Plummer joins ‘Sound of Music’ get-together on ‘Oprah’

The complete cast of the 1965 Oscar-winning film reunited on the Oprah Winfrey Show for the first time in 45 years. The show also featured show by the real Von Trapp great-grandchildren.

Nicholas Hammond, who played the eldest boy Friedrich in the movie, said the "kids" are still close and are at present working on a new project together.

"We realised that we have got this riches trove of memorabilia that we have kept (from the shooting of the movie) our home movies and photos and all of the matter and we are doing a book, the seven kids, and answering all the questions that everybody has asked," Hammond said. "We thought now was our chance to kind of give that back to all the magnificent fans around the world." The book is expected to be out next year.

The actors recall about filming the movie and shared private anecdotes during the one-hour show with Winfrey. Noting that the movie "made my career," Andrews, 75, said, "It was that big a movie, and we had no idea really at the beginning that it was going to be that huge." Andrews was 28 and a new mom when she headed to Austria to shoot for her role as the nun-turned-governess ‘Fraulein Maria.’ Andrews also spoke of her throat surgery in 1997, an operation that left her renowned voice permanently damaged.

"It was not a successful operation, and tissue was removed. I didn’t have cancer, I didn’t have nodules, I didn’t have anything. So, sadly, I had to work to deal with the loss of a voice because it just didn’t come back." Plummer, who played the strict widower Captain Von Trapp, admitted having "fallen in love" with Andrews after seeing her on Broadway in ‘My Fair Lady’ a few years before.

Plummer said he was not thrilled with the role of Captain Von Trapp at first. "I wanted to do a musical, and that was what paying attention it to me. But the part as written was not accurately Hamlet… There was not enough humour in it." ‘The Sound of Music’, which captured the real life Von Trapp family’s escape from Nazi-occupied Austria, won five Oscars counting for Best Picture. Songs from the movie like ‘My Favorite Things,’ ‘Climb Every Mountain’ and ’16 going on 17′ are one of the best-selling soundtracks of all time.

A remastered 45th anniversary DVD and Blu-ray set, counting sing-alongs, a map of filming locations, quizzes and a full length documentary, goes on sale on November 2.

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Choral Music and its important

Choral music refers to music which is sung by a singing group. Each melodious part is sung by two or more voices. The size of choirs vary, in can be as little as a dozen singers or as large as to be able to sing Gustav Mahler’s Symphony No. 8 in E Flat Major also identified as Symphony of a Thousand.

In Medieval times, the rondeau was frequently performed. In this form, the guide singer sings the verses while a small choir sings the refrain. During the 14th century, information in music theory helped singers pick up their performance. By the 15th century, there was burly support for choral music and it was on such high demand that composer wrote many vocal works. Johannes Ockeghem was one of the most powerful composers of this period.

In Europe composers wrote music destined to be sung by 4 different yet evenly important voices; the soprano, alto, tenor and bass.

The Latin Mass became one of the most important musical forms of the rebirth.

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Music creating and making different rhythms

Children love to tinkle these superb quality bells, making music and creating dissimilar rhythms, and there is nothing like a high-quality set of Jingle Bells to create you thinks of an old fashioned sleigh ride!

Our rattle Bells are suspiciously mounted on a strong strap which is attached to a made of wood handle. This allows the bells ring freely while given that an easy-to-hold grip.

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Brand new Family Force 5 song, “Fever&quot

Family Force 5 has recently debuted their song "Fever" off their upcoming June 3rd EP release on their MySpace page.

Is it the next "Luv Addict"?

We’ll let you decide!

Head on over there to hear the song and let us know what you think!

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The peculiar world of home-made guitars

Trashed rake, old frying pans and moose antlers might be scrap to some, but not Canadian Lorne Collie who has made all of these things into guitars at one time or another.

Collie is a "luthier," or guitar maker, and his hobby is transforming the scrap he stumbles across at the farm his lives on with wife, Helen, into electric guitars.

The first guitar he made was out of a spade.

Collie regularly gets offers from guitar enthusiasts to buy weird instruments but he says they are not for sale. He doesn’t want to get into making things to sell. He retired now. He simply does it for pleasure.

For now, Collie is retaining his treasure trove of shaped obscurities until a Beatle comes along.

Working out of the loft of his house in Veenendaal in The Netherlands, Landman has made one-off instruments for musicians including Sonic Youth and Kate Nash.

It makes it individual. My guitar, which has a bass string, sounds like a five piece band.

–Laura-Mary Carter, guitarist, Blood Red Shoes.

The 37-year-old who made his first guitar 10 years ago out of a table leg, now builds instruments with three to 18 strings, giving them an idiosyncratic pitch and tone compared with traditional six-stringed variety.

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Bob Marley’s Family Loses Rights to His Most Famous Music

Albums recorded between 1973 and 1977 by reggae legend, Bob Marley are owned by UMG and not his family. In the lawsuit, Marley’s family stated UMG was intentionally withholding royalties from them and undermining the 1995 agreement giving the family rights under the original recording agreements.

The albums include “Catch a Fire,” “Burnin’,” “Natty Dread,” “Rastaman Vibrations,” and “Exodus.” Which means his most famous songs, “One Love,” “No Woman, No Cry,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” and others are not owned by his family.

Marley died of cancer in 1981, age 36.

The lawsuit filed by his widow, Rita, and their nine children said that UMG exploited the “quintessential Bob Marley sound recordings.”

They also said that they were not notified of “key decisions.” However U.S. District Judge Denise Cote wrote, "Each of the agreements provided that the sound recordings were the ‘absolute property’ of Island. Whether Marley would have recorded his music even if he had not entered the recording agreements with Island is beside the point."

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“Leigh [Nash] and I had been making music together since we were teenagers. As we approached our 30s, there was a bit of restlessness to explore other things,” explains Matt Slocum. “In the midst of this exploration, I felt a void open up, like I needed to be making music with Leigh.&quot

Adds Leigh, "While we were apart, we both spent a lot of time thinking about the band and what we had taken for granted. One day a few months ago over coffee, we just knew it was time to breathe life back into the gift that God gave us. I am so thankful and excited for the future."

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How Music Affects our body and Why Music Therapy Promotes Health

Research has shown that music has a reflective effect on your body and psyche. In fact, there’s a rising field of health care known as Music Therapy, which uses music to heal. Those who carry out music therapy are verdict a benefit in using music to help cancer patients, children with ADD, and others, and even hospitals are start to use music and music therapy to help with pain management, to help ward off depression, to promote movement, to calm patients, to ease muscle tension, and for many other benefits that music and music therapy can bring. This is not surprising, as music affects the body with mind in many powerful ways. The following are few effects of music, which help to explain the effectiveness of music therapy:

Brain Waves: Research has shown that music with a strong beat can excite brainwaves to resonate in sync with the beat, with faster beats bringing sharper concentration and more alert thinking, and a slower tempo promoting a calm, meditative state.

Breathing and Heart Rate: With alterations in brainwaves come changes in other bodily functions. Those governed by the autonomic nervous system, such as breathing and heart rate can also be changed by the changes music can bring.

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DR. ALBAN New Productions 2010

A collaboration album from Dr. Alban & Charly Boy called On The Loose must be released this year more possibly at the digital stores. The album release was posponed since 2009 due to problems with Records Companies. Singles out from this album Carolina ’09 and Work Work ’09.

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Mechanical Animal: Lady Gaga’s Insane Album Wrap Is the Best Part of ‘Born This Way’

Steppenwolf’s "Born to Be Wild" is very closely linked with the motorcycle road movie Easy Rider. That’s the main clue we’re working with today in our study into why Lady Gaga decided to make her Born This Way album wrap an odd mix of a calendar hanging in a mechanic’s office crossed with the roaring jaguar on the cover of Roxy Music’s For Your Pleasure.

Obviously some of Gaga’s fans don’t care for the cover, but it’s our favorite part of Born This Way yet by a long shot. Little Monsters are so upset, there’s in fact a theory circulating that Gaga is revealing her fans three times, and that the cover she tweeted is a fake.

Here are their primary complaints:

It looks like it Cost $2 and a Photoshop Intern to Make: "Love you Gaga-always will but this album cover is just……..cheap looking," tweeted Cristink3. "Gaga I really love u but this cover is awful, very mediocre and unprofessional…I’m in shock. Please do not dissapoint your fans," added Iotiprego.

It Lacks Certain… Je Ne Sais Quoi: "wait, is this serious? With all due respect, i expected something … classier?" complained Cglink. "I think this looks like random fan ar," Alan_PB wrote.

It doesn’t seem to relate to the Music: "Gaga I’m so disappointed! I love u but this cover is not pop, rock or even 70′s metal. It sucks. :S," sniffed Thisislordl. "No graphic designer in their right mind would approve of such an atrocious font, and not only that, It has an awful metallic - looking bevel and emboss! It is terrible," wrote bleakc.

Gaga tweeted the artwork with a note that referenced a "highway unicorn" and implored fans to "’get your hot rods ready to rumble." Make of that what you will. But the good news is plenty of people are making something out of that ludicrously incredible album cover, like Rolling Stone did when Adam Lambert released his similarly wackadoo For Your Entertainment artwork. Gawker put together a small gallery of great Born This Way parodies, and we highly recommend you check that out.

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Underwood top winner at American Country Awards

When it comes to Las Vegas, Carrie Underwood is a certain bet.

Underwood won her second country music artist of the year award of 2010 in Sin City on Monday night. She earned it at the inaugural American Country Awards about eight months after she won the top honor at the Academy of Country Music Awards in April.

In both cases, fans determined the winner. And when it comes to fan support, Underwood has no match. Her fans vote early and often – a holdover from her time as "American Idol" champion – and she made sure to give a shoutout to her supporters after winning six awards.

Lady A won single of the year for the trio’s breakthrough, "Need You Now," and artist of the year: duo or group. Brad Paisley was voted male artist of the year and Blake Shelton and host Trace Adkins won music video of the year.

The show was performance heavy and featured Rascal Flatts and Alan Jackson performing medleys of their hits after tributes, Jason Aldean and Luke Bryan teaming up on "My Kinda Party," and Toby Keith, Keith Urban, Reba McEntire, Josh Turner and The Band Perry playing recent hits.

Adkins opened the show by declining to wear a pair of "meat chaps" offered by the show’s producers, a la Lady Gaga’s meat dress, in a pre-taped comedy skit. He also appeared to skip the monologue.

"It’s a live show," Adkins said. "What are they going to do? They can’t fire me right in the middle of it, right?

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House of Heroes unveils three new songs

Powerpop rock band House Of Heroes is giving away three new songs free to fans as part of a digitally-aggressive campaign by label home Gotee Records with the full album The End Is Not The End available at iTunes.com on April 15th for just $9.99.

The site, www.freeHoH.com, allows fans to download three new House Of Heroes songs free of charge in return for providing five email addresses of other people who they think may enjoy the music as well. Those email addresses will only be used by the label to send the link to the House Of Heroes download site.

“When you set out to make a record, you have certain hopes and expectations as far as how you expect the final product to turn out. I can honestly say that we exceeded every single one of those with this new music, “says lead vocalist/guitarist Tim Skipper. He adds, “It’s an exciting time for music with the developments we have in technology, especially communication. We’re ready to try something new! Hopefully this thing spreads very organically, with friends telling friends and so on.”

House of Heroes has two major label releases to their credit including their 2005 self-titled debut and Say No More in 2006. Prior to signing a record deal with Mono VS Stereo/Gotee, the band released an indie project What You Want Is Now (2002) to much critical acclaim and a large grassroots following. On the tour front, House Of Heroes has opened up for the likes of Silverchair, Relient K, MxPx, and music legend Stryper, as well as full-blown tours with acts including Spoken, The Evan Anthem, Last Tuesday, Dropping Daylight, Love Arcade, and Kids In The Way. Plans for extensive touring this year include a recent headlining club tour in markets including St. Paul, Chicago, Columbus, NYC, Nashville, Atlanta, Orlando and more.

The band is Columbus-Ohio natives Tim Skipper (guitar/lead vocals), A.J Babcock (bass/vocals), Colin Rigsby (drums/vocals), and Jared Rigsby (guitar/vocals).

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Rebecca St. James on Hannity Tonight June 16th

(Nashville, Tennessee) –June 15, 2010 – Popular Grammy Award winning Christian artist, Rebecca St. James is in New York for a live appearance Wednesday night (16th) on Fox New’s Channel’s “Hannity.” (9:00 PM Eastern/8:00 PM Central). St. James will make a return guesting on the program’s popular “Great American Panel” –her third visit to the guest panel in the last few months.

With the fall 2009 release of her starring role in the film, “Sarah’s Choice,” (Pure Flix Entertainment) giving voice to a strong pro life agenda, Rebecca is devoting time this year, amidst plans for new music and more films, to a series of special appearances nationally for crisis pregnancy and right to life organizations.

She describes her involvement on behalf of the centers as one the most rewarding results of her creative association with "Sarah’s Choice." “My passion for the pro-life message has grown tremendously as I have encountered firsthand the dedication and importance of their mission for the unborn. It is just beautiful to see their work, and I’ve felt so incredibly fulfilled and energized, coming alongside of what they’re doing and supporting them in such a small way,” she noted in a recent interview.

Rebecca St. James is the current cover/feature of the May-June issue of Celebrate Life magazine, a publication of the American Life League.

Resource Rebecca St. James online: www.myspace.com/rebeccastjames

For information on the film "Sarah’s Choice:"

http://sarah.pureflix.com

Read our review of Sarah’s Choice.

Read our interview with Rebecca on Sarah’s Choice.

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The Washington Projects Return with Light Up the Dark

Brother and sister duo, The Washington Projects, are back with Light Up The Dark, the follow-up to their widely successful debut, Commanders Of The Resistance. Available now, the album can be found for digital download through iTunes, AmazonMP3 and Rhapsody among others, and physical copies can be purchased through the group’s website. The project will be released to retail stores on August 3rd, through Universal.

All songs on Light Up The Dark were written by Rachael and Je’kob Washington and the album was produced by McPhly Entertainment, with Je’kob at the helm and the assistance of Kajmir Royale and Luke Witherspoon III.

“We are very excited about this album,” explains Rachael. “Through every record we release, God allows us to share a little piece of our hearts and what he’s given us with the entire world. Whether our music reaches five million people or just one, it’s an amazing feeling to know that we are being used in shifting someone’s heart and mind toward love and dedication to the only eternal kingdom. In an industry where almost everything comes down to numbers, we strive to remind ourselves daily of the true purpose of what we do – Touching souls with the teachings of Christ thru the gift of music. Light Up The Dark is a call to be what we were created to be – A bold & shining beacon of Light in a Dark world – based around the verse Matthew 5:14.”

The first two radio singles from the album are “Light Up The Dark” and “You Are Beautiful.” The first video is the title track for the album and was filmed by the local San Diego Crew 4120 (www.fortyonetwenty.com). Additionally, the song “Justus” will be featured on Are You Outraged, from International Justice Mission. The purpose of the album and campaign is to raise 1 million dollars to help abolish labor and sex slavery.

Je’kob comments on their involvement with the organization: "It’s an honor for us to be a part of this monumental compilation. We’ve been supporting IJM in their endeavors to eradicate sex & labor slavery for some time now. The statistics are absolutely staggering and sometimes it can be hard to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But, hopefully the sales of this compilation will provide enough funding to deliver some serious backing in the efforts to erase this terrible stain on humanity.”

Their first step out as The Washington Projects after their stint on Warner Bros./Word Records as Souljahz, Commanders of the Resistance brought great success for the group. The duo headlined the 12-city “Dare2Share” Tour and also did a USO European/Mediterranean Tour with Nappy Roots, as well as playing festivals and venues across the country. The project garnered critical acclaim from media outlets and was received very well by Gospel Music Channel viewers, with the videos for “Take It To The Streets” staying in the #1 slot for over two weeks and “You Are My World” holding at #2 for over three weeks.

The twosome has had a lot going on personally as well, with Rachael getting married to Kent Messini last September and Je’kob branching out on his own to start McPhly Entertainment, a unique production company that allows independent artists to get full records, EP’s, or just one song from start to finish, including production, mixing, mastering, photo shoots, websites, & online worldwide distribution via iTunes, Amazon, Rhapsody, etc for an easy to handle and individually customized monthly fee. Je’kob’s most notable recent accomplishment has been producing “Be Alright,” the first single from multi-platinum selling hip hop group, The Nappy Roots’ newest record, The Pursuit Of Nappyness.

The Washington Projects are currently booking dates for a tour to support Light Up The Dark.

For more information about The Washington Projects and Light Up The Dark, please visit www.WashingtonProjects.com or www.myspace.com/thewashingtonprojects. Follow them on twitter at www.twitter.com/WPonline.

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U2 album coming ‘Faster Than Anybody Thinks’

U2′s manager Paul McGuiness divulge details of a new album which will be released faster than anybody thinks’. McGuiness has said about the band’s progress on their new album, which is allegedly to be titled Songs Of Ascent. He is expecting a new U2 album faster than anybody thinks. I would guess early 2011 before the next leg of the American tour which initiates in May’.

This would be an unbelievably quick turnaround, since their 2009 album No Line on The Horizon was released four years after How To Dismantle And Atomic Bomb. The band have been freshening new tracks on tour, including songs called ‘Boys Fall From The Sky’, Mercy’, ‘Every Breaking Wave’, ‘Glastonbury’, ‘North Star’ and ‘Return Of The Stingray Guitar’.

With a song called ‘Glastonbury’, and the truth that the band had to cancel their hole last year due to Bono’s back injury, they’re expected to be added to the next bill for the legendary festival. In the meantime, the band is on tour heavily, playing in Australia with Jay-Z in late-November and December.

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Fireflight’s “Unbreakable” used on Bionic Woman promo

Brand new music from female-led rock band Fireflight will debuted last night on NBC with the band’s yet unreleased track “Unbreakable” selected to air in promotion for the network’s new hit show “Bionic Woman”.

The promotional spots began airing last night on NBC and will run throughout the week.

The high-impact new song is the title track for Fireflight’’s forthcoming sophomore album releasing spring 2008. Although the album is months from release at retail, the title track is an instant hit with NBC executives.

Janine Kerr, NBC/Universal Director of Promo Services, says, “Once I heard ‘Unbreakable’ by Fireflight, it just made sense that NBC should use this song in ‘Bionic Woman’ promos. In fact, the whole CD is great. Buy it!”

The single is scheduled for digital download at iTunes and other select digital channels in November.

To hear an excerpt of the song, visit Fireflight’s Myspace page: www.myspace.com/fireflight.

Update! Check out most recent post here about this song now being available on iTunes!

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Drummer Stew Smith leaving Delirious

Stew recently shared this open letter to Delirious fans about his departure:

A little over twelve years ago Delirious? set sail on what was to be the most adventurous and exciting journey of my life. Five guys from the small town of Littlehampton – a seaside town only ever made famous by ‘The Body Shop’ – dreamt of one day filling stadiums with the ‘sound of Heaven.’

As I sit and replay the past years I have had so many highlights – so many times when a dream has become a reality – that it seems unreal to be thinking of a different future. But I am, and as of the May 1st 2008, I will embark on a new and exciting journey. I will no longer be the drummer who has seen so many things and loved every minute of life within Delirious?. For me and my family, I am excited about starting a new career and a new future; Smeezer the Designologist will come into the world. I’m going to be taking all of the many experiences I’ve had and the skills I’ve picked up to launch a new creative agency.

I can hear you wanting to know the reasons why. Why would I want to move on? I have found the touring an increasing pressure on both me and my family. We function better as a complete unit than when we are separated for so many months of the year, and I wish to be at home, to be around and be far more local. I wish to develop myself further within the design business world allowing all of the gifting that I have been blessed with to explode out of me.

As you know I have had the chance over the last 12 years to continue developing my previous career within design as Creative Director with Delirious? and Furious? Records. I’m also really looking forward to getting stuck into Church life back home – Arun Community Church has been our home for the past 20years and I cannot wait to see what emerges within a vibrant and dynamic Church. I also feel that I need to push myself; I could so easily continue playing drums within Delirious? and I could see myself in ten years time behind the kit continuing to pull the Stew Smee faces, but feel that I need to make myself vulnerable, allowing God to get a hold of me and sharpen me once again.

I am so excited for Delirious?. A fantastic future lies ahead of them and I will continue to be very much involved, both as a friend and creatively.

Please join me at my last UK show on the 29th of March at the Indigo Club in London and celebrate a journey that I would not have missed for the world. [Stew will be touring with Delirious? in the US through May.]

Thank you to my family, Sarah, Abi and Jemimah for your incredible support and devotion. To my four amazing friends Martin [Smith], Stu G, Jon [Thatcher] and Tim [Jupp] for what can only be described as the ride of a lifetime. And all of you around the world that have not only sung the songs but are decided to a life of being true ‘History Makers.’ I am deeply proud to have been a part of this moment in history.

Love,

Stew Smith

Drummer Delirious?

Read our interview with Delirious here.

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Most Trends on Rock Music Styles

Rock Music,is nothing but a group of associated music styles and this is a well-liked muisic which conquered the Western countries right from 1955. In fact when we believe the history of the Rock music in began in the United States.

Rock Music Styles unify musical explanation into an historical and social structure as it traces the growth of rock music from its roots in nation and blues to the most modern trends. Through choice song examples and easy-to-read pay attention guides, students will experience firsthand the important characteristics of rock styles and expand the ability to make connections between the well-liked music of yesterday and today.

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Classic Music by candlelight

On the heels of situation a record for the first female artist to score nine Country Music Association nominations this September, Miranda Lambert carry on her success with her first DVD, Revolution: Live By Candlelight. The six songs acoustic collection was released on Oct. 12 and follows up her 2009 studio album, Revolution.

One of the tracks she sings on the DVD is "Love Is Looking For You," one of Lambert’s own favorites from her 2005 debut album, Kerosene. Filmed in a close setting in Nashville, TN, the screen only shows Lambert performing with her band and being surrounded by candles, which actually set off the fire terror while filming.

Lambert, whose songs tend to be clever and unruly with tracks like "Gunpowder and lead" from her second album Crazy Ex Girlfriend, in its place opens the on-screen concert on a much softer side. Revolution: Live By Candlelight turns into amazing you would hear in Starbucks: good, old mellow tunes that warm the heart.

Lambert talks openly during the videos, as if talking to a best friend on what enthused the songs that gained her critical acclaim. "I think Jesus would like hanging out with our band," Lambert says earlier than she sings "Heart Like Mine," on the DVD. It can easily be this generation’s version of Joan Osborne’s 1995 hit "One of Us," because it portrays her personal interpretation of what God and heaven would be like.

"White Liar," which became Lambert’s first highest-chart single reaching at number two on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs, is her strongest performance on the place. "Love Song" is another beautiful song that truly shows "real love" as she clarifies it, smiling and talkative when referring to her fiancé and fellow country artist, Blake Shelton. On another note, "Dead Flowers" is despite to the caliber of her other songs. Still the DVD is quite strong and Lambert truly delivers.

For her first acoustic DVD, Lambert gives it her all to find a way to attach to her fan base. Six songs don’t justify the talent that Lambert has in a music genre that is currently led by an American Idol Carrie Underwood and a teenage sensation Taylor Swift. Lambert herself was a finalist on the 2003 period of the short lived, "Nashville Star."

More prominently, Lambert was named the third female country singer in history to have three records debut at number one on the Billboard country albums charts. Clearly a talented musician, Miranda Lambert opens her music to her fans in an opened visual on this DVD, now available to any country music fan.

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Kevin Max & Wife Announce Birth of 3rd Child

Kevin Max’s wife Amanda has given birth to their third child, Knightly Christobal Max, who came into the world at 9:23 p.m. on March 24, 2009, at Baptist Hospital in Nashville, Tennessee. Knightly, who joins big sister London and big brother Wilder, measured 20 inches long and weighed 8 lbs. 3 oz.

"We decided to name our third child, Knightly Christobal, after both of our affection for medieval art and history," said Kevin Max. "But all in all, he is looking to be the most modern of all our children, being of raven black hair and sharp blue eyes. I believe being a father is my greatest artistic accomplishment, and Amanda and I look forward to watching him grow and connect to his older brother and sister."

With dcTalk, Max accrued album sales exceeding 8 million, as well as numerous Grammy and Dove Awards. In recent years, Max has explored his art and his faith with several critically acclaimed solo projects, and live performances worldwide. His recently released EP, Crashing Gates, is available now at iTunes.

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Music That Changed of History and Still Resonates

Half a dozen legislators sat a few feet away, beneath the crystal chandeliers of the East Room of the White House, as Bob Dylan sang “The period They Are A-Changin’,” poker-faced. Come senators, congressman, please listen the call,” he rasped. “Don’t place in the doorway, don’t block up the hall.” His tone was rough but nearly wistful; he had turned his old exhortation into an autumnal waltz. Afterward, he stepped backstage and shook President Obama’s hand.

It was not lost on anybody that Mr. Obama is America’s first African-American president. “The civil rights group was a movement sustained by music,” Mr. Obama said in opening remarks. The music, he said, “Was inspired by the movement and gave power in return.”

If any music can maintain to have changed history, it was the songs of the civil rights movement. Rooted in the hymns, gospel and rustic ballads of the southland they set out to change, civil rights songs detained a moral high ground with their melodies as well as their words.

The lyrics followed through with the eloquence of sermons and slave songs, transform them into both current agitprop and long-term bulwarks of resolve — songs like “Eyes on the Prize,” which Mr. Mellencamp, after reminisce about the teenage African-American bandmate who taught him how to sing and dance, turned into aggressive slide-guitar rock.

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Natalie Grant “Relentless” tour

In support of the release of her best-selling and critically acclaimed seventh album, Relentless, Curb recording artist and GMA’s reigning Female Vocalist of the Year, Natalie Grant, is set to bring the “Relentless Tour” to audiences across the country this spring. Sponsored by Gospel Music Channel, the Tour will include special guest Inpop recording artist Jimmy Needham, and introduce new Axiom recording artist Ashmont Hill.

Kicking-off March 8 in Woodward, Oklahoma, the “Relentless Tour” will hit Atlanta; Seattle; Decatur, Illinois; Mobile, Alabama; Kansas City, Missouri; and Boca Raton, Florida, among other locations this spring. During the Tour, Grant will perform selections from Relentless, as well as many of her signature songs, including the powerful hit “Held.”

Relentless, Grant’s first studio recording in nearly three years, debuted on Nielsen SoundScan’s Top Christian Albums and Christian Retail charts at #2, as the highest debut and top album by a female artist on both charts. The project’s first single, "In Better Hands," is a multi-format Christian radio hit.

Grant recently earned the Gospel Music Association’s most prestigious Dove Award nomination, Artist of the Year, and has been nominated once again for Female Vocalist of the Year, a distinction she has held since 2006. Grant is among a select few in the genre to have also achieved a formidable foothold at mainstream media and radio. A tireless advocate for victims of human trafficking, she was one of the first Christian artists to raise awareness of this worldwide atrocity. Grant created the Home Foundation in 2005 to support various anti-trafficking efforts around the world.

Houston, Texas-based, singer/songwriter Jimmy Needham first made a name for himself on the independent circuit with his soulful pop sound and passionate evangelical focus. Needham’s Inpop Records debut, Speak, released in 2006 and showcased his down-to-earth lyrics while exposing the rock, pop and gospel-influenced side of his art as well. The album produced a #2 single at Christian Hit Radio with “Lost At Sea,” and its song “Dearly Loved” also broke the Top 10 on CHR. Last fall Needham was featured on tour with NewSong, Echoing Angels and Nate Sallie. His sophomore album, Not Without Love, is due in stores August 19.

Axiom Records group Ashmont Hill is preparing to release their debut self-titled album on May 13. Getting their name from “Ashmont Hill,” an idyllic community near Boston, the group of four (all related by blood or marriage) has made beautiful, spiritual music for years at Jubilee Church, where their father is Bishop. Phil Thompson, sisters April Joy Thompson and Deborah Bullock, along with Deborah’s husband, Will Bullock, heard the call from the Lord to bring their music to a larger community. Ashmont Hill’s album is a true collaborative effort between the band and their producer Sal Oliveri, with vocal arrangements by Calvin Nowell.

For further information on Natalie Grant and the “Relentless Tour,” visit www.nataliegrant.com.

“Relentless Tour”

Woodward, OK – March 8

Norfolk, NE – March 9

Atlanta, GA – March 22

New Port Richey, FL – March 28

Boca Raton, FL – March 29

Vero Beach, FL – March 30

Kansas City, MO – April 10

Seattle, WA – April 12

Byhalia, MS – April 17

Bethel Park, PA – April 24

Elkhart, IN – April 27

Tupelo, MS – May 1

Mobile, AL – May 2

Conway, AR – May 4

Fayetteville, NC – May 10

Williamsburg, VA – May 11

Decatur, IL – May 15

Lebanon, MO – May 16

Mount Vernon, IL – May 18

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The BBC’s alternative music radio station 6 doubles its weekly listening audience

The BBC’s alternative music radio station 6 Music, which recently fugitive being shut down, has doubled its weekly listeners.

The digital station, which helped launch indie bands like Florence and the Machine, above, now has an regular of 1.2million tuning in, the latest Rajar figures expose.

A campaign by 6 Music fans to save the station advanced its audience to 100.7% more than last year.

BBC Asian Network, which still faces end, increased its listeners by 22.4% this quarter to 437,000 a week.

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