Grace Jones Vs. Lady Gaga- Cirque du Michael Jackson- Guru Dies- B.I.G. Dismissal- Kate Dancing No More- Annie Lennox No Idol- Kylie- Clarkson Tobacco Ad and more

Daniel Dae Kim, one of the stars of "Lost," has booked his first post-series film gig. He is joining Samuel L. Jackson and Kellan Lutz in the action thriller "Deathgames." more
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Anita Baker To Headline The New Orleans Jazz Fest

Anita Baker will be a headliner at the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival on April 25th, and has just started work on a new album in Nashville, planned for release by Blue Note Records later in 2010.

"I'm going to Nashville to mix it up, shake it and see what comes out" says the eight-time Grammy winner with obvious glee.

Baker will be producing the album with George Duke, Nathan East and Daniel Moore, recording in Nashville in part because, she explains, "they still know how to make a record in analog." Baker has some long time friends in Nashville – just last month, when she performed at the TJ Martell Honors Gala there, attendees were surprised to find out that she counts many country stars and personalities among them. - more on this story

Nas and Damian "JR. Gong" Marley Release New Song

Nas and Damian "JR. Gong" Marley have released yet another track from their upcoming project, Distant Relatives due out May 18th. "Land of Promise," which has already infiltrated the blogosphere as an embeddable widget (available at www.distantrelatives.com), and is the third track to be released off the album. The widget allows you a free download to the track and will keep users updated on all new developments with the Distant Relatives project.

Featuring the signature instrumentation and musicianship of Damian with the hard-hitting beats and lyrics of Nas, the album title, Distant Relatives, refers not only to the bond between the artists, but the connection to their African ancestry, which inspired the album both musically and lyrically.

Nas and Damian trace hip-hop's roots to Africa, where the genre originated as a vital form of cultural expression and was then transported by the slave trade to the Caribbean and the American colonies. It blossomed a half century ago in the dance halls of Kingston, Jamaica, and soon migrated to the park jams and recreational centers of New York City, where the culture became known as hip-hop. This evolution forms the basis of the DISTANT RELATIVES project. - more on this story

Nikki & Rich To Give Fans Everything This Summer

Nikki & Rich will release their debut album, entitled Everything, this summer on Reprise Records. An eclectic, genre-defying debut, Everything truly lives up to its title by taking inspiration from pop, soul, hip-hop, R&B, and classic '60s girl groups and blending it all together to create a truly unique sound.

Nikki Leonti's sassy, high-stepping vocals are bolstered throughout by Rich Velonskis' combination of hard-hitting, radio-ready beats, programmed keyboard flourishes, and live instrumentation.

The first single is the swaggering "Next Best Thing," which the duo performed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show on April 15th. The song can also be heard in the promos for ABC's new show Romantically Challenged as well as on VH-1's Tough Love Couples. The video premiered on the Ellen show's website. - more on this story

Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek Hitting The Road

Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek are gearing up to embark on a national tour to support their long-awaited reunion album Revolutions Per Minute.

The two first turned and bobbed heads with their instant classic Train of Thought in 2000 that many felt was the last great contribution to "The Golden Era" of Hip-Hop. Praised for its uplifting messages and earthy vibes, fans have been anticipating a follow-up for more than a decade.

The album is exclusively produced by Hi-Tek, and features appearances by Estelle, Bilal, Bun B, Mos Def, Jay Electronica, J. Cole, Res and Chester French. - more on this story

David Copperfield Accuser Drops Lawsuit

(Submitted News) David Copperfield has just found out that Lacey Carroll and her lawyers have suddenly dropped their entire civil lawsuit against him after a federal judge ordered Carroll to be questioned under oath by Mr. Copperfield's attorneys.

Carroll's lawsuit was nothing but a pathetic attempt to extort Mr. Copperfield for money with malicious and false allegations. There was no settlement. Mr. Copperfield would not and did not pay Carroll a dime to drop her lawsuit.

Copperfield, his family, and friends are pleased, but this saga is not over. Carroll still has criminal charges against her in Bellevue, Washington for making a false rape claim against another man. Her lies were caught on videotape by the police in that case. Mr. Copperfield too can prove that she lied in this case—only this time to the FBI—and Mr. Copperfield is cooperating with government to have Carroll prosecuted for having wasted taxpayer dollars and law enforcement resources in a two and one-half year investigation of her false allegations. - more on this story

John Prine In Person & On Stage

John Prine continues to cast his perceptive eye upon the subtle complexities of the human condition, delivering his observations in his uniquely concise, illuminating compositions.

On May 25th, Oh Boy Records (founded in 1981 by Prine and manager Al Bunetta) will release In Person & On Stage, a beguiling live album drawn from performances spanning the past several years.

Drawing songs from as far back as Prine's revelatory 1971 debut and as recently as 2005's acclaimed Fair & Square, In Person & On Stage showcases the remarkable continuum that Prine's catalog has become. - more on this story

Ruth Gerson's Delayed Album Gets A Release Date

Ruth Gerson will release her latest album, "This Can't Be My Life," on July 20th, 2010 via Wrong Records, her first release for the label.

Recorded by Nic Hard (The Bravery, Jesse Malin) with additional recording and mixing by Daniel Wise (Scissor Sisters, Secret Machines), Gerson says, "Writing the album got me from nowhere to somewhere and through the second hardest part of my life."

Originally ready for a summer 2007 release (the album was recorded, mastered and pressed), Gerson held back "This Can't Be My Life," because of her divorce and newly-single parenthood. Three years later, Gerson is ready to share "This Can't Be My Life" with the world. - more on this story

Deluka MTVu Freshman

Deluka has been nominated in this week's contest for MTVu's The Freshman 5 for their first video, "Cascade." Every week, five new and upcoming artists are presented an opportunity to gain regular rotation on the MTVu channel, exclusively broadcast to college campuses across the country.

Shot by Antoine Verglas – noted for his work with fashion giants Elle, Vogue, and Esquire – at Brooklyn's Knitting Factory, the video highlight's Verglas' stylish vision, featuring candid footage of the Birmingham, England foursome making their way around New York City interspersed with a striking performance at the legendary venue..

To give back to their fans for all the continued support, Deluka is also excited to give listeners yet another treat with a spin-off acoustic version of the infectious "Cascade." - more on this story

John Hughes To Reset the Warehouse

STS9's boutique record label, 1320 Records, proudly presents Reset the Warehouse, the new studio release from John Hughes (May 18th, 2010 / 1320 Records).

A new recording studio, a new record label, and a new record allow John Hughes to step out from the familiar surroundings of Hefty Records, the label he founded in 1996, to strengthen his creative partnership with 1320 Records.

Though Hughes has collaborated with label-founders STS9 for years, this marks his first official release on 1320-an alliance long in the making, given both parties' shared mission of creating and supporting new music under artist-run labels. Like Hefty, 1320 is an independent, musician-run collective that stresses cooperation between the artist and label. - more on this story

Lost In The Trees Announce Dates

Lost In The Trees have announced a series of live performances in support of their Anti Records debut All Alone In An Empty House out on August 10. [No reason provided why they are supporting an album months before it is released.]

Led by songwriter, musician and vocalist Ari Picker, the ensemble creates a startlingly original sound merging the dramatic and symphonic elements of classical music with the accessibility and intimacy of American folk and pop. All Alone In An Empty House was co-produced by Scott Solter (St. Vincent, Mountain Goats, Okkervil River) and deftly creates a landscape in which both genres can seamlessly co-exist to stirring result.

The album is equally striking for its lyrical content with Picker's words detailing the moving and dramatic stories within the generations of a family - places and people left barren and devoid of life-fires consume, babies die young, a painter takes a walk in the woods, empty rooms wait to be filled. - more on this story