28 March 2008
Girlicious: Soundtrack
All the mp3s of the performances so far. Enjoy. When new episodes air, I will try to further the soundtrack. But for now have fun! Here's what included:
Get them HERE
25 March 2008
23 March 2008
PUSSYCAT DOLLS RUN HURDLES IN HIGH HEELS
from PCDWeb.net
March 21th 2008
Some might consider these ‘Cats well into life No. 9. But the franchise is back in prime time & expects a strong tune-in by tweens.
By all appearances, “The Pussycat Dolls Present: Girlicious” is like any other competitive reality show. The grand prize is a spot in a new group, contestants must face a judges’ panel, & celebrities such as ‘N Sync’s JC Chasez are treated like royalty.
But there was a moment in the CW series’ third episode when Robin Antin, the choreography maven who dreamed up the burlesque troupe in West Hollywood clubs in the mid-’90s, cut to the heart of the major-label music business in 2008.
Eleven female contestants- all about age 20 & competing for places in Girlicious, the Pussycat Dolls spinoff group the show will found- were to perform to an audience of tween girls, the age group that made Miley Cyrus so popular that she was an Oscar presenter this year.
“This is part of the key demographic you want buying your CDs,” intoned Antin. “They’re the ones that dictate the future of music.”
& the music industry needs them, if only because the tweens are largely believed to still purchase CDs. If junior high kids weren’t entirely responsible for what Nielsen SoundScan estimates as 2.8 million copies sold of “PCD,” the debut album from the Pussycat Dolls that contained the (still) inescapable single “Don’t Cha,” Antin knows they accounted for a sizable percentage.
“If you go to a Pussycat Dolls concert, it’s all these little girls, & they all have on their hoodies,” Antin said recently in the family room of her modest one-story West Hollywood home. “When I first started the Pussycat Dolls, I never would have imagined that would become our target audience. But it makes so much sense. My idea, from the very beginning, was to have sort of live dolls, dancing & singing. That’s what these girls relate to.”
Antin passionately talks of the young women she employs, be it the Pussycat Dolls who record for Interscope Records or those who dance in her Las Vegas club in Caesars, as real-life dolls, creations she can accessorize with workout DVDs, lingerie lines & Broadway shows. Broadway & workout videos are not yet realities, but the lingerie line has officially launched, & Antin said she’s close to opening up a Pussycat Dolls Lounge in Los Angeles (the Las Vegas club opened in 2005).
But after about 13 years of growing & orchestrating her brand, are some tears starting to show in the Pussycat Dolls’ high-class fishnets?
“I guess the first sign of concern was the difficulty in getting the solo record from the front woman out,” said Geoff Mayfield, Billboard’s director of charts, referring to the fact that the Dolls’ star, Nicole Scherzinger, couldn’t get her solo album off the ground.
& the group is now three years removed from its smash debut. The Dolls’ return, Mayfield pointed out, would be greeted with excitement by the record business. “The shelf life on that first Pussycat Dolls record was reminiscent of days of yore,” he said.
Based on those successes, Antin is confident the Pussycat Dolls haven’t worn out their nine lives, & Ron Fair, the chairman of Geffen Records who has pledged to release the debut from Girlicious, is betting on her being right. The reason: ancillary revenue. As the music business looks to new models, much talk has been made of the “360 deal,” which is structured in such a way that Interscope/Geffen/A&M takes a cut of multiple aspects of the Pussycat Dolls brand.
“The architect of the 360 deal was Berry Gordy,” Fair said, referring to the founder of Motown Records. “He started it before there was a label for it, since Motown was a one-stop shop where you signed as an artist & you signed as a writer… [This] truly is one of these Berry Gordy type of 360 deals.”
& even though a Girlicious album isn’t out yet, Antin’s mind is racing through future projects. It’s all, she said, in the name of “female empowerment,” which she defines via a mix of sexiness & confidence.
“It’s not what life is about, but it’s a part of life,” Antin said. “We all want to feel good. We all want to feel healthy. What can you do to feel your best? Can’t go to the gym? Go outside & run down the street. There’s a lot you can do. I definitely plan on writing a book about that, helping women & inspiring women & possibly even doing a show.”
When Antin started the Pussycat Dolls she had a roommate in actress Christina Applegate, & a day job choreographing fashion shows & music videos. You can see some of her early work, & some original Pussycat Dolls, in the video for the Barenaked Ladies’ pop hit “One Week.”
“I would go & work & make money, & all my money would be put into the Pussycat Dolls,” Antin said. “It was put into the costumes. It was put into the sets.”
Antin received encouragement from her brother, actor-turned-producer-turned-writer/director Steve (Antin’s other brother, Jonathan, is the celebrity hairstylist followed in Bravo’s reality series “Blow Out”). Steve filmed early Pussycat Dolls shows at the Viper Room, pitching the project as a film/soundtrack to record labels. “It wasn’t burlesque in the beginning,” Steve said in a phone interview. “It was more go-go-ish.”
The Pussycat Dolls’ successful, multiyear run at the Viper Room eventually graduated to the Roxy in 2002 for a brief string of shows, which started drawing industry heavyweights, thanks, in part, to regular appearances by Carmen Electra. Chairman of Interscope/Geffen/A&M Jimmy Iovine, who was said to be unavailable for an interview, supposedly caught the show on the recommendation of Gwen Stefani.
Antin & Interscope struck a joint venture in 2003. The idea was to develop a Pussycat Dolls brand, & Iovine assigned the project to Fair. He & Antin began holding auditions for a group, one that would be without celebrity members such as Electra.
Antin said: “A lot of people told me to turn it into the Spice Girls. But it’s become this thing that is just the Pussycat Dolls, & there might be different girls that you see in the group. I see the Pussycat Dolls living for a long time, if not forever.
To that effort, Antin is constantly re-imaging the act, right down to the color of the girls’ hair.
“I’ll say, ‘I really believe this is going to be a good thing for you. Maybe you should go red or darker or put your hair in a Mohawk.’ At first they might get squeamish, but I ask them to trust me, & sure enough, I start to shape them into how I see them… You have to play by the rules. There are rules. It’s like school.”
The quest for relevance
MAINTAINING the relevance of a girl group is not easy. Scherzinger herself comes from a failed one, Eden’s Crush, sprung from the WB series “Popstars.”
& Fair has recently worked with a TV-inspired girl group gone bust. The CBS-affiliated “Slumber Party Girls” failed to resonate, its 2006 debut album selling only 14,000 copies in the U.S. “The Slumber Party Girls was the universe slapping us down hard & saying, ‘No,’ ” Fair said.”That’s that. Whoops.”
“Girlicious,” the show & the group, face a crowded market. The latest album from Danity Kane, sprung from MTV’s “Making the Band 4,” was released last week, & “Girlicious” is airing just as the king of all reality shows, & all television, “American Idol,” is narrowing its field. Ratings reflect the challenge: according to Nielsen, “Girlicious” is down significantly compared with last season.
Steve Antin points to the writers strike & the lead-in of “Gossip Girl” reruns as the cause for the ratings dip, & not the fact that last year’s “The Search for the Next Doll” failed in its mission. The winner, Asia Nitollano, never joined the group. The CW eventually announced that she had decided to pursue a solo career. She did some modeling for P. Diddy’s clothing line, Sean John, but a spokeswoman for the company said it is no longer working with her. (Attempts to contact her through her MySpace page went unanswered.)
Additionally, the Interscope debut from Scherzinger, “Her Name Is Nicole,” was pegged for an Oct. 16 release, then bumped to Nov. 20. Now it’s not on the docket. Early songs released to Apple’s iTunes store underperformed. Fair said, “We’re going to revisit it, & change direction.”
The plan for now is to release the next Pussycat Dolls album first. It’s about five songs deep so far, Fair said, with production from such A-listers as Timbaland, Cee-Lo & Sean Garrett, among others. A release date has not been set.
As for Girlicious the group, that album is nearly done, & a single will be released immediately following the TV show’s April 21 finale. Barring any last-minute changes, the Girlicious debut opens with a guest shot from rapper of the moment Flo Rida, who currently has two songs in the Top 40 on the U.S. pop chart.
Will fans be skeptical of Girlicious?
“Do you think we had it easy with all of our music getting out there?” Antin responded, sounding slightly defensive. “All of the press was saying, these girls are this, & these girls are that. You know what? They’re great.
“Everyone is always going to say something,” Antin said, gaining confidence as she continued. “But if you say no, I’m going to say yes… If you say you don’t like this, I’m going to give you a reason to like it.”
PCD Instrumentals [Re-uploaded]
Included are:Beep
Buttons (Album Instrumental)
Buttons (Single Instrumental)
Don't Cha
I Don't Need A Man
Stickwitu (Urban Remix Instrumental)
Sway (Do-It-Yourself Unofficial Karaoke) (AAC/.m4a)
Wait A Minute (Alternative Instrumental) (AAC/.m4a)
Get them HERE
19 March 2008
PCD Fall Fashion Show MP3s
400th Post! Here are the songs performed in MP3 format.1. Don't Cha Bite The Dust/Buttons
2. Beep
3. I Don't Need A Man
4. Feelin' Good
5. Stickwitu
6. Don't Cha
Get them HERE
PCD Fall Fashion Show Videos, Pt.2
Head over to PCDWeb.net to download full performances from the Dolls. They are on Zshare, so you download all of them for free. Enjoy!16 March 2008
15 March 2008
PCD Fall Fashion Show
Credit to PCDWeb.net:"Includes interviews with Nicole, Robin, Dr. Dre, Puffy, backstage action, runway footage as well as some clips of PCD's performance. Nicole performed the original version of "Feelin' Good." PCD performed "Buttons," "Beep," "I Don't Need a Man," "Stickwitu," & Don't Cha." Aw Nicole gave Carmit a shout out."
Get it HERE (Credit again to PCDWeb)
13 March 2008
PCD In Kuwait 2008 (iPod Video)
Format: MPEG-4 (Apple)Bitrate: 800kbps (video); 128kbps (audio)
Resolution: 512x342 pixels
Size: 296.6 MB
Part One HERE
Part Two HERE
Part Three HERE
*Credit to PCDWorld for the video.
Here is the Pink Panther/Fever/Don't Cha Groove iPod video as requested by pcd521.
Get it HERE
Jessica slowly takes Carmit's place...
Jessica is taking over for Carmit, and is, as of late, looking more like her too. I wonder what other changes will we see?
Carmit is doing well already...
She is moving on, and that's good.
Click the pic to go to the site.
12 March 2008
Melody blogs....
Hey all!! It’s melody. I know its been some time since you’ve read a blog from me and I wanna start by apologizing for my lack of communication but also thanking all of my very true fans who have been patient enough to give me time to myself and gather my thoughts, for it has been a tumultuous few months.
FIRST and foremost I have to express my deepest sorrow AND inexpressible level of pride for my dear friend Carmit Bachar who is not going to continue on with The Pussycat dolls but is moving forward to pursue other amazing avenues and incredible opportunities. I say I wish to express my deepest sorrow for selfish reasons. The Pussycat Dolls were fortunate enough to make a huge impact with our first album cycle; we have created a bond by being more than just band mates but sisters. It was a remarkable journey and roller coaster in which we all rode together. To have had so many awesome experiences with these women whom I hold so dear to my heart, knowing we are continuing forward without one is very difficult to grasp. Carmit is a very powerful woman who for sure is going to make her contribution to the world. She has endured and overcome so much throughout her life, her story is incredible and this is just the beginning....
SECOND I have to say what loyal and amazing fans I have, it’s nice to know I have you! Thanks for the message book and gifts we all really enjoyed them! Throughout our break and/or hiatus as we called it, I was given the opportunity to really redeem myself and learn my value. I realize how influential I can be to so many. I understand my purpose and the contribution I’m here to make. Blessed with the name I have and with the gift of song, it is my passion in life and I intend to do what I was made to do... to sing my soul for you! If it weren’t for all of your love and support I may have given in to the pressures of this industry but just as you are here for me, I am for you and I LOVE YOU ALL DEARLY. It may be some of the smallest ways that you show your support for me that make such a world of difference, for that I am so grateful and truly appreciate each and every last one of YOU! I want you all to know I am working hard to deliver you the best of Melody and this time it will be different!!!
THIRD and last of what I have to tell you all, is to expect updates frequently and look out for a new Myspace and website from me coming soon! OH and also... look out for PCD this summer! WE’RE BAAAACK!!!! Hahahaha
--melocat
Live from Kuwait 2008
Here are the audio files I know you've been waiting for!
Tracklisting:
Buttons
Beep
I Don't Need A Man
Pink Panther/Fever/Don't Cha Groove
Stickwitu
Wait A Minute
Don't Cha
Get it HERE
11 March 2008
10 March 2008
PCD Live in Kuwait
They were great. BTW it is being broadcast now. The Dolls perform after Disturbed and the DJ. They had new costumes, and Carmit was missed. You could not truly tell she wasn't there. They looked great and sang well. Ashley and Jess could both be heard singing in Carmit's place. I was so happy.Here are some mp3s from youtube videos until a better rip comes with all songs:
Buttons
IDNAM
Stickwitu
Pink Panther/Fever
Get it HERE
PCD Live NOW in Kuwait
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http://myspace.com/operationmyspace
No Carmit, but Ashley is singing. (I think Jess too)
"OPERATION MYSPACE
March 10, 11am PST, 2pm EST PCD will be performing for the troops in Kuwait. You can watch the show streamed live at myspace.com/operationmyspace. It will air on the FX network on March 12."
08 March 2008
Carmit herself confirms her departure
"Dear PCD fans,
Much love,
Carmit"
SOURCE
03 March 2008
It's Confirmed
I can't believe it. I am crushed and beyond words. I am sorry, but I got to go now.
