Miley Cyrus, Kelly Clarkson, Leona Lewis All Divas

"Adele, Kelly, Leona and Miley have all captured the world's attention with their talent and have earned their designation as VH1 Divas this year. Don't let some of their young ages fool you — these women are among the best entertainers in the world and will continue to thrill music fans for a long time to come." - more on this story

Marc Anthony Buys Into Football Team

Reuters reports: Marc Anthony has acquired a minority interest in the Miami Dolphins football team, joining entertainers Jimmy Buffett and Gloria Estefan who also are associated with the storied sports franchise.

Anthony, who has sold more than 10 million records in his career and is married to actress and singer Jennifer Lopez, said on Tuesday that he grew up in a sports-oriented family and dreamed of being part of a franchise.

"It's just a dream come true, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and a no-brainer," Anthony said in a conference call with reporters. - more on this story

Bad News: Simon Says Paula To Stay on Idol

Hecklerspray reports: Yesterday we said that Paula Abdul was probably going to leave American Idol. And she really was, too. She was going to leave. It wasn't just a dimwitted bluff to make American Idol pay her more money. Paula Abdul was definitely leaving American Idol. Unless the show decided to pay her a lot more money, in which case she'd consider staying. But it's not about money. Its about being treated with a basic level of human decency. And money. It's mostly about money.

Anyway, Simon Cowell has revealed that he wants Paula Abdul to stay. That was probably our point. "She'll be fine. She'll be on the show," judge Simon Cowell told Extra on Monday.

"I don't get a lot of say. I've just made it clear that I want Paula on the show. Full stop." Meanwhile, host Ryan Seacrest expressed a similar sentiment. "I think as far as I know you'll see everybody back," he told the TV show. "I hope so." - more on this story

Gossip Tour

PR reports: Gossip announce U.S. headlining tour in support of their new album Music For Men. The tour kicks off in Washington, DC at 9:30 Club on October 7 and runs through October 30 at Vino's in Little Rock.

Produced by multi Grammy Award winner Rick Rubin, Music For Men is in stores on Tuesday October 6, 2009. "Heavy Cross," the first single from Music For Men, will be featured this week as iTunes free Single of the Week (beginning today).

Gossip have toured extensively over the past couple years, covering the major festival circuits in North America, Europe, Australia and Japan. The band's live show has garnered critical acclaim and has cemented Gossip's reputation as one of the most exciting and relevant must-see live bands. - more on this story

My Cousin, The Emperor Promise Country R&B

PR reports: Do you like your southern twang inspired by the grime of the New York City streets? So do we. My Cousin, The Emperor is the latest endeavor from prolific Brooklyn-based via North Carolina singer-songwriter Jason Reischel. The quartet will self-release their debut album "A Long Way From Home" on October 20th, 2009.

Following two national tours and two albums as a solo artist, Reischel has re-imagined his sound, bringing together a taut ensemble of fine young musicians. Previously known as The Populists, over the past year, My Cousin, The Emperor has brought their self-described brand of "irony-free parlor music" to venues all over NYC.

Says Reischel about the album, "These are songs that I wanted to have a southern sound, but that I wrote mainly living in New York City. We were attempting to create a new genre: Country R&B." - more on this story

Dfest 2009

PR reports: Diversafest, better known as Dfest, is quickly becoming one of the fastest growing and unique music festivals and conferences in the country. The festival, which takes place July 24 and 25, is comprised of a wide variety of music spanning across 20 different genres.

Now in its 8th year, Dfest will feature 164 bands that will play on 13 stages spread throughout downtown Tulsa's historic Blue Dome District. This year's headliners include The Black Crowes, Cake and Ra Ra Riot.

The two-day multi-genre music festival merged with a music industry conference was established in 2002 to help emerging artists gain exposure and connect with the music industry. The conference consists of music panels, a tradeshow, music clinics and artist mentoring. Each night, national recording artists perform on large outdoor festival stages while top local, regional and national emerging artists perform on a multitude of outdoor stages, indoor venues and club stages. - more on this story

Kiev By Way of Frisco Band Heartblanch Set Release

Glass Onyon reports: No distance can stop the creative minds that have fused together and formed Heartblanch - a new group that has recorded a modern day pop masterpiece entitled 'LIKEYOU'. An indie band currently based in San Francisco and the Ukraine, Heartblanch was formed in 2006 in Kiev, and started with shows in Kiev's clubs. After the group's guitarist Gennadii Blank relocated to San Francisco, Heartblanch began rehearsing over the internet and eventually recorded their debut CD 'LIKEYOU', which is slated for release in August 2009.

Described as "a dry sound with British tinged vocals - indifferent and snarky. The guitar riffs are grungy with a smooth melody responsive to the vocals and lyrics accenting the story of the song. It is wrapped by distinct drums with dense bass riffs."

Heartblach site many musical influences which include The Cure, Blur, Beck, Radiohead, Suede, Bryan Ferry, and Kino, and can be heard throughout their new CD. "It was a deep party with a mix of different people", Gennadii explains about the band's formation. "Somebody brought a release of Muse and everybody said, 'Cool! It's really something new'. Then someone else exclaimed 'Come on guys, that's just a grimacing of Radiohead, they took the sound but forgot about the songs'. Nobody understood him except the four guys who are Heartblanch." - more on this story

Beats Antique EP

PR reports: Growing like wildfire under the canopy of live electonica and world roots music comes Beats Antique, a masterful merge of modern technology, live instrumentation and seductive performance. After only 2 and half years performing as a cohesive force, the group has just self released their third album, Contraption, Vol.1 which marks the first in a two-part EP series.

The seven-track EP is dance-floor ready, infused with orchestral textures and a worldly flare that has fans clamoring for more. Using only word-of-mouth marketing, Beats Antique's new tracks have over 700 paid downloads and 20,000 plays on the EP in the first week of their self-release. There is no doubt that the merge of old world instruments and live producing is on the rise and Beats Antique is leading the way.

Beats Antique combines the sounds of the Middle East with the styles of hip-hop, brass band, downtempo, glitch and dubstep in a new collage of music that is mixed and broken down with clever breakbeats for an adept international flair. Beats Antique is producing an un-charted style of music by adding live horns, accordion, glockenspiel, viola, string quartets, kalimba, clarinet and various unusual instruments to their big beat arrangements. - more on this story

Dark Chocolate Unwrapped

MVD reports: Megawave and MVD Audio are proud to announce the CD release of Dark Chocolate "Unwrapped" on September 8th, in North America.

Dark Chocolate "Unwrapped" (cover art)One of the most respected modern day jazz outfits is undoubtedly Spyro Gyra, whose free-flowing yet instrumentally complex music has been turning the music world on its ear for decades by this point. And Kim Stone, who has supplied bass for Spyro Gyra (in addition to the Rippingtons), can also be spotted as part of the world jazz outfit, Dark Chocolate, who are gearing up to release their sophomore full length, "Unwrapped".

Joining Stone on this disc will be Clay Henry (percussion), Brock Bradford (percussion), John Nava (percussion), Mike Shannon (traps), Aaron Stone (drums/percussion), Nico Georis (piano), Webber Iago (keyboards), Joseph Lucido (guitar/guitar synth), and Xocoyotzin Moraza (veracruz harp). Largely instrumental and recorded live (with minimal overdubs), the disc includes a pair of vocal contributions from Alicia Sheek (the track "Hip Talk") and Jane Blikert ("Your Skin is Where I Begin"). - more on this story

Sondre Lerche North American Tour

PR reports: Sondre Lerche has confirmed a headlining North American tour performing songs from his expansive new album Heartbeat Radio (Rounder Sept. 8).

The month-long string of solo, electric shows includes a release-day show at New York's Bowery Ballroom Sept. 8 and a Sept. 9 performance in Lerche's adopted hometown of Brooklyn at The Music Hall of Williamsburg. All shows will feature opener JBM.

For Heartbeat Radio Lerche embraces new influences and recording methods while bringing together everything he has learned over a decade of making music. The songs mix acoustic guitars and grand orchestral pop (with string arrangements courtesy of the High Llamas' Sean O'Hagan) with elements of '50s Jazz, '60s and '70s Brazilian psych-folk, and state-of-the-art '80s pop masters such as Prefab Sprout, Scritti Politti and Fleetwood Mac. - more on this story

A.A. Bondy Tour

PR reports: A.A. Bondy has announced a run of headlining dates around the September 1, 2009 release of his sophomore album, When The Devil's Loose.

Beginning September 2nd at Mississippi Studios in Portland, OR, he will play three West coast dates - including a performance at F Yeah Fest 6 on September 5th in Los Angeles, CA - before heading to the East coast for five shows that will conclude on September 11th at Kung Fu Necktie in Philadelphia, PA.

Bondy wraps up a series of shows in support of Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band tonight at the 40 Watt Club in Athens, GA. On the road since late May, he also completed a month-long headlining tour in late June in addition to performances at both the Bonnaroo Music Festival and the Sasquatch Festival. - more on this story

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