There's no shortage of sad songs about rainy days and lovers who don't bring flowers. And then there are songs that truly bring the pain -- songs so despairing they can make us wonder why we even bother.

№5

The Smiths (1986)
The Breakdown: For Morrissey, the world's loneliest singer, life isn't just over -- it never really began.
The Waterworks: "As I climb into an empty bed/Oh, well, enough said."
Casualty Count: One lonely soul ... any minute now.

№4

'Hurt'
Johnny Cash (2002)
The Breakdown: In failing health, the great American singer tolls a death knell for the rest of us with this brutal Nine Inch Nails song about addiction and self-destruction.
The Waterworks: "And you could have it all/My empire of dirt/I will let you down/I will make you hurt."
Casualty Count: Everyone he knows ("goes away in the end").

№3

'Eleanor Rigby'
The Beatles (1966)

The Breakdown: The cute Beatle writes a timeless, devastating ode to the futility of life, set to a grieving string octet.

The Waterworks: "Eleanor Rigby died in the church and was buried along with her name/Nobody came."

Casualty Count: One spinster, one pair of socks.

№2

'Gloomy Sunday'
Billie Holiday (1941)

The Breakdown: The Queen of Soul-Sapping is haunted about losing a loved one.

The Waterworks: "Angels have no thought of returning you/Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?"

Casualty Count: One woman's will to live.

№1

'Chicken Wire'
Pernice Brothers (1998)

The Breakdown: Breathy Massachusetts sad sacks offer a lovely ballad about a woman choking to death on exhaust fumes ... and a cloud of minor chords.

The Waterworks: "They found her car/Still running/In the garage."

Casualty Count: One woman, and the drink she was holding.

http://www.spinner.com
 

Review    by Thom Jurek

Brian Blade last led a recording session with his band Fellowship for Blue Note in 2000. In the interim he's become the busiest drummer in showbiz. Blade has been playing and touring with everyone from Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan to Kenny Garrett and Joshua Redman, and holding the drum chair in Wayne Shorter's fine quartet. Perceptual was an excellent sophomore outing by a sprawling, ambitious yet very focused septet. The Fellowship Band has played together during this time, at festivals all over the world, in New York and New Orleans clubs and halls. Seasons of Changes is the Verve debut of this unit, whose name is now Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band. The personnel from Perceptual all return, save for pedal steel guitarist Dave Easley, who hasn't been replaced. The nine tunes are all originals, written by either Blade or pianist Jon Cowherd (who co-produced the set the leader). The front line is comprised of guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel, and saxophonists Myron Walden and Melvin Butler, with bassist Chris Thomas rounding out the rhythm section.

The musical range of this group is vast, as are the influences that inform its individual members, but as a unit they sound like no one else. Their long-term working relationship has paid off handsomely here; these tunes are all bravely voiced and beautifully articulated compositions of modern jazz. (The word "modern" should be translated to mean "in the 2000s era" rather than as an empty signifier that denotes type or subgenre in this context.) These selections have been molded by many different styles of music from the American vernacular: from folk and gospel to pop and soul standards, from country and blues to the spiritual jazz of Coltrane and Strata East, and even rock. But there is no mistaking what Seasons of Changes is. Something this ambitious yet earthy, so sophisticated, yet accessible to virtually any set of ears, could only be jazz.

Blade's "Rubylou's Lullaby" is a midtempo ballad that reflects the gentleness of evening in Rosenwinkel's open six-strings and outlined by Cowherd's piano. The rest of the band enters with a series of almost pastoral notes before the swinging in the drums walks a line between elegiac country music, and a shuffling piano line, and the gorgeous melody articulated by the horns with the pianist's soulful golden fills. There is nothing about this tune that hurries, yet it unfolds into a gorgeous romantic paean that manages to swing and contain some stellar breaks by Blade. The short solo by Cowherd is almost majestic. The pianist's "Return of the Prodigal Son" feels based more on the great painting by Rembrandt depicting the gospel story than it does on the text. Here, nicely flowing lines between the horns intersect with the piano's ostinati and evoke a sense of travel, finding an open space and just moving toward it. Rosenwinkel begins a solo that hints at some of the slightly chaotic blowing by Butler on the tenor, and held in place by the rhythm section, which begins to assert itself in earnest. The alto saxophone acts as a counterweight to the seeming chaos and translates between the two poles. It's not a battle but a dispute, where balances are tenderly kept for a little while, but as Cowherd's brief solo enters, a cappella, the sense of return, harmony, and forgiveness are voiced effusively in the ensemble's balanced sense of voice and harmony.

The title track, which is the longest thing here, is also the most ambitious. It begins with Cowherd (its composer) playing a simple yet almost melancholy progression. Bass clarinet by Walden, tenor saxophone, and Blade's tom-toms slowly rumble in this balladic dirge before his cymbal begins to start the pace. It's sectioned several times over, each section folding out of the last, and when the saxophones and Rosenwinkel decide to play as one, the theme becomes the lift-off point for a series of interlocking grooves that are almost like separate songs except for their seamless weave. This tune swings despite its many dynamic changes and time shifts. It is simply a transcendent composition and this band plays it like everything depends on it -- because it does. Rosenwinkel's style has evolved so much that he has become a truly original voice on the guitar, no matter which tone or effects he employs, nor the tempo, key, dynamic or groove. He's in the pocket, and his playing just sings.

The set closes with the slowly awakening power of Blade's "Omni" as the welcome home after the album's long journey through the soul. Clusters of layered chords by Cowherd enhance deep harmonic drones by the horns, while Thomas provides the root note on his bass and Blade's cymbals embellish it all. It is the opening of a deep river of song. Walden transforms it into a hearty blues wail as Rosenwinkel supports his sweet but inquisitive hollers on the horn, which reaches into the heavens. When he feels he's been heard, the tune shifts. It gradually brightens in shade and tone. Cowherd's simple piano solo offers the response as the ensemble surrounds him to bring it all back to the earth as Blade whispers through his cymbals and snare. Rosenwinkel and Thomas allow this new song to whisk its way through the entire band before disappearing into a rustling wind voiced by muted, bowed bass. There isn't a jazz record out there like this, and perhaps there won't be; this is the place where the argument stops: jazz is not only alive and well, it is on the verge of an entirely new adventure; Seasons of Changes is the aural proof of a new, exciting sound that offers new possibilities for jazz is in our midst. Brian Blade & the Fellowship Band are sounding its cry.
http://www.allmusic.com

Straight-up, genuine and real.

That's what the guy in the sequined sweatshirt was singing about being as he stood in the middle of an elaborate light show on the closing night of the Stagecoach Country Music Festival.

Tim McGraw, with his megahits and his mixture of glitz and humanity, was a good choice to wrap up the three-day event that boasted acts such as Carrie Underwood, Big & Rich and Rascal Flatts.

His audience, in the thousands, didn't seem to mind that he started 20 minutes late, didn't do the full hour that was on the schedule or that it took him awhile to get to his really big, sing-a-long hits such as "Indian Outlaw," "I Like It, I Love It" or "Where The Green Grass Grows."

McGraw projected humility in the midst of the big production in songs such as "Kristofferson," quoted above. Since he's a certifiable chick magnet, it probably helped him with his core audience. "I think we're your entertainment for the rest of the evening," he said by way of introduction.

Kris Kristofferson, by the way, was a headliner at the inaugural Stagecoach festival in 2007, so the mention added continuity to the evening.

Another one of McGraw's lyrics was "I want more for my money" from the longing-for-a-simpler time song "Back When."

Tim McGraw was one of the ways the Stagecoach festival gave value for money to the crowd.

http://www.pe.com/

'The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious,' celeb blingmaster Jacob the Jeweler reportedly said of Nick's ring-shopping trip.

While there was no official word at press time whether Mariah Carey and Nick Cannon have actually gotten married, People magazine reported on Friday (May 2) that Bishop Clifford Petty of the National Church of God in Governor's Harbour in the Caribbean island of Eleuthera confirmed that he presided over their wedding. Petty provided no details except to say that he did not give a sermon.

Earlier on Friday, the magazine reported that Jacob the Jeweler, who reportedly made Carey's ring, confirmed the wedding. The magazine also cited an unnamed source as saying that the singer obtained a marriage license in Eleuthera, although a representative at the island's register's office told MTV News on Friday that she has no record of a license in Carey's or Cannon's names. However, Monique Gomez, a Bahamian attorney in Nassau who specializes in family law. told People.com, "The minister would make sure [the license] goes into the registry. It's still a valid marriage even if it's not filed. Anywhere in the world."

Eleuthera is located next to the island of Windermere, where Carey reportedly owns a home. The Web site of the island's register's office states that couples wishing to get married there need only spend one day in the Bahamas before submitting an application for a marriage license; they also must fill out the application together at the register's office, pay a fee of $40, and in Mariah's case, a certification of her divorce (from her ex-label head Tommy Mottola) must be produced. The license is valid for three months. People's report states that Carey herself obtained the license.

Some have speculated that Carey actually may have married or be marrying Mark Sudack (a member of her management team whom she has long been rumored to be dating), but TMZ.com claimed on Friday that those reports are untrue. Also on Friday, a rep for "The View" confirmed that Carey had been scheduled to tape the show on Monday (for a segment scheduled to air Friday, May 9) but had canceled.

Neither Cannon's nor Carey's spokespeople have returned calls for comment from MTV News, and Cannon evaded a series of questions from MTV News on the matter Monday.

However, a relative of Cannon's, Linda Cannon (her relationship to the singer was not detailed), reportedly told E! News on Thursday, "Yes, we know. He called us and told us all about it. We are happy for him. If that is what he wants then we are happy for him. I'm not going to give you any details, but we are happy for him."

Carey, 38 and Cannon, 27, reportedly have been dating for less than two months, which is half as long as Cannon was going out with Victoria's Secret model Selita Ebanks when he proposed to her with a 15-carat stone via a JumboTron in New York's Times Square. Cannon and Ebanks broke up in October.

Last week, Carey was spotted wearing a large diamond ring that began the speculation that she and Cannon were an item. According to The Associated Press, Jacob quickly put out a press release about the ring Cannon reportedly gave Carey, which described it as "crafted from platinum and features a square emerald cut fancy light pink diamond as the center stone surrounded by 58 intense pink diamonds and two half moon diamonds on each side. ... The total carat weight of the ring — center stone is 10 carats — is a jaw-dropping 17 carats with a value of $2.5 million."

On Friday, People.com reported that Jacob (whose last name is Arabo) told them, "The way he came into the store, the mood he was in, I knew this was very serious. He said 'Jacob, I'm in love. This is what I want to do.' He said he wanted something in pink, so he picked something in a light purple-ish pink. He was very involved and he trusted me to design the ring."

Arabo reportedly added, "He loves her. That's all I know."

A number of media outlets have speculated that this episode is a publicity stunt, though the couple have been seen in public numerous times since Cannon filmed a cameo in the video for Carey's new single, "Bye Bye," several months ago.

Celebrity weddings

The Fratellis bassist Barry Fratelli has criticised the Glastonbury Festival for booking Kings of Leon to headline this years Pyramid Stage.
Speaking to the Daily Star, Fratelli said that although he was a fan of the band, he doesn’t “think they should be headlining”.
“Not to say I think we should be headlining, but I don’t think the headline acts this year are too good to be honest,” he added.
This year’s festival, which runs from June 27th-29th, will also feature headline performances from The Verve and Jay-Z.
The Fratellis will play just before Kings of Leon at this years event and the bassist said they were hoping for a better showing the last year.
“We built it up as this big thing and it was shite,” he said. “The only thing that saved our weekend was that I got to see The Who from the side of the stage.”
To see the full line up for this year’s festival, check out our new look Festival Guide.

http://www.gigwise.com

Madonna has hailed fellow singer Justin Timberlake as the future of music, insisting his ambitious ways will ensure his music will top charts for years to come.

The "Cry Me A River" hitmaker impressed the queen of pop after collaborating on her latest smash hit "4 Minutes," helping the star produce her 11th number one album Hard Candy.

And the singer admits she was drawn to work with the pop hunk because he understands the crazy ways of the music industry better than anyone else.

She says, "He's ambitious but not in an offensive way. He's incredibly responsible and he's good at what he does. I think he has a long future in front of him. He understands the insanity of being a pop star.

http://www.starpulse.com

Hottie Ricky Martin is back in the public all the way in Brazil. He has just bought an island off the coast of Rio de Janeiro.

According to El Univarsal, Mexican newspaper Ricky paid nearly $8 million (GBP4 million) for the private island, on which he set his heart on for a few months.

The sexy latino will be Shakin his Bon Bon on his own island! How hot! I would love to come visit him for a week, make him order french champagne Livin’ La Vida Loca!

Music news

  Los Angeles (E! Online) - There's free Candy on MySpace!

Don't worry; we're not running a sting for Dateline: To Catch a Predator.

Four days before its official release, Madonna's new album Hard Candy is premiering on MySpace. Fans can get a taste of the dance diva's new tracks, which feature contributions from Justin Timberlake, Timbaland, and Pharrell Williams.

Plus, fans will get the chance to deliver those all-important words to Madonna herself:

Thanks for the add.

http://news.yahoo.com

Kylie Minogue wrote a blog for her fans getting them pumped up for her upcoming tour. Kylie seems to be extremely excited about her tour and we're sure it's gonna rock! We wouldn't expect less from Kylie.

Hi everyone,

The countdown has begun!! Not long now before opening night for KylieX2008!!!!

My cast, crew and I have been working hard to really make this show a 'Spectacular' for you. Full production rehearsals are coming up and we are very excited to merge all the various elements of the show. If you have seen some of the behind the scene footage you will have noticed both new and familiar faces. I will update you with one more peek behind the scenes before we open in Paris, so keep a look out!

I hope you liked the little 'All I See' video we did especially for you! I managed to squeeze in three hours filming at the end of a long day's shooting for the show. Very low-fi, just Willie and Marco (one of my dancers) and a white backdrop. And, as I always say...'When in doubt, apply more glitter!'. Girl can't get enough of a glitter drop!

As all my time seems to be taken up with elaborate and difficult rehearsals it was fun to do something simple and spontaneous. Back to the studio now and I will check in with you again before May 6th!

http://music.hollyscoop.com

Ashlee Simpson is pregnant and plans to get married next month at a private residence in Southern California, a source close to her family tells PEOPLE.

Simpson, 23, is engaged to Fall Out Boy bassist Pete Wentz, 28, who initially blasted pregnancy rumors as a "witch hunt."

But on Tuesday, Simpson, sidestepped the rumors during an interview with MTV after taping TRL in New York, saying simply, "Some things you want to keep personal."

And now the source tells PEOPLE that not only is Simpson pregnant, but that she's planning to have her wedding in May at a friend's house in La Jolla, Calif., north of San Diego.