Columbia Records announced UK pop star Olly Murs’ In Case You Didn’t Know will be released in the US on September 25, 2012. Murs shot to fame after auditioning in 2009 for UK’s The X Factor and has already earned two double platinum albums as well as three #1 singles in the UK.
His first US single is “Heart Skips a Beat” featuring Chiddy Bang.
Murs visited the Tonight Show with Jay Leno on June 15th and performed “Heart Skips a Beat,” marking his US television debut with the appearance.
In Case You Didn’t Know Track List:
1. Heart Skips A Beat
2. Oh My Goodness
3. Dance With Me Tonight
4. This Song Is About You
5. Please Don’t Let Me Go
6. In Case You Didn’t Know
7. Thinking Of Me
8. Tell The World
9. I’m OK
10. I Need You Now
Up All Night Tour Dates:
June 23 Dallas, TX Gexa Energy Pavilion
June 24 Houston, TX Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
June 26 Atlanta, GA The Arena At Gwinett Center
June 27 Charlotte, NC Time Warner Cable Arena
June 29 Tampa, FL 1-800-ASK-GARY Amphitheatre
June 30 Orlando, FL Amway Center
July 1 Ft. Lauderdale, FL Bank Atlantic Center
HBO’s new series The Newsroom starring Jeff Daniels, Emily Mortimer, Sam Waterston, Alison Pill, Dev Patel, Thomas Sadoski, and John Gallagher, Jr kicks off a 10 episode first season on June 24th at 10pm. The show was created by Oscar and Emmy-winner Aaron Sorkin (The Social Network, The West Wing) who will executive produce along with Oscar winner Scott Rudin (No Country for Old Men) and Alan Poul (HBO’s multiple Emmy® winner Six Feet Under).
The Plot: A favorite with viewers, news anchor Will McAvoy has found a safe niche with bankable ratings on his 8:00 p.m. flagship cable show, News Night. Numbed by success, McAvoy has become stoic, complacent, cynical – content not to rock the boat as he delivers the nightly news straight down the middle of the road – dialing it in as he avoids ruffling feathers with anything resembling politics. What fire he still has, he reserves for the cutting sarcasm and general unpleasantness that earn him no fans with his news team.
In a literal blink of an eye – or perhaps an optical illusion – McAvoy is catapulted from apathy to engagement when a spontaneous outburst leads him to tackle the principles of American patriotism in a public forum. Surviving the professional fallout from his unexpected tirade following an enforced vacation, McAvoy returns to work to discover that most of his staff has jumped ship for another show and is forced to work with several new team members brought on board during his absence.
McAvoy’s boss, Charlie Skinner, the unapologetically old-school president of ACN’s news division, laments the changing face of the news. Setting the stage for Will’s return to the standard set by news legends such as Edward R. Murrow and Walter Cronkite, Charlie covertly orchestrates the hiring of Will’s new executive producer, the one person who can restore Will’s passion and bring the best out of him – whether Will wants it or not.
Will’s new executive producer is MacKenzie McHale, back from 26 months embedded in Iraq and Afghanistan. MacKenzie was once romantically involved with Will and knows the idealism he has buried beneath a veneer of apathy and cynicism. With their shared past, she knows exactly how good he can be. Even more unsettling for him, she challenges Will to abandon the successful, middle-of-the-road approach that has made him so popular with bothsides of the aisle, and realize his full potential by delivering the news with integrity.
Also imposed upon Will are Jim Harper, Margaret Jordan, Don Keefer, Neal Sampat and Sloan Sabbith, the newsroom staff. Although this group finds itself off to a tumultuous start when breaking news comes over the wire, they immediately come together for one elusive goal: to do TV news well. Jim Harper is MacKenzie’s loyal senior show producer. Though only 27 years old, Jim is more like the old-school reporter Charlie than he is like his contemporaries. He finds himself instantly smitten with Margaret Jordan, a young intern-turned-associated producer, who is already in a relationship with Don Keefer, Will’s former executive producer. Neal Sampat, a young, resourceful self-made newsman writes Will’s blog and scours the Internet for stories, often finding leads his colleagues have missed. Sloan Sabbith is ACN’s financial news analyst.
The Newsroom June and July 2012 Episodes:
Episode #1: “We Just Decided To”
Debut: SUNDAY, JUNE 24 (10:00-11:15 p.m. ET/PT)
Other HBO playdates: June 24 (11:20 p.m.), 26 (9:00 p.m., 11:00 p.m.), 28 (10:00 p.m.) and 29 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: June 25 (10:00 p.m.), 26 (9:00 p.m.), 27 (11:00 p.m.) and 30 (2:45 p.m., 9:00 p.m.), and July 11 (9:00 p.m.)
Surviving the fallout from a meltdown, ACN “News Night” anchor Will McAvoy returns to his job and finds his executive producer and most of his staff are leaving his show. Will also learns he’s been assigned a new EP: MacKenzie McHale, a former girlfriend. Will and his overhauled staff face an immediate challenge when breaking news comes over the wire.
Written by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Greg Mottola.
Episode #2: “News Night 2.0”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 1 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: July 1 (midnight), 3 (11:00 p.m.), 5 (10:00 p.m.) and 6 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 2 (10:00 p.m.), 4 (11:00 p.m.), 7 (2:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.) and 11 (11:15 p.m.)
Mac asserts control over the new incarnation of “News Night” and enlists Sloan Sabbith, a beautiful and brainy on-air economist, to do a nightly segment. Jim takes the fall for a Maggie miscue; Charlie forbids Reese from continuing his furtive meetings with Will; a long-festering breakup secret gets out.
Written by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Alex Graves.
Episode 3: “The 112th Congress”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 8 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: July 8 (midnight), 10 (11:00 p.m.), 12 (10:00 p.m.) and 13 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 9 (10:00 p.m.), 11 (11:15 p.m.) and 14 (1:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m.)
In an on-air editorial, Will apologizes for past newscasts and promises a new era of integrity for “News Night.” Will’s new approach rankles Leona Lansing, CEO of ACN’s parent company, Atlantis World Media, who warns Charlie that Will’s stance will not be tolerated. Jim soothes Maggie during a panic attack; Doncharges Elliot to get in the game; Will parades a string of arm-candy dates in front of Mac.
Written by Aaron Sorkin & Gideon Yago; directed by Greg Mottola.
Episode 4: “I’ll Try to Fix You”
Debut: SUNDAY, JULY 15 (10:00-11:00 p.m.)
Other HBO playdates: July 15 (midnight), 17 (11:00 p.m.), 19 (10:00 p.m.) and 20 (8:00 p.m.)
HBO2 playdates: July 16 (10:00 p.m.), 18 (11:00 p.m.) and 21 (4:25 p.m., 9:00 p.m.)
Will’s “mission to civilize” takes a hit when he finds himself in the tabloid spotlight. Wade approaches Will with info on the government’s flagging ability to fight financial crime; Don gets Maggie to fix Jim up with her roommate, Lisa; Sloan strikes out as a matchmaker; and Neal’s “Bigfoot is real” pitch falls on deaf ears. Against Reese’s wishes, Will refuses to follow the media rumor mill and make a call on a breaking story.
Written by Aaron Sorkin; directed by Alan Poul.
Fans can enter the contest by: (1) following @pepsi on Twitter and allowing @pepsi to follow them; (2) registering their Twitter handles into the contest by visiting www.TheXFactorPepsi.com; and (3) tweeting why they are the biggest THE X FACTOR fan. All participants must include the hashtags #topfan, #xfactor and #mycontestentry, as well as Twitter handles @pepsi or @TheXFactorUSA, to be considered an eligible entry, and fans must accept official rules. Tweets will be judged based on originality and relevance.
Carly Rae Jepsen (the force behind the addictive “Call Me Maybe”) and Owl City got together for the bubbly, catchy pop tune, “Good Time.” The song is tough to get out of your head – so listen at your own risk – and will be included on Owl City’s upcoming album, The Midsummer Station, set to arrive on August 14th. The single will be available on iTunes beginning June 26th.
Rob and Marisol Thomas (Photo Supplied by Pets Alive)
Rob Thomas and his wife, Marisol, have committed $350,000 to help rescue animals in support of the Pets Alive Puerto Rico Animal Sanctuary. The Thomas’ gift helped launch the Puerto Rico chapter of Pets Alive (a no-kill animal rescue and advocacy organization) with the goal of helping the community move toward a “progressive and lasting permanent change in the humane treatment of animals.”
Rob and Marisol made the donation through their Sidewalk Angels Foundation.
Pets Alive Puerto Rico Animal Sanctuary and Bed and Breakfast sits on six acres in Utuado and is the first sanctuary of its kind in Puerto Rico. Thousands of homeless animals are struggling to survive, and Puerto Ricans simply haven’t had the funds or other resources to care for the many abandoned and abused pets who need assistance.
“As board members of Pets Alive, we are sure that Pets Alive Puerto Rico (PAPR) will be an extension of the same sensibilities that Pets Alive Middletown and Pets Alive Westchester (PAWS) have shown since the very beginning. Focusing on care, rehabilitation, education and, above all, the commitment to the ‘no kill’ agenda. It’s an organization that we are proud to be a part of and to support,” commented Marisol and Rob Thomas.
The Mission [Per Pets Alive]:
Pets Alive is committed to meeting that need and to permanently changing the culture in Puerto Rico, ending the abandonment and abuse of animals. They are working to provide affordable spay and neuter, implement a workable island-wide TNR program (trap, neuter, release), provide Humane Education and responsible pet ownership, and promote local adoptions through community outreach.
For more info on Pets Alive Puerto Rico, visit petsalivepr.org.
The monsters we fell in love with in Pixar’s Monsters, Inc. return but this time the action takes place in college. Monsters University is a prequel to the events of Monsters, Inc, shining a light on what Mike Wazowski and James P. Sullivan were like before they became BFFs. Mike and Sully initially didn’t like each other, and Monsters University shows how they overcame their mutual dislike to become best buddies.
Monsters University will hit theaters on June 21, 2013, 12 years after the release of Monsters, Inc. Billy Crystal and John Goodman return to voice Mike and Sully, with Steve Buscemi, Dave Foley, Julia Sweeney, Joel Murray, and Peter Sohn also lending their voices to this 2013 sequel.
Hertz and Live Nation are teaming up for the Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes, offering one lucky winner a trip for two to one of 49 concerts. And – how cool is this? – nine of the available concerts will allow the winner to watch the concert while seated in a Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible in the VIP section. In addition, the grand prize winner will receive VIP treatment that includes a weekend trip to the concert of their choice, a welcome package, deluxe accommodations, a Hertz rental car, and a $200 cash gift card.
Announcing the sweepstakes, Mark P. Frissora, Hertz Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “The Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes brings Hertz and Live Nation together to create once-in-a-lifetime memories for a lucky 2012 summer concert attendee. Nothing beats the feeling of the wind in your hair, the open road and your favorite music as the soundtrack to your adventure. With this sweepstakes, we are recreating that experience at some of the best concert venues in America.”
100 runner-up prize packages with $100 Hertz Rental Vouchers and 3 month SiriusXM radio subscriptions will also be awarded.
Tristan Prettyman (Photo Courtesy of Universal Music Enterprises)
Tristan Prettyman’s back after a four year recording break with Cedar + Gold, available on September 25th. Prettyman will be supporting this new album – her fourth – with a tour kicking off on July 12th in Napa, CA.
The first single off of Tristan’s new album is “My Oh My” which debuted today on EntertainmentWeekly.com and will be available digitally on July 10th.
Discussing the inspiration for Cedar + Gold, Prettyman said, “I started writing from a place that was so deep and honest, where I didn’t hold anything back. It felt so good. I was like, ‘This is what music is about — being able to release what is trapped inside of you.’ Whenever anything caused me pain, I’d tell myself, ‘Save it for the record.’”
Prettyman worked with producer Greg Wells (Adele, Katy Perry) on the new album, with Wells also contributing piano, bass, drums, and some guitar to Cedar + Gold. “Greg forced me to step into really being a musician and owning what I do,” said Prettyman. “Once I did that, I got super creative and the songs started coming from a different place. It was a very intuitive process.”
Cedar + Gold Track List
Say Anything / I Was Gonna Marry You / My Oh My / Unconditionally / Quit You / Bad Drug / Come Clean / Glass Jar / When You Come Down / Deepest Ocean / Blue / Second Chance / Never Say Never / The Rebound (bonus track)
Tristan Prettyman’s Tour Dates (with Joshua Radin):
07/12 Napa, CA Uptown Theater
07/15 Boise, ID Knitting Factory
07/17 Salt Lake City, UT The Depot
07/18 Aspen, CO Belly Up
07/20 Des Moines, IA Wooly’s
07/22 Milwaukee, WI Pabst Theater
07/23 Cincinnati, OH 20th Century Theatre
07/25 Ridgefield, CT Ridgefield Playhouse
07/27 Huntington, NY Paramount
07/28 Cleveland, OH Cain Park
07/29 Annapolis, MD Ramshead Onstage
07/31 Englewood, NJ Bergen Performing Arts Center
08/02 Alexandria, VA Birchmere
08/03 Norfolk, VA NorVa
Director Joe Wright returns to period dramas after a brief side trip into the world of action thrillers (Hanna) with Anna Karenina, based on the classic novel by Leo Tolstoy. Anna Karenina reunites Wright with his Pride and Prejudice and Atonement star Keira Knightley, with Jude Law, Aaron Johnson, Matthew Macfadyen, Kelly Macdonald, Olivia Williams, and Emily Watson co-starring.
The Plot: The story unfolds in its original late-19th-century Russia high-society setting and powerfully explores the capacity for love that surges through the human heart, from the passion between adulterers to the bond between a mother and her children. As Anna (Knightley) questions her happiness, change comes to her family, friends, and community.
Anna Karenina hits theaters on November 9, 2012.
Keira Knightley stars as Anna in Joe Wright's ANNA KARENINA, a Focus Features release. Photo Credit: Laurie Sparham
For your viewing pleasure – and to put a smile on your face – here’s a clip from Magic Mike with the handsome hunks performing to “It’s Raining Men.” Need I say more?
Magic Mike stars Channing Tatum, Alex Pettyfer, Matthew McConaughey, Matt Bomer, and Joe Manganiello.
The Plot: Set in the world of male strippers, Magic Mike is directed by Steven Soderbergh and stars Channing Tatum. The film follows Mike (Tatum) as he takes a young dancer called The Kid (Alex Pettyfer) under his wing and schools him in the fine arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.
ALEX PETTYFER as The Kid/Adam, MATTHEW McCONAUGHEY as Dallas, and CHANNING TATUM as Mike Martingano in Warner Bros. Pictures' dramatic comedy "Magic Mike" - Photo by Glen Wilson
Hertz and Live Nation are teaming up for the Best Seats in the House Sweepstakes, offering one lucky winner a trip for two to one of 49 concerts. And – how cool is this? – nine of the available concerts will allow the winner to watch the concert while seated in a Chevrolet Camaro SS convertible in the VIP section. In addition, the grand prize winner will receive VIP treatment that includes a weekend trip to the concert of their choice, a welcome package, deluxe accommodations, a Hertz rental car, and a $200 cash gift card. 
