Darren Hayes Is Smug

Darren Hayes has been recording a secret side project with his long term co-writer and collaborator Robert Colney.  They have been working on it for two years and have just released the album online for free.  The band is called We Are Smug and the guys shared lead vocals.  You can listen to all the tracks on their myspace page or download the album here.  Darren said this is not the direction of his next album, it's just something he did "because I can". 

Tracklist:

1. Look What We've Started

2. Words That I Can't Say

3. Hot Tub Blues

4. Good Dress

5. Shit On The Road

6. Tear It Up

7. Never Be The Same

8. Watching Me Watching You

9. Fire It Up

10. The Pressure

Meanwhile Darren says he is hard at work on his new album for release next year and calls it POP with a capital P and warns that we better have high expectations. 

La Roux's Bulletproof Video

Very good.

Kylie Touring North America

Kylie Minogue has announced that she is touring North America for the first time. So far she is playing 6 dates, mostly in theatres apart from LA where she is playing the Hollywood Bowl which holds 17,000 people. There is a special American Express pre-sale, click here for details.

Dates:

Wednesday September 30th, 2009
Fox Theater, Oakland, CA (San Francisco Bay Area)

Saturday October 3rd, 2009
Pearl Theatre, Las Vegas, NV

Sunday October 4th, 2009
Hollywood Bowl, Los Angeles , CA

Wednesday October 7th, 2009
Congress Theatre, Chicago, IL

Friday October 9th, 2009
Air Canada Centre, Toronto, Canada

Sunday October 11th, 2009
Hammerstein Ballroom, New York, NY

Sticky and Sweet DVD Sneak Peak

Heartbreak Make Me a Dancer Cover, Hot!

Antigone

Antigone has finally released her debut album Antigoneland. The album includes last years More Man Than Man and new single Promiscuity and was produced by Darren Hayes’ pal Justin Shave who produced Delicate. Head to her myspace to listen to the singles and an album sampler.

New Darren Hayes

Darren Hayes has announced on his myspace page that he has been writing songs for his next album. He says he has gone all Swedish and “though it's early days yet I can tell you the word is POP” The album won’t be out until next year but this is good news as he had said he was going to take a long break after (the amazing) This Delicate Thing We’ve Made. Meanwhile he is doing another New Years Eve gig in London. Tickets have just gone on sale and are already 80% sold out with no promo, if you are interested you can purchase them here.

Little Boots New In Town Video

Little Boots - New In Town

The Girls Aloud Singles Box

If you are very lucky you might get your hands on this Girls Aloud singles box set which contains all 20 of Girls Alouds top ten singles with original artwork and tracklists. This is very limited edition and word is the first batch sold out on the pre-order but they are making a second (and last) lot. Click here to order it, but hurry!

Madonna Hits Images

Packaging website The Dieline has images that it claims were designed by Adam&Co when asked to present concepts for Madonna’s forthcoming greatest hits album. Apparently they have gone in a different direction but they look great. Click here to see more.

Katy Perry's Waking Up In Vegas

Katy Perry’s new video for next single Waking Up In Vegas has just premiered on POPTube, watch it here.

Untouchable Tracklists

New Girls Aloud single Untouchable hits shops in the UK tomorrow, B Side It's Your Dynamite is very good. Tracklists are as follows:

CD:
1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) 3:49
2. "It's Your Dynamite" 4:21

7":
1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) 3:49
2. "Love Is the Key" (Thriller Jill Mix) 6:35

Digital:
1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) 3:49
2. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Radio Edit) 3:46
3. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix)1 6:04

iTunes:
1. "Untouchable" (Radio Mix) 3:49
2. "Untouchable" (Album Version Edit) 3:03
3. "Untouchable" (Bimbo Jones Club Mix) 6:04

Coming June 1

The new Pet Shop Boys single Did You See Me Coming? has been re-recorded with new vocals both spoken and sung. The Stuart Price produced medley will finally surface among the digital bundles. Confirmed tracklistings as follows:

2-track CD
1. Did you see me coming?
2. After the event

Maxi CD
1. Did you see me coming? (PSB 12" mix)
2. The former enfant terrible
3. Up and down

12” Vinyl
1A Did you see me coming? (PSB 12” mix)
1B Did you see me coming? (Unicorn Kid mix)
2 The way it used to be (Richard X mix)

Digital Bundle 1
1. Did you see me coming?
2. Pet Shop Boys Brits medley

Digital Bundle 2
1. Did you see me coming? (Unicorn Kid mix)
2. The way it used to be (Richard X mix)

Digital Bundle 3
1. Did you see me coming? (PSB 12” mix)
2. The former enfant terrible (Bring it on mix)

New Madonna Tracks

Guy Oseary has been Twittering again. He has revealed that Madonna has recorded two “uptempo” tracks with Paul Oakenfold and will go back in to the studio next week with another producer to record one more song. Two of these tracks will be chosen for the Greatest Hits album.

The Girl and the Robot

The next Röyksopp single from album Junior is The Girl and the Robot featuring Robyn and will include remixes by Kris Menace, Chateau Marmont and Spencer & Hill.

Solo Cheryl

Cheryl Cole has reportedly started work on a solo album. Soulshock and Karlin have said on Twitter that they were “off to London working with Cheryl Cole from Girls Aloud - not quite sure who she is! - sorry can anyone help?” Word is Cheryl is inspired by Beyonce and Mary J Blige and wants to make an R&B album.
Girls Aloud are currently rehearsing for their tour and plan to take a year off when it’s finished to work on their solo careers.

Whitney's Back!

Swizz Beatz has told rap-up.com that he has just finished working on Whitney Houston’s comeback album and said and that the “first single’s a smash”. That is rumoured to be Dianne Warren penned track I Didn’t Know My Strength and Dianne says “Whitney's back. Big time.” R. Kelly, Will.I.Am, and Ne-Yo have all been linked to album.

1000 Stars Video

Amazing.

GaGa Does Coldplay

New PSB songs coming

God bless Twitter. This week we learned of three brand new Pet Shop Boys bonus tracks to appear among the formats for upcoming Yes single, Did You See Me Coming, out early June.

The tracks are titled The Former Enfant Terrible, After The Event and Up And Down (previously titled No Excuse). Work commenced on the first two during the Fundamental sessions in 2005, while No Excuse was written in 2003.

There's also a Richard X remix on the way for fan-favourite The Way It Used To Be and a re-recorded version of Did You See Me Coming with new vocals both spoken and sung.

Meanwhile Frankmusik, who is opening for PSB on the UK leg of the upcoming tour, has performed a stripped-back version of It's A Sin, and Alcazar has hinted at future release of another PSB composition, also originally in mind for Fundamental, titled For Every Moment. Their new album contains the PSB-written Baby.