Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Fritz Helder & The Phantoms: Lagerfeld Lady

We just got sent this Blair Witch-like shout-out from a musical outfit from Toronto called Fritz Helder & the Phantoms, along with a video for their "Lagerfeld Lady," which is posted here. Their debut album is called Greatest Hits: Platinum Edition, so you get some idea. The band, made up of the eponymous Helder, Pastel Supemova, Diego Superstar, and Silk Helder, count Nelly Furtado and Karl Lagerfeld among their fans. 

 

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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Michael Jackson's Patented Move

Michael Jackson was not actually a magician, but we can add inventor to his list of renaissance ways. That extreme ankle-busting, gravity-defying lean he and his dancers performed during "Smooth Criminal" was the result of an invention that he patented in October, 1993. He called it "Method and means for creating anti-gravity illusion."

Co-invented with Michael L Bush and Dennis Tompkins, it was described as "A system for allowing a shoe wearer to lean forwardly beyond his center of gravity by virtue of wearing a specially designed pair of shoes which will engage with a hitch member movably projectable through a stage surface. The shoes have a specially designed heel slot which can be detachably engaged with the hitch member by simply sliding the shoe wearer's foot forward, thereby engaging with the hitch member."

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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

GaGa at Glastonbury

The art object that is Lady GaGa made her debut at the Glastonbury Festival in England over the weekend. Performing with a live band, the Lady wore three costumes, one of which was this spectacular cubist-Bauhaus-disco number. (Photo via Daily Mail)



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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Shaq Auto-Tunes in His Auto

Shaquille O'Neal, tooling along in his SUV, gives his all to lipsynching Akon's "Over the Edge." Allegedly, the video relates to his trade from Phoenix to Cleveland.



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Posted by: Brian Heinberg contact

bad & thriller, he's still the man in the mirror

"He's My Brother," from La Toya Jackson's 1989 release Bad Girl 



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Posted by: James St. James contact

'I'm fat and nobody likes me'

I'm totally having one of these days today. (via boingboing)



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Posted by: Fenton Bailey contact

SWISHtory

I know some people here don't like the recent exuberant Brüno stunts, and there's been some grumbling that Brüno's red carpet covered Michael Jackson's star on the Walk of Fame last night. But the glitter tank Brüno rolled up on evoked another glorious over-the-top spectacle: Jackson's statue floating up the Thames for the launch of HIStory. So it was a kind of an homage. SWISHtory, if you will. (More great PR stunts)  

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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Michael Jackson, Smooth Criminal, Munich, 1997

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Posted by: James St. James contact

Never Can Say Goodbye

Well I'm just flattened by this. I don't what to do. I don't know what to say. I just went down to the Hollywood Walk of Fame to commiserate with the MJ fans, but his star was blocked off and covered with a red carpet for the big Bruno premiere tonight. Our editor thinks it's typical that Bruno would be steamrolling over even Michael Jackson. I just think it's rather sad. So now I'm back at my desk watching old Jackson 5 videos and feeling empty. Here is Michael the way he SHOULD be remembered – mixing it up with his brothers on the Flip Wilson Show – awesome clothes, awesome song, awesome dance moves. Of course we'll be seeing a lot of tribute videos in the next couple of days, but I just wanted to post this one now.



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Posted by: Thairin contact

Excuse Me While I Kiss the Skyline

There is a hot new boy band in Hollywood. Assemble the Skyline caught my eyes Saturday night walking down the street. So we checked out their live performance last night at Monday Rocks Les Deux. I was also surprised to see a nice lil rock scene brewing there. Worth checking it out.



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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Whatever Happened to...

...late-'70s punk-rocking lesbian, Phranc, who later became better-known as a folksinger? Or rather, as the more encompassing "all-American Jewish lesbian folksinger Phranc." She had a most impressive flattop. We used to see her perform at a number of clubs in New York back in the early '80s and, frankly, we haven't thought of her since. But the other day she just popped into our head without any sort of visual or aural prompt, and we wondered what happened to her. So, while she was still on our mind, we went to YouTube for a spot of nostalgia, and there she was, with her parrot Pickles, hosting her own YouTube show, called Phranc Talk. Here's her second episode, from September '08. 



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Posted by: AGuyNamedWayne contact

J.O.M.B.

Yes! RuPaul's redhot RuMixes for the smash single Jealous Of My Boogie are now available on iTunes!



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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Mockery or Homage?

Like a mini Improv Everywhere, a festive troupe dressed in unbelivably shiny Hammer pants flashmob folks lined up on Santa Monica Boulevard waiting to get into a club, the name of which (The Troubadour) has been inexplicably pixelated. If you've got the pants, anytime is Hammer time. (t/y Ed)



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Posted by: Lindsey Hager contact

Tune for the Day

The fabulous Lissie singing Bob Dylan's "Ramona."



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Posted by: AGuyNamedWayne contact

A to Z

One of my favorite events that I work every year is the Songwriters Hall Of Fame gala. A very cool fringe benefit of working this party is that while we are setting out the floral arrangements and event décor, the musicians who are slated to perform later in the evening are doing their sound check rehearsals. Over the years I have had the pleasure of hearing some extremely good rehearsal sets from many a talented artist. Today was extra special. Mr A to Z himself, Jason Mraz, was performing! He walked right by me on the way to the stage! He is smaller in stature than I thought he would be but as cute as a button and he sang “I’m Yours” to perfection. They are not too fond of cameras during rehearsals but I managed to sneak a quick picture with my phone. Sorry for the poor quality, it’s the best I could do under such covert circumstances. I’ve tried to make up for it by posting the super sexy picture of Jason wearing nothing but a guitar. When Jason left the stage I said, “Great song,” and he smiled at me as sweetly as an angel and said, “Thanks.” I’m pretty sure my knees buckled :)



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Posted by: Stephen Saban contact

Your Morning Danish

Danish hip-hop band UFO Yepha teamed with Thomas Juul Mikkelsen on this video for the speed-rapping "Ung, dum og trendy."



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