Dolly Parton talks to Larry King about why gay people like her, and how there isn't enough love and acceptance in the world.
Watch, AFTER THE JUMP...
Continue reading "Dolly Parton: 'We Need to Accept People for Who They Are'" »
The editors of Modern Tonic present a weekly music update here on Towleroad. The rest of the week, they scan the pop culture landscape for movie, TV, book and Web recommendations in their daily email.
FEATURED ARTISTS AND FREE DOWNLOADS:
Canadian quartet Dragonette are snotty emo electro-punks. And by that we mean that on their second release Fixin to Thrill they wield their synths and scratchy funk guitar and bippity-boppity bass for crunchy musical nuggets of New Wave-inspired rudeness. The cooing Karen O-esque siren Martina Sobrara does have a nasty way with words. "When you wake up I'm gonna punch you out" from "Stupid Grin" is nearly a love lyric from her wicked tongue, with "Get on the floor, don't make a fuss, just do it" her idea of foreplay. And we’d much rather hear her defend a family member's Las Vegas wedding in "Pick Up the Phone" (FREE DOWNLOAD OF RICHARD X RADIO MIX HERE) or slap a brother down in "Liar" than listen to another guy-whiner in guyliner.
Here’s a group to add to your short list of cold-climate European bohemians: The Asteroids Galaxy Tour from Denmark. Fruit, their debut, is a languorous stroll through what XTC once called "funk pop-a-roll." Producer and multi-instrumentalist Lars Iversen keeps the bright tunes fresh and sparkling. And singer Mette Lindberg's like a drunk, precocious 5-year-old, slurring through up-tempo R&B ("The Sun Ain’t Shining No More") (FREE DOWNLOAD HERE) and happy '60s pop ("Sunshine Coolin'") with the same wide-eyed enthusiasm.
So, you star in an indie Irish film about falling in love, you write songs in character for the film, and then, while the cameras are rolling, you actually fall in love. And for your efforts you get what? If you’re The Swell Season — Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová — you win an Academy Award® for Best Song from Once ("Falling Slowly") and an appreciative new audience. Then, while touring the world, you break up under the strain of your newfound success and re-emerge on the other side of fame with Strict Joy, the best work of your career. The Swell Season's soft-spoken drama thrives on contradiction. And a fresh split is the mother lode of inspiration — from the mystical Van Morrison soul flourishes of opener "Low Rising" to the spiritual Grateful Dead folk of "Love That Conquers" these are honest, scathing, beautiful songs that would bring Oscar® gold to any film.
MUSIC NEWS:
Tweetie bird: Elizabeth Taylor took to her Twitter page and unleashed
an avalanche of tweets (we're having so much fun picturing her doing
this) raving about Michael Jackson's This Is It, which opens worldwide tonight.
She calls it "the single most brilliant piece of filmmaking I have ever
seen" and that it should be "nominated in every category conceivable."
Frankie Say Relax: Holly Johnson talks about the internal strife that destructed Frankie Goes To Hollywood. Frankie Say Greatest, a collection of hits, rare b-sides and covers — plus the sexiest album cover we've seen this year — will be released in the U.K. next week.
Tegan & Sara's Sara Quin on the music that inspired her.
Imogen Heap's low-key cover of Michael Jackson's "Thriller."
Tickets to 15 U.S. dates of Taylor Swift's 2010 Fearless Tour sold out within 15 minutes of going on sale; the four New York dates were sold out in two minutes.
La Roux's Elly Jackson is suffering from lung problems.
MORE NEW RELEASES:
Dolly Parton finally has the record to complement her big hair, big boobs and big talent — Dolly, a four disc box set retrospective of the self-proclaimed Backwoods Barbie from her early country hits ("Jolene") to her pop crossovers ("Here You Come Again").
R.E.M.'s Live at the Olympia — recorded in 2007 from five nights in Dublin in prep for Accelerate — is a welcome addition to their catalogue, with old favorites from the dawn of alt-rock ("Wolves, Lower") to songs still-in-progress ("Houston").
All of 29 now, indie-rock twins Tegan and Sara have thrilled audiences since '99. Their latest, Sainthood, is harder-edged than their last release, The Con, with bigger hooks and much heavier guitar.
She’s a megastar now, but Lady Gaga didn’t do it by herself. Her collaborator Space Cowboy is sure to follow in his employer's footsteps with the club crazy Digital Rock Star, featuring "I Came 2 Party."
Also released: Michael Jackson — This Is It; Taylor Swift — Fearless (Platinum Edition); Pink Martini — Splendor in the Grass; U2 — The Unforgettable Fire (Super Deluxe Edition); P!nk — Funhouse Tour — Live in Australia; Weird Al Yankovic — The Essential Weird Al Yankovic; Sting — If On a Winter's Night...; Wolfmother — Cosmic Egg; Creed — Full Circle; Jack Johnson — En Concert; Train — Save Me, San Francisco; Brian McKnight — Evolution of a Man; Morningwood — Diamonds and Studs; Melissa Etheridge — A New Thought for Christmas (CD/DVD)
MUSIC VIDEOS:
Marina & the Diamonds: "Mowgli's Road"
Welsh-born Marina Diamandis is part woman, part construction paper creature with super-flexibility on this jaunty single from her forthcoming debut Family Jewels.
Groove Armada: "I Won’t Kneel"
From their forthcoming 2010 release Black Light, the English electro duo offer a mid-tempo I-want-you-back-but-I-ain’t-begging crowd-pleaser, featuring the 80s-licious vocals of a Groove Armada discovery, Saint Savior.
Cinema Bizarre & Space Cowboy: "I Came 2 Party"
Lady Gaga collaborator Space Cowboy teams with German New Wave revivalists Cinema Bizarre for a freaky costume party that gets stranger by the second. Just in time to inspire your Halloween get-ups!
N’dambi: "Can’t Hardly Wait"
Erykah Badu, watch your 'fro, 'cause Dallas-born N’dambi’s here to re-fire the neo-soul revival. In this clip, N’dambi strings along two gorgeous men at a photo shoot before leaving with the photographer.
Alan Cumming appointed OBE (Order of the British Empire) by Queen.
Bruce Willis gets naked for W.
Palatial Gay Fantasia: Where Simon Doonan lives. "Doonan’s picaresque journey from ration books in Reading, England, to palatial gay fantasia is the subject of the British television show 'Beautiful People,' which was about to make its American début, on the Logo network. The show is adapted from Doonan’s memoir 'Nasty: My Family and Other Glamorous Varmints.' 'When the book was optioned, everyone thought I’d start flying to work in a mink-lined helicopter,' Doonan said. In reality, his compensation was a bit more modest; he wouldn’t say how much he was paid, but allowed that it was 'better than a poke in the eye with a dirty stick.'"
John Mayer's bros can't hold their liquor.
Dolly Parton surprises Girl Scouts with patch made in her honor.
True Blood: Lafayette speaks.
James Franco adapts homoerotic Anthony Hecht poem The Feast of Stephen for student film: "Franco pulls this together stylishly if graphically, with chests, thighs and asses pressed tight in various permutations, infusing the violence with the poem’s more visceral sense of ecstasy."
Fast education: Elementary school kids accidentally shown 'Camp Cock' instead of 'Camp Rock'.
Have a laugh. Or 27.
Remember me? Robert Pattinson starts new movie in New York.
Houston Chronicle: Immigration law divides gay couples. "But the bill is facing heated opposition by anti-immigration advocates, who say it could potentially lead to fraud. A strong voice in the pro-immigrant movement, the Catholic Church, also has taken a stand against the bill, based on the belief that marriage is strictly between a man and a woman, said Kevin Appleby, migration policy director for U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops."
Bloggers Desperately Seek Susan Seidelman.
Bodies suggest Air France Flight 447 broke up in mid-air.
Eric Balfour does some beach rasslin'.
Brody Jenner taunts sharks.
Homophobic bullying"widespread" in Ireland, says Minister for Children: "Speaking at the launch of a report on teenage mental health this morning, the Minister said young people should be educated about the serious dangers of homophobic bullying. And he said, it was particularly worrying to hear that some young people had experienced homophobic bullying by teachers."
Peregrine Falcon babies webcam.
'Gay panic' in Connecticut leads to brutal murder: "In a seven-page confession to police released Friday, O'Brien-Veader painted a disturbing picture of a savage killing that was preceded by a brutal beating all intended to make Olivera suffer. The catalyst for the slaying appears to be that O'Brien-Veader was enraged because he thought Olivera was a homosexual and had performed a sex act on him while the two had slept in the same bed in an abandoned factory at 835 South Main St."
Michelangelo Signorile talks to Carrie Prejean's defenders.
Director of Miss California USA Shanna Moakler's gay rights ad. State Director: 'Fifteen minutes about up...'
Vegas performer Danny Gans dies suddenly.
The View: Dolly Parton on the 9 to 5 musical.
NY Governor David Paterson says Giuliani "a generation behind" on same-sex marriage, expresses hope for bill's passage: "I don't think the votes are there yet. Maybe they're three or four
votes short, maybe more. But they can get there, and as evidence of
that I would cite the growth from 40 to 85 votes in the Assembly in
2007. The percentage of votes we have now in the Senate is higher than
it was two years ago at this time in the Assembly. And they didn't
think they had a shot."
Star Trek premieres in L.A..
Gay youth leader in Senegal declares: "The homosexuals will not escape lynching. They will be fish food."
John Legend takes his pecs dog-walking.
Obama names Eric Goosby new U.S. Global AIDS coordinator: "Goosby, who is straight, replaces gay physician Mark Dybul, who was
appointed by President George W. Bush and who has been credited with
putting in place the multi-billion dollar U.S. Global AIDS program
initiated by Bush and approved by Congress. The Global AIDS coordinator works out of the U.S. State Department and has the rank of ambassador at large."
Gay etiquette with the Countess de Lesseps of New York's Real Housewives...
Executive Director of non-profit organization Colours, serving Philadelphia's gay and lesbian community charged with using organization's funds for herself: "Dorena Kearney, 52, was charged with misusing $138,000 in government
funds for personal expenses such as cosmetic surgery, a cruise and pet
supplies."
Eels in crisis.
Cam Gigandet has junk in the trunk.
Run, Blago, Run: Former Illinois Governor gets street art treatment in Chicago.
Coral Gables attorney says firm fired him for being gay, files suit: "Shortly after his employment began, however, (firm
chairman Jose) Astigarraga articulated his discomfort with the fact
that plaintiff was gay, criticizing plaintiff for not 'fitting in' with
the attorneys at the law firm and suggesting to plaintiff that he
consider leaving the firm."
Comedian Stephen Fry struggling with new book: "It's different because the first volume (Moab Is My Washpot) was a
private memoir of childhood - it didn't involve having to put in people
who have now become well known. It's something I haven't yet grappled with. There is pressure. The
trouble with it now, is the moment it starts, it would have to be at
university and it would be Hugh [Laurie] and Emma [Thompson] and all that sort of thing. It
becomes a showbiz biography and I'm keen for it not to be too much. Why
would I want to involve people without their permission?"
Moscow authorities renew opposition to Gay Pride events...
STEPHANIE CUTTER: Michelle Obama's chief of staff slams John McCain over 'pig in lipstick' nonsense. Where was McCain when one of his supporters called Hillary Clinton a bitch?
RAPE KITS: MSNBC is onto Sarah Palin...
GAVIN NEWSOM: Speaks out against Prop. 8. If you missed our interview with him at the DNC, check it out here.
9 TO 5: The musical opened the other night, and when it abruptly halted mid-performance because one of the sets malfunctioned, Dolly Parton, who was in the audience, saved the day by giving an impromptu performance. She rocks.
Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.
| Sun | Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||||||
| 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 |
| 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 |
| 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 |
| 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 |
| 30 |
Recent Comments