News

Danny Federici, the E Street Bands keyboardist, died Thursday April 17, 2008. He was 58. He was battling skin cancer and was being treated in New York at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. He was an integral part of the group and his sound helped influence the band’s work from “Hungry Heart” through “The Rising”. Federici and Springsteen met in the 1960s and often jammed at Upstage Club in Asbury Park, N.J. Springsteen and Federici were close and Springsteen was affected by the deep lost, saying

“Danny and I worked together for 40 years - he was the most wonderfully fluid keyboard player and a pure natural musician. I loved him very much … we grew up together”

This is generally a good album from Pennywise. The guitar in this really strong and fast. There is less socio-political commentary in this album than there others. A great thing about his album is that it is FREE (yes $0.00 dollars) and available from the bands myspace site. There are 17 tracks in this album and this is their 9th. Some notable songs are:

• Something to Live For
• One Reason
• We’ll Never Know
• The Western World

The reviews are in and critics are giving “Good Time” a thumbs up. It’s an all around good album with lots of quick catchy songs and love ballads. What makes this a nice treat is that Jackson writes all 17 tracks for the songs that are in this album. This album proves that Alan Jackson is still going strong even 2 decades into his country music career. Critics have liked the fact that “Good Time” is pretty mainstream, with All Music Guide saying

“It demonstrates that Jackson is as comfortable with the poppier side of country as he is with the harder stuff, and he can deliver it without seeming as if he’s pandering, a feat that is almost as impressive as those generic detours he’s taken in the past few years.”

It has been revealed that rapper Akon is a fibber about his street creds and prison records. He was quoted as saying that he was “ringleader of a notorious car theft operation” spent and spent 4 years in prison for his criminal activities. But an investigation by thesmokinggun.com has revealed that he never set foot in prison at all. He was arrested in 1998 for possession of a stolen BMW but those charges were dropped. The most serious punishment he got was probation for that.

Sheryle Crow will be touring this summer following the strong showing of her new album Detours. So here is where she will be this summer starting July 24:

July 24 - Nashville, TN - Sommet Center **
July 26 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino **
July 28 - Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Amphitheatre
July 29 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Center
July 30 - Mansfield, MA - Tweeter Center
July 31 - Sarasota Springs, NY - SPAC
Aug 2 - Philadelphia, PA - Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Aug 3 - Canandiagua, NY - Constellation Performing Arts Center **
Aug 5 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
Aug 6 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center
Aug 8 - Milwaukee, WI - Bradley Center
Aug 9 - Minneapolis, MN - Northrop Auditorium
Aug 10 - Highland Park, IL - Ravinia Pavilion **
Aug 14 - Houston, TX - The Woodlands
Aug 15 - Dallas, TX - Superpages.com Amphitheatre
Aug 16 - Oklahoma City, OK - Zoo Amphitheatre
Aug 18 - Albuquerque, NM - Sandia Casino Amphitheater **
Aug 19 - Tucson, AZ - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheater
Aug 21 - San Diego, CA - Concerts on the Green - Qualcomm
Aug 22 - Las Vegas, NV - Theatre for the Performing Arts (Planet
Hollywood)
Aug 23 - Lake Tahoe, NV - Harvey’s Outdoor Amphitheater
Aug 25 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater
Aug 27 - Concord, CA - Sleep Train Pavilion
Aug 29 - Portland, OR - Edgefield Amphitheater **
Aug 30 - Seattle, WA - White River Amphitheater

As you all know there was another surprise vote off this week - Kristy Lee Cook. I really thought she would make it near to the the final 2. Oh well, just goes to show anything goes in this season’s intense competition. Kristy got great compliment’s from this weeks guest star Mariah Carey but that was not enough to save her. Cowell was not impressed and predicted “Maybe Kristy — you know, your time’s up this time, sweetheart” when asked who would get voted off.

Chapter VII: Hope & Sorrow is an overall good album from Sevendust. The band does not deviate from their usual style but there are a few refreshing songs like:  “The Past”, which features Chris Daughtry. This is a good album and the last one which will have guitarist Sonny Mayo in it as he has left the group. This is Seventhdust’s seventh studio album and it has 11 tracks in it.

I would recommend getting “Still da Baddest” for you Trina fans. It’s a good decent album, above average but not super ground breaking. It’s an upbeat CD about love, sex, and Trina’s senuality and confidence. Two good singles are “Single Again” and “I Got a Thang For You (featuring Keyshia Cole)” and are already out as music videos. This is Trina’s fourth studio album and there are 12 tracks.

It’s been two weeks since the Black Keys have released their 5th studio album, Attack and Release, and everyone is giving it stellar reviews. Blender gave this album 3 1/2 stars and says of the Black Keys’ unique sound

“dirty take on the blues… always sounded like they came from another time.”

So this is a nice change from the straight up rock stuff they do sometimes.

So Mariah Carey’s new album E=MC2 is finally out and is creating a lot of new buzz and overwhelmingly positive reviews. AP press sums it up by saying, “On her new disc, ‘EMC2,’ the formula is not quite as potent as her last creation. But it’s nearly as good, and equally as enjoyable.” An a lot of fun it is, from her sexy song “Touch My Body” to her raps with T-Pain E=MC2 is a solid R&B / Hip Hop album and sure to be this years hit album.