1. In case you haven’t heard it yet, listen to “H.A.M.,” the first single off Watch the Throne, the highly-anticipated joint LP from Kanye West and Jay-Z, which is currently set for a March 1 release. [via The Daily What]
2. Tina Fey is in talks to star in a Paul Weitz-directed adaptation of Jean Hanff Korelitz’s novel Admission, a story about “an admissions officer at Princeton and her relationship with a prospective student who may not be Ivy League material.” [via The Wrap]
3. Last week the History Channel decided that they weren’t going to air The Kennedys, perhaps in part a result of pressure from the real Kennedys. Now it looks like Showtime is the only option if we’re ever going to see this miniseries on TV — and more importantly, Katie Holmes in all of her Jackie O. ensembles. [via Vulture]
4. You’ll never guess who is the first-ever guest editor of Vanity Fair’s Facebook page: Justin Bieber, who graces their February cover. Among his first posts in the week-long gig: “Gonna be a fun week — make sure you make some comments because I will send one random fan who writes in the comments section a signed copy of my book. LEGGOOOO!” [via MTV]
5. David Fincher and Trent Reznor are teaming up again; in what he calls a “natural step forward” for his career, the Nine Inch Nails frontman and his frequent writing partner Atticus Ross will be composing the score for Fincher’s adaptation of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. [via Rolling Stone]
Bonus link: Possibly The Greatest Volvo Photo Ever
Today at Flavorpill, remembered all of the amazing (or soon to be amazing) guest stars who appeared on Freaks and Geeks. We looked at baby pics of 2010’s endangered animals. We wished we could time travel to 1995, to this bizarre moment when Jon Stewart, Trent Reznor, and Marilyn Manson were all hanging out backstage at The Jon Stewart Show. We fell in love with Black Hole creator Charles Burns’ crazy cover for The Believer’s new art issue. We discovered 10 quotes Mark Twain likely never uttered, despite popular belief. We wondered what kind of lush would want to use a Scotch-flavored condom. We watched old people reenact Fight Club. We wanted to sign up for Consumerism and Social Change in Mad Men America, 1960-1965, a new class in the history department at Northwestern University. We donated to charity by watching the video for the Killers’ new Christmas song, which is directed by Napoleon Dynamite. And finally, we eyed the New York Times’ list of the 10 best books of 2010. Sadly, we’ve only read two of their picks.
1. Lilith Fair has canceled ten more dates of the tour — which means no womyn rock for Salt Lake City, Montreal, Raleigh, Charlotte, West Palm Beach, Tampa, Birmingham, Austin, Houston, or Dallas. [via soldout.]
2. Can James Cameron really be working with the Black Eyed Peas on a 3D concert movie? [via MTV]
3. Facebook‘s “facial-recognition technology” shouldn’t scare you… at least not just yet. [via The Awl]
4. Speaking of Facebook, did you realize that Trent Reznor was scoring David Fincher‘s new film The Social Network? [via P4K]
5. Blind item: “An hour drama is contemplating making one of its male leads HIV positive.” [via EW]
Bonus link: Mad Men Yourself Is Back
Today at Flavorpill, we watched Courtney Love stick it to Trent Reznor by covering “Closer.” We read William Faulkner’s review of season one of Gossip Girl. We vowed to start planning more vacations and then not taking them. We were excited to come across KALE Blog — it’s like FAIL Blog, but possibly a lot better for you. We thought that the idea of single-serving wine glasses was just brilliant. We streamed the new Scissor Sisters album, Night Work. We celebrated some of cinema’s most overly-detailed chalkboards (Good Will Hunting, FTW!) in anticipation of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming flick Inception. We looked at some extremely kitschy gay and lesbian pulp covers. We learned what the biggest difference is between the stars of Twilight and Harry Potter. We geeked out over this list of the most anticipated sci-fi films of 2011. And finally, we wondered who taught this mini pig how to play the piano. Charlotte?
1. French-born American artist Louise Bourgeois — known for her abstract sculptures — died yesterday at the age of 98. [via NYT]
2. Last night Apple shut down Lala, the streaming music service it acquired back in December, replacing it with nothing. [via MediaMemo]
3. Check out the trailer for This Movie is Broken, a part-scripted, part-concert film about Broken Social Scene from filmmakers Bruce MacDonald and Don McKellar. It’s scheduled for a June 25 release. [via Spinner]
4. Download Trent Reznor‘s How to Destroy Angels EP for free right now. [via Pop Candy]
5. After working on the project for two years with Peter Jackson, director Guillermo Del Toro has quit The Hobbit to pursue other projects. [via The One Ring]
Bonus link: See three new Lil Wayne videos
Life moves quickly for those of us who barely look up from our computers, BlackBerrys, and iPods. But at least we have an internet full of music videos to remind us what the real world is like. This week, our video roundup spans an entire lifetime, from childhood to death and everything in between. We experience the ups and downs of young love with the Black Keys, Free Energy remind us what it was like to be stuck in high school, and Drive-By Truckers weave a cautionary tale about life’s unexpected turns. Fast forwarding through time, CoCoRosie envision their future as old willowy women, and Trent Renzor and wife Mariqueen Maandig’s new band, How to Destroy Angels, serenade us from beyond the grave.
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1. Top Chef judge and New York restaurateur Tom Colicchio has been named America’s best chef of 2010 by the James Beard Foundation. [via AP]
2. Say it ain’t so, Angel! David Boreanaz comes clean to People magazine about his infidelity. Why did he choose this moment to confess? Apparently, he was being blackmailed by a former mistress.
3. Trent Reznor releases his first post-Nine Inch Nails single, How to Destroy Angels’ “A Drowning.” The new band is a collaboration between Reznor and his wife, Mariqueen Maandig. Listen to it at Pitchfork.
4. White Castle has released a burger-scented candle in honor of National Cheeseburger Month — a holiday we didn’t know existed but are happy to celebrate… but probably not by shelling out $10 for a candle that will either make us hungry or (more likely) nauseous. [via Entertainment Weekly]
5. Jude Law and Sienna Miller are back together. Let the drama begin! [via Popeater]
Bonus link: Japanese nerds design a strange and impressive crop of imaginary 8-bit games, including one based on Macchiavelli and a revisionist, conservationist take on the Book of Genesis.
From his groundbreaking models of online music distribution to outspoken views on role of the artist in the modern music industry, Trent Reznor and his band Nine Inch Nails have set a precedent for innumerable indie bands attempting to flourish in a broken industry. Reznor has also displayed a tireless work ethic and devotion to his music-making, incorporating influences that extend as far as arty synth-dance, classic rock, and Queen.
Recently-released videos showcasing a collaboration between Reznor and former Bauhaus frontman Peter Murphy demonstrate the extent of his diverse tastes and abilities. After the jump, we’ve collected some of Reznor’s most distinctive cross-genre performances (he has performed with people ranging from soulful Brooklynites TV On The Radio to metalheads Dilinger Escape Plan). Both Nine Inch Nails devotees and casual music fans should be surprised and impressed at the man’s range of collaborative expression.
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1. What are the most significant cultural works of the past decade? [via Chicago Tribune]
2. Banksy is at war with a fellow street artist named Robbo after deliberately spraying over his 24-year-old work in North London. [via Daily Mail]
3. “2010 has a number of things planned including new material from Nine Inch Nails and something else that isn’t Nine Inch Nails,” says Trent Reznor. “I am in a state of rediscovery and reinvention that feels unfamiliar, unsure and exactly what I need.” [via Rolling Stone]
4. Tyra Banks might be bidding farewell to her talk show, but we’ll never forget these five magical moments. [via Movieline]
5. After Chicago critics complained that the show needed to be funnier and more spontaneous, the producers of Broadway’s upcoming Addams Family musical have hired Tony Award-winning director Jerry Zaks to take over the $16.5 million production. [via New York Times]
Bonus link: The 12 Best Late Night TV Performances Of 2009
Last week Tom Morello, formerly of Rage Against the Machine, and Trent Reznor of Nine Inch Nails joined Pearl Jam, the Roots, R.E.M., and others in support of a new campaign pressuring US politicians to close the Guantánamo Bay. Why are so many musicians joining the movement? According to previously declassified reports, interrogators have used Metallica, Britney Spears, and even Sesame Street to torture detainees in the past. Many artists are outraged that their music may have been used without their consent, and want the practice stopped immediately.
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