Mars Announces Dates for the Second Leg of His “Moonshine Jungle” Tour

Bruno Mars is ready for a little more Moonshine

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer, who will be performing at this year’s Super Bowl with the Red Hot Chili Peppers as his special guest, has announced plans to launch the next leg of his popular Moonshine Jungle tour — and on select dates, he’ll be joined by fellow hitmaker Pharrell Williams.

Bruno Mars

Mars will kick off the newest set of concerts this May, following two April shows in Mars’ hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. Pharrell, a music producer and featured artist on two of 2013’s biggest songs, Robin Thicke‘s “Blurred Lines” and Daft Punk‘s “Get Lucky,” will join Mars in five cities — Los Angeles, New York, Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal — while appearing behind his upcoming solo release with Columbia Records.

Panamanian American soul singer Aloe Blacc, best known in U.S. as the vocalist on Avicii‘s “Wake Me Up,” will open for Mars for majority of dates where Pharrell will not perform.

The Moonshine Jungle tour’s next leg will begin May 27 at Fresno, California’s Save Mart Center, running over 40 total dates before concluding Aug. 17 in Englewood, Colorado at Fiddler’s Green Amphitheatre.

Mars, Billboard’s Artist of the Year in 2013, is touring in support of his sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox, which was released in December 2012. The album has spawned two No. 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 — “Locked Out of Heaven” and “If I Was Your Man,” as well as the No. 5-peaking “Treasure” and “Gorilla,” which hit No. 22.

He’s also received multiple nominations at the Grammys later this month, including nods for Song of the Year and Record of the Year for “Locked Out of Heaven.”

See the full list of tour dates at Mars’ official site.

Red Hot Chili Peppers to Join Mars at Super Bowl Halftime Show

Bruno Mars is preparing for a red hot Super Bowl

The 28-year-old part-Puerto Rican singer and his backing band will be joined by the Red Hot Chili Peppers during the Super Bowl halftime show next month.

Bruno Mars

It’s all part the funk tendencies that Mars  sometimes employs in his music.

The iconic rock band will join the pop singer by his invitation for the show, held at the halfway point of the NFL‘s biggest spectacle on February 2 in New Jersey, according to Los Angeles Times sources.

The Chili Peppers were already scheduled to be in the area, booked to perform at a pre-Super Bowl show in Brooklyn for WFAN‘s “Say Hello to Brooklyn” showcase at the Barclays Center on February 1.

What remains to be seen is whether the band will replace Mars’ usual backing band for the entire set or if it will simply make a brief appearance, perhaps performing one of its own songs.

The move should expand the halftime show’s allure to a broader range of fans outside of Mars’ usual demographic.

Mars has placed four singles from his Billboard 200 No. 1 album Unorthodox Jukebox in the Hot 100’s top 40, with four total No. 1 songs.

Meanwhile, Red Hot Chili Peppers last released an album in 2011, with I’m With You peaking at No. 2 on the Billboard 200.

Martinez Nominated for Two World Soundtrack Awards

The Oscars may have marked the end of 2011-2012 awards season… But Cliff Martinez is still reaping critical acclaim for his work.

The 58-year-old Spanish-American composer—a veteran drummer for the Red Hot Chili Peppers—has been nominated for two 2012 World Soundtrack Awards.

Cliff Martinez

The World Soundtrack Academy hands out awards in three categories: Film composer of the year; best original score of the year and best original song written directly for a film.

Martinez, who was nominated for a Satellite Award last December, has received nods in two of those categories. He’s up for film composer of the year his work on Contagion and Drive, as well as best original film score of the year for his critically acclaimed music for Drive.

But Martinez isn’t the only Latino nominee…

Like Martinez, Alberto Iglesias has been nominated in two categories.

The 57-year-old Spanish composer, who was invited to become a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences earlier this summer, has been nominated in the film composer of the year category for his work on Le Moine, Pedro Almodovar’s The Skin I Live In and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Last year’s Hollywood Film Composer Award winner will also face-off against Martinez in the best original film score of the year category for his Oscar-nominated score from Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

Meanwhile, songs performed by Madonna, Mary J. Blige and Sinead O’Connor are in contention for best original song written directly for a film.

Winners will be announced at the World Soundtrack Awards and concert on October 20, the closing night of the Ghent International Film Festival.

Here’s a look at this year’s nominees:

Film Composer of the Year
Alexandre Desplat (A Better Life, Carnage, De Rouille Et d’Os (Rust & Bone), Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close, Moonrise Kingdom, The Ides Of March)
Alberto Iglesias (Le Moine (The Monk), La Piel Que Habito (The Skin I Live In), Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)
Cliff Martinez (Contagion, Drive)
Howard Shore (A Dangerous Method, Cosmopolis, Hugo)
John Williams (The Adventures of Tintin, War Horse)

Best Original Film Score of the Year
Drive by Cliff Martinez
Hugo by Howard Shore
The Adventures Of Tintin by John Williams
The Ides Of March by Alexandre Desplat
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by Alberto Iglesias

Best Original Song written directly for a Film
“Lay Your Head Down” from Albert Nobbs (music by Brian Byrne, lyrics by Glenn Close, performed by Sinead O’Connor)
“Breath Of Life” from Snow White And The Huntsman (music & lyrics by Florence Welch & Isabella Summers, performed by Florence + the Machine)
“The Living Proof” from The Help (music & lyrics by Thomas Newman, Mary J. Blige, Harvey Mason Jr. & Damon Thomas, performed by Mary J. Blige)
“Man Or Muppet” from The Muppets (music & Lyrics by Bret McKenzie, performed by Jason Segel and Walter
“Masterpiece” from W.E. (music & lyrics by Madonna, Julie Frost & Jimmy Harry, performed by Madonna)

Dev to Perform at Lollapalooza 2012

She has skyrocketed to fame following the international success of her single “In The Dark”… And, now Dev is set to perform at one of music’s biggest festivals.

Dev

The 22-year-old Portuguese & Mexican American electropop singer and songwriter—who recently hosted mtvU’s Woodie Awards—has signed on to perform at Lollapalooza this summer.

This year’s headliners are three of rock’s biggest names. Recently reunited Black Sabbath will end one of the nights while Red Hot Chili Peppers and The Black Keys will close out the others. Other acts include J. Cole, Florence + The Machine and The Shins.

Los Jaivas

Meanwhile, Los Jaivaswill perform at Lollapalooza as well. Hailing from Chile, the progressive-rock-andino group mixes rock with South American ancestral music.

And At The Drive-In, which was formed in El Paso, TX and plays post-hardcore alternative  music, will also be one of 120 acts taking the stage at the festival this you. Members of the band include lead singer Cedric Bixler-Zavala and guitarist Omar Rodríguez-López who when the band broke up formed the critically acclaimed  and successful Mars Volta group.

Lollapalooza, which takes place in Chicago, will run August 3-5, 2012.

For the complete lineup and more information on the festival, visit the Lollapalooza website.