STEVIE NICKS IDOLIZED BY FLORENCE & THE MACHINE'S FRONT WOMAN

Delicate and ferocious, powerful yet vulnerable, 80's riot girl meets '90's Lilith Fair, Florence and the Machine's music can go from one extreme to the other in an instant of juxtaposing sounds and emotions driven by front woman Florence Welch's voice. The easiest way to describe them: Pretty with a punch.

The British band's debut album "Lungs" on Universal Republic has been a huge breakout, spurring buzz in both the UK and the US. They've recently embarked on their first US tour, starting in New York with two sold out shows at Le Poisson Rouge and Terminal 5. And playing across the country with a stop at Coachella Music & Arts Festival.

"I get inspirations from all over the place," says Florence.

However, her music idol of all-time is Stevie Nicks.

"I'm pretty obsessed with Stevie Nicks from her style to her voice. I like watching her on YouTube and her old performances, the way she moves and everything," she says.

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THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND IN KANSAS SEPT 19, 2010

ZZ Top & THE MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND + Maroon 5 Added to State Fair Grandstand Lineup - KWCH - Kansas News and Weather -

The Kansas State Fair announces the more of the lineup for this year's Spring Grandstand acts. The Fair announced Thursday it has added Maroon 5, Rodney Atkins, Blake Shelton with James Otto, and rock group ZZ Top with Mick Fleetwood Blues Band to this year's lineup.

The fair says there are two more events, but those won't be announced for a few more weeks.

Full Schedule:
Sept 11 – Foreigner
Sept 12 – Rodney Atkins
Sept 13 – Terry Fator
Sept 16 – Maroon 5
Sept 17 – Blake Shelton/James Otto
Sept 19 – ZZ Top w/ Mick Fleetwood Blues Band

Ticket prices for all Sprint Grandstand Acts include free gate admission to the Kansas State Fair when purchased through August 31, 2010, unless otherwise noted.

The 2010 Kansas State Fair will run Sept. 10-19. Sprint Grandstand concert tickets go on sale May 8th at 8 a.m. and may be purchased at the Kansas State Fair ticket office, by calling 1-800-362-3247 or at www.kansasstatefair.com .

MATES OF STATE COVER FLEETWOOD MAC

Indie group Mates Of State's covers album "Crushes The Covers Mixtape" will be released this summer.  Included is a cover of Fleetwood Mac's "Second Hand News".  Hit the link to listen to the first track released from the cd "Laura".  Looking forward to hearing their cover.  By the sound of their two voices together they'll likely do the song justice.

Website

PRE-SALE: MICK FLEETWOOD BLUES BAND WITH ZZ TOP

ZZ TOP

with the Mick Fleetwood Blues Band

Saturday, October 2nd, 2010 7:00 PM

Meadowbrook U.S. Cellular Pavilion

Gilford, New Hampshire

Inner Circle Pre-Sale: MEADOWBROOK WEBSITE

Friday, April 9th, 2010 10:00 AM

When band guys go solo on side... WORKED FOR STEVIE NICKS!

When band guys go solo on side, it rarely works:

The solo side project is the biggest longshot bet in mainstream music. For every good album produced by a band member striking out on his or her own - and we'll get to these exceptions later - there are 25 bad ones. Music fans who repeatedly blow money on solo side projects inevitably feel a lot of rage. After getting burnt by one Mick Jagger solo album, the decision to buy a second one is practically an act of self-hatred.

It's when an artist chooses to dabble in solo work while remaining with the band that everything seems to go to hell. The most memorable example came on Sept. 18, 1978, when each of the four members of Kiss simultaneously released solo side projects. Three of the entries were mind-bendingly atrocious. (Ace Frehley's was just bad.)

Below are four exceptions to the solo side project rule. Solo albums made by artists who are the clear front person of their band (Bruce Springsteen, etc.) weren't included. Add your solo side project winners and losers to the comments in the sfgate.com version of this column.

Stevie Nicks, "Bella Donna." The first solo album from Stevie Nicks released in 1981 was painfully straightforward - there was a white-winged dove in the lyrics and on the album cover - and still blew away its high expectations. Nearly 30 years later, "Edge of Seventeen" continues to sound urgent. ("After the Glitter Fades," not so much ...) And she kills on "Stop Draggin' My Heart Around" by Tom Petty, who co-produced "Bella Donna."

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FLEETWOOD MAC "THE VERY BEST OF" UK CHART UPDATE APRIL 5th

UK TOP 75
TOP 75 UK ALBUMS CHART - APRIL 5, 2010
In it's 24th week of release Fleetwood Mac's 4x platinum 2009 "The Very Best Of" is down 1 spot to #42 on the UK Top 75 Chart for the week of April 5, 2010.

On the UK Catalogue Greatest Hits Top 20 the cd is at #5.

UK TOP 75 CHART RUN (2009 2 Disc Version):
Week 01 #06 - Oct 26, 2009 - 18,763 units sold
Week 02 #10 - Nov 02, 2009 - 17,541 units sold
Week 03 #12 - Nov 09, 2009
Week 04 #15 - Nov 16, 2009
Week 05 #26 - Nov 23, 2009
Week 06 #29 - Nov 30, 2009
Week 07 #31 - Dec 07, 2009
Week 08 #25 - Dec 14, 2009
Week 09 #21 - Dec 21, 2009
Week 10 #23 - Dec 28, 2009
Week 11 #37 - Jan 04, 2010
Week 12 #42 - Jan 11, 2010
Week 13 #31 - Jan 18, 2010
Week 14 #35 - Jan 25, 2010
Week 15 #31 - Feb 01, 2010
Week 16 #22 - Feb 08, 2010
Week 17 #16 - Feb 15, 2010 - 16,895 units sold
Week 18 #25 - Feb 22, 2010
Week 19 #31 - Mar 01, 2010
Week 20 #38 - Mar 08, 2010
Week 21 #36 - Mar 15, 2010
Week 22 #37 - Mar 22, 2010
Week 23 #41 - Mar 29, 2010
Week 24 #42 - Apr 05, 2010