Spotify reveals its most streamed songs from movie soundtracks ahead of Oscars

February 28, 2014 15:45

Ed Sheeran, Pharrell and 'The Great Gatsby' soundtrack prove popular on music service

Spotify has revealed the most popular songs from movie soundtracks over the past 12 months on its music streaming service ahead of this weekend's Academy Awards.

The Oscars will take place in Los Angeles on Sunday, March 2 at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood and will be presented by Ellen DeGeneres with Arcade Fire, Pharrell and Karen O all in the running for the Best Original Song award.

However, only Pharrell's 'Happy' from Despicable Me 2 features on Spotify's most popular list, with Ed Sheeran's 'I See Fire', as heard on The Hobbit: The Desolation Of Smaug proving most popular.

Further down the list are appearances from Frank Ocean, M83 and 2 Chainz and Whiz Khalifa's track 'We Own It', from the latest movie in the Fast & Furious franchise. The Great Gatsby soundtrack has also proved a hit with listeners this past year with Lana Del Rey’s 'Young And Beautiful' and Jay Z and Kanye West’s 'No Church In The Wild' appearing in the Top 10.

Top ten most streamed songs from movies in the last 12 months:

1. Ed Shearan – 'I See Fire' (The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug)
2. Pharrell Williams – 'Happy' (Despicable Me 2)
3. 2 Chainz, Wiz Khalifa – 'We Own It' (The Fast & Furious 6)
4. M83 – 'Midnight City' (Warm Bodies)
5. Lana Del Rey – 'Young and Beautiful' (The Great Gatsby)
6. Jay Z & Kanye West – 'No Church in the Wild' (The Great Gatsby)
7. Kanye West - 'Stronger' (The Hangover Pt III)
8. Frank Ocean – 'Super Rich Kids' (The Bling Ring)
9. Indina Menzel – 'Let It Go' (Frozen)
10. Kristin Bell & Indina Menzel – 'For The First Time In Forever' (Frozen)

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Slipknot unveils songs, art, on new "best-of" album

The cover of heavy metal band Slipknot's new album ''Antennas to Hell'' is shown in this publcity photo released to Reuters June 11, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Handout

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Mon Jun 11, 2012 5:15pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Grammy-winning heavy metal band Slipknot unveiled the artwork and tracklist for their upcoming "best-of" album on Monday, their first release since the 2010 death of bassist Paul Gray.

"Antennas To Hell," due out on July 24 in the United States, will encompass some of the band's best-known singles from their last four studio albums, including "Spit It Out," "Left Behind" and "Vermilion."

"I think every song Slipknot has ever written is a greatest hit, so it was hard (to narrow it down), but at the same time there's only four records, so we did stick a couple of live songs on," band member Shawn "Clown" Crahan told Reuters.

"It all falls together the way it needs to."

Slipknot, founded by Gray and Crahan in Des Moines, Iowa, in 1995, has eight members -- Crahan and Chris Fehn on percussion, lead singer Corey Taylor, Sid Wilson on turntables, guitarists Jim Root and Mick Thomson, Craig "133" Jones on sampling and drummer Joey Jordison.

Following Gray's death from an accidental overdose in 2010, the band's future has been hotly debated in the world of music with media outlets posting conflicting reports on the end of Slipknot, something Crahan said has amused him.

"We as a band have never decided to go away. We've never even talked about it; it's not even a question. The only question was how long it was going to take each individual member to accept what's happened and feel comfortable with moving on in the record area," said Crahan.

"Paul was the major part of writing records. It's not only my brother that I'm not seeing, but it's also what he brought to the table," added the percussionist.

Crahan said the band will be stepping away from the spotlight after playing a series of summer festivals, so that band members can go through "the healing process" and work on a new record. He said the lyrics were already being written for the next album and the artwork would be "severely involved."

The band released four studio albums over the years, 1999's self-titled debut, 2001's "Iowa," 2004's "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" and 2008's "All Hope Is Gone," selling more than 20 million records worldwide.

"Antennas To Hell" packages notes on their career with a DVD of a live show at 2009's Download Festival, video montages of Slipknot and its members, and the 19-song compilation.

Along with the album, the band is headlining festivals over the U.S. summer before taking the helm of their very own, the first annual Knotfest, taking place in Council Bluffs, Iowa, on August 17 and in Minneapolis, Minnesota on August 18.

"Now is the best time to exercise the philosophy of this beautiful art thing that we're going to make known as Knotfest," said Crahan. "The community is what we want to bring back, I want to bring back the intimacy of concerts."

The tracklist for "Antennas To Hell" is as follows:

1. (sic)

2. Eyeless

3. Wait And Bleed

4. Spit It Out

5. Surfacing

6. People = Shit

7. Disasterpiece

8. Left Behind

9. My Plague (New Abuse Mix)

10. The Heretic Anthem (live)

11. Purity (live)

12. Pulse Of The Maggots

13. Duality

14. Before I Forget

15. Vermilion

16. Sulfur

17. Psychosocial

18. Dead Memories

19. Snuff

(This version of the story has been corrected to fix a typo in second paragraph)

(Editing by David Brunnstrom)

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Bob Seger 'Sifting Through' 70 Songs for New Album

by Gary Graff, Detroit  |   June 13, 2012 5:30 EDT

With a Songwriters Hall of Fame induction looming, Bob Seger plans to come up with more new songs as he continues to make progress on his next album.

"I've got five (songs) that I really, really like, and then I'm sifting through the other 70 that I've got in the can," Seger tells Billboard.com. It will be his first all-new studio release since 2006's "Face The Promise," though no release date has yet been determined. "Some of them aren't that old. Some of them are just last album stuff that I really liked and I got talked out of and I'm really sorry I did. I could actually put (an album) out for this fall right now if I wanted to, but I'm just going to write a little more before I make a final decision."

Among the songs Seger is weighing for the album -- whose current working titles are "Wonderland" or "Ride Out" -- are a duet with Trisha Yearwood called "The Price" and a rock ballad called "You Take Me." He's also considering a pair of live recordings from the 2006 tour with his Silver Bullet Band, his own "Sometimes" and a cover of Little Feat's "Fat Man in the Bathtub." "They're just firecrackers, pure rage, and I've been sitting on those for 20-some years and I'd love for people to hear them," Seger says. "There's mistakes in them, but I don't give a s***. They've just got this thing that is so powerful, and I think it'd be a nice kind of change-up to go from the contemporary feel back to that mid-80s feel."

Meanwhile, Seger is also penning music for the trailer to "Threshhold," a "psycho-thriller" film co-written by his son Cole, who just finished his freshman year of college.

New album or not, Seger plans to take his Silver Bullet Band back on the road for two weeks in November, hitting either the North American west coast -- including San Diego, Sacramento, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and Denver -- or Australia, where his 2011 compilation "Ultimate Hits: Rock and Roll Never Forgets" has spent six weeks in the top 10 this year. "The promoters are kind of bidding against each other, and whoever comes up with the best deal is going to get it. Or, if we get greedy, we'll do both," Seger -- who played 54 shows in 2011 and early 2012, says with a laugh. He adds that he would like "to just finish what we started" in North America, hitting cities that the group didn't play on its last run.

Seger is also excited about entering the Songwriters Hall of Fame during the June 14 ceremony at the Marriott Marquis Hotel in New York City, where he plans to perform "Turn the Page." "It's a really nice honor," says Seger, who was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2004. "They've been doing it since '69, so they haven't taken it lightly. Songwriting...I really work hard on that. I like to think that, like (Don) Henley says, I leave a little blood on the page and work really hard on my lyrics chord changes, structure and everything. So it's pretty heartening to get that nod."

Seger will be joined at the ceremony by Gordon Lightfoot, Jim Steinman, Don Schlitz and the team of Harvey Schmidt and Tom Jones. Special awards will be given to Bette Midler, Ne-Yo, Woody Guthrie, Ben E. King and Lance Freed.

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Songs of the Summer Chart Returns to Billboard.com

by Gary Trust, N.Y.  |   June 14, 2012 10:00 EDT

Now that barbecues, beaches and sundresses are commonplace once again (along with, sadly, burnt burgers, beach traffic and mandals), Billboard's annual Songs of the Summer chart returns to Billboard.com.

The 10-position running tally, presented by Pepsi, tracks the most popular songs based on cumulative performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day. At the end of the season of sun and fun, the top song of the summer will be revealed. ( LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, took the title last summer.) The chart will be updated with new weekly data each Thursday when Billboard.com's chart menu is refreshed.

Having ranked at No. 1 on the weekly Hot 100 not just since Memorial Day but for eight weeks until this week, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, takes an early lead in the running for Billboard's top song of this summer, ranking at No. 1 on Songs of the Summer.

Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" places at No. 2 on the chart. With the bouncy track having dethroned "Somebody" on the Hot 100 this week, "Maybe" could be in line to overtake Gotye's hit on the cumulative Summer chart in coming weeks.

Maroon 5's "Payphone," featuring Wiz Khalifa, looks to be another strong candidate in the race for this summer's top hit, taking the No. 3 spot on the tally. With "Somebody" in its 23rd week on the Hot 100 and "Maybe" in its 16th, "Payphone," at just eight weeks old, could hit its chart prime during the summer and likewise challenge for the season's top smash.

Fun.'s "We Are Young" (featuring Janelle Monae), now descending the Hot 100 after spending six weeks at No. 1 in March/April, and Nicki Minaj's "Starships," a top 10 Hot 100 fixture each week since its March 3 debut at No. 9, round out this year's inaugural Summer Songs top five at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.

Click here for this season's first Songs of the Summer ranking in its entirety.

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Listen: Kanye West's Five Best GOOD Friday Songs

On Friday (Apr. 6) -- the actual Good Friday holiday -- Kanye West revived his GOOD Friday release series, which features a new single posted online every Friday as a free giveaway to the rapper's rabid fans, with "Mercy," a new track featuring 2 Chainz, Big Sean and Pusha T. The series originally began in 2010 while West was gearing up for his fifth full-length, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy": by releasing a few tracks from the album as freebies and putting out some leftover cuts for the fans, West turned an uncomplicated weekly release program into the coolest new way to issue new music.

Kanye West and DJ Khaled Release 'Theraflu' Song: Listen

Now that "Mercy," which previews West's G.O.O.D. Music compilation, has hit the Web, take a listen to Kanye West's five best GOOD Friday releases so far, from classic "Fantasy" cuts to awesome one-off singles.

5. "Christmas in Harlem"
Featuring: Cam'ron, Jim Jones, Vado, CyHi da Prynce, Pusha T, Musiq Soulchild, Teyana Taylor, Big Sean
Released: Friday, Dec. 17, 2010

For the first GOOD Friday song after the release of "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," Yeezy issued a holiday-themed banger, complete with a lovely choral hook and nearly impossible number of featured performers. Big Sean, who brags that he's "rocking dashiki's with a yamulkah,"is on fire here.  

4. "The Joy"
Featuring: Pete Rock, Jay-Z, Charlie Wilson, Curtis Mayfield, Kid Cudi
Released: Friday, Oct. 29, 2010

This soulful jam eventually made it onto the deluxe edition of "Watch The Throne," and for good reason -- its aching sample matches Yeezy's self-loathing rhymes and Jay's disaffected coolness. 

3. "So Appalled"
Featuring: Jay-Z, Pusha T, RZA, Swizz Beatz, CyHi da Prynce
Released: Sept. 24, 2010

There's nothing too fancy about "So Appalled" -- the track, which made it onto "MBDTF," simply showcases four MCs (Kanye, Jay, Pusha and CyHi) absolutely murdering their verses and moving over the sweeping production as one cohesive unit. Who has the best verse? A case can be made for all four rappers.

2. "Good Friday"
Featuring: Common, Pusha T, Big Sean, Kid Cudi, Charlie Wilson
Released: Sept. 10, 2010

The spright, carefree vibe of "Good Friday" never fit in thematically with the dark, dramatic cuts of Kanye's "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy," which is presumably why it didn't make the finished album. Still, it's a shame, because "Good Friday" is positively vibrant. From Pusha' assured boasting to Kid Cudi's selfless hook-assisting to the singsong chorus, "Good Friday" holds up with the best posse cuts of this fresh decade.

1. "Monster"
Featuring: Jay-Z, Rick Ross, Nicki Minaj, Bon Iver
Released: Aug. 27, 2010

GOOD Fridays may have officially launched with the "Power" remix a week earlier, but the series went from "This is cool" to "Oh wow, I have to hear this new Kanye song every single week" when "Monster" was released. The "MBDTF" highlight possesses a stunning amount of control over its many disparate pieces: Bon Iver's monster-movie intro leads to a quick Rick Ross verse, and later, Nicki Minaj goes H.A.M. in her best bars to date. Here's hoping that, if G.O.O.D. Fridays continue past "Mercy," Yeezy produces another "Monster."

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The top 10 songs and albums on the iTunes Store (AP)

iTunes' Official Music Charts for the week ending Jan. 2, 2012:

Top Songs:

1. "Sexy and I Know It," LMFAO

2. "We Found Love (feat. Calvin Harris)," Rihanna

3. "It Will Rain", Bruno Mars

4. "Set Fire to the Rain", ADELE

5. "Good Feeling", Flo Rida

6. "The One That Got Away", Katy Perry

7. "Ni(asterisk)(asterisk)as in Paris", Kanye West, JAY Z

8. "Party Rock Anthem (feat. Lauren Bennett & GoonRock)", LMFAO

9. "Someone Like You", ADELE

10. "Young, Wild & Free (feat. Bruno Mars)", Wiz Khalifa,Snoop Dogg

___

Top Albums:

1. "21", ADELE

2. "Own the Night", Lady Antebellum

3. "Ceremonials", Florence + The Machine

4. "Take Care", Drake

5. "Mylo Xyloto", Coldplay

6. "Sorry for Party Rocking", LMFAO

7. "Bangarang", Skrillex

8. "19", ADELE

9. "El Camino", The Black Keys

10. "Torches", Foster the People

___

(copyright) 2011 Apple, Inc.

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Toby Keith is never one to mince words in songs

Singer Toby Keith performs ''Somewhere Else'' at the 46th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas April 3, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Steve Marcus

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE | Wed Oct 19, 2011 12:52pm EDT

NASHVILLE (Reuters) - Toby Keith grew up in Oklahoma where a man's handshake is his word, family is of utmost importance and opinions are welcome.

Keith has never been shy when it comes to his music, an outspokenness that has served him well over the years and continues to do so today as he nears the release of his new album, "Clancy's Tavern," on October 24.

As a young artist, Keith asked to be let out of his contract with Mercury Records when executives didn't like his album, "How Do You Like Me Now?" because they thought women would view the title track's lyrics as disrespectful.

But "How Do You Like Me Now?" went on to attain gold status, selling more than 500,000 units, and Keith went on to sell 25 million albums for his new label, Dreamworks.

"It was the day of reckoning," Keith told Reuters about the day he told Mercury chief Luke Lewis he wanted off the label and demanded his album back.

"He said to me, 'You believe in this album that much?' and I said 'Yeah.' Two hours later my accountant cut me a check, and I went over and picked up the master and walked out."

The 50-year-old Keith has headed his own label, Show Dog/Universal, since 2004 and has several other ventures. His latest release, "Made in America," is near the top of Billboard's country singles chart.

Forbes magazine named Keith the top-earning country music artist for the past year, putting his earnings at $50 million.

"Those figures make me laugh," Keith said. "Who cares about stuff like that?"

Keith's enterprises include his "I Love This Bar and Grill" chain of restaurants and his "Wild Shot" premium mezcal liquor, imported from Mexico.

"I've not come up for air since 1993. I've not missed a tour, I've not missed putting out an album, I've not taken time off. That's why we are in Forbes, because of that work ethic."

My family knows of the sacrifices we've all made in order for me to be in this position, the time away from each other, and me being busy."

KICKING AND ROCKING

"When I decided to go out on my own in 2004 with Show Dog/Universal, people asked me 'What makes you think you can run a label?' I told them, 'Because I've seen the people who do it and I'd put a bullet in my mug if I couldn't do as good a job as they do! And here we are, six years later, still kicking and rocking."

Keith will release a new CD, "Clancy's Tavern," this coming Monday. The title song tells the story of his hard-working grandmother and her tavern where he fell in love with music.

"Her husband died and left her with three kids, 4 and under. She left them with her parents and went to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where she worked as plant manager for the Dixie Cup Factory," Keith said.

"It was unheard of for a woman to do that in the 1950's."

Clancy, a nickname bestowed by her second husband, also worked part-time at Billy Garner's Supper Club and eventually bought the club where Keith got the entertainment bug.

"The characters are real -- like there was a black dude named Elmo who cooked in the kitchen, and Clancy's best friend, Lillie, took over her old job. The song is true, right down to her taking her pistol and the money to the bank."

The song "I Won't Let You Down" from the album is about a character familiar to Keith, though not who fans think it is.

"My father had a lot of similar traits, but it is really about that generation. A lot of people come up to me and say 'That's my dad, that's my old man.'

"This guy is a kid at heart, probably around 30. He's met some girls in the past who he thought were right and it didn't work out, and he knows it was probably his fault. Now he's found someone who thinks she can change him and he's OK with that. The guy decides to be up-front with the girl, so he tells her 'Look, I love you and you love me, but I might not be capable of a relationship.'"

Another song, "Made in America," extols the virtues of American-made products. The Clinton, Oklahoma, native felt some backlash due to his business selling mezcal from Mexico and his strumming Takamine guitars from Japan. He has ready answers.

"Can you get mezcal in Milwaukee? If you find me some good Mexican moonshine here in the U.S., and it's good, I'll go for it. But until then, if somebody wants to drink mezcal, you've got to import it."

As for the Takamine, Keith said, "When we were too broke to buy guitars, Gibson and Fender wouldn't take care of us or give us anything. Takamine was right there. Now, if I've got a wounded soldier coming home, and he asks me if I can get him a guitar so he can learn to play while he's learning to walk on his new legs, I call Takamine and they send him one."

The singer heads for Europe at the end of October to promote "Clancy's Tavern,' with his first stop in Edinburgh on October 30.

(Editing by Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here

Toby Keith is never one to mince words in songs (Reuters)

NASHVILLE (Reuters) – Toby Keith grew up in Oklahoma where a man's handshake is his word, family is of utmost importance and opinions are welcome.

Keith has never been shy when it comes to his music, an outspokenness that has served him well over the years and continues to do so today as he nears the release of his new album, "Clancy's Tavern," on October 24.

As a young artist, Keith asked to be let out of his contract with Mercury Records when executives didn't like his album, "How Do You Like Me Now?" because they thought women would view the title track's lyrics as disrespectful.

But "How Do You Like Me Now?" went on to attain gold status, selling more than 500,000 units, and Keith went on to sell 25 million albums for his new label, Dreamworks.

"It was the day of reckoning," Keith told Reuters about the day he told Mercury chief Luke Lewis he wanted off the label and demanded his album back.

"He said to me, 'You believe in this album that much?' and I said 'Yeah.' Two hours later my accountant cut me a check, and I went over and picked up the master and walked out."

The 50-year-old Keith has headed his own label, Show Dog/Universal, since 2004 and has several other ventures. His latest release, "Made in America," is near the top of Billboard's country singles chart.

Forbes magazine named Keith the top-earning country music artist for the past year, putting his earnings at $50 million.

"Those figures make me laugh," Keith said. "Who cares about stuff like that?"

Keith's enterprises include his "I Love This Bar and Grill" chain of restaurants and his "Wild Shot" premium mezcal liquor, imported from Mexico.

"I've not come up for air since 1993. I've not missed a tour, I've not missed putting out an album, I've not taken time off. That's why we are in Forbes, because of that work ethic."

My family knows of the sacrifices we've all made in order for me to be in this position, the time away from each other, and me being busy."

KICKING AND ROCKING

"When I decided to go out on my own in 2004 with Show Dog/Universal, people asked me 'What makes you think you can run a label?' I told them, 'Because I've seen the people who do it and I'd put a bullet in my mug if I couldn't do as good a job as they do! And here we are, six years later, still kicking and rocking."

Keith will release a new CD, "Clancy's Tavern," this coming Monday. The title song tells the story of his hard-working grandmother and her tavern where he fell in love with music.

"Her husband died and left her with three kids, 4 and under. She left them with her parents and went to Fort Smith, Arkansas, where she worked as plant manager for the Dixie Cup Factory," Keith said.

"It was unheard of for a woman to do that in the 1950's."

Clancy, a nickname bestowed by her second husband, also worked part-time at Billy Garner's Supper Club and eventually bought the club where Keith got the entertainment bug.

"The characters are real -- like there was a black dude named Elmo who cooked in the kitchen, and Clancy's best friend, Lillie, took over her old job. The song is true, right down to her taking her pistol and the money to the bank."

The song "I Won't Let You Down" from the album is about a character familiar to Keith, though not who fans think it is.

"My father had a lot of similar traits, but it is really about that generation. A lot of people come up to me and say 'That's my dad, that's my old man.'

"This guy is a kid at heart, probably around 30. He's met some girls in the past who he thought were right and it didn't work out, and he knows it was probably his fault. Now he's found someone who thinks she can change him and he's OK with that. The guy decides to be up-front with the girl, so he tells her 'Look, I love you and you love me, but I might not be capable of a relationship.'"

Another song, "Made in America," extols the virtues of American-made products. The Clinton, Oklahoma, native felt some backlash due to his business selling mezcal from Mexico and his strumming Takamine guitars from Japan. He has ready answers.

"Can you get mezcal in Milwaukee? If you find me some good Mexican moonshine here in the U.S., and it's good, I'll go for it. But until then, if somebody wants to drink mezcal, you've got to import it."

As for the Takamine, Keith said, "When we were too broke to buy guitars, Gibson and Fender wouldn't take care of us or give us anything. Takamine was right there. Now, if I've got a wounded soldier coming home, and he asks me if I can get him a guitar so he can learn to play while he's learning to walk on his new legs, I call Takamine and they send him one."

The singer heads for Europe at the end of October to promote "Clancy's Tavern,' with his first stop in Edinburgh on October 30.

(Editing by Andrew Stern and Bob Tourtellotte)

View the original article here

Sad songs bring joy to bluegrass star Alison Krauss

Alison Krauss performs at the Greek theatre in Los Angeles June 23, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

By Dean Goodman

LOS ANGELES | Fri Jun 24, 2011 12:59pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - It's tempting to look at Alison Krauss' new album and speculate how many Grammy awards the bluegrass star will add to her vast collection next year.

Six, like the number she won with her hit 2008 collaboration with Led Zeppelin frontman Robert Plant? Or maybe just four, like her previous album with her long-time band Union Station?

Krauss, who turns 40 next month, is already the most honored singer in Grammy history, with 26 awards. She needs just six more to surpass classical conductor Georg Solti at the top. The only living artist with more awards is Quincy Jones, who started building his collection of 27 statuettes in 1964.

But don't try to engage Krauss in a guessing game about the prospects for "Paper Airplane" at next February's ceremony. Holding forth in a hotel room in Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley recently, the Midwestern diplomat just laughed when some numbers were tossed at her.

Another tack is called for. If a reporter was a guest in her Nashville home, and pocketed one of her Grammys would she ever notice? Another dead end.

"We don't have 'em out," she replied. "We put them where they're not on display. I like home to be about home."

Like most artists, Krauss is driven more by creative energy than a crushing need to hoard more hardware. Every song she tackles goes through a rigorous quality-control process.

"I love reading lyrics and I love reading a line and I'll emphasize different syllables to see how the meaning changes with that line," she said.

BAND ANIMAL

Krauss is not spending too much time at home, anyway. Along with Union Station, she is currently on a North American tour that runs through the end of September.

The fiddle-playing prodigy with an angelic voice has been performing pretty much all her life. After wowing crowds at local bluegrass shows across her native Illinois, she signed with Rounder Records when she was 14 years-old, and released her first album in 1987.

Her 1989 follow-up marked the first group collaboration with Union Station, a combo of crack musicians who keep busy with other musical projects. She alternates between solo and band recordings, but is a band animal at heart.

"If I am remembered for my musical contribution, it will be with these guys," she said.

Her 2007 collaboration with Plant for "Raising Sand" sold millions worldwide and won the coveted album of the year Grammy. Their efforts to record a sequel were "premature," Krauss said. She doesn't rule out another attempt.

For now, the focus is on "Paper Airplane," a collection of songs about heartbreak, death and regret, which debuted at No. 3 on the U.S. pop chart in April. It marks her first album with Union Station since 2004's "Lonely Runs Both Ways."

It did not start out with a bleak theme, or with any theme at all. But Krauss, a single mom, was going through a break-up at the time and gravitated to darker material.

"I was terribly sad," she said. "Personally, it was really tough." (Despite their onstage chemistry, she said she was never romantically involved with Plant).

Reliving melancholy sentiments in her songs night after night is not as excruciating as it would seem, since Krauss finds beauty in moments of sadness.

"There's something so raw going on. It's what people fight wars about. It's real. Through all this stuff and music and those sad places, you may get so sad but you also experience incredible joy at the same time. This is an interesting life."

One thing Krauss is not too sad about is turning 40. She will be playing a show in Massachusetts on her birthday, July 23, and hopes there won't be any fuss made.

Needless to say -- but it had to be asked -- the slim siren has no plans to follow in Sheryl Crow's footsteps and mark the milestone by posing in skimpy clothing for a "laddie" magazine cover story. "I don't think so," she said with a laugh. "It's funny though!"

(Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Brad Paisley is hero to sons for songs on "Cars 2"

Brad Paisley performs at the 45th annual Academy of Country Music Awards in Las Vegas, Nevada April 18, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Robert Galbraith

By Vernell Hackett

NASHVILLE, Tenn | Thu Jun 16, 2011 1:46am EDT

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) - Brad Paisley's star shines brighter in the eyes of his young sons for writing two songs for the soon-to-be released animated movie "Cars 2."

Huck, 4, and Jasper, 2, are thrilled their 38-year-old father can recite tidbits about the making of the Disney movie and provide access ahead of its June 24 opening in theaters.

Paisley's songs for "Cars 2" are polar opposites of his album, "This Is Country Music," which tops the "Billboard" country album chart.

"My friend John Lasseter, who directed the movie and runs Pixar, called me and asked if I'd mind stepping out of my comfort zone and write a song for the movie with British pop star Robbie Williams," Paisley told Reuters.

"It really was out of my comfort zone, more like Led Zeppelin or The Who, but it was really fun," said Paisley, who won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Male Country Performance for his hit "Letter to Me."

In the movie, Lightning McQueen (a race car voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (Daniel Whitney, known as Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first World Grand Prix. Nothing goes as planned, and Mater discovers some things are not as they seem in this tale of intrigue.

"The theme of the movie encompasses spies, cars, international intrigue and comedy, which is really a 'Collision of Worlds,' so that's what we called the song," said Paisley.

A second song, "Nobody's Fool," was also a change for the singer-songwriter whose hits include "American Saturday Night," "Alcohol," and "Online."

"It's me doing more of an Eric Clapton-type blues ballad about the saddest part in the film, when Mater realizes that since people think he's playing the part of a fool, he is a fool. But Mater also realizes that's just who he is, and that was inspiring to me."

The soundtrack from Walt Disney Records arrived in stores on Wednesday.

WHEELING JAMBOREE

As for his regular job, Paisley's latest offering, "This is Country Music," honors the music that he grew up singing and playing in the small town of Glen Dale, West Virginia. At 13 he began performing on radio's "Wheeling Jamboree."

A major thrill was to record with his musical heroes, the group Alabama, on a tune Paisley wrote called "Old Alabama."

Randy Owen, lead singer of that group, recalled how nervous Paisley was when cuing up the final mix of the song.

"His hand shook when he turned the CD player on, and I thought how neat that someone respects the music and the people who had gone before him to be nervous about playing me the song," Owen said.

"I really did grow up playing more of their music in those venues I played in the Ohio Valley than anybody else," Paisley said of Alabama. "When I played Randy the song for the first time, I wanted him to feel the magic that I felt."

"We learn from the people we like," Paisley said, of the model for his "H20II: Wetter and Wilder" tour.

"I remember Randy and Alabama hauling those semi-trucks down the road, and putting on a show at the Civic Auditorium in Wheeling with all these lights and a set like nobody had ever seen before ... they were this gargantuan group that rewrote the book. So yeah, I aspire to that grand scale of touring."

Fans have learned to expect the unexpected from the Country Music Association's reigning "Entertainer of the Year." Paisley lives up to his reputation with sizzling guitar solos, innovative stage antics and hit after hit.

His opening acts are hot as well: Blake Shelton is one of the judges of NBC's show "The Voice," and Jerrod Niemann has a recent hit in "One More Drinkin' Song."

The tour includes an afternoon of music from artists Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge and Eden's Edge, along with water rides and a simulator where fans race alongside Brad in his Corvette.

(Editing by Andrew Stern)

View the original article here

Brad Paisley is hero to sons for songs on "Cars 2" (Reuters)

NASHVILLE, Tenn (Reuters) – Brad Paisley's star shines brighter in the eyes of his young sons for writing two songs for the soon-to-be released animated movie "Cars 2."

Huck, 4, and Jasper, 2, are thrilled their 38-year-old father can recite tidbits about the making of the Disney movie and provide access ahead of its June 24 opening in theaters.

Paisley's songs for "Cars 2" are polar opposites of his album, "This Is Country Music," which tops the "Billboard" country album chart.

"My friend John Lasseter, who directed the movie and runs Pixar, called me and asked if I'd mind stepping out of my comfort zone and write a song for the movie with British pop star Robbie Williams," Paisley told Reuters.

"It really was out of my comfort zone, more like Led Zeppelin or The Who, but it was really fun," said Paisley, who won a Grammy in 2008 for Best Male Country Performance for his hit "Letter to Me."

In the movie, Lightning McQueen (a race car voiced by Owen Wilson) and tow truck Mater (Daniel Whitney, known as Larry the Cable Guy) head overseas to compete in the first World Grand Prix. Nothing goes as planned, and Mater discovers some things are not as they seem in this tale of intrigue.

"The theme of the movie encompasses spies, cars, international intrigue and comedy, which is really a 'Collision of Worlds,' so that's what we called the song," said Paisley.

A second song, "Nobody's Fool," was also a change for the singer-songwriter whose hits include "American Saturday Night," "Alcohol," and "Online."

"It's me doing more of an Eric Clapton-type blues ballad about the saddest part in the film, when Mater realizes that since people think he's playing the part of a fool, he is a fool. But Mater also realizes that's just who he is, and that was inspiring to me."

The soundtrack from Walt Disney Records arrived in stores on Wednesday.

WHEELING JAMBOREE

As for his regular job, Paisley's latest offering, "This is Country Music," honors the music that he grew up singing and playing in the small town of Glen Dale, West Virginia. At 13 he began performing on radio's "Wheeling Jamboree."

A major thrill was to record with his musical heroes, the group Alabama, on a tune Paisley wrote called "Old Alabama."

Randy Owen, lead singer of that group, recalled how nervous Paisley was when cuing up the final mix of the song.

"His hand shook when he turned the CD player on, and I thought how neat that someone respects the music and the people who had gone before him to be nervous about playing me the song," Owen said.

"I really did grow up playing more of their music in those venues I played in the Ohio Valley than anybody else," Paisley said of Alabama. "When I played Randy the song for the first time, I wanted him to feel the magic that I felt."

"We learn from the people we like," Paisley said, of the model for his "H20II: Wetter and Wilder" tour.

"I remember Randy and Alabama hauling those semi-trucks down the road, and putting on a show at the Civic Auditorium in Wheeling with all these lights and a set like nobody had ever seen before ... they were this gargantuan group that rewrote the book. So yeah, I aspire to that grand scale of touring."

Fans have learned to expect the unexpected from the Country Music Association's reigning "Entertainer of the Year." Paisley lives up to his reputation with sizzling guitar solos, innovative stage antics and hit after hit.

His opening acts are hot as well: Blake Shelton is one of the judges of NBC's show "The Voice," and Jerrod Niemann has a recent hit in "One More Drinkin' Song."

The tour includes an afternoon of music from artists Sunny Sweeney, Brett Eldredge and Eden's Edge, along with water rides and a simulator where fans race alongside Brad in his Corvette.

(Editing by Andrew Stern)

View the original article here