Alanis Morissette: Torch (Live) & Marriage News

It's hard for me to choose a favorite song from Alanis' recent album "Flavors Of Entanglement" because it is so astonishingly brilliant, but I will say that from the first moment my ears met the song "Torch" I was madly in love and heartbroken at the same time. She so perfectly describes the sadness and defeat one feels when dealing with a break up.

This record was written after her very public break up with actor Ryan Reynolds, but the phoenix rose out of the ashes of that failed relationship and this past May 22nd, Alanis married her boyfriend of seven months, DJ Mario "Souleye" Treadway, in a small ceremony at their home in LA surrounded by their family. Congratulations Alanis! I can't wait to hear an album from the married perspective.

Lady Gaga: "Show Studio" Interview (13 Parts)

Because I could listen to her talk all day, I've decided to add this 2 hour interview with Lady Gaga that she recently did in London. The interview is basically a Q&A with her fans (and a few friends) who have sent in questions for her. The only annoying part is, since it's an interview for a website, the interviewer is typing her answers for the most part which leaves a bit of dead air in between questions while he's finishing typing. Give it a look.

Part 1:


Part 2:


Part 3:


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Part 11:


Part 12:


Part 13:

Lady Gaga: Bad Romance (Music Video)

Like many others, I am completely in love with Lady Gaga. Her music, her style, her video's, her attitude, her connection with her fans, her support of the Gay Community, her live performances, everything she does is done with such gusto and after only 2 albums she is within the top 10 artists that I find endlessly entertaining and completely fascinating. I'm amazed at how her performances seem to elevate to a new visual plateau each time she does a television performance, and that her musical talent is sincere and genuine.

As luck would have it, I am fortunate enough to be attending The Monster Ball with 3 of my friends when it stops in Toronto on July 12th. I was shocked when the tickets for the first show in Toronto (July 11th) sold out in about 20 seconds (at least it seemed that way). But luckily I snagged 4 for the 12th. I count myself amongst her "Little Monsters" and though I may not dress for the occassion (simply because I can't afford to buy anything new) when it arrives, my personality will show my Monster inside, trust!

So here's the Bad Romance video, because I love it to death, and the Alejandro video is rumored to be premiering tomorrow so I hope it will be just as stunning.

Cyndi Lauper: Just Your Fool (Live)

The amazing Cyndi Lauper is releasing her 11th studio album on June 22nd. The album is a collection of classic Blues songs called "Memphis Blues" and she took the time to perform the lead single, "Just Your Fool" on the recent season finale of the NBC reality show "The Apprentice", which she was also a contestant on.

The tracklisting for Memphis Blues goes as follows,

1) Just Your Fool
2) Shattered Dreams
3) Early In The Mornin'
4) Romance In The Dark
5) How Blue Can You Get?
6) Down Don't Bother Me
7) Don't Cry No More
8) Rollin' And Tumblin'
9) Down So Low
10) Mother Earth
11) Crossroads
12) Wild Women Don't Get The Blues

Cyndi will be supporting the album with the Memphis Blues Tour which includes a free show during Toronto's Pride weekend on July 3rd, which I am feverishly looking forward to. Her voice is the perfect match for singing the blues.

Sarah McLachlan: Forgiveness (Live & Acoustic Video)

This morning, myself and many other facebook patrons were allowed access to listen to the new Sarah McLachlan album "Laws Of Illusion" in it's entirety. The album will be released officially on June 15th, and it is a beautiful peace of work.

I have to say as a fan, it is so much better than her last studio album (2003's Afterglow) on a sonic level. Afterglow, as nice of an album as it was, was pretty much a big snooze. Each song was nice on it's own, but 10 breathy ballads all in a row, with only 1 lively number makes for a kind of boring listen.

Laws of Illusion is a nice balance of upbeat/midtempo tracks and the gorgeous ballads that are her staple and I am eager to hear the tracks from this album at Lilith Fair next month. Well worth the 7 year wait. The song shown above was one of the 5 songs that perked my ear up upon first listen, of course the album version is fuller

The track listing for the album goes,

1) Awakenings
2) Illusions Of Bliss
3) Loving You Is Easy (first single)
4) Changes
5) Forgiveness
6) Rivers Of Love
7) Love Come
8) Out Of Tune
9) Heartbreak
10) Don't Give Up On Us
11) U Want Me 2
12) Bring On The Wonder

If you're interested in previewing the album before it's release (and you haven't downloaded it yet) you can go to Sarah's fan page on facebook, click the New Album tab at the top of the page and listen away. Plus, check out Sarah and other artists this summer on the Lilith Fair Tour, for details see the tours Official Website Here!

Janet Jackson: Nothing (Music Video)

As I mentioned in the post below, this is Janet's latest single which she wrote for the soundtrack of her latest film, Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married, Too?" The song is a simple but beautiful ballad, which deserved nothing less than a beautiful but simple video to go along with it. Enjoy.

Janet Jackson: Make Me (Music Video)

I should have added this when it first came out because I'm so in love with this song, but I've been ignoring all of my blogs for quite awhile, but I've had a bit of time today so it's a good chance to add some things that have interested me in the past little while.

So, this song was the new single that Janet added to her latest Greatest Hits album, Number 1's, which featured 33 #1 hits (both internationally and domestically) and landed itself in the #1 position on the Billboard US Dance Club Chart.

I don't really understand why her past few albums haven't done as well as others. I get that some people were offended by the whole Superbowl incident, but really, people must be over that by now. She hasn't successfully completed a world tour since the All For You tour and some of her lead singles have been clunkers but I think if this song had been the lead track from a studio album it would have put her back on top. C'mon, Michael's gone! You're the only Jackson we have left to look forward to. Lately she has been focusing her career on acting more. She recently reprised her role as Patricia in Tyler Perry's "Why Did I Get Married, Too?", which spawned the hit ballad "Nothing" (which will be added to this site next) and is currently filming another Tyler Perry helmed film entitled "For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When The Rainbow Is Enuf".

Get back to the recording studio Janet. I'll be going through withdrawal soon.

Robyn: Dancing On My Own (Music Video)

One Pop Diva who always seems to get it right, is the one named wonder from Sweden, Robyn. She's one of very few pop artists that manages to keep producing perfect pop dance gems time after time that are so infectious and classic that it keeps you in a summer state of mind all year round.

Her latest EP, "Body Talk Pt. 1", the first in a collection of three cd's that will all be released this year, will be released officially in North America on June 15th (of course I already have it) and as I suspected from the lead off single seen above, she has indeed achieved greatness (in my mind) once more.

The track listing for the album is short but incredibly sweet,

1) Don't Fucking Tell Me What To Do
2) Fembot
3) Dancing On My Own
4) Cry When You Get Older
5) Dancehall Queen
6) None Of Dem
7) Hang With Me (Acoustic)
8) Jag Vet en Dejlig Rosa

To accompany the release of the album, Robyn will be touring some markets on her own and hooking up with and co-headlining a tour with Kelis in others. Check out the video above and the album when it's released

Christina Aguilera: Not Myself Tonight (Music Video)

Alright, let's talk a little bit about Christina. Firstly, her 4th full length studio album, Bionic, is being released in stores tomorrow, but I think most of her fans have already heard it by now. It's a bit of a far cry from the brilliance of her last album, 2006's Back To Basics, but it does have an intoxicating energy to it that is refreshing and will make for good blastings during long summer drives. Where Back To Basics threw us into the sounds of the past with Bossanova beats and jazz chords coming out the whazoo, Bionic takes us into a raunchy futuristic dance club, where synthesizers and harsh dance beats rule supreme, and of course Christina's infamously powerful pipes top it all off. Of course she still brings it on home with the soaring ballads that have become a benchmark in her career, but some of the lyrics on this album are just plain lazy (fun, but lazy).

Now, speaking of lazy, let's discuss the video above for the lead single "Not Myself Tonight". As much as I love the song (and as much as I think she looks incredibly fierce), the video really is just a mixture of scene's stolen from the music video's of other female artists, particularly Madonna. Now, I realize that it's hard for most female artists not to mimic the likes of Madonna from time to time, because she really has seen and done it all at one point or another, but to outright copy images from videos like "Express Yourself", "Human Nature", and "Like A Prayer" is completely ludicrous. She even manages to steal visuals from Lady Gaga's "Bad Romance", and Geri Halliwell's "It's Raining Men" video's. What is that about?

If it was her intention to copy these works as a sort of homage to these women and I'm just missing the irony, then I will be the first to apologize for my opinion, but I doubt that it was. But, like I said, it works for what it is, and she does look fierce. I just expected a little bit more creativity from her.

Now the track listing for Bionic is,

1) Bionic
2) Not Myself Tonight
3) Woohoo (feat. Nicki Minaj)
4) Elastic Love
5) Desnudate
6) Love & Glamour (intro)
7) Glam
8) Prima Donna
9) Morning Dessert (intro)
10) Sex For Breakfast
11) Lift Me Up
12) My Heart (intro)
13) All I Need
14) I Am
15) You Lost Me
16) I Hate Boys
17) My Girls (feat. Peaches)
18) Vanity

Deluxe Edition Bonus Songs:
19) Monday Morning
20) Bobblehead
21) Birds Of Prey
22) Stronger Than Ever
23) I Am (Stripped)
24) Little Dreamer

Pick it up tomorrow, and enjoy it.

Donna De Lory: Praying For Love (Music Video)

It's no secret that I find Donna De Lory's music extremely heavenly and delightful, and now I'm happy to report that I will be experiencing it first hand on July 24th. Donna has recently been added to the stunning line up of performers that will be playing at the Toronto stop of this summer's Lilith Fair tour.

When I first saw that Donna (longtime back-up performer for Madonna) was going to be performing with Lilith Fair, she was only signed up to perform at the San Diego show (which makes sense since she lives in California and has two young girls) and I thought to myself, wouldn't it be wild if she came to Toronto? But that will never happen. If she does choose to do another few shows, they'll probably be in places in the US, close to the California area. Or so I thought. By the time I had bought my ticket for the Toronto show she still hadn't been added to any other shows but I was excited for the list of performers who were signed for that lineup.

Now, about a week ago, I was reading an article about Sarah McLachlan and it mentioned the lineups of each of the Canadian dates for Lilith, and Donna's name appeared in the list of performers for TO. I thought, this surely has to be a misprint so I checked her official website and the official Lilith website and it's Frickin' True!

Long story short (too late), I can't wait to see her performing her own music live for the first time and above is a video for her single "Praying For Love" from her 1993 self-titled debut album. Love it!

RuPaul: Covergirl (Put The Bass In Your Walk) Music Video

Okay, I've been obsessed lately over a few shows, one of them being the new reality show RuPaul's Drag Race. 9 Queens out of thousands across America who applied were chosen to compete against each other to become the next great Drag star.

At the same time, Ru was busy preparing to release her new album "Champion" and the final three contestants, Bebe Zahara Benet, Nina Flowers, and Rebecca Glasscock, are all featured in the video for Ru's first single Covergirl (Put The Bass In Your Walk). The final challenge of the show was for all three girls to write their own rap for the bridge of the song and the winner's rap would be included in the video and on the single version of the song. Bebe was the winner.

I can't wait for season 2.

Tori Amos: Maybe California (Music Video)

Hold on to your hats ladies and gentlemen, but Tori has just released another song (in video form) from her album "Abnormally Attracted To Sin" which will be released May 19 as I've mentioned 100 times before.

The new song is the gorgeous ballad "Maybe California" which Tori has released as an early Mother's Day present to her fanbase. The lyrics of the song seem to describe a relationship between one Mother who is trying to talk another Mother out of committing suicide. Fans are already debating if Tori's character in the video actually jumps off the cliff in the end.

Here are the lyrics as I have seen them.

hey Mrs. see, please don't jump
"why not, nothing is making sense anymore to me
I don't know when I stopped making him smile.
Now the kids see me cry all the time."

From one mother to the other
They'll never get over this
for their lifetime all their wishes
will be dashed upon those cliffs.

So let's be, be strong you and me
The night is o-opening
Our angels are falling
and they will warm
they'll warm us
She asked, "Right Now?
Right Here?"
I'm feelin' soon,
soon my dear,
maybe california
maybe california.

As mothers we have our troubles
You'll leave them with emptiness
for their lifetime all their wishes will be dashed upon those cliffs
those cliffs

So let's be strong you and me
the night is o- it is opening
our angels are falling
and they will warm
they will warm us
She asked, "Right Now?
Right Here?"
I'm feelin' soon so soon my dear,
maybe california
maybe california
Until then there will be
starlight shining down
for every tear in every town

Enjoy everyone.

Tori Amos: Welcome To England

Today, Tori Amos debuted the video for her new single "Welcome To England" via her official website and Yahoo Music! The track is the first single from her forthcoming 10th studio album "Abnormally Attracted To Sin" which will be released in stores May 19th.

I'm happy that Tori has decided not to abandon the Doll Posse alter egos she assumed for her last album and had Posse member Isabel make an appearance in the video.

Have fun watching!

Jay Brannan: Can't Have It All

"Til' I'm outlined in chalk I'll be romantically thirsty."

It's been awhile since I last posted a Jay Brannan video and I'm very happy to post the official video for Jay's second single "Can't Have It All" from his debut album "Goddamned".

I love it!!!!!!!!!!!

Tinted Windows: Kind Of A Girl

This is the first single from the newly formed "Super Group" Tinted Windows from their forthcoming self titled debut album. The group members include Taylor Hanson (of "Hanson") on lead vocals, James Iha (of "Smashing Pumpkins") on guitar, Adam Schlesinger (of "Fountains Of Wayne") on bass, and Bun E. Carlos (of "Cheap Trick") on drums.

The album will be available in stores on April 21st and the tracklisting looks as follows...

1) Kind Of A Girl
2) Messing With My Head
3) Dead Serious
4) Can't Get A Read On You
5) Back With You
6) Without Love
7) Cha Cha
8) We Got Something
9) Nothing To Me
10) Doncha Wanna
11) Take Me Back

Enjoy.

Tori Amos: Abnormally Attracted To Sin Cover/Tracklisting

O Happy Day! Tori Amos has revealed the tracklisting and the beautiful cover for her forthcoming 10th studio album "Abnormally Attracted To Sin" courtesy of her official website. Also she recently did an interview with Spinner.com and I am bringing the entire interview your way. Here we go.

What was the impetus behind this new collection?

I'm drawn to questioning what traditional authorities have defined sin to be. As a minister's daughter, I've been exposed to the traditional belief system. [Sin] has been used to shame and control people. If you're controlled by a religious structure, then you're going to have a very different outlook on life and what you're open to than if you're not controlled by these old, crumbling concepts.

The new album, 'Abnormally Attracted to Sin,' takes its name from a line in 'Guys and Dolls,' said by the character Sarah Brown. Do you feel a kinship with her in any way?

No, because I'm not torn by my religious beliefs. A lot of the problems we have right now in our world are because of intolerance dictated by the big religions.

Do you feel it's your duty or obligation to expose these truths in your work?

I find that right now, in this turbulent time where there's so much strife all around the world, there is an opportunity for religions to open their doors and their hearts -- to become compassionate for someone else's beliefs instead of intolerant. That's always really disappointed me about people who talk about being religious, and yet they're the most judgemental, usually. Right now, we're at war, and I wrote quite a lot of this album while I was on tour last time. I traveled the world, I played in Israel, I traveled through countries where the major religions exist -- and the one thing that I started to do more than ever was to really ask questions about "What do I believe in?" Traveling and seeing how women see themselves in different cultures ... how the community thinks of them becomes so important for some of them, more than how than how they even feel about themselves. And some of them are dying -- they're dying in their lives. You might be approved of in your community, but your heart is completely breaking. And I don't find that a tolerant society -- that is not the compassionate Christ path to me. I began to see that kindness and tolerance were not found in institutions, but found in individuals who seemed to be breaking away from the old patriarchal viewpoint.

Did you have a similar experience growing up in a Christian household?

I was brought up in a home that was ... we were brought up in the Christian doctrine, and that's just what it was. We believed in it, and I think the question is: What is that doctrine? Because it's not about the open heart. Maybe it takes times like we have right now, times of so much upheaval, where you allow yourself to really find out what it is that you feel about something. My daughter has all kinds of questions all the time, and if she were brought up in a less tolerant household, she would be broken, no question about it. But she has a grandfather who was a Methodist minister and she has a part of her family who are very much practicing Christians, yet she loves them. But she is not interested if they agree with what she thinks because she is allowed to believe in what she wants.

One of the current arguments at large in America is whether or not gays should have the right to marry. Religion is often used in the argument against gay marriage. Why do you think that union is so threatening?

We go back to that word -- intolerance. That, to me, isn't what America ever was. It wasn't about telling another person how to live their life. I always said in a perfect world, you keep the Democrats out of your bank account and the Republicans out of your bedroom. But in life, why do you have to have anybody else in your bedroom if you're a consenting adult? That is the need people have right now, it seems, to dictate to another person how they should live there life. I find that the greatest sin of all. The record explores all kinds of feelings and depending on your state of mind, your set of circumstances could result in a very different outcome.

What can you tell me about the visuals that will be accompanying each of the songs on this album?

I'm calling them "vignettes" because it's more akin to a mini-film. This all started on tour last time, when we were filming the live shows. The director was putting together montages, and as I saw the montages, new music was already coming. I started to put the new music to the mini-films that were being made out on the road.

When I travel I get all kinds of ideas. I'm forced to see things that I wouldn't and question. When you asked me about 'Guys and Dolls,' I guess I was never a Bible-thumping Christian; I was always trying to question because I had so much religion in my upbringing. I was drawn to those people and those ideas that weren't accepted necessarily, and it's not because these ideas in reality are "evil" -- that's just the perception that's being given. The reality I was brought up in was, "Anything that doesn't work within the Christian doctrine is sinful." And that's a lot of stuff.

And now, here is the tracklisting.

1) Give

2) Welcome To England

3) Strong Black Vine

4) Flavor

5) Not Dying Today

6) Maybe California

7) Curtain Call

8) Fire To Your Plain

9) Police Me

10) That Guy

11) Abnormally Attracted To Sin

12) 500 Miles

13) Mary Jane

14) Starling

15) Fast Horse

16) Ophelia

17) Lady In Blue

The track "Welcome To England" has leaked onto the internet via a radio rip so I am assuming it is the first single. The album will be released May 19th.

Deborah Gibson: Already Gone (New Music Video)

Just in time for my birthday, Deborah Gibson has released a new song and music video via her official website and youtube page. Here is the message to the fans that went along with the release of the song which indicates that a new album is definitely on the horizon.

Hey everyone! Looove the comments about “Already Gone” and appreciate the candor. I actually agree about the high chorus’s. In fact, my sister Michele used to say that about “Who Loves Ya Baby?”. She used to say “why do you have to sing so hiiiigh?”. It’s a weird thing because songs like to live in certain keys. They just sound best in certain keys. Then, I aim to meet the challenge. Yes - my voice thins out a bit on top and the newer tunes I just completed for the next album are indeed a bit lower - or, if they are high, the vocal is meatier. There are personal changes happening within me left and right and, lemme tell ya - I think I just did one of my raw-est vocals. I sang with total abandon and I’m so proud. Can’t wait for you to hear…… So, I’m learning and growing and appreciate the comments because when lots of people concur usually there is something to it!

I also was thinking about the next “pop” album being under the “pop” brand name of “Debbie”. I think it confuses overseas fans to say “Deborah” and may confuse everyone if I go back to “Debbie” but, my position on that would be “Deborah” serves me for artsier records and theater and this gal wants hits and the hitmaker is “Debbie”. I was even thinking about writing a toungue in cheek song about it, like “What’s in a Name?” Or, “Deborah, Debbie, Whatever!!!!”. Sometimes people say “Debbie…..oh, I mean Deborah” and I reply “yeah, both of us are here!” Ha! Lemme know your thoughts on the name!

And, keep the comments comin’…… Can’t wait ’til y’all see the video! Oh, and - one last thing……. There is a certain country music themed TV show (no one mention it by name! Keep it on the down low!) that mayyyy have expressed interest. Thoughts on that too? Since so many of you mentioned the country sound….. Ok - that’s all for now! Hope everyone’s having a great week so far!

Ooooh, I am loving this.

Push.

This is a little piece of coverage about the new Lee Daniels film entitled Push which I cannot wait to see. Based on the Novel of the same name by Sapphire, the film stars Mo'Nique, Mariah Carey, Paula Patton, Lenny Kravitz and newcomer Gabourey Sidibe as the films lead character Precious.

The film has just won many of the top awards at the Sundance Film Festival including the special jury prize, the audience award, and the grand jury prize.

Here is a small synopsis of what the film is about.

Precious Jones (Gabourey Sidibe) is a high-school girl with nothing working in her favor. She is pregnant with her father’s child—for the second time. She can’t read or write, and her schoolmates tease her for being fat. Her home life is a horror, ruled by a mother (Mo’Nique) who keeps her imprisoned both emotionally and physically. Precious’s instincts tell her one thing: if she’s ever going to break from the chains of ignorance, she will have to dig deeply into her own resources. Along her journey, she comes across a teacher (played by Paula Patton) who helps her discover an alternative path in life, a concerned social worker (played by Mariah Carey) and a nurse (played by Lenny Kravitz) who shows her much kindness. Push is not a film wallowing in the stillness of depression; instead, it vibrates with the kind of energy derived only from anger and hope.

No word yet on when the film will be released, but as soon as I find out, I'm going.

X-Men Origins: Wolverine Trailer

X-MEN ORIGINS: WOLVERINE HD


Here is the brand spankin' new, full length trailer for the first chapter of the X-Men Origins movies starring my husband Hugh Jackman (what?). I'm assuming this is a franchise which will see some of our other favorite characters getting their own shot at the spotlight. As seen in the trailer, many other characters from the Marvel Universe make appearances in the film, including Gambit, Sabretooth, Silver Fox, The Blob, what looks to be a young Storm, and a girl who might possibly be Dazzler.

The film will be released next May.

Blossom: Six and Sharon Motormouths

It's no secret how much I love the sitcom Blossom (I'm surprised it's not in re-runs it's such a great show) and I have been lucky enough (thanks to my brother) to have gotten the whole series on DVD.

This is without a doubt my favorite moment of Jenna Von Oy's character Six. It's from the episode "I Killed Chico Baranca" where Six has been stealing home appliances to sell at garage sales to earn extra money for clothes and she and Blossom are arrested for it. In this scene, Blossom's father has paid their bail and they are waiting for Six's mother Sharon to come and pick her up from their house. The results are hilarious. Take A Look.