What Else? Bon Jovi, McCartney on Rdio, Swift, Gobbler, Rihanna, Grammys...

Bon Jovi's 2013 Because We Can world tour is going to sell tickets starting at just $20. After fans had to spend between $160 and $640 to attend The Rolling Stones 50th anniversary tour, Bon Jovi requested the more affordable pricing structure.  Rob Hallet, Bon Jovi's UK tour promoter, said, "After all, rock and roll always was... the music of the people, and that means everyone."     

Paul McCartney is now available on Rdio! Several of his albums can now be shared and streamed; every week through mid-December more albums will be continuously added.  That follows an earlier pulldown across all streaming services, with the expressed purpose of remastering for streaming before Spotify got the first uploads. Separately, Rdio metal fans are also being rewarded with Century Media Group artists such as Napalm Death, Morgoth and In Flames.

Any questions? Taylor Swift's Red sold an impressive 1.2 million copies in its first week, in the US alone.  That's roughly double the first-week result recently achieved by Mumford & Sons, and seems to support a Spotify-free launch strategy.  The tally, from Nielsen Soundscan, was just tweeted by the artist.

Gobbler, a cloud-based digital media service, has just teamed up with Avid Pro Tools, creator of digital audio and video technology for award-winning films, music recordings, television shows, and news broadcasts. This integration will allow users to send files, mixes, and entire sessions directly from the Avid interface, along with other unique capabilities that will reduce complications and ensure back-up of all files.

Rihanna's Diamonds Executive Platinum Box is scheduled to hit stores on December 11th for a whopping $250. It includes a t-shirt, seven art-print lithographs, a vinyl record of remixes of "Diamonds," a 40-page booklet of lyrics and notes, and more stuff for those who have the guap to spend.

Apple is delaying its iTunes 11 launch until the end of November, according to a company spokesperson.

The Grammys are to the music industry what the Oscars are to the film industry, but ours is way cooler. That being said, the great honor of hosting this year's Grammys Nominations goes to LL Cool J and Taylor Swift.  Additional presenters and performers will be announced later.

Pitchfork introduced a new technology column dubbed "Ordinary Machines." It will cover music, technology, and identity in the 21st century.  

Last but not least, this past Saturday's Haunted Coliseum dance party (featuring Swedish House Mafia's Sebastian Ingrosso, Alesso, and Otto Knows) in Long Island was shut down by police due to reports of dangerously intoxicated teens. Adding fuel to the chaotic fire, a private helicopter attempted to land on the stadium grounds to airlift an attendee, putting many people at risk for injury.  The helicopter is currently impounded.  

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Rihanna Announces 'Diamonds World Tour'

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Coldplay and 'Princess' Rihanna Rally On Social 50 Chart

Coldplay made some significant strides in the online world this week as the group's newest video for its hit song "Princess of China" (featuring Rihanna) was released on June 2. That causes the rock band to make a big jump on Billboard's Social 50 chart, rising 30-22.

The Social 50 chart ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, using a formula that blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers along with weekly artist page views and weekly song plays.

"Princess of China," the fourth single from Coldplay's album "Mylo Xyloto," has so far peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100. The song's featured guest, Rihanna, happens to also hold the No. 1 spot on the Social 50 this week.

Channeling audiences from two massive online fan bases (over 75 million combined fans on Facebook alone) the video was able to garner 7 million views in only seven days. That helped Coldplay rack up 14,732,000 views to its VEVO channel during the charting week.

The success of the video created a positive impact on both artists' fan bases. Coldplay added just over 147,000 followers across Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to their overall fan base (a 7% increase) while Rihanna added 407,482.

Coldplay wasn't the only group to experience online gains riding the coattails of the Rihanna Navy. The greatest gains on the Social 50 this week were the five sisters that make up Cimorelli. The act returns to the top 10, jumping 16-3, reaching a new chart high. The jump comes thanks to the group's video cover of Rihanna's "Where Have You Been." So far, it has earned more than 600,000 views since its debut on June 4.

Its release has helped push Cimorelli's YouTube channel over 200 million views. It's full steam ahead for Cimorelli, who experienced nearly 20% gains across all other metrics (fans, views) during the charting week.

Miley Cyrus received some love online this week as well, as people flocked to her online properties to follow her as news broke of her recent engagement. The lucky fellow? Her boyfriend of two years, "Hunger Games" co-star Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus received a 82% boost in fan acquisition over the previous week and, according to additional data provided by Next Big Sound, her Wikipedia page received a 118% increase in weekly viewership.

Other gains on the Social 50 include Eminem, who rose 19-13 correlating with activity (news releases and videos) surrounding the Shady Records Hot 97 Summer Jam BBQ. (The same Summer Jam where Nicki Minaj, who holds at No. 7, didn't show up after DJ Peter Rosenberg dissed her onstage before her scheduled performance.)

Selena Gomez has a fragrance and Spring Break to thank for her 24-21 climb this week. The June 9 launch of her fragrance with Macy's, and press surrounding her upcoming movie "Spring Breakers," helped earn her a 20% increase in profile views.

The rest of this week's top 10: Adele holds fast at No. 2, Justin Bieber steps down (3-4), as does Katy Perry (5-6). The latter swaps spots with Skrillex who rose a position (6-5). Linkin Park continues to climb (9-8), eclipsing Lady Gaga whose decrease in activity allowed her to sink (4-9). Rounding out the top 10 is One Direction, falling two rungs to No. 10.

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Rihanna, Lil Wayne Join Drake on 'Take Care,' 'HYFR' Videos

by David Greenwald, L.A.  |   April 06, 2012 8:55 EDT

Drake's "Take Care" video hit the web on Friday, finding the MC getting close with a rumored ex -- Rihanna, who's featured on the album title track.

While the minimalist video focuses on Drake and Rihanna singing and embracing, it's full of luxurious slow-motion photography of a number of animals and landscapes, include a fish, a bird and a dusty buffalo.

And just in time for Passover, Drizzy also released the less romantic video for "HYFR," featuring Lil Wayne. The video begins with vintage clips from the Jewish rapper's Bar Mitzvah, before showcasing temple-set footage of a purported recommitment ceremony that turns into a Young Money throwdown.

Watch the two videos below:

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KISS, Motley Crue Take Aim at Rihanna, Awards Show Pop Stars

by David Greenwald, L.A.  |   March 21, 2012 11:09 EDT

Two of hard rock's biggest acts aren't happy with the state of pop.

"We're sick and tired of girls getting up there with dancers and karaoke tapes in back of them," KISS' Gene Simmons said on Tuesday afternoon as KISS and Motley Crue announced their first joint tour in three decades. "The guys you see on stage are playing their instruments. No fake bullshit. Leave that to the Rihanna, Shmianna and anyone who ends their name with an 'A.'"

Backstage at the Roosevelt Hotel, Motley Crue's Tommy Lee expanded on his colleague's comments, criticizing the state of pop-heavy award shows.

"No disrespect to Rihanna, she's a great singer, but we're in a slump for some shit that has some personality and appeal beyond a bunch of pop stuff that's floating around out there," he told Billboard.com. "I'm glad he said that actually because I don't think i can bear watching another f***ing award show that is just a little bit better than 'American Idol.' It's f***ing pathetic to watch people go out and f***ing karaoke with a bunch of lights and video. It's all completely watered down."

KISS & Motley Crue Announce Summer Tour: 'No Fake Bulls---'

"He's right, anyone can buy a light show, anyone can buy pyro," KISS' Eric Singer added. "You can't keep reinserting a different he or she in there. you have to be able to get up there and play and sing."

Other members of the bands questioned the apparent dearth of guitar rock, on the road and elsewhere.

"It's a shame you don't have as many rock and roll bands, only the cream of the crop has survived," KISS' Tommy Thayer said. "It makes [the tour] more of a unique event. It's definitely the biggest rock show of the year."

While many musicians have found success online in recent years -- Rihanna, for instance, has 53 million Facebook likes -- KISS' Paul Stanley said the real fan interaction happens at the show.

"Isn't that what we're all about? We're only as good as the audiences. So fan interaction, that's really what rock and roll is," he said on Tuesday. "If you [just] want to listen to music, stay home and put it on the stereo."

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AP Interview: Cover Drive gets boost from Rihanna (AP)

LONDON – Rihanna's not just sitting pretty, enjoying her mega-successful career — she's also lending a helping hand to other musical acts from Barbados.

She picked newcomers Cover Drive to back her at an Aug. 5 show for 20,000 in her homeland, which ensured strong notice for the newcomers. The group consists of bass player Jamar Harding, rapper/drummer T. Ray Armstrong, lead singer Amanda Reifer and guitarist Barry Hill.

The quartet told The Associated Press that backing up Rihanna was the best 20 minutes of their lives and they would love to have an amazing career like hers. They are now based in London and are scheduled to perform Aug. 29 during the Notting Hill Carnival.

They cited Rihanna as one of their key musical influences, along with the Black Eyed Peas, No Doubt and Bruno Mars.

"We are huge Rihanna fans, I mean massive, and when we found out we were going to open for her our brains melted," Reifer said in the interview last week. "She was amazing, she's really supportive."

Cover Drive built up its fan base by putting videos on YouTube called the Fedora Sessions. Their cover of Train's "Hey, Soul Sister" got so much interest it lead to a record deal. Now they're releasing their debut single, "Lick You Down" in Britain on Aug. 28.

Band members are quick to note the song's title isn't erotic but refers to a local Creole saying meaning "knock you down." They call their music "Carib-pop" — what you get when you take Caribbean and pop music and put it in a blender.

"You have a nice, amazing drink of Caribbean music," said Reifer. "It means it's feel-good, it's fun, it's fresh, it's sun shining, it's all the things we like to use to describe our music."

Not bad for an act who initially met when Reifer was baby-sitting Armstrong.

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Rihanna escapes fire during Dallas show (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) – Rihanna lit up Texas when a fire broke out on stage during her "Loud" tour stop in Dallas.

Sparks flew and smoke sizzled in the packed American Airlines Center on Friday night as Rihanna was ushered off stage. No injuries were reported.

The crew quickly came in to put out the fire, with Dallas firefighters following shortly thereafter to survey the scene, according to NBC in Dallas.

The accident occurred following a particularly off-night, in which the "Rude Boy" singer was reportedly an hour late to kick off her concert.

Rihanna responded on Twitter on Friday night to address her disappointed fans: "DALLAS!!! We set the stage on FYAH tonight!!! LITERALLY!!! I'm so pissed, I was having so much fun wit yall too!!! I gotta come back man!!"

She later tweeted that she would be attending a production meeting to figure out exactly what happened, although the accident seems a result of the show's elaborate pyrotechnics.

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Rihanna escapes fire during Dallas show

(Note: strong language in tweet, paragraph 5)

By Jake Weinraub

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) - Rihanna lit up Texas when a fire broke out on stage during her "Loud" tour stop in Dallas.

Sparks flew and smoke sizzled in the packed American Airlines Center on Friday night as Rihanna was ushered off stage. No injuries were reported.

The crew quickly came in to put out the fire, with Dallas firefighters following shortly thereafter to survey the scene, according to NBC in Dallas.

The accident occurred following a particularly off-night, in which the "Rude Boy" singer was reportedly an hour late to kick off her concert.

Rihanna responded on Twitter on Friday night to address her disappointed fans: "DALLAS!!! We set the stage on FYAH tonight!!! LITERALLY!!! I'm so pissed, I was having so much fun wit yall too!!! I gotta come back man!!"

She later tweeted that she would be attending a production meeting to figure out exactly what happened, although the accident seems a result of the show's elaborate pyrotechnics.

View the original article here

Rihanna show is flashy, yet not overproduced (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Barbados-born beauty Rihanna isn't easy to forget. Without overly choreographed dance moves, her smoldering stare, powerful voice and swaggering strut are enough to captivate a packed house for nearly two hours.

After Cee Lo Green suddenly backed out of the "Loud" tour due to a packed schedule, there were concerns over whether Rihanna and opener J.Cole could hold down the fort and keep ticket holders happy. Fans at the Staples Center on Tuesday hoping to rock out to an uncensored version of "Forget You" and "Bright Lights Bigger City" were undoubtedly disappointed with J.Cole's extremely short set, not because he isn't talented, but because his style of music is a whole different machine.

There are very few performers who could replace Green and his outrageously colorful stage presence, though B.o.B. (who will open on other select dates) would have likely been a more welcomed act.

Opening with "Only Girl (In The World)," Rihanna set the tone for the rest of the show with plenty of bright neons and shiny costumes. Donning a short metallic blue coat and bright pink glow-in-the-dark heels, the singer stood out amongst her dancers (all clad in neon hues) with muted tones flashing on the large background screens. Quickly transitioning in "Disturbia," Rihanna stripped off the coat and flaunted her assets in a jeweled bikini, alternating between strutting across each side of the stage and gliding along a moving conveyor belt.

While the Los Angeles audience was filled with fans donning copy-cat red locks, one elderly man got more than he bargained for when Rihanna pulled him on stage during her performance of "Skin." She proceeded to lay him down on a circular platform while gyrating up and down the top of his body before the platform descended underneath the stage. The crowd, obviously, went wild.

Also flitting through the crowd were several young girls between the ages of five and ten. Clad in bright colors and sparkly dresses, many wore earplugs and were accompanied by their mothers. Following the show, they may need to have a conversation about why Rihanna, wearing a tuxedo, suggestively poked and prodded nearly-naked female dancers with a cane during a cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki." Then again, maybe not.

Somewhat surprisingly, one highlight of the night came when the 23-year-old slowed things down for "Unfaithful" and "Hate That I Love You," both of which had the audience chiming in full force. She continued the mid-show slow-down with "California King Bed," in which she stood alone at center stage with just a mic stand and her expressive facial movements, captured and relayed on the jumbo screens.

Rihanna didn't stay confined to the stage, either. At one point, she walked through the audience to the middle of the floor where she took to a drum set and pounded away. Later, in a move reminiscent of Green, Rihanna made her encore with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" while perched atop a floating (and spinning) piano.

To finish out the show, she brought the house down with a high energy rendition of "Umbrella."

Noticeably absent from the set list was her breakout 2005 hit "Pon de Replay," which was only played during a brief video interlude, and fan favorite circa 2006, "SOS."

During a summer which finds her competing with Britney Spears and Katy Perry, Rihanna is a welcome change of pace for pop lovers. The "Loud" tour keeps the dancing simple, remains visually striking in its wardrobe rather than its set and most importantly, boasts real powerhouse vocals throughout the entirety of the show.

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Rihanna show is flashy, yet not overproduced

Singer Rihanna performs on NBC's 'Today' show in New York, May 27, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Brendan McDermid

By Sophie Schillaci

Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:13pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Barbados-born beauty Rihanna isn't easy to forget. Without overly choreographed dance moves, her smoldering stare, powerful voice and swaggering strut are enough to captivate a packed house for nearly two hours.

After Cee Lo Green suddenly backed out of the "Loud" tour due to a packed schedule, there were concerns over whether Rihanna and opener J.Cole could hold down the fort and keep ticket holders happy. Fans at the Staples Center on Tuesday hoping to rock out to an uncensored version of "Forget You" and "Bright Lights Bigger City" were undoubtedly disappointed with J.Cole's extremely short set, not because he isn't talented, but because his style of music is a whole different machine.

There are very few performers who could replace Green and his outrageously colorful stage presence, though B.o.B. (who will open on other select dates) would have likely been a more welcomed act.

Opening with "Only Girl (In The World)," Rihanna set the tone for the rest of the show with plenty of bright neons and shiny costumes. Donning a short metallic blue coat and bright pink glow-in-the-dark heels, the singer stood out amongst her dancers (all clad in neon hues) with muted tones flashing on the large background screens. Quickly transitioning in "Disturbia," Rihanna stripped off the coat and flaunted her assets in a jeweled bikini, alternating between strutting across each side of the stage and gliding along a moving conveyor belt.

While the Los Angeles audience was filled with fans donning copy-cat red locks, one elderly man got more than he bargained for when Rihanna pulled him on stage during her performance of "Skin." She proceeded to lay him down on a circular platform while gyrating up and down the top of his body before the platform descended underneath the stage. The crowd, obviously, went wild.

Also flitting through the crowd were several young girls between the ages of five and ten. Clad in bright colors and sparkly dresses, many wore earplugs and were accompanied by their mothers. Following the show, they may need to have a conversation about why Rihanna, wearing a tuxedo, suggestively poked and prodded nearly-naked female dancers with a cane during a cover of Prince's "Darling Nikki." Then again, maybe not.

Somewhat surprisingly, one highlight of the night came when the 23-year-old slowed things down for "Unfaithful" and "Hate That I Love You," both of which had the audience chiming in full force. She continued the mid-show slow-down with "California King Bed," in which she stood alone at center stage with just a mic stand and her expressive facial movements, captured and relayed on the jumbo screens.

Rihanna didn't stay confined to the stage, either. At one point, she walked through the audience to the middle of the floor where she took to a drum set and pounded away. Later, in a move reminiscent of Green, Rihanna made her encore with "Love the Way You Lie (Part II)" while perched atop a floating (and spinning) piano.

To finish out the show, she brought the house down with a high energy rendition of "Umbrella."

Noticeably absent from the set list was her breakout 2005 hit "Pon de Replay," which was only played during a brief video interlude, and fan favorite circa 2006, "SOS."

During a summer which finds her competing with Britney Spears and Katy Perry, Rihanna is a welcome change of pace for pop lovers. The "Loud" tour keeps the dancing simple, remains visually striking in its wardrobe rather than its set and most importantly, boasts real powerhouse vocals throughout the entirety of the show.

View the original article here