Apr 26

Coldplay star donates to charity auction
[source: NME.com] A coat worn by Coldplay frontman Chris Martin will go under the hammer to help raise funds for Oxfam's Darfur and Chad appeal.
The singer joins the likes of Corinne Bailey Rae, Sir Elton John, actress Sienna Miller and artist Tracy Emin, who are all contributing various items to the cause.
Martin is putting forward a black Dolce & Gabbana jacket, while Sir Elton is donating a Donatella Versace suit he wore to his White Tie & Tiara Ball in 2000. Corinne Bailey Rae is donating the red dress she wore in the video for 2006 hit single "Put Your Records On".
The ten-day eBay auction aims to raise AU$1.2 million.
"Try to imagine living in a tiny shelter made out of straw, dry branches and plastic sheeting, with the sun baking down on you at 45 degrees," Sir Elton said.
"Right now there are two million people living in camps in Darfur and on the border with Chad. Oxfam is helping 500,000 people by providing basic sanitation and clean drinking water but to reach more people they need our help."

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Smiths guitarist writes Crowded House track
[source: NME.com] Johnny Marr has helped write a song for the new Crowded House album.
The former Smiths guitarist co-wrote "Even A Child" with frontman Neil Finn for the band's first album in 14 years.
Marr, who has recently been working with Modest Mouse, also features on first single "Don't Stop Now", which is due out on Monday June 25.
Elsewhere, Dixie Chicks have contributed "Silent House", a song co-written with Finn, which appears on their own album, Taking The Long Way.
Crowded House's 14-song LP, entitled Time On Earth, was recorded with Kings Of Leon producer Ethan Johns in Auckland, New Zealand, and will be released on Monday July 2.

Time On Earth tracklisting:

"Nobody Wants To"
"Don't Stop Now"
"She Called Up"
"Say That Again"
"Pour Le Monde"
"Even A Child"
"Heaven That I'm Making"
"Silent House"
"English Trees"
"Walked Her Way Down"
"Transit Lounge"
"You Are The One To Make Me Cry"
"A Sigh"
"People Are Like Suns"

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Willie Nelson escapes jail for drug charge
[source: NME.com] Willie Nelson has escaped a custodial sentence after being charged with drug possession last September in Louisiana.
Nelson and his tour manager, David Anderson, were each fined AU$1230 and put on probation for six months on Tuesday April 24 after pleading guilty to a misdemeanour count of marijuana possession.
Nelson and Anderson were issued citations last September, along with Willie's sister Bobbie and two drivers. State troopers said they found marijuana and hallucinogenic mushrooms on Nelson's tour bus after pulling it over on Interstate 10. As part of the plea agreement, all charges were dropped against Bobbie Nelson.
St. Martin Parish Assistant District Attorney Chester Cedars said he dismissed the citations against the two drivers because there was no indication they "had anything to do with the contraband".

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Franz cover LCD Soundsystem on single
[source: NME.com] Franz Ferdinand and John Cale will cover LCD Soundsystem on two different versions of the New York outfit's forthcoming single, "All My Friends".
The single will be released as two 7" singles on Monday 21 May. The first version will feature a cover of the song by Franz Ferdinand, as well as LCD Soundsystem's rendition of Joy Division's "No Love Lost". The second version will feature Velvet Underground man John Cale's cover of "All My Friends".
"All My Friends" will also be released as a CD single, which includes the song's video and a track by Franz Ferdinand titled "Freak Out/Starry Eyes".
Last but not least, a 12" version will be released on Monday May 28, which features the Franz Ferdinand cover as well as "Freak Out/Starry Eyes".

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Former Cranberries singer to visit Oz
Former Cranberries singer Dolores O'Riordan will touch down in Australia next month to promote debut solo LP Are You Listening?.
Due for release on Saturday May 19, the album marks a return to form for the "Zombie" singer, whose spent her time away from the spotlight raising three children.
The Cranberries disbanded in 2002 after selling more than 40 million albums. Now O'Riordan is heading to Sydney for a flying visit on Thursday May 24, where she'll talk to local press about the release.
"My time after The Cranberries was a clean slate – no pressure and no contracts," Dolores said. "It was the first time in my life I was a free agent. I had no inhibitions, which is how I felt when I first started out. That's all visible here."
The first single from Are You Listening? is "Ordinary Day".

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Regurgitator sell "Band In A Bubble' to Canada, US and UK
Regurgitator have taken their Band In A Bubble concept to the rest of the world.
In 2004, the band spent 21 days recording their Mish Mash LP in a makeshift "bubble" in Federation Square, Melbourne. The process was filmed by music station Channel [V] and watched by the public 24/7.
Now, together with manager Paul Curtis, the band have licensed the concept to international television companies.
In New York, Cartel will undertake their very own bubble project, teaming with Dr Pepper and MTV. Meanwhile, in London, UK company Initial will also produce a similar show around a yet-to-be-named English artist.
"This is huge for us," Cartel frontman Will Pugh said.
"Making an album is a very personal and emotional experience, and in the past we've never wanted anyone around when writing or recording. But given that this is probably the biggest opportunity we'll ever have to show the world what we're made of, we can't wait to invite the fans into both the studio and our lives."
Meanwhile, Regurgitator are set to head to Rio de Janeiro in June to record album number six… with no cameras in sight.

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Keith Richards loses mother
Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards is in mourning after his 91-year-old mother, Doris, passed away on Saturday April 21 at her home.
It was Doris who bought Keith his first guitar, for his 15th birthday.
Richards' father, Bert, died in 2002.

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Spinal Tap to reform
Spoof rockers Spinal Tap are set to reform to aid the fight against global warming.
Guitarist Nigel Tufnel, singer David St. Hubbins and bassist Derek Smalls will hit the stage at London's Wembley Arena on Saturday July 7 as part of the Live Earth extravaganza.
Of course, Spinal Tap are actually a fake band, created by actors Christopher Guest, Michael McKean and Harry Shearer, who starred in the hit mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap. Directed by Rob Reiner, the film became a cult classic upon its release in 1984.
Yesterday, Reiner revealed the band would perform alongside some of music's biggest names at the Live Earth concert.
"They're not that environmentally conscious, but they've heard of global warming," he said. "Nigel thought it was just because he was wearing too much clothing, that if he just took his jacket off it would be cooler."

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Amy Winehouse to marry
Controversial UK pop star Amy Winehouse is engaged to boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil.
"I'm a very lucky girl to have found someone I love so much," Winehouse, 23, told UK newspaper The Sun. "I hope to be with him for the rest of my life. We haven't set a date yet or anything like that."
The pair first dated two-and-a-half years ago but were only reunited four weeks ago when Winehouse dumped then-boyfriend Alex Claire to be with Fielder-Civil once again.
"He proposed at home a few days ago and I took a day to finally agree," she said. "Obviously we are both young and it is frightening. But it is the right thing to do. That is why I agreed."

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Sheryl Crow offers toilet ettiquette
Having recently argued with White House Deputy Chief Of Staff Karl Rove over environmental policy at a black tie fundraiser in Washington, singer Sheryl Crow has now offered students advice on how to save resources.
In a recent tour of 11 schools and colleges situated in America's worst polluting cities, the singer told students to use less loo paper.
"Now, I don't want to rob any law-abiding American of his or her God-given rights," Crow offered, "but I think we are an industrious enough people that we can make it work with only one square per restroom visit."

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