ad hoc.

It is scientifically impossible for Elton John to write a bad song. Exhibit A: “I Guess That’s Why They Call It the Blues.”

What is the world has happened to Benecio Del Toro?

All of these are incredibly incrediblely awesome, each different from each other. Up for only a week.

[ The Russian Futurists - Me, Myself and Rye ]

The Russian Futurists are a Canadian indie-pop band based in Toronto. Their music has been described as lo-fi and indie-electronica. Although they initially had only one member, Matthew Adam Hart, the band was later enlarged.

[Old 97s - Too Far to Care ]

The Old 97’s are an “alt-country” band originally based in Dallas, Texas. The group formed in 1993 and took their name from an old country song popularized by Johnny Cash, “Wreck of the Old 97.” They describe themselves as a rock band with influences as varied as the Kinks, the Beatles, the Pixies, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, and Merle Haggard. The band often performs country standards made famous by the latter two musicians, and has interspersed a number of these on their half-dozen albums over the last decade.

[ The Dears - Gang of Losers ]

The Dears are a Canadian indie rock band from Montreal, Quebec.The band’s music has been described as a cross between The Smiths, Serge Gainsbourg and Joy Division, with Lightburn’s singing voice being likened to that of Blur’s Damon Albarn and, more obviously, Morrissey of The Smiths.

Some Battlestar tidbits (thank you Google alterts!):

The Season 3 premier will be a two hour movie. Woot woot!

An interview with Aaron Douglas.

The allure of Battlestar Galactica. Why is Lucy Lawless there? I hate when she acts like she is the star of the show. She was in like, two episodes.

[Previously: Battlestar]

Black Box; “Strike It Up“

I looooved this group.

Fuck Netflix. Why does it take 10 days to receive my dvds when the processing plant is in Hartford, 10 miles from where I live? This infuriates me. Either they are pursposely slowing it down because I rent a lot orthey are incompetent. I get six rentals at a time, supposedly unlimited, and because of the slow processing, I have gotten an average of 13 in two months. Whatever. I’m pissed. I am switching to Blockbuster online. They seem to have just as many movies and you get coupons for free rentals in the store. We’ll see. And that’s my new endorsement.

Slate posted an exerpt from Feminist Chauvanist Pigs, a work I thoroughly enjoyed about female raunch culture, a.k.a., the new feminism. This exerpt talks about Girls Gone Wild. The sad thing is (among a lot of sad things) is that every aspect of it is orchestrated.

“Dispaches From Girls Gone Wild”

I just did some crude mathematics and I’ve come to the conclusion that I acquire about 10 news albums per week. Phew! It’s all updated here. Also please direct your attention to my updated best of the year albums page, because I will be continually uploaded the albums. Also, it’s only about half the year and I already have a gazillion up there. There is sure to be more. Please let me know if you want anything and I will continually upload.

I am really digging British singer Lily Allen. This is what (I hope) is the future of pop music. Some months ago people were saying Annie was the next saviour of pop, but I didn;t think so. Her stuff is less bubble-gummy than most and a bit more gritty. I would say it was Kylie Minogue meets The Streets meets M.I.A.

Get the album [ here ]

There is a new blog from Project Runway producer, Michael Rucker, and he is C-U-T-E.

Ok, so Project Runway. I love the show, I have a lot of respect for it. But, they really pissed me off with this dog challenge. Dogs as accesories? Living beings as an accesory? This is totally perpetuated by the fucking Paris Hiltons of the world who buy small, purebreed dogs because they are trendy, and disregarding it as a living being. Sure, one could argue that these “high fashion” dogs have a good life because they get expensive pampering and expensive food. But their owners don’t want to take the time to really take care of them or clean them and grow tired of them when they are out of style.

Ok, so where did the dogs on the show come from? They were all purebreads, did someone donate them? Were they homeless? What did they do with them when the fashion show was over? They all thought it was so cute when one of the dogs was struggling to get out of its little designer outfit. Yea, maybe because it hurt it and scared it that is was confined by something. But hey, it was cute, so what did it matter?

Anyway, it would have been great if there was a little message at the end about adopting dogs or whatever. Maybe that was wishful thinking.

Anyway, there was some interesting fashion. The winning dress was blah, but I didn’t think the losing dress was that bad. I would have liked to see Keith leave for being an ABSOLUTELY ANNOYING ASSHOLE. Anyway,

here are the ones I liked the best:

And the ones I thought were fug:

Kayne’s outfit (on the left) looks like it could be found at Joyce Leslie. And I agree with Robert. The whole storytelling aspect of the designing is obnoxious. Camp Director at a children’s campin Paris? Japanese business woman? Wtf?

I am not ashamed to admit that I like Evanescence. The new album is finally coming out in September. Really, I just want to be Amy Lee.

“We’re genetically programmed to go after successful men,” explains Lisa Johnson, author of How to Snare a Millionaire. “All the way back to caveman days, women had to mate with the best hunters, gatherers and providers for the propagation of our species.”

More insights from “How to Land a Rich Man“.

Miami Vice is supposedly good. Who knew?

Here’s a golden oldie. Duran Duran’s “Notorious.” Most awesomely used in Donnie Darko, as the song for the Sparkle Motion performance.

Stephen Colbert sticks it to morning news shows.

Well, this could be ambarassing to admit, but I find it amusing. A friend of mine is moving, and unloaded a whole bunch of books on me, included a large amount of romance novels. Now, it may be surprising that a perv like me never got into that. I guess I hate bad writing and the stupid euphemisms they use for body parts. Anyway, it is redic. It’s like a whole other world of literature. I thought I would read some for fun, but even I couldn’t bring myself to do that. I guess I’ll be doing a lot of business on Ebay. However, reading the back covers have proven to be very amusing. Here are two of my favorites:

Use as Directed, for as long as it takes!!

Dr. Houston Hayes has never had trouble maintaining his professional distance with both patients and co-workers…until he meets resident Josie Adtkins. Every time this tiny tornado of cheery clumsiness drops a chart in his presence, he’s treated to a view that makes him extremely interested in her bones. Jumping them, that is. For a man who prides himself on control at all times, this is getting to be a problem. And problems always have solutions….

All her life, Josie has wanted to be a surgeon. But how can she do that while she’s suffering from the debilitating Dr. Hayes induced Dropping Medical Equipment Syndrome? Honestly, with those ice blue eyes and powerful shoulders clinging to a - whoops, there goes the blood pressure cuff- what’s a girl to do? And hen Dr Hayes shocks her by prescribing a very sexy cure: one night of shee-burning passion to erase the sexual tension for both of them. But only one night…he won’t need more than that….

Suddenly, Josie has a mission - a cance to prove the arrogant Dr. Hayes wrong. One night with her will nevber be enough if she has her way. And soon, bith doctors may be falling into a desire deeper that they’ve ever known…one that makes them hungry for more.

Sweet Jesus. This makes the writers for Grey’s Anatomy look like Dostoevsky. Here’s another a gem. Please keep in mind this is written in the voice of Elmer Presley, the fairy godfather:

Once upon a time, in a magic kingdom, there lived a handsome prince, Prince Charming, he was called by one and all.

And then this land came a gentle princess. You could say she was Cinderella.

Magic Kingdom? Okay, if you’re going to be a stickler for accuracy, in this fairy tale the kingdom is Manhattan. But there’s magic in the Big Apple, isn’t there?

Prince Charming? Oh boy! You’ve heard the rumors I suppose. So, he’s Prince Not-So-Charming on occasion. So he drives an orgage pick up truck, not a pumpkin coach. Big deal! He is handsome.

A gentle princess? Picky, picky, picky! Who says a woman has to be soft and fluffy all the time? Haven’t you heard of a royal case of PMS?

Cinderalla! Well, maybe she does wear blue suede shoes instead of glass slippers, but she’s looking for happily-ever after just the same. And I am going to make sure she gets her prince and her castle, not some hounf dog and the Heartbreak Hotel.

Folks, I am ashamed of my gender.

This is the funniest thing I have read in a long time. Apparently the shit-tastic movie You, Me and Dupree was inspired by a Steely Dan Song and didn’t even give them credit. The band then wrote an open letter to Luke Wilson telling him his brother is an asshole. I love open letters to the community. THere is just not enough of them anymore.

From Pitchfork:

Mogwai Score Aronofsky Film

Well I’ll be. Mogwai have once again boarded the soundtracking ship, this time with Captain Darren Aronofsky (Pi, Requiem for a Dream). Makes a little more sense than Miami Vice, doesn’t it?

The band contributed to the score for Aronofsky’s upcoming film, The Fountain, playing music written by Clint Mansell. No surprise party there. The Kronos Quartet are also on the soundtrack.

Anne Coulter is just so hilarious. She should go on the road with Sarah Silverman. It would be a regular old laugh riot. A recent interview she did with Donny Deautsch has some real gems.

Ms. COULTER: I think that sort of rampant promiscuity does show some level of latent homosexuality.

DEUTSCH: OK, I think you need to say that again. That Bill Clinton, you think on some level, has — is a latent homosexual, is that what you’re saying?

Ok, so there is a movie being made based on this book, Reservation Road. The good news? It’s starring Joaquin. Even more good news? Mark Ruffalo is also in it. Oh, it gets better! They are filming in CONNECTICUT! Oh, I knew I moved here for a reason.

According to Fox News, Reservation Road is set to start shooting on Oct. 1 in Connecticut. Joaquin and Mark Ruffalo are set to play the male leads. Jennifer Connelly is on board as Joaquin’s wife. Joaquin is probably going to play Ethan, the father who loses his son.

‘Hollywood agents and managers are on red alert this week. Oscar-nominated director Terry George, who brought “Hotel Rwanda” to life and garnered numerous awards, is casting the fourth of a quartet of actors to star in his next film.

George is set to begin shooting “Reservation Road” on Oct. 1 in Connecticut for Focus Features. The story, based on Jonathan Burnham Schwartz’s novel, centers on two couples and what happens when one husband kills the child of the other in a hit-and-run.

So far, Joaquin Phoenix and Mark Ruffalo are set to play the male leads. Jennifer Connelly is on board as Phoenix’s wife, a role that George tells me every actress in her age range has coveted. But the part of Ruffalo’s wife, which is said to be just as good, if not better, is still open.

George is said to be considering a slew of actresses, from Annabella Sciorra to Christina Applegate, with plenty of other names tossed in there, including Bridget Fonda and Jennifer Jason Leigh. Parts this meaty for young actresses don’t come along very often anymore, so you can imagine the jockeying for position on George’s list.

More details on the Killers new album. I’m squirming in my seat thinking about it.

Read the rest of this entry »

Are these anatomically correct?

Lance Bass finally comes out. Really, who si surprised? The sad thing is he needed to hide it.

“I knew that I was in this popular band and I had four other guys’ careers in my hand, and I knew that if I ever acted on it or even said (that I was gay), it would overpower everything,” he tells the magazine.

Bass says he wondered if his coming out could prompt “the end of ‘N Sync.” He explains, “So I had that weight on me of like, `Wow, if I ever let anyone know, it’s bad.’ So I just never did.”

Sadly, at the height of their popularity, I thought Lance was the cutest. THat’s the story of my life.

Oh, and ps, here’s his boyf: Schwing!