Last month, ’twas the season for Lady Gaga song leaks. But just because we tacked up a new calendar, why should that change? In 2009, the scantily-clad singer recorded a version of the Peter Gabriel/Kate Bush classic “Don’t Give Up” with Nathan Ferraro, frontman of MuchMusic Video Award winners Midway State.

Unfortunately for those two, some naughty bugger leaked the updated “Don’t Give Up” online last summer. The video, however, remained under wraps—until some other naughty bugger leaked it on New Year’s Day. Though the Gaga/Ferraro clip has been yanked down from virtually everywhere, you can have a look-see at it below. (Just do it fast, before the clip disappears again!)

Once their cover of “Don’t Give Up” leaked last June, Lady Gaga told Spinner, “It was really exciting doing that collaboration with Nathan. I love that song so much. I really let Midway State take the lead. I wanted it to be more pop—something that young people would hear and learn something about Kate Bush.”

Learn something about Kate Bush right here, by watching the original vid of “Don’t Give Up”:

Oscar has a little problem this year, and I’m not just talking about the fact that no human being likes The Reader even though the Weinsteins bought it a Best Picture nod. Actually, that is part of the problem. This year’s batch of Best Picture contenders are a moribund lot with no real consensus favorite and no Dark Knight-style blockbuster up there to boost ratings. Sure, The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button is doing alright at the box office, but it has to make about $100 million more to even recoup, and it has as many detractors as it has supporters. Slumdog Millionaire is the only real “story” to surround this year’s Academy Awards, so you can imagine that the producers of said awards show really want M.I.A. to perform a little bit of her song from the movie, “O Saya,” on Sunday night. There is just one problem: She’s worried about her condition, what with her recently having a baby and all.

M.I.A. doesn’t want to back out like Mr. Party Pooper, Peter Gabriel, who balked at the show’s baffling Best Original Song medley decision. She discussed appearing via satellite from bed or via hologram like Will.i.am on Election Night. Oscar producer Laurence Mark has a better idea! Why not bring her bed to Los Angeles?

“She’s eager to perform … we’ve said things like ‘we’re willing to have her enter on a large bed,’” Mark is reported to have told the WENN network. “We’ll make it as easy for her as we can.”

Huh. Yeah, having her fly out there to lie in a bed is a waaaay better idea than just performing from home. Getting back to Peter Gabriel, I once saw him in concert, and he performed “Shock The Monkey” from a giant bed, writhing around under the covers. It was the kind of high-concept showmanship that you just don’t see much anymore—so, the more I think about it, the more I am all for this big bed idea. Hell, bring the baby along with you and plop it right in next to her. Put the bed on a rising platform that also spins, maybe with some sort of glittery animal like a jaguar underneath, just like Peter Criss‘ cat drum riser in KISS. Perhaps there could be a big flashing M.I.A. sign behind her. Here, I’ve mocked it up:

I think this could be a real ratings booster! But if they are going to all of this trouble for M.I.A., what of Mr. Gabriel? Is M.I.A. gonna be rolled out on a bed for 60-ish seconds? I highly doubt that. If they up her time, will PG’s song still get the shaft?

(As for the hologram thing, I have one simple rule in this life: beyond the normal things necessary to keep myself alive–breathing, eating, pooping–never do anything that will.i.am has done. It’s served me well thus far.)

MIA offered bed to perform from at Oscars 2009 [Guardian]

Peter Gabriel has decided not to perform at the Academy Awards on Feb. 22 (although he will attend). And if the reasoning he presents for the decision on his Web site can be believed, I can’t say I blame him.

According to Gabriel, the Oscar ceremony will cut the musical performances down to a medley with 60 seconds or so allotted to each of the three nominated songs. (The move is apparently being done to jazz up the telecast’s ratings.) What makes this somewhat perplexing is that the “Best Song” performances have often been the among the program’s highlights, including the Swell Season with “Falling Slowly” last year and Elliott Smith and his giant suit in 1998.

Given that there are only three songs on the slate of contenders this year, couldn’t the seemingly endless Oscar ceremony toss over a measly six minutes or so? I have no idea what Hugh Jackman will be doing in between awards to entertain the audience, but somehow I suspect it will be vastly less interesting.

Peter’s February Update [Peter Gabriel]

This morning brought the nominations for the 66th Annual Golden Globes, and the nominees for Best Original Song do collect a “who are some people who have never been in my kitchen”-worthy group—songs performed by Beyonce, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Miley Cyrus, and Clint Eastwood are up for the award, which will be given out next month. After the jump, the five nominated songs, just in case you haven’t gotten around to hearing Springsteen’s title track for The Wrestler or the Cyrus’ increasingly Bea Arthur-ish timbre growling through a song from Bolt.

Beyonce, “Once In A Lifetime” (Cadillac Records)
Music and lyrics by Beyoncé Knowles, Amanda Ghost, Scott McFarnon, Ian Dench, James Dring, and Jody Street

Clint Eastwood and Jamie Cullum, “Grand Torino” (Grand Torino)
Music by Clint Eastwood, Jamie Cullum, Kyle Eastwood, and Michael Stevens / lyrics by Kyle Eastwood and Michael Stevens

Peter Gabriel, “Down To Earth” (Wall-E)
Music by Peter Gabriel, Thomas Newman / lyrics by Peter Gabriel

Miley Cyrus, “I Thought I Lost You” (Bolt)
Music and Lyrics by Miley Cyrus and Jeffrey Steele

Bruce Springsteen, “The Wrestler” (The Wrestler/em>)
Music and Lyrics by Bruce Springsteen

I went to PS 112 in Astoria to vote this morning, and while the school’s lobby was bake-sale-free, casting my ballot and walking to the subway put me in a good mood. The sun was shining, the air was crisp, and the promise of not being bombarded with election-related speculation was close on the horizon, at least until some idiot commentator utters the word “2012″ while scrambling to fill space on whatever cable-news channel has given him airtime. Which is probably why I had Andrew WK’s “Party Hard” in my head: Sure, it was barely after nine in the morning and I was on my way back to work, instead of heading out for the evening, but my heart felt right–like it was enjoying some wine, canapes, and total fucking raging. And isn’t that what matters? A counterpoint party song, and a rundown of some notable stories that got lost in the Election Day shuffle, after the jump.

• The most recent Google News alert for “Jarvis Cocker” comes from a Telegraph piece on an auction benefiting the British music-therapy outfit Nordoff-Robbins: “U2 guitarist The Edge paid £15,000 for the Spitting Image puppet of Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker.” [Telegraph]
• Scott Weiland’s Happy In Galoshes leaked today. I tracked it down, and it took me–I am not kidding–an hour to download the damn thing once I found it. And I was only planning on spending an hour with it in the first place! [Did It Leak]
• Genesis can’t dance, nor can they wean themselves from the reunion-show teat: Now they’re holding out hope that Peter Gabriel will join them for one more tour of the world. [Billboard]
• The idea that Google is facing off against Dolly Parton in the battle over the wireless spectrum sure seems to contradict the company’s longstanding “Don’t be evil” policy, no? [NYT]
• If you work at MTV Networks, you may want to brush up your resume. [Gawker]
• Keri Hilson’s album has been pushed back for the 143rd time. [Billboard]
• I showed this story on Japanese music producers being arrested on conspiracy and fraud charges to friend-of-Idolator Reed Fischer, and he replied, “Someone in this story is going to get thrown off a balcony.” Or option their tale to Jet Li. [Yomiuri Daily Online]

Andrew W.K. – Party Hard [Dailymotion]
Pulp – Party Hard [YouTube]

Halloween is only four days away! Although the fun is rapidly being sucked from the whole holiday thanks to church-sponsored “Harvest Festivals” and the jackass who thinks a “FBI: Female Body Inspector” t-shirt is a costume, we hope to help you, the reader, inject a bit more excitement into the celebration with some costume ideas from your favorite music videos.

7. Van Halen, “Hot For Teacher”

Fast forward (or the internet equivalent) to 2:14. See those orange suits? Wearing one of those says “I’m classy, but totally ready to party.” You can thank me later.

6. Peter Gabriel, “Sledgehammer”

“Sledgehammer” isn’t just a groundbreaking video, it’s an endless source of costume ideas that you’ll be forced to explain to people all night long. Train track around your neck? Hilarious! Guy with clay hammers for hands? Edgy! Peter Gabriel made out of fruit? Possibly too difficult.

5. Big & Rich, “Save A Horse, Ride A Cowboy”

Country music seems like a wealth of costume ideas (who wouldn’t be impressed by your “Waylon Jennings In The ’70s” costume?), although you may want to figure out your friends’ political sensitivities before dressing up like John Rich.

4. Nine Inch Nails, “Only”

A costume should really be graded on a creativity to price ratio. Anyone can spend a ton of money and have an exceptional costume. The guy who buys one of those pin toys from Target and goes as Trent Reznor from the “Only” video is frugal and, as a bonus, appears to be in touch with his emotions.

3. B-Rock, “My Baby Daddy”

Can you rustle up an old cell phone, a fancy hat, and a sweatshirt from the ’90s? Then you can be T-Bird from the “My Baby Daddy” video, and you can thank me later.

2. R.E.M., “Pop Song 89″

Of course, if the whole process of choosing a costume ends up being too stressful, you can always just put some large black stripes on your pants, take your shirt off, and move your body around like it’s “Pop Song 89.” (Ladies might want to splurge for some black oaktag, too.) Not the most relevant of costumes, but hey, it’s affordable.

1. L’Trimm, “Cars With The Boom“

I haven’t provided many options for the ladies, but I think this suggestion makes up for it. Find yourself a friend, hit up Forever 21 and Claire’s with a sharp eye, and you have yourself Tigra and Bunny costumes. Who doesn’t enjoy the cars that go boom? (Note: This costume might go over better in the greater Miami area.)

Although I can’t imagine anyone needing an idea other than the ones I’ve provided, feel free to offer your music video derived suggestions in the comments.

I suppose I would trust Peter Gabriel more than than most CEOs of music recommendation sites when it came to to selecting listening material. (At the very least, I’d hear some WOMAD-appropriate stuff.) Although he’s not really the person making all the music recommendations on his new site TheFilter.com, he’s developed what he calls a “life jockey” to help users find new music, movies, and other means of entertainment.

“We’re doing something different to the others – trying to integrate the machine approach and human beings,” said Gabriel.

“Most of us have people we know who are well informed or have great taste in certain areas and we’d like to have that available to us at all times. Any sort of navigation requires good filtering, particularly when the number one commodity for most of us is our own time.”

These sort of things always seem more exciting in theory than in practice for me, and once The Filter recommended downloading a widget of some sort to “enhance” its recommendations, I knew that I wouldn’t be returning. I’ve gone through scrobblers and aggregrators and the like, and all I’ve gotten in return is a slowed computer in exchange for some dodgy suggestions. (The Black Eyed Peas? Thanks, but no thanks, The Filter.) Is there a future for collaborative filtering when there seem to be human-powered “recommendation engines” like blogs, radio in various forms, and friends?

The Filter: Peter Gabriel hails online filtering service as digital ‘life jockey’ [The Guardian]

The singer gets his signals crossed during a concert in Germany last night, debuting a new look that Us Weekly has already declared a “Biko no-no!”

[Photo: Getty Images]