Amy Winehouse posthumously achieved the biggest weekly sale of her U.K. chart career last week with “Lioness: Hidden Treasures,” bowing on the album chart at No. 1 yesterday (Dec. 11) with 194,000 units. After two weeks in runner-up spot on the singles survey, Olly Murs moved to the top with “Dance With Me Tonight.” Official Charts Company data shows that total album sales reached a weekly high for 2011, with 4.8 million.
Winehouse’s set made its winning start as the top four titles on the album chart all recorded six-figure sales, according to the OCC. “It’s such amazing news that Amy’s album has gone to No. 1, and just goes to show what she still means to people,” said her mother Janis. £1 from the sale of each album is being donated to the Amy Winehouse Foundation. Continue reading “Amy Winehouse Roars on U.K. Charts” »
On 2002′s “The Big Come Up,” the Black Keys were all grime. Recorded in the most lo-fi of ways — in drummer Pat Carney‘s basement using an old 8-track — the duo’s debut was as close to the blues as two young white boys from Northeast Ohio were going to get. And it was impressively close.
Nine years, six albums and one hell of a slow burn later, the Black Keys aren’t exactly the same straightforward duo. Lyrically, they’re the same guys they’ve always been — times get tough with women-folk, and their rate of staying versus going hovers around 50 percent. Musically, there have been multiple attempts to step outside of their signature sound; there have also been several attempts to find a place for producer Danger Mouse in what they do. Continue reading “The Black Keys’ ‘El Camino’: Track-by-Track Review” »
After devoting the bulk of the past few years to raising a family, one of country’s most expressive voices is set to return to the airwaves with new music — and a new baby — in the upcoming calendar year. Jo Dee Messina has announced that she will return to the radio airwaves with a new single in the first few weeks of 2012. She will also be hitting the road for a tour in the new year, as well.
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the Curb recording artist’s first hit “Heads Carolina, Tails California.” The song served as the starting point for a career that has included six number one records, five million records sold and a CMA Award in 1999 for the Horizon Award.
The Massachusetts native has been silent the past few years, as she and husband Chris became parents to son Noah in January 2009. Messina will give birth to a second child in early 2012 as well. Continue reading “Jo Dee Messina’s 2012: New Music, Tour, Baby” »
