Noah and The Whale are an indie folk band, formed in 2006 in London, England. Last Night on Earth is their third album and it's different from their previous offerings. It reminds me of Tom Petty and 80s pop/rock, it's a laid back, breezy, feelgood type of record, perfect to play in your car or whatever. Make no mistake, it's not pop music. It's perfectly playable on AOR radio stations. Matter of fact, it's very radio-friendly, polished and upbeat, certainly marking a departure from their moody previous LP.
The first hit single from the new album is L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N which is still getting lots of airplay on UK radio and they've just released the video for their new single, Tonight's The Kind Of Night.
Movies: Hanna, starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett and Eric Bana is definitely the one a lot of people/critics are talking about at the moment and if you like The Chemical Brothers, you are going to love the movie's original soundtrack. Here's a taste of what you can expect. And yes, I've been playing that track a lot lately. It's freakin addictive! Read more about Hanna, watch trailers and see photos.
Food: Last Sunday I woke up at 7 AM sharp, which almost never happens for me. It was weird. I don't do Sunday mornings...or, if I do, they don't start before 10-11 AM. I was well rested, so I decided to get out of bed and proceed with my day. I figured how hard can it be, right? I can be "normal" like other people, or at least I could try. What the heck do people do on a Sunday morning at 7 AM? Make breakfast? And by that I mean, prepare it from scratch? Probably. Not me though. I made a quick sandwich, had some fruit salad with one scoop of ice cream on the side to make it all unhealthy but fun, and ended up at my computer, browsing breakfast recipes: cereal, eggs, French toast, waffle, muffins and pancakes. Good enough, huh? I am hopeless, I know. I'll never be "normal", whatever that means. But hey, fruit salad is good for you, isn't it?
Anyway, here are some of the recipes (not just for breakfast) I came across and if any of these strike your fancy, let me know how they turn out:
Perfume: I'm going to go with a classic oriental fragrance this week, since it's still chilly enough outside for this type of perfume. Once the weather gets too hot, it will be too heavy to wear during the warm season. So, Guerlain's Samsara it is, in Eau de Parfum concentration, which is a bit more woody and santal-oriented than the Eau de Toilette version (more jasmine-centered). There's also a Parfum version of Samsara (bottle pictured on the right) and it's very good and also very expensive.Blast from the past: Lenny Kravitz - Again. By the way, he's releasing a new album soon.
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In other recent news:
Beyonce is releasing her new single Run the World (Girls) on radio and iTunes today. The song features a heavy sample of Major Lazer's Pon de Floor single. The video, directed by Francis Lawrence, will drop soon and according to Lawrence: "It's one of the biggest Beyonce music videos ever done." A teaser for the video was released yesterday, but it doesn't tell me much, other than Beyonce knows how not to fall off a horse. Watch it here. Edited: The official version of the song has just premiered on US radio and you can listen to it here.
LMFAO are getting a lot of spins on radio and in the clubs with their Party Rock Anthem. Check out the choreography in this 'making of' video.
While everyone is talking about Britney's new album and Gaga's new single, Jennifer Lopez is silently slaying, with a no.1 hit (On the Floor) in 20-plus countries, over 100 milion views on youtube and a record gone platinum in the US. Quite the comeback. Her new video, for the single I'm Into You will be released on May 2, according to reports, and she has just unlocked a new track on iTunes, called Papi, also from her upcoming album, Love?, dropping May 3.
Lady Gaga's new single is Judas and the reviews are mixed. Not her best effort at all.
Rihanna's new single is a ballad, called California King Bed, and the video is to be released soon. I imagine it's probably going to be Rihanna and some guy making out? Just a wild guess.
Foo Fighters finally score their first Billboard No.1 album with 'Wasting Light'. Took them long enough. They also have a new rockumentary out, called Back and Forth and it's currently being shown in select theaters wordwide. Watch the trailer here.
Bruno Mars' new video for the single Lazy Song is out now.
Beastie Boys have released a new single, Make Some Noise.
Snoop Dogg teaming up with David Guetta for the dance version of the song Sweat was probably a good idea since it's getting a lot of airplay.
Jessie J's new video is for the song called Nobody's Perfect.
Moby's new single is The Day, from the upcoming album Destroyed.
Jeff Bridges will release an album this summer. For more on his love of music, read his feature interview with Esquire magazine.
U2's '360' tour is officially the most successful tour of all time.
Read about what happened during Beatles' last days here.
Britney Spears has joined Tumblr.
Jay-Z launched a new lifestyle site, Life + Times, a "modern male manifesto" that covers fashion, technology, sports and music.
According to reports, Apple will release the new iPhone 5 in September.
Conde Nast Traveller published their Hot 2011 List - the world's best new hotels.
Take a look at the movies that are going to be screened during this year's Cannes Film Festival.
For movie updates and new trailers, check out the new category on this blog, movies 2011. (If you haven't visited in a while, there's also a new category for magazines.)
As far as fashion and beauty go, if you're a fan of Alexander McQueen, check out this Vogue US retrospective (to be published in the May 2011 issue).
Angelina Jolie has a new jewelry line and you can check it out in this video.
If you're in Sydney, Australia, Burberry has opened a new store on 343 George Street and it looks like this:
Scarlett Johansson's ad for Dolce & Gabbana cosmetics campaign, summer 2011:
