TYDmusic.com: Musicscene 76

Brandy is a proud mother of a baby girl

Singer, actress Brandy Norwood aka Brandy give birth to a brand new baby girl named Sy'rai last Sunday (Father's Day). Sy'rai is the 1st child for the singer who last year secretly married her long time producer Robert Smith. According to her record label, the two are currently resting at home.

For those who want to see just how a famous musician takes to motherhood, Brandy's life is currently being filmed for the reality series 'Diary Presents: Brandy -- Special Delivery' to be aired on MTV. The program premiered last Tuesday and will run throughout the summer. The unscripted series chronicles the singer's pregnancy and her balance of fame, her recording career, and more grounded activities such as baby showers and doctor visits.

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New Edition and En Vogue to go on tour

New Edition and En Vogue will be hitting the road this month for a reunion tour. New Edition will be without singer Bobby Brown who was hospitalized last week in Virginia for flu-like symthons and has decided not to join the tour. The tour is scheduled to kick off later this month.

The remaining members of New Edition plan to record a new album, launch a new tour, and film an autobiographical movie next year to celebrate their 20th anniversary in the music business.

New Edition/ En Vogue tour dates (subject to change):

June 28 - Las Vegas, NV - House Of Blues
June 29 - Universal City, CA - Universal Amphitheatre
June 30 - Oakland, CA - Paramount Theatre
July 4 - Atlanta, GA - Chastain Park Amphitheatre
July 5 - Baltimore, MD - Pier Six Concert Pavilion
July 12 - Washington, DC - DAR Constitution Hall
July 19 - Upper Darby, PA - Tower Theatre
July 21 - Boston, MA - FleetBoston Pavilion
July 26 - Detroit, MI - Fox Theatre
July 27 - Chicago, IL - Arie Crown Theater
July 31 - Miami, FL - James L. Knight Center

Aug 2 - Houston, TX - Arena Theatre

Aug 3 - Memphis, TN - Samstown, Casino

Aug 4 - New Orleans - Saenger Hall

Aug 9 - Indianapolis, Clowes Hall

Aug 10 - Norfolk, VA - Chrysler Hall

Aug 11 - Greensboro, NC - Auditorium Theatre

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All natural ingredients is in 'Natural High - 2'

Last year 'Natural High' was one of the finest soul compilations to be put out by a major label. So with its success it was only natural that a companion volume would be on the way.

Sequels are often never as strong as the original but compiler Rick Conrad has dug deep into the WEA archives to produce a musical assemblage that's every bit as engaging as its predecessor (it also spans a similar time period too, 1974-1982). Commencing, appropriately enough, with the elegant Chic instrumental, "Open Up," from 1980's overlooked "Real People" album, "Natural High 2" mixes popular dancefloor grooves like Patrice Rushen's "Forget Me Nots" with more esoteric, Latin-tinged jazz-funk workouts like Chico Hamilton's delectable "Mysterious Maiden" and Airto's "Toque De Cuica."

Gwen McCrae's dance floor groover from 1982, "Keep The Fire Burning," is also included as well as some other great cuts like Aquarian Dream "You're A Star", Ronn Matlock "Feeling Something", Donald Byrd "Feel Like Loving You", Debra Laws "Something Special", Anglo Saxon Brown 'Call On Me', Ubiquity 'Simple And Sweet' and the great Leon Ware 'Rockin' You Eternally'. 'Natural High' is certainly one of if not the best soul compilation I've heard this year - simply superb.

Source: bluesandsoul.com

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Audiogalaxy has been ordered to close shop

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), National Music Publishers' Association (NMPA), and rights management organization Harry Fox Agency have reached an out-of-court settlement on a copyright-infringement suit filed last month against online file swapping network Audiogalaxy.com, Billboard Bulletin reports.

Under the deal, Audiogalaxy has agreed to block the swapping of copyrighted works on its network and to pay music publishers and the recording industry "a substantial sum" based on both its assets and its "interest in resolving this case quickly." Financial terms were not disclosed. As part of the settlement, Audiogalaxy will operate a "filter-in" system that requires pre-approval by a songwriter, publisher, and/or recording company before a track can be shared on the network.

In a suit filed May 24 in New York Federal Court, industry groups characterized the Audiogalaxy network -- which facilitates the downloading of individual songs and full albums, as well as artwork -- as "even more egregious than that of Napster."

"This should serve as a wake-up call to the other networks that facilitate unauthorized copying," RIAA chairman/CEO Hilary Rosen says in a statement. "The responsibility for implementing systems that allow for the authorized use of copyrighted works rests squarely on the shoulders of the peer-to-peer network."

An Audiogalaxy spokesman could not be reached for comment by deadline. Users on Audiogalaxy's bulletin board are already sharing tips on other sites to turn to in the wake of the settlement. Wrote one user, "the gravy train has been de-railed; the free lunch is over. It was nice while it lasted!".

Source - billboard.com