Jonas Brothers "A Little Bit Longer" (Hollywood)
* * 1/2
The third album from the alpha boy band of the moment is certainly of the moment. Jersey-born Jonas siblings Nick (15), Kevin (20), and Joe (18) hit all the right-hand pop notes with such numbers as the romping come-on "Got Me Going Crazy," the slightly funky "Burnin' Up" (a selfsame pale imitation of Prince) and the emo-lite of brokenhearted ballad "Can't Have You."
Gazing at the musician brothers with their dashing suits and rocker-boy coifs, a caboodle of their fans' parent might happen it hard not to think of the milklike, dark-haired good looks of '80s heartthrob Rick Springfield (who's enjoying an echo of his own minute with the new album "Venus in Overdrive"). The muscular bubblegum of Springfield's "Jessie's Girl" lives on in the sound of the flirty "BB Good" and the aggressive "One Man Show."
The Jonases show more vulnerability with such numbers as the mid-tempo, yearning honey song "Shelf" and the title lay, with its plaintive vocals and elusive touches of piano and strings. Still, the album is largely a bland gloss, offering no depth or cleverness in material that covers familiar dominion (and is, as we are ofttimes reminded, unremarkably co-written by all trey brothers). At least the almost goofy, Beatles-y "Lovebug" -- with its scope chatter and hanging-in-the-studio vibe -- creates the delusion of personality.
Along with scream-worthy cuteness, the Jonas lads (and their four-man support band) offer their largely young-female audience a training-wheels version of classic male rock stars, all caught up in the cloud nine and drama of love. Although twenty-first century girls certainly deserve better, it's tempting to consider "A Little Bit Longer" dependable as milk River -- until you realise that the songs slot girls neatly into the clich�d roles of unapproachable object, clinging hoochie, hard-to-get prey or troublesome paramour. (There's fifty-fifty a melodic line about groupie leeches, "Video Girl," which is way too jaded for trey young hands who ar so publicly religious and anti-premarital-sex.) Maybe this is, after all, your parents' rock 'n' roll.
--Natalie Nichols
Inara George with Van Dyke Parks "An Invitation" (Everloving Records)
* * * *
Inara George is the tolerant of creative person who'll never get called experimental, because her music sounds so sweet. Yet she is a risk taker -- barely one whose voice is clear and accessible.
In the past few years, the 34-year-old L.A. native has worked her way through shoegazing phratry with the band Merrick, a Joni Mitchell influence on her 2005 solo debut, internationalist pop with the Bird and the Bee, and Andrews Sisters harmonies with the Living Sisters.
"An Invitation" is her orchestral interlude with Van Dyke Parks, wHO has been a church Father figure since his dangling days with her daddy, Lowell George. Empowered by this uneven old pro, George goes somewhere new -- and historical: into the zone of theater music, between poetry and pop, where she connects with the spirits of Stephen Sondheim and Lorenz Hart.
And Dorothy Parker. Like that divinity poison-pen doyenne, George gets at the melancholy of the self-sufficing urban female by way of a wink and a smile. Her lyrics balance a yen for metaphor with an astringent wit. "I'm like a pet salamander," she sings in "Tell Me That You Love Me." "Just cut a few holes for some air, carry me everywhere."
Parks proves an ideal partner for George, who grew up poring over Shakespeare and is marital to a film film director, Jake Kasdan. "An Invitation" sounds like a shed recording -- it's like "Enchanted" for grown-ups -- and the fact that George is the only voice heard reinforces its mood of semi-serene solitariness. The songs are mostly about passion, but even with titles such as "Duet" and "Family Tree," they reflect the thoughts of a woman pensive things, non quite quick to offer her words to the world yet.
Parks' arrangements oftentimes aim for childlike admiration (he's known for having worked with Brian Wilson, but his music for the HBO kids' series "Harold and the Purple Crayon" is also fantabulous), and that too suits George, whose melodies are delicate and young-sounding. Less grand and far more worldly than "Ys," the Joanna Newsom collaboration that brought Parks back into the indie music glare, "An Invitation" suffers the danger of being overlooked.
Here's hoping it finds its audience: little girls, couples in lovemaking, anyone world Health Organization dreams in Technicolor.
-- Ann Powers
Albums are rated on a scale of quadruplet stars (excellent), three (in effect), two (fair) and one (poor). Albums reviewed have been released except as noted.
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Friday 15 August 2008
Thursday 7 August 2008
Morgan Freeman Remains in Serious Condition
Morgan Freeman clay in serious condition at the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, Tn. with a broken arm and elbow afterwards the car he was driving flipped over on a Mississippi highway Sunday night, says hospital spokeswoman Kathy Stringer. According to The AP, Stringer besides said that passenger Demaris Meyer, 48, wasn't in the hospital's registry, which could beggarly that she simply requested her name not be listed for privacy reasons.
However, Morgan's publicist Donna Freeman says that both the Dark Knight
Monday 23 June 2008
Monday 16 June 2008
Late Of The Pier thrill at warehouse party
Late Of The Pier threw their first ever warehouse party in east London last night (June 6).
Following a period of secrecy and anticipation, the all-nighter took place at the Hearne Street car park, with DJ sets from Annie Mac, Zongamin and Spam Chop manning the decks.
The band teamed up with legendary club promoters Bugged Out to pull the night off.
"They're a truly trashy London underground band," explained fan Tabby from Brighton as the club filled up, "and this venue's perfect for them: a back street car park."
After a brief support slot from Heartbreak, the synth-pop pioneers finally hit the stage at 1.40am, driving the crowd into a frenzy with recent single 'Focker', 'Space and the Woods' and 'Bathroom Gurgle'.
Introducing the song 'Broken', vocalist Earl Samuel Dust seemed exasperated at the huge turn out. "This song... is for anyone who likes songs!" he laughed, as the audience broke out in euphoria.
Talking to NME.COM after the gig, keyboardist Jack Paradise expressed his relief; "I liked it!" he beamed. "Sure it was scary, but then again I think we like to be scared. It brings out the best of both worlds."
Late Of The Pier played:
'Space And The Woods'
'Heartbeat'
'Flicker'
'Line'
'Random Firl'
'Broken'
'Whitesnake'
'VW'
'The Bears Are Coming'
'Focker'
'Bathroom Gurgle'
Following a period of secrecy and anticipation, the all-nighter took place at the Hearne Street car park, with DJ sets from Annie Mac, Zongamin and Spam Chop manning the decks.
The band teamed up with legendary club promoters Bugged Out to pull the night off.
"They're a truly trashy London underground band," explained fan Tabby from Brighton as the club filled up, "and this venue's perfect for them: a back street car park."
After a brief support slot from Heartbreak, the synth-pop pioneers finally hit the stage at 1.40am, driving the crowd into a frenzy with recent single 'Focker', 'Space and the Woods' and 'Bathroom Gurgle'.
Introducing the song 'Broken', vocalist Earl Samuel Dust seemed exasperated at the huge turn out. "This song... is for anyone who likes songs!" he laughed, as the audience broke out in euphoria.
Talking to NME.COM after the gig, keyboardist Jack Paradise expressed his relief; "I liked it!" he beamed. "Sure it was scary, but then again I think we like to be scared. It brings out the best of both worlds."
Late Of The Pier played:
'Space And The Woods'
'Heartbeat'
'Flicker'
'Line'
'Random Firl'
'Broken'
'Whitesnake'
'VW'
'The Bears Are Coming'
'Focker'
'Bathroom Gurgle'
Monday 9 June 2008
Syesha Mercado Looks To Life After "Idol"
After "American Idol [ tickets ]" contestant Syesha Mercado's ouster Wednesday night (5/14), she is ready to show music fans exactly who she is. "I'm like a black Christina Aguilera/Alicia Keys," Mercado told journalists during a teleconference Thursday (5/15). "I definitely can see myself putting together a Christina Aguilera album, the one that she just recently did and an Alicia Keys album like 'The Diary of Alicia Keys.' I like pop, and I like R&B, and I like the old school/new school thing."So I'm growing as an artist. I'm evolving. And I'm glad that I did do "American Idol" because people were able to see that transition that I went through, and I'm still learning more about myself everyday. And I think that's beauty of doing this competition. You just learn so much. So people will know who I am. You'll know who I am once I put out that album."By doing Broadway numbers and little-known songs, Mercado was known for pushing her limits and improving her game each week. She said she owes it all to hard work. "I'm always rehearsing," Mercado said. "I'm always trying to improve. And when I first stepped into the competition, I was really in a little shell because of the vocal resting and it kind of separated me from everybody else, so I don't feel like I was at my full potential because of the entire negative mind frame that I was in because of, like 'Oh, nobody really sees who I am.' And I was so focused on that that it was really harming my performance."Mercado explained she was in a better frame of mine after the first audition. So she set a goal for herself: to feel satisfied after each show. "And I felt more satisfied the more the weeks went on," she said.
Eastenders' Tanya to bury Max alive?
'EastEnders' character Tanya Branning will bury cheating husband Max alive in a sensational storyline, according to reports.
The mum of three, played by actress Jo Joyner, takes revenge for his affair with his daughter-in-law, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
After weeks of plotting, Tanya seduces Max (Jake Wood) and then drugs him before putting him in a coffin and burying it in woods, according to The Sun newspaper.
The scenes are due to be shown at Easter.
The Sun quotes a BBC source as saying: "Viewers will have to wait to find out whether Max lives or dies."
Max and Tanya's relationship becomes increasingly more volatile as they battle over custody of their children.
The mum of three, played by actress Jo Joyner, takes revenge for his affair with his daughter-in-law, Stacey Slater (Lacey Turner).
After weeks of plotting, Tanya seduces Max (Jake Wood) and then drugs him before putting him in a coffin and burying it in woods, according to The Sun newspaper.
The scenes are due to be shown at Easter.
The Sun quotes a BBC source as saying: "Viewers will have to wait to find out whether Max lives or dies."
Max and Tanya's relationship becomes increasingly more volatile as they battle over custody of their children.
Audioslave - Cornell Postpones Tour
Former AUDIOSLAVE vocalist CHRIS CORNELL has been forced to postpone his forthcoming European tour due to scheduling conflicts.
The singer, who also fronted Soundgarden, was due to kick off a series of 20 live dates in the Netherlands on 30 May (08).
But the star has now scrapped the concerts after discovering the shows clashed with scheduled recording sessions for his next solo album - with superproducer Timbaland.
In a statement released this week (begs14Apr08), Cornell apologises for the mix-up and reassures fans the gigs will still go ahead, albeit at a later date, reports Blabbermouth.net.
The press release reads, "Due to an extended recording schedule, I will be able to perform in front of my European fans a few months later than expected. With that said, I plan on touring extensively through Europe and the rest of the world through 2008-2009."
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Sean Levert's widow files wrongful-death lawsuit
CLEVELAND — The widow of R&B singer Sean Levert has filed a wrongful-death lawsuit against the county officials who were holding him in jail when he fell ill.
Levert, a member of the 1980s R&B trio LeVert and son of lead O'Jays singer Eddie Levert, died March 30 shortly after he was taken to a hospital.
His widow, Angela Lowe, filed a lawsuit Tuesday in federal court in Cleveland that accuses his jailers of showing disregard for his medical needs. Lowe and Levert's estate are seeking unspecified damages.
The county coroner has ruled that Levert, 39, died of natural causes.
Levert had just started serving a 22-month sentence for failure to pay child support.
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Blaze can't stop MTV Movie Awards
Fire? What fire? MTV has gone ahead with its annual star-studded movie awards at the Universal Studios lot, just hours after a spectacular blaze destroyed chunks of Hollywood history nearby.
Lily: "Getting that drunk's not cool"
Lily Allen had a little back-peddling to do yesterday.
Just days before she got so drunk that she had to be carried out of a party, she had posted a haughty message on Myspace complaining that the press always blows her partying out of proportion.
The English pop star admitted on the site that she did "occasionally drink wine at lunch" but she was just having fun like any 23-year-old and had nothing to be ashamed of.
But after she was snapped barely conscious and being carried out of an award ceremony in London on Tuesday it was hard to keep up her air of superiority.
"Last time I wrote here," she wrote in her blog the morning after, "I was defending my honor and dignity, explaining my innocence and also outrage at the press for insinuating my behaviour was embarrassing.
"This time I'm putting my hands up. I got very drunk last night, too drunk. It's not cool getting that drunk. I feel awful and I have to thank my little brother Alf for getting me home safely.
"Kids, drink responsibly."
But the Smile star wasn't entirely remorseful.
"Was quite fun though, from what I can remember."
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Spencer Pratt: Breast Supporting Role
We learned two things last night. Heidi Montag doesn't know how to say goodbye, and Spencer Pratt is totally irrelevant.
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Avril Lavigne expecting first baby?
Singer Avril Lavigne and her husband, Sum 41 star Deryck Whibley, are reportedly expecting their first child together.
According to OK! magazine, the couple were spotted shopping at three baby stores on Monday.
Lavigne and Whibley reportedly visited Kitson for Kids, Lisa Kline Kids and Petit Tresor during their shopping trip.
Reports said that the couple picked up a cheetah diaper bag and baby AC/DC t-shirts at the shops.
Previous media reports had suggested that Lavigne was trying to disguise a visible baby bump.
The singer's representative has not yet commented on the reports, although Lavigne herself dismissed pregnancy reports in early January.
According to OK! magazine, the couple were spotted shopping at three baby stores on Monday.
Lavigne and Whibley reportedly visited Kitson for Kids, Lisa Kline Kids and Petit Tresor during their shopping trip.
Reports said that the couple picked up a cheetah diaper bag and baby AC/DC t-shirts at the shops.
Previous media reports had suggested that Lavigne was trying to disguise a visible baby bump.
The singer's representative has not yet commented on the reports, although Lavigne herself dismissed pregnancy reports in early January.
Fearne Cotton: 'Simon Cowell is Obsessed With Teeth'
TV presenter Fearne Cotton says Simon Cowell is obsessed with teeth.
Cotton -- who presented X Factor spin-off 'The Xtra Factor' -- revealed the 48-year-old music mogul is "jealous" of her pearly whites.
She explains, "One of the first things Simon said to me was, 'You've got lovely teeth'. He's got a teeth obsession. I've got quite massive front teeth and I think he's quite envious.
"His are hilariously white. They're blinding!"
The talent show judge recently splashed out on cosmetic dentistry leaving his teeth noticeably whiter -- much to the ridicule of his fellow X Factor judges.
Simon -- who is worth an estimated �100m ($200m) once offered to pay for Louis Walsh to have his teeth capped.
Simon said, "Louis was supposed to have new teeth. He does need them. I would actually pay for him to have new teeth.
"It's a big job. In fact, I'll start with just one tooth this year. Then we can keep going for the next 20 years."
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