(MENAFN- Arab Times) NEW YORK Sept 9 (Agencies): Boy band One Direction (1D) whose last album was 2013's top seller Monday announced a November release for their latest record and streamed a free single to whet fans' appetites. The British heartthrobs' fourth album entitled simply 'Four' will go on sale on Nov 17. In a message to fans on their website One Direction offered free downloads for one day of the first track entitled 'Fireproof.' 'Fireproof' stays largely true to One Direction's style with light guitar-based pop backing up multiple singers avoiding the heavier sound with which the band flirted on their last album 'Midnight Memories.' 'Midnight Memories' sold four million copies worldwide last year making it the most-bought album of 2013 even though it was released in late November. Prolific One Direction have been prolific in their output since storming onto the stage in 2010 with performances on the British talent show 'The X Factor.' On Oct 11-12 a film of one of the band's concerts in Italy called 'Where We Are' after the name of their tour will air in cinemas around the world following up on One Direction's documentary film 'This Is Us' last year. One Direction joins a list of bands that have chosen to release albums entitled simply by their number in their respective discographies with artists as diverse as Beyonce and Stone Temple Pilots also making records called 'Four' or some variation thereof. BANKS 'Goddess' (Harvest) The debut album 'Goddess' from Los Angeles-based singer BANKS spells trouble for a lot of people. Namely anyone she opens for on tour and anyone who passed on signing her to their label. Jillian Banks sings that good and 'Goddess' is easily and suddenly one of the best albums of the year. Her luster-tinged voice is mature beyond her 26 years and it's soulful and heart-wrenching in all the right places. Her pitch-perfect highs and husky whispers meld perfectly with top-shelf production ambience from SOHN on 'Alibi' and Shlohmo on the catchy track 'Brain.' Much of the success here is due to gorgeous down-tempo arrangements that set the stage for that voice. It's all very cool and understated until BANKS hits her vocal stride and builds to a crescendo on 'You Should Know Where I'm Coming From' a tender requiem about going into a warts-and-all relationship with eyes wide open. Quite frankly it's the most beautiful song I've heard this year. BANKS is the real deal and 'Goddess' is a perfect and emotional debut effort. Come for the music. Stay for the pathos. Justin Townes Earle 'Single Mothers' (Vagrant) Justin Townes Earle a guitar-wielding practitioner of bluesy folk music comes up short on 'Single Mothers' 10 tracks of wordy Americana with impractical melodies that are hard to care about. The son of Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Steve Earle has earned his own way musically releasing five albums. He plays a nice guitar and sings passably at best about nice topics. But something rings false about the delivery as though he's performing out of his genre and is merely an artistic interloper. The title track is ostensibly about broken homes but it's hard to tell amid the overly verbose lyrical plot line. 'Wanna Be A Stranger' is similarly afflicted. The music and pace is fine and the lyrics themselves are nicely constructed. Earle just needs someone else to sing them. His effete indie growl of a voice doesn't touch your heart well enough to pull you in deeper. Cher on Monday postponed by several days a new leg of concerts across North America after doctors ordered the veteran entertainer to rest in bed. The 68-year-old singer and actress who back in 2002 announced a 'farewell tour' but kept on performing had added 14 more shows to her latest tour after two months on the road ending in mid-July. But Cher postponed the first dates due Thursday in Albany New York and Saturday in New Hampshire her publicist said. Both dates were rescheduled for October. Cher was diagnosed 'with what doctors termed an 'acute viral infection' and is required to be on full bed rest for several days' a statement said. The former half of Sonny & Cher will instead open her latest leg on Sept 15 in Allentown Pennsylvania keeping two dates the following weekend in New York's Madison Square Garden. Acclaimed Swedish DJ Avicii on Monday called off all his remaining shows for health reasons after undergoing surgery earlier this year. Avicii who turned 25 on Monday has postponed all shows 'until further notice so he can fully recuperate from lingering health issues related to surgeries that removed his gall bladder and appendix' in March a statement from his management said. The electronica star is resting at home in Stockholm 'so he can regain his strength and physical well-being before the release of a new album project next year' it said. Avicii had planned to headline next month's Storm Festival in Shanghai the second edition of the concert aimed at tapping a rising Chinese demand for electronic music. The DJ had also planned five shows in Las Vegas and two performances in Japan over the next two months. He was also due to play TomorrowWorld the US spinoff of Belgium's Tomorrow-Land electronica festival which takes place later this month near Atlanta. Avicii whose real name is Tim Bergling scored an international hit last year with his track 'Wake Me Up' featuring the voice of the American R&B singer Aloe Blacc. SiriusXM has revealed that it will be launching the Barbra Streisand Channel later this month featuring hits spanning the singer's career. The exclusive limited-run channel will air hits from the beginning of Streisand's career in 1963 through her newest album 'Partners' currently set for a Sept 16 release and will draw on live as well as studio recordings. Streisand will also contribute personal selections from her catalog and take part in an exclusive 'Town Hall' special where she will sit down for a Q& A with a select group of listeners in New York City. 'Barbra Streisand is an artist who is the very definition of the word icon. Her original voice songwriting performances and life's work has made her a universal star and humanitarian leader. Along the way she has created some of the best-selling albums of all time as well as being an award winning actress known for her work on stage film and TV' said Scott Greenstein president and chief content officer of SiriusXM. 'Our exclusive channel celebrating Ms Streisand is a truly comprehensive and deep dive into the music of one of the world's most important artists ever' he added. 'We are looking forward to welcoming Ms Streisand to our studios to be a part of our 'Town Hall' series and discuss her new album with her fans.' The channel will launch at 5 pm on September 12 and run through October 10 via Sirius channel 69 and XM channel 73. Following the broadcast 'SiriusXM's Town Hall with Barbra Streisand' will be available on SiriusXM On Demand for subscribers or online at siriusxm.com.
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