'Idol' Jordan Sparks Releases New Album
On July 21, Jive Records will release Jordan Sparks' new album, Battlefield. Sparks wrote four of the 12 tracks on the collection. She says, "I'm excited for fans to hear my heart and hear what I've been thinking 'cause it has been about two years (since the release of her self-titled debut album). I've grown up a little bit and gone through a couple of things, so I'm excited to see what people think." This week, the album's title track climbs five spaces to Number 25 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart (week ending July 25).
Lady Gaga Scores Another No. 1 Hit
Pop newcomer Lady Gaga recently became the third artist to score three Number One songs from a debut album on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 airplay chart. The hits include "Just Dance," "Poker Face" and her current Top 10 single "LoveGame." The only two other acts who accomplished that feat were Ace of Base and Avril Lavigne.
Sugar Ray Back on Music Scene
Sugar Ray's first album in nearly six years will be released on July 21. Music For Cougars is the band's debut on the independent label Pulse Records. Between 1995 and 2003, Sugar Ray recorded five albums for Atlantic Records. Their biggest hits included "Fly," "Every Morning" and "When It's Over." During Sugar Ray's break from recording and touring, lead singer Mark McGrath hosted the celebrity news show Extra.
Kenny Loggins Still Making Music
Kenny Loggins' new album, All Join In, will be released on July 21. The collection features covers of songs made famous by The Beatles, Randy Newman, The Del Vikings, Traffic and Donovan, among others. Loggins also wrote two original songs for the album. Later this year, he'll join Jim Messina on a Loggins & Messina tour. The duo is best known for its 1972 Top 5 hit, "Your Mama Don't Dance.
| New Album Releases - July 21 |
| "Here We Go Again" - Demi Lovato |
| "Burn Burn" - Our Lady Peace |
| "Under The Covers: Vol. 2" - Matthew Sweet & Susannah Hoffs |
| "The Redemption" - Brooke Hogan |
| "Man Overboard" - Ian Hunter |
| "High Hopes & Heartbreak" - Brooke White |
| "Murder By Pride" - Stryper |
| "Burnin'" - Paul Taylor |
| Musical Events/Festivals/Benefits: |
The Dave Matthews Band, Widespread Panic and Wilco will headline the 7th annual 10,000 Lakes Music Festival. The four-day event begins on July 22 in Detroit Lakes, Michigan. More than 90 bands will perform on six stages. The festival also offers on-site camping, arts and crafts booths, clothing stands and food and beverage vendors.
| Look Who's Going On Tour! |
On July 23, Blink-182 will begin a North American tour in Las Vegas, Nevada. The band says a new album was also in the works, but the success of the tour has held up the recording process. Guitarist Tom DeLonge says, "I think nobody realized how massive this tour was going to be. The tickets outsold what the promoters expected, three to one. So everyone's trying to play catch-up right now and really nail this tour to be the best it can be." The three members of Blink-182 had been estranged for several years prior to the 2008 plane crash that seriously injured drummer Travis Barker. A couple months after the crash, bassist Mark Hoppus wrote on his blog, "Tom, Travis and I have all spoken together. First through a number of phone calls, and then a couple of weeks ago we all hung out for a few hours. They've all been great, very positive conversations. We're just reconnecting as friends after four years of not talking. It's a good thing. Obviously the first question for a lot of people will be 'Does this mean a Blink-182 reunion?' The answer is none of us know. We haven't talked about it at all. Right now it's just good for the three of us to see one another, reconnect, and let the past be the past. The events of the past two months supersede everything that happened before. Life is too short." |
