carlys world

A PARDINI - Dribble (Bonds) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-27T16:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Dribble
Artist: A PARDINI
Label: Bonds
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Complicado
Doesnt Matter
Ghost House
Late What
Light To Dark

Christopher Rich Tom Cavanagh Placido Domingo Tim Vincent Paige Hurd

'Hunger Games' And 'Twilight' Oddly Absent From Oscars

2012-02-27T14:45:00.001-08:00

'Harry Potter,' meanwhile, was shut out of its two nominations — but couldn't the YA franchises' stars get involved?
By Kara Warner

Jennifer Lawrence in "The Hunger Games"
Photo: Lionsgate

There's still a lot to discuss and digest from the 2012 Oscars, from the glitz and glamour, to the surprises, snubs and glaring omissions.

Speaking to the snubs and omissions category, MTV News couldn't help but notice that, for an awards show designed to appeal to all movie fans, three of the most buzz-worthy film franchises of the last decade were mostly left out of the festivities: "Harry Potter," "Twilight" and "The Hunger Games."

This is not a story about the lack of nominations for the films; we've already complained about the "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2" shutout and "The Hunger Games" hasn't even been released yet. But why not involve a few of these noteworthy films' castmembers in the telecast? We consulted a few experts on the subject.

"I think this year is more glaring than most, for sure," said Entertainment Weekly senior writer Sara Vilkomerson. "Personally, I'm surprised there was not a lot of 'Potter' stuff; that was a very lucrative franchise for a lot of people and really critically acclaimed, the last movie. I feel like there was a definite lack of youth. I know in my house, when the 'Hunger Games' ad came on, it felt a little more exciting than certain parts of the telecast."

"The Academy obviously went out of their way to acknowledge the lack of youth appeal — but a handful of jokes in Billy Crystal's video montage and a little token Bieber isn't enough to fix it," added Brooke Tarnoff, senior editor for NextMovie.com. "It's a hard line to walk, enticing younger viewers but still voting with integrity. Maybe the answer is expanding Academy membership to more young actors who will be able to choose 'young people movies' with a clear conscience."

"I'm a house divided on the Oscars and the youth audience," said Shylah Addante, who runs "Hunger Games" fan site Down With the Capitol. "On one hand, as a card-carrying fangirl, I absolutely understand the outrage about last night's 'Potter' snub. For a franchise that has touched the hearts and minds, not to mention the wallets, of so many people around the world for a decade, the absence of Oscar gold left me feeling like the Academy was full of Dementors. On the other hand, the fiercely proud side of me wants a film to win an Oscar because it deserves it — not because it's a tentpole franchise or because it made one bajillion dollars worldwide. If 'Hugo' was any lesson to young Oscar viewers, it is that, in the right hands, a children's/young adult book can become a film worthy of major awards."

"It's a very, very hard line to teeter on. I have full sympathy for the people who are trying to organize it," Vilkomerson said. "It just shows how challenging it is to put on a really good Oscar telecast that makes everyone happy, that hits everything that everybody wants. It's a hard, hard show to put on. Maybe next year, 'The Hunger Games' will be nominated and that will be the easiest way to interlace these two worlds."

Addante agreed with next year's potential for "The Hunger Games." " 'Potter' and 'Twilight' may not have wooed the Academy, but 'Hunger Games,' with its decorated cast and crew, contemporary social and political messages and dramatic plot, may just have what it takes to finally give some critical legitimacy to young adult series and their fans."

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Keep it locked at MTV.com for updates on the night's big winners and the best red-carpet fashion.

Related Videos

MTV Rough Cut: 'Hunger Games'

Jason Connery India.Arie Mary Tyler Moore Luciana Pedraza Simon Fuller

Spiritualized Return With New Album

2012-02-27T12:44:00.001-08:00

Spiritualized are set to release their new album ?Sweet Heart Sweet Light? on April 16th.

One of the most inspiring British groups of their generation, Spiritualized are back. Led by J Spaceman, the group completed sessions for a new album last year before illness delayed the final mixdown.

Working from his home studio, J Spaceman painstakingly pieced the material together. 'Sweet Heart Sweet Light' is now complete, with the album set to be released on April 16th.

First, up: the tracklisting.

Huh (intro)
Hey Jane
Little Girl
You Get What You Deserve
Too Late
Headin? For The Top Now
Freedom
I Am What I Am
Mary
Life Is A Problem
So Long You Pretty Thing

- - -

Some things to note:

- ?So Long You Pretty Thing? features guest vocals from Poppy Spaceman (Jason Pierce's daughter) who also writes the opening verse

- ?I Am What I Am' was co-written with Dr John, who of course played on the previous Spiritualized cut 'Cop Shoot Cop'

- That's the cover up yonder. 'Huh?' - indeed

Spiritualized have also unveiled new track 'Hey Jane' - listen to it below.

Heather Locklear Steven Spielberg Christina Moore Jacqueline Obradors Bernie Kopell

2MORROWS VICTORY - Odeon (Believe France) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-27T10:45:00.001-08:00

Title: Odeon
Artist: 2MORROWS VICTORY
Label: Believe France
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Parallels
Cadence
Ant Farm
Bamboo
Time Zone
Odeon
Whispers

Luciana Pedraza Simon Fuller Nastassja Kinski Francesca Fisher-Eastwood Jamie Waylett

Kylie Minogue Premieres Orchestral ?On A Night Like This? Video

2012-02-27T08:44:00.001-08:00

As she did with her early ’90s single “Finer Feelings”, Kylie Minogue stripped away the lush dance-pop production on her 2000 Light Years offering “On A Night Like This” and reworked it into an orchestral number at Abbey Road Studios to mark her 25th anniversary in the music business. Here the song, which was originally ... More »

Fran Drescher Lindsey Haun Andy Garcia Robbie Williams Malcolm McDowell

Oscars Backstage Live Stream!

2012-02-27T06:44:00.001-08:00

Billy Crystal hosts the 84th Annual Academy Awards on Sunday night. You can watch a LIVE STREAM of the backstage happenings here!

Heather Locklear Steven Spielberg Christina Moore Jacqueline Obradors Bernie Kopell

Brahms: Ein deutsches Requiem ? review

2012-02-27T04:44:00.001-08:00

Soloists, Monteverdi Choir, Orchestre R�volutionnaire at Romantique/ Gardiner
(SDG)

Does the world need another recording of Brahms's German Requiem? A glance at Amazon shows there are dozens available, from big, broad Karajan and the Berlin Phil to finely focused Harry Christophers and the Sixteen. Yet John Eliot Gardiner convinces us that there is room for one more, even of a performance he and his garlanded choir gave four years ago at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh. The choral ensemble is superb; intonation perfect. Gardiner's instrumentalists' meticulous attention to authentic performance style adds a further dimension to a glorious reading of this beautiful piece. Highly recommended.

Stephen Pritchard

Jamie Waylett Nichelle Nichols Janeane Garofalo Evan Ellingson Angelique Kidjo

ALONZO - Andy Road (Bembe Recordings) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-27T02:45:00.001-08:00

Title: Andy Road
Artist: ALONZO
Label: Bembe Recordings
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Andy Road (original mix)
Andy Road (Alonzo Lost In tribal remix)
Andy Road (DJ Monique 69 remix)

Heather McComb Ali Hillis Luke Wilson Susie Castillo Amy Sedaris

Christian Bale's 2012 Oscar Night

2012-02-27T00:44:00.001-08:00

Taking part in the grandest of all Tinseltown events, Christian Bale was among the stars at the 84th Academy Awards on Sunday evening (February 26).

The 38-year-old "Dark Knight Rises" star skipped out on the Kodak Theatre red carpet while opting to head directly inside to tend to his Oscar affairs.

During the course of the night, Bale took the stage to hand out one of the coveted trophies - as he named Octavia Spencer as Best Supporting Actress.

As for the top contenders, "Hugo" leads the pack at 11 nominations while "The Artist" sits close behind at 10 chances for Oscar glory.

Meanwhile, the 2012 Academy Awards will be hosted by Billy Crystal and will broadcast live on ABC beginning at 7e/4p.

Lorna Luft Jack Black Blu Cantrell Sara Paxton Russell Simmons

Kim Kardashian (Sort Of) Redeems Herself With Adorable Family Photos

2012-02-26T22:45:00.001-08:00

Just when we think Kim Kardashian is going to make our eyeballs roll all the way back into our heads, thus forcing us to rush to the ER to receive treatment for Khronic Kardashian Syndrome, she goes and does a sweet thing like post photos of her dad on Twitter. ?Taking it back old school… [...]

Paula Patton Aria Wallace Nick Carter Juliana Cannarozzo Christina Hendricks

Robert Pattinson Wants to Fulfill Expectations

2012-02-26T20:44:00.001-08:00

Showbiz Spy ROBERT Pattinson is worried he doesn't 'fulfill expectations'.

The British actor has become one of Hollywood's most bankable movie stars since his rise to fame in The Twilight Saga - where he plays vampire Edward Cullen - but he admits he to being concerned about not being as good as he is expected to be, and fears his future films will be failures.

Discussion: Showbiz Spy

Albert Brooks Siddiq Barmak Seth Meyers Maria Shriver Lorna Luft

Whatcha Say: Chris Brown And ?The National Enquirer? Got Readers Heated

2012-02-26T18:44:00.001-08:00

This week, readers reflected on their personal code of ethics when Chris Brown and Rihanna’s two remix collaborations, “Birthday Cake” and “Turn Up The Music,” hit the web and pro-wrestler CM Punk took Breezy to task on Twitter. Plus, The National Enquirer put a photo of Whitney Houston in an open casket, causing a backlash ... More »

Philip Baker Hall Andrea Parker Mia Farrow Jane Lynch Shelley Morrison

Taylor Swift Invites Fan With Cancer to Be ACM Awards Date (VIDEO)

2012-02-26T16:44:00.001-08:00

Taylor Swift has invited a special fan to be her date at the upcoming Academy of Country Music Awards: 18-year-old cancer patient Kevin McGuire.

Mike Binder Macy Gray Lauren C. Mayhew Matt Lauer Alexa Vega

Happy Birthday, Johnny Cash: 7 Pop Covers Of The Man In Black

2012-02-26T14:44:00.001-08:00

Johnny Cash, legendary American singer and songwriter, would have celebrated his 80th birthday today. But even though he’s been gone for nearly a decade, his ground-breaking music and style still wield influence. His impact on songwriting extends well beyond the genres usually associated with his work ? country, folk, rockabilly and blues ? as artists ... More »

Charles Durning Eric Winter Heather Locklear Steven Spielberg Christina Moore

Aida; The Bostridge Project; New York Philharmonic Orchestra/Gilbert ? review

2012-02-26T12:44:00.001-08:00

Royal Albert Hall; Wigmore Hall; Barbican, London

"Set amid the ruins of ancient Egypt", promised the fliers. The impresario Raymond Gubbay has achieved many feats in his 45 years in showbiz but transporting the city of Thebes or the Temple of Vulcan to the Royal Albert Hall is not yet one. But he's had a darned good try in his latest opera-in-the-round blockbuster, Verdi's Aida, directed by Stephen Medcalf and designed by Isabella Bywater, which opened to a packed Royal Albert Hall last Thursday.

It won't be to all tastes. Amplified opera never is, but the technology has improved beyond complaint and has its place. Gubbay, never one to give up, has wooed opera traditionalists over the years as standards have risen. Yet his core audience is refreshingly different from elsewhere, as well as attentive and loyal. There may be longueurs but it's worth the wait for the climactic choruses when a 100-strong ensemble belt their hearts out, here excellently drilled by Robin Newton. The headaches and strategies for getting nearly double that number, with dancers and actors, on and off stage was achieved with aplomb. Some of the solo singing is admirable even if some is not, and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Andrew Greenwood, gave secure, skilful support.

Despite its popularity and the splendour of the music, Aida always proves elusive to stage. It has two dramatic high points: the Grand March and the lovers' death by suffocation in a tomb. The first half offers ceremony and spectacle, the second private tragedy. Medcalf's idea was to celebrate the coincidence that the opera, commissioned by the khedive of Egypt for Cairo's new opera house, and the Albert Hall both date from 1871. European curiosity about north Africa was growing; exoticism was all the rage; ancient sites were being dug up or plundered by anyone with a trowel.

Gubbay's was the outfit which pumped 10,000 gallons of water to enable Madame Butterfly to float in her cherry blossom-festooned home. It was no surprise, therefore, to see giant screens projecting the pyramids at Giza, the interior of a painted temple and the banks of the Nile under a brilliant blue sky: a virtual Baedeker itinerary of top tourist sites. The arena itself had been transformed into an archaeological site complete with tent, Victorian-Edwardian Egyptologists, truncated columns, broken sphinx-ish sculptures and piles of old stones. It was all so convincing that my opera-novice companion needed reassurance that the Albert Hall doesn't usually look like this.

The approach, far from vulgar ? and having in the past seen lame camels, fat horses and druggy-looking elephants trundled in for the triumphal Grand March scene I have a few points of comparison ? was almost too thoughtful. An air of bafflement accompanied the admittedly always slow opening: who was this irritating woman who seemed to have escaped from an EM Forster novel with her sketchbook in search of Mr Beebe and, ahem, a tomb with a view? The programme note explained that she was the famous journalist and Egyptologist Amelia Edwards, who made a boat trip up the Nile in 1873. The over-extended notion was that in visiting the sites she was awakening the ghosts of Aida, her rival Amneris and their love object Radames.

In the first of three casts the Italianate-sounding American Marc Heller, making his UK operatic debut as Radames, was alone in seeing the point of vowels and consonants. He scaled "Celeste Aida" with assurance and acted with the right kind of arms-akimbo gestures needed for this space. In the title role of the Ethiopian slave girl, Indra Thomas was sympathetic and looked magnificent but was off form vocally, struggling with top notes throughout. Claire Rutter and Catrin Aur, both strong performers, share the role for remaining performances. Some of the cameo roles were well taken and musical standards otherwise were high.

There was some rum dancing and the patterning of the triumphal scene, inspired by Nuremberg rallies and North Korean military parades, may have looked more spectacular from elsewhere ? higher? ? in the hall. Wet-look pre-Raphaelite-style priestesses disported in a fountain, and hooded priests ? were they white Cistercians or Ku Klux Klan? ? processed around the eternal flame of a sacred wok. Costumes were beautifully made. I was very taken with the prototype satellite dish the viperish Amneris (an effective Tiziana Carraro) wore on her head.

The ending was ducked: instead of being buried alive, Aida and Radames petrified into a funerary couple astride their tomb, and sat stiffly with the look of being strapped in for an interminable roller-coaster ride, which in a manner of speaking they were. But the crowd cheered, and the apr�s comments were enthusiastic, illegibly capitalised surtitles aside. As I left, a young boy was telling his mother how moved he was. My opera virgin found the ending rather miserable but he has a lot to learn about opera in that respect.

You might think it was only a stone's throw from ancient Egypt to ancient Greece and Rome, from the fevered excitement of the Albert Hall to the pure air of Wigmore Hall. It was another planet. In the first of four events in the Bostridge Project: Ancient and Modern, the tenor Ian Bostridge and mezzo-soprano Angelika Kirchschlager sang solo cantatas in which figures from antiquity confront death.

The beauty of using small forces is that you can almost do as you fancy: two superstar singers, two fine ensembles (the English Concert and, squeezed on to the tiny stage, the Aurora Orchestra) and, in harpsichordist Laurence Cummings and conductor Nicholas Collon, two expert musical directors. This stood out as an evening of imagination and rigour, as well as thrilling music-making. Look out for it as a Wigmore Hall Live CD.

Bostridge shone as the villainous Nero in Alessandro Scarlatti's incandescent "Io son Neron, l'imperator del mondo" (1698), spitting out each vainglorious syllable with riveting conviction. Satie's "La mort de Socrate", instead, is a dispassionate but affecting narrative from his symphonic 1917-18 drama Socrate ? limpid, "like running water", as his friend Poulenc described the aerated music.

After the untrammelled wildness of the raped Lucretia in Handel's "O numi eterni", Kirchschlager sang Britten's late work "Phaedra", from Robert Lowell's version of Racine. She was precise, impassioned and fiery in her agonies of doomed, incestuous love. The Aurora players gave meticulous support, especially in the tangy, 10-part string chords and in Iain Farrington's unearthly, spangly harpsichord flourishes.

Britten wrote "Phaedra" for Dame Janet Baker after hearing her sing Berlioz's Les nuits d'�t� at the 1975 Aldeburgh festival. No one can ever quite match Baker, perhaps, but last week we were lucky to have Joyce DiDonato in town ? joining the illustrious New York Philharmonic and conductor Alan Gilbert for their Barbican residency ? to give a bravura performance of that very work.

After the UK premiere of Thomas Ad�s's delicate, change-ringing Polaris and before some beady, steely Stravinsky, Berlioz's Gautier settings provided diaphanous contrast. DiDonato delivered an artlessly optimistic "Villanelle", a vaporous 'Le spectre de la rose" and a lilting "L'�le inconnue" before bobbing off in the breeze to a land of undying love. Not that she had far to bob: the very walls of the Barbican hall, not to mention its inhabitants, were poised to embrace this adored diva whose modesty is an eternal miracle in itself.

Fiona Maddocks

Will i Am Larissa Meek Roman Coppola Adrian Alonso Lisa Loeb

Justin Bieber & Selena Gomez's Weekend Sushi/Movie Date

2012-02-26T10:44:00.001-08:00

Taking a break from the studio to spend time with his gal, Justin Bieber treated Selena Gomez to a romantic afternoon in Los Angeles on Saturday (February 25).

The "Never Say Never" hitmaker and his "Who Says" singing girlfriend were joined by a group of friends as they made their way over to Sushi Dan a some tasty Japanese lunch.

Once filled up, the young couple continued along with their Oscar weekend date by heading to the Sherman Oaks galleria for a matinee movie.

The outing comes as Miss Gomez spent the previous night at the 5th Annual Women In Film Pre-Oscar Cocktail Party at Cecconi's.

While there, the 19-year-old chatted with E! News about her new tattoo - explaining that it isn't a little heart as widely reported.

"It's a music note," she said. "Everybody thought it was a heart, but it's a little music note."

Further explaining the meaning behind the ink job, Selena dished, "I was named after a singer and music obviously is a big influence for me. And there's music stuff with my mom that means a lot to me, too."

Merv Griffin Will i Am Larissa Meek Roman Coppola Adrian Alonso

Independent Spirit Awards Red Carpet Live Stream

2012-02-26T08:45:00.001-08:00

One day before the Oscars, Hollywood stars head to Santa Monica for the more casual, Seth Rogen-hosted Independent Spirit Awards. Gossip Cop will have the red carpet live stream here!

Elisa Donovan Donnie Wahlberg Rachel Melvin Joshua Malina Vincent Pastore

What?s Wrong With A Chris Brown-Rihanna Reunion? Experts Weigh In

2012-02-26T06:45:00.001-08:00

As Chris Brown continues his Twitter battles with the likes of Miranda Lambert and WWE heavyweight champ CM Punk, and Rihanna’s dating status is being debated — is she with Rob Kardashian, as Media Takeout purports, or is she considering reuniting with Chris, as TMZ says? — a lot of conversations we had back in [...]

Albert Brooks Siddiq Barmak Seth Meyers Maria Shriver Lorna Luft

Style Seen: Gabrielle Union?s Killer Look Has Been Broughten

2012-02-26T04:44:00.001-08:00

The fact that Gabrielle Union is going to turn 40 this year and still looks like the fresh-faced cheerleader we remember from Bring It On is enough to make us a wee bit green. Still, we’re very happy for the lovely, smart actress, who makes her second appearance in a Tyler Perry film with Good [...]

Vanessa Minnillo Reba McEntire Terri J. Vaughn Penelope Cruz Philip Baker Hall

Bat signal?

2012-02-26T02:45:00.001-08:00

Richard Roundtree Jesse James Marian Wright Edelman Joanne Woodward Dina Meyer

Sacha Baron Cohen Will Attend Oscars As 'The Dictator'

2012-02-26T00:44:00.001-08:00

'We're thrilled to have him,' Academy Awards producer Brian Grazer says.
By Ryan J. Downey

Sacha Baron Cohen as General Aladeen in "The Dictator"
Photo: Paramount

Action heroes like Rambo may not give in to threats, but Oscar producers caved to "The Dictator."

Of course, it's all in good fun. In an interview with "Extra," producer Brian Grazer confirmed Sacha Baron Cohen will arrive at the Academy Awards on Sunday as his character from his forthcoming political satire, contrary to earlier reports.

"We're thrilled to have him and he'll be on the red carpet, I guess, dressed as the 'dictator,' " he told "Extra." Grazer, a producer on movies like "A Beautiful Mind" and "Apollo 13," is also producing this year's Oscars.

In "The Dictator," Baron Cohen adds the totalitarian leader of a fictitious country to his list of alter egos, which already included Ali G, Borat and Bruno, all of whom have headlined feature films since launching on "The Ali G Show." He played a supporting role in Best Picture nominee "Hugo" but was insistent about attending the awards show in character as Admiral General Shabazz Aladeen. Earlier on Friday (February 24), the English actor and comedian called in to the "Today" show (as Aladeen) to address his alleged ban from awards.

The "Today" interview came on the heels of a video message on the website for "The Republic of Wadiya," in which the dictator made a number of threats. "On behalf of the nation of Wadiya, I am outraged at being banned from the Oscars by the Academy of Motion Pictures, Arts and Zionists," General Aladeen said in the video. "While I applaud the Academy for taking away my right to free speech, I warn you that if you do not lift your sanctions and give me my tickets back by 12 p.m. on Sunday, you will face unimaginable consequences."

Back in 2007, Oscar producers wouldn't allow the actor to appear in character as Borat. At press time, a spokesperson for the Academy told The Hollywood Reporter she had not heard about the plans for Cohen for Sunday.

"The Dictator" arrives in theaters May 11.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and head to Next Movie for a printable Oscar ballot. On Sunday, tune into MTV.com at 5 p.m. ET for our two-and-a-half-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night's big winners. To join the live conversation, tweet @MTVNews with the hashtag #Oscars.

Nick Lachey Merv Griffin Will i Am Larissa Meek Roman Coppola

Break all the rules

2012-02-25T22:45:00.001-08:00

Robbie Williams Malcolm McDowell Neil Grayston Sean Maher Monet Mazur

At home with Amadou and Mariam - in pictures

2012-02-25T20:44:00.001-08:00

Photographer Andy Hall visits musicians Amadou and Mariam in their home town of Bamako, Mali

Joanne Woodward Dina Meyer Kem Elaine Hendrix Aaron Kamin

A Winged Victory For The Sullen

2012-02-25T18:44:00.001-08:00

Formed almost by chance, everything A Winged Victory For The Sullen put their name to has a great sense of deliberation.

The band's brooding, slowly evolving music sits somewhere between avant garde classical and drone. Part of the Erased Tapes family, Adam Wiltzie and Dustin O' Halloran draft songs which to gently push back boundaries in an unstoppable wellspring of emotional weight.

Releasing their debut album last year, A Winged Victory For The Sullen organised their first full tour in January. Handing Adam Wiltzie a pen and a piece of paper, the musician jotted down some notes from those recent shows.

Here's what he handed in.

- - -

January 8 - Evening before rehearsals: Brussels, Belgium

The January tour of A Winged Victory for the Sullen/Sleepingdog starts here.

I am Adam Bryanbaum Wiltzie also know in these circles as "DAD".
I am the tour manager, 1/2 manager, driver, tour organizer, whip cracker, and play in both bands on this tour. There is a strange misconception that because we receive good press, then it means a lot of people will buy our record, and attend our concerts. This is not the case.

We operate on such a minimal budget that each tour is a tightrope walk into the depths of total credit card maximization. But we love what we do? ummmmm?

Anyway, tonight I am going to the translation to pick up our cellist Gyda Valtysdottir. She was kind enough to lend us her cello services and improvisational abilities that I am so afraid of. I hope she will teach me something.

We head out for some dinner, and a drink at my local watering hole the Daringman. She seems to be a straight red wine drinker, a quality which blends well with me.

January 9 - Rehearsal Day: Brussels, BE
The gangs all here. Our string trio, Elissa Lee who played violin on our record, and new recruit Daniella Strasfogel on alto, or otherwise known as the big violin.

Dustin arrives late in the evening and we have a strong beer and a veggie burger before we start.

We rehearse in my studio in the center of Brussels. Brussels is dangerous and smells like pee. Please don't ever move here. Fear for your lives Western Europe.

January 10 - Amsterdam, NL: Paradiso
As I open the door to the dressing room I realise this is day 1 of 9 days of hummus. I am still amazed that after all these years I still look forward to my pre-soundcheck snack with it. It is like family and family is not always blood. It's the things in your life that want you in theirs and the things who accept you for who you are. The ones who would do anything to see you smile, and who love you no matter what. Thank you hummus.

First shows are always super depressing to me. I am totally down. Happens every tour. I see my life and wonder why the fuck I make music, my motto = "It can always be worse".

I should have been a lawyer like my dad wanted. The Sleepingdog show brings a slight smile to my face. Chantal Acda (Sleepingdog) has this effect on me. We convince Tom Lezaire (AWVFTS sound man) to play drums. First time I played with a drummer since the last Windsor for the Derby show I played back in 1997. Turn on the tears.

January 11 - Rotterdam, NL: Worm
We decided to save on the hotel rooms for the first two days and drive back to Brussels to save a bit of cash, and also so Dustin can get his mussels fix.

At Mer du Nord on Place Saint Catherine in Brussels. A standing bar, fresh fishy bits and white wine. Very relaxing brain food. We arrive at the venue and it is a typical Dutch art center that looks like it was the former set of "Mad Max beyond Thunderdome."

Sometimes sound checks seem to go on forever. I still have not gotten in gear for this tour. I think I would rather be in bed. Chantal gets a mysterious case of 24hr. pneumonia, so the Sleepingdog show is cancelled. AWVFTS starts off to an incredibly quiet audience, which is always a bit surprising in Holland. They can be the worst audience for quiet music. Maybe I am starting to garner a reputation after 20 years of playing quiet lullabies?

January 12 - Antwerp, BE : De Roma
SOLD OUT! And a truly beautiful venue. It was built in 1934 as a gigantic cinema and variety theatre. Fell into decay in the 80's, and now it is a beautiful venue again. For the Sleepingdog concert tonight we convinced Gyda to play percussion with us as well. Chantal is smiling, so all is good. AWVFTS had a very crappy soundcheck. Huge room and strange sound, but miraculously we have one of the best concerts we ever had and then to top it all off we sell almost ?2000 in merch. Thank you kind people of Antwerp. It was a pleasure.

January 13- Day Off
On our way to the UK. Some confusion at the border, as we thought Daniella had a European passport, but she only has a visa, and so of course with the UK law on musicians needing a work permit they throw her in a holding cell and interrogate her for 3 hours, then call the French police to escort her back to France. We follow her, and get her on a train back to Brussels, and get her a flight the next day for Manchester. Spend the next 6 hours sorting her work visa out. The rest of us come back in through the border and drive to our hotel in the quaint little town of Milton Keynes. There is nothing you could ever want to do here except for eat amazing Punjabi food, and so we did, and had I one of the best post food coma sleeps I have had in 10 years. Thank you Travelodge!

January 14 - Manchester, UK: Academy 3
Elissa arrives early, as she was able to squeeze a Johann Johannsson gig in Poland during her day off. She is already drunk by the time we arrive. Polish vodka is her good friend.

A pretty light crowd, only about 120 people. I have major effects issues, buttons I push lead to strange sounds I have never heard before and looks of WTF? from Dustin. Gyda tells me it is her favorite show so far? I am confused.

January 15 - Glasgow, UK: Oran Mor
The ladies head out to attack the charity shops as soon as we arrive. They all return with super psychedelic 70's puffy sweaters. I order them to be worn for the concert. They obey me, only for the reason that it is so fucking cold in the venue. Heat does not seem to work and the back door keeps flying open.

Elissa's hands are turning blue, and the acoustic instruments can hardly stay in tune. Gyda tells me that now this is her favorite show. I am still confused.

January 16 - London, UK: Cecil Sharp House
SOLD OUT! London has always been the city you wish you could love to play, although, turnouts have always been good for me, maybe it is the SOTL connection? But there have been so many disasters on stage. It was not long ago that London staged one of my most embarrassing pie in the face moments. In 2001 SOTL played a show in Camden and the moment we stepped on stage there was a huge electrical surge, and destroyed all our samplers and FX. As we stood there on stage I remember specifically wondering why I decided to not play the acoustic guitar? 12 years later, I am so thankful for the warmth we feel from everyone tonight. We have a packed house in this stately red-brick building that was purpose built as the home of the English folk dance and song Society back in the 1930's. Amazingly downstairs in the bar they are continuing the tradition. I need to learn how to dance like this.

January 17 - Reading, UK: South Street
Getting lot's of flack for not playing a midlands show. Not sure why it is so hard to get a show in Birmingham. People think we don't want to play there, but in truth promoters just don't seem to care about us. They see slow moving instrumental chamber group with no vocal, and they figure no one will come?.

Anyway, we arrive in reading very early because it is only 30 minutes from our Travelodge in slough. We have a lovely afternoon of shopping eating, and just being lazy. I always wish there could be more of this non-van related activity. Shows are fine for both of us. We have become a well oiled touring machine, and now we reach the last legs. We end up in a strange bed and breakfast. We all have a last one in the lobby. Elissa breaks out the vodka. Chantal and I have a surreal conversation about the last 12 years of our lives together, being emotionally blocked, looking at old pictures of us, and her kids, Loa & Bjarmi . she has some sort of epiphany that this music we make together has somehow created some kind of inseparable bond. Wait until she get's home?.

January 18 - Cork, IE: Cork Opera House
SOLD OUT! We get up at 4.30 to drive 6 hours to make the Dublin ferry near Liverpool. There is no ferry's to Ireland from Wales for the moment. It ends up being a 12 hour travel day.

Funny that after all these years 12 hours does not feel that long to me anymore. Chantal is asleep on my lap, and Gyda is asleep on Chantal. It is a strange sort of human van sandwich, but at least a peaceful one. We arrive at the opera house that has a giant 30-foot mesh billboard of Dustin?s face and me. It leaves me feeling a bit dirty. Dustin loves it and asks if we can take it home. It is still sitting, rolled up in my studio. We were thinking about hanging out my apartment window when Dustin is in town, so that all will know that "the winged victory is in session". Show was lovely, and they put us in a 4 star luxury hotel. Gyda, Chantal and I share a bottle of Prosecco, and sit by the fire. I do not miss the Travelodge tonight.

January 19 - Dublin, IE: Sugar Club
So this is it. Last show, then everyone will fly home except for me and tomorrow who have to drive the van back to Brussels. Show is quite packed, and Sleepingdog has the best show of the tour for me. We sold a lot of merch on this jaunt, really a lot. Much more than us opening on the LOW tour, which had a much larger audience. Are we a better band now, or is it a more sympathetic audience? Mysteries of the world that I may never understand. I still cannot figure out why hardly anyone has heard our record? So many stunned faces after we play? "why have I never heard of you before?? Another reason I loved this tour so much.
Both bands are similar but also different enough that everyone who attended can enjoy both sets equally. As for the last Winged Victory show, it was another great one. The 5 of us are playing so well together and now we have to say goodbye. You want it to continue forever, but I just want this tour diary to finally end?.

Carmen Ejogo Sean Lennon Liz Hurley Eric Christian Olsen Shohreh Aghdashloo

Gerard Butler In Rehab

2012-02-25T16:44:00.001-08:00

'300' actor reportedly entered treatment three weeks ago for substance abuse and 'pain management.'
By Jocelyn Vena

Gerard Butler
Photo: George Napolitano/FilmMagic

Gerard Butler is currently seeking treatment at the Betty Ford Center.

According to TMZ, the actor is in rehab for a number of substance-abuse problems including prescription drugs and cocaine, but the focus of his problems are in "pain management."

The site reports that his problems stem back to 2006, when he was shooting "300" and the physical demand took a toll on him. The problem was reportedly aggravated on December 18, when he hurt himself on the set of "Of Men and Mavericks" while surfing.

He reportedly entered the rehab facility three weeks ago after he realized he had been using prescription drugs too much and didn't want it to become a full-on addiction. The site reports he is expected to leave sometime Friday (February 24).

He actually opened up about the surfing incident when he appeared on "The Graham Norton Show," calling it a "pretty close call" back in January. "The movie that I'm making is about big surf. I had been out there paddling ... and then suddenly these waves came out of nowhere. I'm paddling on my board and it came and it was about 30 feet high. I was under... I ripped my leash off. I'm just tumbling, tumbling, tumbling. And then I felt the next wave go. All I'm thinking is, 'There's a whole film crew out there,' " he recalled. "I've had a few hairy experiences in training for this movie. This time, I was under for almost a minute."

The incident took place at Maverick, a surf site near Half Moon Bay, California. The film follows Jay Moriarty, a famed young surfer who died at 22 free-diving. Butler plays his mentor, Frosty Hesson.

Victoria Beckham Kate Walsh Natalie Dormer Benicio Del Toro Irina Apeximova

A BROTHERS - Connection Blackout (TK) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-25T14:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Connection Blackout
Artist: A BROTHERS
Label: TK
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Connection Blackout
Compound
Connection Blackout (Torsten Kanzler remix)

Joyful Drake Bradley Cooper Rini Bell Jeremy Suarez John Riggins

Saturday interview: Michael Parkinson

2012-02-25T12:44:00.001-08:00

Michael Parkinson is the doyen of British talkshow hosts. Since he left, things ? he says ? have gone downhill. Thank heavens he's got a new series on the way

Michael Parkinson is not here yet, so I have a nosey around his office. It's a beautiful place in Windsor overlooking green fields, grazing horses, croquet lawns. Hardly the Barnsley of blackened miners and stoical poverty that he grew up in.

If you want to understand Sir Michael, just look round here. There are photos of cricket heroes Fred Trueman and Dickie Bird on the wall, his press passes for the BBC and ITV, biographies of Muhammad Ali and Bette Davis and assorted jazz greats, his own books ? from Michael Parkinson's Confession Album to A Collection Of Outrageous Wit and Wisdom From Barnsley's Favourite Son. There's the grey Olivetti typewriter he tapped out his bestselling memoir on four years ago ? the same model that Hemingway wrote Death In The Afternoon on. And there's a framed photo of him with the guests from his last TV show. It's classic Parky; of eight guests, there are only two women and one of them is Dame Edna Everage. Parky loved to touch knees with the Shirley MacLaines and Raquel Welches of this world, but he was even more at home with men's men ? Ali, Peter Ustinov, Orson Welles.

Parky was, and still is, the great British talkshow host. He brought such enthusiasm to the job ? crying with laughter at Tommy Cooper, in awe of polymath Jacob Bronowski, mesmerised by Ali, fatherly to David Beckham, agog at the world's most beautiful women. We loved him because he reacted to his guests just as we would have done. As he scratched away at himself, or picked at his nose when particularly absorbed, he really did seem to forget he was on TV.

And now he's back, 77 years young next month, with a new show. Parkinson has just signed up to do six masterclass slots on Sky with leading practitioners in the arts, starting in September.

He looks ridiculously fit ? lean, less wrinkled than you'd expect (his face was famously compared to a scrotum), white hair parted immaculately.

Right, he says, where do you want me? And within seconds he's off ? virtually interviewing himself. Everything is neatly documented chronologically: the miner father desperate for his son not to go down the pits; the smart, frustrated mother who read and read; growing up as an only child (his parents made an economic decision) in "Debtors' Retreat", aka Cudworth. There is grammar school, and the time he kept Geoffrey Boycott out of the Barnsley cricket team by scoring a century and 50 in successive matches, his apprenticeship on the local paper, the prestigious transfer to the Manchester Guardian as a features writer vying with Michael Frayn for the splash on the miscellany page (for which you got an extra halfcrown), the even more prestigious transfer to the Daily Express (it doubled his money to �2,000 a year), the boozy lunches that lasted for ever, the best of times.

The trouble with journalists now, he says, is they don't enjoy themselves. "I've been very lucky because I had the best of journalism. I mean, you poor buggers today, it's different, it's not as pleasant as it was. I came up in that period of journalism when there was a great burst of opportunity because of television. I always had the ability to turn round to somebody I didn't like who was bullying me at work and say, I don't need your job, I've got another one down the road. You can't do that."

"Oi," I say, "Are you trying to make me feel crap about my lot?" He laughs and pats my arm ? and for a moment I feel like Shirley or Raquel. "No, I'm just telling you how lucky I've been. I've been a journalist now for 60 years, I've seen the changes and I know bloody well that if I have been gifted at all, it has been with timing."

In the 1970s he discovered TV. He prided himself on applying journalistic skills to the talkshow ? interviews had to be well researched with a beginning, middle and end ? and became a celebrity in the process. It's funny, he says, these days the press are never sure which side he's batting for. "I don't want to make too much of this, but I had my phone tapped. It was about George Best. So I'm a celebrity now. Then they'll ring me and say, 'Muhammad Ali is dying, could you give me 2,000 words?' So I'm a journo now am I? There's a dichotomy. They're not quite sure what I am." Has he ever been confused? "No. Because all the jobs I've done have been about journalism in one way or another."

And that's why he succeeded when so many others failed in the chatshow game. "If you look at the number of people who tried it since I started in 1971, it's like a tombstone; it really is. The graveyard is full of people who tried talkshows and didn't make it, mainly because they weren't journalists."

Who did he rate? "My heroes were the people who gave me an idea of the possibilities of television ? people like [Alan] Whicker. Tonight was a hugely influential programme to journalists of my generation. If television wanted to do current affairs they had to get journalists. Picture Post provided Whicker, Fyfe Robertson, Macdonald Hastings. And they formed the foundation of that great programme, which has never been bettered in my view. It was a training ground. Believe you me, none of us knew what the bloody hell we were doing when we went into television. That was the joy of it. It was a very accommodating media for a journalist to be in."

So what changed? "Aha! Hehehehe! What changed? Ha! The screen got smaller," he says with a smile. Parky has got a touch of the Norma Desmonds about him. You sense he likes to see himself as a man out of time, clinging to the triumphs of a golden age. He's often said he's in danger of becoming a professional grumpy old git.

"The talkshow is the perfect barometer for what has happened. There isn't one talkshow on television today that asks questions or listens to answers. Name me one. There isn't one."

Jonathan Ross? He snorts. "No! What?" When Parkinson returned to his BBC chatshow in 1998 after a 16-year break, the format had changed ? on most shows, guests played second fiddle to the comedians who hosted them. What does he think about guests being pawns of the presenters? "It's up to them. They've got the right to say no. You won't get me doing it." He says the worst thing was the narrowing of the range of guests. "We had comics, we had them all, but they were on with people like David Attenborough or Peter Ustinov. Why has Jonathan Miller not been on a talkshow for about 20 years? He's still funny as hell. He's wonderful."

He has a point. Back in his heyday we could all impersonate the cerebral Malcolm Muggeridge because we'd seen him on Parky. "And he didn't intellectually downgrade himself to the third division south to appear on television. They were instructing you, teaching you all the time because they were men of intellect. Men of tremendous opinion. And they were allowed to do that." He's really getting into his stride now. "And that's what's missing today, that kind of talk at a popular level. They didn't treat the audience with contempt, they didn't think they had to come on with big feet and funny hats. They just thought they'd go on and talk to people."

He pauses for a swig of tea, and he's off again. "There was a lovely headline yesterday about Paul O'Grady ? he said, 'The reason I left the talkshow was because I couldn't stand the bloody guests!' Heeheeehee!" Parky's almost weeping with laughter. "Anybody who's done a talkshow recently would say Hallelujah to that. Heeheeehee!"

What are the changes in TV he most objects to? "There's a change in manner, in attitude, in dress, a change in everything, and for an old bugger like me it's depressing. Not because it doesn't include me. It depresses me because I love the industry."

There are plenty of people who still want to learn from telly, I say. "You try telling television bosses that." Has he? "Well no, why would I? But all I know is nobody's running after me saying, 'Would you like to advise on a talkshow or do one yourself?'. Not that I'd want to do one now, because I'm retired."

How can he say he's retired when he's just announced a new show? Well, this is different, he says, it's not a talkshow, and there are only six of them.

What does he think made him such a good interviewer in the first place? He talks about how he'd relax the guests, body language, leaning into them, eye contact. "There comes a moment when their eyes change. You can see a relaxing and then they'll sit back, then you know you've got them."

Was he always so tactile? "Well, I am normally. But they were more than I was. There'd be a rumour going round that I was a touchy person so they'd touch me first. Hopefully. Often if you asked a question they didn't want to answer, they'd say can I touch your knee, and I'd be like, 'Come on! Answer the question, not touch my bloody knee!'"

Parkinson has been married to Mary, a teacher turned TV presenter, for 52 years and they have three sons. Did she ever think his flirting went too far? "Nooooooah!" She never thought he got too close to any guests? "I think she might have thought Shirley MacLaine and I probably, you know, in another world might have sort of seen each other a bit more often, but ? heeheehee! No."

Did he get many offers? "No! No, no." For once, he's not making eye contact. Really? "No, I promise you. No, not at all. Not as many as I would have liked actually." He's staring studiously at the table. "No it was a lovely, lovely time," he mumbles.

I tell him that when I think of the great Parky shows I go back to the 70s and early 80s. "Well, I would disagree with that because I think I was a better interviewer later on. I was more confident, more accomplished."

It's not surprising he stands his ground ? he always has. Why did he leave the BBC in 2002? He says he was insulted when they put Match of the Day in his slot. "They said, don't worry, we'll give you a good spot. I said, what's that, and they said Wednesday night. I said what time and they said 8.30-9pm. I said, against Coronation Street, they said yeah. You're bloody joking. So that was our parting of the ways."

He went to ITV and fell out with them. "The problem with ITV was that there was a guy I didn't get on with called Simon Schapps." Why didn't he get on with him? "Well, let me tell you why. He said I'd like to meet you for lunch at the Ivy and say hello, and he arrived with my contract in his hand. Halfway through the meal he tried to tell me how he wasn't happy with this contract. I said to him unless he took the contract away he'd find it shoved somewhere on his person he didn't like. I went back to the office and said to my team if that man ever becomes boss of ITV, start the car, we're all off. And it happened thus! Hahahahaha!"

Parky has always been a proud man. "We were laughing the other day. They were singing the praises of the success of David Beckham on Ross. He got 4.5 million. I got 9.4 million for that, and audiences haven't changed that much."

Since quitting ITV five years ago, Parky has toured Australia, written his memoirs, run his Michelin-starred pub with his son Nick in Maidenhead, worked out at the gym three days a week and relaxed. Yes, he says, he's thoroughly enjoyed retirement, and no, the Sky shows are not fulltime work, and of course he doesn't have to work for money any more. Yet you can't help sensing he wouldn't mind one last go; that there might just be a little bit of unfinished business. He talks about how he can't wait to do that thing he really loves once again ? finding out what makes great people tick. And now his Eeyorish negativity about modern telly has disappeared. All I can see is that boyish enthusiasm as he bounces on the balls of his feet, limbering up for one final comeback.

Simon Hattenstone

Sarah Paulson Joyful Drake Bradley Cooper Rini Bell Jeremy Suarez

Justin Timberlake Is Looking Hipster Hot On The Set Of Inside Llewyn Davis

2012-02-25T10:45:00.001-08:00

Justin Timberlake, how do we put this politely? Humina humina humina! Boi-oi-oi-oooooing! Hubba hubba! JT is looking all sorts of hot on the set of Inside Llewyn Davis, the new film he’s currently shooting in New York with Carey Mulligan. Okay, so maybe we have a type, but we challenge you to argue that Justin [...]

Kem Elaine Hendrix Aaron Kamin Vanessa Minnillo Reba McEntire

Katie Holmes' Pre-Academy Awards Fitness

2012-02-25T08:44:00.001-08:00

Closing out the work week with a grueling workout, Katie Holmes was spotted making her way out of the Equinox Gym in Beverly Hills, California on Friday afternoon (February 24).

The former "Dawson's Creek" darling seemed to be a bit exhausted following the sweat session - as shje waited for an out-of-order elevator before noticing the sign and heading to the nearby escalator.

The fitness outing comes as Katie is getting herself in tip-top shape for her big red carpet walk on thea rm of hubby Tom Cruise at this weekends Academy Awards.

Set to air live from the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood on Sunday (February 26), the 33-year-old will be a spectator this time around as she watches her man take the stage as one of the night's star-studded presenters.

Luciana Pedraza Simon Fuller Nastassja Kinski Francesca Fisher-Eastwood Jamie Waylett

Eva Longoria And LeAnn Rimes Take The Plunge: Whose Low Cut Look Is Hotter?

2012-02-25T06:44:00.001-08:00

Both Eva Longoria and LeAnn Rimes made attempts to grab headlines by stepping out last night in dangerously low cut dresses. Well congrats ladies, you did it! Miss Longoria donned her bosom-bearing ballgown at an event celebrating her Eva Longoria Foundation, an organization dedicated to aiding Latin American women receive education. The shindig was held [...]

Mya Victoria Beckham Kate Walsh Natalie Dormer Benicio Del Toro

My Better Self: Tennis

2012-02-25T04:44:00.001-08:00

Tennis make pop songs ? that much is obvious.

The band?s debut album ?Cape Dory? was chock full of them, with Patrick Riley and Alaina Moore famously sketching out material when sailing across the Atlantic. Fusing idyllic indie soundscapes with a Spector-esque sense of melody, it marked Tennis out as a band in thrall to the glories of the three minute single.

Yet onstage in London recently, it was clear to anyone in the venue that Tennis had evolved. Second album ?Young & Old? shifted beyond their debut, exploring new aspects of their sound. Pushed into the touring routine following the success of their debut album, the expanded four piece had a funky edge. Sitting down with ClashMusic after the show, Alaina Moore mused on her love of the pop song. ?I feel like Patrick and myself definitely have a wider taste in music than just straightforward pop music, but it?s always been my favourite? she says. ?The songs that stick in your head are the ones that you love your entire life and I guess that it?s just a goal of mine to learn how to make songs like that - and it?s really, really challenging. I feel like I?m still figuring out, but I guess it?s just a long term goal for me to crack the code or solve the mystery of what makes a good pop song. It?s really fun for me to investigate that every time.?

It?s often forgotten just how new the album format is ? until the late 60s, the de facto form of pop communication was the 45 RPM single. ?Actually it?s weird because I think we?re just going back to that period of time? Moore insists. ?I actually feel albums are irrelevant almost now. No one even has the attention span in general - I know I actually don?t. My whole life I?ve kind of went more in the direction of just singles and I feel like the way we consume music now: one mp3 at a time and usually through a blog. People get tired easily and it?s funny because that?s how used to be really: 12?/7? singles and a b-side. Records were mostly a combination of hits or singles, instead of actual albums. I feel like, in this really weird way, that we?re returning to that now.?

Tennis - Deep In The Woods

- - -

A perfectly formed collection of pop vignettes, ?Young & Old? has a naivety which is difficult to place. Tennis are ? by now ? old hands at the pop game, yet their performances betray an admirably amateurish, ramshackle quality. Onstage in London, the band battled failing equipment to complete the show, earning their applause the hard way. ?Everything was breaking! We?re trying to pretend that we?re professional and there are microphones just dropping out their stands for no reason at all, just plopping on the floor? she grimaces. ?I just feel like that?s classic us. Which is funny, it makes me wonder if there?s like - it makes me feel like it?d be impossible to imagine us playing a huge theatre or arena, because I just feel like it?s our destiny to be so human on stage.?

Yet this doesn?t prevent Alaina Moore from displaying a love for classic pop divas. Dedicating their London show to the recently deceased R&B icon Whitney Houston, the Tennis singer recalls her teenage years ? mainly spent singing into a hairbrush in front of the mirror. ?I feel like my love for crazy pop divas doesn?t exactly come out in our songwriting; I definitely don?t sing like that or anything but I love it, it?s something I grew up on? she says. ?I grew up with Amy Grant, Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey and Beyonce, and I really respect what they do and it was sad to lose Whitney.?

However this love for the classic diva definitely doesn?t intrude upon the band?s music. When it comes to singing, Alaina Moore has always been conscious that her voice ? for better, for worse ? is her voice. ?I feel like I had this epiphany when I was literally seven or eight: I wanted to be in the broadway musical Annie because I love that play and I have giant curly hair normally - I straightened it last night but I have natural unruly curls!? she laughs. ?I was like ?I?d be perfect? and I remember trying to sing those songs. and even when I was a little kid they were too hard for me. I think I?m a basically capable singer and I enjoy singing and mostly I love writing and writing vocal melodies and arranging them, it?s really fun for me. But I knew right away, I don?t have that crazy diva belting voice for giant range. It?s just not me, I don?t even care to try. But, I love listening to it.?

By nature quite shy, modest people, the Tennis live show isn?t exactly pyrotechnics and smashed up guitars. Bopping alone onstage, though, Alaina Moore manages a sweet kind of energy into their presentation that is seemingly informed by classic 50s and 60s hits. ?I so love Beat music from the ?50s and ?60s. It?s so fun, you can bounce around to it, but it?s not groove; you can?t dance-dance...does that make sense? I also really love hip-hop for the sake of being able to dance to it. I don?t think we?ll ever be a hip-hop band, but our goal is to have tighter groove with more emphasis on bass lines and rhythm. Basically our goal is: I want to dance more. I want songs I can dance to on stage.?

- - -

'Young And Old' is out now.

Peter Gallagher Titus Welliver Tracy Morgan Charles Durning Eric Winter

DMX: ?I Don?t Like? Drake?s Face, Voice, Walk or Haircut (VIDEO)

2012-02-25T02:45:00.001-08:00

Not everyone loves Drake. Fellow rapper DMX, for instance, let loose with some�strong feelings about Drake during a radio interview on Power 105.1 in New York.

Josie Maran Fran Drescher Lindsey Haun Andy Garcia Robbie Williams

Break all the rules

2012-02-25T00:44:00.001-08:00

Andrew Keegan Ashleigh Banfield Rod Steiger Liz Phair Randall Wallace

Break all the rules

2012-02-24T22:44:00.001-08:00

Susie Castillo Amy Sedaris Terri Seymour Susan Dey Kevin Weisman

Totes Amazeballs: Charlatans' Tim Burgess Makes Ridiculously Named Kellogg's Cereal

2012-02-24T20:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News

Getty Images | Kelloggs

The music industry is not what it once was back in the early 1990s when the Charlatans were a household name on both sides of the pond, which is why so many artists branch out into fashion, perfumery and vitamin water. But Charlatan's singer Tim Burgess' new foray really takes the cake -- or rather, the cereal bowl.

After jokingly tweeting to Kellogg's that he'd invented a new breakfast cereal called 'Totes Amazeballs,' the cereal giant took him up on the offer and whipped him up a box.

Burgess told NME: "[Kellogg's] picked up what I'd said. It was just something that was funny and it just kept moving," adding he came up with the name Totes Amazeballs because "people have started to use that expression and it kind of gets up people's noses, but it sounded to me like something Willy Wonka would come up with."

Marsha Thomason Roseanne Barr Jessica Walter Denis Leary Andrew Keegan

Win Maverick Sabre Tickets

2012-02-24T18:45:00.001-08:00

Motorola and Snowbombing have teamed-up to bring the thrills, spills and chills of Mayhofen's iconic snow, ski and music festival to the UK for the first time ever thanks to URBAN MOUNTAIN, an exclusive gig featuring singer songwriter, Maverick Sabre and Radio One's Mista Jam.

Twinned with Snowbombing's legendary ARCTIC DISCO, URBAN MOUNTAIN is a gravity-abusing invite-only event that will bring the soul of Europe's favourite winter festival to a secret East London rooftop location on Wednesday 7th March.

It's all thanks to the ultimate range of Life Proof smartphones, Motorola Defy?, which is ready for whatever life throws your way ? on the beach or on the slopes - you?ll always be connected, ready to share your experiences ? all with resilience and style.

For your chance to win two tickets for you and a friend to join Motorola for the show ? simply tell us the name of Maverick Sabre's debut album...

Sandra McCoy Mike Tyson Chad Michael Murray Carmen Ejogo Sean Lennon

Cell division

2012-02-24T16:44:00.001-08:00

Kem Elaine Hendrix Aaron Kamin Vanessa Minnillo Reba McEntire

American Idol in Talks for a Rihanna/Chris Brown Reunion

2012-02-24T14:45:00.001-08:00

The rumor mill is certainly spinning round and round, and one online report is claiming that Rihanna and Chris Brown are reportedly in talks to appear on ?American Idol? together.

According to several reports, the ex-lovers may be teaming up for their first public performance since 2009?s domestic violence dispute.

An insider told E Online that the ?American Idol? producers ?want Chris and Rihanna to reunite on the show.?

No comment from Fox just yet, and a source close to Rihanna is claiming the report is false.

Kem Elaine Hendrix Aaron Kamin Vanessa Minnillo Reba McEntire

LISTEN: Jay-Z Helps New Singer Rita Ora Debut Single ?Party and Bullsh*t?

2012-02-24T12:44:00.001-08:00

Is Rita Ora the next Rihanna? The 21-year-old British singer�debuted her new single "Party and Bullsh*t" on New York's Z100 and KTU radio stations on Thursday with Roc Nation founder Jay-Z by her side. Check out the song here!

Heather McComb Ali Hillis Luke Wilson Susie Castillo Amy Sedaris

Rihanna: Studio Sexy in London

2012-02-24T10:44:00.001-08:00

She?s always up to something, and Rihanna was spotted at a studio in London, England earlier today (February 24).

The ?We Found Love? songstress looked playful as she frolicked around in a black cap, white top, and black trousers as the cameras rolled.

And though she?s resolved to work with her abusive ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, Rihanna hasn?t received the blessing from her mentor Jay-Z.

An insider told press, "Jay was absolutely disgusted by what Chris did to Rihanna. Jay doesn't understand how a man could ever lay hands on a woman; it just goes against who he is and about. Chris is absolutely dead to Jay, he wants nothing to do with him ever. Now that Rihanna is hooking up with Chris and recording songs with him, Jay is deeply disappointed in her actions.?

?He can't fathom why Rihanna is doing the things she is doing. He understands the need for forgiveness, but he is adamant that Rihanna shouldn't forget what Chris did to her. Jay wonders what kind of message this is sending to Rihanna's young female fans. Rihanna knows how Jay feels about Chris, but she doesn't care, she is going to do what she wants.?

Joshua Malina Vincent Pastore Mike Binder Macy Gray Lauren C. Mayhew

DMX vs Jay-Z, Drake

2012-02-24T08:44:00.001-08:00

Seminal rapper DMX has given a new interview in which he rips apart Jay-Z, Drake and more.

DMX is one of rap's biggest names. Scoring a number of massive crossover hits, the MC has also pushed the genre forward with several underground releases.

Known for being outspoken, DMX recently dropped by The Breakfast Club for a quick interview. Probed about his contemporaries and rivals, the rapper ripped apart some of the biggest names in the game.

On Jay-Z: "I see what's really good. You trying to eliminate the competition. At first you retire, then get me off the label and now you're back rapping again," he said. "That was just some bullshit. You know what it is. That was getting rid of the competition."

On Rick Ross: "I'm just not impressed" he said. "He's aight, man. He talks about eating and girlfriends too much. How much can a nigga eat? How much weed can you smoke? Let's talk about something else...I see a whole 'nother side of the coin, son."

On Drake: "I don't like anything about Drake. I don't like his fucking voice. I don't like what he talks about. I don't like his face. I don't like the way he walks. Nothing."

On J. Cole: "J. Cole is nice."

So - to be fair - it's not all bad news for hip hop's Kingpins. Stream the interview below (via HipHopDX).

Susan Anton Julieta Venegas Jamie Brown Ciaran Hinds Rory Cochrane

CLAIM: Brad Pitt Tells Billy Bob Thornton to ?Lay Off? Angelina Jolie

2012-02-24T06:45:00.001-08:00

"Brad to Billy Bob: Lay Off Angie!" reads the headline of another National Enquirer story involving Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, and Billy Bob Thornton. In its latest effort, the tab says Pitt and Thornton had a confrontation after the Moneyball star heard Jolie was planning to meet up with her ex at the Berlin Film Festival and that he "was basing his next film, 'And Then We Drove,' on his brief and fiery romance with Angelina."

Trevor Goddard Jena Malone Elisa Donovan Donnie Wahlberg Rachel Melvin

Kanye West / Jay-Z Tickets On Sale

2012-02-24T04:44:00.001-08:00

Tickets for the upcoming Kanye West and Jay-Z shows have gone on sale.

This could be epic. Last year's 'Watch The Throne' tour saw Kanye West and Jay-Z cross swords onstage night after night, with both artists seeming to push each other on to higher levels of bombast.

A spectacular live event, 'Watch The Throne' only visited North America. In an announcement earlier this week Kanye West and Jay-Z confirmed plans to take the tour to European soil.

The European leg opens in London on May 20th. Set to dominate the O2 Arena, Jay-Z and Kanye West will touch down for their first joint appearance on British soil.

The shows then criss-cross the continent, with the hip hop pairing confirming shows in Switzerland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and more.

Running across May and June, the pair will return to the UK to close the tour. Hitting Manchester and Birmingham on June 11th and 13th, respectively.

Tickets went on sale this morning (February 24th) at 9am. Watch the video for 'Otis' below and then find the full list of dates after the jump.

- - -

Kanye West / Jay-Z are set to play the following shows:

May
20 London O2 Arena
24 Zurich Hellenstadion
26 Herning Arena
28 Oslo Telenor Arena
29 Stockholm The Globe

June
1 Paris Bercy
2 Paris Bercy
3 Antwerp Sportpaleis
5 Frankfurt Festhalle
8 Dublin O2 Arena
11 Manchester Arena
13 Birmingham LG Arena

Click here to buy tickets for Kanye West and Jay-Z!

Shiva Rose Jurnee Smollett Paddy Considine Shaune Bagwell Henry Winkler

Is Drew Barrymore Pregnant? Please?

2012-02-24T02:44:00.001-08:00

Drew Barrymore always struck us at the celebrity who would make the most fun mom, and with any luck, we’re about to find out if we’re right! Allegedly! TMZ snapped a shot of the Barrymore and her fiance Will Kopelman leaving a doctor’s office last week; clutched in the Big Miracle actress’s hand is what [...]

Rory Cochrane Bill Maher Jacob Young Ryan Sypek Trevor Goddard

06R - Air (Green Martian) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-24T00:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Air
Artist: 06R
Label: Green Martian
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Air (4 On The Floor mix)
Air (original mix)

Joshua Malina Vincent Pastore Mike Binder Macy Gray Lauren C. Mayhew

Santigold, Norah Jones, T.I. Added To SXSW Lineup

2012-02-23T22:44:00.001-08:00

Santigold has joined T.I., Norah Jones and Nas on the long list of musical acts making the trek down to Austin next month for the South by Southwest Music Festival. The “Disparate Youth” singer will show off her “Big Mouth” on stage, in the presence of previously announced performers Miike Snow, who will be making ... More »

John Turturro AndraÃ© Crouch Matthew McConaughey Ron Lester Michael Dorn

Irina Shayk Heats Up FHM South Africa March 2012

2012-02-23T20:44:00.001-08:00

Bringing her sheer hotness to another front page, Irina Shayk covers the March 2012 issue of FHM South Africa.

The Russian beauty oozed sex appeal for the Randall Slavin shot spread while dishing about topics such as her secret talent and what she finds most attractive in others.

Highlights from Miss Shayk's interview are as follows. For more, be sure to pay a visit to FHM South Africa!

On not thinking she'd be a model:
"I never thought of a career as a model and it was a total surprise for me when I won the contest and became Miss Chelyabinsk."

On her leisurely passion:
"I read a lot; my favorite writers are [Harukl] Murakami and [Fyodor] Dostoevsky. I like history books a lot and books about animals. I studied for seven years in a music school and I love classical music. But I also like hip-hop and R&B."

On people in America versus Russia:
"People in America are very emotional. Russian people can be a little cold, but maybe it's the very cold winter... You cannot freeze a Russian woman anywhere; I don't care if it's Antarctica."

On a surprise interest:
"When I am in low spirits, I like to write funny poetry."

On what she finds most attractive:
"You need to be yourself, natural, the way you are. It's the most attractive thing in the world."

On not being popular in school:
"Boys never liked me at school. They made fun of me because I had dark skin. [They] would make fun of me for being so tall and skinny."

Will i Am Larissa Meek Roman Coppola Adrian Alonso Lisa Loeb

Chris Brown, CM Punk: WWE Wrestler Threatens Singer Over Rihanna Assault

2012-02-23T18:45:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News, Holy Hell

Mindy Small, FilmMagic

If Chris Brown can find himself a partner, he might consider staging a tag-team wrestling match against Miranda Lambert -- the country singer he's been feuding with lately -- and his latest celebrity foe, WWE grappler CM Punk.

CM started the drama with a Twitter post last week. Alluding to Brown's infamous 2009 assault against then-girlfriend Rihanna, an incident that has made him a lightning rod ever since, Punk tweeted that he would like the R&B star to "fight somebody that can defend themselves."

"Me curb stomping that turd would be a #wrestlemania moment," he added.

Patrika Darbo Richard Roundtree Jesse James Marian Wright Edelman Joanne Woodward

TAB: Lady Gaga and Taylor Kinney Planning For Baby

2012-02-23T16:44:00.001-08:00

"A Baby For Gaga!" announces a gleeful headline from Star, which claims Lady Gaga and boyfriend Taylor Kinney are "planning for their future -- and a little one!" The mag says the singer "knows that Taylor is The One, and she wants children with him as soon as possible," and that the couple is "already plotting out their life together." Uh huh...

Liz Phair Randall Wallace Christopher Rich Tom Cavanagh Placido Domingo

Alexis Petridis versus the Ting Tings

2012-02-23T14:44:00.001-08:00

(Columbia)

Four tracks into Sounds from Nowheresville comes Give It Back, a song that appears to describe the torturous gestation of the Ting Tings' second album. "This could have been perfection, but we had a little sense," sings Katie White. "So we started all again." That is the story the duo recently told the Observer. Halfway through recording a dance-inspired follow-up to their 2m-selling debut We Started Nothing, they said, they completely wiped the album, replacing it with the 30 minutes of music here. It was an act of snotty defiance: their record company had heard some demos and claimed it was going to be "fucking huge". "I bet you made a copy because you're dirtier than I," sneers Jules De Martino on Give It Back. "I've seen the way that you lie."

Curiously, though, on their record company's website, you can still find what seems to be a press release for the album the Ting Tings apparently wiped. There's always the chance that this was something the label hastily cobbled together after hearing a few demos midway through the recording, but it doesn't read like it. It describes the sleeve artwork by LA artist Rosson Crow, mentions Calvin Harris's involvement in the album's mixing, offers glowing quotes from White and deMartino explaining their change of direction (they wanted "songs with a lot more depth and emotion" and a "fresh start") as an act of snotty defiance: "We had people saying: 'Do what you did the first time, it'll be even bigger this time,' and we thought: 'Well, no.'" It mentions seven songs, five of which appear on Sounds from Nowheresville and may be among the best tracks: the icy one-chord drone of Silence, and Help, which shifts from acoustic ballad to a euphoric electronic coda. The two that don't are the single Hands, which unveiled their new direction in October 2010, and This Is Not a Hit, a title that presumably seemed a little less hilariously knowing when Hands stalled at No 29. And then, a couple of weeks back, the Ting Tings told another interviewer they'd wiped the album in protest at Radio 1 playlisting Hands against their wishes.

It's all a bit peculiar. Actually, it's so peculiar that one might suggest it seems more likely the Ting Tings reconsidered the wisdom of their new direction when Hands bombed and they're now coming up with any old cobblers to save face. Or maybe their record label reconsidered the wisdom of it for them, which would account for the brimstone raining down on it in the Ting Tings' interviews and on Give It Back: "You ruined my life."

Whatever the reasons behind the change of heart, what's left certainly doesn't sound much like a record-company-baiting screw-you gesture, unless you count Soul Killing, a bouncy bit of pop-reggae rendered unlistenable by the teeth-gritting squeak of de Martino's drum stool, looped and high in the mix. Anyone unconvinced by the duo's version of events might suggest there's something passive-aggressive in the way it often sounds like the Ting Tings' debut album, but without any hooks. In marked contrast to We Started Nothing, which yielded six singles, Sounds from Nowheresville is an album entirely comprised of album tracks. Like That's Not My Name, Hang It Up has a simple two-note guitar riff, but unlike That's Not My Name, it has literally no tune at all: not in the confrontationally atonal sense but in the rattling-on-a-little-aimlessly sense. Nor does Guggenheim, which is a shame, because the verses are great, a spoken-word monologue that recalls Cristina's snotty new-wave rereading of Is That All There Is?: you keep anticipating a fantastic chorus that never comes.

What Sounds from Nowheresville most obviously evokes isn't anger or even if-we-must sulkiness, but confusion. It keeps doing the things bands do when they don't really know what to do: concentrating on riffs instead of melodies, production dynamics instead of songs. The result is an album that sounds simultaneously hefty and vaporous. The drums crack and thunder, the guitars sting and crunch and the synthesiser on One By One bubbles appealingly, but the songs vanish without trace almost as soon as they leave the speakers. Decent ideas ? Guggenheim's verses, the descending chord sequence of Hit Me Down Sonny ? seem to drift away from them, untethered to anything substantial. The bluster in Hang It Up's lyrics about what punk rock is and isn't ? with the best will in the world, not really a question anyone's looking to the Ting Tings to answer ? is undercut by a sense of anti-climactic doubt: "People say it's not worth the wait."

Under the circumstances, Give It Back starts feeling less defiant than resigned and elegiac. "I only got to know you and now we're on our way," sings De Martino. "Be good if we could just stay but I don't know how," adds White. Whether by default or design, the Ting Tings appear to be saying goodbye to their audience.

Rating: 2/5

Alexis Petridis

Kate Walsh Natalie Dormer Benicio Del Toro Irina Apeximova Balthazar Getty

If a hipster hates you

2012-02-23T12:44:00.001-08:00

Andy Griffith John Turturro AndraÃ© Crouch Matthew McConaughey Ron Lester

Alessandra Ambrosio & Anja Louise: Schoolhouse Sweethearts

2012-02-23T10:44:00.001-08:00

Spending quality mommy-daughter time together, Alessandra Ambrosio was spotted in Los Angeles with her little angel on Wednesday (February 22).

The "Victoria Secret" model showed off her growing baby bump in a white zip up jacket as she picked up her 3-year-old, Anja Louise, from school in Santa Monica.

The previous day, the mom-to-be was also spotted scooping up her growing girl from school and brought along the family's furry pooch, which made Anja smile ear to ear.

The 30-year-old is expecting her second child with partner Jamie Mazur, with the Brazilian-born beauty having been pregnant during the November Victoria's Secret Fashion Show- though she was able to keep it under wraps.

"When I first found out I was pregnant I thought, "Oh my gosh I don't think I'm going to be able to walk on the show," said Ambrosio, who simply told the producer of the show she just put on a few pounds.

Marg Helgenberger Menno Meyjes Sandra McCoy Mike Tyson Chad Michael Murray

Dog Is Dead - Live Gallery At O2 Academy, Birmingham

2012-02-23T08:45:00.001-08:00

View a photo gallery of Dog Is Dead live at their gig at the O2 Academy, Birmingham on 20th February 2012.

For some bands, it is months before they return to a big venue, years even. However, for Dog is Dead this was their first time playing O2 Academy, Birmingham, and they were making sure they weren?t forgotten in a hurry.

Outside, the crowd was a sea of over-sized glasses, chinos, and girls wearing Beatles and Smiths t-shirts, all waiting patiently to get out of the cold night. The venue itself was small but stylish and filled with many empty spaces, and the first to arrive began to make their way inside.

Read the accompanying live review of Dog Is Dead live at O2 Academy, Birmingham.

Photos by Gobinder Jhitta

Titus Welliver Tracy Morgan Charles Durning Eric Winter Heather Locklear

You can't neglect Little Spidey

2012-02-23T06:44:00.001-08:00

Rini Bell Jeremy Suarez John Riggins David Paetkau Heather McComb

If a hipster hates you

2012-02-23T04:45:00.001-08:00

Bradley Cooper Rini Bell Jeremy Suarez John Riggins David Paetkau

Gorillaz, Andre 3000 & James Murphy?s ?DoYaThing?: Listen To The Full Track

2012-02-23T02:44:00.001-08:00

In anticipation of Converse releasing a Gorillaz-inspired shoe, the group’s mastermind Damon Albarn hooked up with LCD Soundsystem’s James Murphy and OutKast’s Andre 3000 for “DoYaThing”, and the jumpy, slightly schizophrenic but nonetheless delightful confection combines the best parts of all three unique artists. Hear it below.
Gorillaz, James Murphy & Andre 3000 ? “DoYaThing”

The track ... More »

Brooke Adams Anand Jon Debra Winger Richard Jenkins Judith Krantz

ABYCE - Very High (Record Union) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-23T00:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Very High
Artist: ABYCE
Label: Record Union
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Very High (original mix)
Very High (Lullaby edit)

Trevor Goddard Jena Malone Elisa Donovan Donnie Wahlberg Rachel Melvin

No One Seems To Be In A Very Forgiving Mood This Ash Wednesday

2012-02-22T22:44:00.001-08:00

Well, thanks to a heads-up from CNN food writer Kat Kinsman, I was spared the annual confusion that lasts for a couple of city blocks as you walk past person after person who has apparently been very sloppy with their application of mascara, or has been hit in the forehead by a thrown lump of coal. Today is Ash Wednesday, when Catholics wear ash on their foreheads in commemoration of the forty days of fasting that preceded his crucification. It's an act of repentance.

But, man, reading through today's news, or looking elsewhere on the streets, people may be repenting, but they don't seem to be in a very forgiving mood.

The Times' Tyler Kepner says "two-time drug cheat" Manny Ramirez "has no place on the field." His colleague Jon Caramanica tells Rihanna that it's fine if she wants to forget that Chris Brown assaulted her two years ago as she celebrates the release of two new songs with him... "but don't forgive." Afghanis in Kabul are really, really not accepting NATO commanding general John Allen's apology for the burning of Korans at Bagram airforce base. Though, "I assure you," he said. "I promise you ... this was NOT intentional in any way.? (That story is strong reminder that people should really never, ever, ever try to occupying another country.) And at the beginning of his latest single, the recently anointed "Hottest MC in the Game," Rick Ross, says, "God forgives and I don't." (That's the title to his upcoming album.) "That's one of my many emotions. That's one of my many flaws. I am flawed. It may not seem that way, but I am. So don't play with me."

I'm of a different mindset. Or well, the same mindset, in that I think it's a flaw to not be able to forgive. I think we should do our best to forgive. It's actually the forgetting we should avoid.

Being a person who has done lots of stupid stuff in his life, sometimes hurting others in the process, and asked for much forgiveness, I try to give people a break, while also advocating that we all do our best to ensure that truly harmful occurrences don't happen again. (People who kill people should go to jail.) A day when so many of us are paying our own penance might be a good day to think about this. I mean, think about these people down in Jackson Mississippi that Kim Severson writes about, these wonderful "herpers" who help salamanders cross the Natchez Trace Parkway after heavy rains during mating season. Shouldn't we extend this same kind of helping hand to our fellow humans? Even a human being as salamander-like as Newt Gingrich. Here's hoping those guys put on a strong showing at tonight's debate in Arizona, so this Republican primary can just keep getting crazier and crazier and ever more entertaining.

So maybe none of this is as magnanimous as it sounds. I like watching Manny Ramirez hit baseballs, too. And I would like the chance to do more of that.

---

See more posts by Dave Bry

5 comments

Placido Domingo Tim Vincent Paige Hurd Shiva Rose Jurnee Smollett

Princeton's 'Remembrance of Things to Come': Sleek, Poppy and Disco-Influenced

2012-02-22T20:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, Q + A

Paley Fairman

It's preposterous -- a bit like saying a cake is too delicious or a sports car is too fast -- but 'Cocoon of Love,' the debut album by the California indie-pop band Princeton, might have been too catchy. So says keyboardist Ben Usen, who, by his own admission, "didn't play a huge role" in writing songs for that 2009 collection.

Prepping the follow-up, 'Remembrance of Things to Come,' which is available now, Usen and drummer David Kitz had more of a say, helping twin brothers Matt and Jesse Kivel -- Princeton's singers and musical architects -- craft a markedly more spacious and sophisticated record.

Suzanne Somers Peter Gallagher Titus Welliver Tracy Morgan Charles Durning

ABSTRACT DIVISION - Form & Function Part 3 (Dynamic Reflection) 12"

2012-02-22T18:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Form & Function Part 3
Artist: ABSTRACT DIVISION
Label: Dynamic Reflection
Format: 12"

Track listing:
Deformation
Deformation (Mike Parker remix)
Deformation (Norman Nodge remix)
Deformation (Area Forty One remix)

Balthazar Getty Paul Anka Carey Lowell Wes Anderson Julia Newmann

Love on a Real Train (Joachim Cooder + Robert Francis) 'Being Alone' -- Song Premiere

2012-02-22T16:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive, RPM

Julia Brokaw

Joachim Cooder has traveled the world wide playing music with his father, roots guitarist Ry Cooder. After years as his dad's sideman, Joachim finally decided to take the reins and set out on his own to create Love on a Real Train, a collective featuring Cooder and some of his closest friends.

"I hadn't had any big plans for this music originally. My wife, Juliette Commagere, and I had just moved into this great little bungalow on a hill in Echo Park with a beautiful view of the Griffith Observatory and a tiny little studio downstairs," Cooder tells Spinner. "Everyday during sunset I would sit down there, look out through the trees and score the view. It was mainly just what I wanted to listen to as I looked out at the pink L.A. sky. I'd always get to a certain point and then move on."

Rachel Melvin Joshua Malina Vincent Pastore Mike Binder Macy Gray

National Enquirer Crosses Line, Shows Photos of Dead Whitney Houston

2012-02-22T14:44:00.001-08:00

The National Enquirer frequently sets the bar very, very low. But the tabloid really crossed the line this week when it decided to publish a cover story featuring a photo of Whitney Houston in an open casket at the Whigham Funeral Home in New Jersey before her burial last weekend. That's right: The magazine somehow thought it was appropriate to put an unauthorized picture of the late singer's dead body on every newsstand in America.

Pamela Bach Nelly Claudia Christian Miriam Margolyes Rhona Mitra

Kourtney Kardashian Having A Baby Girl

2012-02-22T12:44:00.001-08:00

Kardashian and longtime boyfriend Scott Disick are expecting a girl in the spring.
By Christina Garibaldi

Scott Disick, Kourtney Kardashian and their son, Mason
Photo: Getty Images

The Kardashians are getting ready to add another girl to the clan! On Wednesday (February 22), Kourtney Kardashian revealed to OK! magazine that she and longtime partner Scott Disick — who have a son together — are expecting a baby girl in late spring.

"We feel so blessed to be having a little girl and to be able to share this new experience with Mason," Kourtney told E! News.

The couple's first child, Mason, celebrated his second birthday in December. And back in November, the reality TV couple announced the happy news, saying that although it was unexpected, they were more prepared this time around.

"It wasn't like we weren't trying," Disick told US Weekly at the time. "We kind of just said, 'If it's meant to be, it'll be.' "

MTV News caught up with Kourtney's sister Khloé in December, and she told us that her big sister had been feeling some of the symptoms typical of early pregnancy.

"She's good. She's a little more nauseous this time around, which I feel bad about, but she's great and it's so exciting," Khloé said.

When Kourt's pregnancy was first announced, proud sis Khloé took to her blog to express her excitement over the new addition to the Kardashian family. "I am BEYOND thrilled to fiiiiinally be able to share with all of you the fabulous news that my beautiful big sister Kourtney is expecting yet again!" she wrote. "Can you believe it?! Masey is going to be a big brother! We are all so overjoyed by this wonderful news and are counting down the minutes until we get to meet the newest member of our family."

Of course, sister Kim also shared her glee, writing on her blog that she couldn't wait to become an aunt again: "This is such a blessing and the whole family is beyond thrilled! I just know Mason will make the best big brother and I can't wait to meet my new little niece or nephew! Congratulations Kourtney and Scott."

Kourtney and Scott recently wrapped up the second season of "Kourtney & Kim Take New York," along with Kim and her soon-to-be ex-husband, Kris Humphries.

Share your well-wishes for Kourtney and Scott in the comments below!

Related Photos

Kourtney Kardashian: A Year In Photos

Josh Holloway Brooke DOrsay Kelli Garner Gabriel Mann Garret Dillahunt

'Hunger Games' Cast Will Meet Fans At U.S. Malls

2012-02-22T10:44:00.001-08:00

March mall tour including Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson announced as advance tickets for flick go on sale.
By Jocelyn Vena

Josh Hutcherson and Jennifer Lawrence
Photo: MTV News

With "The Hunger Games" just four weeks away from hitting theaters, the cast will embark on a mall tour starting next month.

Jennifer Lawrence, Liam Hemsworth and Josh Hutcherson all will make the rounds during the trek, kicking off March 3. The tour will hit eight cities over the course of a week with stops in Atlanta, Dallas and Los Angeles.

In addition to meet and greets with the big three and other castmembers from the highly anticipated flick, the mall stops will include Q&A sessions and giveaways. The first stop, March 3 at the City of Angels' Westfield Century City, will feature director Gary Ross as well as Lawrence, Hutcherson and Hemsworth.

March 6 at the JW Marriott Atlanta Buckhead in Atlanta, Hemsworth will be joined by Leven Rambin, Dayo Okeniyi, Amandla Stenberg and Jack Quaid. There will be two stops March 7: Hemsworth, Rambin, Okeniyi and Quaid will appear at Scottsdale Fashion Square in Scottsdale, Arizona, while the Westfield Fox Valley in Aurora, Illinois, will host Hutcherson, Isabelle Fuhrman and Jacqueline Emerson.

The following day, March 8, Lawrence, Alexander Ludwig and Stenberg are scheduled for the Westfield Broward Mall in Plantation, Florida, and Hutcherson, Fuhrman and Emerson will be on hand at Galleria Dallas.

Lawrence, Ludwig, Stenberg, Hutcherson, Fuhrman and Emerson will greet fans March 9 at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota. The final stop, March 10 at Seattle's University Village, will feature all three of the film's top stars: Lawrence, Hemsworth and Hutcherson.

In addition to the announcement of the mall tour, Wednesday (February 22) marks the first day fans can buy advance tickets to the flick, which opens March 23.

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.

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The Hunger Games

Denis Leary Andrew Keegan Ashleigh Banfield Rod Steiger Liz Phair

Mot�rhead condemn own box set

2012-02-22T08:45:00.001-08:00

Lemmy advises fans against shelling out more than �250 for 15-disc compilation of early material

Mot�rhead have joined the list of bands imploring fans not to buy their latest box set. The groundbreaking metal act have blamed the Complete Early Years' price tag ? it sells for �256.99 on Amazon ? on the "greed" of Sanctuary, the Universal subsidiary that is releasing the set.

"Mot�rhead have no control over what's done with these early songs, and don't want fans to think that the band is involved in putting out such a costly box set," Mot�rhead said, according to CNN. Frontman Lemmy was even more direct: "Unfortunately, greed once again rears its yapping head," he told Blabbermouth. "I would advise against it even for the most rabid completists."

The band's fans don't need discouraging. "There's nothing new in that box, not even one new song," complained one poster on their official forum. The set collects Mot�rhead's first eight albums, plus seven singles, badges, and a book.

Mot�rhead's comments are part of a growing trend among legacy artists, many of whom have butted heads with their labels over compilations. In 2008, Radiohead asked EMI to leave their greatest hits alone (it didn't), and similar entreaties have been made by Morrissey and Trent Reznor. In November, Elvis Costello called his �212 box set an "elaborate hoax" perpetrated by Universal Music. "The price appears to be either a misprint," he said, "or a satire."

Sean Michaels

Amy Sedaris Terri Seymour Susan Dey Kevin Weisman Ryan Slattery

A SKOMOROH - Believe In You (Mandarine) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-22T06:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Believe In You
Artist: A SKOMOROH
Label: Mandarine
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Believe In You (Max Freegrant remix)
Believe In You (original mix)

Macy Gray Lauren C. Mayhew Matt Lauer Alexa Vega Albert Brooks

2SYMMETRY - Lollipop (Banguru) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-22T04:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Lollipop
Artist: 2SYMMETRY
Label: Banguru
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Lollipop (original mix)
Lollipop (New Thomas remix)

Tim Vincent Paige Hurd Shiva Rose Jurnee Smollett Paddy Considine

I Am the World's Worst Sperm Donor

2012-02-22T02:45:00.001-08:00

I don?t know why I?m never quoted in trend-pieces about What the Millennials Are Doing. I?m 23. I live in Brooklyn. I?m a perpetually underemployed graduate of a highly ranked East Coast university. I live with a female roommate who owns a lot of ramekins. And I decided to become a sperm donor to make ends meet In This Economy.

Manual labor jobs are on the decline, you know. Based on how winded I got trying to move a box of books into a new apartment a few months back, I probably couldn?t survive in a manual-labor-based economy, but like anybody with a steady flow of testosterone, I still like to think I could. They also say women are better suited to skills like communication and teamwork, the kinds of things that supposedly make you successful in an office environment. That sort of makes sense for me. I work as a writer, but, like the characters on "Breaking Bad," I never answer my phone, and when I do try to talk on it, I act like the characters on "Downton Abbey."

I am actually a little terrified of this idea of women displacing and no longer needing men, if only because I have a lot of free time to spend getting terrified. I?m not sure I should admit this sort of thing on the enlightened Internet, but after e-mailing my resume to five hundred HR representatives who have invariably been female, and very rarely getting even a reply acknowledging I exist, I?ve now come to assume, based on absolutely no evidence, that women discriminate against men in hiring practices. If those theories about men?s unsuitability to the modern economy are right, it makes sense they would do that. Women belong in the conference room, and men belong in the kitchen, making sandwiches for that catered lunch in the conference room.

But still, in a society that no longer needs men for anything, there will definitely be women who are interested in having children. So we will still need sperm donation. I?m fairly sure I wrote a college term paper on why this sort of thing is exploitation, but now I consider it a funny solution to paying my bills. (That's the difference between being in college and being freshly out of college.) So if sperm donation is the future of the male economy, I might as well get in now before the market is flooded.

This is the sort of rationale with which a man, with his less-desirable brain, needs to arm himself if he's ever going to make the ludicrous decision to impregnate a bunch of people with children he will never meet.

Here?s another good line of reasoning, one that speaks to angsty, entitled, self-hating, misanthropic Millennials everywhere: sperm donation allows you to populate the world with dozens of little versions of you. It?s the ultimate vengeance on the society that doesn't yet recognize your amazing gifts.

I?ve never been known to fill palaces with my concubines. I don?t (as of yet) feel any call of nature telling me to spread my seed. But since your elders are actively denying you the jobs that you would allow you entry into the middle class they are simultaneously destroying, filling their lives with your lazy, helpless genetics is one way to get back at them.

Impoverished teenage mothers do not buy vials of sperm. In all likelihood, the children created with your sperm will be born into relatively well-off families. Your sperm kids will go to school with the kids of those people who refuse to read your resume. Your sperm kids will infiltrate their homes, spoiling playdates and ruining their carpet. Then your sperm kids will infiltrate their genetics, through intermixing with the biological children of the privileged.

We shouldn?t be occupying Wall Street's money banks, is what I?m saying. It's time to occupy the sperm banks.

This mindset really works. Suddenly the job market no longer makes me feel so inadequate. Clearly it?s time to inflict my children on the world.

It turns out sperm donation, like so many of the world?s most beautiful things, begins on Craigslist. That is where top-notch sperm bank California Cryobank posts a want-ad every few days. From what I can gather from a little Googling, they?re the sperm bank in New York that pays the best, so this is where I applied. (California Cryobank New York is not to be confused with Manhattan CryoBank. Also, there are no sperm credit unions to my knowledge.) ?We are constantly recruiting males from all ethnicities, religions, and races, but we currently have an increased need for Jewish, hispanic/Latino, full-blooded Italian, African American, and Filipino men,? their ad read. ?We also need full-blooded men of European descent with US citizenship.? I am one of those things!

I took their online screening. I look pretty attractive on paper. I?m over 5?9? tall, between the ages of 19 and 38, and have a degree from a "four-year university." I have blond hair and blue eyes and probably lots of other recessive genes the rich people crave. The bloodlines are strong; I was lucky enough to get to know most of my great-grandparents before they died, and I had a great-great grandmother who lived to be 107. This father-to-be may have once eaten part of a burrito he found on the street when he was drunk, but he has an incredible family medical history.

A day later, California Cryobank e-mailed me to say that I'd passed the initial screening. I then have to fill out a more extensive application form and bring it in to my appointment.

The importance of discretion with these people is clear. When I called them to schedule my donation sesh, California Cryobank did not give any indication of what their business is when they answer the phone. ?Is it okay to leave a detailed message?? the application form asks after requesting my phone number. Nobody involved in this (including me, probably) wants anybody to know I?m a sperm donor. From time to time, I will rendezvous at a certain location and... produce material for them. That?s the deal.

The form telegraphs clearly what they?re looking for in a sperm producer. They want to see that I?ve graduated or am attending college, am healthy, know my ethnic ancestry, am not an alcoholic or drug user, and can detail whether or not my blood relatives have had any of a litany of diseases. (Prospective parents probably wouldn?t want to see that my youngest cousin had lymphoma before he reached kindergarten, so let?s just leave that ?cancer prior to the age of 50? box unchecked. I mean, he?s my youngest cousin. He almost didn?t even happen. Wow, it sure is easy to lie on here!)

There are some stranger questions on this form. They want me to list my sexual partners from the past year and any protection I?ve used with them. (Choices include: "i.e., condom; none.?) They want to be sure I haven?t had ?persistent white spots? in my mouth or ?persistent diarrhea? (presumably not in my mouth). They want to know if I?ve been incarcerated, lived in any weird European countries for more than a month, or have a habit of sleeping with hemophiliacs. And then there's question 39: ?Since 1980, have you ever been injected with insulin?" I thought those scary New York insulin stabbings stopped in the 70s.

Perhaps the most striking thing about this form, however, is how carefully they try to find out just how near gay you get, without ever explicitly asking it. ?Within the last 5 years, have any of your sexual partners been male?? it asks. Unsatisfied with that, it has another go a few questions later: ?Within the last 12 months, have any of your sexual partners had sex with a male who has had male sexual partners?? Hmm. ?All at the same time?? I want to write, but I end up guessing "No." (Do people actually know these things?)

I?m also asked to give them a few childhood photos of myself (see above) so prospective parents will have some idea what the sperm they?re buying looks like in person form. This seems to be important to California Cryobank. On their website, you can search for sperm donors based on what celebrities they are said look like, with choices ranging from Taylor Lautner to Mike Piazza to Sufjan Stevens, or Colin Hanks to Tom Hanks to ?Tom Hanks (young).? So basically you can buy five vials of Ryan Gosling and one Steve Buscemi and play Russian roulette.

There?s one more catch to this process. California Cryobank advertises that donors can earn $1200 a month, at $100 a pop. This seems to be calculated by the fact that their office is only open five days a week, and donors have to wait 48 hours between each ejaculation. In other words, California Cryobank and I would have to be more or less monogamous.

I headed to their offices that Friday morning to give my first sample for them to analyze. Like many things people use for masturbation, California Cryobank?s New York location comes concealed in unmarked packaging: it?s located on the fourth floor of a nondescript office building near Grand Central.

I walked in behind a bearded twentysomething with thick, black-framed glasses (so this is officially a Millennial trend piece!) who appears to be a regular here. California Cryobank has a small waiting room similar to a dentist?s office, but it certainly doesn?t look like one. They have a shiny steel-colored shag rug below a chrome coffee table and uncomfortable-looking modern furniture. The process of conceiving a child with a sperm donor has apparently got to be cold and alienating, and they really did a bang-up job matching the d�cor to it.

The bearded guy talked with the receptionist in the window, and then was asked to enter some kind of pin number into a keypad. Access inside was approved, I guess, and then he was handed a transparent plastic cup and told to have a great weekend.

I handed in my form and I sat down and looked at the metal swirl of a coffee table, with its unsexy spread of news and action sports magazines. The receptionist eventually handed me a procreation cup of my own and led me through a sealed door. At the end of a hallway, she showed me the lab. A cart blocked the doorway; that's where I was to set my specimen, in a little compartment, when I?m finished. (Yes, she called it a ?specimen.? It seems a little forward for them to already be using the jargon with me. I want to be childish and ask, ?What?s a specimen?? and then, ?What?s sperm?? and finally, ?Wait, babies come from where?!?)

We arrived at a bank of five doors, only one of which was open. The receptionist seemed a bit unnerved. ?I guess you?ll have to use this one,? she said.

The room, the size of a small gas-station bathroom, has space for a single stationary office chair, a small table, and a sink. The receptionist left a felt-tip Sharpie and a small piece of paper. ?Initial the sticker on the cup and fill out the sheet before you turn them into the cart,? she said. I looked at the sheet. It asked me to write if I ?missed any? upon provision of the specimen, and at what point during the ejaculation this occurred.

I closed the door and went to the sink, where a sign is decorated with cartoon sperm telling me to wash my hands before and after. I?m also told to dry them carefully, as water could ?contaminate the specimen.?

You already know this, but there's a neat pile of rumpled Playboys and Hustlers on the table, next to a stack of white paper towels. A sign instructed visitors to replace the paper towel covering the seat of the chair with a new one before I leave.

I touched the arms of the chair and realized why the receptionist seemed reluctant to select this room: the metal on the chair, like the room as a whole, was freezing cold. There was an air vent above pumping out Arctic winds.

Let's spare you most details. Simply put, physiologically speaking, these weren?t ideal conditions for the male anatomy. This civil conflict turned out to be a war of attrition. I scanned the porn, and there were valiant feats of swordplay, but the line was holding strong. Fifteen minutes in, and I started to panic a bit.

The overall feeling was "pathetic." I had basically convinced myself that the only possible value I had to society, the only skill I had, the only way I was employable, was to masturbate. I took the subway to do so even. It?s one thing for the job market to make you feel inadequate. It?s another when you can?t even make your basic biology function.

I did realize that I hadn?t actually looked at a porn magazine since my very earliest days as an onanism devotee, and I wondered if that may be the problem. Those same writers telling me boys are falling behind girls in school have also told me boys these days grow up with too much Internet porn and have unrealistic expectations when it comes to real women and sex. Maybe living as a teenager with the Internet and its limitless supply of every kind of high-definition video pornography imagined by a human mind (including the very sickest ones) made me impervious to the classic analog American nudie mag. It just seems so bland.

So, Millennially, I turned to my iPhone. Then I was quickly reminded that Flash doesn?t work on these things. I wondered then if, in perhaps a decade or two, the next generation, one populated by my evil sperm children, will have giant porn machines they can enter that will have sex with them.

Also I?m sure potential parents would be glad to know their donor was imagining his children having sex with a robot while he was generating the specimen.

Twenty-five minutes passed. I realized that receptionist had to be worrying about me in here. That sexy, sexy receptionist who... no. No. I finally noticed the small space heater in the room and realized this is it. This is California Cryobank?s solution to the Hoth room. Eventually the device warmed and I positioned myself over it. If I haven?t been sterilized by my laptop battery or my iPhone by now, this would probably do the trick for that too. At this point, it was just about pride. I had to put something into that cup.

In the end... Grant and Lee signed the treaty. It was over. I realized I was never in the battle to begin with. And I hadn't gotten this way because the room made me cold. I was this way from the start. Like Michaelangelo?s David, I was tense and afraid. That's because I didn't actually want to do this.

What my mind couldn't stop sorting out was the bigger picture: children that are going to come of this who will likely never know their biological father; a donor who would have children he'd never know. If I did get to meet them—say, under the Open Donor program, for coffee or something, after years of them growing up without me—I would have trouble looking them in the eye and confirming I got a c-note for performing a sex act in a freezing room. I would feel guilty and want to have a relationship with the whole multitude of them, however impossible. At some future Starbucks (where the wifi is in the coffee), they would tell me some of their quirks and look at me expectantly, and I would lie and pretend I share them, so as to take as much credit as possible. I already usually think children I see on the subway seem more intelligent than their parents. I don?t need my ego to make me wonder if it?s because I?m their father. I can?t go through life always knowing there are strangers around me who might be my kids—kids I should be playing catch with or whatever.

It?s rather repulsive for a proud cynic to be this sentimental and have fatherly instincts for a half-handful of bodily fluid, but here we were. The North side of my body, with its superior synapse resources, had won the war. A masturbator divided against himself cannot stand.

Before I left, I took one last look at the Penthouse on the table. Two women stared blankly back at me (instead of at the pair of buttocks they were spreading apart in front of them). They seemed to want something from me, but the only thing I could think about was that all of this magazine?s probably decent-paying modeling jobs were given to women. I wondered if these naked ladies get health benefits. They looked very healthy, at least. Very unstressed about their financial situation. Do they have a 401k plan? Or maybe that form was on to something when it accused me of being gay.

Jack Stuef lives in Brooklyn and is on Twitter, if you can believe it.

---

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Watch Out, Nicki Minaj, We Spy A Barbie Trend!

2012-02-22T00:44:00.001-08:00

We all know Nicki Minaj prides herself on her exaggerated style — and we’re not sure which came first, the Barbie nickname or her love of wearing Malibu Barbie pink clothing. So it wasn’t too surprising to see her pink and electic blue ensemble at last night’s MAC Viva Glam event. What was surprising, however, [...]

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Brooke Mueller Leaves Rehab

2012-02-21T22:44:00.001-08:00

Brooke Mueller has left rehab, her rep confirms to Gossip Cop. Mueller, Charlie Sheen?s ex, entered treatment in December, shortly after she was arrested for cocaine possession.

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'Hunger Games' Is 'Very Emotional,' Elizabeth Banks Says

2012-02-21T20:45:00.001-08:00

'We really are attached to everybody's journey, and so I'm really excited to see how that all plays out,' actress tells MTV News.
By Kara Warner, with reporting by Josh Horowitz

Elizabeth Banks
Photo: MTV News

It's hard not to love Elizabeth Banks. She's smart, funny, pretty, makes great choices with her roles in film and television and just seems like an all-around great person. And although we've been fans of Banks' work for years, it's her role as Effie Trinkett in "The Hunger Games" that has us almost bouncing off the walls with excitement.

When MTV News caught up with Banks recently, we asked what scenes she's most looking forward to see on the big screen when the film opens March 23.

"I have not seen much of the arena, so I'm excited to see the actual Games. It's very emotional. We really become very attached to the characters, even Cato and Thresh, kind of the bad guys of the book," Banks said. "We really are attached to everybody's journey, and so I'm really excited to see how that all plays out."

Banks said that, for her part, the Reaping was the most challenging and fulfilling sequence to shoot.

"The Reaping is amazing. We get so see a heroine step forward and show herself for the first time and come to life, and it was a really remarkable scene to shoot. It was difficult to shoot under insane conditions, about 105 degrees the couple days we shot it. We had all these young kids there dropping like flies," Banks recalled. "It was madness, and it's also the only time we spend in District 12."

Banks added that the best way to take the edge off the extreme temperatures and conditions during the filming of the Reaping was to lighten the mood between takes.

"I think whenever it's difficult, one of my favorite ways to deal with it is to joke around. We take the work seriously, but we try not to take ourselves too seriously. Woody [Harrelson] is a great partner in crime," she said of her humorous co-star. "He tells really off-color jokes and is fantastically self-deprecating and fun to be around."

Check out everything we've got on "The Hunger Games."

For young Hollywood news, fashion and "Twilight" updates around the clock, visit HollywoodCrush.MTV.com.

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Ashlee Simpson Gushes About Becoming An Auntie, Bonding With Big Sis Jessica

2012-02-21T18:44:00.001-08:00

While chatting it up about life and rocking an absolutely adorbs ensemble at the Rock & Republic for Kohl’s Show at New York Fashion Week, Ashlee Simpson squealed her excitement about becoming an auntie. “I can’t wait for that!” she exclaimed. Ash admits to being a great sister to mom-to-be Jessica Simpson all throughout her [...]

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Lindsay Lohan: Why 'SNL' Could Be Her Shot In The Arm

2012-02-21T16:45:00.001-08:00

MTV News' resident Lohan defender explains how returning to 'Saturday Night Live' may be the first step in her career comeback.
By John Mitchell

Lindsay Lohan
Photo: Evan Agostini/Getty Images

I've long been a defender of Linsday Lohan. I root for her success and am eternally hopeful — and thus often disappointed — that she will get it together. When people slam her, mock her long, long list of troubles, I can always be called upon to email them a link to Robert Downey Jr.'s biography, which has many parallels to Lohan's but differs because it also contains the phrase ".357-caliber Magnum handgun."

Downey's list of troubles easily eclipses Lohan's (at this point, anyway), but he managed to fully recover and go on to become one of the biggest stars on the planet, starring in enormous box-office hits like "Iron Man" and "Sherlock Holmes" and earning Oscar nominations for films like "Tropic Thunder." She's not entirely out of the woods just yet, but she's been earning "glowing" reports on her probation progress and was recently announced as the host of "Saturday Night Live" on March 3. A series of good signs and the first truly positive news out of Camp Lohan in a long time.

When word of Lohan's hosting stint on "SNL" was announced, I was incredibly pleased. For many reasons, it seems like a smart move, and if she pulls it off, it could be the first step (of many necessary steps) toward a real career comeback. Here's why:

»She's good at it.
It's been a while since the public has been given the opportunity to view Lohan in a positive light. For years, the details of her substance abuse and legal problems have overshadowed absolutely everything else she's tried to do, stopping her once-promising acting career dead in its tracks and making her a laughingstock. I don't blame anyone for forgetting she's a natural, particularly when it comes to comedy. But don't forget that when the material she was given matched her talent, she shined — see "Mean Girls," "Freaky Friday" and "A Prairie Home Companion." In 2006, her "Prairie" co-star, Meryl Streep, said Lohan is "completely, visibly living in front of the camera." That's a big compliment, especially when it's coming from the woman considered by many to be the greatest living actress in film.

More specifically, Lohan has proven herself on the Studio 8H stage. She's hosted "SNL" three times and has always delivered. Check her out as a newly mature Hermione Granger in a "Harry Potter" spoof or in a mock ad for "Coin Slot Crème" for proof. She was also part of one of the most famous "Debbie Downer" skits ever ... and kept it together better than "SNL" regulars Jimmy Fallon and Horatio Sanz when everyone started breaking.

»She can poke fun at herself.
There's no denying the actress will hit the stage with plenty of baggage, but what has always separated Lohan from many of her peers is her good humor about her own misfortunes. There will be no pink elephants in the room on March 3; it's likely she'll offer up her past troubles as fodder for the writers, hoping to clear the air. In the past, she's made fun of her money troubles and even created a fake eHarmony video for Funny or Die. She's been through a lot, and hopefully a little good-natured ribbing about her arrests and failed films will prove cathartic, both for the actress and audiences looking for a reason to like her again.

»It's a safe bet.
Lindsay needs a hit badly, and it doesn't matter what form it comes in. She needs to get her name attached to something that isn't a complete failure or vaguely scandalous. There's a good shot that the attention the episode will attract will translate into big ratings for the show, which could be a win for the actress as well.

If she brings her A-game and the episode is widely watched, it will be a much-needed shot in the arm for her waning career. "SNL" is a big deal, and when it garners attention, be it good (think Melissa McCarthy) or bad (hello there, Lana Del Rey), people know about it ... even if they didn't tune in at 11:30 p.m. on Saturday. The show is recapped and video floods the Internet. If she's good, people will be talking about it by the proverbial water cooler on Monday morning. This is an opportunity, the first one in many, many years, for people to sing Lohan's praises and be reminded of her talents. And she's in a position where she needs to get out there and remind people that she is a gifted performer. It's been a long time, and many have forgotten.

»Oh, and it's her first acting job.
You've got to start somewhere, girl.

Is hosting "Saturday Night Live" a good move for Lindsay Lohan? Sound off in the comments section below!

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New music: Willy Mason ? Restless Fugitive

2012-02-21T14:45:00.001-08:00

Taken from Mason's forthcoming third album, this is a dusty hymn to constantly moving on

For the past year or so Will Mason has been working on his third album with producer Dan Carey, who has previously worked with Hot Chip and MIA. So, has he made a politically lead slice of clattering tribal pop? No. Has he made a shimmering dance track? Not that either. Instead Restless Fugitive ? the first taster from the album and premiered here exclusively ? opens with a big percussive rumble of an intro before echoey guitars and that croaked croon float over top to create a kind of dusty hymn to constantly moving on.

You can download Restless Fugitive for free from here. Willy Mason plays the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen on 26 and 27 March

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Fun. Find Breakout Anthem With 'We Are Young'

2012-02-21T12:44:00.001-08:00

First single from just-released Some Nights is 'saying all the things to people that we want to say,' guitarist Jack Antonoff tells MTV News.
By James Montgomery

Nate Ruess of Fun.
Photo: MTV News

Fun.'s "We Are Young" has become one of the year's most-unlikely sensations, leaping all the way to #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — behind only Kelly Clarkson and Adele — thanks in no small part to massive digital sales, a plum feature on "Glee" and, of course, that iconic, chaotic music video.

So now, with a certified hit to their credit, Fun. are gearing up for the next phase of their climb: the release of their second studio album, Some Nights, out Tuesday (February 21). It's a whirling, ambitious listen, the sound of a band busting boundaries and reaching for bigger and better things — "It's been a long time coming, and we want it to take over the world," frontman Nate Ruess said — so it's fitting that it's been preceded by "We Are Young," a song that very much busts boundaries, and gets unapologetically big.

"That song, to us, is like bull's-eye center of what we wanted to do with this album," guitarist Jack Antonoff told MTV News. "It's a brilliant song to have out as a single, because it's saying all the things to people that we want to say. It's showing how, artistically, [the album is] different, it's showing all the influences brought by Jeff Bhasker, who produced the album, and all he brings from his hop-hop world, working with people like Kanye and Jay-Z. And it shows where we've moved with songwriting.

"And one of our favorite things about 'We Are Young' is that, if it's the center of the album, every song is sprouting out of it in different directions," he continued. "And if you like the song, then I think the album's just going to be a rollercoaster ride, because it just flies in every direction in and out of that song."

In that regard, "We Are Young" has also become Fun.'s de facto anthem — by their own admission, their first — the song that they feel speaks best for this band, at this moment, on the verge of very big things.

"It's pretty rare, because any other projects that we've done, I don't think any of us have ever had that song that was like, 'This is our band,' " Antonoff said. "We're proud to say, 'Listen to this one song, and then come listen to the rest. Here it is.' "

Share your review of Fun.'s new album in the comments below!

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Kelly Osbourne Taken To Hospital With Head Injury: 'I Cracked My Head Open'

2012-02-21T10:44:00.001-08:00

RadarOnline Kelly Osbourne is recovering Sunday after sustaining a head injury in Miami. The Fashion Police co-host was taken to the hospital over the weekend after the chilling incident but says she is on the mend.

"Long story short, I cracked my head open then kept passing out," the 27-year-old Tweeted. "I have the all clear [and] my mum came to get me."

Discussion: Poponthepop - Celebrity Gossip - Celebuzz - Starpulse

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Rick Ross Calls #1 Hottest MC Title 'An Honor'

2012-02-21T08:44:00.001-08:00

'It really means a lot to me,' the Bawse tells MTV News after topping Hottest MCs in the Game list.
By MTV News staff

Rick Ross
Photo: MTV News / Getty Images

All the votes have been tallied, and the results are in: Rick Ross is MTV News' Hottest MC in the Game.

MTV News began the list last week with Wale at #10. A new rapper was revealed each day until Sunday's "Hottest MCs in the Game VII" debuted on MTV2. So how did the Bawse react to his crowning achievement?

"I just got the news that I was voted the game's Hottest MC, and man, it really means a lot to me, of course, but it's an honor," Rozay told MTV News from an L.A. recording studio. "It's something I've been watching, something I've been a fan of forever. Of course, MTV, they run the game. MMG, we're here. Shout-out to the whole team."

Ross topped the list, which also included Drake, Kanye West, Nicki Minaj, Lil Wayne, Jay-Z, Meek Mill, Big Sean, Wiz Khalifa and Wale. Each MC was judged based on our Hottest criteria, which included impact, buzz, sales, lyrics, swag and the intangibles.

Rozay surely met all of the above. His impact on the game is undeniable, with his Maybach Music Group and key guest appearances on songs like Meek Mill's "Ima Boss" and Lil Wayne's "John," Ross maintained a consistent buzz all year long. His Self Made, Vol. 1 compilation album debuted at #1 on the Billboard rap albums chart. Lyrically, Rozay was a force as well, and his swag was through the roof. In January, the Bawse lit up the streets when he dropped his free 19-song Rich Forever mixtape.

When it was all said and done and MTV's Hip-Hop Brain Trust convened, there was no question that Rick Ross would emerge as the biggest boss of them all.

What do you think of our list? Sound off on MTV News' "Hottest MCs in the Game VII" using the hashtag #HottestMC!

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Sophia Grace & Rosie Perform Nicki Minaj?s ?Moment 4 Life? On Ellen (VIDEO)

2012-02-21T06:45:00.001-08:00

Pint-sized British imports Sophia Grace and Rosie continue to delight Ellen DeGeneres with their enthusiasm for American music and tutus. The girls' newest performance - of Nicki Minaj?s "Moment 4 Life" - is alternately adorable and astounding.

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New Woman Alleging Sexually Harassment By Herman Cain Will Go Public On Monday

2012-02-21T04:44:00.001-08:00

RadarOnline A new woman alleging sexual harassment by presidential hopeful Herman Cain will break her silence at a news conference with her powerhouse attorney Gloria Allred Monday afternoon in New York City, RadarOnline.com is exclusively reporting.

The embattled GOP nominee has admitted that several women who worked at the National Restaurant Association during his tenure as president of the organization received settlements.

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A SKOMOROH - Believe In You (Mandarine) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-21T02:45:00.001-08:00

Title: Believe In You
Artist: A SKOMOROH
Label: Mandarine
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Believe In You (Max Freegrant remix)
Believe In You (original mix)

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Unlucky in Love: Nick Jonas & Delta Goodrem Call It Quits

2012-02-21T00:44:00.001-08:00

Tinseltown doesn't always have the best reputation for relationship luck, and Nick Jonas and Delta Goodrem have helped to continue that trend.

The "Camp Rock" hunk and "Lost Without You" singer have officially called it quits after dating for ten months.

The couple released a joint statement from Goodmen's rep that read: ?Nick and Delta have decided mutually to end their relationship. At this point in time, they are both focused on their careers as they go on different paths. They remain friends and wish each other the best for the future.?

The Australian beauty and the youngest member of the Jonas Brothers first stepped out last May, shortly after Goodrem's engagement to Brian McFadden was called off.

The separation comes as the two are both busy in their careers - as Jonas is currently performing on Broadway in "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" while Goodrem is working on Australia?s version of "The Voice" as both a judge and a coach.

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Oscars 2012 Predictions: Best Original Screenplay

2012-02-20T22:44:00.001-08:00

Woody Allen will most likely be rewarded for 'Midnight in Paris,' but we have our hearts set on 'A Separation.'
By Kevin P. Sullivan

Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams in "Midnight in Paris"
Photo: Sony Pictures Classic

One of the major complaints about this year's Academy Awards race is that most of the winners feel decided already. Sure, "The Artist" is going to win Best Picture. Viola Davis probably already has Best Actress locked up. But the competition for Best Original Screenplay doesn't even feel like a competition at all. The Academy has already spoken, and they're going with an Oscar favorite.

What's really unfortunate here is not that the category is so predictable, but that the Academy didn't venture more into independent film to find their nominees. "A Separation" stands out as one of the more refreshing nominees, but as the obligatory "indie" nominee, "Margin Call" could easily be swapped out for the likes of Jeff Nichols' "Take Shelter" or Sean Durkin's "Martha Marcy May Marlene."

Of all the films nominated for original writing, here are our predictions for the category in 2012:

Who Will Win: Woody Allen for "Midnight in Paris." After 40-plus years of making movies, Allen delivered a film that went on to become his most financially successful ever. An achievement by a writer/director of his caliber will rarely go unrewarded at the Oscars, and deservedly so. "Midnight in Paris" is perfectly all right with being ridiculous, even going as far as to not explain the main character's time-traveling abilities. More importantly, the film was about something, the allure and emptiness of nostalgia, in a year that's been obsessed with traveling back in time emotionally. Even if the plot became repetitive at times, even the most cynical viewers had to find some joy in watching the like of Hemingway and the Fitzgeralds speaking words written by Allen.

Who Should Win: Asghar Farhadi for "A Separation." Anytime the Academy has an opportunity to do something utterly unexpected, that's where my heart will lie. A win for the Iranian film would not only buck old Academy stereotypes, but reward a truly deserving film. "A Separation" follows a married couple as they decided whether to stay in Iran and care for an ailing parent or leave to better the life of their young daughter. Launching from that already provocative starting point, the film goes unexpected places while keeping the audience's attention every step of the way.

The MTV Movies team has the 2012 Oscars covered! Stick with us for everything you need to know leading up to the awards show, and on Sunday, February 26, tune into MTV.com at 5:30 p.m. ET for our three-hour red-carpet live stream and updates on the night's big winners.

Related Photos

2012 Oscar Nominees

Stephen Colbert Josie Maran Fran Drescher Lindsey Haun Andy Garcia

Bobbi Kristina Looks To Family For Comfort

2012-02-20T20:44:00.001-08:00

Needing help during this tough time in her life, Whitney Houston's daughter Bobbi Kristina is seeking comfort from her family after her mother's sudden death.

According to Houston's godmother, Darlene Love, the daughter of Houston and Bobby Brown has been spending the past week with her relatives on the East Coast.

In a statement to Access Hollywood, Love said, "We all went to a restaurant we call after a funeral or home celebration, a repast, where everybody goes and sits and talks and eats. She was there, she was there yesterday, she's been with the family these last couple of days."

When asked to respond to a report put out by the Daily Beast which stated that the 18-year-old temporarily disappeared after the emotional New Jersey funeral for Houston, Love said, "We all [have known] where she is. She isn't missing."

The Daily Beast has also reported that Bobbi Kristina was found doing drugs, with their rep telling People that they stand "firmly behind" their story.

Terri J. Vaughn Penelope Cruz Philip Baker Hall Andrea Parker Mia Farrow

2SYMMETRY - Lollipop (Banguru) 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

2012-02-20T18:44:00.001-08:00

Title: Lollipop
Artist: 2SYMMETRY
Label: Banguru
Format: 192kb/s mp3, 320kb/s mp3, wav

Track listing:
Lollipop (original mix)
Lollipop (New Thomas remix)

Pamela Bach Nelly Claudia Christian Miriam Margolyes Rhona Mitra

Chris Cornell Covers 'I Will Always Love You' in Honor of Whitney Houston

2012-02-20T16:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: Concerts and Tours, News

Deena Cavallo

File this one under "Things we didn't expect to say out loud, ever."

But here's what we just said in our office: "This Chris Cornell cover of 'I Will Always Love You' is really, really good."

Check it out below (via Consequence of Sound).

Titus Welliver Tracy Morgan Charles Durning Eric Winter Heather Locklear

Bobby Brown: I Left Whitney Houston Funeral Early Over Mistreatment, Seating

2012-02-20T14:45:00.001-08:00

Bobby Brown left Whitney Houston?s funeral shortly after arriving on Saturday due to an argument over seating. He just released a statement, blaming security personnel.

Heather McComb Ali Hillis Luke Wilson Susie Castillo Amy Sedaris

Style Seen: Christina Perri Is A Topshop Loyalist With Generous Fans

2012-02-20T12:44:00.001-08:00

Everyone’s favorite tattooed Breaking Dawn-soundtrack-singing Twilight superfan Christina Perri stopped by the VH1 office yesterday to appear on Big Morning Buzz and chat about her Lovestrong tour, which touches down in Europe this week. She just announced a string of U.S. club dates for the spring, too. So, what does a jetsetting rising star wear [...]

John Riggins David Paetkau Heather McComb Ali Hillis Luke Wilson

This week's cultural highlights: Simple Minds and Bingo

2012-02-20T10:44:00.001-08:00

Our critics' picks of this week's openings, plus your last chance to see and what to book now

? Which cultural events are in your diary this week? Tell us in the comments below

Opening this week

Theatre

Bingo
Patrick Stewart stars as the ageing Shakespeare in Edward Bond's play in which the playwright, now a rich landowner, is facing pressure from local Stratford people. Young Vic, London SE1 (020-7922 2922), until March 31.

An Appointment with the Wicker Man
National Theatre Scotland take on the cult 1970s movie with a play within a play about an amateur dramatic society on a remote Scottish island who are putting the play on stage. But when one of their actors falls ill, a replacement is called in from the mainland. His Majesties, Aberdeen (01224 641122), Tuesday to Saturday, then touring until 24 March.

Film

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (dir. Stephen Daldry)
Oscar-nominated drama, based on the Jonathan Safran Foer novel.

Dance

Aakash Odedra: Rising
Fine South Asian soloist in an impressive trilogy of works by Sidi Larbi Cherkaoui, Russell Maliphant and Akram Khan. The Place: Robin Howard Dance theatre, London WC1 (020-7121 1100), Friday.

Birmingham Royal Ballet: Hobson's Choice
David Bintley does period England in this poignant comedy based on the Harold Brighouse play. Birmingham Hippodrome (0844-338 5000), Wednesday to Friday.

Classical

Bachfest
A first outing for the latest addition to Bath's portfolio of music festivals, a sibling to the autumn Mozartfest, featuring the Academy of Ancient Music, Florilegium and the Retrospect Ensemble. Various venues, Bath (01225 463 362), Friday and Saturday.

The Death of Klinghoffer
John Adams's controversial second opera finally reaches the London stage; Baldur Br�nnimann conducts the dark-hued score, and Tom Morris directs ENO's production. Coliseum, London, WC2 (0871 911 0200), Saturday, then in rep until 9 March.

Jazz

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
Saxophonist Tommy Smith's powerful big band celebrates Weather Report, with drum star Peter Erskine. Queen's Hall, Edinburgh (0131-668 2019), 24 February; Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow (0141-3324101), Friday; MacRobert Arts Centre, University of Stirling (01786 466666), Saturday.

Art

Alighiero Boetti: Game Plan
The high point of the late Italian arte povera artist's major retrospective are the wonderful world maps he commissioned; embroidered by craftswomen in Afghanistan, they present a magic carpet atlas of the unstable geopolitical map of the modern world. Tate Modern, London SE1 (020-7887 8888), Tuesday to 27 May.

Pop

Simple Minds
Credible once more, Simple Minds tour songs from their first five, flatly incredible, albums. Tour begins at Birmingham Academy (0844 477 2000), Friday.

Jonathan Richman
Nothing much changes in the world of Jonathan Richman, which means he remains as entertaining a live performer as its possible to get. Tour begins at Brudenell Social Club, Leeds (0113-275 241), Saturday.

Last chance to see

Classical

Der Rosenkavalier
With Amanda Roocroft, Sarah Connolly, Sophie Bevan and John Tomlinson heading the cast, this revival of David McVicar's meticulously detailed production is as good as it has ever been. Coliseum, London WC2 (0871 911 0200), Friday and 27th February.

Theatre

The Gatekeeper
Enjoyable tragicomedy from Chloe Moss about a family celebration that goes wrong. Not perfect, but touching and funny. Royal Exchange Studio, Manchester (0161-833 9833), until Saturday.

Film

L'Atalante (dir. Jean Vigo)
This haunting masterpiece by Jean Vigo, a parable for the mysterious intimacy of marriage.

Jazz

Cuong Vu/Bob van Luijt/Yonga Sun
Unique Vietnamese American jazz-and-effects trumpeter and former Pat Metheny partner, with heavyweight power trio. Vortex Jazz Club, Dalston (020-7254 4097), Monday.

Art

Lygia Pape: Magnetized Space
Modernism took an unexpected and vital turn in Brazil and Pape, who died in 2004, has long deserved a major exhibition here. Her rigorous abstractions eventually led to the spectacular later works, which filled darkened spaces with shafts of drawn light. Serpentine Gallery, London W2 (020-7402 6075), until 29 February.

Pop

Spector
The new Kaiser Chiefs? Or as they claim "a pop band"? You decide. Tour ends at Brighton Green Door Store (01273 606312), Saturday.

Seth Lakeman
Rugged, fiddle-playing folk singer-songwriter. Tour ends at Leamington Assembly (01926 311311), Friday.

Book Now

Theatre

Uncle Vanya
Booking opens this week for this 50th anniversary season. First off the block, Roger Allam and Dervla Kirwin star in Michael Frayn's version of Chekhov's classic play of thwarted love and broken dreams. Jeremy Herrin directs the first offering in what is going to be a starry Chichester summer. Minerva, Chichester (01243 781312), 30 March until 28 April.

Gatz
London International Festival of Theatre brings in New York mavericks Elevator Repair Service with their epic eight-hour staging of F Scott Fitzgerald's masterpiece, in which every single word of the novel is read aloud. It's been a hot ticket in New York, and should be here. Noel Coward theatre, London WC2 (020-7452 3000), 8 June to 15 July.

A Provincial Life
Peter Gill directs his own stage version of Chekhov's exquisite short story for National Theatre Wales. The tale of a young privileged man seeking to find meaning in his life, it may be set in 19th-century Russia but should have resonances for today. Sherman Cardiff (029-2064 6900), 1-17 March.

Betrayal
John Simm stars in Harold Pinter's cunningly structured love triangle, inspired by his own affair with Joan Bakewell. It's very much a play in fashion because Dominic Hill revives at Glasgow Citizens next month, too. Sheffield Crucible (0114-249 6000), 17 May to June 9.

The Hitch-Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy
Surviving members of the radio cast take to the road with Douglas Adams's brilliant and endearing philosophical mishmash of everything and anything. Theatre Royal, Glasgow (0844 871 7647), 8?9 June, then touring.

Film

Rampart (dir. Oren Moverman)
Woody Harrelson is a dangerous cop in Los Angeles.

Classical

Minimal Extreme
The latest instalment of Glasgow's three-year survey of minimalism, with performers including Bang on a Can Allstars, London Sinfonietta, Theatre of Voices and the Smith Quartet. Royal Concert Hall and City Halls, Glasgow (0141-353 8000), 23-25 March.

Jazz

Portico Quartet
Portico's systems music, hangdrum sound and rich electronic textures grow increasingly varied and subtle. Komedia, Brighton (0845 293 8480), 1 March; Sage, Gateshead (0191-443 4661), 5 March, then touring.

Art

AV Festival 12: As Slow As Possible
With concerts, walks, exhibitions and screenings throughout the north east, in Middlesborough, Newcastle/Gateshead and Sunderland, the International Festival of Art, Technology, Music and Film features a bewildering roster of film-makers, artists and musicians. Take your time. Various venues, 1-31 March.

Pop

Drake
Poor old Drake, mopey as ever despite his multi-platinum success, brings his brand of emo R&B to Britain. Tour begins London O2 Arena (0844 856 0202), 26 March.

Claudia Christian Miriam Margolyes Rhona Mitra Susan Anton Julieta Venegas

Bruce Springsteen: Rocker Charges US Government With 'Un-American' Acts

2012-02-20T08:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News, New Releases

Taylor Hill, FilmMagic

Bruce Springsteen didn't mince words Thursday night at the Theatre Marigny in Paris during a press conference while promoting his upcoming 'Wrecking Ball' album. The topic: His utter disappointment with the current state of America.

"What was done to our country was wrong and unpatriotic and un-American and nobody has been held to account," Springsteen told The Guardian. "There's a real patriotism underneath the best of my music. But it is a critical, questioning and often angry patriotism."

Springsteen, who gave critics an advanced listen of the new studio album, also said the fury behind some of the record's lyrics, including the title track, was because "a big promise has been broken."

"You can't have a United States if you are telling some folks that they can't get on the train," he said. "There's a cracking point where a society collapses. You can't have a civilization where something is factionalized like this."

Ciaran Hinds Rory Cochrane Bill Maher Jacob Young Ryan Sypek

ALABAMA SHAKES - Be Mine (Third Man) 7"

2012-02-20T06:45:00.001-08:00

Title: Be Mine
Artist: ALABAMA SHAKES
Label: Third Man
Format: 7"

Track listing:
Be Mine
You Ain't Alone

Judith Krantz Sophia Bush Luc Besson Jason Connery India.Arie

Kobe And Vanessa Bryant Join Our List Of 30 Off-Again-On-Again Celeb Couples

2012-02-20T04:45:00.001-08:00

Just weeks after cashing in on a mega divorce settlement (though the divorce won’t be finalized for months), it looks like Vanessa Bryant might be feeling the love for husband Kobe once again. The basketball ex-wife was was spotted cheering on her old flame at a Valentine’s Day Lakers game, and TMZ snapped the two [...]

Bernie Kopell Dominic Chianese Richard Roeper Wynonna Judd Mya

Emilia Martensson and Barry Green: And So It Goes ? review

2012-02-20T02:45:00.001-08:00

(Babel)

Her voice may be soft and light, but there is nothing limp or vague about Emilia Martensson's singing. In her gentle way, she is among the most incisive of today's crop of impressive young vocalists. She also has a dauntingly wide and adventurous repertoire, taking in Jacques Brel, Nat King Cole and folk songs from her native Sweden ? and that's where Barry Green comes in. A pianist of immense delicacy, he also swings with real style. This could grow into a classic partnership. Listen out, too, for some terrific bass clarinet from guest soloist Julian Siegel.

Dave Gelly

Cynthia Watros Pamela Bach Nelly Claudia Christian Miriam Margolyes

ASAP Rocky: Harlem Rapper Says Homophobia in Hip-Hop Is 'Retarded'

2012-02-20T00:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: News, Exclusive

Brock Fetch

Harlem rapper ASAP Rocky has been making power moves since dropping his 'LiveLoveA$AP' mixtape last Halloween.

The videos for 'Peso' and 'Purple Swag' are nearing a combined eight million views and 'LiveLoveA$AP' has proven so popular his record label has sent him back into the studio to re-record the whole thing professional-like.

Musically, the 23-year-old's dexterous east coast-meets-Houston-chopped-'n'-screwed vibe is proving to be a fresh new angle for hip-hop heads. What might be just as interesting is the man born Rakim Mayers' willingness to question some of the macho standards of conventional hip-hop. Particularly when it comes to homosexuality.

"I don't give a f--- about your business," ASAP Rocky tells Spinner. "Man, if you're gay we can be friends. If you're straight, we can be friends. I'm not gay, I don't plan on being gay, I don't condone it and I'm not sayin' I'm against it. I really don't give a f--- and I don't think anyone should care about what another man's preference is... unless he's interested, if you know what I'm sayin'."

Kate Walsh Natalie Dormer Benicio Del Toro Irina Apeximova Balthazar Getty

George Clooney And Brad Pitt: Hollywood?s Greatest Bromance

2012-02-19T22:44:00.001-08:00

Kim and Kris, Russell and Katy, Demi and Ashton…We all know it’s been pretty rough out there for celebrity couples. But through it all, there’s one duo who has never faltered. We’re of course talking about BBFs George Clooney and Brad Pitt. These first teamed up on the big screen in 2001′s Ocean’s 11, and [...]

Carey Lowell Wes Anderson Julia Newmann Patrika Darbo Richard Roundtree

Travis Porter's Strap Confirms Gun Arrest 'A Mistake'

2012-02-19T20:44:00.001-08:00

'I thought it was some cologne or something,' Strap says of his bag being flagged by TSA at an Atlanta airport.
By Nadeska Alexis, with reporting by Sway Calloway

Strap
Photo: Dave Kotinsky/ Getty Images

Travis Porter member Strap was arrested at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson Airport on Wednesday when the Transportation Security Administration found a gun in the rapper's backpack. During a visit to Shade 45's "Sway in the Morning" show on Friday (February 17), Strap reiterated that the mishap was an "honest mistake."

Strap was en route to New York City for a promotional show when his bag was flagged during a routine security checkpoint. The Atlanta rapper explained to MTV News correspondent and "Sway in the Morning" host Sway Calloway that it was a case of bad memory. "[I was] moving fast man, leaving the studio to catch an early flight," Strap said. "[It was] an honest-to-God mistake.

"Ain't no alarm go off," Strap continued, explaining that he was confused when TSA agents approached him. "Ten people came over and they're like, 'Is this your bag? There's a 9MM in this bag, sir.' "

Strap would not comment on whether he admitted to security that the gun belonged to him. Fellow Travis Porter member Quez was present during the ordeal and earlier in the week he told MTV News what took place. "It was crazy, because he was looking so confused," Quez said, detailing the search and arrest. "He didn't know what was going on, and they told him, 'You got some business in your bag, bro.' "

Travis Porter first gained notoriety after appearing on Roscoe Dash's 2008 hit "All the Way Turnt Up," and in 2010, the trio broke kept the momentum going with their hit "Make It Rain," which peaked at #9 on the Billboard rap charts and stirred up interest in the group's delayed debut album, No Sleep to Atlanta, on RCA Records.

Catch MTV News' Sway Calloway on "Sway in the Morning," on Sirius XM Radio's Shade 45, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to noon ET.

Related Artists

Travis Porter

Eric Winter Heather Locklear Steven Spielberg Christina Moore Jacqueline Obradors

Bruce Springsteen on Wrecking Ball

2012-02-19T18:44:00.001-08:00

The Boss explains why there is a critical, questioning and angry patriotism at the heart of his new album Wrecking Ball

At a Paris press conference on Thursday night, Bruce Springsteen was asked whether he was advocating an armed uprising in America. He laughed at the idea, but that the question was even posed at all gives you some idea of the fury of his new album Wrecking Ball.

Indeed, it is as angry a cry from the belly of a wounded America as has been heard since the dustbowl and Woody Guthrie, a thundering blow of New Jersey pig iron down on the heads of Wall Street and all who have sold his country down the swanny. Springsteen has gone to the great American canon for ammunition, borrowing from folk, civil war anthems, Irish rebel songs and gospel. The result is a howl of pain and disbelief as visceral as anything he has ever produced, that segues into a search for redemption: "Hold tight to your anger/ And don't fall to your fears ? Bring on your wrecking ball."

"I have spent my life judging the distance between American reality and the American dream," Springsteen told the conference, where the album was aired for the first time. It was written, he claimed, not just out of fury but out of patriotism, a patriotism traduced.

"What was done to our country was wrong and unpatriotic and un-American and nobody has been held to account," he later told the Guardian. "There is a real patriotism underneath the best of my music but it is a critical, questioning and often angry patriotism."

The tone is set from the start with the big, bombastic We Take Care of Our Own ? a Born in the USA for our times ? where the most sacred shibboleth of Ordinary Joe America is sung with mocking irony through clenched teeth by a heart that still wants it to be true. "From the shotgun shack to the Superdome/ There ain't no help, the cavalry stayed home." It is a typical Springsteen appeal to a common decency beyond the civil war he sees sapping America.

Like Born in the USA, which got pressed into service as the anthem of the first Gulf war, he's aware it has the potential to be hijacked by the angry right. But Springsteen says that to anyone who cares to listen to the lyrics, the message is clear.

"A big promise has been broken. You can't have a United States if you are telling some folks that they can't get on the train. There is a cracking point where a society collapses. You can't have a civilisation where something is factionalised like this."

Springsteen plunges into darker, richer musical landscapes in a sequence of breath-taking protest songs ? Easy Money, Shackled and Drawn, Jack of All Trades, the scarily bellicose Death to My Hometown and This Depression with Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine ? before the album turns on Wrecking Ball in search of some spiritual path out of the mess the US is in.

But it is also an ode to hard work, to the dignity it brings, and the blue-collar values he claims made America:

"Freedom son's a dirty shirt
The sun on my face and my shovel in the dirt
A shovel in the dirt keeps the devil gone
I woke up this morning shackled and drawn"

Asked where the fury of this lyric had come from, he talks movingly of his father who had been "emasculated by losing his job" in the 70s and never recovered from the damage to his pride. "Unemployment is a really devastating thing. I know the damage it does to families. Growing up in that house there were things you couldn't say. It was a minefield. My mother was the breadwinner. She was steadfast and relentless and I took that from her.

"Pessimism and optimism are slammed up against each other in my records, the tension between them is where it's all at, it's what lights the fire."

Hope is there. But it is a tempered hope. Land of Hope and Dreams is a plea for America's newest immigrants, those risking their lives to ride the trains up from central America. "This train ? carries saints and sinners ? losers and winners ? whores and gamblers ? Dreams will not be thwarted ? Faith will be rewarded."

Springsteen, 62, says he is not afraid of how the album will be received in election-year America: "The temper has changed. And people on the streets did it. Occupy Wall Street changed the national conversation ? the Tea Party had set it for a while. The first three years of Obama were under them.

"Previous to Occupy Wall Street, there was no push back at all saying this was outrageous ? a basic theft that struck at the heart of what America was about, a complete disregard for the American sense of history and community ? In Easy Money the guy is going out to kill and rob, just like the robbery spree that has occurred at the top of the pyramid ? he's imitating the guys on Wall Street. An enormous fault line cracked the American system right open whose repercussion we are only starting to be feel.

"Nobody had talked about income inequality in America for decades ? apart from John Edwards ? but no one was listening. But now you have Newt Gingrich talking about 'vulture capitalism' ? Newt Gingrich! ? that would not have happened without Occupy Wall Street."

Having previously backed Obama, Springsteen says he would prefer to stay on the sidelines this time. "I don't write for one side of the street ? But the Bush years were so horrific you could not just sit around. It was such a blatant disaster. I campaigned for Kerry and Obama, and I am glad I did. But normally I would prefer to stay on the sidelines. The artist is supposed to be the canary in the cage."

Obama hasn't done bad, Springsteen says. "He kept General Motors alive, he got through healthcare ? though not the public system I would have wanted ? he killed Osama Bin Laden, and he brought sanity to the top level of government. But big business still has too much say in government and there has not been as many middle- or working-class voices in the administration as I expected. I thought Guantanamo would have been closed but now, but he got us out of Iraq and I guess we will soon be out of Afghanistan."

The album is the last on which Clarence Clemons, the legendary saxophonist from the E Street Band, played on before he died last year. "When the sax comes up on Land of Hope and Dreams," Springsteen says, "it's a lovely moment for me."

? Wrecking Ball is released on 5 March via Columbia.

? This article has been amended. The original said Bruce Springsteen was 63. This has been changed.

Fiachra Gibbons

Paige Hurd Shiva Rose Jurnee Smollett Paddy Considine Shaune Bagwell

Whitney Houston?s Funeral: Where Were Bobby Brown And Aretha Franklin?

2012-02-19T16:45:00.001-08:00

Many members of Whitney Houston’s friends and family were able to pay their respects to the late singer during her “home going” service in Newark, New Jersey this morning. Unfortunately, Houston’s ex-husband Bobby Brown and godmother Aretha Franklin were not able to fully participate. Though initial reports indicated that Brown was not welcome at the ... More »

Michael Moore Shaun Robinson David Beckham Cynthia Watros Pamela Bach

Adele Sex Tape Rumor Slammed

2012-02-19T14:44:00.001-08:00

Adele is striking back at a French tabloid that published photos it alleges came from a sex tape featuring the singer. The magazine, Public, claims the Grammy winner is the woman in the X-rated footage and screenshots, which supposedly came from a paparazzo named�Jean-Claude Elfassi who claimed he'd release the footage on his site. But Gossip Cop can report: It is NOT Adele.

Shaun Robinson David Beckham Cynthia Watros Pamela Bach Nelly

Cold Fronts, 'Blood' -- Video of the Day

2012-02-19T11:44:00.001-08:00

Filed under: Video of the Day

Artist: Cold Fronts
Video: 'Blood'
Highlight: "The video was shot during the day of a party at our DIY space, the Rathaus," singer Craig Almquist tells Spinner of the clip, which was directed by Chell Stephen of Think/Feel (Pains of Being Pure at Heart, Earl Greyhound, the Gay Blades). "With the exception of smashing apples with guitars, I think it captures what a typical day looks like for us in Philly: Party and pizza."

Watch Cold Fronts' 'Blood' Video

Macy Gray Lauren C. Mayhew Matt Lauer Alexa Vega Albert Brooks

A housewife's guide

2012-02-19T09:44:00.001-08:00

Menno Meyjes Sandra McCoy Mike Tyson Chad Michael Murray Carmen Ejogo