Say It Ain't So Rach!

Univeristy Crowd Pelts Lip-sinking Stevens

Seems my favourite Popstrel Rachel Stevens has found herself a bit scandalized after making an appearance at Portsmouth University ball last week. Apparently, Rach proceeded to lip-sink her way through a half-hour collection of her greatest hits.

The assembled party-goers decided they wouldn't have any of it and Rach was pelted with stuff, and fled the stage.

A student insider told the Mirror: "We'd paid £27.50 each to get tickets, which is quite a lot when you're a student. Rachel only mimed songs she's released as singles and then the rumour got out that she'd been paid £6,000 for the evening - so no one was very happy with her."

But what were they expecting, Rachel to do obscure album tracks and b-sides with a rock band?

Britney Fans Ex Kevin

Do You Want Britney to Dump Kevin?


Britney Spears's fans have launched a website devoted to one single aim, trying to convince their fave popstrel to dump her husband.

The site, helpfully called DivorceKevin.com, contains an online petition for fans to sign, urging Britney to kick Kevin to the curb. There have been 2,342 signatures so far.

The site reads: "Are you sick of seeing the train wreck that is Britney and Kevin? Help Britney remove the boil that is Kevin from herself and her payroll."

And before you roll your eyes and wonder who the hell these people are to muck about in Britney's private life, consider this. Who's been buying Britney's records all this time? Whose money did Britney ACTUALLY spend on Kevin's ridiculously swanky car? That's right, Spears fans, YOURS.

Some might say she's getting off lightly with a petition. If everyone was really serious about this, they'd take their Britney records back and demand a refund unless she dumps him!

New Pop Releases for December 2005

POP NEWS!

Some of the singles out this week ... and worth listening to (rated out of ***** 5 stars)

Babyshambles - 'Albion' ***

A song about running away from ... well ... everything. Self annointed indie poet Pete Doherty may not be able to deliver the vocal warm required here, but this journey through suburban London still paints a very vivid, picture of a lost world.

Rihanna - 'If It's Lovin' That You Want' *****

Rihanna's latest is entirely made up of one blamming dance-hall beat, some bum-quake bass, one slinky guitar riff, and about nine Rihannas weaving a gentle Caribbean spell around each other. That's all there is to it. What more do you need?

The Futureheads - 'Area' ****

Frenetic riffs. Loud and shouty singalong chorus complete with do-do-dos. Northernified vocals. Legs sore from pogo-ing like Roadrunner on a diet of jumping beans. Abso-frikin-lutely! The Futureheads' super-charged jitter-rock is like coffee and sherbert and fizzy cola all in the same cup, and they've got us dancing our little socks off, frankly. If you've heard their debut album, there's nothing new to report here. But then, if it ain't broke, SHAKE IT!

Oasis - 'Let There Be Love' ***

With every Oasis album you know there'll always be one song that sounds more like the Beatles than, erm, all the rest of the tracks. Well, this is the one! 'Let There Be Love' is an orchestrated, mushy singalong despite Liam's best Lennon snarl, and will provide the moment in their future concerts where the crowd joins in and holds up their lighters. Unlike the dirty rockfest 'Lyla' and the plod-a-thon melody of 'The Importance of Being Idle', this single is drowned in lush strings and sentiment. Liam and Noel even share the singing! Group hug in the mosh pit, anyone?

Out later this month:

BASEMENT JAXX - 'UNRELEASED MIXES' [12" Only]
CRAZY FROG - 'JINGLE BELLS/CAN'T TOUCH THIS'
DEPECHE MODE - 'A PAIN THAT I AM USED TO'
HOT PANTZ - '(I'D LIKE TO GIVE U) ONE 4 CHRISTMAS'
OZZY OSBOURNE - 'IN MY LIFE'
ROBBIE WILLIAMS - 'ADVERTISING SPACE'
THE WHITE STRIPES - 'WALKING WITH A GHOST EP'
GIRLS ALOUD - 'SEE THE DAY'
HARD-FI - 'CASH MACHINE'
KYLIE MINOGUE - 'SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW' [Download Only]
COLDCUT - 'MAN IN A GARAGE'
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - 'BURN THE WITCH'
RICHARD ASHCROFT - 'BREAK THE NIGHT WITH COLOUR'

Second Stefani Album On Hold

Gwen's Taking A Break

Gwen Stefani's second solo album has been in the works for months, but she has decided to delay it's completion.

The planned sequel to Love Angel Music Baby was supposed to mix new material with leftover tracks from that disc, but Stefani told the San Francisco Chronicle that she's just too tired to complete it now.

She's been working for years almost non-stop, recording and touring both on her own and with No Doubt as well as making her acting debut in The Aviator and launching her LAMB clothing line.

Among the unreleased tracks from Love Angel Music Baby, according to MTV.com, are collaborations with Linda Perry, Rich Harrison, and Pharrell as well as songs produced by Eurythmics' Dave Stewart and Depeche Mode's Martin Gore. On newer songs Gwen worked with both Pharrell and No Doubt's Tony Kanal Stefani is still scheduled to release a DVD early next year, though the content remains a mystery.