Angels & Airwaves

Angels & Airwaves Explain Their Free Album Logic

19 Feb 2010 12:44:00 EST

Tom DeLonge and company release Love as free download to reach more fans.
By Joel Hanek

Joining the likes of Radiohead and Trent Reznor, Tom DeLonge can now be added to the growing list of platinum-selling rock musicians who are giving away their records for free. Angels & Airwaves' third album, Love, was released free download this past Valentine's Day on DeLonge's musician-friendly social networking site, Modlife.

Fans can choose to make a small donation for the album, and in return, they'll receive a bonus remix of the first single, "Hallucinations," done by DeLonge's Blink-182 cohort Mark Hoppus.

"We were really interested in the one thing that ties everybody together in a very scientific way but a spiritual way," DeLonge told MTV News about the theme of Love, which was inspired by research the singer had done on the physiological effects positive energy can have on living things. "There's a lot about our planet we don't know — we kind of live on Pandora."

After the record was pushed back from its Christmas Day 2009 release date, the band decided to drop it on February 14 to continue with the love motif — and giving the album away to fans also ties into the message the band is spreading.

"Love is the connection aspect," guitarist David Kennedy said. "And if we can empower people, we can actually distribute more records that way."

Since the band decided to record and release the album themselves, they got promotional assistance from companies ranging from music site Fuel.tv to Accurate Fishing, a manufacturer of fishing reels.

"This is a 100 percent independent record release, and I think because of the help, it will be by far our biggest," said DeLonge, who has often promised big things from Angels & Airwaves.

To further justify the decision to self-release Love, DeLonge discussed how labels, in their effort to stop piracy and illegal downloading, limit access to the artists' product to try to sell what they can. This only hinders the band's potential to reach an audience in the long run, he said.

"If we have a free record and we push it out there rather than try to stop it, not only do we think that we can probably get probably 10, 20, 30 times more people to have it," he said. "We can also make use of technology to try to change our business model."

Angels & Airwaves' new business model also includes plans to release a full-length feature film, also called "Love," which is a thematic companion to the record. Although the band has given no official release date as of yet, the film is expected to make its debut online sometime next month.

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Blink-182 Timeline: From 'Indefinite Hiatus' To Long-Rumored Reunion

23 Feb 2009 17:38:00 EST

What have the guys been up to the past four years?
By James Montgomery

Four years ago, Blink-182 shocked the world by announcing they were going on "indefinite hiatus." The news broke in a brief statement from the band's management, one that hinted at internal strife and ended with words that would prove strangely prophetic, given everything that would follow: "While there is no set plan for the band to begin working together again, no one knows what tomorrow may bring."

Needless to say, it's been a rather eventful "break," full of squabbles and side projects, grandiose statements and near-death experiences. There were times when things looked bleak, but ultimately (and, to be honest, thankfully), the story ended in reconciliation. So, in celebration of the reunited Blink-182, MTV News decided to take a look back at the past four years by compiling a timeline of our coverage of the band, stories that chronicle Blink's split, spats and survival — not to mention a look ahead at what fans can expect from the band this summer.

February 22, 2005: "Blink-182 Announce 'Indefinite Hiatus' As Breakup Rumors Swirl"
The story that started it all. After abruptly canceling an appearance at a Music for Relief benefit concert, Blink fans begin speculating that the band had called it quits (speculation only fueled by a Dave Navarro blog post that said the band "broke up"). A 316-word statement from the band's management only confirms the fears, though it goes to great lengths to say Blink are not splitting up, only taking an "indefinite hiatus." Turns out, they were telling the truth.

February 23, 2005: "Travis Barker Sets The Record Straight On Blink-182 Hiatus"
One day after the hiatus is announced, Barker takes to the airwaves, telling Los Angeles radio station KROQ that rumors of in-fighting between Blink were false.

April 8, 2005: "Blink-182's Hoppus, Barker Form Electronic Side Project"
In an interview with MTV Radio, Mark Hoppus announces that he and Barker have started +44, which he calls "a project ... which kind of started in Travis' basement." He also advises Blink fans that a reunion may not be in the cards.

June 6, 2005: "Blink-182 Reunion Rumor Causes Premature Exhilaration"
Less than four months after they went on hiatus, we get the first Blink reunion rumor. Shockingly, it proves to be false.

September 16, 2005: "Blink's Tom DeLonge Promises 'The Greatest Rock And Roll Revolution' "
After nearly seven months of silence, Tom DeLonge announces the formation of his new group, Angels & Airwaves.

October 3, 2005: "Tom DeLonge Breaking Silence On Blink With Autobiographical LP, Movie"
In his first interview since the Blink hiatus, DeLonge gets hyperbolic about Angels & Airwaves, saying that "within two years, we'll be the biggest rock act in the world," and talking about the long-in-the-works film that he was making in conjunction with A&A's debut.

October 28, 2005: "Tom DeLonge: No More Compromises"
MTV News publishes more of our interview with DeLonge, in which he finally speaks openly about the Blink hiatus. He says he was forced to quit Blink because he wanted to spend more time with his family and admits that since the band split, he hadn't spoken a word to Hoppus or Barker.

May 23, 2006: Angels & Airwaves' Debut, We Don't Need To Whisper, Is Released
The album debuts at #4 on the Billboard albums chart, with sales of more than 127,000 copies.

July 21, 2006: "Mark Hoppus, Travis Barker Break +44 Silence, Talk 'The Real Tom' "
Hoppus, in his first interview as the frontman of +44, returns fire at DeLonge ... sort of. "I have to say, you're definitely seeing what the real Tom was like, and that's the only comment I'll make about him or his band," he says.

August 23, 2006: "+44 Address Blink Breakup On LP, Want Fans To 'Hear The Truth' "
A month later, in another interview, Barker is less reserved when it comes to DeLonge, telling MTV News, "Ever since the whole Blink thing went down, we were left on our own, we were the underdogs."

November 14, 2006: +44's Debut, When Your Heart Stops Beating, Is Released
The album debuts at #10, with sales of more than 66,000 copies.

May 17, 2007: +44 Work A Cover Of Blink's "What's My Age Again" Into Live Sets
"Travis and I love our history with Blink-182," Hoppus explains. "And it seems a shame to let those songs sit dormant because of what happened two years ago."

September 19, 2007: "Angels & Airwaves' Revolution Has Begun — Just Wait 29 Years, Tom DeLonge Insists"
While promoting Angels & Airwaves' second album, I-Empire, DeLonge explains that the musical revolution he intended to start with A&A is, in fact, happening. It just might take awhile before anyone notices.

November 6, 2007: I-Empire Is Released
It debuts at #9 on the Billboard albums chart, selling more than 66,500 copies.

September 22, 2008: "DJ AM And Travis Barker Critically Injured In Private Plane Crash in South Carolina"
Barker and AM suffer second- and third-degree burns in a plane crash that kills four others, including Barker's assistant, Chris Baker, and security guard, Charles "Che" Still. Hoppus and DeLonge remain silent for weeks following the accident.

October 6, 2008: "Tom DeLonge Comments On Travis Barker Plane Crash"
DeLonge breaks his silence about the crash, saying it "blew [his] mind" and adding that no matter what happened between him and Barker in the past, "None of it matters when it comes to somebody getting hurt."

November 13, 2008: "Travis Barker Is Healing 'Incredibly Well,' +44 Bandmate Mark Hoppus Says"
Speaking for the first time since the crash, Hoppus tells MTV News that Barker is healing up and itching to get back in the studio. But when it comes to the future of +44, he remains obtuse, saying only that "no matter what I work on, Travis will be part of, for sure."

November 19, 2008: "Is A Blink-182 Reunion In The Cards?"
The blog post that kick-started everything. Hoppus takes to his personal site, HiMyNameIsMark.com, to write that, in the wake of Barker's near-death situation, he, Barker and DeLonge had begun spending time together. Millions of Blink fans rejoice.

December 1, 2008: "Travis Barker Quashes Blink-182 Reunion Rumors"
Sadly, that merriment is short-lived. Speaking to TMZ.com, Barker shoots down Blink reunion talk, saying only "we're friends ... everyone's getting along pretty good."

January 12, 2009: "Exclusive: Mark Hoppus Talks Blink-182 Reunion"
In the first of a two-part interview with MTV News, Hoppus doesn't slam the door on the possibility of a Blink reunion, saying only "the future is wide open." In part two of the interview, he announces that he is working on a solo record and that +44 are finished.

February 5, 2009: "Blink-182 To Reunite At Grammys"
Buried in the third paragraph of a press release from the Recording Academy is the news that Blink-182 will appear at the Grammy Awards as presenters. Speculation begins to run rampant that some sort of announcement is also looming.

February 6, 2009: "Are Blink-182 Working On A New Album?"
The following day, that speculation only increases when Angels & Airwaves member David Kennedy appears to confirm in an online chat that Blink are working on a new album.

February 8, 2009: "Blink-182 Confirm Reunion On Grammy Stage"
The rumors are true! The reunited Blink appear onstage together for the first time in more than four years, with Hoppus shouting, "Blink-182 is back!"

February 10, 2009: "Will The Blink-182 Reunion Change The World?"
Overly excited music journalist writes rambling, superfan-esque column in praise of a reunited Blink-182, foreseeing a world in which "the reunited Blink will serve as a beacon of light, cutting through the dark fog of negativity that envelops me and pretty much this entire industry. Or maybe they'll just call their new album Boner Jams. Either way, it's fine."

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Are Blink-182 Working On A New Album?

06 Feb 2009 12:25:00 EST

Angels & Airwaves guitarist David Kennedy says 'Blink is coming back' in online chat.
By James Montgomery

On Thursday, Blink-182 fans rejoiced when it was announced that the long-dormant band would be reuniting as presenters at Sunday's Grammy Awards. While it's not clear if Blink will be doing anything more than presenting an award, it does appear that there may be more to come from the band.

At least that's what a member of a Blink offshoot band — Tom DeLonge's Angels & Airwaves — seems to have confirmed in a chat on the social-networking site Modlife.

On Thursday night, A&A guitarist David Kennedy was fielding fan questions about that band's new album when, with a few keystrokes, he changed the game entirely, hinting that while Angels might be putting out an album this year, Blink may be, too.

"I'm trying to write a statement about how Angels is all good while Blink is coming back," Kennedy wrote.

When asked by a fan if that meant Angels & Airwaves were going to be scrapped in favor of Blink-182, he replied, "No sir. ... It will be a good creative year and I want to make sure that comes across."

Then, when asked by another fan to clarify the fact that Blink are coming back, Kennedy wrote "Yeah, putting out a record."

Of course, that sent message boards and Blink fan sites into a frenzy, especially given the thawing of tensions between DeLonge, Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker in the wake of Barker's escape from a plane crash last fall, and Hoppus telling MTV News in January that, when it came to a Blink reunion, "the future is wide open."

At press time, Kennedy's comments had not been confirmed, MTV News' attempts to contact A&A's label and management were unsuccessful, and e-mails to Hoppus and DeLonge had not been returned.

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Travis Barker And DJ AM: Statements And Silence, In Bigger Than The Sound

24 Sep 2008 08:00:00 EDT

Following a public tragedy, statements are useless but necessary.
By James Montgomery

On The Record: What's The Good Of A Statement, Really?

This wasn't why I enrolled in Music Journalism Summer Camp way back in '96. Writing about rock and roll is supposed to involve complaining, nitpicking and allowing petty jealousies to seep into record reviews, not calling burn centers in Augusta, Georgia, waking up publicists to inform them that their clients may be dead, or writing apologetic-yet-persistent e-mails to bandmates seeking comment on their critically injured friends.

And yet, that's how I spent my weekend — and the majority of this week — in the wake of the jet crash in Columbia, South Carolina, that injured Travis BarkerTravis Barker and DJ AMDJ AM and killed four others, including Barker's assistant Chris "Lil Chris" Baker and security guard Charles "Che" Still. It's been 96-plus hours of calling and e-mailing and basically feeling like a huge, insensitive jerk, five days spent doing horrible, decidedly morbid — yet in some ways necessary — work. I imagine this is just part of the game for the real, time-hardened reporters of the world. There is a reason I am not in that line of work.

I knew Chris Baker, at first only through e-mails and phone calls. He was a genuinely sweet guy, joking that I called him so much on his cell phone that I should give him my number. When I finally met him in person — backstage during the Roots'Roots' Grammy party last year — I offered to do just that, telling him that he could call me at 3 a.m. if he wanted to. He declined, then offered me a beer.

Everyone I've spoken to about him tells me the same thing: He was a good-hearted man, a practical joker, a guy who loved to laugh and looked out for those closest to him. Reporting on his death has been very, very sad ... the decided opposite of what music journalism should be. Thankfully, I've only been down this road three times previously: in December 2004, when "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was shot onstage in Columbus, Ohio, and then last year, when Casey Calvert died from a fatal combination of medications and Pimp C overdosed. I hated my job each of those times too.

As was the case in those situations, the routine is slightly morbid yet always the same. You try your best to put personal feelings aside. You call publicists, you e-mail managers. You offer your condolences, you share brief stories about the deceased. You try to be polite and understanding yet, at the same time, firm. You are required to get information, track down bandmates, press just enough to get the story before anyone else does. Most of the time, all you get are statements — typed remembrances and memorials from bands who shared beers and backstages with the recently dead — which you compile into a story. You repeat this process the following day. And possibly the day after that. Then, more than likely, you move on.

It's always seemed odd to me that we care so much about the statements. They are little more than the sidebar to the main story, words e-mailed by publicists or posted on MySpace pages. They are often interchangeable: "We are deeply saddened," "Our prayers go out to____," "____ was a great friend and will be deeply missed." They most certainly cannot undo what has been done or bring comfort to those hurting from the unexpected loss of a friend or loved one. They are, at the root of all things, essentially worthless.

Except, to most people, they are anything but. In fact, they might just be the most important part of the grieving process ... if only because they reveal so much more about the living. After Abbott was killed, former bandmate Phil Anselmo famously issued a rambling statement about the loss of his "best friend," one that also included insinuations that he was kept away from the funeral by Dimebag's family. The statement proved that some rifts — in this case, the long-standing feud between Anselmo and Abbott's brother (and former PanteraPantera drummer) Vinnie Paul — were too wide to ever be closed, even by tragedy. It was ugly and unfortunate, and everyone who ever worshipped at the altar of Dimebag knew it.

And this brings up one rather glaring thing about the Barker and AM situation ... and the very nature of statements themselves. In the hours following the crash, tributes poured in not just from the worlds of rock and hip-hop, but Hollywood too. Everyone from the Gamethe Game to Cobra StarshipCobra Starship to Lindsay-freaking-Lohan issued a statement about the incident, because they all knew it was the proper, right thing to do. They realized their position in the world and that their fans — and fans of Barker and AM — rely on their statements to help them make sense of tragedy and get through the tough times. This may seem a tad bit bizarre but, if you think about it, isn't the entire concept of fandom (and, for that matter, of mourning those you know solely though music or movies) equally odd?

Regardless, it wasn't the outpouring of statements that makes this tragedy particularly noteworthy; it was the complete lack of statements from two particular camps. I'm not going to name either of them — because, really, issuing a statement (or not) is their prerogative — but suffice to say, if you are in anyway familiar with Barker's musical career, you know who I'm talking about. A statement from each of them might be forthcoming, it might not be. All I know is that it's been five days since the accident, and we've still heard nothing from either of them, leading many to believe that — like the Abbott situation — old wounds cannot be healed. And that, given the entire situation, seems pretty lousy.

I, for one, am conflicted. On one hand, their silence strikes me as being incredibly odd, if not somewhat coldhearted. After all, how difficult is it to release a statement? All it takes is a few lines on a MySpace page or a personal Web site ... just a couple of words to let fans know that we're all in this together, or that, yes, "Lil Chris" was a good guy and he will be missed. You know, just some common decency.

On the other, that same silence also reminds me that these two individuals are, in fact, just human. They have every right to ignore the media requests and to grieve in private, at their own pace. They have every right to do so. Think about it: If your best friend were killed, would you want to get on the phone with a reporter asking for a comment? Would you feel like updating your blog? Probably not.

Then again, if I've learned anything in dealing with these situations, it's that being human somehow goes right out the window. When terrible things happen, we turn into robots, we struggle with ways of expressing our emotions, because finding the right words is tough. Which is why we're reduced to statements. Because words are necessary. They help us heal and, often, they're all we have. It's stupid and unfair but necessary. Just like death.

Questions? Comments? BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

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Warped Tour — With Paramore, Angels & Airwaves, Gym Class Heroes, More -- Announces Full Schedule

26 Mar 2008 13:09:00 EDT

Paramore will tour for only one week, but Cobra Starship, the Academy Is ..., Against Me! and others are up for all 46 dates.
By Gil Kaufman

The Warped Tour — featuring Paramore, Gym Class Heroes, Angels & Airwaves, Against Me!, the Academy Is ..., Cobra Starship and dozens of others — has announced the full schedule for the summer's trek, which kicks off on June 20 in Pomona, California.

While Paramore will tag along from July 1-6, a number of other bands have signed on for the whole trek, including the Horrorpops, Reel Big Fish, From First to Last, Relient K, Aggrolites, Protest the Hero, Anberlin, Everytime I Die, Greeley Estates, Norma Jean, Say Anything, Story of the Year, Charlotte Sometimes, the Bronx, Pennywise, Rise Against, the Devil Wears Prada and We the Kings.

The tour is slated to finish on August 17 at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California. Among the other acts dropping in for runs of dates are: A Day to Remember, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying, August Burns Red, Bedouin Soundclash, Bouncing Souls, Danger Radio, GBH, Jack's Mannequin, Ludo, Madina Lake, Sick City, the All-American Rejects, the Dillinger Escape Plan, the Pink Spiders and the Vandals. The full roster of bands can be found at WarpedTour.com.

Vans Warped Tour 2008 dates:

» 6/20 - Pomona, CA @ Pomona Fairgrounds
» 6/21 - San Francisco, CA @ Pier 30/32
» 6/22 - Ventura, CA @ Seaside Park
» 6/25 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cricket Pavilion
» 6/26 - Las Cruces, NM @ NMSU Practice Field
» 6/28 - Salt Lake City, UT, venue TBA
» 6/29 - Denver, CO @ Invesco Field at Mile High
» 7/1 - Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
» 7/2 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
» 7/3 - Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center
» 7/5 - Selma, TX @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
» 7/6 - Houston, TX @ Sam Houston Race Park
» 7/9 - Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheater
» 7/10 - Orlando, FL @ Central Florida Fairgrounds
» 7/11 - Tampa, FL @ Vinoy Park
» 7/12 - Miami, FL @ Bicentennial Park
» 7/13 - Jacksonville, FL @ St. Johns County Fairgrounds
» 7/14 - Charlotte, NC @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
» 7/15 - Virginia Beach, VA, venue TBA
» 7/16 - Columbia, MD @ Merriweather Post Pavilion
» 7/17 - Cleveland, OH @ Time Warner Cable Amphitheater
» 7/18 - Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
» 7/19 - Toronto, ON, venue TBA
» 7/20 - Montreal, QC, venue TBA
» 7/23 - Mansfield, MA @ Tweeter Center
» 7/24 - Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
» 7/25 - Camden, NJ @ Susquehanna Bank Center
» 7/26 - Uniondale, NY, venue TBA
» 7/28 - Englishtown, NJ @ Raceway Park
» 7/29 - Burgettstown, PA @ Post Gazette Pavilion
» 7/30 - Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center
» 7/31 - Noblesville, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center
» 8/1 - Milwaukee, WI @ Marcus Amphitheatre
» 8/2 - Tinley Park, IL @ First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre
» 8/3 - Minneapolis, MN, venue TBA
» 8/5 - Saskatoon, SK, venue TBA
» 8/6 - Calgary, AB, venue TBA
» 8/8 - Boise, ID, venue TBA
» 8/9 - Seattle, WA, venue TBA
» 8/10 - Portland, OR, venue TBA
» 8/13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center
» 8/14 - San Diego, CA, venue TBA
» 8/15 - Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre
» 8/16 - Wheatland, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre Lot
» 8/17 - Carson, CA @ Home Depot Center

Planning on going to the Vans Warped Tour or any other big music fests this year? Be sure to join the You R Here community, where you can upload your concert photos, videos and reviews. Go there now to check out coverage of last year's Warped Tour.

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Brandon Flowers, Tom DeLonge Better Protect Their Milkshakes, In Bigger Than The Sound

16 Jan 2008 07:49:00 EST

'There Will Be Blood' was a life-changing movie for our writer — and he's coming after anyone who has wronged him.
By James Montgomery

On The Record: I Drink Your Milkshake

It cost me $12 and 2 hours and 38 minutes of my life, but I've had a revelation: Everything I know is wrong.

It seems I am too nice, too willing to let bygones be bygones. Secretly, I always knew this about myself. Deep down inside, there were feelings — dark, terrible, ugly ones — that yearned to break free, but I suppressed them, beat them down until they burned holes in the pit of my stomach. I wanted the best only for myself. I wanted everyone around me to fail, to flame out miserably, to suffer and crash. I wanted to harm those who had wronged me. I wanted to club charlatans to death with a bowling pin.

I was not a good person, by any stretch of the imagination, and it frightened me, because normal, sane people did not feel this way.

Worried, I told some of my closest friends about my feelings. Surely, they could help. Only, they didn't. And surprisingly, none of them were horrified by what I was telling them. Rather, they all said the same thing: "Wow, you sound exactly like Daniel Plainview."

For those not in the know, Plainview is the main character in Paul Thomas Anderson's intense, totally excellent "There Will Be Blood," and he is a complete badass. He is ruthless and cruel and vindictive and fueled by an unspoken, insatiable desire to best his competition. He speaks in great, sweeping generalities (there is only black and white in his world, no gray — which sort of makes him like George W. Bush) and shouts and spits and has a truly excellent mustache. He is unstoppable and unapologetic and a force of nature, and he makes Chuck Norris look like a total wuss. Basically, he is the complete opposite of me ... and yet, he is also everything I'd like to be.

So I plunked down my cash and went to go see "Blood," as a form of therapy or something. And I emerged transformed. Because, as it turns out, my internal monologue was exactly like Daniel Plainview.

This is particularly apparent in one super-intense scene roughly midway through the film, where Plainview is drinking booze and spilling his guts to a man whom he suspects might be trying to con him (you can view some of it here, though you have to sit through a "There Will Be Blood" commercial to do so). It's amazing on about 100 different levels, though mainly because in it, he manages to sum up every single emotion I've ever felt surging inside me. Only he's describing himself:

"I have a competition in me. I want no one else to succeed. I hate most people. ... There are times when I look at people and I see nothing worth liking. I want to earn enough money that I can get away from everyone. ... I see the worst in people. I want to rule and never, ever explain myself. I've built my hatreds up over the years, little by little."

And I don't know what it was about the scene — how unapologetic Plainview is about his shortcomings, how simple and straightforward he makes everything seem — but right there, I decided that the old me was dead and that I would spend every day from here on out living exactly like Daniel Plainview: petty, jealous, booming, unjust, deadly, but being completely, totally OK with all those things. Because, truly, being Daniel Plainview means never having to say you're sorry.

So far, my transition to Plainview has been pretty smooth: I've started shouting a lot more, ordered gigantic T-bone steaks for my adopted son (even though I do not have an adopted son), draped a napkin over my face, grown a mustache. And I've taken to bellowing Plainview's signature phrase (the emphatic "I drink your milkshake! I drink it up!!!!!") at every opportunity. And, most importantly, I no longer take crap from anyone.

If someone wrongs me, cool. I am willing to let the transgression stand ... but I will spend every waking minute planning my revenge, and when it eventually comes — an act heretofore known as "Plainviewing" — it will be swift and vicious. (Without giving too much away, "Blood" ends with a massive Plainviewing involving a bowling pin and the previously mentioned "milkshake" taunt.)

Earlier this week, I Plainviewed an editor who had double-crossed me. I Plainviewed the dude who works at the deli down the street from me, because the ATM was out of order. I will Plainview Matt Gold, the kid who held me against a tree and threatened to beat me up in seventh grade. I want to Plainview the kids who talk sh-- about me on AbsolutePunk.net. And — perhaps most importantly — I pledge to someday Plainview every single band that has ever wronged me in the past. (First on the list, probably the guys who used to be in the Promise Ring, for making Wood/Water. Watch out, Davey.)

It might not be fair, but hey, being Plainview isn't about being fair; it's about settling the score. So while I'm not sure how I'll do it, I'll eventually get even with Brandon Flowers (for being a jerk to me because I started the whole "Killers vs. Bravery" thing), Tom DeLonge (for scuttling a potential story I was working on because "I was trying to get him"), and very specific members of the My Chemical Romance camp (for making it a living hell to try to report on The Black Parade).

I will Plainview Rivers Cuomo for everything since Pinkerton (especially Make Believe). I will drink the Mars Volta's milkshake for Amputechture. And I will bring the bowling pin to Billy Corgan's house as a way of saying thanks for Zeitgeist.

And this should serve as a warning to every band releasing an album I am looking forward to in 2008: If you betray me, I will Plainview you (are you listening, Kim Deal? Do you hear me, Plastic Constellations?) I will not be stopped, until every musician, publicist and multinational corporation has paid for their transgressions against me. I will Plainview them all. I will drink their milkshakes. I will be the one left standing. I don't know if this makes me a bad person. I don't really care.

I'm finished.

B-Sides: Other Stories I'm Following This Week

Bow Wow: The living, breathing, spitting poster child for the Napoleon complex.

There was roughly a 45 percent chance Brendon Urie wanted to beat me up before we ran this photo with my latest Panic story. Now? I'd say it's more like 85-90.

Questions? Concerns? Milkshakes? E-mail me at BTTS@MTVStaff.com.

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Patrick Stump Named One Of 2007's Un-Sexiest Men; Plus Prodigy, R.E.M., Lindsay Lohan, Eddie Murphy & More, In For The Record

02 Jan 2008 17:39:00 EST

Mobb Deep rapper to issue solo LP while in jail; R.E.M. settle on album title; Lohan tops worst-movie-performance poll.
By MTV News staff

Fall Out Boy's Patrick Stump has been named one of the un-sexiest men of 2007 by Boston alt-weekly The Phoenix. He lands at #95 on the list, right next to Larry King and Jon Heder. ...

Prodigy, who will start serving a three-and-a-half-year jail sentence on a charge of gun possession for which he was indicted in October, plans to issue his second solo album while behind bars. H.N.I.C. Part 2 will drop in March, feature production from Mobb Deep group mate Havoc and Alchemist, and be integrated with Voxonic technology, which converts a voice into hundreds of languages with near-perfect accuracy. Prodigy also released a statement regarding his upcoming sentence, saying, "Throughout my life, I have always lived through adversity. I'm a survivor. You don't understand the mental power that I have. While I'm locked up, I'm going to be writing lyrics, working on the script for my second feature film, 'Dope,' and finish writing an autobiography of my life, which will be finished by the time I'm released. My mind is going to be focused, and I'll have time to think and map out my entire plan. The experience will make me a tougher, stronger person. I'm gonna work on getting out faster, so I can get back to doing what I do best. When I get home, it's gonna be on!" ...

R.E.M. have christened their forthcoming album Accelerate and set an April 1 release date for the effort. The album was produced by Jacknife Lee (Bloc Party, Snow Patrol) and will feature "Until the Day Is Done," "Living Well Is the Best Revenge" and "Staring Down the Barrel of Middle Distance." Expect the band to tour in the spring. ... It's not like she was expecting an Oscar nomination, but a nod for the worst? In a poll conducted by AOL's Moviefone Web site, 58 percent of respondents gave Lindsay Lohan the dubious distinction of turning in the worst performance by an actress in 2007 for her role in "I Know Who Killed Me." Another one of Lohan's box-office bombs, "Georgia Rule," finished second among the more than 3.8 million voters, just behind the Eddie Murphy comedy "Norbit," as the biggest waste of $10. "Norbit" also earned the comedian the title of worst performance by an actor. ... Eddie Murphy and "Good Luck Chuck" producer Tracey Edmonds got hitched during an intimate New Year's Day ceremony on a private island in French Polynesia, according to People.com. Johnny Gill was reportedly Murphy's best man. ...

Radiohead singer Thom Yorke has hit back at the boss of his former label, EMI Music, after claims that the band had rejected a nearly $6 million advance for their new album while demanding the copyrights to older titles. In a December 29 post on the group's official Web site under the heading "FYI — if you care — for your information," Yorke wrote, "We did not ask for a load of cash from our old record label EMI to re-sign. That is a L I E. The Times in the U.K. should check its facts before it prints such dirt. What we wanted was some control over our work and how it was used in the future by them — that seemed reasonable to us, as we cared about it a great deal. [EMI boss Guy] Hands was not interested. So neither were we. We made the sign of the cross and walked away. Sadly." Yorke said the group was upset about the airing of "dirty laundry" in public. Separately, Yorke told BBC Radio 4 that releasing In Rainbows solely as a digital download — the physical album hit stores this week — would have been "stark raving mad" because 80 percent of fans still buy physical releases. "We didn't want it to be a big announcement about 'everything's over except the Internet, the Internet's the future,' 'cause that's utter rubbish," Yorke said. "And it's really important to have an artifact as well, as they call it, an object." Yorke, in one of his first public comments about the decision to release In Rainbows under a pay-what-you-wish scheme, explained that Radiohead had a "moral justification in what we did in the sense that the majors and the big infrastructure of the music business has not addressed the way artists communicate directly with their fans. ... In fact, they seem to basically get in the way. Not only do they get in the way, but they take all the cash." He also denied reports that In Rainbows was downloaded more than 1.2 million times in its first week, but, in keeping with the band's silence on sales, would not confirm how many times it was actually downloaded. "It's total nonsense. ... We're the only people who know, and it feels wrong to say exactly what happened," he said. "But it's been a really nice surprise and we've done really well out of it." ...

The presidential race will bleed over into late-night TV on Wednesday night (January 2) when David Letterman chats up Democratic contender Senator Hillary Clinton and Jay Leno welcomes Republican candidate Mike Huckabee on the respective comeback episodes of their shows. Chingy will perform on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," while Lupe Fiasco will play on the "Late Show With David Letterman," with Robin Williams also appearing. Letterman struck a deal with the Writers Guild of America that will allow him to return to air with writers, but Huckabee and Chingy will be crossing the picket line with their appearances on Leno's show, as the writers' strike continues. ... "L.A." Reid, Denzel Washington, Steven Spielberg, Brett Ratner, Billy Joel and others partied Sunday on a private yacht owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, and Jon Bon Jovi and Robbie Robertson performed at the shindig, according to Fox News. ...

Staind's Aaron Lewis, along with members of Boston, Tesla, Stryper and other bands, will join host Dee Snider of Twisted Sister at the fifth anniversary Relief Fund Charity Concert, to be staged February 25 at Providence, Rhode Island's Dunkin' Donut Center. The event is being put on by the Station Family Fund, a group founded by survivors, family members and community members affected by the Station fire, the February 2003 nightclub tragedy that claimed 100 lives. Proceeds from the show will go to the survivors of the fire, many of whom did not qualify for Social Security benefits. ...

The lineup for Dave Mustaine's Gigantour 2008 has been revealed. The trek, to launch in mid-April and run through late May, will feature his band Megadeth, as well as In Flames, Children of Bodom, Job for a Cowboy and High on Fire. ... P.O.D. have set an April 8 release date for When Angels & Serpents Dance, the band's forthcoming LP. The record will feature a guest appearance by Suicidal Tendencies mainman Mike Muir. ... Former Limp Bizkit guitarist Wes Borland's band, Black Light Burns, have begun work on material for their second album, which is set for release in early 2009. Borland said in a statement that the new stuff is "a lot more guitar-heavy than it is synth-heavy. The feeling/tone is a little more fun and weird compared to the darkness of the first album." The effort follows the band's debut disc, last year's Cruel Melody. ... Hatebreed were forced to postpone the final concert in their Stillborn Fest series after guitarist Frank Novinec broke his ankle. No word yet on when they'll make up the gig, which was supposed to happen Sunday in Rochester, New York. ...

A lawyer who previously represented Death Row Records boss Marion "Suge" Knight in a $130 million lawsuit over ownership of the onetime gangsta-rap powerhouse is asking a judge to set that judgment aside. According to the Los Angeles Times, in a hearing set for Wednesday attorney Dermot Givens is asking that the judgment be voided because of what he claims is new evidence that the plaintiff, singer Lydia Harris, and her imprisoned drug-dealing husband, Michael, allegedly duped a Los Angeles judge into ruling against Knight. The motion contends that Harris hid from the court that she had filed for bankruptcy five years before suing Knight and that she never claimed an ownership stake in Death Row during that legal proceeding. The motion also alleges that recent sworn testimony by the couple shows that Michael Harris, an alleged crack kingpin, was the real party of interest in her lawsuit against Knight; Michael Harris sued Knight in 1996 claiming he helped finance Death Row, and was awarded a $300,000 out-of-court settlement. Lydia Harris filed a separate suit in 2002 claiming that she and Knight started the label together and that he cheated her out of millions in profits. ...

James Brown's final recordings have been caught up in the legal feud over the late rock legend's estate, according to The Associated Press. Brown recorded an album in Los Angeles in summer 2006, but courtroom disputes over who should get his music royalties are preventing the release of the tracks. More than 50-60 additional unreleased songs recorded by Brown are also reportedly in the archives. ... The Jersey Boys have a bit of a problem on their hands. Tommy DeVito, ex-bassist of Frankie Valli & the Four Seasons — on which the "Jersey Boys" story is based — is being sued by the widow of a man who also wrote a story about the group, according to TMZ. Donna Corbello says her late husband Rex Conrad Woodard's yet-unpublished book was the basis of the Broadway smash, and she is reportedly seeking a declaration that he is the volume's "joint owner" so she can get some of the future profits from the production. The suit was recentl

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Brandy Won't Be Charged In 2006 Car Crash; Plus Yung Joc, Lil Wayne, Radiohead, Angels & Airwaves, Beyonce & More, In For The Record

28 Dec 2007 18:15:00 EST

Joc says he has 'utmost respect for the law'; Weezy slips out digital Leak; EMI boss reportedly rejected lucrative Radiohead deal.
By MTV News Staff

Brandy is in the clear — according to TMZ, the Los Angeles city attorney will not be filing charges against the singer over the multi-car crash that claimed the life of a woman in December 2006. The attorney had until the end of the day Friday (December 28) to file criminal charges against Brandy in the incident. The singer's attorney, Blair Berk, reportedly responded with a statement, saying, "These past 12 months have posed an extraordinary hardship for Brandy and her family, who have been unfairly forced to live under a cloud of suspicion initially caused by the ill-advised and premature press release sent out by the California Highway Patrol accusing Brandy of wrongdoing before the police investigation was even finished. However, Brandy continues to be mindful that she was so fortunate to be uninjured in this accident and there was a life lost that should be remembered." Brandy is, however, still facing a $50 million wrongful-death suit from the family of the victim, Awatef Aboudihaj. ...

Yung Joc was seven hours late to an arraignment on a felony gun charge on Wednesday and was scolded by the judge in the case after an arrest warrant was issued. But the rapper (born Jasiel Robinson) tried to clear his name in a statement released through his lawyers. "I have the utmost respect for the laws of this country and would never deliberately commit an act that would jeopardize my freedom, my family or my career," he said, according to TMZ. "I've worked very hard to achieve my goals, and it's unfortunate that this current situation has garnered more attention than the many donations I've made and the charitable work I've done with various organizations. ... I'm proud to be a citizen of America, where we are taught to believe that every person is afforded the presumption of innocence. That being said, I have full respect for the judicial system and its due process. I look forward to resolving this situation and moving forward to a positive and prosperous 2008." Joc is due back in court on January 25 in connection with his arrest Sunday at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport, where authorities said he tried to take a loaded gun onto a flight. He faces a possible sentence of up to 18 months for the charge. ...

Lil Wayne told MTV News a couple of months ago that he was planning to drop Tha Carter III: The Leak on December 18, with the official Tha Carter III LP to follow February 12, but he actually slipped out a five-song EP called The Leak through Rhapsody and Amazon on Christmas Day instead. The disc features "I'm Me," "Gossip," "Kush," "Love Me or Hate Me" and "Talkin' About It." "Gossip" has been rumored to be a dis song directed toward 50 Cent, but as Weezy told Mixtape Monday in late October, "I recorded that song in 2006. ... I don't make records or say anything about people. I don't beef with people. Everybody knows that. ... My words are more important than you."...

Radiohead decided to split with their longtime label EMI in the fall after the company's new boss, Guy Hands, rejected a deal that would have cost the company more than $20 million, according to the London Times. The U.K. outlet reports that the band had been offered a $6 million advance by Hands for In Rainbows, but demanded more. An EMI spokesperson who was not named told the Times that, "Radiohead were demanding an extraordinary amount of money, and we did not believe that our other artists should have to subsidize their gains." The bandmembers reportedly responded that they believed more big-name artists would be leaving EMI and accused Hands of not negotiating seriously with them. The deal Radiohead sought also reportedly included the handing over of some of the copyrights to their back catalog, a move that could have cost the label millions in future earnings. Band manager Bryce Edge told The Times, "We couldn't move ahead with EMI because Guy Hands irrevocably refused to discuss the catalog in any meaningful way. We sold 25 million records, and we have the moral rights over those six albums. We wanted a say in how they are exploited in the future. We were not seeking a big advance payment, or a guaranteed marketing spend, as discussions never got that far." ...

Members of Angels & Airwaves, No Doubt, 30 Seconds to Mars, Bad Religion, Journey, Pennywise — as well as the Roots' ?uestlove — will hammer away at the skins when they perform at a January 5 drum-off hosted by former Jane's Addiction member Stephen Perkins. The Guitar Center contest, which began three months ago, will culminate with a show at the Music Box @ Fonda in Hollywood that will also feature performances by the four finalists in the store's competition. ... "The Beyoncé Experience - Live," which came out in DVD form in late November, will be broadcast for U.S. troops stationed in Iraq on New Year's Eve via the AEG Network. The programming block will also include Celine Dion's "A New Day" and Garth Brooks' "One Artist, One City, One Time." ...

It's official: David Letterman has reached a deal with striking writers and will return to the air with a full staff on Wednesday. Jeff Hermanson, a Writers Guild of America executive, told Reuters that talks between the union and Letterman's Worldwide Pants production company had led to a "full, binding, independent agreement" that features provisions for paying writers for work distributed online. Protesting writers have been demanding compensation for Internet-content. Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien and Jimmy Kimmel are also returning to the air on Wednesday, and Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert on January 7, although none of those late-night hosts will be coming back with their respective writers. ...

Jessica Simpson is enjoying Nashville as the relocated singer/actress records her upcoming, yet-untitled country album there. "Nashville is a very warm city," she recently told Billboard.com. "The people are friendly and kind. There is a sense of community, which thrives on music. There is no animosity ... only respect for one another's talent." The effort is due in 2008 through Columbia Nashville and will be the follow-up to 2006's A Public Affair. Simpson didn't provide many more details on the project, and when asked if she would be hitting the road to support it, she said, "Since the record is in the beginning stages, there hasn't been much talk about a tour just yet." ...

Meanwhile, Franz Ferdinand's third album doesn't have a name yet either, but the band has shed some more light on the successor to 2005's You Could Have It So Much Better. "I suppose we're heading back to the idea of dance music," frontman Alex Kapranos told RollingStone.com. "It's more of a dance record than a rock record." The band has tapped an unlikely producer — Brian Higgins (Kylie Minogue, Cher) — for some of the songs. "It appeals to my contrary side," Kapranos said. "And I don't like the distance between bands and pop music there is now. Dr. Dre or Timbaland or the Neptunes are making the songs you've never heard before, not the indie kids strumming their f---ing guitars." ...

Chris Rock has jumped into the 2008 presidential-election conversation, comparing Senator Hillary Clinton to the current commander in chief and voicing his support for rival Senator Barack Obama in a recent interview with The New York Times. "I love Hillary Clinton, but to me she is the Democratic version of George [W.] Bush: someone who is running, and the only reason you know who this person is because of their name. ... She has much more in common with George Bush Jr. than she does with Oprah Winfrey." He added, "It's neck and neck against a woman whose husband was the president, and [Obama is] a black man that no one knew a couple years ago. That is an unbelievable achievement." ...

Sean Penn and Robin Wright Penn are divorcing after 11 years of marriage, according to People.com. The "Into the Wild" director and "Beowulf" actress have two children together, boys ages 14 and 16. ... In another marital development, Marilyn Manson and Dita Von Teese's divorce still isn't finalized yet — Von Teese filed in December 2006, citing Manson's alleged infidelity and partying — but they are now legally permitted to marry other people, People.com reports. Their marital status was terminated Thursday, but the ex-couple have yet to settle their finances. Manson, 38, has been dating Evan Rachel Wood, age 20. ...

While Josh Groban is enjoying a record-setting run atop the charts with his holiday album, Noël, Variety reports that the rest of the music business had a horrible Christmas week. Overall music sales during the Christmas shopping season were down 21 percent from last year. From the week of Thanksgiving through December 23, 83.9 million albums were sold, a steep decline from 2006's total of 105.28 million.

12.27.07

'Tis the season to get engaged, apparently. A day after it was revealed that Fergie and Josh Duhamel are going to be wed comes news that Jessica Alba is engaged to producer Cash Warren, the father of the child the "Awake" actress is expecting. The couple are expecting their first child in late spring or early summer, although a wedding date has yet to be revealed. ...

Miley Cyrus has donated a personalized, autographed Philadelphia 76ers jersey to an Brandy

Yung Joc

Lil Wayne

Radiohead

Angels & Airwaves

Jay-Z Earns 10th #1 Debut As American Gangster Clips Eagles' Wings

14 Nov 2007 13:30:00 EST

Chris Brown, Angels & Airwaves, Cassidy crack Billboard chart's top 10; Britney Spears' Blackout drops 70 percent.
By Chris Harris

Wednesday (November 14) marks a professional milestone for hip-hop heavyweight Jay-Z. With 425,000 copies of his latest release, American Gangster, flying off shelves during its first week, the MC/ Def Jam president has earned himself the 10th chart-topping debut of his career.

Now, while that's certainly an impressive feat for any artist these days, it's an even more monumental achievement than you'd think. Thanks to American Gangster, a concept album inspired by the Ridley Scott-directed film of the same name, Jay's now tied with Elvis Presley in second place for most career #1 albums; only the Beatles have more, with 19 overall.

And to think the man wanted to retire after 2003's The Black Album.

Gangster is Jay-Z's second full-length project in a year's time, following up 2006's comeback album, Kingdom Come. Both The Black Album and Kingdom Come entered the Billboard top 200 at #1, with 463,000 and 680,000 scans, respectively. According to SoundScan, Hov has had seven other studio offerings open at the chart's peak, including 1998's Vol. 2: Hard Knock Life (with 352,200 scans); 1999's Vol. 3: Life and Times of S. Carter (462,700); 2000's The Dynasty: Roc la Familia (557,800); 2001's The Blueprint (426,500); 2002's The Blueprint 2: The Gift & the Curse (545,200); his 2004 collaboration with R. Kelly, Unfinished Business (215,000); and 2004's Collision Course, a mash-up set featuring Linkin Park (368,300).

While most figured Jay was a lock for the #1 position on next week's chart, some put their money on R&B heartthrob Chris Brown's sophomore release Exclusive to deliver a mind-bending upset — after all, the ladies do love him. Others had Garth Brooks' two-CD/ DVD collection The Ultimate Hits finishing in first. Of course, they were wrong. In fact, Jay's closest competitor was last week's #1, the Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden, which sold another 359,300 copies for the chart's #2 opening. Brooks' best-of generated 351,800 scans to open at #3, while Brown's LP sold 294,500 units and follows in the #4 spot.

Carrie Underwood's Carnival Ride slipped two spots to #5, with sales reported at 120,780, and at #6, up two places from the previous week, is Josh Groban's Noël with 115,600 copies sold. Britney Spears' Blackout nosedives five positions to #7, selling another 86,700 units (second-week sales of the disc suffered a 70 percent decline), while Taylor Swift's self-titled LP follows at #8 with 67,600 scans.

All told, five new releases entered next week's chart in the prestigious top 10, including Angels & Airwaves' sophomore LP, I-Empire, which sold 66,500 copies to take the #9 slot, and Cassidy's first post-prison outing, B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story, which scanned 63,200 copies to debut at #10. Meanwhile, a dozen other titles are making their first appearances on the chart this week, including Latin reggaetón duo Wisin & Yandel's Los Extraterrestres, which enters at #14 with 52,600 copies sold. Country act Little Big Town follow at #24, selling 34,600 copies of their new one, A Place to Land, while the soundtrack to "American Gangster" takes the #36 spot with 21,000 scans.

Still on Top: The Greatest Hits, the third compilation album to be issued by Van Morrison in 2007, debuts at #48 with 17,900 copies snatched up, while Jimmy Buffett's Live in Anguilla sold 15,350 copies to enter at #54. Hvarf/Heim, Sigur Rós' double-CD compilation, follows at #58 with 14,500 scans, and coming in at #85 with 10,500 copies sold is Demon Hunter's Storm the Gates of Hell. Nas' Greatest Hits comes in at #124 with 6,900 sold.

Nonpoint return from obscurity at the #130 position, having sold 6,400 copies of their new one, Vengeance, while Aliados de la Sierra's Con Los Ojos Cerrados follows at #137 with 6,000 scans. American songstress Sara Groves' Tell Me What You Know debuts at #194 with 4,300 scans, and at #196, with sales of 4,200, it's Andrea Bocelli's The Best of Andrea Bocelli: Vivere.

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Jay-Z, Nas, Beanie Sigel, LeBron James, More Live At The Apollo Theatre

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Jay-Z's November Reign? Mogul Takes On Chris Brown, Cassidy, Angels & Airwaves And More, In New Releases

06 Nov 2007 08:00:00 EST

Also due Tuesday: Ashley Tisdale, Bright Eyes, Ricky Martin, Demon Hunter, Plain White T's, Monster Magnet, Grizzly Bear, Sigur Rós.
By Kurt Orzeck

With 55 days left in the year, here's your quintessential guide to new releases this week ...

The Top Five:

Jay-Z's American Gangster: Like Roger Clemens, Jay keeps coming back out of retirement so he can play again — and he decides on his own watch when it's best to do so. While it's not officially connected with the film of the same name, his perfectly timed American Gangster is sure to enjoy some of the runoff from the film's marketing — did you forget that Jay is a businessman? For proof of how much the music mogul's LP has already been talked about, look no further than Jim Jones, who has already put together a mixtape in response, Harlem's American Gangsta. Jay's sweetheart, Beyoncé, joins him on the concept album, as do Diddy, Lil Wayne, Kanye West, Pharrell, Beanie Sigel, Jermaine Dupri, Bilal, Nas and more.

Chris Brown's Exclusive: Like Jay, fast-rising R&B singer Brown has also been doubling up on publicity — while his new album drops this week, he's going to be chasing it with the November 21 flick "This Christmas." "I am still going to keep it so my younger fans can continue to listen to my music, but I got a couple of joints on there that's for some of the older people," he previously told MTV News of his intentions for the album. And while that supposed Michael Jackson collaboration didn't make it onto the disc, Lil Wayne, Game, Big Boi, Will.I.Am and T-Pain are on the guest list, with Swizz Beatz, Dre & Vidal, Scott Storch and others lending their production talents too. Don't miss the limited-edition version, which also contains a DVD.

Cassidy's B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story: "It's called B.A.R.S. 'cause I was locked behind bars, I was known for spittin' bars and Barry Adrian Reese is my biological name, so I just felt like it was the perfect title," the rapper recently told MTV News about his new release. Cass already has a club monster on his hands in "My Drink N' My 2 Step" — adding to the album hype, a remix of the track featuring Kanye West, Ne-Yo and Swizz Beatz has also already slipped out, as has the second single, "Innocent Man" (featuring Mark Morrison). John Legend also plays a role on the album, as a guest star on "Celebration."

Angels & Airwaves' I-Empire: That's a lot of hip-hop weight for one week, but repping the rock front is Tom DeLonge's band, which is putting out its second album this week. With an album cover resembling some '80s space movie for kids and a title that already feels outdated, but as DeLonge insisted to MTV News, the band has a "grand vision." A&A fans might want to head over to Best Buy to pick up the package — the version the retail chain is selling has bonus acoustic versions of "Do It for Me Now" and "Everything's Magic."

Bright Eyes' Motion Sickness: Live Recordings: The lauded folk-rock group has issued every one of its releases through Saddle Creek, an indie label out of Omaha, Nebraska, that owes its very existence to the band. But Conor Oberst decided to release their new concert effort on the Team Love label he co-founded in 2003. The 15-track CD — the sixth one Team Love has put out so far — overviews Bright Eyes' early-2005 tours in support of I'm Wide Awake, It's Morning and features a pair of noteworthy cover songs, of Feist's "Mushaboom" and Elliott Smith's "The Biggest Lie."

Five Face-Offs:

Nas and Nazareth: The rapper's controversial new album is still more than a month away, but fans can whet their appetite this week with Greatest Hits, which has two new tracks: "Less Than an Hour," the theme to "Rush Hour 3"; and "Surviving the Times," which features Cee-Lo. But while Nas is going to have to elbow past Jay-Z and Cassidy this week, he should beware another opponent who isn't a rapper: cheesy hard-rock vets Nazareth, whose Hair of the Dog - Live album is getting reissued this week in remastered form.

Ashley Tisdale and the Who: If you never see Nas and Nazareth mentioned in the same sentence, try this one on for size: both the "High School Musical" star and the classic-rock vets are telling tales this week. "There's Something About Ashley: The Story of Headstrong" traces Tisdale's growth from when the writing process for her debut album began through its release and her subsequent tour with the "HSM" gang. "Amazing Journey: The Story of The Who" follows the band throughout its entire career and features interviews with not just the bandmembers but with fans U2, Eddie Vedder and others as well. Fittingly, the Who's two-DVD set runs just slightly longer than Tisdale's: It's 237 minutes long, while hers is roughly an hour.

Ricky Martin and Imani Coppola: Ricky Martin has an interesting strategy this week. He's putting out three versions of his Live: Black & White Tour concert set — a CD, a DVD and a combined CD-plus-DVD package — and yet, according to the Sony Music store, the standalone DVD actually retails for four bucks more than the CD-plus-DVD edition. Curiously, singer/violinist Imani Coppola drops The Black & White Album this week via Mike Patton's Ipecac label (she toured with his Peeping Tom collective). And, believe it or not, the Hives' Black and White Album drops next week.

Demon Hunter and Monster Magnet: One heavy-rock band is battling evil creatures this week while the other is attracting them. Storm the Gates of Hell, the fourth album by Christian metal band Demon Hunter, features a DVD and two bonus tracks on select editions — "No Reason to Exist" and "Grand Finale" — while MM's 4-Way Diablo has 13 doses of slabby goodness.

Kasper Bjørke and Kim Hiorthøy: Two artists with strokes in their names releasing albums the same week? Who woulda thunk it?

Song Title of the Week:

"Candy Sun Smiles" from Oh Astro's Champions of Wonder

Album Cover of the Week:

Kasper Bjørke's In Gumbo

New Releases:

· 60 Watt Kid - 60 Watt Kid (Absolutely Kosher)
· Angels & Airwaves - I-Empire (Geffen) [Buy Now]
Read: "Angels & Airwaves' Revolution Has Begun — Just Wait 29 Years, Tom DeLonge Insists"
· Arp - In Light (Smalltown Supersound)
· Barenaked Ladies - Talk to the Hand: Live in Michigan (enhanced; Shout! Factory) [Buy Now]
· Bear in Heaven - Red Bloom of the Boom (Hometapes)
· Kasper Bjørke - In Gumbo (Plant Music / Defend Distribution)
· Black Swans - Change (digipak; La Société Expéditionnaire)
· Mike Bones - The Sky Behind the Sea (The Social Registry)
· Bottomless Pit - Hammer of the Gods (Comedy Minus One)
· Bright Eyes - Motion Sickness: Live Recordings (Team Love) [Buy Now]
· Chris Brown - Exclusive (deluxe edition comes with DVD; Jive) [Buy Now]
Read: "Pharrell, Will.I.Am Joining Chris Brown's Exclusive Club"
· Buckethead - The Elephant Man's Alarm Clock (TDRS) [Buy Now]
· Jimmy Buffett - Live in Anguilla (two CDs and one DVD; Mailboat) [Buy Now]
· By the End of Tonight + Tera Malos - Complex Full of Phantoms (Temporary Residence)
· Captain & Tennille - The Secret of Christmas (Retroactive Entertainment)
· Cassidy - B.A.R.S.: The Barry Adrian Reese Story (enhanced; RCA) [Buy Now]
Read: "Cassidy Talks About Car Crash, Fatal Gunfight — And Explains Why He's Better Than Ever"
· Citay - Little Kingdom (Dead Oceans)
· The Classic Crime - Seattle Sessions (EP; Tooth & Nail)