Aug 15

Depeche Mode frontman unveils new album details
[source: NME.com] Depeche Mode frontman Dave Gahan will release his second solo album in October.
Hourglass – the follow-up to 2003's Paper Monsters – is due out on Tuesday October 23 in the US. Gahan wrote and co-produced all the songs on the album, and recruited Tony Hoffer (Beck, Air, The Kooks, The Fratellis) to mix the record.
Gahan said the album addresses the theme of time slipping away.
"I don't know if it's about age, just getting older… there's no longer the luxury of being able to get blind drunk every night and just hide behind that. My fear is that I've wasted so much time in fear, in fear of diving in. I feel like I'm racing against the clock."
The album's first single, "Kingdom", is due to his US radio on Monday August 27.

Hourglass tracklisting:

"Saw Something"
"Kingdom"
"Deeper And Deeper"
"21 Days"
"Miracles"
"Use You"
"Insoluble"
"Endless"
"A Little Lie"
"Down"

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Depeche-Mode.aspx


Spice Girls slammed by Louis Walsh
[source: NME.com] Reunited pop outfit Spice Girls have been slammed by Westlife manager Louis Walsh.
In his tirade, Walsh also criticised Robbie Williams and Will Young.
"Spice Girls are only reuniting because they have nothing else to do. One's just the wife of a soccer star and the others are not on the radar. They're well past their sell-by date."
Speaking about Williams and Young, he told Yahoo News: "It's great about Take That getting back together – they didn't need Robbie Williams. He's overrated and had lost his sense of reality. He should be grateful that he has been so successful with not a lot of talent. Will [Young] is too pretentious. I'm not keen on him."

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Spice-Girls.aspx


Amy Winehouse ordered to rest
[source: NME.com] Amy Winehouse is in hiding, resting under doctor's orders following her drug overdose last week.
According to her record company spokesperson, who refused to comment on whether Winehouse planned to go to rehab, the singer is resting on medical orders.
The singer has previously made clear she wanted to avoid drug rehabilitation treatment, labelling it a "cop-out".
Despite the enforced rest period, Winehouse is still currently scheduled to perform at this weekend's V Festival.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Amy-Winehouse.aspx


Graham Coxon in stalker drama
[source: NME.com] A crazed fan who stalked former Blur guitarist Graham Coxon for more than a year has been cautioned by police.
Sue Ellingham allegedly met the star after a gig and then started sending abusive messages via his website and wrote false claims about his sex life.
As her obsession grew, she allegedly turned up at the school of the singer's five-year old daughter and his London home.
Last month Ellingham trashed Coxon's farmhouse near Canterbury in Kent.
Police told The Mirror: "We cautioned a woman for harassment and criminal damage."

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Blur.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Graham-Coxon.aspx


Falls Festival announces line-up
The summer festival season isn't too far away and one of the most popular events, the annual Falls Festival, has announced its line-up.
Celebrating its 15th year in Lorne, Victoria, and five years running in Marion Bay, Tasmania, Falls will take place from December 29 to January 1. Tickets will be made available for sale to subscribers to the Falls website, going on sale at 9am on September 10.
Kings Of Leon and Groove Armada are two of the biggest attractions, while Paul Kelly, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, The Waifs, Gotye, Built To Spill, Jose Gonzalez, The Go! Team, Blackalicious, The Mess Hall, Girl Talk, Kev Carmody, Whiskey Go Go's and Neville Staples will also appear.

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Gotye2.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Mess-Hall-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Groove-Armada.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Paul-Kelly.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Blackalicious.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Waifs-The.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Jose-Gonzalez.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Built-To-Spill.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Kings-Of-Leon.aspx
http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Black-Rebel-Motorcycle-Club.aspx


Sarah Blasko hits the road again
There's no stopping Sydney singer-songwriter Sarah Blasko.
Putting the finishing touches on a 30-date tour of the country this week, the "Always On The Line" singer has now sold more than 100,000 copies of her latest LP, What The Sea Wants, The Sea Will Have.
Blasko is set to head to New York City next month (her LP is due for a Stateside release in October) to perform a residency at hip Lower East Side bar The Living Room. When all that's done, she'll return home in October for the Showstopper tour, where she'll be joined by her full band and support act Liam Finn.
Tickets are on sale now.

Tour dates:

Tuesday October10 – Canberra Theatre
Thursday October 11 – Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Saturday October 13 – Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Sunday October 21 – Fremantle Arts Centre
Thursday October 25 – Princess Theatre, Launceston
Friday October 26 – Theatre Royal, Hobart
Saturday October 27 – The Forum, Melbourne
Thursday November 1 – Empire Theatre, Toowoomba
Friday November 2 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Saturday November 3 – Her Majesty's Theatre, Adelaide

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Sarah-Blasko.aspx


George Michael begins community service in London
Following his conviction back in May for driving while unfit, UK pop star George Michael has begun 100 hours of community service, helping garden workers in a London homeless shelter.
The former Wham! frontman, who was arrested last October after being found slumped at the wheel of his car in London, said he's happy to take his punishment and do what's required.
"I'm just like everyone else," Michael said (although most criminals don't show up for duty in a chauffeur driven limo). "If you do something stupid, you have to pay the price. I've been doing some gardening and really enjoyed it. I'll do whatever they want me to do. I don't want any special treatment."

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/George-Michael.aspx


Coldplay fan gets bloodied for too much "Yellow"
There's nothing worse than hearing an annoying song over and over, but for one poor fan of UK stadium rockers Coldplay, the price to pay for his favourite song was a tad violent.
According to onlookers in a Seattle bar called Changes, a man was punched in the face by a woman after taking to the stage to belt out his karaoke rendition of Coldplay's "Yellow".
"It took three or four of us to hold her down," barman Robert Willmette said. "The little hippy girl went crazy."
Police were called and the assailant arrested.

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


Rufus Wainwright to make Australian solo debut
US singer Rufus Wainwright – the son of famed folk singer Anna McGarrigle and troubadour Loudon Wainwright III – will make his first ever solo trip to Australia in January to perform a series of select gigs in ornate theatres.
While Wainwright has performed Down Under before, it's always been in the company of his famous family. The McGarrigle/Wainwrights last performed together at Sydney's Leonard Cohen tribute, which also featured Leonard Cohen and Nick Cave.
Rufus recently released his seventh LP, Release The Stars.

Tour dates:

Sunday January 27 – The Tivoli, Brisbane
Tuesday January 29 – State Theatre, Sydney
Friday February 1 – Hamer Hall, Melbourne
Thursday February 7 – Norwood Concert Hall, Adelaide

http://bigpondmusic.com/Artist/Rufus-Wainwright.aspx


Jessica Simpson: "I want to adopt"
Following the recent Hollywood trend for avoiding pregnancy, US pop singer/actress Jessica Simpson says she wants to adopt a child before deciding to have kids of her own.
Simpson revealed that, as a teenager, she made regular visits to Mexico's Casa Hogar Elim orphanage with her father, Joe.
"My father was a minister, so growing up we'd go on a missionary trip every summer," Simpson said. "The first time I went to that orphanage I was 16. I remember holding this baby who was found in a dumpster. I wanted to adopt him right then and there. I was like, 'Dad can I have him for my birthday, please?'. I want to adopt before I actually have my own kids."

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