No, you’re not in some alternative Bizarro universe where Newton’s laws don’t apply. Mariah Carey has been given an acting award—the folks at the Palm Springs Film Festival will honor Mariah with their Breakthrough Performance Award for (appearing in two scenes in) Precious. In retrospect, maybe we should have made Mariah Carey number five on our list of Pop Stars That Can Actually Act. MORE »
Headlines
Mariah Carey Wins Acting Award (Yes, You Heard Us Correctly)
Headlines
The Twitter Woes Of Justin Bieber’s Camp
What really happened? Depending on where you read it, Island Def Jam’s senior VP of sales James Roppo was either arrested for sending out Internet messages that Justin Bieber was still signing autographs at Long Island’s Roosevelt Field Mall, despite the tween riot that ensued at the shopping center on Friday, or, as Newsday and many other outlets have reported, for not posting a message online urging the crowds to disperse.
Sounds like it’s going to be a minute until the smoke clears on this one. Either way, what’s striking about this is that the charges filed by Nassau police—endangering the welfare of a child, obstruction of governmental administration, reckless endangerment and criminal nuisance—all revolve around the use (or non-use) of Twitter, and almost certainly couldn’t have been filed just a few short, less-tech-savvy years ago. MORE »
News
NPR’s Songs of the Decade, From Boy Bands to ‘Single Ladies’
You already know the end of the year/decade will bring no shortage of best-of lists from perfectly nice people who still think it’s all about the Strokes or Neko Case. But the most interesting decade-in-review feature we’ve seen yet isn’t a countdown—it’s just a smart look back at the biggest hits of the decade by the whiz kids over at NPR.
For the last two weeks, the music crew that puts together NPR’s Song of the Day segment, has taken a smart look back at the best and brightest in pop smashes from the aughts – one song and one year at a time. Check out their ten picks for the songs that summed up the 00’s, complete with a brief write-up (full song-by-song analysis can be seen at the source). Apologies to those with an aversion to Britney Spears and Idol alumni: this just wasn’t your time. MORE »
videodrone
‘Brick By Boring Brick’—Paramore’s Creepiest and Yellowest Video Yet
One day after America honored the Twilight soundtrack (led by Paramore’s hit “Decode,” with its autumnal video), the feisty Tennessee pop punk act is back with… an even more autumnal video. The otherworldly clip for the bouncy Brand New Eyes track “Brick By Boring Brick” appeared on the band’s website today, brimming with imagery that comes off as Alice in Wonderland meets Pan’s Labyrinth meets the color goldenrod. The weirdest part of the vid—besides Hayley Williams’ unnaturally natural blonde hair—is the out-of-left-field and slightly traumatizing ending. Embedding prohibited, so check it out at Paramore’s site and then come back and tell us if you were as disturbed as we are.
Video of the making-of “Brick By Boring Brick” behind the jump, in case you’re in desperate need of some behind-the-scenes answers. MORE »
upcoming releases
Kelis Goes ‘Acapella’ With Her New David Guetta-Produced Single
Kelis posted brand new song “Acapella” to her official site today (where you can weigh in with your comments on the song in a Twitter widget). The minimal dance track is produced by knob twiddler du jour, David Guetta. MORE »
tv party
The American Music Awards: Surprises, Stage Falls and Simulated Sex
“Last nights AMAs seems to have met all 3 award show requirements: a staged controversy, a gaffe and a triumph.” Couldn’t have said it any better myself, John Mayer’s Twitter. Let’s take a closer look at last night’s zany show, complete with performance videos: MORE »
listening station
Leighton Meester Takes On A Christmas Classic
Among the slew of new releases today—Rihanna, Lady Gaga, Susan Boyle and Adam Lambert, to name a few—comes the A Very Special Christmas Volume 7 compilation. Yes, it’s chock full of the usual holiday suspects. But hark! AVSC 7 also features a cover of the yuletide classic, “Christmas (Baby, Please Come Home)” by Gossip Girl starlet Leighton Meester.
So will Blair Waldorf’s rendition of the holiday fave become as celebrated as the Darlene Love original and the 1987 cover by U2 (which, incidentally, appeared on the very first A Very Special Christmas album)? Have a listen to a clip of it after the jump and see what you think of her prospects. MORE »
listening station
Rihanna and JT’s Duet—Do We Need ‘Hole in My Head’ Like We Need a Hole In Our Head?
Justin Timberlake has been almost Midas-like when he decides to appear as a guest vocalist on other artists’ tracks, but evidently neither his track record nor his baby falsetto was enough to keep “Hole in My Head,” a Rihanna tune, on RiRi’s Rated-R. Should it have made the cut? Give it a listen yourself after the jump: MORE »
videodrone
See If You Like Keri Hilson’s ‘I Like’ Music Video
Don’t go looking for Keri Hilson’s synthy, dreamy new jam “I Like” on her album In A Perfect World…—currently, the song only features on the soundtrack to German flick Zweiohrküken. (How belästigt!) However, at the rate artists’ albums are being re-released with bonus tracks these days, “I Like” might be washing up on these shores soon enough.
Til then, catch the music video for Keri Hilson’s “I Like” after the jump! MORE »
videodrone
Timbaland Vamps It Up In The ‘Morning After Dark’ Vid
Yes, yes—vampires are very now, very chic. But with all the goofy faces Timbaland is sporting in the video for “Morning After Dark”—which also features singer SoShy—the menacing bloodsuckers aren’t the creepiest thing in the clip. MORE »
