Archive for the ‘Top Music’ category
Craig Campbell
The voice is straight-forward and powerful. The songs are down-to-earth portraits of real people from the American heartland. The sound is traditional, unapologetic country. Bigger Picture Group introduces Craig Campbell with the 2010 single ‘Family Man,’ a song that incorporates the centerpiece of his life, the source of his emotional strength and the reason he wakes up in the morning. ‘Craig Campbell,’ his debut album, blends Campbell’s masculine, no-nonsense vocal style with solid, salt-of-the-earth songs about America’s working class. It’s a timeless sound, one that links him directly to Travis Tritt and Alan Jackson, who likewise built their style on such predecessors as George Jones and Hank Williams Jr. ‘It’s traditional, back-to-basics, true country music,’ Campbell says. ‘It’s what I am. I can’t be anything else.’
Passion, Pain & Pleasure
‘While the words Passion, Pain and Pleasure immediately invoke sexual thoughts, for me they have become somewhat of a personal mantra because they so accurately describe this time in my life,’ says Trey Songz. ‘The passion I have for my art fuels my drive and work ethic, while the sacrifice of my personal life to benefit my career will always be a source of pain. The pleasure that I derive from my work and my accomplishments make everything worth it. When I began conceptualizing the new album, these three words stuck in my head. They completely infiltrated my creative process, so it was inevitable that they became the album title.”PASSION, PAIN & PLEASURE’ is Songz’ hugely anticipated follow-up to 2009s RIAA gold-certified smash, ‘READY.’ From the bouncy first single, ‘Bottoms Up (Feat. Nicki Minaj)’ to the driving, rock-infused ‘Blind,’ the new album sees the Virginia-based R&B superstar energized and evolving as he continues to refine his mastery of of sultry, soulful song-craft.’This album is a step closer to me recording without inhibitions,’ says Songz. ‘It embodies the best parts of ‘READY’ with the heart of ‘ANTICIPATION’ and the originality of ‘I GOTTA MAKE IT.” Songz enlisted a company of gifted producers to accompany him on his artistic journey, including Bei Maejor, Tha Bizness, Mario Winans, Mark Jackson, Kane Beatz and, of course, his longtime production partner, Songbook Entertainment founder Troy Taylor. As ever, Trey displays effortless vocal dexterity while simultaneously relaying complex emotional depth and power. The throbbing, minimalist ‘Can’t Be Friends’ and the classic R&B romance of ‘Please Return My Call’ reveal reflective and introspective themes of love and human relations, stressing the sensual above the overtly sexual. ‘This is the album where I talk to the people who think all I can sing about is sex,’ says Songz. ‘I take a step further out of that realm, although I do keep one foot in.’ ‘PASSION, PAIN & PLEASURE’ marks Songz’ first new release since making the transition from rapidly rising young artist to bonafide R&B superstar. ‘READY’ was a true breakthrough, giving Trey his first-ever Billboard 200 Top Ten debut on its way to RIAA gold certification. Fueled by an infinite streak of hit singles including ‘I Need A Girl,’ ‘LOL 
(Feat. Gucci Mane and Soulja Boy Tell ‘Em),’ ‘Successful (Drake & Trey Songz),’ ‘I Invented Sex,’ ‘Neighbors Know My Name,’ and ‘Say Aah.’ ‘READY’ received a Grammy Award nomination for ‘Best Contemporary R&B Album.’An assortment of major awards followed, including the prestigious title of ‘Best Male R&B Artist’ at the 2010 BET Awards. That triumph capped an extraordinary year that included touring as both headliner and special guest on Jay-Z’s massive ‘BP3 Tour 2010,’ numerous TV appearances, and star-studded recording sessions like Lionel Richie and Quincy Jones’ new version of ‘We Are The World,’ benefiting Haitian earthquake relief organizations. All that and more was documented in Trey’s hugely popular docu-series, ‘My Moment.’ An unqualified ratings sensation, the 10-part BET documentary provided an exclusive window into Songz’ life and career, chronicling everything up to and including the making of the new album.The late, great Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun once declared Trey to be ‘among the most promising R&B artists we have had on Atlantic since we started the company 60 years ago.’ That promise long fulfilled, ‘PASSION, PAIN & PLEASURE’ now confidently confirms Trey Songz’ rightful place at the very forefront of contemporary urban music.’I've had three albums before this, but only one was really a hit,’ he says. ‘This album will show that I’m not going anywhere.’
Endgame
Doomsday scenarios are often predictive about an ending in life, revealing just what would occur if the world pushed itself to the brink of extinction. And the term “endgame” typically parallels such thinking, often evoking concepts of finality or termination. But for Rise Against, this particular endgame might just be their beginning. As the title of the band’s sixth full-length studio album–and the moniker of the album’s title track–Endgame is indicative of both a world that has run its course, and perhaps ushering in an entirely new start. “It’s about a dangerous time in civilization, the end of life,” says vocalist/guitarist Tim McIlrath. “What if the life that we’re living right now is this unsustainable bubble that cannot go on and perhaps does not deserve to go on? What if the world we created is a place that is so unnatural and ugly that it is a world that needs to come to an end, so that we could have a world that is better for everybody? It sounds very utopian, but it’s not about a perfect place, but maybe some of these things we’re doing, they need to come to an end.” McIlrath, bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes and guitarist Zach Blair have been making these striking personal and political statements, and providing prompts of great magnitude throughout their remarkable catalog by offering songs that aren’t just merely sung, but very much thought about. And it’s thought that has made Rise Against such an important band to its ever-expanding fanbase. For the Chicago-based punk group, the creation of dialogue and discourse with listeners has allowed for a response and career trajectory that’s been overwhelmingly positive since the band’s launch over a decade ago. Rise Against’s previous effort, 2008′s Appeal to Reason, further escalated the noteworthy attention already generated by prior successes, including The Sufferer and the Witness (2006) and Siren Song for the Counterculture (2004), which had provided such hits as “Swing Life Away,” “Ready to Fall,” “Prayer of the Refugee” and “Savior.” And Endgame simply picks up on such highlights. Endgame was largely assembled in the latter half of 2010. The band opted to return to production veterans Bill Stevenson and Jason Livermore at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colo., and mixed with Chris Lord-Alge, who also worked on Rise Against’s previous two albums. The album’s first single, “Help Is On The Way” was inspired by McIlrath’s recent visit during a retreat in New Orleans. “It was a post-Katrina New Orleans, and I was down at the Gulf, going to the Lower Ninth Ward, seeing the damage and meeting people,” he recalls. “It was so eye opening to see how important the city was and to realize that a city like this existed within American borders at all and to see how much it was hurting was something that was really emotional and dramatic.” McIlrath notes that the song stems from a lot of that imagery that remains embedded in his thoughts. “I wanted to paint a picture of what happened down there and what is happening down there, and even though New Orleans is moving away from the spotlight a little bit, there’s still a lot recovery that people don’t see that takes place every day and it’s still an important place in America and in the world. It’s a place that should not be forgotten about. It’s a hopeful title in a sense, but there are a couple different things, as in help is on the way but it never came. It still needs a lot more help, it still needs to happen.” On Endgame, Rise Against also shifts the spotlight to homophobia via “Make it Stop,” a topic McIlrath says really hasn’t been addressed in the rock scene. The catalyst for the song occurred in September 2010, after a wave of gay teen suicides. According to McIlrath, the band received e-mails from gay fans who had contemplated suicide due to the harsh climates in which they live and the harsh world that judges who they are. “That’s something I’ve seen firsthand,” he says. “It’s bummed me out to create this community of fans, where you want everybody to feel accepted, but then to realize that there are people that don’t feel accepted, even at your own shows, even at a Rise Against show, where we go out of our way to let you know that if you are here, you belong here, no matter who you are. It’s a place where everyone is welcome. But we’d hear from fans about homophobia in the scene, or even hear from fans who are unsure about how Rise Against feels about homosexuality. That was what alarmed me the most, was to have a fan that even had a question in their mind about where we stood on it. I guess I looked back on our career and Rise Against had never made a definitive statement.” The definitive statement Rise Against makes on Endgame is that the band is open to any sexual preference. “It’s something that we certainly don’t judge,” McIlrath says. “I felt there needed to be a song, which came from our world, because I feel that the rock world stays pretty silent. I wanted to put water where the fire was. I wanted to do a song that, first, lets fans know that we don’t tolerate bigotry in our audience and, second, empower fans who are coming to grips with their own sexuality, empower them to be proud of who they are and that we accept them, and create a community that accepts them.” Endgame also features “Architect,” a song inspired by the forefathers and historical figures of civil rights and activism, including Thoreau, Malcolm X and Howard Zinn. “They were designing a world in which we would be able to live in,” McIlrath says. “They fought for the design of everything that we can enjoy as Americans and people in the world today. The song is posing the question: Is our generation producing those architects now? It’s wondering if our generation is so overcome with cynicism and apathy that we are in danger of not creating these architects. Every right that we enjoy as Americans, somebody was out there with a picket sign to get it.” And McIlrath sees Endgame’s “Survivor Guilt” as a sequel to “Hero of War,” which appeared on Appeal to Reason, hailing from the perspective of a ghost of a soldier who fought for his or her country. But it’s important to note that the spectrum of material presented on Endgame is counterbalanced with a number of personal subjects, including the song “This Is Letting Go” which is based around a story McIlrath had penned. “The songs to me are a selection of who we are as people,” says McIlrath. “We’re not 100 percent political or 100 percent personal. We’re people with many different cares and passions. Many different things make up our daily lives. I don’t consider myself any more political than those out there who care about the world they live in.” And as for the pressure in following up its string of successes–which now includes three gold-awarded albums and gold singles–McIlrath says it’s all internally generated. “The pressure that we feel is the pressure that we put on ourselves,” he says. “We try to step up our game on each record and create something that’s relevant, new and fresh, and is still Rise Against. I want to give my perspective, and from the punk community, take in what’s happening, interpret that and put it into a song, letting the world know how we feel about it. That’s the goal behind a lot of the music.”
Enjoy Yourself
The fourth album from Mercury Nashville singer/songwriter BILLY CURRINGTON is set for release SEPTEMBER 21. The album is entitled ENJOY YOURSELF, and includes the crooner’s #1 smash hit “Pretty Good At Drinkin’ Beer” written by Troy Jones. Enjoy Yourself, featuring the Georgia native’s trademark mix of country, R&B and beach music, is produced by Currington and Carson Chamberlain.
The Hits Collection, Vol. 1
After eleven #1 albums, the ultimate collection from the man who re-defines music and culture. Jay -Z The Hits Collection features tops hits from each of Jay’s albums including chart toppers Run This Town, Empire State Of Mind, 99 Problems, Izzo, `03 Bonnie & Clyde (feat. Beyonce), Hard Knock Life and more!
Greatest Hits…So Far!!! (Deluxe CD/DVD)
DVD Track Listing:1.There You Go2.Most Girls3.Just Like A Pill4.Get The Party Started5.Don t Let Me Get Me6.Family Portrait7.Stupid Girls8.Who Knew9.U + Ur Hand10.Dear Mr. President – From I m Not Dead Live – Wembley Arena11.So What12.Sober13.Please Don t Leave Me14.Funhouse15.I Don t Believe You16.Glitter In The Air – From Funhouse Live in Australia17.Leave Me Alone (I m Lonely) – The Funhouse Freak Show Edition 18.Please Don t Leave Me – The Funhouse Freak Show Edition19.Funhouse – The Funhouse Freak Show Edition BEHIND THE SCENES:-Of The Funhouse Video -Of The Greatest Hits…So Far!!! Photo Shoot
Graffiti
2009 release from the R&B star. Preparing for his 2009 release Graffiti, Chris Brown has crossed the threshold from teenager to young man. Experiencing the growing pains, challenges, loves and losses of the past year, Chris has found his way as an artist. While creating his own distinct sound, he has put together a body of work that captures the many dimensions of youth: lost love, disappointment and self discovery counterbalanced with swagger, ambition and partying. Graffiti represents the gateway to Chris’ next chapter as an artist and young adult.
Wasting Light
Produced by Butch Vig and mixed by Alan Moulder, Wasting Light was recorded entirely on analog tape in the garage of Grohl s home in California s San Fernando Valley. The no computers/no software back to basics approach has resulted in arguably the strongest and most cohesive effort of the band s 15-year-plus career: From first single Rope to the frenetic opener Bridge Burning to the beautifully bipolar These Days to stunning guest spots from Bob Mould ( Dear Rosemary”) and Krist Novoselic (“I Should Have Known”), Wasting Light is a singular triumph: a band that s headlined arenas, stadiums and festivals the world over stripping itself down to the bare essentials and coming up with a world class band s finest hour.
2011 GRAMMY Nominee GRAMMY Nominees 2011
The best selling GRAMMY® Nominees album series contains the biggest hits each year and the 2011 GRAMMY® Nominees release is no exception. On December 1st, 2010, this year’s GRAMMY® nominations were announced on a live TV broadcast and the 53rd Annual GRAMMY® Awards will air live on February 13th. This collection features the biggest hits from this year’s nominated artists. A portion of the proceeds of the CD benefit MusiCares® Foundation and the GRAMMY® Foundation, two charitable organizations established by The Recording Academy.
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