Lady Gaga premieres new songs in Nashville – Astley re-emerges

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NASHVILLE, Tenn, Oct 7, (Agencies): Lady Gaga showed that she could rock a club just as hard as arenas as she showcased songs from her new album.

The Grammy winner played a short set at the 5 Spot bar in Nashville on Wednesday night to a small crowd of fans and guests and included three new songs from her forthcoming album, “Joanne.”

She introduced herself as Lady Gaga from New York City, but asked her fans “tonight if you could just call me Joanne,” which is the name of her aunt, who died at 19 and is also her middle name. The album is set for release Oct 21. The performance was streamed live on tour partner Bud Light’s Facebook page, as will upcoming bar shows on Oct 20 and Oct 27.

Lady Gaga greeted crowds lined up behind police barricades before walking into the club wearing an embroidered jacket and large brimmed hat that covered her eyes and carrying a guitar case. She started with “Sinner’s Prayer,” followed with “A-Yo,” and then brought in top country songwriter Hillary Lindsey as backup vocals on “Million Reasons,” which Lindsey co-wrote.

Lindsey is one of a trio of songwriters in Nashville who wrote the country hit “Girl Crush,” performed by Little Big Town.

Lady Gaga returned after a short break with her current single, “Perfect Illusion,” and jumped into the crowd to sing and dance along with her fans.

After signing autographs, she played a second set for fans who had waited hours outside and sang the album’s title song as well.

She told the crowd of just over 100 people that she couldn’t “give away too much tonight,” and left them wanting more as they chanted “Joanne.”

Gaga will perform at the Super Bowl halftime show in February in Houston.

The Rolling Stones will release a new studio album, “Blue and Lonesome”, on Dec 2 — their first in more than a decade, they announced Thursday.

The album will feature songs by blues artists such as Howlin’ Wolf, Willie Dixon and Jimmy Reed, said a statement on the legendary band’s website.

Guitar legend Eric Clapton features on two of the tracks and the album was recorded over three days in London last December.

“’Blue and Lonesome’ takes the band back to their roots and the passion for blues music which has always been at the heart and soul of The Rolling Stones,” said the statement.

The album is produced by long-term Stones producer Don Was and The Glimmer Twins — the pseudonym used by singer Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards.

The Rolling Stones have not released a studio album since 2005’s “A Bigger Bang,” which featured original material that largely stayed true to the band’s blues rock roots.

JONES, “New Skin” (37 Adventures)

The music business is littered with folks named Jones — there’s Tom Jones, Norah Jones, Rickie Lee Jones and Howard Jones, for starters. So make room for another, the all-capital JONES.

That’s the stage name of London-bred singer-songwriter Cherie Jones-Mattis, whose super debut album “New Skin “ is a delicious slice of smooth electro-pop warmed by her inviting voice. It’s the perfect CD to fire up for late-night chilling, rainy-day walks and late-night rainy day walks.

JONES, who put out the 2015 EP, “Indulge,” which Sam Smith called “beautiful,” previously collaborated with the exciting British duo HONNE, and they’ve returned the favor by co-writing the R&B-influenced and infectious “Melt” as well as “Walk My Way.”

Other standouts include the return of the slinky “Indulge,” produced by Raffertie, the nicely complex song “Hoops” and “Bring Me Down,” which happily finally brings out some of Jones-Mattis’ funky side.

Rick Astley, “50” (BMG)

No, you’re not being Rick-rolled . He’s back.

Rick Astley, the soulful English pop star with the bouffant hair who sang “Never Gonna Give You Up” in the 1980s, has resurfaced with a new album that’s fun, modern and surprisingly strong. Turns out, the joke is on us.

The dozen songs on “50” — named, in a sort of Adele hat-tip to his current age — is pure blue-eyed soul, from the gospel-flavored opening track “Keep Singing” to the John Mayer-esque “Pieces,” a guitar-driven populist tune. He also gets honky-tonk, electro-funky and folky. Few artists from the ’80s have returned to deliver a new batch of songs with such diversity and strength.

Astley’s voice is warm and powerful — so is his bouffant — and he has reason: “50” scored his first UK No. 1 in 29 years. In America, it’s a natural album for fans browsing the adult contemporary charts, but their kids should swipe it for a spin, too.

 Ice Cube’s music is going straight onto a video game.

Cube and producer DJ Shadow created the original song “Nobody Wants to Die” for 2K’s “Mafia III” launch trailer, which premieres Thursday. The crime video game focuses on character Lincoln Clay’s revenge against the Italian mafia in 1968 in the city of New Bordeaux, a fictional re-creation of New Orleans.

“It’s all about getting some payback,” said Cube, whose distinctive voice was used on “Call of Duty: Black Ops.” “It’s cool to do something on this level for hip-hop. Most of the time it’s for movies, commercials or TV.”

Cube isn’t much of a gamer and initially didn’t know a lot about the game. But the rapper-actor said he knew that recording the track would be worthwhile after his sons showed excitement when their father brought home a copy of the game.

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