Monkeys On The Move

Dressed as The Village People, the Arctic Monkeys accept one of their two 2007 Brit Awards via pre-taped video earlier this month. No seriously, that's really them.

To gear up for their highly anticipated sophomore release, Favourite Worst Nightmare, UK's Arctic Monkeys have been playing some scatter shot live shows in and around their own home turf (including one tonight in Warrington, England). Now, it looks like North America will also be treated to handful a gigs over the next few months.



As of right now, there are only three confirmed dates: April 27 in Indio, Ca (Coachella Festival) May 12 in Montreal, QC and May 19 in Atlanta, GA. There's also a rather speculative report (courtesy of Pitchfork) of a May 20 appearance in Florida.



I'm kinda thinking that there might possibly be a few more dates added, especially perhaps a Toronto date sort of close to the Montreal one. Only because it would seem to be more effort than it's worth for the band to trek all the way to Canada, play one gig and then have a week's gap before their next one. Then again, kids today - who the hell knows, right?



If you're not willing to take the chance, tickets for Montreal are available now through TicketPro.

Jay Kay Jumps Ship

Jay Kay

According to the NME, Jamiroquai frontman Jay Kay has decided to quit the music industry to become a family man.

Citing, among other things, boredom and a reluctance to go back on the road, and spurred on by an acrimonious split with longtime record company SonyBMG, Jay "jumped at the chance" to walk away from it all. He goes on to say that he wants to "find the right lady to have children with".

I, for one, am not putting too much stock in all this "quitting the business" talk. Although I do believe that Jay and the rest of Jamiroquai are long-overdue for a well deserved break, I doubt the hiatus will be prolonged. Jay, specifically, is too much of a natural entertainer to forever chuck it all for the simple life - and he, too, seems well aware of that. Even as he's giving his retirement speech, he's preparing for his possible return with the statement "I might be back, if I get my inspiration".

And, probably, when he gets some new hats.

24 Gets Animated

OK, not really. But yesterday's episode introduced the second character this season who's also known as the voice of a popular character from an animated television series.

The Boondocks' Huey Freeman (left) is voiced by Regina King (right) who can currently be seen, as well as heard, on 24

Of course, for much of this season we've seen Regina King playing Sandra Palmer, civil rights lawyer and sister to President Wayne Palmer. On the controversial series The Boondocks, King uses her vocal talents to bring to life Huey Freeman, pint-sized civil rights activist and the moral centre of the show.

Bart Simpson (left) is the alter-ego of Nancy Cartwright (right)





Nancy Cartwright is probably best known for voicing the perpetually 10-year old, sh*t-disturber Bartholomew J. (Bart) Simpson on FOX's long-running animated series, The Simpsons. On last night's 24, Cartwright played a former AA sponsor to Morris O'Brien and was seen having a phone conversation with Morris's ex Chloe.


Other voice-work specialists to make their live-action debut on 24 in the near future include: Mike Judge (King of the Hill), Seth MacFarlane (Family Guy, American Dad) and that guy they always use for movie trailers ("In a world...).

Also on last night's 24: Jack becomes a sharp dressed man, former President Logan (apparently) finds religion, Chloe traumatises two coworkers in the men's washroom and President Palmer and Assad go boom.

Oscars Musical Moments

Will Ferrell sings his little heart out on last night's Oscar broadcast.

I don't usually watch the Oscars, and after catching a bit of last night's telecast I remember why. How can so many talented people produce such a raging snooze-fest?

One of the few highlights that I saw before bailing about an hour and a half in, was the musical number featuring Will Ferrell, Jack Black and John C. Reilly. It had a real "funny because it's true" vibe to it and the shout-outs to Helen Mirren, Mark Walhberg, Leo DiCaprio and (a possibly confused) Peter O'Toole were just priceless. Plus, Will Ferrell's hair was awesome.

Liam Loses It

Liam Gallagher (right) behaving himself with his girlfriend, Nicole Appleton and their son, Gene in this January 2005 photo

On to video of a different sort.



This footage comes from a February 21, 2007 newscast on Britain's itv. It shows the notably thuggish Liam Gallagher wailing on a photographer who, in Liam's opinion, was getting a little too close to him, his girlfriend Nicole Appleton and their 5-year old son Gene. Some reports state that the photog was purposely trying to provoke Liam by yelling out rude comments.



While I agree that Liam should (in general, but especially in front of a child) try to control his temper, I found the faux-concern of the anchor and reporter to be just a bit too much. By the end of the report, I sort of felt like I wanted to hit them.



Unintentionally funny moment #1: The anchor referencing Liam as the vocalist on the Oasis song Don't Look Back In Anger which is actually sung by Noel.



Unintentionally funny moment #2: "Previous Liam victim", photographer Sean O'Brien.

Late Night TV Preview: February 26 - March 3, 2007

Silversun Pickups

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


MONDAY

• Solomon Burke - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)
• Ludacris - Last Call with Carson Daly* (1:35am - NBC)

TUESDAY

• Jewel (panel guest - I think) - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Silversun Pickups - Carson

WEDNESDAY

• Diana Ross - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• LL Cool J (panel guest), Tom Morello (musical performer) - Kimmel
• Silversun Pickups - Carson

THURSDAY

• Silversun Pickups - Carson

FRIDAY

• Silversun Pickups - Carson

SATURDAY

• The Shins - Saturday Night Live* (11:30pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
• John Doe - Henry Rollins Show (9pm and 2:30am - IFC Canada)

Also this week, catch John Legend on Wednesday's Ellen Degeneres Show (check local listings for air times).

Gimme Dat Oscar

Forest Whittaker in his Oscar nominated role as Idi Amin in The Last King of Scotland

Tonight's the big night in Hollywood so, to get you in the mood, I present with this video spoof from last night's MadTV called Gimme Dat Oscar performed by Oscar nominee Forest Whittaker (played by MadTV regular Jordan Peele).



Also want to let you know about the Jimmy Kimmel Live Post-Acadamy Awards Special featuring Oscar host Ellen Degeneres and musical guest Gwen Stefani. The Kimmel special will air directly following the local news after the Oscars tonight which means, given the running time of previous Oscar telecasts, it could start at 11:30pm or 2:45am or any time in between.

I Was Off By 39 Minutes

T in the Park sells out


See previous post.

Aaliyah's Matrix Moments

Here's a very bittersweet video tribute to Aaliyah featuring some scenes she had done for the Matrix movies. Aaliyah, of course, never completed filming as she was killed in a plane crash in August 2001.

Some of the footage also includes Harold Perrineau in his post-Romeo & Juliet/pre-Lost days.

Ticketbastards...

...totally blows!

Why the f**k would it be necessary to do a last minute random wristband draw when there are only five people in line?!?

Gah! A**holes!

Thank goodness for the Massey Hall box office. The transaction process took forever but at least I ended up with decent seats.

OK, rant over.

Attention Arcade Fire Fans In Toronto!

Despite all the advertising to the contrary, Ticketmaster WILL NOT BE SELLING tickets for the May 15 and 16 Arcade Fire shows.

I've spoken to two different people at Ticketmaster this morning and they've confirmed that tickets will be sold exclusively through Massey Hall. You can go in person to the box office (178 Victoria St) or call 416 872 4255. Note: "Premium" tickets are only available by phone.

Even though this sounds like solid information, I'm going to check back on the TM website after midnight tonight just to see if the situation changes. I'll post an update below IF that's the case.

Also be aware that there's a limit of 4 tickets per person. That's in total, so if you were going to split it between both shows you could get 2 for each or 1 & 3 but you can't exceed 4.

Tickets go on sale tomorrow (February 23) at noon.


UPDATE: February 23, 2007 - 12:34am. I just checked the Ticketmaster Canada website and went through the automated phone service and it looks like they are, indeed, selling Arcade Fire tickets. Sorry for the faulty info and I hope I didn't cause too much panic.

Good luck at noon.

Sparring With The Big Boys

In other AF news...

You know a band is getting big (at least in their britches) when they start taking swipes at fellow musicians.

In the latest issue of NME, Fire frontman Win Butler lets loose on Oasis, U2 and The Rolling Stones. To be honest, though, I'm not entirely sure for what. Something about over-aggressive marketing, I think.

Check out a portion of the interview here or pick up a copy of the NME, on the racks now in the UK - should hit these shores in the next couple of weeks.

A Spot Of T

NME also has news on Scotland's T in the Park festival, this year taking place July 6 - 9.

Some of the artists already confirmed include Bloc Party, Arctic Monkeys, Kings of Leon, CSS, Babyshambles, Arcade Fire, Lily Allen, Maximo Park, Scissor Sisters and Interpol.

Tickets go on sale Saturday (February 24) at 9am (UK time) and should sell approximately one minute later.

Dunst Scores A Drummer

Popsugar has these photos of Kirsten Dunst and her supposed new squeeze, Strokes' drummer (and recent Drew Barrymore ex) Fabrizio Moretti. Rumours about this coupling have been floating around for awhile but I believe this is the first photographic "evidence" that's surfaced.

If this relationship is for real, it would seem to go against one of the reasons given for the Barrymore-Moretti split, which was that Fab couldn't deal with Drew's Tinseltown lifestyle. I mean, there's hardly a more prominent Hollywood "It Girl" than Dunst. Eh, who knows.

Things could prove awkward between the two actresses should they happen to cross paths at this Sunday's Oscar ceremony, where both appear as presenters. It'll be even more of a scene if Dunst decides to abandon all sense of decorum and bring Moretti along as her date.

Arcade Fire. No, they have nothing to do with this post but they've appeared in every other one today so I felt I shouldn't break the streak.

Dizzee & Lily & Joss

Dizzee Rascal

Mercury Prize winner Dizzee Rascal says he wants his next album to go multi-platinum and he's certainly headed in the right direction to see that ambition through.

In an interview with MTV UK, Dizzee reveals that he's lined up fellow Brits Lily Allen and Joss Stone to sing on his upcoming album Maths and English. Allen sings the hook on the track So You Want To Be A Gangsta while Stone lends her soulful vocals to an unnamed "drum 'n' bass tune".

While it might seem an odd fit for these two songbirds to join forces with the relatively rough-hewn rhymer, I think the "clash" of musical styles will prove quite entertaining.

Speaking of interesting collaborations, Dizzee worked on the track Tempation from the sessions for new Arctic Monkeys album (though it does not actually appear on the album). Dizzee says it was this positive experience that left him wanting to do some genre-melding of his own.

Sort Of Like A Camera

Really good episode of 24 on Monday night. A lot of allegiances made a broken, Philip Bauer still well on the fast track to being the worst father/father-in-law/grandfather in the known world and a nice little (former) President Logan reveal at the end. But my favourite part of the episode had to be the following gem of an exchange:

Jack: "Do you know how to use [a gun]?"
Marilyn: "No."
Jack: "Point and shoot."


Bwahahahahahaha! Classic.

And This Makes Sense How?

The boys back in the day

Legendary mod-rockers The Jam will be reuniting for a spring UK tour but without lead man Paul "The Modfather" Weller. Instead, remaining members Bruce Foxton (bass) and Rick Buckler (drums) will be joined by Russell Hastings (vocals/guitar) and Dave Moore (keyboards/guitar) on the May mini-jaunt.



I think it's rather telling that it requires two people to replace one man, though Foxton and Buckler could add a hundred more men and it still wouldn't make up for the fact that Weller won't be included.



To be fair, it's not like Weller is unable to join the reunion. He is, of course, very much alive and has been working steadily (with the Style Council and solo) since The Jam's demise in 1982. He's even been including some Jam classics on his current tour in support of his Hit Parade cd/dvd release which covers material from throughout his career.



The thing is, those songs belong to Weller - he wrote them - and, no matter how much a part of The Jam Foxton and Buckler might have been, trying to play at being a properly reformed group is just plain weak.



No wonder Weller wants nothing to do with them.



If you care, you can click check out this Billboard article (including tour details) for From The Jam: Bruce Foxton and Rick Buckler. Weak!

Apparently, Not Just An Urban Legend

Dang!

The festival season is really heating up and there's still plenty of snow on the ground (in these parts, anyway).

Just announced is the Sasquatch Music Festival 2007 to be held The Gorge Amphitheatre in George, WA on May 25 & 26 (Memorial Day weekend in the US).

The lineup includes big names like Bjork and Beastie Boys to up-and-comers like Smoosh and Tokyo Police Club. Click here for the full lineup.

Tickets for Sasquatch go on sale Saturday, March 3.

Al Gore: Global Concert Promoter

From left to right: Joanne Bradford, Cameron Diaz, Al Gore, Pharrell Williams and Kevin Wall at the Live Earth press conference on February 13, 2007

Many of you have probably already heard about Al Gore's Live Earth concert spectacular, scheduled to take place on 7/7/07 as part of Save Our Selves (SOS) - The Campaign for a Climate in Crisis.

The concert promises to be a 24-hour multimedia extravaganza, to be staged on each of the seven continents with over 100 musical artists being rounded up to perform.

While I'm all for concerts in general, and anything going to help the environment is an added bonus, I find it a bit of a disconnect that such a huge event is being used to promote the idea of energy conservation and climate awareness.

Wouldn't the estimated 2 billion people that the organizers are hoping to attract (either live at the concerts or via various media) be expending quite a bit of energy? All the people actually attending the concerts will generate quite a bit of waste (no matter how eco-friendly the venues try to be), while the technology needed to broadcast the massive event around the world would be a major drain on all the electrical resources needed to power all the computers/iPods/TVs/radios etc that people will be using to tune in.

I'm not the only one who's thought this. Check out Craig Ferguson's monologue from the Late, Late Show this past Friday (February 16).

Did anybody else find this gargantuan event might be at cross-purposes with the message of conservation?

Sarah Taylor Medical Update

The news seems to be positive for MuchMusic VJ Sarah Taylor, who has been in an induced coma in a Las Vegas hospital since after having undergone emergency surgery last Thursday to relieve pressure on her brain.

An update posted on the Much website earlier today stated that doctors have confirmed that Taylor's vital signs are good and are now contemplating when to bring her out of the coma. The update goes on to say that Taylor could return to Toronto as early as this week.

Taylor had been in Vegas on assignment for Much when she fell ill. Click here for all the updated information.

Late Night TV Preview: February 19 - 24, 2007

K-os

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

MONDAY

• Silversun Pickups - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)

TUESDAY

• K-os - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI)


• Explosions in the Sky - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)


• Ben Harper ft. Charlie Musselwhite - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)

WEDNESDAY

• Gomez - Leno


• Cold War Kids - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)


• G. Love - Carson

THURSDAY

• HelloGoodbye - Leno


• Barenaked Ladies - Letterman

FRIDAY

• Mickey Avalon - Kimmel

SATURDAY

• Arcade Fire - Saturday Night Live (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)


• Death Cab For Cutie - Henry Rollins Show (9pm and 3:45am - IFC Canada)

From Whence They Came

Clockwise from top right: Justin Timberlake, Christina Aguilera, Britney Spears and Ryan Gosling with some of their other Mickey Mouse Club castmates circa 1994.

Thanks to Amy for this little tidbit.

As Britney Spears continues doing...whatever it is she's doing, let's go back to a more innocent time in her life when she was a member of a revised 90s version of the Mickey Mouse Club.

Though our dear Brit-Brit does make a brief appearance near the end, this particular clip actually focuses on some of her male cast mates. Specifically Justin Timberlake, JC Chasez, Ryan Gosling and, um, some black dude whose name I never got (sorry, my brother), perform one of those cheesy, melodramatic, faux r&b-style ballads where pretty much every lyric is unnecessarily stretched out to about eight notes. Please turn your attention to the baggy outfits, excessive use of a wind machine and quasi-sexual dance moves performed by pre-teens. Yeah, this stuff was all the rage back in the day.

BTW, who knew Gosling could hold it down with the vocals like that? You go, boy! His dancing - not so much. In fact, he looks like he's really trying to get the moves down, but knows he can't and just wants to disappear.

Anyhoo, given Britney's most recent "escapade", it's interesting to note how different her life has turned out in comparison too her male counterparts. While Spears seems to consistently attract (some might say court) all the wrong kinds of press, these guys seem to have been relatively scandal-free.

Aside from one rather large career misstep (coughNipple-gatecough), the boys have managed to find varying degrees of success while, for the most part, staying tabloid-free. OK, Chasez hasn't really been taking the entertainment industry by storm since his 'Nsync days with Timberlake but neither has he been reduced to tragic tabloid fodder like some of his contemporaries. As for the black guy...we'll just assume that he's happy and successful at whatever it is he's doing now.

Both Timberlake and Gosling are experiencing career highs with much acclaim awarded to their individual work. At the same time, they both seem to walk rather straight lines when it comes to their personal lives and draw clear boundaries from their public as much as possible.

Why, then, has it been so much more difficult for Spears?

A reader commenting on yesterday's post suggested it was Spears' misguided attempts to break-free from the overly saccharine MMC image that was coming back to bite her on the ass. While I can definitely see how such a challenge might prove overwhelming, I have to wonder why it's proved so disastrous for Spears where others have done so well.

It can't just be the fact that she's a girl. Without question, women in modern North American society have a much harder time with self-image than do their male counterparts and, when you add a very public career on top of that, the pressure is a hundred fold. But Keri Russell (Felicity) came out of that same batch of new Mouseketeers and she seems to be doing just fine both in her career and private life (I believe she just got married).

Ditto Christina Aguilera who, although she went through her notorious Dirrrty/Xtina phase, has emerged as mature, married woman, racking up acclaim and awards aplenty along the way.

So, what gives with Spears? I really don't have an answer nor, one can assume, does she or she wouldn't be consistently consumed by all this drama. I sincerely hope she eventually manages to straighten up and fly right especially now that she's the mother of two small children.

Whew! To think that all stemmed from a video posted on YouTube.

Malone Lays Down Tracks

Clockwise from top left: Jena Malone with that other singer-actress Mandy Moore and Macauley Culkin in a scene from their 2004 film Saved!

Pitchfork has news on actress Jena Malone branching out to become a musician.

Now, before you run screaming from the room, have a listen to the songs she has posted on her MySpace page. They're actually quite good - if you're into that whole emotive lyrics/stark vocals/spastic melody thing. Which I am.

Maybe you are, too. I don't know, I'm not psychic.

Bald Britney

Is this what rehab does to you?

Yeah, that's pretty much all I've got.

I'm probably the last person on the planet to post these images so, rather than trying to rehash the details, I'll just point you towards a few other sources who've already got this story covered.



As well, you can click here for news footage of the freshly shorn Spears in action.

Bloc Party Blow Up

They may look rather serious in this photo, but I'm sure the Bloc Party boys are feeling quite festive, thanks to the success of their latest album

Though they didn't manage to meet the deadline for this year's Brit Awards, the smart money is on Bloc Party and their sophomore release A Weekend in the City to be major contenders in the 2008 competition.



For now, the British quartet can add North American chart success to critical acclaim for their latest disc. Weekend debuts in the #12 position on the Billboard music charts for the week of February 24, 2007. Their debut disc Silent Alarm only managed to reach as high as #114. The news was even better in Canada, where Weekend debuted in the #7 spot.



Bloc Party are currently touring in support of the new disc - they touch down in Toronto for a sold out show on March 25. If you weren't able to get tickets, comfort yourself with this recent live performance from the Carling Academy in Bristol courtesy of the NME.

Coppola Ama Puccini

The Montpellier Opera announced last week that film director Sofia Coppola will be taking the helm of the Puccini classic Manon Lescault for the company's 2009 - 2010 season.

Though this would be the first time Coppola has directed an opera, it's not too far fetched an idea that she would have been selected for the task. Each of the three movies she has so far directed (The Virgin Suicides, Lost in Translation and Marie Antoinette) rely heavily on their musical content, often at the expense of actual dialogue.

More challenging for Coppola will probably one diva-sized ego in the form of tenor Roberto Alagna (set to star as the lover of the title character) who previously caused controversy when he walked off stage during a December performance of La Scala in Milan.

Monkeys Score Big But Allen Comes Up Empty At Brits

Ana Matronic and Jake Shears of Scissor Sisters perform live - and "suspended" in mid air - at last night's Brit Awards 2007 ceremony

Sheffield quartet Arctic Monkeys came away the big winners at last night's Brit Awards 2007 ceremony, taking away two of the top awards: British Group and, the most coveted, British Album.

In true form, the band did not attend the ceremony, instead choosing to send video acceptance speeches featuring the members dressed as characters from The Wizard of Oz and The Village People.

On the opposite end of the scale, Lily Allen, who had four nominations going in (the most of any artist this year), failed to collect any hardware.

Justin Timberlake and Nelly Furtado took home awards for International Male and Female respectively while Oasis was crowned with the previously announced award for Outstanding Contribution to Music.

See the full list of winners here.

The Brit Awards 2007 air tonight at 8pm on CBC (directly following a new episode of Fashion File: Host Hunt),hosted by comedian Russell Brand (no, I've never heard of him either) and featuring standout performances by Scissor Sisters and, of course, Oasis.

Da Fire Returns To The Big Smoke

Coming on the heels of their recent conquests in UK and their hometown of Montreal (they're in NYC this week), music industry darlings Arcade Fire have finally set a date for their return to Toronto.

They touchdown for two shows at Massey Hall on May 15 and 16. Tickets for both dates go on sale February 23 at the Massey Hall box office and through Ticketmaster.

Arcade Fire are currently touring in support of their upcoming sophomore release Neon Bible.

2 Hours Of Bauer

Jack Bauer takes to the skies while a stressed out Chloe tries to pull it together to do her job.

OK, a lot went down on Monday night's double episode of 24. Let me explain. Wait, there's too much. Let me sum up.

• You're hot, young blonde girlfriend is only with your schlubby, British arms-dealer ass for your money. Don't give her a gun and then criticize her driving, genius.


• Yes, this is a power drill in my hand and no, I'm not happy to see you.


• No matter what a terrorist tells you, there's no $7 million dollars in the champagne room.


• Morris (under extreme pressure) activates a nuclear device, then Jack diffuses it with seconds to spare.


• A CTU perimeter once again fails to catch the main suspect.


• Wayne Palmer and Assad finally meet face to face and it actually looks like the former extremist/terrorist might become the President's most useful aide for the day (season).


• Yet another internal conspiracy to "oust" the president starts to unfold.


• The Red Russians are back and they want to put an old school kind of hurting on the American people, using the Arab extremists as pawns.


• Bad Daddy Bauer is so deliciously evil that, having just recently done away with one of his sons in order to protect his own dirty secrets, he's now threatening to off his grandson in order to blackmail his daughter-in-law into laying a trap for his other son.


• Apparently, nobody on the CTU field team (save for Jack) has seen Speed. They raid the decoy house. They all go boom (save for Jack).


• Teenage Boy Bauer (Josh?)may yet prove to be a lot smarter than he looks. Just watch out for cougars, kid.


• Three cheers for computer geek Milo, who put his lifetime of playing violent video games to use by expertly driving a get-away vehicle and using high-powered explosives to escape from bad guys.

NYC Fashion Week Wrap-Up

Marc Jacobs typifies the mood of the season...

...while Rodarte goes in the complete opposite direction.

There was a decidedly sober feel to the Fall 2007 collections at New York Fashion Week though there were splashes of colour and hints of metallic to be found from time to time. Here are some of my favourite examples of what the designers had to offer. I'm not much for commentary, so click on the links to get professional runway reviews.

Badgley Mischka : short & shimmery

Jovovich-Hawk : lounging lovelies

Michael Kors : Manhattan chic

Matthew Williamson : Prince of prints

Diane Von Furstenberg : dresses for all occasions

Temperley : cool Britannia meets New York high-class

Heatherette : always the wild child

Zac Posen : debutante ball

Anna Sui : tough street waif

Luca Luca : glittering gold

Betsey Johnson : the little lady

Malandrino : bold & beautiful

Calvin Klein : the classic

Proenza Schouler : the kids come clean

Luella : rock chick

The New Monkeys

Last week, Arctic Monkeys revealed album details for their sophomore release Favourite Worst Nightmare due out April 23 in the UK (most likely April 24 in North America). The tracklisting is as follows:

01. Brianstorm
02. Teddy Picker
03. D is for Dangerous
04. Balaclava
05. Fluorescent Adolescent
06. Only Ones Who Know
07. Do Me a Favour
08. This House Is a Circus
09. If You Were There, Beware
10. The Bad Thing
11. Old Yellow Bricks
12. 505

The first single, 'Brianstorm' will be released on Monday 16th April [UK only].

Favourite Worst Nightmare comes fairly quickly on the heels of their smash debut Whatever people say that I am, that's what I'm not which came out just over a year ago in January 2006.

Catching Up With Q

In even older British music news, The Q Awards 2006 (presented by Britain's Q magazine) were handed out, well, back in October of 2006.

I know, I know. I kept meaning to post the information but never seemed to get around to it. Better late than never, right? Anyhoo...

Just to pile lazy on top of procrastination I'm not even going to provide my own commentary on the awards but will instead direct you to Q's own rundown of the event complete with video of the red-carpet arrivals, the ceremony itself and backstage shenanigans.

As well, you can check out The Q Awards Awards, Q's own tongue-in-cheek review of the night's festivities.

James James James

James Iha

Still from Linda Linda Linda

The Bust magazine Media Taster has been updated for the month of February.



Among the current selections is the trailer for Linda Linda Linda, a Japanese movie about four teenage girls preparing for the their high school's annual rock festival.



The film title comes from a song of the same name by an 80s Japanese pop/rock group called The Blue Hearts - the girls hope to perform the classic at the big gig.



Providing the score for the film is James Iha, former guitarist for the Smashing Pumpkins and current member of A Perfect Circle.

I Was Watching The Simpsons/Family Guy/American Dad

Dixie Chicks kick ass at last night's Grammy Awards

So, the Grammy Awards were last night.

Yeah, that's pretty much all I got. I couldn't be bothered to watch the entire telecast and haven't done for about 15 years. Let's just say I'm saving up my awards show viewing capacity for the Brit Awards broadcast this Thursday (February 15).

I did manage to catch the opening performance by The Police. "Lacklustre" is a word I heard bandied about quite a bit in reviews today and, sadly, I have to agree. They really need to work on their stage presence if they hope to part fans from a sizable portion of their hard-earned dough.

I do want to add my kudos to the praise and congratulations being heaped upon the Dixie Chicks. I've never been a huge fan of their music, but I do genuinely like the song Not Ready To Make Nice and appreciate what the song represents in regards to their past career difficulties. As Chicks member Natalie Maines so eloquently stated (during one of the five trips the band made to the winner's podium), "Ha Ha!"

Hell, yeah!

Late Night TV Preview: February 12 - 17, 2007

Norah Jones

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


MONDAY

• Rickie Lee Jones - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI)
• Matisyahu - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)

TUESDAY

• Lily Allen - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)
• Regina Spektor - Last Call with Carson Daly (1:35am - NBC)

WEDNESDAY

• Norah Jones - Letterman
• The Apples in Stereo - Conan

THURSDAY

• Nas - Letterman

FRIDAY

• The Thermals - Carson

SATURDAY

• Justin Timberlake (host and musical performer) - Saturday Night Live* (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
• Aimee Mann - Henry Rollins Show (9pm & 3:15am - IFC Canada)
  

Ghosts Of Girl Groups Past

Siobhan Donaghy is probably best known as the first member to leave the hugely successful British pop trio Sugababes. Donaghy has always claimed she was bullied out by the remaining founding members, Keisha Buchanan and Mutya Buena (who also recently left the group), though both girls have denied the allegations.

In any case, Donaghy has spent her time since leaving the group building up a solo career. She is currently preparing for the (tentatively scheduled) March 2007 release of Ghosts, the follow up to her 2003 debut album Revolution in Me.

You can listen to the very Kate Bush-like title track and see the accompanying video (directed by Floria Sigismondi) by visiting Donaghy's MySpace page.

Rising From The S Club Ashes

Also hoping to move on from her Britpop past is Hannah Spearritt, best known as the baby-faced member of pop group S Club 7.


Spearritt (who also appeared in the various Monkees-style TV series that followed the fictitious adventures of the group) will now be starring as reptile expert Abby Maitland in the ITV series Primeval which begins airing tonight in the UK.

Spearritt says she hopes to duplicate the success of another former pop queen, Bille Piper, who is currently riding high as Rose the companion to the title character in the latest incarnation of Doctor Who.

As long as she manage to avoid the fate of former bandmate Jo O'Meara, I'm sure she'll be just fine.

Guaranteed Oscar Winner

The photo on the left shows Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, frontmen for the (now defunct) British band The Libertines posing on the cover of their 2004 self-titled album while the one on the right is Simon Pegg and Nick Frost mimicking the poses in the current issue of the NME. Pegg wrote the wildly successful zombie film parody Shaun of the Dead which he also starred in along with long-time pal Frost.

Simon Pegg & Nick Frost present...The Libertines: The Movie. Welcome to the bonkers world of the Britcom geniuses and their rock-related movie pitches. [Source]

There's isn't a link to access the full article and this particular issue of the NME isn't yet available in North America but, I'm guessing from the tone of the above blurb that this little celluloid gem won't be going into production anytime soon.

Still a brilliant idea, though.

Kylie Exhibiton Opening

Above are photos from the February 6 gala opening of Kylie: the Exhibition at London's Victoria & Albert Museum.

The top shot is Kylie working the red carpet and the rest are from the actual exhibition.

Kylie: the Exhibition opened yesterday (February 8) to the general public and runs until June 10, 2007

Live Dick

Samberg and Timberlake flaunt their "special gifts" last night in NYC

Click here to see video of Justin Timberlake and Saturday Night Live's Andy Samberg performing a live version of their hugely popular SNL Digital Video Dick in a Box. I believe the footage is from last night's Timberlake concert at New York's Madison Square Gardens.

Passions Of the Sisters

Scissor Sisters cozy up to Passions' resident witch Tabitha Lennox (Juliet Mills - seated, second from left)

Today and tomorrow (February 8 and 9) you can catch NYC's favourite glam-pop band, Scissor Sisters, on the daytime drama Passions (2pm - NBC, 3:30pm - GlobalTV). All the Sisters are huge fans of the show and Ana Matronic in particular has been lobbying to get the band a role on the soap for many years. Good thing they finally managed to swing the gig as Passions is slated for cancellation by year's end.

If you can't make it to your TV at those times, both episodes should be available online the next business day following their broadcast.

The Juno 5

Electro-dance knob-twiddler Tiga may not have scored the most Juno noms this year (he got one, for Best Dance Recording) but he's just so adorable in this photo that I had to use it. Yeah, I know, I'm such a girl.

5 was the magic number at yesterday's announcement for the 2007 Juno Award nominations.

Billy Talent, k-os and Nelly Furtado (who will also serve as host at the awards ceremony) each scored 5 nods, the most of any artist this year. Other multiple nominees include Sarah Harmer, Ron Sexsmith and Diana Krall. You can see the full list of nominees here.

Oddly absent from the nominees list was Polaris Music Prize winner Final Fantasy while fellow Polaris nominee Malajube scored three nods. OK, maybe that was just odd to me.

The Juno award ceremony takes place April 1 at Credit Union Place in Saskatoon, SK and will air live on CTV.

Criminal Gear

I, among many others I'm sure, came across the blurb about Toronto music store Criminal Records in this week's edition of eye Weekly.

I was intrigued enough by the description that I stopped by the store this past Saturday to check things out and was not disappointed. I even purchased the Ziggy Stardust barrettes that were mentioned in the write up.

The one thing the article neglected to include was that CR have gone and set up their very own MySpace page. Aside from keeping the regulars informed about new product and in-store performances, the page is also being used to offer discounts and promote store contests to true "friends".

Kings On Call

KOL's fine Followill boys discuss the new direction for their latest album

The new Kings of Leon single On Call, currently available to hear on their MySpace page, is now also available for download via iTunes (but only in the US - Booooo!).

On Call marks a bit of a departure from the rough and tumble rock sound for which the Kings are known. It's definitely much more melodic, which I'm totally loving though I hope their upcoming album, Because of the Times, still throws a few of the old school, down'n'dirty tunes longtime KOL fans have come to know and love.

He Ain't Heavy, He's My - Aw, Nuts!

Wooo, lordy! Things got mighty awwwkwaaard at Casa de Bauer last night on 24. You can get a recap of the episode from the lovably snarky peeps at Television Without Pity. Following is my own, less than serious, photo-essay on the show's key moments. Make no mistake, though, I'm laughing through the trauma.

"Dad,I am so kicking Graem's ass the next time I see him!"

"Now Jack, I'm sure you're brother didn't mean any harm"

"Heeeey, brother."

"Let's hug it out, bitch!"

"For the last time, Graem, don't touch my stuff!"

"Jack, if you don't stop torturing your brother right now, you are so grounded!"

"Wow, OK, so, no Father's Day present for you this year."

The Purple One Rocks The Super Bowl

Prince sings his little heart out in the purple-looking rain during last night's Super Bowl XLI half time show

I didn't see any of yesterday's Super Bowl XLI. Not that I was really planning to actually watch the game (it's football, right?) but I was hoping to catch Prince's performance during the half-time show.

The problem is, since the Super Bowl telecast seems to span about 8 hours (including pre- and post-game coverage) I can never quite figure out exactly when halftime might be.

Thank goodness, then, for YouTube which provides fairly decent footage of His Purpleness without making us sit through all that pesky business of men in funny outfits running about and

No nipple slips or other such wardrobe malfunctions but we do get a medley of Prince hits and, as an added bonus, the commentary is en espanol.charging into each other.

Lily Takes Manhattan

Lily Allen (far left) seated front row at the Chanel Spring/Summer 2007 ready-to-wear fashion show in October 2006

I'm still on the fence about UK sensation Lily Allen. I think her music is alright but certainly as brilliant as a lot of the press across the pond makes it out to be.

I managed to catch Lily on Saturday Night Live this past weekend where she performed two songs, her smash single Smile as well as the follow up LDN, both from her debut album, Alright, Still.

I don't think she was at her best that night as she came off much last animated than she usually does. She did look incredibly nervous so I'm sure that's what the problem was.

Also, didn't really care for the Mariah Carey-like vocal flourishes she used to end both numbers. Lily, you need to leave those party tricks for American Idol wannabes. Overall, though, I thought she did a pretty good job.

Plus, I really liked her dress - I think it was Chanel.

Fashion Week Hits The Big Apple

Aside from Lily Allen, the other big news in NYC is Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Fall 2007. Things got underway last Friday (February 2) and wrap up this Friday (February 9).

One of my favourite ways to keep up with all things cool and stylish in New York is with Paper magazine. It's always got the 411 on the best of the up-and-coming designers as well the trends from the leaders in the fashion industry.

Right now on the Paper website, you can follow all the NYC Fashion Week news and happenings via the mag's style section or one of the many blogs.

I'll check back later in the week with a look at some of my favourites from the collections.

Above right is a look from last night's Matthew Williamson runway show.

Late Night TV Preview: February 5 - 10, 2007

Christina Aguilera

Gwen Stefani

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

MONDAY

• Jennifer Hudson (panel guest), John Waite & Alison Krauss (musical performers) - Tonight Show with Jay Leno (11:35pm - NBC, A-Channel)
• Hank Williams Jr & Lynyrd Skynyrd - Late, Late Show with Craig Ferguson (12:35am - CBS, CH)
• Gov't Mule - Last Call with Carson Daly* (1:35am - NBC)

TUESDAY

• Harry Connick Jr (panel guest and performer) - Late Show with David Letterman (11:35pm - CBS, OMNI)
• Paul Weller - Jimmy Kimmel Live (12:05am - ABC, CityTV)
• Calexico - Late Night with Conan O'Brien (12:35am - NBC, A-Channel)

WEDNESDAY

• Norah Jones - Leno
• Katherine McPhee (panel guest and performer) - Kimmel

THURSDAY

• Gwen Stefani (panel guest) - Kimmel

FRIDAY

• Tenacious D (panel guests and performers) - Kimmel
• The Bird and the Bee - Carson

SATURDAY

• Keith Urban - Saturday Night Live (11:35pm - NBC, GlobalTV)
• Ben Harper - Henry Rollins Show (9pm and 3:15am - IFC Canada)
  

This week on daytime TV, Christina Aguilera (Wednesday) and Gwen Stefani (Friday) are panel guests and performers on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Also appearing on Friday's EDS, the three finalists in the Justin Timberlake/My Grammy Moment contest.

Cuteness!

Just had to share these adorable photos of D'Lila Star and Jessie James (no idea which is which), the newborn twin daughters of Sean "Diddy" Combs and his girlfriend Kim Porter.

The pic comes courtesy People magazine - you can see more of the happy family here.

Hotness!

Just had to share these photos of Daniel Craig taking some personal time for sightseeing while he was in Beijing, China for the Casino Royale premiere earlier this week. It's the first time a James Bond film has ever been (legally) shown in that region of the world.

To date, CR has grossed over $570 million worldwide - it's predecessor, Die Another Die, was the previous top earner in the James Bond series at $432 million.

Dukes Up, Baby, Dukes Up

Normally peaceful Win Butler (with wife and Arcade Fire bandmate, Regine) tussled with security last night in London

It was Arcade Fire frontman Win Butler versus some ill-advised Porchester Hall security guards last night after the band's main set in the fourth of a series of five London gigs.

NME reports that one particular security was attempting to forcibly prevent Butler (and the rest of AF) from setting up and performing in the venue's foyer.

Didn't work.

After a brief scuffle and angry words from Butler, the band went right ahead and launched into a rousing rendition of Wake Up in front of surprised and ecstatic audience members who had been in the process of exiting the theatre. Furthermore, "[a]fter about a minute, Win disappeared to the back of the throng, leaving the lead vocals to sung en masse by the audience!"

Click here for footage of the scuffle and performance.

The new Arcade Fire album Neon Bible is released on March 5 in the UK, March 6 in North America.

Glasto 2007 Takes Shape

Bjork settles in to the field at Glasto

Speaking of Da Fire (as my girl JC likes to call them), the Montreal collective are one of the bands scheduled to play this year's Glastonbury Festival, scheduled to take place from June 22 - 24, 2007.



Although no official announcement of performers has been made (and won't be until tickets go on sale), event organizer Micheal Eavis last week confirmed that AF were on the bill, along with Arctic Monkeys, Bjork and The Who.

Tickets for Glastonbury 2007 go on sale starting April 1.

Time Shifting Is My Friend

Maggie (Ashley Jensen) and Andy (Ricky Gervais) attempt to maintain some semblance of dignity on Extras

These 10 finalists duke it out on Fashion File: Host Hunt for the privilege of replacing Tim Blanks (and, eventually, going toe-to-toe with Fashion Television's Jeanne Beker)

Man, my Thursday night TV viewing schedule is getting really hectic. (Yeah, that looks just as pathetic written out as it sounded in my head).



Anyhoo...



Now that Scrubs is back with new episodes, I've had to fit it in between The Office and my new fave 30 Rock. My on-again/off-again relationship with Grey's Anatomy will have to be off again with that latest development and the addition of the following two new shows.



First up is Fashion File: Host Hunt (7:30pm - CBC), a reality show/competition that seeks to find a replacement for departing longtime FF host Tim Blanks.



Later this evening sees the return of Ricky Gervais follow-up to the original UK version of The Office called Extras (9:30pm - CH). I've got conflicting reports as to exactly which episode is airing tonight. Hopefully, it's the season two season premiere featuring Orlando Bloom. Otherwise, it's a repeat of the season one premiere with guest star Samuel L. Jackson, which is definitely still worth watching. *

*Update 02/02/07 Crap! It turned out not to be either of those eps. It was from the first season but featured Les Dennis instead of Sam Jackson (still funny though). I'll try to keep on top of CH's broadcast schedule for Extras (and which guest stars will appear when. Hopefully they'll start airing the second season soon as more celebrities (including David Bowie and Coldplay's Chris Martin) make appearances.

Speaking of musical guest stars, I caught a bit of an episode from last season's The L Word which featured a live performance by Sleater-Kinney and a Stars song playing in the background of a scene. Me and my homeslice Merdypops are anxiously awaiting the start of season 4 (Hello, Showcase!) which, aside from intriguing storylines, promises rockin' guest spots from the likes of Goldfrapp and The Cliks among others.

MJ You Are Not The Babies' Daddy

TMZ has recently posted these photos purported to be the unmasked spawn of Michael Jackson.

Prince Michael II aka Blanket

Prince Michael I and Paris

TMZ is generally trustworthy, so I'll give them the benefit of the doubt that these kids are Jackson's even though MJ does not appear anywhere in the photos (though it appears Whitney Houston is picking up some extra coin as the children's nanny).

However, even if these are Jackson's children I seriously doubt they are really his children if you know what I'm saying. White as he is right now, MJ started out as black (and a man) and, from a genealogical standpoint, some evidence of that should appear in at least one of his children. That all three appear thoroughly Caucasian is highly suspicious.