Brian Appel has been wanting to put together a ticketed music festival in the Hub since he worked at the beloved local alternative radio station WFNX.

“It didn’t come to fruition for a variety of reasons, including FNX eventually going out of business,” says Appel, one of the co-founders of this weekend’s Boston Calling, which boasts 18 top tier bands, spread out over two days at City Hall Plaza.

Appel says when he started to seriously think about Boston Calling, it was a matter of National security.

“Once we got The National to commit to headline the festival, that made it a little bit easier,” he says. “For a first-time event when you’re approaching artists and agents, a lot of people want to take a wait-and-see approach.”

Nobody dared wait-and-see, as bands such as Fun., The Shins, Of Monsters and Men, the Walkmen and Matt & Kim quickly signed on.

Aaron Dessner of The National was actually instrumental in picking some of the bands.

The guitarist says the timing was perfect, as his band was preparing to release their sixth album, “Trouble Will Find Me,” which came out on Tuesday. It also helped that they had a few connections of their own.

“Mainly because we’re in a band that’s been touring for 15 years, we meet so many people,” says Dessner. “Over the years a community has grown up around the band and over the years it’s always interesting and fun to give people opportunities to play and put ourselves in situations where we’re collaborating with other people and trying new things and experimenting.”

Appel says he was excited about the experimental prospect of having the festival in the heart of the city, surrounding by skyscrapers.

“I’ve heard rumblings that it’s not a conducive venue for this. It’s not a polo field, or a place in the middle of nowhere with grass for miles, but we like it,” he says. “We like the fact that every T line goes right there.”

Boston Calling also has a readmission policy, which means you can duck out at any time for food or a change of scenery, and return. The difficult thing will be figuring out which band to risk missing.

National appeal

Dessner says although his band is headlining Boston Calling on Sunday, he will be there for both days of the fest, as a fan.
“Andrew Bird is always amazing and Youth Lagoon, and the Shins, I’m super excited to see, because I think James Mercer is one of the most melodically gifted songwriters of our generation,” he says. “And the Walkmen, we were opening for them [when we first started] and we learned a lot from them as performers. As a live band they’re just one of the best bands I’ve ever seen. … They were one of the bands that really kicked our ass early on, and it helped us to become a much better live band in a way.”

Additional performers include the locally based acts Caspian and Bad Rabbits, as well as Cults, Dirty Projectors, Ra Ra Riot, Young the Giant, MS MR, St. Lucia and Portugal. The Man.

The post Boston Calling on a National level appeared first on Metro.us.

Aaron Dessner is on drugs. The guitarist for The National had to push back this interview twice because he was visiting the doctor for a stiff neck, an occupational hazard, it turns out. “I think it might have been from that six-hour ‘Sorrow’ thing,” he says, before adding, “We played the same song for six hours and my back was super tight from that and it never really relaxed.”
Dessner, who along with his brother Bryce, writes most of the music for the band, apologizes if he seems a little loopy from the painkillers that the doctor gave him, but he seems to be making a lot of sense, discussing the band’s brilliant new “Trouble Will Find Me” album, which came out Tuesday.

METRO: How did you come to play “Sorrow” for six hours straight?

DESSNER: It was a collaboration with this Icelandic artist, Ragnar Kjaransson. He had approached MoMA about wanting to collaborate with us. He does a lot of performance art work with musicians. It’s kind of all about repetition and how things change through repetition or take on deeper meaning. So he had this very compelling, charming letter that he wrote to us, and for some reason we were in the mood at that very moment, and we were like, “OK.” And when we did it, it was amazing, but we were slightly dreading the whole thing. But we did it at this geodesic dome at PS1 in Long Island City, and it was really amazing. We played the song 108 times in a row without stopping. We’ve played a song a lot before, like on tour, but six hours would be like playing three shows in a row.

What did you learn from it? Do you still like the song?

Yeah, actually! It was kind of reborn through the process. [Kjaransson figured out that] there’s something about how that song is harmonically circular, and it is this weird meditation. We had never thought of it that way, because we kind of thought of it as a three-and-a-half-minute dark pop song or something. It sounds cheesy, but repeating it did take on a spiritual dimension and we kind of lost ourselves in it and the audience, I thought people would just come in go, but there were hundreds of people that stayed the entire time. And by the end, we were barely singing the song, because they were singing it so loud. It was really nice.

You seem to be up for doing things like that. There was the “Dark Was the Night” project and then you helped curate this weekend’s Boston Calling festival.

Over the years my brother and I have produced records that have involved many artists, like “Dark Was the Night,” which was this AIDS benefit, and also organized festivals and things before. But I think it’s because mainly because we’re in a band that’s been touring for 15 years, we meet so many people and over the years a community has grown up around the band and over the years it’s always interesting and fun to give people opportunities to play and put ourselves in situations where we’re collaborating with other people and trying new things and experimenting. I think that’s how we got involved with curating festivals and things like that. And Boston Calling was started by some friends and they were looking for help with the artistic direction. And I didn’t curate the whole thing, I mainly just chose some of the bands that are playing on our day and I just gave them advice having played festivals and having played Boston at every level, practically, we just gave a lot of feedback about what makes a great festival. It’s really exciting that it’s sold out for the first time.

Let’s talk about the new album. For you and your brother, this is your first official credit as producers. How was the process different from, say “High Violet,” which is credited to The National as producers?

I’ve always said that it’s more like an “additional production” credit, but essentially it’s the way we’ve always made records. It’s just like with this, we decided to call a spade a spade, in a way. In the past we’ve had a lot of engineering help from people, and we also did with this record, but essentially Bryce and I sit around the studio and mess with things all the time and record all of it ourselves and do a lot of the arranging. But the way we made this record is not actually different from the way that we made any of the other ones. Whether it says “Produced by The National” or whatever, we work together as a band, but oftentimes Bryce and I write the music and we’re just sitting around for hours upon hours just messing with sound. The band gets together to work things out and everything, but there is this kind of production layer that happens, and it’s been the same since the beginning.

It does seem like it is more produced though. It doesn’t feel as rough as something like “High Violet” or “Boxer.” Would you agree with that?

We chose to compress things less, like the sound is less “pushed.” Everything was recorded in analog and a lot of the basic tracks were done upstate in this beautiful studio up in the Catskills and we kind of wanted the sound to have more air and more space in it and be a little less claustrophobic, because “High Violet” was very dense, with thick layers of feedback and tremolo on everything and sort of pushed and modern-sounding. This one, I think we wanted to pull back a little bit and essentially make the quiet moments quieter and the loud moments louder. Overall it might seem a little less raw, but I actually think the unhinged moments are more unhinged. But for us as a band, I think we feel the strongest right now, about how it sounds, because we really didn’t make any compromises. We were able to do whatever we wanted.

There’s a lot of dual voices going on with this album.

We’ve always used other voices as kind of a silver lining. The juxtaposition of other voices with Matt’s voice makes Matt’s voice richer, in a weird way, and more beautiful. So we’re still doing that in this case, and there were a few places where we wanted female voices, kind of as characters, and as color. So with Sharon [Van Etten] and Nona [Nona Marie Invie] and Annie [Clarke], we’re fortunate enough to have all of these friends who have amazing voices, and also Richie [Reed Parry], who’s on it, from Arcade Fire. And we all sing also. I think it’s just an evolution of trying to do that more.

You’re involved in so much of the music. Do you and your brother have any involvement with the lyrics that Matt Berninger sings?

We do, but not a lot. If there’s things that bother us, or if he’s having trouble with something, then we’ll talk about it. I was actually there when he was recording a lot of the vocals, so there is some sort of back-and-forth.

The defining statement of the album seems to be “everything that I love is on the table” from the song, “Don’t Swallow the Cap.” Do you think that’s true?

I think that’s a good point. It’s like he’s laying it all out there. And I think in a way, lyrically, this record is the most verbose, and the most direct and personal, in places. And in a weird way it pretty much encapsulates everything we’ve ever done. So, yeah, I think that’s fair to say that’s a defining line.

The post ‘Trouble Will Find’ The National, but they’ll find beauty appeared first on Metro.us.

Imagine our surprise when an announcement that the Dropkick Murphys had just been added to the lineup for Boston Strong: An Evening of Support and Celebration landed in our inbox. No way, we said, do you also mean to tell us that the sky overhead is blue and the world is round? Because we were surprised when the Dropkicks weren’t on the bill to begin with. The Dropkicks and Boston are like beer and St. Patty’s Day, like St. Patty’s Day and, uhh, the Dropkicks.

But all joking aside, this is great news and means this big concert — with a lineup already boasting heavyweights including Carole King, NKOTB, Boston, Aerosmith, Jimmy Buffet, the J. Geils Band, and many more (plus Dane Cook. lol @ Dane Cook. Take that whichever way you please) — is just going to rock that much harder.

Your move, Janovitz.

The post Dropkick Murphys added to Boston Strong concert lineup; filed under “well, duh” appeared first on Metro.us.

Metalheads united in a rare moment of emotional synchronicity last summer: we were gutted by a tragedy that struck the best of us — we had a Man Down. Baroness, a critically acclaimed crossover act whose recently released album “Yellow & Green” had captivated audiences and critics with its powerful and somber melodic muscle, had suffered a terrible touring accident — a bus crash in England that left important bones shattered and important people sidelined.

This isn’t that story. Read the worry in archives. This is the story of the trial-klined aftermath. This is the story of how integrity trumps superficiality — the story of the difference between rock stars and rock saints.

“I really only have one option — that option being to get back in the swing of things and become active and productive and creative again,” says Baroness’s nucleus John Baizley. “The only other option is just to give up… and then do what?”

Getting back in the swing of things for a road-dog band like Baroness means touring, and a lot of it, on an astonishing schedule, considering the breadth of their injuries. Robbed of the opportunity to present “Yellow & Green” — a deeply personal and artistically exploratory double album — to American audiences due to the bus crash early in their tour cycle, Baroness’s upcoming dates mark their first opportunity to present — and defend — their work.

“The predictability of the album cycle was wrenched away from us, so now the net of safety and predictability is a thing of the past. I think most people have made up their minds on whether they like the album at this point. And things have changed — in terms of lineup [two members of Baroness have left the band as a result of injury], in terms of perspective. This tour is in gratitude to our fans who continued to pay attention to us all while we were out of commission momentarily. If it turns into anything bigger than that, then I think we’ll be very happy. But we’re starting with a very humble mindset.”

Baizley’s run with Baroness has seen a number of lineup changes, and with this tour, fans will see a completely new rhythm section as drummer Allen Blickle and bassist Matt Maggioni recover from the accident. “We’ve just lost two members, so 50 percent of our sound has changed. So in some ways we’ve taken a very big step in a different direction, musically speaking. And I think the important thing is to embrace that. That’s the new existence, and you work therein. When Allen and Matt left the band, the first discussion that I had with Pete [Adams, lead guitar] was, ‘OK, we absolutely can’t look at this as a shot against the band. We have to look at this as opportunity. This has to be a door open for us to improve. We don’t find the mirror images of what we’ve got, we find something to make us better. We have to get better.”

Although these factors make for a tempestuous start to a tour, Baizley is glad to be hitting the East Coast for his first few dates, having breathed life into Baroness across a number of Atlantic states. And, for fans of his gorgeous art-nouveau style album art, he confirms that he’s incorporating art into his recovery.

“I’m getting close to that overextension again, which is where I actually love being. I like to be constantly in the midst of something.”

The post Baroness after the bus crash: ‘Starting with a very humble mindset’ appeared first on Metro.us.

It probably didn’t involve sitting poolside with Gossip Girl’s Jessica Szhor eating cake and dancing around with pom poms.

At 22 you were probably a recent grad, unemployed, living in a tiny New York City apartment with roaches and pinching pennies.

Going out at night involved dive bars in the East Village drinking PBR and not swanky clubs with confetti, disco balls and cat-ear headbands.

Funny-man Conan O’Brien released a hilarious video response to Swift recounting his times as a too-skinny red-head 22 year- old.

“Taylor Swift is great, she’s very popular and talent,” O’Brien starts off saying in his video. “But I know what it’s like being 22 and I don’t think that’s an accurate representation of what it’s like to be 22.”

Conan goes on to point out all things we were all thinking when watching Swift’s music video.

His first comment is that when you’re 22, you’re not living in that apartment.

“I didn’t see any Ramen noodles in that video, because that’s all you’re eating at 22,” he says.

According to O’Brien when you’re 22 you don’t go outside. Instead you sit in your apartment watching ‘Saved By the Bell.’ To spice it up, you eat Lucky Charms.

“That’s what it’s like being 22,” he says.

The post VIDEO: Conan O’Brien’s hilarious response to Taylor Swift’s ’22′ appeared first on Metro.us.

‘A Brooklyn-based art project/punk band’ is a description bordering on the kind of fodder that lives in the world of Portlandia – on first glance. Japanther, the longtime DIY-oriented duo of Matt Reilly and Ian Vanek, do often play their accessible punk rock in unique situations: an 84-hour performance art piece and giant dinosaurs appearing alongside them at shows are just two of many situations that the veteran act can claim to fame.

Behind the theatrics, which ‘keep them interested’ according to Vanek, is a down-to-earth noise rock band happily existing within the confines of Brooklyn’s DIY scene twelve years since they began.

“You’re so vicious Death By Audio, I love it here,” says lead singer Reilly before jumping into another song at the start of their high-powered set Sunday night at the grungy, art-filled Williamsburg warehouse space. The packed crowd –  the majority of whom arrived early for the Olympia, WA-based noisy shoegaze act Broken Water (who just released an album on Japanther’s record label, Tapes Records) – consumed Japanther’s short but raw songs from the start.

Village Voice awarded them the ‘Best Live Entertainment’ award in 2011 and it’s not until you experience the excitement of Reilly belting out heartfelt lyrics over fuzzy garage pop licks live that you’ll truly understand. Interspersed within their hour-long set, Reilly and Vanek fulfilled their community duty of pumping up their fans to care for beaches rocked by Sandy last fall, start something new and just do-it-yourself. “You don’t need a million dollars to be a millionaire,” says Vanek to an attentive crowd.

That same crowd also cleared out the front half of the room with a rowdy session of moshing and crowd-surfing, but that’s just the nature of a Japanther show. The prolific duo released another LP, “Eat Like Lisa, Act Like Bart” yesterday and announced a summer tour. They play Brooklyn, NY next on July 11 at Rare Form and Cambridge, MA on July 14 at Cambridge Elks Lodge.

The post Brooklyn noise rock vets incite crowd appeared first on Metro.us.

My first indication that Lissie is a down-to-earth kind of chick is that, when I call her to check in before her stops in New York and Boston on a tour in preview of her new album (dropping sometime in September) she’s waiting in line at a gas station bathroom. She asks me, with a throaty laugh, if it would be cool if I called her back when she’s done. Never mind that most touring artists travel on pimped out tour buses with bathrooms nicer than those in some Allston apartments I’ve frequented. When I call back — having waited what I hope is sufficient time to allow Lissie to do her business — she confirms this assessment, having just shot a music video in her hometown of Rock Island, Illinois for the second song on her upcoming album, “Further Away ‘Romance Police.’”

What’s the video about?

I feel like where you’re from has such a big part to do with who you are. I don’t want to ruin the surprises, but we just walked around to lots of different sites that were memorable and special to me. A friend of mine is a police officer and once it got dark he turned on his police lights which made some really cool lighting.

What’s your process for writing this album been like?

I’ve had quite a bit of downtime. I needed a break because I was just getting kind of worn out, but was also anxious to make a new record and hadn’t really done a ton of writing when I was on the road. So he last nearly two years I’ve been writing and kind of spending time at home and cultivating some of my other interests.

What kind of other interests?

I just got a road bike and I’m not like a super awesome pro yet but I really got into riding my bike. About 20 miles is the most I’ve written but I’ve kind of become addicted to it. It’s not something I can really do when I’m on the road. And I live in a really beautiful place — I have a dog, I take him out and we go for long walks. I really just like being outdoors, and that was one thing from the first album cycle — it’s like you’re always on a plane, or in a car, or inside a venue, so when I’m home I’m never inside. But I’ve really gotten addicted to so many TV shows. I’ve gotten really into wine (laughs) I drink a lot of wine. I like red because it’s just kind of calm, this warm rush over you…

Melty.

Yes, melty, exactly.

So what TV shows are you into right now?

Oh, it’s like what shows am I NOT into? I love “Game of Thrones,” I’m really excited about “Arrested Development” coming back. I also like Nashville a lot, it’s very good. I made my first record in Nashville and I think they do a good job of showing the city. I watch everything. “The Office,” “Parks and Recreation,” “Modern Family.” I just watched “House of Cards” on Netflix, that’s amazing. So yeah, basically I spend a lot of time drinking wine and watching TV. (laughs) Oh! I also can swim a mile now. And I’ve been spending time with my family back in the Midwest.

Speaking of the Midwest — and Midwestern values — do you feel like you’ve changed since gaining some fame and moving to California?

I wouldn’t say I feel like the same person but I don’t think that that’s because anything has changed. I think as you get older you kind of come into your personality and learn from life experiences. I guess in a way I put out the single “Shameless” because it’s me proclaiming that I don’t want to have to be anything other than myself or be underhanded or desperate or shady to find success. Even if I wanted to be all Hollywood I wouldn’t know how to do it. I don’t think I’m socially awkward but I don’t really know how to be mysterious, or manipulative, I don’t really know how to manipulate people’s energy. And I’m glad that I don’t know how to do that.

Have you ever been asked to compromise yourself like that?

Not that it was asked of me, but I’ve seen that other people have done it. Say, you and some other girl really liked a guy and she was just going to be throwing herself at him all night. And you feel like, well, I’m not going to do that. And maybe she gets to go home with him. But I don’t want to stoop to that level. I just want to be myself and if he doesn’t come home with me then he’s not the right one for me.

That’s a cool metaphor for fame.

Thanks! I’m glad it made sense. I think in the song, too, I even acknowledge it. Like, why does it bother me, “why do I react so angrily, it’s just my insecurities acting up.” Because there’s also something where, if you are in a situation, and two people are going for the same thing, my inclination is to sort of retreat a little bit, where I’m like (puts on a bratty voice) “well, I don’t even care, I didn’t want to be part of this stupid club.” (laughs)

What do you prefer playing, big fests or club shows?

I think when I was starting out doing festivals I really liked them because it was new to me and it was really exciting. There were so many bands, and you got the cool backstage area where you got to go see music, and you got to talk to people, and it’s very social. I think that used to be very fun for me. Whereas now, it’s still fun but it’s also really exhausting because you have to preserve your strength a little and it’s too tempting at a festival to just be like ‘oh, I’m just going to have a blast’ and then feel like ‘oh, I can’t sing now because I talked too much.’ But I really like club shows because people are there to see you, and I’m still in a place where we get to play kind of intimate shows, and you get the feeling of who your crowd is and connecting with them.

How would you self-describe your genre?

When I started out I was a singer-songwriter, with an acoustic guitar, and kind of had some folk tendencies — but I kind of wrote pop songs. This next record is not as much showing off my folk sensibilities, I mean they’re still there, but I’ve been playing with my band so much over the past few years and we really kind of rock out. So I think this record is a little more consistently rock/pop. You’ll detect some faint traces of folky, kind of country, gospel-ish vocals, potentially, but the music is pretty much rock music.

I think this is an interesting time for folk music, like how the Lumineers were up for a Grammy — I thought that was sort of unusual.

I did too! I mean I like that song, and I like them — so I don’t mean this in a bad way — but I almost feel like that trend has sort of ended. I think the Avett Brothers and Old Crow Medicine Show started it, and were doing it, and it wasn’t mainstream. And then Mumford & Sons really brought that into the mainstream consciousness. Which is really great, because it opened the doors for a lot of bands to be successful, but I’m not sure that that’s where it will stay.

Right. Well, what do you think is going to be the next wave?

My prediction is that the guitar solo is kind of coming back. And I want to be part of that.

Really?

I’ve been listening to a lot of the Hall & Oates Pandora station, and that music has kind of been resonating with me again. It’s kind of dramatic music, and it’s kind of a little cheesy, and it’s got the epic guitar solos. But I think it’s so emotionally evocative, it makes you really feel like ‘YEAHya!’ So I really feel like there’s going to be a Hall & Oates-esque revival, but who knows?

I was actually about to ask you what I’d find if I looked at your Recently Played playlist on your iPod…

My obnoxious answer is that I really don’t listen to music because it, like, stresses me out. I know that sounds terrible. But I had this shift happen where I used to listen to a lot of music and I used to write a lot just for fun and I of course still love music and still love performing, but it’s taken on a different kind of role in my life now that I have to think about it differently. But one album that I was listening to a lot was Bruce Springsteen’s “Nebraska”. And I love Lana Del Rey’s album. I think she is someone who I wasn’t really feeling her vibe, because I was just being a bitchy girl. I think I was like, ‘oh she’s glamorous, I don’t like her.’ (laughs) I didn’t want to like her. But then I got her album and I love it, I love the entire thing. It’s like she’s creating a whole world, it’s not just music. I feel like it’s very evocative of another era or something. It haunts you. She’s a good storyteller, I don’t know how much of it is like a character, but I feel like she could write a novel and I’d want to read it.

Did you watch her SNL debacle?

After I saw that, and saw how mean people were being, it made me like her more. Because, you know what, not everyone that is good in the studio is necessarily good live. I think my problem for a long time was that I’m kind of better live than I am in the studio.

That’s not a terrible problem to have.

But that doesn’t make me a better artist or more of an artist. I also like how Kristen Wiig went on as her and defended her, I thought that was really cute. I love Kristen Wiig. Oh, I like the new Tegan and Sara album. That’s kind of my feeling about pop music even, like they’re onto something, they might be a little bit ahead of the trend. I feel like their kind of pop music is going to be considered credible again because it makes you feel good…it’s fun to listen to. I’ve gotten into exercising again, taking care of myself, and I couldn’t really get myself motivated to run — and then I put on the Tegan and Sara record and I was like ‘ok, I can run.’

Yeah, they’re great. And they’ve been great for awhile. It’s funny how one hit song can suddenly propel an artist into the public consciousness — I hope it lasts for them.

It’s a tricky thing. When I look at what I’d like my career to be like, I’d just like to be respected and financially stable, it’s pretty much all I can ask for. And anything else is kind of a pleasant bonus. Even at the level I’m at now — I mean, I got a cold, I keep getting sick because I think I’m not used to being busy, and I have interviews, and have to do a show… and I think to have an overnight hit and be on that trajectory would be so stressful. Maybe I’m afraid of success or something, but I’m kind of really happy where I’m at right now.

I love your cover of Kid Cudi’s “Pursuit of Happiness.” Who would you want to cover one of your songs, if you could pick anyone?

I think it would be cool if Asap Rocky covered me. I guess he did cover me, he sampled me, but somebody in a totally different genre. Like Metallica, but that would never happen. (laughs) I love Metallica.

Haha ok. What else?

Just that if people aren’t sure, just come to our show! I can probably give you, like, a 90 percent guarantee that they’ll enjoy themselves. (laughs)

GO SEE HER:

New York
June 3 @ 8 p.m.
Bowery Ballroom
6 Delancey St., New York
$18
ticketmaster.com

Boston
June 5 @ 9 p.m.
Brighton Music Hall
158 Brighton Ave., Allston
$18
ticketmaster.com

The post Q&A: Lissie on red wine, wishing Lana Del Rey would write a novel, Metallica, and not being able to be “all Hollywood” appeared first on Metro.us.

A member of the Pussy Riot band who was jailed over a protest against President Vladimir Putin in a Russian cathedral said on Wednesday she was starting a hunger strike after she was barred from a parole hearing.

Maria Alyokhina also told her lawyers to quit the proceedings.

She and bandmate Nadezhda Tolokonnikova are serving two-year prison terms for bursting into Moscow’s main Russian Orthodox cathedral in February 2012 and singing a profanity-laced “punk prayer” urging the Virgin Mary: “Throw Putin out!”

Speaking by a video link from prison, Alyokhina told the court considering her request for release on parole that it had violated her rights by not allowing her to take part.

“In protest against the court’s refusal to allow me to appear in person to take part in the hearing, I’m going on a hunger strike,” Alyokhina was shown reading from her statement in a video from the prison in the Perm region.

“In the current circumstances I forbid all my lawyers and representatives to take part in this court hearing”.

The judge at the court in Berezniki, the Ural Mountains town more than 1,000 km (620 miles) northeast of Moscow, adjourned the hearing until Thursday.

Alyokhina’s lawyer packed up her things and left her seat behind the defense’s desk empty, acting on her client’s wishes. She said Alyokhina’s decision was a method of last resort.

“She decided that only in this way, with the attention (brought by) a hunger strike, could she show how the rights of defendants are violated,” Irina Khrunova said.

“She made this decision soundly, independently, and after deliberation.”

Alyokhina’s mother, Natalia, said she had little faith in Russian justice and would not raise her hopes of her daughter’s parole.

“I don’t expect anything good from the judge. It will be hard,” she said.

Reprimands Alyokhina received for violating the prison’s rules may block her parole. She was said to be rude to prison staff and to not respect sleeping hours.

Alyokhina, 24, and two bandmates were convicted of hooliganism motivated by religious hatred last August after a trial seen by Putin’s opponents as part of a clampdown on dissent during a third term in power he began in May 2012.

Western governments and many entertainers, including Madonna, said the sentence was disproportionate but Putin, a former KGB spy who has cultivated close ties with the Russian Orthodox Church, said the state needed to protect the faithful.

One of the three women jailed, Yekaterina Samutsevich, was freed last October when a judge suspended her sentence on appeal after she argued she had been prevented from taking part in the protest because a guard seized her.

Tolokonnikova, 23, was denied parole last month and both she and Alyokhina have had requests for their sentences deferred until their young children are older rejected by courts. They are due for release next March.

The post Pussy Riot member starts hunger strike to protest court ruling appeared first on Metro.us.

There isn’t a language barrier when it comes to the music of Prince Royce.

The Latin music superstar rocked the crowd at Jay-Z’s Made in America Festival last summer — even though he sang his set in Spanish.

“It was such a big experience seeing so many genres [of music] and ethnicities getting together as one,” Royce says. “I was singing in Spanish and the people were dancing, it was really nice.”

Royce is a star in Latin America, but he’s certainly made in America. He was born in the States to Dominican parents and raised in the Bronx. His 2010 self-titled debut was a No. 1 smash on the Latin charts and his singles routinely rack up more than 30 million views on YouTube.

“There are so many kids like me growing up and raised Latin who were born in the United States, from mixed cultures,” Royce says. “I try to project that in my songs and my performances.”

It’s fitting that Royce is set to headline the El Zol Fest on Saturday at Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing. El Zol, located at 1340 AM, strives to appeal to listeners who speak both Spanish and English.

The foundation of Royce’s sound is bachata, a guitar-based music that originated in the countryside barrios of the Dominican Republic and has gone on to rival salsa and merengue music in much of Latin America. In the U.S., the music is still only regionally popular, but groups like Aventura have secured such a standing that they performed at the White House for President Obama in 2009.

Royce is making his music more mainstream by adding R&B accents and singing some songs in English, as he did with his bachata version of Ben E. King’s classic “Stand By Me.” He also has a pan-American appeal as he brings in diverse Latin influences, including Mexican ranchera, into his songs.

“I try to reach everybody in Latin culture,” Royce says. “I try to add different sounds to cater to everybody and give everybody something to try to explore.”

He’s diving all the way in to the English-speaking market in the next year or so with an English-language album from RCA.

“It’s definitely a challenge for me, it’s a whole new ballgame,” Royce says. “Myself, I grew up listening to R&B so we’ll have pop, a little Spanish and a little bit of Latin rhythms, but most of it will be in English with a Latin flavor.”
 

If you go

El Zol Fest with Prince Royce and Alex Matos

May 25, 7 p.m.

Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing

Columbus Blvd. and Spring Garden St.

$44.85

www.elzolphilly.com

The post Latin superstar Price Royce brings his signature sound to Penn’s Landing appeared first on Metro.us.

Is anyone surprised ‘The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2’ leads the movie categories for most Teen Choice 2013 nominations?

The awards show, which celebrates the hottest teen icons in television, film, music, sports, fashion and comedy announced this year’s nominees.

The awards show will be broadcast on FOX on Sunday, August 11.

As of today, teens can vote one a day per category. The full list of nominees is below:

MOVIES
Choice Movie: Action
“G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
“Iron Man 3”
“Skyfall”
“The Bourne Legacy”
“The Dark Knight Rises”

Choice Movie Actor: Action
Christian Bale, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Daniel Craig, “Skyfall”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3”
Chris Hemsworth, “Red Dawn”
Dwayne Johnson, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”

Choice Movie Actress: Action
Jessica Biel, “Total Recall”
Anne Hathaway, “The Dark Knight Rises”
Adrianne Palicki, “G.I. Joe: Retaliation”
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3”
Rachel Weisz, “The Bourne Legacy”

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
“Beautiful Creatures”
“Iron Man 3”
“Oblivion”
“Oz the Great and Powerful”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Tom Cruise, “Oblivion”
Robert Downey, Jr., “Iron Man 3”
James Franco, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
Taylor Lautner, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy
Mila Kunis, “Oz the Great and Powerful”
Gwyneth Paltrow, “Iron Man 3”
Saoirse Ronan, “The Host”
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Michelle Williams, “Oz the Great and Powerful”

Choice Movie: Drama
“Argo”
“Les Misérables”
“The Great Gatsby”
“The Impossible”
“The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Choice Movie Actor: Drama
Ben Affleck, “Argo”
Bradley Cooper, “The Words”
Leonardo DiCaprio, “The Great Gatsby”
Hugh Jackman, “Les Misérables”
Logan Lerman, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”

Choice Movie Actress: Drama
Halle Berry, “The Call”
Anne Hathaway, “Les Misérables”
Carey Mulligan, “The Great Gatsby”
Emma Watson, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower”
Naomi Watts, “The Impossible”

Choice Movie: Comedy
“Identity Thief”
“Peeples”
“Pitch Perfect”
“The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
“Warm Bodies”

Choice Movie Actor: Comedy
Skylar Astin, “Pitch Perfect”
Jason Bateman, “Identity Thief”
Steve Carell, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”
Craig Robinson, “Peeples”

Choice Movie Actress: Comedy
Anna Kendrick, “Pitch Perfect”
Melissa McCarthy, “Identity Thief”
Kerry Washington, “Peeples”
Olivia Wilde, “The Incredible Burt Wonderstone”
Rebel Wilson, “Pitch Perfect”

Choice Movie: Romance
“Beautiful Creatures”
“Les Misérables”
“Safe Haven”
“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
“Warm Bodies”

Choice Movie Actor: Romance
Josh Duhamel, “Safe Haven”
Alden Ehrenreich, “Beautiful Creatures”
Nicholas Hoult, “Warm Bodies”
Robert Pattinson, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”
Eddie Redmayne, “Les Misérables”

Choice Movie Actress: Romance
Jessica Biel, “Playing for Keeps”
Alice Englert, “Beautiful Creatures”
Julianne Hough, “Safe Haven”
Amanda Seyfried, “Les Misérables”
Kristen Stewart, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”

TELEVISION
Choice TV Show: Drama
“Gossip Girl”
“Nashville”
“Pretty Little Liars”
“Revenge”
“Switched At Birth”

Choice TV Actor: Drama
Penn Badgley, “Gossip Girl”
Joshua Bowman, “Revenge”
Lucas Grabeel, “Switched At Birth”
Ian Harding, “Pretty Little Liars”
Nick Wechsler, “Revenge”

Choice TV Actress: Drama
Troian Bellisario, “Pretty Little Liars”
Blake Lively, “Gossip Girl”
Vanessa Marano, “Switched At Birth”
Hayden Panettiere, “Nashville”
Emily VanCamp, “Revenge”

Choice TV Show: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
“Arrow”
“Beauty and The Beast”
“Once Upon a Time”
“Supernatural”
“The Vampire Diaries”

Choice TV Actor: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Jensen Ackles, “Supernatural”
Stephen Amell, “Arrow”
Jared Padalecki, “Supernatural”
Ian Somerhalder, “The Vampire Diaries”
Paul Wesley, “The Vampire Diaries”

Choice TV Actress: Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Katie Cassidy, “Arrow”
Nina Dobrev, “The Vampire Diaries”
Ginnifer Goodwin, “Once Upon a Time”
Kat Graham, “The Vampire Diaries”
Kristin Kreuk, “Beauty and the Beast”

Choice TV Show: Action
“Chicago Fire”
“Elementary”
“Hawaii Five-0”
“NCIS: Los Angeles”
“Nikita”

Choice TV Actor: Action
Scott Caan, “Hawaii Five-0”
LL Cool J, “NCIS: Los Angeles”
Jonny Lee Miller, “Elementary”
Jesse Spencer, “Chicago Fire”
Shane West, “Nikita”

Choice TV Actress: Action
Lyndsy Fonseca, “Nikita”
Lucy Liu, “Elementary”
Grace Park, “Hawaii Five-0”
Maggie Q, “Nikita”
Monica Raymund, “Chicago Fire”

Choice TV Show: Comedy
“The Big Bang Theory”
GLEE
“Modern Family”
NEW GIRL
“Suburgatory”

Choice TV Actor: Comedy
Chris Colfer, GLEE
Jake Johnson, NEW GIRL
Ashton Kutcher, “Two And a Half Men”
Jim Parsons, “The Big Bang Theory”
Eric Stonestreet, “Modern Family”

Choice TV Actress: Comedy
Kaley Cuoco, “The Big Bang Theory”
Zooey Deschanel, NEW GIRL
Mindy Kaling, THE MINDY PROJECT
Lea Michele, GLEE
Bridgit Mendler, “Good Luck Charlie”

Choice TV: Animated Show
“Adventure Time”
BOB’S BURGERS
FAMILY GUY
“Gravity Falls”
THE SIMPSONS

Choice TV: Reality Competition Show
AMERICAN IDOL
“The Bachelor”
“Dancing with the Stars”
“The Voice”
THE X FACTOR

Choice TV: Reality Show
“Dance Moms”
“Here Comes Honey Boo Boo”
“Keeping Up with the Kardashians”
“Married to Jonas”
“Tia & Tamera”

MUSIC
Choice Male Artist
Justin Bieber
Bruno Mars
Phillip Phillips
Pitbull
Justin Timberlake

Choice Female Artist
Selena Gomez
Demi Lovato
Pink
Rihanna
Taylor Swift

Choice Music Group
Big Time Rush
fun.
Maroon 5
One Direction
The Wanted

Choice R&B Artist
Beyoncé
Alicia Keys
Bruno Mars
Miguel
Trey Songz

Choice Hip-Hop/Rap Artist
Drake
Macklemore & Ryan Lewis
Nicki Minaj
Pitbull
Kanye West

Choice Rock Group
AWOLNATION
Imagine Dragons
Mumford & Sons
Paramore
The Lumineers

Choice Electronic Dance Music (EDM) Artist
Deadmau5
David Guetta
Calvin Harris
Kaskade
Skrillex
Swedish House Mafia

Choice Male Country Artist
Jason Aldean
Luke Bryan
Eric Church
Hunter Hayes
Blake Shelton

Choice Female Country Artist
Jana Kramer
Miranda Lambert
Kacey Musgraves
Taylor Swift
Carrie Underwood

Choice Country Group
Florida Georgia Line
Lady Antebellum
Little Big Town
The Band Perry
Thompson Square

FASHION
Choice Female Hottie
Miley Cyrus
Megan Fox
Selena Gomez
Mila Kunis
Demi Lovato

Choice Male Hottie
Justin Bieber
Liam Hemsworth
Taylor Lautner
Harry Styles
Channing Tatum

Choice Smile
Selena Gomez
Taylor Lautner
Demi Lovato
Harry Styles
Taylor Swift

SPORTS
Choice Female Athlete
Gabby Douglas
Missy Franklin
Alex Morgan
Danica Patrick
Lindsey Vonn
Serena Williams

Choice Male Athlete
David Beckham
LeBron James
Colin Kaepernick
Michael Phelps
Shaun White

Choice Comedian
Ellen DeGeneres
Jimmy Fallon
Melissa McCarthy
Daniel Tosh
Rebel Wilson

The post Full list of Teen Choice 2013 nominations appeared first on Metro.us.

Rapper Pitbull has taken his blend of American pop music fused with Latin beats from the clubs of Miami to international pop charts, but he now is crossing into film with his first acting role as an animated character in the upcoming movie “Epic.”

Pitbull, whose real name is Armando Perez, has become a staple in the pop music field with lively dance-floor tracks including recent chart hits “Feel This Moment” with Christina Aguilera and “Live it Up” with Jennifer Lopez. The rapper, 32, plays street-smart frog Bufo in “Epic,” due to be released Friday and which explores a secret universe where the natural world is battling evil forces. Pitbull talked to Reuters about his film debut, working with Lopez and the origins of his numerous nicknames.

What do you make of this whole animation world you got a chance to work in?
Before I didn’t understand what it meant to put a voice to animation and see it come to life. But I’m always game for trying new things. I love how those artists could see my voice on the character before it was even drawn up.

How did the animators bring your influence to the character of Bufo the frog? Did they capture your essence?
They captured a piece of my essence, absolutely. The suits, the business/hustler, knowing how to navigate his way through the good and bad. Bufo knows how to play the middle. It’s business, not personal for him. I think they captured about 75 percent of my essence. The gestures, the hand movements, the way he walks — I think they watched me a lot in the studio when I was there.

Many musical artists have made their way to film. Why haven’t you transitioned sooner?
It’s all about timing. I’ve had projects on the table but I didn’t have the time to do them. This caught me at the right time … I hope there’s a sequel because I would love to see more of Bufo. I have a lot of good ideas for them, ideas that would capture the rest of that 25 percent of the essence they may have missed.

Your stage moniker ‘Pitbull’ comes from a breed of a dog that tends to get a lot of bad press.
Pitbulls are misunderstood, and that’s the same thing with me when I first came into the music business. Being Cuban-American made me politically incorrect. My whole life was trying to make people understand that we all come from the same place. It’s the same with the dog. The pitbull is a very loyal, very loving dog that doesn’t understand the concept of losing. I believe in fighting hard for what you believe in and never giving up.

How important is your Cuban heritage?
It’s very important. I’m Cuban-American, first generation. The Latin culture is everything. But I’m very careful to not let that box me in. I want to represent [my heritage] and I’m proud of who I am, but it’s about letting others know that we are just like everybody else. We don’t want people to judge us; we want people to understand us, to see that we’ve gone through the same things everybody else has gone through and suffered the same struggles.

What were some of the pivotal moments in your career that really changed things for you?
The record that took it global was “I Know You Want Me” (in 2009). Before that, I lived in the clubs and in the streets as far as my music. But that song took it to the next level. “Give Me Everything” (in 2011) was a turning point. This record coming out (on May 28) called “Outta Nowhere” will be another turning point, I think.

How so?
It’s a different side of me. It’s going to show everything that we’ve been speaking about here — motivation, believing in yourself, not giving up. With this record, I wanted to come out of nowhere, which is why the name is perfect.

‘Live It Up’ is your third collaboration with Jennifer Lopez, following ‘On the Floor’ and ‘Dance Again.’ What’s your partnership like?
Jennifer is a hard worker, very professional, gorgeous — and she’s a walking empire. Anytime I’m around her, I’m watching, learning, studying. It’s a natural combination, like a student and teacher. I’m a student all day. I think it would be an honor for Jennifer to watch me grow and say, “That kid did learn.”

With all your recent success, do you feel like you’ve gotten the respect you deserve? Do you feel more relaxed now and less needing to prove yourself?
No, I’m never relaxed. I think complacency is a cousin of death. As far as respect, whether they do or don’t, to each his own. But I do tell you this much, this is just the beginning. I promise you, it’s just the beginning.

The post Pitbull on music, Jennifer Lopez and his ‘Epic’ acting role appeared first on Metro.us.

Up until a few years ago, a world-class music festival was missing from New York City. That’s when Jordan Wolowitz and his friends took it upon themselves to create one.

The idea was simple: great music and a good venue located in New York City. Wolowitz left his job in December 2010 and eight weeks later announced Governors Ball.

When the festival first launched in 2011, it was only a daylong concert series with Girl Talk headlining. By the following year, it was a two-day festival with Beck and Passion Pit as the main acts.

“The trend is that it takes a couple of years to build a successful music festival,” Wolowitz says.

This year, Governors Ball is on its way to becoming a city music festival that rivals that of Chicago’s Lollapolooza, Wolowitz says.

“What you’re seeing [this year] is where we wanted to be,” Wolowitz says. “It’s a diverse and contemporary music festival.”

There’s a lot of buzz around this year’s headliners. Kings of Leon are releasing a new album, and for many this will be their first time seeing Guns N’ Roses live. As for Kanye West, well, he’s just everywhere. 

The festival offers an array of activities other than music. A focus point of this year’s festival is the food.

“Everyone agrees that whey they go to a festival and are hungry, the only options are hot dogs and nachos,” Wolowitz says.

This year, New York City staples like Rickshaw Dumpling Bar, Luke’s, Num Pang, Little Muenster and Bareburger will be some of the food vendors on site.

During daylong music festivals, breaks are needed. Other activities on the island include a silent disco, a photo booth, lawn games and ping-pong tables.

“We want this to be a full-day activity for people,” Wolowitz says. “While I would love it for everyone to love all acts performing, people need a breather to do other things.”

While there are some big-name bands playing, the festival is also a platform for younger artists to promote themselves to wider audiences.

“Governors Ball is a festival for die-hard music fans, for casual music fans, and for those who like experiencing the arts and culture,” Wolowitz says. “It’s a place where you can go experience the best music that’s out there while immersing yourself in New York City culture.”

For more information on tickets, transportation and more go to governorsballmusicfestival.com.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post Governors Ball has Lollapalooza-level ambitions appeared first on Metro.us.

The year 2013 may very well be remembered as the year of the victory lap. From “Arrested Development” to the Postal Service and Neutral Milk Hotel, entertainment that was underappreciated during its time is returning to bask in the love it should have initially received.

In some instances, the adulation is surprising. In other cases it’s inevitable. For Daft Punk it’s a little bit of both. The hype surrounding the dance and house duo from Paris and their new album, “Random Access Memories,” is a surprise because their last official album, 2005’s “Human After All,” was met with a resounding meh. But it’s inevitable, because since then, the music that they had been pioneering since the late ’90s has become wildly popular.

Did you see how we called Daft Punk a “dance and house” act in the above paragraph? That’s because when we popped “RAM” into our computers, that’s how Daft Punk registered the genre with iTunes. While they arguably play what is now called electronic dance music, or EDM, that genre name seemed to surface during their absence. In fact, Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, one half of the helmeted duo, recently admitted to the British publication New Music Express that he had no idea what people were talking about when they mentioned EDM.

“I don’t know EDM artists or the albums,” he said. “At first I thought it was all just one guy, some DJ called EDM.”

But “Random Access Memories” will appeal to people who know all about EDM and to people who don’t know a thing about it. It’s a dance album with high profile guest stars — Pharrell Williams, Julian Casablancas and Nile Rogers, to name a few — who never steal the spotlight from their hosts. The interesting part about the album though, is that it flies in the face of what people might expect a Daft Punk album would sound like in 2013, because it almost sounds like what any album produced by Giorgio Moroder might sound like in 1979. In fact, the 73-year-old disco pioneer is also a guest star on the album, on a winking track titled, “Giorgio By Moroder.”

When the duo could so easily satisfy EDM-hungry fans, why would they play so far against form? Because playing against form is what made fans so excited for Daft Punk to return in the first place.

When Metro spoke with Thomas Mars of Phoenix earlier this month, we asked about the internet speculation that Daft Punk would join his band for a few songs at Coachella, as they had done a few years prior at Madison Square Garden. Phoenix tapped R. Kelly as their special guest instead.

Mars had a good reason for not calling his old friends to join them.

“You know what’s nice is that we decided to do Madison Square Garden,” he said, “because we thought, ‘How many chances were there that friends that grew up in the suburbs of Paris who were making music at the same time would be having success at the same time?’ and we had to do something together. But then once you do it, I think you have done it. What I love about their music is that they have such a strong concept. They always go in the direction, they always want to shape the future and we try to do the same thing, and try to go to places where we surprise ourselves, where you change the rules each time a bit. And so that would have been just some sort of disturbing victory lap, or an embarrassing victory lap.”

So while Daft Punk is doing a victory lap of sorts, they’re doing it on their own track.

The post Why are Daft Punk so popular again? appeared first on Metro.us.

British singer George Michael remains in hospital under observation for head injuries five days after a car accident, his publicist said Tuesday.

“I can confirm that George remains in hospital but purely as a standard precaution for observation because he suffered some bumps and cuts to his head. But he’s making good progress, he’s fine and he’s really looking forward to getting home,” the spokeswoman said.

British media have reported that the 49-year-old former Wham! frontman fell out of a car he was traveling in on the M1 motorway just outside London during rush hour — the latest of a string of recent accidents and health scares.

The tabloid Sun newspaper interviewed a woman who said she had skidded to a halt after the singer fell out of the vehicle in front of her, and that she had used her car to shield him from other vehicles.

“There was a nasty cut on his forehead and the back of his head. There was blood all down his face and on his teeth,” the Sun reported driver Katherine Fox as saying.

Last year, the “Careless Whisper” singer cancelled a tour of Australia due to “major anxiety” brought on by a 2011 battle with severe pneumonia in Vienna, where he was treated in intensive care for a month.

Michael has sold an estimated 100 million records over his career, but in the past few years has hit the headlines for his personal life more often than for his music.

In 1998 he was arrested in California for “engaging in a lewd act” in a public toilet. He has also had a number of run-ins with British police for possession of narcotics, and served time in jail for driving under the influence of cannabis.

The post Singer George Michael under observation for head injuries appeared first on Metro.us.

Doors founding member Ray Manzarek is dead at the age of 74. The keyboard player, who contributed greatly to the band’s signature sound on songs like “Light My Fire” and “Riders on the Storm” lost a battle to bile duct cancer in a clinic in Germany.

Ever since the death of Doors singer Jim Morrison in 1971, Manzarek was crucial to keeping alive the band’s legacy. He was opposed to Oliver Stone’s portrayal of the band in his 1991 film, saying, “That Oliver Stone thing did real damage to the guy I knew: Jim Morrison, the poet.” But during his life, Manzarek gladly shared his experiences in multiple projects commemorating the band.

We’d like to remember Manzarek with this poignant performance of “The End” from the band’s “Live at the Hollywood Bowl” performance.

The official statement, from the Doors Facebook page is below.

Ray Manzarek, Founding Member of The Doors, Passes Away at 74

Ray Manzarek, keyboardist and founding member of The Doors, passed away today at 12:31PM PT at the RoMed Clinic in Rosenheim, Germany after a lengthy battle with bile duct cancer. He was 74. At the time of his passing, he was surrounded by his wife Dorothy Manzarek, and his brothers Rick and James Manczarek.

Manzarek is best known for his work with The Doors who formed in 1965 when Manzarek had a chance encounter on Venice Beach with poet Jim Morrison. The Doors went on to become one of the most controversial rock acts of the 1960s, selling more than 100-million albums worldwide, and receiving 19 Gold, 14 Platinum and five multi-Platinum albums in the U.S. alone. “L.A.Woman,” “Break On Through to the Other Side,” “The End,” “Hello, I Love You,” and “Light My Fire” were just some of the band’s iconic and ground-breaking songs. After Morrison’s death in 1971, Manzarek went on to become a best-selling author, and a Grammy-nominated recording artist in his own right. In 2002, he revitalized his touring career with Doors’ guitarist and long-time collaborator, Robby Krieger.

“I was deeply saddened to hear about the passing of my friend and bandmate Ray Manzarek today,” said Krieger. “I’m just glad to have been able to have played Doors songs with him for the last decade. Ray was a huge part of my life and I will always miss him.”

Manzarek is survived by his wife Dorothy, brothers Rick and James Manczarek, son Pablo Manzarek, Pablo’s wife Sharmin and their three children Noah, Apollo and Camille. Funeral arrangements are pending. The family asks that their privacy be respected at this difficult time. In lieu of flowers, please make a memoriam donation in Ray Manzarek’s name at www.standup2cancer.org

The post Doors keyboard player Ray Manzarek dead appeared first on Metro.us.

Prince has signed a new deal with Kobalt Music Group to market and distribute his future work without giving up control over his rights, the company said on Monday.

The singer/songwriter, who is famed for changing his name to an unpronounceable symbol in a wrangle over musical rights, will release his own work as well as a slate of new music by other artists that he produces, Kobalt said.

The announcement came just hours after the 54-year-old Prince was given a Billboard Icon Award (lifetime achievement) and rocked the Billboard Music Awards ceremony with a version of his “Let’s Go Crazy” dressed in electric green trousers and sporting an Afro hair style.

Kobalt, which is also a global independent music publishing company, launched an artist and label services division in 2012, allowing artists to maintain ownership of their work and control over when, how and where they will release their music.

Traditional labels often take ownership or part-ownership of the artist’s material and often dictate how it is used, an increasingly important sticking point in an industry where digital music can be instantly available.

“This new venture gives Prince the flexibility and freedom he’s always sought in a label partner,” Kobalt President Richard Sanders said in a statement.

The Grammy award-winning singer will also provide artist development and recording services for newly signed artists that Kobalt will market and distribute.

Kobalt was set up in 2000 by Swedish businessman Willard Ahdritz and its publishing roster includes former Beatle Paul McCartney, Icelandic singer Bjork and Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder.

The post Prince reigns over his own releases in Kobalt deal appeared first on Metro.us.

Arrivals and show highlights from the 2013 Billboard Music Awards in Las Vegas.

The post PHOTOS: 2013 Billboard Music Awards appeared first on Metro.us.

Justin Bieber and Taylor Swift won the big prizes Sunday at the Billboard Music Awards, which also honored legendary performers Madonna and Prince.

Bieber, who was named top male artist, also performed during the event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. He also took home Billboard’s first Milestone Award, chosen by fans, for musical innovation and ingenuity.

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  PHOTOS: 2013 Billboard Music Awards

“I’m 19 years old. I think I’m doing a pretty good job, Bieber said. “It should really be about the music. This is not a gimmick. I’m an artist and I should be taken seriously. And all this other bull should not be spoken of.”

The teen heartthrob did not elaborate, but in recent months he has been involved in several high-profile incidents ranging from driving offenses to reports of hard partying and drugs being found on his tour bus in Sweden.

Swift won the top award of the night, artist of the year. She thanked her fans by telling them: “You are the longest and best relationship I’ve ever had.”

Pop diva Madonna was named top touring artist for her MDNA Tour, 2012′s highest-grossing concert series.

Madonna strode onstage to accept the accolade from will.i.am wearing black fishnet stockings, garters and a padlock choker.

The MDNA tour grossed more than $305 million from 88 sold-out shows and attracted an audience of 2.2 million people. Madonna acknowledged her fans, saying: “A showgirl needs her fans. Thank you for supporting me for three decades.”

She also thanked her four children for being “incredibly supportive.”

The Billboard Music Awards, hosted by “30 Rock” star Tracy Morgan, opened with Bruno Mars performing “Treasure.”

Early awards went to Macklemore and Ryan Lewis, who won top rap song for “Thrift Shop,” and Nicki Minaj, who took home the top rap artist honor.

Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe” was named top digital song, while Swift took home the top Billboard 200 album award for “Red.”

French producer and DJ David Guetta was named top electric dance music artist.

Among musical highlights, Bieber performed “Take You,” which was chosen by his fans via Twitter, before pairing up with will.i.am for “#ThatPOWER.”

Other musical pairings included Jennifer Lopez and Pitbull singing “#LiveItUp,” Minaj and Lil Wayne’s “High School,” and Christina Aguilera and Pitbull singing “Feel This Moment.”

Selena Gomez, Chris Brown, Icona Pop, South Korean pop sensation Psy and Swift, who was nominated for 11 Billboard awards and received eight, performed as well.

In an apparently unscripted moment, Miguel, performing “Adorn,” leapt from the stage and landed feet-first atop two young women. No mention was made on the broadcast as to whether they were injured.

The show ended with the Icon Award for Prince, in recognition of his unique career and accomplishments in the music industry. Prince performed a medley to close the show, but did not deliver an acceptance speech.

The post Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift big winners at Billboard Awards appeared first on Metro.us.

He was singing his hit “Adorn” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas when he tried to jump from one part of the stage to another. But on landing, his feet slammed into the heads of two female fans. One of them had her head banged violently off the stage in front of her.

The two women were stunned by the impact and staggered away holding their heads. Miguel later tweeted that he had “been caught up in the moment.”

The women were later reported to be unhurt, although one was seen backstage with the singer, holding an ice pack to her head.

The post VIDEO: Miguel kicks fans in head during Billboard music awards appeared first on Metro.us.

Though Jason Newsted has popped up in a few notable projects since quitting Metallica in 2001, his new band is all about him.

“It’s a big deal,” he says. “There’s a few different hats I’m taking on: I’m the frontman, it’s my songs, it’s my voice.”

It’s also his name. In the tradition of Van Halen, Santana and Bon Jovi, the name of the band is the same as the name of the man. This is a bigger commitment than participating in Dave Navarro’s made-for-reality TV band, Rock Star Supernova, and the bassist seems acutely aware of that.

“It’s nervous excitement,” he says. “It’s a giant challenge.”

Newsted formed six months ago when the band’s namesake started writing songs with guitarist Jessie Farnsworth and drummer Jesus Mendez Jr., and recorded a thrashy four-song EP as tight and terse as its title: “Metal.” In February, Staind guitarist Mike Mushok joined and, though we couldn’t get the band’s leader to reveal its title, a full-length is ready for release by fall.

Through summer, Newsted has 70 gigs worldwide, including London’s 100 Club and Donington’s Download, the same two places he played in 1987, launching his first full-length with Metallica, “…And Justice For All.”

“I did retire from the big thing so I could do what I want with my life. Jumping back into it is different from what I planned to do, but you have to create challenges when you have all the time in the world. This is the biggest that I’ve created for myself in a long time.”

‘Full-on dedicated’
Regrets, Newsted has a few. Quitting Metallica wasn’t easy. But Metallica — driven and ambitious on the one hand and stung by the loss of dear friend and original bassist Cliff Burton, whom Newsted replaced — was never an easy band to be in. For anyone: “I am the man who had to step up and make that decision for EVERYONE,” Newsted emphasizes of his decision to leave in 2001. “It was me that suffered the most. It was me that made the giant sacrifice. It was a horrible, hard decision. I still, every couple of days, I think about it even now. I was the first one into the show and the last one out. I wore a Metallica T-shirt on stage every night. I flew my colors, I was full-on dedicated.”

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In a move that will come as a shock to exactly nobody, before performing two new tracks on “SNL” on Saturday, Kanye West announced that his new album (dropping June 18) will be called “Yeezus.” Are we the only ones who are starting to find Yeezy’s God Complex sort of tiring? We get it, you’re a big deal. Like, the hugest deal. If, however, those pesky gay rumors the tabloids are circulating turn out to be true, there may be a case for an immaculate conception situation with Ye and Kim K’s unborn spawn.

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A custom-made electric guitar played by the late John Lennon and George Harrison of the Beatles is shown in this Julien’s Auctions handout photograph taken at Julien’s Gallery in Beverly Hills.

The semi-hollow-body guitar, manufactured by the VOX company, was sold to an unidentified U.S. buyer at the “Music Icons” event organized by Beverly Hills, California-based Julien’s Auctions and held at the Hard Rock Cafe in Manhattan.

Julien’s said previously it expected the guitar, which was the centerpiece of Saturday’s sale, to fetch between $200,000 and $300,000.

Harrison played the instrument, distinguished by two symmetrical flared shoulders on the upper body, while practicing “I Am The Walrus,” and Lennon used it in a video session for the song “Hello, Goodbye,” according to a statement from Julien’s Auctions.

Both songs were on the Beatles’ 1967 album “Magical Mystery Tour.”

The VOX guitar was a prototype instrument custom-built for Lennon in 1966, said Martin Nolan, executive director of Julien’s. Lennon gave the VOX guitar as a gift in 1967 to Yanni “Magic Alex” Mardas, who was the electronics engineer for the band’s Apple Records label, the auction house said.

The instrument, displayed in recent weeks at a museum in Ireland before the sale, was sold a few years ago by Christie’s Auction House for a little over $100,000. Nolan said the latest buyer, who sent a representative to Saturday’s auction to bid on his behalf, wished to remain anonymous.

Lennon was shot to death in New York in 1980 by a deranged fan, and Harrison died of lung cancer in Los Angeles in 2001. The surviving members of the Beatles are Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr.

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Violinist Gil Shaham has some music picked out in case he ever finds himself with a lot of free time.

Brahms’ Violin Concerto, he says, “would be one of the musical masterpieces that I would take with me if I was going to be marooned on a desert island.”

The Grammy winner will be in town this week to play the Brahms piece with the Philadelphia Orchestra.

“Performing with the Philadelphia Orchestra is like playing in the NBA All-Star game,” he says. “It’s the highlight of my year. They play at such a high level.”

Shaham is bringing an all-star instrument: He’ll perform on a Stradivarius — but he says he puts the multimillion-dollar price tag out of his head, joking that the violin is worth $16.99, the year it was made, plus taxes and delivery.

Things were a little tenser the one time he thought he lost it.

“I finished a fantastic meal in Rome. I had already crossed the street when I realized that I had left the violin by my seat,” he says. “I panicked. Luckily, the violin was still there.”

When the Strad was originally offered to him, Shaham, who had already filled in for Itzhak Perlman when the famous violinist had to bow out of a concert series with the London Symphony Orchestra, had trouble getting a loan to buy it. “I was in my 20s, didn’t have a college degree, and was asking to borrow millions of dollars to purchase a violin,” he says. “Then I remembered that I had the business card of Hans Baer, whose family owned the Julius Baer bank. He had come backstage when I played in Geneva and said to call him if I needed anything. I called and his bank helped me buy the violin.”

If you go

Gil Shaham Plays Brahms
May 23-25 (May 23 sold out)
Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center
300 S. Broad St.
$86-$192
www.kimmelcenter.org

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Malmo in Sweden was hosting the grand final of the 58th Eurovision Song Contest on Saturday.

Here are some facts about the contest:

* The first contest took place in 1956. It was originally conceived in Monaco by Marcel Bezencon and based on the Italian Sanremo Festival, held since 1951. Switzerland won the first contest.

EUROVISION RECORDS:

* Ireland’s Johnny Logan won the contest three times. In 1980 and 1987 he sang the Irish entry, and in 1992 he wrote the winning entry for his compatriot, Linda Martin.

* ABBA is the winner that has gone on to have the most international success. The Swedish band won the contest in 1974 with “Waterloo”.

* Norway has come last most often – in 1963, 1969, 1974, 1976, 1978, 1981, 1990, 1997, 2001 and 2004. However, it has also won three times – in 1985, 1995 and 2009.

* Ireland has won seven times; Luxembourg, France and the United Kingdom five times; Sweden and the Netherlands four times.

* In 2008 and 2011, a record 43 countries participated. Morocco has taken part in the contest only once, in 1980.

* In 2011, Lena, the winner of the 2010 Eurovision Song Contest, decided to defend her title on home ground in Germany – something only two people have done in the history of the contest.

* The most covered song in the contest is Domenico Mudugno’s “Nel Blu Di Pinto Di Blu”, also known as “Volare”.

* English has been the main language of 24 winning entries. French is also popular, with 14 victories. Dutch and Hebrew songs have won three times each.

WHAT HAPPENED IN 2012:

* Sweden’s Loreen won the 2012 contest in Azerbaijan before an international TV audience of 100 million, days after angering Azeri authorities by meeting rights activists critical of the host country’s human rights record.

* The 28-year-old won with the song “Euphoria”, dancing barefoot as she sang. After the show, traditionally heavy on kitsch, bizarre costumes and dramatic presentation but low on politics, Loreen steered clear of any controversial statements.

Sources: Reuters/Eurovision Song Contest Website

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The phrase ‘chamber pop’ is often thrown around in indie rock circles, but Brooklyn-based six-piece Friend Roulette have the resume to show that they’re worthy of the title.

The core of the group met years ago as freshmen at New School’s jazz conservatory. “It was summer camp… we all moved to New York and we played with a lot of groups. My philosophy was to do everything,” reminisced lead vocalist and violinist Julia Tepper.

She met co-founder Matthew Meade (guitar/vocals) at the conservatory, who eventually ‘started hating jazz,’ but still holds true to his classical roots. He excitedly mentioned that he spent the previous night at Carnegie Hall to hear a rendition of renowned modernist composer Charles Ives’ pieces.

Friend Roulette blossomed in the summer of 2010 and they do fit into Brooklyn’s alt. rock landscape regardless of their background. “We’re not pimping rock and roll…,” Meade begins. “But, we feel like were still a part of it,” Tepper says.

Their debut album, “I’m Sorry You Hit Your Head,” which comes out on Goodnight Records on May 28, does follow a decidedly pop structure. Expansive tracks reveal intricate melodies and rhythms, and this underscores the production of the album. Most of the tracks are layered with violins, bass clarinet, electronic wind instrument (EWI) and drums. “Our recordings are an ornate, decorative, dynamic take [on our songs],” Tepper explains.

Their live performance displays their loud side, as their NYC shows often have two drummers and two electronic bassists backing them up.  “The orchestration on the record is made up for by our intensity live,” says EWI/bass clarinetist John Stanesco.

“We like both [live and recorded settings] a lot. We can take the opportunity to showcase ourselves as a group in both settings,” Tepper says. At the same time, they have to adjust to the logistics of pop music. “We were all trained to be jazz musicians [and gig often]. This whole play two shows a month thing is really a bummer,” Stanesco says.

Catch Friend Roulette’s intensity live at their album release show on May 23 at Mercury Lounge.

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Lee Field and the Expressions are a soul-lover’s complete package. A tight band, velvet crooning, and great songs are the best way to start out a weekend of partying in the park.

MAKU Sound System, from Queens, blends Colombian rhythms with a spectrum of U.S. party music creating a young, global sound for fans of ska, punk, and cumbia alike.

Jovanotti is Italy’s hip-hop icon with a string of hits in the 90s and a recent rebirth at Bonnaroo where he won over U.S. fans. Now he lives in Gotham and he’s the only artist playing Googa both days, joining an Eataly pop-up Sunday.

Pearl and the Beard is a personal favorite, a trio that plays Americana laced with soulful harmonies and marching drums.

Red Baraat brings traditional Indian drums, vocals and clarinet to the New Orleans second line, an idea that keeps the crowd moving with an eastern twist.

Last year’s Hall & Oates are a tough act to follow but Kool & the explitive-ing Gang are sure to bring it. Disco classics include easy-listening ballads like “Cherish” and show stoppers like “Celebration” and “Ladies Night.” Kool & the Gang have all the makings of Great Googa-ism.

Credit: Googa Mooga

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British boy band One Direction, one of the pop industry’s biggest acts of the last 18 months, are working on an “edgy” third album and will start a world tour next year.

The five singers told a press conference in London that their new album, which the music press speculated would share the same name as their upcoming “Where We Are” 2014 tour, will depart from the teen pop that has had young girls screaming around the world since they first emerged from a talent show.

“The answer is yes, there will be a new album and yeah, I think it’s taking a slightly rockier tone to it,” One Direction’s Louis Tomlinson told reporters on Thursday before handing over to bandmate Liam Payne to expand.

Payne said the group, which also includes Niall Horan, Zayn Malik and Harry Styles, helped out with the songwriting on the new album, but did not mention a release date.

“We’ve written a lot of the songs, which is nice this time,” Payne said. “We’ve just made it a bit more edgy I suppose.”

One Direction, whose members are aged in their late teens and early 20s, have sold 14 million singles in the two years since their debut album “Up All Night”.

They will start their tour on April 25, 2014 in Bogota, Colombia.

“It’s not just the same tour going round again in stadiums,” Styles said. “It’s gonna be a much bigger show.”

The group have confirmed 13 dates in Latin America, Ireland and Britain, with more to come.

One Direction shot to fame on “The X Factor” television singing competition and have conquered the global market with two albums and a string of catchy hit singles.

The band topped the Billboard 200 album chart twice last year with “Up All Night” and their second album “Take Me Home”. They were named Billboard’s top new artist/group in 2012.

(Reporting by Paul Casciato; Editing by Mike Collett-White)

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The Boston Symphony Orchestra has hired Latvian conductor Andris Nelsons to succeed James Levine, an iconic American conductor known for his wild hair and dramatic manner, who left in 2011 due to health problems, it said on Thursday.

Nelsons will be the leading U.S. symphony’s youngest conductor in more than a century when he begins the 2013-14 season as “music director designate.” He will assume the full title of music director for the 2014-15 season.

“Sought after by the top orchestras and opera houses of the world, Maestro Nelsons, at age 34, is already considered one of the most brilliant conductors of our time,” said Chairman of the BSO Board of Trustees Ted Kelly in a press release.

Nelsons, who is currently conducting the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra in the United Kingdom, said in the release that his appointment to the BSO marked “one of the highest achievements a conductor could hope for in his lifetime.”

The Boston Symphony has been without a permanent music director since 2011, when Levine – one of the leading forces in U.S. classical music for the last four decades – left after seven seasons because of back problems and other health issues.

Levine, who also serves as music director of the Metropolitan Opera in New York, is due to return Sunday to the podium in New York, where he will conduct excerpts from Wagner’s Lohengrin and Schubert’s “Great” Symphony.

Nelsons is scheduled to make his first official appearance at the head of the orchestra in Boston in October, leading Wagner’s Siegfried Idyll, Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 25 in C, and Brahms’s Symphony No. 3.

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Singer Bob Dylan was made an honorary member of the American Academy of Arts and Letters, joining the ranks of leading writers, composers and artists in the prestigious 115-year-old group.

Henry Cobb, the president of the academy, said honorary members are people of great distinction in the creative arts.

“For more than 50 years, defying categorization in a culture beguiled by categories, Bob Dylan has probed and prodded our psyches, recording and then changing our world and our lives through poetry made manifest in song – creating relationships that we never imagined could exist between words, emotions and ideas,” the citation said.

The singer/songwriter did not attend Wednesday’s ceremony in Manhattan, where Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist Michael Chabon gave the keynote address and cited Dylan’s lyrics, and actress Meryl Streep, another honorary member, presented an award.

But he sent his regrets in a statement.

“I feel extremely honored and very lucky to be included in this pantheon of great individual artists who comprise the Academy of Arts and Letters. I look forward to meeting all of you some time soon,” he said.

Virginia Dejani, the executive director of the academy, said Dylan’s induction was decided by a vote of the membership, which totals 250.

“He was on a ballot with other names and he won handily,” she said in an interview.

Dejani said that he was made an honorary member because the Academy failed to decide which department – art, literature or music – he would fit into. The rules of the academy limit honorary membership to 15 Americans, she added.

“It was decided that he is a very multitalented person whose work was so unusual for what he has accomplished that it defies categorization,” Dejani added.

Other honorary U.S. members include directors Woody Allen and Martin Scorsese, choreographer Paul Taylor and cellist Yo Yo Ma.

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It’s been awhile since hip-hip artist Eve released an album — we haven’t heard much from the Ruff Rider’s First Lady since 2004’s “Eve-loution” — which had a lot of people wondering if she’d fallen off her game. Turns out, she’s been busy working on her personal life. She currently lives in London with her boyfriend of three years, British EDM artist and producer Max Cooper. Lucky for fans, love has not slowed E-V-E down one bit. Having spent the last few years touring around Europe, she’s headed back to states with her newest album “Lip Lock,” which was dropped yesterday.

Her first single, “Make It Out This Town” (an unlikely collabo with Gabe Saporta of Cobra Starship) has yet to earn a spot on Billboard’s Hot 100 list — and perhaps with good reason. After a long-term hiatus from the States, returning to the scene while the Minaj empire is still thriving, Eve would have done well to have come out swinging, with a tougher single to let everyone know she’s still got it. And here’s the thing: she does.

“Lip Lock,” in full, shows a new side to Eve. Powerhouse rap and R&B names both old and new — including Chrisette Michelle, Missy Elliott, and Snoop Lion (nee Dogg) — feature on the album. And while a handful of heartfelt tracks span the album (check out “Never Gone” and “Forgive Me”) don’t think for minute that Eve’s gone soft. Her cocky wordplay on every verse is still as strong as when she first came out in 1999. “Mama in the Kitchen”, “EVE” and “She Bad Bad (Remix)” are hot singles that command respect.

Listeners looking for the Eve of Ruff Ryder-fame may not find her. However, a fan who is willing to explore a new — and perhaps improved — Eve will appreciate a new album with an evolved style that’s fitting for her re-introduction to the airwaves. In her recent interview on Power 105.1 with The Breakfast Club, Eve describes herself as “feeling like a new artist”.

We’re thinking that “Lip Lock” can hold its own with this release, as no other female hip-hop artist is set to release an album at the moment.

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