I actually found the dozen or so free, 3-song iTunes gift cards that I picked up at the Virgin Festival earlier this year. I thought for sure I'd accidentally chucked them all. It turns out that I'd just stored them so carefully that I was unable to easily locate them again. Ahem.
The catch is, the cards expire December 31 - as in tomorrow. So, I've spent the last 2 hours downloading a whack of tracks. Sort of fun but kind of stressful at the same time.
Agent Provocateur - the UK-based brand of high-end, frisky lingerie - has begun it's infiltration of the retail market in the Great White North. An AP store has recently opened up in Vancouver with others to follow in Toronto and Montreal early in the new year.
I, for one, couldn't be happier. The cost of an already expensive pair of French cut briefs climbs significantly when you factor in the price of a round trip flight to London or New York. Seriously.
While we wait, let's enjoy a few fabulous (and Infamous) AP adverts. Not that I should have to tell you, but these clips are absolutely NSFW.
Dita Von Teese (music by Joy Division, performed by Siobhan Fahey)
This week (December 24 - 28), CTV aired a 5-day holiday preview of 4Real, a series that takes a handful of actors and musicians into beleaguered communities around the planet whose citizens are struggling to make a brighter future for themselves.
Episodes feature the likes of M.I.A. in Haiti, K'Naan in Kenya and Eva Mendes in Vancouver's downtown east side - the visitors discover the barriers faced by the community and meet local individuals who are trying to and succeeding in making a difference.
As I mentioned, some of the series is in preview this week but don't fret if you've missed a few episodes (like I did). CTV will repeat these same episodes next week (December 31 to January 4) and both CTV and MTV Canada will air the series in it's entirety in the spring of 2008.
I know we've officially passed C-day but I just came across this video from Goldfrapp and I had to share. Trust Alison and Will to bring a lovely, shimmery and dark sheen to the holiday season. The kazoos are absolutely brilliant.
Seasonal greetings to one and all.
Before we scamper off to our Christmas hidey hole to prepare for the release of Seventh Tree we are pleased to say that Alison and Will have prepared this very special Christmas message for you all, filmed in the back streets of N1 in London on Wednesday.
Frappy Christmas everyone and we hope that you have a wonderful new year.
Goldfrapp's fourth full-length album, Seventh Tree, is scheduled for release on February 25 2008.
Model of the moment, Irina Lazareanu, seems to have garnered herself a bit of a reputation as a serial rock star girlfriend. She's dated Pete Doherty - both before and after Kate Moss - as well as Sean Lennon and Jamie "Hotel" Hince of The Kills (who is currently engaged to Moss).
Lazareanu does, however, have some musical ambitions of her own. She was creatively involved in the early stages of Doherty's band Babyshambles and is currently working on an album of original material with former paramour Lennon. Earlier this month, Lazareanu (with Lennon as part of her support band) was able to showcase some of her work at a special Chanel "Paris-Londres" collection staged in the city of London. Chanel head designer Karl Lagerfeld was more than willing to give his creative muse the chance to showcase her other talents during the runway show.
While I was rather pleasantly surprised by the quality of the music, I think Irina is going to have to cut out the ciggies completely if she's to have any hope of being an accomplished singer. There's nothing wrong with having a bit of character to your voice but the poor girl's pipes seem in danger of being overtaken by nicotine-induced phlegm. It was really quite painful to hear her strain for some of those high notes. With a bit of vocal refinement, though, I sincerely believe that Irina can have a productive and successful musical career.
For all the cultures that don't celebrate Christmas, South Park has a special holiday message for you. (Absolutely NSFW)
I've been trying my darndest to locate video of Saturday Night Live's Kwanzaa Timmy skit but to no avail. If anybody happens to come across it, please forward the link and I will post it.
I finally got around to reading my copy of the December 2007 Q magazine (the Q Awards special issue with Kylie on the cover) the other day and I'm certainly glad I did. There's some pretty eye-opening and hilarious interviews featuring winners and presenters alike including Paul McCartney, The Verve, Kylie, Marc Ronson, Jonathon Ross, Manic Street Preachers, Billy Bragg & KT Tunstall. Arguably, the most surreal of these features the legendary Dame Shirlely Bassey and those scruffy Arctic Monkeys.
The interview is, for the most part, pretty adorable with Dame Shirley and the boys doing the mutual admiration thing - the band covered Diamonds Are Forever at Glastonbury earlier this year, Bassey also performed at the festival - and much talk of future collaborations ensues. Then things take a rather odd turn with discussion of the boys' trip to an Arizona ranch and a go at firing shotguns.
Q: Matt [Helders, drums/vocals], what went through your mind as you shot the guns?
MH: I were thinking how vertigo is not the fear of falling, it's the temptation to jump. I were thinking how easily it would be to turn round and shoot Alex [Turner, vocals/guitar]. Not that I wanted to, like, but you suddenly realise the power you have with a gun. [source]
OK.
I mean, I know Matt was just speaking metaphorically but I don't recall ever having (even fantastical) homicidal thoughts towards my friends no matter how mad I've been at them. I'm just saying, that statement coupled with the current cover of the NME doesn't bode well for Turner's long term health.
Of course, the entire band look rather menacing in this shot and they've all got weapons but, even with the mallet, I still rank Alex at a disadvantage since Matt is standing behind him with a much more easily wieldable wrench. Watch you back, Turner. Watch your back.
In fact, if I was Alex, I'd make extra sure that I took the time to get my bandmate the perfect Christmas gift this year. Seriously. That £10 gift card to M&S just isn't going to cut it this time around.
In more pleasant Arctic Monkeys news, their recent Teddy Picker single contains a track called Bad Woman featuring vocals by my new love Richard Hawley. Sheffield represent! Woot, woot!
I realize I sort of dropped the ball since Hanukkah actually came and went a few weeks back. Still, I'd like to take this opportunity to (belatedly) acknowledge my Jewish brothers and sisters with the following musical tributes. Shalom, y'all!(Kind of NSFW)
I think it's safe to say the creative output on Saturday Night Live is hit-and-miss at the best of times these days. However, the SNL crew still deliver the goods on occasion especially when the skit has a musical theme and especially especially when Christmas is involved. The following video from a few years back features then series regulars Horatio Sanz, Jimmy Fallon, Tracy Morgan (sublimely hysterical) and Chris Kattan hitting one out of the park with this sincerely sweet and funny ode to the holiday.
While celebutant pregnancy seems to be all the rage in the media lately, I'm going to attempt to use my blog for other means. Over the next little while, I'll be looking to post holiday themed content in order to get everyone (myself included) into the spirit of the season. I'm going to try to be be all-inclusive about this, so look for videos about Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and whatever else I can think of.
First up, fresh from a reprieve from BBC1, is the classic tune Fairytale of New York by The Pogues featuring (the dearly departed) Kirsty MacColl. Enjoy!
Seems as if I'm a bit behind on this news but I suppose it's better late than never.
Beginning January 8 of the new year, CBC will air the first episode of a 13-part series based on the 2006 Douglas Coupland novel jpod, which was the (sort of) follow up to Coupland's seminal 1995 work Microserfs.
"...jPod is a one-hour drama series with amusing and evil twists. Ethan Jarlewski (DAVID W. KOPP) and four coworker pals are bureaucratically marooned in the bowels of a massive video game company, Neotronic Arts.
The series chronicles the amoral, lighthearted and often shocking lives of these five "Podsters." In Season One alone, they routinely deal with Chinese gangs, boneheaded bosses, sexual swinging, power lesbians, British royalty, gore-laced game designs and …it's a very long list. " [source]
I'm cautiously optimistic that this series will turn out pretty well, primarily because Coupland himself has been involved in the production and writing process. Also, because of this clip:
Nothing like a drunk karaoke gag to set one's mind at ease.
As I mentioned yesterday, my friend and I went to The Clothing Show at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. My friend had never been before and I wanted her to see that there was more to shopping in Toronto than the retail nightmare that tends to be the norm in the city.
Unfortunately, it wasn't the shopping haven that it usually is. I believe this is the first time there's been a December/winter edition of the event and it didn't have nearly the impact of the usual spring and fall shows. It was a very scaled down affair with maybe 1/10th the vendors that are normally on hand and maybe one of which I recognized from previous shows. Even worse - the sellers outnumbered the shoppers by about 3 to 1.
One of the local vendors who chose to take a pass on The Clothing Show this time around was Greenbaum Clothing Company, helmed by the fabulous Lisa Greenbaum. Lisa's clothing line has been on my favourites list for awhile now and it's not difficult to understand why. The pieces in the main line are gorgeous: simple yet stylish with a cut and fit that is extremely flattering. Everything has a subtly sexy quality so, while you could certainly pull off the pieces as daywear, they would be equally appropriate to dress up for a night out on the town.
Moonlight Top & Arabesque Pant (Fall 2007) - Note: I have this top and the neckline actually dips a bit lower than the sample in this photo would suggest so there's slightly more cleavage revealed. I had no problem with that but I thought it was important to point out.
Marseilles Tank & Monaco Tie Up Pant (Spring 2007) - I have the pants.
Bordeaux Jacket & Monaco Tie Up Short (Spring 2007) - I have the jacket.
Obviously, I was more than a little disappointed that I wasn't able to pick up a few things from Greenbaum Clothing this weekend to add to my wardrobe. However, it's not like it's that difficult for me to track the girl down. Aside from being a talented designer, Greenbaum is also a program coordinator and instructor for Goodlife Fitness, the gym I attend. Not coincidentally, she also designs a line of activewear.
If you're not fortunate enough to be able to run into Lisa at the gym like I do, you can check out all of her wonderful wares via the website or scope out the Greenbaum Clothing Company group on Facebook.
I caught the video for Making A Scene (which I can't seem to embed but you can view here) by Fritz Helder & the Phantoms on the most recent episode of The Wedge. The clip is obviously an homage (parody, rip-off) of those ridiculous "heroin chic"-style CK one fragrance ads from the mid-90s.
I think the Helder crew does a good job of capturing the look of the ads while also managing to poke a little fun. The Nelly Furtado cameo is, well, pretty weak but, rather than do any detriment to the clip, it actually almost justifies the unfortunate blonde dye job that Furtado recently had done.Almost.
As Merdypops and I were returning yesterday evening from The Clothing Show (an odd experience in and of itself - more on that another time) we encountered what seemed like a never ending stream of well-dressed, (primarily) senior citizens travelling through the Skywalk in the opposite direction.
As Mer and were forced to the edge of the walkway, we naturally wondered where and for what event the crowd were headed. The answer: the André Rieu concert at the Rogers Centre.
If you're ever at a Tori Amos concert, make sure to mind your Ps and Qsbecause Tori doesn't take shizz from anybody - including her own fans.
Amos was in the midst of performing Code Red during her gig at Copley Symphony Hall in San Diego on Wednesday (December 12) when she stopped mid-song to address two girls sitting just beyond the stage, apparently saying "Get the fuck out of my show! It's a privilege to sit in the front row and I reserve those seats for people who appreciate music, get the fuck out!"
Video of the confrontation appears below - the drama starts at about the 2:25 mark.
There have been conflicting accounts about what exactly sparked Amos' outburst and to whom it was directed. Initial reports said Tori had been upset because the girls had been continuously disruptive throughout the evening, repeatedly getting in and out of their seats. Still another witness claims that Amos was actually singling out some venue security who were giving fans a hard time for getting out of their seats and dancing in the aisles. However, it appears that those ejected were actually two attendees who had originally been seated in another part of the venue and were trying to sneak into the reserved front row spots.
Debra DiGiovanni and Margaret Cho are two of my favourite comediennes. In fact, prior to seeing Debbie DG a few weeks back the only other live stand-up I'd seen was when Margaret played the Yuk Yuks at Yonge & Eglinton about twelve years ago.
This past Monday and Tuesday, on the grotesquely chipper infotainment show eTalk, the two had a chance to pick each others brains on a variety of topics. Click here for the full, uncut approximately 21-minute interview.
I completely forgot to watch Victoria Beckham's appearance on Larry King last night. Thank heavens the advent of YouTube has freed us from the shackles of network television programming. Though I'm sure that I'll end up watching the interview again in full when it inevitably re-airs (ad nauseam) in the coming weeks. In the meantime, you're welcome.
OK, I just realized I have genuine interest in Victoria Beckham aside from the association to her ridiculously sexy husband David. That is just all kinds of wrong...and I don't care.
Taking a break from their side jobs as Professional Celebrity Friends*, Alison "VV" Mosshart and Jamie "Hotel" Hince of The Killsseem finally to have put together enough material for a third album. They've even got a video done for first single U R A Fever and it's just the kind of down and dirty yet catchy tune one would expect from the band.I hope the duo goes back on tour soon, they're one of my favourite acts to see live.
The new, as-yet-untitled, album is scheduled for release in March 2008.
*No hating kids - I want to be friends with you and your friends.
Today's post will be a brief one as I attempt to digest a meal of biscuits, mozzarella sticks and chocolate cake (the only things I can eat) from Red Lobster.
Please enjoy this new, Michel Gondry-directed video for Declare Independence, the latest single from Bjork.
Toronto's Cavalcade of Lights winter celebration brings music to the masses tonight with a free concert at Nathan Phillips Square featuring Hayley Sayles (7pm) and Jully Black. Following the music at 9pm will be a fireworks display and then DJ Tricky Moreira will be on hand to spin tunes for the nighttime skate.
Jully BlackSeven Day Fool
Cavalcade of Lights continues with various events until December 24.
I'll admit, it took me a while to connect the name Richard Hawley with his rather impressive CV but I'm certainly glad I did in time to get get tickets for his club gig this past Wednesday (December 5) at the Horseshoe. It was a stellar performance and the crowd - many of whom have clearly been obsessed with the man since the beginning of his career - showed Hawley and his (doppelganger-stocked) backing band lots of love.
I'm definitely going to make a point to get more familiar with the man and his music.You may want to as well.
Actor and repeat offender Kiefer Sutherland began serving his 48-day sentence for a DUI conviction in a Glendale, CA prison yesterday (December 5). Sutherland wasn't due to begin serving jail time until December 21 but it's likely he turned himself in early due to cessation in production of his television show 24 as a result of the ongoing WGA strike. Click here to see Kiefer's very Jack Bauer-ish mugshot. While I'm still hugely disappointed that Kiefer managed to get himself in this situation in the first place (it was his fourth DUI conviction), I think it's somewhat commendable that he finally seems to be owning up to his stupidity and taking his punishment like a man without using his celebrity status to try to weasel out of it. That being said, considering he'll be out of commission for close to 7 weeks, I feel like I need to get on with my life by finding a new Sutherland to fawn over. Ready to take on that role is Kiefer's younger half-brother (by father Donald), 28-year old Rossif Sutherland. Rossif has been toiling away at his acting career for several years, landing small roles in TV series and movies. Now many in the industry are starting to take note of the actor, with publications like the Globe & Mail and Maclean's devoting feature articles to this up and coming talent.
The younger Sutherland now seems poised for a breakthrough with his starring role in the latest Clement Virgo film, Poor Boy's Game. Rossif plays a recently paroled amateur boxer who returns to his hometown and must deal with the ongoing repercussions of his shocking crime. The film begins a limited Toronto release this Friday (December 7). Check out the trailer below.
Even with his acting star on the rise, Sutherland continues to devote time to a budding music career. According to his MySpace page, he's readying an album of original material to be released in the near future. There may yet be one more Sutherland on the verge of making a name for himself in the family business. Angus Sutherland - the youngest child of Donald, brother and half-brother to Rossif and Kiefer respectively - recently wrapped up production on his first starring role in Lost Boys 2: The Tribe, a straight to DVD sequel of the 1987 teen vampire flick. Big brother Kiefer was starred in the original.
You may recall a few posts back when I suggested that ex-SugababeMutya Buena should return to her former position in order to help the group out of a bit of a creative slump. Well, I recently heard her remake of TheRonettes classic Be My Baby (re-titled B Boy Baby - ugh) and I think the need may be mutual.
To be fair, considering the concept is monumentally lame, the outcome is actually quite respectable. Buena's killer pipes are certainly what's saving this track from utter disaster status and it doesn't hurt to have Amy Winehouse (possibly in her last few moments of artistic validity and general coherence) helping out on backing vocals. Still, I continue to wait for that standout musical gem that will (in my mind) justify her departure from one of my favourite pop acts.
Check out the accompanying video below.
I've got my issues with this clip, as well. It's puzzlingly dreary and, for some reason, it seems as if dear Mutya is in the final stages or morphing into L'il Kim (I really hope that wasn't intentional). I'm totally jealous of her legs though.
As I mentioned previously, I was able to catch a special preview screening of The Golden Compass this past Saturday. It was absolutely fantastic though, as the title of this post suggests, The Hotness does not get nearly as much screen time as the promotional material would have you believe. I might not be so upset about it if the film makers had made the most of his brief appearances. Like, I don't think it would be too much to ask if, during the shaving scene, he'd been shirtless. Like this:
OK that might have been a bit much for a children's film but I think we could have found some common ground. Moving on...
It's quite interesting but I think the results are pretty random since I ended up taking the questionnaire twice (my results didn't save properly the first time) using the exact same responses and ended up with two different dæmons (albeit with the same character traits). Or, perhaps the different results allude to my youthful spirit since the appearance of a dæmon can change many times before it's human counterpart reaches puberty. Yeah, that sounds about right.
The embed option doesn't seem to be working so I can't even show you the two dæmons with which I was matched but, if you're so inclined, you can click on the following links to see my defined and undefined dæmon.
OK, it might not seem so if you've been schlepping through the slushy streets of Toronto today (and realize that there's probably another 4 months of this "magic" to deal with) but there's not really a whole lot we can do about it so let's just try to be as positive as we can about it.
Yeah, I don't really have much more to say on the subject other than to bring you video of the song after which this post was named. It is yet another excuse to thrust my Kate Bush obsession onto an unsuspecting public and this particular offering is a bit of a doozy. Only dear Kate could make Christmas seem so...weird - and that's why I love her.
I'm getting ready to see a preview screening of The Golden Compass later tonight and, while I was searching for some info on the movie, I came across this fan-made (ie not official) video for the film's theme song Lyra which, as I mentioned previously, was written by Kate Bush.
I think the song, though not quite classic Kate Bush, is absolutely lovely and should be a perfect compliment to the film.
Perhaps this new song can also be taken as a sign that Kate is in full writing and recording mode so we won't have to wait another decade for a proper album of new material from her...but I probably shouldn't get my hopes up.
