¡viva la graham!

here’s some good news! according to a new study, fruity cocktails may actually be good for you. researchers have discovered that the ethanol found in vodka, rum and tequila can help boost the antioxidant properties of certain fruits, allowing enhanced “free radical scavenging activity.” i’m not sure what that means exactly, but it must be a good thing.

now, this isn’t an excuse for the tara reids of the world to go overboard. remember what happened last time! you woke up in the gutter without your pants and your butt hurt a little bit. that wasn’t fun… so everything in moderation. haha! try telling me that after two.

before aimee mann went solo, she had one huge hit with a band called ’til tuesday. “voices carry” is a big ’80s favorite of mine, and it is this week’s flashback friday feature. i’m sure most of you have seen this clip before, with its dramatic voiceovers and sexual tension, but wouldn’t you like to watch it again?

a few questions about the video:

1. would a girl with a rat tail really date a such a controlling goon?
2. were they role playing when she was wearing that tattered black wig?
3. ever since seeing this video, haven’t you always wanted to stand up and shout at the most inappropriate moments?

that is all.

leave it to the daily show to put a humorous spin on a very touchy topic. in this segment titled “suddenly susan,” correspondent rob riggle takes a look at the controversy surrounding a floridian city manager’s announcement that he is trangendered — and that he plans to get the snip. poor steve stanton appears genuinely committed to his job, and this clip does a great job of showing the profound ignorance and obstinance of his senseless detractors.

i doubt this will change any minds, but regardless, i couldn’t cope with life if i wasn’t able to laugh — even about things that cause sorrow.

how could i forget about this? here’s my best bud kellie pickler trashing up the cmt awards on monday night. she should have called me, actually, because i never would have let her turn up looking like this! i mean, what’s up with the fake braid and the teased mess around back? yikes. she must have lost my phone number… i suppose the dress isn’t that hideous. at least it accentuates the positive, if you know what i mean.

i wonder if carrie underwood even said hello. i bet she hauled ass to her private dressing room the second she saw kellie coming down the red carpet.

[photos via dlisted]

much like locksley, indie act mando diao sound straight out of the ’60s with just a slight garage rock undercurrent. the band first broke through outside their native sweden with their last release, hurricane bar, and the moderate hit “god knows.”

their infectious new single, “long before rock ‘n’ roll,” is all jangly guitars, retro harmonies and an undeniable beatle-esque beat. factor in their boyish good looks and you’ve got a modern fab four. only there’s five of them. d’oh.

you can stream their solid new album ode to ochrasy, including the single, over at myspace. the full-length disc drops april 24 in the u.s.

i guess i jumped the gun yesterday when i proclaimed timbaland’s “give it to me” as the video of the week… because lord knows that shit doesn’t need any extra exposure!

i should have given that prestigious honor (ha!) to feist, a singer-songwriter who is virtually unknown outside her native canada and obsessive indie rock circles. i’d heard of leslie feist (when she performs solo she only uses her surname), but i hadn’t actually heard her music until recently. and then i finally saw the video for “1 2 3 4″ on popjustice. not only is the folk-pop song very charming, the video is equally irresistable (even if all the clothing in the clip looks like it was purchased at american apparel — beware of the hipster clones!). just press play already!!

her new album, the reminder, will be released throughout the rest of the world next week, with north america having to wait until may 1. naturally.

it’s no secret that i’m not a hilary duff fan, so i was a bit suprised when i was asked to review her latest effort, dignity, for dancemusic.about.com. i guess they wanted something vicious! ask and ye shall recieve…

After splitting with her boyfriend, Good Charlotte’s incorrigible Joel Madden, Hilary Duff could have proclaimed her independence with an emotional, energetic fuck-off record. Perhaps like Jagged Little Pill — with less swearing.

Of course, Duff has never been one to ruffle feathers, so it should come as no surprise that her new album arrived in the form of Dignity, an over-produced, under-developed collection of dance-pop drivel.

Generally, there’s no crime in pairing trite, mindless lyrics with club-friendly, synthetic beats. The main problem here is that Duff lacks the diva attitude and the vocal chops to pull it off.

Beyond her questionable skills, the mediocre source material doesn’t necessarily help. First single “With Love” is Duff’s pathetic attempt to assert herself, yet at the end of it she still demurs, “I can be weak cause I know you’ll be strong.” How’s that for empowering?

Elsewhere the disc is rife with shameless Britney rip-offs like the vaguely-tribal “Gypsy Woman,” and contrived retro fare like “Never Stop” and “Dreamer.” Dignity’s monotony isn’t doing the disc any favors either, as somehow each song manages to sound increasingly generic. It’s embarrassing, really. Even Paris Hilton was able to muster up something better on her uninspired debut.

In her defense, Duff must be doing something right. She has sold thirteen million albums in her relatively short career, presumably to Disney-crazed zombies, suburban tween-age girls and misguided gay pop tarts. In my opinion, however, there’s one word that best describes Duff’s latest effort (and this is terribly undignified): Shit.

timbaland, justin timberlake and nelly furtado have become somewhat of a powerhouse pop triumvirate, and their latest collaboration, “give it to me,” is pretty much as good as it gets. at the moment the single sits at no. 1 in the u.s., u.k. and pretty much everywhere else in the world, so how could i not feature it here?

the video clip isn’t the most inventive or well done, but the visuals here take a back seat to the beats, not to mention the three artists who are currently at the top of their game. the stars have definitely aligned for the trio. it’ll be interesting to see how long it lasts.

i think we all need to get our minds off the tragic events in virginia right now, so here’s a little something to to brighten up your day… if you’re a kylie fan (the rest of you will have to look elsewhere for distractions!).

another track allegedly recorded by the pint-sized pop diva has found its way to the internet. “when the cat’s away” (download it here via ultimate music zone) is another slinky slice of electro-pop that would have been right at home on kylie’s last full-length, body language. it’s nothing revolutionary, but i really like it.

of course, this early on we don’t know if this is going to be the first single from kylie’s as-yet-untitled next album — which is set for a fall release — but at the current rate of these songs leaking online (whether or not kylie takes credit for them), we’ll have a full album’s worth of material before the end of the summer! i say keep ‘em coming.

if kelly clarkson’s more your style, you can nab her rocking brand new single, “never again,” over at ultimate music zone along with several other just-leaked singles. enjoy!

no longer content with changing diapers and watching wife gwen stefani put a roof over his head, former bush frontman gavin rossdale has decided to record a solo record. if it were 1996, i would be soooo excited about this!!

i’m not sure what type of album he intends to produce, but i’d like to see him succeed. he does have talent, even though he might not have shown it recently. i think something rock with an electronic vibe would suit him well - like what muse did with “supermassive black hole” - that kind of thing.

other than that, i just wanted an excuse to post a pic of him with a come-hither look. back in the day gavin was my number one hottie! also, i can’t believe i hadn’t added him to the hot rockstar club before now! i’ve been slacking off, apparently. if you agree that he’s jizz-worthy, you might enjoy the other shirtless photos after the jump…

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