News: Gayest Looks, Christian Siriano, Blackmail, Marc Jacobs

My Gayest Look: A site for Jay Leno. Submit yours!

A view of the jungle shot by an elephant who carries around a hidden camera in a log.

Britney Spears may soon have her own sitcom!

Straight cops at University of New Mexico claim discrimination by gay superiors: "The two complaining officers, with a combined 24 years of experience with the UNM police department, filed a complaint with the state Department of Workforce Solutions arguing that they are being treated unfairly because they are straight and their superiors are gay. Lieutenant Michael Young contends that his job as administrative lieutenant was taken from him by Police Chief Kathy Guimond, whom Young claims is gay, and given to Lieutenant Patrick Davis, who is also gay. Young also claims another gay superior, Commander Debbie Kuidis, with Davis were given higher evaluation ratings by Chief Guimond and greater pay raises."

Karl Lagerfeld bodyguard smacks down paparazzo: "A paparazzo lurked from out of the shadows and started snapping away at them, and out of nowhere, one of Lagerfeld's guys just threw him to the ground." I wonder if it was Sebastian?

Scott Heim talks to the SF Chronicle about his latest novel, We Disappear: "What's true and what isn't - that's such an obsession with so many readers. If you say it's totally fictional, or you don't fess up to things, they tend to feel like they've been cheated or something. But if you say, 'Oh yeah, it's from experience,' then they kind of have this idea that you don't have an imagination."

David Beckham earns his 100th cap in a pair of golden booties.

The booties so impressed Beckham's son Romeo, that he dug for some gold of his own.

Keith Richards discusses Mick Jagger's sexuality: "It was camp. Yeah. It was all… I really have no idea if anyone ever shoved it up the shitter."

Kids coming out earlier than ever: "We're working not for tolerance, but for acceptance. I don't care if it's race, gender or sexual orientation. We need to accept the uniqueness of each and every one."

Student ambassadors train against school violence: "The training session was dedicated to Lawrence King, the Oxnard junior high school boy who last month was shot and killed, allegedly by a classmate, purportedly for admitting he was gay. The Oak Park ambassadors, who maintain anonymity for safety reasons, wrote their comments on a poster in memory of the 15-year-old victim: 'Lawrence, what happened to you is extremely unfair. Everyone deserves a chance in life no matter what sex, religion, sexual preference, anything. Your story will teach many people to be better people.' And, 'You are told to forgive and forget but the reality is you don't do either.'"

Marc Jacobs hits L.A. with new man.

Melbourne, Australia teacher fined $3,000 for blackmailing former lover with a sex video: "Hicks became aware that the victim was a 'closet homosexual' who had a wife and daughter who were not aware of his activities, Judge Michael McInerney told the court. 'He was discreet, or discreet as one can be if you pick up someone in a public toilet,' he said. The court was told that during one of their liaisons, Hicks - who also was married, had a child and was bisexual - recorded them on his mobile phone participating in a sex act. Hicks later approached the victim and told him he had a video of them and that he wanted $3,000 or he would show it to the victim's wife and put it on YouTube, the court heard."

Project Runway winner Christian Siriano designed the dress that Kimberley Locke performed in on last night's American Idol.

Leona Lewis is the first UK female artist to top the U.S. charts in more than 20 years, since Kim Wilde's 1987 cover "You Keep Me Hangin On".

Anti-gay domestic partner bill dies in Kentucky senate: "The Kentucky Senate’s Health and Welfare Committee voted to defeat a bill yesterday that would have barred state universities and other public agencies from providing health coverage to employees’ domestic partners. Furthermore, committee member David Watkins (right) scolded the bill’s sponsor, Vernie McGaha, for introducing it, calling the legislation divisive and ignoring the state’s biggest health problems like smoking and obesity, according to The Courier Journal."

Sphere: Related Content

Music News: Oprah Fêtes Leona Lewis And Journos Sum Up SXSW, Plus The Raconteurs, ABBA, The Feeling, Amy Winehouse, Groove Armada

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own site called Chart Rigger.

Yesterday, Oprah had Simon Cowell and 22-year-old British singer Leona Lewis on her show. Lewis performed her single, "Bleeding Love," which was already a smash in the U.K. last fall. A showcase on Oprah is rarely one that fails to deliver; "Bleeding Love" is now the top download on iTunes.

Touted as both "the next Mariah Carey" and "the next Whitney Houston" -- often by none other than her own high-profile music biz handlers, Simon Cowell and Clive Davis -- Lewis previously won the 2006 season of Brit show The X Factor, which was created by Cowell. Now if only Clive would offer a U.S. deal to the equally vocally talented (and eye-pleasing) Shayne Ward, who won X Factor's first season.

Below are clips of the Next Mariah Carey from Oprah, and the Previous Mariah Carey with T-Pain, from this past weekend's SNL:

Leona Lewis' full album, Spirit, will be released on April 8.

This year's South By Southwest (SXSW) festival: Jim Derogatis of the Chicago Sun-Times notes the great indie spirit, but laments the "sad decline to arena-rock mediocrity" of R.E.M. for the past 15 years. Meanwhile, Ross Simonini of the Seattle Post Intelligencer has to leave the festival ("Five people vomited within arm's length [of me].") to find decent bands, and the Los Angeles Times' Todd Martens leaves Perez Hilton's party unimpressed with Robyn and the insults hurtled at him.

The Jack White school of making an album: finish it one week and put it out two weeks later. On the literally just-finished new album from The Raconteurs (pictured right), Consolers (due out next week): "We wanted to get this record to fans, the press, radio, etc., all at the EXACT SAME TIME so that no one has an upper hand on anyone else regarding it's availability, reception or perception."

Ola Brunkert, believed to be the only session musician to play on all of ABBA's recordings, found dead after a freak accident at his home.

The Feeling's Dan Gillespie Sells urges fellow pop stars to come out of the closet: "The world would be a healthier place if people were more honest about their sexuality and the entertainment industry would be healthier if people were more honest full stop. The more of us who come out, the easier it is for others. My advice for anyone considering coming out would be to do it for themselves. It's not fun living a lie."

Giorgio Armani enlists George Clooney and Julia Roberts to help get Amy Winehouse to perform at his celebrity bash.

And if you thought the album cover for Hard Candy was just a one-time look...

THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Almost a year after its U.K. release, Groove Armada's Soundboy Rock, the dance duo's seventh studio album, arrives in the U.S. It contains "Song 4 Mutya (Out Of Control,)" the pair's 2007 international hit featuring ex-Sugababes member Mutya Buena on vocals.

The Kills' Midnight Boom. The duo's "Cheap And Cheerful" is also iTunes' free download single of the week.

A week ahead of its physical CD availability, Gnarls Barkley's The Odd Couple hits iTunes.

If you were totally jazzed with Flo Rida's 10-week stint at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 with "Low," then why not check out his full length album, Mail On Sunday?

Sphere: Related Content

Towleroad Guide to the Tube #247: Brit Awards Edition

The Arctic Monkeys and Take That each won two awards last night at the Brit Awards: "The Sheffield band [Arctic Monkeys] won the coveted Best British Group award. They also walked away with the Best British Album award for Favourite Worst Nightmare. Take That won Best British Live Act and Best British Single for "Shine", voted for by commercial radio listeners and The Sun Bizarre column readers. Gary Barlow described it as 'unbelievable'."

Mika and Beth Ditto opened the show with a medley of "Love Today", "Standing in the Way of Control" and "Grace Kelly" (above). Below, Kylie Minogue performs "Wow", Leona Lewis performs "Bleeding Love", Amy Winehouse performs "Love is a Losing Game", and Rihanna trots out "Umbrella" another time with The Klaxons.

A full list of winners AFTER THE JUMP...

Brit Awards 2008

British live act: Take That. (chosen by BBC Radio 2 listeners).
Critics' Choice Award: Adele.
British breakthrough act: Mika. (chosen by BBC Radio 1 listeners).
International male solo artist: Kanye West.
British male solo artist: Mark Ronson.
International female solo artist: Kylie Minogue.
International group: Foo Fighters.
British female solo artist: Kate Nash.
International album: Foo Fighters, “Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace.”
British group: Arctic Monkeys.
British single: Take That, “Shine.” (Chosen by live public phone-in.)
British album: Arctic Monkeys, “Favourite Worst Nightmare.”
Outstanding contribution to music: Paul McCartney

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here.

Sphere: Related Content

Music News: Kylie Hops Into Robyn's Box, Plus Leona Lewis, R.E.M., Yahoo Music, Cat Power, NKOTB, Shelby Lynne

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

Either these two pop dames are trying to give us déjà vu, or they're both just really into boxes. Kylie Minogue's new video for "In My Arms" (below, left) made its way online yesterday, and it bears more than a passing resemblance to Robyn's video for "Handle Me" (right) from last fall.

Of course, all these years later, it's worth revisiting what might be the silent inspiration for both clips.

While "In My Arms" is Minogue's second single off X throughout most of Europe, the U.K. and Australia will get "Wow" instead. Videos for both "In My Arms" and "Wow" were shot while Kylie was recently in Los Angeles by director Melina Matsoukas. The U.S. version of X is tentatively scheduled for a March release on Capitol Records.

Meanwhile, two EPs from Robyn were made available stateside yesterday -- the five-track Rakomonie EP and the single package for her U.K. chart-topper, "With Every Heartbeat." Robyn's full-length album from Cherrytree/Interscope will drop in April. The singer is doing three sold-out club performances next week in New York, San Francisco and L.A.

Along with Madonna, Mariah and Gnarls Barkley, successful U.K. belter Leona Lewis to throw her hat into the crowded ring of April album releases.

R.E.M. shoots their new video in New York at "the best sex shop [they've] ever been in."

Despite the company's current woes -- or perhaps in spite of them -- Yahoo Music to offer non-digital rights managed (DRM) songs by the end of the year.

Music sales are dismal all over, but Cat Power (pictured right) scores her best week ever with newly-released album Jukebox.

With an updated website boasting past achievements and playing a schmaltzy new ballad, is the latest musical reunion... New Kids On The Block? Group member Danny Wood initially denied it on his MySpace blog, but has since written: "Hi to all the New Kids On The Block fans, I wanted to clarify since my first post this morning regarding the NKOTB reunion. I loved being a part of the group, and have always thought 'maybe someday we'll get back together' – you just never know when your someday will come. I can guarantee all the fans that if this reunion were to happen, they would hear about it first on www.NKOTB.com."

"Glass-smashing garage punk and genre-mashing pop. Weed-infused hip-hop and Ivy League-schooled geek rock." Get to know Spin's Who's Next In '08. (In particular, Duffy and The Wombats already have huge buzz overseas, Santogold seems just crazy enough to crossover and Margot And The Nuclear So And So's really dig cello.)

Girls just wanna have fun: Cyndi Lauper, Natalie Cole, Bonnie Raitt and Bette Midler to be award presenters at the Feb. 10 Grammys.

... and baby makes four for Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale.

THIS WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Grammy-winner Shelby Lynne's album of Dusty Springfield covers, Just A Little Lovin'.

Stage diva Sarah Brightman's first album in five years, Symphony, which features guest vocalists Fernando Lima, Paul Stanley of KISS (!!) and Andrea Bocelli.

Rent and Wicked star Idina Menzel's foray into pop, I Stand.

A remix EP of the Thom Yorke songs "Atoms For Peace" and "Black Swan."

New singles from Estelle (the slightly electro "American Boy"), Spin artist to watch Santogold ("Creator/L.E.S. Artists") and Making The Band vixens Danity Kane ("Damaged").

Sphere: Related Content

Music News: Pop Go The Brits As The Majors Fall Apart, Plus Annie Lennox, Katharine McPhee, Justin Timberlake, Natalie Imbruglia

Robbie Daw presents a weekly pop music update here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

The 2008 Brit Award nominations were announced yesterday, and news and entertainment headlines are focusing on how surprisingly pop-oriented this year's nods are.

London's Times Online notes: "Take That, Leona Lewis (pictured right) and Mika, million-selling stars who sing songs the milkman can whistle, each received four nods for the music industry’s big night. An event traditionally dominated by 'credible' rock bands, acknowledged that reality show-created stars and 'manufactured' groups kept the industry afloat during a disastrous sales slump. Take That, the reformed Nineties boyband, finally enjoyed critical recognition."

EMI, one such stable of "credible rock bands" (and owner of American label Capitol Records), increasingly appears to be in a world of hurt. Arctic Monkeys and Kaiser Chiefs, who are signed to EMI, are also nominated for Brits this year, but each posted disappointing album sales in 2007. The BBC reports that after equity firm Terra Firma purchased EMI last year, it was announced 2,000 staff members would be cut.

Both Paul McCartney and Radiohead fled EMI last year, and the BBC points out, "Recent reports suggest two of EMI's other biggest-selling artists, Kylie Minogue and Coldplay, are both considering their future with the label. And last week, Robbie Williams' manager Tim Clark told the Times his client would not deliver his new record to EMI because 'we have no idea how EMI will market and promote the album.'"

As of this morning, EMI artists The Verve have now joined in the album-withholding strike.

And so, at least for 2008, the Brit Awards are choosing to highlight the more commercial artists who still sell well in the digital format with both singles and albums. Other pop acts nominated include Sugababes, Kylie and Mutya Buena. Leona Lewis, who won television competition X Factor in 2006, isn't the only reality show alum to be recognized by the awards this year; Girls Aloud, who were put together in 2002 on Pop Stars: The Rivals, are nominated for British Group.

Below is the video for Girls Aloud's latest British single, "Call The Shots."

   Perhaps a further sign of the times for the music biz: Annie Lennox's recording contract with Sony BMG has not been renewed. She appears to have been completely caught off guard by the move: "They totally ignored me. It was bizarre. It was a kick in the teeth. They didn't return my phone calls or emails for three weeks. I'm trying to find out what's behind it. Probably a good thing I'm no longer with them - mild understatement. Unless it's them trying to tell me something... It feels like I'm spent, as if I've completely run out of energy. I'm going to take my time over the coming months to figure out what to do with this freedom."

   Talk about a package deal; Justin Timberlake appears in a Pepsi commercial that's set to air during the Super Bowl. The spot will tout a $1 billion giveaway of Amazon.com videos MP3s, CDs and electronics.

   Sure to at least raise a few eyebrows during the seventh season of American Idol, which kicks off tonight, is the March release of judge Randy Jackson's Music Club, Volume 1. First single, "Dance Like There's No Tomorrow," features Paul Abdul on vocals.

   Last week I mentioned that former American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Taylor Hicks were dropped from their major label contracts. That same day it was announced that 2006 Idol runner-up Katharine McPhee was let go from Sony BMG, as well. McPhee will, however, be starring alongside Anna Faris in the summer movie I Know What Boys Like.

   Rumors abound on whether or not Aussie pop/soap star Natalie Imbruglia will appear opposite Hugh Jackman in the forthcoming X-Men Origins: Wolverine .

  TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

The Stephen Merrit-led Magnetic Fields return with the 13-track Distortion. The band will embark on a small tour next month in support of the album.

Olivia Newton-John's third live album, Olivia Newton-John And The Sydney Symphony: Live At The Sydney Opera House, arrives along with a companion DVD.

Ringo Starr's Liverpool 8, which was initially produced by Mark Hudson before Eurythmics' Dave Stewart was brought in to "re-produce" the album.

If you're an Eels fan, your in luck. Universal releases the '90s rock band's Meet The Eels: Essential Eels 1996 - 2006, Vol. 1 on CD and DVD today, along with the 2-disc Eels Useless Trinkets: B-Sides, Soundtracks, Rarities And Unreleased.

Trisha Yearwood's Love Songs, comprised of previously-released material.

Sphere: Related Content

Music News: The Killers' AIDS Charity Christmas Single, Plus Robbie Williams, Quiet Riot, Hawthorne Heights, Alicia Keys, Leona Lewis

Please welcome Robbie Daw, who will be penning weekly music posts for us here on Towleroad! Robbie runs his own pop music site called Chart Rigger.

Today The Killers release their new Christmas-themed single "Don't Shoot Me Santa" on iTunes. All proceeds from the sale of the track benefit African AIDS charities as part of Bono's RED campaign, and the timing of the release coincides with this weekend marking World AIDS Day.

Hmmm. Santa looks like he's seen some better days. "Don't Shoot Me Santa" is the second holiday-themed single the Las Vegas-based band have done for RED Campaign, though last year's "A Great Big Sled" -- which earned over $100,000 when sales of the 99-cent song were tallied up -- was arguably a tad bit more tuneful.

Woof! Robbie Williams (pictured left), currently recording his eighth album, was spotted by photographers in Amsterdam despite sporting a quite bear-ish disguise.

It was a bad weekend for rockers dying under seemingly-mysterious circumstances. Quiet Riot frontman Kevin DuBrow, 52, was found dead at his Las Vegas home Sunday. DuBrow had a history of struggling with substance abuse, though the cause of death is still undetermined. Those of a certain age may recall banging their heads to Quiet Riot's charming early '80s chestnut, "Cum On Feel The Noize". Additionally, 26-year-old guitarist Casey Calvert of Hawthorne Heights passed away in his sleep sometime Friday night. The pop/punk band have posted a statement on their official website.

Rhino Records, Warner Bros. specialty imprint label, is opening a temporary "pop up" store on W. Third Street in Los Angeles during the holiday season (December 1 - 31). You may recall reading here last week about one of Rhino's latest releases, The Brit Box. Says label president Scott Pascucci: "The Rhino pop-up store is a great way for us to connect directly with our consumers and to remind them of all the good reasons to continue to support our local record stores. For those of us old enough to remember, Rhino started as a record store -- so now we come full circle even if for only one month at the holidays."

Kylie Minogue is set to perform during January's G'Day L.A. ball at Hollywood's Renaissance Hotel, where she'll also receive an award for promoting Australia on the world stage. Kylie's 10th studio album X was released around the world yesterday, though there's no U.S. release date set at the moment by her American label, Capitol.

Alicia Keys saw her latest album As I Am debut at the top of Billboard's album chart last week, while her single "No One" also climbed to #1. Meanwhile, in the U.K., last year's X Factor winner Leona Lewis is also on top of the album and singles chart. Perhaps the secret to their success might be in the similar (click to enlarge) cover art?

It's worth mentioning that music mogul Clive Davis is behind both releases, and Lewis is being touted as the next Mariah Carey. Of course, it could all just be coincidence.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

(NOTE: It's a somewhat bland week, and as Rolling Stone points out, the holiday season looks pretty grim as far as new music from major artists.)

Pikul, the 2005 debut EP from L.A.-based alt rockers Silversun Pickups finally makes its way to iTunes.

A year after its initial release, a two-disc deluxe edition of Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveSounds drops today. The first disc contains "Until The End Of Time," a duet with Beyoncé, while the second one is a DVD with music videos, a documentary and live performances.

Common's thisisme then: The Best Of Common, which also features Lauryn Hill, Erykah Badu, Cee-Lo and Q-Tip.

By The People, For The People, a collection of live performances and rarities from Mudvayne. Included is an unreleased cover of The Police's "King Of Pain."

Remix EPs from Interpol, Miss Kittin ("Kittin Is High") and Megan McCauley ("Tap That").

DJ Armand van Buuren's Universal Religion 2008: Live From Armada At Ibiza.

Dusty Springfield's Live At The BBC DVD gets an American release from Universal.

Sphere: Related Content