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The Musical World Gets Together to Help Haiti

PopSugar — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 08:32:10 PST

One day after music's biggest stars gathered in LA for the Grammys, many of them reconvened at the Jim Henson studios yesterday to record a new version of "We Are the World." The premiere of the single, which benefits Haiti, will take place during the Feb. 12 broadcast of the Vancouver Olympics opening ceremony on NBC. Kanye West was fresh from the French couture shows to join Jennifer Hudson and Wyclef Jean, while Joel Madden brought along little Harlow, who apparently flirted with the Jonas Brothers and Kanye. Benji Madden chatted with Rashida Jones, while Justin Bieber and Harry Connick Jr. mingled with Vince Vaughn.

Nicole Richie was there with Joel and Harlow, later joking, "I hope Jennifer Hudson wasn't upset that I was out singing her tonight." Lil Wayne had a little solo studio time, while Miley Cyrus and Pink bonded for a bit. Celine Dion, meanwhile, looked happy to share a moment with all three Jonas Brothers. Rashida's father, legendary producer Quincy Jones, was the man behind the original version of the song produced 25 years ago, and he was there again leading Hollywood's latest effort to help Haiti while also honoring Michael Jackson.

To see more from the event, just

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Images include: Josh Groban, Adam Levine, Jeff Bridges, Benji Madden, Joel Madden, Kid Cudi, Harry Connick Jr, Vince Vaughn, Jamie Foxx, Snoop Dogg, Natalie Cole, Kanye West, Jennifer Hudson, Joe Jonas, Jason Mraz, Nick Jonas, Kevin Jonas, T-Pain, Harlow Madden, Justin Bieber, Enrique Iglesias, Wyclef Jean, Toni Braxton, India Arie, Lionel Richie, Lil Wayne, LL Cool J, Miley Cyrus, Pink, Gladys Knight, Celine Dion, Usher, Rashida Jones, Quincy Jones

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 15:30:52 PST

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. In addition to my picks below, Lily Allen's new album hits stores today as well. Here are today's selections:

From the folks who brought you "J**z in My Pants": The Lonely Island (TLI), founded by Andy Samberg and friends, has released its first album and includes greatest hits like "Dick In a Box" featuring Justin Timberlake and "Lazy Sunday" featuring Chris Parnell. But there are so many new songs that are equally hysterical and surprisingly catchy. No, seriously - I want to dance to "Boombox", which features Julian Casablancas, lead singer of The Strokes. The collaborations go on and on including: Norah Jones, Jack Black, and T-Pain.

Live + music = good: Live From the Artists Den is a concert series turned television show, where it airs I do not know (see that? Rhyming). They manage to snag some pretty great artists to perform in some cool venues and now there's a CD compilation of these live performances. The artists on this particular volume include The Hold Steady performing "Sequestered in Memphis," Ani DiFranco performing "Present/Infact," and Aimee Mann performing "31 Today." The sound quality is fantastic! I highly recommend the download.

It's a great day for music. Two more exciting picks up next so

Gone solo: Man oh man, do I enjoy Black Keys, so I've been patiently waiting for Dan Auerbach's solo venture to come out and I'm happy to report that so far I like it. His voice sounds great and each of the bluesy tunes has a little dusting of psychedelia. His sexy electric guitar is something I could listen to all day long. Check out "Whispered Words" and a very beautiful and sparse song titled "When the Night Comes."

Queen of hearts: Aw, India Arie. Sometimes her lyrics are a little (hmm, how to put this. . .) obvious, I guess, but I still can't resist her empowering music. Listening to an album of hers makes me feel like I'm starring in my own reality show and the opening credits are rolling. But anyway, check out the uplifting track "Therapy", and the very pretty "Long Goodbye".

India Arie Is Not Her Hair

BellaSugar — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 12:00:20 PST

Back in 2001, I picked up Acoustic Soul by India Arie and liked it a lot. Unfortunately, I lost track of her until this week, when I ran across a video for "I Am Not My Hair." The song came out in 2006, but its message of self-acceptance and confidence is timeless. India sings about her experiences with "good" and "bad" hair, running through a long list of hairstyles she's worn throughout her life. It's a smart examination of the personal politics of black hair, and a pretty catchy tune, too. And as much as I think the word "empowering" is overused and misused, it fits this song perfectly.

Album Review: The Sex and the City Movie Soundtrack

BuzzSugar — Fri, 23 May 2008 16:30:00 PDT

I was lucky enough to take an advance spin of the new soundtrack for the Sex and the City movie and I immediately thought of good times with girlfriends. In aggregate, it's not entirely a get-up-and-shake-your-booty kind of mix, but just a cool bunch of songs about love and friendship. I think it would be quite perfect for the background music at a hip wedding shower actually.

The soundtrack is packed with a bunch of recognizable names, like Jennifer Hudson, whose tune "All Dressed in Love" is a cute, uptempo disco anthem that reminds me of the exuberance found in "It's Raining Men." Morningwood's (ha! That name!) "New York Girls" is not my favorite, and if I were in charge of finding a good retro-rock vibe for the album (or the movie) I would have gone with Franz Ferdinand or even the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. That and the smooth techno beats in "I Like the Way" by Kaskade are the kinds of tracks mixed between better songs that give the whole thing the "background music" vibe I'm talking about.

To check out who else is included and the rest of my thoughts,

I love The Weepies' sweet little "All This Beauty," as well as the lovely and intimate cover of "How Deep Is Your Love" by The Bird & The Bee. And I'm always glad when Jem shows up on soundtracks, as she tends to do (The O.C., Six Feet Under) and her song "It's Amazing" fits right in with the rest. As does India Arie's cover of "Heart of the Matter" (featured in the trailer) which is a pleasant take on Don Henley's hit.

One song that sticks out like a sore thumb is Fergie's "Labels Or Love," which thankfully comes first so you can skip over it and not worry about it randomly rearing its ridiculous head in the middle of an otherwise great album. It's just a little too Fergalicious for my taste and makes me feel like I've accidentally wandered into an Abercrombie & Fitch store at the mall. Finally, there are some oldies but goodies in there that I thought were interesting, like the Run-D.M.C. and Areosmith duet "Walk This Way" and a nice Joss Stone-Al Green duet of the classic "How Can You Mend A Broken Heart" (uh-oh! Foreshadowing?).

The album will be released on May 27.

Buzz News Roundup, 3/12

BuzzSugar — Wed, 12 Mar 2008 13:30:43 PDT

Two more have joined the cast of My Sister's Keeper: Jason Patric will play the girls' father and Thomas Dekker (formerly Zach on Heroes) will play "the older sister's boyfriend and a fellow cancer survivor," writes Hollywood Reporter.
Online video service Hulu is now open to the public, USA Today reports.
ComingSoon has the news that five more actors have joined the cast of the Shopaholic movie, including John Lithgow and Kristin Scott Thomas.
Since Janet Jackson has the flu, Mariah Carey will appear on this weekend's Saturday Night Live, the Associated Press reports.
Arrested Development creator Mitch Hurwitz is writing an animated version of the Australian comedy Sit Down, Shut Up for Fox, writes Zap2It.
According to Billboard, Goldfrapp, Kate Nash and several others have joined the lineup for this year's Coachella festival.
The Gossip Girl Q&A from the upcoming Paley Festival will be webcast live on March 22, TV Guide reports.
Billboard reports that India.Arie will star in a Broadway show produced by Whoopi Goldberg.

Source and source

Announcing the Winners of the 2011 Grammy Awards!

BuzzSugar — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 20:34:56 PST

There goes another staple in award season - the Grammys are a wrap! The night was chock-full of performances from standouts like Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga, but there were a few statuettes passed out between songs.

Muse frontman Matt Bellamy took the opportunity to thank his "beautiful pregnant girlfriend" Kate Hudson while accepting the trophy for best rock album, and Lady Gaga gave props to Whitney Houston in her acceptance speech for best pop album. Lady Antebellum scored big with five golden gramophones, but it was Arcade Fire that won the biggest award of the night, taking home the accolade for album of the year.

Check out the full list of winners when you

RECORD OF THE YEAR
"Need You Now", Lady Antebellum

ALBUM OF THE YEAR
The Suburbs, Arcade Fire

SONG OF THE YEAR
"Need You Now", Lady Antebellum

BEST NEW ARTIST
Esperanza Spalding

BEST FEMALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Bad Romance", Lady Gaga

BEST MALE POP VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Just The Way You Are", Bruno Mars

BEST POP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Hey, Soul Sister (Live)", Train

BEST POP COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"Imagine", Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Nessun Dorma", Jeff Beck

BEST POP INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM
"Take Your Pick", Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto

BEST POP ALBUM
The Fame Monster, Lady Gaga

BEST DANCE RECORDING
"Only Girl (In The World)", Rihanna

BEST ELECTRONIC/DANCE ALBUM
La Roux, La Roux

BEST TRADITIONAL POP VOCAL ALBUM
Crazy Love, Michael Bublé

BEST SOLO ROCK VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Helter Skelter", Paul McCartney

BEST ROCK PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Tighten Up", The Black Keys

BEST HARD ROCK PERFORMANCE
"New Fang", Them Crooked Vultures

BEST METAL PERFORMANCE
"El Dorado", Iron Maiden

BEST ROCK INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Hammerhead", Jeff Beck

BEST ROCK SONG
"Angry World", Neil Young

BEST ROCK ALBUM
The Resistance, Muse

BEST ALTERNATIVE MUSIC ALBUM
Brothers, The Black Keys

BEST FEMALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Bittersweet", Fantasia

BEST MALE R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"There Goes My Baby", Usher

BEST R&B PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
"Soldier Of Love", Sade

BEST TRADITIONAL R&B VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"Hang On In There", John Legend & The Roots

BEST URBAN/ALTERNATIVE PERFORMANCE
"F*ck You", Cee Lo Green

BEST R&B SONG
"Shine", John Legend & The Roots

BEST R&B ALBUM
Wake Up!, John Legend & The Roots

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B ALBUM
Raymond V Raymond, Usher

BEST RAP SOLO PERFORMANCE
"Not Afraid", Eminem

BEST RAP PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP
"On To The Next One", Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz

BEST RAP/SUNG COLLABORATION
"Empire State Of Mind", Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

BEST RAP SONG
"Empire State of Mind", Jay-Z & Alicia Keys

BEST RAP ALBUM
Recovery, Eminem

BEST FEMALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"The House That Built Me", Miranda Lambert

BEST MALE COUNTRY VOCAL PERFORMANCE
"'Til Summer Comes Around", Keith Urban

BEST COUNTRY PERFORMANCE BY A DUO OR GROUP WITH VOCALS
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

BEST COUNTRY COLLABORATION WITH VOCALS
"As She's Walking Away", Zac Brown Band and Alan Jackson

BEST COUNTRY INSTRUMENTAL PERFORMANCE
"Hummingbyrd", Marty Stuart

BEST COUNTRY SONG
"Need You Now", Lady Antebellum

BEST COUNTRY ALBUM
Need You Now, Lady Antebellum

BEST NEW AGE ALBUM
Miho: Journey To The Mountain, Paul Winter Consort

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM
The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee, Dee Dee Bridgewater

BEST AMERICANA ALBUM
You Are Not Alone, Mavis Staples

BEST COMEDY ALBUM
Stark Raving Black, Lewis Black

BEST COMPILATION SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
Crazy Heart

BEST SCORE SOUNDTRACK ALBUM FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
Toy Story 3, Randy Newman, composer

BEST SONG WRITTEN FOR MOTION PICTURE, TV, ETC
"The Weary Kind" (From Crazy Heart), Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett, songwriters (Ryan Bingham)

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR (NON-CLASSICAL)
Danger Mouse

BEST REMIXED RECORDING
"Revolver" (David Guetta's One Love Club Remix), David Guetta, remixer (Madonna)

BEST SHORT FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"Bad Romance," Lady Gaga

BEST LONG FORM MUSIC VIDEO
"When You're Strange," The Doors

BEST RECORDING PACKAGE
Brothers, Michael Carney , art director (The Black Keys)

BEST BOXED OR SPECIAL LIMITED EDITION PACKAGE
Under Great White Northern Lights (Limited Edition Box Set), The White Stripes

BEST ALBUM NOTES
Keep an Eye on the Sky, Big Star

BEST HISTORICAL ALBUM
The Beatles (The Original Studio Recordings)

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, NON-CLASSICAL
Battle Studies, John Mayer

BEST SURROUND SOUND ALBUM
Britten's Orchestra, Michael Stern and Kansas City Symphony

BEST INSTRUMENTAL COMPOSITION
The Path Among Trees, Billy Childs Ensemble

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT
Carlos, John Scofield, Vince Mendoza, and Metropole Orkest

BEST INSTRUMENTAL ARRANGEMENT ACCOMPANYING VOCALIST(S)
Baba Yetu, Christopher Tin, Soweto Gospel Choir and Royal Philharmonic Orchestra

BEST MUSICAL ALBUM FOR CHILDREN
Tomorrow's Children, Pete Seeger With The Rivertown Kids and Friends

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM FOR CHILDREN
Julie Andrews' Collection of Poems, Songs, and Lullabies, Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton

BEST SPOKEN WORD ALBUM (INCLUDES POETRY, AUDIO BOOKS, AND STORYTELLING)
The Daily Show With Jon Stewart Presents Earth (The Audiobook), Jon Stewart

BEST MUSICAL SHOW ALBUM
American Idiot, Billie Joe Armstrong

BEST HAWAIIAN MUSIC ALBUM
Huana Ke Aloha, Tia Carrere

BEST NATIVE AMERICAN MUSIC ALBUM
2010 Gathering of Nations Pow Wow: A Spirit's Dance, Derek Mathews, Dr. Lita Mathews, and Melonie Mathews

BEST ZYDECO OR CAJUN MUSIC ALBUM
Zydeco Junkie, Chubby Carrier and the Bayou Swamp Band

BEST REGGAE ALBUM
Before the Dawn, Buju Banton

BEST TRADITIONAL WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
Ali and Toumani, Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate

BEST CONTEMPORARY WORLD MUSIC ALBUM
Throw Down Your Heart, Africa Sessions Part 2: Unreleased Tracks, Bela Fleck

BEST LATIN POP ALBUM
Paraiso Express, Alejandro Sanz

BEST LATIN ROCK, ALTERNATIVE OR URBAN ALBUM
El Existential, Grupo Fantasma

BEST TROPICAL LATIN ALBUM
Viva La Tradicion, Spanish Harlem Orchestra

BEST TEJANO ALBUM
Recuerdos, Little Joe and La Familia

BEST NORTENO ALBUM
Classic, Intocable

BEST BANDA ALBUM
Enamorate De Mi, El Guero Y Su Banda Centenario

BEST GOSPEL PERFORMANCE
Grace, BeBe and CeCe Winans

BEST GOSPEL SONG
It's What I Do, Kirk Whalum and Lalah Hathaway

BEST ROCK OR RAP GOSPEL ALBUM
Hello Hurricane, Switchfoot

BEST POP/CONTEMPORARY GOSPEL ALBUM
Love God. Love People., Israel Houghton

BEST SOUTHERN, COUNTRY, OR BLUEGRASS GOSPEL ALBUM
The Reason, Diamond Rio

BEST TRADITIONAL GOSPEL ALBUM
Downtown Church, Patty Griffin

BEST CONTEMPORARY R&B GOSPEL ALBUM
Still, BeBe and CeCe Winans

BEST ENGINEERED ALBUM, CLASSICAL
Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina, Giancarlo Guerrero and Nashville Symphony Orchestra
AND
Porter, Quincy: Complete Viola Works, Eliesha Nelson and John McLaughlin Williams

BEST ORCHESTRAL PERFORMANCE
Daugherty: Metropolis Symphony; Deus Ex Machina, Terrence Wilson and Nashville Symphony

BEST OPERA RECORDING
Saariaho: L'Amour De Loin, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin; Rundfunkchor Berlin

BEST CHORAL PERFORMANCE
Verdi: Requiem, Ildar Abdrazakov, Olga Borodina, Barbara Frittoli and Mario Zeffiri; Chicago Symphony Orchestra; Chicago Symphony Chorus

BEST INSTRUMENTAL SOLOIST(S) PERFORMANCE (WITH ORCHESTRA)
Messiaen: Livre Du Saint-Sacrement, Paul Jacobs

BEST CHAMBER MUSIC PERFORMANCE
Ligeti: String Quartets Nos. 1&2, Parker Quartet

BEST SMALL ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
Dinastia Borja

BEST CLASSICAL VOCAL PERFORMANCE
Sacrificium, Giovanni Antonini and Il Giardino Armonico

BEST CLASSICAL CONTEMPORARY COMPOSITION
Daugherty, Michael: Deus Ex Machina, Giancarlo Guerrero

BEST CLASSICAL CROSSOVER ALBUM
Tin, Christopher: Calling All Dawns

PRODUCER OF THE YEAR, CLASSICAL
David Frost

BEST CLASSICAL ALBUM
Verdi: Requiem

BEST CONTEMPORARY JAZZ ALBUM
The Stanley Clarke Band, The Stanley Clarke Band

BEST JAZZ VOCAL ALBUM
Eleanora Fagan (1915-1959): To Billie With Love From Dee Dee, Dee Dee Bridgewater

BEST IMPROVISED JAZZ SOLO
A Change Is Gonna Come, Herbie Hancock

BEST JAZZ INSTRUMENTAL ALBUM, INDIVIDUAL OR GROUP
Moody 4B, James Moody

BEST LARGE JAZZ ENSEMBLE ALBUM
Mingus Big Band Live at Jazz Standard, Mingus Big Band

BEST LATIN JAZZ ALBUM
Chucho's Steps, Chuco Valdes and The Afro-Cuban Messengers

BEST BLUEGRASS ALBUM
Mountain Soul II, Patty Loveless

BEST TRADITIONAL BLUES ALBUM
Joined at the Hip, Pinetop Perkins and Willie "Big Eyes" Smith

BEST CONTEMPORARY BLUES ALBUM
Living Proof, Buddy Guy

BEST TRADITIONAL FOLK ALBUM
Genuine Negro Jig, Carolina Chocolate Drops

BEST CONTEMPORARY FOLK ALBUM
God Willin' and the Creek Don't Rise, Ray LaMontagne and the Pariah Dogs