Oh hey, look, it's Dita Von Tee…eek! Wait, that's not Dita. That's, um, that's. Oh God, that's Evan Rachel Wood. It's only taken her 14 months to completely and totally turned herself into her boyfriend Marilyn Manson's ex-wife, Dita Von Teese. The horror, the horror.

Rachel stepped out last night for The Life Before Her Eyes screening in New York. Rachel stars in the new thriller, which opens in limited release Friday, along with Uma Thurman. Her new so-brown-it's-basically-black do made its public debut at the event and the result was startling -- startlingly familiar, that is.

Look, as creepy as I think it is to that a 39-yer-old man is dating a 20-year-old girl and calls her his twin,” it's even creepier that said 20-year-old girl has morphed herself into said 39-year-old man's ex. It's just yucky. Seriously, ewww. I could go on and on about the nearly 20-year-age difference, but what bugs me the most is how the couple happily plays up their Lolita dynamic, right down to the red heart-shaped sunglasses. Look, jailbait is fun and something to emulate. Whee! And then there was that video. Shudder.

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Here's something I never knew I wanted: a recording of 15 songs that were almost in Juno.

Juno B-Sides: Almost Adopted Songs, will be available on iTunes starting April 8. Other digital music services will have it May 13. I'm not sure I've ever heard of a collection of songs that didn't make the cut for a film soundtrack. But I'm kind of looking forward to it. I think. … continue reading

Mariah Carey is one busy woman these days. Not only is she preparing for the premiere of her new movie on April 26, but she also has a new album, E=MC² coming out on April 15.

The first single, “Touch My Body,” reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, giving Carey her 18th No. 1 single, surpassing Elvis Presley's 17 career No. 1's. With a record 20 No. 1 singles, only the Beatles now have more. It also puts Carey in position as the only active artist with a real opportunity to challenge the Beatles' reign.

The song was released to radio stations worldwide on Feb. 12 and has received largely positive reviews thus far. A Blender blogger calls it “downright subtle — yet effective,” and says it is an example of “a pop genius making genius pop.” … continue reading

I know I've been writing about Dolly Parton too much lately, but I swear I'm not obsessed. Yes, I listen to her music frequently and I own dvds of a couple of her movies. And there was that pilgrimage to the Dollywood gates when I was in Tennessee last year. (It was getting ready to close for the day, but we took pictures of the sign.) But really, I'm just a sane, appreciative fan who's very excited about seeing her in concert in a few weeks.

But when I stumbled upon Entertainment Weekly's Dolly quotes (a.k.a. “17 Quips We ‘Idol'-ize” in honor of her appearance tonight and tomorrow on American Idol), I shrieked a little and knew I had to share this bonanza. The thing that's so great about Dolly is that she takes her talent seriously, but pretty much nothing else. And that is just so appealing.

So, here are a few choice samples:

ON HER ABILITY TO READ MEN
''When I talk to a man, I can always tell what he's thinkin' by where he's lookin'. See, if he's lookin' at my eyes, he's lookin' for intelligence. If he's lookin' at my mouth, well, he's lookin' for wit and wisdom. If he's lookin' anywhere else except my chest... he's lookin' for another man.'' — Onstage at Dollywood, date unknown

ON WHAT SHE'D DO IF SHE WEREN'T A SINGER/SONGWRITER
''If it hadn't been for music, I'd have been a beautician.... Even if I wasn't in show business, I would have wanted all the glamour — and that's about the only way a girl in a small Southern town is going to get it, being a beautician. Or maybe I'd have been a missionary; I thought about that too, but where would I get my hair done?'' — To the Saturday Evening Post, 1989 … continue reading

I'm one of those women who try her best to remain female positive. I really do. I root for talented women to seek their bigger and better slices of the corporate and entertainment pie. High-fiving female successes is one of my favorite past times. Come on, now…up high, come on, don't leave me hangin'! You know that old saying: Behind every strong and successful woman…is a long line of other women being snide and catty about her hair and shoes! Well, nah, that's not me. So, it's with a heavy heart that I must confess to actually cringing when I read that Mariah Carey has a new movie set to debut. Tennessee will have its world premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival on April 26. Hmmm…

Tennessee, is the journey of two brothers, Ethan Peck and Adam Rothenberg, to find their estranged father after learning that one brother is diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Carey plays, Krystal, an aspiring singer who flees from her controlling and somewhat abusive husband and joins two brothers on their journey. OK, that doesn't sound all that bad, does it? A little? Sort of? So, is Mariah using a southern accent for the role?

I dig Mariah Carey as a singer. Yes, she's a diva, I know, but I will shout from the mountaintop my adoration of Mimi! I was so glad she was emancipated and put it down on her previous album.

The girl can sing. When she poured out "We Belong Together", I believed her! And even back in the day when she said "I Don't Wanna Cry," hell I didn't want to cry either but that was such a good break up song and her voice and lyrics made me verklempt. I'm actually looking forward to Mariah's new album release due out in a couple of weeks and yes, that's a blog for another day, but this acting thing? Well, I'm worried. Why? One word. Glitter. … continue reading

Lindsey Buckingham of Fleetwood Mac recently told Billboard.com that the band is "looking at the idea of touring sometime in the first half of 2009," with the potential of featuring both new material and a new female bandmate. And it might just be Sheryl Crow!

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Can't a neo-soul goddess catch a break? The music business, a notoriously fickle and unfaithful lover, tends to recycle and downright discard them with alarming ease. They'll come into our collective conscience like a white hot flash of funk and then, poof, they're gone off our radar. Whether by their own doing or the industry's capricious nature, or possibly both, their absence leaves us all wondering and wandering. Who next will delight us with a groove so irresistible, a spirit so exultant? But sometimes, if we're lucky, poof, they're back.

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Yes, Erykah Badu is back. After arriving on the scene 11 years ago spinning her lessons in Baduizm, the neo-soul singer is set to release her first new album in five years, New Amerykah. OK, how cool is that album cover? The CD will hit store shelves Feb. 26.