You Know His Name

Though I'm perfectly content to view Casino Royale star Daniel Craig from this angle, I might suggest that he give us a look at that "perfectly formed ass" so that all his fans can properly worship it and all those naysayers can step right up and kiss it.

With this past weekend's worldwide box office totals, Casino Royale has officially become the highest grossing James Bond film ever. At $454 million generated so far (and showing no signs of stopping), it has surpassed the previous record holder, Die Another Day, which topped out at a respectable $431 million.

Yeah, I just really wanted an excuse to post another photo of the absolutely divine Daniel Craig. Excuse me while I stage my own DC mini-film fest (featuring Tomb Raider, Layer Cake and Munich) and then pass out from sheer delight.

The Boys Are Alright

Blur v. Oasis back in the day

Britta and Dean prove their love is here to stay

On the newsstands right now are a couple of male-geared magazines which feature some musical artists that everyone can enjoy.


The current North American version of Men's Vogue not only boasts a cover story on 24's Kiefer Sutherland (Jack Bauer is a pimp!) but also has a catch-up article on one of music's favourite couples, Dean Wareham and Britta Phillips. Formerly of art-pop band Luna, the fabulously in love pair discuss what it's like for them to (literally) make beautiful music together as the duo Dean & Britta, and talk up their latest release Back Numbers.


The Winter 2007 issue of Nylon For Guys, the one with Ewan McGregor (who's been known to carry a tune) on the cover, is resplendent with articles on some the music industry's current faves and an old(er)-school rocker or two.

We're introduced to new acts Reni Laine and White Magic while Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos comes clean about his other life as a "foodie". In an odd coincidence (or, maybe not), former Britpop rivals Noel Gallagher (Oasis) and Damon Albarn (Blur) are each featured in separate articles: the former discusses the past, present and future of his the rock & roll mega-band that sibling rivalry built while the latter turns the focus on his newest project The Good, The Bad & The Queen.

Plus, there's an 80's goth-inspired fashion feature, a few emo bands get thrown into the mix and, just for kicks, a brief chat with Katie Cassidy (she would be the daughter of 70's teen heartthrob, David) who lets us know just how she plans to use her own formidable voice.

Mixed Blessings

Ice T: working to bring hip-hop to the privileged few

Nick Carter: working to bring harmony to his sibling crew

You gotta love celebrities whose careers are flailing.

Somehow, in their desperate attempts to keep themselves in the public eye, they manage to come up with some convoluted concept that can be worked into a reality TV show. At least that's how they do it these days. I think before they just developed eating disorders and/or substance abuse problems, conquered said problems, wrote tell-all books about conquest of said problems and then hit the talk-show circuit to promote tell-all books about conquest of said problems.


Anyway...

MuchMusic has just started airing two new additions to the the celebrity-driven, reality TV pantheon.

House of Carters finds Backstreet Boy Nick Carter and his four younger siblings sharing a house in the Hollywood Hills, trying to pursue their individual career goals and attempting to come together as a loving familial unit. Dysfunction abounds. Hilarity ensues.

Ice T's Rap School sees the self-proclaimed OG attempt to turn a bunch of New York prep school kids into credible hard core rappers. Cultures clash. Hilarity ensues.

Yes, it's true there's no really good reason that either of these shows is seeing the light of day but that doesn't make them any less entertaining/addictive.

TV Tunes Preview (Abbreviated)

Fiona Apple

Hope everyone had a good Christmas. I know I did which is the reason this week's preview is popping up kind of mid-week-ish. Anyway, here are some of the musical performers appearing on late night television the rest of this week. Note: these are all encore episodes.


TUESDAY

• Lupe Fiasco & Jill Scott - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI2)
• Fiona Apple - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)

WEDNESDAY

• Britney Spears ("surprise" walk-on) - Letterman
• Common - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

THURSDAY

• The Decemberists - Letterman
• Akon - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
  

FRIDAY

• Ludacris - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Beck - Kimmel
  
• Wilco - Conan

SATURDAY

• Tenacious D - Saturday Night Live (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
  

James Brown 1933 - 2006

RIP Godfather of Soul

Merry Christmas

YouTube has some great footage of a television special that Hanson did for ABC circa 1997 when they were promoting their Christmas album Snowed In. I really love that album (seriously) and play it every year at this time (no, seriously). I remember thinking the TV special was really cute back then and, looking it back on it now, it reminds me of a time when the boys were still very sweet and innocent and weren't freakin' me out by getting married and having kids.

If that's just too wholesome for you, click on the links below for some alternative Christmas classics.

The Ramones - Merry Christmas Baby (I Don't Want To Fight Tonight)
Flaming Lips - Christmas At The Zoo
Run DMC - Christmas In Hollis
The Raveonnettes - The Christmas Song
Justin Timberlake/Andy Samberg (SNL) - A Special Christmas Box
Darlene Love/TV Funhouse (SNL) - Christmastime For The Jews

More Links

U2 Star To Be Knighted

(Theme To) Stereogum

Jessica Yanks Her Song From Kennedy Honours

Christmelicious

Can't Talk Now - Still Christmas Shopping

Yep, this is totally what I look like when I'm out doing my Christmas shopping.

It's all about the news-links today kids. Enjoy!

Arcade Fire Raising The Roof At NYC Church

Bjork, Prince Lead Joni Mitchell Tribute Disc

Pink Floyd's 'eyeballs' go for £16, 500

Exclusive: new Beatles video

Guitarmageddon Has Come...And Gone

Colbert prepares to shred last night on The Report

I hope you all got a chance to check out last night's (December 20) episode of The Colbert Report because it was a doozy.

Not only was it the last show for 2006 but it was also the night of the guitar solo challenge between host/political (satirical) pundit Stephen Colbert and The Decemberists' guitarist Chris Funk.

Besides Funk there were a slew of other special guests: Morley Safer (60 Minutes) intro'd the whole event with the appropriate level of gravitas; Robert Schneider (The Apples In Stereo) performed a Stephen Colbert tribute ditty ; celebrity judges Anthony DeCurtis(critic - Rolling Stone, New York Times), Jim Anderson (producer/engineer/Chair of NYU's Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music) and New York Governor-elect Eliot Spitzer; "starting gun" Dr. Henry Kissinger; guitar-god Peter Frampton; and Cheap Trick guitarist (as well as the composer of the Colbert Report theme-song) Rick Neilsen.

Highlights of the competition included the announcement of a 3rd Greenscreen Challenge, a bribery scandal resulting in the recusal of one of the judges, a rather bloody (and highly dubious) injury, a Christmas miracle and an All-Star Guitar Jam.

I won't reveal the winner in this battle of the axes (hint: the outcome was heavily influenced by the presence of The Frampton) but invite you to head on over to the Comedy Central website to watch video of the entire show.

Diddy's Twin Blessings

Porter and Combs at the 2006 BET Awards

Sean "Insert Silly Nickname Here" Combs and his girlfriend Kim Porter happily welcomed a pair of pre-Christmas gifts to their family.

They are now the parents of twin girls, born in New York earlier this morning. The couple already have a son, Christian, 8 years old. Both Porter and Combs also have a child each from previous relationships.

The Dears Drop In On Dave

Murray Lightburn (top left) et al prepare to lay a beat-down on yours truly for failing to mention their Letterman appearance

I'm a naughty blogger.

Melancholy Montreal-popsters The Dears appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman last night (December 19) but I failed to mention it in my weekly Sunday preview.

Actually, it seems like the announcement of The Dears' appearance wasn't made until after I'd posted on Sunday so I don't think I'm entirely to blame in this instance.

Anyway, I've been searching YouTube all morning for video of the performance but I haven't come up with anything so far. If any one out there finds some footage please forward it to pleasedocomecloser@gmail.com and I'll gladly post it.

A 24 Christmas

You know, I may just post internet videos for the rest of the year - there are so many cute ones out there right now.

This clever clip comes from FOX-TV via MSN Video. It's a Christmas-themed spoof of the hit show 24 featuring a Santa Jack Bauer and a hilariously spot on Chloe-elf.

Not a bad way to get in some seasonal advertising for 24's sixth season, which debuts in January.

Dirrrty Boy Brett

Anderson (left, in his Suede days) and Aguilera (right, circa 2004) have a "fierce off". I'm not sure who's winning but I know I wouldn't want to get between the two of them.

I don't know what to make of this little find.

YouTube has a recently posted clip of Brett Anderson (Suede, The Tears) doing a cover of Christina Aguilera's Beautiful.

When I heard of the clip's existence I figured Anderson was just taking the piss but his performance seems quite sincere. He even sings with his eyes closed at certain points. In any case, it's a rather lovely rendition.

The good folks at YouTube were kind enough to alert to me to the fact that this performance is actually the fourth in a series done by Anderson. The previous three videos were for Scorpio Rising, Europe Is Our Playground and Song For My Father.

Anderson has a solo album scheduled for release in early 2007 - I don't think Beautiful will be included, though it might just end up as a bonus/hidden track.

Happy Birthday Jakey-poo!

Jake Gyllenhaal celebrates his 26th birthday today but I feel his mere existence (translation: extreme hotness) is a gift to us all.

Thank you Jake!

Cock In A Box

SNL cast-member Amy Poehler (right) knows exactly what she wants from host/musical guest Justin Timberlake this holiday season

If you missed Justin Timberlake on Saturday Night Live this weekend or would just like to relive this particularly heartwarming holiday ditty, click here.

BTW, I can't be entirely sure, because I was a tad drowsy when I watched the west coast feed of SNL after coming in late from a party, but it seemed to me like every skit with JT involved music in some way. Not a complaint, just an observation. I thought it was all pretty funny.

The Minogue Kids Are Alright

Kitty Cat Kylie and Dominatrix Dannii wow the crowd down under

While I'm of a mind to post video, I'll include this fun one of Kylie Minogue and her sister Dannii performing together this past Saturday (December 16) during one of Kylie's Showgirl Homecoming concerts in Melbourne, Australia.

Dannii made the surprise appearance to duet with her sister on the song Kids, previously a hit for Kylie and Robbie Williams.

FYI, the video looks to have been taken with a hand-held device aimed directly at the jumbotron monitors so the picture is a bit grainy and the vocals are slightly out of sync with the action. Cute, nonetheless.

Latenight TV Music Preview

Scott Weiland

Here are some of the artists scheduled to appear on latenight television in the coming week. Note: * indicates an encore episode.


MONDAY

• Scott Weiland - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Jay-Z (panel guest and performer) - Jimmy Kimmel Live* (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Tony Bennett - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)
  

TUESDAY

• Jennifer Hudson (I think she'll be performing as well as being a panel guest but I'm not entirely sure) - Leno

WEDNESDAY

• OK Go - Kimmel
• Sean Lennon - Conan
• Ziggy Marley - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)
  

THURSDAY

• Gnarls Barkley - Kimmel
• Nas - Carson

FRIDAY

• Darlene Love - Letterman
• Nellie McKay - Conan
• Twisted Sister - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS, CH)
  

SATURDAY

• Neil Young - Saturday Night Live* (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
  

If you've got some free time during the day this week, you can catch Beyoncé appearing as a panel guest and musical performer on the Ellen Degeneres Show on Monday. Check local listings for air times.

Welcome Back

An artistic representation of Merdypops

I'd like to give a shout out to my girl Merdypops who recently returned to the T-Dot after several years out in the wild, wild, west (that'd be Calgary).

Please, if you see Mer out and about in the big bad city, be kind and welcoming so that she doesn't end up regretting her big move.

At least, no more so that she will when she realizes she's once again paying twice as much for sales tax.

Rocking Into The Great Beyond

Ahmet Ertegun (right) with Ray Charles

Ahmet Ertegun, founder of Atlantic Records and the man who helped forge the careers of John Coltrane, Ray Charles and Led Zeppelin among others, died yesterday (December 14) at the age of 83.


He succumbed to injuries suffered on October 29 when he fell backstage at a concert that the Rolling Stones (another Ertegun success story) were performing to celebrate former US President Bill Clinton's 60th birthday. Since then, he'd been in a coma from which he never emerged.

Now, I certainly don't want to make light of Ertegun's passing or seem in and way facetious about death itself but, I have to say, if I can choose how I want to shrug off this mortal coil it would definitely involve being in my 80s, backstage at a rock concert.

Another Beatles-Related Item

Sean (not John) Lennon

I went to see Sean Lennon in concert last night (December 13) at the Opera House in Toronto. I won't get into too much of a proper review here but I will say that I really enjoyed it. Sean seems to have discovered Brian Wilson (The Beach Boys) which is a good thing. The songs he performed, most of which were off his most recent album, Friendly Fire, sounded very lush and orchestral - it actually reminded me a lot of Sean's good friend, Rufus Wainwright. The Wainwright's did provide more practical aid in the form of Lennon's band who, aside from Sean's former girlfriend and Cibo Matto member Yuka Honda, were "stolen" from sister Martha.

I was digging Sean's 60s style suit too, although, when he added the hat and scarf and with his full beard he gave off a very Tevia (Fiddler on the Roof) vibe. Still, it was cute.

The one problem I had with the show is something that seems to come up every time Sean plays Toronto (he opened for Rufus years ago and toured as part of Cibo Matto's band when he and Yuka were a couple). Once again, last night, a handful of people felt it necessary to yell out requests for Beatles songs.

Now, I'm not sure if these people are just being a--holes (although I'm certain that the guy who yelled it out "Play Penny Lane!" during the CM concert was) or if they're just stupidly optimistic but, in any case, I wish they'd knock it the f**k off.

Just to clarify, John Lennon was the one in The Beatles. Yes, Sean is his son but that doesn't mean he's interested in pimping his father's legacy just to promote his own career. People who call out for those Beatles' songs come off as complete idiots who are being disruptive and disrespectful not only to Sean (who clearly doesn't appreciate it) but also to those of us who came to hear his music, not his father's.

In the past, Sean's chosen to ignore the Beatlemania but this time around he had a few retorts at the ready. When some fool yelled "I love your daddy!", Sean quipped "You love my doggie? Yeah, I love my doggie, too. He's really cute." Later, during his encore, he quelled a mini-barrage of
retro requests with "This isn't going turn into a revival for you Beatles fans". Well done, Sean.

Anyone still jonesing for a Fab Four fix might want to consider one of the following options. Or just lock your radio dial on to whatever classic rock station happens to serve your area.

Other than that, like I said, it was a great show. I also want to briefly mention that, though I missed some of opener Jim Noir's set, what I did manage to catch was fantastic. I'm looking forward to hearing more from him in the future.

Ricky Gervais Rocks In His Own Special Way

Gervais as David Brent (The Office) in a scene where the character has made a music video in an ill-fated attempt to launch his music career

Ricky Gervais is certainly a multi-faceted man.

He's probably best known as a co-creator of the British series The Office (as well as it's American counterpart, also known as The Office) and Extras. Gervais a talented comic actor in his own right, having starred in both series, he appears in the current film For Your Consideration and the upcoming Night At The Museum. He's also recently done voicework on The Simpsons and is responsible for the Flanimals series of children's books.

Then there's Gervais' little known musical side. There have been some subtle hints, most notably through his Office character David Brent who, though he toiled away in middle management, fancied himself a rock star in the making. In reality, Gervais managed an early version of the UK group Suede and, as I learned from his recent appearance on Conan O'Brien, was a member of the short-lived 80s new wave group Seona Dancing.

Gervais has no current musical aspirations, though season 2 of Extras, which has already aired in the UK and will make it's North American debut in January on HBO (no word on whether CH will again air the series in Canada), features appearances by musicians David Bowie and Chris Martin (Coldplay).

As well, Gervais (whose father hails from Quebec and still has family in London, ON) will spend the first quarter of 2007 on tour in the UK with his one-man stand-up show Fame. He will also appear in a DVD-only scene for the TV thriller 24 while his creative partner, Stephen Merchant, will have a walk-on part in the season 6 debut.

Beatle-Related Story #1

I'd only been vaguely aware of the incident regarding tenor Roberto Alagna being booed off stage during a performance of Aida at Milan's La Scala last Sunday night but recent events in the case have caught my attention.

Seems that Alagna's of the mind to sue La Scala because the famed opera house won't allow him to return to the show, citing breach of contract ie by walking off stage and refusing to complete the performance - which hasn't happened in the 230-year history of the house - the tenor failed to fulfill his contractual obligation.

Alagna has shot back by saying that he felt he had no choice but to leave the stage because La Scala was doing nothing to control the situation.

"I went there to sing, to give the audience joy and pleasure. But what was I supposed to do when some people started booing? What if they had thrown stones at me or some crazy person had attacked me? La Scala should have protected me, the show should have been suspended.
"Instead they carried on as if nothing had happened. After all, John Lennon ended up being killed," he said.

Bitch, please!

First of all, somebody needs to explain to Alagna that Lennon was murdered by a deranged fan, not someone who disliked him.

Secondly, I realize it can't be fun to be heckled but I also don't see how it's at all like having stones thrown at you or anything other act that might physically harm your being.

Plus, let's remember these are opera buffs we're talking about, not rowdy fans at Guns N' Roses gig that's been cancelled at the last minute.

It'll be interesting to follow this story as it continues to unfold.

Beatle-Related Story #2

Stella and Alasdhair (not sure which pregnancy this is)

Designer Stella McCartney and her husband, Alasdhair Willis, welcomed a baby girl into their growing family last Friday (December 8).

Bailey Olwyn Linda Willis is the couple's second child. They have a son named Miller who will be 2 in February.

I thought Stella was never going to have this child. It seems like she's been pregnant forever but maybe it's because she had the children so close together. Anyway, congrats to the happy brood.

TVOTR Experience Wardrobe Malfunction

New York rockers TV On The Radio posted the following plea via MySpace yesterday:


Date:
Dec 11, 2006 2:30 AM
Subject
TORONTO ! CAN YOU SEW ? ----SEAMSTRESS NEEDED IMMMMMMEDIATE
Body:
WE NEED SOMEONE (WHO IS IN TORONTO RIGHT NOW) FOR SEWING MANIA FOR TVOTR VIDEO ... LONG HOURS TODAY/TOMORROW . this is for costume / warddrobe assistance ... TODAY AND TOMORROW .... please respond only if this is possible. thanks ! -tvotr/production staff.


I had no idea TVOTR were in the T-dot and I'm a huge fan so I was very tempted to volunteer to help them out. Unfortunately, I can't sew to save my life and I probably would've put somebody's (most likely my own) eye out with the sewing needle.

Anyway, I hope the boys got this situation sorted out. Can't wait to see the video.

Party For A Princess

Princes William and Harry have announced details for a charity concert to mark the 10th anniversary of the death of their mother Princess Diana.

Concert For Diana will take place at the new Wembley Stadium July 1 2007, which would have been Diana's 46th birthday. Performers already confirmed include Elton John, Duran Duran, Pharrell Williams, Bryan Ferry and Joss Stone. More are expected to be announced as the date draws closer.

Click here for a taped interview with both princes in which they discuss the charity concert as well as a private family memorial to take place on August 31, 2007 - the actual anniversary date of her death.

Goldfrapp Go For The Grammy

My bad.

I failed to take note that UK electronica duo Goldfrapp had also received Grammy nominations. They got two nods: Best Dance Recording - Ooh La La and Best Electronic/Dance Album - Supernature.

Well done and best of luck to Alison and Will.

Berrylicious?

Berry with her boyfriend, model/restauranteur Gabriel Aubrey

Concrete Loop is reporting that actress Halle Berry has revealed plans to release an album early in the new year. There are no indications as to the musical genre of the album, nor any titles given for individual tracks or even the album itself.

CL sources the news as coming from the December 2006 issue of Ebony magazine. I've gone through the mag's website and couldn't find any info on it myself. There's also no mention of an album on Berry's own website though the information there is woefully out of date.

Interestingly, CL also posted the following statement about the Berry album news: "MANY SOURCES ARE SAYING THAT THIS IS JUST A RUMOR/PRANK. SO WEÂ’LL KEEP YOU GUYS UPDATED.."

I suppose we'll just have to wait and see.

Twin Blessings For Costello And Krall

Costello and a still pregnant Krall in October of this year

It was announced late last week that rocker Elvis Costello and his wife, jazz musician Diana Krall had become parents of twin boys, Dexter Henry Lorcan and Frank Harlan James.

The birth was last Wednesday (December 6)and coincided with the couple's third wedding anniversary. It's Costello's third marriage and he already has a son by his first wife. It's Krall's first marriage and her only children.

Prince Performs On The 50 Yard Line

His Royal Purpleness, Prince, has been confirmed as the headline performer for the Pepsi Super Bowl XLI Halftime Show.

SB XLI takes place on Sunday, February 4, 2007 and will once again air on CBS. If I recall correctly, the Superbowl Sunday telecast tends to span about a 14 - 16 hour period so I'm not entirely sure when exactly within that timeframe the halftime show might be scheduled to begin. I suppose there will be more info as the date approaches.

My only hope is that the freaky-deaky Prince of yore might resurface (if just for a brief moment) to treat the viewing audience with a bit of a Janet Jackson-style nipple flash.

TV Tunes Preview

Justin Timberlake as Jessica Simpson (with Jimmy Fallon as Nick Lachey) in a spoof of the reality show Newlyweds from one of Timberlake's previous appearances on Saturday Night Live

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


MONDAY

• Ricky Martin (panel guest and performer) - Jimmy Kimmel Live* (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Jewel - Last Call with Carson Daly* (1:35am - NBC)

TUESDAY

• Gwen Stefani - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI2)

WEDNESDAY

• Twisted Sister (pimping their new Xmas CD...seriously) - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Aimee Mann - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

THURSDAY

• Beck - Kimmel

FRIDAY

• Sarah McLachlan - Leno
• Bette Midler (panel guest and performer) - Letterman
• Nas - Kimmel

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Today's Word: Throwdown

The Decemberists share a playful moment, blissfully unaware that they've walked right into Stephen Colbert's trap

Stephen Colbert debuts his, now ubiquitous, term "truthiness" back in October 2005 on The Colbert Report

Stephen Colbert of The Colbert Report has gotten himself into a bit of a feud with indie art-rockers The Decemberists that's quickly escalating into a beef of Biggie v. Tupac proportions.

It all started last month when The Decemberists announced their "Re-animate The Decemberists" contest that would allow fans to complete the video for the single O Valencia! (from their lates release, The Crane Wife) which, in it's current, unfinished form just features the band playing in front of a green screen.

Colbert noticed that the contest bore a striking resemblance to his show's own Green Screen Challenge which allowed faithful members of the Colbert Nation to animate a video clip of the political (satirical) pundit doing his best Star Wars light-sabre battle re-enactment.

In response to this blatant creative bite, Colbert recently announced the Second Green Screen Challenge in which he entreats members of the CN to use the footage from the original Challenge to complete the Decemberists video.

With me so far?

Now, in response to Colbert's attempt at video sabotage, The Decemberists have issued a counter-counter-challenge which they are calling the Decemberists vs. Stephen Colbert Guitar Solo Challenge. Presumably, The Decemberists figure they have a pretty solid advantage here though they've clearly forgotten about the seminal 80's new wave band Stephen & the Colberts - it could prove to be a costly mistake.

In related news, the Colbert-coined term "truthiness" was recently declared 2006 Word of the Year by dictionary publisher Merriam-Webster. Click here for more on the story.

Belle Goes Badass

Cover art for the White Collar Boy single - which is in no way an accurate representation of what the video is like

Perhaps hoping to, once and for all, shed their fey, twee-pop image, Scottish band Belle and Sebastian have released a new video which could be described as really quite raunchy (for B&S anyway).

The clip, for the single White Collar Boy (off their latest album, The Life Pursuit), features lead singer Stuart Murdoch behaving rather loutishly. He gets piss-drunk in the local pub, ogles the female bartender and ultimately stiffs her on the tab.

After being tossed out into the street, he falls in with some equally soused party-girls who proceed to publicly degrade him before growing bored (or passing out and forgetting he's there) and wandering off into the night.

Our anti-hero then pesters a number of female pedestrians before coming across one rather large victim who's had just about enough and chases him down an alley. There, Murdoch collides with, and spills the drink of, yet another female reveler who punishes him by making off with his trousers.

I've pretty much walked you through the entire plot but it certainly doesn't do justice to the real thing. Have a look here.

It's The Most Redundant Time Of The Year

For the most part, I don't usually take notice of all the "best of" lists that a lot of the media tend to indulge in at year's end. I certainly don't participate in the activity myself as I don't really see much point to it and find it to be generally not worth the effort.

Unless, of course, there's some possibility of reward in return. Which is where the Exclaim! 2006/2007 Readers Poll comes in.

In exchange for digging back into the far reaches of your brain to recall the odd CD, DVD, film or videogame from the last twelve months or so which you deem noteworthy, you get the opportunity to win one of 16 fairly impressive prize packs.

Hmmm...now that I think about it, I shouldn't really be encouraging too many people to participate, thus lessening my own chances of winning.

Ah, well. 'Tis the season. Though, should you win, I would totally be OK with you sharing a small portion of your prize with me. You know, just as a "thank you".

The Adolescence Of Zoe Kravitz

Zoe and Lenny Kravitz at the Yves Saint Laurent Spring 2007 Ready-to-Wear runway show

Lenny and Lisa Bonet circa 1989

Just had to share this recent photo I came across of rocker Lenny Kravitz and his 18-year old daughter Zoe. Popsugar also has some really great photos of the pair on the red carpet at the Keep A Child Alive AIDS benefit that they hosted this past weekend.

First of all, I can't believe that Zoe is 18. I remember seeing photos of Kravitz and, then wife, actress Lisa Bonet carrying baby Zoe around in one of those baby-sling thingys looking very much the New York, bohemian family.

Secondly, I can't get over how much Zoe looks like her mother. If she was sporting dreadlocks, a nose-ring and a big woolly tam you'd swear it was actually Bonet.

Zoe pretty much hit the gene-pool jackpot with Lenny and Lisa for parents.

Eddie Murphy - You Are The Baby's Daddy!

Eddie Murphy and a blonde Mel B earlier this year

Murphy and Tracey Edmonds (aka not Mel B) at the Dreamgirls premiere earlier this week

Or so says Melanie "Scary Spice" Brown.

Though actor/comedian Murphy has publicly question the paternity of Brown's unborn child, the former Spice Girl is insisting there can be no doubt that he is the baby's father.

In the meantime, Murphy has apparently been dating Tracey Edmonds (ex-wife of music producer Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds) for the past month. This news comes as an additional shock to Brown who, before Murphy's comments this week, had thought the two were headed toward marriage.

And thus we come to the end of the celebrity coupling known as Meleddie©.

Ono Not Ready To Forgive And Forget

John and Yoko circa 1969

Today (December 8) marks the 26th anniversary of the shooting death of former Beatle John Lennon.

Though Lennon's widow, Yoko Ono, wants the date to be observed annually as a day of remembrance, healing and forgiveness, she admits that she is not quite ready to make peace with the man who gunned down Lennon.

Obsessed Beatles fan, Mark David Chapman, continues to serve a life sentence for Lennon's murder.

Granny Noms Announced Today

Sure to be the big question Grammy night should the young British rockers actually take home an award

Nothing terribly exciting about to report in regards to the announcement of nominations for the 49th Grammy Awards but there are a few noteworthy inclusions.

The Raconteurs are up for two awards: Best Rock Album for Broken Boy Soldiers and Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group for Steady As She Goes. I'm fairly certain that frontman Jack White has already won a Grammy for work with his other band, The White Stripes. I'm sure you can look that up somewhere - I really can't be bothered right now.

Arctic Monkeys have been nominated in the Best Alternative Music category for their wildly successful debut Whatever People Say That I Am, That's What I'm Not. They face stiff competition from Yeah Yeah Yeahs who are nominated for Show Your Bones and the Thom Yorke (Radiohead) solo effort The Eraser.

The 49th Annual Grammy Awards Ceremony will take place on Sunday February 11, 2007.

Hudson Dreams Big

Hudson in a photo from her official website, most likely taken from the current (January 2007) issue of Vanity Fair

Today's Toronto Star has a really good feature interview with Dreamgirls' breakout star (and American Idol reject) Jennifer Hudson which sees the talented, up-and-coming singer/actress hold forth on a number of different topics.

Hudson speaks quite positively about her experience on AI though, at the time, judge Simon Cowell very bluntly questioned her talent and her ultimate dismissal from the contest was surrounded by allegations of racism.

She's understandably excited, though pleasantly humble, about her work in Dreamgirls and the heaps of praise (including plenty of Oscar buzz) for her performance. She also takes time to answer the allegations of the supposed feud between herself and co-star Beyoncé.

Hudson also talks about her plans to launch her professional singing career which recently got rolling when she signed a recording contract with Clive Davis (the man credited with launching the careers of Aretha Franklin, Whitney Houston and Alicia Keys).

Overall, Hudson comes off as a very sweet, young woman with a good head on her shoulders and a very promising career in the entertainment industry.

Awwww, Yeahhh!

Courtney Love and daughter Frances Bean Cobain strike some rockin' poses backstage at the 2006 Billboard Music Awards

See more pics of the mother/daughter combo and their Hello Kitty guitars (need to get me one of those) at Sassy n' Punk.com.

Rockin' Around The Xmas Tree

Manic Street Preachers

London-based radio station XFM is providing distraction from the chilly British weather this weekend with the Winter Wonderland concert series, which features some of the hottest UK bands on the scene right now.

Thursday (December 7) sees the likes of The Fratellis and Biffy Clyro playing Carling Academy in Glasgow. The Apollo in Manchester is host to Manic Street Preachers and The Rakes among others on Friday (December 8). It all wraps up on Saturday (December 9) with The Kooks and Boy Kill Boy helping to shake the rafters at the Carling Academy in Brixton.

Unfortunately, the gigs have long since sold out but XFM is still teasing faithful listeners with ticket giveaways.

Brit Bands Linked To Spy Caper

Razorlight

Cooper Temple Clause

The poisoning death of former Russian spy Alexander Litvinenko now has a Brit-rock soundtrack of sorts.

Ben Gautry and Dan Fisher of Cooper Temple Clause and Andy Burrows, Bjorn Argen and Carl Dalemo of Razorlight were recently on British Airways flights from Moscow that contained traces of polonium-220, the radioactive substance that was named as the "murder weapon" in case of ex-KGB man Litvinenko.

Members of CTC joked to the NME about being ill after the flight but put the blame on dodgy Russian marijuana. All concerned from both bands have since been tested for radiation poisoning and given the all clear.

Timba Overload

Timbaland and Aaliyah back in the day.

I love Timbaland, I really do.

He (along with producing partner Missy Elliott) is responsible for some of the most banging beats to grace popular music over the past decade. Everyone from the late Aaliyah, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Missy herself have benefited from Timba's magic touch. Plus, he's cute as a button.

All that being said, I'm getting a little tired of him.

Seems like in the last 6 months or so, Timbaland has been a featured vocalist on every other dance/pop single to hit the charts and, therefore, a featured performer in the associated video. Back in the early Aaliyah/Missy days he'd just be lingering in the background without doing or saying much. Now he's pretty much sharing vocal duties with Timberlake (Sexy Back, Let Me Talk To You), Furtado (Promiscuous Boy/Girl) and Pussycat Dolls (Wait A Minute).

It wouldn't be such an issue except that he's not really a good singer. His rapping is fine but his singing is...well, it's not really singing. He sort of just speaks melodically in a manner reminiscent of a hip-hop Rex Harrison (My Fair Lady).

Ah well. Whatever vocal shortcomings Timba may have, it's certainly not affecting his popularity any.

New Musical Tour Express

Kings of Leon

If you plan to be in London (UK) this coming February you might want to try to catch one of the gigs in the ShockWaves NME Awards Shows series.

Throughout the month, some of the music mag's fave artists (including Kings of Leon, Maximo Park and We Are Scientists) will be headlining concerts at three different venues (the Astoria, KOKO and Shepherds Bush Empire) around the city.

Tickets for all shows can be purchased starting today via this link.

On The Clock With Georgie S.

Strombo on the set of The Hour

I managed to catch a fair amount of the VH1 Big in '06 awards last night but for a lot it I was distracted by, of all things, The Hour with George Stromboulopoulos.

When Strombo first made the move from MuchMusic to the CBC, I honestly tried to get into his new show because I'd enjoyed his work on The New Music. However, an entire 60 minutes of non-stop George four nights a week proved to be just too exhausting for me (I don't think the man ever takes a breath) and I soon lost interest.

Lately, though, I've found myself tuning into the show the odd time and quite enjoying what I hear and see. There's been a pretty good mix of guests (everyone from Deepak Chopra to Jann Arden stops by to chat) and Strombo continues to be an intelligent and engaging interviewer.

I don't know if I'll be tuning in for every show but I'll certainly try to catch the weekend wrap-up, which is what I saw last night. That episode included interviews with actors Eric McCormack and Alan Rickman, Tenacious D and, my personal fave, Noel Gallagher (I bet you didn't see that coming).
Not only did Gallagher do the standard interview but he also took the time to participate in the Track by Track segment, which had him discussing the meaning and inspiration behind some of the songs on the breakthrough Oasis album, Definitely Maybe.

OK, Strombo, I guess I can forgive you for The One now.

Save The Cheerleader

Panettiere (l.) preparing to defend herself from co-presenter Lee

I don't know who thought it was good idea to allow dirty, diseased Tommy Lee to present with sweet little Hayden Panettierre (Heroes) at last night's VH1 Big in '06 awards ceremony but I would recommend that person be turned over to child protective services.

Hayden, move away from the big, bad man! If you stand near him too long you'll catch the Hepatitis C.

Tune In

Mary J. Blige

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


MONDAY

• Corinne Bailey Rae - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Joan Jett - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• Kasabian - Late Show with David Letterman* (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI2)
• Lily Allen - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Ice-T - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS, CH)

WEDNESDAY

• Elvis Costello & Roseanne Cash (Daniel Craig also appears as a panel guest) - Letterman*
  
• Ziggy Marley - Ferguson

THURSDAY

• Ludacris - Leno
• Beck - Letterman
• Corinne Bailey Rae - Kimmel
  
• The Duke Spirit - Last Call with Carson Daly* (1:35am - NBC)
  

FRIDAY

• Seal - Leno
• Mary J. Blige (panel guest and performer) - Kimmel

SATURDAY

• Akon and Gwen Stefani - Saturday Night Live (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
  

For those of you who have time during the day on Friday, Mary J. Blige will also be the musical guest on the Ellen Degeneres Show. Check local listings for airtimes.

Big Fun

The VH1 Big in '06 Awards air tonight at 9pm on VH1 and MuchMoreMusic.

As awards shows go, this one tends to be pretty entertaining given it's knack for simultaneously celebrating and poking fun at all the things in the pop culture universe that managed hold our attention for more than 8 seconds during the last 12 months.

Alongside more standard categories like Big TV Star and Big Music Artist there are also a few that are a bit more tongue-in-cheek such as Big Outlaw, Big Shocker and Big Power Couple. Through it all we get commentary on all the award nominees and winners from a panel of expert judges (or, more likely, whoever was available the evening the ceremony was being filmed).

I'll try to see what I can of the show but Harry Potter & the Prisoner of Azkaban is on tonight as well and it's my favourite film in the series so far. Oooh, and I think there are new episodes of The Simpsons and Family Guy tonight too. OK, so I may only be able to flip over to Big during the commercials. Anyway, Harry Potter's about to start so I gotta go.

Frozen Fingers

I've just come in from the cold and I"m not really in the mood for any long, involved posts today so I'll keep it short and sweet (just like me - tee hee).

Anyway...

Make your way over to the podcast section of Toronto Star website to check out the December 2 edition of John Sakamoto's Anti-Hit List. This week's picks include Cat Power doing an Oasis cover, new material Tahiti 80, Julie Doiron and Nas feat. Jay-Z as well as an Iggy Pop/Peggy Lee mash-up.

If you'll excuse me, I'm off to warm up with a large mug of green tea.

World AIDS Day

http://www.worldaidsday.org/default.asp

On The Road Again

Coldplay will be back on the tour circuit in the new year, playing a series of 10 concerts in smaller venues throughout Latin America.

The tour will start in February in Chile, then go on to Argentina and Brazil before concluding in Mexico in early March.

According to their official website, Coldplay "are currently writing material for their fourth album and are keen to play some intimate shows to try out their new songs. Having received such a phenomenal response to their last Latin American trip in September 2003, they personally chose to return to the region."

No word on possible tour dates for the rest of the world but they'll probably be forthcoming once the new album is nearer to completion.

Busy Beavers

Robert Pollard (formerly of Guided By Voices) and Ryan Adams seem to be in some sort of undeclared battle for greatest amount of product output.

Pitchfork Media is reporting that Pollard (far right) is currently working on seven separate projects. Most will be released under his own name, though one will be a Circus Devils project and another will be with the Takeovers (his band with former GBV guitarist Chris Slusarenko). All releases are slated for sometime in 2007.

Not to be outdone, alt-country poet laureate (or drunken a--hole, depending on one's point of view) Adams has recently posted eight new album to his website which, including the three that were posted earlier this year, brings his grand total to eleven.

Just to keep everyone updated on my productivity, I still have not started my Christmas shopping.