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Zooey Deschanel's She & Him Holiday LP: We Make A Track List!

Posted 8/5/11 1:08 pm EST by in Music


We know Zooey Deschanel can handle Christmas standards. Have you seen "Elf"? Or She & Him's performance of "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" with Conan O'Brien?

Now, the duo have now decided to make it official and release a proper Christmas album this year. She made the announcement via Twitter, sharing, "Exciting news! @sheandhim will be releasing our first holiday record later this year! Been working on it a while! I'm super pumped about it!"

And now that she's announced that she (and, um, him) will release a Christmas album just in time for the holiday season, there are several Xmas-themed pop tunes we'd love to see Zooey and M.Ward put their indie stamp on. And these aren't classic in any way, shape or form!

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Spotted: Zooey Deschanel And Ben Gibbard Love Cotton, The Humane Society

Posted 12/14/09 5:35 pm EST by in Music


Every day a multitude of stars wanders through the halls of MTV News to talk about their latest projects and goof around with our intrepid correspondents. But sometimes we catch stars elsewhere, and that's why we put together Spotted!, a daily compendium of stars in the wild.

Anybody who watched any video on this site in the past few months was probably treated to Zooey Deschanel's rendition of "Fabric of My Life," a deceptively catchy jingle that appeared in advertisements for Cotton Incorporated. (Miranda Lambert and Jazmine Sullivan also recorded their own versions of the same tune for the same campaign.) Deschanel stepped out on Saturday night (December 12) with sister Emily and husband Ben Gibbard (of Death Cab for Cutie) for a benefit party for the Humane Society. The fete, co-hosted at a private residence in Los Angeles by Cotton Incorporated and Vanity Fair magazine, also featured appearances by "Big Love" star Ginnifer Goodwin and Stephanie Pratt of "The Hills." As Deschanel told MTV News at the mtvU Woodie Awards, she'll be releasing her second album as She & Him (her collaboration with M. Ward) on March 23, 2010. The title? Volume Two.

Deschanel wasn't the only star getting out during the holiday season, as Mary J. Blige hung out with Barack Obama at the taping of the "Christmas in Washington" special and Avril Lavigne did some shopping at Barney's in New York. Click here for these photos plus the entire "Spotted!" archive, which includes over 300 candid shots of stars like Britney Spears, Madonna, Justin Timberlake, Adam Lambert, the Jonas Brothers, Lady Gaga, Rihanna, Jay-Z, Beyoncé, Taylor Swift and the Black Eyed Peas!

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Death Cab For Cutie, Asher Roth And Zooey Deschanel Highlight The Woodie Awards

Posted 12/4/09 6:00 pm EST by in mtvU Woodie Awards, Music


As you figure out what to do this Friday (December 4) night, keep in mind that there is only one place where you can see Death Cab for Cutie perform "Meet Me on the Equinox," the guys from 3OH!3 dress in drag, Asher Roth stage dive, the Dead Weather melt faces, Cam'ron lyrically throw down with the Clipse, Matt and Kim strip down and Mary-Louise Parker shout "motherf---er." That place? The 2009 mtvU Woodie Awards, which air at 10 p.m. on MTV, MTV2 and mtvU.

The dynamism of the personalities involved was evident in the conversations we had when the show taped at New York City's Roseland Ballroom. We learned that the Clipse aren't bothered by insects, Kenna is training hard for a climb up Mount Kilimanjaro, Justin Bieber has some killer MC skills, Tech N9ne can rap backwards and everybody wears hideous sweaters.

Tonight's show not only features the live performances by Death Cab for Cutie, the Dead Weather and the Clipse but also Matt and Kim and Passion Pit. It's a star-studded affair that celebrates all manner of genre-pushing, forward-thinking music and service. Get prepared for the big show by checking out as well as all the insider interviews and coverage here on the Newsroom blog.

Just in case you need a little extra push to get yourself into a Woodies frame of mind, check out the clip collection below. We asked a handful of bands what they think when they hear the word "Woodies," and the results are decidedly ... eclectic. See for yourself.

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The Best And Worst Of Actors-Turned-Musicians: The Newsroom Poll

Posted 7/30/09 5:05 pm EST by in MTV News, Music, Newsroom Poll


Welcome to the weekly Newsroom Poll, where we will give you a sneak peek into the lives and minds of some of the correspondents, writers, editors and producers here at MTV News. Every week, they'll answer a poll question that will reveal some of what we talk about behind the scenes here in the newsroom. Enjoy!

There's been a lot of talk about Taylor Momsen and her band the Pretty Reckless in the Newsroom this week. Who does the band most remind us of? Are they any good? And will Momsen have to fight off Courtney Love? But mostly it made us think about other actors who have tried their hand at music. So this week's question is: What is the best — or worst — actor-turned-musician transition? Read the Newsroom's answers below, then leave your own thoughts in the comments.

Kyle Anderson
This is one of those debates that gets me into trouble and forces people to question my rock critic membership card, because I tend to think that these projects are never as bad as people think. I thought Scarlett Johansson's collection of Tom Waits tunes was actually pretty good, and I've always had a little weak spot for Bruce Willis' blues album. But the one person who stands out for me is Zooey Deschanel, who teamed up with M. Ward for one of my favorite albums of last year as She & Him. I don't care for Deschanel as an actress (she sort of reminds me of Katie Holmes on "Dawson's Creek," where her entire acting range consists of looking vaguely spacey and adjusting her hair), but the things that bother me about her in movies totally hit home on record. Sure, the album blatantly borrows from Dusty Springfield and any number of country balladeers, but her voice is simple and the songs are unfussy and sweet. (I don't even mind her in that cotton ad that plays before videos on this site). The thought of seeing "500 Days of Summer" makes me want to stab my cuticles repeatedly with knitting needles, but "This Is Not a Test" and "Sentimental Heart" are in constant rotation on my iPod.
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Headlines Of The Day: Lady Gaga, Zooey Deschanel And Katy Perry

Posted 4/2/09 3:16 pm EST by in American Idol, Katy Perry, Lady Gaga


By Rya Backer

Hey, ladieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeees! (And the rest of you.) We've got a bunch of stories today, and just a few happen to be about some of our favorite females.

Did you see Lady Gaga and her piano made of bubbles last night on "American Idol"? Well, the 23-year-old pop princess made news yesterday when her first two singles, "Just Dance" and newer hit "Poker Face," both reached #1. The last artist to do the same was Christina Aguilera (who's copying whom now?). Our very own Jocelyn Vena gave us the rundown on Gaga's best looks.

Speaking of looks, Zooey Deschanel and Katy Perry share a certain retro aesthetic, and the actress has had about enough of the comparisons.

Watch the video, have a great day and keep checking back in!

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Zooey Deschanel Plans Lunar Wedding

Posted 2/27/09 3:36 pm EST by in Death-Cab-For-Cutie


Zooey DeschanelIt's no secret that many citizens of indie-dom quietly wept on December 29, when it was revealed that quirky-cute actress/singer Zooey Deschanel was officially off the market, getting engaged to Death Cab for Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard.

In the wake of the announcement, there was much wailing and gnashing of teeth ... riots broke out in cities across the country (especially in Portland). It was bad. In fact, it's gotten so ugly that it appears Zooey and Ben have finally been forced to take action. In order to escape the indie world's wrath, they're moving their wedding to the most remote spot possible: the Moon. Read More...

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AFI's Hunter Burgan Sets The Record Straight About His 'Engagement' Via Facebook And Twitter

Posted 12/30/08 2:41 pm EST by in Death-Cab-For-Cutie, Zooey Deschanel


For about eight hours on Monday, AFI bassist Hunter Burgan was engaged to actress Zooey Deschanel.

At least, that's the way In Touch Weekly reported things yesterday morning, erroneously writing that the couple had gotten engaged during the holidays and that they were "so excited" to spend the rest of their lives together. It all sounded very lovely — if not a little bit odd — but it wasn't true.

As we know by now, Deschanel did get engaged over the holidays, but it wasn't to Burgan — rather, Death Cab For Cutie frontman Ben Gibbard (a source close to the couple confirmed the news to MTV Monday afternoon. Needless to say, it was fairly awkward, and not just because Burgan had reportedly dated Deschanel in the past. In Touch would soon correct the mistake, but that did little to stem the tide of reports that Burgan was betrothed. Read More...

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Zooey Deschanel Looks Ahead To She & Him Volume Two

Posted 6/20/08 3:12 pm EST by in She & Him


by Matt Elias

While we were on the set of Zooey Deschanel's upcoming flick "500 Days of Summer," in which she co-stars with Joseph Gordon-Levitt, we couldn't resist asking Zooey some questions about our favorite guy-girl group, She & Him. The group, if you're not aware, pairs singer-actress Deschanel with indie folk darling M. Ward, and the duo's disc, Volume One, was released this spring.

When we last spoke with Zooey, she told us a video for "Why Do You Let Me Stay Here?" was in its early stages of planning — only sketches really. Well, Wednesday she confirmed that the video, directed by Ace Norton, is in the can and will be available soon. The live-action video is in post-production and being buttoned up with some visual effects.

In between her hectic schedule, she said she's been "writing a lot of material" for the next She & Him album, Volume Two. Zooey hopes to get in the studio with M. Ward later this fall to record it for release sometime next year. While the tracks haven't been laid down yet, she tells us that the album might be a sonic departure from Volume One.

"It's going to be different, but I'm not sure yet," she said. "We haven't recorded it, but I think it always comes out of the moment organically. That's the way we both like to work. I'm assuming that something different will come out, but maybe it'll be similar."

If you can't wait that long for the next She & Him effort, you can catch the band as they embark on their first proper tour next month, starting July 23 in Toronto, Ontario.

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