Katy Perry promises abduction in forthcoming E.T. video debut

“Are you ready for abduction?” asks Katy Perry of her Twitter followers, just ahead of the television debut of the music video for her new “E.T.” single which has already stormed to the top of the iTunes pop charts. Or actually she tweeted “∆ΓΞ Y☼U ΓΞ∆DY F☼Γ ∆BDUC┼|☼N?” and we just think we’re reading it correctly. In any case, the video airs live in its entirety tomorrow night, May 31st, on MTV at the oddly specific time of 7:53pm, which much of the network’s content that day also being devoted to all things Katy Perry. Those who can’t wait another day can get a first look at the E.T. video on E.T. the television show, as Entertainment Tonight will be airing a first look. The video will also be accessible on the internet through VEVO starting on the 31st.

E.T. is the fourth single from Katy Perry’s sophomore album Teenage Dream, with California Gurls, the title track, and Firework all scoring big on the charts since the record’s release last year. Leading up to the E.T. video premiere, Perry has been actively encouraging fans to paint themselves up in the spirit of her “E.T.” posters which have taken over major cities of late; the photo above is what the exterior of the Whisky a Go Go in Los Angeles currently looks like.

Kanye West, who collaborated with Katy Perry on the E.T. track, proudly tweeted an image today showing E.T. as the number one iTunes single. Those who want to keep tabs on Perry right now will probably do best to simply follow her on Twitter. But for those who want to take a trip in the time machine, check out Beatweek’s interview with Katy Perry from back in early 2008, on the verge of the release of her first album, right here.

Twitter up and down today, Jackie Chan still not dead despite RIP

The magical phenomenon known as Twitter isn’t having its finest week. First it killed action star Jackie Chan, which probably came as a surprise to Jackie, as he had to take the unusual step of confirming that he is not in fact dead. And now Twitter is having one of those days where it’s up, it’s down, it’s over capacity – in other words, it feels like Twitter of 2007 all over again. Today’s failures are what Twitter itself has referred to as “elevated error rates” which we’ve seen before on days in which the social network’s backbone is overstressed. But an hour ago Twitter admitted that “Account settings are temporarily unavailable for some users,” promising to restore them shortly, which it since has.

The virtual fire alarms going off over at Twitter HQ may help explain why the social network still has yet to address the fact that “RIP Jackie Chan” is still among the site’s trending topics, even after Chan himself had to post one of those “I’m not dead” tweets in an attempt to counter the increasing number of Twitter users who have mistakenly concluded that he has in fact passed away. It’s still not clear who started the “RIP” prank or how it was successfully pulled off, but these days Twitter tends to be better at removing outright misinformation from the trending list; perhaps the outages and downtime have instead become larger priorities at the moment. Meanwhile, in real news, Jackie Chan appears to be putting together a benefit event for victims in Japan.

Alice Cooper talks Hall of Fame, reunion, Golden Gods and Nightmare 2

by Bill Palmer

“The really great reward about it is the fact that you’re being voted in by those guys,” says Alice Cooper. “It’s the very guys who taught you how to play music.” The original shock rocker isn’t going into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame quietly this month – and he’s not going in alone. Before adopting the “Alice Cooper” moniker for his solo career, he was the frontman for a seventies rock band of the same name, and it’s the original five piece outfit which is being inducted into the hall. He’s using the occasion to get the old band back together, and their first live performance in a generation will come at next month’s Revolver Golden Gods awards ceremony, an honorific event which focuses squarely on the hard rock and heavy metal genres.

At the press conference announcing the upcoming 2011 Golden Gods festivities, Cooper was on hand and sat down with Beatweek to discuss his thoughts on the Hall induction, how it feels to have his old bandmates back in the fold, and his plans for the new Alice Cooper album Welcome 2 My Nightmare – which will also feature contributions from his old band. The new album seeks to pick up where Cooper’s 1975 solo debut Welcome To My Nightmare left off.

“It’s an extension of Alice’s nightmares thirty years later,” said a relaxed and leather clad Cooper, sans his trademark facepaint, of the new material which is due out later this year. “We figured if Alice had this nightmare at this time, what would his nightmare be now? So you’ll find that there are tentacles of music that connect up the two. You’re hearing this new song and all the sudden you hear this little piano piece that’s Steven or The Awakening or something like that. It’s almost an audio hallucination, but it ties you right back to the first album. So I think that nightmares go on forever. That doesn’t mean there’s gonna be Nightmare 28 or 29 or 30. But it was a perfect opportunity to work with Bob Ezrin again and to work with two of the guys, Hunter and Wagner, who were both the two guitar players on that album, and the original guys.”

On the subject of how long he’s been hoping to see himself inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an occasion which finally takes place this week, Alice is reflective. “You don’t even suppose that you will when you realize that there’s The Beatles and The Stones and those bands in there.” But while younger generations may not even be aware that Alice Cooper was a band first, the Hall’s decision to induct the band rather than simply the individual has given the four surviving members (guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997) the opportunity to reunite nearly four decades after parting, something Alice says he’s long seen coming.

“When we broke up in ’74, we never broke up with any bad blood at all. Everybody went on and did their own projects and everything like that. We always stayed in touch with each other. And we always knew there would be a reunion at some point. We just didn’t know when it was gonna happen. This was the perfect opportunity to put the original band back together, and do some shows other than just the Hall of Fame. Go out and do some other shows together. It would be a lot of fun. Everybody plays great. Neal, Dennis and Mike are all great players. We put Steve Hunter in to replace Glen Buxton, who’s pretty irreplaceable, but Steve Hunter is about the closest thing to him. So it’s a great band.”

Alice Cooper was his affable self at the Golden Gods launch event, cheerfully pretending to choke the life out of host Chris Jericho as cameras rolled for an event promo video. The man and the band will be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame tomorrow night, and it’ll air on the FUSE network on March 20th. The Revolver Golden Gods awards will take place April 20th at Club Nokia in Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale now.

AliceCooper.com • iTunes

Review: IK Multimedia iRig Mic

By: Al Morita

Singers and songwriters looking for a quality iOS microphone at an affordable price now have an option with the new IK Multimedia iRig Mic. It is the first handheld condenser microphone for the iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad and is capable of making professional quality recordings. The iRig Mic incorporates a unidirectional condenser microphone capsule, three-level gain switch, a 6 foot cord, and a 1/8 inch input jack for real-time monitoring. A carrying case and microphone clip is also included. Combined with the new VocaLive app, this provides a mobile recording suite for singers and songwriters.

The first thing I noticed with the iRig Mic is how hefty the mic is. Those expecting the microphone to be made out of plastic will be disappointed. This microphone has a metal housing, making it very durable and rugged for mobile use. The three-level gain switch is useful for capturing loud performances, standard vocal volumes, and quieter acoustic sets without distorting the sound. It can handle up to 120 dB of sound pressure in the low gain mode, 90 dB in the mid setting, and 75 dB on the high gain setting. As for the sound quality, it is excellent for a mobile device. It is significantly clearer than the built-in iPhone or iPad microphone and the headset microphone included with the iPhone.

Included with the iRig Mic is a free version of the VocaLive app, which includes the reverb effect and a doubler effect after registration. The quality of the effects are very good, especially the reverb. One can upgrade the app with the popular auto-tune effect for a reasonable $4.99. Or add the entire suite of effects for $20. My favorite feature in the VocaLive app is the built-in vocal remover. It did a good job at removing most of the vocals from a number of songs in my iTunes library. The iRig Mic also works with any app that uses the device microphone to process or record audio on the iPhone, iPad, or iPod Touch. The latency on the other apps isn’t as good as VocaLive, but is still very useable.

Overall, the combination of the iRig Mic and the VocaLive app is an unbeatable value for vocalists looking to record with their iOS device.

Rating: 4 ½ stars out of 5 · $59.99 · IKMultimedia.com · Amazon ($59.99)

More people wonder if they want an iPad than if they want kids

More people are openly wondering if they want an iPad than if they want kids – or at least more people are Googling the former question than the latter. Type “Do I want” in to the leading search engine, and the first suggestion is “Do I want an iPad” with the second being “Do I want kids” (the third, bizarrely, is “Do I want to be a lawyer”). The popularity of the iPad related question may be a combination of the relatively new device’s popularity and the fact that many or even most people who don’t own one don’t yet appear to know what it is or does. As evidence of that, typing “What is an” into Google reveals that “What is an iPad” is the second most popular suggestion. So while the public may not know how having kids would impact their future, at least they know what a kid is, whereas most of those asking the internet whether they want an iPad are asking because they still don’t quite grasp what a tablet computer is even a year-plus after the original iPad was introduced.

Interestingly enough, the while the iPad is most popular search suggestion for the “What is an…” query, the most popular is “What is an adverb” which suggests that at least some folks are wishing they’d paid more attention back in the sixth grade. The good news for those who don’t know what an iPad or an adverb is? There’s probably an app for that.

Sara Bareilles gives away 2 iPads at 2 million Twitter mark

Sara Bareilles is feeling generous on the day she’s reached two million Twitter followers. First she gave an iPad to her two millionth follower, after confirming with Twitter itself as to who exactly was precisely the landmark follower. Then she gave another iPad to another follower selected at random. iPad winner @moosechunks predictably replied “omg! Thank you so much!” while winner @minikimmi had a more unique take: “Thanks so much! It’s ironic…a seagull pooped on me 2 weeks ago + no such luck came from that ordeal, until now.”

Bareilles remarked that she also had something, albeit less tangible for her other two million followers: “To the lucky 2,000,000th follower: I’m giving you my love. Oh, and an iPad. To the rest of you, you’ll be getting just mostly my love.”

It’s no secret that Sara is a Beatweek favorite around here, and she spoke with us not too long ago about her new album Kaleidoscope Heart (and her early-adopter Twitter status) in an interview you can read here.

Jackie Chan confirms he’s not dead, despite “RIP” Twitter hoax

Jackie Chan probably woke up in bewilderment this morning upon learning that folks on Twitter had been eulogizing him all night after someone pulled a hoax and managed to get “RIP Jackie Chan” among the social network’s top trending topics, tricking several users into mistakenly believing that the action star had in fact died. The good news: Jackie’s not dead. The bad news: someone over at Twitter quality control must have slept in this morning, because the hoax-based trending topic is still visible.

Twitter is often the first place in which (accurate) news of a celebrity’s demise comes to light, typically before the major news outlets are able to independently confirm it. Seeing a trending topic along the lines of “RIP such-and-such” is common and usually accurate. In fact, merely seeing the name of an elderly or ill celebrity in the trending topics in any capacity is often assumed to be a sign that the person has passed away.

It’s still not immediately clear who started the “RIP Jackie Chan” hoax, and it’s still a few days away from April Fools Day. For his part, Chan’s people used his official Twitter account to announce that he’s not actually dead: “Jackie is alive and well. He did not suffer a heart attack and die, as was reported on many social networking.”

We’re not sure who would pull such a stunt in the first place. But then again, Jackie Chan is famously known for doing all his own stunts…

Britney Spears Femme Fatale sees Christina Aguilera, Jordin Sparks praise

The new Britney Spears album Femme Fatale is, predictably, atop to the iTunes charts today on its day of release. But while Brit’s long awaited comeback record isn’t surprising anyone by selling well, some of the praise coming in for it is coming from surprising corners. Christina Aguilera, who has long been a Britney rival (at least professionally speaking, as the two were often compared to each other in their early career years), hopped on Twitter this morning to publicly tout Britney’s new record: “Hey @BritneySpears Congrats on Femme Fatale release! Can’t wait to see what you bring in the next video. xo – Xtina”

Two hours later, Britney responded in kind: “Thanks @TheRealXtina. Can’t wait to watch you on your new show. Hope we get to hear that voice on The Voice. -Brit”

The praise for Femme Fatale came from other circles. Jordin Sparks, who once served as Britney’s tour support, also made her feelings toward the new album clear: “Just bought @britneyspears new album! WHOOOO! Such good memories being on the Circus tour!” Fans also appear to be on board with the record by not only pushing it into the number one spot in iTunes today, but also by giving an average iTunes rating of four and a half stars out of five. Femme Fatale’s release-day success was predictable after its first two singles, Hold It Against Me and Till The World Ends, both found popularity ahead of the album’s release.

iPad Stand Review: TwelveSouth Compass

By: Daynah

The TwelveSouth Compass iPad stand is one of the most compact, yet sturdy, iPad stands you’ll find on the market. It’s lightweight and perfect if you’re always on the go with your iPad. When folded, the Compass reminds me of a Japanese fan — thin and compact. But the magic is when you unfold it into a functional stand.

Upright Stand. Pull all three legs of the Compass out to form an “A” or easel-like shape. Once you have it in position, pull out the smaller tab parts at the bottom in the front two legs. This is where you would put the iPad. It’ll lean against the stand and sit on these two tabs in the legs. The parts where the iPad rests on are lined with a soft rubber to ensure no scratches are put on your iPad.

Typing Position. Another nice feature in this stand is that it also folds into a typing position. Pull out a metal tab on the back tripod leg and put this new leg on the table. The back leg will fall into place. Lay the Compass in its new position on the table, then put your iPad on top of it. This puts the iPad in a perfect position for typing. It’s lifted off the ground and protected by the soft rubber on the stand.

There is one thing to keep in mind though. In this position, the tabs in the front legs get in the way of your typing, so it’s not recommended to type for long periods of time with the stand.

Overview. With the Compass, the iPad could be displayed in either portrait or landscape mode in both positions. Because of the compact size when folded, this stand is the most ideal for travel. It’s lightweight, sturdy, and quite functional. Beautifully crafted and designed, this stand deserves to be in a class all its own.

Note: The TwelveSouth Compass Stand for the iPad is compatible with both iPad 1 and iPad 2 as well as various eReaders and tablets.

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars · $39.99 · TwelveSouth · Amazon ($39.99)

Review: IK Multimedia iKlip mic stand adapter for iPad

By: Al Morita

Looking for a new way to learn new songs on your iPad? The IK Multimedia iKlip iPad microphone stand adapter is a good option for those tired of carrying music or lyric sheets to practice. It works by mounting onto a microphone stand via a quick and simple install. Once installed, the iPad easily slides onto the iKlip and there are adjustments for multiple viewing angles. It also has the capability for mounting the iPad in either portrait or landscape orientation, but requires disassembly to change between the two settings. To help with portability, it is made out of lightweight durable Italian-made plastic.

The main draw of the iKlip is that it allows you to use the iPad on stage. A musician can read tweets during a performance or learn new songs via songbook apps. Vocalists can use it for displaying lyrics and guitarists can use it for jam sessions with the Amplitube apps. It will fit onto just about any mic stand, making it a convenient addition for many musicians. Another possibility is for reading lyrics on the numerous karaoke iPad apps.

Note: The IK Multimedia iKlip is currently only compatible with the iPad 1.

Rating: 4 stars out of 5 · $39.95 · iKMultimedia.com · Amazon ($36.93)

iPad 3, Verizon iPhone 5, iOS 5, iTouch 5 aren’t all September babies

by Bill Palmer

In a world in which every new Apple product due in the next year ends up debuting on the same day in September… It sounds like the intro for a bizarro movie trailer from the future. Next year’s iPad 3, this summer’s Verizon iPhone 5 and AT&T iPhone 5 and iOS 5, and this fall’s iPod touch 5 are somehow giggled into a time machine and thusly debuted all at once. It makes no sense on paper, and it goes against everything Apple has done in the past decade. And yet one suggestion after another, with some of them more out of left field than others, has a picture being painted in which every one of Apple’s mobile iProducts sees itself churning a new version this fall. That can’t all be right. But here are the odds of each of the major iPlayers becoming a September baby after all.

iPhone 5: 27%. This falls under anything is possible. The iPhone’s consistent summer rollouts from 2007 to 2010 strongly suggest that it’ll happen again this summer. But the Verizon iPhone 4 was a curveball, debuting last month, which some have interpreted as a sign that the entire iPhone release schedule is now off kilter and the iPhone 5 will arrive later. We’re not buying it. But its possible.

iOS 5: 63%. This one looks much more likely, and it’s based on Apple’s own words. The company has said that its developer conference in June will be a preview of the future of iOS, which strongly suggests that iOS 5 will come sometime later. It’s possible that Apple plans to push iOS 5 out the door in June and that the conference will instead be showing off iOS 6. But the more obvious conclusion is that while the iPhone 5 probably won’t arrive late, iOS 5 might.

iPad 3: 16%. For Apple to release two iPad generations in the same calendar year would be… odd. The theory is that with the iPad 2 having been more of an evolutionary update, the true next-gen iPad, which Apple has to have been working on dating back to even before the original iPad’s release, can’t be far off. So if Apple gets this next iPad ready to go later this year, would it really sit on it through the holiday season and save the “iPad 3″ for next March? Probably, since Apple is a creature of habit in this regard. But you never know.

iPod touch 5: 92%. This one is almost assured, and for the simple reason that Apple always updates its iPod lineup in September and there’s no conceivable reason for that to change. The question now is whether that September event, which has for years been mostly about the iPod lineup, will also include any of the other iComponents like the iPhone 5 or iPad 3.

iPad 2 release and review: tips on upgrading from an iPad 1

by Daynah

Are you an iPad (1st generation) owner? Did you also just upgrade to an iPad 2? Here are a few things you should think when moving your data over to your new tablet.

Syncing your iPad 2 with your iPad 1 Backup¹

The iPad 2 isn’t that useful until you sync your collection of apps, books, and documents from your first iPad onto it. Downloading each app, one by one can be a large task. The best thing to do is to move a backup copy of your iPad 1 over to the new device. Here are the steps:

1. Sync and backup your iPad 1 in iTunes.
2. When this is done, plug in your iPad 2. On the left side in iTunes, find your new device. Right click so a menu comes up.
3. Select “Restore from backup”
4. Select the name of your backup (whatever you named your previous iPad device) from the menu.
5. Click “Restore”
6. Syncing your iPad 2 may take a while depending on how much data you had in your backup.

Be sure that both devices are running the same iOS version. The iPad 2 is shipped with iOS 4.3. If you’re running iOS 4.3.1 on your iPad 1, this will not work completely.²

What you should be aware of:
Be aware that restoring from a backup does not move everything over exactly the way they were. The apps, their data, and most of their settings are moved over, except they’re installed on the new device in alphabetical order. It’ll start installing on page 2 and end on page 11. If there are more apps, it’ll install on page 1 and then the rest will be on page 12+ (but these will not be visible on the display). You’ll need to use the search bar to find the apps that aren’t visible on screen.

Another strange thing is that folders are not moved over. So once you finish syncing your apps, you’ll have a bit of app sorting and organizing to do.

If you download a lot of book previews in iBooks, they will not be added onto your new iPad either. However, full books and PDFs will be moved over (if you sync/select them in the Books tab).

New Default Apps

Once you’re done syncing, you’ll notice a few extra icons on your iPad 2. These are the new default Apple apps available for the updated device.

• Camera – This app is the optimized version of the iPhone camera app. You can select camera or video mode in the bottom right settings. The option to use the front-facing or the back-facing camera is on the top right. When you run it for the first time, it will default to the back-facing camera. Change the settings if you like. The next time you open up the app, it will pick up your new settings.
• Photobooth – Like with most Apple products, the iPad 2 now comes with the classic Photobooth app. This app takes photos of the subject in 9 various modes including Thermal Camera, Mirror, X-Ray, Kaleidoscope, Normal, Light Tunnel, Squeeze, Twirl, and Stretch. Besides the Normal mode, I find the other modes just takes creepy photos of you. This app only works with the front-facing camera.
• Facetime – Now you can make video calls and video chats with other Apple users. Facetime is available on iPod Touch 4th generation, iPhone 4, and Macs running Snow Leopard 10.6.6+. You’ll need to sign in with your Apple ID (could be the same as your iTunes account). Both cameras will work on this app. Simply switch the camera used in the top right settings.

Camera Placement

Now that there are cameras on the iPad 2, there is a wrong and right way of holding it, at least when you use the cameras apps. The camera on the iPad works best when it’s on top and the Home button is at the bottom (portrait mode).

At first, I thought that having the back-facing camera on the left side would have photo alignment issues. But after testing, it seems fine as long as you look on the screen to center and focus your subject.

This position also works very well when you want to make a video in landscape mode. In portrait mode, if you turn your iPad clockwise, the back-facing camera will be on the top left, making it easier for you to hold the iPad and record video at the same time. Because of the size and shape of the iPad, recording video on it isn’t that practical, but it’s nice to have the option to.

Placement of Various Ports

Microphone. In the iPad 1, the microphone is located in the top left, next to the headphone jack. This is somewhat of an odd placement, but there were not many apps that needed to record sound, so it wasn’t so bad.

Now that Facetime has been added on the iPad 2, sound and voice quality is more important. The microphone has been moved right in the top center of the iPad, making talking to someone on Facetime much better. You’re not talking to just one side of the screen (which would look funny on video).

There’s a major improvement in the speakers as well. The speakers are much bigger in the iPad 2, starting from the bottom left edge of the iPad 2, and abut a finger size in height. Audio is spread much further, making your audio and music much clearer.

Processor

The addition of the Dual-core A5 chip has made the latest iPad much faster. If you play a lot of graphic-intensive games (or apps in general), you’ll noticed how much quicker the game responds to your actions. If you’re just using mostly text-based productivity apps, you may not see much of a difference at all.

Design and Weight

Design The significant differences between the iPad 1 and iPad 2 are their designs and weight. The new design borrows the best parts of the iPhone 3G/GS and iPhone 4 designs. It takes the rounded concave edges to make it appear much thinner, and the back is completely flat like the iPhone 4. When the iPad 2 lays flat on a table, it’s still easy to pick up since the edges don’t touch the table.

In the iPad 1 design, they also mixed the designs of the iPhone 3G/GS and iPhone 4. The edges took the trait of the iPhone 4 and had a straight flat edge all around the iPad 1. However, on the backside of the device, it had a more rounded feel. So if it was to lay flat on a table, only a little part of the device would actually touch the table. This was intentional also so you can pick the iPad up easier.

That’s two design concepts for solving the same problem. I’d have to say the iPad 2 approach is much sleeker and makes the iPad appear much thinner than it is. The optical illusion on the sides gives it the edge.

Weight. If you hold the iPads in one hand, the iPad 2 is significantly lighter. However, you still can’t compare it to the Kindle which feels as light as a feather. The trade-off between a Kindle and iPad is the ability to do multiple things though.

Should I Upgrade?

So the big question is, if I already have an iPad 1, should I upgrade to an iPad 2? The iPad 2 is one of those devices that you don’t need, but instead, just want. It also comes in two colors now — white and black. iPad 2 are scarce, but iPad 2 in white are even more rare. The cameras and speed upgrades aren’t compelling enough to have to get a new iPad. But if you’re interested in using apps like iMovie and Garage Band, you may want to think of an upgrade. More and more interesting apps that require an iPad 2 will start to pop into the app store soon enough. If you’re app-dicted, getting an iPad 2 as soon as you can is a good idea to maximize your time with one. The iPad 3 after all is rumored to be releasing soon!

¹You can also use an iPhone or iPod Touch backup, but most apps will require the 2x view. It’s recommended to start fresh instead and download iPad optimized apps.

²This article was based on iPad 1 and iPad 2 running iOS 4.3.1. Some parts may be different in future versions of iOS.

Michael Grimm talks new album, America’s Got Talent, Ellen, Alicia Keys

Half a year after winning America’s Got Talent, singer-songwriter Michael Grimm is ready to release what he refers to as his debut album in May. The self titled affair includes four original songs along with reinterpretations of a number of recent and classic hits. “We had to find a way to make this America’s Got Talent winner move from being a TV star to introducing me to America as a musician, and by doing so giving them a couple songs they’re familiar with but just give them my versions of them,” Grimm told Beatweek while in town to tape his latest appearance on the Ellen DeGeneres show, where he performed the album’s lead single, a bluesy rendition of the Alicia Keys song Fallin’.

“I really wanted to approach that really differently, from a different angle,” he says of his version of Keys’ decade old song. “Because people do know that song in America so well, I wanted to at least do it my way. I’m not trying to, in doing so, compare that song with Alicia Keys’ version. It becomes two entities.” Elsewhere he tackles the Daniel Merriweather hit Red, along with Rod Stewart’s “Stay With Me” and the Lynyrd Skynyrd classic Simple Man.

Grimm’s first appearance on Ellen, shortly after his America’s Got Talent victory, saw him propose to his girlfriend Lucy on air. He tells Beatweek the story behind it: “She told me awhile back, she said ‘I don’t care if we get married in a courthouse.’ She always wanted to get married right now, let’s not go have the ceremony, ‘but your proposal better be good or you’re gonna have to do it again.’” He says the two are set to tie the knot shortly after his album’s release and before he hits the road.

Michael Grimm talks much more about his new self titled album, why he considers it to be his debut despite his earlier releases, the four original songs on the album, and the progress he’s made in building that home he promised his grandmother when he auditioned for America’s Got Talent – along with the real reason he took his hat off on the show. Look for the full Beatweek interview with Michael Grimm soon.

Avril Lavigne talks Push, explains sweetly abrasive song to Beatweek

“It’s an emotion of frustration,” Avril Lavigne says of the sentiment behind her new song Push, which may be in line to be the next single off her new album Goodbye Lullaby. “But it’s also positive, like hey, we love each other, let’s not sweat the small stuff.”

The song, which includes abrasive lyrics like Maybe you should just shut up and If you fuck this up then go take a hike is nonetheless a mid tempo acoustic-leaning number. Avril tells Beatweek that musically, a song like Push (which features guest vocals from collaborator Evan Taubenfeld) could have gone either way. “When I write a song I usually just write it on the acoustic guitar. You can take any song in any direction. It could have been an aggressive fast song.”

So is Push the next single? Avril doesn’t appear to be sure yet. Today she asked her fans via Twitter and Facebook whether Push or the more up-tempo song Smile should be the second single. After thousands of replies, she declared “looks like a tie.”

Want to know more? Avril Lavigne is on the cover of the next issue of Beatweek Magazine, and in the interview she discusses Push, lead single What The Hell, the acoustic back half of Goodbye Lullaby, and much more. The full interview with Avril will also be available on Beatweek.com.

iPad 2 with iOS 4.3 allows for external USB microphone usage

The iPad 2 has just taken one more step away from being an oversized iPhone and becoming more like a full fledged computer. Despite lacking a true USB port, Apple offers a separate camera connector designed to allow photos to be added directly to the iPad. But with the advent of the iOS 4.3 update, that connector can now be used to connect at least some USB microphones – including some rather high quality ones. Blue Microphones has informed us that their line of microphones, including the popular Snowball, Snowflake, Yeti, and newly unveiled Yeti Pro, can all be used to record audio onto the iPad 2.

Some users have openly questioned Apple’s choice to not include a USB port on the iPad or now the iPad 2. Doing so would open up Apple’s tablet to a full range of USB peripherals from printers to cameras to microphones, but could create havoc as the iPad’s lightweight mobile operating system isn’t designed for universal peripheral compatibility. Apple offers the camera connector to solve the one specific issue, but printing is still best done wirelessly through the iOS 4.3 feature known as AirPrint, and in general the iPad 2 is still meant to be more of a spoke on the wheel surrounding the user’s Mac or PC personal computer. But this opening, in which the “camera connector” now allows musicians, podcasters, and anyone else to attach a third party microphone to their iPad, is a step in an expanded direction. Note: the microphones work with both the iPad 2 and iPad 1, so long as the latter has been updated to iOS 4.3, which is a free update.

Ke$ha talks I Am The Dance Commander EP, Fuck Him He’s a DJ, remixes

Ke$ha unleashes her new remix EP today entitled I Am the Dance Commander + I Command You to Dance, and she tells Beatweek all about the unusual title, the song inclusion, and whom she chose to work with. Fuck Him He’s a DJ, a popular song from her live set, finally sees a studio version on the otherwise remixed affair, and Ke$ha says it’s for good reason. “I love DJs and I love that song,” she says of the profanely titled track. “When I do it in my live show I play guitar. It’s been a fan favorite for a long time but no one could buy it anywhere. I thought it was high time to make it available to my fans.”

The overlong title for the EP is an attempt to spin her ‘party girl’ reputation on its head. “People always think I’m a party girl and that sometimes has a negative connotation but really the party for me is not about being fucked up,” Kesha tells Beatweek. “It’s about enjoying life and having fun no matter what the circumstances are. I consider myself not a party girl but a dance commander.” As far as which people she chose to work with on Dance Commander, “I have some of the best remixers in the world on these tracks. I aim high!”

Ke$ha’s full interview with Beatweek, in which she also discusses new single Blow and her tour plans, is right here.

Panic! At The Disco hangs with Ryan Ross & Jon Walker, “still friends”

The band known as Panic! At The Disco went from a quartet to a twosome on their way from Pretty. Odd. to new release Vices & Virtues, but that doesn’t mean the four can’t all still be friends. In fact they still are. Panic! frontman Brendon Urie tells Beatweek that he and founding drummer Spencer Smith, the two remaining Panic! members, have since hung out with departed members Ryan Ross and Jon Walker, who went on to found the Young Veins. “It’s still fun,” Urie says of hanging out with his former bandmates. “We’ve hung out with them a few times, actually, and it has been nice.” As far as his former bandmates’ current project? Urie says “I am a fan of their record.” He does admit, however, that about a month and a half initially went by after the split before the two sides had any contact, although he chalks that up to everyone having immersed themselves into working on their respective new albums.

The new Panic! At The Disco album Vices & Virtues debuted today at #2 on the iTunes Alternative album chart. Brendon Urie and Spencer Smith are set to hit the road for the Panic! tour, along with touring members Dallon Weekes and Ian Crawford in tow. Panic! is on the cover of the March 22nd issue of Beatweek Magazine, and you can read the full cover story interview with Brendon Urie right here.

Sky Ferreira talks As If!, Sex Rules, New York, and her real name

by Bill Palmer

“Take your music seriously, take your career seriously,” says the eighteen year old Calvin Klein model who just happens to be a deceptively talented singer-songwriter first and foremost. “But when someone takes themselves too seriously, no matter if you’re a musician or a doctor, it just brings the mood down.” Sky Ferreira is hoping listeners will pick up on the levity of her new EP, out the door today, which is why she’s titled it “As If!” and uses the five songs to playfully send up everything from anonymous internet haters to external interest in whom she might be dating to the number of songs out there which are all about sex but shy away from using that word.

Despite being born in the nineties, she makes no bones about the fact that the musical influences come from the decade before: Early Prince. Early Madonna. The first note of the first song on her new EP has an eighties synth tinge to it before she goes on to declare, matter of factly, that Sex Rules. The title of the song gives away the subject matter, a topic she doesn’t hesitate to tackle directly. “I think the thing that’s so funny about it is that it’s so straightforward when there’s so many other songs that are about it but in a nastier way most of the time, but it’s hidden with metaphors,” she says. “For example, Britney Spears, hit me baby one more time. What do people think that’s about? Wanna take a ride on your disco stick. What? It’s just kind of pointing out those things about it.”

But she adds that Sex Rules is “not supposed to be taken so seriously at all” with a laugh. “Especially that song because that’s not even in my character, to be honest.”

Sky (yes that’s her real name) first gained attention as a MySpace phenom a few years back before signing on with a major label and is now working toward the release of her first full length record. Having spent time on both the outside and inside of the music industry machine, she can see it from both sides. “I’m not talking about my record label,” she makes clear. But with regard to the industry machine in general, “there’s people that run it that don’t really understand the new wave coming out of music and how there’s different ways now than just radio airplay.”

But her days as a rising musician on the internet exposed her to the double edged sword of the online world as well. “Behind the keyboard, people talk so much shit on the internet that they would never say in real life,” she muses. “It’s just so weird to me, especially because it’s no face, it’s just a whole bunch of mean words.” The experiences informed her song Haters Anonymous, which sends up those who have nothing better to do than spend their time cyber-bullying. “I don’t know if it makes people feel better,” she ponders. “I don’t really get it.”

Elsewhere, two of her other news songs have numbers in their title in the form of 99 Tears and 108, continuing a pattern of her earlier singles entitled One and 17. So is her tendency to work numbers into her titles a sly attempt to inform the world that she’s a closeted math geek? No. “I’m terrible at math,” she says. “That’s the irony of it all. I think it’s just a habit of mine. I’ve got a thing for numbers, I guess.”

She’s also got a thing for the east coast, having bailed on her native Los Angeles in favor of New York City. The reasoning is straightforward: “I don’t have to drive, and all my friends are here.” Not that she’s necessarily given up on LA permanently. “That’s always gonna be my hometown I guess, so I’ll always love it. But right now at the moment I don’t want to live there.”

It’s not just the rise of her music career which has seen the artist known as Sky Ferreira answering questions as to whether that could possibly be her real first name – which, as it turns out, it is. “I’ve been hearing that my whole life,” she says of the assumption on the part of others that her first name must be a derivation of Skylar or Skye or some other such name. “My teachers would randomly call me Skylar when they would see it on the attendance list.”

So what of that era, back when schoolteachers were getting her name wrong and the world hadn’t yet been exposed to her music? “I was painfully shy back then,” she admits. “I’m still shy, but not like what I was.” In fact her current adult-leaning disposition is such that in conversation it’s easy to forget that you’re talking with someone who’s still technically high school age, which is something she’s aware of about herself. “I don’t feel like I’ve been wise beyond my years, but I’ve always felt a little bit more mature and I’ve always observed things a little more. In my head I’ve felt more like an adult than a child.”

Just home from a gig in Europe, Sky Ferreira says she’ll keep doing more shows this year but she’s more focused on getting her full length record out the door. The nature of the record? “I’m still figuring that out.” When might it arrive? “You never know,” she says more earnestly than playfully. In the mean time, fans will have to make due with her five new upbeat songs about sex, haters, numbers, and the human condition.

SkyFerreira.com • iTunes • Twitter • Facebook

Panic! At The Disco – the Beatweek interview: Vices & Virtues & more

by Bill Palmer

This is the cover story for the March 22nd issue of Beatweek Magazine

“I’ve always wanted to live near the ocean,” says Brendon Urie of why he’s now residing in California after having spent his whole life in Las Vegas. And perhaps the change of scenery is why seemingly nothing fazes him these days. He’s sufficiently at peace with the fact that half of his Panic! At the Disco bandmates left him two years ago to work on another project that he’s since hung out with them. He loved the challenge of playing nearly every instrument on Panic’s new record Vices and Virtues on top of his usual singing duties. He gets a kick out of the fan fuss over the fact that the exclamation point in his band’s name keeps disappearing and reappearing. And even with the Vices and Virtues release already out the door today, he’s developed such an addiction to songwriting that he’s still writing new material daily out of habit. But the 2011 story of Panic! At The Disco starts back in 2009, when Urie and drummer Spencer Smith woke up one day and realized they were suddenly a duo and decided to plow ahead together anyway.

“It took a little bit of time for us to get comfortable and realize where we wanted the band to go,” Urie says of those initial days. “But it was pretty simple for us to realize that yeah, we do want to continue on as Panic! and we want to keep making music. We were definitely on the same page with where we wanted to go musically. That being said, we never had a direction for an album or anything. We were just writing songs and trying to better ourselves as songwriters now that it was just the two of us instead of four opinions and four people writing together. So we definitely had to, I guess, work a little bit harder in that aspect.”

With Brendon penning a greater percentage of the lyrics for Vices than for Panic’s previous releases, he’s learned that his best efforts tend to be the “songs that sneeze out of you,” whether that be the ones which come together immediately or the ideas which get shelved and then later blaze back to life. Lead track The Ballad of Mona Lisa was among the latter, with its chorus dating back to the band’s early days. “I guess I’d written it four or five years ago, and never did anything with it,” Urie recalls. “I showed the band a couple times but it just fell to the wayside, we never did anything with it. Other ideas beat it out or whatever reason it was.”

Rather than bring a new guitarist and bassist into the studio, Urie simply took advantage of his own skills on both instruments. But lest anyone get ideas about Panic! now being a quasi-solo affair, he makes it clear why he stayed away from the percussion. “I love the way Spencer plays drums,” he says of Panic’s founding drummer. “I feel it’s what makes this band our band. It definitely gives us our own voice percussive-wise. It’s awesome to have someone as talented and as creative as Spencer on my side.”

As to what motivated him to cover the rest of the parts himself instead of relying on studio musicians, Urie has to think about it. “I guess maybe it was a thing where I wanted to show people I could play it? But not really. I really do just have a lot of fun singing, playing other instruments, playing accordion or bass or guitar or something. So yeah, it’s just another fun thing for me to do. I get so bored just doing one thing.”

Those instruments were vacated after Ryan Ross and Jon Walker departed in 2009 to begin a project called the Young Veins, a move which stunned fans and was at the time explained away by all parties as simply being a matter of musical differences. As it turns out, it was exactly that. Not that there wasn’t some initial awkwardness to shake off along the way.

“When we first decided to kind of split the group up and they wanted to go and just start a new project, it was a little weird,” admits Urie as the two camps each plunged into their respective new records. “It took a couple months for us to kind of get back in touch and realize yeah, this was musical differences, we shouldn’t act weird. We’re still friends. We share the same humor. We still get along great.”

And then there’s the part which will have longtime Panic! fans feeling at ease: “It’s still fun to hang out with those guys. We’ve hung out with them a few times, actually, and it has been nice. Grab a drink or grab dinner or something. It is nice and comforting for us personally to know that we can still be friends after this whole dramatic situation, whatever came out of it. I am a fan of their record, and they’ve expressed their feelings and their excitement for our stuff and showed their support. So we definitely support each other. We can’t wait to see what else they come out with because they are exceptionally talented guys. I’m sure it’ll be great.”

But when asked whether the two official roster spots will be kept open indefinitely, Urie offers “I don’t know.” Dallon Weekes and Ian Crawford have joined Panic! as touring members, but will they eventually become official members? “We’ll see. But I definitely think Dallon and Ian, if they’ll stick around, we’ll love to have them.”

Live performances aside, the Vices and Virtues record is all about Urie and Smith. After having locked themselves away for the better part of two years while working on the record, “It’s gonna be great to get back into that,” Urie says of finally hitting the road. The marathon recording process kept getting elongated by new material which was being written along the way. “All these new songs would pop up, and I’d show Jon Feldman or Butch Walker or whoever we were working with at the time, and I’d be like ‘Here’s this new one and I think this is way better,’ and they would be like ‘Yeah you’re right.’”

Brendon Urie may spend the rest of his professional life answering questions about the internal punctuation within the name Panic! At The Disco. But rather than begging off the never ending topic, he appears to get a kick out of the harmless hoopla surrounding it. Years ago, when fans first pointed out that the had an exclamation point in their name, their bemused response was “Oh yeah, we do, we forgot about that. It was like a one-time thing that we did on the internet that just ended up sticking around and we never really thought about it. And then on the second record we never thought about it not being there, and so we just wrote it without it and thought yeah, that’s not going to be a big deal. And then people were like where did it go, why did you do that? And it just became this whole thing. We’ve had a lot of fun with that,” he admits with a laugh.

But on a more consequential note, it turns out Urie says he’s suffering from an addiction: he’s still habitually writing new material for his band’s new album even though it’s already been released. “As of late I wake up and I have to go work on music. Immediately when I wake up I grab my coffee, maybe go outside for a smoke break, and I just immediately start writing music. It’s something that I feel I have to do. If I don’t, my whole day is messed up.”

PanicAtTheDisco.com • iTunes • Twitter • Facebook

Beatweek Magazine: Panic! At The Disco interview, top 50 iPad apps and more

Beatweek Magazine’s March 22nd issue highlights:

• Panic! At The Disco cover story interview: Brendon Urie talks Vices & Virtues, life after parting ways, and songwriting addiction

• The top fifty apps for your iPad including games, music, video, photography, books, productivity, social networking, education, shopping, and more

• Interviews with Sky Ferreira, Katie Costello, and Pierce The Veil

Read this issue now

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