Sacha Sacket Leaves the "Hermitage"

Popular singer-songwriter Sacha Sacket will release HERMITAGE, his fourth studio album, on Nov. 17, 2009.

HERMITAGE marks the follow-up to the artist's critically-acclaimed 2007 release, LOVERS & LEADERS, which was hailed by American Songwriter Magazine as "a melodic song cycle coupled with extraordinary lyrical depth," and helped to reinforce Sacket's position within his league of contemporaries such as Coldplay, Keane, and Rufus Wainwright, all of which, like Sacket, have placed pianos in the forefront of their music.

The new five-song EP was written and recorded by the self-taught piano rocker in a California mountain cabin, to which he disappeared after an exhaustive touring schedule. "When you are on your own and haven't seen anyone for more than a week, strange things rise to the surface," says Sacket. "In some cases, issues you didn't even know were there. You think about your life completely differently."

"I had surrounded myself with people so I could avoid listening to myself. Sometimes running away to some remote corner of the world is the only way to remember how to do that. HERMITAGE revolves around isolation and how that experience can transform you."

"Blunder from Down Under"

by Josh Rotter

If you're like me then you spend much of your time wishin' and hopin' and thinkin' and yes, prayin' that your favorite band or artist that you've never seen live will dust off the old vocal chords and grace you with their stage presence.

Sadly, I'm let down a lot when bands don't tour or break up or artists die. I have had to make my peace with the fact that I will never see Kate Bush "Running Up That Hill" or trip out to a Pink Floyd show, or most devastating of all, will never see Nirvana rock out on stage. True, I did manage to hear their last U.S. tour in 1993 when my hip hop home girl, bored out of her mind, phoned me from a payphone at the show to let me hear portions of the set. But it just wasn't the same.

To be fair I also discovered that dreams do come true, at least part of the time, when I caught Soft Cell, Jody Watley, and Yazoo on the road, after long absences from the stage.

Mariah Carey Live on 'Today'

She'll never age.
She'll never grow up.
She'll never cover up those legs, those curves, that cleavage!
The super ballad reigns supreme, forever more, all thanks to Mariah Carey. A little girl with a big voice who dared to dream and sing to the rafters.
Sing on, Mimi.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Kylie Minogue's U.S. Tour Kicks Off

Kylie Minogue, known as Australia's Madonna, kicks off her first North American tour tonight in Oakland, Calif., at the Fox Theater. After an encore show tomorrow night, Minogue and her hot backup dancers shake it next in Las Vegas at the Pearl Theater October 3 before a blockbuster performance at the Hollywood Bowl here in Los Angeles October 4.
Tickets are still available for many of her shows here.
Minogue offered fans this sneak peek at the rehearsals for the stage production and introduced us to some of the aforementioned dancers. Hello, Jamie!

La Roux's "In For The Kill"

Elly Jackson, the lead singer of new wave pop-rock group La Roux, has opinions all her own as her group rises to the top of the UK charts. Jackson welcomes her devoted lesbian fan following, but takes a pass on any comparisons to fellow dance hit maker Lady Gaga.
Jackson, a tiny, slightly ambiguous redhead, knew she'd attract a gay following but has been surprised at the enthusiastic methods fans employ at shows to get her attention. Jackson told Heat magazine, "It's the fact that they think I want their bras – that's what's weird about it. One girl in Toronto stood there for ages with her boobs out. Everyone just thinks I'm a raging lesbian and I want to see everyone's boobs. Sorry, I'm not." In the past, she has also commented on the narrow mindedness of people who try to categorize her based on her appearance or the way she dresses.

La Roux - New Music - More Music Videos

Mika: "No Hint of Penis" in Lady Gaga's Panties

Two pop stars who try their damnedest to defy common labels are Mika and Lady Gaga. But there are some terms that just don't apply to the eccentric entertainers. Mika says one such falsity is the hermaphrodite rumors surrounding the "Just Dance" singer, and he's shared his personal knowledge to help clear things up.

“She doesn’t have a penis," Mika said of his friend Gaga. "She came to my house in her underwear and I saw no hint of a penis. She thought it was appropriate attire. She can get away with it. She knows what she’s doing. She ain’t no fool. She’s brilliant."

New John Mayer Song “Who Says”

Well-known for saying too much no matter how hard he tries to stay tight-lipped, John Mayer is pop music's modern-day Romeo.

Romancing stars and reflecting his personal experiences in his tunes and Twitter posts, Mayer may irk some, but he has that rare authentic offering of talent to fall back on: In between breaking celebrities’ hearts and bitching about his tabloid coverage, dude produces some really nice melodies. He's not so much a bad boy as he is just a frank guy surrounded by overly nice and PR-minded celebs. Mayer's sharing a track of his next album, Battle Studies, with the world before the November 17 release date. Check out "Who Says" below:

Tell us: Do you like John Mayer's music or are you sick of his shtick?

Real Housewife of Atlanta Kim Zolciak's Single

We want to root for Kim Z, we really do. We don't think her invisible benefactor boyfriend, Big Poppa, blonde extensions, and pop diva aspirations make her any less (or more) fun to watch than the other Housewives. But Zolciak seems to be slipping into dangerous territory by becoming more infamous for being herself than a reality star, like Danielle Staub of The Real Housewives of New Jersey. It seems some hiccups have accompanied Zolciak's recent press blitz push for her single "Don't Be Tardy for the Party." If the musical offering is for real, as Zolciak and the Bravo show would have us believe, someone should be looking out for the singer's business affairs, like music publishing and copyrights.

The VH1 Diva Duets Recap

Did you watch? Don't fret too much if you missed it, VH1 is sure to rerun the broadcast over the weekend. But it was certainly everything viewers have come to expect from the music television event Divas Live: hits, misses, shocks, thrills -- and those were just the divas’ costume choices.  

With ample Paula Abdul shenanigans and a bonus bit of awkward with Liza Minnelli, the transitions ran the gamut from campy to cringe-worthy. But the performances, for the most part, were breathtaking.

The thoughtful pairings of music's favorite female singers dueting on their biggest hits can be a thrill for the audience when executed well. Adele joined India.Arie for a soul-stirring rendition of Arie's hit "Video" and displayed a spirit of female empowerment so sophisticated it could make Lillith Fair look like a ragtag gang of songbirds.

 

It's Here: VH1 Divas Live 2009!

Now, a few people are hating on the lineup of tonight's VH1 Divas Live music special. True, the one-night-only event to benefit Save the Music Foundation, which previously aired from 1998 through 2004, has hosted such female heavyweights as Aretha Franklin, Mariah Carey, Cher, Diana Ross, Tina Turner, Beyoncé, and Whitney Houston previously. But after a five-year hiatus, we are excited to welcome the glamorous girl-power hour back and our ears (and eyes) are wide open to take in the reigning divas of 2009. Their careers might not be as long-established as some divas from concerts past, but the talent is still (largely) present and accounted for.
There will be solo performances from radio rulers Kelly Clarkson, Miley Cyrus, Jennifer Hudson, Leona Lewis, Adele, and Jordin Sparks.

But aside from solo performances, what Divas is really known for delivering on is jaw-dropping duets. This year's pairings promise: