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    Abby Weitz Powers Up Punk Pop Anthems With Wise Girl (video)

    Keith Girard
    Abby Weitz, frontwoman and songwriter for Wise Girl delivers the kind of power-pop that made Cheap Trick, The Knack, The Cars and Fountains Of Wayne famous. The one-two-three punch of the title track, “I’m A Freak,” and “Second” had me immediately hooked. Weitz (vocals, guitar) is the brain behind Wise Girl, formed in New York in 2010. Drummer Harry Keithline, guitarist Tim Basom and bassist Paul Taite round out the group’s current roster....
    POP
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    Nicki Minaj Takes Off Her Top in New Pills & Potions Video (watch!)

    Keith Girard
    Nicki Minaj takes a minimalist approach to her new “Pills and Potions” video. It’s mainly just her against a blank screen, but who needs more with the way she moves, writhes and pulls on her clothes? Nicki dropped the video Monday (June 9). Rapper The Game plays her love interest. Nicki sings about love and double dealing with her nig*a. ...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    Sheryl Crowe Headlining Montreal’s Pop Music Festival 2014 (audio)

    Keith Girard
    Sheryl Crow is among the acts headlining this year’s Pop Montreal 2014 music festival, which is gaining on its more establish jazz festival, with such acts as Ronnie Spector, Suzanne Vega and others. Plus, Juno award winners A Tribe Called Red will play a free concert at Place Émilie-Gamelin. The Canadian city has made music one of its tourism calling cards and definitely knows how to throw a party....
    POP
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    Iggy Azalea Slams Fan Bullying With Her Own Sharp Words on Twitter

    Keith Girard
    Iggy Azalea responded to a raft of fan push-back for slamming rapper Nicki Minja with some choice words of her own blasting fans for taking sides, cracking jokes about artists and starting feuds. She was particularly harsh on those fans who “have done NOTHING. NOTHING! With your lives.” After Iggy's album came out, some critics proclaimed her the next big thing in rap, which didn't sit well with Minaj. ...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul, Gets R-e-s-p-e-c-t From Harvard Univ.

    Keith Girard
    Aretha Franklin, who demanded r-e-s-p-e-c-t in her hit 1967 song, won the ultimate respect from Harvard University. The esteemed institution bestowed her with an honorary Doctor of Arts degree. The university announced this year’s honorees today (May 29) on its Web site. The list includes Former New York City Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg (Doctor of Laws), Former President George H.W. Bush (Doctor of Laws) and novelist Isabel Allende (Doctor of Letters)....
    R & B
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    Lily Allen Posts Weird Selfie Dancing Topless in Spanx WTF? (watch!)

    Keith Girard
    Lily Allen, the whimsical UK singer, danced like no one was watching wearing nothing but spanx. Except she filmed the whole thing and posted it on Instagram. No explanation, except to say she thought it was “cool.” Allen, 29, looked like she was in her dressing room, apparently getting ready for a show, when she filmed herself. Allen was in Glasgow, Scotland over the weekend performing in the BBC Radio 1 Big Weekend concert. ...
    HIP-HOPMusic
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    ‘Trip-Hop’ Trio London Grammar Is Latest to Storm America (video!)

    Winchester
    I’ve been listening pretty much non-stop for the past week or so to the latest discovery from the U. K. The collection, from the trio London Grammar, could be the best yet out of Great Britain, and that’s saying a lot. The British invasion in its latest incarnation has produced such artists as Adele, Amy Winehouse, Florence Welch, Duffy, Ellie Goulding and Jessie J. London Grammar bills itself as a Brit trip-hop trio. The group consists of stunning Hannah Reid, Dan Rothman and Dominic ‘Dot’ Major....
    BETWEEN THE LINESPOP
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    Lana Del Rey Delivers New Wispy Ballad ‘Shades of Cool’ (listen!)

    Keith Girard
    Lana Del Rey sings in her signature wispy style in her new melodic ballad “Shades of Cool.” The song departs from her previous work in at least one way: it’s less fatalistic than most of her previous work. This time out the 27-year-old singer is hooked on a boyfriend who is all about “blue eyes and jazz and attitude.”...
    POP
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    Lea Michele New ‘On My Way’ Video Lacks Her Own Music Style (watch!)

    Keith Girard
    Lea Michele’s new video for her song “On My Way” features her signature look, but doesn’t really establish a musical style she can call her own. It’s pretty much homogenized pop in look and feel. Michele is sexy enough. She’s honed her moves for the camera during five seasons on the hit Fox television show “Glee.” She’s drawn comparisons to Cher Lloyd and even to Lana Del Rey, although we don’t see it. Other artists drawing mentions are Iggy Azalea and Christina Aguilera....
    POP
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    Zach Martin Has Seen It All in Radio, From Beatles to Boomer’s Zoomer

    Winchester
    Radio-vet Zach Martin, head of Creative Services for WFAN (66AM) in New York City, has seen a lot of radio history in his career. But even he’s surprised by the changes in modern radio. Today, many radio listeners are probably unaware that on-air announcers (called DJ’s) once actually programmed their own music. Nowadays, it’s all done by computers and focus groups....
    BETWEEN THE LINES
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    Bilal Finally Steps Out of the Wings With New Album ‘A Love Surreal’

    Keith Girard
    Bilal’s list of collaborators reads like most people’s playlists: The Roots, Dr. Dre, Jay-Z, Beyonce, Erykah Badu, Common, John Legend, J Dilla, and Robert Glasper. But to get to this point in his career, it took a lot of waiting. Late 2013 brought the release of A Love Surreal, distributed by eOne Music. In support of the album, Bilal played at Stage 48 in Manhattan last weekend (May 9), with more touring to be expected....
    JAZZ
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    John Lennon’s Doodles, Cartoons, Poems Heading for Auction in NYC

    Keith Girard
    John Lennon best known as a world-class musician with The Beatles. was also a world-class doodler and writer. Now some of his non-musical works, including nonsense poems, doodles and comic drawings, are heading for auction in New York City. Lennon produced the material during the 1960s at the height of the band’s fame, when “Beatlemania” was sweeping the world. Publisher Tom Maschler saw Lennon’s drawings and writings in 1962 and convinced him to write and illustrate a book....
    ArtAUCTIONS