Shazamers' Blog

Hey all you US Shazamers (with kids)! The new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie – Chipwrecked – is coming to theatres soon and Shazam is giving you a special treat!

Shazam the commercial and get a limited-time FREE download of their cover of The Go-Go’s classic, “Vacation!”  You can also see the movie trailer and clips, buy the DVDs of the first two movies and get tickets to your local theatre.

This third Alvin and the Chipmunks movie sees the ‘Munks and Chipettes set sail for high jinks on the high seas, becoming ‘chip-wrecked’ on a desert island where they meet a modern day Robinson Crusoe.

Enjoy.

LeeMc News

“The goal of an AIDS Free Generation is ambitious. But it is possible, with the knowledge and interventions we have right now…an AIDS free generation would be one of the greatest gifts we could give to our collective future.” – Secretary of State, Hillary Rodham Clinton, United States Department of State

• AN HIV+ PREGNANT WOMEN CAN GIVE BIRTH TO AN HIV FREE BABY.
• 98% OF MOTHER-TO-CHILD HIV TRANSMISSION CASES ARE PREVENTABLE
  YET, MORE THAN 1,000 BABIES ARE BORN EVERY DAY WITH HIV
  AND HALF OF CHILDREN BORN WITH HIV WILL DIE BEFORE THEIR 2ND BIRTHDAY WITHOUT TREATMENT SO WHAT WILL IT TAKE TO DELIVER AN AIDS FREE GENERATION BY 2015?
• WE NEED TO GET 1.4 MILLION HIV+ PREGNANT WOMEN ON MEDICATION MEDICATION THAT COSTS AROUND 40 CENTS A DAY
  IT’S DOABLE.
  THE BEGINNING OF THE END OF AIDS STARTS WITH YOU.

In honor of World AIDS Day and in support of our partner (RED), Shazam is lowering the price of the (SHAZAM)RED App to $1.99/£1.49 for 1 week and giving all profits to The Global Fund in the fight to create an AIDS Free Generation by 2015.  We encourage everyone to participate by helping (RED) build the 2015 quilt at www.2015quilt.com Make a pledge and get one of The Killers’ (RED) songs for free (check out their others on iTunes). Stand with us and help make the beginning of the #endofAIDS a reality.

LeeMc News

GREAT NEWS for Justin Bieber fans!  We’re giving one lucky Shazamer the chance to win an exclusive Justin goodie bag when you tag his new video “All I Want for Christmas is You” – premiering on VEVO tonight at 10pm EST. You could get your hands on

• An Epiphone DR100 guitar signed by Justin himself
• Clothing from the “All I Want for Christmas is You” video
• A deluxe box set including a Justin Bieber ornament, book, easel, backer card & CD/DVD,
• A Mistletoe Plaque to commemorate Justin’s “Under the Mistletoe” album. 

 Everyone in the US and Canada* with an iPhone/iPod touch/Android device can tag the video at any point to buy the single or album, watch the video anytime on their phone or tablet, as well as enter the contest. All you have to do is:

1. Activate Shazam Friends (via the Friends Tab in your Shazam App)
2. Shazam “All I Want for Christmas is You” between November 30^th and January 15^th, 2012

 There’s a runner up prize for 5 lucky Shazamers is a SONOS Play: 5 Wireless HiFi System and a copy of Justin Bieber’s Christmas album, “Under the Mistletoe.”

 Winners will be selected on January 16, 2012 and fans can follow the “Golden Tag” promotion on Facebook pages for Justin Bieber and Shazam.

 *excluding Quebec

LeeMc News

December 1st is World Aids Day.  Join millions of ONE and (RED) supporters by adding your panel to the (2015)Quilt. Make a pledge to do more and a thank you gift will come your way – a free song from The Killers (and check out their songs on iTunes).

1,000 babies are born with HIV every day. By 2015, that number can be nearly zero. Add your panel to the quilt and make your voice heard. The beginning of the end of AIDS starts with you. Get started at www.2015quilt.com

Thank you for being (RED)!

LeeMc News

Everyone’s favourite band, Radiohead, continue on their full disclosure to fans quests by releasing two demos that were recorded in the mid-1980s, when the band were called On A Friday.

The demos – which surfaced via YouTube user Klootme – are the earliest known demo tapes, recorded in 1986. “The remixes on the end are reportedly bizarre sort of dub versions where the vocals pretty much cut in and out at random. It was apparently recorded at the music room of Abingdon School,” according to Poptart, What’s Our Mission?.

Klootme explained the history behind the demo tapes: “My husband was at school with the band and partied with them (before Jonny joined them!). Phil was at Uni with us both in Liverpool. The demo was given to my husband at 17 in school. We used to go and see them play in Oxford and were friends with them. They were fairly inactive from 1987 -1990 as a band. But when everyone had finished Uni they got back together and tried to make a go of it. They went to the States…we went backpacking to India for 6 months. Six months later we returned from India…saw Colin with a binbag full of laundry at the launderette….. ‘so much for the States’ we laughed… I remember seeing them in Oxford where me and my husband made up an audience of 6!”.

Radiohead have also recently posted three new remixes of tracks from their album ‘The King of Limbs’, which you can listen to on the NME’s site.

Bassist Colin Greenwood posted a message with the remixes: “Hello! Here are the three remixes by Anstam, Nathan Fake and Jamie xx that sadly didn’t make it in time for the vinyl release – we wanted to get them out because we’re big fans and wanted you to hear them too.”

Helia News radiohead

As we reach the Christmas charts, the album reissues are coming thick and fast. One such piece of work is The Rolling Stones’ ‘Some Girls’ – originally released in 1978, the album hit the number one spot in America and Canada, making number two in the UK. Since its release, the album has over six million copies, and continues to be one of the Stones’ most noted albums for its change in direction towards a more disco influenced sound.

When the album was released, the Stones had already graduated to a second generation of rock. Bands like The Clash and the Sex Pistols had created a new musical rebellion through punk, and suddenly, the Stones were looking like out-dated dinosaurs.

“It’s not like we wanted to make a career out of disco; it just happened to be that beat, and Mick came up with this beautiful idea. If you’re ever gonna do disco, you got to do it now. It was like a one-off,” Richards said to the Washington Post.

Jagger brushed off the notions that the band were consciously trying to make a breakaway album. “I never thought for one minute that people would criticise you for doing something with a dance beat,” Jagger said. “So the idea of it being ‘Bob Dylan going electric’ never occurred to me.”

The album was born from where the band were at during that time, both creatively and also physically. “The inspiration for the record was really based in New York and the ways of the town,” Jagger told Rolling Stone. “I think that gave it an extra spur and hardness. And then, of course, there was the punk thing that had started in 1976. Punk and disco were going on at the same time, so it was quite an interesting period. New York and London, too. Paris—there was punk there. Lots of dance music. Paris and New York had all this Latin dance music, which was really quite wonderful. Much more interesting than the stuff that came afterward.”

Stones fans have another year to look forward to from their favourite band in 2012, they’ve announced plans for a 50^th Anniversary celebratory jam. The Stones haven’t played live since 2007, so it’s likely to be a pretty big deal…

Helia News Rolling Stones

Hey Shazamers – we’re extra excited about Black Friday this year, because the Amazon Appstore for Android is offering Shazam Encore  for 50% off from now through to Cyber Monday. Enjoy  unlimited tagging, streaming lyrics, videos and endless opportunities to share your discoveries with your friends! Get Shazam Encore here http://amzn.to/tSye9X

LeeMc News

LeeMc News

Here is this week’s In The Loop. All the weeks musical chatter delivered in one easily digestible chunk.  

Rihanna booed by fans for being late (Gigwise)

Coldplay announce stadium shows for 2012 (Metro)

Frank Ocean turns down Kanye West (NME)

Adele on the mend after throat surgery (MTV)

Justin Bieber to play White House Christmas show (News Quod)

Mac Miller makes indie history with debut album (Allhiphop)

Jay Z talks about making Watch The Throne (GQ)

Emmanuel Kobla In The Loop, News Rihanna



Adele’s sophomore album ‘21’ has been an unprecedented digital success. Earlier this year in the US it became the biggest selling digital album in American chart history. So far this year, it has sold over 12 million copies, worldwide. And now, ‘21’ has become the first album to sell more than a million copies on the European iTunes store. In late October, Adele cancelled all her remaining 2011 concert dates and all promotional activity due to a vocal cord haemorrhage. This was just weeks after she cancelled dates in the UK following a chest infection.

A statement posted on her website stated: “It is with deep regret that Adele has been forced to cancel her remaining live dates and promotional appearances in 2011. She is to undergo surgery to alleviate the current issues with her throat and a full recovery is expected. As a result, doctors have ordered her to rest her voice and completely recuperate before looking to schedule any work commitments.”

Despite the setback, the surgery was a success, as Adele told fans in an entry on her blog: “I’m doing really well, on the mend, super happy, relaxed and very positive with it all. The operation was a success and I’m just chilling out now until I get the all clear from my doctors. Thank you to everyone who voted for the awards I’ve won recently as well. Hugely appreciated. I best get back to practicing my mime show now.”

Though many fans might have missed her on stage this year, Adele is making up for that with a CD/DVD release of her performance at the Royal Albert Hall, out on November 28. Watch the trailer above.

Helia News Adele