fanshake-blog

[fanshake-blog]

Avicii Talks Ralph Lauren Partnership

Twenty-two year-old Swedish DJ Tim Bergling, known as Avicii, is one of the main advocates of the Electronic Dance Music movement. His work as a DJ and producer has made him one of the most celebrated DJ’s of the decade. He is easily recognizable due to his Swedish looks, which is why he has been asked to join the fashion industry.

Avicii has declined multiple bids from many fashion labels but has confirmed a deal with Ralph Lauren’s Denim & Supply’s Fall 2012 campaign. The Swedish musician will begin to be featured in American magazines and department stores across the nation. Both parties benefit here as Avicii now has a fashion label under his belt and Ralph Lauren has surfaced in the Electronic Dance Music era, which is surely here for years to come.

Avicii informed Rolling Stone that he and his manager had agreed that if he ever crossed into the fashion industry, it had be something really special. “I like the look of Denim and Supply – it looks how I already dress. So when they offered to let me do this campaign and video, it was a good fit.” On stage, it is very common for Avicii to be sporting jeans and flannel shirt, which is the exact look Ralph Lauren expects of Avicii.

Avicii has premiered a special remix of the “Silhoueuttes” video that has collaborations with the Ralph Lauren’s Denim & Supply campaign. Tell us your thoughts below!

[fanshake-blog]

Steve Angello Speaks Out About Swedish House Mafia’s Retirement

Six months after Swedish House Mafia sold out New York City’s notorious Madison Square Garden, the iconic DJ group announced their decision to retire from electronic dance music as a trio. Steve Angello, Sebastian Ingrosso and Axwell announced on their website that their summer to fall tour would be their last, performing their final show on their home soil in Stockholm, Sweden.

  Fans were shocked upon hearing the announcement, since the trio provided no reason for the decision. In an interview with Rolling Stone, Angello clarified their reasoning stating they hit a wall and could not evolve anymore. “We just decided that we reached a point where we don’t know what the next move would be,” explained Angello. “We always like the challenge. And we don’t like to repeat ourselves. We just felt like it was time.” When Angello was asked if the tension of the group added to the separation he quickly denied this and said the three are closer then they have ever been. “We’re like brothers,” he added.

Electronic Dance Music has become very elastic but it remains difficult to produce different sounds as a group. Individually, the members will be able to explore and experiment with different noises and beats, with the intentions of keeping their fans on their feet, always expecting more. “Angello stated he wants to be able to shake things up a little and doesn’t “wanna see music become fast food.”

How long do you think this EDM phase will last?

[fanshake-blog]

Bieber Releases “As Long As You Love Me” Music Video

Justin Bieber, 18, has released the music video for his new hit single “As Long As You Love Me” featuring Big Sean. Bieber has transformed from wearing a purple hoodie in his first music video to wearing a denim vest, and possibly a black eye. The music video premiered on Wednesday, August 1st and has already reeled in over 4 million YouTube views.

The video tells a story as Bieber takes a beating from Michael Madsen, who plays the protective father of Bieber’s girlfriend in the video, who is not Selena Gomez. Bieber contemplates running away with his girlfriend before her father stops them in their tracks, and aggressively attacks Bieber, leaving him with bruises and a bloody face. Aside from the story line, Bieber shows off his dancing talents in a parking garage as Big Sean makes an appearance as well.

Bieber explained to fans that his hero, Michael Jackson, influenced the video. The 18 year-old multi-millionaire tweeted, “MJ told stories with his videos. I wanted to tell a story. Feel like a movie. #AsLongAsYouLoveMe.” The music video amassed more than 1 million views in less than 10 hours, but who is surprised?

Tell us your thoughts on the video below. 

[fanshake-blog]

Bob Dylan Breaks Down New Album

Bob Dylan’s 35th studio album, “Tempest,” is quite different from his previous 34 as he was quoted saying, “anything goes and you just gotta believe it will make sense.” The final product was not what the 71 year-old rockstar had envisioned it to be. “I wanted to make something more religious. I just didn’t have enough religious songs,” said Dylan.

  The LP was recorded in Jackson Browne’s studio is Los Angeles with Dylan’s touring band which consists of a bassist, drummer, and multiple guitarists. The ten-track album contains multiple songs depicting stories, tragedies and tales such as the story of the Titanic. The title track is a 14 – minute interpretation of the storyline, Titanic, a theme not very familiar in Dylan’s music. “I was just fooling around one night,” said Dylan. “I liked the melody – I liked it a lot.” The song includes lyrics illustrating specific scenes in the movie and even contains a shout out to Leonardo DiCaprio.

Dylan believes people are going to doubt the truthfulness of “Tempest” but he claims musicians don’t care about what’s truthful. He focuses on “what should’ve happened, and what could’ve happened.” He then acknowledges Shakespeare during an interview, which raises a question that this could be Dylan’s last album since Shakespeare’s final work was called “The Tempest.”

The album will be released September 11th. What are your expectations for this uncertain album? 

[fanshake-blog]

Springsteen Plays First Ever Four-Hour Concert

Bruce Springsteen and the E- Street band wrapped up their European summer tour with a four-hour performance at the Olympic Stadium in Finland. The concert lasted four hours and five minutes, not including the five – acoustic song set The Boss played as the crowd filled the stadium seats.

  The finale of the “Wrecking Ball” tour was a special gift to fans, especially those who got there well before the show began. Springsteen took to the stage and performed five songs on his acoustic guitar in front of the group that was there. He then climbed down to the audience and shook hands while greeting his fans. “Thanks to all you regulars and thanks for making it a lovely summer for us,” said the rock star. “And we’ll see you in a little while!”

“I would not be in the least bit surprised if we broke the four hour barrier,” said guitarist Steven Van Zandt. “Again, there’s no planning this stuff. There’s no way to predict it…we’re not looking at the clock. We’ve been transported by that point to another time zone entirely.”

The band is set to return to American stadiums in a couple of months, as they have a trio of shows planned in October at New Jersey’s MetLife stadium, home of the New York Football Giants. They will continue to perform in Canada and the United States through early December.

Have you ever seen The Boss live? Comment below!

[fanshake-blog]

Taylor Swift and Justin Bieber Top List of Earning Celebs Under 30

When you combine the ages of Justin Bieber, 18, and Taylor Swift, 22, it still doesn’t come close to exceeding either of their salaries in millions of dollars. Forbes has released a list of the Highest Paid Celebrities Under 30, which covers a statement of earnings from May 2011 to May 2012. Only the top 5 have been released, but Swift is first and Bieber follows closely behind.

  This past year, Swift earned 57 million dollars and Bieber pulled in 55. All three of Swift’s albums have gone platinum, and she earns nearly 1 million for each live show. Bieber remains active with his endorsements with Proactiv and follows his investments with startup companies such as Spotify.

Bieber is the only male in the Forbes top five, followed by Rihanna with 53 million, Lady Gaga with 52 million and Katy Perry with 45 million. Rihanna’s extensive Loud Tour this year helped her earnings increase significantly. Katy Perry’s recent film, “Katy Perry: Part of Me,” pulled in nearly 7 million dollars to add to her lump sum.

The remaining members of the list will be released in the near future. Who do you think will join these young, talented multi-millionaires of the Forbes list?

[fanshake-blog]

McCartney Earned 1 Pound for Olympic Show

London Olympic organizers say Paul McCartney and other superstars that performed in Friday’s opening Olympic ceremony earned only 1 pound, $1.57, for their performances. The musicians essentially donated their time to the London games. The minimal fee was set just so the Olympic contracts were binding.

  A Musical icon such as Paul McCartney could have easily requested millions for his presence at the Olympic games but he felt as a native to the land, he owed it to his country. McCartney performed an emotional rendition of “Hey Jude”, while the Arctic Monkeys played the Beatle’s “Come Together” along with their respective hit, “I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor.” Danny Boyle directed the presentation, which was watched by over 42 million people worldwide.

What was your favorite part of the Olympic opening ceremony? Comment below! 

[fanshake-blog]

Drake and Rihanna Lead MTV VMA Nominations

Drake and Rihanna lead the nominations for the MTV Video Music Awards with five each. Rihanna’s “We Found Love” and Drake’s “Take Care”, which actually features Rihanna, both have the opportunity to take home Video of the Year. Other Video of the Year nominations include Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake,” Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used to Know” and M.I.A.’s “Bad Girls.”

Rihanna’s “We Found Love” was also nominated for Best Pop Video and Best Female Video, where she battles against Katy Perry, Beyonce and Nicki Minaj for their respective hit singles.

  “Take Care,” one of Drakes most celebrated singles, is up for Best Art Direction, Cinematography and Male Video.  “HYFR” with Drake and Lil Wayne was nominated for Best Hip-Hop Video.

MTV did not forget about the influx of electronic dance music over the past half decade, including a new category titled Best Electronic Dance Music Video. The awards take place at the Staples Center in L.A. on September 6. Click here to vote for this year’s nominees.

[fanshake-blog]

Madonna Gets Booed in Paris

Fans had been camping outside the Olympia Club for days with hopes to see a special show from Madonna. The show was scheduled a week in advance and tickets sold out in just minutes. Tickets, which ranged from 100 to 400 dollars, were made available through her fan club before being released to the public.

The show was only made available for roughly 2000 people, most of which were dedicated fans that wanted to see Madonna in a close setting. Stopping by the club on her MDNA tour, Madonna was booed by the audience after her much anticipated show ended early at 11 p.m. Fans began to boo and throw bottles as she walked off stage.

“Playing the Olympia was a magical moment for me and it was a real treat to do this special show for my fans and be so close to them,” said the 53 year-old superstar. “Unfortunately at the end of the show – after I left the stage - a few thugs who were not my fans rushed the stage and started throwing plastic bottles pretending to be angry fans.”

  Madonna has recently been under scrutiny after she decided to use a swastika in a video during her MDNA tour. She argues she used it to support her message about “the tolerance that we human beings have for one another.” The symbol was superimposed on the forehead of a French national leader who placed third in France’s presidential election, and was found guilty of condoning war crimes during the Nazi occupation of France.

Is Madonna putting herself in the spotlight for the wrong reasons? Comment below!

[fanshake-blog]

British Rockers Take Stage at the Olympic Ceremonies

Whenever the Olympics are in town, the host country faces an array of responsibilities regarding building stadiums, maintaining hospitality and transportation services, servicing the athletes, and providing breath-taking ceremonies with special, unforgettable acts. Without musical superstars like Paul McCartney, Arctic Monkeys, Mike Oldfield and Dizzee Rascal, the inaugural ceremony at the 2012 London Olympics would not have been as brilliant.

  McCartney closed the Olympic ceremony by blessing the audience with a spectacular, emotional version of “Hey Jude” that sparked thousands to sing along with the “nah – nah – nahs.” Performances by the Arctic Monkeys and the Sheffield band were accompanied by valiant firework shows and unique sequences of neon lights that dazed the crowd.

The “Isles of Wonder” included a montage portraying classic British Music through the ages beginning in 60’s spanning to today. The artists featured in the 1960’s included the Who, the Rolling Stones, the Beatles and the Kinks. David Bowie, Queen and Mud among others were highlighted during the 70s while New Order and Frankie Goes to Hollywood staged the 80’s. The 90’s covered artists including Britpoppers Blur and the Prodigy.

The athletes’ parade featured musicians like Adele, the Bee Gees, Pink Floyd and the Pet Shop Boys. Hyde Park staged Snow Patrol at the London Live Celebration Concert as the opening ceremony began.

What was your favorite aspect of the 2012 opening ceremony? Comment below! 

[fanshake-blog]

Bruce Springsteen to Extend ‘Wrecking Ball’ Tour

Bruce Springsteen has been touring in Europe for over 3 months and plans to continue once him and the E Street Band return to America. The group has impressed fans and critics with some of their longest and most impressive sets ever. Their momentum is flowing and they want to continue rocking.

  The band is set to play sixteen additional times in the United States and Canada as part of their Wrecking Ball Tour. The North American sector will kick off in Ottawa, Ontario on October 19th and will finish December 6th in Glendale, Arizona. The band will be performing at various athletic facilities across the nation including Boston’s Fenway Park, Chicago’s Wrigley Field and MetLife Stadium in New Jersey. Their first show in November will held on Penn States campus, at the Bryce Jordan Center.

The band has been touring since March, but has no desire to stop. “We’re not looking at the clock,” said guitarist Steve Van Zandt.

Tell us about your favorite Bruce Springsteen concert experience! 

[fanshake-blog]

Wiz Khalifa To Make Best Rap Album Possible

Wiz Khalifa is confident his new album, O.N.I.F.C., which will be released August 28th under Atlantic Records, will give fans the best listening experience possible. O.N.I.F.C., an acronym for Only N***** in First Class, is the Taylor Gang captains second studio album following Rolling Papers. Rolling Papers debuted at number two on the US Billboard 200 Chart, selling nearly 200,000 albums in the first week of sales.

Prior to Rolling Papers, Wiz released his mixtape, Kush & Orange Juice, which immediately became one of best hip hop/rap mixtapes in 2010. This mixtape helped him win MTV’s award for ‘Hottest Breakthrough Artist of 2010.’ Wiz Khalifa’s first single, “Black and Yellow,” was on of the highest selling hip hop singles in 2010 selling over two million downloads.

  In an interview with MTV News Wiz explains, “I just really wanted it to be the best rap album possible with a bunch of less obvious songs in your face, but with stuff that makes sense and that relates to people who enjoy music.” Khalifa’s first studio album strayed away from his style, as his mixtapes show so wiz fans are excited for his new album, as most expect it to compare more to his original mixtapes. Guest appearances will be heard by 50 Cent, 2 Chainz, Busta Rhymes, Curren$y, will.i.am, Pharrell and more.

Do you think O.N.I.F.C. will live up to its hype and top the charts? Comment below! 

[fanshake-blog]

Humble Bundle Pay-What-You-Can

Humble Bundle is an organization that normally concentrates on pay-what-you-want bundles of independent video games, but they are experimenting the same model with musicians. Humble Bundle has successfully sold 5 bundles of video games, grossing more than 5 million dollars in sales.

“Our philosophy with games has been to help independent creators, support charity, and provide an unbeatable deal for customers and fans around the world, and all of those values to be a no-brainer for music as well,” said Humble Bundle’s business developer, Richard Esguerra. Customers will have the option to pay what they want for the bundle, which includes an album from each artist, with the option to decide how much of the total price they want to give to each artist.

  Esguerra said he was inspired by Radiohead’s newest album, “In Rainbows,” since the band decided the price of the album is up to the buyer. The album will only be sold on their website and the buyer has the option to pay whatever they desire for the album, including nothing. The consequences of Radiohead’s action will be sorted out in the future once numbers are in for their album sales, but until then, the band doesn’t plan on making much of a profit, if any.

The artists involved in Humble Bundle’s project do indeed have ties to the geek culture and video games, but the outcome should still be intriguing.

Do you think pay-what-you-can will work for Radiohead? Comment below! 

[fanshake-blog]

Nas Tops the Billboard Charts

  Nas has topped the charts again, with his newest album “Life is Good,” which sold 149,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Nas’ “Life Is Good” claims the number one album on the Billboard 200. Previously, Nas has hit the top with “It Was Written,” “The Firm,” “I Am,” “Hip-Hop is Dead,” and “Untitled.” The hip – hop artist celebrated his first number one album over 15 years ago in 1996 when he dropped his previous manager, MC Serch, and signed with Steve Stoute. Stoute, with the help of Dr. Dre, helped Nas transition into a mainstream artist, instead of releasing street singles similar to what Notorious B.I.G. was doing during that time.

Nas has debuted at the top nine times on the Top R&B/Hip – Hop Albums chart, second behind the celebrated Jay - Z with 12. This lyrics of this album navigate through Queens, the borough he grew up in, while facing “hood – famous hustlers.”

In an interview with MTV, Nas explains his decisions regarding the album title and cover. “A couple of years ago, I just started to really appreciate the opportunities that I’ve had, the places I’ve traveled and the people I met…So I felt like ‘Life Is Good’ was a positive message that we should just say to each other during such challenging times.” Nas is clearly satisfied with his lifestyle at the moment and has shown his appreciation through his lyrics.  Regarding the album cover, Nas explained to MTV it simply shows his love of life. On his first album, Nas preached about his struggles and pains he dealt with in the 90’s, but he has transitioned to rapping about pleasures and reflecting about his past.

What do you think about Nas’ new album? Comment below! 

[fanshake-blog]

Bassnectar Reveals Fall Tour Dates

Immediately after the announcement of his Vava Voom Spring 2012 tour, Bassnectar has announced the dates and locations for his Fall North American tour.

Lorin Ashton, Bassnectar’s birth name, is currently preparing to tour in Europe on his Vava Voom Spring tour, which coincides with the release of his 2012 album, “Vava Voom.” This tour begins August 3rd in Chicago, IL and ends September 9th in Isle of Wight, UK.  The spring tour is scheduled to hit 12 cities, nearly 10 countries, and 3 festivals in its 33-day adventure across the world.

The fall tour will last nearly two months, but will only cover the United States, hitting major cities including New York, Detroit, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Atlanta and Austin. Tickets can be purchased on Bassnectar’s website.

  Bassnectar, one of the most influential figures in California’s grand electronic music community, is known for his extreme use of bass, dubstep and shifty tempos. The San Francisco based DJ has worked with Lupe Fiasco, Fever Ray and Ellie Goulding on a “Freestyle Mixtape” which he promises will be released once he returns from Europe in mid September.

Click here to visit Bassnectar’s fanpage. In which city would you want to see Bassnectar perform live?

[fanshake-blog]

Rapper Snoop Dog to Become Snoop Lion

Legendary rapper, Snoop Dog, changed his name to Snoop Lion in effort to support his upcoming reggae album, “Reincarnated.” Fans were undeniably surprised when they heard of Snoop’s alteration to his name and genre.

However, this is not the first time Snoop has altered his name and style. Born as Calvin Broadus Jr., the artist dropped “Doggy” from his original, Snoop Doggy Dogg. Regarding genres, Snoop experimented with country while collaborating with Willie Nelson, singing “Roll Me Up” back in April.

  Snoop seems to be taking his change very seriously, creating a Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr with hopes to get the word out about his new album. Using Twitter, he has reached out to numerous celebrities such as the Kardashians, Martha Stewart and Rihanna, sending them “positive vibes” and links to “La La La.” The albums first reggae single produced by Major Lazer, “La La La,” features rising star, Jovi Rockwell, with Snoop Lion singing over the reggae beat.

“It’s all reggae and he’s singing and he’s doing a f***ing awesome job and I never knew it, but he has his heart in every song,” said Diplo, the album’s executive producer in an interview with MTV News.

What do you think of Snoop Lion’s new reggae single, “La La La?”

[fanshake-blog]

Owl City & Carly Rae Jepson's “Good Time”

Carly Rae Jepson starred in YouTube sensation video, “Call Me Maybe,” and since then has yet to make another music video. The much-anticipated video for Carly Rae Jepson’s new song featuring Owl City, “Good Time,” was released today and falls nothing short of expectations.

The 26 year-old rising star is shown having a ‘good time’ with members of the electronica group, Owl City.  Jepson sits on her car, awaiting her friends with plans to embark on a road trip to a cabin in the woods. Members of Owl City travel in their own red convertible while Jepson drives a Fiat with two friends.

Adam Young, Owl City’s founder and vocalist, described the combination of his band with Jepson as something similar to “magic.” “This song really felt like a duet and if it wasn’t for anybody than Carly Rae it wouldn’t be half as magical,” said Young.  Owl City was searching for a female lead and Jepson came to their attention. “Good Time” will be the lead single of “The Midsummer Station,” Owl City’s newest album to be released by Universal Republic on August 21st. Jepson will also include the song her second album predicted to come out in September.

“Call Me Maybe” has been number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for 21 straight weeks. How will “Good Time” compare to the biggest single of year?