The World Of B-Sides & Rarities, #526

Rihanna & Klaxons - Umbrella

Recorded live from 2008's Brit Awards.

It may be overexposed to death...

but you know you still love it!

MP3: Rihanna & Klaxons - Umbrella [alt link]

Brit Awards 2008: The Performances

Here's the best of the bunch:

Amy Winehouse - Love Is A Losing Game


Rihanna & Klaxons - Umbrella/Golden Skans


Kylie Minogue - Wow


Mark Ronson & Friends - Medley

MP3: Rihanna - Umbrella

Brit Awards 2008: The Winners

Here they are:

British Male Solo:
Mark Ronson

British Album:
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite...

British Female Solo:
Kate Nash

British Group:
Arctic Monkeys

Best Live Act:
Take That

British Breakthrough:
Mika

British Single:
Take That - Shine

International Male Solo:
Kanye West

International Female Solo:
Kylie Minogue

International Group:
Foo Fighters

International Album:
Foo Fighters - Echoes...

Outstanding Contribution:
Sir Paul McCartney

Critics Choice 2008:
Adele

MP3: Kanye West - Hey Mama

Brit Awards 2008 Nominees Announced

Who are you pulling for?

British Male Solo:
Jamie T
Mark Ronson
Mika
Newton Faulkner
Richard Hawley

British Album:
Arctic Monkeys - Favourite...
Leona Lewis - Spirit
Mark Ronson - Version
Mika - Life In Cartoon Motion
Take That - Beautiful World

British Female Solo:
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
KT Tunstall
Leona Lewis
PJ Harvey

British Group:
Arctic Monkeys
Editors
Girls Aloud
Kaiser Chiefs
Take That

British Breakthrough:
Bat For Lashes
Kate Nash
Klaxons
Leona Lewis
Mika

British Single:
Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
Mika - Grace Kelly
Take That - Shine
Kaiser Chiefs - Ruby
Sugababes - About You Now
Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - Valerie
Kate Nash - Foundations
The Hoosiers - Worried About Ray
James Blunt - 1973
Mutya Buena - Real Girl

International Male Solo:
Bruce Springsteen
Kanye West
Michael Buble
Rufus Wainwright
Timbaland

International Female Solo:
Alicia Keys
Bjork
Feist
Kylie Minogue
Rhianna

International Group:
Arcade Fire
The Eagles
Foo Fighters
Kings Of Leon
The White Stripes

International Album:
Arcade Fire - Neon Bible
The Eagles - Long Road Out Of Eden
Foo Fighters - Echoes Silence Patience & Grace
Kings Of Leon - Because Of The Times
Kylie Minogue - X

Outstanding Contribution:
Sir Paul McCartney

Critics Choice 2008:
Adele

Photo courtesy of Index Magazine.

MP3: Feist - One Evening

The Brit Awards: Rigged?

So says Lily Allen and her ever-growing mouth. ContactMusic reports that Lily said the following to MTV just before losing out on her nomination for Best Female (to Amy Winehouse): "I already know I won't win any awards. I bet you GBP100 I'll get nothing. "The judging committee are all industry insiders and they're predominantly from Universal (Records) - and I'm on EMI. I think you'll find that 70 percent of the artists here tonight are on Universal. I'll leave you with that."

Looking through the list of winners, she makes quite a valid point. What do you think, was it rigged? Are all these award shows rigged and we're just too naive to realize? Hmm... something to ponder.

'07 Brit Awards Winners!

The event just wrapped up and here are the big winners!

British Male Solo Artist - James Morrison
British Female Solo Artist - Amy Winehouse
British Group - Arctic Monkeys
British Album - Arctic Monkeys, “Whatever people say I am...”
British Single - Take That “Patience”
British Breakthrough Act - Fratellis
British Live Act - Muse
International Male Solo Artist - Justin Timberlake
International Female Solo Artist - Nelly Furtado
International Group - The Killers
International Album - Killers “Sam’s Town”
International Breakthrough Act - Orson
Outstanding Contribution to Music - Oasis

*Take a look at everybody who was nominated, here.

Arctic Monkeys Too 'Busy' For Brit Awards, Again

Hmmm... sound eerily familiar?

Via ContactMusic: Sheffield youngsters ARCTIC MONKEYS have snubbed the Brits for the second year running, claiming they are too busy to attend the awards show next week. Despite being nominated for Best Album and Best Group, the northern foursome say they are planning to shoot the video for their latest single BRAINSTORM, which is due out on April 16th.

However, drummer MATT HELDERS told BBC6 Music the band were not being malicious or playing up to their aloof image, but rather they just didn't have the time. He said: "We're filming the video that day, so we're not going to be anywhere near it. "We haven't snubbed it, we're just busy boys getting ready to go on tour again."

You know what? The more they ignore it, the more likely they will win. My $5 is on the Monkeys winning both Album and Group awards.

MP3: Arctic Monkeys - Who The Fuck Are Arctic Monkeys?

Jarvis's Ban Ended!

Guess who's coming back to The Brit Awards....

Via ContactMusic: JARVIS COCKER, once a geeky sex symbol of 90s Britpop and MICHAEL JACKSON antagoniser, is due to return to the BRIT AWARDS after being banned for over ten years. The stringy former PULP lead singer has been nominated for Best Male in the show – meaning Cocker will return to the awards ceremony for the first time since his infamous stage invasion in 1996.

Cocker appeared on stage as music legend Jackson was performing a slightly over-the-top version of EARTH SONG and appeared to mock the US singer. However, not everyone was amused, as the COMMON PEOPLE singer's protests against Jackson's "Christ-like" performance was too rock 'n' roll for some.

Former BLUR frontman DAMON ALBARN recently branded Cocker's antics as "disturbing". He said he didn't like it when the bespectacled singer "pulled his pants down" in front of Jacko. "That just seemed really wrong. If someone is sick, he's not open to ridicule," Albarn spouted.

Damon v. Jarvis, it's 1993 all over again. I LOVE IT!

MP3: Pulp - Babies

'07 Brit Awards Nominees

Better than this year's Grammy noms, for sure.

British Male Solo Artist
James Morrison
Jarvis Cocker
Lemar
Paolo Nutini
Thom Yorke

British Female Solo Artist
Amy Winehouse
Corinne Bailey Rae
Jamelia
Lily Allen
Nerina Pallot

British Group
Arctic Monkeys
Kasabian
Muse
Razorlight
Snow Patrol

Mastercard British Album
Amy Winehouse - 'Back To Black'
Arctic Monkeys - 'Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not'
Lily Allen - 'Alright, Still'
Muse - 'Black Holes And Revelations'
Snow Patrol - 'Eyes Open'

British Single Shortlist
Corinne Bailey Rae - 'Put Your Records On'
The Feeling - 'Fill My Little World'
James Morrison - 'You Give Me Something'
The Kooks - 'She Moves In Her Own Way'
Leona Lewis - 'A Moment Like This'
Lily Allen - 'Smile'
Razorlight - 'America'
Sandi Thom - 'I Wish I Was A Punk Rocker'
Snow Patrol - 'Chasing Cars'
Take That - 'Patience'
Will Young - 'All Time Love'

British Breakthrough Act
Corinne Bailey Rae
The Fratellis
James Morrison
The Kooks
Lily Allen

British Live Act
George Michael
Guillemots
Kasabian
Muse
Robbie Williams

International Male Solo Artist
Beck
Bob Dylan
Damien Rice
Jack Johnson
Justin Timberlake

International Female Solo Artist
Beyonce
Cat Power
Christina Aguilera
Nelly Furtado
Pink

International Group
The Flaming Lips
Gnarls Barkley
The Killers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Scissor Sisters

International Album
Bob Dylan - 'Modern Times'
Gnarls Barkley - 'St Elsewhere'
Justin Timberlake - 'FutureSex/LoveSounds'
The Killers - 'Sam's Town'
Scissor Sisters - 'Ta-Dah'

International Breakthrough Act
Gnarls Barkley
Orson
The Raconteurs
Ray Lamontagne
Wolfmother

Outstanding Contribution To Music
Oasis

Attention Anglophiles

Tonight on BBC America, they are playing the 2006 Brit Awards, featuring KT Tunstall and Coldplay, followed by Madonna: Live, which is her hour long performance and interview on Parkinson. Who's excited? And from the commercials, it looks like Madonna's accent has gotten even more weirdly English. Nice.

The Brits start at 8pm est, with Madonna at 10pm.

Now it's back to recovering. It was one crazy Friday night for your New York Sluts at Happy Endings. My thighs are killing me...

Update: My thighs are still feeling a bit stressed, but here's my take on the shows.
Madonna's accent is indeed, out of control. I think it was because she was talking to Parky though and she couldn't help but copy his accent. I must explain something that people who haven't lived abroad for an extended amount of time might not understand. You can't help it. I lived in Scotland for over a year, I didn't come back with a Scottish accent (hell, I can't even do a good fake one), but I did come back with the inflection. You know that British stress on certain parts of the sentence that is usually the opposite of Americans? I had that for about a month after I returned to NY but don't worry, I learned how to talk the American way again. Though you will still hear me say 'cheers', 'brilliant' and then call you a 'wanker.' I do think that Madonna's case is a bit extreme, but let us not forget- she is the queen of reinvention and in this case, she has reinvented herself into a posh English land-owner.

The Brits were a bit dull besides the performances. Coldplay were actually really engaging. Chris was jumping all over the place, reacting to the explosions on the screen behind him and then at the end running to the piano and banging away. I think Gwyneth may have given him one too many wheat grass shots before hand. He looked terribly cute, very skinny with a shock of curly blond hair- shame he seems to be losing it.

Other observations, my indie boy crush, Keith from We Are Scientists, accepted the Arctic Monkeys' award for Best British Band via satellite while the AMs sat around him and watched. I don't think anyone else noticed that the best Brit band had an American accent. Also, the Kaiser Chiefs lead singer, Ricky Wilson, looked a bit svelter then when I saw him this summer during the festivals. Well done you. Kaiser Chiefs won Best Brit Breakthrough Band.