Jennifer Lopez Elle Russia April 2010

Hollywood actress Jennifer Lopez photographed by Tom Munro for the fashion magazine Elle Russia for the month of April 2010. The mother-of-two is not afraid to show that she is still have the best figure despite settling down and starting a family. ...

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New ARMS EP

The debut album by ARMS was one that I felt didn't get the man enough credit. Kids Aflame, with is indie folk rock sounds (think Cold War Kids for an easy comparison), received a harsh, but still decent, 6.1 on Pitchfork and proved ex-Harlem Shakes guitarist Todd Goldstein was more than capable of doing things alone. Tracks like "Whirring" and "Shitty Little Disco" demonstrated the knack for catchy (but definitely serious) indie rock meolodies accompanied by Goldstein's deep, resonating vocals, whereas "Kids Aflame" and "Tiger Tamer" are somewhat more delicate affairs; acoustic guitar (or maybe ukelele?) strummed over harmonised vocals, sounding...

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To Guest-List or Not To Guest-List..?

This little moral dilemma is something that I've been considering for quite a while. Should I feel that I 'deserve' free entry to the show because I am paying for it in the currency of press coverage? Or should I support the band that I'm going to watch and, probably, big up.I know there are some writers that don't like to ask for guest-list as they feel they are taking away both money from the band and also stopping a potential paying customer from seeing them. And then there are those like me who, so far, at least, feel that free entry to a show isn't too much to ask in return for a review.I suppose one consideration would be who you are getting the guest-list pass from.If it's the band themselves sticking you on the guest-list, then I guess that is their way of giving permission - and they...

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Katy Perry Hairstyles

Katy Perry is well known for her fabulous style, and her choice of hairstyles are equally as impressive.Checkout this picture gallery of a few of her sassy hairstyles, including long bangs and half bangs with slight center part.This girl can really do no wrong when it comes to fashion and style.Katy Perry Hairstyl...

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2010 Gracie Awards® Winners, Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Comedy Series

Selena Gomez won 2010 Gracie Awards for Outstanding Female Rising Star in a Comedy SeriesAs you know... The Gracie Awards celebrate and honor programming created for women, by women, and about women, as well as individuals who have made exemplary contributions in electronic media and affiliates. Presented annually, the Gracie Awards recognize national, local and student works.The following Gracie Awards, National Award Winners(In Alphabetical Order)30 RockOutstanding ComedyNBCAdoption DiariesOutstanding Reality ShowWetvAmy Poehler for The Mighty B! Outstanding Producer - EntertainmentNickelodeonAndrea MitchellOutstanding Reporter/CorrespondentNBC...

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Fang Island

I'm just listening to Fang Island on Spotify now after reading a good review of the album on Pitchfork, and I too am enjoying it, so I thought I'd spread the love (it also helps that I am incredibly bored...).It's sort of post-rock, a little math-rock and most definitely definitely rock rock. It has a sort of instrumental feel, though does have the odd bit of vocal work, as pointed out by those pedantic Last FM taggers. At times it has an incredibly cheesey feel with guitar riffs that elsewhere I may cringe at, but here it really works. The band apparently describe their music as everyone high fiving everyone, which is a visual image that accompanies...

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Gallops

Photo by Paul Gregory of Lense Eyes Gallops grabbed my attention immediately when I first saw them. That I without doubt remember. What I'm not completely sure is when it was I first saw them. But I think it was at Swn Festival 2008, back in them early reviewing days of mine. I distinctly remember totally, and yet completely accidentally, ripping off another review of Gallops by describing them almost identically (it was a review that I had forgotten I'd read but clearly subconsciously agreed with and thus regurgitated at a later date). The review (my copycat review) in question described Gallops as the following;Incredible stuff from the Wrexham...

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Yuck

Once again, I'm not particularly new with Yuck. Well, I am. I've known of them for a while, but only just have I got around to writing some things about them. So I think I still qualify as cool as funk.I could describe Yuck in a way that would bore you. In fact, I will to start with (and, frankly, probably continue with). Yuck could be seen as another one of those catchy lo-fi indie fuzz pop bands that we've all become accustomed with over the past year or so. They have boy-girl harmonies and, actually most surpisingly when you listen to the band, include ex-members of Cajun Dance Party. But they are this, and so much more. "Georgia" (which is...

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Lloyd Grossman is a Punk?

Ok, so apparently I'm a bit late on this. But it's definitely worth posting for all those people who didn't see all the news stories about Lloyd Grossman's punky past! Apparently his band even reached number 49 in the UK singles chart! Below is a recent video of Lloyd "rocking out". Disgustingly, it isn't that b...

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I Went To A Gig Last Night... Well, Sort Of

I went to a gig last night. Swathes was being put on by FLUX=RAD, a brilliant little weekly night at Cardiff Arts Institute who play great music and put on gigs, usually for free. To convince you how good they are, last night's DJ-ing was opened with Georgia by Yuck and followed by Surfer Blood... great! And only a few weeks ago did they put on Beach House. So yeah. They're good. But last night things didn't quite go to plan. Cardiff-based support band Among Brothers ' set was really good and passed without any problems. They play a sort of blend of Arcade Fire and Sigur Ros with some electronics chucked in for good measure and are definitely...

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Connan Mockasin

I saw Connan Mockasin last year supporting Fanfarlo to a relatively empty Clwb Ifor Bach and have since had a burning desire to hear more and more of his stuff. Many of you may be aware of him from his support tour of Late of the Pier not long back and, seemingly by Connan's Last FM shout box, not many of you liked it. Indeed he seems to have a nack for supporting very good acts, having shared the stage with First Aid Kit, Late of the Pier and Micachu in his last few shows (I don't think much of Fanfarlo so haven't included them in this list).Connan Mockasin is another act from New Zealand, a country which seems to be spitting out great band...

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Saturday's Kids

I first saw Saturday's Kids a few months back supporting Lovvers. To be honest, probably the first emotion they evoked was fear. All I saw was an incredibly angry teenager who spat inconprehensible lyrics as ferociously as Johnny Rotten backed by a band of schoolmates thrashing away at their instruments. But what took my interest that night was how, mid-thrash, they would slow down revealing a much more intricate side to their work. That night I took a demo disc off of the lead singer, Sion, which I have grown to love. Since this first gig, I've listened to this disc extensively and I've really grown to like the band. So much so that I featured...

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Free Things - Holiday Records

Isn't it lovely how musicians and labels are pleasant enough to give away their work for free. Some do it somewhat randomly to promote a recent release or to whet the appetites of listeners. But one label that has caught my attention recently for spitting out release after release of what is usually lo-fi loveliness (veering from cutesy pop to gutsy shoegaze) is Holiday Records, which is an American based label ran by The Drums guitarist Jacob and friends. They aim to release something every Friday (although don't quite always manage it), and I have been enjoying these for some time now. As well as weekly singles (which I am reminded about through...

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