Modern Talking pictures with tag: rock news

Beastie Boys To Reissue “Paul’s Boutique” With Original Artwork, Song Commentaries

It’s too late to make David Fricke’s top reissues of 2008, but next year’s list has an early contender: Beastie Boys will reissue their epic Paul’s Boutique on January 27th to celebrate the album’s 20th anniversary. The classic LP has been digitally remastered for the first time, with all three Beasties overseeing the 24-bit process. The album’s original vinyl artwork will be restored in an eco-friendly, eight-panel digipak displaying a panoramic view of the intersection at Rivington and Ludlow in New York City’s Lower East Side. A foldout poster will also be included in the package, plus the reissue gives fans access to a free download of a “track-by-track” album commentary, with Mike D, Ad-Rock and MCA talking about the songs while the track plays in the background, much like Director’s Commentaries on DVDs. Despite a four-star Rolling Stone review, Paul’s Boutique was deemed a critical failure upon its release in 1989. But the Beastie Boys’ second album (and follow-up to the massively successful License to Ill) has gone on to become a cult classic and is recognized as one of the greatest rap albums of all time. With sample-heavy production courtesy of the Dust Brothers — who would go on to produce Beck’s Odelay — the post-modern lyrics on the album would touch on everything from Steve McQueen to The Empire Strikes Back to Fear & Loathing In Las Vegas, and that’s just in the song “High Plains Drifter,” itself a reference to a Clint Eastwood film. As for the Beastie Boys in 2009, the trio is reportedly working a new album that is expected out in May. The band last released their instrumental The Mix-Up in 2007. Related Stories: • Beastie Boys, Sheryl Crow, Jack Johnson Rock for Votes in Virginia • 1987 Feature: Rude Boys • Beastie Boys Back in Studio; More on Adam Yauch’s Film Biz

Published: 2008-12-29 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Jessica Simpson Heads to Nashville, Lil Wayne Announces “Carter III,” Natalie Portman Makes a Mixtape

Pop music is set to lose another of its starlets to country music. Jessica Simpson is leaving the not-so-friendly confines of Los Angeles and hunkering down in Nashville to start work on her next country-flavored album with John Rich of Big & Rich serving as writer. Previously, Kelly Clarkson NASCARed over to the red states to begin work on her own, Reba McEntire-backed country album. Actress Natalie Portman is a compiling a mix tape that will change your life on iTunes, with proceeds benefiting FINCA. The comp will feature exclusive tracks from Devendra Banhart, Beirut and, of course, The Shins. Like any artist in modern music, Lil Wayne is aware of album leaks. Going on the offensive, Lil Wayne will release Tha Carter III: The Leak on December 18th, which will feature Weezy’s tracks from mixtapes and the Internet. Then in February, Wayne will release the proper, still-unleaked Tha Carter III, which boasts appearances by Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland. After volleys of album delays and shit-talking, the battle between Clipse and Jive Records has finally ended. But instead of going all Radiohead on us, Clipse will join forces with Columbia Records, who, under the watchful eye of Rick Rubin, will hopefully treat them better. AT&T’s Blue Room will stream (presumably unedited) performances from this weekend’s Vegoose Festival in Las Vegas. It’s a big music weekend: Voodoo Music Experience will take place in New Orleans and San Francisco hosts Neil Young’s annual Bridge School Benefit. Check back Monday for photos from all three events.

Published: 2007-10-27 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News, Afternoon News Roundup

Nas Modifies Album Title, Trades “A” For “Er” And a Controversy To Be Named Later

Rev. Jesse Jackson can breathe a sigh of relief: Nas’ new album will no longer be titled Nigga. It’s Nigger now, according to the Illmatic MC. Regarding all the controversy surrounding his provocative choice of album titling, Nas said, “Stay out of our business. You ain’t got no business worrying about what the word ‘nigger’ is or acting like you know what my album is about without talking to me.” The comment, made to MTV News, was aimed at Fox News, who quoted the NAACP and Jackson following Nas’ shocking announcement. So why, in the post-Imus era, is Nas electing to ruffle feathers? “I wanna make the word easy on muthafuckas’ ears. You see how white boys ain’t mad at ‘cracker’ ’cause it don’t have the same [sting] as ‘nigger’? I want ‘nigger’ to have less meaning [than] ‘cracker,’” Nas explained, though his rationalization doesn’t factor in that you could put Cheez-Whiz on a cracker, there are firecrackers and Cracker-Jacks, thus making “cracker” less potent as a racial epithet in modern society. If Nas can find another everyday use for the n-word, then he might be on to something. Nas also denies the denial from Def Jam boss L.A. Reid, who reportedly said the album wasn’t even on the label’s release schedule. “None of us knows where that came from,” says Nas, who insists his album, his second for Def Jam, will be released on December 11th. But this album is not just about making waves; it’s also about the music (he also said a bunch of stuff about civil-rights leader Medger Evers and his daughter, though). Nigger, or the N-Word Album for the squeamish, will feature appearances by Diddy, Jermaine Dupri, DJ Toomp and Nas’ frequent collaborator Salaam Remi. Nas expects to release the first single from the album a day or two after his Greatest Hits come out on November 6th. Related Stories: Nas Announces Controversial Album Title Hip-Hop On Trial

Published: 2007-10-20 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News