Aretha Franklin announces stage comeback

Singer Aretha Franklin has announced she is to return to the stage in May, months after being admitted to hospital for an undisclosed ailment. The 68-year-old - who also has plans to release a new album - will perform at the Seneca Niagara Casino in Buffalo, New York on 28 May. Last November Franklin cancelled all concerts and public appearances for six months under doctor's orders. The following month she had what she described as "more than minor surgery"
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Jazz pianist Sir George Shearing dies aged 91

Anglo-American jazz pianist Sir George Shearing, best known for his song Lullaby of Birdland, has died in New York aged 91 of heart failure. Blind from birth, he began his career in London before moving to the US in 1947 and becoming one of the best known jazz pianists of the post-war era. Made an OBE in 1996 and knighted in 2007, he was renowned for his unusual "locked hands" style of playing. Pianist Dave Brubeck said he had lost "a dear friend".
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Usher embroiled in song rights scandal

Usher is at the centre of legal action from a student songwriter who alleges he was cheated out of ownership rights for the R&B superstar's album track Monster
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Composer John Barry dies aged 77

Composer John Barry, famous for his work on Born Free, Out of Africa and the James Bond films, has died in New York of a heart attack aged 77. Born John Barry Prendergast in 1933, the York-born musician first found fame as leader of the John Barry Seven. His arrangement of Monty Norman's James Bond theme led to him composing scores for 11 films in the series, among them Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. His work saw him win five Oscars, while he received a Bafta fellowship in 2005.
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UJAM

UJAM - A cloud based music platform which allows users to create new music and share it with friends
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Marvelettes founder Gladys Horton dies at 66

Gladys Horton, co-founder of Motown girl group The Marvelettes, has died at the age of 66. The band were signed to Berry Gordy's Tamla label and had a US number one single with Please Mr Postman in 1961, released when Horton was just 15. Her son, Vaughn Thornton, said she died on Wednesday in a nursing home in Sherman Oaks, California, where she had been recovering from a stroke. Horton was replaced as lead singer in 1965 and left the group in 1967
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University awards first Beatles degree

A Canadian woman has become the first person in the world to graduate with a Masters degree in Beatles studies. Former Miss Canada finalist, Mary-Lu Zahalan-Kennedy was one of the first 12 students to sign up for the Liverpool Hope University course on the Fab Four when it began in 2009 and was the first to graduate, the university said on Wednesday. "I am so proud of my achievement," Zahalan-Kennedy said. "The course was challenging, enjoyable and it provided a great insight into the impact the Beatles had and still have to this day across all aspects of life." The launch of the unique MA in Beatles, Popular Music and Society was a world first when it took its first class. Zahalan-Kennedy was the first to accept her degree in person from the university. The course looks at the studio sound and composition of the Beatles and how Liverpool helped to shape their music. The MA examines the significance of their music and how it helped to define identities, culture and society. Mike Brocken, founder and leader of the Beatles MA at Liverpool Hope University, said the postgraduate degree makes Zahalan-Kennedy a member of a select group of popular music experts.
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Eric Clapton sells off guitars for charity

Dozens of guitars and amplifiers from rock legend Eric Clapton's personal collection are set to go under the hammer for charity. Proceeds from the auction at Bonhams will go to the The Crossroads Centre - the drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre that Clapton founded on the island of Antigua in 1998. The sale marks the first time the iconic guitarist has donated parts of his amplifier collection
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Disrupt.fm

"On Disrupt.fm, the artists have agreed to release their music for free. When you upload a song, we'll embed it in a Facebook status update and share it with all your fans that have 'Liked' your Fan Page on Facebook. They'll be able to listen to your songs right in their news feed with a link to download the song directly from Disrupt.fm for free. Since they'll be getting a free download, we'll then embed that song in a status update and share it with all of their friends. When someone downloads your song from Disrupt.fm, they are sharing it with their social network on Facebook. The more times your music gets downloaded, the more it gets shared. Your fans get free music, you get free publicity. It's a win-win for everybody"
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Crowdbands

Crowdbands is going to be a different kind of record label. A label run by a community of fans, artists, and experienced managers
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Universal and Sony to change singles release policy

From next month, two of the UK's biggest record companies will make singles available for sale on the same day they're released to radio stations. Tracks are often heard on radio weeks before they can be officially bought. The new shake-up, called "On Air, On Sale", will be introduced by Universal and Sony from Tuesday 1 February
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Lady Gaga set to earn £63 million in 2011

Lady Gaga is expected to bring in $100 million (£63 million) in 2011, according to Forbes magazine. The Poker Face singer is predicted to make the money through tour tickets, album sales and merchandise. The eccentric singer, whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, was the seventh highest-paid ­musician in the magazine's 2010 Rich List, earning £40 million. Lady Gaga is performing 41 concerts over the next six months as well as releasing her new album, Born This Way. Next month the 24-year-old singer, who recently wore a meat dress to an awards show, will perform at the Grammys, where she is nominated for four awards
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US blues singer Etta James treated for leukaemia

US blues legend Etta James has been diagnosed with dementia and is undergoing treatment for leukaemia. The 72-year-old's health problems came to light in court documents filed by her husband, Artis Mills, who is seeking control of her finances. Mr Mills claims the singer, known for her hit ballad At Last, has become too sick to manage her own money. A doctor has also stated the star needs help with eating, dressing and cannot sign her own name. Mr Mills is seeking a court order for control of more than $1 million (£630,000). He is also challenging the power of attorney James gave to sons Donto James and Sametto James, and Donto's wife Christy, in February 2008. Donto wrote in his court declaration he does not object to money being released for his mother's medical care
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Coke Studio

Coke Studio is a Pakistani television series featuring live music performances by artists from different genres ranging from traditional eastern, modern western and regionally inspired music
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Universal Music Group donates over 200,000 master recordings to the Library of Congress

"The Library of Congress and the Universal Music Group have announced the donation of more than 200,000 historic master recordings - many long out-of-print or never released - to the Library's Recorded Sound Section, which has more than 3 million sound recordings in its collections"
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Baker Street singer Gerry Rafferty dies at age of 63

Scottish singer-songwriter Gerry Rafferty has died at the age of 63 after suffering a long illness. His career high came in the 1970s and included the anthemic Baker Street and Stuck in the Middle with You, recorded with his band Stealers Wheel. Rafferty had battled a drink problem and spent time in hospital in Bournemouth with liver failure. He was born in Paisley and began his musical career as a busker on the London Underground
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Pink Floyd end EMI legal dispute

Pink Floyd have ended a legal battle with their record company EMI and signed a new contract with the label. The rock group recently won a court ruling against the label over whether a deal signed in the pre-download age could be applied to digital sales. "All legal disputes between the band and the company have been settled as a result of this new deal," EMI said. An EMI statement said it would "help the band reach new and existing fans through their incredible body of work"
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Chuck Berry taken ill during gig

Rock 'n' roll legend Chuck Berry cut short a concert in Chicago after collapsing on stage. He slumped over his keyboard and did not move for a couple of minutes before being helped off stage, Chicago Sun-Times reporter Dave Hoekstra wrote. Concertgoer Steve Handwerker told the Associated Press news agency that Berry fell face first onto his keyboard. Berry, 84, later re-emerged but told fans he had no strength to continue performing, the Sun-Times reported. With hits like Johnny B Goode and Roll Over Beethoven, the singer and guitarist is one of the pioneers of rock 'n' roll and influenced artists including The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and The Beach Boys.
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'Purity of Heart' by Pearson - Official Music Video

A heart-broken Robot tries to escape the clutches of his moonshine-making Hillbilly imprisoner. "Slow, subtle and direct - a mesmerizing Canadian sound", "stark, calming, and mildly trance inducing lullaby-makers", "Pearson has carved out a niche as a slow-core band -- playing intimate, slow and sparse folk music."

myspace.com/pearsontunes

Director & Editor: James Scott - federationfilms.net
Director of Photography: Ryan Jackson - punkoryan.com
AE Artist: Youlie Harikiopoulou
Colourist: Darren Mostyn - online-creative.com

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Palestinian orchestra to hold debut concert in Ramallah

The first Palestinian orchestra of professional classical musicians since 1948 is due to perform its debut concert in Ramallah in the West Bank. The Palestinian National Orchestra will play a mix of Palestinian classical compositions, as well as some classics such as Mozart and Beethoven. They will also hold concerts on 1 January in Haifa and Jerusalem. All of the musicians are of Palestinian origin, and many have played with orchestras around the world. The group is an initiative of the Edward Said Conservatory of Music, named after the late Palestinian writer and academic, and was formed in 1994. The programme also consists of a piece by the modern Hungarian Jewish composer, Gyorgy Ligeti, both of whose parents were sent to Auschwitz
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