Music News & Notes

Marduk Reveals New Album, "Wormwood," Cover Art

The cover art for "Wormwood," the upcoming full-length from Swedish black metallers MARDUK has been unveiled. Check it out at this location.

In related news, MARDUK will land on US soil later this summer for three very special dates with Withered and Black Anvil. Said guitarist Morgan Håkansson, “We are excited to finally be over in the states and do these shows after all the problems with the visas. The three shows in August are just the start. We are preparing for a full tour in the winter that will cover all the areas we missed on Blackenedfest. Please join us as we raise the Banner Of The Wolf!”

MARDUK confirmed dates are as follows:

8/12/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD
8/13/2009 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA
8/15/2009 Gramercy Threatre - New York, NY also w/Tombs


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LITA FORD: 'Wicked Wonderland' European Release Date Confirmed

'80s hard rock queen Lita Ford will release her first new studio album in 14 years, "Wicked Wonderland", in Europe on October 2 via earMUSIC/Edel. The CD will be issued in the U.S. on Lita's own JLRG Entertainment label.

"It's harder and sexier than anything I've ever done," says Lita of the record, which was co-produced by Ford, her husband and former NITRO singer Jim Gillette, and Greg Hampton, the songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and producer known for his work with ALICE COOPER, his band SCIENCE FAXTION (with Bootsy Collins and Buckethead and Brain from GUNS N' ROSES) and other rock notables. Lita is backed on the record by drummer Stet Howland, formerly of W.A.S.P., Hampton on bass, rhythm guitar and keyboards, Gillette on background vocals, and its vivid cover art is by ROB ZOMBIE bassist and solo artist Piggy D.

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Video: Death Cab for Cutie: "Little Bribes"

The new Death Cab for Cutie video doubles as a feel-good, triumph-of-the-little-guy tale. Director Ross Ching was simply a longtime fan of the band when he made the clip for "Little Bribes", a track off Death Cab's recent Open Door EP.

Death Cab for Cutie - Little Bribes from Ross Ching on Vimeo.

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Whitney Houston New Album Cover


Here is the Whitney Houston new album cover. Whitney Houston I Look To You album cover has been unveiled.

The new album was revealed via nine tracks to the media during a listening event on July 14, 2009 in London at with legendary music industry mogul Clive Davis, who originally discovered Whitney Houston in the 1980s. The event took place at Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Knightsbridge, London, England.

After releasing her self-titled debut album 1985 which became best-selling debut album in music history by a female artist, Whitney Houston went on to have seven consecutive multi-platinum selling albums, more than any other artist in history. She had total album and single sales of more than 190 million worldwide.

Whitney Houston is quoted by Billboard as saying she was about to retire.

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Ace Frehley: Ready for Solo LP “Anomaly,” But Not a Kiss Reunion

Kiss‘ original guitarist, Ace Frehley, has primarily focused on playing live shows since he left the band in 2002, though no new studio material has surfaced. But that’s soon about to change. September 15th will see the release of Ace’s first solo album in nearly 20 years, Anomaly, via his own label, Bronx Born Records. Produced almost entirely by Frehley, the album shows why many rock and metal guitarists list “Space Ace” as a prime six-string influence, as evidenced by the epic “Genghis Khan” and a kick ass cover of Sweet’s “Fox on the Run.” Frehley recently sat down with Rolling Stone to discuss the new album, his ex-bandmates and kicking booze once and for all.

KISS Reunion?

"I’m having so much fun with this new album. It’s not something I think about at all anymore. The reunion tour was supposed to be it — that’s what they told me when they asked me to do it. But then they go, “Now we want to do a farewell tour.” I said, “OK, I’ll do a farewell tour.” It ended in Australia, and then I get a phone call when I come back, “Now we want to do something else.” Then Gene is on my answering machine, “Ace, we’re going to go out. If you don’t want to do it, we’re going to use another guitar player.” What is that, a threat? I didn’t even answer the phone [laughs]. That was that."

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Legend By Bob Marley Sets Record


The Bob Marley and the Wailers' compilation album Legend was released 25 years ago to little fanfare.

However, Legend has sold more copies since 1991 than any other album from the ‘60s, ‘70s or ‘80s. It ranks ahead of such perennial hits as Pink Floyd's The Dark Side Of The Moon (which has sold 8,727,000 copies since 1991), James Taylor's Greatest Hits (6,741,000) and Jimmy Buffett's Songs You Know By Heart (6,311,000).

Legend has been #1 on Nielsen/SoundScan's weekly Catalog Albums chart 110 times since 1991, more than twice as long as any other album. It led the chart most recently just two months ago.

The collection has sold more than 250,000 copies a year every year since at least 1992. And this streak is sure to continue: The album has already sold 198,000 copies so far in 2009.

Nielsen/SoundScan's official sales tally for Legend this week climbs to 10,020,000. This doesn't count 271,000 copies of a deluxe edition that was released in 2002. It also, of course, doesn't count copies of the regular edition that were sold between 1984 and 1991.

One may ask why, but if you hear the album, you will know why this LP will continue to sell long after we are gone.....

bob marley - no woman no cry