• 07 25,
• I Gotta Feeling
• Best I Ever Had
• Boom Boom Pow
• Knock You Down
• Fire Burning
• You Belong With Me
• LoveGame
• I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)
• Birthday Sex
• He Could Be The One

Billboard 1. Electric City

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• Music Review: BEPs bring summer fun with `E.N.D.'

  Black Eyed Peas, "The E.N.D." (Interscope)

  The Black Eyed Peas want you to dance, and "Boom Boom Pow" is just the beginning.

  The smash single sets the tone for the dance-party vibe on the quartet's first new album

  in four years, "The E.N.D.," which stands for "the energy never dies."

  Will.i.am, Fergie, Taboo and apl.de.ap — who ruled summer radio with "My Humps" and "Don't Phunk with My Heart" from their Grammy-winning 2005 album "Monkey Business" — look toward the future on "The E.N.D.," with 15 disco- and electro-inspired tracks sure to be the soundtrack to many a summer party. It's a record all about love, youth and having a good time.

  On "Imma Be," the foursome raps about their fly-ness and prowess for partying. "I Gotta Feeling" is an optimistic track with an auto-tune refrain of "I gotta feeling that tonight's gonna be a good night." The happy vibe and auto-tune continues on "Party All the Time," marked by a chorus anyone can get behind: "If we could party all night and sleep all day and throw all of my problems away, my life would be easy."

  Fergie is prominently featured throughout. She pines for a lost love on "Missing You," sings through vocal effects over a Rob Base sample on "Rock That Body" and grooves reggae-style on the thumping "Electric City."

  Listening to "The E.N.D.," it's clear to see the group's break did them good: It may be the Peas' best album yet.

  CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: The band's message of unity, heard in past hits such as "Union" and "Where is the Love," continues on "One Tribe," a track that urges listeners to "catch amnesia and forget about all that evil that they feed ya" and affirms "we are one people."

  ...(more) - 06 16 2009 5:48PM

• Property owners forgive Alba plastering posters

  OKLAHOMA CITY – The owners of property plastered with great white shark posters said Thursday they have little interest in pursuing criminal vandalism charges against actress Jessica Alba, who already has apologized for h

  er role in the stunt.

  Oklahoma City police are continuing to investigate the allegations, but haven't interviewed the 28-year-old co-star of the "Fantastic Four" movies, "Sin City" and "Good Luck Chuck." Investigators first plan to meet with the property owners to see if they are willing to prosecute, said police Sgt. Gary Knight.

  "That's typical for how we handle all investigations of this nature," Knight said. "You want to make sure you have a victim that's willing to prosecute.

  "Typically in cases like this if people don't want to prosecute, often times the case is closed."

  Police found the posters — aimed at raising awareness about the sharks' declining numbers — glued to a downtown bridge, utility boxes and a billboard for the United Way charity.

  Earlier this week, photographs surfaced on a Web site that apparently show Alba hanging some of the posters and posing before the defaced billboard. Alba is in Oklahoma filming "The Killer Inside Me," which co-stars Casey Affleck and Kate Hudson.

  All the property owners contacted by The Associated Press Thursday say they don't want to see Alba prosecuted.

  "It's not our intent to pursue any type of charges," said Brian Alford, a spokesman for electric utility Oklahoma Gas & Electric. "I think if we have a cost associated with the removal we would hope to be compensated for that cost, but at this point it's a lesson learned and we just want to put it behind us."

  Telephone and e-mail messages left Thursday seeking comment from Alba's publicist about whether she plans to reimburse the property owners or United Way were not returned.

  An official with Oklahoma City's Parks and Recreation Department filed the initial police report, but a city spokeswoman said Thursday they aren't interested in pursuing criminal charges.

  "The apology that she made through her publicist, I think, was enough for us," said spokeswoman Kristy Yager.

  The United Way advertisement, which was donated to the charity by a billboard company, has since been removed.

  "Even if we had been paying for the ad, I doubt we would have filed a complaint with the police department," said Erin Brewer, a spokeswoman for United Way of Central Oklahoma. "I think it would be very generous of her, and certainly we would be honored if she chose to make a contribution."

  Lamar Advertising, which owns the billboard, also said the company doesn't plan to pursue charges, said Bill Condon, general manager and vice president of the company's Oklahoma City office.

  "I think her comment and what she released seemed pretty sincere," Condon said.

  Under Oklahoma law, maliciously defacing property can be a felony punishable by prison time if the value of the damage exceeds $1,000 or more. City officials placed a preliminary value of the damage at between $500 and $700, and Condon said the damage to the billboard would not exceed $500.

  ...(more) - 06 17 2009 6:11AM

• Batman R.I.P.? A Dozen Dark Knight Deaths

  If one can believe comic book hype, Batman dies in this week's Batman #681, the conclusion of the "Batman R.I.P." arc by Grant Morrison and Tony Daniel.

  The "death" (there's still specula

  tion as to whether Bruce Wayne isdying, or "Batman" is dying - a fine, but valid point in fans' eyes)comes at the end of a storyline which has seen Bruce Wayne attacked inall ways - physically, psychologically, even spiritually - and leadsinto 2009's Battle for the Cowl miniseries by Tony Daniel, which will apparently see members ofBatman's family duking it out for the right to wear the mask and cape.

  But before we put that last shovelful of dirt on the Caped Crusader,let's take a moment to remember that this isn't the first time Batmanhas died - there have been a couple near or in-continuity deaths hereand there before this. Hey, he's no Superman when it comes to dying andcoming back to life, but he's had his run-ins with the grim reaper.

  Some notable "deaths" include:

  Batman #72 - "The Death Cheaters of Gotham City!": Wanting tojoin the "Death Cheaters," Batman artificially and deliberately stopshis heart and was revived shortly thereafter by Robin. Being legallydead for a period and revived was the club's prerequisite for joiningup. You know, come to think of it, the cover of that issue had Batmanin a Tarzan-esque over the shoulder number, and Robin (being threatenedby a panther) clad in leopard skin briefs. Hey, it was the Golden Age of comics. Anything, apparently, went.
  

  Brave and the Bold #115 - "The Corpse That Wouldn't Die!": Batman is killed when he touches the electrified outsideof a fifth floor window. In a rather ghoulish move, The Atom shrinksdown, enters Batman's brain, and reanimates him in order to find hiskiller (within an hour - otherwise Batman's heart and lungs will ceasefunction). The Atom does the job, and miraculously (or as The Atomthinks, thanks to his jumping around in Batman's brain) Batman's noodlecomes back online, and he lives to fight crime another day. Seriously -if your awesome meter only goes up to 10, you need to check this issueout to see what pegging the needle at 11 feels like.

  Batman #291-#294 - "Who Killed the Batman?" - Batman's dead! Andno one knows who did it. So what do his enemies do? They hold aninvestigation wherein they try to figure out who killed their nemesis.This one had it all - Ra's al Ghul as the judge, Two-Face as theprosecuting attorney, with appearances by Catwoman, the Joker, theRiddler, Scarecrow, Poison Ivy, the Spook, Mr. Freeze, Signal Man (Iknow!), oh, and Lex Luthor. Of course, there's a twist, and Batmanreally isn't dead, but still, great, fun story.

  Batman: Birth of the Demon - This graphic novel explored theorigin of Ra's al Ghul and was therefore set in the past, but it alsohad a segment set in the present day, which featured a savage battlebetween him and Batman. Ra's gained the upper hand in the fight anddrove a shovel (!) into Batman's chest. With his last remaining energy,Batman grabbed Ra's and threw them both into the Lazarus Pit.Bingo-bango, cut to the next morning, and Bruce Wayne is up and about,with nary a scratch.

  Detective Comics #644-#646 - "Electric City": During a battlewith the third individual to call himself The Electrocutioner, Batmantakes a massive jolt to the body stopping his heart. His heart isrestarted by Robin, who then tells his mentor that he needs to rest.Batman, being Batman tells Robin no in his warm and friendly way:

  Robin: But you died tonight! You need to rest!

  Batman: I was technically dead; not clinically.

  Hear that? That's Chuck Norris saying, "Day-um."

  Batman #433 - #435 - "The Many Deaths of the Batman" -Technically, the title is accurate even if it's not accurate in aspecific sense - people dressed as Batman are found dead throughoutGotham City. One of the ones not dead is the real Batman, whodeduces that all the dead men helped train Bruce Wayne in some aspectof his "becoming" Batman. Batman finds the killer, saves the day, andstops the Batmen from being killed.

  Justice League: The Obsidian Age - Batman, Superman, WonderWoman and others killed in the distance past. Magically returned tolife. Whereas Atom driving a brain-dead Batman was 11 on the awesomemeter, this was about a 6 on the "meh" meter. For a real 11 on the mehmeter, see the deaths of Batmen in Countdown: Arena.

  Superman: Emperor Joker - In this alternate reality story, theall-powerful Joker captured and subsequently tortured Batman to deathevery night, only to resurrect him and do it again the next day. Afterthe Joker was depowered and taken down by Superman, the memories ofbeing repeatedly tortured to death were removed from Batman's mind, andput into Superman's, where we hope he forgot them.

  The First Real Batman RIP - "Real" in terms that it stuck. We talked about this back in May - Adventure Comics #461-#463where the Earth-2 Batman (married to Catwoman, and father of theEarth-2 Huntress) was killed in a rather ignoble fashion, taking up nota full page, but barely a panel. Hey, it was 1978. While Earth-2 hasgone away and come back and some of its heroes, once thought dead, havecome back as well, Earth-2 Batman isn't one of them. He's not justcomic book dead, he's dead dead.

  And while we're not talking about the "main" DC Universe, how's about...

  Superman: Red Son - With Superman recast as the hero of theSoviet Union, Batman was "anarchy in black," an ever-present irritantto the Man of Steel. Repulsed by the oppression leveled on the peopleunder Superman's regime, Batman teams with Lex Luthorto take downSuperman. The plan ultimately fails, and, rather than face capture andreprogramming as a "Superman Robot," Batman commits suicide bydetonating a bomb in his chest, becoming a martyr for his cause.

  An honorable mention:

  Batman: Knightfall - Okay, this is admittedly parsing things out - Bruce Wayne lived on (albeit with a broken back) while "Batman" - the Batmandied...for a time. Sure, there was the replacement Batman in the form ofJean-Paul Valley (soon to appear in our 12 Times Batman Went Nutsarticle), but he wasn't Batman. He was the "be careful what you wishfor" Batman, an editorial answer to fan speculation as to why Batmancan't be rougher and more...final in his solutions. Jean Paul Valley was,and he was a bastard and a half. Luckily, Bruce got his back and hismojo back together and took the cowl back from Jean-Paul.

  And one last one, just because it's a classic:

  The Dark Knight Returns - At the story's climactic battle betweenSuperman and Batman, Bruce is giving Clark the thrashing of his life -and enjoying it. But - before Batman can claim total victory, his heartgives out. Flatline. No {bum-bump} to Superman's superhuman hearing. Ofcourse, it was only a ruse, designed to end the fight, and get Batmanback underground (literally and figuratively). At Bruce Wayne'sfuneral, Clark hears Bruce's heart start up again - Bruce wasn'tprecise enough with the chemicals that stopped his heart. Regardless,Clark let it go with a wink to Robin, allowing Batman to once againlead a battle against crime. An absolute classic.

  So - back to this week's "death" of Batman and the conclusion of GrantMorrison and Tony Daniel's "Batman R.I.P." - will it last? Is it real?Or, sorry - is it "real?"

  With apologies to Virginia who believes in Santa, we can be a littlerealistic here. Batman is more than a character appearing in a comicbook. He - as Bruce Wayne - is known to millions around the world asthe hero of Gotham City. His movie has almost made a billiondollars this year. The value of Batman/Bruce Wayne to DC Comics andWarner Bros. is beyond measure. We'll let you figure out what thatmeans in terms of how "dead" Batman may be here, in the broad view.

  That's not to say that (this) Batman won't be put on the shelf for awhile, and that taking him off the stage hasn't been in the works forsome time in DC's editorial plan. After all, in the Teen Titansarc, "Titans Tomorrow," Tim Drake met his older self in a dozen or soyears in the future. Future-Time had become Batman (and a mean one atthat), and claimed that "So many heroes fell during it all. During theCrisis." DCU Executive Editor Dan DiDio has claimed that the end of Final Crisiswill connect with the end of "Batman R.I.P." - and both stories arewritten by Grant Morrison, which allows serious synchronization.

  Also, in Justice League of America #0, Superman and Wonder Woman are seen on a rooftop, clearly implying that Batman is no more.

  Wonder Woman: "So how'd he finally go?"

  Superman: "Fighting."

  That's our bit of history for today. Given that comics are comics,we're sure we missed a couple (dozen) other deaths of Batman. Got afavorite that we skipped? Think you know how this whole "Batman R.I.P."is going to work out?

  These comments aren't going to write themselves, people.

  Related:

  • Dan DiDio on "Batman R.I.P"
  • DiDio & Mike Marts on "Batman R.I.P"
  • Talking Batman with Grant Morrison

  • Original Story: Batman R.I.P.? A Dozen Dark Knight Deaths

  Newsarama.com is the go-to source for the latest comic book and genre entertainment news, reviews and commentary. Newsarama's passionate audience contributes to lively discussions ranging from classic and new comics to movies, TV, manga, anime and more. Watch previews, interviews and more on our video player, sneak peeks of new comics on our Comic Book Viewer and sign up for our RSS feeds. And be sure to join our community so you can voice your opinion on our articles and in our lively forums.

  ...(more) - 12 8 2008 9:12AM

• Music Review: Steve Earle

  Steve Earle, "Washington Square Serenade" (New West)

  It's been years since Steve Earle broke with the Nashville music scene, delving into gritty rock and anti-war politics. With "Washington Square Serenade," he puts the town of

  his youth even farther behind him.

  Earle clearly has a new love: New York City, his current home and the backdrop for his new release, his first in three years. Recorded at the city's Electric Lady Studios, the album has a certain urban flair, probably thanks to producer John King of the Dust Brothers, who's worked with the Beastie Boys and Beck.

  But the songs are unmistakably Earle, replete with plucked guitars, foot-stomping rhythms and world-weary vocals. The opening track, "Tennessee Blues," tells of a road trip from "guitar town" — also the title of Earle's 1986 debut — to the Big Apple.

  In the next song, "Down Here Below," the setting shifts to New York, and Earle bemoans the struggles played out there. He conjures the city's neighborhoods, bridges and trains, as well as some of its people, including the late journalist Joseph Mitchell.

  Earle teams with Forro in the Dark, a New York band with members from Brazil, on "City of Immigrants," an upbeat ode to the city's stew of cultures.

  But for all of Earle's attention to New York, he strikes many personal notes on "Washington Square Serenade." He longs for a lost lover on "Come Home to Me" and harmonizes with his wife, the singer-songwriter Allison Moorer, on "Days Aren't Long Enough."

  For pure songwriting value, "Washington Square Serenade" doesn't disappoint. It's quieter than some of Earle's other albums, but its reflective themes — about his surroundings and himself — are clear. Like so many other artists, Earle has found in New York a reliable muse.

  CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Earle closes "Washington Square Serenade" with a funky rendition of Tom Waits' "Way Down in the Hole," complete with hand claps and hi-hat cymbal riffs. You'll hear it elsewhere — as the theme song of HBO's "The Wire."

  ...(more) - 09 26 2007 10:45PM

• Review: Bachelorette talks technology on new CD

  Bachelorette, "My Electric Family" (Drag City)

  Annabel Alpers has put New Zealand on the tech-pop map.

  Recording as Bachelorette, her first album for the Drag City label is a pop treatise on technology's perpetual

  intrusion on society.

  Titled "My Electric Family," the record takes aim at an increasingly computer-reliant population. Her method is the catch. As a student of computer-based composition, Bachelorette makes use of traditional instruments, but deploys mostly electronic sounds. Like Kraftwerk's "Computer World," she uses the very devices she's critiquing.

  The hazy doo-wop of "The National Grid" explores the urban existence; backing vocals inch the rhythm along, giving the feeling of walking on a crowded sidewalk. The brass section by the Royal New Zealand Air Force Brass Band on "Dream Sequence" plays like a sound-off for more physical activity.

  Disconsolate ballad "Where to Begin" poses the question, "Will this digital obsession ever end?" Again, Alpers' lyrics articulately punctuate the situation: "You stay in your room/ On the computer/ Observing strangers/ Ignoring those around you."

  "Her Rotating Head" is synth-pop on par with other outer-echelon divas like Annie (Norway) and Robyn (Sweden), but instead of a bubble gum theme, Alpers subliminally rails against objectification by likening the female side of a romance to a robotic doll.

  Using pop music as a vehicle for introspection, Bachelorette details the benefit and detriment of technological evolution, making one of the year's best records in the process.

  CHECK THIS TRACK OUT: "Technology Boy," the album's centerpiece, veers out of the city and onto the scenic route, as processed harmonies flicker and float above warm, competing analog/digital tones.

  ...(more) - 05 29 2009 8:16PM