Chris Brown Sentenced For Rihanna Beating

Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Patricia Schnegg told Brown that he could be sent to state prison if he violated any terms of his sentence, including an order to stay 100 yards away from Rihanna unless they're attending music industry events. [sure was nice of them to give him that out, especially when the assault happened on the way to one such event] - But he will have to have some counseling and his community service will have to involve labor.

Someone Gives Paula Abdul A Job, At Least For A Night

antiMusic reports: Paula Abdul is apparently moving down in the world. She'll go from the cush job of offering her questionable opinion about karaoke singers in front of millions of television viewers for a couple hours each week to now hosting a special featuring some of those same singers, except this time in front of vh1's vastly smaller audience.

The MTV sister channel has tapped Abdul to host their regurgitation of Vh1 Divas which will celebrate the current generation's crop of female pop singers including Kelly Clarkson, Adele, Leona Lewis and Miley Cyrus.

Quick: name the one that wasn't made a star on TV. The Vh1 special is set to air on September 17th. And as if this far lower viewership than Idol diva special wasn't enough for Paula, she has also filmed an appearance for some show on Lifetime called "Drop Dead Diva." - more on this story

C-Murder Gets 10 More Years in Prison

antiMusic reports: C-Murder probably wishes he would have committed his crimes in California where celebs seem to be able to get away with almost anything without having to spend time behind bars (See today's Chris Brown story), but as C's luck would have it, he was convicted in Louisiana and they apparently don't let their celebs get off with probation.

C-Murder, real name Corey Miller, was recently sentenced to life in prison but apparently that wasn't good enough for the state of Louisiana as he received additional prison time on Tuesday. His stage name probably didn't help him much either.

AP reports: The rapper has drawn 10 more years in prison for firing into a Baton Rouge, La., nightclub after an argument. The 38-year-old Miller received the 10-year sentence on Tuesday from state Judge Tony Marabella as part of a plea deal the rapper signed in May. - Read the AP report

Jacksons Reality Series

antiMusic reports: Only A&E could turn a documentary about the Jacksons family, sans the most famous brother, and turn it into a "reality series" after said most famous brother dies amid a flood of publicity. A cynic might think that the network was milking the death.

Apparently that what is happening according to this AP report: The A&E network said Tuesday its previously announced documentary about members of the Jackson family will be expanded into a reality series.

A&E's official word came only after "Entertainment Tonight" declared the Jackson series was a go. [Though A&E doesn't call such shows reality, they use a term like unscripted drama. Which if you've watched one of Gene Simmons misadventures you will understand the lack of the reality moniker.] - But if you can't wait to see some footage from this show, read more of the AP report to find out where you can watch some.

Katharine McPhee Had It All

PR reports: Katharine McPhee's new single, "Had It All" from her upcoming album, Unbroken (Verve Forecast) is available for purchase beginning today, Tuesday, August 25 exclusively on iTunes.

To celebrate the release of "Had It All," MySpace Celebrity will debut webisodes from Katharine where fans can get a special behind-the-scenes look at her in the studio. "Had It All" is available now to stream on MySpace Music.

Katharine traveled between Los Angeles, Nashville and Boston to write and record Unbroken, which was produced by John Alagia (John Mayer, Jason Mraz). The album's first single, "Had It All," written by David Hodges, Mitch Allan and Kara DioGuardi, is an upbeat and infectious song reflective of Katharine's evolving sound. - more on this story

Sherwood Releasing Alterna-Pop Album

PR reports: California alterna-popsters Sherwood announce the release of their new album Qu out October 13th on MySpace Records. Recorded in Los Angeles with renowned producer Brad Wood (Liz Phair, Smashing Pumpkins, Sunny Day Real Estate) the album features 11 original tracks written by all five members. The result is a refreshingly catchy and precise pop record.

Sherwood will be hitting the road on September 17th when they join Better Than Ezra for some select dates before heading out on a full tour of North America with Hanson, Hellogoodbye and Steel Train that kicks off September 30th at Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, OK and takes them through November.

Qu is without a question the band's most mature album to date and the result of nearly a year of work. In July 2008 the five members of Sherwood – Mike Leibovich (keyboards), Dan Koch (guitars/vocals), Nate Henry (vocals/bass), David Provenzano (guitar/vocals) and Joe Greenetz (drums) – squirreled away in a rented apartment in Oakland, CA and dove head first into writing music. Never having this kind of freedom to write, they devoted countless hours each day to crafting song after song, a process which Leibovich says "felt like we were testing our limits and abilities." They emerged 9 months later with 85 songs which they carefully narrowed down to 11 before heading into the studio with Wood. - more on this story

Rosanne Cash To Play Country Hall Show You Can't Get Tickets To

PR reports: With her first-ever covers album The List due from Manhattan Records on October 6th, acclaimed singer-songwriter Rosanne Cash and her band will showcase several of its stunning songs at a very special invitation-only performance event at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville on September 15th, 2009.

Cash has accepted this invitation to return to Nashville to showcase The List at an event co-hosted by the Museum and Broadcast Music, Inc. [BMI] as a way to honor her father Johnny's legacy, as well as to pay tribute to the artists whose songs she re-interprets, and to the songs themselves. Each song was written or popularized by a member of the Country Music Hall of Fame or by an artist who seems destined for that honor. Most of the songs are licensed by BMI.

The List features Cash's contemporary interpretations of 12 classic songs culled from a list of essential country tunes that Johnny gave her in 1973, and filtered through her own unique perspective. Produced and arranged by Grammy Award winner John Leventhal (Cash's husband), the album includes Cash's covers of songs written and/or recorded by The Carter Family ("Bury Me Under the Weeping Willow"), Hank Williams ("Take These Chains From My Heart"), Jimmie Rodgers ("Miss The Mississippi and You"), Hank Cochran/Patsy Cline ("She's Got You"), Merle Haggard ("Silver Wings"), and Bob Dylan ("Girl From the North Country," famously done by Dylan and Johnny Cash in 1969). - more on this story

West Side Ne-Yo

Wiredset reports: MTV just released this brand new VMA promo video featuring Ne-yo. As you may have seen, this year has a West Side Story theme, and they have enlisted several top artists to join in on the fun.

This year's MTV Video Music Awards will be held in New York City, September 13, 2009 at 9pm/8C.

Check out Ne-Yo, as he slides, glides and sings his way through a guitar infused version of "Tonight", with a Michael Jackson- like flair - here

The Very Best Debut

WMG reports: The Very Best's, European production duo Radioclit and Malawian singer Esau Mwamwaya, debut full-length Warm Heart of Africa will be released October 6th on Green Owl through Warner Music Group's Independent Label Group. The album is out digitally TODAY and can be purchased at iTunes.

While The Very Best mixtape Esau Mwamwaya & Radioclit Are The Very Best caught fire with Mwamwaya singing (in Chichewa, Swahili, Portuguese and English) over Radioclit remixes of Michael Jackson, Vampire Weekend, Hans Zimmer and M.I.A., the full-length consists of original songs. For the recording, the band brings some guests on board: in addition to Vampire Weekend's Koenig joining for "Warm Heart Of Africa," M.I.A. is featured on "Rain Dance." The Very Best embodies a without-borders approach to music-making that could only happen in the 21st century.

The band came together when Mwamwaya first met Radioclit's Etienne Tron in 2007 while haggling over a bicycle in the London second-hand furniture shop he ran near the duo's studio. Following the exchange, Mwamwaya was invited to Tron's house-warming party where he met the other half of Radioclit, Johan Karlberg. Esau was asked to come to Radioclit's studio after he told Karlberg he was a drummer. It turned out Esau was a singer too and they decided to collaborate, combining Radioclit's vast production experience and self-described "ghettopop" style—having produced and remixed tracks for the likes of M.I.A., Lily Allen, Justin Timberlake, Santigold, Britney Spears, TV On The Radio, David Banner, Buraka Som Sistema among others—with Mwamwaya's emotive vocal approach. Karlberg dubbed Mwamwaya "the African Phil Collins," and they have been recording songs together ever since. - more on this story

La Roux Announce US Shows

PR reports: British synth-pop sensation La Roux are set to hit the shores of North America for a slew of performances this fall in support of their self titled US debut coming out September 29th on Cherrytree Records.

21-year-old Elly Jackson and co-producer co-songwriter co-hort Ben Langmaid, the talented South London duo who make up La Roux, have made an impressive impact on the UK's music scene since joining forces two years ago.

While collaboration began in London's burgeoning underground warehouse scene, it has since landed the pair a highly coveted Mercury Prize nomination and hot singles on daytime radio and the upper echelons of the British charts. - more on this story

Matt Hires Releases Debut

Atlantic Records reports: Matt Hires has announced the release of his debut album. "Take Us To The Start" – which includes the single, "Honey, Let Me Sing You A Song" – arrived in stores everywhere on August 25th.

Released exclusively through iTunes earlier this summer, "Take Us To The Start" proved an instant success. The digital-only release hit the top 10 on iTunes' overall "Top Albums" chart, while also reaching the upper half of the Billboard 200.

The album follows Hires's debut EP, "Live At The Hotel Café," which reached the top 10 on iTunes' "Top Singer/Songwriters Albums" chart upon its October 2008 release. - more on this story

Empire Of The Sun's Luke Steele To Guest on Jay-Z's New Album

PR reports: On the eve of Empire Of The Sun's debut live performances at Australia's Parklife festival next month, comes the news that Emperor Luke Steele will appear on the forthcoming new Jay-Z record while also celebrating UK Gold album sales for Walking On A Dream.

Luke Steele joins the line-up of artists on Jay-Z's upcoming record The Blueprint 3 (being released September 11 through Warner Music Group's Roc Nation) and appears on the first track, titled 'What We Talkin' About' - Jay-Z + Luke Steele (of Empire Of The Sun).

Other guest performers include Rihanna, Kanye West, Pharrell, Alicia Keys, Kid Cudi, Drake and more. - more on this story

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