World AIDS Day: Annie Lennox "Sings" About It

-- Michael Jensen from AfterElton.com

Annie Lennox has never been the sort of pop star to use her celebrity to get into fancy shops after hours or create overpriced clothing lines. She's proving yet again she wants to help those less fortunate with her new single "Sing" from her latest album Songs of Mass Destruction. To help raise money for HIV/AIDS awareness, Annie has also released special remixes of her single Sing to help raise funds for the HIV/AIDS organization Treatment Action Campaign.

Annie so rocks! Here is the video for "Sing" with an opening by Nelson Mandela.

The Heidi Chronicles: Project Runway Season 4 Video Blog. Episode 3!

We're back on track with another edition of The Heidi Chronicles - our NewNowNext Project Runway Season 4 weekly rehash! John and I discuss that oh-so-dramatic menswear challenge and, hey - John even dressed for the occasion (in honor of "fashion icon" and guest judge Tiki Barber)! Let's take those designers down!

Catch the ep after the jump...We touch on the frequent (and more-than-welcome!) male "disrobing" in this episode, as well as Nina and Heidi hilarity at judging (we've got impressions!). There's also a clip of the menswear runway show, in case you missed it...

When Anne Murray Duets, Lesbians Listen (And Sometimes Sing Along)

-- scribegrrrl from AfterEllen.com

I'm a longtime Anne Murray fan. As an adolescent, I had quite a crush on her. I was even in the habit of giving my mom Anne Murray albums at every opportunity, pretending they weren't entirely for me.

But, as you do with adolescent crushes, I had kind of forgotten about Murray. That is, until AfterEllen.com readers Kara and Andrea (thanks!) told me about her new album, Duets: Friends and Legends.

I cannot believe the track list, especially these gems:

Sundance Gets a Little Gayer

-- Brian Juergens from AfterElton.com

Sundance announced another slew of films on its 2008 slate yesterday (these are the out-of-competition offerings), and it's as depressingly gay-anemic as the list of films in competition, it does at least feature a few legitimitely intriguing gay-related movies.

First and most exciting to me is Tom Kalin's Savage Grace, starring Julianne Moore and Eddie Redmayne. The exciting bit is the fact that this is Kalin's first feature film since Swoon, the groundbreaking meditation on the Leopold/Loeb murder case that helped kickstart the queer indie film movement here in the States back in 1992.

Video Lunch: Kate Nash - "Foundations"

If you call her "The Next Lily Allen," God help you; you'll soon face the wrath of a poorly-spelled MySpace tirade! (How I live for those tirades, though.) But get it straight: Kate Nash and Miss Lily only have their sex, youth and London-hometown in common.

I'm not sure if the press comparisons between the two singers stemmed more from their musical stylings and similar, conversational lyrics or more from Lily listing Kate as her MySpace friend (which led to a huge jump in Kate’s popularity). But there's no denying it: Lily is the Oprah of MySpace, and her friends listings are like her Favorite Things! Sort of.

Kate came out with her debut album, Made of Bricks, in June, and the CD hit the UK Number 1 spot. So Kate doesn't really need Lily anymore, even though Kate’s single, “Foundations” (also today’s featured video), only got record label attention this summer when Lily threw to it.

You know you wanna! Check out a MySpace parody and blog rants from both ladies...after the jump!

The Lo-Down: A Shot at Love Episodes 7 and 8

-- Malinda Lo from AfterEllen.com

Since we skipped A Shot at Love last week to eat turkey and geek out about Battlestar Galactica: Razor, this week on The Lo-Down Sarah P. and I cover two, count 'em, two episodes of the reality show to which I am strangely drawn (Sarah's still not impressed). Luckily, A Shot at Love isn't nearly as complex as Razor, so fitting in two episodes in one vlog wasn't too hard. I even had time to give an impromptu chopstick usage lesson.

In addition to introducing you all to my Chopstick Theory, we discussed the following topics:

• Why the chocolate pudding challenge, unlike chocolate pudding wrestling, was just not sexy.
• Domenico's horrible, no good, very bad choice of swimwear.
• Ryan and Bobby being forced to come out — as dating a bisexual!
• What Dani (and all firefighters) should do until they are dead or disfigured.
• Plus, the Tila doll returns to show us just how skilled she is as a pole- and lap-dancer.

Logo's New Reality Show: Transamerican Love Story

No, not a love story between these two. (Not that kind of love, anyway.) But gay comedian Alec Mapa (Ugly Betty, Desperate Housewives) will play host for Calpernia Addams' upcoming dating show. To quote Alec on this photo shoot: "It's like Angelina and Maddox!"

Yes, Calpernia Addams is the new bachelorette! Logo recently greenlit a new reality series starring the actress/activist called Transamerican Love Story to air in February. On the show, Calpernia will choose from eight men living together in a Los Angeles-area home, and, unlike some other shows I could name (and I will: There's Something About Miriam), all of these bachelors know Calpernia is trans.

Actress and activist Calpernia Addams' tragic romance with an Army private in Kentucky inspired the 2003 movie Soldier's Girl. She also founded Deep Stealth Productions, a media company that supports transsexual women.

But I want to know: What will Calpernia pass out to her men? Chains? Roses? Over-sized clocks? Nothing seems to measure up...I'll have to wait and see.

 

Check below for more pictures from the photo shoot...including Calpernia with her friend and  fellow activist, Andrea James (who will also appear on the show)...

Chris Garneau's "Bedroom Fireflies" Video Released

-- Adam Lubitow from AfterElton.com

Out singer Chris Garneau (who our friends over at NewNowNext interviewed back when his debut album, Music For Tourists, was released) has uploaded a new, homemade video for his song "Bedroom Fireflies, Nighttime Lamp Surprise". The video was put together by Garneau and Grant Worth of Mission Fantastic and features musicians Anna Caller and Saul Simon.

It’s worlds away from the more polished looking video for his first single, "Relief"; shot on a handheld camera in Chris’ apartment, the new video more closely resembles the outtakes and behind-the-scenes footage you’d expect to see from a standard video shoot. Watching it, I kept waiting for the real music video to begin. It was almost halfway through before I realized I was watching the final product.

NewNowNext NOISE: Video Blog! Kylie's New Album, X!

Hey, y'all! We've got another ep of NewNowNext NOISE, our music and pop-culture video blog, for you. Our main topic of discussion this week? That Aussie singer who makes gays squeal: Kylie Minogue! We listened to her upcoming album, X (which is out now in the U.K. and will hit the U.S. in February)...and, not surprisingly, we have plenty of good things to say...

And check out a quickie Part 2 after the jump...as John and I chat about pop-culture moments from the past week!

The Broadway Strike Is Over: Bring on The Divas!

-- Ace from AfterEllen.com

Oh, Happy Day! Or Oh, Happy Night as I'm writing this. I just watched Charlotte St. Martin, the spokesperson for the League of American Theatres and Producers, announce that a tentative deal has been reached to end the Broadway stagehands' union strike. Shows are reopening immediately, and happiness reigns in my home and in midtown Manhattan. (You can read a good timeline of the strike here.)

And the end of the strike is not the only good Broadway news these days. I just read that Patti LuPone will be reprising her role as Mama Rose in Gypsy next March. 

This summer, the Encores! Summer Stars production of Gypsy at New York City Center was the hot ticket. (I certainly couldn't get my hands on one.) Everyone I know who saw it loved it, despite the tepid New York Times review. 

Sundance Not Very Gay...Again

-- Michael Jensen from AfterElton.com

The Sundance Film Festival just announced the line-up for their big annual blow-out which launches January 17th in Park City, Utah. Alas, there isn't a whole lot of gay again this year. I checked over the listings and the only two things that popped out at me included the film adaptation of Michael Chabon's The Mysteries of Pittsburgh and the documentary Derek about director Derek Jarman who died of AIDS in 1994. UPDATE: Our cinephiliac contributor Adam Lubitow spotted UK doc Be Like Others, which is about transgender Iranian men. Also, the U.S. doc American Teen, which follows four high school students in Indiana, has been accused of offering to pay subjects to "act gay" for the film.

As I'm neither a huge fan of documentaries or Derek Jarman, it's Pittsburgh I'm most curious about. Jon Foster (pictured above) plays the bisexual Art Bechstein who falls into a love triangle with a married couple. It's been years since I've read the book, but I recollect loving it and am very interested to see how they handle the gay plot threads.

The movie also stars Mena Suvari, Sienna Miller, and, best of all, Peters Sarsgaard, whom gay fans no doubt remember from his turn in Kinsey. It does give me a bit of pause that the film is directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber who last directed Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story.

There are still some other announcements to come from Sundance and we'll keep you posted!

Gail Simone Restores the Wonder to Wonder Woman

-- thelinster from AfterEllen.com

As a long-time reader of Birds of Prey, I was disappointed when writer Gail Simone left the series. Her love for the characters showed — and she was one of the few female comic book writers working on a superhero title. But soon after, DC announced that Simone's next project would be none other than the story of Diana Prince, aka Wonder Woman.

Shortly after the announcement, Simone summed up her feelings about Wonder Woman. "This book is about the best goddamned warrior planet Earth has ever known, and she happens to carry a mystical arsenal around just for the hell of it. If a writer can't make that interesting and fun, they really shouldn't be writing superheroes."

Do I hear an amen?

All the Pop-Culture, News and Gay-ness of '07: Check Out NewNowNext: 2007 Rewind!

Gay in '07, what?

Trying to take in all the wonders of gay pop-culture, celebrity meltdowns and juicy scandals from 2007 almost puts me into overload. What a year, right? Iggy-gate?  Sanjaya? Leave Britney alone? Come on!

And that's just the beginning. If you need a little closure (cause some stories were almost too much, let's face it), check out the NewNowNext: 2007 Rewind page! We break down all the pop-culture heavyweights from 2007...from celebrity feuds, to Pride parades, to Internet sensations to mug shots (Oh - the mug shots!). We could just rehash forever - but we worked to pick the best-of-the-best and the gayest-of-the-gay.

Remember me, U.S. Americans?

Let's break it down: The page has tons of polls (topics range from celebrities-gone-wild, TV, movies, actual news, among others), so you can weigh in and see what others are saying.

Also, there are plenty of gay-leaning photos (and some straight eye-candy) in the flipbooks section, as well as a handy news and pop-culture timeline to help you put it all in perspective. Did Britney shave her head in July...or did Lindsay re-re-enter rehab in February? Don't worry - we've got you.

Gimme More, 2007!

Beautiful Strangers: Freak Folksters Pay Tribute to Madonna

Strike a pose, peacocks! Madonna's greatest hits are covered in a new tribute album.

Unlike little David Banda, and possibly another rumored bundle of joy named Mercy, the rest of us will not be lucky enough to be adopted by Madonna. This includes more than one million HIV/AIDS orphans in Malawai, the country of only 13 million in southeast Africa where the Material Girl targets her humanitarian efforts.

Our selfish Momma Madge fantasies aside, at least now there’s a novel way to help make things better for the kids in Malawi who could really use the support.

This week, in what seems like a very awkward sonic marriage, Manimal Vinyl released Through The Wilderness: A Tribute to Madonna, which features mostly underground names in freak, um, psych folk performing some of her biggest numbers. The track listing emphasizes the mid-80s to early 90s, those pre-Kabbalah golden years before the pop music star believed she could become a serious Oscar contender. Proceeds from the album will benefit Raising Malawi, the charity she founded to improve the lives of orphans in the country.

Listen to some samples here. While Devendra Banhart, that leader of the freak folk pack, evidently did not make the album as initially suspected, Siddharta represents the male gender with a powerful voice that serves “Holiday,” like it’s never been heard. A more well-known band, Lavender Diamond, performs a transcendent, tambourine-inflected “Like a Prayer,” and, despite the name, Giant Drag gives a much needed lift to that original laggard, “Oh Father.”

On second thought, where’s the wilderness? This is beginning to sound way too L.A.

Two Gay Guys Passing Judgement Video Blog: The Mist, Beowulf, East Side Story

-- Brian Juergens from AfterElton.com

Two Gay Guys, Brent and Michael, are back to crown the worthy and smite the undeserving in another installment of their Passing Judgment video blog. In this week's episode they discuss the not-really-gay Stephen King adaptation The Mist, the really-not-really-gay CGI Beowulf, and the totally gay indie romance East Side Story.

Which will be crowned with the gayest laurels on the Pacific Coast, and which will wind up charred by the thundercrack of our disapproving gay entertainment Olympians?

Watch to find out ...

Video Lunch: Tegan & Sara - "The Con"

The Canadian, identical twins Tegan and Sara are on their fifth studio album (not bad!), and MTV even featured them as an Artist of the Week. That means I heard them during commercials for Tila Tequila and Real World! (I also remember seeing them make a strange, hash-brown/shepard's pie-esque dish...)

Anyway! The new video for the title track of their album got my attention even more than their cooking lesson did; I think it's somehow both exciting and terribly sad. The video features one sis hunting for the other, as she speaks to an apathetic therapist.

The lyrics from The Con are not typical; as Rolling Stone put it, "as lesbians who never reference their oppression or even their sexuality, Tegan and Sara don't have men to lash out at, put up with or gripe about." Good. And I'm a big fan of the lines about being capsized and the "nobody likes to but I really like to cry" one. Now which one wrote which...?

We're Getting Nowhere: America's Next Top Model Episode 9.10

-- Karman Kregloe from AfterEllen.com

The Top Model contestants continued their adventures in China this week, and we learned that no matter where they go, there they are — being bitchy.

In the most recent episode of ANTM, the girls take to the friendly skies and learn some nifty aerial fighting tricks a la Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. In short, Heather does surprisingly well, Bianca chickens out, and Michelle Yeoh has nothing to worry about. Check out our reenactment of the challenge with some unlucky (and not very athletic) dolls.

In addition to the Top Model acrobatics, this week we  discuss:

• Why Saleisha let us down
• What kind of "queen" Cover Girl spokesmodel Queen Latifah is looking for
• How Bianca is like an ant

Also, in another We're Getting Nowhere bonus feature,  the "lost" ANTM contestants, Loquacious, Lorelai and Natalia, audition for a Cover Girl commercial. It's not nearly as glamorous as it sounds.

Ex Hollyoaks Hunk Plays it Gay in The Street

-- Fallen Angel from AfterElton.com

He’s best known for playing lovable rogues like Jambo in Hollyoaks and Gaz in Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. But British actor Will Mellor jumped at the chance to leave his comedy roots behind and play it straight as a gay builder in BBC1’s multi award-winning drama series, The Street.

In the third episode of a six-part series (broadcast last Thursday on BBC1, but Virgin Media customers can still watch it on Catch Up TV On Demand!) Mellor played the part of Tom, who ended up seducing his married workmate Charlie, portrayed by Welsh actor and star of 300 Vincent Regan.

Speaking to the Scottish newspaper the Daily Record, Mellor said: "It's my first gay role. I play a character who is a builder on a site. He's just one of the lads, a typical blokey bloke, but none of the lads know he's gay.

"He's attracted to a guy who (is) working with him who is married with kids. My character thinks he can see in him that he's possibly bisexual or hiding that he's gay or whatever.

Alanis Morissette Is Famous

-- scribegrrrl from AfterEllen.com

On Monday, organizers announced that Alanis Morissette will be inducted into the Canadian Music Industry Hall of Fame. The honors will be bestowed at a ceremony on March 7, during Canadian Music Week.

Morissette will also receive a lifetime achievement award at the event. Yes, lifetime, even though she's only 33 years old. Does this mean they want her to retire?

Watch New White Stripes Video: "Conquest!"

Even though The White Stripes canceled their 2007 tour dates, it's good to see they're still coming out with videos! The duo is currently on their sixth studio album, Icky Thump, and the new single is actually a cover of a Corky Robbins song (which gained fame in the '50s thanks to Patti Page).

And check the "Conquest" video: It's an ultra-dramatic bull fight with crazy trumpets! And Meg is looking all uncaring in the corner, as Jack sings about, "The hunted became the huntress, the hunter became the prey. Conquest!" And Jack makes a mistake taking pity on the bull he and the crowd are torturing.  Oh, role-reversal for sure!

The Heidi Chronicles: The Project Runway Season 4 Video Blog. Episode 2!

Guten Tag, everyone! John and Colin are back with the second episode of NewNowNext's Project Runway Season 4 video blog: The Heidi Chronicles - because who isn't obsessed with Heidi? Forgive the delay; everyone over at Logo's been traveling for Thanksgiving an' all.

But you know you're not done rehashing about spitting Elisa, crying Ricky and beautiful, beautiful Jack. Oh, and Sarah Jessica Parker! So check out our discussion of Episode 2...which includes our vlog name-change, why Michael Kors was so whiny and Sarah Jessica making everyone cry! 

Don't miss Part 2 after the jump...John and I unveil our OWN designs for SJP - and discuss everyone's favorite topic: a nude photo scandal!

Ed Droste's Year-End Recap (and an Unexpected JoJo Cover)

-- Adam Lubitow from AfterElton.com

Ed Droste, the openly gay lead singer of Grizzly Bear, updated the band's blog with a recounting of how, for over a year (and for reasons known only to him), he’s been hounding band member Dan Rossen to record a cover of cheese-filled Top 40 hit 'Too Little Too Late’ by Jo Jo.

In honor of Ed’s 29th birthday last month, Dan finally delivered, and the song is included in the post. It’s a surprisingly straight-faced cover, and it’s pretty spectacular. Ed goes on to write a bit about the critical response to the recently released "Friend" EP, working with Feist for Grizzly Bear's next album, how his Thanksgiving went, and includes a few various MP3’s.

As a bonus, at the end of the post, Droste adds his picks for the best albums released in 2007. It looks to be a pretty solid list, though I’m a little distressed about the number I haven’t heard yet.

Check out Ed’s picks after the break.

Lesbian Weeds Watching: Episode 3.15

-- Sarah Warn from AfterEllen.com

Still recovering from Thanksgiving, Emma and Jen recap the finale of Weeds Season 3 in this episode of Lesbian Weeds Watching, complete with reenactments, a special "Look Back at the Actors" and a goodbye poem!

Watch it here.

Geek Talk Video Blog: Episode 5

-- Brian Juergens from AfterElton.com

This week the darling duo (that's Marc and Lee, for those of you just joining the program) gab about topics ranging from Futurama, Southland Tales, Torchwood, Battlestar Galactica: Razor, and more ... brought to you by Quizno's!

Okay, not really. But when you watch it, all will become clear ... including the identity of the Mystery Guest in the bunnyhug pictured above. The guys also feature a few of their favorite new geek-related websites. Shirtless superheroes? Sign me up!

Click on through the jump to watch!

Sweeney Todd Behind the Scenes: Scissorhands Returns

-- thelinster from AfterEllen.com

The promotion machine for Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street  is in high gear as the movie's December 21 release approaches and, I must say, Helena Bonham Carter is a smashing Mrs. Lovett.

Her childhood friends are not surprised, according to Bonham Carter's interview in the December issue of Marie Claire. "One of my friends said, 'Of course you'll get the part. We called you Mrs. Lovett when you were 13 — you walked around with her horned hairdo for a year.'" Of course she did.

Is A Shot At Love's Domenico Getting His Own Dating Show?

Domenico! Are you interested, ladies? He's Tila's "teddy bear," and she eliminated his goofy ass...but we all loved him, right? He actually made me think he was an actor, although he may have just been playing it up for the camera. And he was cute. (If you're not familiar with "Little Italy," I suggest you brush up on your A Shot At Love with Tila Tequila ASAP.)

Not only is MTV bringing back A Shot at Love for another season (without Ms. Tila, though), they may in fact be pulling a Vh1 and giving Domenico his own dating show. The channel (perhaps) sent out a casting notice for That's Amore! (perhaps it's authentic), and the show will star Domenico Nessi himself as "The Bachelor."

Hey! He's like New York! Wait...is this a joke? I did just lift this information from dlisted.com, so it might be a rumor. Well, actually it's almost certainly a rumor, but you can still read the supposed casting call (I'm not sure what's up with the varied spelling Domenico's name) down below...

And check an official montage of Domenico's stint on the show...after the jump!

Lily Allen Is Quitting Music After Her Second Album...And What's Up With That Album, Anyway?

I love following crazy Lily Allen way more than I love her music (I like following her a lot), particularly her blog rants! Although the "Smile" (plus a ton of sweet collabos) singer hasn't posted anything too hilarious lately (she gave big ups to Leona Lewis and Mysoko), she has had something to say about the music industry, as per usual.

Supposedly, Lily plans to quit the music business she's had so much hostility toward after her second album to pursue a normal life and have a family and a farm.

Really? She says she hopes her upcoming CD will rake in enough money for her to retire at 25. I guess her her fat-ass check from Agent Provocateur won't be enough for a proper farm...(That's where that very flattering picture is from, by the way.)

Check what Lily has to say about her upcoming album (as well as another Provocateur pic) after the jump!

Who Thought THAT Was a Good Idea? Episode 7

-- Sarah Warn from AfterEllen.com

This week we count down the worst effects of the writers' strike — from Cashmere Mafia's delayed debut, to no female president until '08, to having to get our news from actual news sources (instead of The Colbert Report).

And then there's the spate of new reality TV shows in the works, like American Gladiators and A Shot at Love 2 ... yes, it's getting downright ugly, people!

Dolce & Gabbana Ads to Make Your Monday a Little Gayer

-- scribegrrrl from AfterEllen.com

Thanks to Brian at AfterElton.com,  a couple of Dolce & Gabbana ads have made my Monday a little brighter (and gah, is there anything darker than a Monday right after a holiday?).

The ads (currently airing on TV, though I have yet to see them) depict two people on the go, rushing to meet their dates for the evening. But their dates aren't quite who you'd expect them to be. In fact, their whole world seems to be full of unexpected elements — really gay ones.

There are two versions of the ad, one for the ladies and one for the gentlemen. (Though I guess reasonable minds might differ on which one is which.) Here's one version:

Video Lunch: Estelle - "Wait a Minute (Just a Touch)"

Another didn't-catch-on-in-the-U.S. frustration...and I'm guilty! I had never heard of the lovely, British Estelle (whose previous album, The 18th Day, apparently played everywhere in the world save America), but I'm loving her new single, "Wait A Minute (Just A Touch)." It's nothing like the Pussycat Dolls song, if you're like me and that was your first thought. No?

John Legend signed Estelle to his new HomeSchool label, and the man makes a bouncer cameo in this video, which I really recommend. Estelle shows a lot of range, and the beat is sick! Don't you love the lines, "I'm through with you. Get your shoes on, 'cause I'm usin' you."?

Estelle's new album is called Shine (eh, couldn't come up with something better?), and it's due out February 12, 2008.

More on Estelle and her new album (which feature some A-list collabos) after the jump!

The Lo-Down: Special Battlestar Galactica: Razor edition!

-- Malinda Lo from AfterEllen.com

Finally after weeks of resisting spoiler leakage (that sounds kinda nasty, doesn't it?), the time has come: The Lo-Down's special Battlestar Galactica: Razor edition! This week, Sarah P. and I took a break from Tila Land to take you on an intergalactic journey of epic proportions ... complete with a special Razor-themed opening sequence with uber-dramatic music. (I couldn't resist.)

If you haven't yet seen Razor and/or if you are a BSG newbie, I suggest you read my review of the episode to get the full back story. Then you will be less confused when you watch our vlog, in which we attempt to cover all of the following topics:

• Why we love Battlestar Galactica (childhood space fantasies and fake military included).
• Grace Park's turn as a lesbian teen in Canadian TV series Edgemont.
• How many men in the original series became women in the reimagined one (several!).
• How Admiral Cain differs from Commander Adama, and why it's important.
• Why Starbuck should be a lesbian (obviously).

Plus, Sarah P. has fun with knives. Watch it now:

Always Time For Zachary Quinto Pictures...Plus Star Trek and Justice League Movie Casting News!

Not everyone thinks Zachary Quinto is hot, but I'm pretty upfront about my...interest in him. Also, I'm much more of a Trek-er than a Heroes-er, so Zach-y getting known less for Sylar and more for Spock is OK by me. (As you probably know, Zachary is playing Spock from The Original Series in the upcoming JJ Abrams movie.)

Zachary recently spoke with FHM about playing Spock - photographers have caught him shooting in Cali  (below) as well as partying with trademark-Vulcan shaved eyebrows - and you can catch a few quotes from the story with that link. (He says he wasn't a huge Trekker.)

Anyway, I'm not saying I think Zachary Quinto is gay (not even after his role as Tori Spelling's gay assistant), but doesn't the man look like he enjoys photo shoots just a little too much? Well, wishful thinking, I guess. I feel the same way about Zac Efron but don't think he's gay (I just don't care with that l'il one).

Don't miss another FHM photo after the jump (with Wolverine hair!)...and Justice League casting buzz!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Rock Band Mania!

"Mike, Carol, kids & Alice... Get ready to rock out with your Brady's out!"

Hey, all you nice gift-givers and you greedy gift-getters out there in holiday land! Welcome NewNowNext's holiday gift zone, crunked up full of hot gift ideas to rock your yuletide.

First up, techie gift maestro Vinny Lopez, who covers gadgetry for The Advocate has brought us a sample of the new music/rhythm game, Rock Band. This takes the fun of playing air guitar Wayne’s World style, mixes it with karaoke, and basically let’s you and a few friends become the rock stars you know you are.

Watch the video below for some handy basic info!

After the jump, there’s more Rock Band goodness... Including a Vlog segment from AfterElton’s Geek Talk! Plus, you can head to LogoOnline and see how crazy gay pimp Jonny McGovern spent his Thanksgiving slaying some Rock Band fierceness alongside all of his homo posse.

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: "Perfect" Design Gifts

Some of the fab designy gift ideas from The Future Perfect. Crafty!

All of the video “gift guide” segments seen on Logo (and view here at NewNowNext.com) were shot at Williamsburg, Brooklyn’s awesome hub of art and design and killer gifts, The Future Perfect. The store is owned by Dave Alhadeff (watch him in the video below) who showcases the artwork and crafty creations by some of NYC’s (and the world’s) coolest emerging art talents.

Dave’s eye for design is uncanny... So when he spots an artist and puts their work in The Future Perfect, it’s like being declared young design royalty.

Watch and check out some of Dave’s cool gift suggestions below...

After jump get the details on all the items—and then some!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Coolest Bike Ever!

Look, I'm stunned. "A bike? For me? Gasp!"

Not only is Vinny a godsend for bringing me the Rock Band game this holiday season (see above), he almost takes it up a notch even further by giving me the present every kid dreams of this time of year: A bitchin’ new bike!

And this bike is the super-stylin’, tech-savvy Lime Bike by the folks at Trek. It’s got disc brakes and automatic shifting! And it just looks hot. But watch the video and you’ll see more...

Cute bike pics after the jump, too!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Techie Treats

"Damn, I hope I got an iPhone..."

Gadgets make for killer holiday gifts. And they usually convey that uber-cool “whoooaaa” factor. As in “Whooahh!? Who thinks of this stuff?”

Vinny Lopez, who covers techie reporting for The Advocate (and some other mags) loves these gizmos. And he zipped in to clue you in to a few cool gift ideas that will add some geek chic to your tinsel-trimmed holiday season.

Check out what he’s got in the video...

And then get all the info on the goods after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Josie's Foodie Picks

Chef Josie's mixing it up!

You probably know out chef and TV personality Josie Smith-Malave from her stint on the second season of Bravo’s Top Chef. The NYC-based culinary maestro can be found cooking and consulting these days at Brooklyn’s Speakeasy restaurant, and she’s also still a presence in the food media scene, too.

She graced us with her presence to offer some tasty holiday gift ideas that will help you out in the kitchen or the dining room—and she’s even willing to lend a very personal hand, too.

More gifts—and good news about what Chef Josie can do for you—after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Give Green!

It's gonna be a "green" Christmas...

2007 may be the year where awareness of all things “green” really hit mainstream. And if you wanna shop for eco-friendly gifts this season, it’s easy to do!

Lifestyle expert Jono pedalled over to visit and offered up a few cool ideas of items that you can give—and feel good about! Check out the video...

All the details on Jono's featured items—and several more!—after the jump.

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Inge's Musical Musts!

Watch out! Inge and I are talking about gifts you can dance to! Or at least get rhythmic with... Hit it!

One of NYC’s coolest DJs, Inge Colsen (who’s also the Marketing Director at Girlie Action, a music media and marketing firm) skated by to offer up a few of her inside tips on some good music gift ideas this holiday season.

Watch the video for her recommendations for a couple of hot CDs, a cool magazine and some truly kickin’ headphones! Turn it up!

Get the full details on Inge's recommendations after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Travel Goods!

Holiday air travel in the UK, circa 1946. Nifty!

Maybe you go home for the holidays. Maybe you whoosh off to Mexico or Sun Valley or Scotland or someplace equally festive. One sure thing is that gays like to travel. So when thinking of the globetrotter on your list, think big!

Ken Panton of the luxury online travel magazine ECityofTravel.com visited us to recommend a few first-class gift ideas for this holidays season. Watch the quick video below, and after the jump you can upgrade to see what’s what!

Ken Panton on Hot Travel Gifts

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Oak Fashion Musts!

What to wear, what to wear... Shopping means "Fashion!"

I know today you’ll probably be loosening your belt after snarfing down too many yams, but hey... You still gotta dress well, right? There are too many holiday parties for you to attend to not look sharp, and you probably also know so well-dressed types who you gotta shop for this season, too...

For these reasons, I wanna point you to the very cool Brooklyn-based outfitter, Oak. With stores in both Williamsburg and Park Slope (keeping it in the gay ’hoods, y’all) and retailing online too (and there’s talk of a store possibly opening in Manhattan, too), Oak provides smart shoppers with killer clothes (for him and her) by emerging designers as well as some tried and true labels, too. Stuff isn’t cheap, but you can browse the sale sections of the site for deals.

Anyway, they also dressed me for the “Thanksgifting” TV spots that are airing tomorrow, so check them out!

Hot "Oak items" for him (and something for "her" too), after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Good Reads

Holidays. Books. Gifts... No mystery there!

You can give juicy novels, serious literature or splashy coffee-table photo tomes. Here a few morsels I came across that seem giftworthy. Read on!

Pierre et Gilles: Double Je, 1976-2007

French artists Pierre et Gilles aren’t just photographers. They’re artists who create entire worlds that meld fairy-tale beauty, burlesque, old-Hollywood glamour, sci-fi and all around raucous-ness as part of the portraits they craft. They may shoot celebs (Madonna, Catherine Deneuve, Marilyn Manson, porn stars like Jeff Stryker or Aiden Shaw) or just plain folks, but trust—the images are never plain. This tome is a celebration of 30+ years of over-the-top gorgeousness. Wrap it up!

Watch Plymouth Rock Band: Jonny McGovern's Gay Pimpin' Thanksgivin'!

Happy Thanksgiving, y'all! Whether you're pre-, mid- or post-delicious-holiday-food-binge, why not check out some more clips below (and after the jump) of Team Pimp gettin' into the Thanksgiving spirit! (Especially if you missed the on-air showing last night!)

And, as you'll see, the Pimps were doubtful of Rock Band's potential at first, but once they saw their fab faces in avatar form, their one-track minds forgot about getting their Thanksgiving snack on in the clubs. That's serious entertainment!

Jonny has to diffuse a tranny fight, but other than that, the rockin' out brings the crew together like never before!

Don't miss another clip after the jump!

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: Live Music Musts!

The holidays are all about great music...

The end of the year and holiday season always brings out more stuff from your favorite artists. They’ve always got more to give (Face it. Performers crave your attention.), and there’s always more you can find out about your favorite singing starlet.

Live concerts DVDs always offer insight into just how good your favorite diva or heartthrob really is... So here are a few to keep you entertained while all the included parties work on new material for your consumption.

Mika – Live in Cartoon Motion

Live from France—it’s Mika! This live DVD offering serves up Mika performing his hits, "Relax, Take It Easy," "Big Girl (You Are Beautiful)," and the global chart-topping "Grace Kelly" (plus others). Shot with 10 cameras in high definition, it also features a documentary chronicling Mika's romping about the planet during his world tour. Maybe you can look for clues to the always nagging “is he or isn’t he” question, too!

More live divas, legends and lushes after the jump!

Happy Birthday, Bjork!

Bjork: Grammy-nominated Thanksgiving fashion innovator.

“There's definitely, definitely, definitely no logic.”

People may not always understand what she says, or agree with her exotic costume choices, but who isn’t thankful for Bjork and her musical achievement as a brilliantly weird outsider?

The multi-talented singer-songwriter, composer and actress turns 42 today. Like the LGBT community, this Icelandic phenomenon proves that massive creative potential can be contained within a relatively tiny population.

We're Getting Nowhere: America's Next Top Model Episode 9.9

-- Karman Kregloe from AfterEllen.com

If you've needed to catch up on your sleep, the most recent ANTM offered a stellar opportunity. There was hardly any crying or fighting, and despite the proximity of pyrotechnics, the photo shoot was less than hot. The episode was just plain boring.

Nevertheless, there were some developments for us to discuss. Heather worked hard to maintain her composure in the face of criticism, Lisa tripped over her words on the runway, and Bianca struggled to keep her big mouth shut. Again. Most importantly,  the models learned that they will soon be doing some international traveling! (Cue group squeal.)

In addition to the Heather/Bianca/Lisa drama, this week we  discuss:

• What happens when the models are forced to write and recite their own speeches on the runway
• Why Heather, Lisa and Saleisha ended up bathing together in the ANTM communal shower
• How Dara, Jill and I fared in our respective high school gym classes. I'm not even sure how we landed on this topic, but then we don't call this vlog We're Getting Nowhere for nothing!

Also, in another We're Getting Nowhere bonus feature,  the "lost" ANTM contestants, Loquacious, Lorelai and Natalia, meet with FIDM students and inspire their original designs. (Though I'm not sure that "inspire" is really the best word to describe what those models do to those poor students.)

Tila Explains Things to Tyra

-- scribegrrrl from AfterEllen.com

Last week, Tila Tequila was a guest on The Tyra Banks Show (thanks to Queerty for the tip). The episode discussed bisexuality generally, supposedly in an attempt to enlighten and educate.

But Tyra's own attitude seems far less than enlightened. Maybe Tila Tequila isn't the ideal representative for bisexuals — not that one person could ever represent such a diverse group —  but she definitely seems cooler than Tyra in this video. (Warning: Tila has a shrieky laugh. This could be painful if you're wearing headphones.)

2007 Holiday Gift Guide: TV Shows & Movies

New and classic TV and movies for the holidays? "Whatchu talkin' bout Kimberly?"

Nothing helps you endure the holiday season and family visits more than being able to retreat into your own space, slip in a DVD and tune out the seasonal lunacy for at least an hour or two. And then comes the holiday travel, and if you have to fly you might as well stock up on DVDs, right?

Oh, like I have to convince any of you of the virtues of DVDs...

Here’s a few worth highlighting during the current gifty season, with some full-on gay shows, first!

After 2+ years on the air, Logo has finally found its funny bone. And while the cable channel is in about 25 million homes, it’s still not everywhere. Luckily, the network's two funniest shows can be had on DVD.

Rick & Steve: The Happiest Gay Couple in All the World is rude, kinda raunchy, pretty non-PC and adorable. Twinks, dykes, party boys, fag hags, AIDS activists, gym bunnies, rice queens and even gay Klansmen (who knew?) get skewered in this six-episode series which follows the antics of West Lahunga’s gay poster boys, Rick and Steve, their lesbo pals Kirsten and Dana (one of whom gets pregnant—of course), and the surly and slutty (respectively) Chuck and Evan. Plus, musical numbers!

And The Big Gay Sketch Show is a loopy ride, fueled by scorching young talent and general gay irreverence. The crew is hard at work on Season 2 (due in early 2008), so snatch the DVD of Season 1 and get prepped. PFLAG Mom will thank you!

More full-on TV/movie madness (including Liza, Agent Cooper and Zac Efron) after the jump!

Geek Talk Video Blog: Rock Band Spectacular

-- Brian Juergens from AfterElton.com

Geek Talk hosts Marc and Lee are back, but not for long ... like many gamers, their lives have been derailed by the long-awaited arrival of Rock Band, the game that promises to turn even the most tone-deaf of assemblages into the next Duran Duran (which, coincidentally, was a tone-deaf assemblage in and of itself).

Will Rock Band leave Marc and Lee strung out under a parkbench in Tompkins Square Park like the hard-living decibel-crunchers it emulates, or will the fellas live through this episode to rock again?

Watch and find out ...

Oh, Snap! Esquire Cover: Performances of the Year!

The upcoming issue of Esquire magazine is making the Internet rounds, and, even though I haven't seen all of these movies, it's a fantastic cover. P.S. Cate, you've been on every magazine lately, huh?

So, these folks are...Denzel Washington in American Gangster, (I saw that one! He was the best part of it.) Robert Downey Jr. in Zodiac (good too!), Jake Gyllenhaal in Rendition, Emile Hirsch in Into The Wild, Javier Bardem in No Country for Old Men, (I need to see that.) and Cate Blanchett in I’m Not There.

We'll see if the Academy agrees with Esquire. You can read the Esquire Actors of the Year article here.

Check another version of the cover (plus a few pictures from the article) after the jump!