* Doctor Mc... no, Doctor Alex something something from Grey's Anatomy checked into the same mental facility as Brit .. but only for a day or so.

* And the next Bachelorette is... the one who Brad Womack psyched out in the finale! That jerk. Let's hope she's over him.

* So like, here's the new Menudo generation. *snicker*

* Worst. Movie. Dialogue. Ever.

* Yes, there will be a Cloverfield sequel.

Entertainment Tonight recently reported that they had a 2-year old video of Heath Ledger, in which Heath is supposedly seen doing a crapload of drugs. ET was going to air the video on the first day of sweeps. I find this completely disgusting and distasteful - who knew that Billy Bush, host of Access Hollywood (which is ET's competition), would think the same thing. He posted his strongly-worded disappointment on the Access Hollywood website, stating:

I don't often comment on our competition, but because we have so much of it in the "entertainment show" genre these days, we are often lumped in a group together. The fact is, we're very different, and that stems mostly from the difference in scruples of the respective Executive Producers.

"Entertainment Tonight" and "The Insider" ran a promo tonight for their Heath Ledger drug use video, which they "reportedly" (love that lawyer enforced word) bought for a couple hundred thousand dollars. A still frame of this video which shows Heath apparently doing cocaine ran on the east coast feed of "ET," but on the west coast feed, the tasteless still shot was replaced with a shot of someone's feet (Heath's, I guess). The voice over by Mary Hart had not changed, however. She still spoke of the incriminating scene and still promo'd the full video tomorrow.

Yes, the still shot was just a taste. Tomorrow is Day 1 of the sweeps ratings period.

Gross. Totally gross.

Well said. But then he goes on to say this:

Wow. I don't always leap to the side of publicists, because objectivity is sometimes an afterthought. They are hired to shape an image, but --

Heath Ledger's family has not even had the chance to bury their son. We know he had problems, but this kind of salacious opportunism is poisonous.

I struggle with every type of borderline exploitive material. I'm a constant pain to our Executive Producer as I worry too much that things go too far. Ask him.

I am shocked that Mary Hart would read this crap. I know her and she is a very nice lady, but its clear to me she's "checked out" of that place, basically taking whatever they put in her hand and reading it with the same excitable veneer you'd expect to hear at a 50's sock hop.

Mary gets paid a lot of money. She must have the clout to say 'no.' Their Executive producer used to run "Hard Copy." She doesn't hit the brakes for anything. But Mary, you are the June Cleaver of entertainment news; this cannot be OK.

Let's see how long the outrage lasts.

Billy, Billy, Billy... You had me - then you lost me. While I appreciate your jabs at the plastic, perma-smile that is the robot of Mary Hart, I can't help but think that you are one big ol' hypocrite. I just happened to catch a few minutes of Access Hollywood the other day and all I saw was slow-motion videos of Heath's body being taken out of his apartment complex from different angles, followed by footage of his family arriving at airports and such. How does this make Access Hollywood any better than Entertainment Tonight?

So, Mr. Billy Bush: thanks for speaking up, but in the end you are just the pot calling the kettle black. I mean, the lesser of two evils is still evil, no?

Photographs Courtesy Getty

You need to listen to this song..

It's "We're so beyond this" by The Reason ft. Sara Quin.

I always see the video on MUCHLOUD.. & whenever I do it makes me happy!!

Check it out..

xo

* Le sigh. Britney's world continued to spiral last night when after 60+ hours of no sleep, she was put on a three-day psychiatric hold .. but of course it involved a lot of rumour, fuss and swarming vehicles. Read all about it here.

* Goom-bye, Montel Williams. You were the awesomest fourth-best talk show option to ever hold the 11am time slot.

* If you haven't seen this Protest The Hero promo site, it's your duty to see it now. Start by entering in the word "duel", heathen!

* Wtf is Andy Samberg doing in this Justin Timberlake Pepsi ad?! Oh, and it's JT's birthday, too.

* I can't believe Avril is releasing a fragrance.

* Elephants: the new modern artist.

* Ethan Hawke has knocked up his girlfriend, she of Ethan-cheating-on-Uma fame.

* And the NKOTB mysterious-isms continue with a new song.

* Here be the Death Cab album info ye seek.

* Paris and Elisha totes making out? Sigh. I really miss Elisha's good ol' PMK days.

* TyTy's developing yet another reality TV show; tentative working title: Fix Mah Weave.

Kanye. Rihanna. Lupe. Touring. SHRIEK!

You're only hearing about this now because I passed out at approximately 11am when I heard the news. Now that Jenifa has awakened me with a cool facecloth, I'm ready to share my *~*excitement*~* and reasons why I MUST attend this show, should it come to Toronto (and it better!).

1. I love Kanye and know all the words.
2. I love RiRi and know all the words.
3. I love Lupe and know all the words.
4. Two of the most powerful live performances I've ever seen: Kanye doing "Jesus Walks" and Lupe doing "Daydreamin'". I would like to see this again before I die, even better in ONE NIGHT.
5. I interviewed Rihanna once and she was really nice.
6. The promo poster is uh-mazing.

So, sign me up. 'Ye, pass on those tour dates as soon as you know, mmkay? Cause I'll be first in line to buy like I've never boughten before. YES, BOUGHTEN!

Last year Mika played a small show at the Mod Club and I was quite upset that I missed it - so much so that when I heard that he was coming back to Toronto I vowed to myself that I wouldn't miss him again. With an amazing voice range comparable to Freddie Mercury and stage presence that you can't deny, I was so excited for this show!

Mika played the second show of his Dodgy Holiday tour in Toronto last night to a crowd of all ages (meaning one could spot many young gaggles of girls and their moms). As much as I love raw gigs, it had been a while since I'd gone to just a fun, happy, or as Mika put it, "completely big and fantastical" show.

Mika hit the stage opening with Relax (Take It Easy) and the packed crowd went crazy! The boy really went all out! There was flashing lights, flowers decorating the stage, dancers and more!

He played most of his debut album Life in Cartoon Motion, sneaking in some new songs her and there. Filled with energy, Mika and the rest of the gang jumped and danced around the stage; there wasn’t a dull moment. During Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) a giant woman was blown up, and Love Today included a giant skeleton on stage! The night ended with giant balloons, confetti and streamers throughout the crowd!

While Mika might not be everyone's cup of tea, the crowd seemed to adore it. I personally loved it! Theatrics, confetti, and all!

*yes, there are a lot of exclamation marks, but the night is worthy of them (!)

Links:
Official: Mika
MySpace: Mika

Photograph Courtesy Getty Images

Why is it so cold outside?? I hate it.. it makes me want to stay in bed & not leave the house!

The Raptors lost last night to Washington.. :( They're playing them again tonight though, so hopefully they'll win this time!

My new favourite show is on tonight.. CASHMERE MAFIA - I love Lucy Liu.. all the girls on the show wear such crazy, fashiony outfits..
Things you could never wear, but they look really good! :)

I'm currently craving buttermilk pancakes..

Wintersleep are on MOD tomorrow.. I really like their song "Weighty Ghost"..

Cat Powers' new CD JUKEBOX is beautiful.. I love her voice..

I saw THERE WILL BE BLOOD the other night.. Daniel Day Lewis is brilliant - so talented.. & humble.. Someone that doesn't need publicity.. only takes on a part/movie every few years when a script really moves him - (The last film he did was GANGS OF NEW YORK). I thought it was so amazing when he dedicated his SAG award to Heath
Ledger.. he has something a lot of people don't have - CLASS.

xoxo

5) Buy one sheet of the candy glass that they use in Jackie Chan movies. Knock on your boss' office door and scream "Equality!" while smashing the glass over your head.

4) Before your next girls' night out make business cards for each of your friends giving them uber-flattering but false degrees and titles (ex. Monica Remark, PhD, MMBA, CEO of Wall Street).

3) Be a total lesbo.

2) Demand that you pay only 70% of the retail price when shopping.

1) Fly to Vancouver next Thursday (February 7) and join Debra and Sab along with special L.A. guest Nikki Glaser (of Last Comic Standing and CollegeHumor.com) in Smash the Roof!

More details:
www.gettickets.ca
www.sabrinajalees.com
www.debradg.com

* Why? Oh, Why? Marie Osmond DOES NOT need a talk show. Please, for the love of god.

* Democratic canditate John Edwards will be announcing his departure from the race later this afternoon. It was a long shot but why do I feel so bad for him?

* ONE. DAY. AWAY. LOST!

* Sarah Jessica Parker pulls a Heidi Klum.

* Angelina is preggers again.

* Cameron Diaz macks on a Felicity alum.

* The woman behind Bart Simpson donates a whack load of cash to Tom's church of choice.

* Brad Pitt has a sense of humour.

* Matthew McConaughey will be putting on the pounds for a new movie role, but will continue to be shirtless everywhere he goes to get what he calls his "belly tan." I call it the "douche tan."

* Jessica Biel & Justin Timberlake are back in our lives...

* Mariah Carey is a crazy rich person and flaunts her cleavage.

* Check out this kid's review of the latest Rambo movie. Wait a minute - he's a KID! Watching RAMBO?! And his name is Sexman?!!! Wise beyond his years, this one...

* The Hype Machine gives us a list of the most blogged about music of the year with their 2007 Music Blog Zeitgeist!

* And finally, EW.com lets us know how many times certain words come up in winning Oscar songs. Wha? My head is going to explode.

Tomorrow night at 9pm ET, make sure you tune in to see Chantal co-host The Shift! She spent her day with Tim, getting a couples massage. Awww. Steamy. Anyway, here's what Chantal has to say about the experience, and remember, if you want to apply, go here!

I'm such a lucky person to be able to be around Tim Deegan naked-ish for the most part of my day. I had a blast. I am very happy that I got to spend the day with Tim, Sharon and Jamie at the Stillwater spa in Toronto, we all had so much fun. None of us wanted to leave because it was so beautiful and calm there. I learned a lot of tips from the massage Tim and I got, for when I go and train to become a massage therapist in the future. And I got to show some of my skills on Tim during the hour I was co-hosting.

I am so happy that I got to meet my other all time favorite person Trevor Boris!! I love him!!!!! I still can't believe I got to hug him. If I could re-do The Shift again I wouldn't have done it any different. I love the experience and I now know what it's like to be a VJ.

So I just sat down with Dallas Green for a good 25 minutes to talk about his new album "Bring Me Your Love" and some other stuff that we like to ask pretty much everybody we meet. Stay tuned for part two of the interview, which I'll post next week - where we actually get to the nitty gritty of talking about his album!

THIS JUST IN! Read on to the end of the interview to find out how you can win tickets to see City & Colour perform at a very exclusive concert!

And now, the fun stuff. Ahem:

What was the first album you bought with your own money?

I bought Alice In Chains' "Dirt" when I was in grade 7 with my allowance. I bought it on cassette. And then my mom later on bought the CD for me.

Did that album have a big impact on you?

It did. That album really shaped the way I look at rock music. I was like eleven, and I had already been playing guitar and I remember listening to it intently and learning how to play it. I figured out how to play all the songs. I would just sit and put my CD player right in front of my face and my amp on the floor, and I would just play along to it all day and sing to it. So, that's how I built up my singing and playing when I was young. A lot of people give me flak, cause they were like the goth-y band of grunge. Also, I don't have any guilty pleasures. I feel like, whatever I like, I like. Not everyone should listen to the same type of music and if I wanna listen to Alice In Chains, I'm gonna listen to Alice In Chains. I don't care if you don't think I'm cool because of it. Nardwuar gave me shit because of it - he was like, "what about Nirvana?!" and I said, "no, I like Alice In Chains better!" And he was mad at me because of it.

What word makes you cringe?

That's a good one. The other day I was with my friend Allison and apparently the word "moist" makes her cringe.

(Cringing) I think a lot of girls are like that.

Yeah, I can imagine! But it doesn't make me! I don't know if I have one. You know what's a bad word, the "c" word. You know what the "c" word is - I don't want to say it. Whenever anyone says that word I'm like, "oooookay, come on." Even if a girl's not around, it's still just not a good word.

You know, I don't mind that word, but I will not say the "f" word.

Really?! I say the "f" word A LOT. Like, a whole lot. You know what? I grew up not hearing it a lot because my father would never say it in front of me, or my mom or my sister. He would say all the other ones but he would never say the "f" word cause it was like, the big one. Now that I'm older, I hear it every once in awhile from him and I'm like, (acts shocked).

What's the most confusing trend you've seen develop in the past few years?

I think guys wearing lots of make-up. Like, I'm cool with it - for me it's weird because it's like hair metal all over again. The guys onstage were dressing a lot like girls, and the girls in the audience really liked them a lot - they thought they were heart throbs even though they dressed more like girls than the girls in the audience - and the guys in the audience wanted to be like the guys onstage even though they were dressing like girls. And nowadays it's kind of like that again - little guys onstage onstage that are being more like girls, and the girls really like it and the guys really like it. It's weird.

And the floofy hair, too.

Yeah. I mean, I had the long hair for a little while too, but then I was just like, "this is annoy-ying." It's fun onstage to have hair to headbang, but after awhile I was like, get outta my face.

Or maybe the trend of not needing to sing, like lip-syncing isn't a big deal anymore. I brought this up in an interview the other day, but Milli Vanilli were CRUCIFIED when people found out they were lip-syncing. But Ashlee Simpson's career got bigger. Like, one of the guys in Milli Vanilli killed himself - he got so down in the dumps about it that he killed himself. And Ashlee Simpson is flourishing, and it didn't matter that she's lip syncing. It didn't hinder her at all.

I wonder if it all has to do with publicity.

That's what I mean, I think the trend is that it's become more about publicity than it is about the song, or musicianship. It doesn't matter if you can play or sing anymore, it just matters if you have the right publicist. It's a bummer.

What's your favourite music video?

Of all time? I don't know, there's so many! You know what I liked, remember the Peter Gabriel "Sledgehammer" video? I like that a lot. I don't know if it's my favourite, but it's a good video.

What are your current fixations?

I'm really into Miss Vickie's chips. Every flavour they do is amazing. Roasted Red Pepper? Holy jeez. They have these other ones that are like, sweet chili and sour cream? Unbelievable.

And very crunchy!

Awesome, though. Kettle cooked. I've been a Dorito guy since I could eat Doritos, and up until 6 months ago, all of a sudden I turned into a huge Miss Vickie's guy.

What would you consider to be a career high?

Alexis, we just played Brixton Academy in London, England a couple months ago. That was a big deal. Cause that's the venue that you always hear about. A lot of people say - in England, you sort of judge if you've made it or not if you play Brixton Academy. I would say that, or also I got to play right before Bob Dylan played in the summer, at the Bluesfest in Ottawa. I got to say, "ladies and gentlemen, up next, Bob Dylan!" Even though he was playing a mile away on the other stage across from me, I still got to say it. That was pretty neat. You never think things like that will happen.

What are some pop songs that are "earworms" for you (get stuck in your head)?

"Toxic" was one of those songs. It's a good song, too. "Umbrella"! That one just stuck forever. I would say those two in the last 5 years were super stuck in my head.

What are your favourite chocolate bars?

(whistles) Crunchie and Butterfinger. I don't like a lot of chocolate cause I'm lactose intolerant. So the real milk chocolatey ones, I can't handle. They make my throat itchy and I can't itch it. Those two have just the right amount of chocolate and wonderfulness. There's this chocolate called Ritter Sport, and if that's considered a chocolate bar, I'll put that in there - the coconut one. Bounty! I like Bounty a lot.

Reality TV or drama?

Drama. Like Dexter. It's really good. Reality TV shows are really good but at the same time I feel guilty watching them. I think the appeal is - people who have no talent, it's more fun to watch them make fools of themself than it is to watch someone who's really good at acting. And it's kind of a bummer.

*****

Answer Dallas' Questions And WIN!

So, City & Colour will be performing at a very exclusive concert at the Music Gallery in Toronto, which is pretty much invite only. But we've got ONE PAIR OF TICKETS to give away to the fan who can answer these three questions, which Dallas came up with himself.

1. What do his knuckle tattoos say?
2. What kind of guitar does he play?
3. Who is his favourite singer of all time?

Email your name, age and answers to redhot@muchmusic.com - you have until February 7 to enter!

Don't forget to read the Rules and Regs! :-)

NME.com reports that Michael Jackson has re-recorded and remixed his hit album 'Thriller' to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. And as awesome as that sounds, I can't help but be the cynical and jaded ol' me and think that this is just a blatant cash grab for The King of Pop who has had much-publicized financial issues as of late. But hey - I'm not complaining - 'Thriller' is amazing.

Apparently the Black Eyed Peas are contributing on this new album: will.i.am will take Paul McCartney's part on "The Girl Is Mine" and Fergie will join in on "Beat It." And Kanye West has also remixed a song.

I'm definitely intrigued. The album, although before my time, had me dancing as soon as I could walk. It also had quite the impact on some big-time artists such as Wyclef, Beyonce, Mary J. & Pharrell, who all have something to say in this video:

'Thriller: 25th Anniversary Edition' will be released on February 12th.

* Britney had another meltdown? Sort of.

* Gwen may be preggers again? But what about the new No Doubt album? Always thinking about yourself, Stefani.

* For you: 2008 Warped Tour dates.

* Check out these rappers' houses, which, by the way, are nothing compared to my junior one bedroom apartment.

* EW ranks the best and worst Bond girls. Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist?! *coughWORSTcough*

* Hey hay hay, new Gnarls Barkley!

* John Travolta gives Viggo Mortenson and Cate Blanchett the ol' stink eye.

* Bird crapping on you = good luck. Bird crapping in your mouth = HILARITY!

* Somehow Meet The Spartans was Number 1 at the box office this weekend.

* David Beckham is sending men to the spas for the "boyzillian." OUCH!

* I always get a "cold" vibe from Hayden Panettiere, but she seems to embrace the marine community with open arms.

* Taking a cue from NKOTB, the Stone Temple Pilots are reuniting!

[Editor's Note: Here's a little treat for ya - Tim (guitarist for Protest The Hero) and Marc Andre Debruyne (video director extraordinaire) walk us through the makings of PTH's latest offering, Bloodmeat, which is the lead-off single from their brand new album Fortress, which will be descending from the heavens tomorrow, January 29! Enjoy this video spotlight from the perspective of the artist AND the director!]

Watch Video: Bloodmeat

The Makings of Bloodmeat
Dave came with a bottle of Jagermeister shortly after lunchtime where there was a delicious catered meal. There was also a very nice pool table and I met a young man named Garth who claimed to be all right at pool. After he schooled me and made me look like an idiot, we talked about my future plans to play chess against Riza, who is apparently a grand master.

Marc Andre Debruyne, who directed the video, made our lives really easy. Pretty much made sure we didn't look like entire idiots for the whole video. Since it was a performance video all that was required of us was to thrash around like no one was watching and really there were few people that were, and of those people VERY few of them were impressed.

At the end of the day we were all sore and bitter and maybe a little tipsy. Somehow Marc and crew made the video quite sexy.

- Timothy Fenton Lafortey Millar, esq

Protest The Hero are one of the best live performers I have ever worked with. With this debut single off of their new album, I wanted to give them a simple, yet powerful video - something that kicks ass and really focuses on their ability to perform. It's really something just to watch these guys play. So that's what we did - shot here in Toronto - we designed a space where I let the boys do their thing. It was a really fun day.

It was also a technically challenging day. The song is quite complex. Keeping track of which parts of the song I wanted to shoot in certain parts of the set sounds quite easy - but it's not when you've got such a crazy track that has no structure whatsoever. Try finding the chorus in this thing! But that's what I loved the most about it - completely unconventional.

I think Rody was ready to kill me at the end of the day. I had him jumping off tables, sitting on couches, and being at precise marked spots on the floor at specifically timed spots of the track.

All in all it was great that the guys were so cool with everything. I think Tim couldn't have been happier. He showed up in the morning, said "can I wear this?", referring the clothes he was already wearing, and I just replied "wear whatever you want" - they all seemed pretty happy with that.

As a director you're faced with so many challenges trying to put together a decent video with such minimal budgets. But it's times like this when you work with such great musicians who truly give it their all when you call "action", that the challenge really pays off. And in the end you find yourself with something great that captures the energy of the track and that is really fun to watch.

- marc andré debruyne, video director

Links:
Official Site: Marc Andre Debruyne
Official Site: Protest The Hero
Album Microsite: Enter The Fortress

Soooo...last night before The Teenagers' set, Nasty Nav was DJing a MEAN set that everyone was feverishly gyrating to - a set that included an incredible track called Sueños Dulces (Spanish for Sweet Dreams) by Toronto/Montreal duo Thunderheist. "Sweet dreams" is in reference to the song by The Eurythmics that's sampled in the song, and it's a killer.

Listen to it immediately on their MySpace page - I wish MySpace had a repeat function cause I've been listening to it allll day.

I've seen Thunderheist a couple of times now - once opening for Crystal Castles and a few other random times DJing at various bars. They've been excellent every time. Word has it they have a full length on the way in 2008, PLUS, they're playing at SXSW this March - exciting times indeed!

OK...now go listen to Sueños Dulces. I love the part that starts at 1:16...sooo good.

Links:
MySpace: Thunderheist
Official Site: Thunderheist

Well kids I gotta say, this one SHOCKED me!

After years of failed solo careers and almost total obscurity for a couple of the members, it looks like the grandaddy of all boy bands might FINALLY be hopping on the reunion train. And if it's true, I am beyond stoked!!

Yes, I'm talking about the New Kids On The Block. AKA, NKOTB. AKA, the first loves of my life!! Twenty years later (good God) and I still have a huge soft spot for these guys - especially Jordan :)

This is probably the smartest thing those guys can do. They're all alive and kicking, their solo careers barely registered on the charts, and they're still young(ish) enough to pull it off. And - as The Spice Girls have proven - nostalgia is VERY profitable. I almost can't even imagine this happening - and I'll really believe it when I see it - but considering the official NKOTB website is back up after years of lying dormant, something must be up.

Hang tough, an announcement should be coming soon!

The Arcade Fire once again thrill me with their website. A few months ago, they were being all weird and cryptic, but now they are just straight-up offering the goods: another interactive video, but this time for the song "Black Mirror."

Go to www.rorrimkcalb.com, and "please be patient" (aka "play around with the mirrored cursor for a bit"), and then watch the latest black and white video whilst having complete control over the audio via your keyboard. You can cut out the vocals, the instruments, backing vocals, or leave them all in - either way, it's an intriguing premise and 100% fun. So try as many different variations of the song as you like - my favourite so far is to leave in all the vocals and just the percussion.

I've tried it a few ways now, but be careful: I now can't get the damn song out of my head.

It's funny, cause last year when I was googling or searching for any sort of info or music about Paris-based band The Teenagers, the only results I'd ever get would be for the 1950s doo-wop group of the same name or My Chemical Romance's song Teenagers (ace song, btw). And at The Teenagers' Toronto debut at Great Hall last night, guitarist Dorian Dumont was wearing an MCR t-shirt (word has it he's been wearing this shirt all tour). Fun!

The venue was pretty rammed, and the crowd appeared to consist mostly of those "ugly-on-purpose" hipsters (you know the ones - they wear purposely mismatched and shoddy clothes, GROSS giant glasses - with or without lenses in them - ill-fitting headbands and they sneer a lot...how is this sexy? Ugh.) and fangirls who swooned at frontman Quentin Delafon (talk about a great name for a singer in a band!). During Homecoming and Starlett Johansson, Quentin performed almost entirely from within the crowd and the girls were pawing at him incessantly, pulling his hair and at his clothes.

It was a brief but entertaining set - the guys haven't even released an album yet, but Reality Check will be out soon (you can already buy the whole thing on iTunes, btw), and thanks to pretty much every music magazine and website namedropping them as a hot act to follow in 2008, they're already selling out venues worldwide and even playing at Coachella later this year.

The Cool Kids show on Saturday night was pretty awesome. It started out a little troubling when midnight hit and there was no sign of anything happening, then about 15 minutes later some guy gets on stage and announces the Kids had border issues but they're on the way (in hip-hop that usually means the show is over). So finally at 1:15 they show up and get right into it. Their music reminds me of early nineties hip-hop, or better yet the kind of music you would make if all you ever listened to was early nineties hip-hop.

Chuck even had the sickest throwback Mets Game hat, with the back clip and tags still on, almost like it actually was the early nineties. They did all the hits, Gold And A Pager, 88 and Black Mags ... twice (?!). I guess when you're new in music you don't have a big catalogue to draw from, but I'm pretty sure the crowd was happy to hear the same song twice anyway.

At the end they really got into it, and both Mikey and Chuck tried crowd surfing (which didn't go over that well - I think I saw my friend Manny drop the ball on that one). But the show was hype and the stage got mauled immediately after it finished, so all in all I'd say it was a success!

Links:
MySpace: The Cool Kids
YouTube: The Cool Kids Perform @ Wrongbar

* Aaaand now presenting: SAG Award weiners! PS: Go Tina!

* Because I know this is what you really want to see - pictures of Brad and Ange. Lots of them.

* And the other ones! (More red carpet pics)

* Bandwagon Alert: NKOTB are said to be reuniting! If Danny and Donnie are in on this, I will gasp with the force of a thousand gasps. Wait a tick - look what Danny posted on his MySpace..

* RiRi's new 'do looks fierce.

Aaaand I'm done.

* With her recent magazine cover being all, "I'm a good girl!", why would Hans Montans post pictures like these on MySpace? Oh, because she's 15.

* O, hai Sam Jackson ... wait, what? It's Jamie Foxx??!! NOOOOOOOO! *head exploding*

* Speaking of "NOOOOOOOO!", peep this list of the most absurd "NOOOOOOOO" scenes in movies! BEST: Number 5.

* Of Montreal cover M.I.A.'s "Jimmy" and the results are a soothing mix of disco-y slow burn and a walk in the forest. Huh?

* If you want blood, Rambo's got blood. And then some. No thanks, you guys.

* FourFour's take on the new batch of Top Model girls is hilars, as always.

* Kathleen Turner is all, "oooo, Nic Cage stole a chihuahua!" And Nic Cage is all like, "I want to take my face ... off." And then he goes, "thine accusations are false, wench!"

SO excited that one of my favourite bands is back to conquer Canada...all over again!

Many of you will remember Econoline Crush from their former glory days...MuchMusic played the hell out of their videos for Home, Sparkle And Shine, All That You Are (X3) and You Don't Know What It's Like. Sadly, the band called it quits after 2001's Brand New History. The same fate befell many other Canadian bands that used to dominate our airwaves...many of which I missed, but none of them more than Econoline Crush.

Well it turns out that I am far from the only one who felt this way, as frontman Trevor Hurst found out while he was touring his 2005 solo album Wanderlust.

It seems that a loyal base of fans proved to Trevor that there is still interest and demand for the music that kept us rockin' for most of the 90s!

And thank goodness he listened, because EC is back with a kickass new lineup (Kai Huppunen - Guitar / Scott Whalen - Bass / Brent Fitz - Drums) and an addictive new album called Ignite which is in stores now and available for purchase online.

Their brand spankin' new video Dirty is currently in rotation on Much and MuchLOUD, so make sure you hit up our MOD page and vote for them in our Daily 10!

Watch Video: Dirty

On a personal note, I had the pleasure of hanging with the guys a few times last week and catching four of their shows. It made me so happy to be rocking out to the songs I thought I'd never hear live again! Trevor's voice sounds as powerful as ever, and I am pleased to report that Kai, Scott and Brent match his talent and intensity. I watched the audience with interest during the shows (gauging the reactions of fans old and new), and enjoyed seeing fans swarm their merch booth each night to take photos and get their posters, CDs and random body parts signed.

I can't say enough about these guys. I have a lot of respect for the way they are out there proving themselves again (without a major label push), making tons of new fans every night (while keeping their old ones happy) and working so hard to rock your socks off.

If you've never seen Trevor and the boys throw down live, do yourself a f**king favour:

They are currently on tour with Seether and Three Days Grace, so make sure to stop by their MySpace page and check their tour dates!

If you've seen the movie Shortbus (*ahem* hopefully you were 18 or over), then you know who Jay Brannan is. The actor/singer/songwriter from NYC showed up in Toronto last night for a little performance at Supermarket. Armed with just his guitar, his wit, and his charm, Jay had the crowd in the palm of his hands - indulging us with fan favourites "Soda Shop," "Housewife," and "Half-Boyfriend."

If you don't know who he is, check out his numerous YouTube vlogs, which he has used very successfully to showcase and promote himself. You'll get a taste of his philosophical lyrics and some interesting irreverent anecdotes (his only flaw may be that he can be a bit too self-indulgent at times). He had plenty to say about Toronto last night (about his hotel, the CN Tower) and he even mentioned his recent run-in with Sarah McLachlan. Very funny. In this sense he is very much like Jann Arden. His songs have meaning and his in between dialogue is hilarious and engaging, so it is only fitting that he would perform a cover of Arden's "Good Mother" - one of the night's many highlights.

He is currently working on his debut album, but in the meantime Listen To This Guy Or Else - his MySpace, Facebook and YouTube all have plenty of material.

Links:
Official Site: Jay Brannan
Vlogs: YouTube
Music: MySpace & Facebook

What happened to the Wu-Tang? They were famous for not being effed with and now Soulja Boy is going at GZA!!?

Ask 50 Cent, he was afraid to mess with the Wu, (and the legend is they threw him down a flight of stairs after "How To Rob" came out). Any time you hear a rapper talk about having crime family ties, or having multiple aliases, or even starting a clothing company, it all came from Wu-Tang. So show some respect for the crew that brought us mainstream hip-hop (maybe not so cool on the clothing industry front, people are playing it out a little - but don't blame Wu for that) Check some very classic videos by the best group to ever do it...

Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthin...
Triumph
The Jump Off

If you haven't heard, Jully Black's latest album "Revival" is sick. It's got Motown influence, it's got R&B influence, it's got dance influence, and it's got SASS. Speaking of sass, when the fierce beat for "DJ Play My Song" kicks in, you know the tune has plenty of it. Not to mention the video, which starting RIGHT NOW (!!!) you can watch exclusively on MuchAXS. Soon it'll be on TV and your exclusive knowledge will be no good to anyone. And you don't want that, do you?! You know what to do.

Watch the video now!

Three years ago, Feist was courted by music video director Patrick Daughters with his Mary Poppins-inspired treatment for her single Mushaboom. What resulted was a beautiful partnership between the two creative minds. Since then, Daughters has been Feist's primary collaborator on her videos. They've worked on everything from the sweetly choreographed 1234 to My Moon, My Man. And this brings me to their latest collaboration, I Feel It All.

Watch Video: I Feel It All

Yes, the dynamic duo have set it off once again with this explosive new video. Not since Michel Gondry's partnership with The White Stripes, have I seen two people creatively feed off one another. Daughters manages to captures Feist in all of her charming beauty. This time round, the Canadian songbird's rejuvenated faith in love is set in tune to fireworks.

Feist runs around the dimly lit field setting off the individual garbage can of fireworks to the beat of the music. Using the same camera work (jib/wide-shots) and technique (no edits) as her 1234 video, Daughters follows Feist's learned heart throughout the field. We can't help but be entranced by her whimsical charm as we watch her every move. The lighting in this video is very stark until bursts of colour are fired up into the sky but it is this contrast that makes me fall in love with the song and video.

Simple concept, yes. But what makes this video great, is the execution. Don't you just want to give love a second chance after watching this?

P.S. Patrick Daughters is following in the same footsteps as Michel Gondry, Mark Romanek, Mike Mills and Spike Jonze, as he's currently working with the producers of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind & 21 Grams on his first feature film.

Links:
Production House: The Directors Bureau
Reel: Patrick Daughters
Videography: Patrick Daughters

* Star magazine is reporting that Ange is pregnant with twins, but, you know ... it's Star magazine.

* Strike update: Lionsgate reaches deal with WGA.

* Teen wanted to hijack plane and crash into Miley Cyrus concert?! Huh?!

* Sly tells Ahnold a joke. The world implodes.

* More of those celebs-playing-Disney-characters photo art series thingamajigs. Pretty cool.

* If you didn't see this yesterday, the new Bond movie is called ... wait for it ... Quantum of Solace.

* Busta Rhymes must do his times... of community service. (See, I was trying to rhyme there and obviously failed).

* Miley Cyrus gives me the heeby-geebies.

* Scarlett Johansson's album drops on on May 20th and is completely full of Tom Waits covers. DO NOT WANT!

* Rambo loves his testosterone a little too much.

* Jonny Greenwood's amazing soundtrack for "There Will Be Blood" was not eligible for an Oscar nod. A pox on your house, Oscar!

* Some idiot asked Jack Nicholson to autograph a photo of The Joker right after he found out about Heath Ledger's death. What is WRONG with people?!

* And finally, The Spice Girls earned around £10 million each from their recent 17-night gig run at London's O2 Arena. And now I'm officially depressed.

I saw Cloverfield last week and actually quite enjoyed it. Where some people were let down or felt dizzy and nauseous, I was enthusiastically going along for the ride.

So yes we saw the monster, we ran through NYC, and we saw some explosions, but what was really important was the party music! You know, that lil' party at the beginning of the movie that was there purely for that fancy thing called "character development" - it actually had some decent songs in the background. And if you ever felt yourself bored by the superficial yearnings and issues of the yuppie 20-somethings before they were all crushed and ripped apart (and in one case actually self-exploded), and were more drawn to that awesome indie tune-age playing in the background, then here's the list for you. Hypeful.com has compiled Rob's Party Mix and it's definitely a good one.

ROB'S PARTY MIX:
Coconut Records - "West Coast"
Kings of Leon - "Taper Jean Girl"
Sean Kingston - "Beautiful Girls"
The Blood Arm - "Do I Have Your Attention"
Scissors For Lefty - "Got Your Moments"
Parliament - "Give Up the Funk"
Gorillaz - "19-2000"
Spoon - "The Underdog"
Kings of Leon - "Pistol of Fire"
Architecture in Helsinki - "Do The Whirlwind"
The Black Keys - "Grown So Ugly"
Bright Eyes - "Four Winds"
Joan As Policewoman - "The Ride"
Ratatat - "Seventeen Years"
Of Montreal - "Wraith Pinned To The Mist and Other Games"

Who knew that, in the end, the one redeeming characteristic of these characters would be their taste in music?

Remember trip hop? The downtempo, ambient, jazz, funk and soul infused music the kids were going crazy for back in 1994? A style of music that's sorely missed today. Don't fret, little ones - the masters of the genre are back!

Portishead will finally (FINALLY!) release their 3rd album titled (cleverly enough) Third on April 14 in the UK.

As posted on their blog yesterday, the album will be composed of 11 tracks and is 49 minutes and 13 seconds long.

This is an album that was much talked about in the last decade or so. Will they be reuniting or not? False album titles were spread around over the years (one being Aliens) - their rumoured third album was quickly becoming the Chinese Democracy of the trip hop world.

But they finally reconvened last year and worked on this new opus.

Last December at the ATP festival (which they chose the band lineup for) they featured 5 new songs in their live set (check out YouTube for the songs) and I must say they've still got it. Some of it's more on the electro side than trip hop but it's nice that they're evolving since they've pretty much mastered the trip hop sound.

At this point, they would be copying themselves.

They'll be back on the road starting a small tour of Europe at the end of March and they'll be part of the just announced lineup of this year's edition of the Coachella music festival. I happened to have seen them live on their 1998 tour and to this day, it's still one of my all time favorite shows.

Links:
Official Site: Portishead
MySpace: Portishead

P.S.: Two other well known trip hop acts will be releasing albums this
year. Morcheeba and their new album titled Dive Deep in February and Weather Underground, another long-in-the-works album from Massive Attack. Cross your fingers for this one to actually see the light of day in 2008.

* BREAKING! John Mayer removes all his blog posts. Too bad, cause he was really funny and a good writer, too.

* Sisqo? Bobby Brown? Going country in a reality show?! *earth implodes*

* Missy Elliott's video for "Ching-A-Ling" might be in 3-D. Oh, Missy, you so innnovaaaaaateee-ive.

* Clearing up the Mary Kate connection to Heath's death.

* JT calls Ellen on her 50th birthday ... wait. Ellen is 50?!?!

* I didn't even watch this video yet, but it's called "Homosexuwhales" and that's good enough to make me tell at least 13 people (you).