Linkin Park Reanimated

Call them reworked, reconstructed or – keeping in line with the album title – reanimated, but whatever you do, don’t call the tunes comprising Linkin Park’s forthcoming release remixed.

With Mike Shinoda and Chester Bennington’s new verses, and vocal contributions coming from Staind’s Aaron Lewis, Taproot’s Steven Richards and a couple more, calling the songs that comprise ‘Reanimation’, due 30th of July, simply “remixes” doesn’t do them justice. “Reinterpretations” is a term much better suited to the new songs, some with completely new choruses and alternate melodies that may surprise even longtime Linkin Park fans.

Speaking to Mike about ‘Reanimation’, he had this to say “In my opinion there’s some pretty guitar riffs, but at the same time it’s not super heavy. It’s really tastefully done. I think the beats are really awesome. On ‘Hybrid Theory’ they’re really cool, but the beats on this album are a lot more original and have a lot more character and really hit hard. The only way to describe the whole thing is that it’s a little bit harder and a little bit softer at the same time. We feel a little bit more comfortable and a little bit more mature.”The first offering from ‘Reanimation’ would be ‘Points Of Authority’. An animated video for the retooled ‘Points Of Authority’, originally ‘Hybrid Theory’, which had spent months in the making, has neared completion. Directed by Linkin Park’s DJ Joseph Hahn, the clip should be completely finalized by the end of the month and should surface real soon.

With little but formalities standing in the way of ‘Reanimation”s completion, Linkin Park are in heavy pre-production for their full-length follow-up to 2000’s ‘Hybrid Theory.’ They’ll hit a studio later this summer with hopes to have the album in stores in early 2003.

A Combination Of Sounds From The Guys Of Soulfly

Produced by frontman, Max Cavalera and mixed by champion knob-twiddler Terry Date (Deftones), ‘Soulfly 3’ features a blend of sounds; mellow and soulful, tribal and yet somehow thunderous, hardcore and chaotic.

Basically, all those things you’ve come to expect from Brazilian-born Cavalera and cohorts. While the album retains the traditional rage and high energy Soulfly is known for, especially on tracks like ‘Downstroy’, ‘Seek ‘N’ Strike’ and ‘Sangue De Barrio’, their LP, ‘Soulfly – 3’ also unleashes some uncharacteristically mellow fare in the form of songs like ‘Tree Of Pain’, ‘Interlude’ and ‘Soulfly 3’.

“For me the most important thing is to be honest and real. Whether I’m touching upon the delicate sound of ‘Soulfly 3’ or I’m touching the f*ck you attitude of ‘Call To Arms’, the most important thing is that I am being very true to the last very drop of each song. It’s what I believe, and that’s it. And I think that’s the main thing that I keep alive when I’m writing is honesty, to write the thing that I feel the most. Like it or not, agree or not, that’s how I feel and that’s how it’s gonna be. Every album needs to be different. I think that’s what makes Soulfly interesting, isn’t it. We don’t try to repeat the same things all the time” said Max when he spoke to a webpage a week back.

Visit them at their cool webpage: www.soulfly.com

Grab their fantastic third fantastic full-length album at HMV, where you can purchase a special limited edition copy that includes 4 bonus tracks while stocks last.

Days Like This For Shaun Escoffery

You may have heard his track on the radio these days. A certain Mr Shaun Escoffery’s smooth baritone vocals certainly do stand out among the deluge of the same female and high registered male R&B vocalists.

Shaun is an UK-based singer/songwriter and a rapidly emerging talent who is being increasingly acknowledged by urban music bigwigs such as Trevor Nelson and The Dreem Teem.

‘Days Like This’ is the first track to be taken from his future album, and DJ Spinna provides a suitably deep US-style garage remix, which boasts a throbbing bassline, underpinning a summery melody and a typically warm vocal performance.

‘Days Like This’ must surely refer to the glorious, mid-summer days when people hang out in the park and smile at strangers.

With a cool track like that, be sure to support this fine artiste. Request him or something. Anythnig to get him high on the charts.

Moby Gets His Own Back On Hate Emailers

This one’s cute. You’ve got to read what Moby did.

Coming up with a fresh way of hitting back at abusive emailers, Moby not only changed his personal email address after it was published on the internet and he began receiving hate emails, now everyone who emails his old address would receive a message telling them they’ve been automatically enrolled in his fan club.

The automated message reads:

“Thanks for your interest in Moby! As a Moby fan you have been automatically registered in the Moby Fan Club! As a member of the Moby Fan Club you will be kept updated with all of the latest news about Moby!”

Moby said “Ironically enough, some people who’ve sent me hate mail have been very upset at the thought of being part of the ‘Moby Fan Club,’ and they’ve asked us not to write to them. That’s funny, right? It’s amusing and ironic to me that someone who thinks it’s appropriate to send hate mail to a complete stranger would get offended by being automatically enrolled in that person’s fan club. Ah well.”

Smart.

Drug Scandal Will Not Be Mentioned In S Club Biography

S Club manager Simon Fuller has ordered that S Club’s forthcoming biography will make no mention of the drugs scandal that hit band members Jon, Paul and Bradley.

In March of last year, Jon Lee, Bradley McIntosh and former S Club-ber Paul Cattermole were arrested in London’s West End for carrying a small amount of cannabis. In an apology to fans, the three members jointly stated “We have been very stupid, we know we’ve made a mistake and we’re very sorry.”

The band’s new biography, believed to be funded with GBP100,000 of Simon Fuller’s own money, will chart their rise to stardom, but will omit details of the drugs arrest.

A source told the newspapers “It’s strange for Simon to use his own money but he’s a canny businessman. He more than knows what he’s doing.”

Simon is expected to pitch the book to a major publisher, but only he has given the final draft the all clear.

S Club 7 have been renamed S Club in the wake of Paul Cattermole leaving the group to rejoin his former nu-metal outfit, Skua.

S Club’s official biography is expected later this year.

Busy Like Eve

Alluring rapper, Eve, is a busy young woman these days, what with having to cope with making and promoting music, film and clothing no less!

The star will see the release of her very much acclaimed third album ‘Eve-olution’, due to drop later this August, with the Alicia Keys-featured track ‘Gangsta Love’ to be kicked off as the first single.

In the coming months, Eve will also grace the big silver screen in two new films ‘XXX’ and ‘Barbershop.’

And lastly, the hip hop star will be launching her debut clothing line christened ‘Fetish’. No word as yet on whether it will reach shops outside the US or not.

Britney Spears Hurts US Fans As Well

No stranger to hurting fans nowdays is Britney Spears who snubbed hundreds of fans, all of whom waited two hours in the rain just to see the singer, in New York the other day. Why no stranger, you ask? Earlier this year, Britney snubbed British fans at the UK premiere of her first film, ‘Crossroads’, that’s why.

Britney was at the launch of her NYLA restaurant in New York last Thursday, but chose not to greet any of the fans that came along to vouch their support.

The singer arrived at NYLA venue an hour late, and spent moments talking to waiting reporters before going inside, leaving fans feeling miffed.”I think it’s a little insulting that she didn’t come over and at least say ‘Hi'”said one fan.

“We’ve been waiting here for hours in this rain to see Britney, and she does this to us” said a fellow rain soaked fan. He then added “Looks like it’s time to move on to the upcoming ‘American Idol -‘ perhaps.’ He is of course, referring to the winner that’ll be celebrated in a couple of months time when the American equivalent of UK’s smash reality show ‘Pop Idol’ comes to a close.

Anyway, Britney has had a lot of input into the restaurant’s menu. This comes backed by the restaurant manager Bobby Ochs, saying “Britney came up with some of the southern flavoured dishes like southern fried chicken. We’ve tried to reflect her taste in food.”

Britney is rumoured to be comfort eating since her split from boyfriend Justin Timberlake and also at the news that her parents are divorcing. From the looks of things, she appears to have packed on the pounds quite a bit.

Keep this up, Britney and you’ll be losing your popularity faster than you can spell the title of your latest single.

Truth Hurts In UK

As earlier reported on Pop-Music.com, Truth Hurts appears to be riding high on the Billboard charts Stateside with the infectious number of a single ‘Addictive’ and now she unleashes that very same addictive material over here in the UK.

Truth Hurts’ single will be out in all good record stores come 19th of August so do grab yourself a copy. Her track’s just been picked up by BBC Radio 1 and over there, it’s been reported that everybody loves this number.

You’ll absolutely love it, that’s for sure. If you’ve got the RealPlayer plugin, do click on the link below and you’d be able to watch the Bollywood-inspired number right before your very eyes this instant.

http://demand1.stream.aol.com/ramgen/aol/us/aolmusic/artists/ universal/truthhurts/truthhurts_addictive_nb.rm

Alternatively, you could just head on down to her official homepage: www.truthhurtsonline.com

You really don’t want to be the last to hear her now, do you? Trust me, it’s probably one of 2002’s catchiest songs.

Gareth Gates Says A Lot These Days

Gareth Gates seem to have been talking a lot lately, giving his opinions and setting right any gossips that link him up with anyone. Not that it’s a bad thing really but Gareth doesn’t exactly strike me as someone who talks a lot. Check out what he had to say below.

Gareth has denied that he is dating his former ‘Pop Idol’ co-contestant Hayley Evetts. A report in the News Of The World suggested that the pair were dating and that Gareth had bought Hayley a GBP1,000 bracelet as a show of his love.

“No way, me and Hayley are just good friends and that’s it” Gareth told reporters. “It’s a shame when you can’t have girls as friends without people thinking that you’re dating. Boys and girls can most definitely be friends and just keep it at that, giving and taking respect and all” said Gareth.

The singer, who celebrates his 18th birthday on the 12th of July, also denied he had romanced ‘Pop Idol’ chum Zoe Birkett. “I’m best friends with Zoe” said Gareth. “We all spent a long time together filming the show and just became close but there’s absolutely no romance” said Gareth.

What else did Gareth pour out in recent times? Well, he has denied that he and ‘Pop Idol’ winner Will Young will be releasing a cover of The Beatles’ ‘Long And Winding Road’ as a single. “Yes, there are plans for me and Will to work together but I don’t think we’ll be releasing that song” said Gareth.

Gareth said he had fulfilled a dream recently when he met up with his idol, George Michael. “He was recording his new album in the same studio as me recently and I said I’ve just got to meet him or die trying. I did meet my idol and George was really sweet and nice.” Gareth confirmed that George had sent him GBP300 worth of champagne when he pipped George to the No.1 spot with ‘Unchained Melody’ a few months back. “I haven’t seen the champagne though. It was sent to my management office” revealed Gareth.

Gareth’s new single, ‘Anyone Of Us (Stupid Mistake)’ is released on the 8th of July.

Mel B To Sing Her Way Into The US Of A First

Her acting career is taking flight but Mel B desperately wants to revive her ailing singing career and she has turned to one of the biggest stars to help her. Who you ask? Well, it’s the artist formerly known as Prince.

What’s more, she has planned further collaborations with the likes of R&B star Ja Rule and rapper Jay-Z too.

According to The Sun, she wants to break into the US market first with her next solo project.

“My music aim is to go to America. I’m going to start it off in America because I’ve had lots of offers and proposals from people who want to work with me out there. One of the people I can confirm I will be working with, which I am really excited about, is Prince.”

Good luck Mel B. Hope you do swell.