News & Views

Facebook wants digital music, Katy Perry gets her cake, Cypress Hill sued for allegedly lifting a beat, Beatles watches for your wrist and a David Grisman Q&A for your brain in News. Nick Lowe, Brad Paisley, Ben Folds, Laurie Anderson, Duffy, Michael Buble and French & Saunders in Views.
French & Saunders

News …

Wouldn’t you know it? MySpace gets a digital music deal and now all the social-networking sites want one. Next in line? Facebook – Reuters

Katy Perry gets to have her cake and eat it too at MTV Latin American Awards – The Times Online U.K.

Writing a terrible song with silly lyrics is easy. Writing a great song with silly lyrics, well, that’s hard – The Guardian U.K.

Photo: AP Photo
Shriners Hospital benefit concert, Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino, Las Vegas.

Cypress Hill sued for infringement as composer claims the group lifted beat from one of his songs released in 1969 – PR-Inside.com

There’s a good time coming next year for the Beatles fan who has everything – Beatles watches coming your way in 2009 – Licensing .biz

David Grisman improvises a Q&A – Times-Herald Record

Views …

Nick Lowe in Rochester, New York – “Armed with just a single acoustic guitar, Lowe’s 80-minute set spanned his very long and intriguing career, culminating in a flurry of simply great rock and roll writing: ‘I Knew the Bride (When She Used to Rock & Roll),’ ‘The Beast in Me,’ which he wrote for his former father-in-law, Johnny Cash; and an old anthem we really need these days, ‘(What’s So Funny About) Peace Love & Understanding.'” – Rochester Democrat and Chronicle

Brad Paisley in Hildago, Texas – ” … a crowd of thousands suspended disbelief and at Brad Paisley’s suggestion, pretended it was a Friday night and they were at Dodge Arena to party.” – The Monitor

Ben Folds in St. Louis – ” … was in fine spirits, judging by how many times he sprang off his piano stool constantly and dug in his heels like a determined performer.” – Riverfront Times

Laurie Anderson in Seattle – “Anderson can still layer her instruments and transform her voice, both singing and speaking, into a man’s, but the videos are gone and the music stripped down. She has pared to her roots, which are in storytelling set to music, beginning with birds.” – Seattle Post-Intelligencer

Duffy in Vancouver – “She’s irresistible, from her big, nouveau Motown sound and soulful voice to her pin-up hairdo and retro dance moves.” – The Vancouver Sun / Canada.com

Michael Buble in Birmingham, Alabama – “a brash, retro-Rat Pack vibe that’s lanced by self-awareness and a satirical sense of humor. Underneath all of that, a generous heart, which Buble revealed to his audience in carefully measured doses. ” – The Birmingham News / al.com

French & Saunders in London – ” … are calling time on their double act – and they’re doing it with all the energy, ingenuity and wonky editing skills that have marked out their 30 years together. ” – The Times Online U.K.

They Say It’s Their Birthday … (Or so says Associated Press)

Earl Thomas Conley is 67

is 66

Gary Puckett is 66

Alan Jackson is 50

Fred LeBlanc (Cowboy Mouth) is 45

Ziggy Marley is 40

Chris Kirkpatrick (*NSYNC) is 37

Eminem is 36

Wyclef Jean is 36