'Juno' Star: 'I Feel Weird Being Nominated' & other: June 2008

Wednesday 25 June 2008

CASSANDRA WILSON

Loverly (Blue Note): B-

Sure, it’s great to hear Wilson’s lush, torn-velvet voice tackling standards again after a long but fruitful detour through blues, folk and soul. And, yes, both the all-star cast (Jason Moran, Reginald Veal, Herlin Riley, etc.) and the program she’s chosen suit her well. But Wilson’s habit of tackling most numbers from way behind the beat and s-l-o-w-i-n-g others to an utter crawl persists. A kick in the pants sometimes seems as appropriate a response as a round of applause. Download: “Caravan.”

Thursday 19 June 2008

Liv Tyler - Tyler Wont Watch Her New Movie

Actress LIV TYLER refuses to watch herself in new horror film THE STRANGERS, because scary movies terrify her.

The star claims she was put off the genre after watching 1974 horror classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre.

Tyler says, "When I was a kid, I was obsessed with horror movies but then I watched Texas Chainsaw Massacre and it really scared me, so I was like, 'OK, I'm done with horror movies.'"

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The Black Keys plot another 'Attack' on US venues

The Black Keys [ tickets ] have extended their summer tour into fall as the indie-rocking duo continues to lay down roadwork behind its recently released album, "Attack & Release."The Ohio natives, who were previously slated to stay on the road into August, have now lined up a steady run of dates through the first week of October. Guitarist/vocalist Dan Auerbach and drummer Patrick Carney will kick off the outing with a July 5 appearance at rural Michigan's Rothbury Festival. Dates are below.The pair launches a run of shows in Australia and New Zealand this week. Full details can be found at the band's website.The pair worked with Gnarls Barkley principal Danger Mouse on "Attack & Release," which debuted at No. 14 on The Billboard 200 chart."It was sweet working with Danger Mouse," Auerbach said in a recent interview with LiveDaily. "He's a cool guy. Above everything else, we got along as friends. It was really easy to work with him when we got into the studio. Everybody had their equal say and could throw out ideas.""Danger Mouse was just another guy to bounce ideas off of," Auerbach added. "If we'd get stuck in a rut, he could keep us moving forward, keep us focused. When we were just doing fine on our own, he would just stand back and let us work. It was perfect."The album, which follows 2006's "Magic Potion," features guest appearances from a pair of frequent Tom Waits collaborators: guitarist Marc Ribot and multi-instrumentalist Ralph Carney. The set also features vocal contributions on the closing track from 18-year-old bluegrass singer Jessica Lea Mayfield.

Pamela Anderson And Tommy Lee Back Together

Motley Crue rocker Tommy Lee has revealed that he has reconciled with his ex-wife Pamela Anderson saying, "it's awesome" to have the family living under the same roof again.

Rolling Stone caught up with Lee at a studio in Hollywood, where the band are rehearsing for their upcoming tour, when he dropped the news about Anderson and their two sons Brandon and Dylan.

“Pamela and the kids have moved in with me. It’s awesome, man. It’s definitely working. You can tell on the kids’ faces — they’re happy when we’re together.”

With the couple having travelled the reconciliation path on numerous occasions before, Lee made light of the situation saying, “We’ve only given it a try 800 times — 801, here we go.”

NEXT: Doctor Issues Apology To Tom Cruise Over Comments

Photo courtesy of VH1.

'Harry Potter' Prequel To Be Handwritten By J.K. Rowling For Charity Auction

You haven't seen the last of Harry Potter and the gang. After wrapping up the epic adventure series of best-selling books about the boy wizard, author J.K. Rowling has penned a prequel to the tale that will be auctioned off for charity.

According to CNN, Rowling is working on an 800-word handwritten prequel that will be signed and auctioned off at a June 10 auction to benefit the Dyslexia Action charity and the English PEN writers' association. The story is being penned on a small "storycard" (5.75 by 8.25 inches), signed "JK Rowling 2008" and ending with the words, "From the prequel I am not working on — but that was fun!"

Rowling is among a group of 13 authors participating in the auction, which will also include cards written by literary stars Margaret Atwood, Sebastian Faulks, Nick Hornby and Tom Stoppard.

"We never dreamed that J.K. Rowling would donate something so precious, and we're incredibly grateful," said Gerry Johnson, managing director of Waterstone's, the bookstore that is hosting the event. "I can't begin to guess how much it will raise at auction."

The card comes a year after the final book in the "Potter" series hit shelves. Authors were told they could submit anything they wished, including sketches, doodles or ideas for a new story, but organizers were shocked when Rowling offered up the prequel to the series, which has sold more than 375 million copies worldwide.

CNN reported that a 93-word card from Rowling that referred to the "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix" book sold at auction in 2002 for $53,000, and one of seven handwritten copies of a new work, "The Tales of Beedle the Bard," sold for $3.9 million in 2007.

Though the lucky auction winner will get to keep the "Potter" rarity, Waterstone's will display copies of all the cards in all its U.K. stores and online just after the auction. A printed book containing all of them will go on sale in August.

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