¡viva la graham!

when i was a teenager, i loved stone temple pilots. their massively popular second album was packed full of top tunes like “vasoline,” “big empty” and “interstate love song,” and for a while there they could do no wrong. then came “big bang baby” and its annoyingly amateurish music video, and they completely lost me.

back then, frontman scott weiland was still coming into his own. he was hot, but he didn’t really flaunt it. then at some point weiland got a little out of control with drugs, and while i sometimes like that heroin-chic look, he didn’t always wear it well.

the hot rockstar has since cleaned up his act, which is good, but his current band, velvet revolver, haven’t really struck a chord with me. i’m not opposed to hard rock if it’s got a blatant hook, but they’ve mostly focused on loud guitars and scott’s screaming. until now.

their new single, “the last fight,” marks a departure for the band. it includes a memorable, anthemic chorus and actually has the potential to crossover to pop radio (like much of stone temple pilots’ best tracks). i can’t help but wonder if their label made them record it!

anyway, watch the video and, after the jump, peruse a handful of photos featuring a scantily-clad scott weiland. i readily admit that this post was mostly an excuse to share those.

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until today i had never heard of pop-punk band all time low. they sound like every other generic teen rock act out right now — think blink-182 meets fall out boy — but they’ve decided upon a different marketing technique to help set themselves apart. did i mention they have a new album out today??

the shot above tells me that these hotties love a good weiner. who doesn’t? after swallowing those beef franks, they decided eating bananas in their skivvies was the next logical step. the one in front has the best technique: no teeth!

i might not love their music, but they’ve definitely gotten my attention. does anyone else notice that stripping off has become the norm for indistinguishable or otherwise-pointless young pop acts (this being my prime example)? hey, i’m not complaining!

here’s a few more shots if you’re into this kind of thing: 

it’s finally time for the major networks to unveil their new shows, and thanks to my on-demand cable service i had a chance to preview one of the most anticipated programs this season, nbc’s bionic woman.

my verdict? this show kicks ass.

if you’ve seen the lindsay wagner original, don’t expect anything like it. this is a high-tech sci-fi thrill ride with a much darker tone. michelle ryan stars as jaime sommers, a world-weary bartender who also looks after her rebellious younger sister (their parents are out of the picture). when she discovers she is pregnant with her scientist/professor boyfriend’s baby, he pops the question. then — and if you’ve seen the commercials you know what’s next — there’s a horrible accident (or is it?) and the scientist is forced to make a split second decision to save the woman he loves. and that’s just the first ten minutes.

ryan is fantastic and friend/foe sarah corvis (played by katee sackhoff) is even better. i was annoyed by the teenage sister, but thankfully she doesn’t get much screen time. all in all, it’s dramatic, clever, and action packed, and i can’t wait to see what happens next. see for yourself on wednesday night.

rilo kiley’s jenny lewis and blake sennett play up their romantic relationship in their latest video, “silver lining.” much like gwen stefani and no doubt bassist tony kanal, these two are smart to mine their rocky past for future success.

the clip shows the pair getting hitched, only lewis changes her mind at the last moment and leaves sennett alone at the altar. it’s shocking considering i never suspected her to be so cold (even if it didn’t really go down like this).

the band have served up a one-two punch with “the moneymaker” and now this standout from under the blacklight. let’s hope they keep it comin’.

this priceless photo accompanied a brilliant comedy piece from the onion with this headline: 14 american apparel models freed in daring midnight raid

i am not a fan of their advertisements. in fact i think they’re almost always borderline smutty and poorly conceived. and those hipster models! the fictitious fbi agent in the article sums it up best when he says, “i’ll never forget those hollow, emotionless eyes.” i wonder if the pretentious young things that work at american apparel will have a sense of humor about this.

about nine months ago, leona lewis became famous by winning a singing competition in britain. at the time she didn’t impress me (don’t know why), and as is often the case, i am now eating those words.

her brand new single, “bleeding love,” is a soaring ballad that showcases her powerful vocals. legendary producer clive davis has joined simon cowell to help launch leona’s career, so i shouldn’t be surprised that the single sounds like a massive hit. soon high school girls and sentimental queens everywhere will be blasting it in their cars or on their ipods. she’ll conquer europe first then probably embark on a north american invasion early next year.

you can stream the track in the imeem media player in the sidebar, or listen over at youtube. some have said the song sounds like vintage mariah carey, which i would consider to be a major compliment. mimi didn’t match “vision of love” or “someday” until “we belong together”… am i right or am i right?

beth ditto’s band the gossip must have had some mainstream success down under, because a contestant on australian idol recently sang their indie hit “standing in the way of control.” the singer, contestant holly weinert, must be their token rock chick this season, which makes me wonder what my girl gina glocksen is up to…

but i digress. the band posted this clip in a myspace bulletin with the subject line “total embarrasment!” but i think young holly did an alright job. ditto and co. shouldn’t be bummed to hear their song performed on the cheesy reality show; it’s just a sign that their music is connecting with a larger audience. isn’t that a good thing?

who is this heavenly creature, you ask? at first i thought it might be peaches donning one of her fake beards, but no, it is actually devendra banhart, a los angeles-based folk musician who has collaborated with yoko ono, gael garcia bernal and the strokes’ nick valensi. yeah, apparently those in the know are impressed by his simple strumming. i don’t really get it, but perhaps i should give it a go if it will attract the likes of bernal and valensi!!

i wonder if those two pretty boys had anything to do with this photo shoot. who knew folk musicians liked to dress up like middle-eastern tranny hookers? and check out those fruity hotpants!

devendra’s new album, smokey rolls down thunder canyon, is out next week.

i’ve already posted the video for mark ronson’s version of “oh my god,” and here’s the clip for his cover of the zutons’ “valerie.” both tracks are fantastic, but this is the second time the vocalist hasn’t bothered to show up for the video shoot.

i realize that lily allen and amy winehouse, who lends her voice to “valerie,” do have a lot on their plate (not to mention their respective penchants for drink and drug), but wouldn’t this video have been so much better if amy had done her part instead of some pretty look-a-likes? i suppose mark is learning a hard lesson right now — when you employ such wild dames, though admittedly very talented, they might not be well enough to scratch your back when you need it.

this is the new kate nash video, “mouthwash.” it isn’t as fantastic as “foundations,” but you can’t discount a girl for trying.

hmmm, kate is a bit like rilo kiley’s jenny lewis, though, don’t you think? red hair, sunny disposition, etc… only, like the song says, she drinks cups of tea.