Hillary Clinton @ the DNC

Photos of Hillary Clinton speaking at the Democratic National Convention in Denver, CO. If you missed her speech, see below.

There's a new Judge on American Idol

From AP:

Grammy-nominated songwriter Kara DioGuardi will sit alongside Cowell, Paula Abdul and Randy Jackson when the eighth season of "American Idol" premieres in January, the Fox network said Monday.

"For the past seven seasons, Paula has had to endure the experience of being the only woman at the judges' table," said Mike Darnell, president, alternative programming of Fox, in a statement.

"With Kara by her side, Paula has some backup and now there is going to be a lot more 'girl power' on the show," Darnell said.

DioGuardio's songs have been recorded by Kelly Clarkson, Christina Aguilera, Gwen Stefani, Celine Dion, Faith Hill, Carrie Underwood and Pink, among others.

Ugly Betty is Filming

Photos of America Ferrera and the cast of Ugly Betty filming scenes for the upcoming season of Ugly Betty on ABC. The hit show's season premiere is Thursday September 25th 8/7c on ABC.

Today's Birthdays

Tom Ford (47)
Alexa Vega (20)
Kyle Lowder (28)
Sarah Chalke (32)
Jonny Moseley (33)
Mase (34)
Mario (36)
Chandra Wilson (39)
Downtown Julie Brown (45)
Yolanda Adams (46)
Peter Stormare (55)
Pee Wee Herman (56)
Barbara Bach (61)
Tuesday Weld (65)

London 1012 Visa Pary

So the Olympics are officially over and everyone is headed to London to get ready for the next Olympics, 4 years from now when Michael Phelps will re-break all his world records, and the Chinese Gymnasts will get even younger since they realize they can get away with it. Here's a promo for the London 2012 Olympics.

Wynter Gordon's Birthday

Photos by © Walik Goshorn/Retna

If you don't know Wynter Gordon yet...you will. And with friends like Katy Perry ("I Kissed a Girl"), Teyana Taylor ("My Super Sweet 16") and Travis McCoy (Gym Class Heroes), she's sure to blow up soon enough. No video yet, but hear the song SURVEILLANCE below.

Today's Birthdays

Macaulay Culkin (28)
Evan Ross (20)
Cassie (22)
Chris Pine (28)
Shirley Manson (42)
Chris Burke (43)
Wanda De Jesus (48)
Branford Marsalis (48)

RIP LeRoi Moore

Matthews, Dave
Originally uploaded by retnablog

LeRoi Moore, saxophonist and founding member of Dave Matthews Band, died on Tuesday from complications stemming from an ATV accident he suffered in June. He was 46. Moore crashed his ATV on June 30 on his farm near Charlottesville, VA. He had been discharged from the hospital and returned to his Los Angeles home to begin a physical rehabilitation program, but complications from the accident sent him back to the hospital on July 17. The band issued a statement on its official website, describing Moore's death as "unexpected." Béla Fleck and the Flecktones saxophonist Jeff Coffin had been sitting in for the band's summer tour.

-EW.com
The AP reports that Dave Matthews Band went ahead with their show on Tuesday at L.A.'s Staples Center, where Matthews dedicated the concert to Moore.

The Dave Matthews band formed in 1991 in Charlottesville, according to their website, when vocalist/guitarist Matthews tapped Moore and drummer Carter Beauford -- both accomplished jazz musicians in the local Charlottesville music scene -- to help record to tape some songs Matthews had written. Since then, according to the RIAA, Dave Matthews Band has sold over 31 million units in the U.S., putting them in the Top 100 highest-selling music acts of all time.

8/19/08 Birthdays

John Stamos (45)
Romeo (19)
Erika Christensen (26)
Jennifer Morrison (29)
Stephen Carr (32)
Tracie Thoms (33)
Fat Joe (38)
Matthew Perry (39)
Nate Dogg (39)
LeAnn Womack (42)
Kevin Dillon (43)
Kyra Sedgwick (43)
Adam Arkin (52)
Peter Gallagher (53)
Jonathan Frakes (56)
Tipper Gore (60)
Gerald McRaney (60)
Bill Clinton (62)
Jill St. John (68)

Interview with The Melvins

Interview by Ryan Gilbert for Retna

The Melvins! These guys have been around forever. They've been chugging along since their initial formation in 1983 in small town Montesano, WA. Funny thing is, The Melvins are no novelty act. They're not drifting through life on auto-pilot like so many other older bands. They're not pandering to the masses by releasing shiny, over-produced, derivative pop songs. No way! They've never sold out and have never stopped producing their own unique blend of raw, relentless rock 'n roll, and they've gained more than a few fans over the years. Bands like Nirvana, Soundgarden and Tool, as well as pretty much everyone in the hard rock and metal underground have cited The Melvins as a major influence. It's pretty much a fact that they created the whole grunge movement of the early 90's (Don't believe me? Ask Dave Grohl).

But is The Melvins' heyday over? Hell no! Far from it! I saw them play a phenomenal show to a sold-out crowd at the Bowery Ballroom on Thursday night, and they showed absolutely no signs of slowing down. In fact, thanks to their recent lineup change and reinvention, these guys are probably more popular than they've ever been (In 2006, long time members Buzz Osborne and Dale Crover acquired bassist Jared Warren and drummer Coady Willis from the band, Big Business).

I talked to Jared and asked him about The Melvins' place in today's music scene...


RETNA: The Melvins 25th Anniversary is coming up. Are there any special plans for that?

JW: I don't know. I was actually kinda curious about that myself. I imagine there'll probably be some kind of tour or special show or something. Maybe we'll just end up having a huge kegger.

RETNA: You guys are still constantly touring and putting out great new albums. I feel like that's kind of strange for a band that has been around for so long. A lot of other older rock bands, like Aerosmith or The Rolling Stones, seem to have lost their passion somewhere along the line. How do you all stay hungry after all these years?

JW: Well, I think the difference between us and bands like them is that The Melvins have never really stopped playing music. I think that's a really dangerous thing for artists. Often times with bands like Aerosmith, they were, you know, broken up, and then five or ten years later or whatever they had a reunion tour. And of course it's not gonna be the same because they haven't really maintained any sort of chemistry. And for them too it's not a matter of survival. All those guys are super rich and they don't really need to put out a good record. Whereas we have to, because that's what we do to pay the rent. We can't afford to put out a crappy record. We have to keep busy and tour a lot because that's what pays the bills... And that's not to say it's all about money, but it definitely keeps us hungry. And we all really like doing it. Buzz, Dale, Coady and I, we all give a shit. It's a fun job and I wouldn't trade it for anything.

RETNA: Are you at all concerned with today's mainstream music scene? Do you pay attention to the new trends?

JW: No, not really. I don't really actively seek out new music. There's plenty of old music that I haven't discovered yet. As far as the young screamo scene or something like that, I don't really pay attention to it because it's not really my bag.

RETNA: So there aren't really any newer bands that you're into?

JW: Oh, no. There are, for sure. There's this band Tweak Bird out of LA that are really young guys that are really great. Our friends Red Fang in Portland; they're pretty awesome. I certainly think there are lots of great new bands, but for me they're all bands that I know or that a friend has tipped me off to. I don't discover a lot of new music on MySpace or MTV or anything like that. I happen to just know a lot of great musicians, so it works out well.

RETNA: I was asking because The Melvins camp seems to have become a very self-contained unit. Both opening bands on this tour are made up of people related to the band in some way: You and Coady, Dale, the Melvins tour manager (Tim Moss), the Melvins audio engineer (Toshi Kasai), etc... Even all your album artwork is designed by Buzz's wife, Mackie. Was it a conscious decision to not associate with other acts and keep everything in the family, so to speak?

JW: Yeah, I guess. It works out really well. It's convenient, it's a lot easier and we don't have to deal with any of the hassles that we would otherwise have to. There's never an argument over opening slots or gear or whatever. I guess that all sounds kind of petty, but ultimately it makes for a pretty smooth ride on the road. Everyone knows everyone. We're all on the same wavelength. I think we all enjoy each other's company. We all get along. For the most part, we hang out with each other when we're home too, so everything works out pretty well. I think we're all happy with where we are right now.

RETNA: And finally, what's the origin of your onstage outfits? The dresses and MuMus?

JW: Oh, haha. I don't really know where it came from originally. I don't know. Buzz is a weirdo. I think he just likes to have a lot of weird outfits to wear. Who knows? I guess, at the end of the day, it's just a matter of having fun and not taking yourself too seriously.

Buzz Osborne - Guitar, Vocals
Dale Crover - Drums, Vocals
Jared Warren - Bass, Vocals
Coady Willis - Drums, Vocals

Today's Birthdays

Ben Affleck (36)
Joe Jonas (19)
Kerri Walsh (30)
Natasha Henstridge (34)
Anthony Anderson (38)
Cris Judd (39)
Lady Miss Kier (39)
Debra Messing (40)
Debi Mazar (44)
Tom Colicchio (46)
Linda Ellerbee (64)
Mike Connors (83)

Cho Show Promo

All Photos © Leon/Retna

Margaret Cho attends Radar's screening of Margaret Cho's new VH1 reality sitcom "The Cho Show" on August 13, 2008 in New York City.



I love Margaret Cho, she's absolutely hilarious. So although I had a hard time choosing a clip to put up here...this is one of my favorites.

Jonas Brothers in Central Park

The Jonas Brothers shoot a new video in New York City's Central Park on Wednesday afternoon.

Kevin, 20, Joe, almost 19, and Nick, 15, have been in the Big Apple promoting their new album, A Little Bit Longer, out in stores now.

When asked earlier this morning what quality they look for most in a girl, Nick had this requirement: 'They have to be good to mom.' Kevin added, 'Family is big to us. That's huge.'

-JustJared.com

Today's Birthdays

Jackee Harry (52)
Mila Kunis (25)
Ana Matronic (34)
Christopher Gorham (34)
Jay Manuel (36)
Jennifer Flavin (40)
Catherine Bell (40)
Adrian Lester (40)
Halle Berry (42)
Susan Olsen (47)
Sarah Brightman (48)
Marcia Gay Harden (49)
Magic Johnson (49)
James Horner (55)
Carl Lumbly (57)
Danielle Steel (61)
Wim Wenders (63)
Steve Martin (63)

Michael Phelps owns the Olympics

Michael Phelps finally seems to be grasping what it all means. Maybe it started to sink in when the president showed up at the Water Cube and came back for an encore. Maybe he got a better idea when all those NBA superstars — Kobe Bryant and LeBron James among them — actually led the cheers for him. Maybe it was those relentless text messages from friends back home.

Maybe he actually listened when the race announcer at the pool said in a deep, authoritative voice: "Michael Phelps, greatest Olympian ever."

The head dipped. The shoulders twitched. The slightest of smiles creased his lips.

"Growing up, I always wanted to be an Olympian," Phelps said later. "I just kept thinking, 'Wow, greatest Olympian of all time.' It's a pretty cool title."

-Associated Press

The BMI Foundation & Pepsi Blue Carpet Bash, Cool Latin Music Scholarship

$20,000 in scholarships to be awarded to songwriters & composers for
best musical works in any Latin genre

(New York, NY) - The BMI Foundation, Inc. and Pepsi Blue Carpet Bash are proud to announce the opening of the Music Enrichment Fund Scholarship, a competition for young songwriters and composers. The annual competition offers three scholarships, one for $10,000 and two for $5,000, which will be awarded to the best three songs or instrumental compositions in any Latin genre. The recipients of the scholarships may have their winning works performed or played at the final Pepsi Blue Carpet Bash event scheduled to take place November 2008.

Generously funded by Pepsi, the 2008 competition gives songwriters a unique opportunity to compete against the best young talent in the country and earn money for their education. The competition is open to students between the ages of 21 and 28 enrolled in any college or university in the United States and Puerto Rico. All words and music must be original. The postmark deadline for entries is Tuesday, September 30, 2008. Competition rules and applications are available online at www.bmifoundation.org.

The BMI Foundation, Inc. is a not-for-profit corporation founded in 1985 to support the creation, performance, and study of music through awards, scholarships, commissions and grants. Tax-deductible donations to the Foundation come primarily from songwriters, composers and publishers, BMI employees and members of the public with a special interest in music. Because both the Foundation staff and the distinguished members of the Advisory Panel serve without compensation, over 95% of all donations and income are used for charitable grants.

World's Tallest Woman Dies

Allen_WM88088397
Originally uploaded by retnablog

The world’s tallest woman, Sandy Allen, died early Wednesday morning at a nursing home in her hometown of Shelbyville, Ind. She was 53.

No cause of death has been released, but a family friend said Allen had been sick for several months. She had been hospitalized for a recurring blood infection, along with diabetes, breathing troubles and kidney failure, Rita Rose said.

Allen, who was 7-foot-7, is listed by the Guinness Book of World Records as the tallest living woman, and has appeared in the publication since the mid-1970s.

She came into the world weighing an average 6.5 pounds – but her abnormal growth began soon after her birth in June 1955. By the age of 10, Allen stood at 6 feet 3 inches tall and by the age of 16 she towered over 7 feet tall.

Her height was due to a tumor in her pituitary gland that caused it to release growth hormones uncontrollably, according to the world record book. At the age of 22, she underwent surgery to correct the condition.

But she was proud of her height, Rose said. "She embraced it," she said. "She used it as a tool to educate people."

-Fox News

Jonas Brothers Play the iTunes Store in Soho

Hundreds of Jonas Brothers fans mobbed the Apple Store in Soho Tuesday night to watch the trio celebrate new disc A Little Bit Longer by recording an EP for iTunes' Live From Soho series.

By the time Apple's website announced the surprise same-day appearance by Kevin, Joe and Nick, a crowd of 100 had already set up camp.

The four Brooklyn pals waiting at the front of the line — Margarita Lungin and Agnes Belka, both 16, and Suzanne Hassan and Priscilla Huang, both 17 — heard word from a Jonas fansite. "We're in love with Joe — obsessive love," Margarita says.

The heartthrobs' arrival was greeted with a chorus of adolescent shrieks. The capacity crowd of 450-plus (and at least that many were turned away) sang along, clapped, jumped up and down and waved their hands through a set that included That's Just the Way We Roll and Pushin' Me Away.

During BB Good, Joe leaned out and hollered, "I don't wanna hurt you, I wanna kiss you." Screams ensued. Last number of the night: Burnin' Up.
- USA Today

Today's Birthdays

Danny Bonaduce (49)
Lloyd Banks (30)
James Carpinello (33)
Debi Mazar (44)
John Slattery (45)
Alma Cuervo (57)
Kathleen Battle (60)
Fidel Castro (82)

"Tropic Thunder" Premiere

Video Shoot: "Hi Hater Remix"

Maino at the shoot:




And the original video...remix coming soon:

Today's Birthdays

Issac Hayes 1942-2008

Soul legend Isaac Hayes, who won Grammy and Academy awards for the theme to the 1971 film ``Shaft'' and voiced the character ``Chef'' in the hit comedy series ``South Park,'' died yesterday in Memphis, Tennessee. He was 65.

Family members found Hayes lying unconscious next to a running treadmill in his basement around 1 p.m. local time, said Steve Shular, a spokesman for the Shelby County Sheriff's Office in a telephone interview. Hayes was pronounced dead at Baptist East Hospital. No autopsy is planned, Shular said.

Hayes, who co-wrote ``Soul Man'' and ``You Don't Know Like I Know,'' won an Oscar for best musical score for ``Shaft,'' according to his Web site. The song and the movie score also won Grammy awards for best original score and movie theme. Hayes, whose work influenced disco, urban-contemporary music and rap, was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 2002.

In the 1990s, Hayes found a second career as the voice of Chef, the cafeteria cook and self-professed ladies man who became a mentor to the students of the ``South Park'' animated series on Viacom Inc.'s Comedy Central.

Bernie Mac 1957-2008

Mac suffered from sarcoidosis, an inflammatory lung disease that produces tiny lumps of cells in the body's organs, but had said the condition went into remission in 2005. He recently was hospitalized and treated for pneumonia, which his publicist said was not related to the disease.

Recently, Mac's brand of comedy caught him flack when he was heckled during a surprise appearance at a July fundraiser for Democratic presidential candidate and fellow Chicagoan Barack Obama.

Toward the end of a 10-minute standup routine, Mac joked about menopause, sexual infidelity and promiscuity, and used occasional crude language. Obama took the stage about 15 minutes later, implored Mac to "clean up your act next time," then let him off the hook, adding: "By the way, I'm just messing with you, man."

Even so, Obama's campaign later issued a rebuke, saying the senator "doesn't condone these statements and believes what was said was inappropriate."

But despite controversy or difficulties, in his words, Mac was always a performer.

The Police: That's all Folks

The Police ended one of rock 'n' roll's most successful reunions in Madison Square Garden on Thursday with a tribute to other famous trios, an assist from some real cops and a not-particularly close shave.

The 150th and final show of a comeback tour that stretched past 14 months was a benefit for two New York public television stations. Sting, guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland added some end-of-the-road silliness to their set list, walking off to Porky Pig's signature line, "That's all, folks."

And Here are some Police Tunes for you to enjoy:

Vicky Cristina Barcelona

Coming soon: August 15, 2008

Today's Birthdays

Erykah Badu sings for MLK

Erykah Badu at The 26th Annual Martin Luther King Concert Series featuring Erykah Badu held at Wingate Field in Brooklyn, NY on August 4, 2008.

Today's Birthdays

Theron, Charlize
Originally uploaded by retnablog

© Tim Hale / Retna

Charlize Theron (33)
Abbie Cornish (26)
Eric Johnson (29)
Rachel York (37)
Sydney Penny (37)
Harold Perrineau (45)
David Duchovny (48)
Wayne Knight (53)
Garrison Keillor (66)
Tobin Bell (66)

Today's Birthdays

© Stonehouse / Camera Press / Retna

Barack Obama (47)
Billy Bob Thornton (53)
Cole & Dylan Sprouse (16)
Jeff Gordon (37)
Daniel Dae Kim (40)
Roger Clemens (46)
Lauren Tom (47)
Richard Belzer (64)

Morgan Freeman in Car Accident

Oscar-winning actor Morgan Freeman was injured in a serious car accident in Mississippi Sunday night, according to published reports.
The "Dark Knight" star was in a one-car crash about 11:30 p.m., according to celebrity Web site TMZ.
The accident happened in the vicinity of Batesville, Miss.

According to Memphis' WMC-TV, Freeman's 1997 Nissan Maxima went off the edge of Mississippi Highway 32 and flipped several times before coming to a rest.
The actor, 71, and his unidentified female passenger were extracted from the car using the Jaws of Life.
Freeman, who talked to state troopers after the wreck, had to be airlifted to a hospital in Memphis, Tenn., more than 100 miles from the scene of the crash. His condition is "serious," a spokesman at the Regional Medical Center at Memphis said.

It was unclear whether alcohol was a factor in the incident.

Heather Matarazzo is engaged

Heather Matarazzo has become officially engaged to Carolyn Murphy. Matarazzo and Murphy have been dating for one year, and have now announced they'll be getting married.

"It was really cute. First Heather proposed to Carolyn, then Carolyn proposed to her," said Matarazzo's publicist.

Matarazzo long ago discovered she was a lesbian, according to an interview.

"We were sitting in my pink room with pink carpeting," she described. "It was summer and we were sitting Indian-style across from each other and I was so incredibly nervous. And I thought, 'Yeah, I am definitely gay.'"

Today's Birthdays

Coolio
Originally uploaded by retnablog

© Black Ink / Retna

Coolio (45)
Dom DeLuise (75)
Ashley Parker Angel (26)
Tempestt Bledsoe (35)
Sam Mendes (43)
Adam Duritz (44)
Chuck D (47)
Giancarlo Giannini (66)