November 11, 2009

Prodigy Release Limited Edition CD

Partly responsible for bringing the underground rave sound into the mainstream, The Prodigy are, irrefutably, one of the most successful and pioneering dance acts of all time. The Prodigy music videos are still very popular with Firestarter being their most well-known.

With a back catalogue that references almost every dance genre, their name is as associated with renegade breaks as it is with classic old skool hardcore. They have famously made it their business to laugh in the face of genre classificaction, taking the most rinsing elements of genres and twisting them to compliment their underground rave sensibilities. Liam Howlett’s genius apparently knows no bounds.

This year has been another landmark year for The Prods; they sold over a million copies of ‘Invaders Must Die’ and played a string of massive live shows. Their final act of 2009 is a release of a new three disc special edition of the album, featuring heavyweight collaborations, new mixes, live footage and special tracks from Liam Howlett’s scarce ‘Lost Beats EP’.

The collection contains new mixes from Liam Howlett, Yuksek, and Bang Gang, plus the cream of the album’s remixes – including heavy rerubs from Chase and Status, Josh Homme, Sub Focus, Benga, Herve and Rusko. The DVD disc is a selection of the best videos from the album plus some live footage filmed during the 2009 tour.

The Prodigy are to play a huge show at Milton Keynes Bowl in summer 2010, they have announced.

The electro-punk veterans, who scored a Number One album in the UK with “Invaders Must Die”, earlier this year, will be supported by an all-star cast.

Pendulum, Enter Shikari, Chase And Status, Does It Offend You Yeah? and DJ Zane Lowe also appear on the bill.

The one-off date, on July 24, follows a host of dates at the turn of the year, which are:

January 2010

21 Doncaster Dome
22 Bridlington Spa
23 Blackpool Empress Ballroom
25 Plymouth Pavilions
26 Southend Cliffs Pavilion
27 Bournemouth International Centre
31 O2 Academy Glasgow

October 26, 2009

La Roux Have no Big Plan to Break US Charts

In a recent interview, La Roux’s Elly Jackson told all by e-mail: Her voice was on the fritz and she was working hard to get it in shape for a tour that stops at the Paradise Tuesday. Jackson defended La Roux’s girl- boy sound if not the formula.

“(Yaz and Eurythmics) are some of our many influences,” she acknowledged. “But I’d like to point out that the duo thing was never deliberate. We were never trying to reference those artists by being one. That’s just how it turned out.”

Jackson and producer/co-songwriter Ben Langmaid may just happen to be a she and a he, but coincidence doesn’t play a part in La Roux’s ’80s aesthetic. From Toto to Billy Ocean to Genesis, Jackson digs the dorky-yet-amazing hits of the Reagan/Thatcher years.

“People worry too much about what other people think, but I don’t at all,” she said. “If a song makes you happy, or makes you dance, sod it, I’ll play it. Genesis definitely aren’t cool, but you can’t deny that ‘I Can’t Dance’ is a massive tune.”

We can’t? OK, maybe we don’t all see eye-to-eye over “I Can’t Dance” (if she’d said “Follow You, Follow Me,” that would be another story). But we do agree that La Roux’s influences have pushed the duo to make some sick dance floor jams. La Roux’s recent UK No. 1, “Bulletproof,” may be the catchiest snythpop record to cross the Atlantic since Yaz’s “Don’t Go.” And while it didn’t do much on the U.S. charts, it primed American audiences for follow-up single “Quicksand,” which is nearly as cool.

September 20, 2009

Find Your Song and Belt it: Chicago Guitar Lessons

If your family feels free with piano, then maybe
you should think about learning with professional voice or piano
lessons. A qualified piano school in Chicago probably offers qualified
instructors who can teach you learn how to play in various types of
music, instruments and genres. An eager musician mustn’t drive very
far to find a Chicago music school staffed with likable and competent
guitar or piano masters.

We’ll kick off with the obvious: guitar lessons. You know, the piano
is a wildly common instrument (I also advocate for the xylophone). You
can’t go wrong with any of them. A good guitar teacher would guide
you through an entirely rocking sound each lesson! Different than the
all-too-typical cheesy guitar classes, new Chicago music schools are
the hip up-and-coming way to master the music you love.

It doesn’t matter if you just started or you’ve been playing music
for less than a year–Chicago violin lessons will encourage a student
learn the music that you sing in your heart. There’s href="http://www.backbeatmusic.net/ChicagoGuitarLessons.html">guitar
lessons in Chicago, Adult and Daughter guitar classes, easy piano
classes for kids and also accoustic vocal lessons. It’s no surprise,
many will still tell you to perfect your music theory as a
prerequesite to beloved piano music you hold dear. But lessons are
typically affordable,

Spirited music students are acquiring a totally different
philosophy. Basically there are mountains of fun learning tools!
However, the most valuable piece of info to remember is that singing
lessons, and music school of any kind should be enjoyed. It’s hard to
fail believing in music, because whatever wrong chord you play, can be
validated by the following measure. Music lessons can never be cursed.