Several defendants (including manufacturers of soundproofing material, a pyrotechnics vendor, the company that
leased the Station nightclub building to the Derderians and an alarm company) being sued by the relatives of the
100 people killed in the 2003 Rhode Island fire have tentatively agreed to a $13.5 million settlement according
to a lawyer for one of the families. If approved, the settlements are expected to be the first of several to come.
Kid Rock was reportedly cited for misdemeanor battery after scuffling with Tommy Lee in the audience of the MTV
Video Music Awards (where their ex-wife Pamela Anderson was a presenter.) Many witnesses claimed that the Motley
Crue drummer was "decked" and that the only blows that landed were from Rock. Lee was forcibly removed
from the show by security while Kid Rock was allowed to remain there. Police arrived to investigate at 10 p.m.
Rock could face a maximum of 6 months in jail but it is very unlikely to be that severe. It has been reported that
the event was edited out of the west coast feed.
Bo Diddley, who was hospitalized following a heart attack last month, underwent surgery where doctors inserted
a stent to improve cardiac blood flow. He has since been released from the hospital after 11 days there.
Lyle Lovett's new studio album, It's Not Big It's Large, debuted at #18 on the Billboard 200 chart selling 25,000
copies last week.
The Proclaimers' new studio album, Life With You, has made its debut at #13 on the U.K. Album chart. The Police's
The Police, which almost fell out of the Top 40 at #40 last week, climbed up to #15.
Garth Brooks' new single, "More Than A Memory," from his new 3-disc set, The Ultimate Hits, has earned
the title of 'hit' by going directly to the #1 spot on the Country Singles chart.
Stevie Nicks' 1983 hit single, "Stand Back," jumped onto the Canadian Singles Chart last week at #11.
Some reports show it tied for #10.
NBC's Tony Bennett: An American Classic was honored with 4 awards on Saturday (Sept. 8th) at the 58th annual Creative
Arts Emmy Awards. Meanwhile, PBS will air a profile of the crooner entitled American Masters: Tony Bennett: The
Music Never Ends on Wednesday (Sept. 12th.) Tony Bennett Sings The Ultimate American Songbook Vol. 1 heads to stores
on Sept. 25th.
Michael Jackson's mother Katherine and brothers Tito, Jackie, Marlon and Jermaine have signed an open letter to
the media decrying their recent reports about Michael. "Of these widely reported rumors, what has become the
most troubling and heinous is that my son, and our brother, Michael Jackson, is dependent on painkillers and alcohol."
Meanwhile, Jackson's spokeswoman Raymone K. Bain has denied that the song, "Mamacita," (which recently
aired at Pittsburgh's 96.1 KISS-FM) was his claiming "He has not released any music yet."
Bjork's Web site has confirmed that the singer has recorded "a special live session album" with her current
touring band. Although there aren't many details available about the disc, expectations are that it will be out
by the end of the year.
Kenny "Babyface" Edmonds and Trisha Yearwood have recorded an episode of CMT Crossroads which premieres
on Sept. 21st and re-air Sept. 22nd, Sept. 23rd, Sept. 25th, Sept. 29th and Sept. 30th.
Former Wall Of Voodoo frontman Stan Ridgway has made his big band studio album, The Way I Feel Today: Crooning
The Classics, available in limited supply at CDBaby.
Former Survivor vocalist Jimi Jamison has made a newly recorded song, "Come Dancin," available for fans
to preview at his MySpace page. His official Web site (jimijamison.com) is being redesigned.
A brand new video has been released for Jazzy Jeff's single, "Brand New Funk 2k7," featuring Peedi Peedi.
Rob Zombie's new reimagining of Halloween raked in nearly $31 million in its debut weekend earlier this month breaking
all Labor Day Weekend records. The film is expected to drop to second place taking in another $10 million last
week. Meanwhile, Queen Latifah's film Hairspray is holding on to the #10 spot over the weekend. The film has made
nearly $115 million in 8 weeks.
The Charlatans U.K. debuted their next single, "Cross My Path," and "Oh Vanity" from their
upcoming album due out next year while filming an episode of Alan McGee's Death Disco TV (set to air on Sept. 28th.)
The single is due to be released in October.
On Sept. 11th, Lionel Richie will release his first-ever concert DVD, Live In Paris, in a regular DVD and deluxe
DVD+CD (containing 7 songs previously unreleased as live recordings.) Live In Paris will premiere on PBS' Great
Performances this month. Videos for his recent singles ("Just For You" and "I Call It Love")
will be included.
Kylie Minogue's collaboration with Kish Mauve, "2 Hearts," will be released as a new single in October
and is expected to appear on her new album due later this year.
Dolly Parton has been busy writing songs fro the musical adaptation to her 1980 film, 9 To 5, which will hit Broadway
in the spring of 2009. She has said that she will not be playing a part in the stage production. Parton is also
scheduled to sing on the upcoming season opener of Dancing With The Stars.
The Mission U.K. will release their new single, "Blush," on Sept. 14th. The 5-track single will include
the songs "Chelsea Blue" and "Thine" which were on the U.S. release of their new album, God
Is A Bullet, but absent from the original. (Although, "Chelsea Blue" was offered as a bonus in Europe
for the initial download release of the album but was largely unavailable.)
Billy Bragg plans to release his new studio album, Mr. Love And Justice, next year. Bragg has also been fighting
for artists' rights on MySpace as to retaining the rights of what gets posted on their site.
Aerosmith plan to head into the recording studio on Nov. 1st to start recording their next album. No producer or
producers have been assigned the project. The group reportedly have some material from their studio sessions in
2006 that were set aside in lieu of placing two of the new songs on their new hits disc, Devil's Got A New Disguise:
The Very Best Of Aerosmith.
Taylor Dayne will release a 15-track bonus edition of her Live 2007 CD which is available only at her www.taylordayne.com
Web site.
House Of Lords have delayed the start of their upcoming world tour to allow them to work on the follow-up album
to World Upside Down. The album is due out next year and the tour to begin that spring.
Despite "brisk" sales of their new studio album, High, New Model Army have had to cancel their North
American tour because their visas required to perform in the U.S. have been denied. The dates will be re-booked
once the situation with Immigration Services is resolved.
Big Country's first new single in 7 years, "You Lift Me Up," has been announced. The song is expected
to be released on Oct. 28th and can currently be heard on their MySpace page.
Carole King will release her new DVD, Welcome To My Living Room, on Oct. 23rd. The concert was filmed in Temecula,
California, in 2005 and the band would perform an unrehearsed song each night during the shows.
The release date of Simply Red's new DVD, Stay - Live At The Royal Albert Hall, has been moved up a week to Oct.
15th.
Dr. Dre made an appearance at the MTV Video Music Awards in Las Vegas during the weekend and told the crowd, "Detox,
it's coming, baby!" Dre's long-awaited album, Detox, was confirmed as a 2007 release by the artist in February.
Meanwhile, his son's debut album, Hood Surgeon: The Autopsy Of Curtis Young, was released in July.
Siouxsie Sioux's solo studio debut album, Mantaray, has been released in the U.K. via Universal's W14 (and is due
out Oct. 2nd in the U.S.) The album is due out in France early in October. The first single, "Into A Swan,"
is available for pre-order at www.townsend-records.co.uk in limited stock.
According to Z Records, Black 'N Blue are planning to release their new studio album, Hell Yeah, in 2008. Delays
in the recording have come from bandmember scheduling issues, label scheduling delays and recording studio closures.
Mute Records has released Tiny Masters Of Today's new studio album, Bang Bang Boom Cake, which includes guest appearances
by Butthole Surfers frontman Gibby Haynes (on "Texas") and B-52's frontman Fred Schneider (on "Disco
Bomb".)
According to a recent blog post of a recent interview with Dave Wakeling, Wakeling owns the name The English Beat
in the U.S. He also has the trademark for the name. The rights to the name The Beat is undecided at this time.
Former Beat and General Public bandmate Ranking Roger has been touring with his son under the name The New English
Beat. Wakeling has also played some dates in the U.S. as General Public.
The Oak Ridge Boys have recorded a song, "Slow Train," with Waylon Jennings' song Shooter for his album,
The Wolf, due out on Oct. 23rd.
Iron Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson has signed on a the group's pilot during their current tour and will be flying
the band, road crew and equipment in a modified Astraeus Boeing 757 from stop to stop.
John Foxx's 1980 album, Metamatic, has been reissued as a special double-disc edition. The first disc contains
the original 10-track album while the second contains a 13-track collection of single B-sides, extra tracks and
alternate versions of which some are previously-unreleased.
The Bangles are planning to head into the studio in the near future to start recording a new album which could
have a more folk rock sound.
Barry Manilow is planning to release a holiday album, In The Swing Of Christmas, in November (as well as a DVD
version accompanied by the 2003 A&E special A Barry Manilow Christmas: Live By Request.) He will also release
the box set Barry Manilow: The First Television Specials on Nov. 6th. Other plans include a possible album of original
songs unless he's urged to record The Greatest Songs Of The Eighties. Meanwhile, he has reportedly discarded his
duet with Rosie O'Donnell of "Don't Go Breakin' My Heart" from his upcoming album, The Greatest Songs
Of The Seventies.
Madness plan to preview new songs from their upcoming studio album, Lucky 7, during a short U.K. tour in December.
The new album is due out next year.
Former Marillion vocalist Fish has announced on his Web site that he will be releasing a limited edition 10,000
disc run of his new studio album, 13th Star. The product can be pre-ordered at: http://shop.the-company.com/acatalog/cdsstudio.html
Erasure's Vince Clarke, who was a featured guest on the Family Fantastic's 2002 album, Nice, will also appear on
the follow-up entitled Wonderful due out shortly.
Led Zeppelin has scheduled a press conference for Wednesday. Of course, this is leading to speculation of a reunion
announcement. Their Ledzeppelin.com Web site has the date 11/13/07 featured which may only have to do with the
release of the 24-track compilation, Mothership. More on this next week.
U2's PopMart Live From Mexico City will be released on DVD for the first time on Sept. 18th. The set will be available
in a single disc format as well as a special limited edition double-DVD set.
Former New Order and Joy Division bassist Peter Hook has been busy with Freebass bandmates Mani (former Stone Roses
bassist) and Andy Rourke (former Smiths bassist) working on tracks for their debut album. A sample of one song,
"I Envy Us," appears on Hook's MySpace page. Plans are to work until Christmas to finish the album (of
which they are over a third of the way through.) Meanwhile, blogs have been speculating that Rihanna's recent hit,
"Shut Up And Dance," is a blatant rip-off of New Order's hit "Blue Monday." A YouTube video
was recently posted mashing-up both videos in an effort to show the similarities.
Vixen plan to release a new live album and DVD (recorded during their headlining performance at the Sweden Rock
Festival in July 2006) via Sanctuary Records on Oct. 8th.
Too Tough To Die: A Tribute To Johnny Ramone will premiere on Starz Cinema on Sept. 15th marking the 3rd anniversary
of the death of the guitarist.
Vocalist Morten Harket of A-ha has his sights set on releasing a new solo studio album before the end of the year.
He recently signed an international recording deal with Universal in Germany.
Despite deciding their next album, The Last Sucker, will be their final studio recording, Ministry have been in
the studio with some friends. A new album, Cover Up, being credited to Ministry & Co-Conspirators, is expected
to be released in April of next year and feature many guest appearances (recently Robin Zander and Rick Nielson
of Cheap Trick) with more in the works.
According to Depeche Mode's Dave Gahan, the band expect to regroup to talk about doing another record next year.
Bandmate Martin Gore has been working on some ideas while Gahan is readying his new album, Hourglass, due out Oct.
23rd. If work on a new Depeche Mode album gets pushed back, expect Gahan to announce a few solo tour dates.
Ever wonder what happened to the members of the New Monkees? Marty Ross continues to make music. He has a Yahoo
Group (at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Martymusic/) where he posts some of his songs as a free download.
Meanwhile, according to the official "unofficial" band site, a New Monkees 20th Anniversary party has
been scheduled for Dec. 8th. No word on if any of the group will attend the gathering.
A 3-CD collection, Legends Of American Music: Merle Haggard, containing 60 of his biggest hits will be released
on Nov. 6th.
Opera legend Luciano Pavarotti, 71, died in his home in Modeda, Italy, on Thursday (Sept. 6th.) The tenor had been
fighting pancreatic cancer for over a year. Pavarotti was healthy enough to sing at the 2006 Winter Olympics opening
ceremony in Turin, Italy, but has made no public appearances after surgery in July to remove a pancreatic tumor.
His last album was 2003's Ti Adoro and last opera performance on Mar. 13th 2004. His northern Italian hometown
of Modena has said that they will name the city's theater after its native son.