- Chloe Marshall Sweet 16 headed to Miss England 2008
Chloe Marshall of the UK has just won the Miss Surrey 2008 beauty pageant. She is now advancing towards the Miss England contest, which is opened to females ages 17-24. If Chloe Marshall can win the Miss England 2008 pageant, she will advance to the Miss
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Links for 2008-03-21 [del.icio.us]
Monday, July 4, 2011
Beyonc� - Ego
- Artist: Beyoncé
- Label: Columbia, Music World Music
- Director: Beyonce, Frank Gatson, Sheryl Murakami
- Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce [Deluxe Edition]
Usher Gets Sick, Walks Offstage Mid-Show In Berlin
Singer cancels kick off date of European leg of his OMG Tour due to illness.
By Gil Kaufman
Usher (file)
Photo: Michael Caulfield/ WireImage
Usher was forced to delay the kick off of his European OMG Tour on Wednesday night in Berlin because of illness. In a statement released to fans, the singer apologized for the last-minute scratch, saying he felt he was suffering from a "sinus complication." Although the gig was rescheduled for Thursday night at the O2 World arena in Berlin, his German fans apparently weren't appeased by his effort.
"I am truly sorry to all my fans in Berlin who were inconvenienced by tonight's postponement of the show," the singer said in a statement about Wednesday's aborted concert. "I was ill and felt that I would not have been able to give them the show that they properly deserve. ... I am looking forward to performing tomorrow and giving Berliners a great show."
According to the statement, the singer received treatment from doctors for a sinus issue that affected his balance, but a visibly still-ailing Usher was unable to finish the Thursday make-up show, reportedly abandoning the stage after just five songs.
On Friday (January 14), a follow-up statement from his spokesperson confirmed that he was too ill to play Thursday night's Berlin date and has been forced to reschedule the next three dates on the tour as well. The Rotterdam show originally scheduled for this week has been moved to March 1 and a show in Antwerp, also slated for this week, has been bumped to March 7.
The statement also updated the singer's condition: "Usher is suffering from upper respiratory illness, which is currently preventing him from performing a proper show. After consultation with doctors, he has been advised to reschedule the upcoming dates in order to get the rest he needs to ensure a complete recovery."
Footage posted on YouTube that was purportedly taken at the make-up performance in Berlin shows Usher standing silently at the microphone seemingly unable to sing, with fans booing him at first and then chanting, "Usher, Usher," as he approaches the microphone and apologizes to them for his struggles. "I appreciate your support," he told the fans wearily.
"I have been very excited about my European Tour and I deeply regret having to reschedule the shows," the singer said in the new statement. "I am truly sorry for any inconvenience I have caused my fans. My fans are the best in the world and I am looking forward to getting better so that I can give them the show they deserve."
Usher wrapped up the North American leg of his tour in December and his overseas dates are slated to last through the spring.
What do you think of the fans' reaction to Usher's walking offstage mid-show? Tell us in the comments.
Related Artists
Common Reveals Warner Bros. CEO Invited Him To Label
Lyor Cohen approached rapper, who departed Universal Music in 2009.
By Alvin Blanco
Common
Photo: Chris Weeks/ Getty Images
Last week, Chicago rapper Common revealed that he is taking his rhyme talents to Warner Bros. Records. Surprisingly, the "Universal Mind Control" rapper tells MTV News that he had been a free agent since December 2009, when he departed from his longtime Universal Music recording home.
The rapper and actor, currently shooting an AMC television series called "Hell on Wheels" that will premiere in the fall, released his last album, Universal Mind Control, in December 2008. The album was met with mixed reviews and didn't reach the same gold sales of his previous two projects, the critically acclaimed Be and Finding Forever.
But a certain record executive didn't lose faith in the veteran rap lyricist. "Point blank, I got a call from [Warner CEO] Lyor Cohen," Common told MTV News. "He was like, 'Look, man, I know who you are. I always told you, you was one of my favorite MCs, and I really meant that.'
"I felt the sincerity in what he was saying. He didn't tell me, 'We're going to do this, do that.' He was more like, 'I know how we can do your record, and I want to work this. I want this to be on my roster.' "
The Warner music chairman knows a thing or two about talent. Through the years, "the check writer" has had a hand in the careers of star MCs such as Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Jay-Z. Before getting the call from Cohen, Common had been toying with the idea of going the indie-label route to release his music.
"I felt like, man, it would be good because it's so much ... we do have a lot going on," Common explained. "I am doing these acting projects. I do have my foundation. I do have a daughter and a life, too. So it's all these things I want to take care of, I felt like I didn't want to have an independent label that I felt like you gotta be there for everything, every decision. I'd rather have a team that's already in place that's really confident in what I'm doing."
Although G.O.O.D. Music recently inked a worldwide label agreement with Island Def Jam Music Group, Common is still affiliated with Kanye West's label. "It's still G.O.O.D. Music all day and night," he said.
Common's ninth album, The Dreamer, The Believer, is due out in November.
What do you think of Common's decision to sign with Warner Bros. Records? Sound off below!
Related ArtistsGiuliana DePandi Giulianna Ramirez Grace Park Gretha Cavazzoni
Les News, 070211
Harry Potter goes South Park. Deltra Goodrem cheers on solo Nick Jonas. Boba Fett in Mordor. THIS is the scariest thing ever created by human beings. So wait … you’re telling me Michael Bay is a hack who reuses the same scenes in different movies? The devil, you say! Cheryl Cole tries a new look. [...]
Marley Shelton Mary Elizabeth Winstead Megan Ewing Megan Fox
Beyonc� - Ego (Remix)
- Artist: Beyoncé
- Label: Columbia, Music World Music
- Director: Beyonce, Frank Gatson
Sunday, July 3, 2011
'Australian Idol' Judge Jay Dee Springbett Found Dead
Sony exec's cause of death has not yet been established.
By Jocelyn Vena
Jay Dee Springbett
Photo: Brendon Thorne/ Getty Images
"Australian Idol" judge Jay Dee Springbett was found dead at his home in Sydney on Thursday. He was 36.
He was discovered after friends called authorities when they couldn't contact the former "Idol" judge. He was already dead when authorities arrived at his Woolloomooloo apartment, according to the Sydney Morning Herald. As of press time, nothing else was known about the cause of death, although authorities believe nothing suspicious happened.
The U.K. native moved to Australia in 2004. He worked for Sony Music and joined "Idol" down under during the show's final season in 2009, replacing Kyle Sandilands. He was known as the show's resident "nice guy" judge. That year, Stan Walker was crowned the champ and later went on to become a successful artist in Australia and New Zealand.
The show aired on Network Ten in Australia, and a spokesperson for the network released this statement: "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Jay Dee's family at this very difficult time. Jay Dee was an asset to the final season of 'Australian Idol,' [and] we feel honored to have worked with him."
As a record executive, Springbett helped shape the careers of artists including Guy Sebastian, Human Nature, Rogue Traders and Natalie Bassingthwaighte. "Jay Dee was so very enthusiastic and passionate about his family, his music projects and his plans for the future," Sony Music Entertainment Australian and New Zealand CEO Denis Handlin said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter. "[He] was a great friend and larger-than-life charismatic character who will be missed enormously."
Fremantle, which produces the "Idol" shows, also expressed condolences in a statement. "The 'Australian Idol' family is deeply saddened by the passing of Jay Dee," the statement reads. "Our thoughts are with his family and all at Sony Music."
Spotted: Jennifer Garner and Seraphina Get Stripey
Seraphina Affleck, 2�, grabs a snack while visiting the farmer's market with mom Jennifer Garner on Sunday afternoon.
Usher - Spotlight
- Artist: Usher
- Label: Warner Bros. Records, Asylum, Mizay Ent
- Director: Benny Boom
- Album: The State vs. Radric Davis
Ke$ha Touched By Fan's Tattoo
Singer tells MTV News about gay fan inspired by her song 'Animal.'
By Gil Kaufman
Ke$ha
Photo: MTV News
Ke$ha knows all about the perks of being a headliner. On her Get $leazy Tour, the singer gets to call all the shots, blast her fans in the face with tons of glitter and handpick which dudes she wants to party and share the stage with.
But it's not all backstage shenanigans and groupie love. When MTV News sat down with the "Blow" singer in New York earlier this week before her gig at Roseland Ballroom, Ke$ha said that amid the nightly onstage parties there have also been some poignant moments on her first headlining outing.
"Best moment? There are so many. Every night's amazing. I have kids outside right now chanting my name and it's awesome," she said of the first leg of the tour. "There was one night a fan came onstage, I invited him onstage, and he had a tattoo of the dollar sign. I was like, 'Oh, that's awesome! Badass. You're part of the cult, man.' "
And then, she said, he began to cry and explained that he was able to come out of the closet to his friends and family thanks to her song "Animal."
"And I'm standing onstage about to sing a song about growing back a pair of testicles ["Grow a Pear"] and I had tears rolling down my face and chills all over my body," she said. "Because that's really the reason I do music, to inspire people to be themselves."
Ke$ha has been a vocal supporter of the "It Gets Better" video project, which aims to help gay, bisexual and transgender youth find hope in the face of teasing and bullying.
The "Get $leazy" juggernaut continues on Saturday night with a show at Clarion University in Clarion, Pennsylvania.
Are you planning to see Ke$ha on her Get $leazy Tour? Tell us in the comments.
Related Videos Related ArtistsWhat's Your Number? Website
The website for WHAT'S YOUR NUMBER? is finally up!
http://www.whatsyournumbermovie.com/
And the official Facebook page!
http://www.facebook.com/whatsyournumbermovie
And the official YouTube channel!
http://www.youtube.com/user/OfficialNumberMovie
Also, here's the trailer!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Britney Spears - Womanizer
- Artist: Britney Spears
- Label: Zomba Label Group/Jive
- Director: Joseph Kahn
- Album: Circus
Lexi St. George the Next Rebecca Black?
The creators of Rebecca Black's so-bad-it's-good hit song "Friday" have done it again!
Ark Music Factory, the company behind the 13-year-old's annoyingly catchy video (which created a firestorm of controversy), unveiled their latest creation on Good Morning America this week. In the "Dancing to the Rhythm (With Me)" video, 14-year-old Lexi St. George belts out lyrical gems such as, "Gonna press send...and text all my friends." But despite the obvious similarities, CEO Patrice Wilson says they weren't hoping to create another Black -- though George does remind us of a younger Emma Watson.
"I don't want people comparing and saying she's the next Rebecca Black," he told Gawker. "With this project, it's a bit of a different thing. We wanted to make something everybody could like, whether the older or younger generation… I don't anticipate that people are going to dislike this video. I hope people give her a chance and not say I don't like Ark Music Factory so I don't like this song."
With its middle-school themes and abundance of glitter, we're not sure anyone over the age of 14 will genuinely like the video -- but that's not to say it won't become an ironic hit like "Friday." Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Fallon -- we're ready for your version!
Watch for yourself below and let us know what you think!
Jennifer Gareis Jennifer Garner Jennifer Gimenez Jennifer Love Hewitt
Beyonce Responds To 4 Album Leak
'While this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response,' she tells MTV News in a statement.
By Gil Kaufman
Beyonce's <i>4</i>
Photo: Columbia
Beyoncé is taking a glass-half-full approach to the leak of her entire 4 album three weeks before its June 28 release date.
In a statement released to MTV News on Wednesday (June 8), Beyoncé lamented the early arrival but said she's making the most of the eagerness of her fans to get their hands on her first new batch of songs since 2008's double-disc I Am ... Sasha Fierce.
"My music was leaked and while this is not how I wanted to present my new songs, I appreciate the positive response from my fans," the singer wrote. "When I record music I always think about my fans singing every note and dancing to every beat. I make music to make people happy and I appreciate that everyone has been so anxious to hear my new songs."
Beyoncé fans were psyched Tuesday when her collabo with Andre 3000, "Party," leaked weeks before the new album was due. It was one of several leaks the album has faced over the past week. A short time after the Kanye West and Consequence-produced "Party" slipped out, another song, "Countdown," which samples the Boyz II Men tune "Uhh Ahh," also surfaced, followed by the entire album.
While B's team scrambles to take down the offending links that have popped up all over the Web, some online rogues have taken to Twitter to put up links, making it harder for the label to track down the music. Fans have already gotten a number of listens to tunes from the disc, including the uptempo dancehall first single "Run the World (Girls)," the lush ballad "1+1" and the second official single "Best Thing I Never Had." Another tune, "End of Time," which samples late Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti, has also leaked online.
Have you heard any of the leaked album, or are you waiting for the official release? Let us know in the comments.
Related ArtistsFamily Photo: The Alba-Warrens ? Brunch Bunch
Cash Warren, an expectant Jessica Alba and their daughter Honor Marie stepped out after dining at A Votre Sante in Brentwood.
'Twilight' Meets 'The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo'
Anita Lindblom, prepare to get the "Twilight" treatment under the hands of "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo."
Director Catherine Hardwicke will direct Noomi Rapace's as-yet-untitled biopic of '60s Swedish pop culture icon Anita Lindblom. To make things even more interesting, Rapace's real-life husband, Ola Rapace, will play boxing champion Bosse Hogberg who ends up marrying [...]
Director Catherine Hardwicke will direct Noomi Rapace's as-yet-untitled biopic of '60s Swedish pop culture icon Anita Lindblom. To make things even more interesting, Rapace's real-life husband, Ola Rapace, will play boxing champion Bosse Hogberg who ends up marrying [...]
Friday, July 1, 2011
Lady Gaga's 'Edge Of Glory' Video: Glory Days
E Street Band saxophonist Clarence Clemons appears in the video pre-stroke.
By James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
Remember, for a while there, when everyone was complaining that Lady Gaga's videos had, perhaps, gotten too big, too arty, too obtuse? That maybe the hype surrounding each clip's premiere overshadowed the clip itself? Well, for the foreseeable future, those criticisms can be put to rest.
Because on Thursday (June 16), Gaga premiered her brand-new video for "The Edge of Glory," a piece that's a little bit Madonna's "Papa Don't Preach," a little bit Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and a whole lot of " '80s videos where someone dances on a fire escape while smoke pours from a well-lit window."
There is no hyperkinetic, women-in-prison kink, no odes to Weimar Germany and no birthing of a machine gun. Shoot, there's not even a single Christian allegory to be seen (OK, maybe one, when Gaga strikes a Christ-like pose on the concrete).
Instead, "Edge" is little more than five-and-a-half minutes of classic pop, brimming with imagery, style (and moves) that could've been lifted from millions of videos in the pop heyday of the 1980s. It is Gaga's free-spirited youth in New York's East Village, only reimagined on a Hollywood level (in another nod to the videos of yesteryear, it makes no attempt to hide the fact that it was clearly shot on a "New York"-styled backlot): She sashays and struts on a fire escape, descends to the perfectly foggy, still-wet streets of the city, and poses on the front steps of her apartment building, while none other than Clarence Clemons hits a note-perfect saxophone solo. It is a fantasy in every conceivable way, and if it reminds you of something you've seen before, well, that's because you probably did — not just in '80s vids, but in films like "Fame" and Broadway hits like "Rent," too — and chances are you loved it.
And while all the feel-good nostalgia is dampened a bit by the very of the moment drama surrounding the video (Clemons is currently recovering from a stroke he suffered over the weekend), "Edge of Glory" still manages to shine, mostly because of its simplicity. You wanted a straightforward, dance-till-you-drop, unabashedly-indebted video from Lady Gaga? Well, now you've got one. It's not a stretch to call it a classic, mostly because, well, it is — at least in its inspirations. And its aspirations too.
What did you think of the video? Let us know in the comments!
Related Videos Related ArtistsPrince William & Kate Middleton Arrive In North America
Earlier today we saw photos of Prince William and Kate Middleton departing from London, England on their way to Ottawa, Canada to begin the first leg of their North American visit. Right now, we get to see the first photos of Wills and Kate as they touched down on North American soil just a bit [...]
Joanne Montanez Jodi Lyn OKeefe Jolene Blalock Jordana Brewster
Quote Of The Day
"Katy Perry's music always puts me in a good mood and makes me want to dance"
- Paris Hilton to US WEEKLY on Katy Perry
[Image via WENN.]
- Paris Hilton to US WEEKLY on Katy Perry
[Image via WENN.]
Salma Hayek Samaire Armstrong Samantha Mathis Samantha Morton
NBCs Racy Playboy Club Already Under Fire
The fall TV season hasn't even begun yet, and NBC is already dealing with its first controversy. One of its new shows, The Playboy Club (set to air Mondays at 10 p.m. ET), has caught the attention of anti-porn groups. They say that this provocative, 60's-era drama, which is set in a Chicago gentleman's club, isn't fit for primetime network TV.
Two groups, Pink Cross Foundation and Morality in Media have started online petitions to shut the show down. Dawn Hawkins, executive director of Morality in Media, takes issue specifically with reports of a three-way sex scene -- and more generally, with the Playboy brand being promoted at all. "We know now, years later, that pornography is very harmful to society," she said. "It leads to addiction in children and adults, increased sex trafficking violence against women -- and Playboy is really the root of all of this. We just don’t want to see it glamorized any further, which it will be if it’s aired on NBC.”
Lawyers for Morality in Media warn the show could run afoul of FCC's indecency regulations if it pushes the envelope too far. And that's not to mention the public resistance they're organizing.
"Every advertiser on The Playboy Club will be boycotted, every local affiliate of NBC will be bombarded by a very large segment of society that is sick and tired of those making money off the sexual exploitation of women," said the group's president, Patrick A. Truman. "The NBC brand, as well as Playboy will suffer great cost."
But let's hope that their efforts, if they have any effect, will simply serve to tone the show down. It would be a shame for The Playboy Club to be removed from the air altogether, based on only the pilot. For one thing, these preview clips demonstrate a quality script and good acting. Eddie Cibrian's character, Nick Dalton, a charming but flawed lawyer, has the compelling quality of Mad Men's Don Draper (Jon Hamm). And unlike, say, MTV's recently canceled Skins, this racy show is aimed at (and revolves around) adults, not teens.
Of course, all the attention may actually help NBC. TV viewers do love controversy -- especially one that involves sex. Just ask Anthony Wiener.
Usher, Ke$ha And More Help Dance Music Go Pop In 2010
But is it here to stay? Our music-industry experts weigh in.
By Akshay Bhansali
Ke$ha
Photo: Andreas Rentz/ Getty Images
In 2010, pop princesses, R&B icons and chart-dominating newcomers all danced to the same beat. Not only did dance music go pop, but pop music caught the club-music bug.
Between Katy Perry's "Firework," Ke$ha's "We R Who We R," Rihanna's "Only Girl (In the World)," Enrique Iglesias' "I Like It," Usher's "DJ Got Us Fallin' in Love" and "OMG" and countless other singles, established artists definitely looked to dance beats for surefire hits. And two of this year's biggest success stories in music were Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz; could there be a soul left in this country who hasn't heard "Dynamite" or "In My Head"?
The love went both ways, with dance music's biggest stars finding mainstream success this year. Dance-music maestro deadmau5 took up house-artist duties at this year's VMAs, and Swedish House Mafia and Usher teamed up for a medley of their gems at the American Music Awards.
So how did this happen? We caught up with some music-industry experts to get their takes.
"You definitely saw tempos go up this year," Jon Caramanica of The New York Times told MTV News. "And I think what you had are a lot of producers who are really familiar with nightclub stuff. They are familiar with Europe. Things are happening on a more global scale now."
"I think everything from Europe, and sometimes even Asia, it comes to America, and we just adopt things a little bit slower," said Jared Eng of JustJared.com. "I think it was just a change. People like different types of music at different times. And dance was of this moment."
Noah Callahan of Complex magazine added: "I think 2010 saw the merging of the pop and dance genres. Pop artists realized that there were best practices that could be borrowed from dance music. And, ultimately, [all] pop music that has been made in the past 20 years had ended up being remixed for the club by dance artists. I think they basically just cut out the middleman and went straight there."
Dance music being introduced into the hip-hop and R&B realms was particularly notable this year.
"I think David Guetta kind of at the end of last year and the beginning of this year spearheaded it," said freelance writer Julianne Escobedo Shepherd. "He produced a lot of tracks. I think as trends go, people revile 'unst-unst.' But it's just coming back around. Big-room techno was a way for people to get decadent in a year that no one could get decadent."
"You have someone like will.i.am, who's like, 'Well, I spent all this time in Ibiza, and this is what they are doing,' and he wants to find a way to bring that into his music," Caramanica said of the Black Eyed Peas mastermind. "R&B especially became dance music. And especially with your Jason Derülos, Taio Cruzes. Guys like that would have literally been blocked at the border two years ago. That would not have made it through customs. And now all of a sudden they have #1 songs. I think will.i.am had a lot to do with that last year."
Elliott Wilson of RapRadar.com added: "It's actually even affected hip-hop. I was talking to Q-Tip, and his next record, I feel like that's gonna kind of go in that vein. I know that was also Jay-Z's thought process with Blueprint 3 at first, that he wanted to make a little bit more of a world music [vibe], a little more dancey. I think the kids today want to go to the clubs. They wanna have a good time. They wanna dance. So I think the artists of today are trying to kind of feed that audience."
"I think it's caught on this year because the people who've done it have been successful," offered Clover Hope of Vibe magazine. "Like 'OMG,' with usher, he didn't have success until he made a dance record. He had 'There Goes My Baby' and these really, like, adult-contemporary records that didn't really catch on. And then once you see that everybody is doing it and that people are liking it, they are like, 'OK, let me just try this out.' It's like Auto-Tune. Like, 'Let me see what I sound like on a record by David Guetta.' They end up liking it and doing more of it."
So does the club-music trend have staying power. According to our tastemakers, not so much.
"I do think it's a blip," Caramanica said. "I don't think that's gonna be something that lasts in America. I think this is gonna be a moment we'll all look back on and go, 'Wasn't that weird when Jason Derülo and Taio Cruz had #1 records?"
"At some point, these R&B artists will get kind of sick of it and be like, 'Let me go back to my soul background,' " Hope said. "When you actually have to say something, dance doesn't really lend itself to substance. And I think that R&B artists, they really want to talk about love and in a deep way, and to do that, you need to do, like, a soul or a traditional R&B record. I want to say that it's kind of a fad."
"I think music is very cyclical," Eng offered. "So I think dance music might be here for a little bit, but I'm sure it will phase out at some point."
Wilson called dance music "the sound of today. I think that people want more aggressive, faster beats, and I think that that probably has legs until at least next summer."
What do you think? Is dance music here to stay? Let us know in the comments!
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Thursday, June 30, 2011
Beyonc� - Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)
- Artist: Beyoncé
- Label: Columbia/Music World Music
- Director: Jake Nava
- Album: I Am...Sasha Fierce
Links for 2008-03-20 [del.icio.us]
- Lindsay Lohan and Calum Best sex tape scandal
Lindsay Lohan has done it again! There is now a picture of her giving oral sex to Calum Best. Be sure to take a look at the picture. The image is safe to view but we do have the link to the image that is NSFW.
Britney Spears, Afrojack Remixes Put Moguai On The Dance Floor
'Lyve From Beta' DJ crafting another 'Beatport Elements' sample pack.
By Adam Stewart
Sofi and Moguai
Photo: MTV News
Moguai is quickly becoming one of the hottest names in dance music. Midway through his most-recent Stateside jaunt, "Lyve From America," the German DJ and producer will hit Sin City this weekend for a set at the Palms' Rain Nightclub on Saturday, followed by the granddaddy of them all: opening the Circuit Grounds stage on the final evening of the Electric Daisy Carnival on Sunday.
But it wasn't always club tunes and chart-topping success for the Mau5trap signee, born André Tegeler, who not long ago was on a path that was more likely to put him in the courtroom than the DJ booth.
"I was in Germany, studying for my law examination," he recalled recently in Miami. "But at that same time, I hit my first official German chart, so I had to make a choice: Do I do this the serious or un-serious way? So I said, 'OK, go for the music!' "
Luckily for the EDM aficionados, he put his legal dreams aside and dove headfirst into sound production. And now, just a few years later, he's become an integral part of one of the world's hottest dance labels. Having joined forces with Sofi (as in Deadmau5's "Sofi Needs a Ladder") on "Beat of the Drum," who he first met literally minutes before our chat, Moguai hit big this year in Miami, and his infectious grooves have been spreading like wildfire ever since. With his latest solo release "Oxygen," a rework of Afrojack's club monster "Bangduck" due out July 4, and a massive remix of the new Britney Spears single "I Wanna Go" to be released shortly after, Moguai is quickly proving that he is as versatile as he is talented.
Coming off the success of "Lyve From Beta," a unique release that included all of the loops, samples and tools from his set at the renowned Denver nightclub, Moguai is busy crafting another sample-based Ableton-friendly release pack, "Beatport Elements."
"It will have parts, so you can download the full audio and you can download the separate parts of what the tracks are made of," he explained. "You can see the pitch and the bpm, and you have lots of information about the music, so you can deal with it and handle it in whichever way you like."
While in the past, bedroom producers were tasked with slicing and dicing a master track from their favorite artists, the tech-savvy can now get their hands on individual song parts and re-interpret the tracks in their own style, something Beatport is hoping to do with more artists, Moguai said. He recalled how different his upbringing to the scene was compared with the technological advantages of today. With a bourgeoning tour schedule on the horizon, he's relieved that the age of the digital DJ allows him to travel light.
"It's nice, all of this software and all of these things, but I'm from this old-school generation. I'm coming from this vinyl business. I played so many years with only vinyl, and I paid so much traveling with vinyl to all of my gigs!" he recalled, laughing.
Will you be catching Moguai on tour? Tell us in the comments below!
Related Artists'Transformers 3' Cheat Sheet: Everything You Need To Know
Before watching 'Dark of the Moon,' check out our handy guide.
By Eric Ditzian
Shia LaBeouf and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount
Before the second "Transformers" even hit theaters, director Michael Bay was already saying no to a third installment — or at least one that would hit theaters in 2011. It was back in February 2009, a full three months before the release of "Revenge of the Fallen," that Bay said there was no way he'd helm a third "Transformers" flick (later titled "Dark of the Moon") and get it into multiplexes little more than two years later.
"I would like to take a year off," he told us at the time.
But whaddya know? Bay not only ended up agreeing to whipping together the 3-D flick in time for this year's Independence Day weekend, but Paramount ended up shifting the release to June 29 (June 28, if you count the many 9 p.m. showings). How did we get to this point? To understand that transformation — to learn everything there is to know — we'll have to travel back to mid-2009: Hop aboard our "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" cheat sheet:
Reworking the Bay-hem
By October 2009, coming off the poorly reviewed but $836 million-grossing "Revenge of the Fallen," Bay had cleared up the release date issues and announced that preproduction on the next film had begun. Increasingly, it appeared as though the new movie would be the first "Transformers" to get a 3-D release. "We're literally in the middle of that. There's no definitive answer," producer Lorenzo di Bonaventura told us about the chance for 3-D.
But the news about 3-D took a backseat to a rather shocking casting move in May: Megan Fox would not be returning to the franchise. She and Bay had previously shared a contentious creative partnership (remember when she compared him to Hitler and he called her immature?), but suddenly the two had parted ways. Possible replacements for Fox included Brooklyn Decker and Gemma Arterton, but the job eventually went to Victoria's Secret model, and Hollywood newbie, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley.
"I think there's positives and negatives to her not being [in the movie]," LaBeouf told us about Fox. "It's awesome that we get the discovery again. I think when everybody's vetted and everybody's been through these wars, then that discovery of the first film is nonexistent. It's kind of beautiful in that we get a new set of eyes, a fresh set of eyes for the audience to vibe with. So you get the discovery again, which is something that wouldn't happen if Megan came back."
New "Moon"
Filming kicked off on the still-untitled film last summer. It wouldn't be until the fall that it officially got a title. And the reason for that moniker wouldn't become clear until December, when the film's teaser trailer popped up online. It didn't feature LaBeouf or Huntington-Whiteley — or any of the stars, for that matter — but it did make clear the story would be tied into the Apollo 11 moon landing.
The trailers that followed, one 30-second spot during the Super Bowl and a second official trailer that dropped April 28, didn't help explain the film's storyline any further, but did continue to tease Bay's famous action sequences and the new gorgeous girl.
About That New Girl ...
Speaking of the lady in question, who admitted recently she thought she bombed her initial audition, Huntington-Whiteley's co-stars Tyrese Gibson and LaBeouf assured us that the first-time actress has a lot more going on than just a pretty face.
"Rosie is going to surprise a lot of people," Gibson said. "I have to go on record and say that she did not replace Megan Fox. She's a brand-new character; her name is Carly in the movie."
"She completely owns her sexuality," LaBeouf added. "Which I think helps, especially on a movie like this where it's a blanket summer movie and there are certain requirements of a woman in a summer movie."
Rising to Meet Technical Challenges
Director Bay entered new territory on this third installment by doing away with his preconceived notions and shooting the film in 3-D, which, according to him, forced him to deal with a whole new set of filming challenges.
"It's hard with my style of shooting and taking [a camera] and strapping it to guys who are skydiving off buildings and helmet cams," he said. "It's a technical nightmare. You don't even want to tell your viewers how technically complicated this stuff is."
On the other side of the technical spectrum is the amount of wirework required of the actors for the various stunts and action sequences. The specifics behind why the wirework proved to be so difficult, aside from the obvious hanging around, became very clear when LaBeouf, Gibson and Huntington-Whiteley offered a detailed (and highly entertaining) explanation of the various body parts that get pinched during the process.
"Yeah, I don't like the wires," LaBeouf admitted to MTV News. "Really, you can ask any man."
"All the things cut into the wrong places, put pressure on the wrong bits," Huntington-Whiteley added. "Whatever it does to a man, it also does to a woman."
"Thank God I have a bigger ass so when you put the harness on, the ass is able to help you stay away from the front part," Gibson explained. "It kind of balances things out a little bit. When your ass is flat and you have to have it going over the front, it is a bad day in America."
Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related Photos'Mission: Impossible 4' Is 'Intense,' Katie Holmes Says
Mrs. Tom Cruise says 'Ghost Protocol' is 'the best 'Mission' yet.'
By Kara Warner
Katie Homes & Guillermo Del Toro
Photo: MTV News
While we've been awaiting an official trailer for "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol" — which is said to drop in front of this week's "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" — a French version leaked online Monday (June 27), and reportedly contains plenty of expected shots of Tom Cruise involved in crazy action sequences as super-spy Ethan Hunt.
Since we have yet to see the trailer or any footage ourselves, when MTV News caught up with Cruise's better half, Katie Holmes, Monday during the press day for "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark," we asked if she's seen any of the film yet.
"I have. I had an advanced screening," she said with a laugh, adding that it's a perk of being married to the film's star.
As for her thoughts about Cruise's death-defying stunts in the film, particularly those he performed atop Dubai's Burj Khalifa (the world's tallest building), Holmes turned the question over to Guillermo del Toro, who produced "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark."
"What did you think, Guillermo, about the Burj?" she asked him.
"I love it!" he said, at which point they both agreed that Cruise's stunts were scarier than their film, which revolves around the demonic activities of a group of terrifying little creatures that seek out and kill humans, particularly children.
"It's amazing," Holmes continued. "The movie is going to be very cool and intense and the best 'Mission' yet."
The actress also mentioned that she'd be game for a role that required a few crazy stunts herself. "I think it sounds fun," she said.
Del Toro then chimed in with his own "Mission: Impossible Diaries," so to speak: "I live 'Mission: Impossible.' It's what I call my diet," he joked, and then proceeded to hum the "Mission: Impossible" theme song, while miming his insatiable appetite, making Holmes burst out laughing.
Holmes weighed-in: "I have a lot of 'Mission: Impossible' moments, just being a mom."
Del Toro agreed: "Yes, coping with the home front."
Check out everything we've got on "Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Britney Spears - Piece of Me
- Artist: Britney Spears
- Label: Jive/Zomba Label Group
- Director: Wayne Isham
- Album: Blackout
Jon Stewart Turns Crack Research Team on Himself
Having a little fun following a nearly two-week long war of words, Jon Stewart has answered back to FOX News' allegations of racism with a little self-deprecation.
On Tuesday night's (June 28) episode, the "Daily Show" host responded to the networks racism claim over his Herman Cain imitation with a segment called "Jon Stewart F---s Himself with His Own Mouth."
The clip is a hilarious two-minute montage of Jon doing various impressions and stereotyping that he previously performed on the show.
According to Stewart, the video was an effort to show he's an "equal-opportunity a------," willing to make fun of anything, regardless of age, race, or political affiliation.
Beyonce's 4 Leaks Three Weeks Early
Leak comes same day as Andre 3000 collabo, 'Party,' hit the Internet.
By Gil Kaufman
Photo: Getty
Beyoncé fans were psyched on Tuesday when her collabo with Andre 3000, "Party," leaked weeks before her new album is due. But they must have been flipping later in the day when all of 4 popped up online, three weeks before its official release date of June 28.
According to the Los Angeles Times, a short time after the Kanye West and Consequence-produced "Party" slipped out, another song, "Countdown," which samples the Boyz II Men tune "Uhh Ahh," also surfaced, followed by the entire album. The paper reported that while B's label has been frantically rushing to rip the 12-track album off sites that have posted it, a number of music blogs have removed "Party" and "Countdown" after getting cease-and-desist letters from the singer's lawyers.
Always one step ahead of the law, some online rogues have taken to Twitter to put up links to the music, making it harder for the label to track down the music. Fans have already gotten a number of listens at the first album since Beyoncé's 2008 double-disc I Am ... Sasha Fierce, including the uptempo dancehall first single "Run the World (Girls)," the lush ballad "1+1" and the second official single, "Best Thing I Never Had." Another tune, "End of Time," which samples late Afrobeat superstar Fela Kuti, has also leaked online.
If it makes Beyoncé feel any better, Lady Gaga's Born This Way leaked a few days before its official release and still went on to sell more than 1.1 million copies.
A spokesperson for Beyoncé's label could not be reached for comment on the leak at press time.
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Britney Spears Says She'd Love To Tour With Usher
In her 'Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale' special, she calls the 'OMG' singer 'really hot right now.'
By Jocelyn Vena, with reporting by Sway Calloway
Sway Calloway and Britney Spears
Photo: MTV News & Docs
What do Britney Spears and Usher have in common? Well, they are both global superstars with a back catalogue of tunes that have kept fans dancing for a really long time and they both recently hooked up with will.i.am for tracks on their latest releases (the Black Eyed Peas mastermind worked on the pop vixen's Femme Fatale tune "Big Fat Bass"). And, if Spears has her way, she and the "OMG" singer could be hitting the road together.
When Spears sat down to talk with Sway Calloway for her "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special — airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV — the singer revealed that Usher is first on her list of artists she'd like to join her on tour.
"Oh, I'm so excited. I'm really excited about going on tour, very," she explained about her forthcoming summer trek, which happens to have a spot open on the bill now that Enrique Iglesias has pulled out of the gig. "I think Usher's really great right now. I think he's really hot right now. That would be cool [to tour with him]."
The North American road trip is expected to kick off June 17 in Sacramento, California, and will run for 26 dates, winding up on August 13 in Toronto. More details will be announced soon.
The "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale" special is a mixture of behind-the-scenes footage of the singer as she wraps up production on her album, which dropped this week, as well as an inside look at her life and fans. In addition, those who couldn't make Spears' recent nightclub show in Las Vegas will get to see her as she takes the stage in her latest pop incarnation.
Don't miss "Britney Spears: I Am the Femme Fatale," airing Sunday (April 3) at 9 p.m. ET on MTV.
Related Videos Related Photos Related ArtistsMichael Jackson - Gone Too Soon
- Artist: Michael Jackson
- Label: Epic
- Director: Bill Dicicco
- Album: Dangerous
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
'Transformers: Dark Of The Moon': The Reviews Are In
Michael Bay's summer blockbuster has critics praising his deft handling of eye-popping 3-D.
By Eric Ditzian
Sentinel Prime in "Transformers: Dark of the Moon"
Photo: Paramount Pictures
As even Michael Bay has admitted, "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" had almost nowhere to go but up after the writers' strike-affected, audience-alienating previous installment.
And insofar as Bay and company had something to prove — and to improve — this time around, they've succeeded. While "Dark of the Moon" isn't currently the highest rated film in the franchise, according to the Rotten Tomatoes review aggregator, the general consensus among critics is that the new 3-D flick is best of the "Transformers" bunch.
That's not to suggest reviews have been universally positive; many have been as brutal to the film as the film's robots have been to certain American cities. Reviewers have taken issue with poor plotting, weak characters and brain-scrambling action set pieces. But then there are a slew of reviewers utterly onboard with what Bay has created, celebrating some of the finest 3-D visuals since "Avatar" and a story that is the most fully fleshed out of the series. For those opinions and others, take a deep dive into the "Transformers: Dark of the Moon" reviews.
The Story
"A sweet prologue (marred only by a phony-looking digital JFK) recounts the war for Cybertron and the real reason behind the U.S.-Soviet space race of the 1960s. Cut to the present where Sam Witwicky (LaBeouf) struggles to find his first post-college job, while the Autobots led by Optimus Prime and the U.S. military's NEST team led by Lt. Col. Lennox (Josh Duhamel) work in tandem to take out the remaining Decepticons around the world. However, the evil 'bots eventually get the upper hand and begin an invasion to conquer the Earth with Chicago as Ground Zero in this final war between the Autobots/humans and Decepticons. There's more going on, but for the sake of spoilers we'll keep it at that. Transformers: Dark of the Moon definitely has more of a plot than either of its predecessors. There are genuine stakes this time." — Jim Vejvoda, IGN
The 3-D
"[For] the first time since 'Avatar,' I am going to recommend that you find the biggest and best 3-D theater you can find and buy yourself a ticket, because 'Transformers: Dark Of the Moon,' especially seen in IMAX 3-D, is an overwhelming sensory experience. The sound mix alone is more exciting than anything in the billion-dollar-bore of 'Pirates 4.' This is gigantic action we've never seen before, and Bay's reaction to shooting and cutting his film for 3-D is to get better at what he does. It raised his game, and as a result, I feel like we just saw a dare thrown down by one of Hollywood's biggest action specialists: 'Top this.' — Drew McWeeny, HitFix
The Comparisons
"Bay's hammering technique works, in a commercial sense. Executive producer Steven Spielberg is the richer for it. But it's telling to compare any good minute in Spielberg's 'War of the Worlds,' for example, with any of the 153 minutes in 'Dark of the Moon.' The former, which isn't even Spielberg at his best, offers the thrill and the uneasy, complicated spectacle of destruction you get from a first-rate entertainer. Bay's endless love of nastiness and chrome and aggression offers less. And that's the only 'less' about it." — Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune
The Characters
"All that matters is the long, slow slog to the Chicago-set, theater-rattling finale, which seems to last about four hours. That's not a compliment, by the way. There's so much potential in a Transformer, which can, after all, transform into anything. But Bay misses every opportunity to make something interesting out of his characters; instead, he's content to spend his enormous budget on grinding destruction so generic and visually convoluted, it's often hard to tell who we're supposed to be rooting for." — Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
The Final Word
"More than either of the previous films, this 'Transformers 3' feels like an ultra-violent version of the two-dimensional cartoon it's based on. I think I'm almost alright with that, when it's done this well, in this kind of summer blockbuster. We'd probably all be happier watching another movie like 'Inception,' but as long as those movies still get made, I guess there's nothing wrong in sitting down with a 'Transformers: Dark of the Moon,' once in awhile." — Josh Tyler, Cinema Blend
Check out everything we've got on "Transformers: Dark of the Moon."
For breaking news, celebrity columns, humor and more — updated around the clock — visit MTVMoviesBlog.com.
Related Videos Related PhotosLady Gaga's 'Edge Of Glory': A Pop-Culture Cheat Sheet
In her newest video, Gaga pays homage to classic clips of the 1980s.
By James Montgomery
Lady Gaga
Photo: Getty Images
The first thing that strikes you about Lady Gaga's "The Edge of Glory" video is the fact that it's steeped in the rich, gauzy traditions of classic pop clips and noticeably missing any of the allegories, agendas or, uh, afterbirth of her previous work.
Simply put, "Edge" is an homage to an entire genre of videos that has since gone by the wayside — namely, the eternally soft-focused, ethereal mini-movies of the 1980s, (mostly) pop productions that reimagined cityscapes as dream-like fantasy worlds, where the just-wet streets shone like mirrors, the manholes frothed with steam and no piece of fabric was left un-billowed. These were decidedly big-budget, unapologetically Hollywood things, shot on studio backlots, glowing with million-dollar lighting budgets and given extra grandeur thanks to sweeping, soaring crane shots. They made no attempt to portray reality as anything of the sort — because, much like the songs they accompanied, there was rebellion in that fantasy — or of hiding their excesses. And, not surprisingly, as the decade came to a close, and earnestness began to reign supreme, they slowly disappeared (surely, their big budgets didn't help their fate either).
But with her new clip, Gaga resurrects the epic videos of the '80s once again. And, seemingly, all at once. There truly are too many nods to the classics to list individually, and really, that's beside the point. With "The Edge of Glory," LG is paying tribute not to individual artists, but to an entire genre. Still, there are some whose influence stands above the rest, and we've combined them into one handy cheat sheet. Of course, in keeping with her tradition, not all of them come from the 1980s. Because if there's anything Lady Gaga has proven, it's that she refuses to be fenced in. Here's our list:
Bonnie Tyler: Welsh-born belter whose better-known videos (like "Total Eclipse of the Heart" and "Holding Out for a Hero") practically set the standard for the fantastical pop videos of the 1980s. Soft focus, arching crane shots, achingly staged lighting — they're all there, and they're all on display in "Edge of Glory" too.
Blondie, "Rapture": One of the earliest examples of the ethereal '80s (it was released in 1981), the video follows Debbie Harry on a dream-like traipse through the streets of New York City, complete with guest appearances by Fab Five Freddy and a shuffling Uncle Sam (to name just a few). It makes no sense, because it's not supposed to.
Cyndi Lauper: Gaga's good friend and, along with Madonna, perhaps the premier '80s video star, Lauper's classics — be they the good-natured rebellion of "Girls Just Want to Have Fun" or the moody, arty "True Colors" — both seem like spiritual successors to "Edge."
"Fame": Epochal tale of performing-arts students living and loving in NYC during the early '80s, it's spirit and style have long influenced Gaga's work. With its dance moves and dreamy, freedom-in-the-streets scenes, "Edge" is perhaps the best example of that.
"Flashdance": Prototypical "girl finds escape in dance" film from 1983, it stars Jennifer Beals as a steelworker/dancer who dreams of a better life. Not only are the same sentiments echoed in "Edge," but Gaga pays tribute to the film's most memorable scene — where Beals reclines in a chair and is doused in water — by striking a similar pose outside her apartment building.
George Michael: Before he became known for his various, uh, exploits, Michael was the biggest British pop star of the 1980s, and as such, he churned out some appropriately huge music videos. Two of his biggest — "Father Figure" and "Careless Whisper" — seem to have influenced Gaga with their gauzy, steamy portrayals of late-night life in the big city and, in the case of "Whisper," that balls-out sax wailing.
Michael Jackson: You can't write anything about videos from the 1980s without mentioning MJ, who took the art form to rarely duplicated heights. Usually, his clips were fantastical things, but occasionally, he also got gritty, and it's those moments (videos like "The Way You Make Me Feel" and "Billie Jean") that seem to have stuck in Gaga's mind.
"Newsies": The 1992 Disney musical is most notable for its initial "flop" status and its subsequent rebirth as a cult classic. It tells the story of newsboys on strike in New York City, and in classic scenes like Christian Bale's performance of the song "Santa Fe," it takes that struggle to the twisting fire escapes of the city. Sort of like "Edge of Glory," really.
"Rent": Broadway retelling of Puccini's "La bohème," set in the Lower East Side in the early 1990s. As some have noted, Lady Gaga seems to be paying tribute to the choreography of one particular number ("Out Tonight") as she dances on the fire escape.
"West Side Story": One of the best-loved Broadway musicals of all time, "Story" was remade as a film in 1961 and went on to win a whopping 10 Oscars, including Best Picture. As you can expect, there are plenty of street scenes and fire escapes in both the film and the stage show, but perhaps the most famous is "Tonight," where the story's star-crossed lovers profess their love for one another high above the city. Sure, Maria never tears off her Versace silk, but you seemingly cannot film a scene on a fire escape without recalling this classic, and, in "Edge," there's certainly a lot of the former.
Did we miss any influences? Let us know in the comments below!
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