Van Tango

Get ready for Shirley Manson's solo album! Blue Nile frontman Paul Buchanan will be assisting her for this project. "She's also working with Jack White of The White Stripes, Billy Corgan from the Smashing Pumkins and Beck, so I guess that's the areas she wants to cover," said Paul. Garbage are set to release their greatest hits album, Absolute Garbage, in March 2007. But for now Shirley's solo project is still very much a work in progress. Should be an ace record.



Is it really over? Josh Hartnett was recently caught holidaying with a mystery woman in Australia and this has added fuel to rumours that his relationship with Scarlett Johansson is on the rocks. While on a break from filming horror flick '30 Days of night' in New Zealand, he spent the weekend in Sydney with a mystery woman. His brunette companion - wearing dark glasses, a hat and trying to cover her face with her bag and jacket - bolted into the terminal to avoid being photographed. According to Sydney's Daily Telegraph, they stopped at the restaurant for tapas on Saturday afternoon and dinner and cocktails later that night, before returning again Sunday. Scarlett is currently in England filming 'The Other Boleyn Girl' with Natalie Portman. Now this looks like an interesting development for the Josh & Scarlett saga.


Orlando Bloom may have a thing for blondes. After dumping Kate Bosworth a few months back, he is now reportedly dating Kirsten Dunst, and the two were recently seen getting nice and cozy at a Los Angeles hotel. They first met on the set of their movie "Elizabethtown" last year, but both were in other relationships then. According to the Daily Mail a source said, "Kirsten and Orlando are definitely more than just good friends now. They were kissing and cuddling in the corner of the lobby bar and didn't seem to care who saw them." A friend of Orlando's said, "It's so much fun for him to be with her because she is carefree and not obsessed about fattening foods. Kirsten isn't worried about being the most fashionable girl in the room. Orlando likes that she can look a bit disheveled, he thinks it's sexy." Rugged ones are better for him rather than barbies.

Nicole Kidman - Vogue Magazine (December 2006)



A possible reunion? Graham Coxon has admitted that he would consider rejoining Blur if the opportunity arose. Although he has not confirmed anything, Coxon said that he would be happy to think about it if approached by his old band mates. Speaking to Pitchfork he said, "I think about it: Would it be fun? Would it be too scary? What would the dynamic be in a studio? So I guess I still mull around and think about it every now and then." The comments came in reaction to Blur bassist Dave Rowntree's comments earlier this month about making another record with Coxon. Fingers crossed then.

Kate Moss is unhappy with Clash bassist Paul Simonon for leaving his wife Tricia to be with Moss's close friend. Simonon is currently eyeing Agent Provocateur co-owner Serena Rees, who is also married. A source told the Mirror: "Kate's furious and is on the warpath. She and Tricia are so close that Kate sees her as a surrogate mother. She was stunned when she found out Joe and Serena had split up. And when she found out who Paul had taken up with, she was absolutely furious." Bad boy blood still exists in this dude who is now part of Damon Albarn's new supergroup.

The Good The Bad and The Queen - Three Changes (live)


Brandon Flowers has given up smoking and is now reaping the benefits of a herbal remedy. The rocker admits a natural alternative is vastly improving his singing. He says, "I stopped smoking cigarettes recently and a German doctor gave me some kind of chamomile concoction that I pour into water, put a towel over my head and breathe it in. It's good for my voice." Sam's Town does need a couple of high notes to execute so maybe this is good for the audience as well.

According to popcandy, the Hives may have a new album out as soon as 2007, tentatively titled The World's First Perfect Album. Anyone who loves their rock 'n' roll must have missed this cool Swedish band. They played a new song in the Hurricane Festival some time back this year and as usual, it is fookin' addictive.

The Hives - Hey Little World (Live at Hurricane Festival) [Hives-Little-World]

Babyshambles - The Blinding


Anne Hathaway - Citymeals-On-Wheels 20th Annual Power Lunch For Women (17/11/2006)


Russell Crowe was let off without a jail sentence following his assault hearing. The actor threw a telephone at a hotel worker in June, and was consequently charged with second degree assault. He paid a $160 fine after pleading guilty to the charge. The hotel worker, Nestor Estrada, did not give evidence at the hearing, after Crowe paid him an out-of-court settlement of $100,000. His release was only given on the condition that he was not arrested again over the next 12 months. Hopefully Mr Crowe doesn't look back in anger again.

Gillian Anderson gave birth to a baby boy, her second child, on Nov 1 in London. Oscar Griffiths was born three weeks early, but both he and Gillian are just fine. She plans to take a few months off before deciding on her next project. Meanwhile, her estranged husband Julian Ozanne is demanding that Oscar is given a paternity test as Gillian became pregnant around the time the couple announced their separation. She insists it belonged to boyfriend Mark Griffiths but Julian wants to be sure. His friends have all told him to get a paternity test carried out - which he is seriously thinking about. Such a real-life drama for Scully.

Jennifer Aniston - Self Magazine (December 2006)


Tim Rice-Oxley interview in Paris before Keane concert (06/11/2006) [Tim-Paris]


Sawyer to play an X-Men character??? Josh Holloway is being tipped to star in the next X-Men movie as fan favorite Gambit. He was set to star as Gambit in X-Men: The Last Stand but pulled out because of TV commitments. But it's reported he will star in the next installment. Film producer Lauren Shuler Donner tells Moviehole, "Remember in Lost? There was a guy in there that was the perfect Gambit, the guy with the straight hair, good-looking, the bad boy.. Sawyer. The reason we didn't use Gambit was because in a sense his persona is a bit like Wolverine in that he's got attitude. I think we would weave Gambit within our story, but it wouldn't be The Gambit Movie." Gambit possesses the ability to charge objects with energy, causing them to explode. So please put him in, dammit!! That is the one character I've been craving to see since the movie franchise started.




Matthew Fox and wife Margherita Ronchi are expecting their third child. Matthew and Margherita married in 1992. They have an eight-year-old daughter Kyle and a five-year-old son Byron. Congratulations to them!

Ashlee Simpson is to return to her pop singing roots after finishing her 'Chicago' stint. But now she wants Robert Smith to help with her comeback! Ashlee was thrilled when her idol came to watch her in the musical and admits she can envisage them making beautiful music together. She says, "Robert Smith from the Cure came to my last show in London, and I don't know if I was more excited about him or that it was the last show! To work with Robert Smith would be an honour." Would he comply to this la la request? Perhaps it wouldn't be wise.

The Pipettes et La Grande Sophie - These Boots Are Made For Walking


The Pipettes - Taratata session (Pull Shapes/These boots../Interview) [pip-tara-mp3s]


"Do you know what today is?" Hannibal asked over his breakfast gruel at the lodge. "It's the day the sun reaches Uncle Elgar's window." "What time will it appear?" Mr. Jakov asked, as though he didn't know. "It will peep around the tower at ten-thirty," Hannibal said. "That was in 1941," Mr. Jakov said. "Do you mean to say the moment of arrival will be the same?" "Yes." "But the year is more than 365 days long." "But, Mr. Jakov, this is the year after leap year. So was 1941, the last time we watched." -- Read more from the excerpt from new 'Hannibal' Book to be released on Dec 5th 2006 - [ThomasHarris]