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Are You More Likely to See a Broadway Show If a Famous Musician Is Behind It?

BuzzSugar — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 07:00:00 -0700

Regina Spektor is headed to the Great White Way! It was announced yesterday that the famous songstress will be creating the score for a new Broadway musical inspired by Sleeping Beauty.

As a Spektor fan, this news makes perfect sense to me. Her unique brand of musical whimsy - with just a tinge of darker themes - is a great fit for the beloved fairytale. The show will reportedly be ready for the 2010-2011 Broadway season, but they're also talking about doing shows outside of Manhattan to spread the love.

I'm obviously for it, but I want to hear what you guys think about Spektor's new gig. With more and more artists helping pen musicals - i.e., Bono and The Edge doing the upcoming theatrical version of Spider-Man or Elton John doing Billy Elliot - does their involvement make you more likely to buy tickets?

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 15:30:22 -0700

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, you can also download Michael Johns's new album and the Transformers 2 soundtrack.

Magical music: Hooray! The new Regina Spektor album is finally out, and I've already downloaded the whole thing. It's every bit as cute and quirky as her previous albums, but with a little bit of darkness in the lyrics, as we first heard on "Laughing With." Check out the wonderful tracks "Eet," "Blue Lips," and "The Calculation" to get started.

Mellowed out: I'm a fan of Omar Rodriguez-Lopez and Cedric Bixler-Zavala, aka The Mars Volta, and was excited to see a new album of theirs out today. The fifth Mars Volta album seems mellower than a lot of these guys' previous work, but that doesn't mean the intensity is gone. One reviewer articulated this idea well, saying that the album "employs stillness as a setup for all manner of disruption." Check out the psychedelic "With Twilight as My Guide" for a taste of this album's sound.

PopSugar UK's June Must Haves

PopSugarUK — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 08:27:05 -0700

It's time for me to let you know all my Must Haves for the upcoming month, and I have a fab list for you for June! It includes some Oscar winning movies on DVD, a Cannes favourite at the cinema, and some fabulous female vocalists for you to listen to, so check them out and let me know what you think!

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Listen Up: New From Regina Spektor, "Laughing With"

BuzzSugar — Mon, 11 May 2009 11:30:41 -0700

I often feel nice and relaxed when I listen to Regina Spektor's music with its sweet piano melodies and her adorable voice. Some of her songs are playful and quirky, some are soft and dark. But this newest track, "Laughing With," off her upcoming album Far, just makes me sad. It's as beautiful as anything else Spektor puts out, with some pretty piano and strings, and of course her clear, lovely vocals. But as she runs through a list of the most difficult things in life (war, illness, romantic heartache, etc.) and notes that nobody laughs at God during tough times, it's hard not to feel a little down. It is a beautiful track, though, so to check it out, read more.

Here's a 30-second bit of the song; you can check out the full version at Spektor's MySpace page.

Laughing With - Regina Spektor

Buzz News Roundup, 4/13

BuzzSugar — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 13:30:56 -0700

Regina Spektor's latest album is headed to stores in June. - Billboard
William Hurt will join the cast of Ridley Scott's Robin Hood as William Marshall, the Earl of Pembroke. - The Hollywood Reporter
TNT won't renew Trust Me for a second season. - TV.com
It's confirmed: Zac Efron has signed on to play the title role in the planned live-action version of the '60s Hanna-Barbera cartoon show Jonny Quest. - ComingSoon
Ray Winstone, David Thewlis, and Anna Friel are set to join Keira Knightley and Colin Farrell in the crime drama London Boulevard. - Variety
Showtime has passed on the Tim Robbins drama Possible Side Effects, which may still be shopped to other networks. - TV Guide
Maggie Gyllenhaal will star opposite Emma Thompson in the Nanny McPhee sequel, titled Nanny McPhee and the Big Bang. - ComingSoon
Spoiler alert: Is George leaving Grey's Anatomy or not? - Entertainment Weekly

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What to Download: New Music on iTunes

BuzzSugar — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 15:30:42 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores, including iTunes. So I take a spin through each week's iTunes music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. Here are today's selections:

Not just Beyonce's little sister anymore: I posted the video for Solange Knowles's single "I Decided" a while back and now the entire album is available. This new album blends classic Motown melodies with elements that are little more far-out and groovy. I've already purchased "Would've Been the One" and "Sandcastle Disco." It's only on slower tracks that the album gets weak - the funky tempos, not her voice, make this album shine.

A sparkling duet: Remember when I told you about that really cute duet called "You Don't Know Me" by Regina Spektor and Ben Folds that's from his upcoming album? Well, now it's available on iTunes and remains extremely cute! Hurry up and get it while it's hot!

One more big, anticipated album and a new single up next so read more.

Oldie but a goodie: The members of The Verve have not made an album together for almost a decade, so it's pretty cool for fans that there is now a whole new album full of very Verve-ish songs. The track "Judas" is great and "Love Is Noise" is addictive and wonderful. A pretty great reunion album as far as I can tell!

Politically correct: As the campaign season truly kicks off this week with the Democratic National Convention in Denver, not only do we get to learn more about the candidates' positions but, apparently, we also get great new music. You may have caught John Legend's performance of "If You're Out There" last night, and it's available on iTunes as well. Check out his inspirational tune while reading Citizen and Liberty's coverage of the conventions!

Song of the Day: Ben Folds With Regina Spektor, "You Don't Know Me"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 07 Aug 2008 12:30:35 -0700

Ben Folds's plucky tune "You Don't Know Me" has that bouncy piano thing that actually reminds me more of Regina Spektor's music than Ben Folds's, so it seems fitting that Spektor would contribute some sweet vocals to the track. "You Don't Know Me" will be on Ben Folds's September album Way to Normal.

I'm really digging this song. No, it's not much like Folds's older stuff, but it's a cute, jaunty departure from the norm, and I can appreciate that. To check out the song for yourself, read more.

Hat tip to Stereogum for finding this video.

Singer to Watch: Who’s Singing That MacBook Commercial?

BuzzSugar — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 08:30:22 -0800

I have a serious weakness for a pretty, quirky folk song a la Regina Spektor. When done well, songs out of this genre can feel so light and ethereal that you want to sprout wings and fly - or, buy a new laptop.

That’s at least what the folks over at Apple are hoping French-born Israeli singer Yael Naïm's song "New Soul" will inspire you to do, as they've featured it in their new MacBook Air TV spot. Computer or no, the commercial might send you racing to iTunes to get this song and others from Naïm into your library ASAP.

"New Soul," from her self-titled album with songs in French, English, and Hebrew, is incredibly infectious, yet personal. The album has been popular in France since its release in the Fall of last year, and I suspect Apple may have just launched her crossover career. Remind anyone of Feist and the Nano?

To watch Naïm's video for the MacBook tune, and a beautiful live performance covering Britney’s Toxic (seriously!), read more.

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Music Video: Regina Spektor, "Better"

BuzzSugar — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 12:26:09 -0700

Regina Spektor already made one music video for "Better," but apparently, the nature of the song has inspired her to try again. If you're not familiar with the stellar music of this Russian-Jewish songstress, this video is a good introduction, since it features an army of Regina lookalikes with wild hair and icy-blue stares.

It's also a great taste of the quirky, piano-heavy folk pop that Spektor so artfully established on last year's Begin to Hope. Highly recommended for fans of Tori Amos and Feist. If you like the video, be sure to vote it up on VH1's Top 20 Countdown, and to watch, read more

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Playlist: Best of 2006

BuzzSugar — Mon, 08 Jan 2007 08:18:22 -0800

Every Monday on BuzzSugar, I'll be posting a themed Playlist, and you guys can tell me what songs you'd choose for the occasion. This week, I was prepared to put my Top 20 Albums of 2006 behind me and start looking forward to 2007. But after seeing all of the great Buzzworthy picks for readers' top albums of 2006, I couldn't resist just one more nod to the great music that came out in '06. I've devoted this week's Playlist to 12 great tracks come from my best-of list and the readers' favorite albums. What would be on your year-end list?

TV on the Radio, "I Was a Lover"
The Hold Steady, "Stuck Between Stations"
Jenny Lewis and the Watson Twins, "Handle With Care"
Justin Timberlake, "My Love (Diplo Remix)"
Regina Spektor, "Fidelity"
Bob Dylan, "Thunder on the Mountain"
The Pipettes, "Pull Shapes"
Neko Case, "Star Witness"
Drive By Truckers, "Gravity's Gone"
M. Ward, "To Go Home"
Cat Power, "Lived In Bars"
Calexico, "Letter to Bowie Knife"

Most tracks are available through the iTunes store.