Steven Page splits with Barenaked Ladies

TORONTO (AP) — Singer-guitarist Steven Page has left the Barenaked Ladies.

The news comes several months after drug charges against Page were dropped in the U.S. His arrest came after the band, known for its clean-cut image and whimsical lyrics, released an album of children's songs titled "Snacktime."

The band's Web site said Wednesday that Page will pursue solo projects, including theatrical opportunities.

Page, his girlfriend and her roommate were charged with drug possession in July after police found cocaine at an apartment in New York state. In late October, all three secured a deal to have charges dropped if they stayed out of trouble for six months.

Band co-founder Ed Robertson said the decision to split was mutual, came after months after discussions and was not based solely on the charges.

"Certainly, that was a huge event in all of our lives," Robertson said. "It would be ridiculous to say it didn't have a huge effect. I'm just saying this split isn't about that."

The band does not plan to replace Page for now, but will go ahead with four members, Robertson said. They will return to the studio in April and will tour in the fall.

Page wished the band the best.

"These guys are my brothers," he said in the online statement. "We've grown up together over the past 20 years. I love them and wish them all the best in the future."

The band was formed in Toronto and released 12 albums, producing hits such as "If I Had $1,000,000," "Brian Wilson" and "Too Little, Too Late."

The other members will return to the studio in April and will tour in the fall.

"It's the start of a new chapter for all of us," band member Ed Robertson said. "Here's to the future!"

Do you want to get Lucky tonight?

8 years after his last original set, Chris Isaak has sprung a new album on his fans. Mr. Lucky is available in the U.S. and Canada next Tuesday, but you can check out a preview of the full thing right here:

http://new.music.yahoo.com/programs/earlyedition/

Daptone Records robbed

"Friends and associates,

"As you may have heard through the grapevine by now, Daptone was broken into last night. Unfortunately, there was a lot of equipment (mics, pre-amps, monitors, turntables, guitars, amps, computers, etc.) stolen and damaged. It is going to take us a while to go through everything and take full stock of what was stolen, and we are not supposed to touch anything until the cops come back to collect fingerprints so we can only guess what's missing from some mic drawers and cabinets.
And, no, we did not have insurance. We had been shopping around with different companies earlier this month but had not signed a check, so nothing was insured. We are working on replacing the gate in front, installing an alarm system, and getting insurance, but it is President's day so it's not going as quickly as we would have liked.
Nydia's computer was stolen (which wasn't backed up) and the modems/ phone system was ripped out, so we'll be relatively out of commission for a few days.

I would like to ask for everyone's help first in keeping an eye out for all of our stuff showing up on ebay/craigslist/local music shops, and secondly (and more realistically) keeping an eye out for good deals on headphones, mics, pre-amps, etc. I could really use a heads up on any kind of studio package for sale or studio equipment to be possibly bought or borrowed as soon as possible. We have a session scheduled for Friday to lay down some music for (I know this sounds
surreal) Rod Stewart, and I'm going to have to get the studio running by then. I know I'm going to need to find headphones, cables, mics, and pre-amps by then. I'm not sure what else yet.

List of gear and Gabriel Roth's letter continued below...

FROM GABRIEL ROTH

Upon first glance we are definitely missing:
Fender Super Guitar Amp in case
Fender Deluxe Guitar Amp
A whole bunch of headphones and wires
Nydia's HP laptop computer
One Desktop MacIntosh Computer
One Purple Audio API style lunchbox with four Purple Audio Biz mic pre-amps
2 Yamaha NS10 monitors
Vintage Harmony Rocket Guitar
One steel string acoustic guitar
Martin Tenor sax in a gig bag
Technics 1200 turntable
Ion USB turntable
Teac Receiver/stereo amp
Sony dual deck CD burner/player
All of our modem/phone system stuff was ripped out and taken.
A whole bunch of condensor and dynamic microphones (I still need to figure out exactly what's missing) The power supply for my Trident console was tossed and the board was moved (probably not gently) so the status of that is still questionable.
A baldwin organ was tossed and is probably broken.
Lacie External hard drive

Over the next few days, as we sort out the rubble, we are going to figure out what else we lost.

We are putting in a roll down front gate, alarm system, and finally getting our insurance happening this week. We are also going to hire a security guard to watch the house for tonight as the cops and alarm guy seemed pretty confident that they will be back with a truck now that they've seen what's in here.

Thanks for keeping eyes open for us. AND PLEASE PASS THIS MESSAGE ALONG TO ANYONE YOU THINK MIGHT BE ABLE TO HELP US.

Thankfully, we all still have our health, ambition, tape machines, and sense of humor in tact. You can slow us down, but you can't stop us. Sleep well knowing we here at Daptone will continue to...

Keep putting Soul up,

Gabriel Roth

P.S. On a lighter note, it seems like the burglars did drop a few items in order to lift Alex's old safe out of here, which was VERY heavy, VERY unwieldy, and also VERY EMPTY!"

RECOMMENDED ALBUM: The Annie Lennox Collection

ANNIE LENNOX

RELEASES HER FIRST-EVER RETROSPECTIVE

ON SALE NOW (US),
MARCH 9th, 2009 (UK)

TWO NEW SONGS AND LIMITED DELUXE CD/DVD EDITION AVAILABLE
EXCLUSIVELY WITH THIS COLLECTION


(Los Angeles – CA – January 28, 2009) The Annie Lennox Collection paints a vivid portrait in song of the most successful female British artist in pop music history. Available on February 17 from Arista Records, this 14-song retrospective brings together the acclaimed artist’s finest solo work on a single disc for the first time, and includes a pair of new songs recorded exclusively for this release.


Spanning 15 years, The Annie Lennox Collection also available in a limited deluxe CD/DVD edition includes hits from her four top-selling solo albums Diva (1992), Medusa (1995), Bare (2003) and last year’s highly praised Songs of Mass Destruction (2007). The timeless music selected for this collection uniquely reflects the essence of the singer’s instantly recognizable brand of soul music on tracks like “Why,” “Walking on Broken Glass” and “No More ‘I Love You’s’” — a song that earned Lennox one of her four Grammys.
“It seems like the time has come to release the Collection,” Lennox says of her first best-of set. “I’m very proud of these songs. They are timeless and have become ‘classics’ in their own right.”

The two new songs that Lennox recorded specially for this collection include “Pattern of My Life,” written by Tom Chaplin of Keane. The second is a cover of Shining Light, a song originally recorded in 2001 by Ash. “I first discovered this song by Ash about six years ago, and I simply couldn’t stop listening to it. It’s so exultant that it virtually shimmers,” Lennox says. “Shining Light” is the retrospective’s first single and hitting the airwaves of Adult Top 40 and hot AC formats February 9. Look for the video to premiere exclusively on AOL Music this week..


On February 10, Annie Lennox will perform songs from her new collection and interview with New York Times chief pop music critic, Jon Pareles at The New York Times Talk Live - An Evening with Annie Lennox. Her promotional tour continues with performances on Good Morning America (ABC) February 10 and Live With Regis & Kelly (ABC) February 11. On February 13, Lennox will perform on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno (NBC) and the GRAMMY Museum at LA Live will host An Evening with Annie Lennox. The night will include an Audience Q&A session and special performance. A one hour 5-song performance and interview A&E Television Private Sessions will air March 8.

During The 2008 American Music Awards, Justin Timberlake presented Lennox with the Award of Merit. In years past this award has been given to some of the industry’s most influential artists. Previous honorees include Prince, Whitney Houston, Frank Sinatra, James Brown, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Paul McCartney, Elvis Presley, Neil Diamond and Gloria Estefan. During the show, Lennox give a special performance of Why which was her first appearance since having back surgery in August 2008.

“There are certain musicians that other musicians love, and she is one of those special artists, held in the highest regard by her peers.,” Timberlake said of Lennox, “l love that she's always been on the cutting edge of fashion, she's always looked so so cool and taught us how to look cool. Then there's her humanitarian work. She's been an activist for just causes all over the world, mostly in silent ways that you've never even heard about. She does this from her heart, motivated purely by love."


Among the many highlights on The Annie Lennox Collection is “Sing,” a song that references The SING Campaign, a humanitarian organization Lennox founded to raise awareness and support for the AIDS/HIV pandemic in Africa. “We’re still in the early stages, but this is a lifelong commitment on my part,” Lennox says. “I’m coming out from behind my singing voice to express myself in broader terms and help give a voice to those who don’t have the same opportunities as I do.”

A dynamic activist, Lennox recently received the Red Cross Services to Humanity Award, the YouthAids outstanding achievement award, was named the 2008 Glamour Inspirational Woman of the Year and sang for Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration this summer in London.

In her 26-year career, both as a member of the groundbreaking Eurythmics and as a solo artist, Lennox has amassed sales of more than 78 million albums worldwide. Her towering achievements also include 34 hit singles, four Grammy Awards, 11 Brit Awards and five Ivor Novello Awards. The superstar has also won an Academy Award and Golden Globe.


The Annie Lennox Collection

CD/DELUXE CD Track Listing
1. “Little Bird”
2. “Walking on Broken Glass”
3. “Why”
4. “No More I Love You’s”
5. “Precious”
6. “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
7. “A Thousand Beautiful Things”
8. “Sing”
9. “Pavement Cracks”
10. “Love Song for a Vampire”
11. “Cold”
12. “Dark Road”
13. “Pattern of My Life”
14. “Shining Light”

LIMITED EDITION DELUXE DVD

1. “Little Bird”
2. “Walking on Broken Glass”
3. “Why”
4. “No More I Love You’s”
5. “Precious”
6. “A Whiter Shade of Pale”
7. “A Thousand Beautiful Things”
8. “Sing”
9. “Pavement Cracks”
10. “Cold”
11. “Dark Road”

iTunes Super Deluxe Audio + Video version also available.



Nice band! Do you think she'll take them on tour?

Leonard Cohen to release Live In London CD/DVD

LEONARD COHEN to Release New "Live In London" CD/DVD

MUSIC NEWS - Columbia Records has announced the release of Leonard Cohen's Live In London , a March 31, 2009 release of the legendary singer-songwriter-musician-painter-poet's historic 2008 concert; available as either a DVD or 2 CD set. The show was recorded live on July 17, 2008 at London's 02 Arena. Live In London will offer the definitive performances of classic songs drawn from the his 40-year repertory. After his 2008 World Tour sold more than 700,000 tickets on 84 shows worldwide, Leonard Cohen is again performing live and coming to NYC's newly renovated Beacon Theatre on February 19 to perform his first US concert in 15 years (he's also booked for the Coachella Festival on April 17, 2009).

Leonard Cohen's first newly recorded release since 2004's gold-certified Dear Heather (buy cd here ) , Live In London release fully captures and recreates the extraordinary show that earned Cohen, who celebrated his 40th year as a Columbia Records artist in 2007, more than 80 five-star reviews for performances during his fall 2008 UK and European tour. Leonard Cohen's return to live performance in Canada and Europe was met with extraordinary and unanimous accolades throughout 2008.

When inducting him into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in March 2008, Lou Reed singled out Leonard Cohen as among the "highest and most influential echelon of songwriters."

The first Leonard Cohen concert collection to be released since 2001's Field Commander Cohen: Tour of 1979 (buy CD here ) , Live In London includes the following: Disc 1 - 1. Dance Me To The End Of Love 2. The Future 3. Ain't No Cure For Love 4. Bird On The Wire 5. Everybody Knows 6. In My Secret Life 7. Who By Fire 8. Hey, That's No Way To Say Goodbye 9. Anthem 10. Introduction 11. Tower Of Song 12. Suzanne 13. The Gypsy's Wife

Disc 2 - 1. Boogie Street 2. Hallelujah 3. Democracy 4. I'm Your Man 5. Recitation w/ N.L. 6. Take This Waltz 7. So Long, Marianne 8. First We Take Manhattan 9. Sisters Of Mercy 10. If It Be Your Will 11. Closing Time 12. I Tried To Leave You 13. Wither Thou Goest

Tori Amos' new album title announced.

New CD, ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, Due Spring 2009

(New York, NY, February 17, 2009) There will be thousands of artists and tens of thousands of music fans gathering at over 60 venues for this year’s South By Southwest Music Conference in Austin, TX, but all eyes will be on groundbreaking star Tori Amos, headlining one of the most anticipated events in the conference’s two decade-plus history, on Thursday, March 19, at historic Austin club, La Zona Rosa.

The Grammy nominated singer/songwriter is headlining a star-studded Universal Republic Records showcase at the popular venue, sure to be looked on as one of the must-see events of the four day festival. Tori will be performing new songs from her upcoming Universal Republic debut album, ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, scheduled to hit stores and the digital domain this spring, as well as other classics from her influential repertoire.

Tori’s recent signing with Universal Republic is in keeping with the inventive star’s unconventional approach to the artist/record company relationship. Universal Republic will distribute Tori’s new album, as well as correlate other ventures in tandem with Tori’s prolific creative output. ABNORMALLY ATTRACTED TO SIN, her tenth studio album, is another innovative chapter in the artist’s trailblazing story. Every track on the album will be accompanied by a corresponding ‘visualette,’ featuring footage that has been captured over the past year. Shot in HD and Super 8, the visualettes will incorporate a documentary style.

Tori’s most recent album, AMERICAN DOLL POSSE, which has been hailed by Rolling Stone magazine as ‘her best album in years,’ was released in 2007 to a chorus of rave reviews. The captivating album, like many of her previous efforts, adhered to a strong conceptual theme, with Tori inhabiting multiple archetypal female personae, a testament to her willingness to continue to push the boundaries of the female singer/songwriter.

Regarded as one of the most emotionally fearless live artists in music today, her most recent world tour, launched in the summer of 2007, saw her soar with her first full-fledged rock band in nearly a decade. Media platforms such as the BBC lauded both her live show and album as ‘returning Tori Amos back to the forefront of a genre she defined…still pushing her own boundaries.’

New Dylan album on the way.

Undercover.AU:

Bob Dylan Has One On The Way

by Paul Cashmere - February 17 2009

Bob Dylan has completed a follow-up to his 2006 album Modern Times.

Fan site bobdylanisis.com reports that Bob recorded the album in California last October.

The new Dylan could be released as early as April.

Isis stated that the finished album has been taken to Europe already and that listening sessions for Sony executives have taken place in London, Munich and Oslo.

The album is currently untitled.

The new album will follow-up what became known as the trilogy. The trilogy albums were ‘Time Out Of Mind’, released in 1997, ‘Love and Theft’ from 2001 and ‘Modern Times’ in 2006.

The three albums were Bob’s most successful works since ‘Slow Train Coming’ from 1979.

The new album will be Bob’s 33rd studio album.

He released his first album ‘Bob Dylan’ in 1962. It failed to make the US chart but reached number 13 in England.

His next album ‘The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan’ was released the following year and reached number 22 in America. It featured ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’. ‘A Hard Rains A-Gonna Fall’ and ‘Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right’.

Dylan then released two albums in 1964. The title track of ‘The Times They Are A Changin’ became a Dylan classic.

The new album is expected to feature 10 new Dylan songs.

New Chris Isaak TV show premieres this month

BIO PREMIERES NEW ORIGINAL TALK AND MUSIC PERFORMANCE SHOW "THE CHRIS ISAAK HOUR"

HOSTED BY GRAMMY NOMINATED SINGER/SONGWRITER CHRIS ISAAK SERIES DEBUTS THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 26 AT 10PM ET/ 11PM PT AND WILL FEATURE

TRISHA YEARWOOD, STEVIE NICKS AND GLEN CAMPBELL AMONG FIRST GUESTS

New York, NY JANUARY 27, 2009 Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Chris Isaak will host BIO's new original series, "The Chris Isaak Hour" debuting on Thursday, February 26 at 10pm ET/ 11pm PT. Each weekly one hour episode will feature one of music's most popular artists in an intimate studio setting.

"On my show artists get to talk and really get to know my guests and the sound is always great. On most TV shows, artists are asked one question at the end of the show and the sound is a bit shaky," said Chris Isaak. "I also get to share in the thrill of meeting and performing with great artists like Glen Campbell one week and Michael Buble the next. I'm having a blast."

"Chris Isaak is one of the most engaging and talented performers in show business," said Tom Moody, Senior Vice President Program Planning & Acquisitions, A&E Network & BIO. "He is intelligent and funny and has an amazing rapport with his guests in both conversations and musical performances."

Through a blend of storytelling and performance, each guest will be interviewed by Isaak and relive the highs and lows of their careers. Whether it's a spontaneous acoustical performance with Chris during an interview or their full band live on stage, each artist will perform their own material and the songs of those who inspired them. The show's fresh tone and retro style are driven by the singular talent of host Chris Isaak. Intelligent, thoughtful and sometimes irreverent, Isaak's special gift is creating an atmosphere that puts his guests completely at ease.

The series premiere will feature Trisha Yearwood, and will include the first ever performance of Breaking Apart, a duet from Isaak's new album. Additional guests include Stevie Nicks, Smashing Pumpkins, Chicago, Glen Campbell, Michael Buble and Yusuf Islam (formerly Cat Stevens).

Isaak previously starred in the critically acclaimed "The Chris Isaak Show" which ran for three seasons. Known for his legendary live shows with his longtime band Silvertone, Isaak has released nine extraordinary albums and been nominated twice for a Grammy. He has also acted in several motion pictures including, Silence of the Lambs, Married to the Mob and Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me. Even his hair has its own fan club. Chris Isaak's new CD of original tunes "Mr. Lucky" is scheduled to be released simultaneously with "The Chris Isaak Hour" on Reprise Records.

"The Chris Isaak Hour" is produced for BIO by Scott Sternberg Productions. Executive Producers are Scott Sternberg, Patrick Murphy, Chris Isaak and Sheryl Louis. Executive producers for BIO are Robert Sharenow, Tom Moody and Andy Berg.

About BIO

At BIO, we prove that the truth about people is always more entertaining than fiction. BIO is about real people and their real lives: up close and personal, gritty and provocative, always unfiltered. BIO original series uncover the real drama in people stories: everyday situations with a twist; celebrities going off-script; people-centric crime stories and paranormal events. In addition to being the exclusive home to the Emmy-Award winning Biography series, the dynamic blend of original and acquired series on BIO includes I Survived, Final 24, Psychic Investigators, the William Shatner hosted talk show, Shatner's Raw Nerve and The Chris Isaak Hour an upcoming one-hour program hosted by Chris Isaak. The 24-hour network is now available in more than 52 million households. The BIO web site is located at www.bio.com.