Lily Allen
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Lily Allen is returning to work after suffering a miscarriage last week, Us Weekly reports. The British songstress will begin shooting her upcoming TV show, "Lily Allen and Friends," on Wednesday. The show will air on the U.K.'s BBC3. "She has insisted on coming back to work," a BBC insider told Us. "Obviously it's tough for her right now, but she is a professional and sees going back to work as a way to focus on something else." Allen was four months along with her first child with boyfriend Ed Simons, one-half of the Chemical Brothers, when she had the miscarriage. ...

Pinhead Gunpowder, a side project for Green Day frontman Billie Joe Armstrong, will be playing two very rare shows next month. The band is booked to perform February 3 at the Chain Reaction in Anaheim, California, and on February 4 at the Troubadour in Los Angeles. The last time the band performed live was back in 2001. ...

Four eyewitnesses have reportedly stepped forward to support a claim from real-estate agent Gerard Rechnitzer that he was assaulted by Sean "Diddy" Combs at an Oscar party last year. The Associated Press reports that papers filed by Rechnitzer's attorney contain a witness report from Marianna Ruiz, who said in papers filed last week that Combs struck Rechnitzer unprovoked. "I just kind of remember seeing him go flying, not flying as in like feet off the ground, but he went back significantly," said Ruiz, who was part of a group at the club with the Rechnitzer. "I was just in shock that somebody would ... just kind of strike somebody out of nowhere." A second witness, Michael Sherman, reportedly said that, "all of a sudden, he hit him. And there was a taxi behind Gerard. Gerard got knocked into the taxi." Sherman added that Combs then allegedly tried to spit on Ruiz, who was standing nearby. Rechnitzer is seeking unspecified damages in the suit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court last year over the incident, which took place on February 25, 2007. The suit, which Combs' attorneys have called "completely baseless," also claims that the rap impresario pushed Rechnitzer's girlfriend. ...

Paris Hilton had a rather uncomfortable experience the last time she appeared on David Letterman's talk show — but not uncomfortable enough to keep her from coming back. Hilton will appear on "The Late Show With David Letterman" on February 1, according to TMZ. During Hilton's September 28 visit, Letterman asked questions about the heiress' stint in prison and wouldn't let up. It will be Hilton's sixth appearance on the show. In other Hilton news, Us Weekly caught up with the celeb at Sundance to ask about her on-and-off friend Britney Spears. "She's such a sweet girl when I'm alone with her; she's a completely different person than she's made out to be," Hilton told Us. "And I love her. I think she's very sweet and has a big heart. She's amazing." The "Simple Life" star wished the best for the troubled pop star. "I just want her to be happy," she said. "I think everything's going to be OK." ...

Kiefer Sutherland was released from jail early Monday morning after serving 48 days on a drunken driving charge. According to The Associated Press, the "24" actor was quickly ushered out of a back door of the Glendale, California, jail to avoid the crush of press. Sutherland, who had his own cell and ate alone, reportedly spent most of his jail sentence apart from other inmates, interacting with fellow prisoners only when he was on the way to the laundry room where he worked cleaning sheets, pillowcases and blankets. The actor pleaded no contest in October to driving with a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit of 0.08 percent and was sentenced to 30 days, as well as 18 days for violating probation stemming from a 2004 drunken-driving arrest. ...

AFI plan on returning to the same studio where they recorded most of their earliest albums, to begin work on what will be their next LP. Guitarist Jade Puget wrote on the band's MySpace blog, "We're currently working on new songs," and noted that being in the old studio has the band feeling "very nostalgic." ... Why was Gwyneth Paltrow hospitalized last week? Her chef pal Mario Batali says the actress' trip to New York's Mount Sinai Hospital was due to "a little gastrointestinal situation," according to UsMagazine.com. "It's now been straightened out," said Batali, who is traveling with Paltrow to Spain in three weeks to shoot a PBS cooking show, set to air in October. Paltrow's rep issued a statement on Tuesday (January 22), saying, "She is at home and OK." ...

The original lineup of New York hardcore legends Biohazard will reunite for a series of performances this summer in commemoration of the band's 20th anniversary. Bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist/vocalist Billy Graziadei, drummer Danny Schuler, and guitarist Bobby Hambel have not performed together publicly since 1995. "Biohazard was the single most important chapter in our lives," Seinfeld said. "Our music brought us together and helped us rise up out of the streets of Brooklyn. Our journey has been an amazing one, and for me, it's all about my brothers Billy, Bobby and Danny, and of course the fans, whose undying support has never given up on the hopes of a reunion of the original band." ...

Christian metalcore outfit Norma Jean have tapped Spitfire's Chris Raines as their new drummer. The announcement ends months of auditions to find a replacement for Daniel Davison, who left in September.

1.21.08

Usher's father, Usher Raymond III, passed away at an Atlanta hospital on Friday, a rep for the singer confirmed to MTV News. The cause of death was not immediately known; People.com reported that the funeral will take place this week at the Taylor Funeral Home in Chattanooga, Tennessee. ...

Britney Spears spent more than two hours at the Los Angeles office of Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, on Monday (January 21) for an ongoing deposition in the former couple's custody battle, according to People.com. Spears was videotaped driving up to the office, accompanied by friend Sam Lufti, at around 10:40 a.m. PT and left at around 1:20 p.m. The deposition is expected to continue on Tuesday.

1.18.08

Lindsay Lohan has gotten a harsh assignment as part of her community service for misdemeanor drunk driving. The Associated Press reported that the 21-year-old actress will be working two four-hour days at a morgue as part of her court-ordered program meant to show drivers the real-life consequences of drunk driving. Lohan — who must serve 10 days of community service as part of her plea deal — worked at an American Red Cross blood-services facility in a Los Angeles suburb in November. She has also been ordered to spend two days working in a hospital emergency room. ...

A New York judge told Foxy Brown on Thursday that she's going to have to provide medical proof for why she should be let out of jail to repair her defective cochlear implant, a surgically implanted hearing device. AP reports that acting Manhattan Criminal Court Judge Melissa Jackson told the rapper (born Inga Marchand) that she needs more information before deciding if she can let Brown out of jail to fly to California for treatment and a repair of the implant. Brown, who was sentenced to a year in jail in September for probation violation, recently petitioned the court via a handwritten letter to allow her to travel for treatment, saying that her hearing condition is worsening in jail and that she faces serious, potentially permanent hearing loss if the issue isn't resolved. Assistant District Attorney Cindy Chung had objected, saying Brown had not shown any proof that the procedure could not be done in New York and calling the request a "desperate and frivolous petition." Before being led out of court, Brown reportedly told the judge she had done a lot of thinking in jail about how to control her emotions and make better decisions, saying, "I have too much talent to throw it away. ... I know I will make you proud and my family proud." The seemingly nonplussed judge replied, "I'm glad you're learning some very hard lessons that needed to be learned." ...

Britney Spears, who has done little to promote her Blackout album aside from appearing in the tabloids on a daily basis, has landed a paying gig. Spears will host a party for the Scandinavian Style Mansion at a private residence in Beverly Hills, California, on February 16, party organizer Claus Hjelmbak confirmed. "She's going to do the press line and be there for a few hours," Hjelmbak told MTV News. She was a guest for a similar party for the Mansion featuring items from luxury brands on December 1. "Even though she wasn't the host, she was so sweet to everybody and so generous with her time," Hjelmbak said. "She made all these little kids and all my clients feel amazing." ...

Amy Winehouse's husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was in court Friday (January 18) to enter a plea of innocent to charges of assault and conspiracy. According to The Associated Press, Winehouse was not in the London courtroom to hear Fielder-Civil confirm his name and enter the plea, but she did show up afterward in a silver BMW, surrounded by bodyguards who shielded her from the paparazzi. Despite rumors that the couple could be headed for divorce, Winehouse was seen whispering, "I love you handsome ... gorgeous one," to her husband as he was led away. Fielder-Civil, 25, who is accused of attacking a pub landlord, and then later conspiring along with several other men to convince the man to withdraw as a witness in the trial, has been in jail since November. Fielder-Civil is due back in court on February 29 to enter a plea on the charge of obstructing justice. AP reports that the landlord in the case, James King, denied the conspiracy charge during his appearance on Friday. ...

Dreams come true: Paramore are set to co-headline a tour with their idols Jimmy Eat World. The trek will launch in March, with dates to be announced shortly. "If it all ends tomorrow, we will be happy knowing that we got a tour with the band that gave us a reason to play music," Paramore singer Hayley Williams said in a statement. "We got to know them last December while playing festivals together. They put on a great show and we think it's going to be an awesome bill," added Jimmy Eat World singer Jim Adkins. ... Every Time I Die, Chiodos, Motion City Soundtrack, Meg and Dia, Thrice and the Bled are featured on the audio portion of the Take Action! Volume 7 CD/DVD compilation, which is scheduled for a March 4 release. ...

The National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. — the site of a recent bid by talk-show host Stephen Colbert to have his portrait enshrined alongside some of America's legendary presidents — is about to unveil an exhibition honoring hip-hop. "Recognize! Hip Hop and Contemporary Portraiture" will open February 8 and feature photographer David Scheinbaum's portraits of famous rappers, paintings by Kehinde Wiley of LL Cool J and Ice-T based on famous European and American paintings from the 17th-19th centuries, and a poem by Nikki Giovanni that will be transcribed onto the walls of the exhibition by artist Shinique Smith. There will also be four portrait murals created by a pair of Washington graffiti artists that will be featured in the hallway between the galleries. ...

Velvet Revolver's Slash recently told Illinois' Northwest Herald that the band will begin working on its next LP in April. Slash is also planning to record a solo album sometime in the next year or two, he said. ... Staind frontman Aaron Lewis' three-night solo acoustic run at the Mohegan Sun Arena and Cabaret in Uncasville, Connecticut, next month will be filmed for the rocker's first-ever solo DVD. There's no word yet on when the effort will be ready for mass consumption, but we'll keep you posted. ... Chevelle and Finger Eleven will hit the road together next month for a spate of live gigs. The first is set for February 19 in Flint, Michigan, and so far, shows are booked through March 18 in Providence, Rhode Island. More dates will be revealed in the coming weeks. ...

Hard as it may be to believe, Sonic Youth guitarist Thurston Moore has recorded the score to an adult film, according to Wired. "Extra Action (And Extra Hardcore)," which hits stores March 18 and was directed by Richard Kern, is an hourlong film that features "unpretentious, unadorned and definitely undressed" women, asked to "roll around and do something interesting for a few minutes." ...

Seal has signed on as the headliner of Musicians on Call's fourth annual Benefit Concert & Auction, which will take place January 29 at the Hard Rock Cafe in New York's Times Square. Among the items up for bid from the organization, which brings music to patients in health-care facilities, are two front-row concert tickets and a one-on-one piano lesson from Gavin DeGraw, a Fender bass signed by Sting, an acoustic guitar signed by Bon Jovi, and a meet-and-greet and two tickets for a Daughtry or Carrie Underwood/ Keith Urban show. ... Against stiff odds, Tanya Andersen has beaten the Recording Industry Association of America again. The single mother, who became a folk hero among the thousands of targets of the association's downloading lawsuits when the RIAA dropped its 2005 suit against her for lack of evidence, got word on Tuesday that a judge had ruled in her favor once more. Wired News reports that an Oregon judge ordered the RIAA to pay the 42-year-old Andersen's legal-defense fees from the copyright-infringement case, upholding a September ruling that the organization had appealed.

[This story was originally published at 2:48 pm E.T. on 1.22.2008]

• Lily Allen
• Green Day
• Diddy
• AFI
• Biohazard

Paula Abdul
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Federal Transportation Safety Administration officials are investigating a breach of security at Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport on Thursday involving Paula Abdul and a companion, according to The Associated Press. Southwest Airlines was alerted to the breach while the "American Idol" judge's 12:20 p.m. flight was in the air and then screened all passengers and baggage once the plane landed in Burbank, California. A McCarran spokesperson told the AP that someone not employed by Southwest Airlines, the TSA or the Department of Aviation, led Abdul past the mandatory checkpoint. ...

Four "American Idol" hopefuls were sent packing Thursday night, narrowing the field for the show's fifth season to 16. Brenna Gethers, Heather Cox, David Radford and Jose "Sway" Penala scored the fewest votes in the second round of "Idol" eliminations determined by the viewers. Host Ryan Seacrest revealed that more than 42 million votes were cast this week. ...Tool have titled their upcoming album 10,000 Days, according to the band's spokesperson. The record is due around their Coachella performance on April 30. ...

Matisyahu will descend upon Tower Records in Northridge, California, for a live performance two days after the release of his new album. Youth hits stores March 7, and customers who purchase the Hasidic rapper's disc at Tower in Northridge will receive a wristband for the gig and signing two days later. The show will be staged in the Tower Records parking lot, and the first few hundred people who buy Youth beforehand will be able to stand in front of the stage. ... Thursday night, fresh off their European tour, Detroit's Slum Village gave an intimate performance at Club Twenty Twenty in Santa Monica, California. During the show the group — which dropped its self-titled album last year — paid tribute to recently deceased friend and hip-hop producer Jay Dee. ...

Former Jackson 5 drummer Johnny Jackson was found dead at his home in Gary, Indiana, on Wednesday night, according to The Associated Press. The 54-year-old was found stabbed in the chest not long after a neighbor complained of a disturbance between Jackson and a woman on the first floor of his complex. The unidentified woman has yet to come forward, and no murder weapon was found at the scene. Police are currently treating the case as a homicide and an investigation is still taking place, according to the AP. Johnny Jackson, who grew up near the Jackson family home, joined the superstar pop group — which included a young Michael Jackson — in 1967, replacing original drummer Milford Hite. Reports have varied over the years as to whether or not Johnny was directly related to the Jackson clan. ...

When is a band sticker on a bicycle more than it seems? When police think it's an act of terrorism. Officials at Ohio University in Athens, Ohio, shut down four buildings and called out the bomb squad on Thursday when they spotted a bike with sticker that said "this bike is a pipe bomb." According to the AP, it turns out the sticker was a promo for a punk band of the same name, but police didn't find that out until they blocked off streets for blocks around the Oasis restaurant near campus and called in the bomb squad from 65 miles away. The bomb experts hit the bike with a high-pressure hose and tore it apart with a Jaws of Life device before finding out that it was the name of a Pensacola, Florida, band on Plan-It-X Records. The bike's owner was interviewed by cops and released without charge. ... The U.S. Justice Department said Thursday that it had opened an investigation into alleged price-fixing in the sale of digital downloads, according to the AP. The inquiry is almost identical to the one launched in December by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, according to two music industry executives. The Justice Department would not name the companies it has targeted. ...

Ted Nugent, Anthrax's Scott Ian, Sebastian Bach, Biohazard's Evan Seinfeld and Jason Bonham, the son of late Led Zeppelin drummer John Bonham, will be the stars of VH1's forthcoming series "SuperGroup." Set to start airing May 18, the program will team these five rockers up, presenting them with a chance to form the "heaviest 'SuperGroup.' " The audience will watch as either history — or just mistakes — are made. The series follows the rockers over a two-week period in Las Vegas; rock manager Doc McGhee will guide the guys through the process. The entire experiment will culminate with a massive concert in Sin City. ... Lamb of God will hit a Richmond, Virginia, recording studio on March 13 to begin pre-production on the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2004's Ashes of the Wake. The metallers have once again called on producer Machine (White Zombie, Bloodsimple) to helm the LP. A late August release date has been tentatively set. ... Ben Folds will launch a 22-date tour in Seattle on Saturday — one that will keep him busy through late April. The trek will hit several college campuses along the way, and wind down in Knoxville, Tennessee, on April 28.

03.02.2006

Paris Hilton has been ordered to appear in Los Angeles Superior Court on September 18 at 9:30 a.m. for the first date of her trial against actress/model Zeta Graff, who filed a $10 million defamation suit against Hilton last year. Graff, who also happens to be the ex-girlfriend of Hilton's former squeeze Paris Latsis, is suing the heiress for allegedly planting gossip about her in the tabloids, including one "Page Six" item in the New York Post that claimed Graff attacked Hilton at a club when she was with Latsis. Set for September 11 is a final status hearing during which the judge will discuss the case with both sets of attorneys and make any additional orders before the trial kicks off the following week. ...

If you missed the deadline for thinkMTV's Storm Corps, you may have another chance to spend your spring break helping those in the Gulf Coast region. Rapper/actor/activist Mos Def is one of the hip-hop leaders supporting Katrina on the Ground, an alternative spring-break initiative to lend a hand to the lives and homes devastated in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Starting Sunday, students will make the trek to the Gulf's hardest-hit areas of Mobile, Alabama; Biloxi, Mississippi; and New Orleans to help rebuild communities and provide legal assistance and financial advice. While the deadline has passed for the weeklong outing that starts Sunday, there is still time to apply for the remaining three weeks in March. Check out KatrinaOnTheGround.com for more information. ...

Franz Ferdinand will issue a five-track "single" for "The Fallen" on March 27 in the U.K. — meaning staunch Franz fans in the U.S. will need to look for a copy in the imports section of their neighborhood record store. The single will feature the new tracks "Lauren Wells," "Brown Onions," "Jeremy Fraser" and the "Ruined by Justice" remix of "The Fallen." ... On the subject of overseas ventures, Staind will perform a series of live shows in Germany for U.S. military personnel returning from combat duty in the Persian Gulf. The first show is scheduled for Friday at the U.S. Army Garrison, Mannheim, followed by performances March 16 at the U.S. Army Garrison, Franconia; and March 17 at the U.S. Army Garrison, Baumholder. The band, on tour in Europe, will return to the States in mid-April for the Jägermeister Music Tour. ...

Depeche Mode's "Suffer Well" (from last year's Playing the Angel) has been translated into Simlish, the native language of virtual gaming community the Sims. The track can be heard on the "The Sims 2 Open for Business" game-expansion pack. ... Stereolab have launched a brief U.S. tour that'll keep them busy through the rest of this month. Hot Chip, Espers, and Sam Prekop and Archer Prewitt of the Sea and Cake will open various legs of the trek. The band performs in San Francisco Thursday (March 2), and dates run through March 29 in San Diego. ... Mogwai have kicked off a brief U.S. tour that hits Columbus, Ohio, Thursday. The jaunt will expire March 15 in Austin, Texas, where the band will perform as part of this year's South by Southwest music conference. ... Also hitting SxSW is Sia, who caused a smash with her song "Breathe Me" on the "Six Feet Under" season finale and soundtrack. The Aussie native will kick off a tour in Austin on March 18 in support of her recent album Colour the Small One, hitting Los Angeles, Seattle, Chicago and New York through April. ... British rockers Gomez will play at SxSW as well, in anticipation of their next album, How We Operate. The band's three singers will also play acoustic shows in Denver, Seattle, San Francisco, Los Angeles and New York to hype up the new, Gil Norton (Pixies, Foo Fighters)-produced record, which comes out May 2. ...

British rapper Mike Skinner, a.k.a. the Streets, has set an April 25 release date for his third album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living. The album has been described as an autobiographical account of Skinner's last few years. ... Rammstein already have three videos crafted for their new album Rosenrot, due March 28. While Jonas Akerlund (Blink-182, Madonna) directed the clip for the first single "Mann Gegen Mann," the band also banked footage for the video for the title track and for "Benzin" (which was recently remixed by Beastie Boy Ad-Rock). The video for "Rosenrot" promises to be disturbing, involving burning at the stake and authentic scourging and flagellation, sans stuntmen (not surprisingly, it's already been banned from daytime play in Germany). ... Alkaline Trio will kick off their Occult Roots of Alkaline Trio: Early Songs for Eerie People Tour on March 30 in Sparks, Nevada. The band's set list for the trek will include material from the Trio's entire catalog, with some tracks being performed acoustically. Dates run through April 15 in Sayreville, New Jersey. Against Me! have been tapped as the tour openers. ... Massive Attack's Collected, due April 4, will feature some previously unreleased material alongside the pioneering electronic-music group's best tunes. A greatest-hits DVD will also be included, with Jonathan Glazer's just-completed clip for new single "Live With Me" as a bonus.

• Anthrax
• Biohazard
• Franz Ferdinand
• Depeche Mode
• Alkaline Trio

Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta
Photo: Universal Records

Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta will produce the next album by Agnostic Front. The renaissance metal man is working on pre-production at Planet Z studios in Massachusetts. Jasta will follow up that project by producing the debut album from the Autumn Offspring. ... Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian recently proposed to longtime girlfriend Pearl Aday, daughter of singer Meat Loaf, according to the band's Web site. Ian's fiancée recorded a duet with her father for his last album, which was co-written by Nikki Sixx, who once toured with Aday when she was a backup singer for Sixx's Mötley Crüe. ...

Lamb of God singer Randall Blythe has recorded guest vocals with Canada's female-fronted Bloodshoteye. Blythe will sing on "F.U.B.A.R.," from the group's album Without Any Remorse, due next month. ... Lubbock, Texas' Speedealer will launch a tour in Houston on February 6. Dates run through March 28 in Dallas. Bleed will support. ... Biohazard singer/guitarist Billy Graziadei and Kittie bassist Jennifer Arroyo have formed band called Rodek and recently recorded several demo tracks. Songs include "Undone," "Marching Backwards" and "Not My Year." ...

Brooklyn, New York's Life of Agony are set to embark on a monthlong trek with Flaw and Skrape beginning January 20 the state's capital, Albany Two dozen shows, though February 21 in Buffalo, have been scheduled thus far. ... Florida's Six Feet Under are set prove themselves King of the Roadkill with a three-week tour of the same name. The jaunt runs from January 31 in High Point, North Carolina, through February 17 in Louisville, Kentucky. ... Latin metal band Ill Niño will shoot a video for "This Time's for Real" next week in Spanish Harlem. The track is from the group's most recent album, Confession, which came out in September. ...

December have parted ways with singer/guitarist Mark Moots. His last show with the band was December 28 in Reno, Nevada. No reason was given for his departure. December, whose last album was 2002's The Lament Configuration, are seeking a replacement. ... England's Bolt Thrower are writing new songs for their yet-untitled eighth studio album, due by November. The band will support the release with its first U.S. tour in a decade. ... Fear Factory finished mastering their new Archetype this week in New York. Due April 2, the disc will be the group's first disc since the departure of founding guitarist Dino Cazares. ...

Even though Soilwork drummer Ricky Evensand has left his Swedish comrades to join Cleveland's Chimaira (who recently toured with Soilwork on the Pure Hatred Tour), there isn't any bad blood. "The guys in Soilwork gave me their blessing, so we will always remain good friends," he wrote on Chimaira's Web site. ... Haste have parted ways with singer Kelly Reaves, leaving co-vocalist Chris Mosley to handle frontman duties by himself. ... Converge will now release the tentatively titled You Fail Me, the follow-up to 2001's Jane Doe, through Epitaph and not Equal Vision Records. Vinyl will be handled by singer Jacob Bannon's Deathwish Inc. label. ... Scarlet's Cult Classic hits stores March 9 and will include the songs "Get Your Gun," "Suicide Soundtrack," "No One's Getting Out Alive" and "You're My Fix" among its 16 tracks. ...

Following reports of fisticuffs during a recent string of West Coast dates, Cleveland's Integrity have decided to go on indefinite hiatus. The band had been touring in support of To Die For, its first album of new material since breaking up a couple of years ago. ... Twelve Tribes have reinvented themselves as Prodigal Zoo and are working on an album called The Rebirth of Tragedy, due on Ferret Records in May. ... Most Precious Blood recently shot a video for "The Great Red Shift," from their newly released Our Lady of Annihilation, with director Dale Resteghini (Hatebreed). ... Dark Funeral will release a still-untitled live album March 29, their first release through a new deal with Regain Records, according to the band's Web site. ...

— compiled by Joe D'Angelo, Ryan Downey, Robert Mancini and Jon Wiederhorn

• Hatebreed
• Anthrax
• Lamb of God
• Six Feet Under
• Life of Agony

Ashanti's hooked up with ladykiller Ja Rule for her duets, but this time, she's going to be the one inflicting pain — of the preternatural variety. The singer is slated for a guest spot on UPN's "Buffy the Vampire Slayer," in which she'll play Lissa, a potential and possibly deadly love interest for the always unlucky-in-love Xander. The episode, called "First Date," airs on February 11 at 8 p.m. ...

The Nelson Mandela SOS Concert, a benefit scheduled for February 2 and featuring Bono, Elton John and others (see "Bono, Shaggy, Macy Gray To Play AIDS Benefit In South Africa") has been canceled because of problems with the producers, organizers said in a statement on Friday (January 17). The event was to take place on Robben Island, where the former president of South Africa had been a political prisoner for nearly two decades. ...

Avril Lavigne's first headlining trek now carries a name, the Try To Shut Me Up! Tour, as well some fellow countrymen. Vancouver's Gob, supporting their F.U. EP, will open all dates of the trek, which has added four dates and one routing change to its itinerary. The five-week outing will now begin on April 9 in Toronto. When the tour was first announced last week, the gig at the Air Canada Centre was the second venue the wife-beater-wearing singer planned to visit. ...

Nelly will have an interesting opening act when he performs at a Miami party on March 8 — Andrew W.K. Details on the show are available at axehouseparty.com. ... The White Stripes have set a April 15 release date for Elephant, the follow-up to their breakthrough LP, White Blood Cells. ...

Looks like A.J. McLean is back on the market. The badass Backstreet Boy and his fiancée, Sarah Martin, have called off their wedding, according to a post on Martin's official Web site. ... JC Chasez has spent the last month working with producers Dallas Austin (TLC), Rockwilder (Missy Elliott) and Brad and Alex ('NSYNC) on his solo album. "I'm still at the very beginning stages," he said at Monday's American Music Awards. "But I'm going back to the studio this month and we'll see what happens." ...

New York metal mob Biohazard have dropped off of their current U.S. tour with Kittie and Eighteen Visions. According to a source close to the band, Biohazard bassist/vocalist Evan Seinfeld, who also stars on the HBO prison drama "Oz," has been hospitalized and is undergoing tests for a sudden and as-yet-undetermined illness. It's reportedly the first tour the band has canceled in their 15-year history. ... Missing-in-action singer/songwriter Elliott Smith will come out of hibernation this month with a couple of live shows at the Bowery Ballroom in New York (January 24 and 25) and then two more at the Henry Fonda Theatre in Los Angeles (January 31 and February 1). Smith, who hasn't released a record since 2000's Figure 8 and has been dogged with rumors of heroin abuse for the last year, recently played an unannounced benefit concert for "Clean Needles Now" at L.A.'s Spaceland Theater. At the show, Smith told the audience about his potential plans to release a double album. ...

Supporting their sixth album, One Beat, riot grrrl trio Sleater-Kinney will begin their 16-date North American tour January 31 in Portland, Oregon, and wrap things up February 23 in Chicago. ... 20-year-old Norwegian wunderkind Sondre Lerche will embark on his first North American tour in support of his 2002 debut record, Faces Down. The folk-pop singer's 16-date tour kicks off February 17 at New York's Bowery Ballroom and ends March 10 at the Knitting Factory in Los Angeles. ...

01.16.03

Busta Rhymes is planning a headlining tour for the spring, after he shoots a video for "I Know What You Want," a collaboration with Mariah Carey and the Flipmode Squad and the next single from his LP It Ain't Safe No More. "I want to get the video out of the way before we hit the road, so we ain't got to worry about none of that and can just focus on showing the love to the people," he said at Monday's American Music Awards. ... Also at the AMAs, Big Boi said that the Outkast clothing line, which was put on hold while they recorded their upcoming double album, will make a big splash in the spring. The rapper said Macy's, Bloomingdale's and other major department stores have agreed to carry the line. ...

Pamela Anderson and Tommy Lee have reached a settlement agreement regarding the custody of their two children, Brandon and Dylan. The ex-spouses agreed to share custody, according to their lawyers, though a provision of the agreement allows Anderson to bring the kids with her if she relocates to Michigan within the year to live with her fiancé, Kid Rock. ... Celine Dion will release a new album, One Heart, on March 25, the same day her Las Vegas extravaganza "A New Day ..." opens at the new Caesars Palace Colosseum. The first single will be "I Drove All Night," originally recorded by Roy Orbison in 1988 and a year later by Cyndi Lauper. The song will double as the centerpiece of Chrysler's new "Drive & Love" ad campaign. ...

Two albums chock-full of Spiritualized rarities will be released on Arista/Spaceman Records this year. The first hits record stores in March and features 11 tracks that were never before available on LP. The second release, slated for fall, will boast obscure 7-inch releases and cuts from their Medication EP. ... Budding remixers can download various vocal and instrumental tracks of Delerium's new single, "After All," from their Web site for a remix contest beginning January 17 and ending February 14. The winning remix will be featured on the group's new album, Chimera, due May 20. ...

Phil Collins, Queen, Van Morrison and Little Richard will be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame at the 34th annual ceremony and awards dinner on June 12 in New York. ... If you've got enough cash, you could sing for Def Leppard. The band is holding an auction on eBay, and the winner will get to belt out "Pour Some Sugar on Me" with the band at its Hallam FM Arena show in their hometown of Sheffield, England. Bidding is currently up to 4,200 pounds (about $6,300), and runs through January 23. All proceeds will go to Help a Hallam Child, which provides assistance for needy kids in the English regions of South Yorkshire and the North Midlands. ...

Evil death metal dudes Morbid Angel are currently hard at work on the follow-up to 2000's Gateways to Annihilation, their publicist said. The disc is tentatively slated for a September release. ... Strapping Young Lad will issue their third studio album, SYL, on February 11. The disc, the band's first in nearly six years, was recorded in Vancouver and was produced by guitarist and frontman Devin Townsend. A full tour with Townsend's other outfit the Devin Townsend Band will follow the album's release. ...

• Ashanti
• Avril Lavigne
• Nelly
• *NSYNC
• JC Chasez

Biohazard
Photo: MTV News

Slipknot, Pantera's Phil Anselmo and Cypress Hill's Sen Dog will appear on Biohazard's sixth studio album.

Uncivilization, due September 11, also features collaborations with various members of Sepultura, Hatebreed's Jamey Jasta, Agnostic Front's Roger Miret and Type O Negative's Peter Steele.

Biohazard — singer/guitarist Billy Graziadei, singer/bassist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Leo Curley and drummer Danny Schuler — produced most of the album on their own in their Brooklyn, New York, studio, according to management.

Miami producer Jive Jones, the man behind Mandy Moore's sugary single "Candy," co-produced the album's first single, "Last Man Standing," with Biohazard. The track features Sen Dog and New York's DJ Rizz (see "Biohazard's Next Features Sen Dog, Mandy Moore Collaborator").

Sen Dog last worked with the band on "How It Is," from 1994's State of the World Address. Uncivilization marks Biohazard's first release since signing to Sanctuary Records, a metal renaissance label whose roster includes Megadeth, Rollins Band, Corrosion Of Conformity, Halford and Dust to Dust.

The 13-track album finds the band collaborating with their many friends in the metal world. Slipknot appear on "Domination," Phil Anselmo on "H.F.F.K.," Peter Steele on "Cross the Line," Jamey Jasta on "Domination" and Roger Miret on "Unified." Sepultura's Igor Cavalera appears on "Gone," while bandmates Andreas Kisser and Derrick Green add guitars and vocals to "Trap." Biohazard will promote Uncivilization with a mid-August tour of the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada, before heading to Europe in September for the Tattoo the Planet Tour. A full North American outing is expected to commence upon their return.

Meanwhile, fans can catch Seinfeld as recurring character Jaz Hoyt on HBO's prison drama, "Oz." Biohazard formed in 1988 and released several rap-metal landmarks, including 1996's Mata Leao and two collaborations with rappers Onyx, a remix of "Slam" and the title song on the "Judgment Night" soundtrack.

• Biohazard
• Slipknot
• Pantera
• Sepultura
• Hatebreed

Biohazard
Photo: UNI/Polygram

Mandy Moore, P.M. Dawn, Innosense ... and now, Biohazard.

So reads the résumé of producer Jive Jones, who is working on the Brooklyn rap-metal pioneers' sixth studio LP, due this summer.

"Last Man Standing," a track featuring Cypress Hill MC Sen Dog, is likely to be the first single from Biohazard's as-yet-untitled project, according to Jones, the man behind popster Moore's sugary single "Candy." "I'm all over the place right now," Jones said from the Biohazard studio Friday (January 12). The 25-year-old Miami native has recently recorded tracks for groove rappers P.M. Dawn, teen pop princesses Innosense and newcomers Kim Ferron and Shooting Blanks.

"But Biohazard is like a dream come true for me," Jones said. "I've been listening to them since I was a kid. These guys really got the rap-metal thing started. I want to call the record 'Take It Back,' because that's what we're doing. We're not taking it back time-wise, we're taking back the rap-metal claim." Biohazard — singer/guitarist Billy Graziadei, singer/bassist Evan Seinfeld, guitarist Rob Echevarria and drummer Danny Schuler — have produced most of the album themselves in their own studio, Jones said.

The band formed in 1988 and released several rap-metal landmarks, including 1996's Meta Leao and two collaborations with rappers Onyx, a remix of "Slam" and the title song on the "Judgment Night" soundtrack.

Jones, who co-founded Internet radio station The Womb, has also recorded his debut solo album, Me, Myself and I, due in the spring on Columbia Records. His first single, "Money Shot," will be released to radio and video outlets in late February.

"It's rap-rock, like Limp Bizkit, but with a Prince flair," Jones said of his album, which includes guest appearances from New York City DJs Roc Raida and DJ Riz. "I like to straddle the two styles. I like taking DJ tracks and putting punk guitars over them and vice versa." Jones recorded the album in various studios around the U.S., including Nashville, where he felt inspired to cover songs from country stars Trisha Yearwood and Chet Atkins. "Seriously, don't laugh," he said. "I'm all about bringing different styles together."

• Biohazard

Teutonic rockers H-Blockx have written and recorded the new theme song for WWF wrestler "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, and the track, titled "Oh Hell Yeah," will be included on the "WWF: The Music - Volume 4" album, due out on November 2.

• 11/2 - Cleveland, OH @ Odeon
• 11/3 - Cincinnati, OH @ Annie's
• 11/4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Rave's Bar
• 11/5 - Columbus, OH @ Al Rosa Villa
• 11/6 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's
• 11/7 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
• 11/9 - Clinton, IA @ Pig Pen
• 11/10 - Iowa City, IA @ Gab's
• 11/11 - St. Louis, MO @ Karma
• 11/12 - Kansas City, MO @ Hurricane
• 11/13 - Memphis, TN @ Last Day On Earth
• 11/14 - Nashville, TN @ Exit-In
• 11/16 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's
• 11/18 - Baltimore, MD @ Daytona's
• 11/19 - Washington, DC @ Nation
• 11/20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero
• 11/21 - Hartford, CT @ Toad's Place

-- David Basham

• Biohazard
• H-Blockx

Tricky, De La Soul, Biohazard, Roni Size, The Donnas, Ash, Queens Of The Stone Age, and Bis will be among the artists descending on New York in September for the annual CMJ showcase.

• Biohazard
• Roni Size
• Tricky

ANAHEIM, California — Creed vocalist Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti will start working nights this week as they resume writing the follow-up to 1999's smash Human Clay. Refreshed from taking the holidays off, the songwriting duo plans to buckle down four nights a week and pen an album that intensifies the larger-than-life feel of its predecessor.

"It's gonna be more extreme on all extremities — the harder stuff a little harder, the epic stuff a little more epic," Tremonti said Saturday.

Creed plan to spend the next few months writing before heading into the studio in July and hopefully releasing the disc in October or November. Tremonti said the band, which worked with longtime friend and producer John Kurzweg on both My Own Prison (1997) and Human Clay, has not picked a producer for the album.

The spiritual Florida rockers parted ways with bass player and founding member Brian Marshall in August and hired Brett Hestla as their touring bassist. Hestla will be working on an album with his group Virgos while Creed are recording their LP as a trio, but the bands are considering a joint fall tour after both albums hit stores. Hestla said he would play both sets.

Tremonti, Hestla and Creed drummer Scott Phillips attended last weekend's National Association of Music Merchants trade show in Anaheim, where Paul Reed Smith Guitars unveiled Tremonti's new signature model.

Tremonti said he had been working with PRS to design the guitar for about a year. "It's the baddest guitar on the planet. It's a technically perfect, thick, massive-sounding guitar. I think it's the best in the world today." Creed, who cleaned up at several recent award ceremonies, are up for two Grammys next month. "With Arms Wide Open" is nominated for Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group and Best Rock Song, the latter of which would go to its songwriters, Tremonti and Stapp.

"A Grammy would be great — I'm just not gonna count on it," Tremonti said. "We've won a lot of awards this year, and I'm happy about 'em. If we don't win a Grammy, we don't win a Grammy. We've got a lot more albums ahead. But we're up for two of them, so we'll keep our fingers crossed." For much more on Creed, don't forget to check out the MTV News Online feature Creed: Higher Learning"

• Biohazard

If it's horror-metal you're after, your desires should be satiated considerably when Coal Chamber hooks up with the Insane Clown Posse tour next month, joining Biohazard and Posse proteges Twiztid as an opening act.

• 7/7 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
• 7/8 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
• 7/9 - Pittsburgh, PA @ I.C. Light Amphitheater
• 7/10 - Toledo, OH @ Sports Arena
• 7/11 - Columbus, OH @ Brewery Dis. Pavilion
• 7/13 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica
• 7/15 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Ft. Wayne Coliseum
• 7/16 - Louisville, KY @ Louisville Gardens
• 7/17 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Music Park
• 7/18 - Tampa, FL @ Ice Palace
• 7/22 - Houston, TX @ Aerial Theatre
• 7/23 - San Antonio, TX @ Sunken Gardens
• 7/24 - Dallas, TX @ Artists Square
• 7/27 - Los Angeles, CA @ Shrine Auditorium
• 7/28 - Phoenix, AZ @ America West Arena
• 7/30 - Morrison, CO @ Red Rock Amphitheater
• 7/31 - Amarillo, TX @ Amarillo Civic Center
• 8/1 - Belton, MO @ Bell County Expo
• 8/4 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagles Ballroom
• 8/5 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
• 8/6 - St. Louis, MO @ Riverport Amphitheater
• 8/7 - Bonner Springs, KS @ Sandstone Amphitheater
• 8/8 - Chicago, IL @ Aragon Ballroom
• 8/11 - Indianapolis, IN @ Market Square Arena
• 8/12 - Kalamazoo. MI @ Wings Stadium
• 8/14 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica
• 8/19 - New York, NY @ Hammerstein Ballroom
• 8/20 - Lowell, MA @ Tsongas Arena
• 8/21 - Rochester, NY @ Rochester Armory

• Biohazard
• Coal Chamber
• Insane Clown Posse

Roadrunner United 12.15.2005

• Slipknot
• Stone Sour
• Hatebreed
• Murderdolls
• Deicide