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Most people know as her as the glamorous yet nonchalant frontwoman of Rilo Kiley. Even more devoted fans have supported her solo act with local The Watson Twins. Our own lady of Silverlake, Jenny Lewis, is now coming out with her second solo studio album. However, unlike the extreme studio finish of Rilo Kiley’s latest best seller Under The Blacklight, Lewis plans on going in the opposite direction. Going for as much of a live vibe as possible, her new album Acid Tongue, due September 23, is stripped down to further reveal herself. According to Billboard Magazine, Lewis has a slew of guest appearances on the album.

The album features guest spots from a number of Lewis’ friends, including Elvis Costello, who duets with her on “Carpetbagger”; the Black Crowes’ Chris Robinson; and current beau Rice. Zoeey Deschanel offers backing vocals on several tracks (”I love being Flanked by hot brunettes,” Lewis says), and Deschanel’s She & Him cohort M. Ward provides a moody guitar part on Pretty Bird.

There is even a nine-minute song which she and Jonathan Rice wrote together as a homage to Barbra Steisand. Lewis explains,

I happen to be a Barbra Strisand fan, and Barbra Striesand fancies a medley, so we discussed stringing the three songs together.

It may have taken her a decade to get a fan base with as much anticipation as she has for herself, but having her own unique style and rhythm is what got her here.

Photo from undertheradarmag.com

So in an attempt to both lower my blood pressure and make the world a happier, sunnier place, I’ve decided to forgo my usual “music industry is evil/ Sarah Palin/ Economy” rant and instead give you some deep breathing exercises to lead off my Music News post.

Ready?

Here we go:
Deep breath through your mouth.
Breathe in through your nose.
Hold it…
Think about fluffy bunnies and wacky platypus’
Hold it…
Breathe out.
Feel better? Good, let’s start with the music news.

METALLICA ROCKS! (THE CHARTS)

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Democratic Presidential nominee Barack Obama was Baracking the vote in full force last night, as he hosted a fund raising event at the Regent Beverly Wilshire with a live performance by Barbra Streisand. Boy, did he manage to raise funds. Tickets to the reception and dinner at the Greystone Mansion cost $28,500 apiece, with about 300 people in attendance, reports the Los Angeles Times. Gaining entry to the hotel event, which took place after dinner, cost $2,500, with about 800 people in the audience. You do the math. Ok, I’ll do it for you: that’s an estimated $9 million.

As Obama spoke to the crowd, filled with the likes of Jodie Foster, Will Ferrell and Leonardo DiCaprio, he gave attention to the concerns people might have about the election.

“I know that a lot of you, just in conversations while we were in the photo lines, had all sorts of suggestions,” he said.

But the crisis on Wall Street “has suddenly focused people’s attention, and it’s reminded people of what’s at stake. It’s reminded people that this is not a game. This is not a reality show, no offense to any of you,” Obama said as the crowd erupted in laughter. “This is not a sitcom.”

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With the aim of a more efficient transportation system in the city, changes have been taking place at a relatively fast pace with welcome adjustment. Never in my life would I have dreamed that there would be a 14-mile expressway running from one end of the San Fernando Valley to North Hollywood, and an underground railway from NOHO to Downtown - but I and others have seen the day and have embraced it, kinks and all. Needless to say, commuters in LA wonder where their tax dollars are going every year, but the appearance of buses and trains every 15 to 30 minutes or so has proved prompt and sufficient in answer fo pedestrians, cyclists, and part-time drivers.

In collective realization that population rates aren’t getting any lower and traffic congestion isn’t getting any better, the Metro Board of Directors revisited the issue of furthering progress by introducing projected benefits of Measure R:

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By now, most of Los Angeles and much of the world has gotten wind of the deadly Metrolink derailment that took place yesterday afternoon around 4:30 p.m. in Chatsworth, when a commuter train carrying 225 people collided with a freight train, killing dozens and critically injuring many more. While officials stated today that shortly after 2:30 p.m. the search for victims had come to a close, investigators and medical personnel were still working on the bottom level of the double decker car.

Here is a run down of what we know:

• The death toll has reached 25, with more than 135 injured. The Los Angeles Times reports that 100 people were taken to hospitals (60 by ambulance and 40 by helicopter). All 12 trauma centers in Los Angeles handled patients.
• Among the fatally injured were LAPD Officer Spree Desha, 35, of Simi Valley and Paul Long, an English teacher at Oaks Christian School, who died this afternoon after being taken off life support at County-USC Medical Center.

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• Pam Anderson clearly states her opinion of Sarah Palin.  When Pam was asked what she thought of the photo of Governor Palin, an avid hunter, with an animal pelt (a bear) draped over a couch behind her,  Pamela eloquently said, “I can’t stand her.  She can suck it!” Click here to see the video.  Ha, Pam Anderson.  Ha ha.
• Kanye West was arrested in, where else, the airport.  That is, of course, the place to get busted if you’re a celebrity.  But, no Kanye wasn’t packing heat or hiding illegal drugs.  He allegedly attacked a photographer who was trying to get a shot of him.  Actually, I don’t even need to say “allegedly” because TMZ got it all on tape.  Dude.  When good ole’ Kanye saw the TMZ guy filming, he rushed at him and yelled, “Gimme that f**king tape!”  Whoa.  Scary chipmunk coming at ya!

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Meg Ryan

“Oh, I’m so inadequate – and I love myself!” ~ Meg Ryan

• Year Born:  1961
• Age:  46
• # of Kids:  2
• Times Married:  1
• Height in Meters: 1.73m
• Year she was crowned Prom Queen:  1979
• Rank on Entertainment Weekly’s most powerful people in Hollywood List in 1998:  59
• Weeks of Boxing Lessons to prepare for Against The Ropes:  3
• # of movies she’s co-starred with Tom Hanks in:  3

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• Veteran actor Michael Douglas is set to play the flamboyant Polish-Italian pianist, Liberace in a biopic that Steven Soderbergh is busy developing. Soderbergh is also hoping to play Matt Damon to play Scott Thorson, who sued Liberace for palimony in 1982 after claiming they were lovers. Liberace, also known as Wlazdiu Valentino Liberace (bet you didn’t know that) never refused to acknowledge his homosexuality, even up until his death in 1987 due to aids. Currently, there is no release date scheduled.

• For those that didn’t see Dark Night (so sue me) and even for those who did, comes some great news. Warner Bros. is set to re-release their money making machine, err, movie in January on IMAX, conveniently in time for Academy Award voting season. The blockbuster sequel to Batman has brought in about $512 million domestically and $440 million internationally. It has been ranked to date as the second highest grossing movie ever, after “Titanic.”

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Breaking up while currently releasing a huge blockbuster movie is not easy. Having your boyfriend being convicted of fraud, not so easy either. Remaining calm, cool, and collected while having to promote the damn thing. Near impossible. But Anne Hathway seems to be doing a great job handling the situation. Although she staying quiet on the issue, she has finally decided to talk about how all of this has affected her life.

Here is what she said in the new issue of W magazine:

“Right now I don’t have the wherewithal to be anything except professional. As soon as I found out about the arrest, I had to get on a plane to Mexico to do a press tour for Get Smart. And then I spent a week in shock at a friend’s house. And then I had to go back and do more press, and I haven’t stopped since. At different stages of my life, I’ve felt I’ve been two ages simultaneously. I’d be a professional working adult and also a typical 13-year-old. Right now I have the distinct feeling that I’m two ages again, and the older part of me that I relied on many times in the past in difficult moments, that’s the part that got me here today. That’s the part that says, ‘You do your job, you keep your head up.’”

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The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf is turning 45 this September and is kicking off a month-long promotion to celebrate the occasion with local community members. They will be doing weekly specials ranging from
discounts on beverages and packaged coffee to free espresso shots to help celebrate!

Here are the dates of all of there specials:

• Tuesday, Sept.16th: 63 cent hot tea
• Tuesday, Sept. 23rd: 20 percent off one pound of house blend coffee
• Tuesday, Sept. 30th: 20 percent off any 20-count tea bag tin
• Tuesday, Oct. 7th: Add a FREE espresso shot to any drink

Enjoy!

Photo by Refracted Momentsâ„¢

Due to the fact that we will all soon die because of the Hardon Collider in France, let’s all get through the music news in an efficient, orderly?manner before saying goodbye to our loved ones and pets.

Britney Sweeps the VMA’s

While it’s kinda stupid to get angry at an awards show that is not really about awards but instead just a place to be seen, I still have to ask you the following questions: Were any of you fine readers able to sit through the entire MTV Video Music Awards show Sunday night? While it was a slight improvement over last years Las Vegas abortion, this years show felt about as comfortable and exciting as a Sarah Palin book club meeting.

Britney Spears was the big winner winning Moonmen for Best Pop Video, Best Female Video and Video of the Year for her, ummm, quasi- music video for “Piece of Me”. The awards weren’t really too much of a surprise, though, as the show seemed essentially a vehicle for Britney’s “Coming out party”. While the (once) troubled singer did not perform following last years debacle, she did open the show with a skit co-staring Superbad’s Jonah Hill, and a 15-second introduction that was read quickly from a teleprompter.

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