The Killers & Pink's New Video's

Two of my favourite artists are back this week with their new music videos from their recent LP's.

First is The Killers with 'Spaceman', one of the best Killers songs ever! The video has split fans, ultra camp? MGMT feel? Futuristic? Whatever anyone says, I think the video is great- it is defiantly original and sorta sums up The Killers... what do you think?



Next, Pink with 'Please Don't Leave Me'. The third single of the brilliant 'Funhouse', comes another song about breakup after the sobering 'Sober'. This video is a brilliant mixture of past horror (think The Shining meets Misery!).
From Digital Spy-
"If you like your humour black and your slapstick wince-inducing, you'll love Pink's 'Please Don't Leave Me' video, which is clearly inspired by 1990 horror flick Misery. Pink plays a psycho girlfriend who'll do just about anything to keep her boyfriend with her, kneecapping him with a golf club, setting the dog on him and even chasing him round the house with an axe. It's funny, a little bit shocking and, like the very best pop videos, adds something to the song you didn't realise was there. Press play below to see your for yourself - as long as you aren't feeling squeamish."

Artists to Look Out For- Jonathan Clay

The next artist on the agenda is Jonathan Clay. I found him about two years ago on MySpace and since then, he has continued to go from strength to strength.

1. Would you please introduce yourselves.
My name is Jonathan Clay. I'm 23 years old and I'm out of Austin, TX.

2. How did you get into music?
When I was 15 I picked up the guitar and I got the bug. Once I started playing it became the only thing I wanted to do. I would bring it to school everyday, and I remember cutting class to hang out in the practice rooms and play. It was the first thing is was ever truly driven to do.

3. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you?
It's a little bit of everything. The songwriting is at the forefront of my project and it's driven by strong pop and blues influences.

4. What work at you doing at the moment?
Working on writing for a new album.

I recently released an album for free download. You can get a copy from my MySpace Page
Thanks alot for thinking to feature me!

'This One's for Me'- Official Video directed by Josh Franer


Official Site
To buy 'Back to Good', Jonathan's recent LP click the iTunes link,

Leona Lewis- I Will Be

Have fans got over 'Run'? Surely that cover divided fans of Leona and Snow Patrol alike but here the growing Princess of Pop returns with her new single (in US only), 'I Will Be'. Billboard magazine stated that "I Will Be" was "paved in gold" and that it was "propelled by a killer vocal that Mariah Carey would adore, gargantuan production that scoops up a heap of cumulus clouds and a chorus and bridge that boast indelible pop songwriting." The video starring Leona and Gossip Girl star Chace Crawford shows the two on the run with lots of money, think a sort of Bonnie & Clyde scenario... how does the video end? Watch and see...

Benjamin Button leads Oscar field

The Curious Case Of Benjamin Button stars Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button has emerged as the frontrunner for this year's Oscars with 13 nominations.

Slumdog Millionaire, from Britain's Danny Boyle, was close behind with 10 nominations, including best film.

The Dark Knight and Milk received eight nominations, with the late Heath Ledger receiving a best supporting actor nod.

Meryl Streep scored a 15th Oscar nomination for her role in the film Doubt, alongside Kate Winslet for best actress in Stephen Daldry's The Reader.

Benjamin Button and Slumdog Millionaire were joined by Milk, The Reader and Frost/Nixon as contenders for the coveted best picture prize.

Oscar nominations announced

"For Slumdog Millionaire to be included in the nominations for the Oscars is a huge honour," said lead actor Dev Patel.

"I have been overwhelmed by the positive reaction to the film. Thank you to everyone who has supported us. I truly feel blessed."

Winslet, receiving her sixth Oscar nomination, was the only British actor to be honoured with an Oscar nomination this year.

Aside from Streep, her rivals include Anne Hathaway for Rachel Getting Married, Melissa Leo for Frozen River and Angelina Jolie for The Changeling.

Jolie's real-life partner Brad Pitt was also celebrating. The 45-year-old led the best actor nominations for his role as Benjamin Button - a man who ages in reverse.

"I am proud and pleased for the film," Pitt told the BBC. "And particularly for David Fincher." Fincher, best known for Seven and Fight Club, picked up his first best director Oscar nomination.

BEST FILM NOMINEES The Curious Case of Benjamin Button Frost/Nixon Milk The Reader Slumdog Millionaire Send us your comments

Pitt goes head to head with Frank Langella, for his role as disgraced US president Richard Nixon in Frost/Nixon, Sean Penn, as gay rights activist Harvey Milk in Milk, Richard Jenkins for The Visitor and recent Golden Globe winner Mickey Rourke for The Wrestler.

"I'm very grateful and appreciative of this incredible honour. I'm truly thrilled to be included," said 56-year-old Rourke, whose return to form has startled critics after years in the doldrums.

Slumdog Millionaire's Danny Boyle received his first nomination for best director, alongside Britain's Stephen Daldry for The Reader and Benjamin Button's Fincher.

Milk's Gus Van Sant and Frost/Nixon's Ron Howard completed the best director nominees.

"We are delighted that the Academy has so generously recognised our film," said Eric Fellner, of Working Title Films, the production company behind Frost/Nixon.

"All of these nominations... show that our industry is performing at the top of its game on the international stage," added John Woodward, Chief Executive Officer of the UK Film Council.

There were few surprises in the nominations, announced by former Oscar winner Forest Whitaker, in Hollywood at 0530 local time.

MOST NOMINATED FILMS The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttton - 13 Slumdog Millionaire (pictured) - 10 The Dark Knight - 8 Milk - 8 Wall-E - 6 Doubt - 5 Frost/Nixon - 5 The Reader - 5 Changeling - 3 Revolutionary Road - 3

However, it was widely anticipated that Winslet would feature in both the best supporting and best actress categories, following her double win at the Golden Globes.

Her omission in the best supporting category created space for The Wrestler's Marisa Tomei and Benajmin Button's Taraji P Henson, best known for her role in Hustle and Flow.

They were joined by Doubt stars Amy Adams and Viola Davis, and previous best actress nominee Penelope Cruz, for Vicky Cristina Barcelona.

Actor Michael Shannon made an unexpected appearance among the best supporting actor nominees - the only actor to be nominated from the cast of Revolutionary Road, despite award hopes for both Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet.

Milk's Josh Brolin, Doubt's Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robert Downey Jr for Tropic Thunder and Heath Ledger completed the category. Ledger, who received the nomination on the anniversary of his death, remains the favourite to win.

The critically acclaimed Batman sequel, the second-highest grossing film in US box office history, did well in the technical categories, but British film-maker Christopher Nolan missed out in both the director and screenplay categories.

Tomei previously won an Oscar for her role in My Cousin Vinny in 1993

Nonetheless, British screenwriters were well represented with Mike Leigh (Happy-Go-Lucky), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), Sir David Hare (The Reader) and Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire) all nominated.

"I am fantastically happy and honoured," said Beaufoy. "Not just for myself but for Vikas Swarup's wonderful novel without which I would have never started my journey to the world's Maximum City, Mumbai."

The film also picked up two nominations for original song, alongside Peter Gabriel and Thomas Newman for Down To Earth from Wall-E.

Six-time nominee Wall-E, shortlisted alongside Bolt and Kung Fu Panda, is widely tipped to win the best animated feature film Oscar.

Only two previous films - Titanic (1997) and All About Eve (1950) - have received more than 13 nominations. Both films were shortlisted in 14 categories.

The awards, to be hosted by actor Hugh Jackman, will be announced on 22 February at the Kodak Theatre in Los Angeles.

Source: BBC News

Brit Award 2009 Nominations Announced!

Coldplay and Duffy have bagged four nominations apiece for this year's Brit Awards.

Both acts were shortlisted for the British Single and British Album prizes, with Coldplay also receiving nominations for British Group and British Live Act.

Duffy, meanwhile, picked up further nominations in the British Female and British Breakthrough Act categories.

Adele, Scouting For Girls and Elbow have each been nominated for three awards, while Ting Tings and Estelle have been shortlisted for two.

Girls Aloud also received a pair of nominations - for British Group and British Single - with Leona Lewis, Alexandra Burke and the X Factor finalists among the competition in the British Single category.

In the international categories, five acts picked up a pair of nominations: Kings of Leon, The Killers, AC/DC, MGMT and Fleet Foxes.

Jay-Z and Kanye West will square off for the International Male gong, while Pink, Beyoncé and Katy Perry will compete for the International Female trophy.

Pet Shop Boys will take home the Outstanding Contribution to Music prize at this year's Brit Awards, to be held at London's Earls Court on February 18.

Source: Digital Spy

Artists to Look Out For- Mark Rose

The second in the artists to look out for this year, especially my of my favourites from MySpace, Mark Rose.

1. Would you please introduce yourselves.

I'm Mark Rose- a singer/songwriter from Chicago. I was front man for the rock band Spitalfield from 1998-2007 and now am taking the next step in my career as a solo artist.

2. How did you get into music?

I've always been around music, it has pretty much been my main focus since I can remember. Starting with piano lessons when I was five years old, starting bands with my friends in middle school, playing in the symphonic and jazz bands in high school-- it was all I did. In early 2003, my band (Spitalfield) signed a recording contract with Victory Records. I spent the next five years writing, recording & touring-- making it to nine countries over three continents. It was an amazing experience.

3. How would you describe your music to someone who has never heard you?

The easiest way to describe what I am currently doing would be pop/blues. People compare me, stylistically, to John Mayer or Jason Mraz. I am all about finding grooves and really feeling the music.

4. What work at you doing at the moment?

Writing a lot of new material as well as putting together my Spring tour which will route me down to SXSW in Austin, TX. I plan to be in the studio working on some new demos soon as well.

You can find me at: http://www.MarkRoseMusic.com - which has links to my music and blog, if you're interested.

Someone Live at the House Cafe in Dekalb

Also hit his MySpace for more information.

Artists to look out for- Rick Seibold

Thanks to modern technologies such as MySpace, musicians have been given a new output to show off their talents- most without even having to be signed!

My next planned series on My Two Pennies involves bringing to you highly recommended artists from these sites. These interviews are exclusive and are what the artist wants you to read about them, from where they came from to how they got into music.

First is Rick Seibold, with 7835 friends already on MySpace, he looks set to be riding 2009 to it's full extent.

"Rick Seibold presents songs about love, learning and coming of age with a knack for smart and often catchy melodies... it's sure to make any young female listener swoon." (Alyssa Rashbaum, MTV, SPIN, VIBE)

"Hey I'm Rick, I grew up in Wilmington, NC. Moved to New York City a few years ago and started playing around town in the local clubs. A little over a year ago I decided to make the move to Nashville to start recording a new record which I'm finishing up right now. It will be out this spring, probably in April."

"I started playing guitar when I was 15, and began writing songs as soon as I knew my first few chords. Where I grew up, there was a pretty vibrant film scene. When I was about 10 I played one of Anthony Hopkins's kids in a movie where I had to sing 'Silent Night', so I guess that's when I officially got my start!"

"Growing up at the beach in NC proved to be one of the early major influences on my music. I love the ocean, and have tried to write about my experiences growing up there as much as I can. Moving to New York City, and now to Nashville, has also had a major impact on my writing. Someone once told me if Jason Mraz and Chris Brown had a kid, it might look like Gary Coleman. But if they made an album, it would probably sound a lot like me."

"Look for the new record on iTunes in April."

"Mary" * Rick Seibold & The Rock-afire Explosion!


Rick's first EP, 'That's The Day' is on sale on the iTunes Store and has achieved getting into the Top Three on the Pop Chart!

To buy the album click the iTunes logo.

Official Site

Albums of the Week

After the Christmas rush to lap up the sale prices, I found myself with rather an abundance of new CD's and below are the one's I've been listening to recently.

1. Jason Mraz-

We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.

5/5



2. Will Young-

Let It Go

4/5



3. David Archuleta-

David Archuleta

4/5



4. Dido-

Safe Trip Home

5/5



5. Fall Out Boy-

Folie à Deux

5/5



6. The Killers-

Day & Age

4/5

Look out for more information in future posts.

Avril Lavigne in Prestige Magazine (December 2008)

These doll like images of Avril are a nice change in style, what do you think?

Videos from The Golden Globes 2009

Two very important videos from The Golden Globes 2009:

Kate Winslet winning her second of the evening. Best Actress for Revolutionary Road.



Golden Globe Winner for Best Supporting Actor- Heath Ledger

Pictures from Red Carpet at The Golden Globes 2009

Golden Globes 2009: The winners

Here is the full list of winners at the 2009 Golden Globe Awards, held in Los Angeles on 11 January.

FILM CATEGORIES

Best film (drama)
Slumdog Millionaire
Also nominated: The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Frost/Nixon, The Reader, Revolutionary Road

Best film (musical or comedy)
Vicky Cristina Barcelona
Also nominated: Burn After Reading, Happy-Go-Lucky, In Bruges, Mamma Mia

Best director
Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: Stephen Daldry (The Reader), David Fincher (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Ron Howard (Frost/Nixon), Sam Mendes (Revolutionary Road)

Best actor (drama)
Mickey Rourke (The Wrestler)
Also nominated: Leonardo DiCaprio (Revolutionary Road), Frank Langella (Frost/Nixon), Sean Penn (Milk), Brad Pitt (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button)

Best actress (drama)
Kate Winslet (Revolutionary Road)
Also nominated: Anne Hathaway (Rachel Getting Married), Angelina Jolie (Changeling), Kristin Scott Thomas (I've Loved You So Long), Meryl Streep (Doubt)

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Colin Farrell (In Bruges)
Also nominated: Javier Bardem (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), James Franco (Pineapple Express), Brendan Gleeson (In Bruges), Dustin Hoffman (Last Chance Harvey)

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Sally Hawkins (Happy-Go-Lucky)
Also nominated: Rebecca Hall (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Frances McDormand (Burn After Reading), Meryl Streep (Mamma Mia), Emma Thompson (Last Chance Harvey)

Best supporting actor
Heath Ledger (The Dark Knight)
Also nominated: Tom Cruise (Tropic Thunder), Robert Downey Jr (Tropic Thunder), Ralph Fiennes (The Duchess), Philip Seymour Hoffman (Doubt)

Best supporting actress
Kate Winslet (The Reader)
Also nominated: Amy Adams (Doubt), Penelope Cruz (Vicky Cristina Barcelona), Viola Davis (Doubt), Marisa Tomei (The Wrestler)

Best foreign language film
Waltz with Bashir
Also nominated: The Baader Meinhof Complex, Gomorrah, I've Loved You So Long

Best animated feature film
Wall-E
Also nominated: Bolt, Kung Fu Panda

Best screenplay
Simon Beaufoy (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: David Hare (The Reader), Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), Eric Roth (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), John Patrick Shanley (Doubt)

Best original song
The Wrestler (The Wrestler)
Also nominated: Down to Earth (Wall-E), Gran Torino (Gran Torino), I Thought I Lost You (Bolt), Once In A Lifetime (Cadillac Records)

Best original score
AR Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire)
Also nominated: Alexandre Desplat (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Clint Eastwood (Changeling), James Newton Howard (Defiance), Hans Zimmer (Frost/Nixon)

TELEVISION CATEGORIES

Best series (drama)
Mad Men
Also nominated: Dexter, House, In Treatment, True Blood

Best series (musical or comedy)
30 Rock
Also nominated: Californication, Entourage, The Office, Weeds

Best mini-series or film made for TV
John Adams
Also nominated: Cranford, Bernard & Doris, A Raisin in the Sun, Recount

Best actor (drama)
Gabriel Byrne (In Treatment)
Also nominated: Michael C Hall (Dexter), Jon Hamm (Mad Men), Hugh Laurie (House), Jonathan Rhys Meyers (The Tudors)

Best actor (musical or comedy)
Alec Baldwin (30 Rock)
Also nominated: Steve Carell (The Office), Kevin Connolly (Entourage), David Duchovny (Californication), Tony Shalhoub (Monk)

Best actor (mini-series or film made for TV)
Paul Giamatti (John Adams)
Also nominated: Ralph Fiennes (Bernard and Doris), Kevin Spacey (Recount), Kiefer Sutherland (24: Redemption), Tom Wilkinson (Recount)

Best supporting actor (mini-series or film made for TV)
Tom Wilkinson (John Adams)
Also nominated: Neil Patrick Harris (How I Met your Mother), Denis Leary (Recount), Jeremy Piven (Entourage), Blair Underwood (In Treatment)

Best actress (drama)
Anna Paquin (True Blood)
Also nominated: Sally Field (Brothers & Sisters), Mariska Hargitay (Law & Order: SVU), January Jones (Mad Men), Kyra Sedgwick (The Closer)

Best actress (musical or comedy)
Tina Fey (30 Rock)
Also nominated: Christina Applegate (Samantha Who?), America Ferrera (Ugly Betty), Debra Messing (The Starter Wife), Mary-Louise Parker (Weeds)

Best actress (mini-series or film made for TV)
Laura Linney (John Adams)
Also nominated: Judi Dench (Cranford), Catherine Keener (An American Crime), Shirley MacLaine (Coco Chanel), Susan Sarandon (Bernard and Doris)

Best supporting actress (mini-series or film made for TV)
Laura Dern (Recount)
Also nominated: Eileen Atkins (Cranford), Melissa George (In Treatment), Rachel Griffiths (Brothers & Sisters), Dianne Wiest (In Treatment)

What do you think? Would you rather Button beat Slumdog? Has Darren Aronofsky done enough to revitalize Rourke's career? And what about Kate Winslet... what do you think of her recent two performances in The Reader and Revolutionary Road?

Skins Series 3 Uncut Trailer

Looking forward to seeing the new group of hedonistic teens in E4 drama, Skins? Well we have the new uncut trailer for you to view, what do you think of the new characters?



Watch out, 10pm, Jan 22nd, E4.

New Doctor actor is youngest ever

Matt Smith has been named as the actor who will take over from David Tennant in Doctor Who - making him the youngest actor to take on the role.

At 26, Smith is three years younger than Peter Davison when he signed up to play the fifth Doctor in 1981.

Smith will first appear on TV screens as the 11th Doctor in 2010.

He was cast over Christmas and will begin filming for the fifth series of Doctor Who in the summer. Tennant is filming four specials in 2009.

Smith was named as Tennant's replacement in Saturday's edition of Doctor Who Confidential on BBC One.

He said: "I feel proud and honoured to have been given this opportunity to join a team of people that has worked so tirelessly to make the show so thrilling.

"David Tennant has made the role his own, brilliantly, with grace, talent and persistent dedication. I hope to learn from the standards set by him.

"The challenge for me is to do justice to the show's illustrious past, my predecessors, and most importantly, to those who watch it. I really cannot wait."

Piers Wenger, head of drama at BBC Wales, said that as soon as he had seen Smith's audition he "knew he was the one".

The 11 Doctors 1. William Hartnell (1963-1966) 2. Patrick Troughton (1966-1969) 3. Jon Pertwee (1970-1974) 4. Tom Baker (1974-1981) 5. Peter Davison - pictured (1982-1984) 6. Colin Baker (1984-1986) 7. Sylvester McCoy (1987-1996) 8. Paul McGann (1996) 9. Christopher Eccleston (2005) 10. David Tennant (2005-2010) 11. Matt Smith (2010 - ?)

"It was abundantly clear that he had that 'Doctor-ness' about him," he said. "You are either the Doctor or you are not. It's just the beginning of the journey for Matt.

"With Steven Moffat's scripts and the expertise of the production team in Cardiff behind him, there is no one more perfect to be taking the Tardis to exciting new futures when the series returns in 2010."

Wenger said a broad range of people had been auditioned, but they had not set out to cast the youngest Doctor.

Smith's TV debut was in the 2006 adaptation of Philip Pullman's The Ruby in the Smoke, which starred former Doctor Who companion Billie Piper as Sally Lockhart.

He has also acted opposite Piper in the follow-up, The Shadow in the North, and in ITV2's Secret Diary of a Call Girl.

In 2007, he had a leading role in BBC Two's political drama Party Animals, in which he played a parliamentary researcher.

Smith's stage work has included stints with theatre companies such as the Royal Court and National Theatre. His West End debut was in Swimming With Sharks opposite Christian Slater.

He was born in Northampton in 1982 and studied drama and creative writing at the University of East Anglia.

Creative team

Tennant said in October that he would stand down from the show after filming four special episodes in 2009.

Tennant is recovering from back surgery ahead of filming in 2009

The star is due to begin shooting the first special this month, just weeks after surgery on his back forced him to pull out of a London run of Hamlet.

The last of these special episodes is expected to run in early 2010.

With a new creative team in place for the 2010 series led by executive producers Steven Moffat and Piers Wenger, the casting of the Doctor was the first job to be completed before scripts could be finalised.

Doctor Who began in 1963, and seven actors played the Doctor before the show was dropped in 1989.

After a TV movie in 1996 - starring Paul McGann - the TV series returned in 2005 with Christopher Eccleston in the lead role. Tennant took over the same year.

Source: BBC NEWS