Third Annual Groovevolt Music Awards Winners Announced
NEW YORK, NY (www.groovevolt.com) - Groovevolt, one of the Internet's leading music sites, announced the winners Friday for its Third Annual GV Music & Fashion Awards. Voting for the awards took place at Groovevolt.com beginning December 20.
Not surprisingly, this year's voting was dominated by Mariah Carey, who swept the categories in which she was nominated, and took home a record six GV Music Awards, including honors for Album of the Year (The Emancipation of Mimi), Song of the Year ('We Belong Together'), Best Female Pop Album and Best Female Pop Song Performance.

"Mariah Carey has been honored with a number of awards already this year and her six GV Awards are a testament to her successful comeback," Groovevolt.com Editor-in-Chief Chauncy Jackson said. 'Carey's fans are extremely loyal to her and she repays them for their devotion.'

Though he's not bigger than Jesus (the cover of the current issue of Rolling Stone notwithstanding), Kanye West proved that music fans believed that he was the king of the hip-hop community in 2005, as he took home three awards in the Hip-Hop category.

Another artist who made a successful, if unexpected comeback this year was Fiona Apple, who took home a pair of GV Awards for Best Female Rock Album (Extraordinary Machine) and rock Uberartist – a category in which she beat the likes of Bright Eyes, Saul Williams, Matisyahu, and Ted Leo.
Other multiple award winners included the Black Eyed Peas, Toni Braxton, Destiny's Child, John Legend, and Gwen Stefani.

'Too many awards are judged by people in the music industry whose motives are politically oriented,' Jackson said. 'More than 700,000 votes were cast by fans who were interested in voting for their favorite music. Award winning artists like Carey, Fiona Apple, Rob Thomas and Toni Braxton proved that listeners still believe in artistry by respecting their longevity."

Nominees were chosen from artists whose albums were released from September 1, 2004 to September 30, 2005. Singles released during that time period were eligible, even if the albums from which the song came were not yet released.

While the voting for the Groovevolt Music and Fashion Awards has ended, music fans still have the chance to register for the chance to win 125 full albums from the nominated artists. The sweepstakes, which began January 17 and wraps February 15, will award 125 audio CDs from the 125 artists who were nominated for GV Awards this year, as well as a video iPod and a t-shirt from the site where the winner entered the contest. One runner up will win an iPod shuffle.

Fans can go to a number of fan and lifestyle web sites to sign up, including http://www.mariahdaily.com, http://endor.org/mraz, http:/www.lilkimzone.com/, http://fantasiabarrinofan.com/, http://www.popbytes.com/, and http://www.destinyvault.net/.

The full list of the winners of the Third Annual Groovevolt Music Awards follows:

GENERAL
Album of the Year: The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
Song of the Year: 'We Belong Together,' Mariah Carey
Best New Artist: Fantasia
Video of the Year: 'Hollaback Girl,' Gwen Stefani
Best Motion Picture Soundtrack: Be Cool

POP
Best Male Album: Something to Be, Rob Thomas
Best Female Album: The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey
Best Male Song Performance: 'Beautiful Soul, Jesse McCartney
Best Female Song Performance: 'We Belong Together,' Mariah Carey
Best Unreleased Album Track: 'Circles,' Mariah Carey

ROCK
Best Male Album: Devils and Dust, Bruce Springsteen
Best Female Album: Extraordinary Machine, Fiona Apple
Best Album, Band, Duo, or Group: Cold Roses, Ryan Adams and the Cardinals
Best Performance: 'Sometimes You Can't Make It On Your Own,' U2
Uberartist: Fiona Apple
Best Deep Cut: 'I'm Lonely (But I Ain't That Lonely Yet),' The White Stripes

HIP HOP
Best Solo Album: Late Registration, Kanye West
Best Duo or Group Album: Monkey Business, Black Eyed Peas
Best Collaboration: Gold Digger," Kanye West (featuring Jamie Foxx)
Best Song Performance, Solo: "Get Back,' Ludacris
Best Deep Cut: "Bring Me Down,' Kanye West

R&B/SOUL
Best Male Album: Get Lifted, John Legend
Best Female Album: Libra, Toni Braxton
Best Song, Band, Duo, or Group: 'Cater 2 U,' Destiny's Child
Best Male Song Performance: 'Ordinary People,' John Legend
Best Female Song Performance: 'We Belong Together,' Mariah Carey
Best Deep Cut: "Through With Love,' Destiny's Child

UBER-SOUNDS
Best Dance Recording: Human After All, Daft Punk
Best Country Album: Fireflies, Faith Hill
Best Inspirational Album: Mary Mary, Mary Mary
Best Alternative Album: Arular, M.I.A.
Best Latin Album: Fijacion Oral, Vol. 1, Shakira
Best Tour: Gwen Stefani

FASHION STUDIO
Most Fashionable Artist: Jennifer Lopez
Trendsetter of the Year: Armani Exchange
Best Urban Fashion Line: Baby Phat
Most Fashionable Music Video: 'Please,' Toni Braxton
Most Fashionable Magazine: In Style

Groovevolt.com is one of the leading music and lifestyle sites on the Internet, with more than 6.5 million page views and more than 500,000 unique users each month.
For additional information, contact Lisa London at e-mail protected from spam bots

Adrian Performs at Cerritos Center
Adrian Young will be performing Wednesday, February 1st at the Cerritos Center for the Performing Arts. "Don Felder and Friends Rock Cerritos for Katrina." (800) 300-4345.

Dear Members of the NDIFC,
I have an important announcement to make. After eight amazing years running the fanclub, it is time for me to step down as a President and let Vice-President, Brandon Griggs take over and run the fanclub. He is commited, and loves the band just as much as I do. This is the end of my term so to speak. It has been an amazing adventure and I've loved every second of it.

You may be wondering why I decided to step down, so let me explain. I still love No Doubt, and they are still my favorite people in the world to hang out with. I have many great memories, from all the tours all across the world, and thinking about what it was like back in the "early days" when I first bumped into them in 1997. The Japanese tour in 2000 was awesome, and I loved meeting all the crazy Japanese fans, and taking part in their culture. My last time with the band was during their 2002 European tour, a high note to end on. Since then, a lot of things have happend. I have continued my work with the NDIFC as best I could the past couple of years.

My life is so much different then it was just a few years ago. I feel like I need to spend more quality time with my family, and at some point raise some children of my own. I am turning 30 in February, and I have also begun working at a major American company which takes a lot of time. At the same time, I am trying to be as social as I can be with my friends but I barely have time for that. I feel that it would not be fair to anyone if I continued running the fanclub. The fanclub deserves a strong leader, and strong leadership and I feel that Brandon is the perfect man to deal with that responsibility as I resign. Brandon will begin working with the fanclub and will soon decide who will take over his position of Vice-President. If he decides to look to our members to find that person he will have a news bulletin posted on the website as far as how to submit an application for the position. It's also possible he will have a current employee of the fanclub take over those duties, that just has yet to be figured out. All in due time.

I just want to thank you all for having faith in the fanclub, and our work over the past couple of years. Without you, this whole thing wouldn´t have happend, we owe it all to you. Thank you so much. Also a very special thanks to Rebel Waltz and No Doubt for your neverending support, and trust in us. Finally I wish Brandon all the best now becoming the official president of the NDIFC starting from Jan. 1st 2006. Any questions regarding the fanclub should be forwarded to him. I wish you all a happy new year, and all the best for the future.

Yours sincerely
Patrick J. Larsen
Ex-President NDIFC

NDIFC Awards 2006 Date Announced
On June 1st, 2006 the 2nd Annual NDIFC Awards will be held. Voting starts in April. Below you can see the nominees so far :

BEST ALBUM
No Doubt - No Doubt
No Doubt - Beacon Street Collection
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt - Return of Saturn
No Doubt - Rock Steady
Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby

BEST SOUNDTRACK SONG
No Doubt - You Can Do It
No Doubt - Open The Gate
No Doubt - Snakes
No Doubt - I Throw My Toys Around
No Doubt - New
No Doubt - Love To Love You Baby

BEST GWEN STEFANI VIDEO
Moby ft Gwen Stefani - Southside
Eve ft Gwen Stefani - Let Me Blow Ya Mind
Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting for ?
Gwen Stefani ft Eve - Rich Girl
Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
Gwen Stefani - Cool
Gwen Stefani - Luxurious

BEST ARENA TOUR
Tragic Kingdom Tour 1997
Rock Steady Tour 2002
Love Angel Music Baby Tour 2005

Overworked Celebrities
It's not easy being a celebrity. In fact, it can be downright exhausting.

They're overworked, some of them are extremely overpaid — "Mo Money Mo Problems," anyone? — and good help, the kind that doesn't go running to the tabloids with lurid tales about strange diets and off-color personal habits, is so hard to find.

Exhaustion among the fabulous is fast becoming an epidemic: In recent months, it's been cited — initially, anyway — as the cause of cancellations by Lindsay Lohan, Eminem, Gwen Stefani and Hilary Duff, among others.

But what exactly does it mean? Is it something that can be cured by spending a few days in bed — or is it just a get-out-of-jail-free card to camouflage a different problem? Like substance abuse, psychological issues, pregnancy and other things far more titillating than this intentionally vague catch-all ailment?

Let's take a look at some of the recent months' most severe cases — and, when we've been able to find out, what was really going on.

Victim: Gwen Stefani

What happened: Called off plans to release a second solo album in 2006.

They said: "It's more important that I take a nap," Gwen told the San Francisco Chronicle in early December. "I just need to hiberate for a minute."

But could it be ... ?: A couple of weeks after Gwen said she needed a break, Us Weekly broke the news that she is, indeed, preggers. A few days later, Gwen confirmed the news during her final tour stop, exhorting the crowd to sing "so loud the baby hears you!" She then told the Los Angeles Times, "I'm really horrible with secrets. It's amazing we kept it quiet as long as we did, I suppose."

The solution: Either way, Gwen deserves a rest. In the last year or so, she's released her first solo record, done her first solo tour, had her first film role, and mounted her first New York fashion show — she even gave up a 10-day vacation with hubby Gavin Rossdale to record with Pharrell. That girl's earned some maternity leave!

Now That's What I Call Music: Launches NOW No 1's Hits CD!
LOS ANGELES (Universal Music Enterprises) - With the release on January 24, 2006 of NOW No 1's, the Now That's What I Call Music! series debuts a new offshoot of its extremely successful branded compilation series. Featuring all No 1 chart-topping hit singles taken from the complete series of NOW albums (dating back to 1997), NOW No 1's is a non-stop collection of massive hit singles sure to be a must-have with the loyal and avid NOW consumer.
The recent NOW release, NOW 20, debuted in November at the top of the Billboard Top 200 chart for the eighth time in the series' history. It has subsequently gone on to sell a total of over 2 million units in the 10 weeks since its release, evidence that the NOW brand is clearly one of the most potent retail music brands in the market today and NOW No 1's is set to expand on and broaden that position.

Now That's What I Call Music! is the most consistent multi-platinum-selling music brand today - it has achieved US sales of more than 55 million units to become the most successful multi-artist series of all time. NOW is an unprecedented cooperative project between EMI Music, The Universal Music Group, Sony BMG Music Entertainment and the Zomba Group of labels. Since it was introduced in the United States seven years ago, the series has been known as a harbinger of contemporary tastes and a reflection of the most popular music of the day. Every single CD in the Now That's What I Call Music! series has been certified platinum or multi-platinum, and NOW remains the most successful branded compilation ever launched in the music business, with continual, massive chart and sales successes.

Featuring 20 No 1 hits, NOW No 1's includes songs from every genre including such huge singles as Nelly's "Hot In Herre", Gwen Stefani's "Hollaback Girl", Hoobastank's "The Reason", J-Lo's "Love Don't Cost A Thing" and Creed's "With Eyes Wide Open" along with 15 more No 1 Pop hit singles. All the singles on NOW No 1's have achieved the coveted No 1 position on the Billboard Hot 100 or Top 40 charts and continue to have long lives as recurrent radio favorites. All have appeared on previous NOW CDs.

The series debuted in the United States in 1998 after the NOW brand had been an enormous, multi-platinum international success for nearly 20 years, with some 56 volumes featuring pop hits released in the UK alone. To date, the NOW series has generated sales of 146 million albums worldwide. Every album in the US NOW series has reached the Billboard Top 10 and eight have now debuted at No 1 on the Billboard Top 200, making NOW the only non-soundtrack, multi-artist collection to occupy the top spot on this distinguished album sales chart.

NOW No 1's track list:
1. Nelly Hot In Herre
2. Outkast Hey Ya!
3. Gwen Stefani Hollaback Girl
4. Destiny's Child Survivor
5. J-Lo Love Don't Cost A Thing
6. Janet All For You
7. N'Sync Bye Bye Bye
8. Britney Spears Baby One More Time
9. B2K W/Diddy Bump Bump Bump
10. Macy Gray I Try
11. Savage Garden I Knew I Loved You
12. Ashlee Simpson Pieces Of Me
13. Lenny Kravitz Again
14. Smash Mouth All Star
15. Nine Days Absolutely (Story Of A Girl)
16. 3 Doors Down Kryptonite
17. Nickelback How You Remind Me
18. Creed With Arms Wide Open
19. Lifehouse Hanging By A Moment
20. Hoobastank The Reason

6th LAMB Single Crash-ing In
Gwen Stefani's picked her next single as well ? "Crash," which she co-wrote with her No Doubt bandmate Tony Kanal. "It sounds nothing like No Doubt," Stefani said of the song when Love, Angel, Music, Baby was first coming out, "but everything like all the inspirations we had. We came from a whole other kind of school than Tom Dumont or Adrian Young. We were all ska junkies, but Tony, he was really into Prince, the Time, Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, and he turned me on to all these other groups. So to be able to write that style of music, to have these old drum machines, to do it that way, was really exciting. It was the exact song I wanted to write."

Happy Birthday Tom Dumont
Today celebrates Tom Dumont his 38th Birthday. The NDIFC wishes Tom Dumont a happy birthday.

No Doubt Universe Continues
My decision has been made and the site will stay open for the foreseeable future. I know my site is kind of a dinosaur in this instant gratification world of the internet. I won't apologize for that, that's just me. This site is my vision and an artistic concept that I'll manufacture the way I see fit. I am open to criticism if something isn't right. right now there is lots not right with the site but I'll change that, if it means updating portions and discontinuing others, I'll do that.

A friend asked me last week what my obsession is with this band. She's right, I'm obsessed. For me, they came along at the right time and I got pulled into it. There truly is a cult following of this band, but those cult followers might be dwindling in numbers. See, the sense of humor, the ability to change musical styles, the way that they've shown they are fans and how down to earth they can be is proof positive, to me, that No Doubt is my band and will continue to be my band for a great while. Read that carefully, I'm not saying I'm part of the band but I feel like they'd have my back if it came down to something like that.

Every day I live my life and wonder why am I doing this? Well, I'm here to inform and campaign for No Doubt. If someone comes along and sees my site, I hope, they see that No Doubt is much like a family, hence the food fight theme that is about to change. Gwen's solo thing was just a jaded view of "Miss Anaheim Dork", it's something that was demanded by the media and now that it's done she can go back to No Doubt.

One of Gwen's lifelong dreams has come true, motherhood. She is due to give birth in June. When the band announced they'd go back to the studio in May, rather than January, you'd have to suspect that something was up. Most of us chalked it up to burn-out after a whirlwind of a year, but yes, it has finally happened. Congratulations Gwen and Gavin!

I was utterly suprised when the fanclub posted my first message a few weeks ago. I was a little taken back and maybe wish they hadn't have done it. However, I'm grateful. In 2003 they ponyed up and busted their humps to help grant me an interview with Tony Kanal, so we could go over details of a new biography. I recorded the interview (by phone) and worked some things into my story. I was about to go to copy except we hit some snags. Chris Leal came out and was bent out of shape over some details and an overall story that was approved (though not truly offically) by Tony and the rest of the band. Now 2 years later it is still not ready for print but we'll get there by May. I gaurentee it, if the fanclub is willing to let me finish what I started.

Be ready, I start to work on a new "Running" themed layout momentarily. If you see a still from "It's My life" on the splash page you'll know I'm underway, without posted a dreaded "under construction" sign on my site.

Stefani Designs for Trendy Tots
Singing sensation GWEN STEFANI is planning to design a range of stylish baby clothes for the fashion-conscious infant.

The NO DOUBT star, who is expecting her first child with British rocker GAVIN ROSSDALE this year (06), is adding the line to her trendy label LAMB - because she believes kids have a raw deal when it comes to looking good.

She says, "Babies have nothing to wear, so I am in the perfect position to rectify that."

Australian Year End Charts
Here is the Australian Year End chart.

Top 100 Singles - 2005
21 Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
26 Gwen Stefani ft Eve - Rich Girl
40 Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting for?

Top 100 Albums - 2005
4 Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby

Exclusive No Doubt Photos
After doing some research on the web recently for upcoming feature on this site. I found 2 photos, that were really old and at the same time it has a great quality. You can see some former band members in the background.

No Doubt
Spanky's Cafe
Riverside CA
February 3rd, 1990

CLICK HERE to go the photos.

NDIFC Awards 2006 4th Catagory Announced
In June 2006, the 2nd Annual NDIFC Awards will be held. Within in the coming months will be slowly more categories appearing. Be free to sending ideas for more catagories to webmaster@ndifc.com .

BEST ALBUM
No Doubt - No Doubt
No Doubt - Beacon Street Collection
No Doubt - Tragic Kingdom
No Doubt - Return of Saturn
No Doubt - Rock Steady
Gwen Stefani - Love Angel Music Baby

The String Quartet Tribute - No Doubt Singles 1992-2003
No Doubt’s insightful poetry, infectious melodies and rave-up anthems have earned them millions of loyal fans. Songs like "I’m Just a Girl” and “Don’t Speak” rock and resonate at the same time, moving our bodies as they move us emotionally. Vitamin Records’ String Quartet Tribute to No Doubt perfectly captures both sides of this outstanding group, featuring phenomenal versions of favorites that soar with the sounds of violin, viola, cello and bass. With a dash of old world and new, heart and hips, The String Quartet Tribute to No Doubt matches some of classical music’s leading lights with the amazing songs of an unforgettable band. This CD is an exact duplication of titles for the No Doubt CD; "The Singles ~ 1992-2003":

1. Just A Girl
2. It's My Life
3. Hey Baby
4. Bathwater
5. Sunday Morning
6. Hella Good
7. New
8. Underneath It All
9. Excuse Me Mr.
10. Running
11. Spiderwebs
12. Simple Kind Of Life
13. Don't Speak
14. Ex-Girlfriend
15. Trapped In A Box

Dutch Charts 2005
Here`s the Dutch Year End chart from 2005.

Mega Top 100 - 2005
33 Gwen Stefani - Hollaback Girl
42 Gwen Stefani - Cool
63 Gwen Stefani ft Eve - Rich Girl
81 Gwen Stefani - What You Waiting for?

© 2006 Patrick Larsen. All Rights Reserved.
Last updated: 060130.