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Selena Gomez Paid Family’s Rent

andPOP Staff — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 21:22:56 +0000

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Selena Gomez and Justin Bieber have a lot in common besides being major pop stars – they both come from families who had to battle hard times.

Selena recently revealed that when she and her family moved to Los Angeles, her first paycheque from “Wizards Of Waverly Place” went to pay the family’s rent.

She tells Access Hollywood, “I think (my first pay cheque) went into living (in Los Angeles) because we had to move from Texas, so I think we just had to pay for it.”

Now that was then and this is now. Do you think Selena is still covering her parents’ rent?

Justin Bieber Surprises Taylor Swift Fans

andPOP Staff — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 13:20:20 +0000

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Justin Bieber made a surprise appearance last night at Taylor Swift’s concert in Los Angeles.

“You think you’ve heard LOUD screaming in your life,” Taylor Swift tweeted after her Los Angeles show on Tuesday night. “Then [Justin Bieber] comes out and does a surprise song during your show. Woah. Unreal.”

Bieber has become pretty close with Taylor Swift over the past couple of years.

“We should do that more often. great show! #muchlove,” Bieber tweeted to Swift.

Rick Springfield Busted For DUI

Christian Allaire — Mon, 02 May 2011 22:28:06 +0000

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Rocker Rick Springfield has been arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, TMZ reports.

The 80s rockstar, who was arrested last night in Los Angeles, reportedly performed poorly on sobriety tests after being pulled over by the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department around 8:00 p.m. for a traffic violation.

The 61-year-old singer was then arrested on suspicion of DUI, after the officers noticed the smell of alcohol. Law enforcement sources say Springfield’s blood alcohol level was measured at 0.10 and 0.08, the legal limit being 0.08 in California.

Springfield was taken to a nearby jail, where he was booked then released on his own recognizance.

Another rockstar, another DUI. It’s not known whether or not he has a drinking problem, but driving under the influence is simply inexcusable. Hopefully this is a good wake up call for him.

Record Crowds Come to Audition for Simon Cowell’s ‘The X Factor’

andPOP Staff — Mon, 28 Mar 2011 13:29:01 +0000

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It looks like Simon Cowell has another hit on his hands with a record crowd thaty turned out to audition for “The X Factor” over the weekend.

DailyMail is reporting that over 18,000 people tuned out to the L.A. Memorial Sports Arena.

A show insider is quoted saying, “The scenes down here are crazy. There are around 18,000 people here and the numbers are growing by the second. There’s gridlock on the freeways into the venue, its absolute chaos. These auditions are going to be going on well into the night — there are a lot of people to get through.”

Of course 18,000 people showed up for the auditions as an opportunity to show off their artistic talents. Well that, plus if they win, they will receive a$5 Million record deal from Sony Music plus a huge plethora of endorsement deals.

So good luck!

George Lopez – The Mayor of Los Angeles?

andPOP Staff — Wed, 22 Dec 2010 15:07:53 +0000

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So what do you think about George Lopez as the Mayor of Los Angeles? He seems like a pretty bright guy, well respected, and he could relate to a lot of minorities. Well Lopez appeared on “Good Day L.A.” yesterday proclaiming he will run for mayor of Los Angeles in eight years.

So why does Lopez think he can be Mayor? “If Arnold Schwarzenegger can be governor, why can’t George Lopez be the mayor of Los Angeles?” Valid point. Nevertheless, we look forward to seeing how this one plays out.

George Lopez to Run For LA Mayor: MyFoxLA.com

Sacha Baron Cohen Sued by Gay Journalist over Bruno Incident

andPOP Staff — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 15:14:47 +0000

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Sacha Baron Cohen is being sued yet again over one of his movies. This time it’s a gay journalist claiming he was roughed up by a camera crew shooting “Bruno.”

PopEater reports the incident took place in November 2008 during a pro-gay marriage rally in downtown Los Angeles.

Mike Skiff, a gay video journalist, recognized the “gay Austrian fashion journalist” Bruno, and started to film him. The lawsuit claims Cohen’s crew didn’t like this, and begain threatening Skiff and pushing him.

Skiff is suing for $25,000 in damages for alleged physical and emotional pain and suffering. You can see the video below.

‘Jersey Shore’s’ The Situation Says Goodbye to New Jersey

andPOP Staff — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 14:02:19 +0000

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Will New Jersey ever be the same? Native New Jersey resident Mike ‘The Situation’ Sorrentino is saying goodbye to the state, and heading to Los Angeles, reports PopEater.

“Mike has wanted to get out of Jersey for years,” a friend of the reality star tells PopEater. “He hates it. He has always seen his future in New York or Los Angeles and now that he is rich and famous I doubt he will ever want to return to Jersey again.”

However, The Situation will of course return to New Jersey to film for his “Jersey Shore.”

“Mike will go back and tape shows for MTV but the second the camera is off he’s on the first plane out back to LA,” a TV insider tells PopEater. “He’s gone all Hollywood now. He thinks he’s better than everyone and has gotten a huge head. He wants to be hanging out with Cameron Diaz and Tom Cruise now not the folks at the Jersey Shore.”

Jose Canseco Kicked Out of His L.A. Home

andPOP Staff — Fri, 13 Aug 2010 13:57:10 +0000

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Poor old Jose Canseco – this guy just can’t catch a break. TMZ reports that the former baseball player has been evicted from his Los Angeles home which he was renting.

A source close to the situation says Canseco hadn’t paid rent for nearly two months. Jose was last at the home Wednesday night, and he won’t be allowed back in.

See kids, look what happens when you blow all your money on drugs, steroids, and really fast women. You end up being some 46 year old schmuck who can’t pay his rent.

Lindsay Lohan To Serve Only 12 Days in Jail

andPOP Staff — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 12:52:56 +0000

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Lindsay Lohan may only serve 12-13 days in jail for violating her probation, says a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said on Tuesday.

Although Lindsay was sentenced to 90 days in prison, and tried to hire a number of lawyers to reduce her sentence, the reality is nonviolent female inmates generally serve about 25 percent of their sentence. This is apparently mostly due to the overcrowding of the jail system.

See Lindsay, it won’t be so bad. Plus you will be better positioned to play a female inmate role in the future.

Michael Jackson’s Estate and AEG to Pay Up for Memorial

Jacob Morris — Sat, 19 Jun 2010 13:13:39 +0000

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The King of Pop’s memorial is finally going to be paid for, almost a year later, reports E! Online.

Michael Jackson’s private estate and AEG have come to an agreement with the City of Los Angeles to cover costs that were incurred for the Staples Center memorial last July.

They will donate $1 million to the city and provide an extra $300,000 to the Los Angeles Police Foundation to fund crime-fighting equipment.

Finally paying up, the $1.3 million cheque will cover the costs for LAPD services, permits and street closures, and expenses sustained by the Sanitation and Transportation Department.

Jodie Foster Claims Police Report a ‘Fabrication’

Jacob Morris — Sat, 12 Jun 2010 14:22:44 +0000

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Jodie Foster tells People.com that allegations that she attacked a teenager in are a “fabrication” of what really took place.

In a police report obtained by RadarOnline, a teenager claims that it all happened on May 29 at The Grove in Los Angeles. The father of the teenager says that Foster “came after him [and] poked him in the chest” and “pushed and shoved him leaving scratches and bruises on his arm.”

Foster has a different story though. A rep for the actress says, “this guy was most definitely a professional paparazzo.”

“He had a large camera bag and 1000mm telephoto lens. He tailed Jodie and followed her all the way from the movie theater to the valet,” adding “he crowded her and her two young children and took photos of them the whole time.”

“This guy’s behavior was completely inappropriate,” says the rep, “and the police report is a fabrication of the incident.”

Justin Bieber Shopping for Mother’s Day in Los Angeles

andPOP Staff — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:34:38 +0000

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Justin Bieber may be one of the biggest pop stars in the entire world, but that doesn’t mean he is above shopping for Mother’s Day.

E! Online caught the Canadian singer at The Grove in Los Angeles. For some reason he rode up on his skateboard, but we guess that’s the cool teenage thing to do. Although it was probably a 20 second walk from the car to the store, it’s much cooler to board then to walk, right?

Here is a less than insightful 20 second clip of young Bieber. If you’re a Bieber fan you’ll love it. If you’re not, then you are wondering why anybody would care.

Brittany Murphy Used Hundreds of Pills A Month

andPOP Staff — Sat, 20 Mar 2010 19:58:51 +0000

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TMZ has learned that Brittany Murphy consumed hundreds of pills a month from January 2008 to August 2009.

Murphy apparently used an alias for her prescriptions (her name was Lola Manilow Murphy) at Eddie’s Pharmacy in Los Angeles for two years. The pharmacy refused to fill her prescriptions in August 2009, four months before her death. It is estimated that Murphy was using roughly 200 pills a month, and sometimes as many as 400.

The prescriptions ranged from hydrocodone (Vicodin), clonazepam and Klonopin (anti-anxiety), and Vicoprofen (a Vicodin/ibuprofen combo).

Dr. Richard Kroop was the doctor who prescribed this medication. Investigators have started to speak with him .

Justin Bieber Celebrates Clean Sweet 16

Sara Harowitz — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 21:34:58 +0000

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Hey may sing about love in music videos that feature crazy house parties, but when it comes to his birthday, Justin Bieber celebrates by acting his age.

The young pop singer turned the big 1-6 yesterday (March. 1), and celebrated like a regular teenager – well, a regular, super-rich teenager.

Bieber has rented out a private estate in Los Angeles where he and his friends have been watching movies and eating dinners, reports E! Online. As for last night’s celebrations, the pop sensation reportedly had some nice clean fun that included sumo wrestling, karaoke, and laser tag.

To make his 16th all the more sweet, the day before his birthday (Feb. 28) Bieber got to meet Kobe Bryant after watching a Lakers game.

“Lakers win.. Canada wins in overtime. And I get to meet this guy. KOBE! Blessed birthday,” he Tweeted along with a photo of him and the basketball star.

Bieber’s name was all over Twitter yesterday, with numerous fans Tweeting their happy birthday wishes to the singer.

Rapper Yung Berg Attacked and Robbed at House Party

Graham Slaughter — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 18:03:33 +0000

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Down in Hollywood, party-crashers mean serious business.

TMZ is reporting that rapper Yung Berg, best known for his hit song “Sexy Can I”, was brutally beaten and robbed while at a house party in Los Angeles.

At 2 a.m. on Monday morning, four men brandishing firearms barged into the house party where police say Yung Berg and friends were partying. The suspects allegedly pistol-whipped Yung Berg, whose real name is Christian Ward, as well as one other party-goer.

According to police, the four men escaped the party with more than U.S. $10,000 in jewelery and cash.

Yung Berg has yet to release a statement about the incident. However, a rep for the rapper claims that he “has been in Vegas” recently. Berg’s representative did not comment as to whether or not his client was in L.A. this past weekend.

Brittany Murphy Dead at 32

Robert Ostfield — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 20:07:28 +0000

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TMZ is reporting that at 8a.m. PST Sunday morning, a 911 call was made reporting that Brittany Murphy had gone into cardiac arrest. Los Angeles Fire and Rescue responded to the call, however they were unable to revive the actress. The call was made from a home owned by Murphy’s husband, Simon Monjack.

Brittany has appeared in many films and has had quite a successful career in Hollywood. Her breakout role was in Clueless in 1995, and later was casted in Girl Interrupted, Don’t Say A Word, Just Married, to name a few. andPOP would like to wish their condolences to Murphy’s family and fans everywhere.

DJ Space Cowboy, Ready To Raise North American Party Levels

Jeremy Singer — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 05:09:43 +0000

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With the touch of a button, Nicolas Dresti delivers a shot of adrenaline to the sea of 30 thousand fans. Their screams are met with his quick rhythmic jumping and head bobbing to the beat on-stage. He’s not the main event, heck he’s not even a co-headliner, but he’s still the man orchestrating one of the hottest concerts on the planet – all from a laptop. This may be Lady Gaga’s party, but DJ Space Cowboy is the event’s power source – the battery that keeps the beat alive.

He’s now on top of the world.

On that night Dresti was the European energizer bunny, but now he’s recharging his own batteries at his hotel. It’s hard to believe that he is the key to Lady Gaga’s live performance successes. The man in the neatly-cut dark-suit and sparkling rhinestone skinny-tie seems sophisticated and quiet – the complete opposite of what a Gaga concert is notorious for.

But it’s true. Look at Dresti and his alter ego DJ Space Cowboy like you would Clark Kent and Superman – they’re both the same person, yet totally different at the same time. Put Clark Kent into a phone booth and he’ll become Superman. Well, put Dresti in front of an audio mixer and laptop, and he’ll suddenly transform into the backbone – or backbeat, if you will – as DJ Space Cowboy, Gaga’s DJ and head maestro responsible for explosive energy in any crowd.

His new album Digital Rockstar dropped earlier this week, and it’s one of the rare chances to really hear Superman-like energy harnessed into one CD.

“Raising the energy bar is one my main jobs as a DJ,” Dresti tells andPOP in the martini bar of Toronto’s Pantages Hotel.

Understand though, that he will do it any way possible. This is a man whose sole belief and line of work is to find the party factor in all depths of music. That’s basically the narrowed down version of his job.

“I prefer to do it with the Pop, Rock, Hip/Hop approach, but basically anything to get that killer reaction from an audience. Nothing beats spinning a song, and seeing a crowd go nuts. Nothing.”

Released by Cherrytree Records, the fourth studio project marks Dresti’s first album output with an American record label – a personal milestone for the Paris-born Disc Jockey. On that note, Dresti recalls how much the American DJ scene has evolved over the last few years. “There wasn’t much house music,” says Dresti in a refreshing British accent. “That was the big difference between here and back home.”

Before he got here, Dresti was busy amping up crowds in London’s underground club scene. There, he was a U.K. DJ extraordinaire – the protégé of British DJ legend Fatboy Slim.

But listing his accomplishments is of little interest to him. “Home is home. I was always musically inclined.”

He’s the kind of guy who refuses to mention that his passion led to a handful of singles, which flooded the charts in both the U.K. and the U.S. It was following the remix of Fergie’s Glamorous, which took the No. 2 spot on the U.S. Billboard Hot Dance Airplay Chart in 2007, that Dresti released Digital Rock (2007) – his third and most valuable released album to-date.

“I was just trying to show the whole aspect of being a DJ and a rock-star at the same time,” explains Dresti about the term Digital Rock.

“Then, when I combined it with technology, guitars and synthesizers, it just all turned into this Digital Rock age which was a pretty important stage in my life.”

The album is the reason why he was presented with a signing deal to U.S. label Cherrytree Records – an Interscope Records imprint, which focuses on new artists – and the ergo-step to eventually meeting an up-and-coming artist from New York, who was also signed with the label, by the name of Lady Gaga.

“The label said I should meet with this girl, listen to her songs,” says Dresti.

He even recalls their first conversation.

“We actually spoke on New Years Eve. I was in London and she was in Los Angeles, and we just began talking about all our experiences

“We got along so well right away.”

You could say the two were speaking the same language, with conversation topics including sequins, disco balls, Prince, David Bowie and body paint. The U.K. man then flew to L.A. to help Gaga record the single Starstruck – which featured Flo Rida – on her debut album The Fame (2008).

“After we got to know each other better, she invited me to come on tour with her,” says Dresti.

And so he began mastering the sound beds for Gaga’s Fame Ball Tour, which kicked off last March. At that point, Dresti had already had years of experience fueling parties to know the true meaning of peak energy.

Or so he thought.

While working with Gaga, the DJ – who had previously worked and remixed with a variety of iconic artists from The Darkness to Sir Paul McCartney – witnessed energy being set to a new level.

“A unique thing about her,” begins Dresti, “is that whether you’re playing in a stairwell or a stadium, it always has to be the same energy. There’s no excuse, she’ll do whatever it takes. She’ll come to me five minutes before we go on stage and tell me she wants to switch this song in the set, and cut that verse out, and add this in…

“It’s enough to make you go crazy, but in a good way. She always sets the standards high.”

As the audiences grew bigger for each passing show, Dresti came to realize that he was on the most colossal tour of the year. Cities were being booked for two-a-night performances due to the high demand for tickets. The DJ found that with the rising popularity of the tour, so did his pressure to get more creative behind the laptop.

“I definitely had to sit down and start putting together some new sounds,” recalls Dresti. “For example, she (Gaga) would ask me for a song to dance to for two minutes on stage to represent something sad. So I would then try to incorporate other instruments like an organ or violin to find the right sound. Stuff like that.”

And when time would allow it while on the tour bus, Dresti would work on his own passion project, Digital Rockstar. He says it’s taken around a year to complete, and he can’t wait for it to hit the shelves. Shining brightly are songs like I Came 2 Party featuring Cinema Bizarre, Falling Down featuring Chelsea Korka from The Paradisco Girls and then a remixed version featuring LMFAO.

Simply put, it’s dance meets rock, meets party like a digital rockstar.

“Definitely a lot of work,” he says after a deep breath, smirking as he looks back on the experience. “I’m glad that’s finally all put together; looking forward to the reception.

“But then again, I’m also so glad that I got those artists to help me out.”

He seems a bit tired; maybe from the performance in Vegas the night before, or the North American solo tour that he’s been doing since the end of July. Luckily he now has a month break before the real fun begins.

There might not be a more perfect situation for his post-release promo-trip: LMFAO’s Party Rock Tour – 31 shows squeezed into a month and a half on the road from November 5 until December 20. A bunch of artists jumping up and down on stage, singing about partying, drinking and having a good time. It’s Dresti’s utopia.

“That truly, is going to be really exciting,” says the DJ who will be joined by the Far East Movement, Shwayze and the Paradiso Girls. “I love those guys and their work. A lot of DJs opt to play stuff by David Geutta or Black Eye Peas’ I Got A Feeling. It’s pretty big right now, but I like spinning with LMFAO a lot.”

Ideally he would love to work with David Bowie or even Kings of Leon, but as he gets up, he readjusts his rhinestone tie and parts with some insight. “I don’t always believe in going with the No. 1 charted song. That’s too easy. Sometimes in order to get a crazy reaction, you’ve got to dig deep and pull off something unique. You’ve got to find a song that not everyone would really expect, but then show them the party factor.”

Say Anything Finding Their Spot in the Rock Scene

Stephen Baldwin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 02:46:33 +0000

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On the verge of kicking off a U.S. nationwide tour to promote the upcoming release of Say Anything’s new album, frontman Max Bemis has so far successfully avoided the evils of success.

But there’s plenty more time to come.

The L.A. band’s new self titled album will be their third official release, and it aspires to surpass the startling success of the first two.

“The whole transformation of everything in my life was the inspiration for the album, which centered mostly around the marriage to my wife,” Bemis tells andPOP. “Our music is basically the story of my life in chronological order.”

The biggest shift of ideals on the new album is that its focus is self-empowerment rather than self-loathing. His previous albums had a major focus on frustration with the opposite sex, but his April 4th, 2009, marriage altered his perspective on life and music.

Bemis is critical of the tendency indie bands have of conveying self loathing to their fans.

“Too often you see bands lean too far to one side. They’re either some cookie-cutter bullshit or they’re sulking with anger and resentment toward the cookie-cutter bullshit. There is a space in between, and that’s where we need to be,” he says.

In between is where Say Anything seems to thrive.

It’s impossible to lump their music into a solitary category. Call it post-punk, punk-pop, pop-rock; just don’t try to call it one thing. As Bemis wrote on the Say Anything web site: “Akin to Botch forcing themselves on The Beatles and fathering a strange Larry David-esque midget, who is abandoned due to his freakish nature and adopted by Billy Joe Armstrong.”

So what the hell does that mean? “Yeah, it was a pretty ridiculous statement,” he says now. ”Well my first tape was a Beatles tape, so I’m heavily influenced by them and plenty of other classic rock. As for the whole Larry David thing, I really don’t take myself seriously. Comedy and irony are a big part of the album. Being able to analyze myself for a living and then project it on other people, that’s funny to me.”

This may be a strange way to articulate Say Anything’s sound, but it’s the most accurately specific definition you’ll find. It’s this style that gains them recognition in many different music scenes; scenes like the thriving indie rock landscape in Toronto.

Say Anything will make their tour’s only “international” stop at The Phoenix in Toronto on October 28th. When I mention Toronto, Bemis’s voice rises an octave. “I love it in Toronto, I really do. We came up here for one of the first shows we headlined. It was crazy; probably the biggest show we’ve ever played. There was a triple encore. I think that’s the only time that ever happened. My brother goes to school at McGill, so there’s a big Canada connection.”

The group is even going to be touring with Canadian indie group Moneen, a band that Bemis is a big fan of. “They may even be headlining too. Those guys are getting big.”

It appears, though, that the Say Anything founder has his sights set on higher ground. While Bemis speaks about his love for smaller venues and an attachment for the underground scene, he admits that the band is on the outskirts of the industry’s mainstream, and may even be a part of it.

“Of course we’d like to become as big as Green Day and all of those guys,” he says. “I honestly can’t say that I won’t change; I’m not sure what to expect [if that were to happen]. The biggest issue for me is that I share such a personal connection with all of my fans. When a fan comes up to me and tells me how much they love my music, I make an effort to appreciate that. My fear is that the bigger we get, the more emotionally draining it will be.”

If you’re a fan of Say Anything, and you trust them, and you trust Max Bemis, then you have nothing to worry about. Even with the fame that they have accumulated up to this point, the musician has remained dedicated solely to his musical passion.

“I hold myself very responsible for any power I have over my music and my fans, so I try to honour that power by working harder.”

It’s easy for indie enthusiasts to classify their signing to a major label like J Records as a sell-out move, but Max Bemis sees it as an enhancement of resources to bring better music to a bigger fan base. Without a major label, you may have never heard of Say Anything.

Lindsay Lohan Robbed Again

Emma Renda — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 16:13:50 +0000

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For the second time in three months, Lindsay Lohan’s Hollywood home was robbed, according to E! Online. Perhaps she could consider locking all her doors.

Early Sunday morning, three burglars gained access to Lohan’s property and entered her home through an unlocked door. Once inside, they apparently ransacked the house but didn’t nick her more expensive goods. Instead, Lohan posted on Twitter they stole only items of personal value – “just things that a certain old friend knew meant a lot to me,” Lohan Tweeted.

None of the items were listed in detail but Lohan told police it looked like the perps knew what they were doing. Security photos from a camera on Lohan’s property have been released (they are available on E!Online), and the LAPD has posted a detailed list of traits to identify the three burglars – two females and one male between 18-25 – but no arrests have yet been made.

To make matters worse, the British press have pounced on the robbery. A story on the Mirror UK’s website says a sex tape could be among the stolen goods, that also include incriminating videos and photos, but no valid sources have been revealed to qualify those claims. Considering the rest of Lohan’s career moves, it wouldn’t be a surprise but for her sake – and the rest of the world’s - I hope the alleged tape never sees the light of day.

Michael Jackson’s Death Is A Homicide

Robert Ostfield — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 03:56:25 +0000

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After weeks and weeks of speculation and waiting, the official word from the Los Angeles corner is MJ’s death was a homicide. The report reveals that a dangerous amount of propofol was found in Michael’s blood. Propofol is a extremely powerful anesthetic that is generally used in operating rooms to induce unconsciousness. According to the Los Angeles Times, Michael’s doctor Conrad Murray admitted to giving Mr. Jackson 25 milligrams of propofol prior to his death. Additionally upon the arrival of the Los Angeles Police to Michael’s house, police found a variety of drugs for inducing sleep within the home. There has been no official statement from the Jackson family regarding these recent developments.