Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey of the band Uh Huh Her were in the MTV studios recently prepping to host Logo's NewNowNext Music show this Sunday night, and they sat down for a few minutes to talk about the band, their fans, and lesbian visibility — and give AfterEllen.com fans a shout-out.

I was able to snag the photos taken on the set during their visit (all photos credited to Robin Roemer), and I've provided some of the best ones below. Enjoy!

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This week, our Scientistics team decided to try our hand at some art. No, not creating art — our skill set is limited to charts made by Excel and Photoshop. We decided to try our hand at appraising art.

We selected three paintings that were up for auction, and taking into consideration all of the information we learned from the headsets at London's National Gallery and the Louvre, we assigned each painting a monetary value.

This little fingerpainting on canvas we figure could fetch about $50 from a proud parent.

This one is a little creepier, what with the eternal eye starting at you like something Orwellian, but we figure a doting aunt would also pay around $50. … continue reading

Actress Mia Kirshner officially added “author” to her résumé this week with the Tuesday release of her first book, I Live Here. From the look on her face, she is as happy as we are that it's not Lez Girls.

Helping her celebrate the milestone in Los Angeles were some of her The L Word co-stars and assorted famous friends. They included out actress and castmate Leisha Hailey. Looks like Jenny and Alice have gotten over that little "Monet has come back from the dead"-spat.

And here's one for you Shenny fans out there. Kate Moennig showed up looking very Shane today, or possibly very Shane with a bit of a head cold today. … continue reading

Today's a great day for music! Several new albums are worth taking note of, but as always, I've narrowed it down to a select few that might pique your interest a little more than others.

Juliana Hatfield — How to Walk Away (Ye Olde)

If you download the indie rock legend's newest album on iTunes, you get a bonus track. Fans of her previous work will love How to Walk Away's sincerity.

Karina — First Love (Def Jam Records)

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The debut album from a 16-year-old R&B soul singer features a track ("Baby Baby") with Lil Mama. She also sings in seven different languages.

Lesbians are popping up in the darndest places. Twenty years ago you would need a magnifying glass and the best gaydar detector money could buy to find an out lesbian actress on television, never mind a show that depicted one. Nowadays we have our very own series that is based solely on the lives of gay women loving, laughing, lying, lamenting and other L-related activities; we have cable stations like Logo that give us all gay programming all the time; and more and more networks television shows are incorporating bi/lesbian characters into their programs (hat tip, Grey’s). To further our quest to conquer the world, celesbians and actresses that play some of our favorite gay women are infiltrating another frontier — television ads.

The other night while watching some reality show I can't get enough of I was treated to not one, not two, but three commercials featuring some of my most beloved ladies in entertainment today. Yes, the commercial break — that universal time when millions of people choose to get up, stretch, refill that satisfying beverage, or tend to nature’s call — is now featuring ads staring our favorite ladies trying selling us things that we may not even want. (But the point is they are there and visibility matters.)

I’m sure we have all seen Ellen’s American Express commercials by now. Her ads are as widely known as her sexuality. Ellen has built her career on knocking down barriers and starring in this ad campaign is another accomplishment to add to that list. What other out celebrity of this magnitude would be signed on by such a huge company to sell its product? Kudos to Ellen, a card carrying lesbian and our favorite American Express card member.

And this commercial is "I-wish-I-was-that-dollop-of –yogurt-on-the-end-of-that-spoon good." No, no, this commercial is "I-don’t-want-anyone-else–to-ever-sell-me-yogurt-but-Leisha good." We all heard about how yogurt is the definitive product for women, but now thanks to Leisha, Yoplait can be the definitive product for women who love women. … continue reading

Here is the thing: I never realized that yogurt was so girlie. All this time I was just living my life, buying groceries, eating yogurt and never noticing that this was simply not something that men did. No, yogurt is strictly a woman thing – like an “I am woman, hear me roar” thing. At least, that’s what the yogurt companies keep telling me.

I like yogurt, in general. I mean I don’t eat it every day and I’m terrified by the yogurt that, in the immortal words of Tina Fey, “helps you poop.” But it took the perceptive eye of Current TV’s Sarah Haskins to open my eyes to the fact that yogurt really is all about the ladies.

First, that video is genius. Sarah is my newest funny lady crush. Raise your hand if you have a friend who belongs to the gray-hoodie, “I have a masters degree but then got married” club. Also, bonus points for the Leisha Hailey product placement. I don’t care if Leisha is selling me faux empowerment with fruit on the bottom, she’s still adorable in those spots. Though, really, who serves yogurt at a wedding? … continue reading

Voting ended on the 2008 AfterEllen.com Hot 100 last week, and the list will be published on June 2nd. Between now and then, we're going to post one woman on the blog each day who made the list, and let you guess where you think she ranked, and why you voted for her (if you did).

First up: last year's winner, Leisha Hailey, star of The L Word and one-half of the band Uh Huh Her.

She didn't top this year's list, but she's still pretty high up there — where do you think she ended up?

And what makes her hotter: the character she plays on The L Word, the fact that she's openly gay, or the fact that she's in a band? Or (d) all of the above?

Discuss! … continue reading

This just in: Leisha Hailey is not "Alice." Sure, she plays the perky writer/radio host/OurChart entrepreneur on The L Word, but it's hard for some fans to separate the actor from her character.

As half of her band Uh Huh Her, Hailey started a Midwest tour in Chicago on April 29, and between songs, ladies in the sold-out crowd called out, "We love you, Alice!" Also spotted: an "Alice is my Homegirl" T-shirt and two members of the male species. (When asked, one said, "I'm here with my sister." Sure you are, guy.)

Uh Huh Her's Camila Grey (left) and Hailey

All photos by Lisa Fletcher

Obviously Hailey and band mate Camila Grey acknowledge that some of their fan base comes from Hailey's success as an actor and from her previous band the Murmurs, but they really hope people will come out to their shows to see them play.

"I think what's really important is people come out to see us for the music, come listen and hopefully enjoy it," Hailey said, sitting in the basement of the Double Door. "It's about getting to know us and the band and not coming for any other reason." … continue reading

In case you missed it in Friday's BLWE, we're giving you a chance to meet Leisha Hailey and Camila Grey while they're on tour with their band, Uh Huh Her.

Photo credit: Lisa Eisner

Here's how you can get two tickets a private meet-and-greet with Leisha and Camila:

1. Check out the complete list of UHH's shows on their official website.
2. Choose any show from May 7–31. (No other tour dates are eligible.)
3. Send your name, email address, phone number and the show you wish to attend to uhhuhherfans@nettwerk.com by Tuesday, May 6 — that's tomorrow!
4. One lucky contestant will be randomly selected on May 7 and awarded two tickets and a private pre-show meet-and-greet session with the ladies.

We'll announce the winner on AfterEllen.com later this week. We only ask that you give us a post-show update that we can share here on AfterEllen.com. Good luck! … continue reading

Another list? Darn tooting! This time it’s about two great things that go great together: movies and music. CNN’s Screening Room has named its Top Ten Songs in Movies. Not soundtracks, not scores, but singles used during a particular scene. As expected, the list is heavy on the male-dominated scenes and, somewhat less expectedly, fairly violent.

10. Trainspotting, “Lust for Life” by Iggy Pop (opening scene)
9. Dr Strangelove, “We’ll Meet Again” by Vera Lynn (atomic ending)
8. The Royal Tenenbaums, “Needle in the Hay” by Elliot Smith (Richie’s suicide attempt)
7. Say Anything, “In Your Eyes” by Peter Gabriel (Lloyd’s boom box serenade)
6. Almost Famous, “Tiny Dancer” by Elton John (bus sing-along)
5. Muriel's Wedding, “Waterloo” by ABBA (talent show triumph)
4. Apocalypse Now, “The End” by The Doors (awaiting orders in Saigon)
3. Goodfellas, “Layla” by Eric Clapton (Jimmy’’s murder spree)
2. Reservoir Dogs, “Stuck in the Middle With You” by Stealers Wheel (ear slicing)
1. Easy Rider, “Born to Be Wild” by Steppenwolf (opening scene)

Now, I love Nos. 7–5. I had a poster of Lloyd’s grand romantic gesture from Say Anything on my dorm room wall. And I dare you not to feel unbridled joy as Muriel and Rhonda come out in their white ABBA outfits in Muriel's Wedding. This movie made me forever love Toni Collette and Rachel Griffiths. Heck, let’s watch it again, just because we can.

As for the other selections on CNN’s list, I would have picked a scene from Wes Anderson’s film Rushmore instead of Tenenbaums. And I would have gone for the “Girl, You’ll Be a Woman Soon” Uma scene from Quentin Tarantino’s Pulp Fiction instead of the unfortunate Van Goghing of a victim’s ear in Reservoir Dogs. Also, no mention of The Graduate anywhere on this list? Didn’t that film practically pioneer the use of popular music in movies?

To balance out the bloody and the manly, I thought I’d add some gay, girly and (whenever possible) gay girly selections to the list. Since CNN’s list makers seemed impressed by showy outer death and destruction, how about some quiet inner devastation? In Love Actually, Emma Thompson realizing her husband is being unfaithful — set to Joni Mitchell’s “Both Sides Now” — will break your heart, guaranteed. … continue reading