Shazamers' Blog

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

LyricPlay^TM is the fun new feature that lets you see full screen lyrics in time with the music you’re listening to.  LyricPlay is now available for EVERYONE in our FREE and Encore Apps on iPhone, iPod touch and Android-powered devices. And with unlimited tagging you can now Shazam as much as you like to see and learn the lyrics of your favourite songs!

LyricPlay is super-easy to use…

1. Tag a song you like
2. Then start LyricPlay by turning your phone horizontally when you see the LyricPlay icon in the tag result 
3. To stop, tap the lyrics for options to return to the tag result

 We have LyricPlay for over 30,000 of our most popular Shazam’d tracks – with new songs added every week.  Update now or download Shazam from Android Market or iTunes App Store and try it out for yourself.  

 *LyricPlay is available in the US, Canada, UK, France, Italy, Germany, Spain, Australia and New Zealand.

LeeMc News

When they started making headlines, some speculated that Odd Future would probably start playing down their antics fairly soon. Not so. The New Zealand travelling festival Big Day Out has kicked Odd Future off the bill after facing criticism from members of the public over OF’s lyrics.

“By allowing Odd Future to play at BDO, you are proving that you have little concern for the lives and welfare of LGBT people, that you are willing to endanger their lives, and seek to encourage stigmatisation against them,” stated a Wellington resident to the New Zealand Herald. “I find this disappointing in an organisation that could do so much to enhance the self esteem of youth, reduce stigma, and discourage violence.”

City councillors stepped in after widespread public flapping about the group’s inclusion on the festival bill and eventually festival organisers removed OF from the lineup. Local fans – disappointed to be missing a performance by the group – were appeased when Big Day Out released a statement, entitled “OMFG DON’T PANIC. We are currently in discussions with Odd Future and will be announcing their own solo show for Auckland in the coming weeks.” For more information on the show, keep an eye on the Big Day Out website.

Out of New Zealand and back in the Northern hemisphere, back in late October Odd Future’s Left Brain allegedly assaulted photographer Amy Harris in the photo pit of a show in New Orleans. Harris has just posted a statement on her website, saying that she has pressed charges and still received no apology from the OF camp:

It’s not all bad though. Aside from the festival furore and the potential law suit, there’s also good news. Odd Future side project The Internet has been in the works for a while now. Put together by the backbone of the group – Syd The Kyd (their DJ) and Matt Martian (producer), it promises to be up there in terms of OF releases. The album ‘Purple Naked Ladies’ is released online on December 20 (there is a physical release with bonus tracks and new art on January 17) through Odd Future Records.

Helia News Odd Future