NELLY’s new offer: “Just a Dream” + “Tippin’ In Da Club”

NELLY’S NEW SINGLES “JUST A DREAM” AND “TIPPIN’ IN DA CLUB” MADE AVAILABLE DIGITALLY AUGUST 17^th

SIXTH ALBUM, 5.0., TO BE RELEASED BY UNIVERSAL MOTOWN NOVEMBER 16, 2010

On August 17, “Just a Dream” and “Tippin’ In Da Club,” the lead singles from Grammy-winning, multiplatinum hip-hop superstar NELLY’s upcoming album, 5.0, will be made available at all online digital retailers. NELLY’s highly anticipated sixth album, 5.0., will be released by Universal Motown Records on November 16, 2010.

Produced by Jim Jonsin and Rico Love, “Just a Dream” has been serviced to Top 40 and rhythm crossover formats. Entertainment Weekly raves: “It’s getting hot in here, part 2: NELLY makes a worthy follow-up to ‘Hot In Herre’ with his new single, ‘Just a Dream.’” NELLY is also gearing up for the release of 5.0 with a second single, the infectious club jam “Tippin’ In Da Club,” produced by Dutch, which is heating up the airwaves at urban radio.

5.0 is the eagerly awaited follow-up to NELLY’s gold-certified 2008 album, Brass Knuckles, which debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. The new album marks a solid return to form for the St. Louis native who recently teamed up with the Ford Motor Company to feature a tricked-out 2011 Mustang GT customized by DUB magazine on the cover of 5.0.

NELLY has been busy gearing up for the release of 5.0 since the start of 2010. In January, ESPN The Magazine enlisted him as its VIP celebrity red carpet reporter at the sixth annual NEXT Super Bowl event at the Fontainebleau Miami Beach. In June, he kicked off a 10-city summer club tour sponsored by the Crown Royal Company. In July, NELLYheadlined a free concert in his hometown of St. Louis in support of the city’s bid to host the 2012 Democratic National Convention. And in August, NELLY joined the St. Louis urban radio station Hot 104.1 (WHHL-FM) for a five-week run as the temporary afternoon drive-time host.

Ranked No. 3 on Billboard’s definitive list of the best-selling artists of the 2000s, NELLY has sold 30 million albums/singles in less than 10 years. He emerged in the summer of 2000 with his groundbreaking debut CD, Country Grammar, which sold an astonishing 250,000 copies in its first week of release. The landmark album spent seven weeks atop the Billboard 200 chart and sold more than 9 million copies. Two years later, NELLY’s sophomore album, Nellyville, entered the Billboard 200 chart at No. 1, sold more than 6 million copies, and won two Grammy awards for Best Male Rap Solo Performance (“Hot in Herre”) and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration (“Dilemma,” featuring Kelly Rowland). In 2003, NELLY dropped a platinum-selling remix album called Da Derrty Versions: The Reinvention, followed by a dual set of releases in 2004 with Sweat and Suit, which collectively sold more than 4.5 million copies and earned NELLY his third Grammy award for Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group (“Shake Ya Tailfeather,” featuring Murphy Lee and P. Diddy). In 2008, NELLY released his gold-certified fifth album, Brass Knuckles.

Beyond his stellar artistic output, NELLY is the CEO of his own label, Derrty Ent., owner of the popular Apple Bottoms women’s clothing line, co-owner of the Charlotte Bobcats NBA expansion team, and founder of two non-profit organizations, 4Sho4Kids and Jes Us 4 Jackie.

To learn more about NELLY, please visit:

Official Website: www.nelly.net

Twitter: twitter.com/nelly_mo

Facebook: www.facebook.com/nelly

MySpace: www.myspace.com/nelly

Look for the Icon series - new set of great albums!

Icon Series Launched by Universal Music Enterprises

Includes First Hits Collections from Erykah Badu and Hoobastank, and Compilation of #1s from Janet Jackson

A new series of albums featuring the greatest hits, signature tunes and fan favorites of the most popular artists in music history will offer unprecedented value to consumers. The aptly named Icon series from Universal Music Enterprises (UMe) launches August 31, 2010 in the US, with releases from 30 major artists spanning rock, pop, R&B and country. 

Each album, at a great price, includes 12 hit tracks. Noteworthy among the releases are the first-ever retrospectives from neo-soul queen Erykah Badu and alt-rock heroes Hoobastank. Several artists--Patsy Cline, Marvin Gaye, KISS, Styx, The Temptations and Don Williams--are spotlighted with additional 2-CD versions filled with 24 selections.

The Icon series includes:

--ABBA – Icon (Polydor/UMe): Sweden's musical treasure, whose global impact still resonates today, offers its best-known hits, from "Mamma Mia!" to "Waterloo."
--Bryan Adams – Icon (A&M/UMe): Some of the best pop rock of our time includes "Run To You" and "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman?" from this Canadian singer.
--Erykah Badu – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): Her first collection ranges from her debut On And On to 2008's "Honey," plus collaborations with The Roots and Common on a Badu album for the first time.
--James Brown – Icon (Polydor/UMe): The Godfather of Soul gets down with "Papa's Got A Brand New Bag," "I Got You (I Feel Good)," "Get Up (I Feel Like Being A) Sex Machine" and more.
--Johnny Cash – Icon (Mercury Nashville/UMe): The best of the legendary Man in Black's Mercury years also features updated classics such as "I Walk The Line" and "Folsom Prison Blues."
--Patsy Cline – Icon (MCA Nashville/UMe): One of the most acclaimed female singers in history is heard with "Walking After Midnight," "I Fall To Pieces" and "Crazy". Icon 2 adds recordings such as "Have You Ever Been Lonely (Have You Ever Been Blue)."
--The Cranberries – Icon (Island/UMe): Led by Dolores O'Riordan, the Irish band scored such hits as "Linger, "Zombie," "Dreams" and "Salvation."
--Neil Diamond – Icon (Geffen/UMe): The enormously popular singer-songwriter is represented by "Sweet Caroline," #1s "Cracklin' Rose" and "Song Sung Blue," two tracks from Hot August Night and more.
--Marvin Gaye – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): The soul giant sings "What's Going On," "Let's Get It On" and, with Tammi Terrell, "Ain't Nothing Like The Real Thing" and "Ain't No Mountain High Enough."  Icon 2 adds the live "Distant Lover," "Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)" and more Tammi duets.
--Vince Gill – Icon (MCA Nashville/UMe): Five-time CMA Male Vocalist of the Year lays down the #1s "I Still Believe In You," "The Heart Won't Lie" (with Reba) and "One More Last Chance."
--Hoobastank – Icon (Island/UMe): The multiplatinum alt-rock band debuts its first collection, which includes the #1 "Reason" and Top 10s "Crawling In The Dark" and "Out Of Control" as well as rarities from soundtracks and benefit albums.
--Jackson 5 – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): Along with the biggest hits from the classic family act--#1s "ABC," "I Want You Back," "I'll Be There" and "Never Say Goodbye"--are solo Michael smashes such as "Got To Be There."  Icon 2 adds more solo Michael, such as "Ben" and "Rockin' Robin," and solo Jermaine, including "Daddy's Home."
--Janet Jackson – Number Ones - Icon (A&M/UMe): The Jackson sister is a dance icon and every track on her collection hit #1, from "Miss You Much" and "Doesn't Really Matter" to "Nasty" and "That's The Way Love Goes." Also for the first time on a collection, the recent track "Nothing" from the Tyler Perry movie Why Did I Get Married, Too?--Etta James – Icon (Geffen/UMe): Her remarkable voice gave us several classics, including "At Last," "Tell Mama" and "I'd Rather Go Blind."
--Rick James – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): The Super Freak mixed soul, pop, funk and punk for masterpieces such as "Super Freak," "Give It To Me Baby" and "Mary Jane."
--KISS – Icon (Mercury/UMe): Gathered are the fiery band's '70s rock anthems, "Strutter" and "Detroit Rock City" to "Rock And Roll All Nite."  Icon 2 spans 1974-1998, with and without makeup, for "Beth," "God Gave Rock & Roll To You" and more.
--Gladys Knight & The Pips – Icon (Hip-O/UMe): Hits from Gladys with the Pips and solo are brought together, from "I Heard It Through The Grapevine" and "If I Were Your Woman" to "Neither One Of Us (Wants To Be The First To Say Goodbye)."
--Lynyrd Skynyrd – Icon (Geffen/UMe): Collected from the immortal Southern Rock band are "Sweet Home Alabama," "Gimme Three Steps" and the studio version of "Free Bird."  Icon 2 expands that collection to more than two hours of guitar rock, including a live "Free Bird."
--Motorhead – Icon (Sanctuary/UMe): The classic British heavy metal group scorches with "Ace Of Spades," "Overkill," "Killed By Death" and more.
--Nirvana – Icon (Geffen/UMe): Creating the soundtrack for Generation X, the seminal band is represented by "Smells Like Teen Spirit," "Come As You Are," "Rape Me" and "All Apologies" from "MTV Unplugged."
--Smokey Robinson – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): His best-loved songs with The Miracles and solo, from the '60s to the '80s, are heard once more, from "Shop Around," "Ooo Baby Baby" and "The Tears Of A Clown" to "Cruisin'" and "Quiet Storm."
--Diana Ross & The Supremes – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): All 12 of the tracks here are #1 hits--"Stop! In The Name Of Love," "Baby Love," "Love Child" and on and on.
--Rush – Icon (Mercury/UMe): Experience one song from each of the trio's 12 Mercury albums, including "Working Man," "The Twilight Zone" and classic rock radio staple "Limelight."
--Rod Stewart – Icon (Mercury/UMe): His Mercury years of "Maggie May," "You Wear It Well," "Twistin' The Night Away" and "Reason To Believe" were among the best for this rock great.
--Styx – Icon (A&M/UMe): From "Blue Collar Man" and "Too Much Time On My Hands" to the pop "Babe," this Chicago band was a rock favorite.  Icon 2 adds "The Best Of Times," "The Grand Illusion" and more album tracks.
--The Temptations – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): This classic Motown group presents nine #1s, from "My Girl," "The Way You Do The Things You Do" and "I Can't Get Next To You" to "Ball Of Confusion."  Icon 2 adds five more #1s and extends the ensemble's career to include "Treat Her Like A Lady" and "Stay."
--Three Dog Night – Icon (Geffen/UMe): A tremendously popular bands of the '60s and '70s reprises "One," "Mama Told Me Not To Come," "Joy To The World," "An Old Fashioned Love Song," etc.
--Don Williams – Icon (MCA Nashville/UMe): The Texas singer-songwriter offers 11 of his 17 #1s, including "I Believe In You" and "Tulsa Time" plus fave "Good Ole Boys Like Me."  Icon 2 adds a dozen more songs with five more #1s, among them "Lay Down Beside Me" and "That's The Thing About Love," and several Top 3s.
--Stevie Wonder – Icon (Universal Motown/UMe): Here are all of his monster '60s hits: "Fingertips," "Uptight (Everything's Alright)," "For Once In My Life," "Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)" and more.
--Trisha Yearwood – Icon (MCA Nashville/UMe): The two-time CMA Female Vocalist of the Year embraces five #1s, including "She's In Love With The Boy" and "Thinkin' About You."

Universal Music "falls in love" with RedOne!

Universal Music Inks Label Deal With Super Producer RedOne

Universal Music is honoured to announce their joint venture with super producer, RedOne, and his new record label 2101 Records.The international  Grammy winning hitmaker was recently honoured as Billboard Producer Of The Year and BMI Songwriter of The Year, and is famed for his work with Michael Jackson, Sean Kingston, Enrique Iglesias, Akon and Lady Gaga.
                         
The venture is with Universal Music Group International and each Artist signing to 2101/Universal will be strategically placed with the label within the UMG Group that offers the best fit.

RedOne's first signing to 2101 is singer, songwriter, performer, dancer and superstar in waiting Mohombi. RedOne and Mohombi are currently jetting between studios in the songwriting centres of excellence, Stockholm and Los Angeles, to record Mohombi's debut album. The first single from which will be "Bumpy Ride", released internationally and in the US on October 4th 2010.

Mohombi will be distributed by Island Records in the UK and Cherry Tree / Interscope in the US. RedOne will A&R, Executive Produce and Produce all artists signed to 2101 Records.

"I am so privileged to be in business with the Universal Family in this new venture." Says RedOne. "We already have had so much success together, I know that this is the best home for my music and for my artists. Lucian and I share a common vision for creating sounds and platforms for new Artists, not only writing hit songs, but building brands. We are incredibly fortunate to be launching with an Artist like Mohombi, who has so much potential. He is a powerhouse talent ... writing, singing, performing, dancing... a true entertainer. Mohombi lifts my spirits and I believe he will elevate the world with his music. Dance on :-)."

Born to a Swedish mother and Congolese father, 23-year-old Mohombi, draws on his diverse cultural heritage to create a musical style that is as unique and distinctive as it is universal. Combining African influences with a Global pop sensibility, Mohombi's sound is destined for worldwide success. The hugely infectious, "Bumpy Ride", which is set to be 2010's mega summer's scorcher, is a testament to this.

"Bumpy Ride", 2101 Records' first release and Mohombi's debut single, will be released by 2101 Records through Island UK /Interscope on October 4th 2010. Also look out for the Mohombi street track "Miss Me" featuring Nelly.

Florence + The Machine To Perform At The 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

"Dog Days Are Over" Up For Video of the Year, Best Rock Video, Best Cinematography, Best Art Direction

MTV has announced the addition of Florence + The Machine to their list of performers at the 2010 Video Music Awards.  Florence Welch and her band will be performing "Dog Days Are Over" at the Awards, held at the Nokia Theater Los Angeles on September 12th.  The video for the song has been nominated for four VMAs, nabbing the coveted slot as one of six artists up for "Video of the Year", as well as "Best Rock Video", "Best Cinematography" and "Best Art Direction" for what MTV calls "one giant work of avant garde art."

Speaking to USA Today of her performance, Florence Welch said, "To be performing and nominated at this years VMAs is completely amazing and especially for the song "Dog days" as I recorded that song in a cupboard with no instruments and the sound of the drums was me banging my hands on the wall, clacking pens on Mpc's and generally causing a cacophony with anything I could lay my hands on. For this song to be recognized at such an iconic event is a total dream. For me 'Dog days' symbolizes apocalyptic euphoria, Chaotic freedom and running really really fast with your eyes closed..I hope to somehow encapsulate those things in my performance at this years VMA's. I would also hugely like to thank everyone at the VMA's for giving me this opportunity."

In addition to getting recognition for her video, her song "Dog Days Are Over" has been a fixture on in the film and TV world for the past couple of months.  You may have heard it during the trailer for Julia Roberts's Eat Pray Love movie. She also contributed an original track "Heavy in Your Arms" to The Twilight Saga: Eclipse.

Florence really shines with her live shows, which have become the stuff of legend.  Since touring the world nearly constantly beginning last summer she'll be back in the USA soon for another round of dates in North America.

October 30 - New Orleans, LA - Voodoo Music Festival
October 31 - Boston, MA - House of Blues
November 1 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
November 2 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
November 3 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
November 5 - Oakland, CA - Fox Theater
November 6 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern (SOLD OUT)
November 7 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern

Florence's acclaimed debut album Lungs, released in 2009, has been hailed as a breakthrough effort around the world, reaching #1 on the UK charts an impressive seven months after release date and remaining in the Top 40 ever since and has gone on to sell over 1.7 million copies worldwide. The tenacious artist took home a Brit Awards Critic's Choice trophy last year, pegged as 'one of the most exciting new artists to debut in the British music scenes in years.' 

Styx tour the US in the autumn

Styx Set to Launch "The Grand Illusion/Pieces of Eight" Tour This Fall, Performing Both Albums in Their Entirety

STYX--Tommy Shaw (vocals, guitars), James "JY" Young (vocals, guitars), Lawrence Gowan (vocals, keyboards), Todd Sucherman (drums) and Ricky Phillips (bass), along with the occasional surprise appearance by original bassist Chuck Panozzo—are getting ready to head out on the US concert trail again this year. However, for this round of dates, the band has an extra-special treat planned - it won't be a typical STYX show. Along with the classic hits, the band will be performing 1977's The Grand Illusion and 1978's Pieces of Eight in their entirety. Both albums spawned such hit singles and Classic Rock radio standards as "Come Sail Away," "Renegade," "Blue Collar Man" and "Fooling Yourself (The Angry Young Man)."

"This is the most unique STYX concert ever," says singer/guitarist Tommy Shaw. "It's a hybrid experience of enjoying the artistry of the vinyl album and the energy and of our live performance. Some songs have never been performed live!"

Spawned from a suburban Chicago basement in the early '70s, STYX would eventually transform into the virtual arena rock prototype by the late '70s and early '80s, due to a fondness for big rockers and soaring power ballads. Over the course of their 38-year career they've released 15 studio albums, 6 best-of compilations and 4 live albums, garnering 8 Top Ten singles. STYX has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

On the touring front, STYX has performed more shows since '99 than all of the previous years of its career combined. Two Super-Bowl appearances, Pollstar box office chart-topping tours with Def Leppard, Journey, Boston, REO Speedwagon, Bad Company, Foreigner (to name a few), two more studio albums and no end in sight, STYX continues to conquer the planet, one venue at a time.

Check out the "The Grand Illusion/Pieces Of Eight" at any of the following stops:

10/14 - Evansville, IN - The Centre
10/15 - Merrillville, IN - Star Plaza Theatre
10/16 - Waukegan, IL - Genesee Theatre
10/17 - Columbus, OH - The Palace Theatre
10/19 - Chattanooga, TN - Tivoli Theatre
10/21 - Melbourne, FL - King Center
10/22 - Ft. Myers, FL - Barbara B. Mann Perf Arts Hall
10/23 - Clearwater, FL - Ruth Eckerd Hall
10/25 - Salem, VA - Salem Civic Center
10/27 - Washington, DC - Warner Theatre
10/28 - New York, NY - Beacon Theatre
10/29 - Baltimore, MD - Hippodrome Theatre
10/30 - Albany, NY - Palace Theatre Albany
11/2 - Bangor, ME - Bangor Auditorium
11/3 - Lowell, MA - Lowell Memorial Auditorium
11/5 - Erie, PA - Warner Theatre Erie
11/6 - Toledo, OH - Stranahan Theatre
11/7 - Louisville, KY - Louisville Palace
11/9 - Memphis, TN - The Orpheum Theatre
11/11 - Nashville, TN - Ryman Auditorium
11/12 - Biloxi, MS - Hard Rock Casino & Resort
11/13 - Atlanta, GA - Cobb Energy Center

**On-sale dates are subject to change.

Get ready for Plain White T's 'Wonders of the Younger'

PLAIN WHITE T’S PUT FINISHING TOUCHES ON NEW ALBUM

“WONDERS OF THE YOUNGER” SLATED FOR RELEASE IN OCTOBER

BAND TO PERFORM FIRST SINGLE “RHYTHM OF LOVE” ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO AUGUST 5

GOOD MORNING AMERICA AUGUST 19

VIDEO FOR  “RHYTHM OF LOVE” PREMIERES ON VH1.COM AUGUST 10 AND ON VH1 AUGUST 14"

“RHYTHM OF LOVE” DIGITAL SINGLE AVAILABLE AUGUST 10

  

“It’s all about pushing the boundaries of our creativity and musical  imagination combined with a dose of nostalgia,” notes Plain White T’s frontman Tom Higgenson of the Chicago band’s forthcoming Hollywood Records release, Wonders of the Younger, due out this October.  Higgenson calls the disc, now in the finishing stages of recording and produced by Ian Kirkpatrick, a collection of songs designed to evoke the feeling of awe and the yearning for adventure remembered from youth.

Higgenson says of the album, “It’s still very much a Plain White T’s album.  The songs are sincere and melodic, no matter what the subject matter.  We want to create an experience that takes our fans to an unexpected place while still giving them songs to sing along to.”

As Higgenson points out, the band is in a different place than the one that prompted hits like the twice Grammy nominated “Hey There Delilah” and “1-2-3-4”– and though there’s still plenty of room in their world for romantic pop, among them is the album’s summery first single, “Rhythm of Love” penned by guitarist Tim Lopez (the brightly melodic tune was inspired by a bittersweet

romance) they’re also branching into some adventurous new territory. It was during a

performance of Cirque du Soleil’s “O” he caught during a Vegas visit that the idea for the new set first took shape. “It just woke something up in me – this wonder,” the singer/guitarist/songwriter recalls. “It was dark yet nostalgic.  I thought, I want to make an album that gives people this feeling.” 

Fast becoming the band’s next big hit, the T’s will perform “Rhythm of Love” on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno August 5 followed by a performance on Good Morning America August 19. The video clip for “Rhythm of Love,” directed by the band’s long time videographer Mike Venezia (1,2,3,4) was shot on the beach in Ventura, CA and will premiere exclusively on VH1.com August 10 and will make its television premiere on VH1 August 14.  The single will be available digitally everywhere August 10.

Fans who’ve heard “Welcome to Mystery,” the band’s contribution to the Almost Alice compilation that accompanied Tim Burton’s 3D blockbuster “Alice in Wonderland,” will have an inkling of where the T’s are headed.  The track’s playfully mysterious vibe, sonic grandeur and expansive sense of possibility, Higgenson says, are the essence of the new set’s approach.  It will appear on Wonders… as well.  “We’ve been fans of Tim Burton’s since ‘Beetlejuice,’ so just being associated with the movie was amazing,” he elaborates. “It also offered us the opportunity to give people a taste of what we’re doing now.”  

 “Welcome to Mystery” was produced by Kirkpatrick, with whom Higgenson had collaborated on various projects over the years.  “Ian is just getting established and we had the creative freedom to choose a producer,” Higgenson says.  “After hearing ‘Mystery,’ the label really got it and agreed it was a good fit. He has a unique way of manipulating sounds and has become an ideal collaborator for this album.” 

The album’s concept has exerted such force that Higgenson built and decorated the recording studio in the basement of his Chicago home with Wonders of the Younger entirely in mind.  “I don’t know if this has ever been done,” he muses.  “The studio looks like a haunted mansion – gold chandeliers, red wallpaper with a gaudy fleur-de-lys pattern, a brown couch that looks like something out of Sherlock Holmes.” The overall design of the space, he explains, has helped cultivate an atmosphere of creative exploration.

 “We’re focused on writing great songs that resonate with what the band has become.  If you listen to it in your car or on headphones, we want it to feel like a big, flowing rollercoaster ride – where you never quite know what’s coming next.”

On photo: Tim Lopez, Tom Higgenson, Mike Retondo, Dave Tirio, De’Mar Hamilton

Photo credit: Piper Ferguson

Who are the Top 20 Music Icons of the Last 50 Years? Vote now!

UMG Artists Named in the Top 20 Global Music Icons of the Last 50 Years by CNN

Vote for your top five favourite artists

11 globally renowned UMG Artists have been shortlisted in the Top 20 Global Music Icons of The Last 50 Years by Cable News Network's (CNN) new arts and culture show in conjunction with global music magazine, Songlines.

The iconic UMG artists shortlisted are Juanes, The Rolling Stones, Bob Marley, James Brown, Ceilia Cruz , Gilberto Gil, Leslie Cheung, Khaled, Youssou N'Dour, Asha Bhosle and Teresa Teng.  The list of music legends can be found on CNN's website

Fans will be able to vote for their top five favourite artists out of the top 20 on CNN's website. The results will be unveiled when the new music show "Icon" airs on CNN International on August 25th.