The symphonic metal band with light electronic elements noted for having a penchant for myths with an exotic flair is definitely not the same without Lisa Middelhauve. They are now officially looking for a new vocalist to replace their former leader which left 2 weeks ago for personal reasons.

Here’s the quote from their official web site on Middelhauve’s departure:

“Lisa Middelhauve is not the singer of Xandria anymore. After almost eight years of successful work together she decided to leave the band due to personal reasons. For some time now Lisa didn´t feel comfortable with her role as Xandria´s front woman anymore and wants to step aside to make it possible for the band to find someone who can stand behind Xandria completely. A step that we all regret, but is highly respected. We want to thank her for the great, successful and unforgettable time we had together and wish her only the best for the future! Thank you - your contribution to Xandria and everything you did for the band we will never forget!”

Here’s one of their last music videos with Lisa Middelhauve released in summer 2007, “Save My Life”

The latest issue of Vogue Germany features Claudia Schiffer as a totally topless catwoman. Not that posing sans-clothing is anything new for celebrities, but the recent rash of nudie portraits for Vogue in particular has us wondering: is naked the new black? How long before we see C-List celebs trying to keep up by taking it off for lesser known mags? Can we expect to see Courtney Love or Britney Spears reviving their fledgling careers by posing for Mirabella?

P.S. Her nipples appear to be airbrushed out. Unless she suffers from a rare disease where they’re invisible. In which case, Claudia, my sincere apologies.

Grant Theft Auto star and fashion designer/photographer Karl Lagerfeld is launching his new book Metamorphoses of an American at a New York gallery opening tonight. It features five years worth of photos of model. Lagerfeld’s attachment to Brad Kroenig is apparently as strong as his attachment to Diet Coke— he’s always on hand.

Maureen Orth yesterday posted a piece on the Lagerfeld/Kroenig relationship for Vanity Fair:

“‘Have you met Brad?’ Lagerfeld asked. Brad Kroenig, a top male mode who, at 6 foot 1, looks vaguely like Matthew McConaughey, was sparkling in the same silver sequined jacket he’d worn to the Met Costume gala the night before. He and Lagerfeld attended New York’s ‘party of the year’ together, and they had just arrived in Paris the afternoon I saw them, none the worse for wear. Kroenig, an easy-going 29-year-old with the uncanny ability to transform himself to look like everyone from James Dean to Errol Flynn, is the American whose ‘metamorphoses’ Lagerfeld has been documenting for the past five years. ‘I thought it would be interesting to follow the physical evolution of someone,’ the designer told me in his rapid-fire German accent. ‘Without him knowing it, he has an unbelievable range. It’s a kind of gift. He knows nothing about these things. It’s fun for somebody to skate on these images and interpretations without being an actor—the characters, the situations, the attitudes, while at the same time to stay a completely modern all-American.’”

Entertainment Tonight recently ran a preview of this summer’s forthcoming Mamma Mia film and even though it looks like it has the potential to be a trainwreck it’s got a few things going for it right off the bat — ABBA, Meryl Streep singing, and the tasty Dominic Cooper.

According to the XBIZ News Report(contains ads NSFW): “Playboy plans to initially offer Time Warner Cable subscribers 20 hours of gay male programming. The service is slated to begin operating next month. Although the Playboy brand has been linked with heterosexual men’s entertainment since its magazine’s first issue in 1953, the company now describes itself more generally as “valuing sexiness and style” and is seeking more ways to diversify and boost its revenue.”

British crooner Jamie Lidell rings in the weekend by posting his brand-new tracks from his new album “Jim” on MySpace. The song is called “Little Bit Feel Good” and if this sun-splashed soul-pop stomper is a good indication of the rest of this new Lidell LP then we’re in for a treat.

Recorded in Berlin, Los Angeles and Paris, Lidell once again hooks up with producers Mocky and Gonzales to polish his raw ideas and turn them into a collection of catchy, hit-worthy songs. A press release describes “Jim” as an album that “will switch you on in the morning, move you on the dance-floor and take you down in the small hours. It’s a bold, promiscuously diverse album, mixing up gospel grooves, sweetly sung and fiercely passionate soul, delicately moving ballads, thumping early R & B, synthed-up disco, and even a touch of “hillbilly funk.’” Sounds like a winner to me.

Lidell adds in the statement, “The most important thing was the vocal, to capture the balance of me delivering the songs with full gusto, and at the same time retaining the grain and the grit.”

You can listen to some of his songs here

So you want to set the mood with scented candles. May it be a fun gathering, family visit, a date or just a home alone relaxation, there are some things that you should note:

For the Candles:

1. When selecting a candle by scent, don’t smell the wax. Smell the inside of the lid or container because that’s where the scent collects. The full body of the scent drifts up and collects in the underside of the lid.
2. Although candle warmers work well for releasing scent in large dosages, you’ll be left with unscented wax after a few uses. So, burning a candle is a more efficient way to release scent into a room. Scent will continue to be released throughout the entire life of your candle.
3. Plan ahead if you’re counting on having a room enveloped in a candle’s fragrance. A candle’s scent is released through it’s wax pool, and it can take 15 to 30 minutes to develop a pool sizeable enough to fill a room with fragrance.
4. To combat soot keep your candle away from drafts, keep your wicks trimmed to 1/4 inches and use a candle topper.
5. To increase the life or your candle, burn it in longer intervals, two, three or four hours at a time. Burning it in short, frequent intervals - ten minutes here, 30 minutes there - actually decreases a candle’s overall number of burn hours.

Now we move on to selecting a scent, sometimes the sales person is helpful and sometimes they are not. Here are some of the effects of different scents according to Dr. Hirsch, otherwise known as Dr. Smell.

- Lavender: Studies show that the smell of lavender triggers alpha waves in the posterior part of the brain associated with a relaxed state. Use this scent when you want to create a relaxing mood in the bathroom or in the family room areas.

– Jasmine: Jasmine’s scent triggers beta waves in the front of the head, which stimulates alertness. Jasmine has been proven to help focus and increases hand-eye coordination. Jasmine should be used at work stations or while studying or doing homework.

– Roses: There are over a hundred varieties of roses and not only is this flower a symbol of romance, but the scent of roses also increases olfactory-evoked nostalgia that will bring happy moments back to memory. Dr. Hirsch recommends using roses in social areas as well as when you have a visitor at your house.

– Violets: Dr. Hirsch’s studies also showed that violets enhance learning speed by 17 percent, and improve concentration when used in study rooms. Violets can be placed on studying and working areas, when reading or doing homework. The fragrance of violets on clothes is a good way to take this flower essence with you to places where you need to stay focused.

– Lilies: The scent of lily has been proven to increase wakefulness and help you stay alert. An arrangement made of lilies in the study area or living room can do the trick when you want to stay alert.

– Cinnamon: According to Dr. Hirsch, cinnamon may also bring happy moments back to memory and may lift your spirits. You can use in your kitchen area after cooking to evoke joyful memories.

The new line of retro underwear from Aussiebum, 100% ribbed cotton old school style. Watch the sexy male model - being spied on by his girlfriend - lounging at home watching TV, changing his clothes and walking around in nothing but underwear. It’s all about the bulge, I mean, the underwear. Oh, it talks about human behaviour on spying as well, quite educational right?

Going back home the morning after a wild night with the look that everybody can tell? Now AMP  Energy drink salutes the walk of shame with their new tv ad. It does make you feel better after you had sex with a stranger and going back home the next morning doesn’t it? I can totally see this turned into a musical, “Walk of No Shame.”

Mobile phone manufacturer HTC this week launched the Touch Diamond, an iPhone like Windows Mobile device that has been lauded for its looks.

“All the most important functions are accessible from the home screen using a simple gesture based touch interface; the graphics and animation are gorgeous. While the faceted physical design is innovative, its little nuances, like turning the phone over to silence an incoming call, that make this a device worth noting.”

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