after seeing the new promo's for VMA featuring Russell Brand and Britney Spears - i've changed my mind about the American audience possibly not understanding his sense of humour - how could anyone not find him amusing? and after a bit of a search on youtube found this interview of Russell on the David Letterman show - where he obviously went down a storm with the studio audience.  have a look:

Russell Brand Interview with David Letterman

god he's funny, and a very attractive gentleman.

Mark Ronson's website message:
16 jul 2008
   
I"VE NEVER ACTUALLY MET JOSS STONE

i hate commenting on this bullsh*t but there's some story going around saying that i refused the sexual advances of joss stone and also said she was some "boring, bland soul chick" or something. let me set the record straight
a.) i was definitely not referring to joss stone in that quote and b.) i've never actually met her. i'm sure she's a nice person and she has a lovely voice so i wanted to address this rubbish story and apologise to ms. stone, who kind of gets enough sh*t in the press as it is without being drawn into my tabloid drivel.

i hope you're all alright.

speak to you soon
mark x

the brilliant and talented Mark Ronson was recently speaking to the London daily 'Metro', when he revealed: "I'm not the sort of producer that shags every artist he works with. I've had enough offers, but I'm very picky. 'I've said no to a very famous, white, bland and very boring English soul chick, whom shall remain unnamed', and then he apparently blurted out 'Joss Stone' to the interviewer. 

(An old friend of mine, Jason Brown, posted the following on Facebook ..... Missy M and DearSaul will probably have a few comments ......)

I believe, but cannot prove...

I make a lot of fuss about dabbling in the domain of the subjective, the unprovable, the world of personal experience and revelation. Mostly I rant about how religion makes claims which are utterly unprovable (and by extension tricky to disprove).

Well, I'm about to make a statement which I cannot prove, and which may make a few of my friends froth at the mouth, and which I can personally attest may seem completely insane to any right-thinking Indie-Kid of my generation. And it is thus:

Johnny Marr joining Modest Mouse has, for me, blown everything The Smiths ever achieved into a cocked hat.

I may need to qualify this, as it is necessarily a potentially ambiguous, subjective statement.

Morrissey + Marr + (Rourke + Joyce) = Sublime Genius in guitar pop
Brock + Marr + (Modest Mouse) = Roaring, utter rending of what's gone before. Better than the Smiths

I heard 'Dashboard' on the radio yesterday, and pulled out the last two MM albums for a relisten. It's true. Modest Mouse were unbelievably good before Marr rocked up, but afterwards there is a change, and the whole united overcomes what Johnny previously achieved with The Smiths (and we won't even mention The The and Electronic).

I've seen them live twice now, once shortly after "We Were Dead" came out, and you could see they hadn't quite gelled, and once more recently - and there you could see the difference. They're all-conquering, and I've only just really noticed. You may call it epiphany, if you will.

Most people would say that "Good News" is better than "We Were Dead". And in some ways it is. It's a little more quirky. It sprawls. I has "Bukowski" on it. But there's something in "We Were Dead" that I can't quite put my finger on, and I suspect that thing is Marr.

Direct comparison to the output of The Smiths, though, is a thoroughly difficult proposition. There's a generation's difference between one and the next. I loved, adored The Smiths when I was a teenager, more than half my life ago. I was a different person though.

That said, I'm willing, in the spirit of irrational belief, to make the leap and say: Yes. Modest Mouse with Marr, even after just one album, are better than The Smiths. The first two songs on "We Were Dead", alone, take "The Queen Is Dead" and "Meat is Murder" and bury them in the desert.

Modest Mouse are greater than the Smiths. Not in terms of potential, of what they may achieve in the next couple of albums. Actually greater.

But I can't prove it.

anyone heard or seen 'The Thirst'? they are brilliant, four piece band from Brixton, have punk rock, reggae, ska and hip hop influences - great mix. have a look on you tube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqJlZlTqn7E&feature=related

tell me what you think ....

Anyone else find the UK’s ‘A Song for Europe’ almost as entertaining as the ‘Eurovision Song Contest’ itself? Apparently it’s been re-named ‘Eurovision – You Decide’, and I’m loving the way that they now wheel out a few old has-been pop stars and reality tv ‘last 12’ finalists to include in the line up.

Next one will be aired on BBC1 on 1 March – hopefully it will be as hilarious as last year when The Darkness’s former front man Justin Hawkins stormed off in a huff; and Terry Wogan announced the wrong winner.  Whatever happens the British public can be counted on to vote in the worst possible act to represent them in Europe like they always do. Hurrah!