Apr 16

Madonna explains reason for Malawi trip
[source: NME.com] Madonna has denied her visit to Malawi this weekend was to arrange adoption of a second child from the country.
Instead, the 48 year-old insisted the main purpose of her trip was to see the work of a charity she supports.
Madonna sparked a huge controversy when she adopted one-year-old David Banda from an orphanage in Malawi last year. She was accused by adoption groups of using her celebrity status to bypass laws about foreigners adopting from Malawi.
Speaking before Madonna set off for the country, her spokeswoman Liz Rosenberg told the BBC she would be "overseeing the building of a children's healthcare centre".
David is living with Madonna and her family in London, after the pop icon was granted an interim custody order. Under the court order, David can live with the singer for 18 months, during which time his progress will be reviewed by Malawi officials.

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Flaming Lips DVD gets July release date
[source: NME.com] Flaming Lips will release UFOs At The Zoo: The Legendary Concert In Oklahoma City on Tuesday July 10.
Filmed last September at The Zoo Amphitheater in their home city, the performance features a typically over-the-top stage show, including a giant UFO-shaped lighting rig, hundreds of stage props and effects and, of course, Wayne Coyne crowd surfing in a giant bubble.
In addition to the performance, the DVD features interviews, backstage access and a ringtone application in which fans can make and buy their own ringtones.

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


Phish frontman pleads guilty in drug case
[source: NME.com] Former Phish frontman Trey Anastasio pleaded guilty on Friday April 13 to a felony drug charge in New York.
Anastasio was able to avoid jail time by entering a plea agreement that dropped more serious charges in favour of an intensive drug programme.
The programme requires Anastasio to make weekly court appearances for 12 to 15 months in addition to performing community service. He will also be required to undergo periodic drug testing.
The 42-year-old guitarist admitted he was in possession of Vicodin, Percocet, heroin and Xanax when he was pulled over by New York police on Friday December 15.
If Anastasio successfully completes the programme, he will receive five years' probation. If he does not, he may go to prison for up to three years. He will not be sentenced until he completes the programme.
Anastasio issued a written statement shortly after the arrest, apologising for his behaviour and for "any embarrassment I have caused my friends, family and fans".

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Green Day frontman becomes homeless volunteer
[source: NME.com] Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong has become a volunteer for homeless charity Habitat For Humanity in New Orleans.
Armstrong has been posting updates of his work on the band's official website, www.greenday.net.
On Thursday April 12 he wrote: "Today we worked on the upper ninth ward. I had to do some upside-down hammering technique but we managed to get the job done. We felt a great sense of accomplishment when we finished."
Green Day collaborated with U2 last year on "The Saints Are Coming" to raise funds for Music Rising, an organisation that replaces instruments musicians lost in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.

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Christine Aguilera brings Back To Basics Down Under
With a hot album featuring hit singles like "Candyman" and "Ain't No Other Man", US pop singer Christine Aguilera has announced a special visit to Australia in July.
The singer's Back To Basics spectacular will head to Oz for three weeks, which means 500,000 kilograms of production, a 25-piece band and 130 tour costumes. Described by the LA Times as a "pageant that whirls through the realms of Vegas showgirls, fan dancers, sideshow tassel-twirlers, dominatrixes and burlesque queens", Aguilera's show will feature three distinct "scenes".
With more than 25 million albums to her name, this is one show not to be missed. Tickets go on sale on Wednesday May 2.

Tour dates:

Wednesday July 11 - Vector Arena, Auckland
Saturday July 14 - Burswood Dome, Perth
Tuesday July 17 - Adelaide Entertainment Centre
Friday July 20 - Brisbane Entertainment Centre
Tuesday July 24 - Acer Arena, Sydney
Friday July 27 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Christina-Aguilera.aspx


"Tiny Bubbles" singer Don Ho dies
One of Hawaii's most infamous singers, Don Ho, passed away last weekend, aged 76.
Most famous for cult hit "Tiny Bubbles", Ho - known in music circles as the "king of Waikiki" - had a history of heart problems and died at a Honolulu medical centre from undisclosed health problems.
Having enjoyed regular performances in Las Vegas hotels over the previous two decades, in recent weeks Ho had been making a twice-weekly appearance in a local Honolulu club. Ho visited Thailand in 2005 for a heart operation.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Don-Ho.aspx


New outfit for ex-Beta Band members
Fans of Edinburgh outfit The Beta Band can get excited about The Aliens, a new outfit featuring former Beta samplist/keyboardist John Maclean and drummer Robin Jones.
The pair have teamed with long-time pal Gordon Anderson and will release debut LP Astronomy For Dogs in June.
Both Maclean and Jones were founding members of folky trip-hoppers The Beta Band, which disbanded in 2004.
"[The Aliens] basically started during the World Cup last year and we finally mastered the album in October," Jones said.
"[The new material is] quite pure. All of the arrangements were much more upbeat; there's not a lot of darkness. I've always been aware that [Gordon] has this amazing cache of songs. He missed out on The Beta Band, so it's like a second chance for him."

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No dirt on Kylie, says Jason
Aussie soap star/singer/pantomime performer Jason Donovan has spoken out about rumours he'll dish the dirt on former paramour Kylie Minogue in his upcoming biography.
The 38 year-old actor recently launched new tracks on his MySpace page and is in the middle of a UK tour. According to Donovan, he's yet to even start the book, to be published by Harper Collins.
"A newspaper quoted a Harper Collins executive as saying: 'the chapters on Kylie are salacious; wait until you read it'. That's an absolute lie!" Donovan said.
"I haven't even written it yet. This is the story of my life, and it will include what's relevant. If you're looking for sordid details on Kylie, there are books already out there!"

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jason-Donovan.aspx


Julian Lennon sells stake in father's songs
In a deal announced on Friday April 13, Julian Lennon sold a large financial portion of the publishing royalties he earns from his father's Beatles catalogue.
The deal will see New York business Primary Wave Music Publishing earn a significant cut of all Beatles songs co-written by Lennon's father, but not his solo work.
"I felt it was the appropriate time to take on a partner for both my interest in my father's legendary music and for my future music endeavours," the 44-year-old Lennon said in a statement.
Together with Paul McCartney, John Lennon wrote many of the biggest songs in popular music, including tracks like "Hey Jude", "I Want To Hold Your Hand" and "All You Need Is Love".
The son of John and his first wife, Cynthia, Julian has released five albums of his own, the most recent 1998's Photograph Smile. Lennon doesn't own the publishing rights to all Beatles' songs, however; they're co-owned between Sony/ATV Music Publishing and Michael Jackson.
In 2006, Courtney Love sold 25 per cent of Kurt Cobain's catalogue to Primary Wave.

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