New Chatter

Scarlett Johansson is going full steam ahead with her album of little known, but critically beloved, songs by Tom Watts plus one original song. The record is set to drop in stores in May and none other than music legend David Bowie provides background vocals on two tracks. And if it’s anything to go by, Bowies swears that Scarlett is really good. He says on his official website that “The songs are great, really good Tom Waits stuff, and Scarlett’s performances are mystical and twice cool.” Is he talking about Scarlett’s singing or her boobs? I’m a little confused. There’s a double standard there if you read it carefully.

New mom Christina Aguilera just posted this cute graphic on her official website and finally gave us details about her happy baby news. Max Liron Bratman was born on Saturday night and not Friday like originally reported. She also posted a message and a video for all her fans.

The singer put together a special video for the song ‘Save Me From Myself’ which came off of her ‘Back to Basics’ album. The video even features actual footage from her and husband Jordan’s personal wedding video. Christina says that it was a little something to say ‘thank you’ for the undying love and support.

Nicole Kidman accompanied her husband Keith Urban and shared a tender moment with him on the red carpet at the 2007 ARIA Awards which was held on Sunday. It’s Australia’s version of the Grammy Awards. The awards ceremony was held at the Acer Arena at the Sydney Olympic Park complex.

While the whole show was about music, Nicole unintentionally stole the spotlight on the red carpet as she signed autographs and greeted fans. The spotlight returned to Keith later on in the night though when he was awarded the best country album trophy. It was his third time to win the award.

Nancy Wilson is hardly the retiring type, even though she is trying to spend more time with her grandchildren these days.

Last year, the singer retired from touring, but she continues to record — her last album “Turned to Blue” won the Grammy for Best Jazz Vocal Album earlier this year — and perform selected concert dates.

On Friday night, she found herself sharing the Carnegie Hall stage with many old friends — including three of the top vocalists on the current jazz scene, Nnenna Freelon, Dianne Reeves and Kurt Elling, as well as guest musicians such as violinist Regina Carter — for a concert called “Nancy Wilson’s Swinging 70th Birthday Party,” a highlight of this year’s JVC Jazz Festival.

“It’s really fine to let everyone know what 70 can be,” said Wilson, whose birthday actually was Feb. 20, at the start of a program celebrating milestones in her 55-year career. “It doesn’t get much better than this.”

After Freelon spiritedly swung her way through “They Can’t Take That Away From Me,” the younger singer took the opportunity to thank Wilson for mentoring her years ago, calling her “an angel in my life.”

Turning to the svelte, silver-haired Wilson, she quipped, “If this is what 70 is all about, I can’t wait.”

Elling paid tribute to the 1962 “Nancy Wilson/Cannonball Adderley” album, considered among the best jazz vocal recordings of all time, by performing the soulful “Save Your Love for Me.”

Forget the rumors. For R&B singer Tyrese, the truth is just as interesting. I’m engaged say tyrese, but the chap’s not going reveal the name just as yet. Tyrese, 28, rumored to be engaged to Brandy, is actually engaged to somebody else – and he’s expecting his first child too. His first album Tyrese went platinum in 1998 with hit singles “Sweet Lady” and “Lately.” His break-out acting role was the lead in John Singleton’s Baby Boy in 2001 with follow-up roles in 2 Fast 2 Furious and Four Brothers with Mark Wahlberg in 2005. What’s to do with the name of his fiancée he should be happy telling her name and show us the person who he likes so much?

They say music tames the savage beast.  Perhaps it also can unite people about a common tragedy.  At least that is what R Kelly is banking on. In tribute to the victims and their families, R Kelly has written “Rise Up” a charity single.  All proceeds from the sale of the song will go to the families that have lose so much.  His new album is due out May 29^th, and people are speculating the Double Up will also have the new single on it.

 To hear a snippet of the song, check out R Kelly’s MySpace here.  Listening to it, I’m not exactly how many copies of such a mediocre song will actually sell.  While there check out the pics of the singer in one of the oddest looking leather jackets I’ve ever seen.  It looks like a crocodile crawled up on his chest and died.  Seriously, that’s what you chose to wear to work that day?  Maybe this good press will counteract his desire to piss on little girls.  Who knows.

The 38-year old Australian singer Kylie Minogue is said to have a relationship with Calvin Harris who is the producer of her new album. The tabloids have seen them together on series of dates.

Kylie who battled breast cancer in 2005 had a long relationship with Olivier Martinez but they broke up two months ago due to the infidelity of Olivier and the continuous rumors about the problems they had.

A friend close to them has said that Kylie and Calvin have spent much time around the preparation for the album and now they are really close. The source also says that Calvin makes Kylie happy and he is the man who always makes her laugh. Maybe Kylie has met true love. Who knows?

A representative of Kylies denied that she is dating Calvin Harris despite their frequent meetings but only the time (and the paparazzi) will show.

These days Justin said that he is in Britain to help Madona for her new hip-hop album and will write songs for her. It looks like despite the competition the stars are helping each other. I think this is great because Madona and Justin for example have achieved much in their career and this collaboration can not threaten their success.

Actually I have discovered that the singers are making more and more duets now. For an example: Beyonce and Shakira, Timbaland and Justin and many others. It looks it has become fashionable to make a duet or have another guest singer in your song.

And about Justin and Madona, I hope she’ll release the album as soon as possible.

Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams are among the collaborators working on the new Madonna album, according to reports.

The star-studded roll call of musicians are understood to be writing and producing songs for the follow-up to 2005’s Confessions On A Dancefloor.

Speaking about the new material, which is due for release by the end of 2007, Justin confirmed: “I have been working on some new music.

“But it’s not for myself–I’m writing for other people. I’m working on some stuff for Madonna,” he explained after apparently going into a West London studio with the pop icon.

Felix Da Housecat is also rumored to be working on the LP, although there is no confirmation if Stuart Price, who produced the last Madonna album, is involved.

A “source” told London parer The Sun: “Confessions was a worldwide smash–but this will be different once again. The last album was a credible disco record and Madonna wants to give hip-hop the same treatment this time.

“It’s not all hip-hop though, there are a lot of producers from a lot of genres in there. It could be her most ambitious project yet.”

Red Hot Chili Peppers for the first time in Serbia on June 26th, 2007

Tickets will be available at 45 locations in Serbia, 15 in Macedonia, 8 in Bosnia, 22 in Croatia and 2 in Slovenia.
In addition, tickets will be sold in Bulgaria, Hungary, Romania, Austria and the Czech and Slovak Republics.The call centre phone numbers are:Ticketline: + 381 11 2030 570 Exit Services: +381 21 47 54 222

REVIEW

The success of Red Hot Chili Peppers begins when an unknown guitarist, John Fruciante, joined the band in 1988. The release of Mothers Milk helped break the group in America with their cover of the Stevie Wonder classic “Higher Ground”. They soon became regulars on MTV and in the early 90s, as the underground moved into the mainstream, the Chili Peppers, like Nirvana, REM and Sonic Youth, benefited from this shift of music.After the release of Blood Sugar Sex Magik the Chili Peppers became one of the worlds biggest bands. The album spawned hits such as “Give It Away”, “Under The Bridge” and “Suck My Kiss”.

Their sound was noisy and funky and grungy and to many fans this album was seen as their high point. Many believe that they have never been able to recapture that magic. But bands that stay stagnant and create the same sound album after album only end up like Oasis.At the height of their success guitarist John Frusciante left and Dave Navaro was recruited as replacement. One Hot Minute was the sound of the band trying to recapture the sound of Blood Sugar Sex Magic and is seen as a low point in their career. Only “My Friends” appears from that period and for a while the world almost forgot about the Chili Peppers.Then Dave left the band and John returned and in 1999 the band released Californication. The sound was softer and more melodic, yet they still retained that sound that made them, well them. “Scar Tissue”, “Otherside” and “Californication”were withoutdoubt Chili Pepper songs, but taken to a different place. Some thought they had sold out. But they hadn’t sold out, they were evolving.

When By the Way was released last year the sound of the band had shifted further away form the bass lines of Flea to the guitar melodies of John. The album was based on The Smiths and Neu! instead of Gang of Four and Bad Brains.The Chili Peppers have become a band famous for strong, anthemic songs rather than the punk-funk sounds characteristic of their early sound.Personally I’m disappointed in the song selection as it favours Blood Sugar Sex Magic and Californication rather than being a well-balanced and truly representative sample from their back-catalogue. But as a hits compilation rather than a retrospective CD, it does what it says on the tin, and is an enjoyable listen in spite of the obvious track selections.Review courtesy of 6 Music