Wednesday 25 June 2008
Blackhawk
Artist: Blackhawk
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
All American Country
Year: 2004
Tracks: 10
 
The Edgar Winter Group
Tuesday 24 June 2008
Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle
Artist: Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle
Genre(s):
Rock
Discography:
Ultra Orange and Emmanuelle
Year: 2007
Tracks: 11
 
Mike Rowland
Academy invites 105 new members
List includes Sacha Baron Cohen and Gore Verbinski
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The membership policies that the Academy adopted in 2004 in order to slow the growth of the organization would have allowed a maximum of 137 new members in 2008, but the various branch committees endorsed fewer candidates than that. With the new infusion of members, voting membership is expected to hold steady at just under the 6,000 mark.
New members will be welcomed into the Academy at an invitation-only reception at the Fairbanks Center for Motion Picture Study in Beverly Hills in September.
Full list of invitees follows on next page
Actors
Sacha Baron Cohen
Josh Brolin
Marion Cotillard
Ruby Dee
Allison Janney
Jet Li
Ray Winstone
Animators
David Bowers
Ash Brannon
Doug Cooper
Jeremy Lasky
Caroline Leaf
David Schaub
David Silverman
Suzie Templeton
At-Large
Jim Houston
Neil Machlis
Sheila Nevins
Casting Directors
Ronna Kress
Cinematographers
Jonathan W. Brown
J. Clark Mathis
Kramer Morgenthau
J. Michael Muro
Tim Orr
Tom Richmond
Costume Designers
Isis Mussenden
Directors
Sergei Bodrov
James Gray
Michael Haneke
Doug Liman
Kimberly Peirce
Peyton Reed
Jason Reitman
Walter Salles
Gore Verbinski
Documentary
Nanette Burstein
Heidi Ewing
Liz Garbus
Michele Ohayon
Deborah Shaffer
Executives
Alan Bergman
Dana Goldberg
Sidney Kimmel
Chris S. LeRoy
Andrew Rona
Jeff Skoll
Film Editors
Barry Alexander Brown
John Carnochan
John Gilroy
Mark Livolsi
Dylan Tichenor
Juliette Welfling
Live Action Short Films
Philippe Pollet-Villard
Makeup/Hairstylists
Jan Archibald
Kate Biscoe
Didier Lavergne
Christien Tinsley
Music
Glen Ballard
J. J. George
Michael Giacchino
Producers
Armyan Bernstein
Jennifer Fox
Lianne Halfon
Hal Lieberman
Andrew Macdonald
Karen Murphy
Peter R. Newman
JoAnne Sellar
Production Designers
Jack Fisk
Clayton R. Hartley
Public Relations
Stephanie Allen
Suzanne Fritz
Kevin Goetz
Stephanie Kluft
Tim Palen
Marc Weinstock
Set Decorators
Larry Dias
Katie Spencer
Sandy Reynolds Wasco
Sound
Craig Berkey
Fernando Camara
David Giammarco
Mike Hopkins
Robert J. Kizer
Alyson Dee Moore
Mark Onks
Jon Taylor
Stunt Coordinators
Melissa R. Stubbs
Visual Effects
Nick Davis
Brian Gernand
Dan Glass
Bryan Grill
Edward T. Hirsh
Helena Packer
Kelly Port
Ted Rae
Doug Roble
Carey Villegas
Writers
Judd Apatow
David Benioff
Jean-Claude Carriere
Diablo Cody
Tamara Jenkins
Jeff Nathanson
Nancy Oliver
See Also
Monday 23 June 2008
Cute band aims for sophomore success
In 2006 Rolling Stone magazine named Cute Is What We Aim For one of it�s 10 Artists to Watch. While lead singer Shaant Hacikyan says receiving the tag was a �pretty surreal� accolade, the band members know they still have much to accomplish.
On sophomore album Rotation, Hacikyan says the Buffalo-based group has the confidence and freedom to write what they really want, something that is highlighted on the track Hollywood.
�Hollywood has a very strong political aspect to it, which I think will resonate with people in the United States and the current administration,� he says. �The way politics is being handled, I think it�s pretty despicable.�
Hacikyan says making the follow-up record was a liberating experience. �It was really cool to feel comfortable. The first time you do a record, you feel a little protective. You have something to say but you need to earn your stripes. I have a little more confidence now in saying what I feel as opposed to upsetting people.�
The band�s current lineup, featuring drummer Tom Falcone, guitarist Jeff Czum, and new bassist Dave Melillo, is finally stable, Hacikyan says.
�For the first time ever we are happy. Even with the awesome things that we were so fortunate to have happen to us, even still we were miserable because we didn�t like each other � This one, it just seems really, really right.�
The band feels at home on power-pop label Fueled By Ramen. Rotation is the result of producer John Feldmann (Goldfinger), who encouraged the band to step out of its comfort zone.
�He really made us work. He was a stickler to make sure it was the best. I loved working with him and I would love to work with him again. He�s a maniac,� Hacikyan says.
See Also
Celebrity hairdresser Vidal Sassoon works on Habitat project in New Orleans
SLIDELL, La. - The idea of dozens of hairstylists swinging hammers and driving nails may be outrageous to some, but to Vidal Sassoon, it makes perfect sense.
"When you are a hairstylist, all you think about is making a person look and feel better," the longtime celebrity hairdresser said. "It is a very special and giving craft."
The group swarmed a construction site Monday in Slidell, where Habitat for Humanity was building homes for victims of hurricane Katrina and others in need of housing.
As Sassoon walked the site where nine houses were being framed, Heather Cheszeck, 29, nailed down flooring.
"This is a lot harder than I thought it was going to be," she said, a hammer in hand and her face flush and sweaty.
Cheszeck was one of a group of hairstylists who travelled from Chicago to help build homes. But manual labour wasn't all the group brought. Over the past year, they raised more than $100,000 for Sassoon's effort by hosting silent auctions and cut-a-thons - events where they give hair cuts with the money going to Habitat.
The donation generated enough money to build two homes.
In all, Sassoon and company have raised $1.7 million for Hairdressers Unlocking Hope, an international fundraising effort by beauty professionals. The group's donation went to the East St. Tammany Habitat for Humanity, which is building 21 houses with the money.
Sassoon personally donated another $100,000 for the construction of the first two homes, which last fall went to a single mother of five and a family of four.
Monday marked Sassoon's third visit to Southern Louisiana since Katrina struck in August 2005.
Slidell, a city about 50 kilometres north of New Orleans, was badly damaged by Katrina's winds and floodwater that swamped the area from nearby Lake Pontchartrain. Many residents couldn't return to their homes for months.
Sassoon, 80, has retired from the beauty industry and now spends much of his time on philanthropy. He established a charitable foundation and supports the Vidal Sassoon International Center for the Study of Anti-Semitism at Hebrew University in Jerusalem.
Sassoon, whose career spanned more than four decades, became famous for his modern, low-maintenance styles and is the founder of the worldwide brand of shampoos and salons.
Sassoon said he's just doing what he thinks is right.
"This is not charity," he said. "I hate that word, charity. This is an absolute joy."
See Also
Dreams Forever Drowning
Artist: Dreams Forever Drowning
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
Unreleased
Year: 2004
Tracks: 4
 
The Lounge Brigade
Chris Martin Walks Out Of Interview
Sometimes it seems that Chris Martin isn't really cut out for being a rock star.
The Coldplay singer, who is supposed to be promoting his new album, walked out of a radio interview -- because someone dared to ask him about his new album!
Things got off to a bad start in the chat with a high-brow BBC arts show when Chris, 31, accused the presenter of "journalistically twisting" him into saying the album was all about death.
Then, eight minutes in, the interviewer asked the star where he got the idea for the revolutionary theme for Viva La Vida, which was released yesterday.
The bad tempered frontman went silent, then said, "I'm not really enjoying this", and walked out, explaining that he doesn't "really like having to talk about things", leaving drummer Will Campion to take over.
After taking a few minutes to regain his composure, Gywneth Paltrow's hubby came back into the studio and rejoined the discussion.
But when the interviewer tried another question about his music, the multi-millionaire would only sulkily reply, "Um... yes... yes, yes ... exactly."
The pre-recorded interview was broadcast this morning on BBC Radio 4.
See Also
Consortium Project II
Artist: Consortium Project II
Genre(s):
Other
Discography:
Continuum in Extrermis
Year: 2001
Tracks: 11
 
Patsy Cline
Artist: Patsy Cline
Genre(s):
Other
Country
Discography:
Patsy Cline
Year: 2004
Tracks: 20
The Very Best Of Patsy Cline
Year: 1998
Tracks: 25
 
TV newsman Tim Russert dies of heart attack
The MSNBC cable network interrupted its programming for a special report by former anchorman Tom Brokaw who said Russert collapsed and died at work in NBC's Washington bureau after returning from a trip to Italy with his family.
"This news division will not be the same without his strong, clear voice," Brokaw said. He called Russert a beloved colleague and said his late colleague loved the 2008 political campaign, working to the point of exhaustion week after week.
Russert, who took over "Meet the Press" in 1991 and oversaw a rise in the Sunday program's popularity, was known for both tough questioning of American political figures and a cheerful television persona.
He was also political analyst for "NBC Nightly News" and the "Today" Program, and anchored "The Tim Russert Show," a weekly interview program on CNBC cable-TV channel.
(Reporting by David Morgan, Editing by Howard Goller)