This guy just can't do anything wrong in our eyes.
His new band, Them Crooked Vultures was the musical guest on last weekend's Saturday Night Live, and he took a quick break from rocking to make a guest appearance as part of Crisis Of Conformity's reunion with Ashton Kutcher and Bill Hader.
Good times.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Helping Haiti video for 'Everybody Hurts' released
Ok, insensitivity first - we can't help but wonder if these were all the singers who weren't asked to participate in We Are The World.
But then we watched the video and were so touched by the song and the visuals from Haiti that we realised no one would care about the above comment - it's a BEAUTIFUL video!
But then we watched the video and were so touched by the song and the visuals from Haiti that we realised no one would care about the above comment - it's a BEAUTIFUL video!
Brand New with Athousandguitars.com - 09 February 2010
In new releases this week:
HIM - Screamworks: Love And Theory In Practice
This is the seventh studio album by the Finnish rock band. The first single, “Heartkiller” was released at the beginning of December. Frontman Ville Valo told Kerrang! that the album is a sonic diary of an affair that has since ended. “The album's also about both the theoretical and practical aspects of relationships which are an impossible problem to resolve. 'Screamworks' represents a cathartic, primal scream; it's a big middle finger; it's a fuck off, I want to do what I want to do."
Massive Attack - Heligoland
Massive Attack’s fifth studio album is named after the German archipelago of the same name and comes seven years after the release of their last record. The album features always-chosen guest singer, Horace Andy and the following other invited vocalists: Tunde Adebimpe, Damon Albarn, Hope Sandoval, Guy Garvey and Martina Topley-Bird.
Sade - Soldier Of Love
This is the first album from the English R&B band in ten years. The first single and title track from the album was released on the band’s website (www.sade.com) in the beginning of December. Among everything the first single has already achieved, it became the first ever vocal to hit # 1 on the Smooth Jazz Top 20 Countdown. Welcome back, m’dear!
Hot Chip also release their record One Left Stand and Young Jeezy (holla!) releases Thug Motivation 103.
Next week, Angels & Airwaves release their free digital download album Love on Sunday the 14th, and on Tuesday, Peter Gabriel brings us new music.
ⓒ athousandguitars.com 2010
Monday, February 8, 2010
Valentine's Day - a date to forget
For fans of bonbons and Hallmark sentiment who wish Valentine's Day lasted forever, Garry Marshall's 123-minute movie arrives like the answer to a prayer.
Taking its name from cupid's holiday with all the inspired creativity of a filing label, "Valentine's Day" crisscrosses endlessly -- endlessly -- among a Whitman's sampler of cutouts passing as characters.
Drawn by the starry cast and the film's built-in date-movie cachet, weekend moviegoers will send box office love notes to the New Line release. But the affair is likely to be short-lived as the reality sets in that "Valentine's Day" is yet another Hollywood romantic comedy that's all but devoid of romance and laughs.
For the latter, audiences will have to wait for the obligatory end-credit outtakes. Until then, they've got the antics of a bunch of witless, good-looking Angelenos variously chasing or avoiding l'amour. At the center of the multistrand story are Reed (Ashton Kutcher) and his best friend, Julia (Jennifer Garner). She's madly in love with a doctor (Patrick Dempsey) and more than a little surprised that florist Reed's career-gal girlfriend (Jessica Alba) has accepted his wedding proposal.
Popping the question on Valentine's Day, he believes, has given him license to be a "sappy cheeseball" for the next 24 hours. That seems to be the guiding principle of Katherine Fugate's script as well, which subs clunking punchlines for froth and snap and which spares almost no one in the ensemble from mouthing banalities about the ways of the heart.
"It's Valentine's Day," Reed enthuses to Julia at one point. "You don't think; you just do."
Reed's flower shop serves as the hub for much of the action. Among those stopping in to order bouquets are a precocious fifth-grader (Bryce Robinson) and Julia's two-timing boyfriend. The latter event poses a quandary for Reed, which he hashes out with his right-hand man (George Lopez): Should he tell his best friend the truth about the good doctor? That's the closest the film gets to dramatic tension.
Marshall's direction lends the material little in the way of momentum, and John Debney's score grows increasingly thick with schmaltz.
A couple of first kisses and a reunion that cap the film are sweet but hardly worth the long road through scuffles, realignments and rapprochements that precedes them. A local sportscaster (Jamie Foxx) bristles at the Valentine's Day fluff piece assigned to him by his producer (Kathy Bates, barely there); he'd rather be chasing down a story about a football star (Eric Dane) whose career is in question. The athlete's publicist (Jessica Biel) prepares for her annual I Hate Valentine's Day party, and his high-powered agent (Queen Latifah) puts up with a new receptionist (Anne Hathaway) who's off to a good romantic start with a fellow employee (Topher Grace) -- except for the secret she's keeping about her moonlighting as a phone-sex operator.
From Julia Roberts' Army captain finding a simpatico seatmate (Bradley Cooper) on her flight home, to the high school girl (Emma Roberts) who's openly scheduling a virginity-ending session with her boyfriend (Carter Jenkins), nobody rings true except as a movie contrivance.
Music-biz It girl Taylor Swift makes her big-screen debut hamming it up as a ditz who's gushing with adoration for her jock boyfriend (Taylor Lautner), and a subplot involving Shirley MacLaine and Hector Elizondo offers a bit of movie love, if little else, with fevered close-ups from MacLaine's 1958 "Hot Spell."
Foxx and Grace survive with their comic timing intact, and Garner's inherent geniality lends her role some charm. But this travelogue of Los Angeles landmarks, in which low-riders and Indian restaurants serve as "colorful" symbols of multiculturalism, is more valentine to the flower industry than a true love connection.
(Story and image from www.reuters.com)
Jennie Garth: Go Red For Women
Jennie Garth is joined by Ms. International Erin Golden to help promote the Go Red for Women National Casting Call at Macy’s Herald Square on Friday (February 5) in New York City.
The 37-year-old 90210 actress is the Go Red For Women spokesperson and launched a nationwide call for stories and inviting women to Speak Up about heart disease.
“After learning of my own heart condition and losing my father to heart disease, I know how important it is to speak up about this silent killer,” said Jennie, actress and heart health advocate. “Too many women remain unaware. We must spread the word to our friends, family and community about how to make the right choices every day. You can truly save lives with the power of your very own voice.”
For more information please visit GoRedForWomen.org.
Cities try innovative solutions to easy traffic congestion
Traffic congestion has gotten way out of hand -- and not just in developed countries anymore: Traffic jams and smog plague dozens of cities in China and in many other parts of the developing world. Here in the U.S., road congestion now causes commuters to spend an average of a full work week each year sitting in traffic, according to the Texas Transportation Institute. While alternative modes of getting around are available, most of us still opt for our cars for the sake of convenience, comfort and privacy.
The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing, whereby cities charge a toll on entering certain parts of town at certain times of day. The theory goes that, if the toll is high enough, some drivers will cancel their trips or opt for the bus or rails. And it seems to be working: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports that Singapore, London, Stockholm and the three largest cities in Norway have reduced traffic and pollution in downtown areas thanks to congestion pricing.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues to push for congestion pricing to ease traffic in Manhattan. The latest proposal -- rejected by the State Legislature in 2008 -- called for an $8 toll to enter Manhattan between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with monies funding public transit maintenance and expansion.
Another way to reduce rush hour traffic is for employers to implement flex-time, which lets employees travel to and from work at off-peak traffic times to avoid rush hour. Those who must travel during busy times can do their part by carpooling. Employers can also subsidize employee mass transit costs, and/or allow more workers to telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars off the road altogether.
Some urban planners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to build more roads -- especially expressways that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets. But such techniques don't really keep more cars off the road; they only accommodate more of them. Forward-thinking city planners, knowing that more and more drivers and cars are taking to the roads every day, are loathe to encourage more private automobiles when mass transit options are so much better for people and the environment.
And Americans are getting it. According to EDF, public transit usage has steadily risen since 1995, with Americans taking 10.7 billion public transportation trips -- the largest number in a half century -- in 2008. Light rail, hybrid buses and other promising options are working their way into some U.S. cities. To this end, the Obama administration has committed some $7 billion in stimulus dollars to help transit systems increase capacity and upgrade to more efficient technologies.
But environmentalists complain that such funding is a drop in the bucket compared to the $50 billion committed to roads, bridges and highways, and that transit authorities can't use any of it to fund maintenance and operations, meaning that jobs must be cut and routes shut down. EDF is calling on Obama to include significant funding for transit operations in the jobs bill now being debated in Congress.
The most promising technique for reducing city traffic is called congestion pricing, whereby cities charge a toll on entering certain parts of town at certain times of day. The theory goes that, if the toll is high enough, some drivers will cancel their trips or opt for the bus or rails. And it seems to be working: The Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) reports that Singapore, London, Stockholm and the three largest cities in Norway have reduced traffic and pollution in downtown areas thanks to congestion pricing.
New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg continues to push for congestion pricing to ease traffic in Manhattan. The latest proposal -- rejected by the State Legislature in 2008 -- called for an $8 toll to enter Manhattan between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., with monies funding public transit maintenance and expansion.
Another way to reduce rush hour traffic is for employers to implement flex-time, which lets employees travel to and from work at off-peak traffic times to avoid rush hour. Those who must travel during busy times can do their part by carpooling. Employers can also subsidize employee mass transit costs, and/or allow more workers to telecommute (work from home) so as to keep more cars off the road altogether.
Some urban planners still believe that the best way to ease traffic congestion is to build more roads -- especially expressways that can take drivers around or over crowded city streets. But such techniques don't really keep more cars off the road; they only accommodate more of them. Forward-thinking city planners, knowing that more and more drivers and cars are taking to the roads every day, are loathe to encourage more private automobiles when mass transit options are so much better for people and the environment.
And Americans are getting it. According to EDF, public transit usage has steadily risen since 1995, with Americans taking 10.7 billion public transportation trips -- the largest number in a half century -- in 2008. Light rail, hybrid buses and other promising options are working their way into some U.S. cities. To this end, the Obama administration has committed some $7 billion in stimulus dollars to help transit systems increase capacity and upgrade to more efficient technologies.
But environmentalists complain that such funding is a drop in the bucket compared to the $50 billion committed to roads, bridges and highways, and that transit authorities can't use any of it to fund maintenance and operations, meaning that jobs must be cut and routes shut down. EDF is calling on Obama to include significant funding for transit operations in the jobs bill now being debated in Congress.
Wyclef Jean keeps Haiti in his heart amid superbowl
The contrasts are stark: As Haiti grapples with chaos, death and despair after last month's earthquake, the world's most famous VIPs party in luxurious fashion in preparation for a football game.
Wyclef Jean — who has been an advocate for his native Haiti since the disaster — was in Miami for those celebrations this week, and understands that the festivities won't stop because of Haiti's pain. But he said he's partying with a purpose.
"(The) Super Bowl is Super Bowl. Super Bowl in Miami is one of the greatest Super Bowls," Jean said Saturday, a few hours before his performance at Eden Roc as part of 944's weeklong Super Bowl bash.
"But something I love about Miami is like, they know how to party hard," he added. "But at the same time, what was incredible to me was, somewhere in people's head it's like, 'But let's not forget Haiti' at the same time, which is incredible."
Indeed, stars have spoken out about Haiti during this week of decadence and raised funds for relief aid.
On Friday night, Jean joined top celebrities like Diddy, Queen Latifah, Justin Bieber, Mary J. Blige and former President Bill Clinton in Miami for the BET "SOS Saving Ourselves — Help for Haiti" telethon and concert.
Jean — who also was part of last month's "Hope For Haiti Now" telethon that raised more than $60 million — said Friday's event was key because it was "more geared to the youth."
"It makes the Haiti situation a little hipper in the sense of, when you have Trey Songz wearing a 'Yele Haiti' T-shirt, then his fans think, 'We can't forget Haiti,' or Justin Bieber," he said.
Yele Haiti is Jean's charity, which became the center of a firestorm after the quake when financial irregularities were uncovered. Since then, Yele has gotten a new accounting firm, and Jean says the company plans to introduce a new board in a couple of weeks.
"We've learned from the mistakes and we're moving forward. It's all about organization," Jean said. "I think moving forward, we will be one of the greatest NGOs (non-governmental organizations) to come out of Haiti because of the fact that we're Haitian and we implement on the ground, and we know our people on the ground."
While Jean helps rebuild his home country — a task he believes will take 25 years — he's also still focused on his music.
"When you have drama, that's when you have the best music," he said, laughing. "That album's almost finished. I think that will probably be the best Wyclef album, because that's a lot to write about."
(Story and image from Yahoo Music)
Oprah, Letterman and Leno share worst superbowl party ever
Oprah Winfrey makes miracles happen—and we're not talking about the Saints' Super Bowl win.
The talk show titan brought Jay Leno and David Letterman together for a brief reunion. During a 15 second clip—we told you it was brief—the pair bookend Winfrey while ostensibly watching the game.
"This is the worst Super Bowl party ever," said Letterman.
"He's just saying that 'cause I'm here," said Leno, which is funny because it seems so true.
Why the ad now? Since Conan O'Brien has been banished from late night, at least until Fox steps up, the ancient rivalry between these two wily old late night hosts is the hot story.
So they might as well start ramping up the tension. Did it work?
(Story from www.eonline.com)
Jessica Alba not flattered by the attempt to look like her
Imitation is not the sincerest form of flattery for Jessica Alba.
The actress said Saturday she's been distressed by Internet reports about a Chinese woman who is having a plastic surgery makeover to look like Alba in hopes of getting her lover back.
"I think you should never have to change yourself like that," Alba said. "If somebody loves you, they'll love you no matter what."
Alba, who is starring in the upcoming film "Valentine's Day," is in town for the Super Bowl; she was at an Audi party Friday with Hilary Swank, Taylor Lautner, Rob Lowe, New York Giant Osi Umenyiora and former New England Patriot Tedy Bruschi. It was one of numerous celebrity soirees attached to the Super Bowl.
But she's not just in town to party — she and hubby Cash Warren will be at Sunday's game. They hired a baby sitter to take care of their infant daughter, Honor, for the big game, but they've been spending the week enjoying Miami with their little girl.
"So far, she likes all the lights. Every time somebody honks or she hears sirens or something, she points everything out," she said. "It's really fun. Lots of screaming, lots of lights, and lots of cars. The most stimulating environment for a 19-month-old."
(Story and image from Yahoo Movies)
Avatar loses box office crown to Dear John
It had to happen sometime, but nobody expected the biggest film of all time to lose its North American box office crown this weekend to "Dear John," a low-budget "chick flick" with a pair of little-known stars.
The romantic drama opened at No. 1 with three-day sales of $32.4 million across the United States and Canada, crushing both industry forecasts and reigning champ "Avatar," according to studio estimates issued on Sunday.
James Cameron's 3D sci-fi spectacular slipped to No. 2 with $23.6 million in its eighth weekend. But "Avatar" remained the top pick overseas, earning $76 million. Its worldwide tally rose to $2.21 billion, divided between $630.1 million from North America and $1.58 billion from foreign markets.
"Avatar" last Tuesday surpassed the $601 million haul of Cameron's 1997 release "Titanic" to become the biggest movie of all time in North America. It had already taken the international and worldwide titles from "Titanic" thanks to ticket-price inflation and the higher cost of 3D screenings.
Pundits had forecast the 20th Century Fox release would lose its North American crown next weekend to "Valentine's Day," which will take advantage of both the eponymous holiday and the U.S. Presidents Day weekend.
But few predicted that "Dear John" would cause a stampede to movie theaters by young women. Moreover, the hardy demographic appeared to ignore the blizzard that shut down a large swathe of the mid-Atlantic region.
"When they come out, young women come out in droves," said Geoffrey Ammer, president of worldwide marketing at the film's closely held financier Relativity Media.
He said the first wave of moviegoers texted and Tweeted their friends during the screenings to deliver their favorable verdicts, triggering further waves.
MEN "KICKING AND SCREAMING"
Channing Tatum and Amanda Seyfried star as lovers whose romance is curtailed by the September 11 attacks. It was directed by Swedish filmmaker Lasse Hallstrom and based on a novel by Nicholas Sparks ("The Notebook").
The film was distributed by Sony Corp's mid-budget label Screen Gems, after Time Warner Inc's New Line Cinema unit dumped the $25 million project. Screen Gems said audiences for the film were 84 percent female and almost two-thirds were under the age of 21.
Ammer said the handful of men "dragged kicking and screaming" to the movie appeared to enjoy it, and he hoped word-of-mouth would bring in more of them. Critics largely ripped the movie.
John Travolta's latest box office offering, "From Paris With Love," was the actor's worst start in almost a decade. The crime thriller opened at No. 3 with $8.1 million. Distributor Lionsgate had hoped for an opening in the mid-teen millions, and said the blizzard did not help business. Critics were also unkind.
Travolta's previous worst opening was the $4.5 million start for "Lucky Numbers" in October 2000. He was in theaters last November with "Old Dogs," which opened at ticket sales of $17 million.
"From Paris With Love" was made by French filmmaker Luc Besson's Europa Corp, which enjoyed a worldwide hit last year with the Liam Neeson kidnap thriller "Taken." Pierre Morel directed both films. Lionsgate is a unit of Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.
Also new to the top 10 was Fox Searchlight's "Crazy Heart," which expanded nationally after seven weekends in limited release on the heels of its three Oscar nominations on Tuesday.
The picture earned $3.65 million, jumping six places to No. 8. Its total stands at $11.2 million. Jeff Bridges, its star, is considered the favorite to take home the best actor Oscar on March 7 for his role as a washed-up country music singer and songwriter. Fox Searchlight and 20th Century Fox are units of News Corp.
"Avatar" and "The Hurt Locker," the latter now out on DVD, led the Oscar field with nine nominations each.
(Story and image from www.reuters.com)
The Who Perform medley of hits for superbowl halftime
The Who, the iconic British rock band that are one of the remaining working group's of its generation, took the stage for the Superbowl halftime show in Miami, Fla. and delivered a solid, if expected medley classic rock hits.
Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend, the two surviving members of the original quartet, appeared on a circular stage in center of Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and played a nearly 12-minute set that included all or parts of five Who classics: "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Reilly," "Who Are You?," "See Me, Feel Me" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Townshend revealed the set list exclusively to Billboard during rehearsals two weeks ago.
Singer Roger Daltrey and guitarist Pete Townshend, the two surviving members of the original quartet, appeared on a circular stage in center of Sun Life Stadium in Miami, and played a nearly 12-minute set that included all or parts of five Who classics: "Pinball Wizard," "Baba O'Reilly," "Who Are You?," "See Me, Feel Me" and "Won't Get Fooled Again." Townshend revealed the set list exclusively to Billboard during rehearsals two weeks ago.
(Story and image from www.billboard.com)
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Rag 2010 - the aftermath
I’ve been meaning to give you a full rundown of this year’s Rag celebrations that were held last week, but I’ve been in class for about a trillion hours a day, so I’ll just break it down to the most important points instead:
- Die Heuwels Fantasties are not a good band. Well sure, they play fine, but this being the first time we had seen them, we were left mightily unimpressed with their music. At one stage we were inside a bar and heard faint treffer-esque music coming from outside. Thinking the band had finished and there’d be more to witness outside, we exited, only to find that the treffer-esque music was Die Heuwels Fantasties. Alas, not a band we’ll be lining up to see any time soon.
- Rag is awesome. Sure, it doesn’t light up our lives like it used to, but we’re happy that there are still people who live for this vibe and we’re glad this year was so well frequented.
- Foam parties are almost never okay. Especially when they’re in DropZone. Seriously. Thanks for the attempt at creativity, DZ, but maybe we keep it dry next time, mmmkay?
- And finally, kiss your clean clothes and social dignity goodbye come late January, because it is always going to rain for Rag. And if you want to drink in the rain, you must be prepared to pass out in the mud at some stage. Even if it ain’t raining, the event will still be a muddy, crazy mess, so come next year, stop trying to predict the weather and just buy a pair of wellies.
Here are the last few pics of the event. See you in the mud in 2011!
ⓒ athousandguitars.com 2010
DSREWC943654
- Die Heuwels Fantasties are not a good band. Well sure, they play fine, but this being the first time we had seen them, we were left mightily unimpressed with their music. At one stage we were inside a bar and heard faint treffer-esque music coming from outside. Thinking the band had finished and there’d be more to witness outside, we exited, only to find that the treffer-esque music was Die Heuwels Fantasties. Alas, not a band we’ll be lining up to see any time soon.
- Rag is awesome. Sure, it doesn’t light up our lives like it used to, but we’re happy that there are still people who live for this vibe and we’re glad this year was so well frequented.
- Foam parties are almost never okay. Especially when they’re in DropZone. Seriously. Thanks for the attempt at creativity, DZ, but maybe we keep it dry next time, mmmkay?
- And finally, kiss your clean clothes and social dignity goodbye come late January, because it is always going to rain for Rag. And if you want to drink in the rain, you must be prepared to pass out in the mud at some stage. Even if it ain’t raining, the event will still be a muddy, crazy mess, so come next year, stop trying to predict the weather and just buy a pair of wellies.
Here are the last few pics of the event. See you in the mud in 2011!
DSREWC943654
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