New Michael Jackson Song Sparks Controversy

But it turns out that song dates back even further but was actually co-written by Jackson. According to the AP, the track was originally called "I Never Heard," and was written for a duets album for 60s singer Paul Anka. The Jackson camp have gone on the record confirming that Anka was a "co-writer" of the new single. - More info on this story can be found here

Katy Perry Unplugged

EMI reports: Coming off her third No. 1 single, "Waking Up in Vegas," multi-platinum Capitol singer-songwriter Katy Perry is set to put her unique signature on yet another defining signpost of global pop culture, releasing her upcoming appearance on MTV: Unplugged in CD + DVD set in one package on November 17, 2009.

Recorded live in New York on July 22, 2009, Perry presents some of her most well-known songs in a whole new way, performing unplugged re-arrangements of her No. 1 hits "I Kissed A Girl" and "Waking Up In Vegas," along with the No. 1 video hit "Thinking Of You," and the popular tracks "Ur So Gay" and "Lost" from her debut album ONE OF THE BOYS, which has now sold five million worldwide.

The MTV: Unplugged set list is rounded out with two brand-new tracks, a cover of the Fountains of Wayne song "Hackensack," and the never before released original song "Brick By Brick." The DVD release also features exclusive interview footage. - more on this story

Norah Jones Is Chasing Pirates

EMI reports: On October 13, EMI's Blue Note Records will release "Chasing Pirates," the lead single from Norah Jones's upcoming album The Fall. The track will be made available digitally at all online digital retailers.

The singer-songwriter's highly anticipated fourth studio album, The Fall, will be released in North America on November 17, and on November 16 internationally. In the UK, the single will be released on November 15.

"Chasing Pirates immediately announces a new direction for Jones. "For this record, I just had a sound in my head," she says. "I wanted the grooves to be more present and heavy. And I also just wanted to do something different." - more on this story

Tim McGraw TV

Red Light reports: Tim McGraw will launch his upcoming album, Southern Voice, with a series of national television appearances. This Friday, October 16th, McGraw will return to the "Late Show" for a performance and an interview with Letterman.

Later this month, McGraw will perform on "TODAY" (10/23) as part of the Toyota Concert Series on Rockefeller Plaza, "The Jay Leno Show" (10/27), where he'll be joined by special guest Gregg Allman, and "Ellen" (10/29).

Southern Voice, McGraw's first studio album in two and a half years, will be released on October 20th by Curb Records and he will play a very special show that evening at the intimate Joe's Bar in Chicago with special guest Chris Young. Proceeds from the concert, which is sold out, will go to The Neighbor's Keeper Fund of the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, a charitable fund created by Tim and his wife, Faith Hill. - more on this story

Wyclef EP Coming

Megaforce reports: On November 10, 2009 Wyclef returns to hip-hop with the gritty release of From The Hut To The Projects To The Mansion on Carnival House via Megaforce/Sony Music.

Wyclef is a great American success story of an artist that came from Haiti to rise above all obstacles. He found success with The Fugees and numerous solo efforts, selling over 30 million albums worldwide and he was recently featured on 60 Minutes about his efforts to help Haiti.

Wyclef now returns with this brilliant hip-hop EP with all new material collaborating with DJ Drama. It's the concept mixtape he has wanted to make and features a gritty, yet melodic effort with some amazing guests such as Eve, Timbaland, Maino, Cyndi Lauper, and others. - more on this story

Owl City Map Out Tour Plans

PR reports: Owl City announces his first few weeks of 2010 tour dates in support of his incredibly successful label debut – Ocean Eyes – out now on Universal Republic. MySpace will offer an exclusive ticket pre-sale beginning October 16th and running through October 23rd for the tour dates.

The tour kicks off January 21st at the Beaumont Club in Kansas City, MO and sees Owl City with full band in tow heading through the Midwest, Southeast and up the East Coast through mid-February.

The short US tour will include special guests Lights and Deas Vail and sees the band hitting some of the smaller markets not visited this past fall. In addition, the 2010 dates come on the heels of Owl City's first trek to China and Japan and comes before the band will make their live debut in Europe as well as Australia where they'll be hitting the road with Cobra Starship. - more on this story

Free Halloween Festival In Long Beach

LBC reports: The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) is planning a frightening, free Halloween festival on Pine Avenue on Saturday, October 31 from 8PM-Midnight, it was announced by President and Chief Executive Officer, Kraig Kojian.

Thousands are expected to attend the outdoor event, which will take place on Pine Avenue between Broadway and 3rd Street. Appearing on the main stage, DJ Groovy Lu and DJ Eromic will spin diabolical tunes and hair-raising video while the crowd dances in the street.

A costume contest with more than $1,000 in cash and prizes will feature the best dressed ghouls and goblins in five categories: Best Superhero, Best Villain, Best Female Overall, Best Male Overall and Most Outrageous. - more on this story

Yo Gabba Gabba! Live Add Dates Following Sellouts

PR reports: Tickets for the first Yo Gabba Gabba! U.S. tour, YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE'S A PARTY IN MY CITY, went on sale on Friday, October 9 and resulted in immediate sell-outs in Los Angeles and New York. W!LDBRAIN and tour producer S2BN added additional shows in both markets.

Tickets for newly added shows go on sale immediately. New dates and times include the Shrine Expo Hall in Los Angeles on Sunday, November 15 at 11am and 3pm and in New York, the Beacon Theatre on Saturday, November 21 at 5 pm.

YO GABBA GABBA! LIVE: THERE'S A PARTY IN MY CITY, will kick-off in Los Angeles on November 14 and will head from LA to New York and then to Chicago. Tickets are available via ticketmaster.com. Children under one year of age will be admitted free to sit on a parent's lap. - more on this story

White Rabbits Fall Tour

Musebox reports: Brooklyn transplants White Rabbits are hitting the road hard with their upcoming North American Fall tour.

The band is bringing its exciting show to New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, Madison, and Canadian cities including Montreal and Vancouver.

They will certainly be bringing their high energy to the stage with lots of new material from their new album It's Frightening. Sure to be seen are instrument changes on stage, a few select covers, and a nice mix of material from their catalog, all of which NME must have taken into consideration when naming them one of the top three bands to play at South by Southwest in 2008. - more on this story

Let Out Your Inner DJ

PR reports: New York-based Scratch DJ Academy, which touches 100,000 consumers a year through its DJ Academies and nationwide events, is launching Cimio, a remarkable—and remarkably simple—software program that enables anyone to create mixes from their own music library in just three simple steps. The free 10-day trial version and the full application (which retails for only $29.95) are both available for download now.

Cimio is designed for music fans that want to mix their music like a DJ but do not have the time or money to invest in professional DJ software. Cimio helps users transform their playlists into seamless DJ mixes for their friends, house parties, workouts, commutes, road trips, and more. The application also features tips from Scratch DJ Academy's leading curriculum—written by real professional DJs.

While no software program can match the accuracy of a live DJ, Cimio is a great way for music fans to get more out of their playlists and to learn a little bit about DJ'ing along the way. Scratch DJ Academy offers Cimio as an introduction to the DJ art form and encourages users to attend its Academies in New York, Miami. or Los Angeles for courses with real professional DJs. - more on this story

Rob Murat and Kidz in the Hall Are Freshman

Audible Treats reports: New York-based singer, songwriter, and R&B artist Rob Murat's video for the song "Dilemma Remix 1.0," which features Kidz in the Hall, has been added to MTVu's The Freshman contest for this week.

Every week, MTVu holds a new The Freshman contest which gives five emerging artists a chance to get their video in regular rotation on the MTVu channel, which broadcasts in dorm rooms on college campuses all across the country.

The song takes listeners through the tortured mind of Rob Murat, who is torn between loving a woman and his freedom. The video was produced by Rob Murat's own company, Quench Entertainment in conjunction with Red Elephant Films and was directed by Sundance honoree Duane Humeyestewa. Says Rob, "Working with Duane was seamless. His approach and creative instinct really helped bring the story to life in a simple, yet, unique way." Kidz In The Hall also stepped in for the video shoot, an experience Rob says, "Was a blast! Those guys are fools... and we did nothing but act-a-fool while on set! The camera captured a little bit of the fun... but wait until you see the behind the scenes footage!"

- Music fans can vote for their favorite artist on the MTVu website

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