Sanjaya of 'American Idol' on Nationwide's side

COLUMBUS, Ohio �

Former "American Idol" contestant Sanjaya (san-JY'-yah) has gone from "pitchy" to pitchman.

Sanjaya Malakar is marketing Nationwide Insurance in a new ad that's part of the Columbus, Ohio-based company's campaign, "Life Comes at You Fast."

Malakar says that's something he knows from personal experience. In a statement, he points out that he went from an unknown isaac Bashevis Singer to appearing before of millions of people on "Idol."

In the commercial, Malakar visits a wise man who tells him he needs a retirement design - and a haircut. He sports a "ponyhawk" hairstyle similar to the one he made famous while competing on the Fox network show, where the judges often hold off-key singing "pitchy."

Other celebrities who have poked sport at themselves for Nationwide include Kevin Federline, Fabio and MC Hammer.

http://www.nationwide.com/about-us/featured-ads.jsp

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CD of the week: Bloc Party, Intimacy

This year, record releases are like ambushes. There was a time when only rose hip hop albums would 'drop'; now, indie rock releases fall from the sky like ordnance as well. Earlier this year, Radiohead and Sigur R�s issued albums with indecently short lead-up times. Now orient London foursome Bloc Party have linked the stealing set, telling the pass completion of their third record album last Monday and cathartic it electronically just two days afterwards. The hard copies get in in October.

Intimacy is an ambush in more shipway than one. Fans chafed when the indie stone darlings revealed a lairy electronic direction with final year's 'Flux' EP. Their recent single 'Mercury' adding menacing brass and Kele Okereke's astrologically themed rant to a rhythmic violation. A few weeks agone at a Spanish fete, Okereke was the victim of a racist plan of attack by Sex Pistol John Lydon and his suite, an ugly incident made sadder by the fact that 'Mercury' fondly recalls Lydon's best band, Public Image Limited.

Bloc Party's third record opens with 'Ares', a volley of heavy that borrows its hip hop taunting from MIA and steals its beatniks wholesale from the Chemical Brothers' 'Setting Sun'. It seems fitting that the song is named for the Greek god of warfare - indie messageboards will be awash with blood in the consequence of Intimacy's release.

Myth is a recurring theme. With 'Ares' and 'Mercury', 'Zephyrus' completes a trio of modern god-songs. Here are operatic vocal stabs, skittish Radiohead drums and churchy atmospherics. Only Okereke's rueful yelps anchor 'Zephyrus' as a Bloc Party song.

For all the seismic disturbance of the new, yet, Bloc Party haven't quite transformed themselves into some entirely unrecognizable creature, as Greek myth would ask. Okereke's abominable love life takes inwardness stage on the aptly titled 'Intimacy', as it has passim Bloc Party's life. The East End of London settings ar familiar. If anything, the fresh sound cannily obscures the fact that Okereke repeats himself. 'Ion Square' is basically 'I Still Remember' all over over again, but with machines. But once the dust settles, Intimacy crataegus laevigata be recognised as a classic Bloc Party book, one that has comprehensively outgunned their last.

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Medical Management And Surgical Management Of Peyronie's Disease

�UroToday.com Peyronie's disease is a scarring phenomenon touching the tunic albuginea of the member. Scar tissue paper forms "plaques" that canful result in pain with erection, penial deviation, penial shortening,

Philip Glass/Robert Wilson

   
Artist: Philip Glass/Robert Wilson

   Genre(s): 
Avantgarde
   

---

Discography:


   
 Glass/Wilson - Monsters of Grace

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 13

---

 

SAG Continues Two-front Battle

Leaders of the Screen Actors Guild on Wednesday accused the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers of offering a union contract worth tens of millions of dollars less than the one it signed with the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists. "It's obvious that they are trying to get us to bargain up to a deal they already know is unacceptable," SAG executive director Doug Allen told the Associated Press. The AMPTP declined to comment on Allen's accusation. AFTRA issued a statement saying, "SAG hasn't won any increases for its members -- perhaps because it's been too busy trying to undermine the AFTRA deal to be able to negotiate one of its own." AFTRA also condemned SAG's strategy of urging co-members of both unions to reject ratification of the AFTRA agreement in the hope that doing so would increase SAG's leverage at the bargaining table. "The great majority of the current dramatic TV schedule is made up of SAG shows," AFTRA said. "That is the source of SAG's bargaining leverage and will not change just because the AFTRA deal is ratified."


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Rosario Dawson - Dawson Finds Love With French Dj

Actress ROSARIO DAWSON has confirmed she's found love with a French DJ.

The sexy Sin City star is dating Mathieu Shreyer and she tells U.S. publication Capitol File he's very worldly.

She coos, "He's from Paris and he's lived all over the world, from Morocco to Hong Kong, so he's very worldly.

"We were friends for a year, and we started dating about six or seven months ago. He just turned 33. It's amazing to be in an adult relationship."

Dawson, 29, has previously dated Sex + The City hunk Jason Lewis.

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Ligeia

   
Artist: Ligeia

   Genre(s): 
Metal
   

---

Discography:


   
 Your Ghost Is a Gift

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 11

---

Named after the cooling 1838 short narration by Edgar Allan Poe, Ligeia is a product of the same westerly Massachusetts hard-core shot that in the eighties birthed Dinosaur Jr. and Sebadoh, merely in retention with the multiplication, this young act's sound is heavily influenced by its metalcore brethren. Not to be disoriented with the British goth bikers of the same distinguish, Ligeia was formed in Springfield, MA, in 2003 with the original lineup of singer Keith Holuk, guitarists Ryan Ober and Chris Keane, bassist Matthew Bennett, and drummer Phil Fonseca. Signed to the New Jersey-based metalcore imprint Ferret Records (Maylene and the Sons of Disaster, etc.), the band released their debut album, Your Ghost Is a Gift, in the spring of 2006. Following the album's spillage, Bennett and Fonseca were replaced by new bassist Bryan Forbes and drummer Ryan Irizarry.





Playgroup

Packed houses greet James Taylor and his big band

James Taylor [ tickets ] and his 12-piece band have rolled out a summer shed tour that will take them across the US and Canada into August.Nearly all the dates on the 35-city trek have sold out, according to a press release, which also stated that two-night stands at Chicago's Ravinia and Lenox, MA's Tanglewood logged the fastest sellouts in both festivals' histories.The "James Taylor and his Band of Legends" tour kicked off last week and continues tonight (5/29) in Charlotte, NC. Since last check, shows have been tacked on in Phoenix and Salt Lake City, UT, as well as a two-night finale at the Denver area's Red Rocks Amphitheatre. The coast-to-coast outing, which is detailed below, includes Taylor's first Canadian run in more than five years. The tour reunites Taylor with a group of musicians who have worked with him throughout his celebrated career, and who appear on his forthcoming album, which features cover songs by artists including Chuck Berry, Big Mama Thornton and Junior Walker.Taylor hit the road last fall to support his most recent release, "James Taylor's One Man Band," which captures a couple of July '07 performances at the Colonial Theatre in Pittsfield, MA. The CD/DVD collection features new versions of some of Taylor's biggest hits, including "Carolina In My Mind" and "Fire and Rain," interspersed with his anecdotes on the inspiration for the tunes. The DVD portion, directed by Don Mischer and executive produced by Sydney Pollack, tells the story of Taylor's songs through exclusive interviews and rare multi-media footage, including home movies and photographs from the Rock and Roll Hall of Famers' personal archives. In a career that spans five decades, Taylor has earned five Grammys and logged sales of more than 40 million albums.

Charlie Sheen - Sheens Cheap Suit

Newlywed CHARLIE SHEEN got married in a cheap suit from a discount store.

Rather than pick an expensive designer to create a fancy outfit for his wedding to Brooke Mueller on Friday (30May08), took a trip to the Men's Wearhouse near his Los Angeles home.

The most expensive suit at the store is $599.99 (GBP300) - a bargain for the wealthy Two and a Half Men star.

Sheen explains, "I like their commercials a lot.

"I got tired of $3,000 suits falling apart in the middle of certain events. I didn't wear a tux because they're hot and they don't breathe."

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Prime TV billboards axed after complaint

Billboards pitching a new programme for Prime Television have been removed after complaints from the Jewish community.

One billboard in Wakefield St, Wellington, and two in Auckland were removed yesterday after going up on Tuesday.

The billboards were for Madmen: The Glory Years of Advertising, due out at the end of the month, and bore the slogan: "Advertising Agency Seeks: Clients. All business considered, even from Jews."

The billboards were removed after a complaint from New Zealand Jewish Council chairman Geoff Levy, who was also angry about a two-page advertisement using the same wording in the latest Time magazine.

Mr Levy said Prime had acted quickly to remove the billboards and if the council received a written apology and a two-page apology in the next Time the matter would be resolved.

However, the damage had already been done and 26,000 copies of Time would remain on waiting-room tables and in houses for months to come, he said.

"The wisdom of the entire project defies belief," he said. "Long ago we moved on from this sort of language, but obviously not.

"In these days of 60 years plus since the Second World War ... I never thought it would come again let alone to New Zealand."

Prime spokesman Tony O'Brien said approval for the campaign, which was to mirror "archaic" 1960s' attitudes prevalent in the show, had been given by the marketing department, which had made an error of judgment.

All the billboards were immediately removed and an apology would run in the next edition of Time, he said.

"We take full responsibility for this and we have totally apologised to the Jewish community. The campaign crossed the line from being provocative to being offensive."

Regional Wellington Jewish Council chairman David Zwartz said the phrase "even Jews" suggested they were "some other sort of class of human beings - second-class citizens" and harked back to the time when it was "acceptable to be anti-Semitic".

"It's not the case now, especially in New Zealand. It was totally derogatory to Jewish people, in any context."

It is not the first time advertising company Draft FCB had caused offence advertising Prime TV's shows.

In May, the Advertising Standards Authority fielded complaints about billboards that used back lighting at night to reveal sexy lingerie on a "call girl" for The Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

In February, a radio advertisement for Hidden Palms was pulled off the air by Prime after complaints about its language on parental suicide.

Mr O'Brien said they challenged Draft FCB to be innovative but they had gone too far.

"That's something we're not prepared to accept, hence the immediate removal of the billboards."

Adverstising Standards Authority executive director Hilary Souter said they had received a handful of complaints but the quick response of the broadcaster should settle the matter.

 





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Christopher Young

   
Artist: Christopher Young

   Genre(s): 
Soundtrack
   Other
   Pop
   

---

Discography:


   
 Ghost Rider

   Year: 2007   
Tracks: 15


   
 An Unfinished Life

   Year: 2006   
Tracks: 33


   
 Hellraiser

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 14


   
 Glass House

   Year: 2001   
Tracks: 11


   
 Wonder Boys

   Year: 2000   
Tracks: 15


   
 Rounders

   Year: 1998   
Tracks: 21


   
 The Man Who Knew Too Little

   Year: 1997   
Tracks: 14


   
 The Vagrant

   Year: 1992   
Tracks: 9


   
 Hellbound: Hellraiser II (Also Features Music From The Film "Highpoint")

   Year:    
Tracks: 20

---

Christopher Young composed film piles for over 50 movies kickoff in 1980, including Hellraiser (1987), The Five Heartbeats (1991), Bump off in the First (1995), and Wonder Boys (2000); as well as tons for TV movies such as Vietnam War Story: The Last Days (1989), Grievous bodily harm and Helen (1990), and the project that garnered him an Emmy nomination, 1996's Norma Jean and Marilyn. Born in Redbanks, NJ, Young accompanied the Manhattan School of Music, North Texas State University, and UCLA earlier marking his number one film, 1980's The Power. He went on to work with director John Dahl and for Miramax and Paramount, marking many more movies -- much horrors and thrillers -- including Oasis (1984), At-bat 21 (1988), Emulator, Tales From the Hood (1995), and Rounders (1998). Young opened a studio in the early '90s and has regularly lectured at UCLA.

'Sex And The City' Movie Premieres In London

Sex and the City: The Movie had its world premiere in London Monday night, and the reaction of the audience may have been a lot more enthusiastic than those of the critics. Will Pavia of the Times acknowledged as much. After outlining numerous complaints about the film ("It can feel like a never-ending dinner party: however pleasant the courses, after a while you can hardly eat another one") Pavia remarked, "None of these problems seemed apparent to the women who sat around me ... laughing and weeping in quick succession. After a while I began to reason like one of the characters: maybe the problem was me." The Sun observed, "There were oohs and aahs, cheers, laughter -- and more than a few tissues dabbed on eyes. Sex and the City will give its legion of female fans what they want." And Celia Walden in the Daily Telegraph concluded: "One thing's for sure: fans of the series will lap this film up. It was coarse, sentimental, and outrageously materialistic -- just as we hoped and expected it would be."


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The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age of The Understatement

Having read so much of the music press' response to 'The Age of The Understatement', you'd swear that Arctic Monkey Alex Turner was the first songwriter ever to draw influence from the great Scott Walker. Clearly this isn't the case. He's not even the first Sheffield songwriter to be turned-on by big Scott, with Jarvis Cocker and Richard Hawley having previously proclaimed their debt to the man's talents in the excellent Walker documentary '30th Century Man'.
What's interesting about Turner's consumption of Walker's orchestral style though is that it comes as such a leap, not for the 22-year-old, but for his beer-swilling fan base.
A sensitive songwriter who has found himself in a band which could - in terms of fan base - be placed in an ark alongside The Stone Roses, Oasis and Stereophonics, means Turner has displayed a degree of bravery in making a record that often veers on camp. On tracks such as 'Black Plant', the hand of Shirley Bassey is as much in evidence as that of Walker.
Written and recorded in France with Miles Kane of Wirral trio The Rascals, 'The Age of The Understatement' is a pastiche record, drawing influence from a host of artists. Though Walker is all over it, Love can be heard on 'Standing Next To Me'; Bowie crops up half a dozen times, while more modern artists such as The Coral ('Separate And Ever Deadly') and David Arnold ('In My Room') are also flowing through the 12 tracks.
Yet despite the obvious influences and almost wholesale lifts from the past, 'The Age of Understatement' still manages to sound fresh and exuberant. It's hard to judge how new this territory is for Kane - given that his nine-to-five outfit The Rascals have yet to release their debut - but For Turner, this is a big departure.
With that in mind, the record is best described as the sound of two young men who have just discovered a hidden box of unbelievably great records and want to scream in your face about how much they love them, and how much you've got to hear them. 
'The Age of Understatement' is that sound, the sound of two kindred spirits making music they love, not for the sake of fame or fortune, but purely because they are in love and enthused with the joy of making this genre of music. It makes for a record which is impossible not to love.
And regardless of a desire to proclaim that you're heard it all before, you'll be hard pushed to declare that you've heard it better. Though all 12 tracks are not bona-fide classics, there's by no means any filler here. Of the stand-outs, the swirling 'Clam Like You' is an immediate favourite, complete with typically engaging observational lyrics from Turner that work so well inside the orchestral arrangements of former Arcade Fire member Owen Pallett.
On the back of 'The Age of Understatement', we feverishly await Kane's debut as a songwriter in his own right with The Rascals.
With Turner, this is all old hat at 22. Three superb albums in three years. You can't help but picture him sitting back in an arm chair in Sheffield thinking: "This music lark, eh? Piece of piss."
Steve Cummins

Mtv - Huge Fine For Mtv Over Pre-watershed Bad Language

MTV has been handed a £255,000 fine by media regulator Ofcom for "serious, persistent and repeated" breaches of broadcasting guidelines.

The music channel was found to have failed in its responsibility to ensure that bad language and unsuitable material were not broadcast before the 21:00 watershed.

MTV channels TMF, MTV France, MTV UK and MTV Hits were found to have repeatedly transgressed the Ofcom code in terms of protecting children from unsuitable material, observing the 21:00 watershed, justifying potentially offensive material in context and ensuring that foul language was not broadcast before the watershed.

The Ofcom report said it had received a number of complaints and cited music videos such as Aphex Twin's Windowlicker and reality shows such as Totally Scott-Lee and Totally Jodie Marsh.

The Ofcom report said the material in question was "not justified by the context of broadcasts that were likely to appeal to children".

It added that the "likely audience would have expected to have been protected from the most offensive language and material in such programming".

In response, an MTV spokesman said: "MTV Networks Europe takes this sanction and fine very seriously and has taken a series of steps to minimise as much as possible any breaches in the future.

"These include strengthening procedures regarding programmes for pre-watershed broadcast, reviewing MTV's archive programming, increasing the number of staff involved in compliance and investing in a new channel management system."


04/06/2008 16:10:57

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Rose Tremain wins Britain's Orange Prize for fiction by women

LONDON - English writer Rose Tremain was picked over five other finalists, including Montreal-based Heather O'Neill, to win Britain's Orange Prize for fiction by women.

The judges of the Orange Broadband Prize for Fiction awarded the prize to Tremain Wednesday for her novel, "The Road Home," about an Eastern European migrant in Britain.

Tremain set the novel in London and has said she wanted to draw out the individuality of an immigrant.

She beat five finalists including two North American writers nominated for their first novels. O'Neill was nominated for "Lullabies for Little Criminals" and Patricia Wood, a graduate student at the University of Hawaii, was nominated for "Lottery."

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Mary J Blige - Exhausted Blige Scraps Australian Tour

MARY J BLIGE has cancelled what was to be her first Australasian tour, citing exhaustion.

The weary R+B star, who is currently performing dates in Britain, will not be making the trip to Australia this weekend as planned, for shows that were billed to start in Perth on 10 June (08).

Instead, the dates in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Auckland and Wellington in New Zealand will now take place in November (08).

In a statement released on Friday (06Jun08), tour promoter Michael Chugg said he accepted Blige was too tired to make the trip Down Under at this time.

He reveals Blige's "overwhelming tour schedule" has left her desperate for a rest and he agreed it would not be feasible to proceed with the tour as planned.

He explains, "We won't risk health complications or undue stress for the artist."

Meanwhile, in a separate statement, Blige says, "I am so disappointed that I won't be able to make it to Australia and New Zealand for the June tour as planned.

"I want to thank all of my wonderful fans who supported the announcement of my first tour in these countries and I can't tell you how excited I was to come down in June and put on a show for you all. Postponing these shows has been an extremely difficult decision for me and I am sincerely sorry that I will not be able to fulfil my tour commitments."

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