¡viva la graham!

i can’t remember any past season of american idol where there were two cuties in the top eight. current contestants blake lewis (front) and chris richardson seem to be fairly friendly when you see them together on the show, though maybe not as close as you see here in this obvious photoshop job. this has got to be every little fagling’s wet dream!

[photo via towleroad]

i haven’t watched much of vh1’s acceptable.tv, but i did come across this actually-quite-funny clip from the new show. it’s a short spoof of a reality show called “operation kitten calendar” in which photographers compete to take the best kitty pics.

the best parts include the asshole host degrading the contestants, telling them to kiss his ass, and the poor girl who gets last pick of the kitties and ends up with a homeless-looking orange monstrosity. december never looked so bleak!

i’ve raved about the klaxons before, and since i’ve written a review of their xan valleys ep for dancemusic.about.com, i thought i would share it here as well.

Currently one of the U.K.’s most buzzed-about bands, Klaxons are one of the most unique acts to emerge from the sceptred isle in recent months. The Xan Valleys EP paints a discordant portrait considering the hype that preceded them.

Lead single “Gravity’s Rainbow” opens the disc with a memorable, aggressive bass line and the frenetic rhythm that has earned Klaxons their “new-rave” label. Paired with lush, layered vocals and dramatic harmonies, the track takes you on a two-and-a-half minute thrill ride that ends too quickly, especially considering that the only other highlight of Xan Valleys is the Van She remix.

Virtually indistinguishable from the original, the “Gravity’s Rainbow” retread is driven by sexy synths and a grinding groove, a killer combination that ultimately creates a floor-filler for any serious dance party.

Klaxons get their name from a greek verb that refers to air-raid sirens or other shrieking warning sounds, a grating effect they rely on too heavily for the remainder of the EP’s high-energy dance-rock. In the band’s defense, these songs weren’t meant to be radio-friendly; they were likely composed in their early, experimental phase. Regardless, their inclusion doesn’t create an overwhelmingly positive first impression.

Despite mixed emotions, the disc earns three stars out of five for both fantastic interpretations of “Gravity’s Rainbow.” Don’t let the rest of the EP put you off the Klaxons’ full-length debut — currently only available in the U.S. as an import — because there’s definitely more where that first single came from.

here’s something scary for ya — alanis morissette’s “ironic” cover of the black eyed peas’ “my humps.” who knew alanis had a sense of humor? the big bummer for her is that i’m not sure anyone is laughing.

this is beyond bizarre, so of course it must be viewed repeatedly. the frightening image of alanis bent over and shaking her ass will haunt me in my sleep.

ok, so i know ashlee simpson is kind of a joke. but i still totally loved “boyfriend” though i might not admit it in public.

anyway, so the what-the-fuck news of the day is that ashlee is collaborating with the cure on her new album. i’m guessing it’ll be something in the vein of “friday i’m in love.” in ashlee’s dreams!

they say fall out boy’s pete wentz had something to do with the pairing, though he refuses to accept any blame. am i the only one who thinks that this is insane? is robert smith that hard up for cash?

let’s get this week started right! here’s the frightening fanning sisters with jamie lynn spears, who stole her sister’s hotness somewhere along the line. she’s giving ali lohan hope.

as for dakota, what the hell happened to her hair? she looks like she just rolled out of bed. even little elle had a proper blowout and a manicure!

[photo via dlisted]