More Records Being Broken

It seems like every other day a Billboard record is being broken...

This week Taylor Swift sets a new high for biggest opening sales week of a digital song by a female artist, with her new tune "Today was a Fairytale", which sold an impressive 325,000 last week.

That number is good enough to knock former record holder Britney Spears down to the #2 spot. In 2008 her single "Womanizer" debuted with 286,000 when it rocketed to the #1 position.

I know the digital age is still booming, and most "records" will be broken within a couple months of each other, but I think this all delegitimizes some of the feats that have been set in the past.

Things have changed in the music business; a #1 single in 2010 is not the same as a #1 single in the year 2000. Back in the beginning of the decade, albums sold MILLIONS of copies, now most are lucky to break 500,000.

Sad.

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Two of My Favorite Things Combined

The A&E show Intervention takes an in-depth look at what it's like to be an addict, from the alcoholics who drink a gallon of vodka a day to the coke heads who snort until their nose's fall off. The shows riveting to be completely honest, but scary and intense at the same time.

This week, former member of the R&B group City High will be on the episode. Robby Pardlo was riding high with the band in the early 2000's when the group scored a couple of hits "What Would You Do" and "Caramel", earning themselves a Grammy nomination and a gold record.

But things have changed, and Robby is now a full-blown alchy.

The show will feature his family trying to stage an intervention in hopes that he will get his life back on track.

I personally like City High very much; the hip-hop/R&B/pop combo they offered was something I highly enjoyed!!

Who knows, maybe they'll reunite and be bigger than ever!

Haha..oh me and my daydreams.

(Image courtesy of souldiscoveries.files.wordpress.com)

Scaring People is Super Fun

So most of my friends are aware that I enjoy scaring people occasionally, and it gives me great pleasure when someone gets REALLY scared.

That's why I love Ellen Degeneres even more after watching her scare celebrities on her show.

What's great about Ellen scaring the likes of Taylor Swift, David Spade, Kellie Pickler, Christina Applegate is the fact that these celebs become more human; they'll shit their pants just like everyone else if a fake tree on set comes alive and sneaks up behind them.

My two favorites scares are when Ellen hides in the bathroom and screams when Swift comes in, and when a PETRIFYING clown sneaks up to Kellie Pickler.

Check them out!

Ellen scares Taylor

Ellen scares Kellie

(Image courtesy of blogs.venturacountystar.com)

Talking to a Werewolf

Working for a large city magazine does have its perks! Last week I had the opportunity to interview actor Chaske Spencer, who plays the role of Sam Uley in the hugely successful Twilight Saga: New Moon.

He is in town to sign autographs at a Worcester Sharks game and I spoke with him briefly on the phone last week from his NYC hotel room.

Chaske was really nice and a good sport during the interview; Only a year ago he was a little known actor but now he has broken out in a BIG way.

Look for him in New Moon, as well as the upcoming Eclipse, which is set to be released this summer.

And be sure to check out the interview with Chaske in this week's issue of Worcester Magazine!

(Image courtesy of reelmovienews.com)

Cameron Beats Cameron

He's done it! James Cameron's EPIC fantasy flick Avatar has now become the highest grossing international film EVER.

This weekend the film pulled in another $36 million, enough to move past the $1.84 billion record that Titanic held since its release in 1997. Who directed that film? Oh right, JAMES CAMERON.

Domestically, Avatar is still behind Titanic, with a total gross of $552.8 million, compared to Titanic's $600.8 million.

Many people thought that Titanic's gross was unbreakable, but now it looks like Avatar will surpass that in the next couple of weeks!!

(Image courtesy of images.allmoviephoto.com)

SAG's Love Basterds

With awards show season in full swing, it's hard to keep track of who is winning what! But the SAG awards that were broadcasted on Saturday were another step along the way to Oscar glory.

Helping their odds of taking home a golden statue in February is Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, which took home the night's top prize of Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture, beating out the casts of An Education, The Hurt Locker, Nine, and Precious.

Also continuing their winning streaks were Sandra Bullock, Mo'Nique, Jeff Bridges, and Christoph Waltz, who all won acting prizes for their roles in The Blind Side, Precious, Crazy Heart, and Basterds.

These four all took home a Golden Globe Award, AND a Critics Choice Award just last week, which definitely makes them all the front-runners for the Academy Award.

(Image courtesy of cdn.showbizspy.com)

Vampires Have The #1 Album in the USA

No, it's no the soundtrack to New Moon. New York rock band Vampire Weekend earn their first chart topper with their sophomore album "Contra" which sold 124,000 last week, good enough for a #1 debut.

The bands debut record has sold almost 500,000 copies in the U.S., not bad for an album released off an independent label.

The #1 debut marks only 12th independently distributed album to claim the top spot on the Billboard 200. so well done boys!

Susan Boyle's monster hit album "I Dreamed a Dream" continues to hold down the #2 spot, and may even return to #1 after her interview on Oprah this week.

The charts are pretty quiet this week, with only one other debut in the top 20, and very little change in the top 10:

1. Vampire Weekend "Contra" (124,000)

2. Susan Boyle "I Dreamed a Dream" (77,000)

3. Ke$ha "Animal" (67,000)

4. Lady Gaga "The Fame" (64,000)

5. Alicia Keys "The Element of Freedom" (48,000)

6. Lady Gaga "The Fame Monster" (36,000)

7. Mary J. Blige "Stronger With Each Tear" (35,000)

8. Taylor Swift "Fearless" (33,000)

9. Soundtrack "Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel" (33,000)

10. Black Eyed Peas "The E.N.D." (32,000)

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Daybreakers Disappoints

I went to go see Daybreakers over the weekend expecting to see a crazy vampire movie that left the Twilight-cheese behind and went for total blood and guts glory.

Well, blood and guts were abundant, but story quality and good acting was sparse.

Ethan Hawke was a water-downed version of his former self, moping around as a self-loathing vamp who missed the days of being human. What else is new?

Even the usually creepy fantastic Willem Dafoe was a caricature of himself, reciting stupid lines like "we're the ones with the crossbows" and other silly nonsense.

I'd save your money and pass on Daybreakers. Or just go see Avatar again!

(Image courtesy of www.comicbookmovie.com)

Golden Globes Love Avatar, The Hangover

Last night's Golden Globe Awards were HIGHLY entertaining, due mostly by the fact that Ricky Gervais was hosting and was not afraid to take hits at even the biggest celebs in the building.

I almost keeled over laughing when he joked about Mel Gibson's drinking problem...as he was bringing him on stage as a presenter!!

Besides the superb hosting, the show offered some surprises, as well as some obvious choices as we countdown the days til the Oscars!!

Winning Best Motion Picture Drama went to Avatar, with James Cameron also winning for Best Director. I was somewhat surprised by the Best Picture win, but not really. This is an epic movie that will go down in history.

Winning best Motion Picture Comedy was The Hangover. YES! The monster hit deserved to win, as it was definitely the funniest frickin' movie to be released in 2009.

The acting trophies went to oscar front-runners Jeff Bridges, who won for Best Actor in a Drama for his role in Crazy Heart, Sandra Bullock who won Best Actress in a Drama for The Blind Side, and Mo'Nique, who continued her awards season sweep by winning Best Supporting Actress for her role in Precious.

On the television side, I was ecstatic to see that Glee won for Best television series musical or comedy! It was the only candidate that fit the criteria 100%, and it was the best new show on television this past year!!

Another surprise was Michael C. Hall winning for Best Actor in a Drama Series for Dexter (a personal favorite of mine), and John Lithgow winning Best Supporting Actor for his turn as Dexter's crazy-ass serial killer!!

All-in-all, a great awards show!

(Image courtesy of cdn.buzznet.com)

Jersey Shore: MTV's Greatest Idea Since Yo Mamma

The Jersey Shore is by far the trashiest, tasteless, craziest, most entertaining show on TV right now.

I don't care what people say, it's addictive. Whoever thinks that it's offensive to Italian-Americans obviously is taking this show way to seriously; The Jersey Shore is the Real World for MTV's new generation, just a little less classy, and that's saying a lot!

Unlike the Real World, which has maybe one or two big fights every season, the J-Shore has about 2-3 fights EVERY EPISODE. It's awesome! If you wanna see some huge, tan, meathead knock a guy out in one punch, watch this show immediately.

I won't even go into specifics about who the characters are, or even their ridiculous nicknames (snookie...) but I recommend that you tune in at least once to see the outrageous-ness that is the Jersey Shore!

(Image courtesy of www.2samachar.us)

Celebrity Chef Michael Giletto Coming to Judge the Woo

Worcester will be presenting the third annual Best Chef competition at the end of the month, and they have been able to get celebrity chef Michael Giletto as one of the judges for the event!

Giletto has appeared on Iron Chef America and has also been a contestant on one of my favorite shows, Chopped!

I was fortunate enough to interview him this week about his upcoming duties as a judge for the Worcester competition, and he's a really nice guy!

I can't disclose any deets at the moment, but don't forget to grab a copy of Worcester Mag the last week of January to check it all out!

(Image courtesy of www.harrahs.com)

Sucks to Lose a Bet When You're Famous

Kiefer Sutherland showed up to the David Letterman Show last night dressed in a heinous green dress, leaving the audience to wonder if this was a new plot twist in 24?

Of course it isn't! Sutherland actually lost a bet with a friend over the weekend, when he said the New England Patriots were going to win in the playoffs.

Unfortunately they didn't, and he had to wear this crazy-ass dress on national TV!!

Check out the interview, and the dress right here!

Ke$ha Bumps Boyle Off #1 Spot

I guess America is embracing Ke$ha's super-trashy but catchy pop jams, as her album Animal knocks Susan Boyle off the top of this week's Billboard 200 album chart.

Animal sold 152,000 copies this past week, more than expected according to Billboard. The new entry ends Boyle's 6-week reign at the top, as she sees her debut album I Dreamed a Dream move down to the #2 position with 93,000 copies sold.

Ke$ha also holds down the #1 single in the country, as "Tik Tock" clocks a 4th week in the pole position on the Billboard Hot 100.

I doubt that Ke$ha will have as long a stay at the top as Boyle, (I Dreamed a Dream has sold over 3 million copies in the last month alone) and next week she'll be facing stiff competition from the sophomore release by Vampire Weekend.

(Image courtesy of Billboard.com)

Channing Tatum All Hot and Bothered Down There

Here's the opening paragraph from the new interview with Channing Tatum in Details Magazine:

"Channing Tatum's penis is gross. It looks like a hot dog that's been left too long on the grill. The tip is hot-pink, singed, and shriveled. It appears angry. And it's painful to view. My penis hurts just from looking at it. Movie stars tend to be vain, by nature and profession, but Chan—that's what everyone calls him—does not mind one bit showing me his sad, withered wiener."

Umm EW. Apparently the actor burned his..uh...member while filming his latest movie The Eagle of the Ninth, when a crew member who was supposed to pour warm water in his wet suit after a frigid water scene instead poured SCALDING water on his crotch.

That blows.

Tatum says everything is back to normal, but I don't really see how someone who received third degree burns on their dong can ever be 'normal' again.

(Image courtesy of details.com)

Remember When J*Lo Was Famous?

It seems like so long ago when Jennifer Lopez was actually making hit songs and hit movies. Her last film efforts were horrendous (does anyone even remember El Cantante? Didn't think so...), and she's missed on more than one occasion with her attempts at a musical comeback.

Now she's attempting another career revival, with her new single "Louboutins" (Yes, the footwear.)

The song is not a complete failure, but it's not a complete smash. It seems that La Lopez just can't find a catchy hook anymore, and "Louboutins" is a perfect example of repetitive, somewhat annoying hooks that just don't go down well.

Take a listen for yourself.

Jennifer Lopez "Louboutins"

(Image courtesy of www.bbc.co.uk)

Avatar Becomes 2nd Highest Grossing Movie EVER

James Cameron's epic film Avatar has already become the second highest grossing movie of all time around the world.

The film was released only about 5 weeks ago, but has held onto the #1 position at the box office ever since. It's domestic gross has surpassed the $400 million mark, but its global revenue has reached an astounding $1.3 BILLION.

That's HUGE. It helps though that most screenings of the film are in 3-D, which result in higher ticket cost, but still this is remarkable.

The #1 movie of all time coincidentally is another Cameron film; his 1997 classic Titanic has sat comfortably at the top since its release, with an estimated $1.83 billion in worldwide gross.

This got me thinking about what other films made the top 10 all-time worldwide box office, so I looked around and found the list. Check it out:

1.	Titanic (1997)	$1,835,300,000
2.	Avatar (2009)	$1,337,046,514
3.	The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)	$1,129,219,252
4.	Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest(2006)	$1,060,332,628
5.	The Dark Knight (2008)	$1,001,921,825
6.	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone(2001)	$968,657,891
7.	Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End(2007)	$958,404,152
8.	Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix(2007)	$937,000,866
9.	Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince(2009)	$933,956,980
10.	Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)	$922,379,000

(List courtesy of imdb.com, image courtesy of chud.com)

Dixie Chicks Make New Music...Sort Of

Two members of the Dixie Chicks, sisters Martie Maguire and Emily Robison are preparing to release an album without lead singer Natalie Maines.

I hope this isn't an indication that the group is splitting up!!

The Dixie Chicks are the best-selling female group of all time (yes, more than Destiny's Child or TLC or the Supremes), selling over 30 million albums in the U.S. alone.

After Maines bashed former President George W. Bush in 2003, the Chicks saw a HUGE backlash, and fans started to boycott their albums and songs. The essentially were banned from country radio indefinitely.

In 2006 however, they released their album Taking the Long Way, a country tinged but definitely more rock/pop heavy album that addressed the controversy the band received over Maines' comments.

The album debuted at #1 and sold 3 million copies, solidifying the fact that the Chicks fans span the spectrum of musical taste. The album also went on the win Best Country Album AND Album of the Year at the 2007 Grammy Awards.

Who do you think had the last laugh?

Anyhooo, I think that country radio has changed since 2003, and that if they Dixie Chicks were to release another country record that they would be much more well received this time around.

(Image courtesy of www.abc.net.au)

Subtle Much?

Check out the new cover of Rolling Stone Magazine, with the not-so-subtle title!

The publication has been a favorite of mine since I was 13, and have been collecting issues for years. What I love about Rolling Stone is that they know they are a left magazine, and extreme left usually, and don't shy away from issues that they feel are immensely important for readers to be aware of.

I'm very excited to read this issue! In a 2009 post I had commented on the fact how I didn't like that Rolling Stone now had a sports segment of the magazine and was changing in ways I thought were not good for the mag.

But now I understand that times are changing, and to compete in a ever-shrinking genre you need to evolve to stay alive!

(Image courtesy of rollingstone.com)

More Chart Dominance For Gaga

Billboard Magazine reports that Lady Gaga has earned her FIFTH consecutive #1 pop single, as her song "Bad Romance" advances to the top position on the top 40 charts.

This is the first time in history that an artist has scored five number one songs in a row with their first five attempts.

Very impressive if I do say so myself!!

In other Gaga news, the eccentric pop star won two trophies at last night's People's Choice Awards, winning Favorite Breakout Artist and Favorite Pop Artist, beating out the likes of Britney Spears and Taylor Swift.

(Image courtesy of bhanks.encblogs.com)

Guilty Pleasure, Don't Judge

OK, so Oprah had this young girl on her show a while back, and I have been OBSESSED with listening to her youtube videos.

Her name is Charice Pempengco, and her voice is ridiculously amazing! I believe she's around 15-years-old, but she sound 30. Her voice is mature and powerful, and she has now become so popular she's been able to duet with the likes of Celine Dion and Andrea Bocelli.

This is one of my favorite videos of her, where she does her own version of Beyonce's "Listen."

Check it out!!

Charice Pempengco "Listen"

(Image courtesy of www.pep.ph)

Worcester Event: Cabin Fever at KJ Baaron's!

In some non-pop culture related news, the Cabin Fever team will be coming to Worcester Monday, January 11th at KJ Baaron's for a taste-testing.

For those of you who don't know, Cabin Fever is maple flavored whiskey that one of my family members created a couple years back!

Well, now it's starting to catch on outside of NH and into other states, so they are bringing the fun to Massachusetts!!

The event starts at 6pm at the bar where there will be taste testing of different mixed drinks involving the whiskey, or if you prefer simply some Cabin Fever on the rocks!!

I've had it before and it's delicious! Very smooth, with not bad after taste!!

I hope to see some people there!!!

(Image courtesy of www.themillfudgefactory.com)

Can Perry Beat the Sophomore Slump?

MTV wrote a story about new music for 2010 from some of the biggest names in the biz, including sassy pop-tart Katy Perry, who is set to release her sophomore album within the year.

Perry has been on a wild ride since 2008, scoring multiple hits including her first #1 single "I Kissed a Girl", along with other smashes "Hot N Cold" and "Waking Up in Vegas."

She sold over a million albums of her first CD and has developed a faithful legion of fans, now it all depends on if she can deliver a second time around.

The infamous "sophomore slump" has hit acts such as Leona Lewis (her new CD Echo has sold less than a quarter of what her debut did) and Jordin Sparks (although she hit the top 10 with her single "Battlefield", her album of the same name quickly fell off the charts), so Perry's got to deliver the goods or she might end up being remembered as that "girl who sang that song about kissing other girls."

Perry has already worked with Weezer front man River Cuomo and Rihanna collaborator Tricky Stewart on songs for her upcoming CD.

Hopefully they'll be some hits on that record!!

(Image courtesy of www.todayfm.com)

Still Desperate For Housewives?

I stopped watching the show 4 years ago, but apparently I was the only one.

Entertainment Weekly is reporting that Sunday's episode of Desperate Housewives pulled in 500,000 more than its last new ep on December 6, with 15.1 million people tuning in.

Wow. That many people still watch the show? I guess my mind has been muddled by the hundreds of trashy reality shows that seem to overshadow scripted television...

Anyways, perhaps I'll venture back to Wisteria Lane and see what the gals are up to.

(Image courtesy of topnews.in)

New Year, New Poll!

Welcome to 2010 my friends!!!

To kick off the new year, More Than Musiq is introducing a new poll!

This time, we're asking, out of all the huge hits of the year, "What was your favorite movie of 2009?" Here are the choices:

Avatar

The Hangover

Harry Potter 6: The Half-Blood Prince

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

New Moon

(Other)

These were all huge blockbusters this year, so I'm sure you've seen a couple of them!! So VOTE!!

(Image courtesy of www.iwatchstuff.com/)