Loving and hating the VMAs

Why do we watch the MTV VMAs on a network that doesn't have much to do with music? Because we're looking for that celebrity moment -- whether it's a Kanye train wreck or a Britney buss with another woman. Here are some thoughts after watching Sunday's VMAs:

• Did Lady Gaga steal the show by dressing up as alter ego Jo Calderone? The Jersey guy getup flummoxed many, including Britney Spears when Lady Jo tried to give Brit the Michael Jackson Video Vanguard Award (sort of a lifetime achievement trophy) and a kiss.

• Katy Perry's real hair is trying to be cotton-candy pink; it's not that black wig she wore at the X last week.

• Loved Tyler, the Creator's speech after he won best new artist. Most of it was bleeped but his body language spoke volumes.

• Jessie J, sort of the singer for the VMAs house band, was a trouper for singing in a chair all night because of a broken foot.

• Chris Brown needed aerial acrobatics to impress us. His singing and dancing clearly weren't enough.

• We're officially tired of Jay-Z and Kanye West together -- until they bring their tour to the Twin Cities.

• Beyoncé is pregnant. Loved when she rubbed her burgeoning belly at the end of her performance. Nice touch.

• Justin Bieber in glasses. So now he looks like he's 13, not 12.

• The tribute to the late Amy Winehouse had style, class and substance: loving footage of her and Tony Bennett in the studio recording a soon-to-be-released duet of "Body and Soul," Russell Brand speaking from the heart about his friend (though we liked his more direct tweets on the day she died) and an inspired performance of "Valerie" (which she recorded) by Bruno Mars.

• Jon Bream

Sims explains his new free EP, 'Wildlife'

A day after Sims and Lazerbeak abruptly dropped a new five-song EP on fans -- available on sims.bandcamp.com as a free download -- the Doomtree rapper took time out to explain himself Tuesday.

"I guess it's free because I felt like thanking everybody who has supported Beak and I this year," he said, pointing to the success of "Bad Time Zoo," his sophomore record that came out in February. "[It] has done really well, and we wanted to do something in return."

Most of the tracks were outtakes from the "BTZ" sessions, including at least two that Sims said he tried to fit onto the record but couldn't. He thought of saving the EP's lead-off song, "The Lighthouse," for his next album, "but I decided to wipe the slate completely clean before starting the next project." Both "Lighthouse" and "Mad Night" sound like late-night, party-winding-down tracks, but the tempo and intensity pick up with the gospelized rave-up "Here I Stand." In short, the fact that it's free definitely doesn't mean this EP lacks value.

The EP's release is well timed to the first Sims and Lazerbeak headlining tour, kicking off Sept. 17 in Salt Lake City right after Doomtree Inc. plays the Snowboard on the Rocks festival at the famed Red Rocks Amphitheater near Denver (which Atmosphere impressively just sold out on its Family Values Tour). The "Bad Time Zoo" crew, including Cecil Otter as opener, will end its run Oct. 15 at the Fine Line.

• Chris Riemenschneider

Everine booted from 'Project Arbitrary'

Tensions started rising on last week's episode of "Project Runway," and Minneapolis designer Danielle Everine was sent packing. The decision came a week after Everine had been criticized for a well made but uninspired blouse and pant combo. Despite creating a slouchy leather jacket that the judges praised, she was eliminated for her basic teal tank top (left), which judge Michael Kors likened to "a souffle that flopped."

Host Heidi Klum openly disagreed with the other judges' reasoning to send Everine home instead of Anthony Ryan Auld for his poorly fitting romper. "It's not fair to let [Auld] go on when someone else like Danielle did something that was all right," she argued. In her exit interview, Everine stood firm. "I definitely don't think my look was the worst on the runway," she said.

In the end, it seemed like the judges were looking for more variation. "It'll be interesting to see if she can break out of that mold and show us some diversity," Kors said in a video interview following the airing of the episode.

What's next for Everine? The designer tells us she plans to continue designing her namesake line, and will sell a mini-collection this fall at Cliché.

• Jahna Peloquin

More Minnesotan reality

It's suddenly hot for Minnesotans to get "real." Besides Danielle Everine on "Project Runway," the Minneapolis gospel group Messiah's Men earned a spot on NBC's "The Sing-Off," and Edina's Keith Tollefson, a 26-year-old water treatment tech, will compete on "Survivor: South Pacific," despite the fact that he's on his third pacemaker. If this trend continues, we might find Garrison Keillor on "Dancing With the Stars."

• Neal Justin

TV on the Radio has one of those nights

In our interview with Kyp Malone to preview Tuesday and Wednesday's TV on the Radio shows at First Avenue, we asked the singer/guitarist if playing "Wolf Like Me" and "Young Liars" is as visceral an experience for the band from night to night as it is for fans. "Depends on the night," he replied. Surely, Tuesday was one of those nights. At least, we've yet to experience a TVOTR concert where those songs didn't leave the club burning. They certainly didn't fizzle on the opening night of a not-quite-sold-out two-night stand. You can probably add the new Fugazi-like rocker "Repetition" to the list of forever-thrilling moments at a TVOTR show, too. The band actually skipped "No Future" and "Keep Your Heart" on Tuesday, the two best songs on the new album, "Nine Types of Light." At press time we were hoping they would play them at Wednesday's show.

• Chris Riemenschneider

Channy debuts new band

It looks as if Channy Moon Casselle will be flying the Roma di Luna nest in a big way. Just a few weeks since word got out on the husband/wife-led band's dissolution, its co-founding singer just debuted two tracks by her new group, Polica. The local all-star group of sorts also features Gayngs guru Ryan Olson, Vampire Hands guitarist Chris Bierden and drummers Drew Christopherson and Ben Ivascu (the Stnnng). Olson and Casselle were working on tracks last month in Austin, Texas, at Spoon drummer Jim Eno's reputable studio.

You can probably guess that Polica sounds nothing like Casselle's prior group, but you may still be shocked by how different she sounds. "Lay Your Cards Out" is a heavily Auto-Tuned, synth-chilling tune that sounds very much like a Gayngs outtake. "Dark Star" is more up-tempo and freaky. Look for a Polica preview set Sunday around 6 p.m. at Nick and Eddie -- maybe then we'll figure out the proper way to pronounce the band name.

Roma di Luna's farewell shows are still on for Dec. 17-18 at the Cedar Cultural Center, and co-leader Alexei Casselle will reportedly be at the concerts (unlike the RdL set without him at SoundTown two weekends ago).

• Chris Riemenschneider