Weezer releases holiday music from iPhone app
Weezer has digitally released six Christmas songs that originally were featured on the iPhone application "Tap Tap Revenge Christmas With Weezer."
The music was recorded specifically for the iPhone app, but demand from non-iPhone users was so great that the band decided to make the songs available at digital retailers, including Apple's iTunes store and Amazon.com, according to a press release.
The digital EP features Weezer's interpretations of six classic holiday songs--"We Wish You A Merry Christmas," "Silent Night," "O Holy Night," "The First Noel," "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" and "O Come, All Yet Faithful"--which are the first songs ever specifically recorded for an iPhone app.
Weezer also contributed a song, "Troublemaker," to Warren Miller's latest ski film, "Children of Winter." The film also is featured in the video for the band's latest single, "The Greatest Man That Ever Lived."
Fall Out Boy turn focus outward on new CD
CHICAGO – If you're wondering how Pete Wentz feels about becoming a dad or looking for insight into his recent marriage to Ashlee Simpson, don't expect to find any details by listening to Fall Out Boy's new CD, "Folie A Deux."
Even though the bassist is the chief lyricist and the band's tabloid-centric spokesman, for "Folie A Deux," Wentz shifted the focus away from himself and turned it outward onto the world.
Lead singer Patrick Stump calls "Folie A Deux" the band's "statement record."
"(It's) dissecting how self-motivated our culture is," Stump said in a recent interview. "Pete on this record wrote from a very different perspective than he did on previous records."
"Folie A Deux," French for "shared madness of two," was released on Tuesday. It's the third major-label CD for the emo-rockers, who became a multiplatinum success story with the release of their 2005 album, "From Under the Cork Tree," which included the top single "Sugar, We're Goin Down."
While Stump's melodious falsetto anchors the band's sound, it's Wentz who provides the band's emotional content (the group's other members are guitarist Joe Trohman and drummer Andy Hurley). In the past, Wentz has worn his heart on the Fall Out Boy's lyrical sleeve, with songs about relationship dramas and painful splits.
Over the past two years, Wentz has become a sought-after star thanks to his high-profile union with Simpson, their new baby (Bronx Mowgli), his turn as TV host on MTV's "FNMTV" and his endless blog postings (Stump has had successful collaborations with the likes of bands like Gym Class Heroes — on Wentz's record label — but has preferred to stay out of the limelight).
But as Wentz's reaches a new high in name recognition, musically, he decided to stop writing as much from a personal standpoint.
"This record is not the standard autobiographical thing like when we first started," says Stump, sitting with his bandmates as they prepared to tape a concert special for Fuse TV. "Autobiography loses its luster when everyone is doing it."
"Sometimes I've gone into a big dark cave and that's no fun," adds Wentz, looking a bit fatigued.
"Folie A Deux" is the group's second album in two years. While the band has become used to topping the charts, they insist their main goal is simply creating good music.
But at the same time, they don't want to overthink it.
"A lot of bands sit on their hands and think, 'We need to make the perfect record,'" Wentz says. "(They should be) taking a snapshot of the moment you're (in) at the time."
"The Jonas Brothers can't have all the shine," he jokes.
The band purposely cut short the amount of time set aside for recording the album. Stump said that was going back to the days when they were a young, broke band who had to finish an album before the money ran out.
"There was something really interesting about that creative process when we were starting out," says Stump. "The more time you have, the more potential you have for excess."
Mamma Mia! beats UK cinema record
Musical film Mamma Mia! has become the highest grossing movie cinema release in the UK, beating 1997 film Titanic.
Mamma Mia! has now taken just over £69m at the box office, narrowly passing Titantic's record.
The record was broken just a few days after the film picked up two Golden Globe nominations including best actress for star Meryl Streep.
Now in its 23rd week of release, the movie has become the number one film in 15 countries.
'Delighted audiences'
David Kosse, president of Universal Pictures International, said breaking the record set nearly 10 years ago was "truly phenomenal".
He added: "This film has exceeded our expectations and delighted audiences around the world since it opened in July."
Titanic, starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, had taken£69,025,646 by the time it had finished its cinema run in 1998.
Mamma Mia! has slightly exceeded that with takings of £69,066,035, while Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is in third place with £66,096,060.
Last week it was announced Mamma Mia! was up for two Golden Globes.
The movie was nominated for best film (musical or comedy) and best actress (musical or comedy).
Streep leads the all-star cast in the feature-film adaptation of the musical based on Abba's hits, which also features Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters and Dominic Cooper.