Perez Hilton photoshopped his presence onto the image of SXSW yet again this year, hosting a late-night last-night party that drew Hole, Snoop Dogg, and Estelle, but it’s the earlier set featuring Macy Gray that caught our attention for her choice of cover: Arcade Fire’s “Wake Up.” If your eye’s cocked at mainstream artists covering Arcade Fire as a ploy to grab headlines, I guess you’ll have just have to adjuuuuust — but her old soul rasp and way around an emotional anthem (“I Try” is still a jam) adds up to a pretty pointed makeover.

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As mentioned, Norwegian rocker Ida Maria recently re-released her catchy Fortress Round My Heart opener “Oh My God” with additional vocals courtesy of Iggy Pop, aka the new Tony Bennett. (In the last few months Pop’s placed his baritone on songs by Jemina Pearl, Danger Mouse and Sparklehorse, and The BPA, while releasing a jazz-inflected album.) As odd as some of the combos seem, his work with Maria makes sonic sense. The two also appear to be having a good time in this Stefan Tornby-directed Alice Loveday-animated clip.

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The Norwegian rocker’s two-year old hit now has extra vocals by that fellow from the Jemina Pearl song. The digital 45 is out and can be streamed at SPIN. She’s headlining the Perez Hilton Presents (shudder) tour this fall.

By Amrit Singh & Brandon Stosuy
The last day at SXSW is always tinged with a depressing end-of-the-summer vibe. (Or maybe end of the school year?) However you want to frame it, once the Saturday sun sets, the remaining hours of four short days feel like the end of something bigger. Pass a hankie. Seriously though, even if SXSW didn’t introduce you to any new bands, if none of the panels figured out how to save the music industry (or even a dollar), and if the whole thing basically served as a fun (and elaborate) way to get some sun and see people you only ever see at festivals, it’s still a bummer. This 2009 edition was the most fun we’ve had at a SXSW in ages. Maybe it was because with less bands and fewer lines you had more time to talk and hang out with people. The folks who listen to similar bands as you. You know your — gasp! — community. That’s right, a slightly depleted SXSW brought things back to their basics … and we had a blast. In that spirit, we decided to fend-off the blues by spending the last day with a few excellent friends, cramming as much music as possible into the finale.

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In the second worst surprise (oh hai, Lars) of SXSW, a denim-clad Kanye West served as ringleader of the G.O.O.D. Music showcase at Levi’s/FADER Fort Saturday night. “It feels so good to rock for you tonight,” he told a packed tent at the start of a three hour set that alternated between his hits and the songs of ‘Ye protégés like Consequence and Kid Cudi. Fellow Chi-town rapper Common appeared in the final hour, performing “Universal Mind Control” and “The Light” with legitimately surprising guest Erykah Badu. The entire G.O.O.D. crew was onstage at the end, bringing the house (fort) down with a bunch of songs from 808s. The whole thing streamed on Kanye’s blog ; if you missed it, we’ve got YouTubes after the jump. Setlist too. After FADER, denim-clad Kanye and Cudi played Perez Hilton’s part with Little Boots, Ladyhawke, and … Indigo Girls?

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Tori Amos played a 50 minute set at La Zona Rosa last night, delighting hundreds of folks who recognize a rare opportunity to see a milf straddle a piano bench during SXSW. It was Tori’s first time taking part in the Austin festival, and she made the most of it by debuting three tunes from her forthcoming tenth LP Abnormally Attracted To Sin. The set was introduced by famed music blogger Perez Hilton, who revealed that Little Earthquakes made him the man he is today. Thanks for that, Little Earthquakes. As for the new material, Tori described “Mary Jane” as a true story about a boy who wanted permission from his mom to smoke up. “Lady In Blue” and “Curtain Call” sound prettier and more promising. Videos of all three after the jump.

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The MTV Europe Awards took place at Liverpool’s Echo Arena last night. Katy Perry and Jared Leto hosted. Both also won awards. (Huh?) Britney Spears won a couple, too, though she didn’t attend. Tongue-and-cheekily, Rick Astley nabbed “Best Act Ever” via presenters Perry and Perez Hilton. (The end is near.) Pink, Tokio Hotel, and Kanye West were also winners. West (with Estelle), Killers (trippily, with feathers), Beyoncé, Kid Rock, and Paul McCartney all performed. The biggest presence was Barack Obama, even though he wasn’t there. Perry, who got “Best New Act,” wore an Obama shirt, as did Leto. Mr. 30 Seconds also reportedly led the crowd in a chant of “Congrats, Barack.” The only thing able to compete with all the Obamamania were the Beatles: McCartney was there because he received an “ultimate legend” award presented to him by Bono. As AP reports:

Bono hailed the ex-Beatle as “St. Paul McCartney” and the “one person in this hall tonight whose work is immortal.”

McCartney’s acceptance speech was more modest. “I want to thank my mum and dad,” he said, going on to pay tribute to his bandmates in The Beatles, the people of Liverpool and Americans, “for voting in Senator Obama.”

Backstage, McCartney said he had a song he thought the new U.S. leader would like for his wife, Michelle Obama — the Beatles ballad “Michelle.”

We have videos, including West, Perry riding a huge tube of Chapstick, and hopefully the last Rickroll ever.

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I’m not very good at PhotoShop: That screen grab of Perez Hilton is real. If that wasn’t bad enough, Eurythmics dude Dave Stewart also requested the help of Jason Alexander, Whoopi Goldberg, and Pamela Anderson in his quest to write “My American Prayer,” one of the most saccharine political songs to date. Sample lyrics: “When you get to the top of the mountain / Will you tell me what you see / If you get to the top of the mountain / Remember me.” Keep them in mind, you’ll hear them a number of times in this puppy. Things to note: (a) the song was originally co-written with Bono, (b) Barry Manilow can barely open his mouth due to all his plastic surgery, (c) Forest Whitaker looks like he’s going for an Oscar, (d) Joss Stone gets a lot of camera time because she’s attractive, but also because she’s one of the few participants who can actually sing (just kidding, Joan Baez), (e) Cyndi Lauper was better in this, (f) Macy Gray was better in this, and (g) Jason Alexander … really? Sweet dreams are not made of this, Dave.

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The other day we gave you Lily Allen’s day in the life, which involved pink hair, hamburgers, paparazzi and her lunch date’s cleavage. Today there are some graver matters for Lily, who’s taken it upon herself to take on Brand Perez, laying it all out in a post titled “reportedly retarded”:

No pictures today I’m afraid, I forgot my camera yesterday. So, I’m a little upset today, Perez Hilton is a mean man. I don’t know what I did to piss him off but the last few months he has launched a bit of a tirade against me, I can understand why he’d write “MESS” across my head on a picture of me being carried out of an awards ceremony drunk out of my mind, but some things he say baffle me. He insinuated I was smoking during my pregnancy, which was not true, ask anyone who knows me, I didn’t touch a cigarette or a drink for the few months that I was pregnant, he also insinuated there was something suspicious about me having a miscarriage, which is just wrong, but I’m not going to go into how painful that whole episode was. Yesterday he posted this…

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You might have heard about some of the newer faces in Austin this year. And how they hosted parties. Well apparently Rachael’s was delicious, and here’s a review of the Perez Hilton show via, umm, Perez Hilton:

Our party was epic. Definitely the talk of all Austin.

Of course it was, Perez. Well, actually we can’t speak to how epic it was because we never quite made it. It did seem a lot of people wanted to go, although most wouldn’t fess up to more than simple curiosity, or the desire to see Robyn (we can relate). Alongside the Swedish pop princess, Hilton had N.E.R.D. (“He’s connected to the kids, he’s connected to our demographic,” Pharrell tells the AP) and, according to the L.A. Times, “fruity drinks, mini-cupcakes, gift bags … and hairstylists offering free makeovers.” And as he’s posted, “Next year, we’re doing it again – only bigger and even better!” Which we’re pretty sure means makeovers + lessons in Photoshopping cum stains. The blogger talked to NME post-party:

True, Perez was difficult to avoid this year. And not just the “phenomenon” — we saw him everywhere, once looking as bummed as we were to read this sign, and then outside Stubb’s talking about L.A.’s the Smell (which, in fairness, he only knew about because the Gossip had played there the night before … but still look out HEALTH: you’re next).