Niki N. Phaser » producer

Good Charlotte Recycle “Cardiology”

Niki N. Phaser — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 13:05:50 +0000

Good Charlotte fans must be a little bit disappointed these days. The band announced on their official site that the album they’ve been working on, Cardiology, is going to the dumpster. Don’t worry, it doesn’t mean that they will write a new one, just that they’ll re-record their new songs. Faced with the product of the initial recordings, it dawned on Benji Madden that “it just wasn’t right” and the whole process has to be repeated. He continues with some not so subtle finger-pointing at Howard Benson: “While we were working with one of the most successful, biggest producers in the Business, all he seemed to focus on was “Commercial Success” of the record and all everyone seemed to talk about was the RADIO”.

The decision was made to re-record the album with old friend of the band, Don Gilmore (Linkin Park’s Hybrid Theory and Meteora). So, now the outfit is at it again, up in Vancouver, Canada. Good Charlotte’s previous album was 2007’s Good Morning Revival, which spawned hits like Keep Your Hands off My Girl, Dance Floor Anthem or:

THE RIVER

Blink 182 Visit The Old Continent Next Summer

Niki N. Phaser — Sat, 26 Dec 2009 19:28:24 +0000

Mark Hoppus has announced that Blink 182 will be touring Europe for a few weeks, during the summer of 2010. No exact dates or locations have been published yet, but in the following months, everything will be revealed. To be sure that you are not missing anything, check the band’s official site for future information. Since the band reformed, there has been talk of a new album, but there is still nothing certain. Drummer Travis Barker has been working on his solo record, which will feature, among others, RZA and Chester of Linkin Park and Dead By Sunrise. It will be out next year, under the title Mr. Barker’s. Mark Hoppus has been in the studio also, producing a lot of new bands, while Tom DeLonge’s side project, Angels and Airwaves is about to release a new album, Love, and also an experimental movie of the same name. The first single, Hallucinations, has been released as a free download, as will the entire record. However, some sources state that the band will be working on a new Blink 182 album before touring Europe in 2010. Their last one was released in 2003.

Steve Hewitt Unveils New Band

Niki N. Phaser — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:22:08 +0000

Since his departure from Placebo, in September 2007, drum virtuoso Steve Hewitt hasn’t been slacking off. Helped by friends and family, Hewitt has started a new musical project. The band is called Love Amongst Ruin. This will also be the name of their debut album. Yes, that is correct, an album is already on the way. It was recorded at the Moles Studio (Bath, UK) in the spring-summer period of 2008. Paul Corkett, who produced The Cure’s Bloodflowers, among other noteworthy stuff, was invited to work on some of the tracks. It’s not the first time Hewitt collaborated with this producer. Paul Corkett also produced and engineered Placebo’s Black Market Music. The mixing was done overseas, at the prestigious Bernie Grundman studios in Los Angeles by Brian Gardner, whose discography is as eclectic as can be: from 2Pac to Red Hot Chili Peppers to Barbra Streisand.

Currently, Steve Hewitt is putting the ‘finishing touches’ on the band’s line-up, as most of the musicians involved in the recording sessions are members of other bands and unable to commit long term to Love Amongst Ruin. Rehearsals are on the way, but before the band premieres any new music, there is still the issue of finding the right management and a label. Knowing that, studio-wise, Steve Hewitt wasn’t restricted to playing only drums for Placebo, one cannot help wondering what this new project of his will sound like, especially since he’s also doing vocals for his new band. For more info, check his:

MySpace Page

Sugababes ‘Get Sexy’ US Style

Niki N. Phaser — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 17:06:46 +0000

Sugababes announced the release of their new single Get Sexy on the 31st of August, which is preceding their anticipated new album (out November), recorded in the US, with producers like RedOne (partly responsible for Lady Gaga’s Just Dance and Poker Face), the Stargate team (Beyonce’s Irreplaceable) or Ne-Yo. Get Sexy received its worlwide premiere on July 7 on Scott Mills’ Radio One show. Another thing it received was mixed impressions. The song will surely be a club hit, plenty of booties will shake to it, but it’s a change for Sugababes, an obvious one. A bit of that melodic innocence that was their trademark is missing in this one. They have been Americanized, meaning they sound like Lady Gaga or Ciara or whoever is topping the US dance charts. On the other hand, this is just a single, so let’s keep our shirt on.

Sugababes – Nothing’s As Good As You : A Sweet Song

Niki N. Phaser — Mon, 06 Jul 2009 16:57:43 +0000

Despite losing two of the founding members, Sugababes were always a band that could offer pop perfection, despite their (too) often stops at the R’n'B station. They are also a band very well represented through their singles. Nothing’s As Good As You and Every Heart Broken would have been essential hits if promoted properly. But, after all, their 2008 album, Catfights and Spotlights could be called “an incident”, because it had so much great material, but created a little buzz, except for Girls, which was released so relatively soon after Denial, that most people thought it was from Change.

But all of this is additional information, the fact remains that Nothing’s As Good As You is a good non-single example of the Sugababes sweetness. Sometimes, they co-write the songs, sometimes they are just inspired in choosing producers. This song, co-written among others by V.V. Brown, has the 60’s feel that was in fashion last year, but it also has quality vocal hooks that will never sound outdated. Lyrically, we are dealing with a straightforward “I love you” song, with the girls singing simple lyrics like “I just can’t help the way that I’m feeling, Nothing’s as good as you, What is it that you make me so crazy, I’m so in love with you”. If you are able to leave behind all prejudices regarding sexy pop girlbands, you’ll discover a real feel-good sunshine pill over here.

RZA’s obsession with kung-fu reaches new level

Niki N. Phaser — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 17:06:23 +0000

Hip-hop master RZA, the brain behind Wu-Tang Clan’s beats, is going one step further with his by-now legendary obsession with old martial arts movies. He plans to make his directorial debut with a movie entitled The Man with the Iron Fist, which has been on his mind for years. The screenplay is written by the rapper himself, but not to worry, Sonny Chiba fans, if there is anyone with his homework done in the field of kung-fu movies, it’s RZA. More experienced help will be offered by Eli Roth, author of the Hostel movies, who will be producing and is very siked about the project. RZA is also said to have been studying the art of film directing while working with Quentin Tarantino. The rapper provided some of the score of Kill Bill, but if you are really interested in what this man is able to create, I recommend the Ghost Dog soundtrack. It’s a classic. The film promises to be really bloody, but we musn’t expect something tarantinesque, since the debutant director is a strongly-visioned artist, who, no doubt, has his own ideas about how a neo-kung-fu movie should look like. This might just become the next cult classic (at least, soundtrack-wise), whose poster will hang on every cool kid’s wall. OS !