Monthly Archives: May 2014

“MANIC MONDAY MUSIC NEWS” By Scott Rossi, Brought to you by Deejay Shelly! 

May 5th, 2014 Monday Edition. Find out what’s happening in the world of Rock & Roll, Alternative Rock, Hip Hop, EDM, and Top 40 music every Manic Monday on the Sounds By Shelly and Michelle Lee Entertainment Blog! Have you heard any music news?

TOP 40/POP NEWS: Pharrell Announces His Hit Song, “Happy”, Which He Wrote, Was Originally Recorded by Cee Lo Green! 

According to, “The Guardian”, Pharrell Williams smash hit, “Happy”, was first recorded by none other than Cee Lo Green who wanted to do it first. Pharrell recently told this to shock jock, Howard Stern, in a radio interview, after Stern asked Pharrell if he considered giving the song to “a Robin Thicke or someone.”

“He sounded amazing on it,” Pharrell continues. Wiliams blames it on, “the powers that be,” who voted against Cee Lo’s take. “He burns my version! But. . . how do I say this diplomatically? The powers that be, at the time, did not see it fit for him. Some folks on his team just felt that the priority should be on [Cee Lo’s] album at the time [2012’s Cee Lo’s Magic Moment], so they elected not to do that song.”

Thanks to the “powers that be,” Cee Lo missed out on an iconic chart hit. He doesn’t have any bitterness. “There was a much bigger agenda for [Cee Lo], he had an album to put out,” Pharrell says. “It’s not his fault – he was totally down with it…. He was one of the most gracious people about it when (“Happy”) came out.”

“Happy” first found success on the soundtrack for Despicable Me 2, before appearing on Pharrell’s new solo record Girl. And the song has made more than just a commercial impact – it’s also had a major emotional effect on its creator. He recently did a 24 minute interview on video with Oprah.

“Why am I crying on Oprah?” he asked, after watching a handful of clips from the video. “It’s overwhelming because it’s like, I love what I do, and I just appreciate the fact that people have believed in me for so long that I could make it to this point to feel that.”
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/pharrell-says-happy-originally-recorded-by-cee-lo-green-20140430#ixzz30NYbRbGX

ALTERNATIVE NEWS:  Dave Grohl Gives Props to Lorde!

The first time Dave Grohl heard Lorde’s music he says, “I was driving.” “My two daughters, Violet and Harper, who are eight and five years old, started singing along. I was so happy and relieved that my two girls were singing a popular song on the radio that had some substance and depth, which I considered to be healthy for them as kids. I know that sounds kind of parent-ish.”

The former Nirvana drummer is not a fan of current Top 40 music. “When I first heard ‘Royals’ it was sandwiched between all of that other stripper pop.” “I was so fucking relieved. I thought, ‘Hey, this might be another revolution.’ When I met her I said, ‘When I first heard your song on the radio and my kids sang along I felt like there was hope for my kids to grow up in an environment which is more than just superficial.'”

Grohl knew he and his former Nirvana band mates made the right decision to include Lorde in his former band’s induction into the Rock n Roll Hall of Fame recently. “There’s something about her that represented or resembled the Nirvana aesthetic,” he says. “She has an incredible future ahead of her as a writer, performer and vocalist.”

Lorde sang “All Apologies” with the surviving members of Nirvana and the crowd loved it.
Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/lorde-is-giving-dave-grohl-hope-for-the-future-of-pop-music-20140425#ixzz30NWtzuA0

ROCK “N” ROLL NEWS: Sean Lennon’s Band The GOASTT’S of a Saber Tooth Tiger Release Their Third Album!

The new album by Lennon’s band is titled, “Midnight Sun”, which is out this week, and it’s their third cd by Sean Lennon’s The Ghost Of A Saber Tooth Tiger. This time they trade their “folk umber and French freakbeat for “psychedelic blitzkrieg””.

The new Mojo magazine gives it four stars and describes it as, “12 out of body transmissions that channel Bends-era Radiohead, Syd Barrett whimsy and woozy melodic weirdness”. The album is streamable in full, at the link below, only on MOJO.

“Midnight Sun is the brainchild of GOASTT-talkers Lennon and model-musician Charlotte Kemp Muhl.” The two began in 2008, and they have since released “the self-explanatory Acoustic Sessions album in 2010. The woozy yé-yé pop for freaks of La Carotte Bleue followed in 2011.” Midnight Sun is already considered the band’s “richest and most immersive recording, and anyone interested in what MOJO staffer Ross Bennett describes as “Aphrodite’s Child grooves” or “interstellar guitar adventures” should listen up.”

Rolling Stone magazine gives the album 3 ½ stars.

Look out for GOASTT as they are currently out on tour in the US through May and June..
Read more:  http://www.mojo4music.com/14045/sean-lennon-goastt-midnight-sun-stream-album/

EDM NEWS:  Hucci Does It Again!

Hucci has done new followup music with this “chill trap remix of Meg Myers’ “Desire.”” Despite his youth, Hucci continues to come at you with his cool music, this is no different. He adds an even sexier vibe to an already sexy song. The intro to the song gets you excited for the track, and the vocals start to kick in. There is a cool combination with Meg Myers’ voice and Hucci’s beats, which creates an incredible song for Hucci and Myer’s fans. Be sure to listen to the song all the whole way through because they say the ending may be the best part.
Read more: http://www.edmsauce.com/2014/04/29/meg-myers-desire-hucci-remix/#ixzz30Nbqf7Y6

HIP HOP NEWS: 

Chicago’s, DJ Rashad, recently passed away, and now the hip-hop community has lost another veteran with the passing of music pioneer, DJ E-Z Rock.

According to reports, EZ lost his life over a week ago, but an exact cause of death has not been announced.

DJ E-Z Rock, famously partnered with Rob Base during the 1980’s to form one of the most popular rap duos of that time. Base announced E-Z Rock’s passing to TMZ. E-Z Rock, whose actual name was, Rodney Bryce, was 46-years-old. “It Takes Two” was the duo’s biggest hit, and soon became a hip-hop classic. Both the song, and the album it came from, hit platinum. (TMZ)

The following are some reflections on the life of DJ E-Z Rock by some of his peers in Hip Hop on SOHH.com:

New York radio veteran Funkmaster Flex remembered E-Z’s legacy following the news.

“R.I.P Dj Ez Rock http://instagram.com/p/nT_CjEQQ3c/,” Flex tweeted April 27. (Funkmaster Flex’s Twitter)

Music pioneer Biz Markie also spoke on E-Z’s shocking and unexpected death.

“R.I.P. TO EZ ROCK FROM ROB BASE AND EZ ROCK YOU WILL TRULY BE MISSED. .,” Biz tweeted April 27. (Biz Markie’s Twitter)

New York radio vet DJ Red Alert acknowledged the loss of a fellow Big Apple native.

“We Have Lost Our Very Own From Harlem NYC & The Hip-Hop Culture Our Brother DJ E-Z Rock. Rest In Peace… http://instagram.com/p/nT5ibllm8d/” (DJ Red Alert’s Twitter)

Music producer DJ Clark Kent reflected on the hip-hop legend.

“Rest In Power To The Homie Rodney Bryce aka Skip aka DJ EZ Rock. #HipHopLegend ” (DJ Clark Kent’s Twitter)

Read more:  http://www.sohh.com/2014/04/hip-hop_veteran_dead_at_46_funkmaster_fl.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=general-feed

New Music Releases:  Sean Lennon’s Band, GOASTT’s new cd, “Midnight Sun”

Our last item for this week’s Manic Monday Music News…Noted May Birthdays this week in Music!! 

May 4: Lance Bass (singer, actor; ‘N Sync), Randy Travis (Country-Gospel singer).
May 5: Brooke Hogan/Brooke Ellen Bollea (American R&B singer), Tammy Wynette/Virginia Wynette Pugh (country singer), Marshall Grant (upright bassist, electric bassist; Tennessee Two).
May 6: Mark Bryan (guitarist; Hootie & The Blowfish), Chris Shiflett (US guitar; Foo Fighters), Bob Seger (singer, guitar, songwriter; Silver Bullet Band/Bob Seger System).
May 7: Eagle-Eye Lanoo Cherry (Swedish/American singer), Derek Taylor (UK press officer, author; Beatles/Byrds/Beachboys), Johannes Brahms (Austrian-Hungarian composer, pianist), Peter Ilyich Tchaikovsky (Russia composer, pianist).
May 8: Martha Wainwright (Canadian/American, singer-songwriter), Enrique Iglesias (Spanish singer; son of Julio Iglesias), Toni Tennille/Cathryn Antoinette Tennille (singer; Captain & Tennille), Ricky Nelson (singer).
May 9: Billy Joel (US pianist, singer, composer, songwriter), Paul ‘Guigsy’ McGuigan (UK bassist, DJ; Oasis), Ghostface Killah/Dennis Coles (rapper; Wu-Tang Clan), David Gahan (UK vocals; Depeche Mode).
May 10: Bono/Paul Hewson (Irish singer, songwriter, activist, philanthropist, guitarist; U2), Young M.C./Marvin Young (rap artist), Krist Novoselic (Croatian-US bass, vocals, guitar, accordion, farfisa; Nirvana/Sweet 75/Eyes Adrift), Donovan/Donovan Phillip Leitch (UK singer/songwriter/guitar), Dave Mason (UK guitarist, vocals; Deep Feeling/Traffic/Fleetwood Mac/solo/top session musician).

Every Monday look forward to the “Manic Monday Music News”, run by yours truly, Scott Rossi! Music is the Universal language which brings the world together, something we can all agree on, so I will always try to find some cool weekly news for you to hear about, here on the Sounds by Shelly & Michelle Lee Entertainment Blog. Thanks go out to Deejay Shelly, for this opportunity. Enjoy!
Thanks! Scott Rossi, DeeJay Shelly!!!