Jan 29

BB King discharged from hospital
[source: NME.com] Blues guitarist BB King has been discharged from hospital after contracting a fever that led to flu.
A representative from his management company said the 81-year-old, who was treated with antibiotics at the University Of Texas Medical Branch, was now "back to his old self".
King, who was honoured last year with the Presidential Medal Of Freedom, was forced to cancel a performance at the Grand Opera House in Galveston, Texas last Thursday.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/B-B-King.aspx


Bono calls for Third World debt cancellation
[source: NME.com] U2 singer Bono has called on world leaders to fulfil their promise to fight African poverty.
The star, who was attending the World Economic Forum in Davos, urged rich countries to cancel Third World debt.
His comments came after the G8 group of industrialised nations agreed to cancel the debts of 18 low-income countries in 2005 and pledged to double African aid to about AU$61 billion by 2010.
"There were some serious promises made," Bono said. "The cheques were signed. But, as you know, politicians like signing cheques [and not] cashing them.
"Two years on, it's time to take the temperature. If those promises are not kept… it will make a generation of cynics. I don't believe that's going to happen; I am optimistic we're going to get through this."
While debt cancellation programs had already allowed some 20 million African children to go to school, Bono said there was still "lots, lots, lots to do".

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/U2.aspx


Brian Eno producing new Coldplay album
[source: NME.com] In an interview with BBC Radio 4's Front Row programme, Brian Eno has revealed he will produce Coldplay's fourth album.
The former Roxy Music member said the album will be "very original and very different from what they've done before".
Coldplay are currently holed up in their new London studio where they have been working on the follow-up to 2005's X&Y since last October.
The band will showcase the fruits of their labour to fans on their Latin American tour, which kicks off on Wednesday February 14 in Santiago, Chile.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Brian-Eno.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Coldplay.aspx


Kasabian and Flaming Lips design for Playboy
[source: NME.com] Kasabian and The Flaming Lips have designed T-shirts for Playboy's annual Sex & Music issue.
Metric, The Thievery Corporation, Soulwax and Stellastarr* have also customised the Playboy brand and logo for the Rock The Rabbit range, which will be replicated and sold both online and at the Playboy Boutique in Las Vegas.
Later this year, the original prototypes will be auctioned to raise money for Lifebeat: The Music Industry Fights AIDS.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Kasabian.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Flaming-Lips-The.aspx


Tom Waits sues over TV Ccommercial
American singer-songwriter Tom Waits has successfully sued a car manufacturer and advertising agency for imitating his music.
"I'm glad to be out of the car sales business once and for all," Waits said in a statement about the lawsuit, which was settled last week against ad company McCann Erickson and Adam Opel AG, a subsidiary of General Motors Corporation.
The Grammy-Award winning performer strictly opposes selling his songs for commercials and Waits's lawyers were in court arguing the companies hired a sound-a-like singer for one of their commercials after he'd already turned down several offers. Waits will donate his settlement fee to charity.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Tom-Waits.aspx


Augie March officially the hottest
Melbourne five-piece Augie March have topped the biggest music opinion poll in the world – Triple J's Hottest 100 – with the sublime "One Crowded Hour".
The poll, now in its 14th year, saw a record-breaking 671,000 people vote for their favourite songs of 2006, with this year's event broadcast live on Australia Day from Sydney's Hyde Park.
Rounding out the top three spots were Perth rockers Eskimo Joe and Adelaide hip-hop outfit Hilltop Hoods.
"Australian music is why Triple J exists," Music Director Richard Kingsmill said. "Having an all-Australian top three makes us feel like we're doing our job well."

The top ten:

1. Augie March – "One Crowded Hour"
2. Eskimo Joe – "Black Fingernails, Red Wine"
3. Hilltop Hoods – "The Hard Road"
4. The Killers – "When You Were Young"
5. Scissor Sisters – "I Don't Feel Like Dancing"
6. Gnarls Barkley – "Crazy"
7. Snow Patrol – "Chasing Cars"
8. Gotye – "Hearts A Mess"
9. Muse – "Starlight"
10. The Grates – "19-20-20"

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Augie-March.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Eskimo-Joe.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Grates-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Muse.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Hilltop-Hoods.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Killers-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Snow-Patrol.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Scissor-Sisters.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Gnarls-Barkley.aspx


The Great Escape gets bigger
The Great Escape organisers have confirmed Evan Dando and Lou Rhodes will appear at the three-day music, arts and camping festival to be held over Easter at Newington Armory in Sydney.
Evan Dando will arrive to front The Lemonheads' latest incarnation, while Rhodes, who made her name with UK indie darlings Lamb, will also perform.
Meanwhile, hip-hop superstars The Roots will take to the main stage, as will Irish folk star Damien Dempsey, English singer Alice Russell and US guitar sensation Kaki King.
Local additions include Dan Kelly, Expatriate, Bertie Blackman, The Exploders, Hermitude, Fourplay, Astronomy Class, Coda, The Bird, True Live, Sparkadia, The Flairz, King Tide, The Sins, Greta Gertler, Carla Werner and Waiting For Guinness.
These new acts join an already stellar cast of musicians, including Wolfmother, Hilltop Hoods, Gomez, Missy Higgins, The Living End, Ben Kweller, John Butler Trio, Ziggy Marley, Lee Scratch Perry, Fat Freddy's Drop, The Vines, Bob Evans, The Fumes, Fishbone and Blue King Brown.
Tickets for the festival are on sale now. For more information, visit www.thegreatescape.net.au.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Lemonheads-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Roots-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Dan-Kelly-And-The-Alpha-Males.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Fourplay.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Expatriate.aspx

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Ben-Kweller.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Blue-King-Brown.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Bob-Evans.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Wolfmother.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Gomez.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Missy-Higgins.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Living-End-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Hilltop-Hoods.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/John-Butler-Trio.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Fishbone.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Fumes-The.aspx

KISS frontman hits Oz
Paul Stanley – the singer for iconic US rockers KISS – is heading Down Under on his first solo tour outside of America.
Stanley will arrive on Australian shores in April to promote his second LP, Live To Win. Released a mere 28 years after his self-titled solo debut, Live To Win came out in the US late last year and saw the rocker – now make-up free – play across the country.
"The US shows were incredible and reconnected me to the reasons I loved live music growing up," Stanley said.
"Between all the KISS classics, songs we've never played and songs from my two solo albums, it's an ultimate night that's as good or better than anything else around. I want to continue this sweat-fest as long as I can and one of my first questions was, 'Can I get to Australia?'."
Fans of reality TV show Rock Star: Supernova have extra incentive to catch the gigs: the show's much-loved house band will be performing with Stanley at all shows.
Tickets go on sale Monday February 12.

Tour dates:

Wednesday April 11 – Twin Towns, Tweed Heads
Friday April 13 – Wollongong Entertainment Centre
Saturday April 14 – Newcastle Entertainment Centre
Monday April 16 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Friday April 20 – Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Tuesday April 24 – Burswood Theatre, Perth
Thursday April 26 – Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

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


Lily Allen slams Madonna
She's currently touring across the country with the Big Day Out, but Lily Allen has still found time to launch a scathing attack on pop icon Madonna.
The English singer – who had four tracks featured in Triple J's Hottest 100 countdown, with "Smile" reaching number 15 – suggested Madonna's enduring popularity had very little to do with her music.
"I never say anything unprovoked but an interviewer asked me who, in my opinion, was the most overrated pop star," Allen revealed this week. "Overrated, for me, is someone who sells a lot of records because of who they are. And I don't think people buy Madonna's records because they think they're really good."
Apparently Allen's been showing some of her own diva behaviour backstage at the BDO, with reports that the singer's entourage aren't proving particularly friendly to the rest of the bands on the bill.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Lily-Allen.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Madonna.aspx