Actor Kevin Costner Releases Debut Album
On November 11, Universal South Records will release the debut album by actor Kevin Costner and his band Modern West. Costner co-wrote six of the 12 songs on Untold Truths. The group made its Grand Ole Opry debut on November 8. Upcoming concert stops include Baltimore, Maryland (Rams Head) on December 1 and Alexandria, Virginia (The Birchmere) on December 2.
Latin Recording Academy Honors Estefan
On November 12, the Latin Recording Academy will honor Grammy and Latin Grammy-winning singer Gloria Estefan as its 2008 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. She'll be recognized during a concert and tribute dinner in Houston, Texas. A portion of the proceeds from the event will benefit the Gloria Estefan Foundation and St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee. (Also see Awards section for information on this year's Latin Grammy Awards, which take place on November 13.)
Aguilera Releases Anthology CD
Christina Aguilera's first career anthology will be released on November 11 exclusively at Target stores and Target.com. Keeps Getting Better: A Decade of Hits features new versions of "Genie In A Bottle" and "Beautiful," which have been retitled "Genie 2.0" and "You Are What You Are (Beautiful)," respectively. Also included are the new tracks "Keeps Getting Better" and "Dynamite." Christina is working on her next studio album, which she says will take her in a new musical direction. She told Billboard magazine, "With my last album, I had music that was very '20s, '30s and '40s, and was very detailed and part of a very specific genre and sound. But with this new album, I wanted to go in a completely opposite direction - a very futuristic, robotic sound and computer-sounding vocals. I'm experimenting with my voice in ways I've never done before. …The album is very pop and very upbeat."
Spears, Timberlake Join Madonna During LA Concert
Britney Spears and her former boyfriend Justin Timberlake were special guests at Madonna's November 6 concert stop in Los Angeles. Britney joined her on "Human Nature," which appears on Madonna's 1994 album Bedtime Stories. Timberlake sang with Madonna on "4 Minutes," a duet they recorded for her latest release, Hard Candy.
Rhino Records Set to Release Genesis Boxed Set
On November 11, Rhino Records will release the Genesis 7-CD/6-DVD boxed set Genesis: 1970-1975. The collection spotlights singer Peter Gabriel's years with the band with reissues of the albums Trespass, Nursery Cryme, Foxtrot, Selling England By The Pound and The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway. Also included is the bonus disc Extras 1970-1975, which features 10 previously unreleased tracks.
BMI to Honor Hank Williams Jr.
On November 11, performing rights organization BMI will honor Country singer Hank Williams, Jr. with a BMI Icon Award. He'll be recognized for his "unique and indelible influence on generations of music makers" at BMI's 56th annual Country Awards in Nashville. Previous recipients include Willie Nelson, Loretta Lynn and Dolly Parton.
New Album Releases / November 11
"Fearless" - Taylor Swift,
"Now That's What I Call Music! 29" - various artists
"The Promise" - Deborah Cox
"David Archuleta" - self-titled debut album
"Thr33 Ringz" - T-Pain
"And Winter Came" - Enya
"Block Party" - Missy Elliot,
"Coco" (deluxe edition) - Colbie Caillat
"On My Radio" - Musiq Soulchild
"The Promise" - Deborah Cox
"Soul" - Seal
"Foster & Friends" - David Foster
"Sycamore Meadows" - Butch Walker
"One Bright Future" - Tracy Chapman
"Christmas On Mars" by The Flaming Lips
Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits
On November 11, the 2008 Chevy CMA Awards Kickoff Concert will take place in Nashville. The free outdoor show will feature performances by Rodney Atkins, the Eli Young Band, Kevin Costner and Modern West, and Heidi Newfield.
Awards Presentations/Winners
The 42nd Annual Country Music Association (CMA) Awards will be presented on November 12 in Nashville. The CMA's reigning Entertainer of the Year, Kenny Chesney, received a leading seven nominations. They include Entertainer of the Year, Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year for Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates and Single of the Year for "Don't Blink." Jennifer Nettles, lead singer of Sugarland, is mentioned five times. The duo is a surprise nominee in the Entertainer of the Year category, which also includes Brad Paisley, George Strait and Keith Urban. (Complete list of CMA Award nominees at www.cmaawards.com.)
The 9th Annual Latin Grammy Awards will take place on November 13 in Houston, Texas. Mexican rock band Café Tacuba leads this year's contenders with six nominations, including Album of the Year for Sino, Record of the Year for "Volver a Comenzar" and Song of the Year for "Esta Vez." Following close behind are Colombian singer Juanes and Argentinian producer Gustavo Santaolalla, who are up for five awards each. (Complete list of nominees at www.Grammy.com/Latin.)
