I finally got out to see The Proposal last night, starring Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. I was really excited to see this, because I love me some Ryan Reynolds. (Is Just Friends not the best movie of all time?)

I wasn’t sure if Ryan & Sandra would be able to pull off the chemistry of a real couple, but  I was pleasantly surprised! There are so many laugh-out-loud moments, I felt like I was laughing throughout the entire movie.

Movie in a nutshell: Sandra Bullock  plays a book editor who is forced to marry her male assistant (Reynolds) in order to stay in the country. When they travel to Alaska to meet his family, the new couple has to fake their way through a surprise wedding thrown by his parents.

It was sooooo good, I just can’t even tell you! You guys owe it to yourselves to go see it!  I even think you could talk your man into seeing this one, it’s good for them too! It’s a bunch of fun, and a lot of laughs.  I give it 4 stars!

Last Thursday, I went and saw Bat for Lashes in Portland, Oregon at the Doug Fir Lounge.  Popbytes introduced BFL to me about 6 months ago, and I’ve been totally hooked, ever since!

The show was awesome! Lead singer Natasha Khan sounds even more amazing live. I’ve become obsessed with her last album, Two Suns.  Her voice is beautiful, and she puts on a great show. If she’s coming to a city near you – go see her! Tickets in Portland were only $10 – but I would have paid much more! She’s great!!

Bat For Lashes is the work of British singer/ songwriter, multi- instrumentalist and visual artist Natasha Khan. Born in 1979, yet combining influences that span decades, Natasha’s work dwells in the elemental, emerging in timeless forms.

A new Bat For Lashes album Two Suns was released on the 6th of April 2009.

‘Two Suns’ was written and recorded around the world, from Big Sur and the Joshua Tree desert in California to the rolling Welsh countryside and the city sprawls of New York and London.

It includes appearances by Brooklyn’s finest psychedelic experimentalists Yeasayer, who provide bass and beat programming. The legendary Scott Walker also performs a duet with Natasha for the album closer ‘The Big Sleep’.
As with Fur And Gold, Natasha chose to co-produce Two Suns with David Kosten (AKA Faultline).

Having spent parts of her childhood in Pakistan, Natasha Khan now lives by the sea in England.

Here is here official website

Check out her Myspace page!

NEW ALBUM ‘BACK AND FOURTH’ OUT JUNE 23 ON COLUMBIA

Man, I love, love, love me some Pete Yorn!   I’ve heard this new album, “Back and Fourth” and let me tell you – it’s better than all his previous albums! It is great!! He’s kicking off a new tour – and you guys HAVE to go see him!

In July, acclaimed singer and songwriter Pete Yorn will kick off a headlining tour in support of his anticipated new album ‘Back And Fourth’ (June 23, Columbia). Backed by his new band – a well-credentialed group of musicians including guitarist Jonny Polonsky who also played on the album, Joey Kennedy on keys, Scott Seiver on drums, Mark Noseworthy and Zak Schaffer on guitar – Yorn will preview the tour with a special album release show at the Roxy in LA on June 24. Tour highlights include multiple nights at LA’s Henry Fonda Theatre, NYC’s Webster Hall, and Chicago’s Park West.

Pete Yorn is currently on the road with Coldplay, through June 4. His first album in three years, ‘Back and Fourth,’ marks a bold new chapter for Yorn, who recorded in Omaha, NE, with producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley). Columbia’s Co-Chairman Rick Rubin also helped guide the project. The result is Yorn’s most personal statement to date.

July 09 San Diego CA – House of Blues
July 10 Anaheim, CA – House of Blues
July 11 Tucson, AZ -Rialto Theatre
July 13 Austin, TX -La Zona Rosa
July 14 Houston, TX – Meridian
July 16 Nashville, TN – Cannery Ballroom
July 17 Atlanta, GA – CW Center Stage
July 20 Washington, DC – 930 Club
July 21 Baltimore, MD – Ram’s Head
July 25 Philadelphia, PA – XPN Radio Show – Wiggins Waterfront Park
July 26 Boston, MA – House of Blues
July 28 New York, NY – Webster Hall
July 29 New York, NY – Webster Hall
August 02 Pontiac, MI – Clutch Cargos
August 03 Chicago, IL – Park West
August 04 Chicago, IL – Park West
August 07 Kansas City, KS – Harrah’s Voodoo Lounge
August 08 Council Bluffs, IA – Whiskey Roadhouse at Horseshoe Casino
August 09 St. Louis, MO – Pageant
August 12 Minneapolis MN Fine Line Music Cafe
August 13 Minneapolis MN Fine Line Music Cafe
August 15 Denver, CO – Ogden Theatre
August 16 Salt Lake City, UT – Murray Theater
August 21 Vancouver, BC – Venue
August 22 Portland. OR – Roseland Theater
August 24 San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
August 27 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre
August 28 Los Angeles, CA – Henry Fonda Theatre

In a final result that no one saw coming, Warner Bros.’ “The Hangover” edged out Disney/Pixar’s “Up” over the weekend. Final figures indicated that The Hangover raked in $44,979,319 to take the No. 1 position in the box-office rankings. “Up” fell to second place with $44,138,266. While “The Hangover” performed better than the studio had estimated, Universal’s “Land of the Lost” lost even more ground than the studio had thought, winding up with only $18,837,350. The top ten films over the weekend, according to final figures compiled by Box Office Mojo (figures in parentheses represent total gross to date):

1. “The Hangover,” Warner Bros., $44,979,319 (New)
2. “Up,” Disney, $44,138,266, 2 Wks. ($137,210,701)
3. “Land of the Lost,” Universal, $18,837,350, (New)
4. “Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian,” 20th Century Fox, $14,634,988, 3 Wks. ($127,326,188)
5. “Star Trek,” Paramount, $8,310,480, 5 Wks. ($222,712,175)
6. “Terminator Salvation,” Warner Bros., $8,248,387, 3 Wks. ($105,568,008)
7. “Drag Me to Hell,” Universal, $7,040,550, 2 Wks. ($28,233,230)
8. “Angels & Demons,” Sony, $6,550,282, 3 Wks. ($116,174,931)
9. “My Life in Ruins,” Fox Searchlight, $3,223,161, (New)
10. “Dance Flick,” Paramount, $1,958,725, 3 Wks. ($22,625,733)

I saw The Hangover on Saturday (my birthday!!) and I can’t tell you how much I loved this movie. It was unbelievably funny!  I think I laughed from the opening credits to the end.  I almost PEED MY PANTS with the photo’s that showed as the closing credits rolled.  Let’s just say – you don’t want to look, and yet you have to – and then you’re dying laughing!  It was perverse and hilarious, and the little baby “Carlos” nearly steals the show from my dreamboat, Bradley Cooper.

It’s vulgar – and crass – and absolutely BRILLIANT. Go see it!

Hey everyone, how was your weekend?  I had a heck of a weekend.  My “fun” began on Wednesday, when my oldest son got sick.  He threw up Wednesday night – then stayed sick for the rest of the week.  My youngest son ended up catching it, and threw for about 24 hours straight – starting Thursday night.  Come Friday I had two sick kids, and I was starting to feel a bit stir crazy!  Then my husband came down with the same bug on Saturday, and he was out of commission all day. They are all better now, thank God! I heard “are you sure it’s not the swine flu?” no less than 5 times!

Come Sunday morning, I was feeling a bit nuts.  Being cooped up in the house with 2 sick kids, and a sick husband, I needed a break!  They were feeling better, so I decided to go out and see a movie.  I saw State of Play, and let me just tell you – it was awesome! I loved it so much!

A petty thief is gunned down in an alley and a Congressman’s assistant falls in front of a subway – two seemingly unrelated deaths. But not to wisecracking, brash newspaper reporter Cal McAffrey (Russell Crowe) who spies a conspiracy waiting to be uncovered. With a turbulent past connected to the Congressman (Ben Affleck) and the aid of ambitious young rookie writer Della Frye (Rachel McAdams), Cal begins uprooting clues that lead him to a corporate cover-up full of insiders, informants, and assassins. But as he draws closer to the truth, the relentless journalist must decide if it’s worth risking his life and selling his soul to get the ultimate story.

I thought it was a really good movie!  So many amazing actors, and the writing was flawless! If you’re looking for a good who-done-it, go see State of Play!

PS: They need to make an entire movie based on Jason Bateman’s character in the movie.  He was so unbelievably funny, and spot-on!  He about stole the show from Russell Crowe!

I looooooove me some Mat Kearney. Two years ago I was able to see him when he came to Portland, and it was one of my favorite show’s I’ve ever seen.  (See that review, and a picture of me with him here!)  His first album, Nothing Left to Lose is still one of my favorites, I listen to it at least once a month.  He took a long break after heavily promoting that album, and I’m happy to announce that he has a new album, coming out May 19th called City of Black & White!  I’ve had the pleasure of listening to this album, and let me tell you – it was worth the wait! I love it so much! It’s everything I loved from his first album, and so much more!  My favorite tracks are his first single, Closer to Love (video below), Here We Go (which is amazing! I hope this is his next single!) and All I Have.  The songs are so well written, and so beautiful, if you liked his first album, even a little – then you’ll love this one.

After spending five years traveling the country establishing himself as a new artist, Mat dug his roots into his new hometown of Nashville, TN, allowing the songs on City of Black & White to evolve from various places and sources – in the back room of a studio where he stopped in to visit a friend, writing with people he met at coffee shops, hearing someone fiddling around with the guitar and humming along. He opened up the writing process to friends and to the community of musicians in Nashville, and crafted songs such as “Fire and Rain,” “Here We Go,” and “Lifeline.”

Kearney’s major label debut, Nothing Left To Lose includes the hit singles “Nothing Left To Lose,” “Undeniable,” and a late addition to the record, “Breathe In, Breathe Out,” which was used in television promotions for the fourth season of Grey’s Anatomy and included a music video that premiered during the season preview. Kearney was also a VH1 You Oughta Know Artist, headlined the first VH1 You Oughta Know Tour, and his video for the single “Nothing Left To Lose” tied the record for the most weeks in rotation (45) on VH1. Six separate songs from the album received prominent television licensing on popular shows such as Grey’s Anatomy, Bones, Friday Night Lights and more. Kearney has toured with John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, The Fray, Jason Mraz, and more.

Additionally, Mat Kearney will join Keane on their U.S. tour in May, hitting major markets including Los Angeles, Denver, Chicago and New York. Full tour dates can be found after the cut.

Mat Kearney Official Website

Mat Kearney Official Myspace

City of Black & White Pre-Order

CHECK OUT ALL OF MAT KEARNEY’S TOUR DATES AFTER THE JUMP! (more…)

I’m sooooooo excited to announce that I’ll be seeing Lady Gaga tomorrow night in Portland! Yay! I can’t wait! I think it’s going to be a really fun show…and now I’m nervous.  I’m going to have a chance to meet and talk to her.  What am I going to say! I tend to suffer from foot-in-mouth-syndrome whenever I meet anyone even remotely famous.  Man, the embarassing stories I could tell you.  I like to gossip about them, and talk about them online, but if I actually get to meet them face to face, fuggetaboutit!

What do I ask her!