There’s not much to say about Mumford & Sons other than that I love them and Marcus Mumford is my dream man. Listen below to their new song, “I will wait.” Note: someone brought the banjo.
Quote of the Day — Tom Arnold Roasts Roseanne Barr
“She may not be the perfect wife, but she is literally the worst f-ing EX-WIFE on the planet … trust me.” One of Tom Arnold’s jokes at Comedy Central’s roast of Roseanne Barr. As an aside, if these two crazies can kiss and make up — Israel and Palestine is next.
Ellie Goulding Premieres Clips of New Album
I loved Ellie Goulding’s debut album, Lights. In fact, when the rest of the world caught on to her, I found myself angrily staking my claim on the discovery. For whatever reason though, it didn’t stand the tests of time in my music rotation. It’s just unique enough to become tiresome upon multiple listens. So it’s nice to see that I can expect new material soon. Listen to clips from her follow-up album, Halcyon.
Sharon Osbourne v. NBC — Quits America’s Got Talent
The business is brutal, and Sharon Osbourne learned that the hard way when NBC allegedly axed her son, Jack Osbourne, from their new show after learning of his Multiple Sclerosis diagnosis. She called the move “discrimination,” but NBC insists that since Jack Osbourne didn’t sign on the dotted line, the deal never existed in the first place. So what’s the truth? Well — it’s likely somewhere in the middle. Everyone knows that the entertainment business is predicated on “hand-shake” deals that stay in place until the contract is signed. Sure those deals aren’t legally sound, but it’s a gentleman’s agreement until the contract can be properly executed. My guess is that NBC didn’t want the liability of employing someone with a physically demanding disease on a physically active show, and that’s more about being scared of a lawsuit than it is about “discrimation.” Furthermore, if NBC wants Sharon Osbourne back, she doesn’t have a choice. It’s the network’s option to employ her next year — not hers. She’s under contract — and she did sign on the dotted line.
Alec Baldwin on Kim Basinger Marriage: “We Worked Too Much”
“I want it to be different. When I was younger, I was married to a woman who was very successful . . . . When you’re both in the business, you both know that you’re going to light one film off the other. It’s like chain smoking. You just have to do one after the other. You sense that this isn’t right, you have this daunting, overwhelming, overarching priority that takes you away for long periods at a time . . . . Now I’m with someone who’s not in the business and I would like to have a different life this time, have it be more normal . . . . If you took a stopwatch and a calendar and you mapped out how much time you really got to spend that was private and real, it’s startlingly little. You put a lot of energy into your work . . . . You do the best you can at the time, but a marriage has to be a priority.” Alec Baldwin to Total Film Magazine, on the things he learned from his first marriage to Kim Basinger, and the things he’ll do differently this time around.
Monsters Calling Home Kill It at The Bootleg
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If it’s possible to fall in love with a band, then I’m officially in love with Monsters Calling Home. To say they’re incredible would be a cheesy understatement. I’ve followed them around Los Angeles since first discovering them at The Mint, and I’ve had the pleasure to interview lead singer Alex Hwang. When I told Alex they’d become massive he seemed shocked at the suggestion. They had just begun, and Alex was clear that they were still in their growing pains stage. I remember thinking, “Alex has no idea he’s sitting on his personal gold mine.” When I saw him at The Bootleg on Saturday, I knew he’d started his climb to the super-stardom I predict. I feared he already might have changed, but he’s still the incredibly humble person I met months ago. So congratulations to Monsters Calling Home for their success. They deserve it. Listen below to “Foxbeard.”
Teen Mom’s Farrah Abraham Releases New Single — Um . . . No
It always makes me happy when “celebrities” prove that music actually takes some talent. Despite popular belief, you can’t just get into a recording studio, distort your voice, and hope for the best. I won’t pick on the Teen Mom star too much, though. She’s had a rough life. Listen to Farrah Abraham’s horrific new single by clicking the link below. I’m still on the fence about whether this is a joke.
Farrah Abraham’s New Single — Click At Your Own Risk
Khloe Kardashian to Host X Factor? Is Simon Cowell Desperate?
I like Khloe Kardashian, so I can’t figure out why the possibility of her hosting X Factor is so bothersome. In short, it feels desperate, and it’s extremely unsettling to associate Simon Cowell with the word “desperate.” It’s as if he sat around and methodically tried to hit his ratings mark in every genre. Young person demographic? Check (Demi Lovato)! Huge pop-star on a career down-slide? Check (Britney Spears)! Reality star that people love to hate? Check (Khloe Kardashian)! There was a time when Simon Cowell felt authentic, when he stood for an unwavering favor of quality, when he acknowledged the public’s desire, but didn’t pander to it. Has the guy gone soft?
Tabloid Gossip Rundown — The Hollywood Crazy
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- Robert Pattinson is finding comfort in Reese Witherspoon. Us Magazine
- Chris Brown & Rihanna might be secretly meeting up. Perez Hilton
- Cuba Gooding Jr. isn’t in trouble after all. TMZ
- Olivia Munn has more anxiety than The Dishmaster. She Knows
- Bret Michaels called off his engagement. People
- Elizabeth Berkley had a baby. Entertainment Weekly
- Real Housewife’s Adrienne Maloof is getting divorced. Reality TV Magazine
- I’m confessing my crush on Eminem. Hear that mom? Contact Music
- Stevie Wonder is getting divorced. Huffington Post
- Kristen Stewart wore sweatpants when she cheated. I find that offensive. National Confidential
- Gabby Douglas did it. PopCrunch
Should Gary Johnson Be the Next President? — A Cool Presidential Candidate
People should really pay more attention to Gary Johnson. He may have a few crazy ideas and a slightly questionable haircut, but so do a shocking number of the cable TV pundits. And that doesn’t stop many folks from listening to them, ad nauseam.
In spite of his remarkably unremarkable name, Gary Johnson is lined up to be one of the coolest third-party candidates to get on the ballot in all 50 states. He is the Libertarian presidential candidate (yes, this year) and, right off the bat, there are a few things you might want to know about him:
(1) He has reached the highest peak on four of the seven continents (including Everest),
(2) He predicts marijuana will be legalized by 2016,
(3) He used medicinal marijuana as recently as 2008 as he was recovering from a near fatal paragliding crash, and
(4) He may struggle with politicking at the national level because he is cripplingly honest, I mean no-spin honest.
Oh, and he also wants to abolish the IRS, so that’s pretty crazy.
Johnson was the Republican Governor of New Mexico (a blue state) from 1995-2003, where he made a name for himself vetoing 750 bills (more than the other 49 governors combined) and leaving the state with a $1 billion budget surplus.
Last year, although he barely showed up on the public radar, Johnson was a candidate for the Republican presidential nomination. Much to his chagrin, he was shut out of most of those debates. But he made good use of his few short minutes; at the Florida debate in September he delivered what many touted as the best line of the evening: “My next-door neighbor’s two dogs have created more shovel ready jobs than this administration.” It wasn’t exactly the message he wanted to get out, but he was happy that it brought as much media attention as it did.
After Johnson withdrew from the race for the Republican nomination (he did not gain much momentum there), he quite handily won the Libertarian nomination on May 5, 2012. One of his lofty goals at the moment is to work his way into the upcoming presidential debates with Mitt and President Obama. If he pulls it off, he hopes to exploit flaws in their platforms: “Look, if I’m in the debate against Romney and Obama, they’re going to change their tune,” he said. ” They’re going to have to.”
Short-lived Republican presidential candidate and former Louisiana Governor Buddy Roemer has called for Johnson to be included. But Johnson’s chances of getting into the debates is slim to non-existent. The Commission on Presidential Debates won’t consider him unless he has an average of 15 percent in the polls. But Johnson has had trouble just getting on the polls, and when he manages to do so he usually only gets a few points (in one March poll he achieved 7%). His supporters have levied their polling angst against CNN because it has not included him in its polls since last September; earlier this month, 100 protesters stood outside CNN headquarters in Atlanta demanding that the network “Include Gary!”
Those protesters are just one indicator that Johnson will likely do a lot of work and cover a lot of ground in the next few months. Some libertarians and trend-watchers are likely anxious to see how the saga of Ron Paul unfolds at the Republican National Convention at the end of August, as Paul supporters could shift over to support Johnson. Johnson actually includes Ron Paul on his list of endorsements. That list also includes Penn (of Penn & Teller), former Minnesota Governor Jesse Ventura, Barry Goldwater, Jr., and Willy Nelson.