Inside Nokia Music

It may be the Last Girl On Earth Tour, but your girl Rihanna’s not alone. Check out our two new exclusive videos at nokia.com/rihanna for a few words from bandleader, bass player and musical director Eric Smith, and original bandmate and keyboard player Kevin Hastings on musical direction and the incredible journey from before until after the release of Umbrella.

Love the videos?

Then leave a comment on your favourite one from any of the videos at nokia.com/rihanna and share the video with your friends, or…

Leave a comment below with a link back to your favourite video on nokia.com/rihanna, or…

Tweet about the video with a link and a mention of @We_R_NokiaMusic

And you’ll automatically be entered into the draw to win this amazing signed and framed copy of Rated R.

Have more than one favourite?

Well, we think that’s cool too!… so do as many as you like

There’s loads of Rihanna to download at Nokia/Ovi Music Store including and exclusive version of Rated R with 2 bonus tracks. If you’ve got Comes With Music download the lot for free!

Remember the Rihanna Rated R launch party? We had Jeezy. We had Jay-Z. We had your girl Ri. We also gave a bunch of Rihanna fans tickets to attend the intimate Brixton Academy show, and for those who couldn’t make it, we streamed it live so you wouldn’t miss a thing.

Now the event has been shortlisted for this year’s “Best Event” category alongside digital coverage of Glastonbury 2010, Sonisphere 2010, Sonisphere “The Big Four” 2010 cinecast, Pendulum’s “Immersion” album preview, and The Ukelele Prom.

Some pretty stiff competition there Ri-army, so you know what needs to be done!

Head on over to btdma.com and vote for “Nokia Presents Rihanna Live” to show the world that Rihanna stans mean business!

Here’s a second serving of the delicious musical dish we dined upon that evening. Head on over to nokia.com/rihanna for more exclusive videos. While you’re there be sure to grab and share the Rihanna Widget and find links to the Ovi Store for a free Rihanna app for your compatible Nokia device.

There’s loads of Rihanna to download at Nokia/Ovi Music Store including and exclusive version of Rated R with 2 bonus tracks. If you’ve got Comes With Music download the lot for free!

I’ve actually had dreams that were less good than this.

Gaslight Anthem are out on a US tour to support the new album, American Slang. Gruff punk legend Tim Barry is supporting, and they’ve been covering Lucero’s “The War” on most of the dates. Luckily a fan posted the video on youtube so the rest of us can share in the greatness.

So, watch and behold. Tim Barry, Lucero and Gaslight. It’s like the holy trinity!

Attention Ri-army! We have yet another exclusive video for you on our Nokia Rihanna dedicated page. Click the image to watch your girl and her crew as they practice to bring this world class performance to those of you lucky enough to be attending the spectacle that is The Last Girl On Earth Tour.

When you’re there, be sure to grab and share the Rihanna Widget so you and your friends can keep up to date with news, photos and even more exclusive videos throughout the world tour. If you’re on Twitter, remember to include the #RihannaTour hashtag for your tweets to show up on the Tour Tracker and if you have a compatible Nokia phone, don’t forget to snag your free Rihanna app for all the exclusives on the go.

There’s loads of Rihanna to download at Nokia Music Store including and exclusive version of Rated R with 2 bonus tracks. If you’ve got Comes With Music download the lot for free!

The endless fountain of creativity that is OK GO have delivered again. Another jaw-droppingly-good video. The new video for ‘End Love’ is free to download here and the band are encouraging such behaviour with a neat contest which will boost their exposure tenfold. See details of the contest on the bands website for the chance to win an awesome prize!

A new addition to the Nokia XSeries family comes today with the announcement of the new Nokia X5. Colourfully expressive, musically charged and built with ease of use in mind for social networking & messaging on the move. In a world gone mad for touchscreen phones, the Nokia X5 thinks outside the box and offers a full sliding QWERTY keyboard for those who desire traditional keypads, as well as unique design without compromising on social networking features – Be there, be square!

Social features?

Access to Social Networking sites Facebook, Twitter, Hi5 and Myspace are all covered, all your favourite IM accounts supported, and the ability to log in to multiple email accounts makes it fun and easy to stay connected on the move.

As part of the ongoing XSeries standard, your favourite contacts can be accessed from the home screen, and now includes the new Message Box feature – Just shake the phone to reveal the number of unread messages!

Tell me about the music!

Excellent sound quality? – Check!

Loud speakers? – Check!

Easy access to the device’s music collection? – Check!

Space for all my music? – 2GB memory card for up to 1000 tracks. Upgradable to 32GB

What about special features? – Of course!… Spin your X5 during music playback to select a track at random with the new ‘Surprise Me” application (Your head should be filling up with party game ideas right about now!) and ‘Dance Fabulous’ which lets you use your own music on the device to play the game and create dance moves.

The Nokia X5 will also be available in a ‘Comes With Music’ edition in selected markets – TBA

That’s great, but what about self expression?

We all know that in the decade of the twenty-teens it’s all about the bold and the overstated, and so the Nokia x5 will be available in Pink, Azure, Graphite Black, Yellow Green, and Purple with an estimated retail price of €165 before taxes and subsidies.

For more details check out the Nokia X5 Data Sheet

The Nokia X5 is available soon in the Southeast Asian Peninsula, Eurasia and Latin America

Remember when Rihanna rocked the London O2 Arena on her Last Girl On Earth Tour a couple weeks back?… Well we managed to get a camera crew backstage to hang with your girl Ri and her crew. Check out our exclusive 3 minute documentary here. We also have loads more exclusive footage from the European leg of the tour coming your way, so don’t be a stranger and check back soon!

Download the free Ovi exclusive Rihanna Tour App and be the first to know all the Rihanna news. Get more video exclusives, music and chat with other Ri fans by getting the Rihanna Tour App now!

There’s loads of Rihanna to download at Nokia Music Store including and exclusive version of Rated R with 2 bonus tracks. If you’ve got Comes With Music download the lot for free!

What can be said about Rage Against The Machine fulfilling their promise of thanks to the 500,000 strong anti X-Factor campaigners who propelled the unlikely 17-year-old Killing In The Name into the coveted Christmas No.1 spot?… albeit that only 40,000+ could attend from a ticket lottery draw.

Well firstly, credit to the band for being true to their anti-establishment creed, as the absence of sponsored branding is immediately noticeable. Secondly, with no sponsors this raised the question of how a free event of this magnitude was being bank-rolled… Turns out the band are for it themselves with the money earned from festival appearances with 100% of the proceeds from the Xmas sales of Killing In The Name going to homeless charity Shelter… This selfless act, in my opinion certainly adds insult to injury for the X-Factor money machine… a glorious victory indeed!

So how was the show?… Full beer cups flying around, revellers in trees, pumping fists in the air, and a bouncing pit so infectious there was no escape!… you know, the good stuff!

With a setlist that included Justify, Sleep Now In The Fire, Guerilla Radio, Bulls On Parade, Township Rebellion and a cover of The Clash – White Riot pre-ceeded by the band introducing couple of the hour and now legendary Joe & Tracy Morter. After which, these thirty-year-old knees had seen better days… but era-considered, I’m sure I’m not the only one!

Here’s the show opening Simon Cowell skit that set the mood. Thanks to to Chris Fishlock at Sound-Revolution for fishing it from the oceans of YouTube uploads (sorry dude, I didn’t mean to play on the fish thing)

Also check out the great review from Rock Bitches

Adam Lambert - For Your Entertainment

Adam Lambert could only really exist right here and now. In this place in time where theatricality and showmanship are reclaiming their place in pop. Only now; in a post-Gaga world with GLEE, the self-proclaimed freak flagship bringing spangly show tunes into people’s living rooms every week, could someone so flamboyant and unapologetically melodramatic ever be a winner.

But of course he wasn’t. Adam Lambert did not win American Idol, the US version of Simon Cowell’s pop-star machine franchise, in 2009. However, he’s probably better off anyway, reality-TV success has often proved to be a double edged sword; the shows winners often fading away into obscurity, over managed by cautious executive types and forgotten about by the viewing public who are already looking forward to the next series’ sob stories.

Not so for Lambert, the life-long performer (he appeared on stage and in musical theatre since a pre-teen) who made sure he wasn’t going to be forgotten after he sashayed into America’s consciousness emulating the great rock front-men and combining their swagger with the kind of vocal histrionics usually reserved pop’s divas; not to mention raiding their makeup bags and nicking their heels.

Yup, whilst a pop-star coming out after having already proven themselves and built up a loyal fan base is nothing new (especially here in the UK where Will Young did just that after winning the original series of Pop Idol, now some nine years ago) being outed, and seemingly willingly, whilst still courting the voting public’s favour was a lesson in acceptance for the notoriously conservative America.  But the viewers proved they were (almost) ready for an openly gay Idol by voting him into the final and supporting the album after its release. And judging by the positively rabid response he got on ‘ole Wossy the other week there are plenty of fans here in the UK who are giving him and his album, ‘For Your Entertainment’ a warm welcome.

So is it any good? Well, perhaps surprisingly, yes actually. I don’t say surprising because of its reality-TV heritage or because of any doubt of Lambert’s vocal ability, but instead because of its odd provenance.  Written and recorded whilst still touring the US with the other Idols it nonetheless manages to boast one of the most impressive rosters of featured writers and producers seen on an album in the last few years.

This is noticeable right from the get go, opening track ‘Music Again’ written by The Darkness frontman Justin Hawkins features his trademark falsetto warbling mixed in with a bouncy Mika-esque refrain; “You make me want to listen to music again”. This is followed by lead single ‘For Your Entertainment’, a spiky, whip cracking bit of glam rock (the video for which is below, and if his writhing makes you a bit uncomfortable, just imagine it’s your lady pop starlet of choice; essentially it works exactly the same). Next up is the power ballad ‘Whataya Want From Me ‘penned by P!nk; another catchy tune with a few smart lines; even if it is a little too easy to imagine that it was donated to him after being left out of P!nk’s own album. ‘Strut’ is a powerful, thudding motivator made for stomping it out on fashion runways. You can practically hear Tyra Banks cheering him on (“Fierce darling! Smize!”)

But the collaborations don’t stop there, in fact ‘Soaked’ might just have you doing a double take; yes that is more than a hint of Muse you’re hearing. It’s unmistakably Matt Bellamy, in fact he has recorded it himself and it’s a mere question of personal preference as to which is better. I’d argue that whilst Matt might own the song-writing talent Mister Lambert is absolutely pulling his weight fronting the track, his voice just copes better with the kind of notes that Bellamy aims for but often mangles.

Alas the album can’t be all “I was born with glitter on my face, my baby clothes made of leather and lace” (’Sure Fire Winners’) and there are low points, namely the oozy-woozy ‘A Loaded Smile’ written by Linda Perry – who, maybe it’s just me, but no longer seems to be contributing the album highlights that she used to.

Max Martin lends his trademark electronica to ‘If I Had You’, in which he insists he would give up the money, fame and rock star lifestyle if given a chance with a certain someone. Sorry Adam, but I’m not convinced. ‘Pick You Up’ starts off sounding a little familiar but somehow ends up sounding like it belongs at the climax act of a big Broadway musical, maybe reflecting more of Lambert for once than co-writer Rivers Cuomo.

Even Mummy Monster, Gaga herself donates a track in ‘Fever’ (simply replace “Po-Po-Poker face” with “Fe-Fe-Fever”, job done.) and Sam Sparro fiddles the knobs (as it were) on the suitably languid and sultry feeling ‘Voodoo’. There are a few others that can be skipped over: ‘Sleepwalker’ I could Sleep through and unfortunately ‘Time for Miracles’ wouldn’t do much to save the movie soundtrack it featured on, (Roland Emmerich you owe me seven quid and two and a half hours for ‘2012′.)

But eventually there are a couple of tracks which do more believably seem to have come from Lambert, the defiant ‘Masterplan’, and the closet door smashing ‘Aftermath’ - “Wanna scream out, no more hiding, don’t be afraid of what’s inside, gonna tell you, you’ll be alright, in the aftermath”.

Overall it’s an enjoyable and catchy album, but only by being the sum of its parts. The help gone into it by the legion of writers and producers combined with Adam’s undeniable vocal talent and theatrical presence is what makes it work. I hope that having this support from other artists will buoy his confidence and teach him some tricks that so he can rely less on their contributions have more input of his own on the next album.

For Your Entertainment is available to download at the Nokia Music Store.  If you’ve got Comes With Music download it for free!

The band have just officially confirmed a slot on what they referred to as the “Main Stage” on Saturday 26 June – Assuming they mean the Pyramid Stage (get with the program guys) they’ll either open Saturday’s proceedings, or fill the as-yet-unconfirmed slot between Seasick Steve and the poorly placed Shakira (hmmm!).

Album number 2 Sea Of Cowards is carded for release on the 10th May with first single Die By The Drop already making it’s rounds in the realm of the music video.

A leak of the song Gasoline also made it’s way onto You Tube and if these 2 tracks are a sign of what the album has in store for us, then The Dead Weather will most certainly make it into my end-of-year list this year again.

Here are both…

The Dead Weather are available to download at Nokia Music Store or if you’ve got Comes With Music get all their records for free!