Kanye Killers

But it became clear the moment was set up when Richard Butler's band joined the headliners onstage for a rendition of their 1980s anthem Pretty In Pink. - more on this story

Leonard Cohen Collapses On Stage

AP reports: Leonard Cohen is recovering after collapsing onstage while on tour in eastern Spain, his music company said Saturday.

The veteran poet and performer has been released from hospital after suffering from a stomach complaint, Doctor Music Concerts said in a statement.

Cohen was part-way through his song "Bird on the Wire" in Valencia when he fainted, causing the band to stop playing - more on this story

Emmy Awards Still Mad For Mad Men

BBC reports: Mad Men, the period show about the advertising industry, has won an Emmy for best TV drama for the second year running, at a ceremony in Los Angeles.

The BBC's Peter Bowes in Los Angeles says Mad Men, the drama category winner, has attracted a small audience, but it is a favourite of the critics.

Our correspondent says the awards ceremony was a relatively low key show, reflecting what has been a difficult year in the television industry. - Some sh*tcom we never heard of won too. Read on

Joss Stone Sets New Album Release

PR reports: British soul singer and songwriter Joss Stone will release her fourth studio album, entitled Colour Me Free, on October 20th on Virgin Records. The physical CD will be available exclusively from retail chain Target in the U.S., while the digital version will be sold exclusively through iTunes. The first single from the album is "Free Me." The album will be released on November 2nd outside of North America.

Stone wrote and recorded Colour Me Free at Mama Stone's, the live music venue that her mother runs in Wellington, England. She co-produced the album herself, along with producer/songwriters Jonathan Shorten and Conner Reeves, who also worked on Stone's 2004 platinum-certified album, Mind, Body & Soul.

"I woke up one morning and wanted to make an album," Stone says. "It's very, very raw - basically a bunch of musicians, writers, and myself just jamming. The album was not dictated or forced. It was an organic process where each musician was given the freedom to create their sound. It's an honest and accurate representation of where I am as an artist and person right now. I am really proud of the music and excited to have people hear the songs." - more on this story

Sugababe Replaced With TV Contestant?

NME reports: Sugababes member Amelle Berrabah has reportedly walked out on the group. The singer is said to have quit the band while undertaking promotional work in Los Angeles.

Heatworld.com reports that Berrabah has now left Sugababes, and that former Eurovision Song Contest contestant Jade Ewen has already been drafted in to replace her.

Ewen, who represented the United Kingdom in the Eurovision Song Contest earlier this year, is currently signed to Geffen, who yesterday (September 18) released the following statement: "Due to unforeseen circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform you that Jade Ewen will be taking time off from all promotional activity for the foreseeable future." - what happened to Amelle?

Vh1 Divas Official Recap

Day in Pop reports: Did you miss Vh1 Divas? If so Vh1 sent us over this enthusiastic recap of what you missed: Adele, Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis and Jordin Sparks brought "VH1 Divas" back with full force after a four-year hiatus, with a live telecast on Thursday, September 17 at 9pm* from the Brooklyn Academy of Music (BAM) in Brooklyn, New York. This was the first time ever that this group of fresh and talented female singers performed together on one stage.

The evening also featured a star-studded roster of guest performers, including Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, India.Arie, Cyndi Lauper, Martina McBride and Stevie Wonder, and presenters including Corbin Bleu, Toni Braxton, Lauren Conrad, Bethenny Frankel, Kathie Lee Gifford, Kathy Griffin, Keri Hilson, Hoda Kotb, Ryan Kwanten, NeNe Leakes, Liza Minnelli, Whitney Port, Sam Trammell, Kim Zolciak, and the cast of the MGM film "Fame" (Asher Book, Anna Maria Perez de Tagle, Kherington Payne, Naturi Naughton, and Walter Perez). Special musical guests for the show included The Rickey Minor Band as the "VH1 Divas" house band. The show was hosted by the legendary Paula Abdul.

Proving that she is still a musical diva in her own right, Paula Abdul jump-started the night with a rousing opening musical medley of her famous hits, bringing the returning franchise "VH1 Divas" back with a bang. - more on this story

Kanye West and Lady Gaga Tour

Day in Pop reports: Last week Kanye West said he was taking some time off to think things over after he made a public ass of himself on the VMAs. Those 15 seconds are apparently over as the Jackass in Chief has announced a new North American tour. Here is the announcement:

Kanye West and Lady Gaga today officially announced dates for one of the most anticipated tours of the year ─ "Fame Kills: Starring Kanye West & Lady Gaga." After months of planning, the multiplatinum artists will unite for 34 shows in 34 cities that will stretch musical boundaries with their distinctive performance styles and production.

"Fame Kills: Starring Kanye West & Lady Gaga" will be produced by Live Nation. Tickets go on sale to the general public in select markets beginning September 25th at www.LiveNation.com. - more on this story

Eva Cassidy Returns To The Charts Thanks To The X Factor

PR reports: Buoyed by the recent audition performance of Eva Cassidy's arrangement of "Songbird" by Shanna Goodhead on Britain's "The X Factor," the version of the song by the late Eva Cassidy has re-entered the U.K. Top 50 Singles Chart.

Additionally, the Songbird CD by Cassidy on Blix Street Records, originally released in 1998, has re-entered the Top 100 Albums chart. Cassidy's Songbird, Imagine and American Tune CDs reached Number One on the U.K. Chart in 2001, 2002 and 2003, respectively.

18-year-old Goodhead appeared on "The X Factor," deemed the British "American Idol," on Saturday, September 12. Her moving performance of the Christine McVie-penned "Songbird" won a unanimous decision from the show's judges, among them "American Idol's" Simon Cowell, for Goodhead to move on to the show's next round of judging. - Check out Goodhead's performance

The Chariot's Offspring Queens Club Go Tooth and Nail

Tooth and Nail reports: Tooth & Nail Records continues to find talent with a dash of attitude, and Queens Club is no exception. Hailing from Kansas City, Queens Club debuted last week on the DANCE! RAWR! DANCE! tour with Family Force 5, Breathe Carolina, Cash Cash & I Rival.

Their "The Nightmarer EP" will be available on the road as well as Zambooie.com and released on iTunes in the coming weeks. For more info, visit their artist page on Toothandnail.com

Queens Club, formed in 2008 by ex-members of The Chariot, are unashamedly accessible. Their sound is in the vein of bands like Franz Ferdinand or Bloc Party. Queens Club brings plenty of orginality and attitude to the table and claim they are destined heirs to the rock throne and are ready to rule the hearts of music lovers worldwide. Skeptical? Just wait until the full-length label debut will release in 2010. Fans who have already had a chance to hear the band know exactly what defines Queens Club, and those who don't will most assuredly join the Club. - more on this story

Hip-Hop Theater Festival

PR reports: Hip-Hop Theater Festival (HHTF) is back stretching from Brooklyn to Manhattan and bringing three culturally-packed weeks of art, dance, and theater. From October 1st-17th the HHTF will celebrate the foundational roots and evolution of Hip-Hop, along with the movement's groundbreaking journey through the arts in a series of shows. Broken into three overarching themes, the festival features the classical elements of hip-hop (music; break dancing; graffiti), family-friendliness (a children's show; a show for youth, by youth; spoken word performances) and finally women leading the way forward (reading series; women-centric performances). Included in these various performances are fully produced theater works, staged readings, educational panels, dance showcases and workshops - all in celebration of the Hip-Hop movement.

Under a category of grants typically reserved for traditional theater companies, the Hip-Hop Theater Festival is proud to announce its acceptance of $15,000 on behalf of the NY Council of Humanities to be used toward informing New Yorkers about the depth and breadth of Hip-Hop culture. With support from the New York Council for the Humanities, and in collaboration with Urban Word and NYU's Center for Multicultural Education and Programs, HHTF is launching Hip-Hop Humanities, a unique series of public conversations exploring the role and impact of Hip-Hop culture on society.

Hip-Hop Theater Festival kicks off with DEEZ NUTS, a workshop production in honor of the highly acclaimed underground rap duo the Beatnuts, written by long time music writer Sacha Jenkins, co-conceived with noted promoter Peter Oasis. Deez Nuts explores the rich musical legacy of the Beatnuts through the performance of their tunes by the maestros themselves; Deez Nuts also canvases the sights, smells and characters of their native Corona, Queens. A fellow Queens-ite turned journalist, on a fact-finding mission, returns to the old neighborhood in order to meet group members Psycho Les and JuJu. This journey not only nets cultural nuggets about the Latino duo and their surroundings, but crucial observations about self and the state that created hip hop. - more on this story

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