Starting in October and running through the holidays, the entire Virgin American Airline fleet will feature Chris Cornell on all in-flight programming. His latest LP, Scream, has been added to the airline’s music library and will be a part of a collection that plays during boarding. Beginning in November, passengers will also be able to select various Chris Cornell music videos and albums throughout their flight.

“As a new airline with a state-of-the-art in-flight entertainment system including more than 3,000 MP3s and music videos for our guests to choose from, music is in our DNA,” said Dimitrios Papadogonas, Director of Marketing at Virgin America. “We are thrilled to partner with a music legend like Chris Cornell and to add such high caliber content to our in-flight entertainment library – the largest one in the domestic skies.”

Virgin America are also sponsors for the first ever Sunset Strip Festival in Los Angeles, CA on September 12th, where Chris Cornell will give an exclusive performance. Kicking off on August 24th, five major radio stations will be awarding 4 winners from each city (NYC, DC, Boston, SF, Seattle) a trip to the festival and a chance to meet Chris.

Catch Tamar Kaprelian perform in one of the 30 cities below when she embarks on her tour for Feeding America September 1^st ! Each performance will take place from 7 – 10am in front of The Cheesecake Factory locations listed below (the official sponsor of the tour). The first 500 attendees to donate two cans of soup at each tour event will receive a complimentary slice of the restaurant’s new Stefanie’s Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake™.

9/01 The Cheesecake Factory - 400 S Baldwin Ave, Space 903L, Arcadia, CA 91007

9/02 The Cheesecake Factory - 3041 Stevens Creek Blvd, Space L1, Santa Clara, CA 95050

9/03 The Cheesecake Factory - 1127 Galleria BLVD, Roseville, CA 05678

9/04 The Cheesecake Factory - 6223 South State Street, Unit 2001, Salt Lake City, UT, 84107

9/05 The Cheesecake Factory - 160 S. Green Valley Pkwy, Henderson, NV 89052

9/06 The Cheesecake Factory - 2402 E. Camelback, Sp 101, Phoenix, AZ 85016

9/07 The Cheesecake Factory - 8405 Park Meadows Center Dr., #1001, Littleton, CO 80124

9/08 The Cheesecake Factory -2601 Preston Rd., Ste 2219, Frisco, TX 75304

9/09 The Cheesecake Factory - 16535 SW Freeway, #2000, Sugar Land, TX 77479

9/10 The Cheesecake Factory - 5600 N. Pennsylvania Ave, Oklahoma City, OK 73112

9/11 The Cheesecake Factory - 6675 West 119th St., Overland Park, KS 66209

9/12 The Cheesecake Factory - 1062 Saint Louis Galleria, Saint Louis, MO 63117

9/13 The Cheesecake Factory - 2350 N. Mayfair Rd., Wauwatosa, WI 53226

9/14 The Cheesecake Factory - 374 Old Orchard Center, Skokie, IL 60077

9/15 The Cheesecake Factory - 1566 Polaris Parkway, Space 124, Columbus, OH 43240

9/16 The Cheesecake Factory - 8701 Keystone Crossing, Suite 4A, Indianapolis, IN 46240

9/17 The Cheesecake Factory - 2133 Green Hills Village Dr., Nashville, TN 37215

9/18 The Cheesecake Factory - 4400 Ashford-Dunwoody Rd., Ste 3005, Atlanta,GA 30346

9/19 The Cheesecake Factory - 781 Brandon Town Center Mall, Brandon, FL 33511

9/20 The Cheesecake Factory - 5530 Glades Road, Boca Raton, FL 33431

9/21 The Cheesecake Factory - 4200 Conroy Rd., Space A-148, Orlando, FL 32839

9/22 The Cheesecake Factory - 8030 Renaissance Pkwy., Ste.950, Durham, NC 27713

9/23 The Cheesecake Factory - 24265 Cedar Rd., Lyndhurst, OH 44124

9/24 The Cheesecake Factory - One Walden Galleria Space TH-170, Cheektowaga, NY 14225

9/25 The Cheesecake Factory - 75 Middlesex Turnpike, Ste 1067A, Burlington, MA 01803

9/26 The Cheesecake Factory - 2500 West Moreland Rd, Willow Grove, PA 19090

9/27 The Cheesecake Factory - 455 Menlo Park Dr., Edison, NJ 08837

9/28 The Cheesecake Factory - 1504 Old Country Road, Westbury, NY 11590

9/29 The Cheesecake Factory - 10300 Little Patuxent Pkwy.Sp 3070, Columbia, MD 21044

9/30 The Cheesecake Factory - 11301 Rockville Pike, North Bethesda, MD 20895

Make sure to check out Tamar Kaprelian’s new song, “Delicate Soul” available NOW on iTunes. Stay posted to http://www.myspace.com/tamarkaprelian to hear about new music coming next week and more tour details.

Click on the picture below to check it out!

Yahoo! Music, Guitar Hero, and Interscope Records want you to join us when Wolfmother take the stage for a secret show in West Hollywood, CA!

August 26, 2009
6:30 pm (subject to change)
Location: West Hollywood, CA (we’ll tell you where if you make it on the list)

The first 100 fans to email us at iwannagorock@yahoo.com with the info below will get on the list for this exclusive show, which will be taped and shown later on Yahoo!. Plus you get to bring a friend. Here’s what you do:

• Email us your name and one guest name (all names must be submitted as they appear on valid photo ID)
• Include where you live in the email

We will contact you if you are chosen to attend.

PLEASE DO NOT SEND MULTIPLE EMAILS

You must be at least 13 years old to attend. You must provide your own transportation and accommodations (if necessary).

This is a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

This invitation is not transferable, without the express permission of Yahoo!. Yahoo! reserves the right to rescind any invitation, at any time, in its sole discretion.

British synth-pop sensation La Roux are set to hit the shores of North America for a slew of highly anticipated performances this fall in support of their self titled US debut coming out September 29^th on Cherrytree Records. 21-year-old Elly Jackson and co-producer co-songwriter co-hort Ben Langmaid, the talented South London duo who make up La Roux, have made an impressive impact on the UK’s music scene since joining forces two years ago. While collaboration began in London’s burgeoning underground warehouse scene, it has since landed the pair a highly coveted Mercury Prize nomination and hot singles on daytime radio and the upper echelons of the British charts. With just about a month left until the US release of debut full-length La Roux, the album continues to make waves in the UK – with its dazzling current single “Bulletproof” entering the UK Singles Chart at #1 and “In For The Kill,” the album’s first single, selling more copies than any other single this year!

The album version of “Bulletproof” is currently available on iTunes and all digital outlets.

» www.ticketmaster.com

» click.linksynergy.com

Denver, CO - Invesco Field - 8/9
Seattle, WA - The Gorge Amphitheatre - 8/15
Los Angeles, CA - Home Depot Center - 8/23

» gh5.guitarhero.com

» dlistmagazine.com

President Obama is asking all Americans to serve their country this summer as part of the United We Serve campaign. The United We Serve campaign is one of the key on-going initiatives from the White House designed to make it easy to get involved, to build communities, and move the nation forward.

I am volunteering this summer. I am asking you, on behalf of the White House, to become a part of this initiative and support the Administration’s efforts to create a meaningful, historic summer of service.

www.serve.gov provides an opportunity for citizens to easily get involved in their individual communities nationwide.

“We need your service, right now, at this moment in history. I’m not going to tell you what your role should be; that’s for you to discover. But I am asking you to stand up and play your part. I am asking you to help change history’s course.”

- President Obama, 4/21/2009

Video of the Year: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/video-of-the-year/

Best Male Video: http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/best-male-video/ 

Best Hip Hop Video : http://www.mtv.com/ontv/vma/2009/best-hip-hop-video/ 

Featured today on NY Post’s PopWrap, the “Let It Beat” cover art was created by Alexander Burkart for The Zonders. The new single “Get U Home” (streaming below) is available NOW on iTunes and will be featured in the new film, “Sorority Row” featuring Audrina Patridge and Rumer Willis in theaters 9/11.

Stay posted to Shwayze.com for more news and music from “Let It Beat”

» vids.myspace.com

There’s a bee going around town, and its buzz is surrounding five newcomers dubbed the Paradiso Girls. Signed to will.i.am music group/Interscope Records and founded by Pussycat Dolls creator Robin Antin, the Paradiso Girls have an arsenal of talent guiding them toward chart domination.

Their first single, “Patron Tequila” featuring Lil Jon and Eve, a feisty party anthem, is garnering attention for raving over club revelers’ drink of choice. The record is a preview of what’s to come from the fivesome’s debut album, Crazy Horse, a name inspired by a French cabaret.

Speaking of France, it’s just one of the countries that the girls hail from. Aria (France), Chelsea (U.S.), Kelly (Barbados), Lauren (London), and Shar (Philippines) each bring a unique vibe to create one boisterous, mischievous, and sassy girl group. Lauren broke away from her artistic duties in L.A. to dish about throwing back shots with Lil Jon, which member is ahead of the fashion curve, and a hidden talent she’s no longer keeping under wraps.

» www.rap-up.com

» www.tommylee.tv

Tuesday 8/4 @ 11am ET

» www.fuse.tv

» www.youtube.com

It's been quite the summer and in some ways it's just getting started which is why I'm writing this little ditty ;-)

It is my honor to officially announce that our next LA show will be held at The Roxy on August, 20th and is going to be sponsored by KROQ Locals Only! We're really excited about getting to play in Los Angeles after so many months on the road and we can't wait to see you all there!

In other news - and I know this has been a long time (read: 3 years) coming - we have a RELEASE DATE for our debut album and we'll be unveiling that date at our gig on August, 20th :-) Here are the details and we can't wait to perform for you:

CARNEY (w/Caitlin Crosby and End Roulette)

The Roxy Theatre in Hollywood

Thursday, August 20th 2009

8:30p.m.

$12 at door

ALL AGES

For Tickets: http://www.ticketmaster.com/event/090042BDB7EC70F9?artistid=1334313&majorcatid=10001&minorcatid=1

In even OTHER news (cause I like to make sure y'alls is informed...) we're shooting our first ever music video later this summer! It's going to be done "Love Me Chase Me" and all I can say is that we're dedicated to making it above and beyond what anyone could ever imagine...so wish us luck already!

If you don't live in LA but you still want to catch us live please check our tour dates here:

We'll be touring all the way up to our show in LA and we're doing a three week run with Gov't Mule so we're bound to be near you or your family members!

Thanks for all of your love and support - now back to soundcheck! (so THAT's why I'm hearing what sounds like a tribal dance behind me...is that what drum tuning is SUPPOSED to sound like?...Buster, you can't do that on the BALCONY buddy?...)

Ok, I'm done ;-)

Zane on behalf of CARNEY

p.s. be our Facebook Fan and/or Groupie ;-) It makes my job SOOO much easier and that way you stay informed, capeesh? Fuggettaboudit!!!

Carney FB Fan

http://www.facebook.com/carneytheband

Carney FB Group

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?sid=fae7ff2b02e4a076e6cdd900fa9615e0&gid=17200543477&ref=search

» www.ticketmaster.com

» www.facebook.com

Announce their UK and European tour

VIP Tickets go on sale from 1^st August

PRESS RELEASE – FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Having rocked UK audiences with sold-out tour earlier this year, Papa Roach, the Grammy nominated Californian quartet, are crossing the Atlantic this September for a UK and European tour in support of the their fifth studio album Metamorphosis and forthcoming single I Almost Told You I Loved You. . The tour kicks off on September 29 in Weisbaden, Germany and carries through October 24 at the Academy in London. VIP and presale tickets will be available from Saturday 1^st August from www.paparoach.com and for general sale from Wednesday 5^th August.

Metamorphosis debuted at No. 8 in the Billboard charts and spawned the No. 1 hit single Lifeline in the US. While Kerrang! Magazine confirmed “they’re now armed with a set of songs and a command of both stage and audience that are superb on every level”

Since bursting onto the scene in 2000, Papa Roach have established themselves on an international stage having sold over 8 million albums worldwide and playing in cities across the globe.

Every Papa Roach show is jammed full of pounding guitars, rock star swagger, catchy hooks and a phenomenal raw energy that means these gigs are not to be missed.

Papa Roach will be supported on their UK and European tour by US band Madina Lake and the UK’s own Heaven's Basement.

VIP tickets will be available on Saturday 1^st August as presale exclusively through www.paparoach.com and for general sale from Wednesday 5^th August.

LOG ONTO www.paparoach.com FOR ALL TICKETING INFORMATION

Tue-Sep-29 Weisbaden GERMANY Schlachthof

Thu-Oct-01 Tilburg NETHERLANDS O13

Fri-Oct-02 Dortmund GER FZW- VISIONS PARTY!

Sat-Oct-03 Berlin GERMANY Huxley's

Sun-Oct-04 Stuttgart GERMANY Longhorn

Tue-Oct-06 Wolverhampton ENGLAND Wolverhampton Civic

Wed-Oct-07 Nottingham ENGLAND Rock City

Fri-Oct-09 Glasgow SCOTLAND Academy

Sat-Oct-10 London ENGLAND Brixton Academy

Sun-Oct-11 Manchester ENGLAND Academy

Tue-Oct-13 Newcastle ENGLAND Academy

Wed-Oct-14 Sheffield ENGLAND Academy

http://www.paparoach.com/

http://www.myspace.com/paparoach

For media enquiries please contact

The Outside Organisation – Johanna Whitehead

Johanna.whitehead@outside-org.co.uk

» www.sidekick.com

A Band That Knows Where the Money Comes From

Chester French.

Chester French isn’t your typical rock band. Singer D.A. Wallach and multi-instrumentalist Max Drummey met as freshmen at Harvard, where lanky, longhaired Drummey majored in social anthropology and twee, preppy Wallach graduated as the top student in the school’s African-American Studies program. In the video for their best-known song, “She Loves Everybody,” a pretty girl punches the stuffing out of the two helpless weaklings, leaving them bloody-nosed among their broken guitars and drums.

Wallach and Drummey, who eschew leather and spandex for bowties and croquet mallets, were signed to Interscope Records just as they graduated two years ago. An album released in April, “Love the Future”, has made the duo upcoming stars, albeit not superstars.

But besides the fans drawn to their music, Chester French have amassed a following by spending hours a day networking online. Should you encounter the band on Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Digg, Twitter or any of the other social sites where they’ve set up shop, you’ll be encouraged to sign up at chesterfrench.com as a V.I.P. for the band’s concierge service. What you might not realize is you’re adding yourself to a database at Salesforce.com.

Wallach told me in a phone call from the band’s current tour that he and Drummey aren’t kidding that they see their fans, not themselves, as the V.I.P.’s. “Traditional record labels looked at music listeners as fans who were supposed to get in line to get an autograph,” he said. That worked, in Wallach’s view, when radio and TV were dominated by a few supersize broadcasters. “When the Beatles played ‘The Ed Sullivan Show,’ seven million people saw it,” he said. “But today, there’s no channel available that will deliver that size an audience. In this day and age, it’s about having a relationship with the people who listen to us. The relationship with someone who likes our music is much more of a conversation than it would have been, even in the ’90s.”

Instead of giving interviews to reporters or dropping by radio stations, Wallach spends most of his time online, going through an average 100 to 200 e-mail messages a day. “We respond to every single e-mail we get,” he said. “I do an hour in the morning and an hour at night. A lot of them are just, ‘I wish you’d come to my city,’ and we’ll write back, ‘Us, too.’ We try to keep it personal and intimate. So it’s not just ‘Dear Friend.’ It’ll be, ‘Dear Paul, thank you for coming to see us in Baton Rouge. We’d really like your ideas for how we can spread our music around in Baton Rouge.’”

The band doesn’t think twice about its embrace of upside-down Internet economics. They eagerly share their music and videos on social sites, in hopes of growing a much larger fan base that will eventually spend money on them. “We gave away an album for free,” Wallach said, “and that was the single largest driver of new fans that we’ve done.” They honestly believe giving away copies of their CDs gets them heard by others who’ll go out and buy a copy.

But in rock, talk is cheap. So I went and signed up as a Chester French fan coming in from MySpace to see what would happen. A few hours later, I got an e-mail message from Wallach: “I’m delighted to personally welcome you to our V.I.P. Concierge Service. As a 48-year-old male in San Francisco with an average of 274 friends on social networks” — Salesforce is able to glean these stats from my e-mail address — “you’re an ideal ambassador for our music. Let me know your best mailing address so I can send you some copies of our record for you and your friends!”

Three days later, I was eagerly handing out a few of Interscope’s promotional copies of “Love the Future” to friends, who were tickled to get the specially labeled discs. I’m not sure if Chester French will make any money from my handouts, but pushing the band on my coworkers was something rock ‘n roll is supposed to be: Fun.

» spheremag.co.uk

» www.lp33.tv

The Black Eyed Peas to Kick Off Adobe Youth Voices Live! Event on August 1

SAN JOSE, Calif., July XX, 2009 – The Adobe Foundation and The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation will unveil two new state-of-the-art music and multi-media academies for youth in Oakland and Redwood City, Calif.

The collaboration focuses on giving youth access to multi-media production tools for video, dance, music and art. Through the creation of digital media, teens are given the opportunity to comment on critical issues and inspire social change in their communities.

At a ribbon cutting ceremony on August 1, Grammy award-winning recording artists The Black Eyed Peas – will.i.am, apl.de.ap, Taboo and Fergie – will officially open the first integrated Peapod Adobe Youth Voices Academy located in Redwood City at the Mervin G. Morris Clubhouse of the Boys and Girls Club of the Peninsula. A second Academy will be housed in a new facility operated by Art In Action, a local non-profit youth leadership program in Oakland. Both academies will begin offering services starting in the fall for youth up to age 19. An estimated 200 Bay Area youth will participate in the academy programs annually.

“As a group, music has given us amazing opportunities. With the Peapod Foundation, we want to give back to inner-city kids so they can realize their potential through artistic and digital expression,” says will.i.am, who grew up in the projects in Boyle Heights, Calif. “Together with the Adobe Foundation, we are giving more kids a chance at a better future.”

The academies will incorporate a high-tech curriculum developed by Adobe Youth Voices with the latest professional-grade multi-media production software – including Adobe® Creative Suite® 4 Master Collection Suite, donated by Adobe Systems Incorporated, and professional music studio tools for a state-of-the-art recording facility donated by the Peapod Foundation. In addition to mentoring in the performing arts, youth participants will receive structured multi-media training in video, audio, photography, design and art, enabling them to creatively express their points of view on vital issues and contribute to social change in their communities.

“The Adobe Foundation and the Peapod Foundation share a vision for empowering youth to address social issues that directly affect them,” said Michelle Mann, executive director of the Adobe Foundation. “The launch of these two academy sites is just the beginning of our journey. It’s exciting to make such a direct, tangible impact by inspiring youth to demonstrate their potential and take action in their communities.”

Summit to Feature Bay Area Film Industry Luminaries
Following the Redwood City academy opening, The Black Eyed Peas will make a special appearance to kick off Adobe Youth Voices Live! The event is the closing session of the first annual Adobe Youth Voices Summit, a three-day digital immersion experience bringing together 100 international youth (ages 14-19) and educators from underserved communities around the world.

The Adobe Youth Voices Summit at Stanford University (July 30-Aug. 1) will focus on all aspects of digital media, including filmmaking, photography, animation and design, with workshops designed to empower youth to create media for social change and cultivate a deeper sense of social and civic engagement.

Summit highlights will include: an opening keynote by David Nakabayashi, Creative Director of the Industrial Light & Magic Art Department; mentoring in creating collaborative media projects using Adobe® After Effects® and Adobe® Premiere® Elements; a visit to Dreamworks Animation, makers of popular movies such as Shrek and Madagascar; and a keynote by Black Nature, a musician and aspiring filmmaker with the Refugee All Stars.

Youth participants will document their own travel and experiences at the summit through videos shot with Flip Video Ultra Camcorders donated through the Flip Video Spotlight program. They will have the opportunity to enhance their films with skills learned during the summit.

The summit will conclude with Adobe Youth Voices Live!, an invitation-only event at the Yerba Buena Center in San Francisco the evening of Sat., Aug. 1. In addition to the Black Eyed Peas’ appearance, the event will include exhibitions and screenings of youth media work developed during the summit.

For more information about the summit, visit: http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/philanthropy/youthvoices/pdfs/ayv_summit_release_june200962409.pdf

About Adobe Youth Voices
Adobe Youth Voices (AYV) is the Adobe Foundation’s global philanthropic initiative that empowers youth from underserved communities with digital media skills so they can comment on their world, share their ideas and take action on issues that are important to them. By harnessing the energy and insight of young people 13-18 years old, Adobe Youth Voices aims to inspire a dialogue for change in their communities.

The program teaches youth to express themselves through documentary film-making, photography, print journalism, radio diaries, animation, Web communications and other media. The Adobe Youth Voices global network now includes 158 sites, grantees and organizations in 31 countries, engaging over 20,000 youth and 1,000 educators in schools and out-of-school programs. For more information, visit www.adobe.com/go/youthvoices.

About the Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation
The Black Eyed Peas Peapod Foundation encourages social change by uniting people, especially children, through the universal language of music. In 2008, the foundation opened the first Peapod Music & Arts Academy, a state-of-the-art music and educational center and recording facility serving foster care youth and other at-risk teens, at the Watts/Willowbrook Boys and Girls Club. The Peapod Foundation was established as a Charitable Service Fund administered by the Entertainment Industry Foundation. For more information, visit www.thepeapodfoundation.com.

About the Adobe Foundation
The Adobe Foundation is a 501(c)(3) private foundation created and funded by Adobe Systems Incorporated to leverage human, technological and financial resources to drive social change and community improvements.

DJ Hero™ Renegade Edition Featuring JAY-Z and EMINEM (Xbox 360, Wii, PlayStation 3)

Start the Party with the DJ Hero Renegade Edition Featuring JAY-Z and EMINEM. In addition to the DJ Hero game, the Renegade Edition includes a premium Renegade Turntable Controller, hardshell Turntable Carrying Case that converts to a performance-ready DJ stand, and an Exclusive JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD pack featuring unreleased tracks.

The makers of Guitar Hero® introduce a new way to experience your favorite music. With DJ Hero you will be the life of the party as you scratch and mix more than 101 songs into 94 unique mixes.

Learn basic and advanced DJ Hero techniques, then spin your way through different setlists in beginner, easy, medium, hard, and expert modes. Grab your friends and start your own DJ Hero party.

DJ Hero Renegade Edition Includes:

³ DJ Hero Game

³ Renegade Turntable Controller featuring premium metal controls and finish

³ Hardshell Turntable Carrying Case that converts to performance-ready DJ stand

³ Exclusive JAY-Z and EMINEM 2-CD pack featuring unreleased tracks and collectible case designed by artist Shepard Fairey

Master the Turntable

³ Scratch: show you skills by scratching the turntable back and forth

³ Mix: crossfade between the left track and right track

³ Sample: customize your mix by selecting and dropping in sound effects

³ Additional Features:

- Rewind: hit enough notes in a row to earn a Rewind, allowing you to replay a section of the song and earn more points or repeat your favorite part of the song

- Effects Dial: similar to Guitar Hero’s Whammy Bar, adjust the audio effects on a track during special sections

- Euphoria Mode: similar to Guitar Hero’s Star Power, build up your Euphoria Meter and use it to double your score multiplier

- Spin Lefty: easily reconfigure the turntable for left-handed play

Party with Your Friends

³ 2-DJ: battle your friends or spin cooperatively in local and online multiplayer

³ DJ & Guitar: grab your Guitar Hero guitar (sold separately) and rock exclusive mixes with a DJ

³ Party Mode: set the game to autoplay as the soundtrack of your party – players can jump in or out at any time

Featuring the Hottest Music: Includes the best of Hip-Hop, Pop, Dance, and Rock mixed into original tracks created by top DJs: Grandmaster Flash, DJ Shadow, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Z Trip, DJ AM, and others.

DJ Hero mixes include hit songs from:

³ 50 Cent

³ Beastie Boys

³ Beck

³ Bell Biv DeVoe

³ Benny Benassi

³ Billy Squier

³ Black Eyed Peas

³ Blondie

³ Chuck Brown

³ David Bowie

³ Dizzee Rascal

³ DJ Shadow

³ Eminem

³ Eric B & Rakim

³ Eric Prydz

³ Foo Fighters

³ Foreigner

³ Gary Numan

³ Gorillaz

³ Grandmaster Flash

³ Gwen Stefani

³ Herbie Hancock

³ InDeep

³ JAY-Z

³ Jurassic 5

³ Justice

³ KRS-1

³ LL Cool J

³ Marvin Gaye

³ N.E.R.D.

³ Public Enemy

³ Rick James

³ Tears for Fears

³ The Aranbee Pop Symphony Orchestra

³ Zombies

³ And More!

DJ Hero Bundles Part Numbers & UPC Codes

· Xbox 360 ™ 96029 0-47875-96029-9 SRP $199.99

· PlayStation(R)3 96027 0-47875-96027-5 SRP $199.99

· Wii ™ 96031 0-47875-96031-2 SRP $199.99

» www.vimby.com

K’naan is no stranger to gracing a big stage. We’re talking about a guy who brought down the house when he performed his spoken word infused Hip Hop to talk about the plight of refugees at the 2001 50th anniversary of the UN Commission for Refugee's. But for the spoken word artist/MC sharing the stage with some of Hip hop’s greats on the Rock The Bells Festival’s stage is still an honor. “It’s amazing, man. There’s something about it. A couple of the people that are on the bill are people that I came up listening to. So to be playing with them is a beautiful thing.”

K’naan’s journey to Hip Hop’s largest festival stage was an interesting one to say the least. Coming from an artistic family (his aunt was one of Somalia’s most famous singers and his grandfather was a highly respected poet) its easy to see how he became involved in music. Before he could fully understand and speak English, he was memorizing the rhymes of MC’s like Rakim & Nas (whom he shares the stage with at Rock The Bells) in his homeland of Somalia. As one of the last to leave the country in the midst of civil war, he first made his home in NYC before moving to Toronto, Canada, where he became a part of the music scene. A few albums later (his latest troubadour features Mos Def and Adam Levine from Maroon 5) and he is on tour with some of Hip Hop’s legends. We caught up with him to talk about Hip Hop as second language, rocking the crowd and how you can have fun and still be seen as political.

Examiner.com: Since some much of importance is placed on lyrics in Hip Hop, how did you get drawn in since English is not your first language? What was it about that made you enjoy it?

K’naan: The energy. The rhythmic energy. There’s something about music in general. Its not a 100 hundred percent necessity for you to know the details of someone’s lyrics and what they mean (to get drawn in). A lot of times music means what we want it to mean. And Hip Hop is no exception, although its more heavy on lyrics and lyrics based. But what really was drew me in was the rhythmic patterns and the energy of it. It had such a youthful energy to it that I connected to.

Examiner.com: When you did start to understand the music did it coincide with what you had imagined the meaning to be?

K’naan: Sometimes it did. Sometimes it was just funny. (laughs). Other times lyrics you thought were powerful and world changing were kinda not talking about not much. And you’re like, “Wow”. But to be honest it was never one way. There were lyrics that you unraveled and find out had great depth and meaning.

Examiner.com: Do you think you get pegged as being political because of the content of what you say or because nobody else is saying anything?

K’naan: (Laughs) I think it’s the later to be honest, man. I think it’s so easy to pick me out as the artist who is being political mainly because a lot of music is devoid of anything to say at all. There’s not a story to follow. There’s nothing that they actually are telling, even if it’s just a love song. There’s nothing for me to get out of it. When I do songs there are precise about something. The only time they know that that happens in the genres that I’m in usually it’s political so they tag me the same.

Examiner.com: Do you feel like carrying that tag is kinda like a burden? People seem to have a higher expectation of you so because of that you can’t just go out and having fun.

K’naan: Actually the truth of the matter is that its not so much a burden than that its just not true. We do have fun. That’s why I can write a record like “Bang, Bang”, which is a fun pop record. I do have those sides to me. I’m not always serious. Its always an activist type of tag that I get as well. If you say. “I saw the rain today.” They are like, “Oh my God. He called it like it is. He must be conscious. He must be political.” No. I just can see shit. (Laughs) And maybe know why. Maybe that is the extra element. Maybe I have some clue as to why.

Examiner.com: What is a K’naan show like?

K’naan: My show has always been different and a little bit of a stand out. It’s a honest and direct approach to music that whenever we play every night feels like a new show. Even if we play as we have in the past over 500 shows in the last two years.

» new.music.yahoo.com

» tweettow.in

» www.twitter.com

Thanks for the feedback everyone.

» www.livenation.com

Saturday 7/25 @ 1am ET

» www.democracynow.org

Hollywood Undead To Raise hell at Club 101

By Shane Weller

Hollywood Undead, the chart-topping L.A. rap-rock band, will bring its live show to Club 101 on Tuesday. The provocative group of six masked men first popped up in the national music scene through MySpace, where they racked up more than eight million plays before ever being signed.

After a brief stint on MySpace Records, the band eventually found a label that wouldn’t try to censor its explicit lyrics, and success has followed: a No. 22 debut on Billboard, placement on Rock Band 2 and radio play with party anthems “Youth” and “No. 5.”

We caught up with both J-Dog and Funny Man.

Q. You released your debut album, “Swan Songs,” on A&M/Octone Records. What happened with Myspace Records?

They wanted to censor us and we weren’t going to do it and they wanted us to take the profanity out of half our songs and change the other half, and we weren’t going to do that.

Q. How does the concept of your masks differ from the concept that Slipknot has?

They try to instill fear in people. Our masks aren’t meant to scare anyone – it’s more of a fashion thing.

Q. Do you design them yourselves?

Yeah, we do that ourselves. Someone makes them for us, but we design them and each one reflects their own different personality.

Q. “Swan Songs” was released in 2008. Can we expect something in ’09 or ’10?

Probably in 2010. Our album will run like two years. I don’t even think it’s been out for a full year yet. So we probably have another year with this one.

(J-Dog puts Funny Man on the line.)

Q. Why do they call you Funny Man?

’Cause I’m not funny (laughs). Charlie’s brother gave it to me because I’m such a smartass. Whenever I would get smart with him he would say, “Oh, you’re a funny man, aren’t you?” And I’d be like, “Yeah I am,” and he’d be like, “Nah, you’re a f*cking idiot.” Now that I grew up and got older, I guess I got funnier.

Q. What’s the response from the crowds been like?

Looking pretty good, actually. Shows are selling out, fans heading out. There are some fans who haven’t heard us and kind of fall in love.

Q. Your videos are full of babes and brew. Is that your everyday life?

Pretty much. I mean, there are some pretty good-looking girls here today. I think we need to go bikini hunting and bring them to the show. Me and J usually do that. I have this 12-year-old kid hanging out with us today, so I’m going to use him for bait. We’ll see what happens.

Q. Uh. Dude, where did you get the 12-year-old kid?

I just pulled up and got off the bus and he was just standing there and he was like, “Can I hang out with you guys?” We were like” yeah.” He’s like one of the neighborhood kids. His parents own a restaurant around the corner – we kicked him down with some merch and he’s going to find some girls for us.

Twelve-year-old in the background: I’m the advertising manager for Cocanutz with a “z” – the chill and grill.

Funny Man: He’s being like my little bodyguard, taking pictures of us working out. Kid’s awesome, dude.

Q. Funny Man, got any sick jokes?

All I know is dumb jokes that old men told me. They’re not even funny. They are more of the case of the guy thinking he’s funny because he’s drunk. Here’s one: What did one cannibal say to the other cannibal eating a clown?

Q. What ...

Does this taste funny to you?

Q. Anything else you would like to add?

If you’re not poor from the recession, come to our show and buy our sh*t. We’re poor ourselves and need help, too.

» new.music.yahoo.com

Follow Shwayze & Interscope on Twitter to get all the details as the date approaches!

» www.dinglife.com

» www.itunes.com

» www.mjblige.com

If you don't know what LMFAO stands for, then you probably aren't part of this electro-hop duo's primary demographic.

Made up of the electronic hip-hop duo of emcee-DJs Redfoo and Sky Blu, these guys definitely stand out in the crowd. Redfoo has a reckless Afro, and both don lens-less, candy-colored glasses and loud, flashy shirts from their own fashion line.

On a recent Friday afternoon, the two agree to talk as they have a little downtime in Los Angeles after a wild album-release week. Their debut album, "Party Rock," came out on Tuesday, July 7 on Interscope Records. The single "I'm in Miami Bitch" has already become a massive club hit and debuted at No. 38 on the Top 40 charts.

Redfoo speaks up first: "This is Redfoo, and I'm hanging out here with Gandhi." Or a word that sounds like "Gandhi." The two erupt in laughter.

After a few minutes of goofing around, Redfoo and Sky Blu compose themselves and answer some questions for us.

» phoenix.metromix.com

» straightfromthea.com

Sunday 7/26 @ 2pm ET

» www.warpedtour.com

» www.youtube.com

Our tour with the Veronicas is coming to an end today in Philly and we've had such an amazing time with them :-) Lots of great stories and performances to remember and a whole new grip of fans who are super-duper freakin' passionate!

Being on tour has definitely rejuvenated us and thankfully we've got even more of it coming up :-) This time though we're HEADLINING! Which means if you live in one of these cities or have friends and family there we'd LOVE to see you at one of these shows! All the people we can get out will help us more than you know, and because we're headlining it'll be just like what we do in LA @ The Troubadour, only in a different city! If you've been wanting to share our live performance with friends of yours that live outside of LA, now is the time to hit them up! Each set is gonna be a full fledged show - this ain't gonna be no opening act tour ladies and gents!

Here are the dates and venues for our headlining tour on the way to Lollapalooza:

7/25/09: Oklahoma City, OK @ Opolis

http://www.okctickets.com/e/2371/carney/

7/28/09: Little Rock, AR @ Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack

http://www.stickyfingerz.com/StickyFingerz.htm

7/30/09: Austin, TX @ Emo's Alt Lounge

http://www.emosaustin.com/

7/31/09: Houston, TX @ Walter's on Washington

http://www.pegstar.net/

8/01/09: Dallas, TX @ The Cavern

http://www.thecaverndallas.com/calendar.php

8/05/09: Memphis, TN @ The Hi-Tone Cafe

http://www.hitonememphis.com/calendar/calendar.htm

8/06/09: Nashville, TN @ 3rd and Lindsley

http://www.3rdandlindsley.com/

8/07/09: St. Louis, MO @ Halo Bar in The Pageant Theater

http://www.thepageant.com/halobar.html

8/08/09: Indianapolis, IN @ Rathskeller Biergarten

http://www.rathskeller.com/events.htm

During this run we're also playing 3 really awesome festivals including 10,000 Lakes in Detroit Lakes, Minnesota, Dfest in Tulsa, OK and Lollapalooza in Chicago, IL!

So if you like what we do and want to help us out, we'd love it if you would:

1) Come to the show in your city!

2) Tell your friends and family in that city to come as well (even if you live somewhere else)!

The more the merrier :-)

Oh, and for all of you LA-ers, our next show at home is going to be on August 20th at The Roxy! It's going to be sponsored by Budweiser and KROQ and apparentely they'll be spinning Love Me Chase Me in anticipation of it - so start requesting it in a week or so! You can't buy tickets online just yet, but I'll make sure to add the link to this event as soon as I get it :-)

Phew! And as usual, I'm out of breath haha

Looking forward to seeing all of you at these shows!!!!

Zane

» www.complex.com

» www.hiphopdx.com

By Ken Capobianco

One of the central personas of hip-hop has been the thug who understands the ways of the cruel streets. Don’t tell that to K’Naan, a rapper and musician who grew up in war-torn Somalia.

“When I hear all this talk about thug life, I laugh,’’ K’Naan, 31, says from New York, where he lives most of the time now. “A lot of MCs talk about violence, but they really haven’t seen it or had it affect their lives. It’s like watching a film, because you know that you are listening to something that is unreal and unbelievable. I know what I’ve seen, and that’s real.’’

K’Naan, who’s on tomorrow’s Rock the Bells tour at the Comcast Center, left Somalia in 1991 while the country was undergoing civil war. Rebels were battling to topple then-President Mohamed Siad Barre, and much of the fighting happened in the streets of the districts of Mogadishu where K’Naan lived. (He settled in Canada.)

Much of the material from his two albums - 2005’s “The Dusty Foot Philosopher’’ and this spring’s “Troubadour’’ - is preoccupied with his homeland and how its troubles have affected him. In “Somalia’’ he sings: “This is where the streets have no name and the drain of sewage/you can see it in this boy/ how the hate is brewing.’’

On a number of tracks, he calls out rappers for their bogus macho swagger. In “What’s Hardcore,’’ in which he describes the violence of Somalia, he flows: “I make 50 Cent look like Limp Bizkit’’ adding his former country is “harder than Harlem and Compton combined.’’

What makes K’Naan’s music so compelling is not only his lyrical agility and social conscience but his ability to draw on so many musical resources - from his African roots and reggae stylings to hip-hop, pop, and rock (“If Rap Gets Jealous’’ from “Troubadour’’ features Kirk Hammett of Metallica).

“I consider myself an artist above all things,’’ K’Naan says. “Therefore, I don’t want to commit myself to one style of music. Many people call me hip-hop and that’s fine, but I am not just a hip-hop artist.’’ K’Naan also played guitar and added percussion - as well as some supple singing - on his albums.

K’Naan says he learned English by watching television, and he studied the cadences and fluid wordplay of older rappers like Rakim. “I’m lucky that I didn’t do it now,’’ he says. “I would only be able to talk to you about popping champagne corks.’’

Most of his songs are potent, detailed narratives and evocations of Somalia and the struggles his people have gone through and continue to endure.

He says that he is committed to shedding light on the country and adds that the shift to living in North America was disorienting. “When I first arrived in Canada, I needed to figure out things and life was difficult. I did odd jobs, but I always knew that I would be a musician and survive.’’ In “Rap Gets Jealous’’ he talks about saving money to “send it back to Mogadishu where my family and friends getting patched up again.’’

He says he named the new record “Troubadour’’ because he has always seen himself as a storyteller.

“I used to tell stories to my family since I was a boy. Sometimes I had memorized up to 120 stories, and some would last up to 45 minutes. It’s just something I love to do.’’

His new record features many guests - including Adam Levine, and Damian Marley - and it’s diverse musically. “Bang Bang’’ has a soaring pop hook and could easily be a single. “America’’ is a straight-up hip-hop track in which he trades verses with Charlie 2na and Mos Def. “Fatima’’ is a sweet lament of lost love spurred by subtle horns and underlined by organ fills. Despite the lyric’s sadness, the song turns into a joyous singalong.

Both of his records are rhythmically intricate, tightly arranged, and supremely melodic, which gives them accessibility for mass audiences. But K’Naan says he’s not sure that this is the direction he’s going to follow in the future.

“I never have a master plan,’’ he says. “Music should have no formula. The melodies and lyrics come, and I strive for the most beautiful music possible. I don’t affect it as much as it affects me.’’