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Jimi Hendrix Tribute: Red House

Posted 11/18/10 3:00 pm EST by in Music


I don't normally go see cover acts, mostly because of the constant belly aching from my friends in "real" bands about how those "Freebird" playing yahoos are always taking money out of their pockets. And after getting burned one too many times by lame tribute acts (OK, just that once, but you know who you are and you should be ashamed!), I was wary of the "Experience Hendrix" tribute tour because I love Jimi Hendrix and refuse to let some hack ruin him for me.

But with a lineup that includes Jimi's original Band of Gypsys and Experience bassist Billy Cox, guitar wizards Steve Vai, Kenny Wayne Shepherd, Jonny Lang, Aerosmith's Brad Whitford, Eric Johnson and Robert Randolph, in addition to Living Colour, members of Los Lobos, Ernie Isley, Susan Tedeschi and former Stevie Ray Vaughan drummer Chris Layton, you kind of couldn't lose, right? I mean, this was not some bozo with a Hendrix jones butchering "Hey Joe" at the local coffee house.

Even so, when I walked into the Taft Theater in Cincinnati on Wednesday night (November 17), I arrived with modest expectations.

Living Colour helped kick thing off properly with a funked up "Power of Soul" and a punk-edged "Crosstown Traffic" complete with whammy bar lightning solo from guitarist Vernon Reid and some double kick drum thunder. Bassist Doug Wimbish even got in on the action by playing a solo with his teeth.

Each act wisely chose not to mimic Hendrix or overcompensate, which would explain why Texas slinger Johnson gave his tunes a reverb-heavy outer space blues shimmer for classics like "Are You Experienced?," on which he showed off his hand-blurring hummingbird strum.

Susan Tedeschi, assisted by Aerosmith's Whitford, gave "If 6 Was 9" and "Spanish Castle Magic” a dirty Texas blues vibe, while Los Lobos' David Hidalgo and Cesar Rosas put a barrio twang on a fast and loose "Can You See Me."

Cincinnati's own cosmic funkateer Bootsy Collins came out with slide great Robert Randolph for a loose and sanctified "Purple Haze" (how loose? Bootsy appeared to be referring to a magazine with the lyrics as a cheat sheet). Moments later, Glover, Hidalgo, Rosas and Randolph teamed with Cox for a gospel shout version of "Them Changes."

What became clear was that the veterans were having a blast playing these songs and jamming with each other on the tunes they cut their teeth on as up-and-comers.

Lang was a perfect example. Read More...

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The Beatles Now Face The Scrutiny Of iTunes User Reviews

Posted 11/18/10 2:00 pm EST by in Music


Now that the Beatles have finally made their entry into the digital age (in an official capacity, at least), the band is enjoying a bit of a renaissance (one they seem to enjoy once every few years or so; the last one came during the release of "The Beatles: Rock Band" in 2009). Several of their albums shot right to the top of the iTunes sales chart, and you can expect at least one or two to make a major impact on next week's Billboard album sales chart (which now incorporates older titles into the new stuff). Any excuse to re-discover the Beatles is usually a good one, as they are the rare band with the work that actually backs up their lofty reputation (which is no small feat, considering that reputation is "greatest band ever") and their songs always seem to be revealing subtle twists and turns even five decades later.

Of course, not everybody is a universal fan, and now that the Beatles are on iTunes, they have subjected themselves to iTunes user reviews. The reviews, submitted by real music fans and generally unfiltered, are always a treat to read, and they only really operate in extremes (just about everything — from Led Zeppelin albums to the "Angry Birds" game — gets either one or five stars) and the dismissals can be alarming. For example, when reviewing Abbey Road, user gina simply wrote "So lame and overrated." Another user named Jacob (Oh Ya) specifically wanted to dismiss "Come Together," calling it "the dumbest song ever." And then there's Philip Meyer, who simply wrote, "The Beatles are crap. Get some metal."

Other reviews are just as blunt. In evaluating Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, user Chubby C. wrote "Pet Sounds is better. This album is over hyped and boring." Promethea added, "Horrible album! Everything sounds so old." And in addressing Let It Be, Shalabi simply wrote, "I thought their earlier stuff was better."

There's no shortage of positive hyperbole in the user reviews in regards to these albums, but it's so rare to hear a discouraging word about John, Paul, George and Ringo that all the negative words seem particularly jarring. But the great thing about the Beatles is that there is probably something for everyone. So if "Love Me Do" doesn't get you going, there's always "Maxwell's Silver Hammer."

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Spotted: Lil Wayne And Mack Maine Support The Big Three In Miami

Posted 11/18/10 1:00 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wander through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Lil Wayne certainly is enjoying every moment of his freedom. After spending eight months behind bars at Rikers Island, Weezy has been living it up the only way he knows how, flying all across the country, appearing on stage, hitting the studio, partying with strippers and, on Wednesday night (November 17), hitting the American Airlines Arena in Miami to watch the Miami Heat dismantle the Phoenix Suns. With label president Mack Maine at his side, Weezy watched the Heat — lead by superstar trio LeBron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh — dismantle the Suns by a score of 123-96. It was an especially big night for Bosh, who dropped in a season-high 35 points and seemed to be open for the duration of the contest. A handful of other stars — including Venus Williams — were also in the crowd in Miami, which is increasingly rivaling the Los Angeles Lakers for sheer volume of celebrity fans.

Weezy wasn't the only star under the spotlight, as Big Boi took his incredible live show to Sydney, Australia and the cast of "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1" landed in Japan for the premiere of their new movie there. Click here for these photos as well as the entire "Spotted" archive, which features over 500 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Taylor Swift, Justin Bieber, Jay-Z, Lady Gaga, Eminem, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Rihanna, the Jonas Brothers, Adam Lambert and Shakira!

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My Chemical Romance's 'SING' Video: The Key Scene

Posted 11/18/10 12:00 pm EST by in Music


Doesn't it feel good to have My Chemical Romance back? Not only are they one of the most energetic and lively bands out there, but they are also an incredibly inventive visual sensibility that yields tremendous music videos. Their new album Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys has already produced an amazing clip for "Na Na Na (Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na Na)," and just after midnight on Thursday morning (November 18), the band dropped their second video for the track "SING."

The new clip picks up almost in the exact spot where "Na Na Na" left off, with the child in the video in the clutches of the evil Grant Morrison. But the band (appearing as their alter-egos the Fabulous Killjoys) are on the case. They raid Morrison's headquarters and appear to be out of the woods when another laser blaster battle breaks out with another group of masked minions. In an eye-popping twist, the band gets caught in the lobby of the building and end up perishing (though not before the young boy can sneak out — he escapes in a van driven by the guy who runs the radio station in the first video). In the clip's key scene, Morrison starts the chain reaction that leads to the Fabulous Killjoys' (apparent) demise.

Not since Guns N' Roses released their trilogy of videos from the Use Your Illusion albums at the beginning of the '90s has there been a more epic story told over the course of a handful of clips. Fans will be eagerly anticipating part three of the story. Is the band really dead? What will become of the boy — and why is he so special? These questions will hopefully be answered in the coming weeks, leading up to the release of Danger Days next week.

What was your favorite moment from the new My Chemical Romance album? Let us know in the comments!

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Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'Devil In A New Dress'

Posted 11/18/10 11:00 am EST by in Music


The release of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, one of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the year. The 13-track LP completes something of a comeback narrative for West that began with the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (when he was ostracized for crashing the stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech and went underground for a while) and was built up over the course of the past year with some key live performances, the "G.O.O.D. Friday" download series and the recently-released short film "Runaway." In fact, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is so dense and full of gems that it's necessary to take each song and break it down to its bare elements. This time around, we take a look at the references on "Devil in a New Dress."

LeBron James
Phenomenally talented professional basketball player who began his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers and recently came under heavy fire from the media for signing with the Miami Heat so he could play with friends Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade. West and James are quite similar, in the sense that they are both supernaturally talented and come under heavy fire from the media.

Satan
Biblical evil. CEO of Hell. Author of all lies.

The Magic Hour
West is probably referring to the period just before sundown that photographers love because the natural light is the most ideal. It is less likely that he is talking about "The Magic Hour," the disastrous, short-lived late night talk show hosted by NBA legend Magic Johnson.

Mase
Rapper on Diddy's Bad Boy label who scored big at the end of the '90s with the single "Feel So Good" and a high profile guest spot on Biggie Smalls' "Mo Money Mo Problems." Retired from hip-hop shortly after the turn of the century to become a minister, only to come back a few years later.
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Happy Birthday, Fabolous!

Posted 11/18/10 10:00 am EST by in Music


Go ahead and cut an extra large slice of cake for Fabolous today, as not only has one of the hardest-working MCs in the game earned it, but it also happens to be his birthday. The Brooklyn-born rapper (known to his mom as John Jackson) is now 33 years old. Not only has Fabolous built up a strong resumé of hits for himself, but he is also one of the most beloved members of the New York hip-hop community (it is impossible to find anybody who says anything negative about him, mostly because he's such a smart and sweet guy).

Loso first burst onto the music scene in 2001 with the release of Ghetto Fabolous (which had the retroactively unfortunate street date of September 11). He scored an immediate hit with "Can't Deny It" and became an instant success because of his easy-going flow, clever word play and adaptability to a beat (he could shift from fundamental street sounds to R&B jams and still sound credible either way). The hits continued with his second album (2003's Street Dreams) as well as his third release (2004's Real Talk). Fabolous was the rare rapper who could have it both ways, as he always seemed to be well respected by other rappers and hardcore fans while still scoring hits on pop charts (including the massive crossover smashes "Can't Let You Go" and "Baby"). His latest album Loso's Way (which has a sequel scheduled for early next year) drives home everything that Fab does well, from the pop-friendly winks ("Throw It in the Bag") to the bombastic boasts ("My Time").

But Fab's signature hit is probably "Breathe," the lead single from Real Talk. Buoyed by the best beat Just Blaze ever dropped, it's an intense sprint through some of Fab's strongest imagery and most clever turns of phrase (and it has an appropriately intense video to boot).


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Billy Joel's 52nd Street Tops The Charts: Wake-Up Video

Posted 11/18/10 9:00 am EST by in Wake-Up Video


It's impossible to overstate just how gigantic a star Billy Joel was at his peak. The piano playing star managed to crank out hit after hit of his unique blend of piano-based rock that managed to split the difference between Tin Pan Alley songwriting, '50s rock posturing and the ever-evolving sounds of the '70s. Joel was no stranger to chart-topping success, as he played piano on the Shangri-Las' massive hit "Leader of the Pack" when he was only 16 years old, but one of his solo albums found itself at the top of the Billboard album chart on this day in 1978 when his sixth LP 52nd Street climbed to the top of the mountain.

52nd Street was an eagerly anticipated follow-up to Joel's breakthrough 1977 album The Stranger, which contained some of his biggest hits so far (including "Only the Good Die Young" and "Movin' Out (Anthony's Song)"). Despite the fact that most of his albums had spawned big hits and his concerts were quickly becoming a huge draw, Joel had always managed to narrowly miss the top spot on the album chart. But 52nd Street was a new beast entirely, and it expanded his sound to include bigger rock moments and more eclectic instrumentation (especially on "Rosalinda's Eyes").

The album was a massive success, remaining at the top of the charts for seven weeks, eventually going platinum seven times and earning a distinction as the top selling album of 1978 despite the fact that it came out with only a few weeks left in the year. It also won the Grammy for Album of the Year and was the first CD ever produced by Joel's label Columbia Records. In honor of one of the huge star's biggest moments, check out "Big Shot," a signature hit in the Joel oeuvre.


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'South Park' Tackles The Shake Weight, Cooking Shows With 'Creme Fraiche'

Posted 11/18/10 8:00 am EST by in Television


When "South Park" first debuted on Comedy Central way back in 1997, it was essentially an outlet for the brilliantly scatological humor of co-creators Trey Parker and Matt Stone. But somewhere along the line, it evolved from a show about some foul-mouthed kids and the ever-evolving cast of (usually insane) characters in a Denver suburb into one of the sharpest bits of satire on television. Now each week is essentially a rundown of a handful of cultural trends that the "South Park" producers want to identify as stupid, and because of the show's incredible production efficiency, they can strike with relatively sharp timing (in contrast, "The Simpsons" only just ran its "Twilight" parody, something "South Park" did seemingly eons ago). Wednesday night's (November 17) episode, titled "Creme Fraiche," took down two strange trends that didn't appear to have anything to do with one another but still made for great comedy.

As most of the best latter-day "South Park" episodes do, "Creme Fraiche" focused mainly on Stan's dad Randy Marsh, as impulsive and committed a character as there is in the animated world. Randy becomes obsessed with cooking shows and dives headlong into becoming an experimental amateur chef. Through a series of machinations, he ends up in charge of South Park Elementary's cafeteria and eventually finds himself competing on an "Iron Chef"-esque cooking competition program. Along the way, cartoon versions of celebrity chefs like Bobby Flay, Mario Batali and Paula Deen all make appearances, each one goofier than the last (the body design of Giada De Laurentiis was particularly savage). It really drove home the fact that, when you really think about it, there are probably too many cooking shows.

While Randy is distracted by his new life as a deconstructionist chef, his wife Sharon starts an affair with a Shake Weight. It begins innocuously enough, but eventually devolves into the workout device (which makes the user look like he or she is doing something kind of dirty) talking and begging for attention, only to later demand being put on "sleep mode" right after the "workout" is complete. There weren't a whole lot of jokes that your friends haven't made already (save for the Shake Weight actually spraying its own "creme fraiche," a pretty extreme gag), but it was good to get them all out in the open.

Eventually, the Marshes get over their obsessions and get back to normal. Despite the focus on the Marsh parents, the line of the episode belonged to Cartman (who was strangely absent for a bulk of the proceedings). When Stan is complaining about his parents at school, Cartman looks at him with disdain and says, "Hearing you bitch about your dad is super interesting, Stan. I hope you do it all lunch period."

What was your favorite moment from "South Park"? Let us know in the comments!

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Inside Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy: 'So Appalled'

Posted 11/17/10 5:00 pm EST by in Music


The release of Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy, one of the most hotly-anticipated albums of the year. The 13-track LP completes something of a comeback narrative for West that began with the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards (when he was ostracized for crashing the stage during a Taylor Swift acceptance speech and went underground for a while) and was built up over the course of the past year with some key live performances, the "G.O.O.D. Friday" download series and the recently-released short film "Runaway." In fact, My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is so dense and full of gems that it's necessary to take each song and break it down to its bare elements. This time around, we take a look at the references on "So Appalled."

Spaulding
Manufacturer of sports balls, including the official balls of the NBA. Established in 1876 in Springfield, Massachusetts by baseball manager Albert Spaulding, they created a number of innovations for modern baseball, including glove design and tapered bats.

Donald Trump
Famous real estate mogul and television personality notable for his impossible hair, his catch phrase "You're fired" and his associations with Wrestlemania 23 (where he backed Bobby Lashley in a hair-versus-hair match with Vince McMahon and Umaga).

Prada
High end Italian fashion label founded by Mario Prada in 1913. Known best for their handbags and leather goods.

"Champagne wishes"
Part of television host Robin Leach's catch phrase on the syndicated television show "Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous." He used to sign off every episode hoping the viewing audience had "champagne wishes and caviar dreams."
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Justin Bieber's New Song Inspired By 'Man In The Mirror': The MTV News Quote Of The Day

Posted 11/17/10 4:00 pm EST by in Music


"I don't know if it's out there ... I'm performing 'Pray' [on the American Music Awards]. It's a very uplifting song, very motivational. It definitely comes from the heart. It's very beautiful. I definitely thought of Michael [Jackson's] 'Man in the Mirror' when I was writing it."

-Canadian pop superstar Justin Bieber, revealing some details about his newest song, which will be on his upcoming album My Worlds Acoustic. Bieber will premiere the song this Sunday (November 21) at the American Music Awards, which will air live from the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

During a conversation with Ryan Seacrest on his radio show, Bieber talked at length about his acoustic album. "I think that there's always going to be people that try to bring you down and you just got to prove them wrong," he said of My Worlds Acoustic. "I'm just blessed to have devoted fans. My fans just kind of spoil me."

He also chatted about his recent dinner with Rihanna, who he has often flirted with in the past. "We all went out for dinner, the label and everybody, and Rihanna was there," he explained to Seacrest. "Me and her sat together. I said a couple lines to her. I was just being funny. I don't remember how it came up, but she was like, 'You have abs? Show 'em!' So I did, and she tweeted [about it]."

My Worlds Acoustic will be hitting the streets next Friday, November 26 — the day after Thanksgiving traditionally known as "Black Friday" because of the nuttiness of the holiday shopping crowds and the intensity of the sales.

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