Boris Johnson does a Michael Howard on Newsnight

Boris Johnson refuses to answer Paxman's question about how much new buses would cost to introduce to London. Newsnight London Mayoral Special.

Dizzee Rascal with that bit of a muffinhead Calvin Harris

New track from Dizzee Rascal with Calvin Harris. Not that much of a Harris fan, but love Dizzee. It's called Come and Dance With Me. To be honest this veers towards Harris more than Dizzee.

Kate Moss by Ryan McGinley

I really like these pictures of Kate Moss by Ryan McGinley for an issue of W magazine. Very ethereal Holgaeaque quality to the aesthetic of the shots. June 2007.

Some Steven Klein

Surprising

Scarlett Johansson has released a Tom Waits covers record, which is an incredibly brave and indivdualistic thing to do as an actress releasing a debut record which is doubtlessly gonna be ripped to be shreads. I actually think it works and it's surprising. David Bowie is on backing vocals on this cover of Falling Down. I love the video too! Especially the red knit beanie she is wearing. Great aesthetic to the road trip vid. Although weird, weird cameo by Salman Rushdie. I mean, wtf? How does this man get into so many places?



The original innit.

Love Will Tear us Apart covers

The Cure cover Love Will Tear Us Apart.



Nouvelle Vague perform their version live at Glastonbury, 2006.

Summertime Blues covers

Hanson perform Summertime Blues live on Japanese TV, circa 2000!



The Who play Summertime Blues at the Montery Festival, 1967.



Van Halen perform Summertime Blues in 1983 in an Argentinian gig. They synth it up proper too. The song is totally transformed from rockabilly pop.



Stray Cats used to just rob every rocakbilly song going. (including C'mon Everybody). This is their Summertime version, 1983, live at The Palace in Hollywood.

A bit of David Byrne

Like Humans Do by David Byrne, from the 2001 album Look into the Eyeball. This song was used as the sample track on Windows Media Player XP.

Duffy covers Hot Chip!!!!

Above is a live video of Duffy's performance of the Hot Chip song, Ready for the Floor for Radio 1 Jo Wiley's Live Lounge, February 2008. Acoustic and stripped back. She also performed her single Mercy, which is shown below.



And one more, Duffy performing Mercy live on the Culture Show:

Duffy borrows from the Temptations

I really like the above song, Warwick Avenue by Duffy, but there is no denying it has the same opening chords of the Temptations' My Girl. It's quite brazen really. And by quite I mean, you know, very. And by very brazen I mean, you know, plagiarism. But then Duffy is Welsh. Nice tune, and an even better video. Close up crying. Never fails.

Below I have posted the Temptations with My Girl to contrast and compare. Not just any video however. A live TV 1965 performance of the track in snazzy suits and black and white filters. Sweet.

Sleeveface II

Greatest Hits by Prince (upofix)

Hair by the original London cast, 1968, Polydor, (sophiekingo)

La La Peace Song by Al Wilson, 1974 (sophiekingo)

Klaxons vs. Grace

I love cover versions: the Klaxons' cover of the 90s dance band Grace's Not Over Yet. Who does it better? Klaxons, above, or the brilliant Grace below. I love the original but there's no doubting the Klaxons' version has some killerbee synth riffs in there. The original was released in 1995 and reached #6 on the charts. It was remixed and re-released by Paul Oakenfold in 1999 too, and there is apparently a February 2008 Goldfrapp cover kicking about too, courtesy of Jo Wiley's Live Lounge.




The Goldfrapp version, as performed in Jo Wiley's Live Lounge, on the 8th February 2008.

Mikhail Baryshnikov

A wonderful video of Mischa Baryshnikov dancing the principal part of Albecht's variation, Act II of Giselle, 1977. Poise, control, technical brilliance in abundance. It's no wonder male ballet dancers are hot and that he gets an uprurious reception.



Amazing amateur filmed video of Baryshnikov taking a ballet class during the Festival Internacional, Habana, Cuba, 2007. Great insight into how the great dancer trains and works in private and how he instructs those following in his footsteps (excuse the pun). Like Picasso giving an Art Foundation class in a town hall.



From the great 1985 film, White Nights, Mischa Baryshnikov dances to Vladimir Vysotsky's famous folk song Fastidious Horses. Amazing combination of classical ballet and modernism dance. Just perfectly mixed to create one of the most amazing dances ever! The film is perfect too, with a cast including Helen Mirren, Gregory Hines and Isabella Rossellini. Also, fact fans, Helen Mirren met her husband, the director Taylor Hackford on this film.



And finally, Mischa dances a male variation of the Coppelia.

Santogold is pure gold

Album artwork for debut LP, 2008.

Shuv it by Santogold. Great beat and wonderful lyrics. Not heard anything bad by this girl yet. "Brooklyn we go hard/we on the look for the advantage/we work hard/and if we seem to rough it up a bit - we broke/but we rich at heart/pull ourselves up now we won't choke/it's our time/put the lights on us". "War tactics they make me sick/reel your heart in run away with it/smile in your face undermine your blood/got guns for the strength they lack/if you know another way/you can't look the other way/you know another way/tell them so right to their face", "We think you're a joke/shove your hope where it don't shine", "I pay for what's called eccentricity/and my will to evolve/I hear them all say/that I got heart/but not everything that it takes".



Find a Way by Santogold. I think this song is a warning sign rallying call railing against a serially abusive boyfriend and one pushing drugs on his girlfriend. Basically a bad news douche. "Go ahead/you know you want it/you'll have no other way you just wanna take us down/go ahead/I'll be the one hit/if I can take you boy it just might throw this town", "Oh oh oh/you want to get it/you make us bleed it'll prove there's life somewhere/and oh no I want to yell it/but do we speak or are we just nodding our heads?", "No way not me/what you got/it's not for me/(you'll find a way)/no way not me/what you got is not for me", "Go ahead/I'll be your junkie/I'll be deplete/you can heap all rubbish here/go ahead/now dump it on me/if I go quiet, will the itch go down with me?", "Don't reach too far/you will fall over/don't be surprised what you discover/don't fear/your call can't pull us under/you better watch out/run for cover".



The Creator by Santogold. Haha, the introduction to this sounds like something from the Sims 2! Brilliant. "Got no need for the fancy things/all the attention that it brings/tell me no/I say yes - I was chosen/and I will bring the explosion". "Me I'm a creator/thrill is to make it up/the rules I break got me a place up on the radar/me I'm a taker; know what the stakes are/can't roll it back it's understood got to play our cards".



Absolute superb pop tune by Santogold, L.E.S Artistes. Such a brilliant bass riff. Very cool video reminds me of Bat for Lashes' video for What's a Girl to Do. Santogold clearly wants to be wary of the nu-rave clingy indie crowd of bandwagon joy riders: "If you see me keep going be a passerby waver/build me up bring me down/just leave me out you name dropper/stop trying to catch my eye/I see you good you forced faker/just make it easy you're my enemy you fast talker", "I can say I hope/it will be worth what I give up/if I can stand up - me/for all the things that I believe", "What am I here for?/I left my home to disappear is all/I'm here for myself/not to know you/I don't need no one else".

Vogue Theatre, Sacramento Street, San Fran

The above photograph is of the Vogue cinema in San Fracisco and was taken in 1998 (see the advertised screening, Tom Hanks in Saving Private Ryan). I love the lomography effect and Holgaesque aesthetics of this photograph. The bright blue of the sky juxtaposed with the faded, low hue of everything else. Great example of attractive art deco architecture too. Just a wonderful atmospheric polaroid.

The Vogue Theatre was built in 1939 and is a single screen theatre, with a seating capacity of 240. It is located on Sacramento Street in San Francisco. Below is a September 2007 photograph:

Below are photographs of the theatre in its original condition, 1939:

Adele

The ice sculpture adorned video for Cold Shoulder, taken from the debut album 19. "You/grace me with your cold shoulder/whenever you look at me I wish I was her/you/shower me with words made of knives/whenever you look at me I wish I was her". Released April 21 2008.



The spot for the single Chasing Pavements. Not sure about the video, but I like her coat and Audrey Hepburn pants. Kanye West liked it though - he described the video as "dope".



Adele performs the track Daydreamer live on Jools Holland. Very Ella Fitzgerald inspired performance. "But I will find him/sitting on my doorstep".



A live roof top, stripped down piano-accompanied version of Hometown Glory, featured on the BBC2 show, Sound. 27th October 2007.



Adele guests on BBC Radio 1 Jo Wiley's Live Lounge, and covers the Strokes' Last Nite.

Provider by N.E.R.D

Great song this and video.

Freedom by Estelle, John Legend and Talib Kweli

Great song. Estelle's b-side Freedom remixed by John Legend and featuring Talib Kweli. This was from back in the early 2000s, before the American Boy era. Really great song. Laid back beats, good message. "Now we're making change/but it still hasn't changed".

Christina Aguilera Performs A Man's World

This is a great performance of James Brown's This is a Man's World, at the 2007 Grammy awards, a tribue to the late singer. James Brown was the first live act I ever saw on stage! Something I'll probably be for ever grateful for. Ahem, he was supporting the Red Hot Chili Peppers however.

Katherine E. Hamnett

Katherine Hamnett, that 80s pop clothes artiste, is back. This time, instead of kitting out Wham! videos she is attempting to Free Burma and spread some love. (Still urging people to choose life too). New collection out for 2008. I particularly like the hoodies. Look v comfy.

Love Hoodie in Midnight and Frenchy. £78.

Choose Life hoodie in Black and White. £78.

Free Burma t-shirt in Moss. £40.

Love tote in Black and Roxie. £35.

Choose Life hoodie in Thunder and Elektro. £78.

Love Hoodie in Mushroom and Roxie. £78.