BOO!

Happy Hallowe'en!

Last year, Vice Recordings released a charity single called Do They Know It's Halloween? The track was the product of the North American Halloween Prevention Initiative which featured comedians David Cross and Elvira as well as a slew of contemporary pop musicians like Feist, Peaches and Beck and members of Arcade Fire, Rilo Kiley, Sonic Youth, Smoosh, Sloan and Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

Click here to listen to the song and for purchasing information.

Late Night with Bones O' Brien

After all your Tricks and Treats tonight, cozy up to your TV to watch a special "Skelevision" version of Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel).

Taken from an episode which aired earlier this year, tonight's show will feature the same audio but with all the humans (cast, crew and audience) replaced with skeleton puppets. Guests include Larry King, Omar Epps and Will Arnett. Unfortunately, there's no musical guest scheduled although house band The Max Weinberg 7 will, of course, be in attendance.

Never Meet Your Heroes

A lesson I learned fairly early. I was about four when I went to my mother's office Christmas party and was (initially) delighted by all the life-sized Sesame Street characters that were in attendance. That is, until Mom escorted me to the washroom and I came face to face with Big Bird minus his Big head (and a smaller, human one in it's place). I was crushed.

I'm guessing that's how some members of Montreal melancholy-pop outfit The Dears must have felt after performing as an opening act for Morrissey (aka Big Poncey One) and finding him to be a less than gracious headliner/host.

According to Dears' guitarist Patrick Krief (back row, second from right), in an interview with Obscure Sound, he and his fellow bandmembers were less than impressed by various ludicrous requests such as "[b]eing asked to leave the building when he's crossing the corridor, or being told to not look directly at him".

Krief (himself not a fan of the BPO) says the entire band came away from the experience very disillusioned.

Trash Talking With Liam G.

That useless, tone-deaf git from The Killers may think he's got skills, but nobody knows how to slag off fellow musicians quite like the Gallagher brothers and younger brother Liam is at it again.

This time he's taking aim at rockers who seem ill-equipped to handle their illegal substance intake. In an article in The (London) Sun last week, Gallagher indicates that Pete Doherty (Babyshambles) and Tom Chaplin (Keane) are lightweights because they've both already done stints in rehab despite their young age. He believes that he and older brother Noel were much wilder in their younger days and yet managed maintain a very successful musical career.

I don't know how true all that is. Though the Gallagher boys were notorious for their hard-partying ways, it's not like it didn't have any effect on their musical output. Noel has said in several interviews that he was motivated to quit his addiction in order to improve his health and his creativity. He also convinced his little brother to ease up when his own drug use caused erratic behaviour that threatened to derail recording of an Oasis album (can't recall which one).

In other vaguely related news, The Sun is also reporting that Liam's current baby-mama Nicole Appleton (the previous one being actress/ professional groupie and Liam's first wife, Patsy Kensit, mother to his oldest child, Lennon*) is keen to tie the knot with him. The couple have been together since 2000 and have a 5 year old son named Gene.

*I just came across Liam's Wikipedia entry which states he actually has an older daughter named Molly who was the result of an affair Gallagher had only a week after he married Kensit. I'm always a little skeptical of Wikiality (source: Stephen Colbert) but this is a bit too huge a fact to fabricate. Is anyone else aware of this lovechild?

Tube-Tunes Preview

Here are some of the musical performers scheduled to appear on late-night television in the coming week. Note: * denotes encore episode.

MONDAY

• Beck - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI)
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Cat Power (pictured) - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• Marliyn Manson - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Meat Loaf - Jimmy Kimmel
  
• Alice Cooper - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS, CH)

WEDNESDAY

• Regina Spektor - Jay Leno

THURSDAY

• Weird Al Yankovic - Jay Leno

FRIDAY

• Gomez - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)
  

Very Nice!

Friday, November 3, 2006 marks the day a lot of people have been waiting for - it marks the arrival of Borat: Cultural Learnings of America for Make Benefit Glorious Nation of Kazakhstan to North American movie theatres.

Of course, no movie "event" is complete without an appropriately epic soundtrack and the Borat film can boast such a musical endeavour on par with Titanic.

Entitled Stereophonic Musical Listenings That Have Been Origin In Moving Film, the disc is made up of spoken material and "songs" primarily performed by Borat (one of Sacha Baron Cohen's many alter egos) with such titles as You Be My Wife, Money Boney and Grooming Pubis. There's also a version of the 60s classic Born To Be Wild.

The Borat soundtrack (sporting a very American "Explicit Lyrics" warning label) is released this Tuesday, October 31.

Perhaps He Should Consider Sea Travel

Rapper Snoop Dogg was arrested at California's Bob Hope Airport on Friday (October 27) after police allegedly uncovered a firearm and a quantity of marijuana in his car - he'd been stopped for parking a loading area.*

It's the third time this year that Snoop D-O-Double-G has run into trouble at an airport. Just last month, a collapsible truncheon (a type of nightstick or club) was found when airport security performed a baggage check. In April, the rapper was served a lifetime ban from British Airways after a 30-person brawl (allegedly instigated by his entourage) erupted in the BA lounge at Heathrow Airport. Seven police officers were injured in the incident.

Formal charges have yet to be laid but Snoop (Mr. Dogg?) was required to pay a $35 000 US bail fee and is due to appear in court on December 12.

*Despite the relatively serious nature of this report, I was grinning the entire time I was typed that sentence. I know it's all kinds of inappropriate but I couldn't help myself. I think it was the Bob Hope reference that made it all seem just too ridiculous.

Bloody Hell! I Already Had The Sodding Baby Blanket Monogrammed!

BBC News revealed earlier this week that the newborn son of Britney Spears and Kevin Federline is Jayden James and not, as previously reported, Sutton Pierce.

Though Spears' people did confirm the child's birth on September 12, there had not been an official statement from the parents in the six weeks since. In fact, not only was the child's name in question but there had even been some speculation on it's gender. It was only when the couple officially filed the child's birth certificate this week that the new information came to light.

This reserve is much different from the hoopla that surrounded the birth of the couple's first child, Sean Preston (1 year), who was splashed across the pages of People magazine almost as soon as the umbilical cord was severed.*

Well, I don't know about you but I'm certainly glad that's all settled. Many thanks to the BBC for keeping the public current about Brit-Brit, K-Fed and their progeny. I, of course, will continue to pass along the latest news as soon as I have it.

*OK, to be fair, I'm pretty sure that People cover story didn't come out until a couple of month's after Sean Preston was born. It just seems like Spears and Federline were a lot more public with SP right after his birth. Ahhh, selective memory.

They've Got Woodies

MTVU, MTV's "college" station, held it's 2006 Woodie Awards this past Wednesday and a lot of very emo-ish bands (like Angels & Airwaves, 30 Seconds to Mars and Taking Back Sunday) took home honours. Some trippier contenders, like Gorillaz (pictured) and Gnarls Barkley, managed to snag some hardware as well.

It was sizing up to be a rather sedate affair until 30STM lead singer, Jared "I'm a serious musician" Leto attempted to lay the smackdown on attendee Elijah Wood over an unspecified grievance.

The Woodies air next Thursday (November 2) on MTV in the US, presumably without the Leto/Wood incident. At this point, the awards are not on the MTV Canada schedule.

Duran Down A Taylor (Again)

If you're planning to attend this Sunday's Duran Duran gig at New Orleans' Voodoo Music Experience, don't expect to see guitarist Andy Taylor (pictured) on stage with the boys. Actually, don't expect to see said Taylor at any at any future Duran Duran gigs, or future recordings, or anywhere in the general vicinity of the other DD members.

Earlier this week, the remaining four DD members issued a statement via their website confirming that they had parted ways with Andy due to "an unworkable gulf between [them]" which "no longer [allowed them to] effectively function together". A session guitarist will be employed to fill in for Andy until a permanent replacement can be found.

Andy originally left the band in 1986 under similarly tense conditions. I recall one particularly snarky interview that go round where he put the blame squarely on the shoulders of fellow members Simon Le Bon, Nick Rhodes and John Taylor. Andy felt that, while he was interested in the quality of musicianship, they were much more interested in getting their coifs and eyeliner just so.

I wonder what he'll have to say this time around.

Do Do That Voodoo

You'd think that, as November approaches, we'd be well past the time to expect a weekend outdoor concert. Though, I guess if you live in a warmer climate like New Orleans you can pretty much take to the streets (or festival grounds) any old time you feel like.

This Saturday and Sunday (October 28 and 29), the city that FEMA forgot will be host to the Voodoo Music Experience. Scheduled performers include Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, Duran Duran (pictured), Wu Tang Clan (pictured), Broken Social Scene, The Rentals and Ferry Corsten.

Let's just assume that George W. Bush and (former FEMA director) Michael "Brownie" Brown will not be in attendance.

Mew Roars

I recently had an experience where I kept hearing about this band called Mew.

There was a bunch of glowing press about their latest album, and the Glass Handed kites, and they were in the midst of a tour that brought them to Toronto in late September for two separate gigs - one supporting UK rockers Kasabian and their own headlining club show.

So, all this information was sitting in my periphery but I didn't really take full notice. I hadn't yet heard one of their songs and, though I was tempted, I didn't attend either of their concerts. Then, a couple of weeks ago I bought a copy of the new album and it's so good that I could smack myself for not paying closer attention.

I'm really terrible and describing what music sounds like so I'm not even going to bother. You can listen to selections from the current release and their back catalogue on the official Mew website. You can also download their track Apocalypso for free from iTunes (it's currently the Single of the Week). As well, they'll be performing tomorrow night (October 27) on the Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am on CBS and CH).

Grunge Rules From The Grave

Forbes magazine yesterday released it's 6th annual list of the top earning deceased celebrities and, for the first time in 6 years, a new king has been crowned.

Five time list-topper, Elvis Presley was bumped to second place by Kurt Cobain (pictured), the Nirvana frontman who committed suicide in 1994 - Cobain's take was $50 million while Presley's was $42 million.

It's interesting to note that, not only is it Cobain's first time in the top spot, it's his first time to ever make the list. According to Forbes, the big jump can most likely be attributed to the sale of a 25% stake of his song catalogue, by his widow Courtney Love, to a publishing company.

Other notable deceased musicians to make the list include John Lennon, Ray Charles, Johnny Cash, George Harrison and Bob Marley.

Wainwright Winter Wonderland

Canadian crooner Rufus Wainwright is going to be quite a busy boy as this year winds down and the new one begins.

In December, he'll join his sister Martha, their mother Kate McGarrigle and aunt Anna McGarrigle for the McGarrigle Hour Christmas Tour. The tour will consist of a handful of performances throughout North America - one each in Toronto, New York, Seattle, Philadelphia and Los Angeles and two in Montreal. Tickets are on sale now.

In February, Rufus will recreate his recreation of the 1961 Judy Garland Carnegie Hall concert with performances in London and Paris. He originally performed the tributes at a pair of concerts at New York's Carnegie Hall back in June of this year. The 2007 concerts will once again see Wainwright backed by a full orchestra. Tickets for both dates go on sale November 3.

Get all your Rufus information at his official website.

Bloc Party's Weekend

Billboard magazine today released details of the highly anticipated sophomore Bloc Party album, A Weekend in the City.

Weekend, a follow-up to BP's breakthrough 2005 debut Silent Alarm, will hit North America on February 6. The first single, The Prayer, will arrive about a week prior on January 29.

Also today, official Bloc Party website posted dates for a Jan/Feb 2007 UK & Ireland tour to support the new album. The band are currently (and inexplicably) touring as the opening act for the tiresome Panic! At The Disco - the tour makes a Toronto stop on November 16 at the Ricoh Coliseum.

Rip Her To Shreds

Variety recently ran a teaser about a Blondie biopic that could feature none other than Kirsten Dunst (currently trying to keep her head as the title character in the Sofia Coppola directed Marie Antoinette) as the band's iconic lead singer, Debbie Harry.

If it's true, it's certainly an interesting choice. I'm a fan of most of Dunst's work but I'm not entirely sure if she can pull off playing a gritty, new wave/punk princess. To her credit, she was appropriately messed-up as the poor-little-rich-girl in Crazy/Beautiful and more than suitably dark and commanding in her breakthrough role as mini-vampire Claudia in Interview with the Vampire. I guess she's got the grit in her somewhere.

Meanwhile, the kids at Stereogum have there own ideas about who should be cast in the role.

Spreading the Love

It's always nice when an established musical act sees fit to lend some support to an up-and-comer. It's even better when said newbie doesn't completely suck ass.

The Strokes seem to have a pretty decent record when it comes to this sort of thing. There is, of course, the oft repeated story of the Saturday Night Live appearance where Albert Hammond Jr sported a Yeah Yeah Yeahs button which, arguably, brought Karen O and company to national attention.

Well, technology has come a long way in the last few years and the boys have now taken to their MySpace page to administer the shout outs. They recently posted a message inviting their fans to check out a new band called The Vanishing Act. This California-based indie act has their own (not yet two weeks old) MySpace page which has posted a pretty cool song called Years Mapped Out, a handful of dates for gigs in their home state and...not much else.

Ah well, give them time. They do promise an EP will be ready sometime in November - I guess we'll know better then if the attention is truly warranted.

Song of the Year

I'm not sure exactly who Sons of Butcher are, or what there purpose might be and, frankly, I don't care. I do know that when I happened catch their song and accompanying video, F**k the S**t, played last Friday night on PunchMuch I almost fell of my seat laughing.

To hear this modern classic for yourself, go to the official Sons of Butcher website and click the F**k the S**t tab.

Warning: As you might have gathered, this song is so not appropriate for all listeners and situations - discretion is advised.

Televised Tunes

Here are some of the musical artists scheduled to appear on late night TV in the coming week. Note: * indicates an encore episode.

MONDAY

• The Roots - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno* (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Billy Bragg - Late Night with Conan O'Brien* (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• Editors - Conan O'Brien*

WEDNESDAY

• Justin Timberlake (interview and performance) - Jay Leno*
• John Legend (pictured) - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI)
  
• Ludacris - Jimmy Kimmel Live* (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Corinne Bailey Rae - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS, CH)
• Ben Kweller - Last Call with Carson Daly* (1:35am - NBC)

THURSDAY

• Justin Timberlake (interview and performance) - Jimmy Kimmel*
• Jose Gonzalez - Carson Daly*

FRIDAY

• Tilly & the Wall - David Letterman

SATURDAY

• Beck - Saturday Night Live (11:35pm - NBC, Global)
  

Seventeen's King

I'm not even going to get into how I found out about this next item but here goes.

The latest issue of Seventeen magazine has a feature on the 17 hottest guys in America under 21. Included on the list were several singers that seem to be quite popular with the young ladies like Mario, Chris Brown and cover boy, Teddy Geiger.

Sorry, I dozed off for a moment there.

There was one pleasantly surprising selection - Jared Followill (pictured), bassist and youngest member of rock band Kings of Leon. Jared helped found the band with his brothers (Nathan and Caleb) and cousin (Matthew) back in 2000 when he was only 15. He's about a month shy of turning 21 - his birthday is on November 20.

I found it quite curious that Jared made it on to this list. He's certainly good-looking but Kings of Leon isn't exactly an MTV buzz band. Though they've garnered respect from and toured with the likes of U2, Pearl Jam and Bob Dylan, they're known mostly as college radio darlings in North America.*

I also found it amusing that Seventeen seemed to be going for a sweet, "boy next door" vibe for it's honourees, yet the youngest Followill certainly does not fit that description. In fact, though all the Kings have been known to be womanizers, Jared in particular has a reputation as being a bit of a slut. The songs Slow Night, So Long and Razz (from the most recent KOL release Aha Shake Heartbreak) are rumoured to be about his bad boy behaviour.

I'm guessing none of that made it into his Seventeen profile.



*It's quite a different story in the UK, where they routinely top the charts and sell out arena-sized concert venues.

A Return For Love

Whether or not music fans are ready for it, embattled rocker Courtney Love is poised to make her career comeback.

Love has teamed up with producer Linda Perry, probably best known for her work with Christina Aguilera and Pink, for the follow-up to her 2004 solo debut America's Sweetheart . The new album is tentatively scheduled for release in 2007. On-again, off-again BFF/musical collaborator Billy Corgan is also said to be contributing to several tracks.

This album could potentially be a make-or break situation for the former grunge queen. There have always been accusations that Love's previous musical success (fronting the band Hole) was due mostly her late husband, Nirvana's Kurt Cobain. Though she cultivated a surprisingly well received acting career (even earning a Golden Globe nomination for her work in The People vs Larry Flynt), she managed to almost completely sabotage it with substance abuse and increasingly destructive behaviour.

If Love is able to pull herself together and generate some quality musical output, she could find herself in a full-on career regeneration in the manner of Mariah Carey.

Fraggle Rockin'

Dance your cares away,
Worry's for another day.
Let the music play,
Down at Fraggle Rock.

I'll have you know that I located these theme song lyrics from somewhere in the back of my memory almost as soon as I learned that Fraggle Rock is being turned into a big screen musical.

If you were an elementary school-aged child in the early to mid-80's you probably watched this (mostly) puppet show about a civilization of underground dwellers, created by the late Jim Henson (Sesame Street, The Muppet Show).

Now, Ahmet Zappa (son of the late Frank, younger brother to Dweezil and Moon Unit) has signed on to executive produce the feature film project. Other parties involved include Henson's own children, Lisa and Brian.

To recap, we have this trippy 80's children's show being transformed into a feature musical extravaganza with the help of a member of the Zappa brood. Allow me to suggest a release date - April 20 (which just happens to fall on a Friday in 2007).

I'm just saying.

New Tupac Album In Stores November 21

I think that title pretty much says it all.

For those of you keeping track, the album (entitled PAC's Life) will be Shakur's 8th release since his murder in 1996.

Beyond that, I really can't think of an appropriate comment to make on this topic.

If you'd like more information on the upcoming release, you can check out these articles on NME.com and Billboard.com as well as the press release on the official 2Pac website.

Outstanding Oasis

I doubt that brothers Noel and Liam Gallagher, founding members of UK rock band Oasis, have ever needed confirmation of their own musical greatness (or greatness, full stop) but now they'll have official documentation of sorts.

Yesterday, BPI (the British Phonographic Industry) issued a press release announcing that Oasis would be recognized with The Outstanding Contribution to Music honour at the 2007 Brit Awards (which BPI organizes).

Previous winners include Paul Weller, David Bowie, Duran Duran, Bob Geldof and The Spice Girls.

The 2007 Brit Awards ceremony will take place on February 14, 2007 at Earl's Court in London.

All You Need Is A Good Divorce Lawyer

Wooo lordy!

Though the Paul McCartney/Heather Mills divorce proceeding started off as relatively civil , it's now degenerated into a rather nasty, mudslinging affair.

The latest development comes from the Mills camp, where court papers (detailing allegations that she was the victim of emotional, physical and verbal abuse by Sir Paul) were "leaked" to London's Daily Mail newspaper. Some of the accusations are that:

• McCartney stabbed Mills with a broken wine glass
• he forced her to cancel surgery on her leg stump when it conflicted with his vacation plans
• he called her an "ungrateful bitch" when she refused to use an office that he had gotten for her

Mills claims that all of McCartney's actions stem from his persistant drug and alcohol abuse. McCartney denies all the allegations and, though he won't discuss them publicly, plans to dispute them in court.

For more information, you can check out this very informative Toronto Star article and read the Daily Mail's court paper excerpts.

Simmons Goes Back to School

KISS gutarist Gene Simmons is back in the classroom teaching a whole new set of students how to perfect their rock & roll struts in Rock School II.

While in the previous series, Simmons had to deal with some stuffy, classically trained kids who felt rock music was beneath them he's now up against a group of teens with "behavioural issues" who aren't at all impressed their new teacher.

In the RS II premiere episode, which aired last night on MuchMusic*, Simmons faced such indignities as being called "a wanker" who's "up his own ass" and having "Death to KISS" scrawled across the blackboard. It's probably his biggest challenge yet, but he must try to work them into a passable rock band so that they can perform as the opening act at an upcoming Judas Priest concert in California.

I really hope I can keep up watching this series. I thought the first one was hilarious and this one looks like it could be even better if only for the fact that it might bring Simmons' magnificent ego down a notch or two.

*Allow me to apologize for being a bit late in getting this vital information to you. Unfortunately, the Much website doesn't have their schedule updated and Rock School II isn't even listed as one of their current programs. I'll keep checking for airtimes and post them in comments section.

Baby Boom Part 1

I haven' t been following this Madonna adoption drama too closely. She's got some good tunes but I find any discussion of her personal life quite tiresome.

However, I must admit that the Malawian boy at the centre of the hoopla is pretty freakin' adorable. Look at those eyes! And those cheeks! Soooo cute!

Like I said, I'm not very up on the details of this story so I don't have a solid opinion on a lot of the controversy surrounding this situation. However, I would like to comment on the report that Madonna wants to change the child's name from David to Daniel.

This seems like a rather pointless exercise to me. Yes, Daniel is a fine name but David is just as lovely. The kid's dealing with enough chaos in his life right now, there's no reason to add to it by changing his perfectly good name.

No, Madonna. No!

Baby Boom Part 2

I can't believe I hadn't heard anything about this story before, especially considering how far it seems to have progressed.

So, apparently recently divorced actor Eddie Murphy has been carrying on with ex-Spice Girl Melanie Brown (aka Scary Spice) since sometime this past summer. It looks like it's quite serious since, according to the most reputable of sources, she's now pregnant with his child. Both have children from previous relationships.

WTF?

I'm not terribly concerned that these two have decided to procreate - I'm just dismayed by the lack of media coverage. Really, there's no excuse for the gossip rags to not make this story their top priority. Forget about Brangelina, Tomkat and Vinnifer - Meleddie© is the celebrity couple to watch for in 2006.

I know it's hard to tell, but that really is Mel B. with Eddie in the photo - unfortunately, someone must have told her she'd look good as a blonde.

Idlewhere?

Does anyone recall what became of Idlewild, the film that was produced by and starred Big Boi and Andre 3000 from Outkast?

It seemed like it was delayed for the longest time but, in recent months, there was a whole flurry of press about it's imminent release. Then...nothing.

Where did this film go?

Anyone? Anyone?

Just asking.

Scarlett the Songbird

If FOXNews is to be believed, (and there's every reason that they shouldn't be - "Fair and Balanced" my ass) Scarlett Johannson is about to add another job to her CV.

The accomplished actress, who was also recently named Sexiest Woman Alive by Esquire magazine, is looking to start a career as a singer and has, apparently, been in talks with Rhino Records to secure a recording contract. Her first project is rumoured to be and album of Tom Waits covers.

Given the recent disasters involving actresses/party girls attempting to launch music careers (Lindsay and Paris, I'm looking at you) I'm actually quite optimistic about Johansson having a go. Aside from her brief stab at karaoke in Lost in Translation I don't recall ever having heard her sing before (though I believe she's performed with the Pussycat Dolls burlesque show) but I'm guessing, based on her speaking voice, that she'd have a rather husky, sensual delivery.

I also very much approve of her proposed source material. Again, her voice would probably suit Waits' songs quite well and she's got enough of a quirky personality to really do them justice.

I can just hear her performing a smoldering version of Downtown Train.

10 Reasons to Love Art Brut

• They played a kick-ass gig this past Saturday, co-headlined by the equally awesome We Are Scientists and supported by the adorable Spinto Band.
• Lead singer Eddie Argos looks and sounds like a young Stephen Fry.
• Their female, German bass player goes by the name of Freddy Feedback.
• They're obsessed with Top of the Pops.
• They're also quite fond of Jonathan Richman, Vincent Van Gogh and Weezer.
  
• Argos is really, really good at microphone jump-rope.
• Their first single (now considered the band's theme song) is quite appropriately titled Formed A Band.
• They look like poncey art school students but they rock like crazy muthaf**kers.
• One of Argos' previous bands had a song called F**k the MSP (Manic Street Preachers) which contained the line "Nicky Wire can suck my cock!"*
• Argos can take a (probably accidental) punch to the face and still carry on with the show.

Find your own reasons to love Art Brut. Start by checking out their official website.

*For the record, I'm a huge Manic Street Preachers fan - but that's still pretty damn funny.

Music Fit For A Queen

Sofia Coppola's highly anticipated film, Marie Antoinette, finally makes it's way to movie theatre's this Friday (October 20).

One of the most intriguing aspects of this modern retelling (starring Kirsten Dunst in the titular role) is it's use of different genres of music for the soundtrack. There are, of course, the expected classical pieces from the likes of Antonio Vivaldi and Jean-Philippe Rameau. However, right alongside those selections are 80s new wave staples such as New Order's Ceremony and I Want Candy by Bow Wow Wow (pictured). As well, there are contributions from some current musical mavericks like Air, The Strokes and Aphex Twin.

The French band Phoenix, who have previously provided music for Coppola's films, didn't make it on to the soundtrack this time, though several members do appear in cameo roles. I'm guessing their participation had something to do with the fact that lead singer Thomas Mars is Coppola's current paramour and the father of her unborn child.

The Marie Antoinette soundtrack is out now on Verve Music. Click here for more information.

Music Television

Here are some of the musical performers you can catch on late night TV in the coming week. Note: * indicates encore episode

MONDAY

• M. Ward - Late Show with David Letterman* (11:35pm - CBS and OMNI)
• Andy Summers - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson* (12:35am - CBS and CH)

TUESDAY

• Barry Manilow (Are you a Fanilow?) - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC and A-Channel)

WEDNESDAY

• Sarah McLachlan - Jay Leno
• Justin Timberlake - David Letterman*
• Corinne Bailey Rae - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC and A-Channel)
• Starsailor - Craig Ferguson*

THURSDAY

• Ben Folds - Conan O'Brien
• Living Things - Carson Daly*

FRIDAY

• Jojo - Jay Leno
• TV on the Radio - David Letterman*
• Frank Black (pictured) - Conan O'Brien
• Ludacris - Carson Daly*
  

So Long, Farewell...

Technically, legendary NYC punk club CBGBs doesn't close until the end of the month but it hosted a slew of farewell concerts this past week to mark it's imminent departure.

The gigs featured several acts who launched their careers at the club, including Bad Brains (pictured) and Blondie. At last night's penultimate show, Debbie Harry et al performed a cover of I Want To Be Your Boyfriend, originally done by another CBGBs "discovery", The Ramones, . Tonight's final show, featuring the iconic Patti Smith, should be a brilliant, emotionally charged affair.

CBGBs moves to it's new home in Las Vegas early in the new year.

Another Reason Why Brazilians Rule

Normally, consuming copious amounts of alcohol and attempting to communicate via email or telephone can produce disastrous results (Hands up if you've ever "drunk dialed" an ex). However, it can also be quite humourous as long as there are no personal detrimental effects (or, let's be honest, even if there are).

Case in point is the following MySpace message from one of the members of Brazilian band CSS (it's unclear which one) after what I can only assume was a successful gig in Portland, OR this past Thursday. Warning: Some coarse language is used. At least, I think some coarse language is used. Between the booze, the broken English and the bad spelling/grammar it's hard to be sure. Anyway, here goes.


Oct 13, 2006 6:31 AM
Subject HOLYFUCKGZUZLORD. WHO DIED/?
Body: holy gee-zuz!

what the hell was tonight?!!??!?!?!?!?!?!?!

PORTLAND.
WE'LL MOVE TO HERE.
for shizzle.

this show was one of my favorites EVER, ever in my and our intire life....


we wrere all very happy to play with DJ COPY and Beyonda!

then, the afterparyty was great@

of course im druhk righ tnow@
!

hey....
some peole wrote some love signs in our dusty bus.. that was cute!
we cannotete t wait to comeb acak in march!

then the afterparty was great!
Nathan from Gossip was tehre and we are still talking how much we love gossip and how bad we wantt o tattooo gosspip tings things in our tiny lilll' boddies.

for now, what i have to say is that.
the happines is all over like wireless internet once you hit ny city!
everything was great, the show as great, people wre greaet, copy was great, beyonda was great, jaggermeister was great, jagger is always great, wine was great, beer was great, vodka was great, prince was great, gossip was great, mom was great, dad was great and shower is postponed for tomorrowwr.

see ya.
BABY WHIPES!!!!

BWAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHA! Nice one. I thought the Blogger spell-checker was going to self-destruct trying to get through that message.

Another Reason Why Reality Shows Suck

I'm just going to go ahead and say it.


Appearing on a reality TV program is bad for your romantic relationship.


Until recently, the leader of the dysfunction pack was The Amazing Race with it's seemingly endless supply of combative, bickering paramours. Now, it seems that Dancing With the (D-List) Stars can take the effed-up couples crown.

First, there was former Miss USA and Playboy Playmate, Shanna Moakler (pictured, bottom) whose impending divorce from Blink 182 drummer Travis Barker (and recent scrap with Barker's latest tongue-hockey partner, Paris the Heiress) has pretty much overshadowed her actual participation in the show.

As well, just this past week, country singer Sara Evans (no, I've never heard of her either) decided to drop out of the competition due to her own divorce drama. Evans (pictured, top) wants to spend more time with her children as they deal with the end of her 13 year marriage to Craig Shelske, who, according to court papers, "committed adultery, was verbally and emotionally abusive, drank excessively and frequently watched pornography in their home".

OK, so neither of these unfortunate situations can actually be linked to or blamed on having been a DWTS participant. It just seems like an awfully strange coinkydink, is all I'm saying.

K-OS x 3

If you missed out on tickets for Canadian hip-hop head K-OS on October 30 at Mod Club in Toronto, you've now got two more opportunities.

The same venue will host K-OS on October 31 and November 1 - tickets are now available through all the usual outlets. Giddy-up!

These concerts should mark pretty stellar musical homecomings - much in the same way it was for Metric's 4 night stand at Mod Club back in December 2003. Don't miss out.

Nightmare Tunes

Thanks to Amy for this one.

As most of you may have heard, the Tim Burton classic The Nightmare Before Christmas will be re-released as a special 3D version next Friday, October 20.

There will also be remakes of the film's original songs, featuring the likes of Fiona Apple, Marilyn Manson, She Wants Revenge and Fall Out Boy. You can download MP3s for these tracks (which were recently"leaked" on MySpace) via the links below.

• Marilyn Manson This is Halloween
  http://www.sendspace.com/file/6cput2
• She Wants Revenge Kidnap the Sandy Clause
  http://www.sendspace.com/file/zbmxea
• Fall Out Boy What's This?
  http://www.sendspace.com/file/97xwwu
• Fiona Apple Sally's Song
  http://www.sendspace.com/file/7eofsa

Some of these tracks seem to be quite popular so it may take a couple of attempts to download them. Be patient.

You can also go to the official Nightmare website to watch the film trailer.

My Love is Your Love

That last clip was rather gruesome, so let's get in touch with our gentler, more romantic sides with this new video for My Love by the totally not gruesome Justin Timberlake. The track also features the lovely T.I. and the teddy bear-cute Timbaland.

Warning: The first 1 minute and 40 seconds of this clip is a musical interlude which is really quite annoying and a waste of time. Fast forward past it or, shoild you be so inclined, mute the sound and just concentrate on how pretty JT looks.

Take Cover!

Thanks to Melissa for this one.

YouTube's got a pretty cool clip featuring a whole whack of album covers engaged in an epic battle of...album cover supremacy(?). Yeah, I don't really know. Whatever. Just enjoy the video.

Warning: This video is quite graphic and probably NSFW. Not surprisingly, Ozzy's Bark at the Moon (pictured above) is responsible for a generous amount of carnage but he's not even close to being the worst of it.

People Helping People

Those Eagles of Death Metal boys are really good folk. Well, I don't know about drummer Josh Homme but lead singer Jesse Hughes (pictured) seems like the charitable sort. So much so that he's offering up his services to help beleaguered pop-tart Britney Spears get her stalling career back on track.

In a recent interview with MTV News, Hughes reached out to Spears, pleading "Britney, please let me help you, girl. I will do whatever you need to help you make that comeback." Hughes also declared Spears' single Toxic (which was playing in his car during the interview) to be " one of the greatest songs...ever" and that "[her] videos rock."

Y'know, anybody else I would think was talking a lot of shizz but I think Hughes is quite sincere. And, call me crazy, but I think a EODM/Britney collaboration would be a pretty hot hook-up. Really, whatever keeps her from doing anymore duets with Madonna is fine by me - that Me Against the Music single was a steaming piece of poo.

Lead Singer Exits The Darkness

Justin Hawkins, lead singer of UK neo-glam-metal outfit The Darkness, has decided to leave the popular band in order to concentrate on his rehab.

The (London) Sun has an exclusive interview with Hawkins (pictured, 2nd from left), which reveals that as The Darkness grew in popularity, so did his alcoholism and cocaine addiction. He reveals, “I hit absolute rock bottom. I spent over £150,000 (approx. $316 000 CAN) on cocaine in three years — a frightening amount. I was consuming up to five grams a day which cost me £1,000 (approx. $2100 CAN) a week, sometimes more. I regularly used to stay up for four days at a time on coke and alcohol binges." Read the full interview here.

Though he's leaving The Darkness, Hawkins doesn't plan to give up on music altogether. He'll continue as a solo artist under the moniker of British Whale which is, so far, most notable for penning and performing the unofficial 2006 England World Cup anthem.

The future of The Darkness is not quite as clear. According to The Sun article, new bass player, Richie Edwards, will take over as frontman. However, a posting today on the band's message board states the following: "We -- Dan, Ed and Richie -- are still in total shock and can't say at this stage what the future holds. You will hear from us, once we know what we want to do."

Sin and Salvation

I won't go into too much detail about the Jenny Lewis & The Watson Twins concert this past Saturday at Trinity St. Paul's Church. Suffice to say it was a great show - even better than when they last played Toronto earlier this year.

All involved really managed to mesh the old-school country/gospel vibe of the music with the live performance. I'm not sure if St. Paul's has ever before been witness to D.I.Y., Vegas-style showgirls (or if it ever will again) but, somehow, it all worked. The inclusion of local chanteuse Feist for the encore tune Handle With Care (originally by The Traveling Wilburys) was a bonafide crowd-pleaser.

In other Jenny Lewis & TWT news, NME.com is reporting that fellow crooner, Norah Jones, will be joining the tour as a support act for two upcoming New York City performances. Jones will perform under her side project, The Little Willies on October 12 & 13 at The Town Hall.

Babs Tears Heckler A New One

Apparently, not everyone is a fan of Barbra Streisand's acting.

During her concert last night at Madison Square Garden concert in NYC, Streisand took time out from singing to perform an anti-George W. Bush skit complete with a Bush impersonator. Seems the skit wasn't particularly well executed and dragged on a bit too long, eventually eliciting jeers from some audience members.

At first, Streisand was polite in asking people to be patient but when one heckler wouldn't let up, Babs let loose with an angry, expletive-laced admonishment. The heckler was silenced and the rest of the audience cheered. Streisand, though, later apologized for her outburst.

It's not clear whether the heckler disagreed with the political nature of the skit or s/he was just bored to tears and wanted Streisand to get back to singing.

Though I don't approve of heckling during any sort of performance, I can kind of see where this dud/ette was coming from. I'm sure those tickets weren't cheap and, though artists have a right to express their political views just like anyone else, they also have an obligation to provide the service for which the audience has paid. Personal opinions, political or otherwise, should be expressed without undue disruption to the proceedings.

MySpace Rocks For A Cause

It's no secret that the internet community known as MySpace has been involved in a whole heap of controversy as of late, primarily to do with online sexual predators targeting minors. Now MySpace organizers are trying to do a little good in the world (and perhaps, in the process, improve their own image) by helping to combat what is currently one of the most serious humanitarian emergencies.

On October 21 2006, MySpace will join forces with a slew of musical artists for Rock For Darfur, a series of concerts meant to bring attention to the civil war and resulting refugee crisis in Darfur, Sudan.

The concerts (which, so far, are only scheduled for the US) will have a portion of ticket prices going to Oxfam's Sudan Crisis Relief and Rehabilitation Fund. Some of the acts participating in the event include TV on the Radio (pictured), Secret Machines, Ziggy Marley, Alice in Chains and Jamie Cullum with more yet to be announced.

For more information on the event, including performers and venues, as well as information about the situation in Darfur you can, of course, go to the official Rock For Darfur MySpace page.

Waiting to Exhale

Um, yeah, so you should probably take the following bit of news with the proverbial grain of salt. I can't be responsible for any heartbroken headbangers who see this tidbit as the final word in a rock and roll saga nearly ten years in making.

OK, here goes.

Rolling Stone magazine recently reported that the much delayed Guns 'N Roses album, Chinese Democracy now has a firm release date of November 21, 2006. This information is based, in my opinion, on a rather dodgy tip from "a friend...with a retail source" and some recently announced G'NR tour dates scheduled to begin in late October and continuing into the new year.

There, I've done my duty. Now let's all go back to our regular lives.

Televised Music Preview

Here follows a selected list of the performers scheduled to appear on late night TV in the coming week. Note: * indicates a previously aired episode.


MONDAY

• Fergie - The Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC and A-Channel)
• Gomez - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC and A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• Amos Lee - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)

WEDNESDAY

• Monica - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS and CH)
• Amos Lee - Carson Daly

THURSDAY

• Rod Stewart - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC and CityTV)
• Basement Jaxx (pictured, bottom) - Conan O'Brien
• The Duke Spirit (pictured, top) - Carson Daly

FRIDAY

• Edie Brickel & the New Bohemians (Seriously?!?) - Jay Leno
• Diddy/P. Diddy/Puff Daddy/Puffy/Sean Combs etc - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS and OMNI)
• Justin Timberlake - Jimmy Kimmel
• Busta Rhymes - Carson Daly
  

The Princess Mom

You'd have to figure that a personality like rapper/DJ Princess Superstar (aka Concetta Kirschner, pictured) had to be the product of some pretty interesting parentage. Now comes the opportunity to view at least one of her parental units, as Mama Superstar launches her own reality show.

Love in 90 Days Boot Camp has Dr. Diana (Kirschner) taking six single women through dating and relationship "training". Though both coach and subjects are sincere in their goals, that doesn't mean it's all serious business. If the pilot is any indication, it's the show's off-beat nature (showcased through quirky exercises and challenges) that will be the catalyst for success for the boot campers. Musical accompaniment is provided by none other than the Princess herself, who also makes a special appearance as Dr. Diana's assistant.

90 Days has not yet been picked up by a network but you can still find out all you need to know on MySpace or MSN Live Spaces.

Tiny Dancer

Hallelujah, amen! Massive Attack managed to sort out their visa issues and show up for their concert at The Carlu (a gorgeous venue, by the way) last night. This gig was, of course, a make-up date for their cancelled headlining spot with the Virgin Festival almost one month ago.

I have to say that, despite the fact that I paid more for this ticket than my V-Fest one, overall, I enjoyed this show much more. I've been waiting 8 years for these guys to make it back to Toronto (the last time they were here I was, ironically, vacationing in the UK) and they didn't disappoint. Here follows a few (random) thoughts on last night's performance.

• Hearing Liz Fraser (Cocteau Twins, vocals on Teardrop) sing live got me quite choked up. Also, in person she's a tiny, angelic-looking slip of a thing.
  
• For some reason, I always thought that there was some sort production effect being used on Horace Andy's vocals but he really sings like that, which is pretty awesome. Plus, he's got some really good dance moves.
• Pixel boards are cool. So are fancy lights.
  
• I know that everyone always goes on about Teardrop but Karmacoma is still my favourite Massive Attack song and it sounds absolutely amazing live.
• Though I'm quite sure that everyone in the band had partaken of that most special of flora, I somehow got the feeling that Daddy G (Grant Marshall, pictured left) got a greater share than everyone else.
• I'm guessing that 3D (Robert Del Naja, pictured right) considers his boxing-influenced dance moves to be rather aggressive but, really, they just make him look way more adorable that he already does.
  

Here's hoping Massive Attack don't make us wait another decade before returning to this side of the pond.

Rufus and Robbie Join The Boys

The Pet Shop Boys (pictured) will have a couple of famous friends guesting on their new album, Concrete, set for release on October 23.

The album sees the duo reworking their own classic songs with backing from the BBC Concert Orchestra. As well, Rufus Wainwright and Robbie Williams will make special appearances - Wainwright on Casanova in Hell and Williams on Jealousy. Other PSB tunes on the new album include It's A Sin, Left to My Own Devices and West End Girls.

Concrete's full track listing and all other Pet Shop Boys news can be found on their official website.

Whale Rider With Child

Forget Tori Spelling, here's this week's big celebrity pregnancy news straight from E! Online.

Keisha Castle-Hughes, 16, best known for her Oscar-nominated starring role in the 2002 film Whale Rider, is pregnant with her first child. The baby's father is her boyfriend of three years, Bradley Hull, 19.

Though I do think 16 is way, way too young to be having a baby I do wish the best for all concerned. Specifically, I hope that Hull, despite his young age, turns out to be a respectable guy and not another K-Fed in the making.

In a rather odd coincidence, one of Castle-Hughes' next roles is as Mary, mother of Jesus, in the upcoming film Nativity, due out this Christmas. I hope she was taking notes.

Hot For (Future) Teacher

In case you're one of the three people who hasn't heard this little bombshell yet, here you go.

Backstreet Boy Nick Carter is telling anyone who will listen (US magazine, Howard Stern) that he lost his virginity to infamous pedophile/Florida school teacher Debra Lafave.

It's not quite as disturbing as it sounds since, at the time, he was 14 and she was 15. Apparently, he was quite smitten but eventually dumped her after finding out she cheated on him with another girl. Still, he claims he'd always held out hope for a reconciliation, that is until Lafave's scandalous "love affair" with a 14-year old student landed her in jail.

BTW does anyone know of any Canadian networks that are airing House of Carter, that reality show about Nick Carter and his family? I'm assuming all the blabbing Nick has been doing lately about his famous "conquests" (Lafave, Paris Hilton, Ashlee Simpson) is a ploy to drum up publicity for the show. I've seen a couple of clips and it looks like a complete trainwreck so, obviously, I'm dying to catch the entire series. Anyway, if you've got the deets please let me know.

Lost Downtown

Watching last night's season premiere of Lost did me more harm than good.

Not only did it create more questions (Could Jack be any more annoying? Aside from oddly combative book club meetings, what exactly are The Others doing on the island? How is it possible that Sawyer is less intelligent than bears?) than it answered, it's now gotten that Petula Clark song, Downtown, stuck in my head.

I was singing along as it was played during the show's opening scene, I was humming it as I went to bed last night, it was in my head when I woke up this morning and the lyrics are spilling from my lips even as I compose this post. I've been listening to my iPod at every opportunity and I still can't shake the maddeningly catchy tune from my brain.

Curse you Lost! Curse your inventive storylines, your intriguing characters and your use of iconic pop tunes which, though probably inconsequential, will have me pondering it's significance to the show's plot for way longer than I'd care to admit!

Beck Banned From UK Charts

Sometimes it just doesn't pay to be too creative. At least, that would seem to be the message being sent to experimental popster Beck in regards to his new album, The Information.

Seems that there are a few too many bonuses included with the CD, such as a DVD and stickers that fans can use to design their own artwork, making it ineligible for inclusion in chart rankings. Apparently, these doodads break the rules set out by The Official UK Charts Company, the regulating body in charge of monitoring multimedia sales. Something about the extras giving The Information too much of an advantage over other releases. I'm guessing that means that, given the choice between two CDs of similar content/quality, a potential music buyer will choose the one with the bonus features over the one without.

Don't feel too sorry for Beck, though. NME.com spoke to one of his label reps who claims that they were well aware that the extras might cause this sort of kafuffel but that they, along with Beck, were so enthusiastic about the project that they went ahead with it anyway. No word on whether there are plans to release a standard version of The Information for chart eligibility.

I've never heard of a case like this before and I think it seems quite silly . Instead of banning CDs for having too much included with them, The OCC should start banning CDs that don't have enough included with them - like good music.

Prince & the Penguins

The new animated penguin film Happy Feet looks like it's going to be all kinds of adorable and the soundtrack is shaping up to be pretty darn fetching too.

The highlight is sure to be the new Prince track called Song of the Heart. However, there are also some interesting covers that should be fun to check out. Chief among them is, coincidentally, the Prince classic Kiss, performed by Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman, both of whom voice characters in the film.

Several other actors from the film take on singing duties as well. Brittany Murphy does both Queen's Somebody to Love and Earth, Wind & Fire's Boogie Wonderland while Robin Williams tackles a Spanish version of My Way (A Mi Manera).

As well, some more traditional singers contribute their own takes on classic tunes. Patti Labelle, Fantasia Barrino and Yolanda Adams join forces for the Stevie Wonder song I Wish, while Canadian crooner k.d. lang does The Beatles' Golden Slumbers.


Happy Feet is scheduled for North American release on November 17.

Mozzer Does X-mas

While Morrissey (or, Big Poncey One, as I like to call him) continues his boycott against Canada, he'll be showing much love for his Manchester faithful with a slate of shows scheduled for the upcoming holiday season.

Only two dates have been confirmed so far - December 22 and 23 at G-Mex - but, according to NME.com, more will be announced by month's end.

Tickets for the above dates go sale starting October 13 at 9am.

Brazilians Cause Ruckus at Ladytron Gig

The Ladytron concert last night at The Guvernment in Toronto marks my third time seeing the band and, as such, I've come to expect a few things from their live show.

Icy-cool synth-pop. Check.
Sombre, black-clad band members. Check.
Crowd surfing. Ch- Sorry, come again!

Yeah, that's right. Though, to be clear, it wasn't any of the Ladytron members being passed above the audience (now that would be something). Rather, it was Lovefoxxx (bottom photo, 3rd from right), lead vocalist of opening band Cansei de Ser Sexy, letting loose during Ladytron's encore tune, Destroy Everything You Touch.

Actually, I think the Brazilian sextet can take most of the credit for the rather raucous mood that permeated throughout the evening. During their own set, CSS got the crowd moving to their blissfully shambolic dance-rock tunes. My personal favourites were Alcohol, which Lovefoxxx introduced as a love song, and Let's Make Love and Listen to Death From Above, whose title Lovefoxxx tried, but was unable to say in it's entirety. She made it through the song itself just fine.

The energy carried over into Ladytron's set, probably due, in no small part, to the fact that the CSSers parked themselves amongst the crowd near the front-centre area of the stage and made their presence known in the best possible way. They cheered, danced and sang-along with wild abandon and so encouraged the audience around them to do the same.

Ladytron themselves were affected by the enthusiasm, appearing much more relaxed and, dare I say, lighthearted than they are normally known to be. Throughout their set, vocalists Mira Aroyo and Helen Marnie were reduced to giggles (no, really) by CSS's antics. At one point, Marnie engaged in a mock argument with keyboardist/guitarist Daniel Hunt about when, if ever, Ladytron would return to Toronto. There was even some unprecedented interaction with the audience, as Marnie led a rather successful clap-along ("OK, now everybody on this side!"), which made me feel that the spirit of the Hidden Cameras had somehow taken over the venue.

As I mentioned before, the finale came and near chaos ensued. Well, relatively near chaos - it's still a Ladytron concert we're talking about. Still, it was a highly climactic way to cap off the evening and, when the house lights came up, it seemed to me like there were a lot of happily spent fans staggering out into the night.

Ladytron and Cansei de Ser Sexy continue to tour together throughout the month of October.

For No Good Reason

I'm not in the habit of posting a random paparrazzi shot without even a news item of some sort to justify it's use, but this recent photo of Britsh rocker Gavin Rossdale and his infant son Kingston James was just too adorable to pass up.

There are, however, a couple of sigificant things to note here.

• I think this is the first photo I've seen where Rossdale is the one holding baby Kingston - usually it's Mommy aka Gwen Stefani.
• I also think this is the first time someone's caught this little guy awake. KJ quite enjoys his slumber.

OK, OK. None of that was, in any way, significant. Let's just enjoy the cuteness and say no more about it.

Good News/Bad News for Sisters

While Scissor Sisters are enjoying chart dominance in the UK - album Ta-Dah and single I Don't Feel Like Dancin' both sit in the top positions - the New York-based band are not enjoying the same kind of love on this side of the pond. Several US retailers have boycotted the album after Sisters' lead singer, Jake Shears, criticized their pricing policy.

Trans World Entertainment, which operates approximately 800 stores (such as Sam Goody and Coconuts) pulled Ta-Dah after Shears (pictured, front) complained that the $20 price tag for the disc was too high. TWE CEO Jim Litwak says that Shears is incorrect about the price and, therefore, owes the company an apology.

My favourite part of this story is that Shears made the comments during the band's set - at the National Association of Recording Merchandisers convention. Nice one, Jake - you must have cajones the size of doorknobs.

GM At It Again

Oh good grief!

It seems like every time George Michael starts to get his act together he manages to do something stupid to cock it up.

Just a week into his first world tour in 15 years, Michael was arrested in the wee hours of October 1 on suspicion of being unfit to drive and drug possession. He'd been pulled over by police in Cricklewood (north London) after motorists called in reports of a car causing an obstruction at traffic lights in the area. He was subsequently searched and found to be in possession of a substance thought to be marijuana.

This latest run in with the law follows a February 2006 incident in which the singer was arrested on a similar charge after being found unconscious at the wheel of his car in London's Hyde Park.

You know, I'm not opposed to an adult indulging in the illicit substance of his/her choice when the mood strikes but, especially when you're a public figure, you might want to make the extra effort to keep it under wraps. And, for goodness sake, stay off the roads!

This Week in Music Television

Here, for your consideration, is a selected schedule for the musical acts appearing on late night network TV in the upcoming week. Note: * indicates encore episode

MONDAY

• John Mayer - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm on NBC and A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• The Decemberists - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am on NBC and A-Channel)

WEDNESDAY

• Rod Stewart - Jay Leno
• Jerry Lee Lewis & Neil Young - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm on CBS and OMNI)
• Billy Bragg - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am on CBS and CH)
• Ben Kweller - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am on NBC)

THURSDAY

• Camp Freddy - Jay Leno
• Xzibit - David Letterman
• Jerry Lee Lewis - Conan O'Brien
• Diana Krall - Craig Ferguson
• Jose Gonzalez - Carson Daly

FRIDAY

• Barenaked Ladies - Conan O'Brien

Hanson Wedding March

Dang, those Hanson boys are really into the whole "institution of marriage" thing!

The official Hanson website has links to both People magazine and Reuters reports on the marriage of oldest brother Isaac Hanson (pictured), 25, to his longtime girlfriend Nicole Dufresne, 22, yesterday in Tulsa, OK.

So, just in case you're keeping track (and I know that you are):

• Taylor Hanson - 23 - married in 2002 - 3 children aged 4yrs, 1yr and 2 weeks
• Zac Hanson - 20 - married June 2006
• Isaac Hanson - 25 - married September 30 2006

Granted, I'm a little freaked out by the knowledge that the same golden-haired moppets who sang MmmBop are now grown up, married men (with children, in one case). Yet, at the same time, it gives me a warm glow to see the boys with such domestic inclinations. Apparently, it is possible to have been successful child stars and still go on to live happy, simple home lives.