Jet - Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is

Masterplan

God, this is a great song. Video, too.

Dixie Chicks Shut up and Sing Trailer

Friday random ten

---

1. Dixie Chicks- Goodbye Earl
2. Kasabian- Shoot the Runner
3. Ozzy Osbourne- Crazy Train
4. Aretha Franklin- The Weight
5. Lily Allen- LDN
6. Smiths- How Soon Is Now?
7. Scissor Sisters- She's My Man
8. Clash- Julie's Been Working For the Drug Squad
9. Happy Mondays- Tart Tart
10. Eagles- Tequila Sunrise

I'm of the opinion

I've been shockingly accurate with predictions related to pop culture lately. So I'd like to go out on a limb, and say that I believe that Paul Simonon, bassist from The Clash, is due for a revival of sorts. Why would I say this?

1. In Vanity Fair's August issue, both Kate Moss and Hedi Slimane (Dior Homme) name-checked Paul as their respective most 'stylish man.'
2. Luella Bartley (fashion designer) told InStyle (UK edition) that she thought Mr. Simonon was quite cool (paraphrasing a bit there).

I'm making an educated guess here. Also, see the following. Since Damon Albarn's side projects tend to be bulletproof, I feel fairly safe in saying the previous.

Simonon was of course the symbolic part of The Clash, the stylistic totem on the London Calling cover. Damon's art school leanings must have relished the chance to work with him. Since The Clash Simonon has played rockabilly in Havana 3AM and has developed a career as an artist with a fair hand in striking landscapes.

Guess Who's Back?

Oh, yeah- DSL is working at home. Thank Christ. Will resume regular Anglophillic blogging shortly, dolls.

About this past month...

The following things have happened in the past month or so- in no particular order.

1. DSL at home? Kaput. My computer-whiz cousin is currently laying his hands upon the computer, so there is hope.
2. The gigantic pain in my ass that I work(ed) with? Quit via the answering machine and is now working for the competition.
3. My grandpa passed away. Miss the old coot already. Didn't go to the Kasabian concert, as the wake was the same night. Apparently, some things are more important to me than music. Who knew?

For anyone who cares, will resume regular blogging soon.

Also, Jet's new CD kicks ass.

Killers in Blackpool

I adore the Killers for many reasons, mostly because they are massively influenced by New Order, and love Oasis- hello, why would I NOT love them- and because my dear friend, Carrie, literally attended Sunday school with Dave Keuning in the bustling metropolis of Pella, Iowa.

Let me tell you people, there are not that many famous people from Iowa. Okay, so there's John Wayne, Donna Reed, the Everley Brothers, Ashton Kutcher, Elijah Wood and Ron 'Office Space, Band of Brothers, Sex and the City' Livingston.

So when an honest-to-God guitarist with a wildly successful band emerges from the tall corn state, well, we're going to claim him. Kiss off, Las Vegas.

(I know I'm not citing as Iowegians that crap band Slipknot. Though they are from Des Moines Why? Because they suck. Hard).

So reading stuff like this? V.v. cool.

The specifics of these new songs are lost in the sound mix, swirling around the Victorian arches of a venue whose acoustics were not built for rock'n'roll, but the reaction to the familiar favourites - "Somebody Told Me" and "Jenny Was a Friend of Mine" in particular - is such that, if I had hairs on the back of my neck, they'd be bristling like a pestered hedgehog.

The Lay-dees Do America

Oh, hell yes!

Little Britain stars David Walliams and Matt Lucas have revealed plans for a film version of their hit BBC show.

"We've had some sort of interest from America," Walliams told ITV1 chat show host Michael Parkinson.

"We've got a sort of film development deal out there and also we might do something for TV out there," he added.

The comedy duo have signed a deal with Pop Idol producer Simon Fuller to develop a US version of Little Britain for the American cable network HBO.

Crack is whack

After 14 years of marriage to Brown, she could lay claim to almost as many "Houston, We Have A Problem" headlines as she could platinum records. Her last record was released three years ago, and that was a phoned-in Christmas album, notable largely for a please-God-make-it-stop version of "Little Drummer Boy" in which she duetted with her and Brown's daughter, Bobbie Kristina, and accomplished the unimaginable feat of inspiring nostalgia for the David Bowie/Bing Crosby version.

Ms. Jones's knickers

Bridget Jones's famously large pants have gone under the hammer for £2,000, a charity has said.

Personally signed by Hugh Grant, they were auctioned to raise cash for the Royal Parks Foundation (RPF) during a special charity party in London's Hyde Park.

Top 10

1. Smiths- Vicar In a Tutu
2. Sheryl Crow- Abeline
3. Joy Division- Transmission
4. Primal Scream- Kill All Hippies
5. Velvet Underground- Stephanie Says
6. Gnarls Barkley- Smiley Faces
7. Stone Roses- (Song For My)Sugar-Spun Sister
8. Hard-Fi- Cash Machine
9. Beatles- Hard Day's Night
10. Beyonce- Crazy In Love

Electronic

This is so funny to me-

"Bernard was like the Pied Piper, but dressed all in white," laughs Marr. "He'd come back to the studio about 4am with an entourage of our friends, and we'd get a chance to road-test our new songs. One time we had "Idiot Country" blaring out and Bez [of Happy Mondays] was talking to my wife. I noticed he wasn't dancing, so I slowed the tempo down until he started to shuffle again. That's when I knew we'd got it right."

Oh, that Lily

As I really enjoy her album (import, obviously), I'm glad to see Lily Allen trying to break Fortress America. And I'm assuming the song 'Cheryl Tweedy' is not complimentary to the new Mrs. Ashley Cole. Hee.

Friday Top Ten

Ooo, this is a nice one. Wish it was a different Sir Tom song, though.

1. Whiskey In the Jar- Thin Lizzy
2. Temptation- New Order
3. Going Underground- The Jam
4. I Only Want To Be With You- Dusty Springfield
5. Delilah- Tom Jones
6. I'm Every Woman- Chaka Khan
7. Going Nowhere- Oasis
8. Loose Fit- Happy Mondays
9. Walk Away- Kelly Clarkson
10. DARE- Gorillaz

Bonus-
11. Nitty Gritty- Primal Scream

Heh. Heh.

I'd just like to point out that last fall, when the whole 'Cocaine Kate' scandal broke, there was many a nervous nellie media-type person that lamented La Moss's 'career-ending' mistake.

What happens just shy of a year later? Girlfriend's new Agent Provocateur's ad crashes the A.P. website.

Get DOWN with your bad self, Ms. Moss.

Woo!

I must say, bands that I've seen (or am going to see) in concert this year have done quite well for themselves. The Arctics win the Mercury, and Kasabian, whose gig I will be attending in October, currently have the #1 album in the U.K. Obviously, I am the deciding factor. Ha.

Arctic Monkeys capped a year in which they released the fastest selling debut ever, reinvigorated the music industry and lost a founder member, by winning the annual prize which is designed to reward the best release of the year regardless of genre or sales.

The Sheffield four-piece, whose mixture of classic guitar melodies and acutely observed lyrics garnered critical and commercial acclaim, won the prize for Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not.

Oh HELL yes!

Best. Oasis. Song. Ever.

Oasis are set to release a single this year ahead of their forthcoming best of 'Stop The Clocks'.It's understood that a re-recorded 'Acquiesce', which originally appeared as the B-side to 'Some Might Say' in 1995, will be the release.

Top 10

Oooh, cover-licious!

1. Lily Allen- Knock 'Em Out
2. Libertines- Boys In the Band
3. Aretha Franklin- Eleanor Rigby
4. Oasis- Little By Little
5. Kasabian- L.S.F.
6. Sugababes- I Bet You Look Good On the Dancefloor
7. Stone Roses- Simone
8. Otis Redding- Try A Little Tenderness
9. Rolling Stones- She's A Rainbow
10. The Jam- Heatwave

Hypothetically

If you worked part-time, at any job, and kept getting your hours cut, despite needing them, would you try and pull the following (keep in mind, you're working that particular day with the owner's daughter):

1. Leave to get lunch at a local bank's customer appreciation day. The bank? 3-4 blocks away.
2. Come back a half an hour later with take-out lunches from the bank.
3. Eat leisurely.
4. When the OK (owner's kid) says, "Wow, was the line long?" reply, "No, it was only about 5 minutes."

This poses the question, exactly how stupid do they think I am? Also, WHAT HAPPENED TO THE OTHER 25 MINUTES, YOU MORONIC HEIFER????

Would you attempt this? I'm not thinking I'm that brave. And it's a good thing she's so dense, as she's likely unaware that the OK is about to go medieval on her dumb ass.

Just would like to point out

that last night, on the VMA's, during Beyonce's performance, I texted my dear friend,Joy, and said the following:

What. The. Hell. Is. Beyonce. Doing? It's like Inspector Gadget attempting the dance section from Rhythm Nation 1814.

So, imagine my suprise when I read the AP's account of the show, and the reporter said that it was like an awkward Rhythm Nation-type routine.

I AM a genius. Or a pop culture whore. Possibly (probably) both.

Willie

This sounds good-

Nelson recruited Ryan Adams as producer; is this meant to be some sort of Jack White/Loretta Lynn move? After a few listens, we don’t really care. Songbird is too good.

Wow

Should this actually make it into print, I would be very interested in reading this....

NEW Order bassist Peter Hook is sharpening his pencil to write a book about legendary Manchester nightclub The Hacienda. And you might be able to guess the tone of the book from its provisional title - How Not To Run A Club.

Top ten

1. The Jean Genie- David Bowie
2. Ain't No Other Man- Christina Aguilera
3. Love Somebody- Robbie Williams
4. Wake Me Up- Girls Aloud
5. Days Go By- Keith Urban
6. Train- Goldfrapp
7. The Queen Is Dead- The Smiths
8. Lazyitis- Happy Mondays
9. Push the Button- Sugababes
10. Jeepster- T.Rex

Gee, I wonder

if I'm going to try for this. Okay, I SO am.

Oasis’ will soon be putting out a tour documentary Lord Don’t Slow Me Down, which will coincide with the release of their first Greatest Hits compilation Stop The Clocks. Here’s the twist: Guess the correct 18-song track listing and you could find yourself attending the film’s premier in the city of your choice.

Un-BELIEVABLE

I'm guessing this asshat has a 1 in 10 chance of getting his butt handed to him by we nasty career women. Schmuck.

"Don't Marry Career Women" is what the headline of the Aug. 22 Forbes.com story read. Just like that. "Don't Marry Career Women." It was easy to blink, shake your head like you were seeing things. Surely it was a joke, something out of the Onion. A provocative headline on a more nuanced story. But then came the text, by Michael Noer, an executive editor and writer for Forbes.com.

Chavs on a bus

The following post from NME's V Festival blog made me spit pop out my nose. Okay, wine, but it's still freaking funny.

Get Sammy L Jackson on the blower, we've come up with a hit! It's the surefire zillion-dollar sequel to Snakes On A Plane - Chavs On A Bus! An edge-of-your-seat shock thriller telling the story of an intrepid rock journalist who innocently boards a shuttle bus from Chelmsford station to the V festival site only to look around him and... CHAVS! Fucking shitloads of them! And there's no escape! "Awright mate, wanna laaaager? Who's this Kasabrian then, they a bit like Keane or what? Waaaaaagh wankaaaaaahhh!" Does our hero survive to watch Art Brut skipping with microphone leads and giving the crowd lengthy motivational therapy speeches? Um, yes, he does.

Weekly top 10

1. Walk On Gilded Splinters- Paul Weller
2. Minature Disasters- KT Tunstall
3. Mr. Brightside- The Killers
4. Smile- Lily Allen
5. There She Goes- The La's
6. North Country Boy- The Charlatans
7. Headshrinker- Oasis
8. Yesterday's News- Whiskeytown
9. Family Affair- Mary J. Blige
10. Breaking Into Heaven- Stone Roses

You have got to be kidding me

The Spice Girls have been voted the band most people would like to see get back together.

Even though it's been a decade since they burst onto the music scene with the undeniably catchy Wannabe and their Girl Power slogan, the five-some took 17% of the vote in the Yahoo poll.

They beat legendary music acts such as The Jam and the Stone Roses to take the top spot.

Empire

I am very excited about this album.

But they walk it like they talk it. Meighan lollops to the front of the Brixton stage, conducting a boisterous singalong to LSF (Lost Souls Forever) before throwing open his arms and offering himself up to the music and the crowd.

That Meighan can strike the pose without pomposity - and more successfully than the Jaggeresque mincing that the twisted club beats and prog rock riffs inspire in him - is the key to Kasabian's success. For all the self-aggrandising, Leicester's favourite sons, like the Gallagher brothers before them, are keenly aware that if they weren't up on the stage, they would be down in the crowd, la-la-la-ing their hearts out.

Interesting

THE filming of Control - the movie of Joy Division's tragic frontman Ian Curtis - has left his former band mates with some mixed emotions.

.

Peace, Love and Understanding

Seems to fit the events of this evening...

Flippin' Sweet

Challenger Ned Lamont appears to have defeated Lieberman by more than 10,000 votes, according to unofficial vote returns. With 95 percent of the precincts reporting, Lamont led Lieberman 51.9 percent to 48.1 percent. The vote tally was 139,496 to 129,271. Forty two percent of registered Democrats voted in the hotly contested primary, which many considered a referendum on the Iraq war.

The Divine Ms. Lily

Ooo- I like this. A lot.

Friday Top 10

In no particular order...

1. Galvanize- Chemical Brothers
2. Fairytale of New York- The Pogues
3. Strict Machine- Goldfrapp
4. Suedehead- Morrissey
5. Volcano- Jimmy Buffett
6. Nitty Gritty- Primal Scream
7. These Days- Nico
8. More Than a Woman- Bee Gees
9. You Do Something To Me- Weller
10. Tied Up Too Tight- Hard-Fi

Bonus-
11. The Importance Of Being Idle- Oasis

I want to see this movie so badly, it hurts

Will Ferrell has a knack for playing self-important boobs who get ahead in the world by sheer bluster, and the fictional NASCAR champ he plays in "Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby" may be the most inflated of them all. When Ferrell's Ricky Bobby boasts to an interviewer, "I wake up in the morning and I piss excellence," the not-so-subtle subtext is that he's a winner with juice to spare.

Marr-y Mouse

Oh, my!

We’ve known for a while that Modest Mouse leader Isaac Brock and former Smiths guitarist/genius Johnny Marr were collaborating on MM’s next record. But guess what? Marr is now officially a full-on member of Modest Mouse, Brock recently told us. According to Brock, Marr’s membership is so unequivocal, he will tour with MM in support of their next record, tentatively titled We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank and tentatively due this fall.

Britpop perfect storm

The band- Oasis.
The song- "Roll With It."
The show- Top Of The Pops.
'Singing' lead- Noel.
'Playing' guitar- Liam.
Introductions by- ROBBIE WILLIAMS?

*I'm under the impression that most, if not all, TOTP performances were canned. This particular performance, hysterical. Especially the tamborine. And Robs wearing a tank top. Oh honey, NO.

Blue Monday

Now this is cool. A covers project.

From the ashes of Joy Division, after the suicide of Ian Curtis, arose New Order. "Blue Monday", released in 1983, is often seen as a very important crossover tracks of the 1980s electronica scene. Synthpop had already been a major force in British popular music for several years, but "Blue Monday" brought the influence and sound of the New York club scene over seas.



And I'd be remiss if I didn't include the Peter Saville album sleeve

Should anyone be curious

as to what I'm reading today, this would be it. God Bless the NME digital edition.

The Charlatans, Manic Street Preachers and The Prodigy have described Oasis' massive Knebworth gigs as a pivotal moment in musical history, 10 years on from the Gallaghers' biggest ever shows.
With the band supported by all three acts in front of 250,000 people over two historic nights, the event was one of the defining moments of the Britpop years.


And, Jen? That's what Noel looked like BEFORE he got his choppers fixed. Thank God for dentistry, eh?

Potter-verse with added Jon Stewart goodness!

MuggleNet was in attendance earlier tonight at the first of two charity readings co-hosted by JK Rowling. The show opened up with celebrity actress Whoopi Goldberg praising children for their interest in reading. Next, actress Kathy Bates provided a detailed introduction for Stephen King. She talked about her obsession with King, along with the roles she's played in his film adaptations.

A surprise appearance by Jon Stewart stoked the crowd up when he came on stage to introduce JK Rowling. Typical Jon Stewart, in his speech, he described how his five-month-old son has been standing outside of a bookstore waiting for Book 7 for three months now. At the end of his speech, he said he should be sitting out there with all of us.

Delightfully mouthy

Oh, I think I could get on the Lily Allen bandwagon. Especially after this comment.

And when asked for her thoughts on You’re Beautiful singer James, Lily put it bluntly: "It rhymes with his surname.''

Chicks. MSG.

Sounds like a great show.

The Chicks sent out “White Trash Wedding” to Mel Gibson. “You know how it is,” Natalie said. “You get drunk, you say things … All our controversies probably would have gone away if I checked into rehab the next day.” One fan held up a sign that said, “I’m gay but I love Chicks.” “Aw, that’s sweet,” Natalie said. “I’m straight, but I love gay people!”

Southwest France

Salon has an ongoing feature called The Literary Guide to the World. As a geography geek, I love the interactive map. Doesn't this trip in southwestern France sound great? I am definitely checking out the books cited here. I've read "The Three Musketeers," but it's been a while.

If you tell people you're taking a trip to southern France, they're likely to assume you mean the South of France -- that land of pastis, sunflowers, celeb-swarmed film festivals, and sunburned Brits. It's an honest mistake; though the Côte d'Azur and Provence have long been celebrated by tourists (and romantic chateau-restoring writers) for their improbable mix of big-money glamour and precious country charm, few American travelers realize that the towns and villages along the western half of France's rolling southern border offer a great many picturesque pleasures of their own. Ribboned with three of France's great rivers, penned in by the Pyrenees to the south, hollowed by some of the world's most remarkable caves, and -- in parts -- populated by more geese than people, the limestone Causses and green valleys of Gascony, the Dordogne and the Lot feel continents apart from the crowded beaches and high-rise hotels of their Mediterranean neighbors.

Call me crazy

But I really like the new Mrs. Gillespie's wedding dress. And look at the cool Nudie-esque embroidery on Bobby's suit! Lovely, appropriate for the persona, unique. Fleurs look fantastic, too.

Rubin

List of artist worked with? Unbelieveable....

Over the past 12 months, the words “Produced By Rick Rubin” have graced the backs of CDs as disparate as Dixie Chicks’ Taking the Long Way, Shakira’s Oral Fixation Vol 2, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Stadium Arcadium (all US No 1s) and the aforementioned 12 Songs by Neil Diamond (No 4, a 40-year career best).

TOTP

Top Of The Pops, the Brit music show, will make its last broadcast soon. The Guardian interviewed musicians that played on the show. The following is from Paul Ryder, bassist for the Happy Mondays.

When we played Hallelujah in 1989, we never realised that us and the Stone Roses appearing on the same Top Of The Pops would become a seminal moment. But I do remember getting back to Manchester and people telling us all the bars had set up screens specially to watch it, so it was a big deal. I'd wanted to be on Top Of The Pops ever since I was eight and saw David Bowie performing Starman with a blue acoustic guitar. I remember bumping into Tina Turner. We'd been given £1,000 each by the record company to buy new clothes; I spent £300 and pocketed the rest. I think everyone was heavily "sedated". I vividly remember being sat in the BBC garden and Shaun [Ryder] and Ian [Brown] were chuckling, plotting to swap drummers. I think the BBC rumbled it.

Cee-Lo IS Danny Zucco

Then it was over to Avalon, where, for the second night of the stand, 'Grease' was the word. Yes, in keeping with their tradition of dressing up as movie characters, the entire band donned leather jackets, jeans and white T-shirts. Coming out on stage to the strains of the theme song from the '70s classic, Cee-Lo introduced himself as 'Fon Travolta.'

Dear God, I love them. Surely they must be Brits;)

Culture Vulture

Every week, The Guardian arts blog, Culture Vulture, has a post on songs about a particular topic. This week, one-night stands. It's fun to watch the rock snobs attack each other's taste in music.

Imagine my delight when I discovered lyrics from a Tenacious D song, 'Double Team. ' When I was in college, JB (Jack Black) and KG (Kyle Gass) were our late-night, post-bar DVD-friends of choice.



"You step into our room, and then you smell the perfumes,
You lay upon our roundish bed, and then you feel a tickling on your head,
It's KG with the feather, the french tickler, look out baby he's got the tools!
And then you feel something down by your feet,
It's me! It's JB! I'm sucking on your toes!"

KT, Jackson 5

Ooo, I like her version of the J5 classic.

Dead Parrot

Weekly Top Ten-ish songs

According to my iTunes....

1. Janie Jones- Clash
2. 16 Days- Whiskeytown
3. Drive My Car- Beatles
4. Mersey Paradise- Stone Roses
5. Rocking Chair- Oasis
6. Walls Come Tumbling Down!- Style Council
7. The Perfect Kiss- New Order
8. Billie Jean- Ian Brown
9. You Really Got Me Now- Kinks
10. Diamonds Are Forever- Kayne West

Bonus-
Cherry, Cherry- Neil Diamond
I Predict A Riot- Kaiser Chiefs

Anthony

From where I'm sitting, poolside, I can see the airport burning -- the last of the jet fuel cooking off like a dying can of sterno. There's a large, black plume of smoke coming from the south of the city -- just over the rise, where the most recent airstrikes have been targeting the Shiite neighborhoods and what are, presumably, Hezbollah-associated structures. My camera crew and I missed it the first time they hit the airport. Slept right through it. Woke up in our snug hotel sheets to the news that we wouldn't be making television in Beirut (not the show we came to do anyway), and that we wouldn't be getting out of here anytime soon.

Wellah!

A little Modfather to start your weekend off right. Jesus, he's cool. The shades, the scarf. It works for me. Wink.

Glastonbury movie

AKA the movie I intend to obtain a copy of before the summer is over.

Anglophilia

In case I haven't mentioned it, I adore Heather B. Armstrong, the author of dooce.com. Why? This is a selection from one of her most recent posts....

“My best friend from high school had introduced me to Britpop, had given me a stack of magazines and newspapers he’d brought back from England the summer before we started college. At the top of that stack was a cover spread of Liam Gallagher, the notoriously rude lead singer of the band Oasis, and he was making an obscene hand gesture at the camera. I soon found out that this hoodlum could actually sing, and that the Britpop sound was more meaningful to me than any church hymn I was ever forced to sit through. But more importantly, these people liked to drink and fight and call each other horrible names in the press. It was worth it to follow this music if only to see if any of them would end up floating in the Thames without a head.”

Songs

Apparently, the Oasis compilation that will be in stores at some point this fall, will have 18 tracks. As I am all about the lists, and we already know that it will contain

1. Wonderwall
2. Half The World Away
3. Supersonic
4. Acquiesce

let me say first, YAY to those choices, and that the following, should be the other 14. In my opinion, of course.

5. Cigarettes and Alcohol
6. Don't Look Back In Anger
7. Let There Be Love
8. Stand By Me
9. Stop Crying Your Heart Out
10. Rocking Chair
11. Cast No Shadow
12. Whatever
13. The Masterplan
14. Rock and Roll Star
15. She's Electric
16. The Importance Of Being Idle
17. Some Might Say
18. Champagne Supernova

Sadly, I've thought about this A LOT today. I am so going to make that track listing into a CD right now.

champagne supernova

Dear God, I love this song. Oasis and Weller? I'm in heaven.

Beckham. Speedo. Questions?

While I am somewhat violently against any non-Olympic swimmer-type persons wearing tiny swim trunks in public, I'm sometimes inclined to overlook this.

Especially when confronted with pics of
David.
Freaking.
Beckham.
In.
A.
Speedo.
I need a smoke.

pic from perezhilton.com

Oooo- looky!

Dear God, I can hardly wait!

Although the tracklisting for the double album is a closely guarded secret, it will feature the classic singles 'Supersonic', 'Wonderwall' and 'The Importance Of Being Idle'.

Also featured is 'Acquiesce', the b-side to 'Some Might Say' that many consider to be one of the band's finest songs.

Hell yes, 'Acquiesce' is one of their finest! Please God, include 'Whatever,' 'Round Are Way' and 'The Masterplan,' too. Thank you:)

Oh, YouTube

Thank you for giving me the material to explain my love for various non-American musicians to my partners in crime. And for this lovely Smiths clip.

Songs o' the week

1. Sweet Jane- Velvet Underground
2. Mamma Mia- ABBA
3. I Don't Mind- Buzzcocks
4. We Used To Be Friends- Dandy Warhols
5. Oh My Sweet Carolina- Ryan Adams
6. Rebel, Rebel- Bowie
7. This Is The One- Stone Roses
8. Tied Up Too Tight- Hard-Fi
9. Digsy's Diner- Oasis
10. I Believe In You- Kylie Minogue
11. Crazy- Gnarls Barkley

Bonus-
Sub-Culture- New Order
Molly's Chambers- Kings of Leon

Mr. Brightside

His seedy charm aside, there is no way I'd personally pick Eric Roberts over Brandon Flowers. Even in a video.

Jake and Ana in Spain

I am so excited for this album! Hard to believe. Snerk. But look at their costumes! Could they be more fabulous? I think not!

If I were both gay and a man, I would SO be all about Jake Shears. Even as a straight chick, I'm have a fairly purient interest in him. Can't imagine if we 'played' for the same team. So pretty! Also, no one is as fierce as Ana Matronic.

Okay, fangirl moment over. Seriously.

pic from nme.com

Why

do I read the Mirror's website daily? Snark like this.

ORDINARILY, when a supermodel is approached in the street by an unshaven dweeb with a dodgy haircut, she calls for help...

But in this case the dweeb is James Blunt and the supermodel is his stunning Czech girlfriend Petra Nemcova, 27.

I can't stop giggling. Unshaven dweeb, indeed.

Sublime or ridiculous?

I want to see pictures of Ashley (footballer for Arsenal- for the time being) Cole and Cheryl (Girls Aloud) Tweedy's wedding, more than I could coherently or rationally explain.

The bridesmaid dresses were apparently orange, with Zebra detailing. I saw a headline entitled, "The Bride Wore Bling." Her dress was something around 200 thousand pounds.

She used Posh and Beck's wedding as a 'how-to' example. Posh wore a corset that knocked her waist down a few inches to 18. David and Victoria sat on actual thrones at the reception, y'all.

Oh. My. God.

There are some things that are so extraordinarily tacky, they venture into the sublime. When I get my hot little hands on a copy of OK! Magazine this weekend, I'll be able to determine if that's the category the Tweedy-Cole wedding fits into. Goody!

All snark aside, though,they are a cute couple.

Fantastic

Charles Pierce is one of my favorite writers. Why? Check this out-

It just so happens that I have a couple of really ugly-ass dogs in this fight over embryonic stem-cell research. Not many political issues are personal with me, but this one deeply is. I have watched slow death from neurological disease once too often in my life to be anything but furious when Sam Brownback, a United States senator to the everlasting embarrassment of that body, pulls out a child's drawing of an embryo with a smiley-face in order to argue his position.

Speaking as one who watched my maternal and paternal grandmothers die from complications from ALS and Alzheimers, respectively, Brownback can step off.

Ass. Smiley faces on the floor of the Senate. Jesus.

Mercury shortlist

Arctic Monkeys -- "Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not"

Isobel Campbell & Mark Lanegan -- "Ballad of the Broken Seas"

Editors -- "The Back Room"

Guillemots -- "Through the Windowpane"

Richard Hawley -- "Coles Corner"

Hot Chip -- "The Warning"

Muse -- "Black Holes & Revelations"

Zoe Rahman -- "Melting Pot"

Lou Rhodes -- "Beloved One"

Scritti Politti -- "White Bread Black Beer"

Sway -- "This is My Demo"

Thom Yorke -- "The Eraser"

Burton and The Killers?

Interesting..... and in somewhat related news, Anton Corbijn, who directed the U.S. video for "All These Things (That I Have Done)," has started filming Control, about the life of Ian Curtis (Joy Division).

From MEN-

FILMING is under way on the movie biopic of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic lead singer of legendary band Joy Division.

On Monday cast and crew descended on Macclesfield, the town where Ian lived before ending his life in 1980 aged just 23.

The film, Control, stars newcomer Sam Riley as the troubled frontman, while Oscar-nominated actress Samantha Morton plays his wife Deborah Curtis.

It is largely based on the book Touching From A Distance, Deborah's personal account of her life with Ian.

And Deborah, alongside Factory Records boss Tony Wilson who originally signed Joy Division, will be co-producers on the film.

Source-
http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/entertainment/music/

Happy

Keef sings! For my money, best song off of 'Exile.'

NO- Round and Round

After much deliberation, I think this may be my fav New Order song. The video is v.v.v. cool, anyway.

I know

that it's kind of superficial and shite, but I love Nelly Furtado. Why?

1. My sister-at-heart, Joy, and I had a bang-up time at her concert in Houston

Andddddddddd----------------------

Nelly says the following on her iTunes Celebrity Playlist-

2."Live Forever"- This song and video made me think that music could save the world. Really, I think that Liam could have just rocked my world."
3. "Don't Look Back In Anger-" Noel was also formidably attractive. And he always saved the day. And I loved Liam's blue sweater in this video. Swoon..."

Semi-weekly top 10

1. New Order- Round and Round
2. Oasis- Whatever
3. Stone Roses- Made of Stone
4. Paul Weller- Wings of Speed
5. Arctic Monkeys- Riot Van
6. Gnarls Barkley- Gone Daddy Gone
7. Gorillaz- Kids With Guns
8. Goldfrapp- Beautiful
9. Primal Scream- Country Girl
10. Sly and the Family Stone- Stand!

Bonus tracks-
Aretha Franklin- Rock Steady
Parliament- Flashlight

Control

I am so excited for this movie. Though I'll probably have to go to the Motherland to see it.

Rudy Can't Fail?

I love Keith Olbermann. "Rudy Can't Fail" (Clash song) was the blurb onscreen when he talked about Giuliani stumping for Rick "Man-On-Dog" Santorum.

Absolute brilliance.

And in other Pirate-related news

The Guardian has a gallery of 'who's who' in POTC....

Mmm, I'm kind of feeling Jack Davenport right now. Though again, not actually.

He's kind of got the Viggo Mortensen in LOTR- thing going on in this movie. You know, when he was all dirty and wet and riding a horse? I know you were thinking the same thing, you filthy birds.

(Boy, I'm all about the abbreviations today, huh)?

Moment of silence, please

Rolling Stone has a Johnny Depp Gallery. Articles, piccies (allegedly- can't get the link to work). Sweet Baby Jesus, look at the pretty!

Though not here, obviously. Though I do love me some Good Doctor.













Pic from www.depponline.com

Whatever, part deux

This is vastly superior to the TOTP version. And definitely shows that my beloved Noel was definitely not the worst-looking member of Oasis, circa 1994. God, he's a freaking SUPERMODEL compared to Tony McCarroll and Bonehead.

If I needed

any more confirmation as to how superior my musical taste is, just check out some of these choices for 'best second album ever.'

Britney is mentioned. So is Good Charlotte. As is Clay Aiken. Jesus.

(though in the posters's defense, many of the choices were decent).

Looky here! Best debut albums of all time

"The Velvet Underground & Nico", from 1967, was voted ahead of "Marquee Moon" by Television and "Are You Experienced" by Jimi Hendrix in the survey by Uncut magazine.

01 The Velvet Underground "The Velvet Underground & Nico" 1967
02 Television "Marquee Moon" 1977
03 Jimi Hendrix Experience "Are You Experienced" 1967
04 The Stone Roses "The Stone Roses" 1989
05 The Band "Music From Big Pink" 1968
06 The Clash "The Clash" 1977
07 Led Zeppelin "Led Zeppelin" 1969
08 Joy Division "Unknown Pleasures" 1979
09 Roxy Music "Roxy Music" 1972
10 The Stooges "The Stooges" 1969


Uncut is the Brit rock-snob mag for the rock snob of a certain age, but I'm certain you could infer that by the dates above. That being said, look at #4! Yeah, boy!

I have the albums by the Roses, Jimi, Velvets, Band, Clash and Zeppelin. I'm not quite Rob Gordon enough to enjoy Roxy and The Stooges. The former has to do with I know exactly one of their songs 'More Than This,' and that's due to Bill Murray singing it in 'Lost In Translation.' The Stooges? I'm just meh about them. Yes, I understand how seminal they were, but I can't be bothered to listen to them. Though I really like to read Iggy stories. What a scamp! Hee hee.

Dove-ish goodness

"Pounding."

God, I love this song... Jeez, Jimi has rather nice eyes, doesn't he?

Genius

I worship the goddesses of Go Fug Yourself.

Why? This description will have to suffice.

Girl On The Left looks like a distant cousin of Hilary Duff as reimagined by Anne Rice. Second from the left, we have a facial knockoff of Posh Spice (but dressed like Sienna Miller) from the years when she actually ate food that required chewing. Third from the left, we have a copycat Carrie Underwood in an S&M figure-skating costume.

Now THAT'S what I'm talking about

I maintain that A&R persons in the U.K. should set up shop in any Northern city. Fish in a barrel.

MANCHESTER and the rest of the north west are top of the pops, a survey reveals.

Yahoo Music discovered that musicians from the north west had more No 1 singles and albums since 2000 than artists from other regions.

Manchester and the rest of the region trounced the opposition, recording a No1 hit for every 115,254 people, compared with one hit per 216,647 people from Greater London and one for every 253,125 from the south east.

Doesn't this sound interesting?

Infamous, the next film about Truman Capote, just got a rave from the Independent's film critic.

And here's another thing that Infamous has. In the opening scene of the film, Truman and Babe Paley are at the El Morocco night club in 1959, listening to a singer, Kitty Dean (Gwyneth Paltrow). She leaps into her number and then falters. She breaks down, slowly recovers, and finishes the song. It is the best thing I have ever seen Paltrow do - and it is for us to judge how far the incident is a model for Infamous.

And....

That is not all. Perry Smith is played by Daniel Craig. I noticed him first as the nasty guy in Road to Perdition. He starred opposite Gwyneth Paltrow in Sylvia. He was in Steven Spielberg's Munich, as the hard guy in the group. He is - as I'm sure you know - the new James Bond, shortly to star in Casino Royale. He is also due to appear with Nicole Kidman in The Visiting.

And in a year's time, I suspect, it will be taken for granted that he is one of the best screen actors anywhere - and a great part of that will be because of Infamous, where he is as frightening as any killer, as abject as a person without education, and yet as touching as the man Capote was oddly graced by meeting.

God Love Them

This is one of my fav Jam Songs-

The Jam - Man In The Cornershop (Live)

I'd be lying if

I didn't admit this made me laugh my ass off.....

Heaven knows what James Blunt is doing closing Saturday night at Wireless, when he could have been at Royal Ascot in a top hat, representing the Hillier-Blount clan.

God bless Caroline Sullivan.

This assessment is somewhat (read- extremely) influenced by the fact that I was forced to at work today, listen to "You're Beautiful" 3 FREAKING TIMES. Utter crap.

Well said

Athenae is the reason that I read first-draft.com every day. Her writing is inspired, and this rant on Barack Obama kissing up to the fundies is particularly so.

You want to have a Democratic conversation about religion, Senator? You want to take the religious question back? You want to use religious imagery in order to give your party some sense of moral force?

Then you have to talk about more than your personal Dashboard Jesus, more than just your own quiet time with the Lord. You want God to be public? Then you take Him public, damn it.

You take Him into the public arena not by quoting His words but by dedicating the party to doing His work and then not mentioning one fucking word about His holy name until somebody touched by your obvious moral values flat-out asks.

Dancefloor

Classic Arctics lineup

This is for Joy

Cpt. Jack Sparrow. Yum, yum.

Nearly all of my friends (and myself, of course) have been in unrequited (obviously) love with Johnny Depp since

'21 Jump Street.'

Yes, I realize this dates us. Ask me if I'm bothered.

Photo by Albert Watson

Gnarls

Seriously, I am, at some point, going to think about something that doesn't involve:

1. Bands from the north of England/Scotland
2. My favorite celebrities
3. My actual future, as opposed to my imaginary future, which is fantastic, darling, fantastic
4. Global warming
5. How much 'Riot City Blues' by Primal Scream rules
6. The new Pirates of the Carribean movie
7. Gnarls Barkley

That being said, check out this profile of GB in the Guardian.

Gnarls Barkley befuddled many, and certainly battled the system. Their debut single, Crazy, a disturbing yet danceable account of one man's descent into madness, scuttled straight to No 1 and remained there for nine weeks before the duo had it deleted. At the time, no one knew who Gnarls Barkley was - many thought it was one man, and even when Green and Burton stepped into the limelight they did so in superhero costumes, protecting their identity. Green, formerly of the southern rap troupe Goodie Mob, and an overlooked solo artist (he has won a new solo deal in the wake of Crazy), was responsible for writing the Pussycat Dolls' hit Don't Cha. Burton, meanwhile, is celebrated for stitching together the Beatles' White Album and Jay-Z's Black Album to create The Gray Album. More recently he was drafted in to produce tracks for both Gorillaz and the Rapture's much-anticipated second album. He also works on countless underground hip-hop projects, such as Danger Doom, with the rapper MF Doom, making him the rare artist who appeals to both the experimental music heads and the chart kids.

Caveat

I am not currently married (well, to anyone not in my imagination:), and do not have children. But when I someday do meet, marry and procreate with the Man of My Dreams, I'd like think that I'd be capable of putting up the 2nd sign on the front door to keep solicitors away.

Goldfrapp, Alison Goldfrapp.

Shaken, not stirred, darling.

IT'S Oh Oh heaven for electronica queen Alison Goldfrapp - she's shaken and stirred after being wooed by James Bond.

We can reveal that Alison and pal Will Gregory have been offered one of the biggest honours in the music biz - to record the new Bond theme.

But seriously

Does everyone in the world eat better than Americans?

This is from The Guardian- recipes for halftime during World Cup games.

I'm just saying, you're not going to see smoked Haddock with Creme Fraiche, glazed lamb cutlelts, Entrecote steak with cracked pepper sauce or penne rigate with four cheeses on your average USA Today Weekend Superbowl Special menu editions....

God, we are ugly, aren't we?

This should be interesting

Apparently the Screamers aren't playing any big festivals at the end of July, since Bobby is marrying his baby's mama on the 28th.

Besides the obvious reasons, why exactly am I interested?

1. Bobby's baby's mam is closely associated with Alexander F-ing McQueen. I'm assuming her dress will be fantastic.

2. Kate Moss is reading a poem at the wedding.

So, I'm guessing that most people there won't be wearing pressed khakis and coordinates like the wedding I went to last weekend.

Also, there will be more of a chance of "I went to a wedding, and a concert broke out"- type thing happening.

On a somewhat related note, my copy of 'Riot City Blues' will be arriving on Thursday. Sweet!

Ah, Tanya....

From the NY Times-

To appreciate what Zoe Lucker manages to pull off in every episode of BBC America's crazy evening soap opera "Footballers' Wives," one need only look at the last scene of the final show of the series's third season. Ms. Lucker's character, Tanya Turner, learns that her unborn child's father may not be Conrad, the handsome bisexual soccer-club team captain she stole from his also-pregnant wife, the Bollywood star Amber. Instead, it turns out that her ogrelike husband, Frank, whom Tanya murdered with a lethal cocktail of Viagra and vigorous sex, could also be the dad. How does she discover this? She is given a videotape of Frank explaining that he poked holes in his condoms.

How could you not love this ridiculous show?

Singletons or not

My friends and I? Are Bridget Jones... The following is from one of my dear married but not-smug married friends-

Today I have eaten four small blueberry pancakes with bacon and a very small portion of eggs (because I have to put on brave face for the kids), a large slice of pizza, two large tumblers of water, half a bag of red hots, 2 slices of cheese toast, and now I am working my way through a bag of flavor blasted goldfish (xtreme cheddar).

This is the reason I should not be left alone in the house by myself with only school work to do.

Response from me-

That's hysterical. I'll write more later, but as I'm EXTREMELY hungover/still drunk, I'm not thinking you want me to write anymore. At this time. Also, the cat is tapdancing on the keyboard.
love from,
Me

Ps- It was Peppermint Patty's brother's wedding yesterday. Spent most of the night lusting after a whippersnapper. No, his name was not Gav.

PSS- you would think that I would know enough to not mix Bud Light and Vodka. You would be wrong.

Something obviously failed us at some point. Developmentally, grammatically, ecumenically.*

*With nods to the Captain, my Captain, Jack Sparrow.

Oh.My.God.

I would TOTALLY be all over this!

From The Mirror:

Eddie Izzard is in talks to play Sally Bowles in a West End production of hit musical Cabaret.

Harvey?

Y'all. Y'ALL. You know I love Oasis, right?
Adore the mouthiness, working-class background, Beatles-themed kitchens of associated band members and all? How I howl with laughter at the wit and wisdom of the Gallagher brothers? How I regard 'Acquiesce' and 'Whatever' to be some of the finest songs of the past 20 years?

Okay, now that we've established that, can anyone explain to me what the hell is going on with Liam's suit?

He looks like a Goddamned imaginary rabbit! Or that he's morphing into Simon LeBon.

I've got to go watch the 'Cigarettes and Alcohol' video to get my head back in the right place.

Jesus, 'Our Kid,' go put trackie bottoms on, or something. Baggy trousers that ARE NOT PASTEL-SHADED. Great sunglasses, though. As usual.

(Nicole, you look cute. Make your boyfriend stick to neutrals. Thanks, love).

I love the Internet

New Musical Express has a digital edition. You can get 51 issues for 40 bucks. It's delivered to your email the day it hits the stands in the Motherland. This is a bargain, as I gladly, with a shit-eating smile on my face, buy the magazine for 5-6 bucks a pop. Not to mention, Brit music magazines take some serious effing effort to find in the Hawkeye State.

Guess what I just purchased? You got it.

Am totally Snoopy dancing right now.

Also, my German import of 'Riot City Blues' should be arriving via UPS soon. YAYAYAYAY!

Captain Jack will take you high tonight

Oh, yes. Pirates 2 premieres in less than a month. More Johnny happiness.