Archive: October 2010 (31-40 of 120)

Oct 21 2010 02:45 PM ET

Porn star Sasha Grey reveals all... About her new music career

Filed under: Music, News and tagged: ,

Sasha-Grey-DJingImage Credit: Joe FuryIt is fair to say that the resume of Sasha Grey is more colorful than most. Certainly it’s hard to think of anyone else who’s appeared in a Steven Soderbergh film (2009′s The Girlfriend Experience), essayed a fictionalized version of herself on Entourage, and won an award for Best Three-Way Sex Scene, a trophy she earned for her performance in the as-yet-unreviewed-by-EW 2007 movie F— Slaves.

But the recently retired adult film star is now getting fans hot and sweaty in a non-porn stylee thanks to her new career as a DJ. Her gigs so far include the after-show of a New York concert by post-punkers the Swans and an appeance at the Playboy Club in las Vegas. “I was getting a lot of offers to host parties in various clubs across the country,” explains Grey. “I mentioned to my manager that I was interested in DJ-ing and he ended up connecting me with some agents. For the most part, the response from people has been pretty positive. Of course, you’ll always have some naysayers. But they never want to say anything to your face. Which is a shame, because I like a good conversation!”

After the jump, Grey converses about her go-to DJ track, her band aTelecine, and whether it’s true that she likes to record naked. (Hey, come on, we had to ask!)

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Oct 21 2010 01:29 PM ET

Far East Movement bumps Bruno Mars out of No. 1 spot on Billboard Hot 100 chart

Filed under: Music, News and tagged: , , , ,

Bruno Mars has been dethroned. After a month at No. 1, his “Just the Way You Are” drops one slot this week to No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. Flying in to take its place is Far East Movement‘s “Like a G6.” Nelly’s “Just a Dream” follows them, holding on to his No. 3 spot. Next is Rihanna, whose “Only Girl (In the World)” moves up to two rungs to No. 4. Usher‘s “DJ Got Us Fallin’ in Love” remains at No. 5.

Taylor Swift’s “Back to December” debuts big at No. 6, while Katy Perry‘s “Teenage Dream” slips three places to No. 7. Taio Cruz’s “Dynamite” loses a little bang and falls one to No. 8. Flo Rida’s “Club Can’t Handle Me” sticks to its No. 9 place. And Trey Songz’s “Bottoms Up” rounds out the top 10 at No. 10.

What do you think of this week’s top 10? Let us know in the comments section.

(Follow The Music Mix on Twitter:@EWMusicMix.)

More on the Music Mix:
Did Kanye West really have his teeth pulled out and replaced with diamonds? An expert weighs in
Can Gwyneth Paltrow sing country live?
‘Glee’ star Mark Salling debuts ‘Illusions’ music video
Lil Wayne makes big jump to No. 1 on Billboard 200 albums chart

Oct 21 2010 12:33 PM ET

Chris Brown dances through a block party in 'Yeah 3X' video: Watch here

chris-brown-videoMany have counted Chris Brown out, but the R&B wonder is slowly climbing his back into our playlists. After surprisingly splashing into the Billboard Hot 100 chart’s top 20 and topping the R&B chart for several weeks now with “Deuces,” a mid-tempo goodbye cut from his Fan of a Fan mixtape, this morning he debuted the feel-good lead single from his forthcoming FAME (an acronym for Forgiving All My Enemies) album, “Yeah 3X,” and its partnering video.

In it, an acrobatic Brown dances to the Euro-pop smash, flipping and popping through a block party as others join in the action. It’s genuinely a fun clip, absent of any overdone, sexed up R&B corniness. This could be as big as “Forever.”  Check out the clip after the jump and let us know how you feel about it. FAME doesn’t have a set release date yet. But if the album boasts tracks as good as these, I hope it’s coming soon.

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Oct 21 2010 12:28 PM ET

Taylor Swift covers Coldplay's 'Viva La Vida': Watch!

Finally, we can just listen to Taylor Swift sing and not worry about decoding her lyrics. (Right?) Promoting her new album Speak Now in Britain, Swift did an acoustic cover of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” for BBC Radio 2. Watch it below. Once you get past the cameraman repeatedly focusing on Swift’s left hand when it looks like she’s giving someone the middle finger (she’s just playing her guitar), it’s a captivating performance that reminds you that Swift is most powerful when she shows her confidence by sitting and staring down the camera (not when she’s dancing, flipping her hair, getting soaked with water, or having a costume ripped off of her to reveal another one).

“Viva La Vida” certainly fits her voice, as do the song’s king and castle references. This is, after all, the girl who saw herself as a princess in “Love Story” and then not as a princess in “White Horse.” You may also recall that New Age pianist and composer Jon Schmidt arranged a mash-up of “Love Story” and “Viva La Vida” last year. Watch that below as well. As Schmidt explains in his video, “Love Story” was his daughter’s favorite song and she loved the key change — when the girl thinks the boy has been scared off, but he returns to tell her that he talked to her and she should go pick out a white dress. When he was arranging the song, he wanted to extend that moment. “It just felt like it should go to ‘Viva La Vida,’” he said, laughing. Looks like Swift was a fan. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 21 2010 11:51 AM ET

Ari Up: Remembering a punk legend

Filed under: Music, News and tagged:

Ari-UpImage Credit: David Corio/Retna LtdPunk lost one of its most important figures when Ari Up passed away yesterday at the far too young age of 48. Scratch that — the loss is all of music’s, regardless of genre. As lead singer of the Slits from the age of 14, Up helped push punk past its primal beginnings toward avant-garde reggae grooves and beyond. The fearless music on Slits albums like 1979′s Cut has continued inspiring artists for decades now.

Ari Up was influential in other ways, too. The punk scene in 1970s London was still largely dominated by men when the Slits began making noise. They changed that dynamic forever, proving that a young, all-female band could have even more attitude and ambition than their macho peers. Up remains a feminist heroine to many today.

For an idea of how highly Ari Up is still regarded by her fellow artists, check out what ex-Sleater-Kinney guitarist Carrie Brownstein had to say in a blog post this morning. “The Slits were a life-changing band that made life-changing music,” Brownstein wrote. “What does life-changing mean? It means someone puts a song on a mix tape or throws a record on and you stop dead in your tracks because now, whatever path you were on no longer exists… Not once did a Slits song cease to amaze me, not after repeat listens, literally hundreds of listens.”

We here at the Music Mix are most definitely among the Slits’ many fans. Last summer, EW’s Leah Greenblatt paid tribute to their enduring significance in this space. Check out the Slits’ “Love Und Romance” and their awesome cover of “I Heard It Through the Grapevine” after the jump, and please share your favorite Slits memories in the comments. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 20 2010 04:33 PM ET

Travie McCoy chases through Chinatown in his 'Need You' video: Watch here

Filed under: Music and tagged: ,

In his video for new single “Need You,” Travie McCoy wears chopsticks in his hair and follows a beautiful woman around L.A.’s Chinatown neighborhood. Only problem? She keeps vanishing into thin air every time he gets near. How inconvenient!

Does the Gym Class Hero find his lady in the end? You’ll have to watch the video to find out. Check it out right here after the jump and let us know how you like “Need You” — and whether you think this song will be a hit for McCoy. READ FULL STORY »

Oct 20 2010 03:23 PM ET

Did Kanye West really have his teeth pulled out and replaced with diamonds? An expert weighs in

Filed under: Music, News and tagged:

Kanye-West-teethWhen Kanye West showed Ellen DeGeneres his new gold and diamond front teeth yesterday, she could hardly believe him. “You just put it on top of your teeth?” asked DeGeneres. “No,” the rap superstar replied. “It’s, like, replaced my bottom row of teeth.” We here at the Music Mix had our doubts, too, so we called an expert, Dr. Emanuel Layliev of the New York Center for Cosmetic Dentistry.

Layliev is unconvinced by West’s claim to have yanked his teeth and put precious metals and minerals in their place. “It’s a possibility, but I really doubt that the gold was extended into his actual socket within the gum and bone to replace the actual teeth themselves,” says the dentist. “There’s no way you can just place the gold into the gum or the bone without any connection to your natural teeth.”

According to Layliev, it’s much more likely that West had his teeth trimmed down and used them as support for a gold and diamond encrusted bridge, more or less as Ellen suspected. It’s also possible that West had his front teeth surgically removed, replaced them with titanium implants, and then had the flashy structure built on top. The latter procedure would require a months-long waiting period for the titanium implants to set.

Either way, Layliev says the medical risks involved are minimal. “It’s not a very harmful thing to do at all. Gold, if anything, is better than any restorative material out there in dentistry.” He also endorses West’s statement that he cleans his new choppers with regular toothpaste. “That’s fine, as long as he’s also rinsing his mouth with some type of antiseptic mouth rinse — and flossing.”

Aside from the obvious cost of supplying the gold and diamonds, Layliev says it wouldn’t necessarily be more expensive than any standard oral surgery. An insurance plan might even cover the main dental work, though of course not the jewels. All that said, very few people other than West are likely to go through with this. “It’s not a common procedure,” Layliev notes. “We don’t do much of this at the office. We’re more into beautifying teeth from a natural perspective.”

(Follow The Music Mix on Twitter:@EWMusicMix.)

More on the Music Mix:
Can Gwyneth Paltrow sing country live?
‘Glee’ star Mark Salling debuts ‘Illusions’ music video
Lil Wayne makes big jump to No. 1 on Billboard 200 albums chart
Watch Ben Gibbard and Zooey Deschanel perform at the baseball playoffs

Oct 20 2010 02:26 PM ET

Can Gwyneth Paltrow sing country live? We'll find out at this year's CMA Awards

country-strongImage Credit: Scott GarfieldGwyneth Paltrow is a woman of many talents—not to mention accents. But can she cut it when it comes to singing country in front of an audience?

That question will be answered on November 10, when the actress makes her live country music singing debut at the 44th Annual CMA Awards. The Oscar-winner will perform her new single “Country Strong,” the title track from her new film in which she plays a country star who heads out on tour after a possibly too short stint in rehab.

Country Strong also stars Leighton Meester and real-life Nashville star Tim McGraw. You can watch the trailer—which features a preview of what we can expect to hear at the CMA Awards—after the jump.

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Oct 20 2010 12:37 PM ET

'Glee' star Mark Salling debuts 'Illusions' music video: Ouch, my eyes

Filed under: Music and tagged: ,

Glee‘s resident bad boy Noah “Puck” Puckerman is currently serving time in juvie after driving his mom’s car into a convenience store and running off with the ATM (is this how kids pass the time in Ohio?), but his absence is probably better explained by the fact that Mark Salling is about to release his solo album, Pipe Dreams. We’ve got a look at the magic eye-esque music video for his single “Illusions,” which tries to pass off the “illusion” that Salling is just another aspiring singer who moonlights as a valet. Silly music video, we know what his real job is! (See video embedded after the jump.) READ FULL STORY »

Oct 20 2010 12:27 PM ET

Prince Harry reportedly dating Norwegian singer: Is her music any good?

Filed under: Music, News and tagged:

Camilla-RomestrandImage Credit: Jerritt Clark/Getty Images; Kirsty Wigglesworth/Getty ImagesWhen I was growing up in the U.K. during the ’80s, Norwegian pop music was considered fairly laughable due to that country’s habit of getting no points at all at the Eurovision Song Contest. In fact, Norwegians hold the record for getting “Nul points!!!” at this bizarre, annual competition, having done so four times. Is this a subject Prince Harry should discuss Camilla Romestrand, with whom the British royal is now being linked? Frankly, I’d advise against it, given the lady in question is a singer from Norway, albeit one who currently fronts a British-based act called Eddie the Gun.

You can check out the video for the band’s single “Don’t Be Afraid” after the jump. How many points would you give it?

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