Weekly music agenda: Grammy Nominations Concert

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Coming up in early December, Los Angeles sets the stage for the Grammy Nominations Concert. Also, French house DJ duo Daft Punk releases the much-anticipated soundtrack to the upcoming film TRON: Legacy.

Black Eyed Peas: 'The Beginning'
November 26/29/30
Germany/UK/US

Beginning November 26 in Germany, American hip-hop group The Black Eyed Peas will roll out their sixth studio album, The Beginning. The album's first single, "The Time (The Dirty Bit)" samples the 1987 single "(I've Had) The Time of My Life" from the film Dirty Dancing and was digitally on November 9. The album follows up the multiplatinum The E.N.D., which spawned the number one hits "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling." The latter track is the most legally downloaded song ever, having been purchased by six million people worldwide. The hit, produced by David Guetta, has also become the first single to sell more than one million downloads in the UK. The Black Eyed Peas have sold more than 27 million records worldwide.
http://www.blackeyedpeas.com


Grammy Nominations Concert
December 1
Los Angeles, US

Setting the stage for the 53rd annual Grammy Awards on February 13, this one-hour special will announce nominations in several categories and feature performances by past Grammy winners and/or nominees (performers and host have yet to be announced). Stayed tuned to the official website for more information and check local listings for broadcasts in your area. The event will air from 10-11 p.m. in the Eastern and Pacific time zones.
http://www.grammy.com/


Daft Punk: TRON: Legacy soundtrack
December 7
International

French house DJ duo Daft Punk, consisting of Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, is set to release the full soundtrack to the upcoming TRON: Legacy, the sequel to 1982's Tron. To produce the score, Daft Punk employed an orchestra of 85 musicians and recorded at London's AIR Lyndhurst Studios. This is the pair's first film score. Renowned internationally as electronic music innovators, Daft Punk has received two Grammy Awards and seven nominations. To hear a six-minute excerpt from the soundtrack: http://www.waltdisneystudiosawards.com/tronlegacy/music.php?ref=nf
http://www.daftalive.com/


Michael Jackson: 'Michael'
December 13/14
UK/US

Michael, Michael Jackson's posthumous LP releasing December 13 via the label Epic, was coproduced by Jackson and culled mostly from material recorded in three years leading up the his death in 2009. Collaborations included on the new LP feature 50 Cent, Lenny Kravitz, and Akon. Jackson is recognized as the most successful entertainer of all time by the Guinness Book of World Records. His 1982 album Thriller is the best-selling album of all time, selling an estimated 110 million copies so far.
http://www.michaeljackson.com


R. Kelly: "Love Letter"
December 13/14
UK/US

US R&B recording artist R. Kelly will release his tenth studio album, Love Letter, on December 13. The album will include 14 songs, including the album's just-released single "Love Letter" and "A Love Letter Christmas," the Christmas remix to "Love Letter." Kelly has won three Grammy Awards and was recently named number one hip hop/R&B artist of the last 25 years by Billboard.


New Year's Eve
December 31
Worldwide

Announcements are beginning for New Year's Eve and New Year's Day concerts worldwide. Among confirmed shows: Jay-Z and Coldplay at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas Resort and Phish at Madison Square Garden. Or enjoy the festivities from home: An annual performance by the Vienna Philharmonic is broadcast in more than 50 countries, and Japan's Red and White Song Festival, a 50-year-old tradition featuring competing teams of celebrity singers, airs internationally by NHK and select cable channels. From New York, Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve with Ryan Seacrest airs on ABC-TV, and NBC's New Year's Eve with Carson Daly airs on NBC, CNBC, MSNBC, and Bravo. To stay informed of concerts, keep an eye on artists' websites or on ticketing sites like ticketmaster.com and livenationinternational.com.


Looking ahead: SXSW offers reduced registration
Through January 14
Austin, Texas

The annual South by Southwest Music and Media Conference & Festival gathers members of the international music, film, and interactive media industries in Austin, Texas, for a weeklong convergence of ideas and talent. Founded in 1987, the music event attracts nearly 12,000 attendees every year; the film and interactive components, added in 1994, attract approximately 17,000 registrants. SXSW 2011 is scheduled for March 11-20. Through January 14 badges range from $475 to $675  (355-504 euros) for single festivals (music, film, or interactive). Gold and platinum badges, priced at $800 (598 euros) and $1050 (785 euros), allow entry into multiple events. After January, costs will rise by $25 to $75 (19 to 56 euros) per badge.
http://www.sxsw.com