Broken Social Scene, K'Naan, Nelly Furtado and More React to Election Results - Spinner

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Last night (May 2), Canadians watched the results of the country's federal election with the Conservatives achieving a majority government. An array of Canadian acts have weighed in on the outcome, some offering more pointed barbs than others:

"When you are forced to choose between foolish men, sometimes you must believe in the power of the MAGICAL MOUSTACHE,"Broken Social ScenesingerKevin Drewsaidvia Twitter, a reference to New Democrat Party leader Jack Layton.

Hip-hop artistK'naanhad his own unique take on the proceedings."Politics are like awkward fashion trends,"he wrote viaTwitter."If u jump in the bandwagon just as something happens, u may end up laughin at how u looked someday."

Stars' lead vocalist Torquil Campbell didn't seem very impressed by the results judging from hisTwitteraccount May 3."Everyone done feeling smug about being Canadian?"Campbell wrote."It's time to take those flags off your backpacks and start being embarrassed. We f----ed up."

Hollerado was also quick topipe invia Twitter:"This is actually really depressing. Let's all work to watch this Gov't like hawks and speak up if they attempt to cut Arts funding. Again."

FormerBarenaked Ladiessinger and now solo artistSteven Pageshared his thoughts regarding the results."A CPC majority sure dampens my celebration of the NDP's awesome showing,"hesaidvia Twitter May 2."The Canadian electoral system needs repair."

Barenaked Ladies' drummer Tyler Stewart noticed the musical possibilities with some candidates elected, including Cash Brothers' singer Andrew Cash."Cash, Nash and the Stache all make it to Parliament Hill,"hewrotevia Twitter."Congrats to Andrew, Peggy and Jack. Let the jamming begin."

"Well, looks like a Blue day in Canada,"Bedouin Soundclashwroteon Twitter referring to the Conservative party win.

"In sports or in politics, it always makes me sad to see someone get defeated,"Simple Plandrummer Chuck Comeauwroteon Twitter."Heartbreaking."

"Ladies and Gentlemen, you are truly lovely,"Bif Nakedwrote."I am proud of you for embracing democracy, and embracing Canada. We will make it what we want."

Nelly Furtadonotedvia Twitter that there was a two percent increase in the number of voters in 2011 versus 2008 and also congratulated Green Party member Elizabeth May who won in her riding. Last week Furtado also posted two YouTube clips encouraging young people to vote.

Watch Nelly Furtado's 'Votes for Dummies'
Others had a bit more humour in their thoughts, withOwen Pallettsayingvia Twitter,"Yes, I voted today for Hubristic Party On The left #1."

Meanwhile, Our Lady Peace singer Raine Maidasaidvia Twitter that Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff didn't seem to be the right fit for his party."Noble as it is for Ignatieff to want to continue to lead the Liberals, Canada needs someone ASPIRATIONAL, enough settling for the status quo!"

Sum 41bassist Cone McCaslinsaidon his Twitter account,"Election polls are in...........I see that it's supposed to rain tomorrow. I'm not surprised."

Finally, Stars singerAmy Millanperhaps summed up the thoughts of many people with asimple responseon her Twitter account."Yikes."

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Phil Spector's Murder Conviction Upheld by Appeals Court - Spinner

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Famed but incarcerated producerPhil Spector, who created the influential Wall of Sound style so crucial to a slew of mainstream pop hits from the 1960s, will remain behind bars, at least for now.Reuters reportsthat, on Monday, a California appeals court upheld Spector's conviction for second-degree murder, after his attorneys unsuccessfully argued that the trial leading to that conviction was prejudiced.

The appeal was based on Spector's attorneys' objection to the testimony of five women that Spector knew years before he was accused of shooting actress Lana Clarkson to death, in his home in 2003. The women each individually testified that Spector had previously threatened them with a gun in separate incidents during emotional outbursts.

The court found that such testimony was, in fact, relevant to the case."The evidence showed that, when fueled by alcohol and faced with a lack or loss of control over a woman who was alone with him and in whom he had a romantic or sexual interest, Spector underwent a sharp mood swing, exhibited extreme anger and threatened the women,"reads part of the ruling by Justice Joan Klein.

In 2009, Spector, now age 71, was found guilty for the murder of Clarkson, two years after jurors deadlocked in a 2007 mistrial.

A Grammy and Academy Award winning producer who helped shaped the girl group sound of the early '60s, through his work with such artists asDarlene Loveand theRonettes, Spector also produced unforgettable material for theBeatles,Ike& Tina Turner, theRamonesandLeonard Cohen, among many others. In 1989, Spector was inducted into the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame and, to this day, modern rock bands such as theDodosacknowledge his massive influence. BMI lists 'You've Lost That Loving Feelin' -- which Spector produced and co-wrote for theRighteous Brothersin 1965 -- as the most played radio song of the 20th Century. Of that last point, there's sure to be more than one ironic pun.

Watch This Revealing Look at Phil Spector's Wall of Sound

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Beaches Export Aussie Culture to Austin Psych Fest - Spinner

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Beaches' Austin Psych Fest 4 set on April 30 was brought to you by the Australian government.

"I know it sounds crazy to you Americans, but we got a grant, which made it possible really,"says guitarist Antonia Sellbach of the sonically explosive Melbourne five-piece."It's money to travel and tour, basically. When we got asked to do Psych Fest were were like, 'well, we can't not do this,' so we booked a few shows around it. It's like we're exporting {Australia's} cultural identity."

The all-female band, which released the Eternal Sphere EP on New York indie Mexican Summer late last year, actually came to Austin with an uexpected"Y"chromosome. A few months before the tour began, one of Beaches' other guitarists, Alison Bolger, found out she was pregnant - with twins, no less.

"She was ordered by her doctor to stay at home,"says Sellbach.

Replacing her was Justin Fuller, a longtime friend and peer from deafening Aussie post-rockers Zond.

"He was the first person we all thought of,"says drummer Karla Way."It was like, who could play Al's parts? Who would we want to be on tour with for three weeks?"

"Who could play a whammy bar?,"adds Sellbach."We're lucky to have him."

Beaches finish up its tour this week with two New York stops: Cake Shop in Manhattan on May 5 and Death by Audio in Brooklyn on May 6.

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Robert Plant Dives Into Led Zeppelin Tunes During New Orleans Jazz Fest 2011 - Spinner

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His days as a Byronic love god may be long past him, butRobert Plantproudly wore his Led Zeppelin past on his T-shirt sleeve during a stirring 90-minute set to close the first day of the New Orleans Jazz& Heritage Festival on Friday (April 29).

Dressed in a blue T-shirt, blue jeans and cowboy boots, with a chartreuse feather hanging from his right belt loop, a relaxed Plant included no fewer than six Led Zeppelin tunes in his set with his new outfit,Band of Joy, including show opener, a shaggy 'Black Dog.' In some cases, the Americana roots collective turned the Zep songs on their sides, such as on the countrified 'Houses of the Holy' or the spooky 'Black Country Woman,' bolstered by Byron House on upright bass. Other times, they replicated them in fairly direct fashion, as with the sinewy 'Ramble On.'

Much of the rest of the set drew from Plant's latest album, 'Band of Joy,' including 'Angel Dance,' a gorgeous take on Richard and Linda Thompson's 'House of Cards' with Plant, multi-instrumentalistDarrell Scottand singer-songwriterPatty Griffin's three-part harmony soaring high above the melody; and a hypnotic, dark 'Monkey,' originally recorded by Low.

The Band of Joy is a jubilant one indeed with a staggering amount of talent, including bassist House, Scott, drummerMarco Giovino, and Griffin, who serves as Plant's main vocal foil during the show, and producer-guitarist-artistBuddy Miller, whom Plant referred to as"the captain of our ship."

And he's steering a seaworthy vessel, seemingly capable of backing Plant on whatever part of his storied career he chooses to draw from. Giovino's thunderous drumming turned Plant solo track, 'I'm in the Mood' into a tribal stomp, while Griffin beautifully played the part of Alison Krauss on a delicate version of 'Please Read The Letter,' from Plant and Krauss's Grammy-snaring 'Raising Sand.'

After exhorting the audience to 'Be Happy' and delivering a shout out to Jeff Beck, who had preceded Plant on the Acura Stage, Plant closed with a snaky take on Led Zep's 'Gallows Pole.'

Watch Robert Plant's 'Please Read the Letter'

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Liz Phair Defends 'Funstyle,' Claims It Wasn't a 'Stunt for Press' - Spinner

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As a child, singer-songwriterLiz Phairgrew bored of practicing for her music lessons and made up her own renditions of popular songs to throw her parents off her trail. This early independence offers much insight into her fearless spirit, a spirit that has compelled Phair to push musical boundaries and sidestep the cookie-cutter image which female artists often fall victim to.

Given her rebellious nature, Phair's recent endeavor, 'Funstyle,' shouldn't come as a shock to the music world. After shaking off criticism from reviewers and fans, the Connecticut native is ready for some positive 'Funstyle' press. And she'd like to reiterate that people shouldn't take the album so seriously -- it's called 'Funstyle,' for Pete's sake.

Phair tells Spinner she wouldn't do a thing differently, with the latest disc or her career, if given the chance. She discusses the liberation of not being tied to a record label, how she's fought to gain respect as a woman in the music industry, and why she'd love advice from the lateTupacon her recent rapping effort.

Now that 'Funstyle' has been out for some time, what has the reaction been from fans?

All the hyperbole and freak out has died down, and I think people are enjoying it more. It was a departure, stylistically. I enjoy doing stuff like that and I tried to name it in such a way that would kind of explain it -- 'Funstyle' should, theoretically, clue people into the fact that it's experimental and that it was really organically born. It wasn't some kind of stunt for press. It was basically me reacting to one of my new jobs, which is scoring for TV, and long hours in the studio where we got slap-happy.

Everything on 'Funstyle' is on the fly. It is like first/second take only on every instrument. It's sort of me saying,"You, too, can make music. Here's what you can do with like three hours and an engineer. Try it."

You've changed your musical style many times. Are you the happiest where you are right now?

I'm very happy right now but I've been really happy at other points, too. I love the process of making art, and that's sort of where I get my highest happiness. This is definitely a good period for me. I like being a little out of my depth. I love to jump in the deep end, so I'm always happiest when I'm allowed to do that.

Watch Liz Phair's Video for 'Supernova'
How does it feel to be a successful female musician in such a competitive and often male-dominated industry?

I think it's awesome. It has not been an easy road by any stretch, no matter what people think. I think it takes a lot of strength for woman sometimes because we're breaking ground all the time rather than going down these tried and true paths. We don't get places as fast as the guys do, and it means that it doesn't look as impressive even though sometimes it's even more impressive. I'm so proud of us for continuing on. And every one of us that takes any choice to be the person she wants to be is helping raise us all up.

So you think it's harder to gain respect as an artist when you're a woman?

I do. If you saw a bunch of women sitting around in a room talking and a guy came in and sat on the chair, he could join the conversation but he might say something that we're all like,"Uh, yeah, whatever,"and then we all get back to what we're doing. That's what it's like to be female in the music business.

How does being a mom influence your music career?

I'm touring in short bursts where I'll go out for one or two weeks then I'll come home for awhile -- and that's definitely because I'm a mother. I learned early on that a long time away from my son was bad for him and bad for me. His grades may start slipping; he might get in trouble at school.

What can fans expect from a live Liz Phair show?

I like to rock and we play stuff from all my records, a lot of 'Guyville' stuff. We kind of designed the set around fan favorites and some new material that isn't released. For me, playing live now has nothing to do with selling my new record or fulfilling my career obligations. It's really about seeing people that have followed my career and being able to feed off that energy and play the songs that we all know very well and watch people singing the lyrics back to me.

Watch Liz Phair Perform 'Jeremy Engle' Live
Does it feel liberating to not be dealing with a record label right now?

Yeah, it really does. And it's scary as s--- because there's no safety net, and there's definitely stuff that goes wrong without all that money and power. You never know if you're gonna get people to come to the show or what the hell's gonna happen next. I'm sort of uniquely designed to be able to thrive in that kind of environment. I miss the glamour; I miss the photo shoots; I miss the security of having people that will put the ducks in a row. But I sort of take to this {now}.

What inspires you to take such musical risks? Have you always been a risk-taker?

No. It's weird. I was kind of shy when I was young. I'm not sure why; I don't know where it started. I seem to need that adrenaline rush in one way or another, whether it's learning how to surf or taking risks musically; it's sort of a joy of my life.

Have you received any feedback on 'Bollywood' from established rappers in the industry?

Tupac contacted me from the other side {laughs}. No, but that would be great. That would be frickin' awesome.

If you had to choose any other job, what would it be?

I feel like I've got a multiple career life ahead of me if I get to live that long. I wanna be a writer, maybe a photographer for when I'm an old lady. I'd also like to get out more in the world. I don't really want to depart the planet without really having known it.

Has scoring for TV shows been a fun direction for you to take your career in?

Scoring is really satisfying because it sort of marries the visual with the musical and it allows me to kind of create. The way I do my records is like an expression of who I am and whatever I'm into at that point. When you're looking at characters onscreen and you're working on a show, your job is to sort of do that for them.

What's the worst job that you had trying to establish your career as an artist?

I did an internship one year at my dad's hospital and I worked in the psych wards as an art therapist apprentice for a few months. The people were great but that environment, the ascetics in the middle of summer after suffering through a year indoors in Chicago, locked in, was like death to the artist in me.

What made you cover 'Wild Thing' on 'Girlysound'?

I started my music career when I was very young by not wanting to practice my piano pieces that I was supposed to practice for my teacher, or not wanting to practice the songs I was supposed to practice for my guitar teacher. What I would do is kind of pretend to be practicing while my mom was cooking dinner and my dad was in the other room so they knew I was playing. But I would start to sort of diverge from the piece and write it into my own. I think 'Wild Thing' is sort of an extension into that impulse, where I take something and sort of rewrite it for myself.

It was about a suburban girl that was a man-eater and spent too much and figured out how to get her way all the time -- which was something that I strove for but didn't quite achieve. I thought that would be a pretty bitchin' life.

Watch Liz Phair Perform 'Wild Thing' Live

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Lykke Li's 'Meltdown' Led to Axed Gigs - Spinner

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Swedish indie-pop songstressLykke Liis having a bit of trouble these days after suffering a"meltdown"while on tour. As Spinnerpreviously reported, Li canceled a series of European shows due to a back injury, but as she admitted on herwebsite, the injury may have stemmed from a minor mental breakdown.

"I had some kind of complete meltdown on Marks&Spencer in Glasgow on one of those very rare days off while on route,"she wrote."I was standing at an isle contemplating life and death and the struggles of being an artist/soul/woman/human being when the overbearingness sneaked up on me like Batman himself. I fell to the floor and so did the raspberries I had in my hand, the troubled breathing lead to some severe lumbago which meant I couldn't move and had to lay straight for a few days."

"In a valium haze, I took a flight back to my loved ones where a strong man cracked my holy spine loose and I was soon able to walk again,"she continued."Little did I know it was my troubled hip joint that was the problem in the first place, so had to go back to a horizontal mode. My body then decided Easter was the perfect time to let a god damn flu blossom out, so I spent the whole Easter praying to God to get better, drinking ginger tea while watching 'Apocalypse Now' wishing nothing more then that I could have been on that stage with you."

Aside from resting her back and witnry pipes, Li's new 'Wounded Rhymes' album is gaining a lot of TV love, as the singer was recently featured on 'Later ... With Jools Holland' and her song 'I Follow Rivers' was covered by the cast of 'Glee.' Here's hoping to a speedy recovery.

Watch Lykke Li's Video for 'Little Bit'

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Alice Cooper to Perform Entire Concert in Holographic Form - Spinner

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Rock 'n' Roll Hall of FamerAlice Cooperis set to reprise his role as a hologram, performing an entire ghostly gig in London while the man behind the curtain actually pulls the strings from Hollywood, California. And his entire band is gonna join him.

Touted as the"U.K.'s first holographic 4D rock gig,"this will actually be Cooper's second time breaking a record in holographic form -- in 1973, avant-garde artist Salvadore Dali turned Cooper's likeness into the world's first 3D holographic sculpture. If you're wondering, no, C-3PO didn't do a similar thing with Princess Leia until four years later. And that one took place in a galaxy far, far away.

The concert, billed as the Jagermeister Ice Cold Event, is timed in conjunction with Cooper's new box set, 'Old School: 1964 - 1974,' and to celebrate, Cooper even put his old band back together. It'll be the first time that band appears -- in the flesh or otherwise -- live in the U.K. since 1972. The event takes place on May 11 at Battersea Power Station.

"We couldn't resist this,"says Cooper in a statement appearing on hisofficial website."Working with Jagermeister to appear as holograms on the other side of the Atlantic is the ultimate experience, a cutting-edge conjuring trick that celebrates the future and our history. We can't wait to see the results."

We can only assumed that by"see,"he's speaking metaphorically.

Watch Alice Cooper Perform 'School's Out' With the Muppets


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