Videos : Luke Brian : Just A Sip

Who is Luke Brian?
Luke Bryan is a superstar in the making and the career growth from his first to his second to his third studio album, tailgates & tanlines, is the proof. The Georgian who burst on the scene in 2007 with his unique blend of down-home accessibility, movie star good looks and relatable lyrics, is set to explode in a major way.

Not a flash-in-the-pan, overnight sensation, Luke has built his career from the ground up and the Leesburg, Ga., native wouldn’t have it any other way. “My path is exactly where I want it to be,” Luke says. “I’m doing my thing. I’m getting better with every album.”

The son of a peanut farmer, Luke knows patience and determination are key elements when it comes to a successful crop—or career—and he’s dedicated to growth. His first album, I’ll Stay Me, produced the Top 10 hits “All My Friends Say” and “Country Man,” while his sophomore effort, Doin’ My Thing, found the singer-songwriter scoring three straight No. 1 singles: “Do I,” “Someone Else Calling You Baby” and “Rain Is A Good Thing.”

Luke’s momentum shows no signs of slowing. “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” the lead single from his much-anticipated third album, ranks as the fast-rising single of his career.

When Luke scored his first solo performance slot on the 2011 CMT Music Awards, he made the most of it, receiving a standing ovation for his over-the-top performance of “Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” not only from the fans, but also from his artist peers. “When you get performance slots for award shows, that’s a big deal for me,” Luke says.

He’s equally excited about headlining the 10th annual CMT on Tour, which has an impressive list of alumni, including Rascal Flatts, Brad Paisley and Keith Urban. “It’s almost like you’re getting a stamp of approval to go to the next level,” says Luke. “All those artists that were a part of the CMT Tour have crossed over into a larger level of artists.”

His tours with superstars Tim McGraw, Rascal Flatts and Jason Aldean, as well as his own annual Farm Tour, which offers a student from a local farming family a college scholarship, showcase a stage mastery built working the college and club circuit.

“I want my music to jump off the stage and out of the speakers,” says Luke. “When we do ‘Rain Is A Good Thing’ paired back to back with ‘Country Girl,’ it just feels like the roof is fixin’ to come off the place.”

Critics affirm Luke’s stated goal. The Peoria Star Journal calls him a “playful and confident performer” while the Oregonian dubs him “a serious contender for McGraw’s throne.”

Luke’s fan-voted wins as Academy of Country Music Top New Male and Top New Artist, as well as his score as USA Weekend Breakthrough Artist of the Year at the CMT Music Awards were a “huge validation,” he says.

“Country Girl (Shake It For Me),” with its infectious chorus and backbeat, represents another step forward for the strapping star. Co-written by Luke and Dallas Davidson—the pair also penned “Rain Is A Good Thing”—“Country Girl (Shake It For Me)” sets the tone for, but doesn’t define, tailgates & tanlines.

Luke’s latest album is no doubt his best yet. The 13-song collection (of which Luke co-wrote eight) balances lighter fare with meatier offerings. “I Don’t Want This Night To End,” written by Luke with fellow Georgians Dallas Davidson, Rhett Akins and Ben Hayslip, is destined to be a clap-along concert favorite and radio smash.

“Drunk On You,” written by hit tunesmiths Rodney Clawson, Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear, is an intoxicating tale of young love that Luke calls “young and fun.”

Another song destined to be a radio favorite is “Too Damn Young,” a coming of age tune about the loss of innocence that country fans will no doubt relate to.

“Harvest Time,” written by Luke with Rodney Clawson, is an autobiographical look at Luke’s rural roots, while “Don’t Know Jack,” penned by Erin Enderlin and Shane McAnally, is a stark reminder of the power of alcohol addiction.

“Kiss Tomorrow Goodbye,” is an up-tempo lets-make-love-one-more-time-even-though-we-know-we’re-splitting-up song, while “Been There Done That” is the ultimate kiss-off tune.

In short, tailgates & tanlines represents real life.

“I’m really proud that I’ve got some meatier things on this album,” Luke says of the balance between hell raisers and heart breakers. “Nothing is more frustrating to me than putting a song on an album and regret putting it on there. I’m excited that there are no songs on tailgates & tanlines that I’m iffy about.”

As dedicated as he is to his craft, Luke is even more dedicated to his family: wife Caroline and sons Bo and Tate. “I try to make my time in Nashville mean something for the boys,” he says.

“It’s a big fun ride for everybody,” Luke says of his success. “My wife and I are enjoying life more than ever.”

While superstardom is knocking on his door, Luke Bryan will answer when he’s ready. “I have never wanted to grow fast in this business,” he maintains. “I have always wanted to take my time, make it happen and be smart about it and I’ve been lucky—all that stuff is happening.”

Luke’s aw-shucks demeanor belies his rare gifts. This singer/songwriter/entertainer is the complete package and superstardom is inevitable.


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Sources : Luke Brian Photo | Just A Sip Video | Luke Brian Biography

News : Interview With Markus Schulz

Over the past 10 years, Markus Schulz has blended trance, progressive, and house music into his own distinct style that takes trance to a level just as hard as any other genre. With his own label (Coldharbor Records) and his own weekly podcast (Global DJ Broadcast), Schulz is at the forefront of dance music, and this Saturday I had the opportunity to chat with the “Unicorn Slayer” (as he has been lovingly dubbed by his fans) before his incredible Scream show at Avalon with The M Machine and KhoMha.

What inspired you to release another album?
The response from fans all over the country has been incredible and really inspiring. I’ve been inspired to write a lot of music during this tour. We were brainstorming what to do with all this new music, and there were a number of cities in the US that I wanted to hit but wasn’t able to, so I’m pleased to announce that in the fall we’re going to be releasing Scream: Part Two, which will be the music that I’ve written along this tour. We’re also going to continue the Scream tour in the fall, adding on to what we have now!

Which venue has been your favorite so far on this tour?
One stop along the tour that really surprised me was in Philadelphia. There’s a club there that had really low ceilings, which reminded me of this old club called Space in Miami. Aesthetically that was one of the cooler venues because it didn’t look like the rest of them.

How would you describe the music you’re writing right now?
The new stuff is definitely big room, but at the same time I’ve also written some moody stuff. To be honest, it gets lonely out there on the road sometimes, so there are some tracks that have more emotion. I think it’s a good balance.

What are you listening to right now?
I’ve been listening to a lot of the classic rock stuff. I go through these cycles, and Pink Floyd is what I always go back to. Before this show I studied Dark Side of the Moon — all the shows and all the concerts — and for me there’s no bigger inspiration than Pink Floyd.

What are your top three songs at the moment?
“ID,” “ID,” and “ID.” [Laughs] Two of the biggest tracks on the tour have been “Nothing Without Me” — everywhere I go everyone is singing along to that one — and “Love Rain Down on Me.” Also I did a remix of an old classic, “Solar Coaster” by Solarstone, and I brought that out on the tour. It’s just one of those moments when the fans are blown away, so that’s been one of the surprise tracks on the tour.

How is life on the tour bus?
It’s not quite as glamorous as it is in the movies. You’ve got a bed in the back, and you think you’re going to sleep on that bed, but the roads in the US are quite bouncy, so that doesn’t really happen.

How do you feel about playing in the US as opposed to elsewhere in the world?
It’s amazing. From Albuquerque to Tulsa to LA, it’s amazing what this music has done, and I’ve seen it with my own eyes now. Going to someplace like Tulsa and having the fans come up to me afterwards and thank me for coming to them because they travel all over and are so passionate… We have a merch table at every show, and by the end of the show everyone is wearing t-shirts. I feel so lucky to be a part of the scene in the US.

How does it feel to be the number one DJ in the US?
DJ Times has built this out as a victory tour, but for me it’s a “Thank you” tour. Whether I’m playing for 5 fans in my living room or thousands at Avalon, I love this music, and there’s nothing else I’d rather be doing. I’m just one of the lucky ones because I’ve met so many talented people around the world who are struggling to get their music heard.

How do you prepare for a 12-hour set?
Musically I prepare three different sets: an opening set, a peak hour set with all the strobes and confetti, and my rabbit hole set. After that, I freestyle it and feel the crowd. When I was a resident DJ, that’s all I did. I’d show up with my records and feel the crowd, so for me those long sets are when I can do that again.

How did the New World Punx collaboration come about?
Ferry Corsten and I were hanging out at a barbecue in Ibiza, and we were chatting about music and styles. We realized how alike we were with everything from music to production to the fans, so we decided to get in the studio and make a track together. When we were in the studio, we had so much fun! We then had a couple of dates where we spun back to back, and it was so successful that we started getting calls from promoters to do back to back sets. We decided we needed to give ourselves a name so that people would know when we were going to do those sets, so we combined the name of one of my biggest tracks (“The New World”) and the second part from one of Ferry’s tracks (“Punk”) and put it together. In the beginning, we wanted to update old classics, calling it “Old Tunes in New Jackets,” but now we’ve started writing some original tracks as well. The trance scene can get pretty serious, and we want to put a bit more fun back into it and not be so serious.

What’s the magic between you and Avalon?
There aren’t a lot of places left like this in the world. They have such an amazing combination of the community, sound, production, and management. They get it. I’ve played in some places where security is trying to push everyone out the door, but that’s not what I’m all about. I want it to be an after party as well as the main party.

Would you ever consider an Avalon residency?
I’d love to live here and play shows here every single night, but unfortunately there are only 52 weeks in a year and there are other cities in the world where the fans deserve shows too.

You’re doing an open-to-close set at Tomorrowland. How does that feel?
I’m worried about that one because at Avalon I have fans on the side keeping me cool, but at Tomorrowland I’ve played two-hour sets and come out drenched in sweat. Playing there all day long should be interesting.

Are there any younger acts that we should be on the lookout for?
KhoMha, of course. Everytime he makes a track I just have to take a step back and listen at full volume. Also Orjan Nilsen is really good and diverse. I’ve heard some of his deeper stuff, and I think it’s outrageous. The scene is rich with young talent.

Where do you see trance going in the next couple years?
Hopefully a good balance of serious trance and fun trance — not the fighting in between it. I think there’s a place for everything. When I do my radio show, I try to get a bit heavy, and then when I do the live shows, I want people to leave feeling good. Years ago I went to a show by The Cure. I love the Cure, and they do the best depressing music ever, but when I left the show, I felt awful. I think about those memories, and even though I make some dark, depressing music, I don’t ever want people to leave my show feeling depressed. I want them to leave feeling awesome and like they had a good release.

If you could give a younger version of yourself advice, what would you say?
When I first started off I remember riding my bike home from a gig, and it was brutal because I rode for 20 miles with a stack of records on my handlebars. I went past this construction zone, and they were watering the area to keep the dust down, but the combination of the oil and water made the road really slippery and I crashed.

I was all bloody, and my records went all over. I laid there looking at the stars, and I thought to myself that if a car hit me, I wouldn’t even care. If I could go back in time, I’d tell that kid laying in the street, “Get your ass up. Everything is going to be amazing.”

After my talk with Markus, I went into Avalon and enjoyed an unbelievable display of visuals, sound, and music in the quintessential listening environment. The room was packed with screaming and chanting fans who sang and danced nonstop at this party that went until 8am. The crowed went crazy when he dropped “Nothing Without Me,” a song whose official music video has more than 1 million views on YouTube, and with tracks like ”Love Rain Down” and ”Digital Madness,” Markus slayed those unicorns left and right.

While Avalon has one of the most incredible state-of-the-art sound and visual systems in LA, the multi-layered and multi-dimensional visuals that Markus brought took over the club from top to bottom, immersing the audience in lights and colors in sync with his pulsing beats. Without a doubt, this was one of the most visually stunning and energetic performances I’ve ever had the pleasure of witnessing.


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Sources : Markus Schulz Photo | Markus Schulz ft. Ana Diaz Nothing Without Me Video | Interview With Markus Schulz Article

Videos : Kanye West : New Slaves

For Kanye West, presentation is everything and on Friday night (May 17), rap's reigning mad scientist conjured up a revolutionary way to premiere his "New Slaves" music video.

Instead of YouTube or MTV, Yeezy projected his latest clip on the sides of buildings in 66 locations around the world, giving fans little forewarning before the first premiere. He posted the viewing times and locations on his KanyeWest.com site and about 100 fans answered the call and gathered on the corner of 14th Street and 10th Avenue in New York City's Meatpacking District as many as 30 minutes before the scheduled 11:45 p.m. showing. The truck that drove around the city projecting the vid was an hour late, but the delay didn't seem to matter much to the dedicated flock who gasped as the stark black and white image of their rap hero shot up on a matte black wall.

"My mama was raised in the era when/ Clean water was only served to the fairer skin/ Threw on clothes, you would've thought I had help/ But they wasn't satisfied unless I picked the cotton myself," 'Ye spit, setting the tone.

From the video's first few moments it was clear that this was something different, even for a rapper who has made a career off of wearing pink polos and singing an entire album in auto-tune. At the same time there was something familiar as Kanye challenged materialistic habits and racial stereotypes like he did on his 2005 single "All Falls Down."

"What you want a Bentley, fur coat, a diamond chain/ All you blacks want all the same things," he rhymed, making for an uncomfortable, but necessary listen.

The visual was equally dislodging as West rhymes with a piercing look in his eye addressing each individual listener, but without ever really being there. He shouts out "new slaves" before staring silently as the thumping beat played.

When the almost four-minute presentation was over, the crowd stood strangely quiet for a moment before they realized that it was OK to cheer their revolutionary rap hero.

We'll have to wait and see if West performs "New Slaves" when he hits the "Saturday Night Live" stage with host Ben Affleck on Saturday.


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Sources : Kanye West Photo | New Slaves Video | Kanye West Article

Albums : MS MR : Secondhand Rapture

Listen To MS MR : Secondhand Rapture

"I am so, so excited for her to come into the North," gushes MS MR singer Lizzy Plapinger. "She's gonna fuck shit up so hard."

Plapinger, of course, is referring to the plot line of Daenerys Targaryen, the blonde-haired mother of dragons and her favorite character on HBO's smash fantasy series "Game of Thrones." Plapinger and her MS MR mate, producer Max Hershenow, are both massive "GoT" fans -- although Hershenow laments that he's a few episodes behind on this season's action -- and were raving about the show long before their song "Bones" was synched in a TV trailer for season three earlier this year. When the commercial was unveiled, "Bones" was not the New York duo's current single in support of "Secondhand Rapture," their debut album released Tuesday (May 14) on Columbia Records. But neither member worried about the album's marketing strategy when they got to hear their song soundtrack the flight of a scaly dragon in the ad.

"It’s not a show that often incorporates new bands and new music," Plapinger notes. "It has a musically scored soundtrack, so that [placement] was a huge opportunity for us to have that kind of relationship to the show and have so many new listeners hear us because of that trailer. So the conversation of it not being the 'current single' never even came into play."

Like most of MS MR's artfully drawn indie-pop, "Bones" has a dark cloud looming overhead, and its gloomy background wails perfectly match the elegant grit on display in the "Game of Thrones" ad. "Bones" was originally featured on MS MR's four-song "Candy Bar Creep Show" EP, which was released via Tumblr before becoming a proper extended play last fall; five of the first four songs on "Secondhand Rapture" were originally released on "Candy Bar Creep Show," and Hershenow says that the EP served as an ideal preview of what was to come on the full-length.

"We wrote all 12 songs during the same year-and-a-half period," says Hershenow of "Secondhand Rapture," which was recorded in Brooklyn throughout 2011. "The ones we were going to use for the EP – those four songs -- work as a cohesive whole in their own right. And I think we both felt that they established the foundation for our sound in a way that would allow us to grow into the album in a healthy way."

Since the release of "Candy Bar Creep Show," MS MR has been featured in MTV's 'Artists To Watch' series, performed at the SweetLife Festival in Maryland and been added to the lineups for Governor's Ball, Lollapalooza and Glastonbury. In between festival dates, the group will headline shows in New York, Philadelphia and Chicago later this month before joining CSS for a West Coast swing in June. The duo's crowds have been slowly growing, as has their rapport with their various audiences.

"Max and I are very much performers at heart," says Plapinger, "and I think we came to the live show very naturally in terms of confidence and comfort level." Hershenow adds, "I think the most exciting thing for me has been translating this thing that wasn’t that great in my apartment on my computer… to a live stage. It’s definitely been a challenge, but it’s also been much more fulfilling and exciting than I had anticipated."

Before MS MR makes its TV debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman" on Thursday night (May 16), check out the video for "Fantasy," from the group's new album "Secondhand Rapture":

Secondhand Rapture
MS MR singer Lizzy Plapinger is exactly what you want in a frontman/woman. She has pink hair, or sometimes blue. She has an unconventional voice, husky and noir-ish. Most importantly, she has a keen ear for pop: as co-founder of Neon Gold Records, she released early singles from acts like Passion Pit, Ellie Goulding and Icona Pop. But that cool factor looms large over her project with Max Hershenow, giving skeptics a ready-made argument: that MS MR’s success is built on blind faith from a Neon Gold-loving Web.

The most effective way to dispense with any potential buzz-economy bullshit, though, is to put together a debut album as strong as Secondhand Rapture (out today, May 14). With this full-length, MS MR have crafted a collection of glossy dirges and high-drama doom-dances that operate in the pop world, but aren’t entirely of that world. Rather than neon synths and guitar crunch buttressing the melodies, it’s strings and pianos — but not in the Lana Del Way. Instead, MS MR opt for beauty through weirdness, constructing a record full of spectral echoes, wobbling organs and orchestral maneuvers in the dark.

Producer-instrumentalist Max Hershenow constructed a darkly entrancing universe and the songs feature plenty of moving parts, but they never sound busy or muddled. This is best illustrated on “Hurricane,” where the droning bass line could’ve smothered everything, yet each metallic clang and string pluck slices through. This stunning sonic balance slyly obfuscates the album’s anthemic aspirations, as the largeness of songs like “Think of You” or “Head Is Not My Home” is not immediately apparent. It’s a risky gambit in these MIDI-mashing, all-crescendo-everything times, but the arrangements shine using efficiency and tension instead of bombast.

The other part of the album’s appeal comes, of course, from Plapinger herself. The Siouxsie Sioux comparisons have been made before, and they’re unavoidable (after all, Plapinger did sing on an EP of Siouxsie and the Banshees covers). But where Siouxsie sounded like she was trying to awaken dark spirits in some ritual, Lizzy sounds like she has been put into a trance by those spirits (even intoning, “Let me be your singing corpse” on “Twenty Seven”).

Her gauzy timbre is unmistakable among the layered arrangements, and this works to the album’s disadvantage in one respect: there’s a strange preponderance of whoas and oohs that leads to some fatigue for the listener. These wordless chants are used effectively on early cuts like “Ash Tree Lane,” but by the album’s midpoint, they’ve piled up and begin sounding like temporary placeholders that were never actually replaced. It’s an odd thing, because when there are lyrics, they’re fascinating, and even Michael Stipe-like in their nonsensical Mad Lib feel (see: “candy bar creep show,” “big teeth small kiss”).

Lizzy sings about things skeletal, miserable, lovable and fantastical, and combined with all the warped murder mystery strings and cavernous drums, Secondhand Rapture could’ve blurred into a monotonous slog of fatalism. But the sequencing deftly peppers in a few oddball tracks to keep listeners on their toes. The first one is the absolutely gorgeous “Dark Doo Wop.” There’s a bed of coos and organs as Plapinger sings about being with her lover as the world burns, and the track patiently escalates to a squall. The next departure is “Salty Sweet,” a meta commentary on pop star insecurity over a reggae rhythm, followed later by closer “This Isn’t Control,” which starts like a melting music box before launching into a trap-lite beat.

These are the sounds of a band that was firmly entrenched in the alt-pop world and aimed to create a new take on the form, without sacrificing accessibility. And MS MR largely succeeded in that goal: Secondhand Rapture is a beautiful dark twisted fantasy that you’d hear wafting out of a haunted house in Katy Perry‘s Candyland. It’s nice when buzz actually swarms to the right places.


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Sources : MS MR Photo | Listen To Secondhand Rapture | MS MR Article | Secondhand Rapture Review

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Videos : Eve ft. Miss Kitty : Eve (Explicit)

Taking to the streets of London-town, rapstress Eve unlocks a visual for the latest single from her May 14th due album ‘Lip Lock’. Featuring fellow femcee Miss Kitty, see the duo in action above.


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News : As I Lay Dying Singer Tim Lambesis’ Lawyer Says Steroids To Blame In Murder-For-Hire Plot

As I Lay Dying frontman Tim Lambesis returned to the Vista Superior Court Friday (May 17) for a bail hearing relating to his alleged-murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife and more details about the case were revealed in the process.

According to UTSanDiego.com, during Friday’s hearing the rocker’s attorney, Thomas Warwick, argued that his client had gotten into bodybuilding and healthy eating and later began taking nutritional supplements as a paid product spokesman. At some point he also began taking steroids, which the lawyer claimed were to blame for his behavior in instigating the murder-for-hire plot.

Warwick stated, “His thought processes were devastatingly affected by his steroid use.” According to NBCSanDiego.com, the lawyer added, “It has been a terrible tragedy. He was a very caring, gentle man [before taking steroids] and we need to get him back.” Lambesis reportedly ballooned in size from 170 pounds to 220 pounds and in his lawyer’s words “was not the same person. He was irritable and lost God.” A forensic psychiatrist who consulted for the defense stated that the vocalist got “roid rage” after using steroids.

Also during Friday’s hearing, Warwick was successful in getting Lambesis’ bail lowered, but not as far as was hoped. The lawyer asked for the bail to be lowered to $250,000 from the $3 million it was initially set at, but Judge David Berry only dropped it to $2 million. Warwick told the court that even with the decrease in bail, his client was still not able to pay the amount.

The 32-year-old has remained behind bars since May 7, accused of trying to hire a hitman to kill his estranged wife. However, the hitman in question was an undercover police officer.

Prosecutor Claudia Grasso told the court that Lambesis handed the officer an envelope containing $1,000 in cash, his wife’s address and the gate security codes. Grasso added that the vocalist did not flinch when told that the hit would cost $20,000.

Tim and Meggan Lambesis split last year after eight years of marriage and adopting three kids from Ethiopia. The prosecutor claimed that the vocalist told his wife in an email last summer that he no longer loved her and no longer believed in God. She also apparently learned that he had been having affairs. The singer’s wife filed for divorce in September.


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Sources : As I Lay Dying Singer Tim Lambesis’ Lawyer Says Steroids To Blame In Murder-For-Hire Plot Photo | As I Lay Dying Singer Tim Lambesis’ Lawyer Says Steroids To Blame In Murder-For-Hire Plot Article

Singles : Jay Sean ft. Rick Ross : Mars

Listen To Jay Sean ft. Rick Ross : Mars

Jay Sean invites you to get intergalactic on his sexy new single, “Mars.” The latest offering from his second album on the Cash Money imprint also features an assist from Rick Ross, who chimes in with a dash of hip-hop on the smooth bedroom banger.

Jay Sean’s Neon album is set for a June 25th release.


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Sources : Jay Sean Photo | Listen To Mars | Jay Sean Article