andPOP - Pop Culture With Substance

PARTY ON!

In early 2006 Harmonix split ways with the Guitar Hero series and went off with MTV to create Rock Band leaving Activision to contract Neversoft to re-build the game that Harmonix arguably perfected. This move marked the day that split the plastic instrument community right down the middle.

While some people saw no problem with the direction that Guitar Hero went in there is a hardcore contingency of people that would like nothing more than to see Guitar Hero vanish into obscurity and let Harmonix’s Rock Band franchise rule supreme. It has been said that ever since Rock Band was released Guitar Hero has been scrambling to avoid doing just that by “ripping off” Rock Band any chance they get. Well if that’s the case then on September 1st, 2009 they finally caught up. READ MORE »

How many people does it take to shut down a New York City block and cause a riot? Two, provided they are armed with a synthesizer, drum machine and a discography under the guise of Mstrkrft.

It’s true, Toronto’s electro-house darlings were slated to play a club in NYC two weeks ago and oversold the venue so much that more than 2,000 hipsters were stuck in line outside. But the hype surrounding the DJ duo drove the mob into frenzy, inciting a riot that was eventually quelled by the NYPD itself.

“It was a pretty proud moment that we double-sold the club and had a street in New York City closed down, even if just for a few hours,” Jesse Keeler, one half of Mstrkrft, tells andPOP. “The fact that that’s happening … that takes a long time to build.”

Mstrkrft was born in Toronto in 2005, storming clubs and parties with their take on the burgeoning electro-house trend. After dominating the GTA scene, the duo made up of Keeler and Alex Puodziukas (otherwise known as Al-P) stepped up their game.

First came the singles “Easy Love” and “Work on You” before an official LP, “The Looks,” debuted in July 2006. Then came the tours: Canada, North America, the world.

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Tom Cruise and wife Katie Holmes threw an over-the-top house warming party at their $35 million Beverly Hills estate.

The couple hosted the bash for more than 500 guests over the weekend. The pair and their daughter, Suri , recently moved into the 10,000 square foot home with seven bedrooms and 10 bathrooms.

Celebrities who attended the event include Reese Witherspoon and boyfriend Jake Gyllenhaal, Kimora Lee Simmons, Eva Longoria, Prince, Sean Combs, Kirstie Alley and Oprah Winfrey. Cruise’s mother and sister were also in attendance.

Tents have been set up in the backyard for days and an army of valets were on sight, as were eight police officers to direct the stream of limousines that arrived.

Cruise and Holmes purchased their luxurious home last year.

Teen queen Lindsay Lohan told People magazine Monday she hasn’t had a drink in seven days.

“I’m not even legal, too. So why would I?” she says in her People interview.

Maybe because she has been attending Alcoholics Anonymous meetings for the past year?

Lohan, 20, is notorious for her partying antics.

The producers of her upcoming flick “Georgia Rule” complained in July about frequent absences and her unprofessional behaviour.

Lohan has said she dislikes her party-girl image.

“I was like, I don’t want to be written about at these clubs with these people. I work, I act, I have a living. That’s what I do every day. I work every single day,” she told People.