Hot Mp3 news - new releases CD's, music albums

As we all patiently twiddle our thumbs waiting for Facebook to unleash some incredible news about how it's going to skewer location, and let everyone know just where you're updating your Facebook status from... This article from back a few...

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Best Musical Show Album
(Award to the Album Producer(s), and to the Lyricist(s) & Composer(s) of 51% or more of a new score. (Artist, Lyricist & Composer names appear in parentheses.))

South Pacific
David Caddick, David Lai & Ted Sperling, producers (Richard Rodgers, composer; Oscar Hammerstein II, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast With Kelli O'Hara, Paulo Szot & Others)
[Masterworks Broadway]

Best Chamber Music Performance
(Award to the Artists.)

Right Through The Bone — Julius Rontgen Chamber Music
ARC Ensemble
[RCA Red Seal] <

Yo-Yo Ma is iTunes Pick of the Week at Starbucks! Anyone who visits a Starbucks beginning on Tuesday November 4th will be able to pick up a free Yo-Yo Ma download card redeemable for the music video "The Wexford Carol" featuring Alison Krauss.  So, don't forget to visit your local Starbucks next week and get your card and maybe one for a friend while supplies last. Offer ends 10/11. <

(Sony BMG Masterworks/NY) On October 14, 2008 Sony BMG Masterworks will release KRISTIN CHENOWETH's new Christmas CD A LOVELY WAY TO SPEND CHRISTMAS. For her third album, Chenoweth covers a wide range of Christmas songs from "Christmas Island," popularized by The Andrew's Sisters to Kristin's personal favorite "Come On Ring Those Bells."

Recorded at Capitol Recording Studio's legendary Studios A & B where Sinatra, Judy Garland and Nat King Cole all etched their Christmas standards, A Lovely Way To Spend Christmas is an eclectic combination of full orchestral arrangements, along with big band, a bit of tropical island flavor, pop and country.

In addition to well-known Christmas classics such as "Silver Bells" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas," Chenoweth reinterprets Louis Armstrong's modern standard "What A Wonderful World" and children's favorite "Sing," (originally written for Sesame Street's loveable Big Bird) into a Christmas songs with the help of acclaimed producer Robbie Buchanan (Barbra Streisand, Bette Midler, Barry Manilow) and Executive Producer Jay Landers (Streisand, Midler, Manilow, Celine Dion and Josh Groban).

The album also features new compositions of "Home On Christmas Day," co-written by Grammy Award winning producer Walter Afanasieff (Mariah Carey, Celine Dion) and Jay Landers and "Born On Christmas Day," with lyrics by Grammy winning pop/soul singing legend Peabo Bryson.

On choosing to record a Christmas album Chenoweth says "From the minute I signed with Sony Classical eight years ago, I wanted to record a Christmas album. I grew up listening to Barbra Streisand's Christmas album, and that was such an inspiration to me. Christmas is my favorite holiday and I am blessed and excited to be able to do my own Christmas album."

This fall Kristin will be featured in a new comedy Four Christmases directed by Seth Gordon and starring alongside Reese Witherspoon and Vince Vaughn. She also continues her role in ABC's Pushing Daisies for which she was recently nominated for an Emmy. Kristin can also be heard as the voice of the fairy, Rosetta, in Walt Disney Picture's Tinkerbell this fall and she just wrapped filming the independent film, Into Temptation, directed by Sundance filmmaker Patrick Coyle opposite Jeremy Sisto.


Track Listing:
1 I'll Be Home For Christmas
2 Christmas Island
3 The Christmas Waltz
4 Do You Hear What I Hear?
5 Marshmallow Ride / Sleigh Ride
6 Sing
7 Silver Bells
8 Come On Ring Those Bells
9 What Child Is This?
10 Home On Christmas Day
11 Born On Christmas Day
12 Sleep Well Little Children / What A Wonderful World


For more information please contact:
Kristen Foster – PMK/HBH, Kristen.Foster@pmkhbh.com, 212-373-6108
Angela Barkan – SONY BMG, angela.barkan@sonybmg.com, 212-833-8575

 

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We read an interesting titbit today about an upcoming new Blu-ray player from Memorex. Interesting because only yesterday it seemed as if the Blue Ray Association (BDA) was digging its heels in and promising no price reductions for either the players or the media in the foreseeable future. The Memorex MVBD-2510 will ship in the US for a rather palatable $270 and while we're still trying to find out if it'll make it over here, these sorts of moves tend to have a ripple effect that suggests budget priced devices could well be on the way. £150-ish is far more acceptable as far as we're concerned, and as well as support for the HD format this player comes packed with audio processing technology for the latest Dolby standards and up to 7.1 surround sound. It also upscales DVDs to 1080p and supports rewriteable CDs and DVDs. The 2510 should be available from November, and if we hear about a UK release in the meantime we'll be sure to let you know. - Paul Lester [TechRadar] Blu-ray HD budget <