photo by Mikey Ramirez

​There are plenty of pinup-actor-gone-bandleader jokes to make. Remember Keanu Reeves' Dogstar? No? Dating ourselves? OK, how about Twilight star Jackson Rathbone's 100 Monkeys, who played in town not too long ago?

Despite all that, Entourage star Adrian Grenier seems pretty (or at least relatively) serious about his own act, the Honey Brothers, a vaguely folky indie outfit rounded out by buddies Andrew Vladeck, Daniel Posner, Dan Green, and Ari Gold. That's the real Ari Gold, a filmmaker, not the Entourage character who borrowed is name. More >>

Together again?

​We're not sure what's going on in Ireland these days, but it must be pretty boring, because the country's largest bookmaker has drawn up extensive odds on who will be Rihanna's next boyfriend.

Paddy Power plc sent us a cheerful press release this morning with the title, "HE RI RI LIKES HER - BROWN FAVOURITE TO WOO RIHANNA."

That's a reference to Chris Brown, Rihanna's onetime domestic abuser and recent Grammy Award ziggurat-hopper. Their possible reunion was considered just days ago on this very blog.

Here's the full list of possible Rihanna suitors and the betting odds:
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... is a 23-year-old love child that I didn't know about.

​First of all, you might not know that soap opera charmer Jack Wagner -- the ruthless Dr. Peter Burns on '90s Aaron Spelling vehicle Melrose Place -- is also a recording artist.

And beyond that, we're talking about an actual recording career that perhaps motivated Brian Austin Green to briefly flirt and ultimately fail in his musical endeavors. Wagner is a full-on adult contemporary crooner who nailed down the Yacht Rock classic "All I Need" back in the mid-'80s, so it's unsurprising that he's buddies with another ladies' favorite who dabbled in a little soap acting, Rick Springfield.

Springfield and Wagner brought their songs and handsome mugs -- but no exorcisms -- to Mizner Park Amphitheater recently. And as it turns out, there was some two-decade-old baby mama drama awaiting Wagner backstage.

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​The Black Eyed Peas haven't even begun their hiatus yet, but the ever-promotional mind of Will.i.am is still in overdrive. Does this guy sleep with a microphone taped to his face just in case he might snore something brilliant?

The timing of his debut single from his Twitter-ready solo album, #Willpower, couldn't be better, though. It'll be out Sunday, when he performs it with Jennifer Lopez at the American Music Awards -- or whenever it leaks on late Friday afternoon. This'll give us a couple of days to get acclimated, because you can bet that it'll figure heavily into the Black Eyed Peas' farewell show at Sun Life Stadium on Wednesday.

Even if the timing's good, the title is not. Will loves acronyms! But choosing an article of speech for a song title is a tad forced. So, we'll be hearing a lot of "T.H.E (The Hardest Ever)" featuring Rolling Stones frontman Mick Jagger and Lopez (was Jeff Tweedy unavailable?) soon enough.

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Photo courtesy of John Linn

From left: Michael Wilton, John Linn.

​John Linn works for Fresh Beer and knows a lot about drinking beer from experience.

Pop cannon suggests that musicians -- above all other types of artists -- consume an inordinate amount of booze. It follows, then, that many of them looking to expand their entrepreneurial empires beyond selling records turn to what they know: liquor. These musician-cum-cocktailiers are all over the place these days -- rapper Ludacris is well-known for his Conjure Cognac, a fine-sipping brandy retailing at $40 a bottle; Maynard James Keenan of Tool has become an accomplished vintner; while shock rocker Marilyn Manson has concocted an equally mind-warping absinthe that won him a gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2008.

Now you can add Michael Wilton to that list, lead guitarist and founding member of the trailblazing prog-metal band Queensrÿche.

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​The Black Eyed Peas indefinite hiatus -- which will be capped with a farewell concert at Sun Life Stadium November 23 -- now has a more definite cause. According to rapper Taboo, his bandmate and National Anthem specialist Fergie wants to get pregnant and start a family with husband Josh Duhamel, and taking some time off gives her the space she needs for children.

"The Black Eyed Peas taking a little break is something that we respect and we all agreed upon," Taboo exclusively told New Times. "We have to respect Ferg. Ferg is our sister. She definitely wants to have a family, and we're happy for her."

Updated: Will.i.am is using this extra time to go solo, and has recorded a track with Mick Jagger and Jennifer Lopez.

The rest of our conversation with Taboo will come later this month as the group's final show for a long time approaches, but we thought it worthwhile to share the parts that discuss Fergie's entrance into diapers and motherhood -- a topic that completely took us off guard. Based upon what Taboo says, Fergie and Josh don't have a baby on the way just yet, but it could be quite soon.

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​Known sports fanatic and "leader" of the now stitched-together Smashing Pumpkins Billy Corgan has recently undertaken a new endeavor unrelated to music. No, it isn't another clothing line endorsement, but it might be just as good. Corgan has launched a new professional wrestling league labeled "Resistance Pro" (complete with an edgy backward R in the logo).

"We're going to try and bring back to Chicago the glory days," he says in an interview with Fox News.

We understand that any new business venture can prove to be taxing to the mind, so we took it upon ourselves to offer some advice to Billy that pertains to the pro wrestling arena.

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Method Man's tiny new enemy.

​Initially when I read this, I thought this was Method Man teaming up with Garbage Pail Kids, which would have been an even better idea. But anyhow, Mr. Meth has launched yet another commercial partnership -- this time with the tongue-scraping, tooth-gumming Sour Patch Kids. Remember Wu Wear and all those Right Guard Power Stripe ads with Redman?

"World Gone Sour (The Lost Kids)" is the resulting song with a not-that-bad beat, and the walking candy makes for more of a How High outtake than anything else. After one of his buddies busts open a fresh bag of the candy and they go flying everywhere, it's mayhem.

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Uh Huh Her: Not apologizing for one kiss.

​Uh Huh Her's Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey have issued a statement following their ejection from a Southwest Airlines flight yesterday after they exchanged one kiss. The Los Angeles duo mark the third high-profile ejection from the carrier in recent memory, following bootings of Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong and director Kevin Smith.

Southwest yesterday characterized Hailey and Grey's affection for each other as "excessive," but they see it differently. "In no way were our actions on Southwest Airlines excessive, inappropriate or vulgar," the statement reads. "We want to make it clear we were not making out or creating any kind of spectacle of ourselves, it was one, modest kiss."

According to Hailey, the whole thing is on video, which could prove useful in the action they are reportedly taking against Southwest Airlines. "We find it very disturbing that the same airline who lauds itself as being LGBT friendly has twisted an upsetting incident that happened into our behavior being 'too excessive.' The above is not an apology and we are in the process of filing a formal complaint with the airline."
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Come fly the unfriendly skies.

​Update: Uh Huh Her's Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey have issued a statement to Southwest Airlines.

Los Angeles indie-electro act Uh Huh Her's Leisha Hailey was booted off of a Southwest Airlines flight today for engaging in a same-sex kiss on board. The ex-The L Word actress joins Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong (sagging pants) and director Kevin Smith (too fat) as passengers who have been removed from this airline -- and then followed with an angry rant via Twitter about it.

"I have been discriminated against by @SouthwestAir. Flt. attendant said that it was a "family" airline and kissing was not ok," she tweeted on Monday afternoon. This is from the company dubbed "the official airline of the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), the Gay-Straight Alliance Network (GSA), and the National Gay & Lesbian Chamber of Commerce (NGLCC)."

According to an earlier tweet, she and bandmate Camila Grey were visiting family in El Paso, Texas over the weekend. After Hailey and her partner argued about the restrictions about showing affection on board, "We were escorted off the plane for getting upset about the issue." Later postings have Hailey understandably calling for a Southwest Airlines boycott. Can we get an "Uh Uh" (while waving the finger vigorously)?

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