Top 10 Boy Bands
(5/31/05) About

Since the manufacturing of the Monkees in the late 60's, all-male vocal groups or 'boy bands' have been a permanent part of the pop music landscape. Here are the top 10 of all time listed in alphabetical order.

1) B2K
Although the group lasted for only a few short years, B2K were a classic boy band with a definite hip hop slant. They recorded 2 very successful albums plus the soundtrack to the film You Got Served before a sudden break up in 2004. One group member, Omarion, has gone on to solo success in the aftermath of the breakup.

2) Backstreet Boys
The Backstreet Boys were acknowledged leaders, along with Britney Spears, of the sweeping popularity of teen pop in the late 90's. The group came together in 1993 in Orlando, Florida with the assistance of producer Lou Pearlman. The Backstreet Boys achieved tremendous success between 1997 and 2001. After a 4 year hiatus the Backstreet Boys returned with the album Never Gone in 2005.

3) Boyzone
Boyzone was put together by Irish theatrical entrepreneur Louis Walsh in 1994 from over 300 auditioning hopefuls. The group became one of the most successful Irish recording acts on the British charts over the next 5 years. In 2000 the band decided to pursue solo projects.

4) BoyzIIMen
BoyzIIMen was formed in Philadelphia in 1988 at the Philadelphia High School Of the Creative and Performing Arts as Unique Attraction. After catching the attention of Bell Biv Devoe (a group consisting of 3 former New Edition members) at a conert in 1989, the group was re-christened BoyzIIMen and entered the studio to record their first album. Since that time the group have become the biggest selling r&b group of all time.

5) Monkees
Formed by television producers Bert Schneider and Bob Rafelson in 1965, the Monkees must be considered pioneers among boy bands. The four members were selected to perform catchy pop tunes while also acting in a television series. Late in their career as a group the members took control of most of the artistic direction of their music, but by then their popularity was fading. The group disbanded in 1970.

6) New Edition
New Edition was formed in Boston in 1978 while the first 3 members were still in elementary school. The group performed frequently at local events and added 2 new members before being discovered by producer/songwriter Maurice Starr. He released their first single "Candy Girl" in 1983, and the group quickly became pop stars. After breakup, 3 members formed Bell Biv Devoe, and Bobby Brown, Johnny Gill and Ralph Tresvant had successful solo careers.

7) New Kids On the Block
New Kids On the Block were a second project by Maurice Starr after his success with New Edition (see above). The group was formed in Boston in 1986 and had a strong run of hits between 1988 and 1990. The group disbanded by 1994 and the members tried solo careers with little success.

8) *NSYNC
Like Britney Spears, *NSYNC members Justin Timberlake and JC Chasez had their first significant singing roles as members of the New Mickey Mouse Club. In 1996 they formed *NSYNC in Orlando, Florida with 3 additional members. By 1998 they had their first top 10 pop hit and spent the next 4 years frequently near the top of the charts. The group have not released an album since 2001's Celebrity while Timberlake and Chasez have had success as solo artists.

9) Take That
Take That, who became the biggest selling pop group in the U.K. since the Beatles, were initially formed as a trio called The Cutest Rush. Producer and manager Nigel Martin Smith added two more members to the group in 1990 and they became Take That. After a run of chart-topping hits in the U.K. the group began to fray in 1995 just as they hit the U.S. top 10 for the first time. In 1996 the group disbanded with member Robbie Williams pursuing a highly successful solo career.

10) Westlife
Westlife are a second project by Boyzone manager Louis Walsh. Co-managed by Boyzone member Ronan Keating, the group's first single debuted at #1 on the British charts in 1999. While making regular appearances at the top of the charts in the U.K., the group have yet to reach similar success in the U.S.

Cameron + Justin Become African Vets
(5/26/05) Teen Hollywood

Celebrity couple Cameron Diaz and Justin Timberlake turned veterinarians on a recent trip to Africa when they teamed up with Frankfurt Zoological Society officials to vaccinate dogs and collar a lion.

The sweethearts were shooting an episode of Diaz's Mtv travel show Trippin' in Tanzania with pals Jimmy Fallon and Talib Kweli when they were invited to a Masai village in the Serengeti Reserve to inject their pets.

Diaz explains, "In 1994, an outbreak of canine distemper killed over 1,000 of the Serengeti's lions."

"Since then, one of the ways the Fzs has been working to prevent a similar incident is by vaccinating the dogs in the area."

The celebrity quartet then risked life and limb when they helped take blood samples and a dental mould from a snoozing lion.

The stars had to replace batteries and a collar around the lion's neck, after it had been tranquilized, and then carry out routine tests on the beast.

It wasn't all dangerous work for the foursome - they spent the sunset of one day singing along to Toto's hit Africa on a rock in the middle of the Serengeti.

Timberlake's Mother To Write 'Truthful' Biography
(5/26/05) Teen Hollywood

Pop superstar Justin Timberlake's mother Lynne is so upset by the hurtful stories written about her son, she's writing a book to protect his reputation.

The Cry Me A River singer's romances with Britney Spears and Cameron Diaz have filled gossip columns with often false and cruel reports about his manhood, mood swings and relationship problems among other things.

But his loyal mother is determined to show fans what her son is really like in the currently untitled new book.

She says of the tome, "It will set the record straight. It hurts to read so many lies about him."

Showcase is a big deal for bands, their fans
(5/25/05) Orlando Sentinel

"We just signed a record deal today," lead singer Lu Rubino of Story Side B told the crowd on Saturday at Kate O'Brien's.

It was the kind of announcement that hundreds of bands dreamed of making at the fourth annual Florida Music Festival, which overcame threatening afternoon showers on its final day to uphold its reputation as a fine showcase for emerging bands and the people who love them.

To be fair, the news about Story Side B wasn't unexpected. Orlando promoter Jeff Hanson, of Creed fame, had been working with the band for months before the deal was officially inked with his Silent Majority Records. The label will be distributed by Goatee in Nashville, Tenn., the label founded by Christian act Toby Mac.

Hanson, on hand for Story Side B's solidly delivered set at Kate's, had other news about his plans in the wake of stepping down as manager of Creed spinoff Alter Bridge.

Story Side B's debut album, due in October, will be the first release supervised by the Silent Majority Group, Hanson's new company with partner Mark Mercado. The company also will be releasing a debut solo EP by Chris Kirkpatrick of 'N Sync fame digitally on iTunes in coming months.

Hanson says his new company will focus on artist development and operate offices in Orlando and Nashville.

"We've created a couple of alliances in Nashville that will be more of a management network," Hanson says. "What we're doing is acting as big-picture consultants to younger management companies.

"It allows us to grow our roster and focus on the things we're really good at, which is career planning for artists, without having to delve into the day-by-day stuff so much."

Another act on Hanson's roster is Plumb, a female-fronted group on Curb Records that Hanson says sounds similar to Dido's acid-jazz.

Story Side B wasn't the only band basking in the attention of label reps. Radio, an astoundingly adept Miami rock band with a singer still in middle-school, qualified as the festival's biggest sleeper surprise.

The band's raucous 30-minute set of originals on Friday at Cafe Annie was marked by scruffy leather jackets, copious hair tossing and the powerful metal riffs to back up the posing.

"I Love It Loud!" was scrawled on a strip of duct tape pasted on one of the amplifiers, and Radio followed that mantra. Outside, band members' parents adorned in homemade Radio T-shirts beckoned people inside.

The Friday show generated enough buzz that the group returned for an unscheduled set of covers on Saturday at the Blue Room. When club management cut that set to one song ("Sweet Child O' Mine"), the musicians went outside and signed autographs.

"We've only been playing together a year," said bassist Zakk Sandler, 16. He added that they aren't even the coolest kids in school, "but we did win a battle of the bands."

Lead singer Gabriel Garcia, 12, sounded like a cross between Axl Rose and a "Working Man"-era Geddy Lee, as he belted out originals that sounded like MC5 meets Black Oak Arkansas.

Not everything was so transcendent. There were only about 50 people in the audience on Friday when Orlando's Stumpp, featuring rapper G-RO, delivered a Southern Rock/hip-hop hybrid on the stage at Church Street and Garland Avenue. The group was about 30 minutes late in starting and wasn't worth the wait.

The overall dearth of hip-hop and country acts is a hurdle that the festival needs to overcome. In the country realm, Tampa's Urbane Cowboys provided high-powered twang in a set that referenced the Old 97s and Social Distortion on Saturday at Kate O'Brien's.

Unfortunately, the band followed Story Side B, which took its crowd of well-wishers when it departed. "For those of you who didn't take off like we were the plague, we're the Urbane Cowboys," guitarist Kamran Mir told the audience dryly.

Other terrific sets were turned in by Atlanta's Heavy Mojo, a returning festival act that blended funk and hip-hop with genuine inspiration on Friday at Wall Street Plaza. Though the band had inspired label interest last year, a member of the group's entourage says a deal still hasn't been finalized.

Along with out-of-town bands, an assortment of Orlando fixtures played strong shows. The underappreciated Plain Jane Automobile offered an assured set on one of the Wall Street stages, showcasing a melodic, layered sound that echoes Radiohead.

The New Space Race
(5/25/05) MSNBC

Millionaire resumes space training

...It's not unusual for medical problems to turn up during Russia's cosmonaut training examinations. Pop singer Lance Bass, who was involved in an unsuccessful bid to visit the space station, was found to have a minor heart condition during his exam and had it corrected on an outpatient basis. Another unsuccessful space candidate, former NASA official Lori Garver, had to have her gall bladder removed in order to continue with her cosmonaut training.

Headlines
(5/25/05) MTV.com

Macy Gray Tries On Clothing Line, Rapper/Stripper/Burglar Role

...Gray has also been busy putting the finishing touches on her next album, tentatively titled Big, which will evoke the sounds of classic Macy: a fusion of funk, pop, soul and rock. Justin Timberlake, Fergie and her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am, Sleepy Brown and Slash (yes, that Slash) have all recorded tracks with the soulful songstress. The LP, set for release by the Will.I.Am Music Group this fall, will be produced by the Peas' MC. The disc will also feature a track co-produced by Timberlake called "Get Out," making Gray's album one of the first projects from Will's new production group with Justin Timberlake, the JAW Breakers (Justin and Will, get it?)...

Wilmer's posse-able steal
(5/24/05) NYDailyNews

Did Wilmer Valderrama raid the guest list for Lindsay Lohan's "Saturday Night Live" after-party, bringing mutual friends to a competing soiree?

Our spies say the "That '70s Show" star lured Ashlee Simpson, members of the band Simple Plan and B2K front man Omarito to MTV talent director Vinnie Potestivo's birthday party at Cellar Bar.

And rather than heading to Rock Candy at 2 for Lohan's "SNL" bash, Valderrama's crew decamped for Suede, where they met up with JC Chasez, Seth Green and Taye Diggs.

SPORTS GAMER, a magazine for Madden Enthusiasts
(5/21/05) PR Newswire

Agreement Announced Today at E3 Convention in Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Time/Warner Retail Sales & Marketing
has entered into an agreement with All IN Media for national distribution of
SPORTS GAMER Magazine, it was jointly announced today by Dale Oehler, TWR
Senior Vice President/Client Group, and Bhu Srinivasan, President of All In
Media, during today's session of the E3 Convention in Los Angeles. SPORTS
GAMER will be the first video gaming magazine dedicated exclusively to the
sports game genre. The premiere issue of Sports Gamer will coincide with the
release of Madden 06 from EA Sports.

"Over $1 billion in exclusive license fees have thus far been paid by game
publishers to the NFL, MLB, NBA, FIFA and NASCAR," declares Oehler in
commenting on today's agreement. "This fact clearly demonstrates the value of
sports gaming to the industry's bottom line and the phenomenal sports interest
that exists among today's video gaming public. TWR is excited to launch this
unique magazine concept and believes the title holds tremendous promise at the
newsstand."

Srinivasan, Publisher of SPORTS GAMER and the creator of the company's
flagship title ALL IN, states, "Although sports gaming is the largest video
game genre, traditional gaming magazines offer coverage that is sporadic at
best. The time has never been better for the launch of SPORTS GAMER, an
exclusive gaming magazine that will cover strategies for every major sports
game and incorporate lifestyle aspects in the form of celebrity and athlete
interviews."

Player and celebrity interviews planned for publication in the early
issues of the title include Daunte Culpepper, Donovan McNabb, Tiger Woods,
Carmelo Anthony, Randy Moss, Ray Lewis, Snoop Dogg, Lance Bass, and sports
gamers from all walks of celebrity life.