Bruce Springsteen's new album leads off with one of his longest
studio songs in decades. "Outlaw Pete" is eight minutes long,
setting the table for "Working on a Dream," due Jan. 27 from
Columbia.
Other tracks from the project get in and out much quicker,
including "Tomorrow Never Knows" (2:14) and "What Love Can Do"
(2:57). Late E Street Band member Danny Federici, who died in
April, plays on the album, as does his son Jason.
"Working on a Dream" will be available on vinyl and in a deluxe
edition featuring a DVD with 38-minutes of behind-the-scenes studio
footage.
-- Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.
Country singer Faith Hill will release a perfume in late 2009
through fragrance maker Coty, the company said. Hill's scent, which
does not yet have a name, will be made by the same company that
makes Tim McGraw's cologne, "McGraw by Tim McGraw." McGraw and Hill
are married.
Whether Hill's scent will prove a success in the current economic
climate remains an unknown. An analyst told MediaPost, "We're
expecting a low single digit decline for the fragrance business for
2008 in terms of dollar sales. And it's not just that the market is
so saturated with celebrity scents. It's also that many retailers
are lowering prices, so even consumers who like a certain celebrity
fragrance are going to be watching the circulars and looking for
sales."
Coty specializes in celebrity scents from Jennifer Lopez, Gwen
Stefani. Kylie Minogue and Shania Twain. "In one respect, putting
out a fragrance is like releasing a new album -- you just hope that
everyone will enjoy it," says Hill.
-- Kamau High, N.Y.
Members of Thrice (Dustin Kensrue), Switchfoot (Jon Foreman), Saves
The Day (Chris Conley) and Sparta (Jim Ward) will perform acoustic
sets Dec. 19 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles to help raise
awareness for Invisible Children, a nonprofit group that provides
education and economic relief to northern Uganda.
"Whenever they call or have a big event happening, I'm always
really excited to support when I can," says Foreman, who is
recording a new Switchfoot album in San Diego. "If music can come
alongside what they're doing, it's an honor."
-- Mitchell Peters, L.A.
