Videos : Jonas Brothers : Pom Poms

Who Are the Jonas Brothers?
One of the most popular teenaged groups of the 2000s, the Jonas Brothers crafted hook-filled power pop anthems in the vein of McFly, Hanson, and the Modern Lovers. The young New Jersey natives (while readying their 2006 debut, brothers Joseph, Kevin, and Nicholas Jonas topped out at 16, 17, and 13, respectively) were reared in the city of Wyckoff under the tutelage of musical parents. Nicholas showed a particular flair for singing; by the age of six, he'd already begun a modest career as a Broadway performer. The young vocalist also took an interest in songwriting, even co-writing a Christmas tune in 2002 alongside his father. Several years later, his soulful voice had wowed enough executives at Daylight/Columbia Records to warrant a solo album, and Nicholas began writing original material with help from his two brothers. The siblings' songs impressed the president of Columbia, who ultimately signed the trio in 2005.

The Jonas Brothers' full-length debut, It's About Time, was released in August 2006. Featuring the songwriting talents of Desmond Child and Fountains of Wayne's Adam Schlesinger, the album peaked at number 91 on the Billboard charts and earned the siblings a modest audience, particularly among fans of Radio Disney. Nevertheless, the Jonas Brothers were dropped from Columbia's roster in early 2007. They bounced back by signing with Hollywood Records, a Disney-owned label that helped the group exponentially expand its fan base. An eponymous sophomore album, Jonas Brothers, arrived in August 2007, supported by a number of Jonas Brothers appearances on the Disney Channel's various programs. The band also toured in support of the record, selling out shows coast to coast — including a stop at the Gibson Amphitheater in Los Angeles that was the fastest sold-out show in the venue's history.

The reality television show Jonas Brothers: Living the Dream documented the band's life on the road, and the band's TV presence was furthered along by Camp Rock, a 2008 Disney Channel television movie that featured the brothers and up-and-coming star Demi Lovato. The movie was watched by nearly nine million viewers and launched the Jonas Brothers' next single, "Burnin' Up," which helped whet demand for the release of A Little Bit Longer later that year. In 2009, the trio released Music from the 3D Concert Experience, along with a live concert film of the same name. Later that year, they released their fourth studio album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times. Early in 2010, the Nick Jonas side project Nick Jonas & the Administration released Who I Am, an album that built on the R&B-oriented Lines, Vines. During the summer of 2010, the Jonas Brothers' next Disney series, Jonas L.A., was launched with an accompanying soundtrack, and the group also appeared in the channel’s made-for-TV movie Camp Rock 2, a sequel to the 2008 film that also had its own soundtrack.


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Albums : Cold War Kids : Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

Listen To Cold War Kids : Dear Miss Lonelyhearts

Who Are Cold War Kids?
Long Beach, California's Cold War Kids make music with roots that go deep and wide, embracing influences as diverse as Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday, Jeff Buckley, and the Velvet Underground. Vocalist/guitarist/pianist Nathan Willett, bassist Matt Maust, drummer Matt Aveiro, and guitarist Jonnie Russell began crafting their soulful, blues-inflected take on indie rock as Cold War Kids in 2004, recording demos in Los Angeles soon after they formed. After signing to Monarchy Music, Cold War Kids released their debut EP, Mulberry Street, in spring 2005. The band's unique sound and impassioned live act generated a buzz — particularly from bloggers — that grew with each tour and release. Maust's clean but eye-catching designs for EPs like With Our Wallets Full and Up in Rags and the group's website also added to Cold War Kids' mystique. They spent much of 2006 on the road with Tapes 'n Tapes, Figurines, Sound Team, and Editors, and appeared at that year's Lollapalooza. That summer, they signed to Downtown Records, also home to Art Brut and Gnarls Barkley. The band's full-length debut, Robbers & Cowards, arrived that fall. Loyalty to Loyalty, which moved in a slower, bluesier direction, was released in 2008. On Behave Yourself, an EP that had a digital release late in 2009 and was issued on CD early in 2010, Cold War Kids emphasized their soulful ballads. In 2010 the band went into the studio with Grammy-winning producer Jacquire King (Tom Waits, Kings of Leon). Their third album, Mine Is Yours, arrived in early 2011. For 2013's Dear Miss Lonelyhearts, the band added former Modest Mouse and Murder City Devils guitarist Dann Gallucci (who co-produced the album with Lars Stalfors) to the fold.

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts Review
“Honestly, this is the first album where I do have expectations and I would be surprised and disappointed if the record didn’t do well and open doors for us. Being able to tour in Asia, play bigger venues, or record a song with someone like Elvis Costello, is the sort of thing I expect with this album.”

Yes, that is Nathan Willett, frontman of Long Beach-based “soul-punk” outfit Cold War Kids, but not recently. That quote from Clash Magazine refers to their previous release, 2011’s Mine Is Yours, and by as far as hasty internet research reveals, Cold War Kids did not make it to Asia, and only covered Costello, though the hope of playing bigger venues had to be reached in some festival settings. The sense is that Cold War Kids are maintaining a status (high-end second tier?) without really losing nor gaining much in terms of audience. For the band, the question becomes do you bemoan what you have not achieved or be grateful for what you have—even though that gratitude risks complacency?

Dear Miss Lonelyhearts falls into both of these traps, as the album is very much a Cold War Kids-sounding record, not straying from the territory already covered in their previous three LPs. The band could argue their use of electronic textures on the inevitable modern rock hit “Loner Phase” and the R&B-leaning closer “Bitter Poem” are big creative leaps, but they are blink-and-you’ll-miss-them innovations, with the core of each song still indebted to Willett’s soulful, dramatic vocals—walking that tiny line between Timberlake and Levine.

This line is what separates Lonelyhearts from their other work, which had stumbled occasionally to the questionable side of taste, all while revealing much about the band’s place in music. Cold War Kids have never been embraced by indie culture because their sound has never become “cool,” no matter how easy on the ears or how professionally recorded it reads. Cold War Kids have not made that giant leap to Arcade Fire-heights because of an emotional connection that is lacking in even their casual fans. Yes, Willett’s vocals are nothing less than great. But—and this is awful to say—they are too good to extract emotions from, a problem that R&B had typically been criticized as suffering from until recently.

And this is where Dear Miss Lonelyhearts sets off into unknown territory for the listener, and likely, the band. Because of artists like Autre Ne Veut and and Frank Ocean, Cold War Kids find a new relevance on this collection, specifically on slower jams like the title track that allow Willett to sing his heart out and for the audience to actually perceive that heart.

However, Dear Miss Lonelyhearts is not the breakthrough into critical acclaim either, hampered by innocuous words and the lack of personality in the arrangements and individual players, Matt Aveiro, Matt Maust and new guy Dann Gallucci. Still, with hook-heavy foot-stompers like “Miracle Mile” and “Bottled Affection,” Asia and amphitheaters and even Elvis Costello seem like attainable heights, with the future suddenly more uncertain than ever, as the standard is raised, and the band desperately needing to take cues from their peers rather than evolve in the same vacuum that has long been nearing full.


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Videos : Nicki Minaj ft. Lil Wayne : High School

Who is Nicki Minaj?
Influenced by the unpredictable rhymes of Missy Elliot along with the sexually charged attitudes of Lil' Kim and Foxy Brown, Queens native Nicki Minaj was discovered thanks to her MySpace page. It was there that Dirty Money Entertainment CEO Fendi first heard her ability to freestyle and first laid eyes on her steamy set of promo shots. With killer curves she was obviously proud to flaunt, plus a background in the performing arts thanks to the Fiorello H. LaGuardia High School of Music and Art (the school that had inspired the movie Fame), Minaj was a perfect fit for Fendi's urban DVD magazine, The Come Up. She appeared in numerous volumes, including number 11, which spotlighted her future label boss, superstar rapper Lil Wayne. Through Fendi, Wayne contacted Minaj and signed her to his Young Money label. They began to build her career through mixtapes like Lil Wayne's Dedication 3 and Minaj's own Sucka Free. Meanwhile, appearances on various remixes — everything from T.I.'s "No Matter What" to Jeffree Star's club track "Cupcakes Taste Like Violence" — helped spread the word.

The big breakthrough for Minaj came when Wayne added his rhymes to her "High as a Kite" single, a mixtape favorite in 2008. The year 2009 would see more guest appearances and mixtapes, including the Beam Me Up Scotty mixtape, featuring the street single "I Get Crazy." In 2010, the singles "Your Love" and "Check It Out" preceded the release of her official debut album, Pink Friday, which debuted that November at number two on the Billboard 200 and went platinum. She earned a handful of 2011 Grammy nominations, including Best New Artist, Best Rap Album, and Best Rap Performance. An all-out media blitz followed between albums with extravagant performances at award shows across the globe, an appearance as musical guest on Saturday Night Live, and joining Madonna — alongside M.I.A. — for her Super Bowl XLVI halftime show. In early 2012, the Eurodance-influenced single "Starships" signaled the coming of her official sophomore effort, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, an album built around her devil-may-care alter ego "Roman Zolanski." Guest artists included Nas, Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, Chris Brown, and Beenie Man, while production came from the likes of RedOne, Dr. Luke, and Ke'Noe. The album was re-released in 2012 in a "Re-Up" version with eight new tracks added to the front of the track list.


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News : Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington To Be Honored At 9th Annual Musicares Map Fund Benefit

Linkin Park have always put as much passion into their worldwide charitable causes as they have their musical endeavors, and now singer Chester Bennington will be honored for those efforts by MusiCares.

The ninth annual MusicCares MAP Fund benefit concert, set for May 30 at Club Nokia in Los Angeles, has announced that Bennington will receive the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award for both his commitment to helping addicts in their recovery process and his longstanding support for the MusiCares MAP Fund.

The MusicCares MAP Fund provides critical access to addiction recovery treatment for members of the music community regardless of their financial status. Bennington has nothing but praise for what they do, saying, “MusiCares MAP Fund is an amazing program that takes care of their own, and actually saves lives.” He continues, “It’s been so rewarding to support them and see firsthand what they’ve accomplished for so many artists.”

In addition to Bennington, MusiCares will also honor legendary skateboarder Tony Alva, who was famously chronicled in the documentary ‘Dogtown and Z-Boys.’ He will receive the MusiCares’ From the Heart award.

Neil Portnow, the President/CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares spoke about Bennington and Alva, explaining, “Chester and Tony are passionate and highly influential artists in their respective professions and each of them has achieved impressive and much-deserved success. What unites them around the mission of MusiCares is their willingness to lend their time and talents to raise funds for our organization, and their desire to be of service to music people struggling with addiction. We truly appreciate their steadfast support and committed generosity.”

Bennington is in good company. Last year, Alice in Chains co-founder Jerry Cantrell took home the Stevie Ray Vaughan Award.

Fans hoping to attend the event can purchase limited general admission tickets starting April 5 here.


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Sources : Chester Bennington Photo | Linkin Park’s Chester Bennington To Be Honored At 9th Annual Musicares Map Fund Benefit Article

Videos : The Dream ft. Fabolous : Slow It Down (Explicit)

Who Is The Dream?
R&B singer/songwriter and producer Terius Youngdell Nash, better known as the-Dream, was born in Rockingham, North Carolina, but moved to Atlanta, Georgia, with his mother at the age of three. He first learned to play trumpet in elementary school, later picking up the drums and guitar. Nash's singing career got off to a slow start once he graduated from high school, but he found success in selling song lyrics after he met R&B producer Laney Stewart in 2001. Stewart helped Nash land his first publishing contract in 2003 in light of his penning "Everything" for B2K's platinum 2002 album Pandemonium! Paired with producer Chris "Tricky" Stewart (Laney's brother), he continued to write songs for various artists over the next four years, such as the Britney Spears/Madonna duet "Me Against the Music." His watershed moment came when he and Tricky created Rihanna's 2007 international smash hit "Umbrella."

Several labels began approaching him so he could churn out more hits for their artists, particularly Def Jam, Rihanna's label, which was reluctant to sign the singer/songwriter at first. Def Jam finally stopped dancing around the issue of signing Nash after he sold number one R&B single "Bed" to Capitol Records newcomer J. Holiday. In fall 2007, Nash released his first single, "Shawty Is da Sh*!" (known on radio as "Shawty Is a 10"), on Def Jam, following up with his solo debut album, Love/Hate, at the end of the year. The album peaked at number five on the R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while its three singles — including "Shawty" — reached the Top Five of the R&B/Hip-Hop Singles chart.

A second album, Love vs Money, followed in March 2009; though it did top the R&B chart and narrowly missed the top spot of the Billboard 200, only one song — "Rockin' That Thang" — received significant airplay. Nash declared that Love King would be his final solo album, but he retracted the statement prior to the disc's June 2010 release. The set debuted in the Top Five of the Billboard 200 and R&B/Hip-Hop charts, though its two charting singles were only minor hits. A sprawling "Internet album" dubbed 1977 and credited to Terius Nash, surfaced as a free digital download in 2011. The following year, "Roc" and "Dope Chick" were issued as singles and charted, but their parent album — titled Love IV MMXII — went through a series of delays. That October, Nash was hired by Def Jam as its vice president of A&R. Just before the end of the year, as Love IV MMXII continued to be delayed, Def Jam gave 1977 an official release.

Even while recording his own material at a steady rate, Nash managed to dish out songs for a wide range of popular artists, including Mary J. Blige ("Just Fine"), Mariah Carey ("Touch My Body"), Beyoncé ("Single Ladies [Put a Ring on It]," for which he won a pair of Grammy Awards), Electrik Red (the entirety of How to Be a Lady, Vol. 1), Justin Bieber ("Baby"), first wife Nivea (whom he divorced in 2007), and second wife Christina Milian (whom he divorced in 2010). Through 2012, he continued to be in demand as a songwriter and guest artist. That year alone, he appeared on 2 Chainz's Based on a T.R.U. Story and Kanye West's Cruel Summer compilation, and he penned material for Keyshia Cole and Rihanna


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Singles : Simon Patterson & Jordan Suckley : Vanilla

Listen To Simon Patterson & Jordan Suckley : Vanilla


Who Is Simon Patterson?
Master craftsman of melancholic melody and the purveyor of razor sharp edges – he is Simon Patterson.

Famed for 11 consecutive #1’s on Beatport as well as all other reputable stores with tracks like Northern Lights, Here and Now, Latika, Thump, Smack, F-16, Bulldozer, Miss You, Taxi and Mood Swing, Simon Patterson’s production back catalogue is an astonishing list of hit after hit record.

Hit records that retained absolute credibility in the underground. How?

With radio support from key stations including BBC R1 (multiple plays & an Essential Mix) and a truly epic DJ support list the gospel according to Simon Patterson spread – rather rapidly.

What followed was a non-stop demanding tour of the world’s hottest festivals and clubs. From London to Australia, Mexico to Singapore, Los Angeles to Mumbai, Simon Patterson is Global and today, he brings forward a new live show, a fresh concept, an exciting visual and audio experience – that will literally blow your tiny little minds.

He’s good. Really good.


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Videos : Chris Brown : Fine China

Who is Chris Brown?
In November 2005, Chris Brown’s Scott Storch-produced “Run It!” — a rewrite of Usher’s “Yeah!” — topped the Billboard Hot 100, making the 16-year-old singer the first male artist in over a decade to top the chart with a debut single. While there was nowhere to go but down, at least in terms of chart positions, the pop-oriented R&B vocalist was only getting started. By the end of the decade, he was one of the biggest active pop stars, with a clutch of Top Ten singles and platinum albums to his credit, along with constant comparisons to Michael Jackson and several acting roles on the side. His momentum slowed little when, in 2009, he pleaded guilty to assaulting girlfriend Rihanna — one of the year’s biggest celebrity news stories.

Brown came from a small Virginia town called Tappahannock. Like a lot of kids born since the early '80s, he was initially into his parents' favorite music but eventually fell under the spell of hip-hop. Around the time he reached puberty, he discovered his singing ability and switched his focus away from MC'ing. A move to New York led to being discovered by Tina Davis, a Def Jam A&R executive who became the singer’s manager shortly after losing her position to the Sony-BMG merger. The Jive label, due in part to its track record with younger artists who had established longevity (like Britney Spears and Justin Timberlake), won the bidding war for Brown and lined up several production and songwriting heavyweights, including Jermaine Dupri, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal, Sean Garrett, and Storch, for his self-titled first album. An immediate Top Ten hit when it was released in 2005, Chris Brown not only featured the number one “Run It!” but two other Top Ten singles in “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” and “Say Goodbye.” Exclusive, released in 2007 and a bit of a departure from the squeaky-clean image displayed throughout the debut, was even more successful, featuring the number one single "Kiss Kiss" and two other Top Five hits. Yet another Top Five hit came with “No Air,” a duet with Jordin Sparks that appeared on Sparks' own self-titled album.

In March 2009, Brown was charged with felonious assault of Rihanna — an altercation that had prevented his then-girlfriend from taking the stage at the Grammy Awards. Brown was scheduled to perform as well, but he did not appear and maintained a low profile for several months. A fairly substantial backlash resulted in Brown’s songs being pulled from rotation on several radio stations. Ultimately, however, it had little bearing on the progress of his music and acting careers; the week prior to the December release of his third album, Graffiti, the single “I Can Transform Ya” was well on its way to reaching the Top 20 of the Hot 100, and his acting roles — which had already included spots in Stomp the Yard and a recurring role on The O.C. — hadn’t shown any sign of drying up. Graffiti fell considerably short of gold-selling status, but it was nominated for a Grammy award in the category of Best Contemporary R&B Album, and the Tank collaboration "Take My Time" was nominated for Best R&B Performance by a Duo or Group with Vocals. Weeks after the 2011 Grammy Awards ceremony, Brown released his fourth album, F.A.M.E., which already had four singles on the charts. That album topped the Billboard 200 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop charts, and it also took the 2012 Grammy for Best R&B Album. During the ceremony, he performed a medley of "Beautiful People" (off F.A.M.E.) and "Turn Up the Music," the latter of which previewed Fortune, his fifth album, released in May 2012


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