Britney A Hack, Not A Devil Worshiper- Mamas, Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up To Be Kanye- Janet Jackson To Open AMAs- Beyonce Vs Real Indiana Jones? and more

Robbie Williams has joined his former Take That bandmates on stage at the Children in Need charity concert, but there was no reunion performance. more - more on this story

As Auto Tune Lovin Kids Gobble Up Glee Album, Another One On The Way

(PR) Glee's cultural stronghold continues to grow as the massively popular Fox comedy's first soundtrack soars to the top of album sales charts. Glee: The Music, Volume 1, which was released on November 3, has sold in excess of 113,000 units in its first week alone garnering an astounding #4 spot on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart.

Prior to this physical release the music from Glee was only available for purchase digitally where it sold over 2.5 million single downloads, spawning a Gold single for the cast's version of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." Glee: The Music, Volume 1 has been celebrated by critics for its originality and ability to take popular music and make it innovative and fresh.

And for fans who just can't get enough of Glee's high spirited music, Glee: The Music, Volume 2 hits stores on Tuesday December 8. This second volume features the casts take on such pop powerhouse tunes as Kelly Clarkson's "My Life Would Suck Without You," Cyndi Lauper's "True Colors," Van Halen's "Jump" and a really special version of John Lennon's "Imagine" (See below for full track listing). Glee is infectious and the music is sure to bring joy, which is exactly why the Chicago Tribune exclaimed "Any TV show soundtrack that induces people of all ages to dance around the kitchen is doing something right." - tracklisting

Carole King And James Taylor Troubadour Reunion World Tour

Carole King and James Taylor announced today that they will embark on a "Troubadour Reunion" world tour. The world tour will kick off in Melbourne, Australia on March 27 and will travel to New Zealand and Japan before coming to North America and Europe. This once-in-a-lifetime event brings together two of the most beloved singer/songwriters for a rare concert experience.

The set list will include a breadth of material including songs they performed during their 1970 debut show at the Troubadour in Los Angeles, which helped propel them both to the world stage. Tickets for dates in Australia and New Zealand and The Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles go on-sale Nov. 23. Tickets for dates in Japan go on sale Dec. 12. Additional dates in North America and Europe will be announced soon.

The idea for the "Troubadour Reunion" tour came together in 2007 after Taylor and King performed at the famed Los Angeles venue for the first time since 1970 to celebrate the Troubadour's 50th Anniversary. The shows sold out immediately and garnered rave reviews from fans and critics alike. The Los Angeles Times noted "the sense of occasion [and] weight of history in the evening" and Variety said "Taylor and King reminded us about the intensity of song, that the artistically-rich and commercially-viable are not mutually exclusive and how one tiny club continues to be a birthing room for some of this city's most memorable music." - more on this story

Sting Getting Further And Further Away From His Roots As He Announces Orchestra Concert Gala

Sting will headline the spectacular Academy of Music 153rd Anniversary Concert on Saturday, January 30, 2010, in performance with The Philadelphia Orchestra and his own quartet of outstanding jazz/pop/rock musicians, conducted by David Hartley.

The classical portion of the program will showcase Rafael Frühbeck de Burgos, chief conductor and artistic director of the Dresden Philharmonic, leading The Philadelphia Orchestra in a program of masterpieces featuring guest tenor Juan Diego Flórez, a thrilling performer famous for his high C's. The Academy Ball, chaired by Mrs. Fred L. Hudson III and Mr. Joseph A. Frick, immediately follows at the Park Hyatt Philadelphia at the Bellevue.

The Academy of Music continues its tradition of presenting popular music in grand fashion. Sting will be backed by the Fabulous Philadelphians and a quartet comprised of Dominic Miller on guitar, David Sancious on piano, Vinnie Colaiuta on drums, and Christian McBride on bass, performing notable songs from the Police repertoire and Sting's solo career, in original orchestrations. Esteemed bel canto tenor Juan Diego Flórez, a Peruvian native known for his expressive, effortless, and virtuoso singing, will perform a selection of beloved arias under the baton of Maestro Frühbeck, who leads The Philadelphia Orchestra for the concert's first half on the same stage where he made his North American debut 40 years ago. (In February 2010, Juan Diego Flórez reprises his headline-grabbing Metropolitan Opera performance as Tonio in La Fille du Régiment.) For the fourth consecutive year, the concert is being created and produced by Wayne Baruch and Charles F. Gayton. - more on this story

Michael Jackson's Band Reunited This Week For TV Tribute

"Lopez Tonight" paid a special tribute to the late King of Pop, Michael Jackson on Wednesday, November 11, 2009. Prior to being the "Lopez Tonight" musical director, Michael Bearden was the musical director of the planned "This Is It" tour and the recently-released film. Bearden reunites the band for the very first time since the Michael Jackson Memorial service that was seen worldwide to perform "Man in the Mirror." Bearden takes the viewers back to the time when he was working with Michael Jackson and his fond memories of the late, great icon.

George asks about the last time Bearden saw Jackson. George: "So you were with him every day and you may have been one of the last people to see him that night?"

Bearden: "Well, I was the last person out of our company, out of our cast to see him because we parked in the same area and his car was blocking my car. I couldn't leave and I had to wait for him. We had just finished a great night. It was really late like 12:30. When he came, I was teasing him and he was laughing and we embraced as we always did and Michael Jackson said, 'I love you. God bless you,' as we always did ... I felt great tonight.' I responded, 'Yeah, you looked great and you sounded great. What time are you coming in tomorrow, MJ?' ... 'I'll be in at 2 o'clock. The band sounds great, Bearden!' ' Thank you, MJ, you just really did it tonight,' and he said 'Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow, man'." Bearden says, "We hugged and then I never got a chance to see him."

Did you miss it? Check out photos and - video clips

Salvador Santana Collaborates With Money Mark (Beastie Boys) & GZA

Salvador Santana Debuts Solo Album / Collaborates With Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Del, And Gza. "Keyboard City" Out 2/2 Via Quannum/Various Music.

Music is a burst of choices. Not only what note to play when and with what instrument, but whether to play a note at all. Salvador Santana, the 26-year-old keyboardist, vocalist, composer, and songwriter with strong Bay Area roots, knows what it means to navigate the infinite options of music. His 2008 project with the Salvador Santana Band--simply called SSB--pursued the scope of his ability. But for Santana, it wasn't enough. He has no choice but to push himself further. Collaboration has always been the centerpiece of his creations, and this passion manifested his solo debut "Keyboard City" around the inspirations of a few legends: Bay Area MC/producer Del the Funky Homosapien who helped hone in Santana's writing skills, Beastie Boy studio wizard Money Mark, and GZA of the Wu-Tang Clan. The legendary founder of the Wu-Tang Clan rallied support around the album by featuring himself on remix of the title track "Keyboard City" earlier this fall. The long anticipated debut hits the streets in February of 2010 followed by extensive touring with his keyboard-laden band featuring a three-person keyboard assault with Santana at the head.

Money Mark inspired Santana in a beautiful way during the creation process. "With all the people I've ever collaborated with or just working by myself, I have never produced so many ideas into songs as I have during these Money Mark sessions. That guy is just a machine," said Santana. - more on this story

AmpLive Asks Is It Real Or Is It AutoTune With Gary Is A Robot

Jay-Z may have killed autotune, but AmpLive wasn't ready to let it go without giving it a proper eulogy. Amp bids farewell to 2009's warm old safety blanket (Snuggy?) on the lead single from his upcoming 2010 solo debut Murder at the Discotek. The song features Bay Area emcee/ producer Trackademicks and Mr. Micro.

"Gary is a Robot" is a video about, well, a robot named Gary. Created by mad scientist Dr. AmpLive in his California laboratory, Gary was conceived of equal parts swag, autotune, and duplication. Gary is a masterpiece to the ladies but his tendency to bite the swag of others rubs dudes the wrong way. This tendency to jock others' style is to be his downfall. Trackademicks, whose verse serves as the centerpiece of the song, says, "It's about the originality that's attached to everything. It's great when someone comes up with a novel idea, but it's their idea." In short, "You can only do you."

The song, much like it's robo-namesake, is overflowing with swag and makes excellent use of the aforementioned autotune. Unlike Gary, however, AmpLive copied no one in creating the electro-symphony that is the track itself. "Gary" is the rare track that's both addictively club-ready and has an on-point message. As Trackademicks says, "Lines have gotten blurred in 2009- people are getting away with things that wouldn't have used to fly." As autotune, and all the line-blurring that goes with it, rides off into the sunset of 2009, AmpLive invites you to get an advance look at one of 2010's hottest tracks right now. - Gary is a Robot video

Who is Mcgowan?

Who is Mcgowan? It's a question he gets a lot. Mcgowan Southworth is an award-winning songwriter, artist and musician based in Brooklyn, NY. His latest album American Regular (released on November 10th) is a mix of varied rock influences - touching on elements of power-pop masters like Big Star, Brendan Benson, and Fountains Of Wayne blended with the early rock of Elvis Costello and Neil Young.

Mcgowan's musical prowess has been utilized by many musicians over the years. When he's not making solo albums, he's in the studio twisting knobs with top producers (who've worked with the likes of John Legend and Lenny Kravitz), travelling down-under and writing songs for BMG Australian acts like Operator Please, Renee Cassar, The Cassette Kids, Old Man River, and Matt Corby. Mcgowan's talent even caught the ear of Aussie musician. Ben Lee brought in Mcgowan as the co-writer for his album Awake Is The New Sleep, netting him songwriting awards at the Australian Grammys.

His solo music has been described as, "mass-appealing rock with sunny, 60's - influenced choruses and a lyric base that points to conscious songwriting" (Rob Dreija, Audiotier.com). As Mcgowan puts it, "I wasn't trying to reflect any generation. More where I came from, and the present state of things - but most of all trying to make a fun, raw, rockin' record." - more on this story

Lissie Announces More Dates As Her New EP Hits Stores

Lissie's EP Why You Runnin' arrived in stores via Fat Possum Records on Tuesday. With her powerful, achingly evocative voice and mix of haunting and spirited, always soulful songs, the EP has been climbing the iTunes charts (recent top rank #1 singer/songwriter album) as early praise has begun to roll in.

Lissie - who is currently opening for Ray LaMontagne on select dates - has now announced two new tour dates in support of label mate A.A. Bondy later this month in Omaha, NE, and Columbia, MO.

She is also set to headline her own KCRW-presented show at the Bootleg Theater in Los Angeles, CA, on November 24th. Full itinerary is - here

Keb Darge & Paul Weller Lost & Found Again

Keb Darge & Paul Weller will present Lost & Found: Real R'N'b and Soul on January 19, 2010. Here we are again with the second helping of "Lost & Found" gems. This time the focus is on underground dance music from black artists in the fifties and sixties. The maestro's for this ride through the glorious past: Keb Darge and Paul Weller. Personal collections revealed…a golden age revisited.

Keb Darge has compiled more compilations for BBE than any other DJ selling close to 200,000 CDs and vinyl over a 10 year period. The legendary out-spoken Scotsman has been around the Northern soul & funk scene since the start and began his career as a dancer. (In fact, he's the one responsible for first bringing the scene to London). As time when on and tastes changed Darge landed at Madame Jojo's (in London's Soho Disctrict) where his weekly party quickly ascended (and remains to this day) to the leading funk night in London. In 1996 BBE and Keb Darge teamed up to start releasing the now infamous Deep Funk and Funk Spectrum series that spawned a whole host of imitators. Today he holds two weekly spots at the club (Legendary Deep Funk –Fridays / Lost & Found –Saturdays, where he focuses on his current passion – underground 50's music), travelling around the world DJing and running the label Kay Dee Records with Kenny Dope. He has achieved legendary status by far with a 40's to 70's musical knowledge second to none that's perfectly reflected on all of his BBE compilations.

Paul Weller is an acclaimed Rock star and Soul music collector. Starting out with the very successful punk-rock band The Jam (1976-1982), Weller then went on to branch out musically to a more soulful style with The Style Council (1983-1989). In 1991 he re-established himself as a successful solo artist, and continues to remain a respected singer, lyricist and guitarist, a fact reaffirmed by his recent awarding of the 2009 Brit Award for 'Best Male Solo Artist'. He is also the principal figure of the 1970's Mod revival and is often referred to as the Modfather. Weller has stated a wide range of influences throughout his musical career, frequently listing The Small Faces, The Beatles and The Who, as well as 1960s and 1970s soul music. Paul is also no stranger to the world of compilations and has contributed to the Back To Mine and Under the Influence Series. - more on this story

Robyn Hitchcock Releases Concert Film and Scores New Indie Flick

On Tuesday singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock released concert film I Often Dream of Trains in New York as well as news that he has scored indie film Women in Trouble.

A departure for acclaimed mainstream horror director Sebastian Gutierrez (Gothika, Snakes on a Plane, The Eye) Women in Trouble sports an impressive ensemble cast featuring Carla Gugino (Sin City), Adrianne Palicki (Friday Night Lights), Connie Britton (24), Emmanuelle Chriqui (Entourage), Simon Barker (The Mentalist) and Josh Brolin (Milk).

Hitchcock scored the entire film, continuing his love affair with independent film also exemplified by his prior work with Jonathan Demme in Storefront Hitchcock and Rachel Getting Married. Says Robyn of the Women in Trouble project, "Sebastian is an old friend of mine and I'm also a great fan of Carla Gugino, his partner and leading lady. She's a very empathetic actress. I enjoyed working on the soundtrack with Sebastian, especially getting the chance to play with Pete Thomas and Richard Fortus." - more on this story

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