Beyonce Topless?- Glee Comic Coming- Justin Bieber Resurrects Marky Mark- George Michael Charged- Fiddy Diss-rupts MC Shyne- Lady Gaga Parodies Herself- more

(ASB) Despite David Guetta's success, record label bosses are still trying to convince him to recruit a band he can play live with at his concerts - but he insists he'll always be a solo act. more -

Kanye and Drake Lead 2010 MTV Video Music Awards Performers List

The rumors are true; Kanye West will indeed be turning to the VMA's this year. West along with Drake and Florence + The Machine performing at the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards on Sunday, September 12, 2010 at 9PM (ET/PT). Here is the official announcement:

Get your twitter fingers ready for more unforgettable moments as MTV announces the first round of artists who will perform LIVE at the "2010 MTV Video Music Awards." Kanye, Drake and Florence + The Machine will take creative leaps and bring fans an evening filled with groundbreaking performances that will be discussed for years to come.

With the [overused cliché removed] release of Kanye West's new album this fall, music lovers and fans alike will be glued to the screen to see what the rapper has in store for the audience when he hits the VMA stage. - more on this story

Broken Bells Go 3D

Broken Bells have released a new 3-D, interactive video for the track "October," off their debut release.

The video, which premiered on Wired.com yesterday was an idea fleshed out by Brian Burton along with flash developer Richard Lehmann and illustrator Matthew Hollister. As Wired explains, "the group's 3-D project allows surfers to navigate, save and share a strange universe of mathematical equations, geometric shapes and evocative illustrations. It's a head trip made more poignant by the pop-hop balladry of Broken Bells' haunting new single." Watch it in 3D here or check out Wired.com to see a 2-D version demo on the video here

In other news, the band will be on tour in the US this fall with dates in LA, NYC, Oakland and Austin. - more on this story

Playing for Change Again This Fall

The Playing For Change band will return to North America this fall for a tour which kicks off October 13th, at McEwan Hall in Calgary.

The fall tour encompasses over 25 shows in major cities nationwide. The group will donate $1.00 of every ticket purchased to the Playing For Change Foundation.

Their 2010 fall tour is highlighted by the addition of famed Senegalese guitarist Ilon Ba (Baaba Maal) to the stellar Playing For Change band which includes percussionist Mohammed Alidu (Northern Ghana), vocalist Clarence Bekker (Netherlands/Suriname), vocals/harmonica Grandpa Elliott (New Orleans), vocals/percussionist Mermans Kenkosenki (DRC Congo), guitarist Jason Tamba (Kinshasa, the capital of DRC Congo) and vocalist Titi Tsira (Gugulethu, African township in the Western Cape). - more on this story

The Niceguys Live Up To Their Name By Offering Their ew Album For Free

The Niceguys' debut full-length, The Show, will be offered both as a free download and through digital retailers starting September 28, 2010.

Following the late-2009 release of the group's much buzzed about EP, The Green Room, The Show is no exception to the group's commitment towards developing their own proprietary sound. A fully comprehensive package, The Niceguys comprised of one MC, Easy Yves Saint, two producers, Free and Cristolph, and one DJ, DJ Candlestick, helm the creation of their songs and projects from start to finish. "As far as the creation process, it was great," notes Free. "I think our group is a true testament to teamwork."

The LP, initially designed to be a high octane collection of up-tempo songs went through a gradual transformation as it came to fruition. "As time progressed, The Show became more," explains Free. "So many crazy things happened during the recording process; we had to transfer those emotions to song." The Show chronicles the experiences of each member of the crew, serving as a metaphor for life rather than a project based solely on the concept of energy and flow. "Its a double entendre," Yves says of the album's title. "The Show as in we are entertainers and that's what people expect and pay for, but also, it's a metaphor for life; regardless of all the crap that goes on within the music and outside of the music, the show must go on." - more on this story

50 Cent To Host Bone Marrow Drive for 11-Year-Old Lion King Star

Sadly 11-year-old leukemia patient, and Lion King star Shannon Tavarez still hasn't found a bone marrow match & time is running short. 50 Cent is stepping up to the plate to offer more help.

As a direct result of 50 Cent's efforts last week DKMS registered over 3,600 potentially life-saving donors for Shannon or other leukemia patients like her.

But he still wanted to do more so this Sunday 50 Cent, the G-Unity Foundation & DKMS will host a bone marrow drive at the Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson Community Garden in Queens. - more on this story

Rock Beats Attempted Murder Rap and Returns with New Mix CD

After recently beating out an attempted murder charge, Rock a.k.a The Rockness Monstah of Heltah Skeltah is back with his latest Mix CD project Rockin Out West, available September 7th, 2010 for physical CD release only.

The album is an ode to Rock's time spent out on the West Coast in Los Angeles with guest features from Kurupt, Ras Kass, Nate Dogg, and more.

"Rockin Out West is my latest gem" says Rock. "Most diamonds are rocks that form under high-pressure high-temperature conditions but at the end you get something beautiful, something special, a gem. That's all a metaphor for the case I faced over the past two and a half years. The case and the pressure I was under created the climate that gave me the fuel and the fire to do this project. It happened on accident, but then again I don't really believe in accidents." - more on this story

Tony Bennet's Daughter Antonia Debuts Next Week

Tony Bennet's daughter Antonia is following in her dad's footsteps into the Music Biz. Her debut album, Natural, will be released by Mesa/Bluemoon next Tuesday, August 17. She'll be joining her father on tour this fall.

The 6-song EP introduces Bennett as a gifted interpreter of jazz classics with an impeccable and accessible vocal style. Like her legendary father Tony Bennett, Antonia embraces the warm, timeless sound of the standards and also like her dad did she brings a modern, nuanced style which appeals to the new jazz audience. Natural includes "I Wish I Were in Love Again," "I Fall to Pieces," "Love is a Battlefield," "Soon," "Putting on the Ritz," and "The Thrill is Gone." The EP was produced by the award-winning songwriter, Holly Knight ("Love is a Battlefield," "Ragdoll," and "Simply the Best") and features arrangements by Grammy®- nominated pianist/arranger Larry Goldings (James Taylor, Al Jarreau, Norah Jones, John Mayer, David Sanborn).

Using the American Songbook as her foundation, Antonia explains, "I take each of the songs that I do as a story, with a beginning, middle and end – like a monologue – and I try to do my best to tell that story," says Antonia. "I grew up listening to the American Songbook, and a variety of artists singing those songs. Singing these songs is like a home-cooked meal, like comfort food, something that is a part of me. The way I grew up, if you were going to take a song that was done by many of the great artists, you should bring a piece of yourself into it.
Interpretation is an art form." She goes on to say, "We wanted to find wonderful standards that haven't been overdone. In fact, none of these have been in my show repertoire. I used to sing "Putting on the Ritz" when I was a little kid on stage with my Dad. I grew up singing it and love it. And if you've ever seen Young Frankenstein, you gotta love it!" - more on this story

Rob Balducci and Dave Weiner Promise A Night of Pure Guitar

Guitar virtuoso Rob Balducci is teaming up again with Dave Weiner for "A Night of Pure Guitar" tour.

Rob will be playing songs off his new album Violet Horizon and Dave will be playing tracks from his latest album On Revolute.

Touring starts August and will be traveling to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Detroit and more to be announced! - more on this story

Mayday Announce Live Events

¡Mayday! will make their first NYC performance in over a year when they perform at the Gamertag Radio and 2K Games Mafia II community launch party August 28th at The 92Y Tribeca

They will also headline the Gamertag Radio party in their hometown of Miami on August 22nd at Grand Central. The NYC party kicks-off a packed week of performances that include gigs at Greenhouse, Santos Party House and Southpaw.

Witnessing ¡Mayday!'s incredibly dynamic live show is an absolute must! Even Lil' Wayne was so bowled over by their staggering talent and boundless energy that he tapped them to perform at his Superbowl party and has used them as his own personal backing band. Wild pandemonium breaks out all around you at a ¡Mayday! show - tight flows are wrapped in frenetic guitars, vibrant keys, and head-bobbing and body moving percussion. NO ONE stands still and you won't be able to either. - more on this story

New Collisions Set Album Release

They were discovered by a member of the Cars and toured with The B-52s, now New Collisions are self-releasing a new album in October. Here is the announcement:

After being discovered by Greg Hawkes of the Cars less than a year into their existence, they were asked to tour with Blondie and the B-52s. When the tour wrapped, they went right to recording The Optimist (October 5th, self-released).

With the help of famed producers Sean Slade and Paul Kolderie (The Pixies, Radiohead, Dinosaur Jr.), New Collisions were able to tell an oddly uplifting tale of fractured lives through dark storytelling and refreshing sounds. Take a listen to Sarah Guild's invigorating vocals over dance-happy keys and drums, as she coos "I know you're sorry/ It's the same old story..." on "Over", the next single after "Dying Alone" off of The Optimist. - more on this story

Bowling for Hotel Carolina Tix

Rock Ridge Music's Hotel Carolina, an annual singer-songwriter event in Isle of Palms, SC have partnered with Lucky Strike Lanes (the facebook game) to give away 2 tickets to the event.

Fans who bowl over 200 points on the Facebook game will be automatically entered to win 2 tickets! To play and enter, go here(Contest ends August 13th)

Here is the announcement for the event: Hotel Carolina, a summertime singer-songwriter music festival, is scheduled to rock the Windjammer in Isle of Palms, SC, on August 27 and 28, 2010. - more on this story

Big Jay Oakerson Expands Dirty Minds tour

Big Jay Oakerson is pleased to announce a special Albany, NY date, recently added to the slew of shows comprising the Dirty Minds tour.

The show will take place at Savannah's on Wednesday, September 8th, 2010. And best of all, it's a free show! Big Jay will also be visiting many locations such as Kansas City, KS, New York, NY, San Francisco, CA, and Sacramento, CA! See below for all current dates!

Big Jay will be performing for the remainder of the summer on the Mayhem Festival. He will be introducing bands in between sets, performing his hysterical brand of comedy, as well as walking around and interacting with the crowd - more on this story