Will Lilly and LiLo be the Next to Make Beautiful Music Together?

Here's a juicy bit of gossip for you. The Sun is reporting that Lilly Allen and Lindsay Lohan have discussed making a record together--possibly at a pre-arranged studio while they're "away on holiday".

What!?

This has to be a publicity stunt, right? (Given the ladies' love for the media.)

What do you think of a Lilo/Allen collaboration? Is this a disaster waiting to happen?

Music Cruises Connect Artists and Fans

If concert going isn't enough of a thrill for you, try a music cruise. Though they've been around forever, charters have become a growing trend in music appreciation--one that's sweeping the nation! Each year more companies are renting entire ships. There are events for jazz fans, rock fans, even polka fans. Christian music cruises are also gaining popularity, with websites cropping up everywhere dedicated to the pastime.

Many music cruisers claim it's a much more intimate experience than any concert/music festival, as many of the artists will stop and chat with the fans out on deck or in the hallways. Or if a fan sees their favorite singer walking around the pool, it's often OK to ask for a quick picture. Learn more about music cruises here. Have you ever taken a music cruise? Share your experience!

[Via: Cnn.com]

Album Review: Lily Allen - It's Not Me, It's You

[Image via Flickr]

Rating: 3.0 out of 4 Stars

"Are you mine, are you mine, cause I stay here all the time..." those are the words echoed by Lily Allen, Britain's bad-girl on her latest album, It's Not Me, It's You. After Lily Allen burst onto the scene with her first album, Alright, Still, thanks in part to her MySpace page and the infectious song, Smile, Lily's back in the headlines once again.

Although she pulled a Britney Spears recently with her erratic behavior, her new album is fun yet catchy, and not for the faint of heart, as she's open and honest about relationships, society and family (parental advisory sticker included)!

On the song, I Could Say, it has an 80's Madonna pop-feel, as Allen sings "Since you've gone I've lost a chip on my shoulder, Since you've gone I feel like I've gotten older, And now you've gone it feels as if the whole wide world is my stage And now you've gone it's like I've been let out of my cage, " over synthesized beats. Allen's newest album seems more a mash-up between 80's music and all those 80's movies you've seen a thousand times where girl talks to guy, guy ignores girl, girl and guy end up together..cue cheesy music.

Much of Allen's newest album, although different from her previous album, succeeds for the most part due to her ability to channel club music from London through her Europeanesque sounds and catchy lyrics. All in all, It's Not Me, It's You that should go and pick-up Lily Allen's latest album.

Already picked up her latest album? If so, what did you think? Check-out the video below (Christian Karasiewicz).

Album Review: The Fray - The Fray

[Image via VideoMusicNmp3.com]

Rating: 3.5 out of 4 Stars

From the moment that The Fray burst onto the scene with that Patrick Dempsey hit from Grey's Anatomy, they were infectious! A little-known group at the time, The Fray became an instant overnight success with their unique and catchy lyrics. Some two years later, they have released their newest self-titled album, The Fray. By now, you've probably heard their first single if you've ever seen the television show Lost, for which they provide the theme music for in the song You Found Me.

While The Fray appeared to be original through their lyrics and radio-friendliness on their first album, from the first note on the song Syndicate off their newest album, they seem to rip-off another small-time artist, Mr. A-Z -- Jason Mraz. Despite this one minor misstep, The Fray gets right back on track where their previous album, How to Save A Life left off. My favorite songs from the new album are Syndicate, with their guitar riffs and drum combinations along with We Build Then We Break, which departs from the down-home feeling in favor of electronica (even if you're not a fan of electronica, beleive me it is a good different) and obviously You Found Me.

Combined with frontman, Isaac Slades booming voice, The Fray proves they are no one-hit wonder, hoping to ride the coattails of past artists that have failed along the way. The Fray is another entertaining album that should be on your iPod or in your CD player (Christian Karasiewicz). In case you haven't heard their newest track, here's a video from the Good Morning America performance along with a video from Jason Mraz -- did The Fray borrow from Mr. A-Z?

Album Review: Bruce Springsteen - Working On A Dream

[Image via Rolling Stone]

Rating: 2 out of 4 Stars

We're all working on a dream in life to be the best that we can be. As Bruce Springsteen once sang, "You can't start a fire, you can't start a fire without a spark." Sadly, in his latest album titled Working On A Dream, that spark that made Springsteen famous is sadly missing. Instead, we are left with what seems like a broken down Springsteen. While the album features a few good tracks in Working On A Dream -- which he performed at Super Bowl XLIII, an eight-minute version of Outlaw Pete, and the bonus track in The Wrestler from the recent Darren Aronofsky and Mickey Rourke flick, sadly, Springsteen's album sounds unpolished and unfinished.

Maybe it is the raspiness in his voice, or the fact that he seems to have channeled the feeling from The Wrestler, a movie about a 'one-trick pony' going through life. While we have come to expect more from The Boss, regressing back to what it is like not to be famous and to always be working, working on a dream seems to be his mantra in his newest album. Springsteen is definitely no one-trick pony though, and fans shouldn't expect anything less (Christian Karasiewicz).

The Stars Shone on Grammy Night!

[AP image]

If you attended the ma World Conference this year, you probably missed the Grammy Awards (or most of it, anyway). Here's a taste of the night's big winners. For the full list, click here.




Album of the Year: “Raising Sand,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; Gavin Lurssen, mastering engineer (Rounder)
Rap Album: “Tha Carter III,” Lil Wayne (Cash Money/Universal Motown)



Male Pop Vocal Performance: “Say,” John Mayer; track from “Continuum” (Columbia)



Record of the Year: “Please Read The Letter,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss; T Bone Burnett, producer; Mike Piersante, engineer/mixer; track from “Raising Sand” (Rounder)



New Artist: Adele



Rock Album: “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends,” Coldplay (Capitol)



Pop Collaboration With Vocals: “Rich Woman,” Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, track from “Raising Sand” (Rounder)



Song of the Year: “Viva La Vida,” Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin, songwriters (Coldplay), track from “Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends” (Capitol Records; Publishers: Universal Music-MGB Songs)



Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals: “Stay,” Sugarland, track from “Enjoy the Ride” (Mercury)



R&B Album: “Jennifer Hudson,” Jennifer Hudson (Arista)



Producer of the Year, Non-Classical: Rick Rubin



Producer of the Year, Classical: David Frost



Female Pop Vocal Performance: “Chasing Pavements,” Adele, track from “19” (Columbia/XL)





Traditional Pop Vocal Album: “Still Unforgettable,” Natalie Cole (DMI)



Pop Vocal Album: “Rockferry,” Duffy (Mercury)

Ma's Got Talent -- Do You?

At the Ma World Conference in Miami, Market America held its first Ma's Got Talent show. Steve Ashley emceed the show, which was rife with talent. Performers included Dennis Franks and his band, Second Look, Duane McLaughlin, country singer, Lana Kress, Black, Cynthia Antigua, Evan Harris and Days Gone, along with Renee Marcou and Stacey Whited.

In case you missed the show, here are a few pictures from the talent show!


Steve Ashley asks the crowd if they've got talent!


Dennis Franks and his band, Second Look


Duane McLaughlin sings to the crowd


Country singer, Lana Kress performs in Ma's Got Talent show


Black performing for the audience at the Ma's Got Talent show


Latin singer, Cynthia Antigua


Days Gone performs for the crowd


Renee Marcou performing at the Ma World Conference


Stacey Whited croons to the crowd at Ma World Conference

Did you attend the Ma's Got Talent show? If so, which act was your favorite?

Beck Hopes to Nab 5th Grammy Award This Year

Musical genius, Beck, established his place in mainstream music as a "Loser". Ironically, he is a multi-time Grammy Award winner who hopes to add another to his collection this time around. His latest release, Modern Guilt is nominated in the "Best Alternative Album" category this year. Check out the video (featuring actress, Chloe Sevigny) for his single, "Gamma Ray"--a cool, bass-heavy production with a light touch of the 60s--a juxtapositon to the heavy subject matter it speaks to. Have a listen.

Beck - Gamma Ray

Grammy-Nominees Talk Raising Sand and an Unlikely, Winning Collaboration

An unlikely combo made for a harmonious musical moment that will surely go down in history. Raising Sand is the name of the collaborative album by Robert Plant and Alison Krauss. The album is comprised of an eclectic mix of cover songs, handpicked by producer, T-Bone Burnett. In the following video, Plant and Krauss discuss the album and their unlikely pairing. Raising Sand is nominated for 5 Grammys this year!

A Chat With Grammy- Nominee, Katy Perry

Katy Perry brought on the ruckus this year with her racy single, "I Kissed a Girl". Check out this video where Katy talks tour, the single-- "Hot 'N Cold", and Madonna.

Album Review: Estelle - Shine

Rating: 4 out of 5 Stars

For anyone who never warmed to Erykah Badu's Egyptology or still mourns Lauryn Hill's disappearance, help has arrived. Estelle offers a gritty alternative to R&B divadom's strutting fembots. On her American debut, this former U.K. record—store clerk boasts an all—star cast: executive producer John Legend, Will.i.am, Swizz Beatz, Kanye West and Cee—Lo, who duets on the Philly—soul "Pretty Please (Love Me)." But those Yanks don't dilute Shine's regional feel — this West London homegirl's perspective is etched in her husky singing, fleet—tongued rapping and wised—up lyrics. ("You ain't spending the night/After we're done here, it's back to the wife," she commands in "Wait a Minute.") The music encompasses rugged modern R&B, dancehall, Sarah Vaughan—style jazz vocalese and, on "No Substitute Love," a reggae—soul—hip—hop torch song. But the mood is always beatific, topped off by "American Boy," a treatise on Anglo—American relations where Estelle plays a cheeky sex—tourist. "Don't like his baggy jeans," she raps, "but I'ma like what's underneath them. (Jody Rosen)
[via Rollingstone.com]

Album Review: Radiohead - In Rainbows

These wily boys may have a secret album-title exchange program with Kelly Clarkson, but everything else about In Rainbows is typically hard-rocking Radiohead. Like every other Radiohead album except Kid A — still their most famous album, but they only made it once — In Rainbows has uptempo guitar songs and moody acoustic ballads, full of headphone-tweaking sound effects. All of it rocks; none of it sounds like any other band on earth; it delivers an emotional punch that proves all other rock stars owe us an apology.

In a brilliant move, Radiohead released In Rainbows via optional-pay download; I paid $5.27, in honor of my mom's birthday. Almost all the songs are already familiar to fans from live versions, but here they become expansive new creations. "Arpeggi" and "Bodysnatchers" ride on white-heat rhythm-guitar overdrive, while "House of Cards" is a fragile lovers-rock ballad closely resembling Dusty Springfield's (and the Byrds') "Going Back." "All I Need" has erotic pleading ("I'm an animal trapped in your hot car"), sad chimes in the "No Surprises" mode, and an ominoso synth-piano rumble.

On 2003's Hail to the Thief, Yorke's vocals were all punk rage, but here his voice has an R&B lilt that suits the songs' romantic directness. The end of "Videotape" is the only time the band dips back into dated glitch-blip electronics. Otherwise, the music is full of vividly collaborative sonic touches, from the Gary Numan synth-nightmare drones of "All I Need" and "House of Cards" to drummer Phil Selway's surprisingly deft way with his brushes and woodblocks. No wasted moments, no weak tracks: just primo Radiohead. Hell, I'm going back and tipping them another quarter just for the finger-cymbal solo on "Reckoner." (Rob Sheffield)

[via Rollingstone.com]