PopSugar

What to Download: New Music Today

BuzzSugar — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 16:30:27 -0700

Tuesdays are big in entertainmentville: Not only do all the new DVD releases hit Netflix, but new music also pours into stores. So I take a spin through each week's music releases and pick out some albums and tracks worthy of a download. Here are today's selections:

Early download alert!: Today iTunes has an exclusive deal for you to download the Decemberists' fifth album, The Hazards of Love, which technically drops on March 24. We've already heard one single from the album, which is part of a big, lively story about a woman named Margaret. It's hard for me to pick this apart by track because all the songs fit together in a particular way, but take a listen to the title track first to get a sense of it all.

British rocking: According to the many reviews I've skimmed about the debut album from London band White Lies, it suffers from some pretty silly lyrics but most agree it's still an above-average effort that fans of acts like The Killers and Franz Ferdinand will enjoy. Check out "Farewell to the Fairground" and "Death" for a taste of what these guys can do.

One more cool discovery up next, so read more.

A band to note: At the end of the Ugly Betty episode titled "Things Fall Apart" a really sad song plays to match the intense emotions, and that song was by these guys. Turns out the album isn't set to release until March 31 but is available for download at iTunes right now. So far, I think this is a surprising and exciting band with a haunting sound similar to that of the Fleet Foxes (though with less harmonizing). I think we're going to hear a lot more buzz about these guys (and gal) in the coming weeks. Check out the beautiful "E Minor" as well as the song featured on Betty, "Black Tables."

Robbie Fights For Downloading Rights

PopSugarUK — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 01:16:14 -0700

Ahead of his comeback on Comic Relief, Robbie Williams was out in London yesterday to attend the first meeting of the Featured Artists’ Coalition. The coalition includes Blur, Kate Nash, Radiohead, KT Tunstall, Billy Bragg, White Lies and Robbie, who will be speaking out to ensure that performers and people like us who buy their music have a voice in the relatively new arena of downloading music. Last night Billy said:

"We have to question the music industry’s insistence on criminalising our audiences. They threaten to kick down young people’s doors and take their computers when fans swap music with each other online. How is someone under 20 going to hear Billy Bragg these days? They are not going to hear it on Radio 1 or NME. They are going to hear it through peer to peer recommendations. They are just music fans. They don’t make a profit from it. We have to focus on where people are actually profiting from our music, places like MySpace selling advertising. It’s all rather murky at the moment about where the money is going. We need more transparency in the deals that are made by the record companies. They have put a lockdown on the debate. They are marginalising artists and criminalising fans."

The FAC will also be looking at issues like copyright in the digital age, what do you think about this band of artists coming together to attempt to make a difference to downloading?

To see more photos of Robbie from yesterday, just read more.

View 10 Photos ›

BigPicturesPhoto.com

Sugar Bits - Prince Harry and Chelsy Davy Split

PopSugarUK — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 01:00:00 -0800

Prince Harry and his girlfriend of five years Chelsy Davy have split up, Royal sources have confirmed. Chelsy updated her Facebook profile to say that she was no longer in a relationship, and the lack of time they're able to spend together is said to be the main factor. - Times
Charlotte Church's ex-boyfriend Kyle Johnson is wanted by police after a reported £20million haul of heroin was found at his home. - Mirror
The debut album by White Lies - To Lose My Life - has gone straight into the album charts at number one, while Lady GaGa still reigns over the singles charts with "Just Dance". - NME
Absolutely Fabulous is to be remade for American TV. Fox has ordered a pilot episode of the show, to see if it would be made into a full series. - BBC
It's been a record year for West End theatres with box office takings coming in at £480.6m, up by more than £10m on last year. Attendances reached nearly 14m in 2008 - a 1% increase on last year's figures. - Guardian

Source

Pop Poll: What Do You Think Of Little Boots?

PopSugarUK — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 02:00:00 -0800

Little Boots is the name to watch for 2009 according to music industry insiders, after she won the BBC's Sound of 2009 prize, closely followed by White Lies, Florence & The Machine, Empire Of The Sun and La Roux. Hailing from Blackpool, Victoria Hesketh is the woman at the centre of it all, and her electropop music is full of personality! I think she's fantastic and I'd love to know what you think, so check out the video below. Then, if you're interested read up on her, check out her blog, visit her myspace and her website (where there's a free download), and then let me know what you think!

Sugar Bits - Slumdog Millionaire Wins Big at Critics' Choice

PopSugarUK — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 01:00:00 -0800

Slumdog Millionaire was the big winner at the Critics' Choice Awards in LA last night, receiving five awards. Anne Hathaway and Meryl Streep tied in the Best Actress category, and Sean Penn won Best Actor for Milk. The Dark Knight, The Reader, and Wall-E were among the other films that won awards. - BuzzSugar
A private memorial service has been held in Florida for John Travolta's son Jett. The service at the Travoltas' house near Ocala took place six days after Jett died in the Bahamas. - BBC
Cristiano Ronaldo walked away uninjured after writing off his Ferrari sports car in a crash after it hit a roadside barrier under a tunnel near Manchester Airport yesterday. No one is believed to have been injured. - Independent
Amy Winehouse escaped an assault probe after throwing a glass of water over a fellow tourist at her Caribbean resort. She apologised to the woman and her partner, and her spokesman said: "Amy misunderstood a conversation and wrongly believed a slight was made. The matter has been resolved". - The Sun
Jordan/Katie Price has hit out at Lucy Pinder while editing the 3am column, saying: "Beneath that skirt is a bloke with b******s. She’s tough. A real bitch... And I’ll tell you something else – it’s b******s she’s all natural. She used to have a right beak on her, I reckon she’s had her nose done. And I’d say her lips and teeth are fake too." - Mirror
Electro-pop singer Little Boots has come top of the BBC's Sound of 2009 list, which aims to highlight the best new music talent for the new year and is based on tips from 134 leading UK tastemakers. Last year, Adele came top, followed by Duffy, The Ting Tings and Glasvegas. This year, dark London rock trio White Lies came second, with spirited singer-songwriter Florence and the Machine in third and Australian fantasy pop duo Empire of the Sun at four. - BBC

Source

A Do or a Don't: Lying For Someone You Love

DearSugar — Wed, 08 Oct 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Though I’ve certainly been let in on some big secrets throughout the years, fortunately I’ve never been put into a position where I’ve been forced to lie on someone’s behalf, because honestly, I’m not sure I could do it. A white lie is one thing, but serious lies make me nervous. Still, I’m sure much of it depends on the person and the circumstance. What are your thoughts on this? Would you ever lie for someone you love? Or would even being asked to do so be a violation of your relationship?

Source

Dear Poll: Do You Ever Lie to Get Out of a Commitment?

DearSugar — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 -0700

Life is hectic, and it’s all too easy to sign on for more than you can or want to handle. Fortunately, I’ve practiced saying no often enough to avoid locking myself into an obligation I know I’ll regret later. Though I’m sure we’re all the type to try our best and follow through on commitments, every once and a while, when the time comes, it's normal to not feel up to making the effort. Sometimes a lie is easier than the truth, so do you ever lie to get out of a commitment?

Source

You Asked: My Ex Lied to Me About His Sexual History

DearSugar — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 17:00:00 -0700

Dear Sugar,

I was with my ex-boyfriend for 11 months, and we had sex after six. I was a virgin at the time and didn't feel ready to have sex yet. He had told me that he was also a virgin, and we had numerous talks about how I believed premarital sex was wrong; his view was that if it was with the right person for the right reasons, it couldn't be wrong. In the end, we had sex, and over time I became comfortable with the idea of it and my views on premarital sex changed.

Eventually we broke up because I could sense he wasn't right for me - I caught him telling white lies a lot, and he was constantly sharing the more intimate details of our relationship with his friends. After a few months had passed, we decided to try being friends again. Everything was going great, until he informed me that he had lied when he said he was a virgin. Even though it's been months since our breakup, it still hurts to hear that; I feel betrayed and used.

Apparently he felt guilty about lying to me and wanted to come clean. Now he's asking for forgiveness, and I don't know what to do. I've never felt more disrespected and stupid. How do I deal with this?

- Lied to Lila

To see DearSugar's answer, read more.

Dear Lied to Lila,

I don't blame you for feeling betrayed! He lied to you in order to take advantage of something that you were obviously unsure about, and in my book, there's absolutely no excuse for that. While I tend to be a big believer in the notion that nothing is unforgivable, this particular lie and admission don't say much about his character. If you need to forgive him in order to process this, then I think you should, but forgiveness aside, I'd be wary when considering him your friend.

While I can't say whether or not your ex has changed in the few months since you've broken up, my best bet is that he hasn't. And even if he has made some changes, admitting that he lied to you before doesn't suddenly make lying in the first place OK. I think you need to tell him what you told me- that what he did was wrong, and you feel betrayed and used. In the meantime, remind yourself that you can't control others' actions. It's upsetting that he lied to you, but try to avoid looking back on your time together as a mistake; rather, consider it a personal learning experience.

Source

Hot Holiday Item to Pre-Order: New SMB For the Wii

GeekSugar — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 07:33:19 -0800

I'm not gonna lie, after getting a sneak peek of New Super Mario Bros. for the Wii back in June at E3, I've been secretly counting down the days until I can pop this game into my shiny white console.

In less than five days (this Sunday!) SMB for the Wii ($50) will be released across the country, and I can tell you this much - it's going to be on many wish lists this holiday season - heck, it's already getting rave reviews.

There's no denying that Super Mario Bros. games have staying power - SMB3 did win our best video game ever bracket challenge! And with this game you can experience multiplayer fun (Mario, Luigi and two toads are playable characters), use the new propeller suit, and shake and tilt your wiimote to do fun things like tilt seesaws and transform Mario into a penguin.

View 5 Photos ›

Do Tell: Share Your Pet-Related Little White Lies!

PetSugar — Wed, 13 May 2009 14:00:27 -0700

We've all been there. It's the pal's pet whose bad odor we pretend to ignore. It's the new boyfriend's cat that makes you sneeze. It's the dog that chewed up a roommate's sock yet again. Beyond using a pet for an excuse, I want to know if you've ever fibbed about a furry friend - perhaps to make yourself (or your pet) more appealing.

I know I've tried to convince friends that North "is totally not usually this hyper, I swear." I'm curious about which little white lies you've made up about pets both current and past. Oh, and if you want to keep your secret still a secret, simply sign out of your TeamSugar account to share anonymously in the comments below.

Source