Archives for August 2009

Perhaps dance music albums like Calvin Harris' second album Ready For The Weekend shouldn't receive attention from the critical press. Perhaps they should just be enjoyed by lovers of the most frivolous pop music and those that blithely dance away on clubland's bigger dance floors.

These albums certainly don't need critical praise to be huge. This one recently knocked MJ off the No.1 spot in the UK. But it seems Calvin Harris also expects to be treated as a serious artist, judging from the way he threw his toys on Twitter after this album received a critical mauling.

Pre-release comments like this being "the best thing I've done in my life" and "a great achievement, personally" also indicate his hopes for popular and critical success. But this album cannot be taken as anything more than lightweight fluff.

Read the complete story

Pop diva Madonna has received death threats in Serbia.The Frozen hit maker has beefed up her security after the threats during her ongoing 'Sticky & Sweet' world tour and arrived in Belgrade, Serbia, in disguise to perform her concert in front of 30,000 fans Monday.

The star took extra precautions after receiving threatening messages from Balkan fanatics, hiring a posse of bodyguards to protect her as she took the stage in the Serbian capital for the first time. The worried singer will also be accompanied by the stepped up security in neighbouring Romania, where she is set to play a gig Wednesday.

No matter which way he turns, President Obama can't seem to shake the legacy of George W. Bush's presidency. On two issues this week, the Obama administration broke with and embraced the policies of his predecessor, drawing criticism on successive days from both ends of the political spectrum.

The biggest break came with the decision Monday by Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. to initiate an investigation into allegations of detainee abuse by CIA interrogators and contractors. Obama, who in his first days as president ordered an end to the agency's harshest interrogation techniques, has said repeatedly that he does not wish to re-litigate the past or subject officials to criminal prosecution if they believed they were operating within parameters approved by their superiors. Holder's decision undercuts Obama's desire to move forward.

The appointment of career prosecutor John H. Durham to determine whether there is enough evidence to warrant prosecutions does not guarantee that criminal charges will be filed. But the decision keeps the controversy alive indefinitely at a time when Obama has more than enough controversies to occupy him.

Read the complete story

Heidi Montag has been criticised for a dodgy ‘live’ performance at the Miss Universe event at the weekend.

The Hills’ star mimed through her song Body Language and pulled some badly timed dance moves as she played the beauty contest.
 
Showbiz blogger Perez Hilton compared Heidi’s gig to Britney Spears’ famous comeback gig at the VMAs.
 
Meanwhile TMZ claimed Miss Universe organisers wouldn’t let Montag sing live because they were worried she would forget the lyrics.
 
Before the show Heidi said: “I think people don't know what to expect, and how can they?

It's my first performance live and it's in front of a billion eyes. So I'm very excited to show everyone what I'm coming with.”

Read the complete story

The Michael Jackson tour clicked posthumously into higher gear on Aug. 21 with a court approving a traveling exhibition of the late superstar's memorabilia to coincide with the Oct. 28 opening of This Is It, a film of Jackson preparing for the comeback tour aborted by his death. The court overruled his mother Katherine, who was apparently unhappy about aspects of the plan. Even as the decision was made, one other member of the Jackson clan urged caution about any rush to cash in.

Taj Jackson, 36, the late entertainer's nephew (the son of his brother Tito), says that the projects would benefit from more "family input" to ensure his uncle's legacy is protected. He adds: "I don't want this to turn into something like 'let's make as much money as we can.'" On the afternoon of Aug. 21, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge approved concert promoter AEG Live's plan for touring Jackson mementos in three yet-to-be-identified cities. The move came despite objections by Michael's mother Katherine Jackson, who did not attend the hearing.

Read the complete story

He's already pushed cinematic boundaries with Titanic - and now James Cameron is poised to smash them to smithereens with upcoming blockbuster Avatar.  The 3D film isn't released until December, but today will see its hotly anticipated 15-minute teaser trailer played at packed out cinemas across the globe.

And already, there are whispers that it could change the course of film-making forever. Over the last year, 3D has already started experiencing a resurgence in popularity, with the release of movies like Monsters vs Aliens and Coraline.  But Cameron - who pioneered cutting edge special effects for both Terminator 2 and Titanic - is set to take it to new levels altogether.

Read the complete story

Social-networking giant MySpace agreed to acquire iLike, a social music startup, as part of its plan to restructure itself after losing momentum and buzz in recent years. Financial terms weren't disclosed.  Founded in 2006, iLike quickly became one of the most popular widgets on social sites, such as Facebook, where it has also been the top music application with 10 million active monthly users. The iLike service also has a music download offering as well as other features.

All Things Digital suggested Tuesday that MySpace, a unit of News Corp. (NWS), is paying about $20 million for iLike. About $13.5 million would be paid upfront in cash, with about $8 million of that likely going to one of iLike's major shareholders, Ticketmaster (TKTM), due to its preferred shares.

Read the complete story

A reality TV star is reportedly wanted by police after the body of a former US swimsuit model was found stuffed in a suitcase.

Jasmine Fiore's remains were packed in the case and then dumped in a rubbish bin in Buena Park, Orange County, California.

Police said the 28-year-old, who disappeared over the weekend, had been strangled. Lieutenant Gary Worrall said officers want to speak with Ryan Jenkins, from Alberta, Canada, who reported her missing on Saturday.

Read the complete story

Britain's Academy of Contemporary Music is opening its first U.S. branch in Oklahoma City, with ambitious plans to enhance touring opportunities in the region, as well as educate students for a career in the music business.

Based in Guildford, southern England, the ACM was established in 1995 and educates 1,200 students annually, producing successful artists like singer-songwriter Newton Faulkner and Sugababes singer Amelle Berrabah, as well as many music business executives. It already has branches in Italy, South Africa and Japan.

Read the complete story

You often kill the thing you love, and in the toilets of a Hollywood nightclub where the hotel heiress is due to arrive at any minute the smell of Paris envy mingles with the odour of disinfectant and designer perfume. "I'm just as hot and twice as willing," says Lauren who thinks that she, not Paris, should be famous and photographed. Meanwhile Kaitlin wonders whether she is too fat for her shoes, Jessica is throwing up in the loos, and Saffron and Maggie are planning their own hot welcome surprise for the ice-cool blonde one.

Even when plotting murder it must be done in "on-trend" peephole shoes that will get you noticedMegan Ford's slice of celebrity wannabe and back-stabbing bitchiness may not be much, and would be a darn sight less if it wasn't performed in situ in the Assembly Room toilets, but it has a raw energy, a scabrous humour and would appear to be a distressingly accurate portrait of a generation of young women who think that you can never be too blonde, too thin, too rich or too famous.

Read the complete story