'Stevie TV' Star Stevie Ryan Plays Word Association

Posted 3/23/12 3:04 pm EST by in Television


By Christina Garibaldi

Stevie Ryan has made a name for herself making fun of celebrities on her new VH1 show, "Stevie TV." She's created her own music video, "Sexy Mistake," mocking Katy Perry’s "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F)," has gotten into character as Lady Gaga and has gone as far as to trade genders to get into her favorite character, Justin Bieber.

"It was Justin Bieber," Stevie told MTV News of what celeb is most fun to play. "Because I always tell everybody how guys and girls always like me when I’m Justin Bieber that girls are like 'You’re so cute,' like 'Are you really a girl?' and then guys are like 'I don’t know what it is, but you’re really hot,' but I really like playing everybody."

Stevie got her start impersonating celebrities and creating her own characters on her YouTube channel and instantly she became an Internet sensation. Her show, which is a series of comedy sketches, has Ryan portraying some of today’s biggest celebrities and reality TV stars, including her not-so-favorite, Kim Kardashian.

"I just thought what a great way to kind of show that this is what the younger generation is growing up with, that’s who little girls like is Kim Kardashian," Ryan said. "It’s just observing these weird behaviors and finding a place for them that makes sense because you can always make fun of Kim Kardashian, she has a big butt, she made a sex tape, but at the same time you have to step back and look at the big picture, people are actually wanting to be like this."

Well, we wanted to know what Stevie really thought about all these celebrities, so when she stopped by MTV News we put her to the test by playing word association with some of the biggest stars.

Check out the video below!

"Stevie TV" airs Sundays at 11 p.m. ET on VH1.

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Bon Iver's Justin Vernon Prepares First Release On His Chigliak Imprint

Posted 3/23/12 1:10 pm EST by in Music


Bon Iver

By Zachary Swickey

Did you know that Bon Iver’s crooner Justin Vernon has his own imprint on his home label, Jagjaguwar Records? Vernon’s equally tongue-twisting Chigliak imprint has been gestating since 2010 and now it appears the label is finally ready for its first release: a reissue by Wisconsin troupe Amateur Love.

This comes as no surprise since Amateur Love is from Vernon’s home town of Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and he first mentioned reissuing the band’s ’03 debut It’s All Aquatic to Pitchfork back in 2010.

The reissue is expected to drop May 22 digitally as well as appearing in 12” vinyl form, which will be accompanied by a download of some previously unreleased 2004 songs from the group – being dubbed the Ev Sessions.

Vernon explained in a press release that Amateur Love was “the singular catalyst in founding Chigliak.” He continued:

“[Amateur Love's] Josh Scott was the ambassador of my heart for many years. While both songwriters in Eau Claire, we were close friends and admired each other’s music. It was obvious to both of us, however, who the better writer was. Josh was writing songs that were both more mature and masterful than mine. His songs came from a perspective as snarly as Paul Westerberg, as enchanting as Neil Young, yet he wielded power as beguiling and unique as any songwriter I've ever heard. Nestling himself around Brad and Phil Cook (Megafaun) and Brian Moen (Peter Wolf Crier, Laarks and Shouting Matches), who stretched themselves outside their own comfort zones into those of un-tapped electronic pop, Amateur Love became one of the most enigmatic and electrifying bands I have ever known. With local-legend Jaime Hansen engineering, the band was caught at the rise to their peak of musical power on It's All Aquatic in 2003.”

Check out the tracklisting for It's All Aquatic below. Read More...

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Avicii Plots First-Ever North American Arena Tour Headlined By An Electronic Artist

Posted 3/23/12 11:54 am EST by in dance, tour, Tour Dates


Avicii

By Zachary Swickey

Swedish electronic dance DJ/producer Avicii has just revealed plans for a monumental North American tour that will be going down in May and June. Being dubbed the “Le7els Tour,” the outing is being touted by promoters as the very first all-arena North American tour by an electronic artist. (Has Daft Punk seriously never?)

The jaunt includes over a dozen dates, kicking off May 17 in Houston at the Reliant Arena, and includes big stops in cities like Tampa, Buffalo, and Boston.

“Goldenvoice is excited to be working with Avicii on his North American tour," Paul Tollett, of tour sponsor Goldenvoice, said about the hookup. "We can’t wait for his Coachella performance, from what we’ve seen and heard it’s going to be a highlight.”

In addition to his performances at Coachella (April 15 and 22), Avicci is scheduled to appear at New York’s iteration of the Electric Daisy Carnival festival at Met Life Stadium on May 19.

Avicii seems to be taking the DJ world by storm at the mere age of 22. His ridiculously catchy David Guetta collab “Sunshine” was nominated for a Best Dance Recording Grammy and this Saturday he’ll be headlining the biggest digital music festival in the United States: Miami’s Ultra Music Festival.

Tickets for the "Le7els" tour will go on sale Monday, March 26, at 12pm CDT on Ticketmaster. Ticket will cost you anywhere from $27 to $47.

Check out Avicii's tour dates below. Read More...

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Jack White Shuts Down Possibility of White Stripes Reunion

Posted 3/22/12 4:08 pm EST by in Music


Jack White

With the release of his much anticipated solo debut Blunderbluss just around the corner, Jack White is out and about talking up his album and, sadly, squashing the hearts of fans of the band that made him famous.

Talking to NME, White shot down rumors that The White Stripes would reunite … ever. "I would probably say absolutely not. Absolutely no chance. I couldn't see any reason to ever do that," White told the music mag. "I'm not the kind of person that would retire from baseball and come out of retirement the next year. I mean, if we went to all the trouble of telling people we're done, we meant it, you know?"

He continued, "If we were forced to change our mind about that, I can only imagine the reason being if we went bankrupt or really needed the cash, which would be a really sad thing. I would probably be issuing an apology along with the announcement of the show dates."

White has been hitting the pavement hard in support of Blunderbuss. The indie rocker hit the stage at "Saturday Night Live" to perform the album's lead single, "Love Interruption," as well as a super cool album track, "Sixteen Saltines" – which has a definite Stripes feel, so soak it up (below). Read More...

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No Halt To 'X Factor' Panelists Rumors

Posted 3/22/12 3:02 pm EST by in Television, the x factor


One Direction

By Elizabeth Lancaster

No exhaling yet for fans of "The X Factor"! In an interview yesterday with "Access Hollywood," Simon Cowell broke it down for everyone and explained who he is currently supporting musically, and who he CLEARLY is not.

Clearly supporting: One Direction. "We’ve been missing this kind of pop boom for a while and I think this is going to be the beginning of a wave," he said of One Direction's incredible success. He admires their "solid fan base" and ended the conversation proclaiming, "They’re smart boys."

(Don't forget, One Direction was discovered on the U.K. version of "The X Factor." Find out everything you need to know about the latest boy band sensation in our primer – One Direction: A Guide To The Biggest Boy Band Around)

So if Simon likes One Direction, who is he not so interested in? Well, in response to inquiries about Darren Criss being asked to host "X Factor," Simon said, "I don’t know who he is." When he was altered to the fact that Criss is a breakout from "Glee," he asked, "Is he the one in the wheelchair? I like him."

So who will be on the panel? That remains as up in the air as ever.

"At the moment, all the concentration is on the judging panel. I’ve got to be honest with you, as usual Billy, this is all gonna happen at the last minute. I can feel it," Cowell told "Access Hollywood." "There’s so much going on at the moment over there with the show. It’s a lot of work to put in and there’s a new component to the show which is exciting and I’m not going to talk about it yet ‘cause I don’t want to tell the others what I’m doing. So there’s just a lot going on. So I think in terms of order, we’ve got to land the judges, and then, I think you’ve gotta work out the hosts, based on who the judges are gonna be to make sure you get the right chemistry.”

So the search continues. Who would you like to see join "The X Factor"? Let us know in the comments below.

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'30 Rock' Ready To Tackle Live TV … Again

Posted 3/22/12 1:13 pm EST by in Television


Tina Fey

By Zachary Swickey

Alec Baldwin and Tina Fey's critically acclaimed sitcom “30 Rock” is tackling the tricky task of doing another live episode of the hit comedy show next month. Baldwin made the big reveal during his segment on “Extra” yesterday (March 21), which NBC has since confirmed.

This will be the second episode to get the live treatment. The first time around, in October 2010, the cast performed the show live twice – once for the east coast and once for the west coast.

For ratings challenged '30 Rock,' it's an experiment worth repeating: The 2010 live episode remains one of the show's most watching, pulling in 6.7 million viewers for a 3.1 rating in the 18-49 demographic. Considering this season has only been getting 4 million people to tune in regularly, the second live episode, airing on April 26, will hopefully give the program the boost it needs for its current sixth season.

Of course, most the cast of “30 Rock” are already pros at the live-taping game. Stars Tina Fey and Tracy Morgan made names for themselves on “Saturday Night Live,” and Baldwin has hosted "SNL" 16 times, so he’s no schlep either. Additionally, show star Jane Krakowski is a Broadway vet, having won a Tony for her performance in the musical "Nine."

The last time “30 Rock” undertook a live taping, a slew of stars made guest appearances on the episode, including Jon Hamm, Matt Damon, “SNL” cast member Bill Hader and “Seinfeld” star Julia Louis Dreyfus, who played Fey’s character, Liz Lemon, for flashback sequences. Read More...

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New deadmau5 Track Featuring My Chemical Romance Frontman Lands Online

Posted 3/22/12 12:17 pm EST by in collaborations, dance, My-Chemical-Romance


Deadmau5

By Zachary Swickey

DJ sensation deadmau5 recently took to his tumblr to rant against the rising frequency of musical collaborations. Despite this, a new deadmau5 track that features vocals by My Chemical Romance frontman Gerard Way has surfaced online.

The catchy new tune with a chugging digital bassline has just hit the Internet this morning under the name “Professional Griefers.” It has yet to be determined who is responsible for the track leaking online, as neither Way or deadmau5 have personally confirmed the track or even mentioned it. Although, a spokesperson for Way told NME that it is indeed his unmistakable voice on the song.

Strangely, this new tune appears the same week as deadmau5’s lengthy post rallying against musical collaborations that he labels as a “fad” of the big name music acts – especially given the rising popularity of the EDM scene.

“So, I've had a revelation these past couple of days, and I really feel the need to draw attention to the results here. There's a perfectly valid reason why I don't usually enjoy the idea of a 'collaboration' … although you can rest assure whatever collaborations I have done in the past were the results of stuff I'm totally into, like Flipside, the Foo’s, Cyprus Hill, etc.

All too often, there’s an influx of 'big names' that would get thrown around the label from time to time and of course, they fly off the table and out the f**kin' door faster than they hit my desk. eg. do you want to do a track with big name X, remix huge pop act y, etc etc.”

He then bluntly concluded, “No. I f**king don’t. I really REALLY don’t.”

Lest fans or non-fans begin thinking deadmau5 is just being difficult, he summarizes his thoughts more succinctly at the end of his post, writing, “The moral of the story is here, is that this is what songwriting should be about. Music is meant to provoke feeling and thought. So if we were to go by popular music, we should all be thinking how sexy we are and we know it, or how our hands should be constantly up in the air… or maybe we should drop that bass because it's too f**king heavy to lift or whatever the f**king problem with bass is these days.”

Listen to deadmau5's collab with Way after the jump. Read More...

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Laidback Luke Brings Out The Heroes At LIV For 'Super You And Me' Party

Posted 3/22/12 8:45 am EST by in dance, parties


By Sam Hendrick

Kicking off Winter Music Conference 2012 in unique style, EDM enthusiasts ventured to LIV last night for Laidback Luke's superhero-themed "Super You and Me" party. You may be familiar with Luke’s long-running franchise that’s based on the idea of “saving civilization from mediocrity through music.” At the parties, club patrons are encouraged to dress as their favorite super hero, although last night some seemed to have dug deep into the Halloween archives for any random costume they could conjure up. Even bunnies, angels and demons bounced around to some highly energetic sets from Oliver Twizt, Zedd, Madeon and Luke, who headlined the show.

Zedd, sporting a superman costume, roused the crowd early in his set with his recent remix of Skrillex’s banger "Breaking a Sweat." The young German talent kept true to his signature style of filthy bass riffs throughout, including his originals “Shave It” and “Shotgun.” He also worked in a new mix of “Slam the Door” alongside Skrillex’s “Cinema,” appropriately titled "Don’t Slam the Cinema."

Immediately after Madeon took the stage, the mood shifted slightly in the room, but certainly not for the worse. It’s hard to put your finger on it, but young Maddy has a certain vibe that not only captures your attention but also makes you just want him to win. Watching his set is kind of like rooting for your little brother, only he has the ability to command the attention of everyone in the room and throw a damn fine party at that. The better half of his set was very true to many other electro-pop French producers, saving the heavier tracks to pass the torch to Luke. As perhaps a literal statement of goodbye, he closed with his rendition of “Take Me Out” by Franz Ferdinand.

After only a few seconds and a few words from his hype man, Laidback Luke took to the tables dressed in an orange soccer uniform and a green masquerade mask (what?!). No stranger to the scene, Luke rounded out the night strong with remixes of Sato Goldschlag’s "Mr. Mister" and Swedish House Mafia’s "Miami 2 Ibiza" as well as his hit single “Speak Up” feat. Wynter Gordon.

Whether dressed in costume or not, attendees will surely remember this high energy showcase as one of the best in the archives of "Super You and Me" history.

Did you show up in costume last night? Tell us about it and be sure to follow all of the action in Miami at MTV News.

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Madonna Plans To Address Anti-Gay Russian Law During St. Petersburg Concert

Posted 3/21/12 3:01 pm EST by in Activism, Gay Rights, Madonna


Madonna

People have been buzzing over whether Madonna, a long-time LGBT rights ally (understatement?) and activist, would address the passage of a new law in St. Petersburg, Russia, that forbids the "promotion of homosexuality" by making discussion of the topic illegal in almost all instances and regardless of the context during her planned concert there in August. In an editorial, the New York Times encouraged Madonna to cancel the show entirely.

Well, she's not changing her concert plans, but she also doesn't plan to back down from the controversial legislation either.

"I will come to St. Petersburg to speak up for the gay community and to give strength and inspiration to anyone who is or feels oppressed," Madonna said in an email statement to Bloomberg. "I'm a freedom fighter."

The new rule, which is aimed at protecting minors from "the false perception that traditional and nontraditional relationships are socially equal," was signed into law on March 7 by St. Petersburg Governor Georgy Poltavchenko. Gay news blog Towleroad reports the law is far-reaching and essentially prohibits "participation in/organization of pride parades and gay rights protests, as well as the maintenance of a gay website, the donning of a gay pride pin, the sporting of a gay pride bumper sticker" and much more. The site also calls the legislation a "foggy, subjective law that can only be enforced selectively," meaning that without any explicit guidelines as to what constitutes "propaganda," law enforcement officials in socially conservative St. Petersburg essentially have free reign to bully LGBT citizens and allies under the broad umbrella of protecting the public from things they don't need to hear – you know, like how being gay is perfectly normal and how all people should be treated with equal respect.

The law has, understandably, drawn a great deal of criticism. "I don’t run away from adversity," Madonna told Bloomberg. "I will speak during my show about this ridiculous atrocity." Read More...

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Are The Jonas Brothers Getting A Reality Show?

Posted 3/21/12 1:56 pm EST by in Jonas Brothers, Music, Television


Jonesing to tune in to the escapades of the Jonas Brothers week after week? Well, rumor has it the three brothers are in talks to get their own E! reality show. So, your dreams just might come true.

The New York Post reports that Nick, Joe and Kevin would be filmed for the network and it would include their lives in New York. The show would also include appearances from Kevin’s wife, Danielle.

The show would follow the guys as they embark on the next step of their career (collectively and individually) and there certainly are steps happening. The trio is hard at work on their new album and Nick is also starring in "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" on Broadway. All three guys live in the NYC area.

(Want a preview of what could be? Check out Kevin and Danielle giving MTV News a tour of his dressing room below!)

Read More...

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