Music News: Keane, Coldplay, Pete Wentz, Pet Shop Boys, Janet Jackson, The Killers

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

Two new music videos popped up over the past week—one from a band often accused of being a Coldplay knockoff, and one from Coldplay themselves.

Keane's "Spiralling" is the first offering off their third album Perfect Symmetry, out October 13. Like The Killers' upcoming Day & Age, Perfect Symmetry features some production by Stuart Price. The album's artwork was created by Korean artist Osang Gwon by using photos of life-sized sculptures of the band.

Meanwhile, the video for Coldplay's third single off Viva La Vida, "Lost!", is a bit of a snooze. A four-track digital EP for the song will be released in November.

Below are clips for "Spiralling" and "Lost!":

   Fall Out Boy's Pete Wentz attended a No On Prop 8 fundraiser in Hollywood on Sunday. Prop 8 is the state ballot measure that seeks to reinstate the gay marriage ban in California. Both Brad Pitt and Steven Spielberg have each donated $100,000 to organizations aimed at defeating Prop 8. The sum Wentz put toward the cause has yet to be disclosed.

   Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel are to perform at an October 16 benefit for Barack Obama at New York's Hammerstein Ballroom.

   Janet Jackson has canceled two more shows this week—in Boston and Philadelphia—after initially falling ill when her Rockwitchu Tour rolled into Montreal. Perhaps this might explain her sudden mystery illness.

   Barack Obama on hip hop: "I'm a little older than hip-hop culture. I was there at the beginning, but I was already getting older. What I've appreciated, watching this hip-hop generation, is to see how entrepreneurial they've been. In the past, musicians often (at) times were commodities. They were just shuffled around. Obviously, they did well, but they didn't have the vision to say, 'I'm going to build a business. I'm going to build my own studio. I'm going to create my own production operations.'"

   And here you were worried that Paris Hilton would never record music again...

   Clay Aiken prompts CNN to ponder what the big deal is with gay celebrities.

   Pet Shop Boys laid down orchestra parts for their upcoming Xenomania-produced album last week. UK production house Xenomania have worked with Cher, Texas, Sugababes and Girls Aloud. Neil Tennant notes on the duo's official site, "There are only two tracks on the album featuring an orchestra. Generally it's more electronic-sounding that the last album."

   Simply Red will release a greatest hits and tour the UK before splitting.

   THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

New singles from The Killers ("Human"), Christina Aguilera ("Keeps Gettin' Better"), David Cook ("Light On"), Ciara ("Go Girl"), Nickelback ("Gotta Be Somebody") and the High School Musical 3 cast ("A Night To Remember").

Jennifer Hudson's self-titled debut album, featuring collaborations with Fantasia, Ne-Yo, Timbaland and Ludacris.

Robin Thicke's third set, Something Else, featuring production by himself, the Neptunes and Pro Jay.

Way To Normal from Ben Folds.

Ani Difranco's Red Letter Year.

T.I.'s Paper Trail, which contains his hit single "Whatever You Like," plus the Rihanna duet "Live Your Life," which has hit #1 on iTunes after only one day of availability.

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News: GLAAD, Dick Cheney, Chimps, Iran, Genius, Android Phone

GLAAD: LGBT representations on network television to double this year. "GLAAD's 13th annual "Where We Are On TV" report shows that LGBT representations will account for 2.6% of all scripted series regular characters on the 2008-2009 broadcast television schedule, up from 1.4% in 2005, 1.3% in 2006, and 1.1% in 2007. In contrast, the number of LGBT series regular characters found on scripted programming on mainstream cable networks has decreased since last year's analysis, from 40 to 32."

STUDY: Chimps can recognize friends from the rear. "Primatologists [at] the Yerkes National Primate Research Centre at Emory University..tested how well six adult chimpanzees could link pictures of various chimpanzee behinds, either male or female, with photos of individual chimp faces. But the chimps succeeded only if the faces were of chimps they knew. This suggests, the researchers say, that the chimps weren't simply detecting generic visual cues in the faces that would link them to the behind in question. Rather, it seems that the chimps must be capable of what psychologists call 'whole body' integration."

Lindsay Lohan discusses relationship with Samantha Ronson for first time.

McCain was for the New York Times before he was against it.

T-Mobile launches first Google Android phone.

Oliver Stone talks W.

Federal judge orders Cheney to preserve records: "The decision by U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly is a setback for the Bush administration in its effort to promote a narrow definition of materials that must be safeguarded under by the Presidential Records Act. The Bush administration's legal position 'heightens the court's concern' that some records may not be preserved, said the judge."

New Yorker music critic Alex Ross wins MacArthur Foundation Genius Grant.

Milo Ventimiglia shares USO tour pictures.

Gay man with HIV bashed in Brighton UK: "There was a man outside being rowdy and shouting obscenities at the women inside and passing in the street. When I left I rounded the corner and the man and his friend ran up behind me, punched me to the floor and then battered me. If they had kicked me in the left side of my head they would have probably killed me because I had metal clips fitted after a brain haemorrhage in 1996."

New Zealand Parliament dedicates 'Rainbow Room' in honor of LGBT kiwis and their contributions to society.

Iran sets death sentence for gay man arrested three years ago at the age of 16.

A Very nostalgic look at the Pet Shop Boys.

A storage bin fire in Provincetown's west end rattles nerves: "A rash of deliberately set and unsolved fires, which began nearly a year ago, has largely quieted down. At least 19 arsons, with varying degrees of property damage, struck the town beginning Oct. 17, 2007, according to state and local records."

David Blaine hangs out with Kelly Ripa.

Jason Mraz is dope.

Correction: London nightlife: G-A-Y merges with Heaven.

Is America's red/blue divide based in physiology? "Alford and his colleagues studied a group of 46 adult participants with strong political beliefs. Those individuals with 'measurably lower physical sensitivities to sudden noises and threatening visual images were more likely to support foreign aid, liberal immigration policies, pacifism and gun control, whereas individuals displaying measurably higher physiological reactions to those same stimuli were more likely to favor defense spending, capital punishment, patriotism and the Iraq War,' the authors wrote."

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Music News: How Gay Is Katy Perry? Plus, Nas, Pet Shop Boys, Jennifer Hudson, The Ting Tings

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

Beginning last year, I'd been getting pitches from a publicist dealing with online press for an artist called Katy Perry and her song "Ur So Gay." To be completely honest, I just didn't dig the song. But as the title might imply, I also started wondering whether or not I was right to feel a bit offended by the lyrical premise -- a female telling off her H&M scarf-wearing boyfriend with the insult, "You're so gay and you don't even like boys," implying that he'd rather spend time with his friends and "MySpace-ing," etc. I basically chalked it up to me being a bit uptight, the song not being my thing, and moved on.

But the pitches kept coming. Soon Katy was signed to Capitol Records, a major label, and the press releases started mentioning Perez Hilton was touting her as a next big thing for summer 2008. In an interview with Blender, Perry, who turns out to be a pastor's daughter, exclaims, "I'm completely outrageous and I'll do anything for attention!"

Now the singer's got a heavily-promoted single called "I Kissed A Girl" (not a Jill Sobule cover), though it doesn't have a video. But rather than expound upon what I think of a seemingly heterosexual 23-year-old woman singing about her drunken female conquest, "I don't even know your name, it doesn't matter/You're my experimental game," I thought I'd turn it over to see what you, the Towleroad reader, think.

Are Katy Perry's lyrics offensive, or are they just silly, gimmicky pop songs by a self-proclaimed attention seeker to be taken with a grain of salt? Clips of "Ur So Gay" and "I Kissed A Girl" are below.

Two things to think about: 1.) A bit of digging finds that Katy Perry released an album of Christian music a few years back under the name Katy Hudson. 2.) Would your thoughts on the level of offense, if any, be different if it were a straight male artist singing either song (particularly if the latter were "I Kissed A Boy")?

Incidentally, Katy Perry's album, One Of The Boys, is out in June.

Hip hop star Nas drops the original controversial title for his new album.

The Pet Shop Boys are working on new material with frequent Sugababes' collaborators Xenomania. Meanwhile, clips from a 2006 episode of U.K. program The South Bank Show on Dusty Springfield have popped up on YouTube, wherein the Boys discuss what it was like working with the singer on her 1991 album, Reputation.

Recording artist Ferras (pictured left) -- whose track "Hollywood's Not America" you likely recognize as this season's American Idol good-bye song -- took to his MySpace blog Friday to dedicate the new single "Liberation Day" to the overturning of California's ban on same-sex marriage: "YAY!!!!!!!!!! ITS LIBERATION DAY EVERYONE!!!! WAKE UP!!!!!! It's 'LIBERATION DAY' for GAY PEOPLE everywhere!!!! The road to liberation day has been a long one, filled with tears and a great fight, but one that thankfully does not include giving up hope. Today, the end of the road is a little bit closer. Today, two people in love can finally be recognized just like everyone else. Its about love, acceptance and life. This is not only about a piece of paper, its about human rights. Its about rejoicing in the beauty of each and every person living on this planet! Its about individuality and the right to exist! Gay people are citizens just like everyone else and should be afforded the same rights. Without recognizing gay marriage as a legitimate expression of love, partnership and equality, we are still living in the dark ages-communicating a message of intolerance and hate. It's 2008. Its a new time. A new era. A time to wake up and 'throw your illusions away.' May all beings rejoice and be happy, as we get one shot- one life- to be all we can be, be the best humans we can be and to love and be loved equally, as we all bleed the same blood. To all my gay and lesbian peeps- this ones for you. All my love and respect, FERRAS"

Darren Hayes will appear as a guest judge on the upcoming season of Austalian Idol, along with fellow Aussie Tina Arena. The London-based singer will help suss out talent in the U.K. for the program: "As an Australian entertainer living in London I definitely have a soft spot for Aussies trying to make it overseas. Rather than judging people, I'm going to be looking for that little bit of magic that someone once saw in me."

Janet Jackson's going on tour: "It will definitely be a big production but it will definitely also be something that I've never done before, that people have never seen from me before." Don't they all say that?

Jennnifer Hudson's album due out in September: "I think people will be pleasantly surprised, because it shows a side of my work that no one has heard before." Now, hold on a second...!

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES:

The Ting Tings' debut set, We Started Nothing. The dancey pop/rock duo have the current #1 single on the U.K. chart with "That's Not My Name," while they're also enjoying a sizeable stateside hit with "Shut Up And Let Me Go," thanks to its inclusion in an Apple commercial.

Donna Summer's Crayons, her first studio album of pop material since 1991's Mistaken Identity.

Stop Drop And Roll from Foxboro Hottubs. The big "secret" is that it's actually Green Day doing punk-infused, '60s-sounding bubblegum.

Liverpool electro quartet Ladytron's fourth LP, Velocifero.

Actress Scarlett Johansson's album of Tom Waits covers, Anywhere I Lay My Head.

Jesse McCartney's Departure. McCartney is currently enjoying the success of having co-written Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" with OneRepublic's "Ryan Tedder."

New singles from Aimee Mann ("Freeway"), Solange ("I Decided, Pt. 2") and Judas Priest ("Visions").

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Music News: Sally Shapiro Bites The Big Apple, Plus Annie, True Colors Tour, Janet Jackson, Keane, Lou Pearlman, Pet Shop Boys

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

The U.S. will get a rare glimpse of Sally Shapiro, Swede pop's own version of J.T. Leroy, in the coming days...sort of. "Sally Shapiro," an alias for producer Johan Agebjörn and the elusive blonde female vocalist that fronts the act, will be appearing at New York's Mercury Lounge Friday night and the Windy City's Sonotheque on Monday.

If you've not checked out Sally Shapiro, her/their album Disco Romance got a stateside release last fall, and it's the finest collection of non-Italian/German/Spanish, '80s-sounding Italo disco since the Pet Shop Boys' early B-sides (collected on their own 1995 compilation, Alternative). Additionally, a new single, "Spacer Woman From Mars" -- billed as Johan Agebjörn Featuring Sally Shapiro -- was made available on iTunes last week.

Here's the video for "Jackie Jackie (Spend This Winter With Me)," off Disco Romance:

Of course, it should be noted that Johan and Sally's appearances in the States are billed as DJ sets, and even the producer himself has apparently never seen the singer record her own vocals. In a rare interview with Pitchfork last October, she stated the following: "I actually have some recordings-- because I do it at Johan's place, because he has the [equipment]. So there are some recordings where I'm singing to the computer, and Johan comes into the door because he has to fetch something and then you hear on the tape that I am disturbed and I am saying with an angry voice, [mimics] Oh, you are coming in here when I'm singing; you're not supposed to do that! Very nice, I have that on tape now. I saved it."

Sally Shapiro's U.S. label is set to release a remix album, Remix Romance Vol. 1, on April 15.

The lineup for this summer's 24-date True Colors Tour was announced today, with tickets going on sale March 15. Cyndi Lauper will co-headline the events with The B-52s. Last year she and Erasure shared the top billing. Billboard.com notes: "TV personality Carson Kressley will host the shows, which will also feature appearances by Rosie O'Donnell, the Indigo Girls, Joan Jett and Regina Spektor... Organizers plan to stress the need to vote in the fall presidential election and will also be raising funds for gay, lesbian and transgendered advocacy groups through the True Colors Fund of Stonewall Community Foundation." Additionally, Joan Armatrading, Tegan & Sara, Wanda Sykes, Nona Hendryx, Deborah Cox and the Cliks will appear on certain dates of the tour.

Well, it's about time! Four years after enthralling dancefloors and electro hipsters the world over, Norwegian artist Annie popped a new song, the Richard X-produced "I Know Your Girlfriend Hates Me," up on her MySpace on Monday. (Richard X also produced her hit single, "Chewing Gum.") But just as quick as it appeared, the track was removed. Annie's next full-length album is due out next month from Island Records.

Miss Jackson unseats Jack Johnson with her first #1 album in seven years.

Former *NSync and Backstreet Boys impressario Lou Pearlman, now jailed for orchestrating bank and investment fraud scams totaling $300 million, is set to enter a guilty plea tomorrow in an Orlando court. By entering into a plea deal, the charges against him carry a maximum of 25 years in prison and a $1 million fine. Journalist Bryan Burrough wrote a detailed story on Pearlman in last November's Vanity Fair titled "Mad About The Boys," which also explored Pearlman's alleged sexually predatory nature with certain males in the acts he managed.

British three-piece act Keane raise speculation about a new, fourth member after a mysterious image crops up on the band's website.

Been wondering what's up with the Pet Shop Boys lately? "Chris and Neil have been writing new songs for much of this year," reports their official website, "and will continue until they feel they have enough songs for a new album. The writing sessions have proved very fertile with, so far, seven new songs being completed. Some of the songs they wrote early last year are also likely to feature on the album. Meetings with potential producers are already being lined up for March. The release date for the new album will probably be early 2009.

THE WEEK'S NEW RELEASES:

Warpaint by The Black Crowes, which was the subject of recent controversy when Maxim ran a lukewarm review of the album in its March issue without the writer having ever heard it.

Go Away White, the first studio album from goth rockers Bauhaus in 25 years, and their pledged final one as a band.

Billy Bragg's Mr. Love & Justice, which is available in two versions -- one with his usual backing band on accompaniment, and one that's a straightforward acoustic affair.

Good Time, the 15th solo album by country crooner Alan Jackson.

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Music News: Anton Corbijn Takes Control, Plus Keri Hilson, Adam Levine, The Killers

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

Just as seminal U.K. dance act New Order appear to be on the verge of imploding, Control -- rock photographer Anton Corbijn's biopic of doomed Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis -- is set to be released in the States on October 10 by The Weinstein Company. Manchester-based Joy Division were signed to Factory Records and managed by recently-deceased indie mogul Tony Wilson (whose own life was portrayed in the 2002 film 24 Hour Party People) in the late 1970s. Two of their most well-known songs are "Love Will Tear Us Apart" and "She's Lost Control."

Joy Division unraveled when 23-year-old Curtis, who suffered from epilepsy, committed suicide in 1980 just as the band was about to embark on their first U.S. tour. Remaining members Bernard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris carried on, rechristening themselves as New Order.

Control stars relative unkown Sam Riley as Ian Curtis. The film picked up a handful of awards at the Cannes Film Festival in May, and just this past weekend won the best new British feature category at the Edinburgh international film festival.

Here's a trailer that circulated around the time of Cannes (with French subtitles):

The film is based on the book Touching From A Distance, written by Curtis' widow, Deborah.

Keri Hilson has written songs for Mary J. Blige, Usher and Britney Spears, and she's currently enjoying a hit with Timbaland's "The Way I Are," on which she performs vocal duties. So, naturally, people really want to know what kind of guys the 24-year-old likes to get with. Here's what Hilson had to say when asked if she likes to "play in the snow" in an interview with King magazine: "I never have. It’s a preference. I like chocolate candy, chocolate men, etc." Keri continues: "I don’t date industry dudes. I can’t say it’s not worth trying, but it’s not my cup of tea. I like real go-getters and entrepreneurs...but I tell my girlfriends that I’ll take a broke good man over an already-rich man. It’s so much more important that he’s a Christian and has goals."

On the flip side, in a Rolling Stone cover story, Maroon 5 frontman Adam Levine responds to The New York Post dubbing him a "man-whore": "It's funny how they latch on to you. By 'man-whore,' they mean '28-year-old guy who fell into a good situation and had fun.' I was dabbling, hanging out, partying, drinking, giving hugs, doing other things we won't talk about. It was the hedonistic part of my brain. But was I seriously dating anybody who was a famous person? No. It was flattering, but I got credit for a lot of things I didn't do."

After the jump — The Killers, Pet Shop Boys, Dannii Minogue, Billy Corgan, and this week's new releases...

The Killers' third album will be out by year's end, and will consist of B-sides culled from their European singles, two songs from movie soundtracks (Spiderman 3 and Closer) and a new duet with Lou Reed, which is being recorded this week in New York with producers Flood and Alan Moulder. Additionally, singer Brandon Flowers told Billboard the band will be releasing another Christmas single -- "Don't Shoot Me, Santa" -- for the Red Campaign. He says the one they did last year, "A Great Big Sled," raised over $100,000 for the AIDS charity.

Pet Shop Boys will release Disco 4 on September 24, three days before their one-off show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The Disco series began in 1986 and typically featured remixes of the Boys' own singles as well as new songs. However, the latest disc will mostly be comprised of mixes Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe have done for other artists over the years, including Madonna ("Sorry"), David Bowie ("Hallo Spaceboy"), The Killers ("Read My Mind") and Yoko Ono ("Walking On Thin Ice"). The eight-song set will also contain the previously-unreleased "PSB Perfect Immaculate Mix" of their own track, "Integral."

NEWS BITES: Dannii Minogue lesbian stripper photos resurface. [NSFW]

Kylie Minogue not likely to watch Enrique Iglesias' new video.

Foxy Brown simply does not do public showers...especially at Rikers.

Billy Corgan: "American girls are sluts".

At the eleventh hour, key member of Phil Spector's defense team quits.

Teens prefer Akon and Vanessa Hudgens to Mika and Amy Winehouse.

On the heels of Kanye West's "Stronger," everything's gone Daft Punk.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES: Beatles' legend Ringo Starr's Photograph: The Digital Greatest Hits.

Ben Harper & The Innocent Criminals' Lifeline, which was recorded over just seven days in Paris.

Bay-area soul singer Ledisi's Lost & Found.

'90s post-grunge band Collective Soul's Afterwords. Though the album is downloadable through iTunes, the CD is only available in Target stores.

Carrie Underwood's new single, "So Small," Dolly Parton's single "Better Get to Livin," and Depeche Mode singer Dave Gahan's single, "Kingdom."

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Music News: Darren Hayes Disses John Howard, Plus Duran Duran, Timbaland, Justin Timberlake, Phil Spector, Robyn

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

For the past two weeks, Brisbane-born Darren Hayes and his British husband, Richard Cullen, have been zipping around Australia as Hayes promotes his album, This Delicate Thing We've Made (out next week), and current single, "On The Verge Of Something Wonderful."

While Down Under, Hayes has been met with the realities of being a legally-married gay man outside of England, as Cullen has to travel with him on a tourist visa, rather than as his partner, under the current laws.

In turn, the pop star has worked some criticism of Prime Minister John Howard's anti-gay policies into his interviews: "It makes me angry and frustrated. I'm Australian and the way the law sits I can't bring my partner home as my partner. I would never have voted for John Howard and I encourage people not to. I don't think he speaks for this country in the same way I don't think George Bush speaks for the U.S."

Meanwhile, Darren scored the seventh Top 20 hit of his solo career on Sunday's official U.K. singles chart when "On The Verge Of Something Wonderful" debuted at #20. He posted on his MySpace blog that today he begins shooting the video for its follow-up, "Me, Myself And I."

While everyone's eager to speculate on the Madonna/Justin Timberlake/Timbaland collaboration, let us not forget that first comes the new Duran Duran album that J.T. 'n' T. had their Midas-dipped hands in.

Entertainment Weekly is currently streaming "Night Runner," a track produced by Timbaland and Danja, which features Timberlake on vocals along with Simon Le Bon. Actually, "Night Runner" isn't so much shocking as it is confusing...why don't you try figuring out which vocals are Le Bon's and which are Justin's.

Duran Duran's twelfth studio album is titled Red Carpet Massacre, and will be released October 30. But despite the early promotion of "Night Runner," the confirmed first single is the Timberlake-produced "Falling Down."

Prior to the recording sessions, longtime band member Andy Taylor split from the group last fall.

Murder trail, shmurder trial! Phil Spector continues working with an artist he says "reminds me of a young John Lennon."

Courtney Love is a stripper...again.

On the official Pet Shop Boys site, Neil Tennant denies The Sun's claim that Damon Albarn gave the Boys the smackdown.

After the jump: the return of Robyn, and today's new releases.

IMPORTED: Ten years ago, in that hazy period pre-Britney, Swedish teenager Robyn scored two major American hits with "Do You Know (What It Takes)" and "Show Me Love."

After several record label growing pains, Robyn makes a gallant return this week as her self-released electro single, "With Every Heartbeat," has topped the U.K. chart.

Though only available on import, "With Every Heartbeat" is downloadable from 7 Digital.

TODAY'S NEW RELEASES: Country singer Lori McKenna's Unglamorous, produced by Tim McGraw and Byron Gallimore.

Alt rock act Eisley's Combinations.

Disco legend Thelma Houston's covers album, A Woman's Touch.

DJ Paul Van Dyk's In Between, featuring guests David Byrne, Wayne Jackson and Jessica Sutta of Pussycat Dolls.

The High School Musical 2 soundtrack. You now have three days to cram the lyrics into your memory before the Disney Channel movie airs Friday night.

Junior Senior's Hey Hey My Yo Yo. The half-gay (Senior) and half-straight (Junior) duo from Denmark sees a U.S. release of their sophomore album, which has been available internationally for two years.

Inching closer to adding The Beatles repertoire to iTunes, the online store adds John Lennon's back catalog today.

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News: Hong Kong, Hugh Jackman, Wild Hog, Prince William

HIV surge among gay men in Hong Kong reflects increase in unsafe sex.

Massive wild hog shot in Alabama.

Is David Beckham getting cold feet about his move to L.A.?

Pet Shop Boys criticize Live Earth concerts, celebrity activists: "The Princess Diana concert is fair enough, but I feel more uneasy about the Al Gore thing. I've always been against the idea of rock stars lecturing people as if they know something the rest of us don't - it looks arrogant. It's not as if they have a private source of information. To state the obvious as if you are the only person that knows it is intellectually weak. Bono uses his celebrity but in doing so he increases his celebrity. I've never even totally convinced that the rest of U2 feel comfortable with that."

India's first gay arts festival opens with a whisper. More...

A day in the life of an Apple Genius.

Gay rights foes in Oregon begin signature campaign to repeal recently passed domestic partnership laws: "The social conservatives see it as a resumption of a battle that began in the November 2004 election, when Oregon voters adopted a constitutional ban on gay marriage. Others, however, say the issues are different this time around, and that public attitudes about gays and lesbians are shifting."

Woman struck by axe in homophobic attack.

Details: Who says all gay men are stylish? "Gay men, unlike supermodels and rock stars, have no more knack for looking good in pretty much anything than the rest of us. And while there might be (just barely) fewer gay rumors circulating about the painstakingly groomed, French-cuffed Ryan Seacrest than there are about the black-T-shirt-clad Simon Cowell, it's hardly risky for a straight man to demonstrate an appreciation for fashion these days. The Stylish Gay Man's days may be numbered. And when he dies, the playing field will be leveled. Entertainment-show hosts and best-dressed-list compilers will stop treating straight men who simply combed their hair and put on a well-cut suit as if they were paraplegics who just completed an Ironman. And the average gay man, saddled with unrealistic expectations for his personal presentation, will breathe a sigh of relief."

The cat who likes water.

Hugh Jackman can't keep his shirt on in Australia.

Big Brother Australia criticized for refusing to tell contestant about father's death: "Contestant Emma's father Raymond Cornell died last week and his funeral was held on Monday in Adelaide, but the 24-year-old is still unaware of his death. 'Will they break the news to her on air, for ratings?' World Vision chief Tim Costello said. 'This is patent ethical irresponsibility . . . she's only got one father and she'll suffer guilt and possibly resentment for the rest of her life.' Producers of Big Brother have refused to move from their position, stating that "it was the wish of the family" that Mr Cornell's death be kept from Emma."

New Zealand rallies to stamp out "gay panic" defense.

Prince William signs lease on a London bachelor pad.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #124

JOHN EDWARDS: "We the People" ad urges Americans and Congress to stand firm against Bush's Iraq policies.

ROSIE O'DONNELL: On Iraq, oil, troops, and terrorists.

DINA MATOS MCGREEVEY: Talks about how Jim McGreevey failed her and hawks her book on Oprah.

PET SHOP BOYS: A promo clip for their upcoming release Cubism Live. (source: chartrigger)

Check out our previous guides to the Tube here!

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News: Damien Hirst, Jake Shears, Gaydar, Steve Irwin, Woodpecker

British bachelor gets dream date with Anderson Cooper — for $21,000.

In ironic hanging, Steve Irwin portrait replaces Germaine Greer's at Australia's National Portrait Gallery. At the time of Irwin's death, Greer had slammed the animal lover, saying "The animal world has finally taken its revenge on Irwin, but probably not before a whole generation of kids in shorts seven sizes too small has learned to shout in the ears of animals with hearing 10 times more acute than theirs, determined to become millionaire animal-loving zoo-owners in their turn."

Britney Spears' rat nest goes up for sale for a cool million. But she wastes no time replacing it.

Scientists: May be too late to save polar ice caps.

The Guardian reflects on gay "dating" site Gaydar and its founder Gary Frisch, who plunged eight floors to his death from his apartment balcony in south London last week: ""Some people are uncomfortable with Gaydar because it encourages a culture, almost through peer pressure, which kind of obliges users to reference themselves by their sexual preferences and the size of their equipment. You won't generally find that someone will call themselves, say, librarian3. It's going to be cocklover72 or something. You feel obliged to be that way because it's part of the culture. If you were to step outside that culture you would just look odd."

Gay Jamaican who appeared on TV anonymously has attempted suicide after residents in his community recognized his pendant and IDed him.

Damien Hirst offers up butterflies to Hollywood: "Indicative of how important his attack on Hollywood is for him, Hirst is flying more than 100 members of his staff into LA for the event and the Oscar parties. His first Hollywood show is not just about those tired old warhorses, money and celebrity. It’s also about credibility."

Love Comes Quickly for Pet Shop Boy Neil Tennant and Jake Shears.

Shame: How the Bush administration honor's America's troops: "Behind the door of Army Spec. Jeremy Duncan's room, part of the wall is torn and hangs in the air, weighted down with black mold. When the wounded combat engineer stands in his shower and looks up, he can see the bathtub on the floor above through a rotted hole. The entire building, constructed between the world wars, often smells like greasy carry-out. Signs of neglect are everywhere: mouse droppings, belly-up cockroaches, stained carpets, cheap mattresses."

Judy Garland (aka Rufus Wainwright) brings Carnegie Hall to London.

Robotic birdwatcher to search for ivory-billed woodpecker thought extinct.

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'Dead or Alive' singer Pete Burns Sues After Disfiguring Lip Job

Former Dead or Alive frontman Pete Burns is suing a plastic surgeon for £1 million after a botched lip transplant that he says left him unable to leave the house for months, forced him to eat through a straw, and destroyed his life and career, according to the Daily Mail:

"Burns said he looked like he had been 'mutilated with a Stanley knife' after surgery to correct the original problems left his top lip hanging off."

Burns, whose obsession with cosmetic surgery is well-known, had his career refreshed in 2006 after appearing on Britain's Celebrity Big Brother. He came in fifth on the show but his verbal attacks on the other housemates gave him renewed notoriety.

Said Burns of the recent surgery: It has taken away my life and my career. I saw doctors in London who said the only option was to amputate my lips. I was suicidal. Eventually I found a doctor in Italy who knew the product and said he could remove it. I had 17 months of procedures and now I am back again having more...What happened to me after a series of injections was far worse than any nightmare I could have envisaged. Not only was it agonisingly painful but it was physically repulsive in the extreme. It was impossible to lead any life whatsoever. I was unable to leave my house as I was so distorted with swelling. At times it leaves me seriously suicidal and depressed and I could have problems for the rest of my life."

Burns claims that the lip surgery forced him to cut off recording sessions with the Pet Shop Boys (his most recent effort with them — "Jack and Jill Party" — was well received), and curtail solo projects as well as a Greatest Hits album.

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Yale tennis team under fire for alleged initiation activites: "During dinner on Nov. 10, team members wearing women’s underwear and fishnet stockings posed as members of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity and entered several residential college dining halls, where they sang and danced on tabletops, students who saw the incident said. The witnesses said the team’s initiates had signs on their backs that read, 'I’m a fa**ot. Insert Here.' The captain of the men’s tennis team could not be reached for comment last night, but Director of Athletics Thomas Beckett said his department is investigating the incident."

Brandon Flowers wants to read your mind!

Gay man jailed in Nigeria for wanting sex with a man; tells court: "It is the work of Satan but I promise that I will not do it again."

Jonathan Plummer, the ex-husband of author Terry McMillan, says he plans to write a tell-all about the couple's bitter marriage and divorce. Said McMillan: "He is like a f***ing Duracell, and I want him out of my f***ing life, and he won't let me out of his life. I can't live like this."

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Scientology leaders have reportedly dubbed Tom Cruise the religious sect's "Christ" figure: "Tom has been told he is Scientology’s Christ-like figure. Like Christ, he’s been criticised for his views. But future generations will realise he was right."

Pop phenom Mika ships in Freddie Mercury's piano for acoustic recording of "Grace Kelly": "He felt totally inspired. He felt the spirit of Freddie surround him and Mika said he felt more creative than he ever had."

Former Melrose Place hunk Grant Show offers another dude his services on Dirt...

Lance and Reichen on the outs? Malkin: "The latest from the slopes of Sundance has it that they've called it quits. This is not the first time that the lovebirds of eight months have broken up. This time around, Bass showed up solo at last night's Blender Sessions party at Tao. Later on, a source spotted him sulking at a party at the Village at the Lift's Heineken Lounge. Bass left the bash around midnight after hanging there for a measly twenty minutes, the party-goer says. Another source reports that Lemkuhl is still in Park City, but has told friends he is cutting his trip short. He says he wants to get on the earliest flight out tomorrow morning."

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #73

ROBBIE WILLIAMS: Pet Shop Boys-produced new single "She's Madonna".

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MICROSOFT CEO STEVE BALLMER: Laughs at the iPhone.

ESCALATION: John McCain gets the treatment from MoveOn.

O'REILLY on COLBERT (below): Even more truthiness.

Make sure to check out all our guides to the Tube here!

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Tribunal throws out appeal by HSBC banker Peter Lewis, who lost his £5m lawsuit against the bank in May. It was the first trial to test Britain's 2003 sexual orientation discrimination legislation.

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Bryan Singer to direct American version of Brit hit Footballers' Wives.

Indian runner fails gender test, loses medal after placing second in the woman's 800 meters at the Asian Games.

Pitchfork lists its 50 top albums of 2006. The Knife's Silent Shout tops the list.

Another pastor at Ted Haggard's church resigns over sexual misconduct. It's not known whether this was the straight or gay variety.

Elton John and David Furnish content after one year of being legally hitched: "This year has gone so quickly and it has been a great year for us. We feel great and we're going to Venice to celebrate our anniversary and have a very quiet dinner together. We're very happy."

Houston-area serial rapist targeting white males in their late teens and early 20's at gunpoint: "Victims were always accosted at their parents' homes. Sometimes he confronted them in the driveway or yard and then usually forced them to go inside. Sometimes he would simply surprise them by breaking into the homes. 'He always caught them when they were alone,' Clifford said. The attacker would demand money, but seemed more interested in sex, investigators said. While he tried to force every victim into sexual contact, some managed to thwart him and run away."

Joe.My.God asks, who is the Queer of the Year?

A high school senior who ejaculated into bottle of ranch salad dressing at Wheaton North High School outside Chicago has been charged with disorderly conduct and attempted aggravated battery.

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2006 is Britain's warmest year since records began: "All of the 10 warmest years in Britain have occurred in the past 18 years, except the fourth hottest, when in 1949 the year's mean temperature reached 10.62C."

Matthew McConaughey appears in public wearing shirt.

Circumcision cuts risk of infection by HIV in half: "Previous research has suggested that circumcision is beneficial, but the new trial is 'definitive,' according to Dr. Anthony S. Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which cosponsored the study with the Canadian Institutes of Health Research. 'It's not a magic bullet,' said Dr. Kevin De Cock, director of the World Health Organization's department of HIV/AIDS, but it has the potential to prevent 'many hundreds of thousands and perhaps millions of infections over coming years.'"

David Geffen offers $2 billion for the L.A. Times. Paper continues to seek offers...

Acquitted Huntsville, Alabama man speaks out about sex sting in public park: "For months I lived a nightmare that I hoped to wake up from, but I didn't wake up from it. I did not and have not ever gone there for the purpose for sexual contact," he said. "My family and those people who know me know that I could not do and did not do those things I was charged with. People are going to believe what they want to believe. There is no anger in my heart for anyone. There is forgiveness in my heart, okay. I think he was wrong. I know he was wrong. And a jury of 12 people decided he was wrong."

Spoof video superintendent Richard Mitchell, who this fall in an extraordinary lapse of judgment posted a remixed video of rookie teacher interviews on a school district website, has filed a sexual orientation discrimination complaint with Chicago's Cook County, claiming he wasn't fired because of the video, but because a school board member encouraged others to conspire against him because he's gay.

STUDY: Gay marriage would mean an additional $100 million in yearly revenue for businesses in New Jersey.

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Towleroad Guide to the Tube #54

MICHAEL RICHARDS: The outburst and the apology.

PET SHOP BOYS: Dancing with the Stars goes retro with "West End Girls". (source: