Paz, Paz, Paz. Don’t you know it’s unsanitary to treat patients naked? Not that Skin Central is complaining, of course- we’d let this naughty nurse shake our thermometer any time she likes. Boardwalk Empire star and borderline nudist Paz de la Huerta has been cast as the tit-ular character in the upcoming “psychosexual thriller” Nurse 3D , where she plays “a beautiful, dedicated nurse with a sinister side, and a secret life’s work in which she targets and punishes dishonest men.” And Paz being Paz, the first thing she did after being cast was pose for this poster that’s not a “teaser,” exactly, since she’s already delivering the bloody-good nude goods! Judging from this skimage, if Paz wants to start punishing men, she better put some clothes on- because seeing Paz’s T&A in 3D sounds more like a reward to Skin Central. You can see much, much more from notable nude thespian Paz de la Huerta right here on Mr. Skin!
This just in from 20th Century Fox: Glee: The 3D Concert Movie will be shown specially for dedicated fans of the Fox music series on August 10, 2011 — two days ahead of the worldwide premiere — in nearly 300 theaters across the U.S. and Canada. And by “dedicated fans,” I mean anyone willing to pay $30 when tickets go on sale July 13 on the movie’s official Facebook page .
Just over the transom at Movieline comes word from Lionsgate that Paz de la Huerta has been cast as the lead in Nurse 3D , a psycho sexual thriller about a sinister caretaker from director Doug Aarniokoski. Click ahead for more project details and your first look at the sultry actress covered by blood — and not much else!
This week on The Real Housewives of New York City, Sonja Morgan throws a Burlesque party and costumes are required as long as they show some skin. As always, THG recaps all the craziness in our +/- review! The Housewives have some serious mother / daughter bonding time with mixed results. Ramona takes Avery shopping … for a burlesque outfit? What exactly is she teaching her 16-year-old? Where to buy her bustiers and S & M gear? Minus 5 . But I must admit, Avery always seems to have more sense than her mother. She turns down an invite to the party and she earns a Plus 7 for telling Ramona that she’d look like a chicken in that feathered outfit.
Kravitz’s expansive August 30 return covers plenty of sonic territory, tackles complex social issues. By James Montgomery Lenny Kravitz Photo: MTV News Lenny Kravitz has never been one for boxes. When he broke onto the scene 22 years ago with Let Love Rule, his brand of psych-and-funk-tinged retro rock, coupled with his roots (his mother was black, his father white, his religion a mixture of Christianity and Judaism), confounded critics and radio executives alike. And to an extent, that’s never really changed, though, with each successive hit — “Let Love Rule,” “Are You Gonna Go My Way,” “Fly Away,” “American Woman,” to name just a few — he’s become less of a curio case and more of a career artist. But with his new album, Black and White America (due August 30), Kravitz is still dealing with boxes … though, these days, they seem to have less to do with his background than they do with the music he makes. “Now, it’s less about the color, but more about still not fitting in a box; and this radio station doesn’t play this or that,” he told MTV News. “This is what always gets me, [now it’s], ‘This radio station doesn’t play horns.’ Now we have racism against instruments. You know, ‘It’s rock, but it’s too funky.’ Or ‘It’s funky, but it’s got too much rock.’ People love their slots, their little boxes.” For lack of a better term, there are plenty of slots on America, a far-ranging, lushly produced opus that seems destined to give radio programmers fits. Over the course of 16 tracks, it dabbles in whip-smart funk, crackling soul, classic pop and, of course, all-out rock, (to name just a few genres), and features guest appearances from Jay-Z and Drake. Not surprisingly, fitting in wasn’t what Kravitz had in mind when he was recording it. His only goal was “to make a double album … a classic two-pieces-of-vinyl, four-songs-per-side thing.” And America certainly plays that way. But for all the genre-jumping, there’s one theme that keeps popping up throughout the album: the idea of unity. It’s central to current single “Stand” and it’s the core idea behind the album’s title track too. “The inspiration came from a documentary that I was watching. … It was about a group of Americans, I’m sure somewhere tucked away, and they were saying they were disgusted by what America had become, they were disgusted that there was an African-American commander in chief; they’re not for racial equality, they would like America to be back to the way it was 100 years ago and, basically, they would do anything it took to make sure that their idea of America was restored, down to assassination, etc.,” Kravitz explained. “And it was with such hatred and, obviously, we know that racism exists but somehow they threw me for a loop. I was like, Really? For real? So the chorus of the song … I was just saying to them, This is what’s happening, you need to know what time it is. It’s how I was raised; I grew up between two cultures at a pivotal time after the civil rights movement, and [it’s] the story of my parents, and what they went through. It’s very natural for me to write about that sort of thing.” Of course, America isn’t all heavy lifting. “Rock Star City Life” is a down-and-dirty ode to excess, “Superlove” is a sumptuously sexual exercise in viscous funk, and the rattling “Boongie Drop” is about, well, ass. To a degree. “Well, “boongie” is a Bahamian word for ass. But it’s not just an ass-shaking song. There’s a place down the street from where I live, and on Sunday nights, people come down there and dance,” Kravitz said. “It’s like a red light-bulb, pool-table shack and this DJ, Military. And the thing I found beautiful was that you have these really full-figured Bahamian women showing up there, they know they’re beautiful, and they’re not buying into the lie, the stereotype of what media says is beautiful. They exude this pride, and the song’s about that.” If you couldn’t tell, there’s nary a musical corner Kravitz didn’t explore on the album (he wrote some 30 songs for the project), which was his mission all along. He spent nearly two years making it in a studio down in the Bahamas, where, for the first time in his career, he was given the space he needed to let his ideas flower. In short, it’s the kind of album an artist has to earn the right to make and, if anything, Kravitz has definitely done that. “It was the dream location, the dream studio,” he said. “I had time and, actually, perspective, having been doing this for 22 years. I feel like it’s the best record I’ve ever made.” Are you excited to hear Lenny’s new album? Tell us in the comments! Related Artists Lenny Kravitz
The earthquake hit at 8:16 am (2316 GMT Wednesday) with the shallow focus located in Nagano prefecture, some 180 kilometres (110 miles) northwest of Tokyo, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. A 5.4 magnitude earthquake shook central Japan on Thursday, seismologists said, injuring several people and causing cracks in a 16th-century samurai castle listed as a national treasure. It was followed by smaller aftershocks. The tremor damaged Matsumoto Castle in Nagano, causing cracks in the inner w
Foo Fighters, Bon Iver, the Beastie Boys also make Bigger Than the Sound ‘s midyear list. By James Montgomery Bigger Than The Sound’s Best Albums of 2011 (so far) Photo: MTV News Well, we’ve reached the halfway point of 2011, and if you’re a fan of unfortunately named politicians tweeting photos of their bulges, terrorists getting shot in the eye and Austrian strongmen who have a thing for the help, well, congratulations on having the best six months of your entire life. Of course, for the rest of us, there’s been plenty to help pass the time in 2011 — namely, a whole bunch of really excellent albums, from folks you probably know (Eminem, Lady Gaga) and some you more than likely don’t (the Weeknd, F—ed Up). But whether they’re household names or not, they’ve all helped make the first 180-or-so days of the year practically fly by — a feat that’s pretty amazing considering all the crap that’s happened up to this point. So, like I’ve done in previous years , I’ve compiled my favorite albums of the first half of 2011 — a traditional top 10, followed by some honorable mentions too. If there’s something you haven’t heard, well, you’ve still got six months to rectify that. And the same goes for me: If there’s an album that I’ve missed (a definite possibility), I’d love to hear about it in the comments below. So, let’s get right to it. Here’s my list of the Best Albums of 2011 (So Far): The Top 10 10. Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks, Mirror Traffic : The elder statesman of erudite rock and good diction has been heading in a jammier direction for years now (on songs like “1% of One,” “No More Shoes” and, more recently, the Pavement reunion tour ), but thanks to the production work of Beck, he’s finally honed those tendencies into an album that’s every bit as elastic as his previous efforts, yet oddly focused too. Songs like “Tigers” and “Senator” prove he’s still not averse to an angular verse (or in-depth investigations into the sexual proclivities of elected officials), but it’s on “28 Forever” — when he warbles, “There’s no parade/ I cannot rain on with my poison eyes” — where he finally seems to be coming to terms with his past as an oft-noted sourpuss. Call it clarity, call it maturity, call it whatever: It all makes for the best Malk record in years. 9. Foo Fighters, Wasting Light : The year’s best major-label rock record was born out of risk: Dave Grohl eschewed the sanitary confines of the big-bucks studio to record an album in his own garage, on tape, warts-and-all. And then he brought in Nevermind producer Butch Vig to oversee the proceedings. The end result is an effort that positively rips, one equally packed with crackling rockers (“Rope,” “White Limo”) and muscle-y, medium-rare mopers (“I Should Have Known”). In the process, he not only reinvigorated his band, but set the bar impossibly high for any of his contemporaries. As if they’d have the balls to try something like this. 8. The Weeknd, House of Balloons : Mysterious, majestically paced R&B courtesy of 20-year-old Canadian Abel Tesfaye, whose sensibilities (gorgeously layered atmospherics, keenly placed Siouxsie and the Banshees samples) belie his years. The trope of the troubled loverman isn’t exactly new, but rarely are matters of the heart played out as honestly as they are here. A constant cycle of druggy nights, desperate flings and depressing dawns, Balloons makes no apologies, and, really, it doesn’t need to. Not when the scenery is this engrossing, this sumptuous. Mood music for increasingly moody times. And, best of all, it’s free . 7. Beastie Boys, Hot Sauce Committee Part Two : Really, this one could have gone either way. Especially after Ad-Rock’s battle with cancer forced the Beasties to scrap the first record (and, of course, To the Five Boroughs ). But, somewhat shockingly, they delivered an album that’s a total blast, a mishmash of boom-bap rattle and pop-culture flotsam that, like all the best Beastie albums, manages to tread the line between highbrow rap and lowbrow entertainment. So even if Mike D did open up a restaurant with Ted Danson, you still believe he’s got enough swagger to go toe-to-toe with Nas. And on Hot Sauce, he does both. 6. Fleet Foxes, Helplessness Blues : The folks over at Spin called it “the year’s most beautiful album,” and they’re probably right. Swooning, wide-screen vocal harmonies ebb and expand into the warm, finger-picked acoustics, creating atmospheres that are summery one minute, wintery the next. But it’s not all ethereal. In fact, frontman Robin Pecknold spends the majority of the album rooting through problems that are, in fact, very real : finding his place in the world and coming to terms with his disappearing youth. That balance is key to the album’s strength. Because for a band that indulges so much in the space of the studio, Helplessness Blues is rarely, if ever, self-indulgent. 5. Lykke Li, Wounded Rhymes : Psychoanalytic, somnambulant pop from the prodigiously talented 25-year-old Swede, Wounded Rhymes expands on the themes that she laid out in her stunning debut (2008’s Youth Novel ) and imbues them with an otherworldly spirit. Not to mention the torchy leanings of the greatest of girl groups (the Ronettes, the Crystals, etc.). So while Li is still preternaturally somber (like on “Sadness Is a Blessing,” on which she keens, “Sadness is my boyfriend”), she’s also not afraid to get dirty, either, and it’s when she’s doing the latter — like on the aptly titled “Get Some” — that she truly shines. 4. Lady Gaga, Born This Way : It’s not a stretch to call BTW the year’s most-anticipated album, and perhaps in a nod to those expectations, Lady Gaga delivered an effort that doesn’t leave anything on the cutting-room floor. From the piston-pumping electronics of “Marry the Night” and the tarantula tango of “Americano” to the twitching, “Transformers”-huge techno of “Heavy Metal Lover” and the epic balladry of “You and I” and “The Edge of Glory,” this truly is an effort that tries very hard to be everything to everyone. And sure, it’s probably too long, but that’s sort of the point, isn’t it? And if she didn’t please everyone, well, she came pretty darn close, didn’t she? 3. Bon Iver, Bon Iver : Justin Vernon has done the impossible: follow up a beloved, much-mythologized debut album (you know, the one that was recorded in a cabin) with a record that’s just as good — if not better. He’s always been one for atmospheres, but never before have those atmospheres been so dense. Or so compelling. Here, he creates a singular, breathless world, building it with layers of echoing instrumentation and his own ghostly falsetto. There are moments where the sun shines through the cracks — a horn crescendo, a silvery sliver of bell — but for the most part, Bon Iver is a mesmerizing trip through a dewy dreamscape. And, in that regard, it’s a momentous achievement — even if the last song does sound like Bruce Hornsby. 2. Adele, 21 : It’s nice when the year’s best-selling album also ends up being one of the flat-out best, but, in the case of Adele’s 21, we should’ve seen it coming. After all, she’s got the Grammy-winning pedigree . But this time out, she’s grown, and become a singer capable of both tremendous power (like on the smash “Rolling in the Deep”) and terrifying tenderness too (like on the smash ing “Someone Like You”). A roiling collection of breakup ballads and revenge fantasies, there truly is no album quite like 21, and not only is its success justified, but it probably guarantees Adele will only add to her Grammy collection come February. Some things are inevitable. 1. F—ed Up, David Comes to Life : A wrecking-ball sorta rock opera courtesy of Toronto’s hardest-working (and, most likely only ) six-piece punk collective, David Comes to Life tells the story of a downtrodden factory worker who may or may not have killed his true love. I think. Because, along the way, there’s also betrayal, heartache, bomb blasts, fisticuffs and a whole lot of plot-twisting shifts in narration too. Of course, the story behind the album is largely unimportant (if you want to keep score at home, here’s a handy guide ) especially when the album itself hits so hard. The (multi-multi-multi-)tracked guitars squeal and chug for days, and frontman Pink Eyes’ screams are so visceral you can practically feel his blood welling up in your headphones. It’s an ambitious, ringing, raging success, the kind of record you’ll listen to over and over again, either to try and follow the plotline or just get pummeled by the sheer might of the thing. Either way, you’ll enjoy yourself. Honorable Mentions Bad Meets Evil, Hell: The Sequel : Reunited with (and recharged by) Royce, Em reminds us that he’s still capable of littering the scene with lyrical shell casings, and Nickel Nine matches him shot for shot. Their friendly competition makes for a thrilling listen, and basically everything here burns with varying degrees of intensity — even the track with Bruno Mars. Bright Eyes, The People’s Key : Unjustly overlooked for reasons not apparent to me, Conor Oberst’s seventh studio album is a latticework of sonic strips, wide-eyed (yet sorta hazy) ponderances of faith and science and, on “Ladder Song,” raw, positively aching ruminations on death. Not as great as some of his earlier works, but close. And that’s still better than 95 percent of everything else. Curren$y, Covert Coup : One of approximately 750 albums he plans to release this year (and not the one that syncs up with “Weekend at Bernie’s” either), Coup bubbles along on producer the Alchemist’s hazy beats and Curren$y’s laconic, chronic delivery. If you couldn’t tell, this is the weed-iest album of 2011, by a smoky mile. Death Cab for Cutie, Codes and Keys : Ben Gibbard finally gets happy, only, y’know, within reason. Because even the sunniest moments are dotted with dark clouds, and ultimately, this is an album that’s as much about alienation as anything else. After all, falling in love doesn’t fill the emptiness inside; it only makes it more pronounced. PJ Harvey, Let England Shake : The iconic Brit shape-shifts with seemingly every record she releases, and on Shake, she’s reborn as an old-fashioned protest singer. The sad thing is, the subjects she’s singing about (conflict, bloodshed, man’s unending cycle of self-immolation) are just as timely now as they were 50 years ago. Portugal. The Man, In the Mountain, In the Cloud : Guys from the same town that put Sarah Palin on the map (Wasilla, Alaska: Population 7,831) more than atone for that fact with an album that’s sprawling, psychedelic and crawling with ambition — the latter of which is also a pretty apt description for Ms. You-Betcha’s machinations too. Radiohead, The King of Limbs : Maybe the most divisive Radiohead album of all time (or at least since Hail to the Thief ), it may not necessarily rock, but that’s because it’s not supposed to. Instead, its main focus is creating a world that’s atmospheric and amniotic, and even if it doesn’t contain guitar solos like “Lucky” or “Just,” there’s still plenty to give you chills. Just not the chills you’re probably used to. Tyler, the Creator, Goblin : Terrifying meta-commentary or simply the angry rantings of a 20-year-old kid who doesn’t know any better? Probably both. Homophobic? Sexist? Clever? Irritating? How about all of the above. It’s also visceral, wince-inducing, frightening and sorta funny too. But perhaps nobody does a better job of summing it all up than Tyler himself, when, on the (sorta) hook to “Radicals,” he growls, “Kill people, burn sh–, f— school.” Now that’s a mission statement. YACHT, Shangri-La : New-age dance duo ponder the existence of the hereafter and discover that it may very well exist on earth (or within our own minds). Too bad we’re busy destroying both. A postapocalyptic party as foreseen by the Talking Heads and Giorgio Moroder, Shangri-La is as heavy on subject matter as it is on lithe, limber rhythms, so even when things get too heady, you can still let your hips do all the thinking. Yuck, Yuck : The year’s best debut, one that channels the stray slack and sonic stumblings of Dinosaur Jr. and Sonic Youth. And considering it all comes from a quartet of kids too young to remember prime-era indie rock, it’s all the more noteworthy. Maybe the stuff can make a comeback. What did we miss? Share your favorites in the comments!
Breezy and Buss hit the stage with ‘Look At Me Now,’ ‘She Ain’t You’ and ‘Paper, Scissors, Rock.’ By Mawuse Ziegbe Chris Brown onstage at the 2011 BET Awards Photo: Joe Scarnici/WireImage Chris Brown ‘s emotional performance at last year’s BET Awards turned out to be a turning point in the singer’s once-ailing career, and with his 2011 performance Breezy is reveling in his hard-won fame. Following a heartfelt, off-prompter intro by host Kevin Hart, Breezy kicked things off with his Michael Jackson-sampling jam “She Ain’t You.” The singer took the stage on a raised platform in the middle of the stage surrounded by a cluster of monitors splashed with psychedelic designs. Breezy worked the midtempo hit in an avant-garde grey suit with voluminous pant legs and a cape fashioned out a jacket. But the F.A.M.E. singer ditched the fashion-forward ensemble in favor of a black jumpsuit to helm his woozy, Diplo-produc ed banger, “Look At Me Now,” as a crew of dancers in similarly street black hoodies joined him on stage. Then Busta Rhymes emerged from a brightly lit cube flanked by dancers in eerie, transparent masks illuminated by blinking lights. The Back On My B.S. lyricist wowed the Shrine with his legendary, breathless, rapid-fire flow — much of which was obscured by super-cautious censors — sporting a unique, black jacket with enormous, ridged sleeves. After ripping his verse, the MC dropped the mic and walked off. Breezy took back the stage for his F.A.M.E. cut “Paper, Scissors, Rock,” busting out some agile choreography, and finishing up the performance with an athletic flip off the stage. When speaking to MTV News earlier this year about how the all-star collabo came together, beatsmith Afrojack gave snaps to Busta’s hypnotic flow . “Busta’s verse on it is really sick,” he said. “It’s like I can’t even hear what he said, but I love the part where he goes [mimics Busta’s rapid flow], and then pauses and goes rapping really quickly. And I don’t know how to do it, I don’t even try. But it was really, really cool.” The bigwigs at BET are also clearly feeling Breezy’s chart-topper. “Look At Me Now” took the Best Collaboration award directly after the set. What did you think of this week’s Chris Brown’s performance at the 2011 BET Awards ? Let us know in the comments! Related Photos 2011 BET Awards Show Highlights Related Artists Chris Brown Busta Rhymes
