Yahoo Japan Teams Up With Apple iTunes

Yahoo Japan Corp. and Apple, Inc. announced on Thursday that the web giant has replaced a Sony Corp.-affiliated music download service with Apple’s iTunes Music Store as the default music store on Yahoo Music Japan, PC World reports.
With the new partnership, users will be able to access iTunes through the Yahoo Music Japan, which displays a prominent link and one-click access to the download service. This collaboration means good news for Apple, seeing that Yahoo is currently Japan’s hottest portal site, reaching about 40 million users, or 84 percent of the country’s internet users.The switch for Yahoo Japan was from Mora, a download service run by the Sony-affiliated LabelGate Co. Ltd. Users are still able to access Mora through Yahoo Japan by logging onto the site and making it their preferred music store. The iTunes music store is now the default store for the website.
No financial details have been released yet on the deal, but Yahoo Japan has already begun hosting the iTunes Music Store.

Bebo and Apple in music download deal

Bebo has tied up with Apple to connect its members to iTunes.
Members in the UK and Ireland will now be able to click on the profile of any artists to select from over 5m songs in the iTunes catalogue.
Users will also be entitled to free weekly downloads purchases from new artists. This promotion, free Single Saturday, follows on from the network’s Single of the Week promotion that featured Miki, Paolo Nutini and James Blunt.Joanna Shields, president international at Bebo, said, “The inclusion of iTunes is fantastic for Bebo users, offering them access to the world’s most popular music download service directly from the site.
“Bebo Bands will also benefit hugely from the deal, helping unsigned artists get discovered, and established artists to attract more fans and sell more records.”
Luke Bevans, head of digital at Mercury Music Group, said, “We’re thrilled to take our involvement with Bebo to the next level and use its platform to introduce new talent to its 33m users.
Earlier in the year Bebo announced a tie up with digital download shop 7Digital (NMA 29.03.07).

Flirtomatic tests music download service

service which promises users the chance to flirt with the artists whose music is being made available.
The service is being launched by Glasgow rock band The Hedrons, who are being allowed to promote, distribute and sell their music, while flirting and chatting with members.Flirtomatic commercial advisor Gigi Dryer comments: “With more than 80,000 unique monthly users, the Flirtomatic network offers bands and artists a direct and targeted promotional platform where they can engage with an already established community, in a way which is personal, relevant and fun.”
Dryer added that no revenue mechanism had been devised for the service yet. “In my experience of developing cross-platform services, you trial the idea first and then work out how to monetise it,” he said.
flirtomatic.com

Music and album review: Paris Bennett- Princess P

The Juggernaut that is American Idol has over the years churned out some talented artists, including Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. Season Five introduced us to Paris Bennett, who week after week showed audiences why she was one of the top five finalists. Following in the footsteps of her fellow season five graduates Taylor Hicks, Katherine McPhee, Chris Daughtry, and Kellie Pickler, sees Paris release her debut album Princess P.After listening to Princess P’s Intro “All Hail The Princess”, I almost turned it off immediately. The intro was absolutely cringe-worthy, but I persevered, hoping that the album would get better. Thankfully, “Ordinary Love” and “Dreamin’” highlight why Americans fell in love with the pint-sized Bennett in the first place. Both tracks showcase her extraordinary vocal range, and the maturity that belies her 18 years of age. Produced by Jon Jon Traxx, “Ordinary Love” is definitely one of the better songs on Princess P. It has a Beyonce-feel to the song, which is not surprising considering Traxx has worked extensively with the former Destiny Child’s star. Well-written, it’s a song that Bennett seems comfortable singing, and suits her vocal style as opposed to most of the other tracks on Princess P.
One of the silliest tracks on the album “Let Me Rap” sees her team up with Kevin Covais A.K.A Chicken Little - a fellow Season Five contestant. While the track is complete nonsense, and is more filler than anything else, it is probably one of the most charming. While some may think it’s more irritating than charming, I see it as a song that was never meant to be taken seriously, and sees Bennett and Corvais swapping rhymes and having fun. It’s sung with affection, and in a sense shows how young and carefree Bennett still is. At only just over a minute and a half it also allows Covais to showcase his own musical talents.
Unfortunately there are more bad tracks than good on Princess P, and this includes her cover of The Angel’s “My Boyfriend’s Back”, which she completely butchers. In attempting to make it her own, she updates the song. Lines such as “He’s kinda Gangsta” instead of “He’s kind of mean” made me cringe, and her announcement that “you’ve officially been princessed” reminded me why I wanted to turn the album off in the first place.
It is ,without a doubt, one of the worst remakes of “My Boyfriend’s Back” that I have ever heard, and one I never want to have to sit through, and listen to again.My biggest problem with this album is that, save for four tracks (“I Will”, “Ordinary Love”, “Dreamin”, and “Caught up”), the rest of the album is weak. The songs have been poorly chosen and Bennett seems to stumble through them rather than shine.
This doesn’t mean that Paris doesn’t have the potential to be great, but she’s not going to achieve it if she keeps producing crap like this.I give it 1/5
Record Label: 306 EntertainmentYear: 2007Track Listing:
01. All Hail The Princess Intro02. Ordinary Love03. Dreamin’04. Daddy05. Let Me Rap (Featuring Kevin Covais A.K.A Chicken Little06. My Boyfriend’s Back07. Can’t Control Myself08. Duet (featuring J. Isaac)09. I’m So Hot (Interlude)10. I’m So Hot11. Get Bizzy12. Caught Up13. B-Bye14. Burnt Up15. I Will (Featuring James Grear & Company)16. Best Friends (Featuring Ann Nesby And Jamecia Bennett)

Music and CD Review: Bryan Ferry’s Dylanesque

Former Roxy Music frontman Bryan Ferry began covering Bob Dylan back in 1973 with his own interpretation of “A Hard Rain’s A-Gonna Fall.” Five years ago, on his last solo effort, he included two Dylan covers among otherwise original material. So, despite noticeable differences in style, it should be of no surprise that Ferry decided to release a full album of Freewheelin’ Bob’s more legendary material.
As with all work of this nature, one is forced to wonder if Dylanesque will be filled with pointless regem. Despite the aforementioned similarities, it’s an unexpectedly refreshing change from the countless covers we’ve heard before.
“Knockin’ On Heaven’s Door” is a relatively bland revampment, although maybe it just seems merely satisfactory when this writer compares it with Warren Zevon’s now definitive cover, which, of course, he recorded shortly after being diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2002.
Finally, “All Along The Watchtower” will receive mixed reactions as it chooses to abandon the more guitar-driven approach that many consider to be the heart of the classic track. Even so, it is able to close out the album in dramatic fashion.
Dylanesque includes 11 interesting interpretations. It should serve as the perfect alternative for those who’ve never been able to digest the arguably abrasive vocals of Mr. Dylan. Ferry’s smoother crooning might make it easier for non-Dylan fans to sit back and admire the inimitable quality of his breathtaking songwriting, enabling them to appreciate what it truly means to be Dylanesque. treads, or if more original, worthwhile material will be brought to our attention.
Well, apart from a few potential throwaways, Ferry definitely puts an effective, admirable spin on some of Dylan’s finest work. He and his touring band (along with Brian Eno and Oliver Thompson) recorded the album in just one week, and so it easily could have been an unimaginative, irrelevant disaster, but the obviously inspired Ferry managed to produce fairly impressive results nonetheless.
Things begin with “Like Tom Thumb’s Blues” and alterations include a slew of harmonica fills, weaved in and out of Ferry’s velvety vocals. Following the opener, a string section and mellow piano run through “Positively Fourth Street,” as both of the effective additions turn the track into a more painful, heartfelt ballad. It is undoubtedly one of the album’s more passionate recasts.
“The Times Are A-Changing” was morphed into a slow-rolling, art-rock song, somewhat reminiscent of The Byrds’ critically acclaimed cover. It likely should be considered the album’s

MY DECEMBER - KELLY CLARKSON

Despite the tabloid drama surrounding “My December,” what counts here is, Are there hits? The vinegar-and-pissed-off “Never Again,” while a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit on download sales, got a hasty brush-off from top 40. The reflective but equally fretful “Sober” is just hitting radio, with the jury out. On the whole, “My December” is melodically, instrumentally and lyrically combative — a far cry from America’s embraceable sweetheart. The uptempo “One Minute” is among the only playful cuts, with its rapid-fire give-and-take verses, while “Be Still” and “Maybe” offer acoustic relief from the onslaught more than halfway through the set. “My December” is hardly a scorecard of top 40 hits, but it does demonstrate an artist eager to spread wings and search for her own voice against what Clarkson asserts was a heavy corporate hand in previous efforts. Billboard

EL CARTEL: THE BIG BOSS - DADDY YANKEE

There’s a lot riding on Daddy Yankee’s first full studio set under his new deal with Interscope. Perhaps that explains why this disc is a robust 20 tracks long, plus a remix of the single “Impacto,” featuring Fergie. Daddy Yankee goes from middle-of-the-road, feel-good reggaeton to reggaeton with mainstream top 40 appeal (”Impacto,” “Who’s Your Daddy”) to serious, socially minded fare on tracks like the soulful “Coraza Divina.” Instead of simply patching rhythms together, as many reggaeton acts do, Daddy Yankee’s mix of styles here is far more thought-out, as on “A lo Clasico,” which features Latin jazz improvisations. The singing is mostly in Spanish, albeit often with English choruses. As such, the feel is Latin, but imbued with that mainstream sensibility that has already served Daddy Yankee so well on the charts. Above all, this is simply a better-crafted album, at both a songwriting and a production level, than previous efforts. Billboard

CARRY ON - CHRIS CORNELL

The cover art on Chris Cornell’s second solo album suggests a folk record from the early ’60s (and the title suggests a Kansas cover lurking about somewhere). But the music inside is strictly crunchy, dare-we-say-grungy rock straight out of the ’90s that Cornell helped shape with Soundgarden. “Ghosts” sports a nostalgically Seattle-ish minor-chord riff and appropriately soaring chorus; “No Such Thing” out-Velvet Revolvers Scott Weiland; and meaty-sounding ballads “Disappearing Act” and “Silence” end the record in unusually strong fashion. Elsewhere, the headline-grabbing cover of “Billie Jean” is well intentioned but still a little silly, although it boasts a crazy, Eddie Van Halen-sounding solo. The best thing here is “You Know My Name” from last fall’s “Casino Royale,”: which is some of Cornell’s most uncomplicated and accessible music to date. Billboard

ULTRA PAYLOADED - PERRY FARRELL’S SATELLITE PARTY

There’s something very likable about “Ultra Payloaded,” maybe nothing more so than the fact that it’s not trying to be cool. In some sense, frontman Perry Farrell dispensed with any perceived notions of “cool” when he formed the band with former Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt, who adds tempered crunch, pretty atmospherics and slinky melodies here (Farrell’s wife, Etty, is also in the group, on backing vocals). With help from such guests/co-writers as Flea, New Order’s Peter Hook and Fergie, Farrell and company have made an album without inhibitions or self-consciousness. The songs live up to the band’s name: somewhat spacey and totally free-spirited. “Ultra Payloaded” is a party record that veers from the light, airy and catchy to the absolutely crankable. Billboard

MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT - LINKIN PARK

Rap-metal’s sell-by date expired many, many years ago, and no one noticed more than Linkin Park, whose “Minutes to Midnight” finds the band throwing all manner of styles at the wall to distance it from a genre that currently enjoys a lower approval rating than Cheney. Linkin Park’s ambitions are nearly palpable, but songs likely conceived as homages end up sounding too close to their sources. One can detect bits of Metallica (”No More Sorrow”), the theme from “Halloween” (first single “What I’ve Done”), “With or Without You” (”Shadow of the Day”) and a breakup ballad that could have been written by the Matrix (”Leave Out All the Rest”). Sometimes the band hits: The hand-clap-powered “Bleed It Out” works up a nice lather, and Shinoda’s antiwar monologue “Hands Held High” proves there might yet be more in Linkin Park’s backpack than self-doubt and identity crises. Billboard