Kanye Wants To Be Elvis

"It's our responsibility as musicians to keep pushing each other," West said. "We will be the new Beatles, the new (Jimi) Hendrix. I want to be Elvis."
- more on this story

The Man Who Signed Guns N' Roses Booted From Chinese Democracy Listening Party

Blabbermouth reports: Tom Zutaut, the man who signed Guns N' Roses to Geffen Records was unceremoniously booted out of the "Chinese Democracy" listening party, held at the Roxy Theater in West Hollywood, California last Tuesday (November 18).

Tom tells Classic Rock magazine, "Yeah, sadly it is true that I was escorted out of the Roxy by a beefy security guy just prior to the last three songs of the playback. I did stand on the sidewalk and hear the last three anyway.

"I believe that love and hate are a complicated thing but ultimately the same thing. I love Axl and think 'Chinese Democracy' is a genius body of music. Although I had heard most of the album in an unfinished form six-seven years ago, and more recently through some of the leaks, I really wanted to hear it played back over a loud PA in its final form as imagined by its creator, W. Axl Rose.

"It is sad and disappointing to me that those around Axl would lie to him to fuel his hatred towards me with imaginary events used to drive a wedge between us." - Read the rest of Tom's comments

Noah and the Whale Cancel Tour

antiMusic reports: Noah and the Whale have axed their North American tour plans. Here is a statement that was sent over: Some of the most dedicated, blog-aware North American friends of Noah and the Whale have correctly identified North American tour dates circulating on the internet.

It is with no little remorse and disappointment that we are compelled to cancel these dates. These words are being typed in the studio as we make progress on the next Noah and the Whale album. Between commitments in hereto-neglected Europe, we have made the sad but important decision to take time to develop these recordings over the winter months.

Despite this unavoidable necessity we would like to apologise to all the wonderful friends we made on our most recent American adventure, to anyone who has bought tickets or was preparing to do so. - more on this story

Annuals Extend Tour Plans

PR reports: Annuals just wrapped up an awesome, and hugely successful tour with Minus the Bear, and are super excited to announce that new dates have been added to their 2009 headlining tour.

Support includes Jessica Lea Mayfield and friends What Laura Says, who are signed to Annuals' label, Terpsikhore.

We're talking about two drum kits, six members, loads of instruments and performances packed with unmatchable energy. So if you haven't seen Annuals live yet, here's your chance. - dates

Russia's Mumiy Troll Announce American Debut

PR reports: Russia's biggest band Mumiy Troll have announced the release of their North American debut album Comrade Ambassador on March 24, 2009. This is Mumiy Troll's ninth studio release since they formed in Russia before the fall of the Soviet Union.

Comrade Ambassador will consist of 14 tracks taken from the band's two most recent releases, AMBA (2007) and VIII (2008), and a bonus Russian-language cover of The Mamas & the Papas' classic "California Dreamin'". In fact, all of the tracks on Comrade Ambassador will be in Russian.

Although Mumiy Troll have recorded a few tracks in English during their career - band founder and songwriter Ilya Lagutenko is a linguist who speaks Russian, English and Mandarin Chinese fluently - those songs remain unreleased. - more on this story

Varsity Fanclub Join Miley Cyrus, David Archuletta, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins As Macy's Parade Performers

PR reports: Varsity Fanclub have been added to the line up of performers for the 82nd Annual Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade which includes Miley Cyrus, David Archuletta, Darius Rucker, Trace Adkins and others.

The Pop newcomers will perform their song "Future Love" for the first time on national television on the United States Postal Service's Spirit of America float. The parade airs live Thanksgiving morning on NBC, kicking off at 9:00am.

"We're excited beyond belief to perform at the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, It's an American tradition that all of us grew up watching on TV," said Varsity Fanclub member Thomas Fiss. - more on this story

Universal Music Ink Video Deal With Meebo

PR reports: Universal Music Group (UMG) and Meebo today announced that they have entered into an agreement to provide Meebo users with ad-supported videos from many of the most popular chart-topping artists in the world..

The agreement will kick off by Meebo featuring artists Kanye West, Ludacris and The Killers at meebo.com, where users will be able to view videos from the artists to promote their new albums. To augment the promotions, UMG will embed Meebo Rooms on official artist pages to enable real-time social interactions among fans.

Meebo has featured over 150 major artists at meebo.com. Most recently, these features have taken place in the company's premium promotional space, the Meebo MediaBar. Artist features and advertising campaigns on Meebo log average click-through rates of 1%. Additionally, the MediaBar provides users with the ability to share the video campaigns seamlessly with their buddies at meebo.com. The agreement with UMG creates opportunities for Meebo users to enjoy premium content and gives UMG access to premium promotional space to create significant online buzz for their artists. - more on this story

Edensong Takes Root

PR reports: Prog superstars in the making Edensong are currently regrouping to compose some new music and hit the stage again in 2009.

Since the release of their debut album "The Fruit Fallen" in June 2008, Edensong has been garnering critical acclaim from the global progressive rock community. A recent invitation to play at the Three Rivers Progressive Rock Festival in Pittsburgh, PA in August 2009, along with their Featured Artist status on sites like ProgressiveRockBR.com (August 2008) and ProgArchives.com (November 2008) have helped Edensong to become one of the most talked about newcomers to the prog scene.

In only a few short months since its release, "The Fruit Fallen" has become a top seller on CDBaby.com and has entered into its second printing. The coming months should bring more articles, interviews and reviews from magazines and websites in the U.S, Europe, and beyond. - more on this story

Wild Light Set Debut

PR reports: Wild Light announce release of their debut album, Adult Nights, out March 3rd, 2009 on StarTime International.

Recorded in Los Angeles with producer Rob Schnapf (Elliott Smith, Beck, Guided By Voices), the album features 13 original tracks co-written by all four members.

The result is classic Americana pop that sweeps over you with distinct vocal harmonies complimented by warm and dynamic arrangements. The songs reflect the timeless American spirit, whether it be the fall foliage, changing of the seasons, or a summer day at the lake. - more on this story

Holiday Music For Slackers

PR reports: Slacker has rolled out their free Holiday stations for this festive season.

With such an array of genres anyone can enjoy Holiday Radio; if you are excited for the season and love Nat King Cole, Holiday Classics is a great option, or you want to avoid it all, the Dysfunctional Holiday station could be perfect.

Slacker is a free, interactive Internet radio service where users can create customized music stations from their favorite artists while discovering new music in similar genres. - the station titles, descriptions and a direct link

. Cheap Trick - Budokan!

This four disc set is the definitive Cheap Trick at Budokan experience. Two discs comprise the complete Budokan concert. The highlight of the set is the fourth disc, the filmed Budokan concert that has only been seen once on Japanese television. (5 stars) - Read the full Cheap Trick - Budokan! review

. Wetnurse - Invisible City

Over the course of its 48 minutes, Invisible City bustles with urgent progression. The disc feels like a rush hour traffic jam, with genres of all stripes speeding towards the same spot and colliding in a remarkable stasis in the middle. - Read the full Wetnurse - Invisible City review

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