Review: Strait still going strong on new album (AP)

George Strait, "Here for a Good Time" (MCA Nashville)

Thirty years after his MCA Records debut, George Strait is making the most adventurous music of his career.

He still serves up the breadwinners — western swing, honky-tonk and smooth country ballads — that have made him one of the most enduring stars of all time. Yet, at age 59, he stretches out in his arrangements and themes in ways that challenge his remarkably pliant voice and that make statements he didn't dare in the past.

He's also writing more songs, a trend that started with his previous album "Twang." This time, Strait contributes seven songs, nearly doubling the number he's written in his career. He co-writes all of them, including the current hit — the wonderfully swinging "Here For A Good Time" — with his son Bubba Strait; six of them include assistance from Strait's favorite writer, Dean Dillon.

The Texan assumes the role of an alcoholic on two moving ballads, "Poison" and "Drinkin' Man"; he also takes on gospel ("Three Nails And A Cross") and old-time rock `n' roll ("Blue Marlin Blues"), and he tackles two daring covers (Delbert McClinton's classic "Lone Star Blues" and Jesse Winchester's introspective "A Showman's Life").

Strait has spent his career defying music industry conventions; as he starts his fourth decade as a star, he's proving that Nashville's focus on youth still has to make room for an old-timer who's making music as undeniably strong as ever.

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: "I'll Always Remember You," written by Strait, his son and Dillon, is the most autobiographical song the veteran has recorded. A love letter to his fans, the traditional country ballad includes a recitation reflecting on how he never expected to enjoy the career he has _and as grateful as he is, he's not done yet.

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Review: Luke Bryan keeps party going on new album (AP)

By MICHAEL McCALL, For The Associated Press Michael Mccall, For The Associated Press – Mon Aug 8, 2:03 pm ET

Luke Bryan, "Tailgates & Tanlines" (Capitol Records Nashville)

Nearly every photo of Luke Bryan shows him flashing a bright smile, and at his best, his music captures the easy-going personality that makes the Georgia native as appealing as the sing-along party songs he favors.

Recently voted top new artist by fans during the Academy of Country Music Awards, Bryan kicked his career in gear over the last year with a couple of back-to-back No. 1 hits. Along the way, he has cultivated a reputation as a good-time guy known for upbeat tunes, even releasing a series of EPs with "spring break" in the titles.

"Tailgates & Tanlines," his third full-length album, builds on his status as country music's "Mr. Fun-in-the-Sun," as indicated by the rocking first single, "Country Girl (Shake It For Me"), a top 10 hit.

As likable as he is, Bryan occasionally tackles songs he can't handle, as in "I Don't Want This Night to End," in which he struggles to keep up with the song's fast-rolling phrasing. He also strains to lend believable weight to a serious song, such as "You Don't Know Jack," about a conversation with a homeless alcoholic.

With "Tailgates & Tanlines," Bryan proves once again he can get a party started. But he still needs to prove he can communicate the nuances of what happens when the party is over.

CHECK OUT THIS TRACK: Bryan can even make a love song sound like a lighthearted celebration, as he does on the mid-tempo "Drunk On You," which features his most engaging vocal work on the album.

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Amy Winehouse duet with Tony Bennett going to charity (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A duet between jazz great Tony Bennett and the late singer Amy Winehouse is being released as a single to benefit a charity established by her father, Bennett's spokeswoman said on Wednesday.

The classic pop standard "Body and Soul" that Winehouse recorded with Bennett in March is one of her last works. She died unexpectedly at age 27 on July 23, after a long battle with alcohol and drugs.

An official cause of death for Winehouse has not been determined. Her father, Mitch, is creating a foundation in her name to help drug addicts.

Proceeds from Bennett and Winehouse's "Body and Soul" recording, which is being released as a single, will go to the foundation, said Liz Rosenberg, a spokeswoman for Bennett.

The song will also appear on Bennett's "Duets II" CD to be released on September 20.

Bennett, a Grammy winning jazz legend whose biggest songs include "I Left My Heart in San Francisco" and "Rags to Riches," celebrated his 85th birthday on Wednesday.

He recorded "Body and Soul" with Winehouse at the Abbey Road Studios in London, and has credited her for her abilities as a jazz singer.

Grammy winner Winehouse was famed for her black beehive hair and soulful voice, and is best known for her 2006 song "Rehab" that summed up her struggles with addiction.

(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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McCartney: I'm going to police over hacking claim (AP)

By RAPHAEL G. SATTER, Associated Press Raphael G. Satter, Associated Press – Thu Aug 4, 6:40 pm ET

LONDON – Former Beatle Paul McCartney said Thursday he would contact police over his ex-wife's claim that the couple had been spied upon by a British newspaper.

In comments to U.S. television journalists delivered via videolink from Cincinnati, Ohio, McCartney said that he would be in touch with law enforcement as soon as he was finished with his summer tour.

"I will be talking to them about that," McCartney told the Television Critics Association in Los Angeles.

"I don't think it's great. I do think it is a horrendous violation of privacy, and I do think it's been going on a long time, and I do think more people than we know knew about it. But I think I should just listen and hear what the facts are before I comment," he said.

McCartney is the latest celebrity to be dragged into Britain's phone hacking scandal, which centers on allegations that journalists routinely eavesdropped on private phone messages, bribed police officers for tips and illegally obtained confidential information for stories.

Until recently the scandal was largely been limited to the British arm of Rupert Murdoch's media empire, but an allegation made Wednesday by McCartney's former wife Heather Mills implicates the Trinity Mirror PLC group of newspapers, and CNN celebrity interviewer Piers Morgan, who once edited the group's flagship Daily Mirror tabloid.

Mills' allegation, made Wednesday in an interview with the BBC, was that a senior Mirror journalist admitted to her that his paper had been spying on her messages. While the broadcaster said that the unidentified man was not Piers Morgan, the former model's allegation echoes a claim Morgan himself made back in 2006 — a few months after the couple began divorce proceedings.

In an article published by the Daily Mail, Morgan said that he had been played a tape of a message McCartney had left on Mills' cell phone in the wake of one of their fights.

"It was heartbreaking," Morgan wrote. "He sounded lonely, miserable and desperate, and even sang 'We Can Work It Out' into the answerphone."

Questions over how Piers Morgan came to hear such a message have led several British lawmakers to call on him to return to the U.K. and explain himself.

Morgan has so far not offered comment on his article, although he did describe Mills' allegation as unsubstantiated and noted that the judge in the couple's divorce case had cast aspersions on her credibility.

He has repeatedly denied having ever ordered anyone to spy on others' voicemails, while his former newspaper group has insisted that it's journalists obey the law.

Mills' office on Thursday declined to elaborate on what she told the BBC, but said that the 43-year-old "looks forward to receiving Piers Morgan's answer as to how he knew the content of her private voicemail messages."

Several British parliamentarians have also said that Morgan has questions to answer — among them Conservative legislator Therese Coffey.

"I think it would help everybody, including himself and this investigation, if he was able to say more about why he wrote what he did in 2006," Coffey told the BBC Wednesday.

Morgan's publicist, Meghan McPartland, said that as far as she knew the CNN star — who is spending his summer working as a judge on "America's Got Talent" — was not returning to England to answer questions.

Morgan himself made light of the calls on his Twitter feed, saying he found it "so heartwarming that everyone in U.K.'s missing me so much they want me to come home."

In a separate development, the publisher of Britain's Daily Mail newspaper announced late Thursday that it was reviewing its editorial procedures. No reason for the review was given, but Morgan is one of many media veterans who've claimed that phone hacking and other shady practices were common across Britain's newspaper industry.

A similar review is already under way at the Mirror.

Associated Newspapers Ltd., which publishes the Daily Mail, the Mail on Sunday, and London's free Metro newspaper, said in a terse statement that Liz Hartley, the company's head of editorial legal services, would be among those working on the review.

Few other details were revealed, and Hartley did not return emails seeking further information.

___

Frazier Moore and Noaki Schwartz in Los Angeles and David Stringer and Jill Lawless in London contributed to this report.

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Colin Farrell, coming and going, at Comic-Con (Reuters)

SAN DIEGO (TheWrap) – Comic-Con first-timer Colin Farrell did double takes and rewinds during multiple presentations for his films "Fright Night 3D" and "Total Recall" at the annual geek convention.

The "Horrible Bosses" actor debuted twice in Hall H after film director Craig Gillespie prematurely announced him, but then directed him to return back stage -- Farrell did so by walking backwards -- and then reappeared looking genuinely pleased to be in front of adoring fans.

Farrell also left a lasting impression on the 6,000-strong crowd in the cavernous hall after he unexpectedly granted a lucky fan her wish of getting his name tag after he was finished with the panel. He even signed it.

A visibly fatigued Farrell showed up at the San Diego Hilton Bayfront to a press conference for DreamWorks' "Fright Night 3D" immediately after his debut in Hall H, joined by the film's director, Craig Gillespie, screenwriter Marty Noxon, actors Anton Yelchin, Christopher Mintz-Palasse, Imogen Poots, and Chris Sarandon, who appeared in the original "Fright Night."

During a press event for the vampire remake, a quick-witted Farrell joked with reporters who asked who would win if a fight ensued between the 'other' vampire and Jerry, the bloodthirsty character he plays in "Fright Night." He said, "It depends on what we were fighting about. If we were fighting for a piece of meat, I would win. If we were fighting for the love of a woman, I'm afraid Cullen would have me."

The "Fright Night" star was only able to answer a few questions before sprinting back to Hall H to promote his next project "Total Recall." However, the Irish actor didn't let his hectic schedule slow down his snappy retort to the last reporters' question.

Before being whisked away back to Hall H, Colin managed to sarcastically answer if being a father has influenced his choice of roles and quipped, "Yeah, I choose savage killers, now."

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Giovanni Ribisi going "Gangster" (Reuters)

By Joshua L. Weinstein Joshua L. Weinstein – Wed Jul 6, 11:05 pm ET

LOS ANGELES (TheWrap) – Giovanni Ribisi will join Sean Penn, Ryan Gosling and Josh Brolin in "The Gangster Squad," a police drama set in Los Angeles during the 1940s.

The Warner Bros. project is based on a series of Los Angeles Time articles recounting efforts by local law enforcement to keep East Coast gangsters out of the city. "Avatar" veteran Ribisi will play a police officer.

Ruben Fleischer ("Zombieland") is directing from an adaptation by "L.A. Rex" author Will Beall. Deadline first reported the news.

(Edited by Dean Gooodman)

(To read more about our entertainment news, visit our blog "Fan Fare" online at http://blogs.reuters.com/fanfare/)

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Ex-'Hills' star Patridge keeps momentum going (AP)

DETROIT – Bikini-clad Audrina Patridge was soaking up some sun by a pool in Los Angeles a few years ago when a reality TV producer spotted the aspiring model-actress. It was a chance meeting that ultimately led to a six-season run on the smash MTV series "The Hills."

These days, Patridge has traded her MTV gig in Hollywood for a web series in Detroit. Yet the 26-year-old beauty continues to attract attention — and maybe an occasional fan melee.

Last week at an airport in Mexico, she was overrun by fans, and earlier this week in Detroit, Patridge had an encounter with a group of prom-going teens at a bakery in the city's Greektown section.

"This one girl in particular came up to me and she started hyperventilating. . Just seeing that, it's like, `Wow,'" Patridge said. "A lot of people, they think they already know me."

That may because her public profile hasn't lessened all that much since "The Hills" wrapped last summer.

Patridge quickly signed up for ABC's "Dancing With The Stars," hoofing her way to a respectable seventh-place finish on the hit show last fall. Patridge currently can be seen in "Audrina,'" her reality series on VH1, and as the face of Bongo clothing, which put a building-sized billboard of Patridge along a main L.A. thoroughfare a few months ago.

Recently, Patridge has been in Detroit filming scenes for a web series called "Dream Maker," which will air on YOBI.tv, a site that hosts online talent competitions. Winners in acting, singing, comedy and filmmaking contests have earned spots in "Dream Maker," which stars Patridge as Tracy Jacobs, a Hollywood talent manager.

Patridge's character is inspired by the economic downturn to start a new firm in Detroit to foster fresh talent and contribute to the rejuvenation of the hard-hit city.

"A few years ago, I never would have imagined that I would have had all of these opportunities that I've had," Patridge told The Associated Press in between scenes. "It's been so amazing. I'm very blessed. I've been very busy with work. My dreams are coming true."

On set in a suite on the 28th floor of one of Detroit's casino-hotels, Patridge patiently waits for writer-director K. Asher Levin to set up a shot that involves her looking into the camera and swinging her hair back and forth.

"It should be like Tawny... (pause). You know, from the Whitesnake video," Levin says.

"Kitaen," Patridge says, smiling.

"Tawny Kitaen. Yeah, yeah, yeah," Levin says. "OK. Action on the Tawny stuff!"

Patridge and the rest of the cast and crew have been putting in 12- to 14-hour days, but the experience has "been amazing," she said.

Patridge's co-stars sing her praises, saying she insists on being treated like just another cast member despite her fame. Lisa Mason Lee, who plays Jacobs' receptionist on the show, describes Patridge as being "as sweet as pie" and "classy, charming, charismatic."

Meanwhile, the first season of "Audrina," which chronicles the namesake star's interactions with her Orange County, Calif.-based mother, father and three younger siblings, soon will be coming to a close.

Patridge said it's been an eye-opening experience, because after "The Hills" finished, she "kind of forgot how you have to re-live everything, sometimes through the editor's point of view. It's hard, for my family especially. But it's been really fun.

"We'll see if we get a second season. We don't know yet."

While that return to reality TV might still be in the cards, she'd also like to give scripted work a shot as well, having enjoyed her experiences both on "Dream Maker" and in the 2009 horror flick "Sorority Row."

As for the longer-term future, "In five years, I'll be 31. Gosh," she said, smiling. "Hopefully, I'll be married and starting a family, and I really would love to start my own line, whether it be a bikini line, or something that I'm passionate about, be creative with. I'd love to do another movie or more hosting jobs and traveling the world. I just live day by day and see what comes."

That could very well include running into more fans at airports and bakeries.

"I love talking to people and hearing their stories," she said. "I'm not the type to run from fans. I'll take pictures and sign things and talk to them."

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Heidi Klum going nude for "Project Runway" promo (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Former supermodel Heidi Klum is stripping down to promote Lifetime's "Project Runway."

While she has yet to sign off on a final image from a shoot held earlier this week, the show's host opted to bare all as part of the promotional campaign for the fashion competition series' ninth season, which will kick off this summer.

The decision was inspired by the cable network's push -- and for that matter, need -- to embrace the contemporary woman.

Since taking the reins a year ago, Lifetime president and general manager Nancy Dubuc has pushed both her programing and her marketing teams to move away from that "women in peril" stereotype that has plagued the one-time ratings champ in recent years.

Instead, her staff has been tasked with finding and celebrating female characters who are brazen, strong, confident and sexy. To hear Dubuc tell it, having Klum show off her model figure is a way of showcasing a woman who has all of those attributes.

Plus, she said with a big smile, "it's Heidi F--in' Klum."

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Heidi Klum going nude for "Project Runway" promo (Reuters)

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) – Former supermodel Heidi Klum is stripping down to promote Lifetime's "Project Runway."

While she has yet to sign off on a final image from a shoot held earlier this week, the show's host opted to bare all as part of the promotional campaign for the fashion competition series' ninth season, which will kick off this summer.

The decision was inspired by the cable network's push -- and for that matter, need -- to embrace the contemporary woman.

Since taking the reins a year ago, Lifetime president and general manager Nancy Dubuc has pushed both her programing and her marketing teams to move away from that "women in peril" stereotype that has plagued the one-time ratings champ in recent years.

Instead, her staff has been tasked with finding and celebrating female characters who are brazen, strong, confident and sexy. To hear Dubuc tell it, having Klum show off her model figure is a way of showcasing a woman who has all of those attributes.

Plus, she said with a big smile, "it's Heidi F--in' Klum."

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This post was made using the Auto Blogging Software from WebMagnates.org This line will not appear when posts are made after activating the software to full version.