Set Your Goals Pictures

In the Studio: Green Day’s Ambitious “21st Century Breakdown”

Photo: James Minchin III Nearly five years after their last album, Green Day will return this May with their latest punk masterpiece, 21st Century Breakdown — an album Rolling Stone’s David Fricke describes as even “more ambitious” than their Grammy-winning concept opus American Idiot. While Rock Daily was getting a first listen to Breakdown’s first act, Fricke was spending time in the band’s Oakland, California, studio as the trio put the finishing touches on their new, Who-inspired LP. As we previously reported, Breakdown is a story in three acts: “Heroes and Cons,” “Charlatans and Saints” and “Horseshoes and Handgrenades.” “The disc loosely follows a young couple, Christian and Gloria, through the mess and promise of the century so far,” Fricke writes in his In The Studio piece in our Taylor Swift-fronted issue. “They were swinging wildly for the stars on this one,” says producer Butch Vig. Further adding to the ambitious goals of the album, Armstong hopes the band will play Breakdown in its entirety when they set out on tour. “We’ve done the first act and half of the second. Then we look at each other and go, ‘This is really hard,’” Armstrong says. “It’s funny—we make our most physical album not when we’re 19 but in our mid-30s.” For more on 21st Century Breakdown, be sure to check out Fricke’s full report from Green Day’s studio in the new issue of Rolling Stone, out now. In the meantime, check out Rock Daily’s First Listen of Breakdown. Related Stories: • Photo Gallery: Green Day Build Up to the Breakdown • First Listen: Green Day Revive Dramatic Political Punk on “21st Century Breakdown” • Green Day’s New Album “21st Century Breakdown” Due in May

Published: 2009-02-20 Provider: Rolling Stone Keywords: Rock News

Move Over Kylie!

Entertainment Move Over Kylie! Feb 06 11:57am She started out on Neighbours, made the successful crossover to the music biz via her role as singer with hit band Rogue Traders, and is rapidly becoming a style icon. No wonder So You Think You Can Dance Australia's Natalie Bassingthwaighte is being compared to Kylie Minogue. 'Wow, that's a massive compliment,' she says with a laugh. 'If that's what you think, then bring it on. I'll be compared to her, absolutely!' And why shouldn't she be? Natalie's become one of Australia's hottest stars, scoring the coveted TV hosting role in the process.Tipped to be the most watched new show of 2008, So You Think You Can Dance Australia is a change of direction for Natalie, but one sure to enhance her skyrocketing profile. And she's enjoying every minute.'It's looking awesome,' she says. 'Having been in musical theatre for seven years and being surrounded by insanely talented dancers, I knew there was lots of quality in this country, but I was still blown away by the talent [on the show].'Natalie will be Australia's answer to Cat Deeley, the stylish British host who shot to fame on the US show. And she'll easily match her in the fashion stakes.'Dressing up is one of my favourite things about the show,' Natalie says. 'There have been a lot of Australian designers who have said they would like to dress me. And Prada is going to send stuff straight off the catwalks of Europe. I'm so excited. Cat set the standard by being glamorous and fabulous, and now I can't wait!'As well as working on the show, Natalie's been busy with her first solo album.'It's going well,' she says. 'I've been working on it for a while and things are changing left, right and centre. I can't talk about it too much, but I can say I have worked with some really big American writers.'Natalie's also kicking goals in her personal life with partner and Rogue Traders drummer Cameron McGlinchey. She's been making a new home for them in LA, where she hopes to base

Published: 2008-03-10 Provider: New Idea Magazine

Striking Writers March On 'Desperate Housewives' Set [Disrupting The Housewives]

Earlier today, we'd expressed a now very naive-seeming wish that WGA members and the Companies they're protesting might find a way to get through the remainder of the strike without further incidents of unnecessary, cause-undermining violence. It is with considerable sadness that we note KTLA's story (video here or here) about a renegade band of Guild picketers, who, upon receiving word of an in-progress Desperate Housewives location shoot earlier today, marched on the set, hoping to disrupt filming. But when they found that peaceful picketing alone proved ineffective in achieving their chaos-sowing goals, they raided the house inside which star Eva Longoria was shooting a scene, taking the actress hostage. Unfortunately for Longoria, an ABC executive visiting the set refused to negotiate for her release, defiantly telling her Guild captors, "Go ahead and fucking kill her. You want Teri Hatcher, too? We're shutting down production tomorrow anyway, and we'd be happy to get out from underneath their contracts." Longoria, we fear, may never be heard from again. Picketing Writers Disrupt "Desperate Housewives" Shoot [KTLA via LAT]Previously: Picketers, Picketed Not Getting Along At Fox Parking Lot [Defamer]

Published: 2007-11-06 Provider: Defamer Keywords: Abc, disrupting the housewives, hollywood strikewatch, strikewatch