DudeAsInCool

Music critic Michael Kennedy of the UKs telegraph has put together a list of the 100 essential classical music albums you must listen to: ORCHESTRAL, CHORAL, VOCAL & INSTRUMENTAL BACH Concerto for two violins; Paris SO; Avid Records BARBER Knoxville: Summer of 1915; Dumbarton Oaks Orch; Sony BEETHOVEN Symphony No 3 (Eroica); BBCSO; Barbirolli Society Symphonies Nos 5 and 7; Philharmonia Orch; EMI (Otto Klemperer's Beethoven cycles at the Festival Hall in the 1960s) Beethoven Symphony No 9 (Choral); Bavarian Radio SO; Philips Violin Concerto; Berlin PO; Dutton Piano Concerto No 3; NBC Orch; Naxos Historic Read More

The Brooklyn Vegan reports that a member of The Shins, Martin Crandall, was arrested for committing domestic violence against America's Next Top Model Elyse Sewell. According to the story, the model was roughed up in a Sacramento Hotel. Crandall and the girl remains in jail. Their record labal, Sub Pop, asks that their privacy be respected. Read More Photos via Brooklyn Vegan

MSN reports that "Microsoft Chairman Bill Gates wowed a full house Sunday in his 12th and last Consumer Electronics Show keynote as a full-time employee with the company he founded more than three decades ago Parody retrospective Before moving on to the usual collection of Microsoft product and technology demos, Gates had the crowd--including a large contingent of jaded journalists who'd waited on line since mid-afternoon--laughing uproariously at a celebrity-packed film speculating on what his final day at Microsoft (set for July) might look like." Read More Watch It Here (several minutes in

You've Been Misinformed - "Girls wants sex as much as boys"

"Fresh from a tour with Jose Gonzalez" - sounds cool, I'd like to check it out. When will the radio show air?

Scott Hansen is Tycho, an ambient artist from San Francisco, who sometimes also records sometimes under the name ISO50 (btw, he makes great TShirts, too). His sound is similar to Lanterna. His new single, Daydream, has just been released, and you can listen to it below. You can also check out more about the artist at his website and listen to more of his music at MySpace. Enjoy. Here is an unofficial video And if you just want to hear the audio ....

Xiu Xiu is an experimental indie band originally from and currently based in San Francisco, California and is the sonic brainchild of singer-songwriter Jamie Stewart. This is their latest music video. A tip of the hat to Stereogum for the find.

Dungen is a Swedish rock band based in Stockholm, fronted by singer/composer Gustav Ejstes, who writes all music and plays the majority of instruments on the band's records. Their music fuses psychedelic rock, folk music, classic rock, progressive rock and indie rock. Their latest album is Tio Bitar ("Ten pieces"), which was released CD on April 23, 2007 by Subliminal Sounds.

The song is by Riskay, a Florida rapper, and it was written up today in the New York Times.

Undercover reports that Eric Clapton pulled together a supergroup on New Year's Eve, including Ringo Starr, Pete Townshend and Joe Walsh for his Alcoholics Anonymous group. Clapton has been putting on the event annually for the last twenty years. The band, who called themselve "Totally Abandoned", was joined by Gary Brooker from Procul Harum, Andy Fairweather Low (the guitarist for Roger Waters), Henry Spinetti (who has played with Clapton, Paul McCartney, Gerry Rafferty, Bob Dylan, Procul Harum and George Harrison) and Chris Stainton. Michelle John and Sharon White were the backup singers. Here's the set list: Knock on Wood Reconsider Baby Judge A Book Sea Cruise Gin House Rockin Robin Rocky Mountain Way Boys Honey Don't Old Black Joe Auld Lang Syne In The Midnight Hour Hoochie Coochie Man Lucille Blueberry Hill We Shall Not Be Moved Goodnight Irene Three Steps to Heaven Cocaine Shake Rattle n Roll White Shade of Pale Little Queenie Read More

Drowned In Sounds' Anticipated Albums For 2008 British Sea Power Do You Like Rock Music? (Rough Trade, released January 14) The Magnetic Fields Distortion (Nonesuch Records, released January 14) Black Mountain In The Future (Jagjaguwar, released January 21) Charlottefield What Are Friend For (FatCat, released January 21) Brighton-based quartet Charlottefield The Mars Volta The Bedlam In Goliath (Universal/GSL, released January 28) Bullet For My Valentine Scream, Aim, Fire (Sony BMG, released January 28) Welsh Quartet - Metal Adele 19 (XL, released January 28) These New Puritans Beat Pyramid (Angular/Domino, released January 28) Xiu Xiu Women As Lovers (Kill Rock Stars, released January 29 – US details) Hot Chip Made In The Dark (EMI, released February 4) Fuck Buttons Street Horrrsing (ATP,released February 11) Crystal Castles Crystal Castles (Last Gang, released February 18) I Was A Cub Scout I Want You To Know That There Is Always Hope (Abeano/XL, released February 18) Atlas Sound Let the Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel (Kranky, released February 18) / Deerhunter Microcastle (Kranky, release date TBA) American Music Club The Golden Age (Merge, released February 18 in US / February 4 in UK/EU via Cooking Vinyl) Apes Ghost Games (Gypsy Eyes, released February 19 – US details) Metallica Title TBA (Warner Bros., released February/March, probably) Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds Dig, Lazarus, Dig!!! (Mute, released March 3) Cadence Weapon Afterparty Babies (Big Dada, released March 3) Be Your Own Pet Get Awkward (XL, released March 18) The Kills Midnight Boom (Domino, released March 18) Foals Antidotes (Transgressive/Sub Pop, released March) Youthmovies Good Nature (Drowned in Sound, released March) dEUS Title TBA (label TBA, released March/April probably) Belgian rockers M83 Saturdays = Youth (Mute, released April 15) Blood Red Shoes Box Of Secrets (Mercury, released April 18) Russian Circles Title TBA (Suicide Squeeze, released spring/summer) The Futureheads Title TBA (Longest Mile, release date TBA) MF DOOM & Ghostface Swift and Changeable (Nature Sounds/Lex – release date TBA) TBA agaskodo teliverek, Psycho Goulash (spring?); Beach House, Devotion (February 26, news); Boris, Smile (April); The Breeders, Mountain Battles (April 7, news); Broadcast, Title TBA (summer?); Coldplay Title TBA (spring/summer); Cut Copy, In Ghost Colours (February); Dead Meadow, Old Growth (February 4, news); Dan Deacon, Title TBA (April); Destroyer, Trouble In Dreams (March 18, news); Dr Dre, Detox (June); Elbow, The Seldom Seen Kid (March); Errors, Title TBA (summer?); The Faint, Title TBA (summer?); Final Fantasy, Heartland (summer?); Forward Russia, Life Processes (spring); Franz Ferdinand, Not Yet (possible title) (spring/summer); Gnarls Barkley, Title TBA (September); Guillemots, Title TBA (March/April); Guns N Roses, Chinese Democracy (???); Islands, Title TBA (???); Johnny Foreigner, Title TBA (summer?); Junior Boys, Title TBA (???); The Killers, Title TBA (autumn/winter); The Lemonheads, Title TBA (April); Lightspeed Champion, Falling Off the Lavender Bridge (January 21); Los Campesinos!, Hold On Now, Youngster... (February 18, news); Courtney Love, Nobody’s Daughter (spring/summer); Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Real Emotional Trash (March) Massive Attack, Weather Underground (working title) (???); MGMT, Oracular Spectacular (January 21); The Mountain Goats, Heretic Pride (February 19, news); N*E*R*D, N.R.3.D. (spring); Nada Surf, Lucky (February 18); Neon Neon, Stainless Style (February); The Notwist Title TBA (???); Oasis, Title TBA (summer); Portishead, Title TBA (April); The Postal Service, Title TBA (autumn?); The Raconteurs, Title TBA (summer?); Eugene S Robinson, FIGHT: Or: Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Ass-Kicking But Were Afraid You'd Get Your Ass Kicked For Asking (January 22); Rolo Tomassi, Title TBA (???); The Silver Jews, Lookout Mountain, Lookout Sea (April); R.E.M., Accelerate (April); School Of Language, Sea From Shore (February 4); Tapes N Tapes, Title TBA (summer?); Weezer, Title TBA (???); Why?, Alopecia (February 22); Wolf Parade, Title TBA (summer?); The Young Knives, Superabundance (March 3) Read the full review at Drowned In Sound

Paper Planes

Sri Lanka's M.I.A. brings her eclectic range of hip-hop, dancehall and electronic music to NPRs World Cafe. In addition to an interview, M.I.A. plays a set at WXPNs studios, including three songs of her new personal and political album, "Kala", including Hussel, Bamboo Banga and Paper Planes. You can listen to the show right HERE. A video for another song off the album, Paper Planes, appears after the jump. Enjoy. Photo courtesy of M.I.A.

Herbie Hancock (with Nora Jones) - "Court and Spark" - From his latest cd, "Letters to Joni"

With other artists in mind, Trent Reznor shares his experience in releasing Saul Williams' "The Inevitable Rise and Liberation of NiggyTardust" online without a major label's help ... and what he learned from the process: "As of 1/2/08, 154,449 people chose to download Saul's new record. 28,322 of those people chose to pay $5 for it, meaning: 18.3% chose to pay. Of those paying, 3220 chose 192kbps MP3 19,764 chose 320kbps MP3 5338 chose FLAC" According to his post, Reznor explains that 5 Xs as many people got the new album over Saul's last album, but less than 20% paid for it. And despite the savings in marketing costs, which were zero, the production costs of hiring an A-list team, studio costs, publishing fees, sample clearance fees, and bandwidth costs, made the venture barely profitable. On the other hand, he speculates that perhaps Saul's tour will gain by the advance promotion. So...the jury is out as to whether the experiment was successful or not. What do you think? Read Trent's full post Read an early interview with Trent Reznor and Saul Williams Read ArsTechnica's Overview Photo: MTV

Andrew Bird performs "Plasticities" (Live on David Letterman)

The Sydney Morning Herald interviews Chicago-based multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Andrew Bird about the process of writing music: "As an improviser I am looking for a good melody all the time. I'm not like John Coltrane taking you into outer space; I'm Louis Armstrong trying to find a good melody." "With lyrics, if you try to write, it usually doesn't lead to much. I'm not like a novelist who works office hours, nine-to-five, and carves out a chapter every couple of days. You've just got to take an absurd little moment and think, 'How can I make that into a song?' "Sometimes I'm walking down the street with a melody in my head and I start just speaking in tongues or singing in tongues and then whatever word happens to come out of that becomes the seed of that song. And considering that that's how songs might start, that the songs make sense is interesting." Read More. Sample video after the jump...

Black Moth Super Rainbow is an experimental band from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Their music contains elements of psychedelia, folk, electronica, and pop. The band opened for The Flaming Lips on their Fall 2007 tour. The video by David A. McFarlane - the song appears on the band's "Start A People" cd.

Against Me! is an American punk/alternative band formed in 1997 in Gainesville, Florida. This song is the title cut of their latest album, New Wave, which was released July 10, 2007.

I agree - this crop looks better than last year's

MetaCritic's Upcoming Release Calendar For 2008 January The Business of Being Born Ricky Lake and documentary filmmaker Abby Epstein take a look at the industry that gets you pregnant. Woman on the Beach Writer's block leads to love in the waves for a young filmmaker who needs to grow up. First Sunday Who robs a church? Ice Cube and Tracy Morgan learn it's hard to steal from Jesus in a comedy about two bungling burglars. In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale Ray Liotta plays an evil sorcerer... A quiet farmer (Jason Statham) rescues his wife in a medieval fantasy from Uwe Boll. The Pirates Who Don't Do Anything--A Veggie Tales Movie Captain Jack was definitely a vegetable... Three vegetables get whisked back to the 17th century to be pirates and face their fears. Summer Palace Summer lovin' isn't a blast when two college students fall in love during politically turbulent times. 27 Dresses Always a Bridesmaid... When Katherine Heigl loses the man of her dreams to her sister, her days as a bridesmaid are numbered. Cloverfield The lady loses her head... The Statue of Liberty is decapitated by a monster that attacks New York. Mad Money Mad Women... Diane Keaton, Queen Latifah, and Katie Holmes are mad enough to rob the Federal Reserve Bank. Cassandra's Dream Woody Allen continues his descent to the dark side with his latest thriller about brothers and betrayal. Day Zero Three friends prepare to go to war when the government reinstates the draft. Still Life Strangers teach each other that their lives can't move forward if they're rooted to the past. Taxi to the Darkside Documentarian Alex Gibney investigates how the murder of an innocent civilian could take place under the current US regime. Teeth A young girl takes a bite out of crime in the dramedy about anatomical serendipity. U2 3D U2 reinvents the concert film with state-of-the-art 3D technology. How She Move It's her time to step up... For Raya Green (Rutina Wesley), learning the right moves is everything. Meet the Spartans 300 wasn't a comedy? A Gerard Butler look-alike runs around half-naked and screams a lot in this spoof of popular battle pics. Rambo If he could bring Rocky back... Slyvestor Stallone puts on another sweaty bandana as John Rambo. Seed This is not the kind of thing you want to grow... A psychotic killer claws his way out of his premature grave and murders a whole lotta people. Untraceable When websites attack... Diane Lane must track down a tech-savy sadist before he makes her his next internet victim. 4 Months, 3 Weeks & 2 Days Over the course of a single day, two friends gain a lifetime of experienc. The Air I Breath Forest Whitaker heads an all-star cast in this film about the four fundamental experiences of life: happiness, pleasure, love and sorrow. Alice's House Betrayal turns Alice's world upside down in this slice-of-life drama. Be Kind Rewind Michel Gondry makes Jack Black an unlikely filmmaker in this comedy about a clerk who re-creates the videos he accidently erases on the job. How to Rob a Bank Nick Stahl is an accidental arbitrator in this bank heist dramedy. Trailer Park Boys: The Movie Trailer park friends plan to do "The Big Dirty" and pull off the biggest heist of their sad criminal careers. Elite Squad Two college students join Rio de Janeiro's Police Department in order rid the city of drugs and gang wars. February Fan Boys Star Wars fanboys plan to steal a print of Episode One from Skywalker Ranch. Jumper Hayden Christensen stars as a teenager who uses teleportation powers to track his mother's killer. The Spiderwick Chronicles The fantasy children's books become a movie with Freddie Highmore playing the twins. Summer Movies Iron Man The long-gestating project has Robert Downey Jr. as the superhero. Speed Racer Based on the Japanese cartoon, the new movie sees Speed Racer battling his rival, Racer X. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian Cast, director and writers all return for the second installment of CS Lewis' seven-part series. Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Indy is finally ready for his next (and final?) adventure. Sex and the City: The Movie Samantha, Miranda, Charlotte, Carrie and Mr. Big return, this time on the big screen. The Incredible Hulk Universal tries again with Edward Norton as the green giant and promising more action. Get Smart Based on the '60s sitcom, Maxwell Smart (Steve Carell) and Agent 99 (Anne Hathaway) fight KAOS' evil leader (Terence Stamp) on the big screen. The Dark Knight Nolan's Batman redux continues with the Joker as our brooding hero's latest nemesis. Mamma Mia! The musical becomes a movie. Get ready for ABBA overload. The X-Files 2 (working title) Mulder & Scully return in this long-gestating sequel. Christmas Movies Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Harry learns more of Lord Voldemort's past in the second-to-last installment of the series. Angels & Demons Tom Hanks is back in this prequel to "The Da Vinci Code." Star Trek J.J. Abrams gifts fans with the latest from the franchise featuring Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock. Ace Ventura 3 Ace Jr. follows in the pet detective's footsteps. Alice Sarah Michelle Gellar stars in this disturbing re-imagining of Wonderland based on the video game by American McGee. The Time Traveler's Wife Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams' love stands the test of time in the big-screen adaptation of Audrey Niffenegger's novel. 2009 G.I. Joe The popular cartoon gets an overhaul for the big screen. The Grudge 3 The dead have held on to their grudge long enough to make a third movie. Nottingham Russell Crowe stars as the infamous sheriff. Wolverine Hugh Jackman returns for Wolverine's story before he joined the X-Men.

No - this wasn't a Marlboro RED ad.

Good luck, Bryan - nice song. It's not easy to get a break these days - lots of talent out there. Of the bands listed in the contest above, I thought The Shenanigans were pretty imaginative. Anyone else spot anyone you liked?

Well produced R & B. Good luck with it!

With the major record labels expected to encroach artist's contracts, including publishing, concert tickets and merchandise, Billboard asked four prominent music attorneys including Gary Gilbert (Death Cab for Cutie), Elliot Groffman (Dave Matthews Band, Pearl Jam), J. REID HUNTER (John Mayer) and Andy Taylor (James Taylor) how they will respond. Here are a couple of their responses: "What Is Your Top Concern About A 360 Deal? GARY GILBERT: Labels having a piece of things like touring, where bands can make money without having a hit record, makes no sense if they don't sell (enough) records. J. REID HUNTER: Many of the labels don't just want a participation -- they want to have approvals over decisions traditionally made by the artist manager or they want to become your exclusive (merchandise) fulfillment partner. In negotiations, we're having to educate the business affairs folks on how the business runs in areas outside of records. That makes me worry about how prepared the majors are to get into these areas." Read more at Yahoo