BuzzSugar

New Music: Norah Jones's "Light as a Feather"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:30:00 -0800

It's been seven years since Norah Jones burst onto the music scene with her debut album and mega-hit "Don't Know Why," and the talented chanteuse has continued to make beautiful, jazzy music (and one movie, which we'll just forget about) ever since.

Her latest album is The Fall, which comes out Nov. 17, and I'm already entranced by the soft, haunting "Light as a Feather." It's not just Jones's smoky voice that makes it worth listening to; it was co-written by alt-country icon Ryan Adams. To hear the song for yourself, just read more.

Link Time! George Clooney Gets Behind A New TNT Show

BuzzSugar — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 13:30:05 -0700

George Clooney is signing on to exec-produce Delta Blues (with an Elvis impersonator cop!) for TNT - TV Squad
January Jones will star in the Nicolas Cage thriller The Hungry Rabbit Jumps - Coming Soon
The Short Circuit remake gets a director - MTV Movies Blog
Those DirectTV ads with Chris Farley and David Spade suffer some backlash - E! Online
Kristin Davis talks the Sex and the City sequel - Hollywood Crush
Lots of photos from this past weekend's CMJ Festival - Stereogum
Weezer and Lil Wayne's collaboration "Can't Stop Partying" is pretty darn catchy - Idolator
Check out this list of the best rock-'n'-roll movies - Rotten Tomatoes
Author Augusten Burroughs is working on two new TV series, one for CBS and one for Showtime - Movieline
Norah Jones plays a pirate in her new music video - HitFix
Just in time for Halloween: The 5 scariest TV episodes ever - TV.com
Plus, 10 girl-power inspired costumes (Bella Swan made the list!) - TresSugar

Hear What's on Natalie Portman's Playlist

BuzzSugar — Thu, 01 Nov 2007 08:30:00 -0700

I've always assumed Natalie Portman has good taste in music - simply because of her Shins-loving character in Garden State, I'm sure. But it turns out the actress really does know her stuff. Portman rounded up a pretty great set of collaborators for her new charity compilation, Big Change: Songs for FINCA, including M. Ward, Portman's My Blueberry Nights co-star Norah Jones, and - yup - The Shins.

The 16-song album, which is available exclusively through the iTunes Music Store for $7.99, benefits FINCA, an anti-poverty organization that provides financial services to low-income entrepreneurs around the world. (Portman serves as the group's "ambassador of hope.") Most of the songs are also available separately.

Among the songs I can't wait to check out: a remix of the Shins' "Australia" by the Bjorn of Peter, Bjorn and John; the intriguingly titled "My Night with the Prostitute from Marseille" by Beirut (which Portman apparently almost sang on); and the exclusive M. Ward track "What is a Soul?" To see the complete track listing, just read more

1. Tokyo Police Club, "Be Good"
2. Beirut, "My Night With the Prostitute From Marseille"
3. Tom Brosseau, "Plaid Lined Jacket"
4. Curumin, "Tudo Bem Malandro"
5. The Shins, "Australia (Bjorn Yttling Mix)"
6. Brett Dennen, "Ain't No Reason"
7. Sean Hayes, "Turnaroundturnmeon"
8. Thee More Shallows, "Oh Yes, Another Mother"
9. Angus & Julia Stone, "The Beast"
10. Antony & the Johnsons, "Paddy's Gone"
11. Vetiver, "Idle Ties"
12. Norah Jones, "Broken"
13. Devendra Banhart, "There's Always Something Happening"
14. M. Ward, "What Is a Soul?"
15. Wooden Wand, "Forgiveness Figg (Bethany Hotel Blues)"
16. Rogue Wave, "How We Landed"

First Look: My Blueberry Nights

BuzzSugar — Thu, 04 Oct 2007 11:15:44 -0700

Not only does France have a definite release date for My Blueberry Nights, but there's also a full-length trailer for the film with French subtitles. So far, there's no U.S. release date scheduled. What's up with that?

My Blueberry Nights stars Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and Norah Jones in Jones' first big feature-film role. The film screened at Cannes to mixed reviews. Most critics said director Wong Kar Wai did a stunningly beautiful job visually with his first English-language project, but that otherwise the movie lags. Jones plays a young woman who "takes a soul-searching journey across America to resolve her questions about love while encountering a series of offbeat characters along the way." If nothing else, the trailer features Cat Power's lovely voice crooning in the background, so to check it out, read more

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Rewind: This Week's Buzz

BuzzSugar — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:00:52 -0700

Don't forget: the 2007 Emmys are tomorrow! If you haven't cast your predictions for who will take home the awards this year, click here for the ballot. And while you're at it, click here for the official rules. If you're not a Team member yet, you have to sign up to submit a ballot, so if this is the case, click here. Good luck!
The "Sex and the City" movie will open on May 30, 2008, so mark your calendars! Also, the cast of this movie now includes Jennifer Hudson.
Kanye West and 50 Cent both had albums coming out this week and you all (correctly) presumed Kanye's album would do better. Check out Kanye's video for "The Good Life."
Fall TV is almost starting up so get excited! I've finished viewing all the new shows, so check out my takes on each of them with my Pilot Watch posts. Also, I've rounded up the top 5 new shows you can definitely skip this fall, and 5 I think could go either way. Stay tuned for Monday's post of the top 5 shows you can't miss.
Speaking of fall entertainment, I have three more Fall Movie Previews for you: the fall movies for and about women (including Elizabeth: The Golden Age, starring Cate Blanchett), horror films (including Sweeney Todd starring Johnny Depp) and the dramatic dramas (like December Boys starring Daniel Radcliffe).
Cool song: Norah Jones covering Arcade Fire's "Ocean of Noise".
Can't wait a couple weeks for the season premiere of "Grey's Anatomy"? Check out these preview clips!
Can you think of new actors to play the roles in the beloved comedy Big?

Link Time! 9/13

BuzzSugar — Thu, 13 Sep 2007 13:33:57 -0700

Give Me My Remote is having a "Doogie Howser, MD" flashback.
Popwatch's favorite Beatles cover of all time is the Breeders' version of "Happiness Is a Warm Gun." What's yours?
Speaking of covers, I Guess I'm Floating is featuring a few good ones today, including ones by KT Tunstall and Norah Jones.
The TV Addict has more details about Rachel Bilson's appearance on "Chuck."
Best Week Ever has found the most unintentionally hilarious movie trailer of the year for a film called Eye of the Dolphin.
YumSugar has the recipe for a "Flight of the Conchords"-inspired lasagna for one.
You Ain't No Picasso creates an mp3 mix for "Californication."
Cinematical has an interview with Mark Ruffalo regarding his role in the upcoming thriller Reservation Road.
Buddy TV dissects the rumor that "Lost" could air on Mondays.
Speaking of rumors, Office Tally hears there's a chance "The Office" will stream free online.
The MTV Movie Blog asks an expert to examine the significance of crystal skulls, the puzzling subject of the fourth Indiana Jones title.
TV Squad tells us about a whole bunch of new game shows about lying.

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Song of the Day: Norah Jones Covers the Arcade Fire

BuzzSugar — Mon, 10 Sep 2007 16:15:59 -0700

Norah Jones bores me sometimes, and cover songs are often unimaginative, but this recording of Norah covering the Arcade Fire's "Ocean of Noise" (via The Music Slut) is neither boring nor unimaginative.

In this live version, from the Sopot International Song Competition in Poland, Jones's stunning voice adds a sad, ethereal quality to the already haunting song. Woven together with a bold bass and a twangy guitar, it's more sultry than jazzy and a departure from Jones's usual sound.

Judging by the crowd response, there isn't much overlap in the Arcade Fire and Norah Jones fan bases. When she says, "it's a song by a cool band called Arcade Fire. I don't know if you guys know them or like them...," the crowd doesn't make a peep. But I know you guys like the Arcade Fire, and I think you'll love this. To listen, read more

Song of the Day: Norah Jones, Herbie Hancock, "Court and Spark"

BuzzSugar — Thu, 30 Aug 2007 08:30:00 -0700

Get this: Legendary musician/composer Herbie Hancock is putting his jazzy spin on a whole bunch of songs, vocal and Instrumental, composed by or influential to Joni Mitchell. What's more, he's collaborating with various musicians on these songs, making for entirely new musical creations that still bear Mitchell's familiar sounds.

The album, titled River: The Joni Letters, will be released September 25 and features vocalists like Leonard Cohen, Tina Turner and Joni Mitchell herself.

Norah Jones joins Hancock on this rendition of "Court and Spark," and the result is smooth and sweet. The soft piano sounds, classy brass and Jones' throaty voice all make for a beautiful cover, and a lovely way to honor Mitchell's work. To have a listen to "Court and Spark" yourself, read more

Cannes Reviews: My Blueberry Nights

BuzzSugar — Mon, 21 May 2007 16:25:10 -0700

Since I'm not able to attend the Cannes Film Festival this year, I'm scouring the Web for reviews of movies that look the most interesting. First on my list: My Blueberry Nights, the first English-language film by director Wong Kar Wai which stars Norah Jones, Jude Law, Natalie Portman and Rachel Weisz.

Overwhelmingly, the critics' message is this: Wong Kar Wai is masterful at creating a visually evocative film, though the dialogue is lacking, thus making the performances feel empty and pointless. Some say the script's shortcomings are a result of language issues, but that in the end none of it matters because the film is so beautiful. Check out these excerpts from various reviews:

Hollywood Reporter:
"Nothing truly profound gets discovered... The director is chasing a mood here - a mood, an atmosphere and feelings... The glue here is Jones, who holds a wispy, wistful film together with a deeply felt, unself-conscious performance that strikes the right notes without ever falling into repetition or banality. She brings her singer's talent of knowing when to go for emotions and when to hold back to her acting. It's a remarkably assured work; one hopes she will further explore acting in other movies."

Variety:
"Jones proves agreeable but bland company in the role; she's attractive, but lacks mystery, emotional vitality and that something special behind the eyes... Visual beauty is a given in Wong's films, as is the use of pop songs and old standards, and nothing has changed on those counts here."

Cannes Kicks Off With My Blueberry Nights

BuzzSugar — Wed, 16 May 2007 04:32:38 -0700

Today the Cannes Film Festival kicks off in France, and starting things off is Hong Kong director Wong Kar Wai's first English-language film, My Blueberry Nights. The movie is about a lovelorn road trip and stars Jude Law, Rachel Weisz, Natalie Portman and... Norah Jones?

Yup, Norah Jones. Apparently, Kar Wai specifically sought out the musician for the starring role. More details if you read more

Variety has the scoop:

She admits she knew little about the director's work when she first met Wong over lunch in New York.

"I thought maybe he wanted music," she says. "And he asked if I wanted to act! I knew his reputation as a director was very unconventional and very different, and I knew what his movies looked like, and it just seemed like a really good time to say yes and try something different with somebody I trusted."

In "My Blueberry Nights," Jones is the central character, a young woman working her way across the country in the wake of a romantic breakup.

Jones goes on to gush that her costars were extra-supportive, knowing she was nervous, and treated her like their "little sister." I found these richly colorful stills from the film on RopeofSilicon and I must say this movie intrigues me, so I'll be scouring the Web for reviews as soon as Nights is screened. Oh, to be at Cannes!

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