The celebrity spinner has been tapped to get the VIP crowd primed for Oscar winner Julia Roberts and the Dave Matthews Band, who will be taking the stage Sept. 10 at Madison Square Garden as part of the Stand Up for a Cure's 2008 concert series. The charity, which raises money for lung cancer research and treatment, confirmed Wednesday that Ronson would be deejaying the preshow party and Roberts has signed on to host the event. "We are thrilled at the range of artists who have opted to shine a light on the need for funding and awareness this year," Stand Up for a Cure founder and executive producer Jordan Belkin said. And these were obvious choices all around: Roberts will be there to give the cause a world-class face, and no one knows more about finding a glimmer of hope where none existed before than Ronson.

Lindsay Lohan’s current mood is “betrayed” (cue angry emoticon), and she’s not going to take it anymore. In a blog post published on her MySpace page late Wednesday night, the actress lashed out at her estranged father, Michael, calling him “a public embarrassment and a bully” for speaking to celebrity gossip site X17Online.com and accusing Lohan’s reported girlfriend, DJ Samantha Ronson, of using his daughter to vault herself to fame. “If you have something to say to me, say it to my face — that’s what I have believed my whole life. Don’t be a coward and say it to others first, let alone all the media in the world. I think we know where the rest of this blog is going. If you guessed it had to do with my father, then you guessed right,” Lohan wrote in the post. “It really hurts because I have tried — after all that my mother and siblings have gone through, I really tried to make things work, for the hope of having a father again. … Having said that, the people were right, and he is yet to change. But this time, without his daughter by his side, he has become a public embarrassment and a bully to my family, my co-workers, my friends and a girl that means the world to me (it’s obvious who that is). “He has no idea what is going on in my life because I have chosen not to involve him in it. His recent attack on my life and my loved ones is simply for an ADDICTION THAT HE HAS — FAME. Why he feels the need to comment on anything in my life that I may want to keep private is beyond comprehension,” she continued. “If he really cared about me and my life, then he would learn to respect my wishes by staying out of it. Samantha has and would never sell me out. Nor has my mother, who is wonderful. … I’m not going to engage any further, though I probably could go on. I have said enough. I have a therapist, and it is not the cameraman at X17.” Lohan wasn’t the only one getting in on the blogging. Ronson also weighed in on the situation with a post on her MySpace page, which she titled “SHUT THE F—- UP.” “I really don’t want to say anything because I feel like he wins — he being the man who is so desperate for attention that he goes to the media whenever possible. I was angry when I first read his attack on me, but … I believe that actions speak louder than words, so now I just pity him,” she wrote. “I feel no need to publicly defend my role in Lindsay’s life. I’m just sorry that she likes me more than him. p.s. I’m not the one that is so lost that I need to use my relationship with Lindsay to earn a living.” Of course, none of this e-gression went unchecked by Michael Lohan, who gave a lengthy response to — who else? — X17, in which he wrote that he had no problem with his daughter’s relationship with Ronson, saying that it was his ex-wife Dina who took issue with the couple. “The response by Samantha and Lindsay regarding what I said is absolutely ridiculous. When I first spoke to X17, I clearly started that everything I said and my concerns were generated by my ex-wife, Dina (I have taped recordings, texts and the corroboration from lawyers and authorities to prove it),” he wrote. “All I want is for Lindsay to be healthy and in a good relationship. I want her to use the gifts she has in the best ways and to help others. I said it from the very beginning: Show me who you walk with, and I will tell you who you are! People may deceive us, but our eyes and facts don’t! OPEN YOUR EYES!!!” Then, just hours later — in a move that perhaps only confirmed everything Lindsay had written — her father was back on X17 again, this time to announce that his father (and LiLo’s paternal grandfather) had just passed away after a lengthy bout with colon cancer. “My father just, literally, died in my arms. I notified all my kids, and my lawyer notified Dina’s attorney,” he wrote. “Let’s see if she has the decency and respect to bring my kids to the wake and funeral. THIS will show her true colors.”

Slipknot did something special in creating their fourth studio album: they went home. Preparation for All Hope Is Gone began in 2007 and the recording process began in early 2008 at the Sound Farm Studio in Iowa, marking the first major label album from Slipknot to be recorded in their home state. And it sounds like home. All Hope Is Gone is a shadowy, down-to-earth record with twisting melodies, some unexpectedly light tones, and a great equilibrium of radiance and gloom. It is their most melodious and most sonically-pleasing album to date and represents a shift in a new direction without abandoning the crunching turmoil that the maggots adore. Producer Dave Fortman was brought in to help prepare the sound and give it some density. Best known for his work on Evanescence’s Fallen, Fortman loaned his ear for layering to the band and the final result certainly benefits from it. According to reports, all nine members of Slipknot were involved in the writing process. Vocalist Corey Taylor told MTV via podcast that the process was not without its conflict, but that Slipknot’s music always contains elements of conflict. With All Hope Is Gone, the album gains its clarity through the palpable divergence. Some songs are unequivocally disordered, with percussion slipping in and out where it doesn’t belong like a stroppy youngster, while other songs are extraordinarily elegiac and almost resemble ballads. All Hope Is Gone comes born out of a throng of sound that includes a smidge of Spiro Agnew (“.Execute.”) and quickly storms into the mammoth breadth of “Gematria (The Killing Name)” with a rattle of drums and some killer guitar. The pace is swift, the pounding is remorseless, and Slipknot holds back on the strain just long enough to incite madness. The thrash elements are here, but there is more of a sonic spotlessness to them. The wall of guitars takes over and crushes the listener into capitulation, while the drums pummel away on whatever’s left. It’s sanitization by inferno, a ripening assault for the senses that isn’t afraid of covering new earth.page 1 | 2

The Game’s third and final album, L.A.X., is an iconic dosage of gangsta rap that marks a throwback to some of the genre’s classic records. After nearly abandoning everyone that helped him make his way to his debut record, The Documentary, The Game has run the risk of turning in one hell of a short career. His sophomore album, The Doctor’s Advocate, sold several million copies fewer than his debut and his foray into film (Waist Deep) was ludicrous. Yet something about The Game remains believable and on L.A.X. he lets us know that our faith is well-placed, even if he has appeared to be batshit crazy more than a few times. L.A.X. is what happens when batshit crazy meets high-end talent. The Game’s story of the streets rips through tracks with his proficient flow and throng of guests, leaving no stone unturned. With a career that had him feuding before he was recording, it’s interesting to see The Game surrounded by so many big-ticket talents. After an odd intro “prayer” featuring the always peculiar DMX, the record flies into one of its best tracks with “L.A.X. Files.” Sparked with a satisfying late-'90s feel and The Game’s attempt at double-time spitting, the track is a rough-sounding honour to the hood. He name-drops all over the place (“me and Snoop Dogg just make this look easy”), but his verses are still efficient. More '90s hip-hop tempers things with “State Of Emergency,” a track that shines with hard verses and an absolutely lethal appearance by the one and only Ice Cube. The winding synth surroundings and the minimalistic production make the track sturdy enough for a contemporary N.W.A. album. It is the guts of The Game that really makes L.A.X. glow. Not only does he try to do a Westside Connection-style blueprint with Cube, but he also tests his grit against some of the strongest rappers in the trade. The Game hangs convincingly with Raekwon (“Bulletproof Diaries”), Nas (“Letter to the King”), and Common (“Angel”) and takes concrete production from Kanye, Scott Storch, Cool & Dre, and J.R. Rotem and works it agreeably. Fans will certainly get their money’s worth with L.A.X. With countless rap albums top-loaded with stuffing, The Game’s album features only an intro, outro, and an interlude at the album’s middle point. The rest of the record is packed rock-solid with swarming hip-hop. That’s not to say that L.A.X. isn’t without its outlandish and uncomfortable moments. “My Life” features a Lil Wayne guest spot that is, to be kind, less than charming. And The Game’s verses on the song are somewhat weird: “We are not the same, I am a Martian.” He does cash in later by saying “Fuck Jesse Jackson cuz it ain’t about race now.” And “Gentleman’s Affair” seems like an addendum with its featureless Ne-Yo vocals and lukewarm verses. Still, there’s far more good than bad on L.A.X. The Game aims high on this record and by and large hits the mark. His verses are rough and varied, representing a rejection of the customary poetic path. The Game’s yearning to experiment lyrically can lead to some misses, but his fortitude is unquestionable. L.A.X. is certainly a hell of a way to go out.

In 1989, Prince released his soundtrack to Tim Burton's blockbuster movie Batman. Music critics generally viewed the album as a disappointment. His fan base largely dismissed it as merely marking time. Nearly twenty years later, it is high time for reappraisal. The past decade-plus of mostly subpar Prince albums has benefited Batman. If the same album was released now, I daresay it would be hailed as a return to form. I was among the staunchest critics upon initial release of Batman, primarily because of my die-hard admiration of Prince. My expectations were extraordinarily high. In fact, I was far more excited for the album than the movie that inspired it. But the music seemed distinctly underwhelming compared to then-recent Prince releases such as Lovesexy and Sign O' the Times. The lingering impression was that Prince had taken a big step backward after his creative innovations throughout the 1980s. Commercially, it was a different story entirely. Buoyed by the phenomenal success of the movie, Batman became Prince's first multi-platinum chart-topper in years. Considerable debate raged over whether it was even appropriate to have Prince contribute pop songs to Burton's dark vision of Gotham City. In retrospect, such concerns seem unfounded as very few songs from the album are featured prominently in the film. Rather than a traditional soundtrack, Batman is a Prince album; a party album, featuring mostly dance music laced with sound bites of dialogue from the movie. Primarily recorded by Prince alone in a matter of weeks (though some songs already existed in various states of completion), the production seemed hasty. This obviously wasn't the meticulously crafted product that Prince's followers had come to expect. Fast forward to 2008, Batman sounds practically like a forgotten classic when compared to the likes of 2006's 3121 or 2004's Musicology. These days Prince seems to have largely lost his ability to compose tight, coherent songs with strong hooks. Back in 1989, he was coming off what is remembered as his peak period. Consider Batman's opening track: the minimalist, spooky-sounding "The Future" - lead vocal credited to Batman (each song was assigned to a different character). The string samples manage to evoke Danny Elfman's iconic score, while the Sounds of Blackness Choir samples contribute to the uneasy atmosphere. Lyrically the song paints a bleak view of a dangerous present with an uncertain future. Reminiscent of his earlier "Dance On" (from 1988's Lovesexy) in chronicling the ills of modern society, Prince sings of drugs and street gangs. Sinewy and sparse, "The Future" rises to a level it's author rarely reaches any longer.page 1 | 2 | 3

Long-serving London house DJ Danny Rampling has published his first e-book, a motivational self-help tome called �?How To Be A DJ’. Chatting on his sales portal theessentialguidetodjing.com, the newly re-inspired DJ promises his book will transform purchasers’ lives for just US$67, with a 60 day money back guaranteed by Danny himself. “Dear Friend, My name is Danny Rampling and I have had the great fortune to live what many claim is a ‘charmed life’. I can’t disagree,” Danny enthuses at the top of his pitch. “I love what I do, do what I love and make a hugely rewarding living in the process. I travel the world every week to DJ at the best clubs in the world, make music, meet amazing people and effortlessly attract wonderful opportunities and continuous success into my life,” he continues. “Now for the first time ever, due to a huge demand of people around the world asking me to share my ‘secrets’, I have created a ‘blueprint’ for success that ANYONE can follow, sharing with you EVERYTHING that I attribute to my success, and the successes of other phenomenally happy, healthy and wealthy individuals,” he writes. The erstwhile Radio 1 DJ and acid house pioneer officially retired from DJing two years ago with a worldwide series of farewell parties, though returned to the decks just 12 months later after discovering controversial �?personal development’ organisation the Success University. The �?University’ offers visitors a �?step by step marketing system that can earn you thousands of dollars a month for a US $2 fee’ and is run by Ketan Hirani and Kalpesh Patel. Danny’s book focuses primarily on DJing rather than the SU, though also offers �?the essential secrets to success that you can immediately apply in your life to achieve more, faster and with more fun and happiness’, he promises. He also takes a pot shot at �?how to DJ’ books written by less famous authors, declaring; “I couldn’t help noticing that a lot of the people who are giving advice on DJing, the music industry and even �?success’ aren’t walking the talk. They are big on advice but low on results. I don’ t know about you but I like to learn from people who are getting the results I desire. Talk is cheap. It’s action that counts,” he enthuses. “I walk the walk”. RSS del.ici.ous Digg Facebook

Despite spending a reported $24 million remodeling the building next to her Mayfair mansion for a state-of-the-art workout palace, the U.K. Mirror reports that Madge finally moved to another gym after seven months of putting up with construction noise, not to mention the "leering, crude comments and wolf whistles of builders working nearby." You'd think if anyone could put up with taunting and sexual innuendo, it would be the Material Girl, but a close pal says it's more the noise than the drooling boys that drove her to train elsewhere: "Madonna felt as if she has been living in a siege situation. The noise of the drilling meant she was forced to listen to her iPod at full volume, potentially damaging her ears." Whatever she did to get in shape, however, it worked—and then some! And while we have sympathy for her predicament, not to mention admiration for her extreme workout dedication, we also find it curiously comforting that not even a superstar can avoid getting screwed by overpriced, behind-schedule construction contractors.

The opening line of this album made me laugh out loud. From that point on Bipolar Diversions by England’s Jackdaw4 delivers so many superbly tongue in cheek moments throughout this joyful album that it will have you recommending it to total strangers at the bus stop. I have heard it described as a ‘breath of fresh air’, ‘irresistible’, ‘gleeful and robust.’ Yes, it is all of those things but for me it plugs a huge gaping hole that has existed in the music world of late. It brings the sun out – amuses – mesmerizes and shines with a freshness that is wonderfully done. Jackdaw4 is built around the song writing talent that is Willie Downing. He shares those credits with others across an album of totally memorable spirit and adventure. As I say from the first line of the first track I was hooked and by the time “Frobisher’s Last Stand” came in I was a convert. There is a terrible danger when reviewing albums and that is the curse of repetition. How on earth can you review this and sound as fresh as the music itself? Answer: you can’t, well I can’t at least. So what you’ll get is an attempt to put into a bottle the incredible range of music contained within this CD. Bipolar Diversions has the quirkiness of Ray Davies, all the melodic brilliance of The Beatles, all the harmony of Brian Wilson and all the pop-ability of, let’s say, 10cc – all rolled into one joyous party of sound. This CD can get right under your skin and is the sort of thing you need to play for inspiration just prior to meeting your boss for your yearly appraisal. Don’t expect to be still employed when you come out, but rest assured you WILL feel better. “Jesus Wants My Soul Back” is described perfectly by UK, TV presenter Jonathan Maitland on the Jackdaw4 website when he says that it actually restored his faith in music, such is its freshness. Honky-tonk piano underpins a wonderfully written and harmonized song which, like the majority of the album, is actually deceptively complex. Stop and listen to the Sir Paul McCartney-like chorus during one of his “Admiral Halsey” (The ‘Ram’ album) phases. The chiming intro to “My Little Gangsta” and “Heimlich’s Manoeuvres”, continue the experience with a romp through the bizarrely satirical, complete with a totally unexpected catchy chorus. “All Around the World” works on every level and provides a reflective moment that is so well written it drips pop class. “Illuminati” is a wonderful take on the world of paparazzi that we all live in. “The End of the Party” is a song that sounds so familiar, a mesh of so many well mixed sources that it sounds more magpie than jackdaw. “Sleep” wraps it up and sends us off nicely. In a grey world of sometimes dull tunes quirky colour like this is most welcome. Yes Mr. Downing, the opening line of the album is right – I know you didn’t mean it that way – but for this, shining moment, it really does. It shines out of this record as well. Jackdaw4's website can be found here or visit their Myspace Profile.

I have yet to see the theatrical release of Sex and the City. However, I loved the cable television show, which, along with relationship and friendship drama, also featured great clothes and music. So it’s no surprise that the film’s soundtrack offers a diverse mix of music, including songs written expressly for the film, as well as some great remakes of oldies but goodies. Fergie’s "Labels or Love" kicks off the album, and anyone who has watched SATC over the years knows that a major running theme of the show is shopping and fashion. This song encapsulates the main character’s love affair with fashion and is an anthem for shopahlics everywhere. With the lyrics “Shopping for labels, shopping for love / Manolo and Louis, it's all I'm thinking of… / I shop for purses while love walks out the door / Don't cry, buy a bag and get over it”, it’s no wonder Carrie Bradshaw has had her share of relationship problems. Former American Idol contestant and Oscar winner Jennifer Hudson contributes another original, "All Dressed in Love", and while the song lacks the snap and sizzle of Fergie’s contribution, Hudson’s smoky voice is nice to hear. Four of the reworked/remade songs include Nina Simone’s Madison Park vs Lenny B Remix of “The Look of Love” (which is infused with electronics giving off a dance vibe), The Bird & The Bee’s “How Deep Is Your Love” (originally by the Bee Gees), India.Arie’s hauntingly beautiful “The Heart of the Matter” (originally by Don Henley), and the Al Green/Joss Stone collaboration “How Can You Mend A Broken Heart”. It’s hard to choose which revamp is best, but to me it's a tiebetween “The Heart of the Matter” and “How Deep is Your Love”. Three songs that seem the most random on the soundtrack but likely make sense in the film itself include “Auld Lang Syne” by Mairi Campbell & Dave Francis, the always-fun “Walk This Way” by Run-D.M.C. featuring Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, and, of course, the “Sex and the City Movie Theme” by The Pfeifer Broz. Orchestra (although I much prefer the sharper sound of the theme used on the television show to this big-band version). On the hip side, Jem's "It's Amazing" and Bliss' "Kissing" are two great tunes that are chill yet upbeat. The electronic dance track "I Like the Way" by Kaskade, the punk-y "New York Girls" by Morningwood and the indie-pop “All This Beauty” by The Weepies round out this eclectic soundtrack. Despite a couple of misses, Sex And The City: Music From the Original Motion Picture is a good collection of songs that can be enjoyed, whether you're a SATC fan or not.

Esser got the Festival Republic Stage skanking at Leeds Festival this afternoon (August 23), with their reggae-tinged indie-rock. The newcomers, led by singer Ben Esser, performed seven tracks after taking the stage at 4.30pm (BST), mixing up samples, cowbells, reggae and indie-rock. The biggest cheers were reserved for forthcoming single ‘Satisfied’ and former release ‘Headlock’, which closed the set. The five-piece ended the set as they had begun it, with a long blast of echoed white noise from the guitars, bass and electronics. Esser played: ‘Leaving Town’ ‘I Love You’ ‘Satisfied’ ‘Let’s Work It Out’ ‘Long Arms’ ‘This Time Around’ ‘Headlock’ NME.COM is bringing you live coverage straight from both sites of the Reading And Leeds Festivals 2008. For the latest news, blogs, pictures and video interviews head to the Reading And Leeds Festivals index now. Plus make sure you get next week’s issue of NME - on newsstands nationwide from Wednesday August 27 - for the ultimate Reading And Leeds Festivals review. For more Reading And Leeds Festivals coverage including live footage and more, visit fellow official media partner bbc.co.uk/readingandleeds.