Well, that didn't take long, now did it?
Less than 12 hours after Lindsay Lohan melted down again, was arrested for DUI, and was shipped off to rehab, some webtard had the genius idea of mashing up clips of our dear LiLo with Amy Winehouse's song "Rehab".
Actually, it's pretty clever -- and it's my "Video Of The Day".
Enjoy:
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
BREAKING: Area Blogger Makes Painfully Obvious Lindsay Lohan / Amy Winehouse "Rehab" Joke
Monday, July 23, 2007
The Year In Music, 2007: The Best CDs Of The Year [Part 1] -- Lily Allen, Alright, Still
US Release Date: 30 January 2007
MAINSTREAM POP ALBUM OF THE YEAR
DEBUT ALBUM OF THE YEAR
Okay, let's just get this out of the way right now. Lily Allen is abso-freakin'-lutely adorable. And so is Alright, Still.
We cannot talk about 22-year-old Lily Allen without taking a quick trip through her family background. Lily is what we now in the US might refer to as "celebuspawn". Lily's father is Keith Allen, a middlingly-famous British actor and musician not famous enough that we in the US would know who he is without googling him. Lily's mother is British TV producer Alison Owen.
Lily's celebrity upbringing was both a help and a hindrance to her desire to become a singer in her own right. Fans and detractors -- and potential competitors -- constantly questioned her bona fides, and asked how much her celebrity parentage was helping her career along. Tiring of these barriers, eventually Lily decided to create her music career the new-fashioned way: on MySpace. Indeed, Lily Allen may be the first true "pop star" to emerge entirely from her MySpace presence. [Take THAT, Tila Tequila -- Ed.]
In addition to posting all of her music on MySpace, Lily kept in touch with her fans -- and attracted legions of new fans -- through her MySpace blog, in which she opened up about her life: her body-image issues, her beloved English Bull Terrier, Maggie May [whom she reported missing back in December, but who turned up safe-if-not-so-sound shortly thereafter -- that's Maggie May in the lower-left corner of the CD cover photo], and, perhaps most famously, her "feud" with fellow Brit singer Lady Sovereign:Dear Lady Sovereign
In response to Miss sovereigns comments , I've spoken to my Dad and he says he'd be happy to adopt you if you think it will give you a leg up .
The 21-year-old rapper - who is enjoying chart success in the US - thinks it is unfair she is attacked in Britain for her sense of style, while Lily is lauded for her quirky dress sense.
Lady Sovereign told the Observer Music Monthly magazine: 'I'm not appreciated. You get some of the media hating people like me 'cause they're chavish but Lily is the biggest chav going and everyone seems to love her.' The 'Public Warning' singer insists she doesn't hate Lily, but thinks she has had it easy, because she is the daughter of successful comic actor Keith Allen.
She added: 'I'm not hating on her but someone like Lily Allen, just 'cause her dad's famous, doesn't have to work as hard as someone like me.' The Wembley-born MC also claims her next album is going to be so controversial, her record label Def Jam will 's**t themselves'.
The rapper - who can count Nas and LL Cool J as her label mates - said: 'If they think my current album is irregular the next one's going to be pretty f**ked up. I've got so many things to say. They're going to s**t themselves.'
Perhaps growing up with famous-for-British-"Hollywood" parents gave Lily a unique perspective on fame and stardom. She seems remarkably humble and self-composed for being a huge break-out popstar. Perhaps that's also due to the fact that she's still just 22 and this all seems so new and remarkable to her.
Back in late May -- it seems like so much longer ago -- Lily had the chance to duet with her idol, Blondie's Debbie Harry, on The Today Show. Lily is still so in awe of her idols that she doesn't want to take the spotlight away from Debbie, not even appearing on stage until after Meredith Viera finishes her interview with Debbie:
And Lily has no problem making herself -- or her fellow break-out stars -- the butt of a joke by, well, looking ridiculous:
[Lily as Amy Winehouse recently on the British teevee show "Friday Night Project" -- Ed.]
But wait -- isn't this post supposed to be about Alright, Still?
Lily's debut CD is a brilliant tour-de-force that mixes elements of brit-pop, ska, R&B, dance, and neo-60's-Motown to produce the best "mainstream pop" CD of the first half of 2007.
Yes, I just wrote that.
Part of it is Mark Ronson's brilliant production work [more on HIM later -- Ed.]. Part of it is Lily's unique and entertaining songwriting. Whether she's writing and singing about the pitfalls facing ladies in the club scene ["Knock 'Em Out", "Friday Night"], past lovers who have done her wrong ["Not Big", "Littlest Things"], her body-image issues ["Everything's Just Wonderful"], or her "little baby brother" Alfie who won't stop smoking weed and pullllllling her hair ["Alfie"], Lily manages to create a nearly perfect concoction of sing-a-long lyrics and head-bouncing music. Ironically, at the tender age of 21 [when she recorded this record] Lily managed to create the precise CD that Geri ["Ginger Spice"] Halliwell spent 10 years of her career struggling -- and not succeeding -- to make.
Part of it is also Lily's sailor-mouth. Brits -- especially female Brits -- can "get away away with" being "foul-mouthed sailors" in ways that Americans can't. Lily also benefits from being a young woman -- out of her 22-year-old mouth, it doesn't sound crass -- in context, it even sounds subversively fun. ["oh, my gosh, you must be joking me / if you think that you'll be poking me", from "Shame For You" -- Ed.]
And speaking of subversive fun, Alright, Still is the most subversively "fun" record of the year. Listen to the three most head-bouncing singles on this CD: "Smile", "LDN", and "Alfie". Listen to the lyrics VERY CAREFULLY. Unless you are the asshole-ex-boyfriend of "Smile", the old-lady-who-got-mugged-in-the-park of "LDN", or the "twat" [= rhymes with "hat", not "hot"] baby brother of "Alfie", you will have no choice but to grin slyly as you bounce your head along, feeling like you are "in" on an inside joke.
Lily Allen's Alright, Still is head-and-shoulders-above-the-crowd one of the best pop records of the year. If Lily can maintain her careful balance of clever songrwriting, ahead-of-the-curve production, and attitude, she just may be able to cultivate that career she's long wanted.
*****
[Lily Allen performing "Everything's Just Wonderful" and "Littlest Things" live at the Bonnaroo Music Festival, 25 June 2007 -- Ed.]
[Lily Allen music video for "Smile" -- Ed.]
[Lily Allen music video for "Alfie" -- Ed.]
[Lily Allen music video for "LDN" -- Ed.]
*****
Still haven't fallen in love with Lily Allen yet? And you need more?
Seriously???
[Lily Allen music video for "Smile" in Simlish -- the "language" for The Sims. Seriously, there is a language for The Sims. This may actually be nerdier than those people who go to Star Trek conventions dressed as Klingons and only speak to each other in Klingon. Seriously. Just sayin' -- Ed.]
Invite Lily to go bowling sometime:
[Lily went bowling with a friend in Japan while on tour in early 2007. We have no idea which bowler is Lily -- Ed.]
*****
Okay, you still aren't sold? This is the last best hope for you...
Lily Allen has a third nipple. And she's not afraid to whip it out and show you.
Check please!
*****
Lily Allen, Alright, Still
Reviews / Ratings:
Blender [out of 5]: 4.5
Pitchfork [out of 10]: 8.3
Rolling Stone [out of 5]: 3.5
Spin [out of 5]: 4
metacritic.com [weighted combined rating, out of 100]: 79
*****
So, what MP3's could I possibly post from this record? All of the hits are ubiquitous by now, and there are some great tracks beyond those hits.
This will plague me over the course of this project.
For Alright, Still, I've decided to post my favorite of the three "hit" tracks, "Alfie", and a great "album" track, "Everything's Just Wonderful". Enjoy!
Lily Allen - Alfie [MP3, via YSI]
Lily Allen - Alfie [MP3, via zShare]
Lily Allen - Everything's Just Wonderful [MP3, via YSI]
Lily Allen - Everything's Just Wonderful [MP3, via zShare]
*****
[Next: This Ain't A Scene, It's A God Damn Great Record -- Ed.]
The Year In Music, 2007: The Best CDs Of The Year [Part 1]
Okay, I've been promising and promising forever. I'm ready.
I've been working on a recap of the Best CDs of the Year. I'll be posting about these CDs chronologically based on their US release date. Most posts will discuss why I think the CDs stand out and will includes references to reviews and what other critics or blogs thought about the CD. Some will even have a couple of MP3's.
Of course, my tastes are not everyone's tastes. What I consider to be among the best, may be on your "Worst! CD! Ever!" list. I'll even talk about some of the CDs that recently disappointed me. I should get around to nearly every CD I bought this year, either in a "best of" post or in a recap of some "meh" CDs.
To qualify, the CD had to be released in the US for the first time on or after 1 January 2007. The CD also had to be composed of "new" material, so I will largely be ignoring "Greatest Hits" and other similar compilations. [Note: "CD" includes digital collections, and my evaluation may include "bonus material" available only in digital form.]
I hope to post about at least one CD every day/night. But please bear with me.
Thanks again for your continued support.
DHMBIB
Now, You Too Can Stand Under Rihanna's Um-B-Rella-Ella-Ella-Ay-Ay-Ay
Sometimes, the jokes just write themselves...
[image courtesy Totes via Stereogum]
Yes, you're seeing that right. Umbrella-maker Totes has signed up Rihanna to shill a new line of...umbrellas...
This can only mean one thing -- even your grandmother will be singing this song by Labor Day.
Oh yeah -- and this contest is so totes over [ya had to go there, didn't ya Rob? -- Ed.].
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
BREAKING: "Obama Girl v. Guiliani Girl" Fake Smackdown Leads To "Blogger v. Blogger" Real Smackdown
WARNING: this post is so "inside", you have to be on the guest list just to read it.
I hope by now you've had the chance to check out the new "Obama Girl" video, which features three "Obama Girls" "fighting" [including pillows!!!] three "Guiliani Girls". Haven't seen it yet??? It was only the #2 meme on the 'tubes on Monday -- after the photoshop hackjob Redbook did on Faith Hill. Anyway, if for some reason you still haven't seen it, you can check it out here. But I should warn you -- you'll probably fall asleep three times just while reading the associated article.
Okay, anyway, our good friends Julia Allison and Rachel Sklar had a big debate recently about whether this video signaled a new low -- or possibly a new high -- for women in the political sphere.
[image courtesy Julia Allison. L: Julia Allison. R: Rachel Sklar.]
And check out the fact that JA is arguing for the "low", while RS is being all "lighten up, girlfriend".
The "transcript" of their possibly-nonexistent "conversation" is courtesy Gawker editor Alex Balk. Which means, of course, I didn't trust it for a second...
...Until our dear friend Julia "endorsed" it on her own blog.
So...Enjoy!!! [P.S. We heartily encourage you to click on the many links in Balk's link-ified post...well worth you time!!! -- Ed.]
* * * * *
Okay, so who are Julia Allison and Rachel Sklar?
Julia Allison fancies herself as "this generation's" Candace Bushnell. She's a "dating 'columnist'" who also has made multiple appearances on the Fox News Channel and was recently hired by Star Magazine as their new [teevee-centric] Editor-At-Large.
Oh, and there's also that thing involving former Representative Harold Ford Jr. (D-TN), but Allison doesn't really like talking about that -- except, of course, for the fact that she does -- so let's just move on.
Rachel Sklar is the editor of Arianna Huffington's Huffington Post: Eat The Press media meta-criticism blog.
Allison is also an occasional contributor to HP's ETP blog.
Allison is also Gawker's best "frenemy".
And Sklar is also Canadian..."Not that there's anything wrong with that..."...
BREAKING: Ask American Celebremag Covers No Questions And They Will STILL Tell You Lies
RELATED: Offer me $10K and I'll photoshop MYSELF to your specifications...
Fact No. 1: faithful readee Gawker Media recently inaugurated a new blog. Jezebel is a blog devoted to snarking about the world of women's fashion and beauty. Think Cosmo with "These 7 seven tricks WILL NOT blow his mind!!! But the truth about Atoosa Rubinstein just might!!!" [Maybe a LITTLE too inside??? -- Ed.] Their motto -- "Celebrity, Sex, Fashion. Without Airbrushing."
Fact No. 2: Faith Hill is a beautiful woman. Two months away from her 40th birthday, this Mother 0f three lovely girls [and Wife of Tim McGraw] should have no shame over a few lines here and there.
Fact No. 3: EVERY magazine cover you see when you buy your cold medicine and band-aids or whatevs at the CVS is so photoshopped it bears no resemblance to anything you or I would relate to "reality".
[uh...insert "break" here perhaps when this gets fixed -- Ed.]
Fact No. 4: Jezebel famously offered a $10 thousand bounty for a major magazine cover pic "before" the requisite photoshop job. [sorry, we can't find the original offer now -- just trust us -- Ed.]
Fact No. 5: Nick Denton is cutting a check for 10-Large as I write this.
Yes, today, someone emailed Jezebel a "before" pic of Faith Hill on the cover of the July Redbook. And here's the before, along with the after [of course -- you can figure out which is which]:
[image courtesy Jossip via Jezebel]
This story blew up the celebribloggosphere on Monday. Take a look at the differences between these two photos. Among other things that are obviously different:
* the "eye bags"
* the "back fat"
* the right arm -- where is it in "the original" photo?
* the thinner left arm
* the freckles and moles on the left arm
* and, uh, why???
* no, seriously -- why???
Longtime-faithful readers know how much I hate gettin' all Jack Shafer and shit up in y'allz grillz and shit, but...
Assuming the "before" photo is real -- a big assumption -- Redbook -- and Faith Hill -- have lots of questions to answer -- the above questions, to be exact...
...But it also -- OMG totes coincidentally -- put [BRAND NEW!!! GAWKER MEDIA blog] Jezebel on the map...
...And we here at DHMBIB would never be so cynical as to suggest that a brand-new blog...
Two notes:
1) Okay, Jezebel, so you're OK! If you offered to pay me $10K for something bloggable, I might photoshop anything you wanted -- I might even "reverse-photoshop" Redbook's July cover, just for you and your $10K payday.
So, a little more disclosure would be a good thing...Just sayin'...
2) "On The Internet, Nobody Knows You're A Dog."
ciaobaby
Monday, July 16, 2007
Alright, Still...
Okay, seriously, I'm tired of not posting, and then wondering whether I need to apologize for...not posting...
[This is the point where we would probably insert a "jump" code, but that seems to be broken on Blogger right now, so you'll just have to imagine it. It seems that we've been gone so long that lots of things have changed on this site. Please give us "more time" to work these issues out. -- Ed.]
After American Idol wrapped, and I got 2-nights-a-week of my life back, I reconnected with some people in the real world. I also recently had started a new job, and I've worked some late hours recently -- including missing the AI finale due to work commitments. Also, I overcommitted myself on some personal projects. All of that contributed to me just not having a lot of time to post here.
Oh, and one more thing.
As AI was wrapping, I decided I would post my thoughts on some of the best albums of the first-half of 2007. So I began spending all of my free time listening hard to the albums I had picked up, mentally drafting my posts as I went along. Then, as I was about ready to start posting these thoughts, I began to rethink how I wanted to do that. Anyway, I think I'm now ready to go. Check back here at least daily over the next couple of weeks, as I should have lots of interesting new stuff.
Thanks for your support.
ciaobaby
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