SHANGHAI MEMO; The Ship of State Shall Not Rock ‘n’ Roll
Marx once referred to religion as the opium of the masses, but in today’s China it is the music promoted on state-monopolized radio that increasingly claims that role.
Elvis king of the top-earning dead celebs
U.S. rock ‘n’ roll icon Elvis Presley has topped Forbes’ seventh annual list of Top-Earning Dead Celebrities, the magazine reported. via Daily India
MySpace following keeps Corey Smith on the road
(LiveDaily.com) Thanks to the Internet, independent singer/songwriter Corey Smith has managed to build a grassroots legion of fans who continue to flock his concerts around the Southeast.
Artist Spotlight: Les Savy Fav
(LiveDaily.com) After six long years, Les Savy Fav finally releases an album, Let’s Stay Friends, of new material. Remnants of their post-hardcore beginnings are there, but these new songs expand into singles territory. That’s not to say Les Savy Fav has gone pop, but there is no denying the melodies and hooks. Devotees will still recognize them, but will realize their too smart of a band to stick with the genre that defined them.
Campaign on a roll, he rocks out
“The band’s name reflected the fact that most members were governor’s staffers who worked in the State Capitol and, as Huckabee often says, ‘before the end of the night, we will have offended just about everybody.”
Carrie Underwood notches her first No. 1 album
(LiveDaily.com) With about 527,000 copies sold during its first week in stores, Carrie Underwood’s “Carnival Ride” debuts atop the latest Billboard 200 album chart, marking the first No. 1 album for the “American Idol” alumna.
Richard Hawley maps quick American trek
(LiveDaily.com) Singer/songwriter Richard Hawley will haul out his guitar for a brief road trip in December supporting his fourth and most recent studio album, “Lady’s Bridge.”