Here is my list of my top picks in music for 2008 … sadly, this wasn’t a great year for music. As I sat down to go over my fave releases of the year, I found that there wasn’t much to choose from. But, even tho the pickin’s are slim that doesn’t take away from the quality of the music that was released this year. Here, in reverse order are my fave albums of the year:

In the #10 position, Beyoncé’s I Am …:

Altho I didn’t love every single track on this album, much of it is really fun and very memorable. Honestly, for Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) alone the album is a hit. I may not be totally on board with the whole Sasha Fierce thing but as long as Beyoncé keeps bringin’ the jams like the ones on this album, I think I can get used to it.

At #9, Jason Mraz’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things.:

I’ve been a minor Jason Mraz fan for a while now but this album really won me over to Team Mraz. I must admit, I didn’t really pay that much attention to him before he started blogging on My Space but once he got my attention, I was hooked. I’ve yet to listen in full to Jason’s other albums but if this one is any indication, I think I’m gonna like what I hear. Additionally, Mraz just published his own book of Polaroid photos … which wins my heart in other ways as well.

At #8 is Juliana Hatfield’s How To Walk Away:

Juliana always comes at us with great music and this album is proof positive that she’s still got it. For me, this album was an even better treat because I ordered it from her official website and it came packed with a bonus disc of demos that were recorded with the album. I really wish more people knew about Juliana … I think she appeals to so many people. I’m just glad that she continues to make music because discs like this one are always welcome on my iPod.

In the #7 position is the Ryan Adams and the Cardinals album Cardinology:

Ryan Adams releases music almost on a daily basis and, amazingly, it’s all good. While I wasn’t too crazy about Easy Tiger, I really loved Cardinology. My only regret is that the album is too short. I wish there were about 3 more songs on the disc but, knowing Ryan, I’m sure it won’t be long before we get a whole new disc of stuff to enjoy.

At #6 is the new Leona Naess album Thirteens:

I was SHOCKED when I learned that Leona Naess had released a new album months before I heard about it … but was very happily surprised. Thirteens is a great album of somber and poignant tunes … and comes with 13 bonus tracks that are still downloadable HERE. One can never have too much Leona Naess … the hits just keep on comin’.

After the jump, check out my Top 5 Fave Albums of 2008 including my fave of the bunch AND my list of Top 10 Singles of the Year … (more…)

After a whirlwind promo tour of Europe last week/weekend, Britney Spears brought her Circus show to NYC for a couple of live performances on ABC’s Good Morning America this morning. David and I got our asses up bright and early to make our way to Lincoln Center to watch our dear Britney perform live (and I’ll have some of my pics to share later on today) and were on hand to watch the spectacle unfold right before our eyes. Britney’s GMA appearance wasn’t only a birthday celebration … it was also the official launch party for her new album Circus which is in stores TODAY as well as the venue to officially announce the tourdates for her upcoming The Circus starring Britney Spears Tour which will kick off in New Orleans, LA next March. Yeah, there was a lot going on this morning … here are a few pics of Britney’s two performances this morning and some deets about the event overall:

Britney Spears celebrated her 27th birthday Tuesday under the Big Top and before the TV cameras of Good Morning America. Dressed as a ringmaster, Spears made her entrance atop a circus wagon – accompanied by clowns, jugglers and performers dressed as circus animals. For her second number, “Womanizer,” Spears smashed through a fiery hoop. Afterwards, she announced that her concert tour would begin in New Orleans March 3. Then came the cake. The appearance, inside the Big Apple Circus tent within New York’s Lincoln Center, also marked the launch of Spears’s sixth studio album, Circus – her first CD since her 2007 comeback step, Blackout. As Spears announces on the title track (and delivered on GMA), “There are only two types of people in the world, the ones that entertain and the ones that observe.” GMA’s Robin Roberts called Spears’s appearance “our concert event of the year.” Claimed cohost Diane Sawyer about those gathered inside the circus tent, “There are about a gazillion people [here].” Among them: the pop star’s mother, Lynne Spears, and Britney’s two young sons, Preston and Jayden. Interspersed with the promos for Spears’s performance during Tuesday’s GMA were birthday greetings from the likes of Reese Witherspoon, John Travolta, Nicollette Sheridan, Teri Hatcher and PEOPLE’s newly named Sexiest Man Alive, Hugh Jackman – who sang “Happy Birthday” and blew her a kiss. “You look great,” Witherspoon relayed to Spears, “and I hope you have a great day.” Added Taylor Swift: “You have been officially awesome for 27 years.” On Sunday, Spears’s MTV special, Britney: For the Record, which documented some of her personal problems of the past year, was watched by more than 3.7 million viewers, according to the cable music network. Those are high numbers for MTV.

Seriously, this morning’s performances were truly a sight to see. The spectacle was totally worth getting up and out so early for. The production value, which I don’t think translated quite as well on live TV, was phenomenal. I am very much looking forward to seeing what sorts of tricks Britney’s got up her sleeves for her upcoming tour. Wade Robson, who is reportedly directing Britney’s new concert tour, was in the hiz this morning going over last minute touches right before she performed. It was all just very exciting to see her back in action. The crowd was just raucous the entire time … it was a blast. After the jump, check out video of Britney’s performances of Circus and Womanizer … (more…)

Britney Spears wrapped up her mini-European promo tour ahead of the release of her new album Circus (due out in stores on Tuesday December 2) by performing on the UK competitive reality program X-Factor on live TV last night — giving the program it’s highest ratings ever, pulling in 12.8 million viewers! Even tho Britney turned in the same routine that she gave in Germany and in France, there were small amendments to the routine and more life in this latest performance (I thought) than the previous two performances. Here are a few pics of Britney (lookin’ smokin’, I might add) on the X-Factor stage last night:

Britney Spears sang her latest hit on the X Factor stage during her first UK television performance in over four years. The pop singer, who turns 27 on Tuesday, mimed her way through her latest single Womanizer after the five remaining finalists each covered a classic Britney track. Spears, who was dressed all in black, with hotpants, fishnet tights and knee-high boots, did not coach the show’s contestants, as previous guests have done. It has been reported Spears travelled with a 45-strong entourage of stylists and security. And reports claimed she is said to have banned contestants and judges from approaching her. But the judging panel gave her a standing ovation along with an excited crowd. On Monday, she releases her sixth studio album Circus, and has been on a whistle-stop tour of Europe to promote the record. Earlier, Alexandra Burke, who sang Toxic, said: “When I was nine, Britney brought out Baby One More Time, and I loved her. I’m very excited about meeting her. This is the Britney we all know and love. I hope I can do my Britney song justice, with my own twist.” Eoghan Quigg performed Sometimes, Ruth Lorenzo - who was later voted off the reality show - sang I Love Rock ‘n’ Roll, Diana Vickers sang I’m Not A Girl, Not Yet A Woman and JLS took on Baby One More Time.

For me, the folks making such a big deal of Britney lip-syncing (”miming”) are missing the point — and none of this criticism is new. Even at the height of her fame, critics felt it necessary to try and demean her performances by making a point of the lip-syncing. She is a performer, not really a singer … she has always been this way. I, for one, do not mind it at all. I find when critics attack her for the lip-syncing it’s because they’ve run out of other things to complain about … it means that things have finally gotten back to normal ;) Regarding this performance, I felt that she offered the most vim and vigor of all the performances she put on this week. Even tho she wore the same outfit that she wore in Germany, I think she looked the best on X-Factor than on the other two shows. The rolling steel cage ball was taken out of the performance and made it feel more like a dance routine than a “spectacle” — I liked it. At the end, Britney got a standing ovation from the crowd and from the judges. The girl is not trying to reinvent the wheel … slowly and steadily, she is working towards getting back to her comfort zone. I think she is handling it all very well. After the jump, check out a backstage photo of Britney with the X-Factor judges, a few photos of Britney making her exit from the venue and video of her performance in full … (more…)

Britney Spears was the featured performer on the French competitive reality TV program Star Academy last night and she managed to bring the house down! Performing her single Womanizer in front of a packed house of rabid French fans, Britney performed the second of three live appearances that she has scheduled in Europe this week (the first was in Germany on Thursday night, the last will be in the UK tonight). Here are a few screencaps from her live performance last night:

Britney Spears wowed French fans on TV on Friday when she performed her new hit Womanizer on talent show Star Academy. A night after making her first major comeback performance since the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards - at the 2008 Bambi Awards in Germany - Spears was in Paris for her TV turn. Wearing a flashy red corset dress, she sent fans wild with a lip-synced performance. Spears will complete her whistle-stop tour on Saturday night when she performs on TV talent show The X Factor.

Two down, one more to go. Last night’s performance in France was very much like the one she gave in Germany except for the obvs costume change and amped up energy level. The more stoic crowd in Germany make Brit’s performance feel more stunted … last night’s raucous crowd gave her the electricity she needed to turn in a more vibrant performance. I suspect that tonight’s performance on X-Factor will feature the same Womanizer routine, possibly with yet another costume change. After the jump, check out video of Britney’s performance on Star Academy last night … (more…)

Britney Spears was one of the featured performers at the 60th Annual Bambi Awards in Offenburg, Germany last night and, by pretty much all accounts, managed to pull off not only a successful live performance but a wholly entertaining one as well. Performing her hit single Womanizer, Britney turned the stage at the Bambi Awards into her own three-ring circus. Additionally, our dear Britney was honored, by trophy presenter Karl Lagerfeld, with an award of her own being named the Best International Popstar. Here are a few screencaps from Britney’s performance last night:

Ahead of her highly anticipated visit to London this weekend, Britney Spears has cemented her comeback with a knockout performance at the 60th annual Bambi Awards in Germany. The superstar performed alongside Pink and Leona at the star studded bash, where there was a random array of award recipients including Lewis Hamilton and Meg Ryan. Britters collected an award herself for Best International Popstar and designer Karl Lagerfield was gushing when he presented the star with her award. He told her “I admire you, not only for your art but also for your energy, for your comeback not only as a phoenix but as a bird of paradise. And it’s great.” Britney’s extravagant circus inspired performance was a hit with the crowd with the superstar looking back to best in a madonna-esque outfit Earlier this week it was confirmed Spears will play two concerts at the O2 in London next June as part of her forthcoming world tour.

Woot! She looked great! The performance was well executed, well staged and perfectly timed … stage one of her European promo tour went off without a hitch. Collecting another award for her accomplishments was just the icing on the cake. Lagerfeld is right in saying that Britney is more than just a phoenix rising from the ashes … she has always been so much more than that. And it was so nice of Madonna to lend her that outfit to wear ;) After the jump, check out a few more photos of her performance, a few photos of Britney in the press room posing with her trophy and (prolly what you’re really interested in seeing) video of Britney’s full performance … (more…)

Chuck Bass, played by Ed Westwick, is featured very heavily in tonight’s new episode of Gossip Girl titled Chuck in Real Life … and to celebrate The CW has whipped up a fun little mash-up video to promote the ep using Britney Spears’s new single Womanizer:

What a brills way to capitalize on both a hot song and a hot TV show. Make sure you keep tuning into to Gossip Girl as the season rolls on because there are reports that one of the characters will be peacing the spork out very soon. I’ve been LOVING this season thus far … and I’m dying to see more. Any guesses on who might be peacing out on GG this season?

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