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(Hollywood Reporter) – As snow storms raged across Europe, "The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader" led the mushy foreign box office for a second weekend. more

Gomez's Ben Ottewell Announces Solo Debut

Ben Ottewell, one of several singer/songwriters in Gomez, will release his first solo album, "Shapes & Shadows," via ATO Records on February 15, 2011.

The nine tracks on "Shapes & Shadows" were co-produced by Ottewell and Will Golden and mixed by Tom Biller (Liars, Warpaint, Karen O) at The Chalet in Los Angeles. See below for a tracklist.

"Shapes & Shadows" will be available on CD and in MP3 or FLAC digital formats, and is available individually or bundled with an exclusive t-shirt and a five-track digital EP containing acoustic versions of four of the songs from the album plus a special cover song. more on this story

Wanna See Hip Hop In A Honky Tonk Weird Science Style?

Colt Ford has premiered a Weird Science-themed music video video for his new single "Hip Hop In A Honky Tonk" from his album, Chicken And Biscuits. The video also features artist Kevin Fowler.

Colt, who grew up an avid fan of the motion picture Weird Science, has wanted to incorporate the film's quirky sense of humor into a music video for years. He adds, "This song is about having my style of music accepted in the honky tonks, so by incorporating a storyline as silly—yet appropriate—as Weird Science, Kevin and I had a chance to really have fun with it!"

A 1985 cult classic, Weird Science focuses on two unpopular teenagers who continuously fail at all attempts to be accepted by their peers. Their desperation to be liked leads them to "create" a woman via their computer. Their living and breathing creation is Lisa, the gorgeous woman whose sole purpose is to boost their confidence level by putting them into situations which require Gary and Wyatt to act like men. It is this scene in particular that is played out in the music video for "Hip Hop In A Honky Tonk," only instead of creating just one woman, Colt and Kevin create an entire dance party! more on this story

The South Memphis String Band Receives Blues Music Award Nomination

The South Memphis String Band, the roots supergroup of sorts featuring Luther Dickinson, Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus, have received a Blues Music Award (Acoustic Album of the Year) for their release Home Sweet Home .

Luther and SMSB co-conspirators Alvin Youngblood Hart and Jimbo Mathus were delighted to learn of the nomination with Jimbo commenting, "Nothing could please me more than being nominated with these gentlemen. Jim Dickinson told us to 'get less accurate tuners,' and we have. So I am looking forward to our next record on Memphis International. Alvin Youngblood Hart whose own Memphis International debut album, Down In The Alley, was GRAMMY nominated in 2003, quipped, "Get me Sacheen Littlefeather on the line!"

The band is traditional yet innovative. As one Memphis pundit put it, "If you could string a kitchen sink, these guys would have one on stage and be strummin' it by the second set."

Anniversary of Hank Snow's Death

(Gibson) On this day in 1999, country music lost one of its great voices. Clarence Eugene Snow, known to the world as Hank Snow, passed away at the age of 85. When he died, he left behind a musical legacy rivaled only by his philanthropic work for abused children.

Snow's rise to stardom was an unlikely one. He was born in Brooklyn…no, not that Brooklyn…but Brooklyn, Nova Scotia, Canada. His childhood was not a happy one. His parents divorced when he was eight years old. He was forced to live with his paternal grandparents who forbade him from seeing his mother — and he was beaten when he snuck out to do so. Things weren't much better at his mother's house, where he was brutally beaten by his stepfather. Often he would seek refuge in nearby Liverpool's railway station. Eventually, Hank had enough and he left to work as a cabin boy on fishing schooners at the ripe old age of 12.

Somewhere amid the pains of his childhood, Snow discovered the escapist pleasures of the guitar. His mother taught him to play as a boy and, when he had earned enough money on his fishing trips, he bought himself a cheap acoustic. While at sea, he would sit by the radio and listen to the players of the day, like the great Jimmie Rodgers, and learn their songs to later entertain the crew. Eventually, his skills developed to a point where he was entertaining folks on land, as well, at parties and get-togethers. more on this story

Tom Jones, Andy Williams and More Show Their Jewish Soul

(PR) Jewish Soul is a unique compilation of the most popular, traditional Jewish songs as performed by some of the most famous recording artists in the world.

Jewish Soul features world-renown artists who have achieved world-wide fame in the fields of Rock & Roll, Rhythm & Blues, Classical, Opera, and Popular music. The universal appeal of Jewish music is as old as Tin Pan Alley as exemplified by the fact that the inspiration for this compilation came from an artist not known as a "Jewish recording artist," Jackie Wilson, known as "Mr. Excitement," performing the Al Jolson classic "The Anniversary Song."

Other selections include a soulful "Yiddish Mamma" by Tom Jones, Connie Francis' spirited performance of "Tzena Tzena" from her best-selling Jewish album and Eddie Fisher's #1 hit, "Oh My Papa." Two classic songs, one in Yiddish, "Eli, Eli" and one in English, "Where Can I Go?" are performed by Johnny Mathis. Included is the 1958 Top 40 hit "Dance Everyone Dance", an English version of the classic "Hava Nagila" by Betty Madigan and a stirring English-Yiddish version of "Where Is The Village" by Jay & The Americans. Who else but Eartha Kitt could sing "Rumania, Rumania" in Yddish and make it sexy and hilarious at the same time. Other artists include, Andy Williams, Jan Peerce, Yaffa Yarkoni and Netania Davrath more on this story

Kasey Anderson & The Honkies (Presidents of the United States of America, The Posies, The Supersuckers) Set Album Release

Kasey Anderson & The Honkies will release their latest full-length, "Heart of a Dog," on February 15, 2011 via Red River Records.

Comprised of Kasey Anderson (vocals, guitar, percussion), Andrew KcKeag (guitar, vocals), Eric Corson (bass), and Mike Musburger (drums), Kasey Anderson & The Honkies bring a wealth of a "who's who" of Northwest rock to their latest offering.

McKeag has spent time in Presidents of the United States of America and The Long Witers, Corson in The Long Winters and, of course, Musburger from The Fastbacks, Young Fresh Fellows, The Posies, The Supersuckers, and countless other cult Seattle power-pop and indie-rock bands. more on this story

Country Thunder Festivals Announce Additional Stars

The Country Thunder festivals in Arizona and Wisconsin have announced additional performers.

Arizona: Joining Jason Aldean on Friday night is CMA and Grammy Award winning group the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, and country rocker Eric Church, who's recent album "Carolina" garnered the top-ten hits "Love Your Love the Most" and "Hell on the Heart". On Saturday, Martina McBride will be joined by ACM "Top New Male Vocalist" winner, Rodney Atkins, who's current Top Ten single "Farmer's Daughter" has spent an astounding 36 weeks on the Billboard Charts. Also adding to Saturday night will be Country Thunder favorite Neal McCoy who is back once again to provide an electric performance, sure to get festival goers "movin and shakin"! For the final night of the festival, platinum selling artist Clay Walker will take the stage alongside Toby Keith. With 11 #1 hit singles, four RIAA platinum and two gold certified albums under his belt Walker is no stranger to Arizona, and is sure to deliver exactly what the crowd wants!

Wisconsin: Sawyer Brown will be ready to entertain Thursday's crowd with their infectious energy and will join Lady Antebellum to show the crowd that Country Thunder is back and better than ever, packed with an unrivaled line-up. On Saturday, 2009 CMA "New Artist of the Year" winner Darius Rucker and Country Thunder favorite Neal McCoy will both be joining powerhouse Martina McBride, a combination sure to keep the crowd on their feet. Sunday, Easton Corbin, who has taken country music by storm with his #1 hits "A Little More Country Than That" and "Roll With It" will take the stage alongside Rascal Flatts, helping bring the festival to a close. more details

Josh Turner Welcomes Third Son

MCA Nashville sent over these good tidings on Friday: Christmas came early this year for Josh Turner and his wife, Jennifer, who welcomed their third son, Crawford Marion Turner, on Monday, December 13. He was born at 8:52 p.m. at a Nashville hospital. He weighed 6 pounds, 15 ounces and was 19 inches long. Both baby and mother are doing well.

"Jennifer and I are overjoyed at Marion's arrival," Turner says. "He's a strong, handsome little boy with a resilient spirit. Thanks to all of our family, friends and fans for their thoughts and prayers."

Josh and Jennifer married in 2003 and have two other sons, Hampton, 4, and Colby, 17 months. more on this story