reasons – Nickelback
Rock Song Of The Year: "Animal I Have Become" – Three Days Grace
Soundtrack Album Of The Year: High School Musical
Digital Album Of The Year: How To Save A Life – The Fray
Digital Album Artist Of The Year: The Fray
Digital Songs Artist Of The Year: The Fray
Videoclip Of The Year: "Be Without You" – Mary J. Blige
Videoclips Artist Of The Year: T.I.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Mary-J-Blige.aspx


Everyone's searching for Britney
For the fifth time in six years, US pop singer Britney Spears has won the top spot in Yahoo's annual list of most popular search terms.
"We consistently see female celebrities in the top ten," Yahoo's Heather Moylan revealed.
The singer beat out other blondes such as Latin singer Shakira (who came in third), Jessica Simpson (fourth), and 2004 winner Paris Hilton (fifth). Other women in the top ten included Beyoncé Knowles, Pamela Anderson and Lindsay Lohan.
The number two spot, however, wasn't a pop star – it was World Wrestling Entertainment!

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Britney-Spears.aspx


Keith Urban completes rehab
Aussie country singer Keith Urban appeared to have ended his stint in rehab and been reunited with wife Nicole Kidman after the couple were spotted enjoying brunch on the weekend in Los Angeles.
But a representative for Urban said the singer is "still undergoing treatment". Urban originally entered the Betty Ford Center in Palm Springs, California, on Thursday October 19 for alcohol abuse.
His current album – Love, Pain And The Whole Crazy Thing – is his most successful in Australia to date, with single "Once In A Lifetime" reaching number 18 on the ARIA charts.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Keith-Urban.aspx


Beyoncé to marry?
US newspapers report pop queen Beyoncé Knowles and rapper boyfriend Jay-Z will marry this weekend.
Rumours in the New York Post have the pair tying the knot at a Caribbean resort, with Jay-Z's "surprise" 37th birthday party acting as a cover.
"Beyoncé is throwing Jay a four-day birthday party, but it's really a wedding," a source told the newspaper, revealing guests would be ferried from St Bart's to Cap Juluca, a five-star resort on the island of Anguilla.
Beyoncé has denied the rumours.
"I do eventually one day want to get married," she replied of her four-year relationship. "I grew up with my parents and my sisters and family is important, but that happens when it happens. It was really important to me to have my career and my life and know who I am before I become a partner with somebody."

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Beyonce.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jay-Z.aspx


Jessica Simpson fluffs performance
Jessica Simpson left the stage in tears during her performance at the annual Kennedy Center Honors, one of the USA's most culturally significant events. Performing at the ceremony on Sunday December 3, Simpson forgot the words to 2006 honouree Dolly Parton's "Nine To Five". Missing a few lines, Simpson abruptly ended the song before gushing, "Dolly, you make me so nervous I can't even sing the words right".
She left the stage in tears and was still crying when she re-joined other performers moments later. Simpson's mishap comes two years after the infamous lip-synching appearance by her sister, Ashley, on Saturday Night Live.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jessica-Simpson.aspx


Damien Leith tops ARIA charts
A little more than a week has passed since his win on TV's Australian Idol, but Irish singer Damien Leith has seen his debut single, "Night Of My Life", become 2006's highest and fastest-selling single in its first week of release.
More than 100,000 copies of the ballad are being shipped to stores, with the track landing at number one of the national ARIA charts.
"He hardly slept all weekend, a spokesman at Leith's label, SonyBMG, said. "In addition to all the celebrations, his phone has been ringing off the hook with congratulatory calls from overseas."
The success looks set to continue with tomorrow's release of debut LP Damien Leith – The Winner's Journey.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Damien-Leith.aspx


Melbourne Big Day Out sold out
Breaking all previous ticket sales records, the Melbourne leg of the Big Day Out (held at Princes Park South on Sunday January 28) has officially sold out.
"The event just keeps getting stronger," promoter Viv Lees said.
"After 15 years we are getting a lot of parents returning with their kids and that makes me pretty happy as well."
The Sydney and Gold Coast legs are also sold out, with limited tickets left for Adelaide and Perth.
The festival's line-up includes Tool, Muse, The Killers, Peaches, Violent Femmes, My Chemical Romance, Spank Rock, The Streets, Kasabian, Crystal Method DJs, Justice, Trivium, John Cooper Clarke, Afra & The Incredible Beatbox Band, Lily Allen, Lupe Fiasco, Diplo, Hot Chip, Jet, Eskimo Joe, Scribe, The Sleepy Jackson, Evermore, The Herd, The Spazzys, John Butler Trio, Something For Kate, You Am I, Little Birdy, The Presets, Bob Evans, The Drones, The Butterfly Effect, Love Tattoo, Shapeshifter and more.

The Crystal Method: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Crystal-Method-The.aspx
Muse: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Muse.aspx
My Chemical Romance: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/My-Chemical-Romance.aspx
The Killers: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Killers-The.aspx
Jet: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jet.aspx
John Butler Trio: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jet.aspx
Kasabian: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Kasabian.aspx
Trivium: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Trivium.aspx
The Streets: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Streets-The.aspx
Spank Rock: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Streets-The.aspx
The Sleepy Jackson: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Sleepy-Jackson-The.aspx
Scribe: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Scribe.aspx
Something For Kate: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Something-For-Kate.aspx
Lupe Fiasco: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Lupe-Fiasco.aspx
Little Birdy: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Little-Birdy.aspx
Lily Allen: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Lily-Allen.aspx
The Presets: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Presets-The.aspx
Diplo: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Diplo.aspx
The Drones: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Drones-The.aspx
Evermore: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Evermore.aspx
Eskimo Joe: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Eskimo-Joe.aspx
You Am I: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/You-Am-I.aspx
Hot Chip: http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Hot-Chip.aspx