$10,000 iTunes Gift Card Issued as 10 Billionth Track is Sold

This week iTunes sold its 10 billionth track, and to celebrate the occasion the lucky downloader has been credited with a $10,000 iTunes gift card. The winner’s details have not been disclosed, whoever they are though they are sure to have a much larger music collection before long.

Apple will no doubt be impressed to have reached the 10 billion milestone, and Steve Jobs will perhaps now be planning what to do when the 100 billionth track is ultimately downloaded at some stage in the future.

Mudvayne ‘Beautiful and Strange’ Video Banned

Due to sexually explicit scenes taking place in a graveyard and others displaying acts of sadism, Mudvayne’s video for the ‘Beautiful and Strange’ single has been deemed too extreme to be shown in most places, and can in fact only be found at VampireFreaks.com.

The networks aren’t willing to touch it, with VampireFreaks it had found its home though and can currently be viewed on the website. The video is intended for mature audiences only.

Cyrus Bolooki Hits 30

New Found Glory drummer Cyrus Bolooki hits his 30th birthday today. Lead vocalist Jordan Pundik hit the big three-zero back in October, and it’s hard to believe that it’s now been over a decade since the release of the band’s debut album ‘Nothing Gold Can Stay’.

Here’s to hoping that Cyrus Bolooki has a very happy 30th birthday, and Alt-UK wishes him all the best for 2010 and beyond.

OneRepublic – All the Right Moves

As a writer and producer Ryan Tedder has had great success, and even if you don’t know him by name there’s a very strong possibility that you’ve heard his work at some point or another (Leona Lewis’s hugely popular ‘Bleeding Love’ and Beyonce Knowles’ ‘Halo’ are two shining examples of tracks co-written by Tedder). In 2007 the band that Ryan Tedder has fronted since 2002 rose to fame when hip hop rapper/producer Timbaland remixed the single ‘Apologize’ and included it on his 2007 ‘Shock Value’ album; OneRepublic instantly became a household name and ‘Apologize’ was a massive hit all around the world. Following up with ‘Stop and Stare’ OneRepublic was once again able to show great strength as a band, with each additional release the band seemed to lose further popularity however, with singles ‘Say (All I Need)’ and ‘Mercy’ both failing to enter either the US Billboard Hot 100 or the Official UK Top 40. With fifth single ‘Come Home’ on which the band collaborated Sara Bareilles a return to the Billboard Hot 100 was finally in store, and a second album has now followed with the release of ‘Waking Up’ in November 2009.

‘All the Right Moves’ is the first single taken from the ‘Waking Up’ album and was released in the UK in January 2010. Featuring a fantastically catchy chorus, ‘All the Right Moves’ is an absolutely exceptional first single for OneRepublic to have released from the ‘Waking Up’ album, and with this track OneRepublic has once again shown fantastic strength and ability as a band. Ryan Tedder’s vocal lines are as sweetly sung out as ever, and combined with this there is also an absolutely phenomenal guitar sound that can here be heard. ‘All the Right Moves’ is no ‘Apologize’, and the chances are that OneRepublic never will release anything as good as that again, ‘All the Right Moves’ is certainly still a song that begs to be listened to however and once you’ve listened to the track once you’ll no doubt have the song stuck in your head for a long time to come.

‘All the Right Moves’ is undoubtedly repetitive, its simplistic composition and lyrical structure really does work well though, and despite being somewhat limited the track never seems to become tiresome. Ryan Tedder is a supremely talented singer and songwriter, and ‘All the Right Moves’ is a single that showcases this fantastically well; ‘All the Right Moves’ may not be OneRepublic’s best work, it’s still a very solid piece of music though and a track that truly is well worth listening to.

Label: Interscope
Release Date: January 11th 2010

Rating:

The BRIT Awards 2010 3CD Compilation Review

In celebration of 30 years of the BRIT Awards a 3CD compilation has this year been released, with the first two discs focusing on popular music from the last year whilst the third disc concentrates on some of the biggest BRIT hits from the past 30.

The first disc is quite pure pop focused, with artists such a Cheryl Cole, Robbie Williams, and Mika featuring here, the second disc meanwhile has more of a dance and rock edge about it with Dizzee Rascal, Calvin Harris, Biffy Clyro, U2, and Kasabian all included. Dependent upon your specific tastes in music you’ll probably have a favourite of these two discs; both CDs have their moments though, with both coming complete with some definite stand outs.

There’s a great deal of variety displayed on the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation, what has to be noted however is that some of these artists are not in line to win a BRIT Award this year and yet have been included on the CD, several others meanwhile are up for awards and have failed to make the cut. Whitney Houston and Jason Mraz are two prime examples of artists included on the album that have not been nominated for any Brit Awards; artists such as Eminem, Leona Lewis, and Bat for Lashes meanwhile are not included on the compilation even though they did receive BRIT Award nominations. The song selections don’t always make sense, despite this though it is still a decent compilation which does feature some of the most popular music to have been released in the last year (BRIT Award nominees or not).

Having been treated to some of the most popular tracks of 2009/early 2010 on the first two discs, this BRIT Awards compilation definitely provides a treat with the third disc as such tracks as Take That’s ‘Patience’, Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger’, and Prince’s ‘Purple Rain’ are showcased. The CD actually kicks off with three lives tracks; Queen and 5ive’s ‘We Will Rock You’ from 2000, Seal and Adamski’s ‘Killer’ from 1991, and the Bee Gees ‘Medley’ from 1997. It’s straight after these three live classics that we’re boomed into Take That’s ‘Patience’, and from there we move on to Duffy’s ‘Warwick Avenue’ and Amy Winehouse’s ‘Rehab’; definitely a cracking way to kick off the CD, and we certainly finish on a high with the third and final disc of the compilation.

All in all there are 60 tracks on the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation (20 on each of the three discs), and regardless of your taste in music you’re sure to find something here that impresses. It’s unlikely that you’ll enjoy all 60, with so much to choose from there’s definitely much to keep you entertained though, and even if you don’t like a few tracks here then that still leaves you with plenty of others to listen to. The inclusion of a third disc this year makes the BRIT Awards annual compilation better value than ever in 2010, and if you’re looking to get your hands on a quality compilation then the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation is most definitely one that’s worth looking into.

Label: Rhino UK
Release Date: February 8th 2010

Rating:

Lostprophets – The Betrayed

After a wait of three and a half years, Lostprophets is back and has released its fourth studio album ‘The Betrayed’. After the release of ‘Liberation Transmission’ in 2006 the band set to work on its fourth studio album in early 2007 with the hope of releasing a new album later that year, recording in LA didn’t quite go to plan however, and with the band unhappy with the material that had been produced, all was scrapped and it was time to start again. Heading back to Wales the band was able to get to work with a fresh head, with bassist Stuart Richardson at the recording desk to take care of the production and mixing duties with the help of Justin Hopfer. ‘The Betrayed’ is the album that Lostprophets has ultimately put together, with the band taken a heavier approach than with previous album ‘Liberation Transmission’.

‘The Betrayed’ kicks into action with ‘If It Wasn’t for Hate, We’d Be Dead by Now’, providing a quality start to the album as the powerful drumming hits you straight away followed by a brilliant dirty guitar sound. Straight away the album grabs you, with the band providing a supremely satisfying opener for the record. Flowing into ‘Dstryr/Dstryr’ the band continues to impress, and after this we’re treated to singles ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ and ‘Where We Belong’. ‘The Betrayed’ quickly establishes itself as a fantastic return from the band, and throughout the entirety of the album the drumming of Ilan Rubin really does impress. Sadly Ilan Rubin has moved on to join Nine Inch Nails since this album was recorded, he definitely makes a massive impression on this album though, with his incredible drumming technique always coming across to perfection throughout the album.

Aside from the questionable use of the “lalala” in ‘Streets of Nowhere’ there’s little not to like about ‘The Betrayed’, and put down on record here are eleven largely impressive rock tracks. With catchy choruses aplenty, great rock guitars, and powerful drumming throughout, ‘The Betrayed’ has everything you could possibly want from the Lostprophets, and is an album that should impress the vast majority of the bands fans. It’s not quite perfect, tracks such as ‘For He’s a Jolly Good Felon’, ‘A Better Nothing’, and ‘It’s Not the End of the World, But I Can See It from Here’ are sure to have you singing along though, and closing track ‘The Light That Shines Twice as Bright’ is an excellent one to finish with as the band winds things down with one of the album’s highlights.

If Lostprophets’ ‘Start Something’ sits proudly in your collection then ‘The Betrayed’ is most definitely an album that you should be investing in. There’s a lot of absolutely fantastic material here, and Lostprophets has once again pulled it out of the bag with a good solid album. Ian Watkins’ vocals are as impressive here as ever, instrumentally the music always has much to offer, and it just feels as though the band has put a lot of care into putting this album together. ‘The Betrayed’ may not have the rawness of debut album ‘Thefakesoundofprogress’, and was most definitely recorded on a bigger budget; a lot has changed since the release of the band’s debut in 2001 though, and the fact that the band had the luxury of being able to scrap its first draft and start afresh just shows how much this band has moved on since the early days. Much may have changed, Lostprophets still remains a band very capable of recording impressive rock music though, and ‘The Betrayed’ is an album that you should certainly seek to listen to.

Label: Visible Noise
Release Date: January 18th 2010

Rating:

You Me At Six to Play Free Acoustic Show and Meet Fans at HMV Oxford Street

You Me At Six is to play a free acoustic show at HMV Oxford Street on Monday 8th February, and you’ll be able to catch the band from 5pm. The show is being played in celebration of the release of the band’s second studio album ‘Hold Me Down’, and after the show the band will be sticking around to meet the fans and sign posters and albums.

A big turnout is expected for this acoustic show and as such it’s going to be wristbanded, with 350 wristbands available on a first come first served basis. If you’re hoping to attend then it’s therefore advised that you get there early (wristbands will be available from 9am on the day).

BRIT Awards 2010 Competition: 3 BRITs CDs Up for Grabs

The BRIT Awards with MasterCard 2010 show is to be aired on February 16th 2010, and in celebration of this Rhino Records is to release a 3CD album compilation on February 8th.

Not only does this compilation include 40 of the year’s biggest hits on the first two CDs, but as the BRITs hit 30 this year, a third disc of 20 tracks is also included featuring some of the best BRIT award nominees/winners of the last 30 years.

With the BRIT Awards fast approaching we are offering three lucky winners the chance to win a copy of the BRIT Awards 2010 Compilation album.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of winning is answer the following BRITs related question.

Which Welsh recording artist walked away with three awards at the 2009 BRIT Awards?

A. Duffy
B. Tom Jones
C. Bonnie Tyler

In order to enter the competition please use the contact form below entering your name, e-mail address, and answer. There’s also an option to enter your contact address in case you’re a winner although this is not a required field.

cforms contact form by delicious:days

Competition Details:

• This competition is only open to those that live in the UK.
• Only one entry per household will be counted.
• The competition will close Monday 8th February at 23.59 GMT.
• The winners will be picked at random from entries received.

The following is a full tracklisting for the BRIT Awards 2010 compilation album:

CD 1

1. Lady GaGa ft Colby O’Donis Just Dance
2. Cheryl Cole Fight For This Love
3. Robbie Williams Bodies
4. Lily Allen The Fear
5. Michael Buble Haven’t Met You Yet
6. James Morrison ft Nelly Furtado Broken Strings
7. Paolo Nutini Candy
8. Katherine Jenkins Bring Me To Life
9. Daniel Merriweather Red
10. Jason Mraz I’m Yours
11. Noisettes Don’t Upset The Rhythm (Go Baby Go)
12. Ellie Goulding Under The Sheets
13. MIKA We Are Golden
14. P!nk Please Don’t Leave
15. Taylor Swift Love Story
16. Whitney Houston Million Dollar Bill(Frankie Knuckles Radio Mix)
17. Alesha Dixon Breathe Slow
18. Kelly Clarkson My Life Would Suck Without You
19. Shakira She Wolf
20. Pixie Lott Mama Do (uh oh, uh oh)

CD 2

1. JLS Beat Again
2. Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling
3. Dizzee Rascal & Armand Van Helden Bonkers
4. N-Dubz Strong Again
5. Tinchy Stryder ft. N-Dubz Number 1
6. Calvin Harris I’m Not Alone
7. David Guetta Ft AKon- – Sexy Chick
8. Chipmunk Oopsy Daisy
9. La Roux In For The Kill
10. Little Boots Remedy
11. The Prodigy Omen
12. Jason Derulo Whatcha Say
13. Iyaz Replay
14. Florence & The Machine Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)
15. Ladyhawke Paris is Burning
16. Biffy Clyro The Captain
17. Friendly Fires Jump In The Pool
18. Seasick Steve Never Go West
19. Kasabian Fire
20. U2 Magnificent

CD 3

1. Queen & 5ive We Will Rock You (Live BRIT Awards 2000)
2. Seal & Adamski Killer (Live BRIT Awards 1991)
3. Bee Gees Medley Live BRIT Awards 1997)
4. Take That Patience
5. Duffy Warwick Avenue
6. Amy Winehouse Rehab
7. Girls Aloud The Promise
8. Spice Girls Wannabe
9. Paul McCartney Live & Let Die
10. Simply Red Holding Back The Years
11. Bros I Owe You Nothing
12. Kaiser Chiefs Ruby
13. Oasis Don’t Look Back In Anger
14. Coldplay Clocks
15. The Cure Never Enough
16. The Killers When You Were Young
17. The Darkness I Believe In A Thing Called Love
18. Prince Purple Rain
19. Keane Somewhere Only We Know
20. U2 Beautiful Day

Fun Lovin’ Criminals Announces New Album and UK Tour for 2010

Having not released a new album since ‘Livin in the City’ in 2005, American group Fun Lovin’ Criminals is coming back with a bang in 2010 with the release of new studio album ‘Classic Fantastic’. Fun Lovin’ Criminals is once again ready to get the party started, and in a thirteen track album the band has collaborated with both Roots Manuva and English comedian/actor Paul Kaye also.

‘Classic Fantastic’ is all set to be released on March 1st, and on March 6th the band will be hitting the road and performing at nine venues throughout the country.

The following are the UK tour dates that Fun Lovin’ Criminals will play throughout March:

Sat 6th March – Manchester – O2 Academy
Sun 7th March – Leeds – O2 Academy
Mon 8th March – Glasgow – O2 ABC
Tue 9th March – Newcastle – O2 Academy
Thu 11th March – Bristol – O2 Academy
Fri 12th March – Oxford – O2 Academy
Sun 14th March – Leamington – Assembly
Mon 15th March – Nottingham – Rock City
Tues 16th March – London – Koko

Propagandhi – A Speculative Fiction Live Video

Propagandhi perform the track ‘A Speculative Fiction’ live in Leeds. ‘A Speculative Fiction’ is the opening track from the 2005 album ‘Potemkin City Limits’.

Video by Newspeak Productions

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