Singles Club: with Solange Knowles, Hamfatter and the Verve

Solange Knowles � I Decided
The Pharell Williams jazz-tinged, Motown-y original felt like it required someone to kick it up the Bootylicious. And that's what the Freemasons have done � replacing handclaps with stomping bass drums and replacing the lounge-bar pianos with synth-stabs that could out-chunk a Yorkie manufacturing plant. The result means Beyonce's little sister has scored one of the year's best crop up tracks. Now, let's just gloss all over the fact that the brains behind it all is him from Phats and Small, OK?
Watch the Freemasons Mix

Hamfatter � The Girl I Love
I met Peter Jones once. Very big hands, he had. Anyway, I love how the "matey" Dragon "signed" this lot on Dragons Den without listening any of their new material. That's the genial of news report you'd buzz off from Alan McGee � "Just took one wait at them and signed them on the spot" � merely not necessarily a venture capitalist. This is perfectly pleasant indie that even Jones, had he listened to it, could happen a decent melody in. But simon Marks off for A) organism completely inconsequent, and B) making it impossible to end whatever review without saying "I'm out".

The Verve � Love Is Noise
Ever since I've been a music fan (around 12 years now), the Verve receive been rending up and getting back together. This time they announced their arrival with a quite literally not very gratifying "jamming academic session" through NME. Now they've discovered rabbit on, or at least they've sampled a euphoric chipmunk and put it on loop throughout this. It's not on the nose Atlantis to Interzone, but a welcome foray into more uplifting waters. Can't wait for them to discover dubstep in time for their 2016 reformation tour.

Jeremy Warmsley � Lose My Cool
Transgressive ar signing up a muckle of London-based bleepy singer-songwriters like Esser and this guy. Jeremy Warmsley is a bit more nerdy, misunderstood and angsty than Esser though, and I can't help thinking frYars does this kind of thing a lot better. Still, the guy's completed at an early age that eating away thick rimmed specs and making indie is his only fortune of getting a shag, so honest play to him.

Alanis Morissette - In Praise Of The Vulnerable Man
"You are the bravest man I've ever met," wails Alanis over backward synth phrases (unless the dodgy YouTube clipping I'm hearing to this on is some kind of sicko remix). She continues: "You are the sexiest man I've ever been with..." OK, OK, enough. The sanctions on singing about gap year enlightenment and falafel have been upraised. "Sexy Alanis" is hardly too goddam frightening.

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LaBeouf lawyer asks for witnesses to accident

LOS ANGELES - Shia LaBeouf could have a long road before him as he recovers from an accident that crushed his hand, his lawyer says.

LaBeouf, 22, was injured in a late-night crash final Sunday in West Hollywood that flipped his motortruck. The "Indiana Jones" star was cited for boozy driving only authorities feature since aforesaid he was not at fault and the other driver seemingly ran a red light.

Michael Norris, LaBeouf's lawyer, aforesaid in a statement Friday LaBeouf had four hours of surgery. His leftfield arm cadaver immobilized from the elbow down.

"He volition need steady medical supervision until his doctors clear him to return to work," Norris said in the statement.

"His doctors stay hopeful that he will fully recuperate but due to extensive surgery and the nature of the injuries, there remains a substantial risk of exposure of both infection and other complications."

Photos posted on entertainment blogs Friday showed the actor wearing jeans, a ballcap and a T-shirt missing one sleeve as he smoked a cigarette outside the Los Angeles hospital where he has been recovering since the surgery. Bandages and a brace cover his left arm, leaving only his pinky finger exposed.

LaBeouf has been filming the "Transformers" continuation, "Revenge of the Fallen." Director Michael Bay said the injury may be added to the script.

"His two fingers are pretty smashed just we're reckoning out a way to shoot close to it, kind of drop a line it into the report," Bay told "Access Hollywood" in an interview airing Friday.

Bay claimed his leading man was not rummy at the time of the crash and insisted "that's gonna go away."

"He was drinking hours and hours before," Bay told the syndicated entertainment show.

LaBeouf's passenger in the accident was Isabel Lucas, a 23-year-old Australian actress wHO appears in the "Transformers" sequel. She was not injured.

Sheriff's officials have said they won't release the other driver's name until the prescribed investigation is completed and a report is issued, which could take weeks.

LaBeouf's lawyer said the thespian has co-operated with police force and independent investigators "received information that suggests the other number one wood may get been travelling upwards of 50 miles an hour and that said driver may not have been looking onward at the time of the accident."

"We are selfsame appreciative, again, of the patience that everyone has shown us and of the many concerned citizens who have stepped ahead to provide information regarding this collision," the statement continued, adding anyone with information nearly the accident was urged to

Urban Takeover

   
Artist: Urban Takeover

   Genre(s): 
Drum & Bass
   

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Discography:


   
 Majistrate and DJ Nicol-URBTAK

   Year: 2004   
Tracks: 2

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Dirty Pretty Things' Carl Barat rushed to hospital

Alka Vuica

   
Artist: Alka Vuica

   Genre(s): 
Folk: Croatian
   

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Discography:


   
 Lazi me

   Year:    
Tracks: 6

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'Blade Runner' tops DVD Critics Awards

Yulia complaint shocks punk website boss

The administer of a punk rock website is surprised Yulia and her husband Glyn MacLean complained to police about its content.The singer and her manager-husband lodged a complaint after graphic sexual comments aimed at her appeared in the forums of Punkas.com.Administer Matt Barns says he had never heard of Yulia and was shocked at the police complaint, which he first found out about when the police called him in the middle of the night. He says he is surprised the couple went to the police, before contacting him.Mr Barns says he has put a word block on her name, and a search for "Yulia" now comes up with the word "nameless".The couple also received harassing late night phone calls, after their contact details were published on another website.- NEWSTALK ZB

The Decemberists

   
Artist: The Decemberists

   Genre(s): 
Indie
   Rock
   

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Discography:


   
 The Crane Wife

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 10


   
 Picaresque

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 11


   
 Live On KRCW (THU APR 21, 2005

   Year: 2005   
Tracks: 10


   
 Her Majesty The Decemberists

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 11


   
 5 Songs

   Year: 2003   
Tracks: 6

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Muslimgauze and Fish Species

   
Artist: Muslimgauze and Fish Species

   Genre(s): 
Industrial
   

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Discography:


   
 Rainbow dancers

   Year: 1999   
Tracks: 7

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Commander Tom Vs. Oliver Cats

   
Artist: Commander Tom Vs. Oliver Cats

   Genre(s): 
House
   

---

Discography:


   
 I Can't Sleep (PULSIVE025R) Vinyl

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 4

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Angelina Jolie - The Things They Say 8471

Victoria Beckham Set For Ugly Betty Comeback

Victoria Beckham has reportedly accepted another cameo on Ugly Betty following her stint on the fashion industry sitcom last year.

The wannabe designer appeared in the programme as a bridesmaid who upstages bride to be Wilhelmina Slater, played by Vanessa Williams.

Impressed TV bosses asked Beckham to return and the star has now reportedly agreed to a regular guest spot on the programme.

A source tells Australian newspaper the Sydney Morning Herald: "The producers are delighted she will return. She is going to feature quite a bit."

The show is becoming famous for its celebrity cameos, with supermodel Naomi Campbell and Lindsay Lohan both appearing in the latest series of the hit comedy.

Usher Recruits Fellow Newlywed Jay-Z For Marriage-Focused Track: '[At] Some Point In Life, You've Got To Grow Up'

Usher didn't learn his lesson. He messed up again. After making love in the club, he lost the girl of his dreams on a record called "Best Thing" featuring Jay-Z. The two recorded the cut with producer Jermaine Dupri during the Atlanta stop of Jay's Heart of the City Tour.

Hov starts the song by talking about a bachelor who has reservations about getting hitched: "Can't give a ring up/ I couldn't give a f---, how could I give a finger?/ Let alone half baths and closets/ So claustrophobic, in fear of close objects."

"Listen, is there any chance that you remember me being any more than just a horrible man?" Usher sings. "And would you consider pullin' this trigger and taking a second shot at romance?/ Oh baby, I want the days when you were my girl and I was your man/ Know I took you for granted/ But it wasn't until now I see how much I miss you."

"We got together on his album, got back together on this one," Usher told MTV Base of the record. "Of course, with the talk of both of us now being newlyweds, there is a question as to why, and is it real? Well, if you hear that [song], you'll understand what [Jay] meant when he says, 'Seeds becomes plants/ Boys become men/ You've got to grow up, not down.' "

"Best Thing" and "Love in This Club" are just part of the story on Usher's May 27 release, Here I Stand. There are a lot of messages of love and monogamy.

"Being a positive influence, being where you are, being honest about where you are is really the ultimate objective," he added. "I think that it's important to be honest. If it leads and people catch on to it, then they do it. If they miss it, then you've just missed it, but it is what it is, and you are what you are no matter where you are. If you are a playa, you're a playa. If you're a real man, you're a real man, but you know you got to — in some point in life — you've got to grow up. Grow away from certain immaturities. I was a younger guy in my last album, I'm somewhat a more mature individual as a result of the choices I have made, the direction I have taken. And that is conveyed in the song that me and Jay-Z did together."

The album's title track was played at Usher's nuptial ceremony.

" 'Here I Stand' was played at my wedding, which is why everybody thinks it was written specifically for that reason," he explained. "It wasn't; it was originally written before we were engaged or married. It was [my wife's] request to have it played at our wedding because it was suiting. If you listen to the words, it is very heartfelt, simplistic, yet very soulful. ... It's a man's words to his woman: a vow to say that you are the one, and I'll be there for you. You know, some people are ready to make that step, some people aren't. I think about this every time I put my albums together. I wonder where my fans are. Are they with me or have they grown with me? Well, the fan that was 21 when I was 21 is now 29. He or she probably has experienced this, feels this or has felt this. So I speak to you, but also complimenting the younger, up-and-coming fans with 'Love in This Club' and 'What's Your Name,' which are more lighthearted. But you get depth. It's almost like a complete story; you get a beginning, a middle and an end, and it's all there for you."

"Love in This Club," a former #1 record on the Billboard charts, is currently the fifth-highest-charting song in the country.

"Well, there weren't many people that we considered to be on the record," he said, explaining Young Jeezy's appearance on the track. "It's an ATL record, so it was very different. It was 'OK, you've got an ATL-sounding record, [so] you've gotta get one of the guys from Atlanta that really puts it down.' It was [Polow Da Don's] concept to put him on it. I think that Jeezy is one of the greatest MCs of our time, especially given his credibility. He has a very grounded fanbase, and to get [him] on this song and make it better, take it to the next level, was a compliment. So it was a good move on Polow's part."






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Ed McMahon talks about possible home foreclosure; cites poor planning, health

LOS ANGELES - Ed McMahon blames the possible foreclosure of his multimillion-dollar Beverly Hills house on a set of problems all too familiar to many Americans: a foundering economy, health problems and poor planning.

"If you spend more money than you make, you know what happens," McMahon said Thursday night on CNN's "Larry King Live." "You know, a couple of divorces thrown in, a few things like that. And, you know, things happen."

McMahon, 85, appeared with his wife, Pamela. The couple said they are $644,000 behind on their mortgage payments and are in negotiations with lender Countrywide Home Loans Inc. to set a foreclosure date.

McMahon, in a neck brace, said he had stopped working since he broke his neck in a fall 18 months ago. He didn't elaborate.

McMahon, who was Johnny Carson's sidekick on the "Tonight" show, said the house had been on the market for two years and that although 50 organizations or individuals had looked at it, no one had made an offer. Documents show McMahon has a $4.8 million mortgage on the home.

"It's like a perfect storm," he said. "Economy problems. Selling the house right now is a tremendous operation."

McMahon bought the six-bedroom, five-bathroom, 650-square-metre house in January 1990. The mansion, which is listed at $6.25 million, is in a gated hilltop section off Mulholland Drive called The Summit. Britney Spears is among his neighbours.

Asked why a millionaire couldn't make house payments, Pamela McMahon said the couple had less money than people may think and suggested they could have done a better job managing their finances.

"We didn't keep our eye on the ball. We made mistakes," she said. "It's embarrassing to say the least, and it's sad, because you know, Ed's worked his whole entire life."

McMahon, a former pitchman for the American Family Publishers' sweepstakes and former "Star Search" host, received a $7.2 million settlement after a toxic mould spread through his house and led to the death of their dog in 2001.

With legal fees and construction costs of fixing the mould problem, the money did not go far, McMahon said.

"We had nine lawyers, they had nine lawyers," McMahon said. "By the time that's all over, and you rebuild the house from the outside in. ... A lot of things went wrong."

Still, McMahon said he was hopeful. He said there has been renewed interest in the house this week.

"I'm optimistic," he said.

-

CNN is owned by Time Warner Inc.

-

On the Net:

http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/larry.king.live/

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Skeletonwitch

   
Artist: Skeletonwitch

   Genre(s): 
Rock
   

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Discography:


   
 Beyond the Permafrost

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 12

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Be Kind Rewind - 6/10/2008

Along with sound and color, the recordable magnetic tape has to be one of the most important technological advances in the history of cinema. It literally allowed the elitist conceits behind film fandom to become populist, even pedestrian. Beyond all the "everyone's a critic" caterwauling, VHS also made for a more communal experience when it came to creativity. It broadened the horizons of many who only knew what their local cineplex spoon-fed them. And one of the best examples of its lasting impact exists in Michel Gondry's brilliant little allegory Be Kind Rewind. While it purports to be a clever comedy, it's really the celluloid significance of the '80s as an amiable analog fairytale.



With the city of Passaic, New Jersey threatening to condemn his tiny video rental store, old Mr. Fletcher (Danny Glover) must take some drastic steps. While off on a fact-finding trip to a major chain outlet, he leaves trusted employee Mike (Mos Def) in charge. He has only one mandate -- keep the slightly crazy local mechanic Jerry (Jack Black) out of the store. Seems the crackpot conspiracy theorist has a tendency to drive away the clientele. One day, after a botched break-in at the power plant that Jerry believes is brainwashing him, Mike discovers that all the tapes in the shop have been erased - and it's all magnetized Jerry's fault. With meddling Ms. Falewicz (Mia Farrow) reporting back to Fletcher every day, the pair needs to do something to keep the business afloat. With Jerry as his star, and a dry cleaning clerk named Alma (Melonie Diaz) as his assistant, Mike decides to "swede" all the missing films by reshooting them, quick and dirty. Oddly enough, their homemade versions are a huge hit.



Be Kind Rewind is a raucous humoresque, another glorious Gondry goof that balances its hilarious remake material with the heartfelt story among the characters. It's also the biggest, most masterful love letter to the VCR and the resulting accessibility of cinema ever created. It's a celebration of Mom and Pop shops. And it's a genius dissection of the post-post-modern movement in film, from the established legends (video store clerk as maverick moviemaker? Hmmm…) to the current clich�s (a tech savvy screwball who believes he innately understands the medium). In Black and Def, our director finds a perfect combo. Together, they take an obvious gimmick and make it soar.



From the opening sequences showing a Fats Waller biopic in progress, to a last act nod to Cinema Paradiso's communal embrace, there is much more going on here than amateur recreations of recognizable films. And indeed, the takes on Ghostbusters, Rush Hour 2, Driving Miss Daisy, and RoboCop (among others) are wonderfully witty. But it's what Gondry isn't giving us that's most important. Few probably realize that Jerry and Mike never use a script when making their verbatim "swedes" (the movie's term for the short form copies). Indeed, the subtext suggests that home video has made certain titles second nature to the obsessive. Even better, the issue of copyright is skewered when Sigourney Weaver, in a surprise cameo, turns up as a legalese-spouting suit out to destroy our heroes' dream.



It goes without saying that the acting is excellent. Def definitely carries the film, making Mike a wide-eyed innocent in a creative world desperate to undermine him. Black is just as believable, even if Jerry ends up on the silly end of some wildly whimsical slapstick. Diaz is a real discovery, her dictatorial perkiness a wonderful contrast to her co-stars slacker subtlety. But this is Gondry's baby all the way -- a reflection on the way convenience has forever altered the idea of what a movie really is. If you focus beyond the obvious, you'll easily pick up on his idiosyncratic wavelength. The results will blow you and your video cassette collection away.







He knows robot karate.

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