Monday, November 28, 2011

Artists, Part 2...



The rest of the artists performing in the 2012 Melodifestivalen have been announced:

HEAT 3

Förlåt Mig
Artist: Mattias Andréasson
Upphovsman: Mattias Andréasson
I Mina Drömmar
Artist: Maria BenHajji
Upphovsmän: Nanna Svensdóttir, Thomas Cars
Just A Little Bit
Artist: Love Generation
Upphovsmän: RedOne, John Mamann, Jean-Claude Sindres, Teddy Sky, Yohanne Simon, Bilal “The Chef” Hajji
Lovelight
Artist: Andreas Johnson
Upphovsmän: Andreas Johnson, Peter Kvint
Mirakel
Artist: Björn Ranelid feat. Sara Li
Upphovsmän: Fredrik Andersson, Björn Ranelid
Sanningen
Artist: Carolina Wallin Pérez
Upphovsmän: Michael Clauss, Martin Bjelke, Carolina Wallin Pérez, F Dread
Why Am I Crying
Artist: Molly Sandén
Upphovsmän: Molly Sandén, Aleena Gibson, Windy Wagner
Youngblood
Artist: Youngblood
Upphovsmän: Fredrik Kempe, David Kreuger

HEAT 4

Allting Blir Bra Igen
Artist: OPA
Upphovsman: Michael Sideridis
Don’t Let Me Down
Artist: Lotta Engberg och Christer Sjögren
Upphovsmän: Lasse Holm, Lars “Dille” Diedricson
Goosebumps
Artist: Hanna Lindblad
Upphovsmän: Hanna Lindblad, Linda Sundblad, Tony Nilsson
Kyss Mig
Artist: Axel Algmark
Upphovsmän: Axel Algmark, Mattias Frändå, Jonathan Magnussen
Land of Broken Dreams
Artist: Dynazty
Upphovsmän: Thomas G:son, Thomas “Plec” Johansson
The Girl
Artist: Charlotte Perrelli
Upphovsmän: Fredrik Kempe, Alexander Jonsson
Amazing
Artist: Danny Saucedo
Upphovsmän: Danny Saucedo, Peter Boström, Figge Boström
Why Start A Fire
Artist: Lisa Miskovsky
Upphovsmän: Lisa Miskovsky, Aleksander With, Bernt Rune Stray, Berent Philip Moe

English Electric...



OMD have revealed the title of their forthcoming twelfth studio album. In a short message posted on their official website  Andy McCluskey and Paul Humphreys said:, “We are planning to be in the studio in early December to start collating our ideas and expand upon the music we already began writing together earlier this year. The next album entitled English Electric is starting to take shape. The new album will follow the bands 2010 release History of Modern.

UPDATE:

The artwork

Princess On A Queen...



Saturday, November 26, 2011

Monday, November 21, 2011

Artists, Part 1...



SVT held a press conference this morning to announce the first lot of artists that will be competing in Melodifestivalen 2012. The 8 acts in Heat 1 and the 8 acts in Heat 2 are now known. And they are:

Heat 1, Växjö 4/2

Euphoria
Artist: Loreen
Upphovsmän: Thomas G:son, Peter Boström
I Want To Be Chris Isaak (This Is Just The Beginning)
Artist: The Moniker
Upphovsman: The Moniker
Jag Reser Mig Igen
Artist: Thorsten Flinck och Revolutionsorkestern
Upphovsmän: Thomas G:son, Ted Ström
Mystery
Artist: Dead by April
Upphovsman: Pontus Hjelm
På Väg
Artist: Abalone Dots
Upphovsmän: Abalone Dots (Rebecka Hjukström, Sophia Hogman, Louise Holmer), Viktor Källgren
Salt & Pepper
Artist: Marie Serneholt
Upphovsmän: Lina Eriksson, Mårten Eriksson, Figge Boström
Sean Den Förste Banan
Artist: Sean Banan
Upphovsmän: Sean Banan, Joakim Larsson, Hans Blomberg, Mårten Andersson
The Boy Can Dance
Artist: Afrodite
Upphovsmän: Figge Boström, Catrine Loqvist, Johan Lindman


Deltävling 2, Göteborg 11/2

Aldrig Aldrig
Artist: Andreas Lundstedt
Upphovsmän: Niclas Lundin, Maria Marcus, Randy Goodrum
Baby Doll
Artist: Top Cats
Upphovsmän: Mårten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson, Susie Päivärinta
Det Går För Långsamt
Artist: Mimi Oh
Upphovsmän: Anton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Niclas Lundin
Ge Aldrig Upp
Artist: Thomas Di Leva
Upphovsman: Thomas Di Leva
I Din Himmel
Artist: Sonja Aldén
Upphovsmän: Sonja Aldén, Bobby Ljunggren, Peter Boström
Shout It Out
Artist: David Lindgren
Upphovsmän: Tony Nilsson, Fernando Fuentes Vargas
Soldiers
Artist: Ulrik Munther
Upphovsmän: Ulrik Munther, Johan Åberg, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, David Jackson
Stormande Hav
Artist: Timoteij
Upphovsmän: Kristian Lagerström, Johan Fjellström, Stina Engelbrecht, Jens Engelbrecht

RIP...



Former porn star Andrea True, who had a second act in the mid-70s as a minor disco star has passed away the age of 68. A cause of death was not released.

True referenced her porn career in her first international smash, More, More, More, which included the lyrics "Get the cameras rolling, get the action going." That song, which peaked on Billboard's pop chart at #4 in 1976, had a second life 24 years later when its sample provided the basis of Len's 1999 hit Steal My Sunshine. The song was also a hit in Europe in the early 90s for Bananarama. It's currently being used as the jingle for a popular breakfast cereal.

Gay men may more fondly recall True's New York, You Got Me Dancing, especially because it name-checked two of Manhattan's popular clubs at the time, the Barefoot Boy and the seminal gay dance palace, 12 West. The last of True's hit records What´s Your Name, Whats Your Number, peaked at #56 in 1977.



Sunday, November 20, 2011

For Inspiration...



In a new interview with Rolling Stone, Cyndi Lauper speaks briefly about Madonna. When asked if she feels a kinship with other female musicians who came to fame in the 80s, Cyndi said:

“Well I had my alter-image, Madonna [laughs]. No matter what I did, there she was, and no matter what she did, there I was. And it wasn’t similar and it was never intentional. We inspired each other. I am inspired by her because she still does it and she looks great and I’m always on a diet, I can never keep a diet, but she looks fantastic, she always does, so that’s inspiring.”




She added: “I was really heartbroken that they would pit us against each other. Because I’ve always believed sisterhood is a powerful thing and I just wanted to have a friend in the industry. Another rocker. But they always isolate you when you become popular, when you become famous and then you’re isolated all of a sudden. Nobody can get to you, I guess because everybody wants to get to you.”



Madonna is reported to have answered "Lady who?" in response to Lady Gaga while promoting her latest movie W.E..Gaga has moved to deny any possible rift between the two by describing Madonna as a "wonderful influence".

"Madonna is a wonderful influence on me," she told the Sunday Mirror. "I feel blessed to have grown up with a powerful, blonde woman to show us the ropes.

"It's all down to her that I'm able to do what I do. I really like her new single too. The one that was leaked. There's no problem between us."

And in some other Madonna news: she will perform in Paris at Stade De France on July 14th!!! She might also perform in Nice. The official announcement for her 2012 world tour must be close now...

Friday, November 18, 2011

Life Is Just A Party...



Released on this day, 24 years ago! I remember how much I LOVED the huge poster inside... And to get a brand new song too ("Spotlight" - actually an outtake from the True Blue sessions). I played this record A LOT during 1988.

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Q&A...



Harper’s Bazaar have posted online an additional  Q&A from their december Madonna cover feature, along with some unseen photos.

On W.E.:
When I was really investigating the story of Wallis and Edward, I was struck by the idea that a man would walk away from something that is so symbolic of power. Men are such power-seeking creatures and they usually kill people to get to the throne. And here’s a man who decides one day that he’s going to leave the throne for love. Men usually say ‘Okay, I’m taking this job and you’re coming with me and you support me and that’s what I need’. So there’s one layer where you can look at it and go, ‘Oh my god, that’s so romantic, what a great sacrifice.’ I thought it was also very courageous of him because surely he understood the criticism that he was going to be exposed to. There’s just so many layers. Why would he walk away from this? Why couldn’t he have found another way to make the situation work? Why didn’t he see what the future was going to hold for him? Because if you just look at it on a surface level, you go ‘Oh god he’s weak. He’s a weak person’. But I looked at it and I turned the page said, ‘Actually what a brave thing to do.’ I saw Edward as very punk rock.
On art:
I’m attracted to artists like Frida Kahlo, because her work was her life, her questions, her outrage, her suffering, her pain. Everything is in her work. It was all a self-portrait, but that doesn’t mean that everything that has to be taken literally. Really, it’s one of my big pet peeves in life, that everybody takes everything literally, whether it’s the Bible or a work of art or literature or a human being. You can’t take anything literally. And I was very influenced by Anne Sexton. Because of her sassiness, she was a provocateur. She was a housewife who was married with children in the Fifties, repressed, but decided to go to school and become a writer against her husband’s wishes. Even her own teachers were telling her to stop writing such personal stuff. And she did it anyway. I loved her—I felt a kinship with her desire to break out of oppression and her search for somebody to connect with.
On starting out:
When I really started to take dancing seriously and saw myself as being a professional dancer, I decided to move to New York and leave that very provincial way of thinking in the Midwest behind. I wanted to go to New York, where all the eccentric, artistic people lived. At the time, my ballet teacher, who was a flamboyantly gay man, was really the first person in my life to encourage me to be different; to encourage me to follow my dreams. He was really the first one that said, “Get out of here. And you are special and you have something. Go follow your dreams.” And everybody needs that.
On gossip:
People get energy from it: it’s like a hit, like taking a drug. People like it when others are gossiping. When you hear a story about someone’s demise or some big faux-pas they made, everyone wants to tune into it, because it’s nice to know that someone else made a mistake. It makes you feel elevated for a moment. So I educate my children about that human trait we have that isn’t very attractive. I let them know that it’s going to happen to me, and possibly to them by default. But it goes into the folder of examination. It provokes many discussions about what’s real and what isn’t, about the society we live in.
On family:
Lourdes has her group of friends and she spends time with her father, who she adores [Madonna’s ex, Carlos Leon). He also lives in the city, and they take the subway together. She calls it “my normal life,” and I know that she enjoys it. She likes going to her abuela’s house—they still live in the same apartment that her father grew up in on the Upper West Side, a one-bedroom apartment. And they are really simple, humble people, and I’m so happy that she has that. My son, Rocco, is really into break-dancing. He has a crew that he dances with, and they’re kids from all over the city, Brooklyn, Queens. And my two youngest children are adopted from Malawi, and we discuss on a regular basis the orphanages they come from and the other children who didn’t get adopted, who might still be in the orphanages, or don’t even have an orphanage. We talk about the disparity in lifestyles and we all go back there. I’m doing my best to keep them grounded.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

The Tracklist...



Pet Shop Boys will release a brand new b-sides compilation on February 6th, 2012, on Parlophone. Entitled "Format", it celebrates the duo's prolific song-writing and recording by collecting 38 b-sides and bonus tracks originally released on singles from 1996 to 2009. The album will be available digitally and on double-CD. All tracks have been remastered and the CD booklet features an interview with Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe by Jon Savage (author of "England's Dreaming" and "Teenage"). Design is by Farrow.

"Format" follows on from the 1995 release, "Alternative", which collected the duo's b-sides from 1985 to 1994.

Pet Shop Boys are currently working on their 11th studio album which is due for release in early autumn next year.

The full "Format" track-listing is as follows:

CD1

 1. The truck driver and his mate
2. Hit and miss
3. In the night (1995)
4. Betrayed
5. How I learned to hate rock 'n' roll
6. Discoteca (New Version)
7. The calm before the storm
8. Confidential (Demo for Tina)
9. The boy who couldn't keep his clothes on
10. Delusions of grandeur
11. The view from your balcony
12. Disco potential
13. Silver age
14. Screaming
15. The ghost of myself
16. Casting a shadow
17. Lies
18. Sexy Northerner


CD2

1. Always
2. Nightlife
3. Searching for the face of Jesus
4. Between two islands
5. Friendly fire
6. We're the Pet Shop Boys
7. Transparent
8. I didn't get where I am today
9. The Resurrectionist
10. Girls don't cry
11. In private (7-inch mix): Pet Shop Boys with Elton John
12. Blue on blue
13. No time for tears (7-inch mix)
14. Bright young things
15. Party song
16. We're all criminals now
17. Gin and Jag
18. After the event
19. The former enfant terrible
20. Up and down

Demos...



A demo of Madonna's "The Beat Goes On" leaked online a couple of days ago. It is a rough acoustic version, very different from the demo that leaked before Hard Candy was released. Listen to it below (along with a couple of other demos):





Monday, November 14, 2011

The Best One Yet?...

Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project in New York [Report]

While fans eagerly await icon Madonna’s next album, her choreographers Rich and Tone Talauega dished to OK! magazine about what to expect from what they call her “best” record yet, after getting a sneak peek from the singer herself.

"She kind of went back to her roots of electronic music in a way," Rich told OK! at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project final event last week. "It's definitely got a different twist to it. It's very good."

"This is a couple levels up from her last album," said, Rich added that "this definitely has to be her best album," while they both agree that Madonna "knows how to bring the energy together!"

Rumour has it that the version floating around of "Give Me All Your Love" (which Madonna sang bits of at the Smirnoff event) is much shorter and quite different from the album version. The final version is said to include the rap, a dubstep part, much clearer and fuller vocals and a running time of 4:43.

Here are some video clips of the queen from the weekend:









Sunday, November 13, 2011

Wow...



Madonna attended the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project at Roseland in New York last night, where she chose the final dancer to dance with her on her upcoming tour. She looked stunning!


Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (11)
Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (1) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (2) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (3) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (4) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (5) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (6) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (7) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (8) Madonna at the Smirnoff Nightlife Exchange Project, New York - 12 November 2011 (9)

Friday, November 11, 2011

It's Official...



Kylie Minogue will release a new album next year on EMI, Music Week can confirm.
The LP has been recorded at Abbey Road and will contain reworkings of classics from throughout Minogue's career. It celebrates 25 years since the release of her debut single Locomotion.

Minogue was at Abbey Road last night as part of the EMI New Music Sessions. She revealed she’d actually been working there for the past two weeks, as well as details of the album.
The news comes after she tweeted pictures of herself inside a studio last month pointing towards a 12th album.

“I’ve been at Abbey Road for about two weeks in total,” she revealed after performing a stripped down, orchestral version of her 2000 hit ‘On A Night Like This’.

“Not just for this, I’ve been working on a project for next year. Next year’s my 25th anniversary so we’ve been recording acoustic and orchestral versions of a number of my hits.”

The Aussie singer went on to compliment the staff at Abbey Road saying commenting on a lack of ‘attitude’ at the studio despite the music icons it has accommodated over its illustrious history.

More details on Minogue's album are expected soon. So it´s official: Madonna, Pet Shop Boys AND Kylie will all release new material next year. Whoo-hoo!



Format...



It has been thirty years since Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe met as students in an electronics shop in Chelsea. Since then they have gone on to become one of the world’s most successful bands, selling over 100 million records and cultivating a unique catalogue of songs which straddles the fine line between pop and art. In the past year the pair have been hectically busy as usual. In March they launched their hit ballet “The Most Incredible Thing” at Sadlers Wells, before taking to the road to support Take That on the biggest tour in the history of the UK. Somehow they also found time to write 16 new songs for their next album which they are due to start recording this month.

As I arrive at the Pet Shop Boys’ airy Kensington offices, Neil - whose lyrics range from sincere romanticism to sardonic humour - makes a point of injecting a sense of Oxbridge rivalry into the proceedings. Without prompting, he begins to recall the time he spoke at the Oxford Union. “Apparently it was the largest audience they’d had since Ronald Reagan. It was a fascinating experience.”

A few minutes later Chris arrives looking slightly agitated and muttering about the terrible journey across London. Fortunately, he spots the box of patisseries in my hand; his face immediately lights up. “Oh, you’ve brought cake! Well, that changes everything of course,” he enthuses, “I’ll even have a cup of tea now”.

As we sit down with tea and cake, I begin by asking them about their ballet - why did they decide to write it?

“As far as some of the critics are concerned there’s always the slight whiff of a vanity project with these things.” sighs Neil.

“We did it because we were asked to!” Chris interjects, “We didn’t just go to Sadler’s Wells and say ‘Hey, can we write a ballet?’”

“We were asked to write a piece of music by our friend Ivan Putrov, who’s a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet,” explains Neil, “And we wanted to do something like this after Closer to Heaven (The Pet Shop Boys’ 2001 musical). In a way it’s like writing the score to a silent film, which of course we did for Battleship Potemkin.”

I ask whether writing a ballet will change their approach to pop.

“It’s quite different to writing a pop song - the structure is far less rigid,” answers Chris.

“You write a ballet to according to a set of themes, with longer melodic sequences. And best of all, I don’t have to write any lyrics”, Neil adds with a laugh.

The conversation turns to Take That’s Progress tour, for which the Pet Shop Boys provided a support set which one journalist compared to ‘getting Michelangelo in to paint the kitchen ceiling’. So, how did it feel to be part of the biggest tour in UK music history?

“Well one of the reasons we did it was that they were performing eight nights at Wembley Stadium - phenomenal,” says Chris between mouthfuls of cake, “I think only Steps are going to surpass that. Of course we’ll be supporting them as well. We’re the band you come to for supporting multiple stadium nights”, he adds with a distinctly mischievous glint in his eye.

Neil looks slightly exasperated. “Don’t be ridiculous, Steps aren’t doing stadiums”.

“Not yet, they’re not - this is only their first comeback!” replies Chris with mock sincerity, “Take That started out with arenas, now they’ve set the template.”

I ask Neil and Chris about the recent Time Magazine feature which names their 1991 single ‘Being Boring’ as one of the best 100 songs released since the magazine began in 1923. Unwittingly, I seem to have stumbled upon what appears to be an exclusive announcement. “I was listening to some of our old songs recently, because we’re putting out another B-sides album in February, like an ‘Alternative’ part two. But we’re calling it Format,” says Neil, referring to their classic B-sides collection from 1995.

Chris sounds a little concerned, “We’re not announcing that yet, are we?”

“Well why not - these things are usually leaked through some Japanese website anyway. I’d rather it came out here,” insists Neil. “It’s all our B-sides from 1996 to 2009, starting with The Truck Driver and His Mate”.

“Oh I like that song,” Chris pipes up, “It’s just our little tribute to Oasis. In fact Jon Savage pointed out that it’s the chord change from Some Might Say. Though he’d better not put that in the sleeve notes when he writes them.”

“Actually I think some of our best songs are B-sides,” declares Neil, “Because on a B-side you can do what you like”.

As elder statesmen of pop, the pair seem somewhat disillusioned with the current scene. “At the moment, there’s no movement I’m enthralled by,” says Chris, “I mean when I hear dubstep now I think ‘are we really still doing this?’ Although Chase and Status are good live. And they have this fantastic idea where they split up and perform separately.”

“We should do that” enthuses Neil, “Just ‘Pet Shop Boy’ - we could cover the same number of venues in half the time, doing a DJ set”, he giggles, “Of course, we’ll just play our own records off vinyl”.

With the new album set to be released next Autumn, as well as the release of a B-sides collection and the return of their ballet to Sadler’s Wells, they may well need to employ such time-saving techniques. 2012 looks to be yet another busy year for the Pet Shop Boys.

I am very excited about this - a new Pet Shop Boys album on the way AND FINALLY: another B-sides disc!

Thursday, November 10, 2011

Bang!...



Here is some info on one more track out of the nine songs that have already been picked up for inclusion on the new Madonna album, set to be released in Spring 2012.

This song is called Bang Bang and it's co-produced by William Orbit. It has been described as a mid-tempo track with a certain nostalgic mood that would be perfect as the closing song of an album.
 
The song is not dance but rather electronic pop with an updated version of Orbit's signature style, including a sampled synth piano. The lyrics are intimate and dramatic, telling a story of a love affair ending in disaster (simular to Til Death Do Us Part from the Like A Prayer album). Sounds good...

Madonna talks about meeting someone at the late show and how it was dangerous to sit so close to the man.
She wonders how she ended up with her hand on the barrel of a gun and wants him to pay for the pain he caused.
Madonna uses the words “bitch” many times and repeats the words “bang” and “boom” a few times.
She talks about losing her mind and metaphorically accuses the guy of buidling her coffin and driving the hearse where her body rests.
Madonna talks about keeping her enemies close, never looking back but wonders how he ended up winning.
She explains some love stories are just too good to be true, saying she’s a fool who’s been tricked up and shut down.
In the chorus she admits that she realizes she’s more unstable than he is.
She says she’s not her brother, lover nor her friend but that it’s over now and that he appears like this whole different person, very successful and well adored.
Now her reputation is down, her blood is in his dixie cup.
At the end, we wonder if she really shot him, because the song ends with Madonna yelling that she got him and shot him.


And here is the latest info from the queen´s manager:

no name for new album yet.. the album is not finished.. it should be done in the next month or so…
not sure how many tracks yet..
we have not done photos yet.. just working on finishing the album.. almost done..

no answers on tour yet…… sorry..

2001-2011...

Best Of Les Mots + 2001-2011 (3 CD - Digipack - 2 Titres Inédits)

The tracklist for the forthcoming new compilation CD from Mylene Farmer:

1. Du Temps (inédit)
2. Avant Que L'Ombre...
3. Fuck Them All
4. L'Amour N'Est Rien...
5. Peut - Etre Toi
6. Q.I
7. Redonne Moi
8. Crier La Vie (Slipping Away) - en duo avec Moby
9. Dégénération
10. Appelle Mon Numéro
11. C'Est Dans L'Air
12. Sextonik
13. Si J'Avais Au Moins...
14. Oui Mais... Non
15. Bleu Noir
16. Lonely Lisa

17. Sois Moi - Be Me (inédit)

The best way to buy this however, is of course the 3CD release which includes her previous Best Of CD Les Mots from 2001. That way you get pretty much her complete singles discography so far...


Disque : 1
1. Maman A Tort
2. Plus Grandir
3. Libertine
4. Tristana
5. Sans Contrefaçon
6. Ainsi Sois - Je
7. Pourvu Qu'Elles Soient Douces
8. Sans Logique
9. A Quoi Je Sers
10. La Veuve Noire
11. Désenchantée
12. Regrets
13. Je T'Aime Mélancolie
14. Beyond My Control
15. Que Mon Coeur Lâche (Radio)
Disque : 2
1. Les Mots
2. California
3. XXL
4. L'Instant X
5. Comme J'Ai Mal
6. Rêver
7. C'Est Une Belle Journée
8. L'Ame - Stram
9. Je Te Rends Ton Amour
10. Effets Secondaires
11. Souviens - Toi Du Jour
12. Optimistique - Moi
13. Innamoramento
14. L'Histoire D'Une Fée C'Est
15. Pardonne - Moi
Disque : 3
1. Du Temps
2. Avant Que L'Ombre...
3. Fuck Them All
4. L'Amour N'Est Rien...
5. Peut - Etre Toi
6. Q.I
7. Redonne - Moi
8. Crier La Vie (Slipping Away)
9. Dégénération
10. Appelle Mon Numéro
11. C'Est Dans L'Air
12. Sextonik
13. Si J'Avais Au Moins...
14. Oui Mais... Non
15. Bleu Noir
16. Lonely Lisa
17. Sois Moi - Be Me

I Thought It Took A Little Time...



Next in line for a reissue from the Diana Ross catalog is an expanded edition of her 1976 selftitled hit album. The release has a tenantive release date of January 2012. Apperantly the people putting it together have found alternate vocals for every track, previously missing verses from many tracks and tracks that have never been released! I cant wait for this - more news will hopefully follow soon!!!

UPDATE!!!

Hip-O Select (the record label who is releasing Diana's back catalog) confirmed to the Galaxy on Twitter yesterday that the release is indeed happening next year! The title is also mentioned in the latest Supremes release. Make sure to follow this site for any forthcoming info on this (and any other future releases from Miss Ross).

Review...



Q Magazine has just published a short, 4 star  review for the upcoming Kate Bush album. They say it sounds a bit like the rather awful Director's Cut. Thankfully though they mention that is sounds the most like the only good thing on that album: "Moments Of Pleasure". The review mentiones that the only mistep is the title track (which features Stephen Fry). The album is released on November 21st.

Wednesday, November 9, 2011

Songs...



SVT have just now revealed the full list of all 32 songs competing in Melodifestivalen 2012, plus the songwriters behind each of them. The artists performing the tracks will be announced in the coming weeks...

Aldrig AldrigNiclas Lundin, Maria Marcus, Randy Goodrum

Allting Blir Bra IgenMichael Sideridis

Baby DollMårten Eriksson, Lina Eriksson, Susie Päivärinta

Det Går För LångsamtAnton Malmberg Hård af Segerstad, Niclas Lundin

Don’t Let Me Down
Lasse Holm, Lars Dille Diedricson

Euphoria
Thomas G:son, Peter Boström

Förlåt MigMattias Andréasson

Ge Aldrig UppThomas Di Leva

GoosebumpsHanna Lindblad, Linda Sundblad, Tony Nilsson

I Din HimmelSonja Aldén, Bobby Ljunggren, Peter Boström

I Mina DrömmarNanna Svensdóttir, Thomas Cars

I Want To Be Chris IsaakThe Moniker

Jag Reser Mig IgenThomas G:son, Ted Ström

Just A Little BitRedOne Team

Land Of Broken DreamsThomas G:son, Thomas Plec Johansson

LovelightAndreas Johnson, Peter Kvint

MirakelFredrik Andersson, Björn Ranelid

MysteryPontus Hjelm

Porslin
Björn Olsson, Martin Elisson

På VägAbalone Dots (Rebecka Hjukström, Sophia Hogman, Louise Holmer), Viktor Källgren

Salt & PepperLina Eriksson, Mårten Eriksson, Figge Boström

SanningenMichael Clauss, Martin Bjelke

Sean Den Förste BananSean Banan, Joakim Larsson, Hans Blomberg, Mårten Andersson

Soldiers
Ulrik Munther, Johan Åberg, Linnea Deb, Joy Deb, David Jackson

Stormande HavKristian Lagerström, Johan Fjellström, Stina Engelbrecht, Jens Engelbrecht

The Boy Can DanceFigge Boström, Catrine Loqvist, Johan Lindman

The GirlFredrik Kempe, Alexander Johnsson

To the SkyFernando Fuentes, Tony Nilsson, Danny Saucedo, Peter Boström, Figge Boström

Kyss MigAxel Algmark, Mattias Frändå, Jonathan Magnussen

Why Am I CryingMolly Sandén, Aleena Gibson, Windy Wagner

Why Start A FireLisa Miskovsky, Aleksander With, Bernt Rune Stray, Berent Philip Moe

YoungbloodFredrik Kempe, David Krüger

Feature...



Here is the full feature from Harper's Bazaar:

On the release of her film, W.E., the superstar Madonna talks women, power and sexuality. Read the interview below, plus see her fashion shoot with actress Andrea Riseborough.

Madonna on the cover of Harper's Bazaar - December 2011 January - HQ (1) Madonna on the cover of Harper's Bazaar - December 2011 January - HQ (2)

Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (1) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (2) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (3) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (4) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (5) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (6) Madonna Harper's Bazaar The Director's Cut 2011 (7) 

Madonna lives behind high, spike-topped, black metal walls in three townhouses joined into one on New York’s Upper East Side. I had to manage my covetous feelings as I was ushered through the gate and then walked through pristine living rooms, dining rooms, and sitting areas, all decorated like the highest end of British hotels, in a mélange of blacks and grays. There were glossy black floors and doors, original Tamara de Lempicka paintings on the walls, and, I would swear, a wall covering made of teal duck feathers in at least one bathroom. But I was open to forgiving Madonna all of these signs of her success because the fact is, I think the woman is gutsy, and the risks she has taken in her career have made the world a bit freer and more interesting for women of my generation.

In person, Madonna is tiny and alarmingly fit, and she has the posture of a seasoned dancer. Her face is more delicate than in photos; one gets the sense that she is aware of her every gesture. She is wearing beige slacks with boots and a belted beige sweater over a white shirt; her hair is simply styled in blonde waves. She greets me warily and welcomes me into a quiet study.

Then the surprises begin. Throughout my formative years, when she was so iconic, I had always assumed that Madonna had been brave in her choices because of some innate egotism or some aberrant strength of will. In person, I discover that she has been brave in her life in spite of lacking certain kinds of protection, privilege, and confidence. What I hadn’t expected to feel was moved. At 53 years old, I find, Madonna is scrappy, really smart, and young in the way that people who have had a childhood trauma — she lost her mother when she was five years old — often seem to be. She is very guarded at times and then, as we speak, more open, even vulnerable.

“For some reason, I feel like I never left high school, because I still feel that if you don’t fit in, you’re going to get your ass kicked,” she says. “That hasn’t really changed for me. I’ve always been acutely aware of differences and the way you are supposed to act if you want to be popular.”

I have always been intrigued with Madonna as a provocatrix, and her latest venture is no exception to that record. Her new directorial project is W.E., a cinematic version of the story of Wallis Simpson, the American divorcée for whom British monarch King Edward VIII famously abdicated the throne in 1936. It premiered at the Venice Film Festival this fall to mixed reactions and will open stateside in December. “Making movies is really hard. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” she says.

The film, which Madonna also cowrote, juxtaposes Wally (Abbie Cornish), a modern-day trophy wife who has everything on paper but is trapped in an abusive relationship, with a mythical version of Wallis Simpson, played by Andrea Riseborough. The two women’s stories intertwine when Wallis enters the mind of the later Wally and serves as a kind of muse and mentor to her, attempting to spur the young woman from depressed passivity to agency in her own situation. “Get a life,” Wallis says sharply to Wally in one of my favorite scenes.

“I believe sometimes we aren’t always in charge of everything that we do creatively. We submit to things as we’re going on our own journey,” Madonna says. “Wally was learning about herself, and so was I — on my own journey and the journey of all women. I don’t work any other way.”
She was drawn to the subject precisely because of how polarizing a figure the Duchess of Windsor remains — an issue with which she identifies. “When I brought up the subject of Wallis Simpson to people when I was living in England, I was astounded by the outrage that was provoked by her name,” Madonna says. “The movie is all about the cult of celebrity,” she adds. “We like to put people on a pedestal, give them one character trait, and if they step outside of that shrinelike area that we blocked out for them, then we will punish them. Wallis Simpson became famous by default, by capturing the heart of the king, but it’s obviously a subject I’m constantly on the inside of, and the outside of.

“I think my behavior and my lifestyle threaten a lot of social norms, like the movie does,” she observes. “I think there are a lot of parallels and connections.” For her star, Andrea Riseborough, it was liberating to work with such a powerful woman on a female-centric film. “I was interested in the strong, interesting person apart from the public persona, and I was not disappointed,” she says of Madonna. “I found it hugely fulfilling.”

Madonna’s work is always strongest when she reaches into archetypes, and this film places the emergence of a woman from victim status (actually, of two women; Wallis Simpson also was abused in her first marriage) to mistress of her own destiny at the heart of the storytelling. That focus on a woman’s journey is very rare in major feature films. The role of men in the film is also radically unusual: They are presented allegorically — the villain, the sex object/nurturer — in a way that women characters are usually portrayed in relation to the male hero’s journey.

Some of the critical hostility Madonna faces with this film, I am sure, is a reflex — our culture’s resistance to women having power; directing a feature film is a powerful role, and women are central to this movie. I work with young women, I am the mother of a daughter, and I wanted to know, how did Madonna’s sense of self emerge so intact? “I don’t really know how,” she replies. “I think it’s just that as a creative person, in all the different things that I’ve done or ways that I’ve found to express myself, I’ve consistently come up against resistance in certain areas. I think that the world is not comfortable with female sexuality. It’s always coming from a male point of view, and a woman is being objectified by a man — and even women are comfortable with that. But when a woman does it, ironically, women are uncomfortable with it. I think a lot of that has to do with conditioning.”

I press further, wondering how exactly she escaped that conditioning. “The fact that I didn’t have a mother helped me in some respect, and that I didn’t have a female role model. I was always very aware of sexual politics, growing up in a Catholic-Italian family in the Midwest, seeing that my brothers could do what they wanted but the girls were always told that they needed to dress a certain way, act a certain way. We were told to wear our skirts to our knees, turtlenecks, cover ourselves and not wear makeup, and not do anything that would draw attention. One of my father’s famous quotes — and I love him dearly, but he’s very, very old-fashioned—was ‘If there were more virgins, the world would be a better place.’”
“Wow, Papa,” I say, laughing. “I’m sure he wouldn’t say that now,” she says. “He’s probably cringing. Obviously, that was when I was young. And then, going to high school, I saw how popular girls had to behave to get the boys. I knew I couldn’t fit into that. So I decided to do the opposite. I refused to wear makeup, to have a hairstyle. I refused to shave. I had hairy armpits.”

The young Madonna was “tortured.” “The boys in my school would make fun of me,” she continues. “‘Hairy monster.’ You know, things like that.” It wasn’t until her teenage years, when she began hanging out at gay clubs, that Madonna started to find herself. “Straight men did not find me attractive,” she says. “I think they were scared of me because I was different. I’ve always asked, ‘Why? Why do I have to do that? Why do I have to look this way? Why do I have to dress this way? Why do I have to behave this way?’”
The nature of some of Madonna’s questions has changed, especially as she now has four children: Lourdes, 15; Rocco, 11; and David, 6, and Mercy, 5, who were both adopted from Malawi. I ask about her mothering philosophy. “Well, I say to Lourdes, schoolwork always comes first, so anything that gets in the way of that falls by the wayside. We put our energy in education.” So how does Lourdes manage her schoolwork and a clothing line (Material Girl, which launched last year)? “She loves fashion and style. She helps design the collection. I just stand in the background and watch. I proofread her blogs and edit them and give her a hard time when I think she’s being a lazy writer.”

She adds, “I also encourage all of my children to ask questions and investigate. I never want my children to come to me and say they want to do something because everyone else is doing it. That doesn’t interest me at all. You need to tell me your personal reasons about why it will benefit you, what you’re going to get out of it, what it means to you. Otherwise, you’re just a robot. You’re not thinking for yourself. Where would you go with your life with this kind of attitude?”

Madonna is frank about the impact her celebrity has on her kids: “The other day, I was out on the street with Lourdes. She wasn’t feeling well and had a fever,” she says. “She was wearing her tracksuit bottoms and her T-shirt, and she turned around and was like, ‘Ugh, there’s a paparazzi, and I look like shit!’ I felt for her because, you know, I thought, this is an extra layer. It’s already a challenge to have a teenager, then to have a teenager in New York City, and on top of that, she’s the daughter of someone famous. It’s a lot. I’m aware of it, and I constantly find myself apologizing for it. But it also provokes many discussions with us about what’s real and what isn’t real.”

In addition to handling a new country and set of schools as a single mother (she moved back to New York two years ago), Madonna is in a relationship; she is currently seeing French breakdancer Brahim Zaibat. I speculate, as a single parent myself, about whether the new model her setup represents (a successful single woman who has her work and her kids and who has taken a lover — or lovers — simply because he makes her happy) is threatening to patriarchal boundaries around the idea of family life.
“Well, it can also be more than just sexual, um, appendages,” Madonna answers. “I don’t necessarily like to use the word lover because it sounds like they just come over and have sex with you. I aspire to more than that, and I need more than that.”

Like what, exactly? “Someone to share my inner life with. That’s extremely important. It’s also important that my children admire and respect this partner that I would choose for myself. Especially for my sons, who have their father [ex-husband Guy Ritchie], but they need a male role model as well. So I need to keep this in mind: What is this person modeling to my sons, what kind of man is he, what values does he have, what energy is he giving off? Because they are impressionable. It’s so important.”

What qualities does she most want her sons to see in a partner of hers? She replies, “Respect for women and understanding that everything must be earned. Those are two big ones.” Wallis Simpson, of course, had an intriguing reputation as a sexual sorceress. “I seriously doubt it’s true,” Madonna says. “But she was a powerful woman, so it makes sense that people would make things up about her. When women are perceived as powerful and doing something they aren’t supposed to be doing, they are often portrayed as sexual predators.

“They said that because they couldn’t understand how she won a king,” she explains. “She wasn’t conventionally pretty, she had the body of a teenage boy, she was divorced twice, and by the time she married the king she couldn’t have children. What did she have to offer? She’s not pretty, fertile, or a virgin, so she’s useless. I was actually told once by a Japanese woman that there’s a phrase for women who are past the marrying age: ‘stale cake.’”

Madonna points out that her own age is always a focus. “I find whenever someone writes anything about me, my age is right after my name,” she says. “It’s almost like they’re saying, ‘Here she is, but remember she’s this age, so she’s not that relevant anymore.’ Or ‘Let’s punish her by reminding her and everyone else.’ When you put someone’s age down, you’re limiting them.”
She says, “To have fun, that’s the main issue. To continue to be a provocateur, to do what we perceive as the realm of young people, to provoke, to be rebellious, to start a revolution.”

AND:

"There is beautiful ballad she wrote for the movie..."

With this short sentence from his Twitter account Madonna's manager Guy Oseary confirms the rumour! Madonna is going to put in her WE movie a brand new ballad she has written and that she performs.



Cover...



Madonna on the cover of the December issue of Harper´s Bazaar!

Madonna´s manager Guy Oseary has revealed that the upcoming album from our queen has yet to receive a title and will be completed by the end of the year.

Also:

The official Madonna.com website updated the Tour section with some dates for the upcoming 2012 tour a few hours ago. After some fans noticed this, the links suddenly dissapeared.

Have some of the 2012 tour dates been revealed or was this just a test on the Madonna.com website? In any case, these dates fit some with previously rumoured dates...

Here are the dates that were posted…

11 June 2012: Zagreb, Croatia – Maximir Stadium
14 June 2012: Milan, Italy – San Siro
17 June 2012: Zurich, Switzerland – Stadion Letzigrund
20 June 2012: Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi
21 June 2012: Barcelona, Spain – Palau Sant Jordi
24 June 2012: Coimbra, Portugal – Estadio Cidade de Coimbra
28 June 2012: Berlin, Germany – O2 Arena
30 June 2012: Hamburg, Germany – O2 World

RIP...



Rapper Dwight Arrington Myers (known as Heavy D) passed away yesterday.

Myers was born on May 24, 1967 in Mandeville, Jamaica. Heavy D & the Boyz were the first group signed to Uptown Records; their debut, Living Large, was released in 1987. The album was a commercial success, though Big Tyme was a breakthrough that included four hits.
Heavy D & the Boyz gained even more fame by singing the theme song for the television program In Living Color and also MADtv, and Heavy D performed the rap on Michael Jackson's hit single "Jam" as well as sister Janet Jackson's hit single "Alright".

Heavy D then began focusing on his acting, appearing in various television shows before returning the music charts with Nuttin' But Love. After appearing in the off-Broadway play Riff Raff at Circle Repertory Company, Heavy D returned to recording with the hit Waterbed Hev. In 1997, Heavy D collaborated with B.B. King on his duets album Deuces Wild rapping in the song "Keep It Coming."

Heavy D performed at the 2011 BET Hip Hop Awards in October 2011. It was his first live performance in 15 years. Myers died on November 8, 2011 in Los Angeles, California, at the age of 44. He collapsed outside his Beverly Hills home and was taken to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center. It has been reported that his death was due to respiratory issuesand that no foul play was involved.

Here is my favourite song of his - how I loved it some 20 years ago when it came out...



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