Andy Samberg
Photo: Jesse Grant/ WireImage

It takes a lot of, um, guts, to name your first single "Ji-- in My Pants." But that's the plan for the unabashedly raunchy debut album from Lonely Island, the three-man musical wrecking crew led by "Saturday Night Live" It Boy Andy Samberg and his writing buddies, Jorma Taccone and Akiva Schaffer. The disc, Incredibad, is due out on February 10 and will feature some help from an impressive roster of heavy hitters, including T-Pain, Norah Jones, Jack Black, E-40, the Strokes' singer Julian Casablancas and, of course, Justin Timberlake.

With a mix of songs made famous in digital shorts on "SNL" over the years — including the Emmy-winning Timberlake collaboration "Di-- in a Box," as well as "Lazy Sunday" (co-starring Chris Parnell) and the Natalie Portman-assisted "Natalie Raps" — the album is meant to make you laugh, but Samberg said he wouldn't mind if you nod your head to it a bit too.

"We definitely wanted it to be a classic comedy album, but also one you put on more than once," Samberg told MTV News. "We've gone out of our way to make it musically pleasing. We started on a few songs that were not funny enough, for us, but they sounded pretty cool. And the bottom line for the project was, 'Is it going to be funny first and music second?' I think it's 95 percent music, and we hope people would throw it on and bump it."

The trio, who've been posting NSFW songs and videos on TheLonelyIsland.com for years, shared a home in Encino, California, over the summer and collaborated on the 14 tracks. Samberg said Universal Republic Records had been after the troupe to do an album since the "Lazy Sunday" digital short dropped on "SNL" in 2005. And, as Samberg told MTV News in 2006, the friends always did want to make an album.

"We finally had the free time to do it this summer," he said. Though some of the "SNL" songs have become instant classics, Samberg thinks there's an added value to the ones that never appeared on the show "because Jorma and Akiva aren't castmembers, and our songs normally require three dudes with very specific rap skills."

Though he was skimpy with the details, not wanting to ruin the surprise, Samberg did reveal that the album is heavy on hip-hop beats but has some of the signature new-wave goodness of songs like "Space Olympics" and the island vibes of "Ras Trent."

"Jorma makes a lot of the beats, but because we knew we had a set amount of time on this, we asked for any and all beats we could get," Samberg said. That resulted in a combination of homebrewed rhythms and professional help from reggae legends Sly & Robbie on "Ras Trent," as well as a few beats from Jurassic 5 turntable master DJ Nu-Mark and underground producer/DJ J-Zone, who has worked with everyone from Gnarls Barkley to Biz Markie and Pete Rock.

Samberg said he's particularly proud of the thump on the first single, "Ji-- in My Pants," which made its debut on the show last week with cameos from a mop-wielding Timberlake, checkout girl Jamie-Lynn Sigler and club hottie Molly Sims. "When I first heard that beat, it sounded like a Timbaland beat," Samberg said. "My first reference was a Missy Elliott club jam, and then we threw some generic Euro Brit dudes on top, because, to be honest, we don't have the chops to crush a Timbaland beat." The video, which features Taccone rapping alongside Samberg, was shot a week before the current "SNL" seasons started, and Samberg said he had "no intentions" of the Universal-funded clip making it onto the show, but once it played in dress rehearsal, the reaction demanded that it make it on air.

While Samberg admitted the three have an affinity for dirty jokes that end somewhere south of the equator, he said they tried not to make the album all locker-room humor. "I would hope that isn't our theme, but it was getting harder and harder to deny," Samberg said. "When we did 'Di-- in a Box' — and that's what most people know us for — it's an uphill battle from there."

Samberg promised that the album's T-Pain song, "I'm on a Boat," is "straight hip-hop," while the Jack Black tune, "Sax Man," finds the Tenacious D frontman singing his heart out. He also revealed that mellow torch singer Norah Jones (who appears on the tune "Dream Girl") is a "goofy girl" who loves comedy, and his normally dour buddy Casablancas shows some comedy chops that might surprise on "Boombox."

The record is also slated to feature Bay Area hip-hop legend E-40 on the song "Santana DVX," as well as the songs "Who Said We're Wack," "Punch You in the Jeans," "We Like Sportz," "Shrooms" and the "SNL" classic "Iran So Far" with Maroon 5's Adam Levine. There will also be an accompanying DVD, but Samberg said he couldn't talk about what would be on it yet because the terms are still being negotiated.

Samberg would love to take the show on the road, but for now, given his hectic schedule, that remains to be seen. "Some of us are more anxious to do it than others," he said. 

• Justin Timberlake
• T-Pain
• Timbaland
• Missy Elliott
• Norah Jones

Amy Winehouse
Photo: Kevin Winter/ Getty Images

Amy Winehouse — whose "Rehab" earned her Song of the Year honors at the U.K.'s Mojo awards on Monday — has sketched out a two-week stretch across North America with Scottish singer/songwriter Paolo Nutini, according to Billboard. The jaunt begins with a September 12 gig at New York's Central Park SummerStage and continues until September 29 at Chicago's Aragon Ballroom. ...

Hilary Duff has a trek of her own on the way — she'll kick off a 16-date U.S. tour August 6 in Seattle. The singer's cross-country run will take her to cities including San Diego, Las Vegas, Minneapolis and Chicago. Pre-sale tickets for the tour — currently set to wrap up September 1 in Darien Lake, New York — are on sale Tuesday for fan-club members and Wednesday via Target. Regular tickets go on sale to the general public on Saturday. ...

It's heaven on Earth for Pussycat Dolls and Metallica fans: Both acts have been added to the London installment of July 7's Live Earth mega-event. "I love my sons. I want them to 'inherit the Earth' for real!" drummer Lars Ulrich said in a statement. "I want the buck to stop here, now. I want lawmakers and laws to impose change." Metallica's performance will be available as a download immediately after the event, with proceeds going to various charities. Kasabian and Terra Naomi have also been added to the London gig. ...

Radio-station billboards featuring photos of a bald, grimacing Britney Spears have been removed from Florida highways after the singer's attorneys threatened legal action, The Associated Press reports. Spears' lawyers sent a letter to Clear Channel Communications on Thursday, accusing WFLZ-FM of "offensive, unauthorized commercial exploitation" of the singer's image and demanding that the three Tampa-area billboards be removed. "We have confirmed that the billboards are down," Clear Channel spokeswoman Michele Clarke said Tuesday (June 19). The ads pictured Spears and "The MJ Morning Show" host Todd Schnitt alongside slogans including "Total Nut Jobs," "Shock Therapy," and "Certifiable." Schnitt told The St. Petersburg Times that he does not support the station's decision to remove the ads. ...

A spokesperson for the New York Police Department told MTV News that despite local media reports, authorities have not tied the death of 20-year-old aspiring rapper Charles White to a retaliation for last week's fatal shooting of Stack Bundles. Police said that they are still investigating the shooting of White, who was found dead in the Queens, New York, neighborhood of Springfield Gardens early Tuesday. A funeral service for Stack Bundles, who was killed in a shooting last week, was held Monday. ... Lindsay Lohan will not be celebrating her release from rehab with a Las Vegas 21st birthday blowout after all. The Los Angeles Times reports that Pure nightclub released a statement on Monday announcing that the party has been canceled, explaining, "We support Lindsay and wish her the best as she is taking care of personal matters at this time. Due to the unique circumstances, as of this afternoon, Lindsay's birthday party at Pure Nightclub has been canceled. We think the world of her and look forward to working with her in the future." ...

Nicole Richie's DUI trial has been pushed back to July 11, but a judge will not grant any further delays, Reuters reports. In a brief hearing Tuesday — which the actress did not attend — Los Angeles County District Attorney office spokeswoman Jane Robison said, "She has two options: Either she goes to trial or she changes her 'not guilty' plea." Richie was arrested in December after driving the wrong way on a freeway in Los Angeles. Police say she failed a sobriety test and admitted to having smoked marijuana and taken Vicodin. According to Robison, Richie faces a minimum punishment of 90 days in jail if convicted, as she had been previously convicted for driving under the influence in a separate incident. ... Senator Hillary Clinton has chosen Celine Dion's "You and I" as her campaign theme song — and she made the announcement Tuesday with a Web video spoofing the final scene of "The Sopranos." The announcement ended a monthlong interactive Internet campaign that attracted more than 1 million viewers to her campaign Web site. ... Not everyone in Chicago is psyched about Lollapalooza cranking up the tunes along the lakefront in August. The annual festival, which is held in the city's storied Grant Park and brings in $1 million a year to clean up city parks, heard some harsh criticism at a public meeting on Monday, according to the Chicago Tribune. Some neighbors complained that noise from the concert — which is expected to draw 200,000 people August 3-5 to hear the likes of Pearl Jam, Lupe Fiasco and Modest Mouse — has leaked into their living rooms. Organizers responded to the complaints by agreeing to cut off performances at 10 p.m. and turn five of the nine stages toward Lake Michigan to reduce noise. ...

The creators of San Francisco's hip annual Noise Pop festival announced a new Bay Area gala on Tuesday: the Treasure Island Music Festival, which will be held September 15-16 in San Francisco. Headliners include Modest Mouse and Thievery Corporation, while Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, M.I.A., DJ Shadow & Cut Chemist, Built to Spill, M. Ward, Spoon and others will also perform. Treasure Island is a man-made landmass in the middle of the San Francisco Bay that was built in 1939. ... The Killers, Panic! at the Disco, Arctic Monkeys, Muse, Gym Class Heroes, Too Short, Social Distortion, Spoon, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Air, Brand New and the Academy Is ... are among the artists confirmed for this year's Street Scene festival. The two-day event will be held September 22-23 at the Del Mar Fairgrounds in San Diego. ...

Jack Black is enrolling in witch school, Variety reports. The actor is teaming up with director Todd Phillips ("Old School") for "Man-Witch." Black will play a schoolteacher who discovers his witchy powers, joins a coven and takes lessons alongside young female witches-in-training. ... Ra Ra Riot plan to carry on as a band without late drummer John Pike, who was found dead earlier this month. "As we continue, the pain of missing a dear friend will remind us how much we loved him," the band wrote in a MySpace blog entry. "Coinciding with the wishes of John's family, we have decided to continue onward." ... Jewel is testifying before Congress on Tuesday about youth homelessness. The singer, who was homeless as a teen, is speaking to the House Ways & Means Subcommittee on Income Security and Family Support in a hearing that marks the passage of a bipartisan resolution declaring November as National Homeless Youth Awareness Month. The initiative is sponsored by Virgin Mobile's pro-social movement RE*Generation. ...

Long-running indie 'zine Punk Planet is closing up shop. After 13 years of chronicling and championing the underground, the mag announced in a post on its Web site Monday that it is ceasing publication after the issue now hitting stands. A combination of decreased readership and advertising revenue and the fallout from a bankruptcy filing by the mag's newsstand distributor contributed to the decision. "Add to that the stagnation that the independent record world is suffering under and the effect that has had on our ad sales, not to mention the loss of independent bookstores with a vested interest in selling our publication, and it all adds up to a desperate situation," read a note from editor/founder Daniel Sinker. The magazine's Web site will live on as a social networking hub and its offshoot book line will also continue to publish new titles.

06.18.2007

Britney Spears isn't crazy about a handful of billboards promoting "The MJ Morning Show" in Florida — and she's threatening legal action because of them, according to documents obtained by TheSmokingGun.com. In a letter sent last week to Clear Channel Communications lawyer Donna Schneider, the pop star's counsel Lynda Goldman claims the billboards — which feature a snarling, bald Spears next to radio host Todd Schnitt, and the headlines "Total Nut Jobs," "Shock Therapy" and "Certifiable" — are "outrageous to the extreme." In the letter, Goldman demands the billboards be removed and says Spears is entitled to "very substantial damages" from Clear Channel because her "likeness has a multimillion-dollar value for authorized commercial exploitations." ...

Jennifer Hudson, Steve Carell and Eddie Murphy are among the 115 people who have been asked to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Ryan Gosling, Daniel Craig, Aaron Eckhart and Jennifer Aniston have also been invited to be a part of the group, which is responsible for the Academy Awards. ...

Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler declared a teary-eyed Sara Caplan in contempt of court on Monday. The former Phil Spector defense attorney refused to testify that she saw forensics expert Henry Lee pick up possible evidence in the murder case, The Associated Press reports. The judge ordered her jailed until she testifies but stayed the order to allow for an immediate appeal. ... Paris Hilton's mother and father visited her in jail over the weekend, and Kathy Hilton told MSNBC that the heiress "is doing as well as she can." When asked how his Father's Day was treating him on Sunday, Rick Hilton said, "It's not one of my best." ... Shar Jackson has hired an attorney in her flap with Star magazine over its claims that she is pregnant with Kevin Federline's baby, according to TMZ.com. She said her children are being affected by the rumors and is willing to submit to a pregnancy test to prove she's not expecting. ...

Mötley Crüe filed a $20 million suit against manager Carl Stubner — who also represents Tommy Lee — on Monday, alleging that he hurt the band's reputation, diverted revenue and mismanaged Lee's career. In the lawsuit, the band claims Stubner "promoted Lee's solo activities to the detriment of the band, and at the same time, mismanaged Lee's career so as to harm the Mötley Crüe brand and Lee's reputation as a musician and bandmember." A call to Sanctuary Group, which is also named as a defendant in the suit, was not immediately returned. ... Robert De Niro isn't getting his way in court. A federal judge declined to dismiss a suit that alleges the actor misrepresented his health on an insurance form for his 2005 Fox flick "Hide and Seek," AP reports. Fireman's Fund claims De Niro wrote on the form that he had never been diagnosed with or treated for prostate cancer — but according to court documents, he was diagnosed with the disease in 2003 after undergoing a prostate-gland biopsy. The diagnosis and treatment delayed the movie production, with the group paying Fox more than $1.8 million to cover the delay. A hearing set for July 2 will decide whether the case should go back to state court. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have lined up their first TV performances in seven years, and David Letterman will be doing the hosting honors. The band will unveil new Zeitgeist material when they play his "Late Show" on July 9 and 13. ... 50 Cent will make some serious money from his affiliation with Queens, New York, beverage brand Glacéau — his Formula 50 is one of the brand's VitaminWater flavors — but reports that surfaced late last month estimating that he'll earn $400 million thanks to Coca-Cola's $4.1 billion buyout of the company were about $300 million off, according to Forbes. 50's profile on the magazine's Celebrity 100 list estimates that the deal, which is not yet finalized, will net the rapper $100 million. ...

Avril Lavigne's next single, "When You're Gone," is scheduled to hit radio Monday (June 18). The video, directed by Marc Klasfield (Jay-Z, Gnarls Barkley) premieres on "TRL" Thursday. ... Lavigne was named Favorite Canadian Artist by viewers at Sunday's MuchMusic Video Awards, and broke down in tears during her acceptance speech, thanking fans for their votes. She also performed "Girlfriend" on the show, and took the Best International Video by a Canadian prize for the clip. Other viewers-choice winners include Favorite International Group My Chemical Romance (the band also won Best International Video - Group), Favorite International Artist Hilary Duff and Favorite Canadian Group Billy Talent. ...

Michael Jackson settled a $48 million lawsuit on Monday that had been brought by New Jersey financial company Prescient Acquisition ofHackensack, AP reports. A lawyer for Prescient owner Darien Dash said Dash had helped Jackson secure $573 million in financing to purchase Sony Corp.'s half of the Beatles' song catalog Jackson co-owned with the company. The lawyer also claimed Dash had helped Jackson refinance a $272 million bank loan. Terms of the settlement have not been released. ... Lou Pearlman will be transported from Guam to Florida to face a bankruptcy charge, according to AP. It could be two to three weeks before the former 'NSYNC and Backstreet Boys manager, who appeared before a federal judge in Guam on Friday, arrives there. ... Julia Roberts gave birth to her third child, Henry Daniel Moder, on Monday. ...

Cody L. Conover, a 25-year-old man from Lancaster, Kentucky, died Friday while attending the Bonnaroo festival, AP reports. Conover was taken to the United Regional Hospital in Manchester, Tennessee, at 11 a.m. Friday with no visible signs of trauma, and was pronounced dead shortly afterward. Conover's death is the sixth fatality in the event's six-year history. Investigators are looking into drugs and heat as possible causes of death. It will be several weeks before police determine the official cause. ... Also at Bonnaroo, legendary jazz saxophonist Ornette Coleman, 77, collapsed onstage Sunday night midway through his 90-minute set. The Dallas Morning News reported that Coleman crumpled to the stage and had to be carried off by his bandmembers after succumbing to apparent heat stroke. Coleman was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition Sunday night. ...

Velvet Revolver's upcoming North American run with Alice in Chains is scheduled to launch August 5 in Baltimore. Seventeen dates have been announced for the first leg of the tour, which will hit cities including Toronto; Mansfield, Massachusetts; Wantagh, New York; Scranton, Pennsylvania; Atlantic City, New Jersey; Tinley Park, Illinois; and St. Paul, Minnesota. ... Radiohead posted some new material on their Dead Air Space blog Friday, in a post titled "a bit of tape from the studio." The 1:27-long clip features video of a reel-to-reel tape player churning out selections from songs — some sound like they may be backward — and is accompanied by the description, "I keep bits of tape which have been chopped out of the mixes when they were edited ... stick em on a reel ... when you play it back it sounds like ... this." ...

Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society have parted ways with Roadrunner Records after just one album, the band announced Sunday. Roadrunner released 2006's Shot to Hell, which has sold 121,000 copies since it hit stores in September. The band promises an "exciting announcement" regarding its future will be made in the coming weeks. ... The Dillinger Escape Plan have confirmed rumors that they have parted ways with drummer Chris Pennie; he now plays drums with Coheed and Cambria. The band has enlisted Stolen Babies' Gil Sharone to help finish current album recording sessions. The band revealed in a statement that its forthcoming album will be titled Ire Works and will be produced by Steve Evetts (Saves the Day, Earth Crisis); the set is due in stores this fall. ...

Former Static-X guitarist Tripp Eisen was paroled from a New Jersey correctional facility in April, Blabbermouth reported Friday. According to records posted on the New Jersey Department of Corrections Web site, Eisen (whose real name is Tod Salvador) served 11 months for attempting to lure or entice a child stemming from his arrest for allegedly meeting and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl in January 2005. He was fired from Static-X following his arrest. ... A pirated copy of Michael Moore's U.S. health care exposé "Sicko" was available on YouTube and BitTorrent over the weekend — two weeks ahead of the documentary's June 29 release, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The trade paper's source said distributor Weinstein Company plans to take "a very aggressive approach to protecting the film." Moore hasn't commented on the leak, though he did say he wasn't opposed to the unauthorized distribution of his "Fahrenheit 9/11" in a 2004 interview with Scotland's Daily Herald. "I don't agree with the copyright laws and I don't have a problem with people downloading the movie and sharing it with people as long as they're not trying to make a profit off my labor," Moore said at the time. "The more people who see it, the better."

• Britney Spears
• Lindsay Lohan
• The Killers
• Jack Black
• Amy Winehouse

Jennifer Lopez
Photo: Evan Agostini/ Getty Images

She missed New York's Fashion Week, but now Jennifer Lopez is eyeing a different week to show off her new clothes. The singer/actress/designer will premiere her latest JLo and Sweetface gear during Fashion Week Miami Beach, which runs October 11-15 in Florida. Lopez's JLo line will be on the runway at Tents at the Fifth on October 12 — with an afterparty to follow at the Funkshion Lounge. The Sweetface collection will debut October 14 at the Hotel Nash. ...

Jay-Z will star in a series of promotional spots for the NBA on TNT. The commercials will give "an introspective look into the mind of the entertainment mogul," according to TNT. ... After landing the Billboard #1 spot for the third time in his career with Release Therapy, Ludacris is set to host and perform on "Saturday Night Live" next. The rapper/actor will appear on the November 18 episode. ...

Australia and New Zealand's Big Day Out music festival will celebrate its 15th year with a lineup topped by Tool and including homegrown heroes Jet, as well as My Chemical Romance, the Killers and Muse. The 2007 tour kicks off January 19 in Auckland, New Zealand, and is slated to run through a February 4 show in Perth, Australia. Also on the roster are the Violent Femmes, Peaches, Spank Rock and the Sleepy Jackson. ...

On November 2, Gorillaz — already the world's most famous animated band — will look to get even more famous with the release of their official autobiography, "Gorillaz: Rise of the Ogre." Published by Riverhead Books and featuring illustrations by band co-creator Jamie Hewlett, "Ogre" follows the band from its earliest days to its world-uniting weeklong stint at Harlem's famed Apollo Theater. Among the nuggets of childhood info: As a child, bassist Murdoc attended Sodsworth Comprehensive School and was in a band called Burning Sensations, and a young 2D found solace in George A. Romero's "Dawn of the Dead." For more information, fans can check out the band's official site, Gorillaz.com. ...

AFI will return to the East Coast later this month for five club gigs. The band invades Rochester, New York, on October 28, followed by shows in Sayreville, New Jersey (October 30); Washington, D.C. (November 1); Providence, Rhode Island (November 2); and Albany, New York (November 4). The Explosion will join the band for all five dates, while A Static Age and the Loved Ones will also handle opening-act duties for select shows. AFI are currently working on their first full-length DVD, which will boast live footage captured last week in Long Beach, California, as well as behind-the-scenes clips, all the band's videos and interviews with members of AFI's Despair Faction fan club. The band is seeking photo submissions from fans for inclusion on the DVD. Visit AFireInside.net to learn how to take part. ...

The final few shows at New York's CBGB are being detailed this week. On Thursday, the Pietasters, Big D and the Kids Table and the Lost City Angels will take the punk club's fabled stage for an evening of ska tunes. Agnostic Front, Murphy's Law and Sick of It All have been booked for Sunday. Bad Brains are playing three nights, with Avail and the Dub Trio joining them on Monday, the Bouncing Souls opening for them Tuesday and another gig slated for October 11. The Dictators, the Sic F---s and the Bullys play CBGB one last time on October 13. And on October 15, the venue's final night in business, Patti Smith will take the stage for a sold-out evening of tunes. ...

Meat Loaf was the clear choice to play Jack Black's dad in the upcoming Tenacious D film "The Pick of Destiny," the singer/funnyman tells Playboy in its November issue, out Friday. "We look alike, obviously. ... But it was mostly his energy that inspired us to cast him. Just watching him sing is an education in rock." Black revealed that getting the Meat man to show off his pipes onscreen was easier than one might think. "We basically said, 'Will you sing in the movie, yes or no?' He said, 'For you guys, yes, because I like your stuff.' " "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny" hits theaters November 17. ... Princeton University will host a hip-hop symposium Friday featuring noted professor Cornel West, rapper Talib Kweli, California Representative Maxine Waters and former Source editor Bakari Kitwana. The Center for American Progress-sponsored panel discussion is open to the public and will address the role of hip-hop in post-9/11 America. BET host Jeff "Cousin Jeff" Johnson will serve as moderator. For more information on the event, visit Princeton.edu. ...

Atreyu, who spent this summer on Ozzfest, have signed with Hollywood Records. The band's previous outing, A Death-Grip on Yesterday, was released on Victory Records in March and has sold more than 210,000 copies. "As a group of friends playing music, our main goal is to grow and spread our brand of metallic rock around the world," frontman Alex Varkatzas said. "We try to progress and grow on each album we record. We feel that Hollywood Records is the perfect place to continue to grow, while maintaining our freedom to do whatever the hell we want with our songs." ... Pete Yorn and the Brand New Heavies have been added to the Voodoo Music Experience lineup and will join already-announced artists including Red Hot Chili Peppers, My Chemical Romance and Wu-Tang Clan at New Orleans' City Park for the October 28-29 event. Yorn and the Heavies are each scheduled to perform on the Experience's second day, which will be headlined by Duran Duran. ...

The reopening of Cincinnati's historic downtown Fountain Square will be celebrated on October 14 with a night of music from Talib Kweli and DJ Hi-Tek, Los Lobos and OK Go. The city's favorite funky son, former Parliament-Funkadelic bass master Bootsy Collins, will host the festivities. ... Meeting Teddy Geiger on his latest tour may be as easy as bringing some reading material along to the concert. The November issue of Seventeen — with Geiger on the cover — will serve as a meet-and-greet pass to the first 50 fans who show up to the venue. Carry a copy of the magazine, show up at least two hours before the gig starts and you could chat with the singer/songwriter before he takes the stage. Geiger's tour hits West Hollywood, California's Troubadour on Thursday.

10.03.2006

Britney Spears has her hands full now as a mother of two, but she's still finding time to deliver new music on her Web site. Though the new version of BritneySpears.com is still under construction, the singer has hidden a snippet of what appears to be a song called "Rebellion" on the main page — it can be heard after the growling noises simmer down and Britney morphs into a Bengalese tiger. In the song, she sings, "Be wary of others, the ones closest to you/ The poison they feed you and the voodoo that they do ... But in rebellion, there's a sparkle of truth/ Don't just stand there, do what you got to do ... You'll find it so compelling with everyone yelling/ 'Cause your soul, you're not selling, 'cause you're rebelling." Still no word on when the new album is due, or if the tiger will get a guest spot. ...

A federal judge dismissed a copyright-infringement lawsuit brought by Minneapolis singer/songwriter Jennifer Armour against Beyoncé, ruling that Armour's "Got a Little Bit of Love for You" and Beyoncé's "Baby Boy" were "substantially dissimilar."Armour claimed that her former manager submitted demos of her song to labels including Beyoncé's Columbia Records and Atlantic, home of "Baby Boy" collaborator Sean Paul, and that Beyoncé borrowed lyrics from the little-known songwriter's track. "It's unfortunate that lawsuits such as this one occur," Beyoncé said in a statement, "but I am grateful and relieved to have this behind me and I am eager to move on." ...

Kristin Cavallari is looking forward to spending a couple of months in the company of nerds. The "Laguna Beach" star-turned-actress confirms in the next issue of Us Weekly (on newsstands Friday) that she will star in a remake of the 1984 cult classic "Revenge of the Nerds." The flick is being co-produced by Adam Brody of "The O.C." and is due next year. Cavallari — who will play Kaley, a Pi-Delta-Pi sorority sister — told the magazine that she's "so excited" to be in the movie. "I love the original, so it's an honor to be a part of [the sequel]." ...

Beck, TV on the Radio, Gym Class Heroes and Imogen Heap will perform at the 2006 mtvU Woodie Awards, to be taped October 25 at the Roseland Ballroom in New York. Their performances — along with the rest of the big show — will air on MTV November 4. ... And speaking of Beck, if you can't get enough of his just-released new disc The Information, videos for two bonus tracks that don't appear on the album — "Inside Out" and "This Girl That I Know" — are now available on Beck.com. And in yet more Beck news, he's been tapped to perform on the October 28 episode of "Saturday Night Live." My Chemical Romance will play on the October 21 broadcast. ...

Big League Entertainment intends to file suit against T.I. and his manager this week for breach of contract. Mike Green, president of Big League Entertainment, claims T.I. violated an agreement with the promotions company when he performed last month at New York's Radio City Music Hall for Boost Mobile Rock Corps volunteers. T.I. was scheduled to headline Saturday's Hot 97-co-sponsored Back to School Jam, which instead ended with DMX's abbreviated set and a fan injury. "People think T.I. didn't show up that night, but I didn't allow him to make it," Green explained. "He did a show in the area just a week before and breached what he had with us, because he wasn't supposed to perform in the area for 30 days before our show. So I didn't allow him to perform. I'm going to sue the hell out of him." ... Lil' Kim joined Senators Hilary Clinton and John Kerry in Washington, D.C., on Tuesday (October 3) for a daylong conference devoted to at-risk youth and how they are affected by the child-welfare system. ...

U2's upcoming "definitive" greatest-hits CD will feature their recently unveiled cover of the Skids' "The Saints Are Coming," recorded with Green Day, as well as another new song. Both were produced by Rick Rubin at London's famed Abbey Road Studios last month, according to U2's Web site. The untitled set, due November 21, will contain 16 of the band's biggest songs. ...

Rumors of Michael Jackson's musical demise have been greatly exaggerated — at least that's the word from Ron "Neff U" Feemster's uncle. Hip-hop producer Feemster, who has worked with Eminem, 50 Cent and Ne-Yo, flew to Jackson's new home in Ireland in September, according to his uncle, manager Charles "Big Chuck" Stanton. The manager told the Los Angeles Times that Jackson is working on a music comeback that is a step away from his recent soft R&B sound and toward an edgier urban style. Jackson sought out Feemster's services, and when the young producer met with the pop star, he found a "musically focused and creatively fired-up Jackson." Stanton told the paper that Jackson is "ready to take over the world. ... He's got some hot records. Will.I.Am did one, Teddy Riley [did one]. We're giving Michael a lot of edgy street records. He's putting melodies to some hard party records." Jackson's spokesperson said neither Will.I.Am nor Riley had worked in the studio with Jackson, but that the producers may have sent him MP3 files to listen to. ...

Hardcore legends Bad Brains will help close out New York's famed CBGB next week, with three shows featuring the group's original lineup scheduled for October 9-11. The club, which launched the careers of the Ramones and Blondie, will host its last show October 15 with headliner Patti Smith. ... The Beastie Boys will lead the Gimme Shelter: Rock & Rescue NYC benefit concert Wednesday at the Hiro Ballroom in New York's Maritime Hotel. The event, hosted by Rational Animal and the ASPCA, will raise funds for local rescue groups and promotes the city's mission of wiping out animal euthanasia by 2010. Nellie McKay, Marshall Crenshaw, the Choke, the Star Spangles and members of Blue Öyster Cult will perform at the benefit, which will also feature an appearance by Debbie Harry. For more information, visit GimmeShelterRockAndRescueNYC.org. ... The man who pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree murder after shooting Grammy-winning singer Marc Cohn ("Walking in Memphis") in the head during an attempted carjacking last August in Denver was sentenced on Monday to 36 years in prison, according to a Reuters report. Joseph Yacteen, 27, faced a maximum 48-year sentence, but the judge in the case believed the shooter could be rehabilitated.

• Jennifer Lopez
• Jay-Z
• Ludacris
• My Chemical Romance
• The Killers

Jack Black
Photo: Michael Buckner/ Getty Images

Jack Black and Kyle Gass were in Los Angeles recently to shoot a music video for "The Pick of Destiny," the first single from the soundtrack to their upcoming Tenacious D movie of the same name. "The idea is that me and Kyle are going to see our own movie, and we get so excited while we're in the theater that we start singing this song and jumping up in front of everybody, and everybody gets angry at us," said Black, who hosts the Video Music Awards live from New York at 8 p.m. ET/PT on Thursday (August 31). "We ruin their experience and get thrown out of our own movie." The video features an angry usher chasing the duo around an irritated audience while the "Destiny" movie plays, and it will debut shortly before the film's November 17 release. Black also said the D will be releasing several other videos from the soundtrack. "I'd like to make one for a metal song we've got on there called 'The Metal' — that would be pretty rad — and one of them's going to be animated; it's called 'Classico,' and we've got the dude who did 'Ren & Stimpy,' " Black said, referring to cult animation hero John Kricfalusi. "He did another music video for us [earlier] for 'F--- Her Gently.' It never once played on MTV, but it did make the rounds on the Internet." ...

"Baby, you are going to miss that plane," crooned Celine, a final note of glorious ambiguity at the end of 2004's "Before Sunset." And we all would have missed that plane, if it meant we could spend more time with Julie Delpy, Ethan Hawke and director Richard Linklater in another sequel to the acclaimed "Before Sunrise." Linklater confirmed recently that early conversations between the three principals have centered on the possibility of revisiting the two love-struck characters several years into their marriage. "That's a thought," Linklater said about putting Delpy and Hawke's characters together permanently. "If we were ever to do that again, [a third film] would be in the belly of the domestic beast." The 46-year-old director isn't worried a second sequel would diminish the characters' enthusiasm for each other — or for deep, nuanced conversations about love, family and growing old. "In any life that goes on, there'll be more interesting stuff," he intonated. "I mean, those are interesting people. I'm sure there'd be something to dig into at some point." ...

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If the hit flick "Step Up" still has your toes tapping now that you've left the theater, you'll want to keep your eye on the next dance flick making the rounds. Previously boasting the similar-sounding title "Steppin'," the January release starring Chris Brown, Ne-Yo and Meagan Good has been renamed "Stomp the Yard." Studio insiders assure us that no actual yards were harmed in the filming of the movie. ...

With John Constantine as a friend, death is no obstacle for Shia LaBeouf. The precocious young actor from last year's "Constantine," LaBeouf said he hopes to make a follow-up film — despite the fact that his character died at the end of the first movie. "I was signed to do sequels with 'Constantine,' " he enthused. According to the "Transformers" star, however, life would have to imitate art for it to happen. Keanu Reeves — who played the supernatural detective with the power to rescue the dead — needs to climb onboard for the project to move forward. "It's up to Keanu and where he wants to go, what he wants to do on his slate," LaBeouf shrugged. ...

Paramount Pictures has donated $2.6 million to four New York charities, carrying out a 9/11 pledge. The figure is a percentage of the opening-day gross from Oliver Stone's "World Trade Center," starring Nicolas Cage. Half the donation will go to the World Trade Center Memorial Foundation and fund the construction of the memorial's two planned reflecting pools. The remaining donation will be divided equally among Tuesday's Children, the Tribute WTC Visitor Center and the New York Police and Fire Widows' and Children's Benefit Fund. ...

Girl meets boy, girl falls in love with boy — girl moves to Egypt to become a belly dancer? That's the world according to actress Laura Ramsey ("She's the Man"), whose next film, "Whatever Lola Wants," follows an American jazz enthusiast on a transcontinental journey of dancing discovery. "She's auditioning and auditioning and isn't getting any dance opportunities," Ramsey explained of the plot. "So she ends up falling for this guy from Egypt and following him there, where she becomes a belly dancer." The Wisconsin-born actress called her training for the film challenging, since she "never had any previous dance experience," but she added that the style was more important than its execution. "It's supposed to be a woman's dance, and it's appetizing," Ramsey contended. Contradicting traditional Hollywood executive decrees, the 24-year-old admitted that she was encouraged to "gain a little bit of weight, because you need to have something to roll around." The actress returns to the Morocco shoot soon and will film until December, with the movie dancing toward a late 2007 release. ...

Anthony Mackie is giving a history lesson, and the day's subject is Nat Turner — the slave who became a prophet and whose resistance nearly brought down a government. "I think it's a monumental point in American history," the "Million Dollar Baby" actor insisted, adding ruefully, "and a lot of people don't even know about him." Mackie hopes to rectify that with "3/5 of a Man," a Ving Rhames-produced biopic on the enslavement, rebellion and eventual execution of Turner. "The story of Nat Turner has to be told," he exclaimed. "You have a man who was really looked at as a religious prophet in American history." Based on a play by Michael Henry Brown, the flick takes its name from an early clause in the Constitution that counted each slave as only three-fifths of a person. ...

If scary movies frighten you, that's nothing compared to how Samaire Armstrong ("Just My Luck") feels. And, as in most Hollywood revenge plots, this time it's personal. "I swore never to do scary films because my birthday's on Halloween," the vivacious blonde winced. "I don't really like that nature of things. But," she continued, "this one ... is pretty cool." "This one" is "Rise," a vampire revenge film starring Lucy Liu and Michael Chiklis. The movie centers on a female reporter who vows eternal justice after discovering a nefarious organization has transformed her into a member of the undead. Armstrong plays Jenny, a character she likens to "Drew Barrymore in 'Scream,' where you're like, 'Where is she? Oh, she's dead.' " The thriller is expected in theaters later this year. ...

A native of Toms River, New Jersey, Piper Perabo achieved her greatest acclaim playing a character literally close to home in 2000's "Coyote Ugly." Six years later, she's heading to the opposite shores as one of four friends making a beeline for the California coast in a currently untitled film from wunderkind filmmakers Àlex and David Pastor. Cameras started rolling in Los Angeles recently on the flick stars Perabo alongside Chris Pine ("The Princess Diaries 2"), Lou Taylor Pucci ("Thumbsucker") and Emily Van Camp ("The Ring Two"). The film, which is targeting a 2007 release, tells the story of a group fleeing a deadly viral pandemic in the post-apocalyptic American West.

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• "Tenacious D In 'The Pick Of Destiny' "
• On The Set Of "Tenacious D In 'The Pick Of Destiny' "

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• Jack Black
• Ne-Yo
• Chris Brown

Kevin Federline and Britney Spears
Photo: Matthew Simmons/ Getty Images

Britney Spears plans to take her babies on the road — once she's in shape to tour again. The singer told People magazine in this week's cover story that her next child will help provide company for Sean Preston when she travels. "I think it will be good to have [a sibling] there with him," she explained. And once she gives birth in about a month, Spears will be counting down when she can start working out full force — probably about six weeks after her planned C-section. She plans to hit the gym daily and stick to a low-carb diet. "I'm so excited to really be able to sweat like I used to," she said. In the meantime, Sean's been logging time with different nannies while Spears is in the studio working on her new album, which she described as "cooler than ever — fun, upbeat, and sexy." "I've been going to the studio lately, and we've been trying out different nannies," she said. "It's hard [to leave Sean Preston]. ... I'm so torn right now." ...

A judge has reinstated rapper C-Murder's house arrest order, bringing an end to the rapper's month of freedom. According to The Associated Press, the decision comes just two days after a Louisiana appeals court ruled that the judge acted improperly when she lifted C-Murder's house arrest in July. Between now and the rapper's retrial on second-degree murder charges, he'll be confined to his home and barred from leaving it at any time, except to appear for court hearings. C-Murder stands accused of the shooting death of 16-year-old Steve Thomas, who was shot in the chest during a fight back in 2002 outside a nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. ...

Pete Doherty pleaded guilty on Friday (August 18) to possession of heroin and crack, AP reports. The Babyshambles singer had been charged with seven counts and pleaded guilty to five of them. He will be sentenced on September 4. ...

Radiohead continue to get love from musicians of every stripe. High-brow pianist Christopher O'Riley has retooled the band's music for the chin-stroking classical set on two albums. And Dub Tribute to Radiohead: I'm Not the Only Record for You was released earlier this year — as was Exit Music: Songs for Radio Heads, a compilation of electronic covers. So it's little surprise that Radiohead are getting the crunk treatment at the hands of DJ Gyngyvytus. Skeet Spirit: A Crunk Tribute to Radiohead — eight instrumental tracks being offered by the DJ as free downloads — boasts "No Sizzuruprises," "Creepin' (On Dat Ass)" and "Talk Show Hoes" among the cleverly titled tributes to England's favorite dour rockers. And the Easy Stars All-Stars' Radiodread, a reggae comp featuring toasters such as Horace Andy and Citizen Cope, hits stores Tuesday. ...

Mos Def has joined the cast of Michel Gondry's "Be Kind Rewind," Variety reports. Danny Glover, Mia Farrow and Melonie Diaz have also signed on for the film, which stars Jack Black as a man who shoots remakes of blockbuster films — without the blockbuster budget — to help his friend keep a video-store job. The movie is set to begin shooting September 5 in New Jersey. ...

They may have changed Natalie Portman's life in "Garden State," but the Shins won't be transforming any others with their music — at least not this year. Originally scheduled for a fall release, the indie rockers' third album has been pushed back to 2007, according to Sub Pop. "It gives us great pleasure to say that it is just weeks from being done!" the band announced in a recent post on its Web site, even though the record's being bumped. "We can't leak any details, but we have never been more happy with anything that we've ever recorded before. And we can definitely say that it is due to the fact that we've been given so much time to perfect it. The record is the best we've ever done." The album is tentatively titled Sleeping Lessons. ... As Lifetime Television gears up for Saturday's premiere of "The Fantasia Barrino Story: Life Is Not a Fairy Tale," the network is posing a question to essay writers: What is your lifelong dream and what steps must you take to achieve it? The top prize in the contest is a trip to Los Angeles for the "American Idol" season six finale. Entries will be accepted until September 16. Visit LifetimeTV.com for further contest details. ...

With Ozzfest behind them, Walls of Jericho have landed a slot on another huge tour: Korn's Family Values trek, which also features Deftones, Stone Sour, Flyleaf and Dir En Gray. Walls of Jericho have been added to the second-stage bill, and will play their first gig Friday in Phoenix. The band's latest album, With Devils Amongst Us All, hits stores Tuesday. ... Online auction site eBay hath spoken, and no, electroclash goddess Peaches cannot sell her worn skivvies — even if it's in the name of charity. Peaches had placed her thong up for auction on the site in an effort to raise money for Three Gut Records' Tyler Clark Burke, who has been dealing with critical health problems and is been trying to buy a new house. The site prohibits the sale of used underwear, and eBay authorities halted the auction as soon as it was brought to their attention. ...

Ricky Jovan Gray was convicted Thursday of killing former House of Freaks bandmember Bryan Harvey, Harvey's wife Kathryn and their two young daughters. The family was found dead in its Richmond, Virginia, home in January. The jury took just 30 minutes to convict Gray, whose sentencing hearing continues Friday. He could face the death penalty. ... Roger Ebert remains hospitalized due to complications resulting from his treatment for a recurrence of salivary cancer, the film critic confirmed in a statement. Ebert, who had a portion of his jaw removed and reconstructed, said he will need rehabilitation to regain his strength and his voice, and asked for "the time and privacy to heal." "I don't have a crystal ball," he wrote to close the statement, "so I can't tell you when, but I sure look forward to being back on the movie beat." ...

How many times have you watched the Academy Awards and thought, "Wait a minute, these people are huge stars, get to borrow millions in diamonds and they get those fat gift baskets! What the hell?" Well, the Internal Revenue Service agrees with you. On Thursday, the IRS announced an "outreach program" to remind the entertainment industry that the lavish gift bags — worth anywhere from $40,000 to $100,000 — that stars get at awards shows are taxable as income, according to a Reuters report. The tax service also announced a deal with Oscar presenter the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to settle the tax obligations of past Oscar gift-basket recipients through 2005, letting those stars off the hook. Though this year's stars will have to pony up, the Academy announced that the gift baskets will go away as of next year. ... And here's a study only a kid could love: The British journal Archives of Disease in Childhood has found that watching TV while getting an injection has a "painkiller" effect on children. In a study involving 69 children between the ages of 7-12, researchers found that the subjects were 50 percent more pacified by cartoons than their own mothers. Kids who had no TV to distract them logged much higher pain scores.

08.17.2006

Fall Out Boy made a surprise appearance Wednesday night at West Hollywood, California's Key Club for the Snakes on a Plane: The Album release party — which actually went down a day after the record came out. Front-row attendees sang along to hits like "Dance, Dance" and "Sugar, We're Goin Down," but unfortunately didn't get a chance to hear any new material. FOB bassist Pete Wentz told the crowd, "We're here in L.A. recording our new album, so if you see us on the street, give us a high-five." The packed house was also treated to Cobra Starship's first-ever show, with the band's Midtown frontman Gabe Saporta welcoming William Beckett from the Academy Is ..., the Sounds' Maja Ivarsson and Gym Class Heroes' Travis McCoy for a rendition of "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)," their collaborative theme song to the movie. The concert also featured performances by the Sounds, the Academy Is ..., Gym Class Heroes and Jack's Mannequin, all of whom contribute to the soundtrack. ...

Pamela Anderson and Kid Rock got married for a third time on Thursday (August 17), The Associated Press reports. A judge performed the ceremony at midnight at Tootsies Orchid Lounge in Nashville, and Rock hopped onstage at the club to belt out covers of Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" and Hank Williams Jr.'s "Family Tradition." ... System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian will be joining the Wu-Tang Clan for their shows Friday in New York, Saturday in Philadelphia and Sunday in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. Odadjian, who has been collaborating with the RZA in the studio in recent months, will play bass during the entire set. ...

Mel Gibson pleaded no contest to his drunken-driving misdemeanor in a Malibu, California, court on Thursday, AP reports. The deal will require the actor/director to undergo alcohol rehabilitation, pay a fine and be on probation. The arraignment had been slated for September but was moved up at the request of Gibson's attorney, and a judge agreed. ... Jennifer Lopez won't get her day in court after all. Lawyers in a dispute between the singer/actress and ex-husband Ojani Noa over his proposed tell-all book said the issues between the exes will be settled through arbitration instead of before a judge, according to an AP report. Lopez filed suit on April 10 and obtained a temporary restraining order barring Noa from publishing intimate details of her sex life in a book titled "The Unknown Truth: A Passionate Portrait of a Serial Thriller." ...

In more court news, Pete Doherty was charged with seven counts of drug possession on Thursday, according to AP. The Babyshambles singer/guitarist, who was arrested by London police last week, is currently in police custody and will appear in court Friday. The charges include possession of cocaine and diamorphine, and also pertain to two previous arrests. ... Haley Joel Osment is in deep water too, AP reports. The 18-year-old actor, who crashed a car in July, has been charged with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence, marijuana possession and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content of .15 percent or greater. He's also facing a vehicle-code-infraction charge for being underage and driving with a BAC level of .05 or higher. Osment will be arraigned September 19 in Glendale, California. If convicted, he could face up to six months in county jail. ...

Ricky Martin will be honored as the 2006 Latin Recording Academy Person of the Year. A tribute dinner is scheduled for November 1 in New York. ... Jurassic 5 are headlining the Re-Boot & Rock the Beach concert on August 27 in Venice Beach, California. The show will follow a special clean-up-the-beach day sponsored by Heal the Bay. ... Jagged Edge are releasing "Seasons Change" featuring John Legend as their next single. "The first thing that sticks out in my mind about John Legend is just how humble he is and how easy he was to work with," Brian "Brasco" Casey said. ...

Philadelphia police just aren't buying Beanie Sigel's story. Authorities say they have doubts about the rapper's claim that he was robbed and shot a block from his boyhood home three months ago, AP reports. "No one believes him. We don't believe he was shot where he said he was shot," Detective Tracy Byard told the Philadelphia Daily News. "There's a million-and-one holes in his story." Sigel told police that on May 25 he was boxed in by two cars and robbed by several men, who then shot him in the shoulder. But police say there were no witnesses in the area who heard any gunshots and no shell casings recovered. Byard said Sigel argued with investigators when they questioned his story and tried to photograph his wound at the hospital. The MC's attorney chalked the doubts up to his client's prior criminal history, which includes a year in prison on a gun charge and a recent acquittal on an attempted murder charge. ...

The initial performers have been announced for the annual New York indie-rock CMJ Marathon, which will run from October 31 to November 5. Acts include seminal female punk trio the Slits, recently re-toasted proto-metal-rockers Blue Cheer, outre rapper Madlib and theatrical synth-poppers the Knife. Hot Chip, the Black Keys, Deerhoof, Blonde Redhead, the Boy Least Likely To, Joseph Arthur, Cold War Kids, Silversun Pickups, Professor Murder, Keren Ann and Someone Still Loves You Boris Yeltsin will also perform. ... French-Canadians love music festivals too. Pop Montreal, now in its fifth year, has announced initial performers for this year's four-day extravaganza, which will run from October 4 through 8. Bands include Regina Spektor, Tapes 'N Tapes, Harvey Danger, Beirut, Akron/ Family, Vitalic, plus tons of homegrown talent, including Gonzales, Mocky, the Besnard Lakes, Montag, Sunset Rubdown, Land of Talk, Islands and Tokyo Police Club. ... Angels & Airwaves frontman Tom DeLonge has welcomed a new addition to his family, People reports. Jonas Rocket DeLonge was born to the singer/guitarist and his wife Jennifer on Wednesday evening in Los Angeles. ... Jennifer Aniston wants to set the record straight: She is not engaged to Vince Vaughn. "It couldn't be more of a 'No,' " the actress told the magazine. "I'm not engaged and I don't have a ring and I haven't been proposed to," she said. Aniston, who calls the stories "insane," explained her relationship with Vaughn: "We're just being. We're just having a good time."

• Britney Spears
• C-Murder
• Radiohead
• Mos Def
• Jack Black

Jack Black
Photo: Piyal Hosain/Fotos International/Getty Images

MTV is going back to comedy and, more specifically, back to Black. Jack Black, who co-hosted the 2002 MTV Movie Awards, will emcee this year's MTV Video Music Awards.

Black follows in the footsteps of Diddy, who hosted last year's event in Miami (see "Green Day Clean Up, Kelly Clarkson Gets Wet, 50 Rips Into Fat Joe At VMAs").

The 2004 VMAs had no host, meaning the last comedian to host was Chris Rock in 2003, a show that featured Black mocking Michael Jackson's "Artist of the Millennium" acceptance speech (see "Christina Strips, Britney Goes Biker, Pink Shows Off Tats On VMA Red Carpet"). Black also performed at the 2000 VMAs with his Tenacious D bandmate Kyle Gass.

"My plan is to bring the thunder," Black said in a statement. "I've got my top men working on it as we speak, in my thunder laboratory. Radio City Music Hall will never be the same."

The 2006 VMAs will be broadcast from New York's Radio City Music Hall on August 31 at 8 p.m. ET/PT (see "Shakira, Chili Peppers, Madonna, Panic! Lead List Of Nominees For MTV Video Music Awards").

Beyoncé, Justin Timberlake, Ludacris, the Killers, Panic! at the Disco and T.I. are the first artists set to perform. Additional names will be announced in the coming weeks.

Black starred in "Nacho Libre" this summer and will return to theaters November 17 in "Tenacious D in: The Pick of Destiny."

Check out all the latest VMA updates, and reports from previous VMAs, at our VMA news archive.

• In Focus: Jack Black
• The 2006 MTV Video Music Award Nominees
• The 2006 MTV Video Music Award Performers And Presenters

• Jack Black
• Tenacious D

Jessica Simpson
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Daisy Duke's going to the disco. Jessica Simpson has chosen "A Public Affair" as the first single off her new album of the same name, and while some may assume the song would be a commentary on her divorce from Nick Lachey, it's actually an ode to going out with the girls. "That was a statement she wanted to make," said Epic Records President Charlie Walk at a Monday night listening session for the record. "Everything she does is a public affair ... [but] this is about having fun." The song has an early Madonna vibe with a touch of Motown and Earth, Wind & Fire's "Let's Groove."

"All the girls are stepping out for a public affair/ All night, let's rock 'cause the party don't stop/ You know the cameras come out for a public affair," Simpson sings in a breathy, higher register. She actually debuted the Lester Mendez (Shakira, Carlos Santana)-produced tune Thursday at New York's Butter during a Natasha Bedingfield party, where Wyclef Jean, Cheyenne and Swizz Beatz enjoyed the song without at first knowing whose it was. "It was cool to watch everyone dancing to it," Walk said, "and people that heard it wanted to hear it again and again." "X-Men: The Last Stand" director Brett Ratner is shooting the star-studded, roller-disco-themed video June 26 and 27 in Los Angeles. The single is due June 23 and the album will be out August 29. ...

In the meantime, it appears Jessica's sister has had enough of U.S. culture promoting bad body image. So now Ashlee Simpson is trying to do something about it by helping a group of teenage girls make a mural that celebrates the female figure in the new issue of Marie Claire. The girls from Los Angeles' Green Dot Public Schools painted messages of empowerment such as "Beautiful Mind," "Confidence Is Sexy" and "Women Rock" on the mural. "Everyone is made differently, and that's what makes us beautiful and unique. I want girls to look in the mirror and feel confident," the singer told the magazine. Still, that doesn't mean Simpson hasn't succumbed to the dangers she's trying to discourage. Simpson reveals, for instance, that she was on the verge of having an eating disorder while studying dance at New York's School of American Ballet. "I would eat half a Nutri-Grain bar and some Blow-Pops and call it a day. I was super skinny." But whatever cosmetic changes she might make to herself, she says her beauty image is only skin deep. "Have there been times when I've been insecure? Hell, yeah! But have I ever felt unhappy with what I'm actually doing in my life? No." ...

Korn frontman Jonathan Davis has been released from the London hospital where he had been receiving treatment for a blood illness since Friday, and plans to return to the United States within the next day or two, The Bakersfield Californian reports. Davis' father, Rick, told the Californian that his son will "remain under close medical attention. He'll probably go directly to a medical facility." British doctors diagnosed Davis with immune thrombocytopenic purpura, an autoimmune disorder in which a low blood-platelet count prohibits the blood from clotting as it should. The singer's blood-platelet count fell critically low due to an allergic reaction to a medication he'd been taking. "His spirits have been good through the whole thing, but he appreciates the severity of the disorder and the importance of getting medical attention," said Rick Davis, adding that the rest of Korn are still in London with Davis and will be on the same flight with him when he returns. "They said they would not leave their brother behind." ...

A motion was filed last week by the prosecutorial team who'll be trying rapper C-Murder (whose real name is Corey Miller) a second time for the January 2002 fatal shooting of 16-year-old Steve Thomas outside a nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. According to The Associated Press, the motion seeks to place Miller, who has been under house arrest since late March when the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned his second-degree murder conviction, back behind bars while he awaits the start of his second trial. The AP reports that in the motion, the prosecution suggests Miller violated the terms of his house arrest with an unauthorized visit to a drive-in restaurant. The filing also claims Miller returned home late from a court-approved trip and has traveled beyond the range of his electronic-monitoring equipment twice. A judge has yet to rule on the motion. ...

Usher is the latest celebrity to lend New Orleans a hand, AP reports. The singer showed up at the International School of Louisiana on Tuesday (June 13), hooking up with volunteers to help clear vines and brush at the charter school, which has been closed since August 29. Usher visited neighborhoods in New Orleans and St. Bernard Parish on Monday. "I'm here to physically do something and hopefully motivate other people to do the same," he told AP. ... Jack Black has a big weekend ahead, with "Nacho Libre" hitting theaters Friday, and Sunday marking his first Father's Day. The actor announced the arrival of his son, who was born Saturday to Black and his wife Tanya Haden, to "Access Hollywood" at Monday's Los Angeles premiere of "Nacho Libre." And Black explained to Us Weekly that he's got his eyes on the poppa prize: "I'm going to be the best daddy on the planet, and I'm going to enter the best daddy competition. And I'm going to win it." ... Black may face some competition from Matt Damon, who welcomed his first child with wife Luciana Bozan on Sunday, AP reports. Daughter Isabella was born in Miami, and mother and baby are "wonderful, fine," Damon's publicist said. ...

Jennifer Lopez has won a court battle over her "Flashdance"-inspired video for "I'm Glad." The dismissal of the 2003 copyright-infringement suit filed by Maureen Marder, the former welder/dancer who inspired the 1983 film, was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeal for the 9th Circuit on Monday, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Marder's suit, which named Lopez along with Sony Music Entertainment and Paramount Pictures, alleged that she'd refused to grant sequel rights or permit further use of her story after "Flashdance." The court found that the terms of the release Marder signed in 1982 were broad enough to OK the "I'm Glad" video. ... Kylie Minogue made a brief return to the stage on Saturday with her first live performance since she was diagnosed with breast cancer last year, Reuters reports. Kylie joined sister Dannii Minogue onstage at London's G-A-Y club, performing Dannii's song "Jump to the Beat." ...

Rapper El-P has enlisted the talents of Nine Inch Nails frontman Trent Reznor and the Mars Volta for his forthcoming LP. A posting to El-P's MySpace page reports he's about four songs away from completing the record, which will feature Reznor on the track "Flyentology" and the Volta on an as-yet-untitled cut. ... In other Mars Volta news, the band has completed work on their forthcoming album — the follow-up to 2005's Frances the Mute. The album will be called Amputechture, and should be out later this summer. No official release date has been set, and there is no additional specific information about the offering. The Mars Volta will be hitting the road on August 11 in Portland, Oregon, as direct support on the Red Hot Chili Peppers' North American tour. Dates for that trek run through November 5 in St. Paul, Minnesota. ...

The unidentified architect behind the National Day of Slayer campaign — which directed Slayer's fans to commemorate June 6 by, among other things, listening to the metal band's music and spray-painting "Slayer logos on churches, synagogues or cemeteries" — has taken credit for inspiring the desecration of a Catholic seminary in Yonkers, New York, last week. Police have yet to apprehend the vandals who'd painted the building with pentagrams, upside-down crosses, and Slayer-related messages, including "Reign in Blood," the title of the group's classic 1986 album. A message posted on the National Day of Slayer Web site states that "reports of activism surrounding [the fledgling holiday] have been coming in by the hour. One notable instance was the desecration of a local church in Yonkers, where celebrants spray-painted a pentagram, and more significantly, 'Reign in Blood,' on the steps of the church. We are overwhelmed with the response."

06.12.2006

Think Hilary Duff's just a goodie-two-shoes for the tween set? She ditches that too-sweet side in the new issue of Elle, taking on her critics in a cover story for the magazine's July issue. Asked about the fluffy nature of most of her films, she responds, "Um, are you saying my movies are crap?" Even if Elle doesn't, there's no denying the critics' response — after all, The New York Times' Stephen Holden called her "talent-challenged." "He doesn't really fit the demographic," Duff replied. "So I could really care less. Look at me, and look at where he is — sorry! Would he prefer that I take some super-adult role that is inappropriate so I would have no place to grow? ... Suppose the next thing I did was this super-edgy independent movie where I was pregnant or shooting up. What would that do to my fanbase?" She also has no love for the music critics and radio programmers who dismiss her pop music. "I feel like I do so much," she tells the mag. "And it strikes me that I don't hear myself on the radio. That critics don't really talk about my music. I mean, a song like 'Wake Up' is not for a 50-year-old man with arthritis who doesn't want to get out of bed" (Click to see photos from Duff's Elle layout.). The July issue of Elle also features a peek at John Mayer's new album. ...

A retrial date of October 16 has been set for the wrongful-death suit filed by the family of Notorious B.I.G. against the city of Los Angeles. In a ruling on Thursday, Judge Florence-Marie Cooper reversed the position she stated last month, when the judge accused lawyers for Biggie's family of misleading the court by claiming that the Los Angeles Police Department and city attorneys withheld documents. Cooper said she now believes that no deception occurred and urged both parties to continue the information-sharing process leading up to the new trial date. ...

Jury selection is under way in the trial between the White Stripes and producer Jim Diamond, who says Jack and Meg White owe him royalties after he played an important role in the band's development. Diamond — who owns Detroit's Ghetto Recorders studio — is listed as co-producer on the Stripes' 1999 self-titled debut and as sound mixer on their 2000 album, De Stijl, and as such, argues that he helped develop their signature sound. The White Stripes deny Diamond's claims and have said in court documents that they paid him $35 an hour for their time at Ghetto Recorders. ...

With Radiohead's North American tour under way and Thom Yorke's "not-solo" album (The Eraser) due July 11, can fans ask for much more? Well, yes, apparently: Yorke will perform on "The Henry Rollins Show" on the Independent Film Channel July 15 at 10 p.m. ET (you know celebrity guest John C. Reilly is stoked). The show will repeat on the 20th at 11 p.m., while other upcoming performances include Dinosaur Jr. and Daniel Johnston. ... Omarion is almost done recording his new LP, slated for an August 22 release. The singer's record will be called 21, coinciding with his age, and the first single is named "Entourage." ...

Snow Patrol have been forced to postpone their entire U.S. summer tour after singer Gary Lightbody's throat specialist ordered the vocalist to rest his voice until mid-July, according to the band's spokesperson. Snow Patrol will reschedule all the dates in the previously announced cities for September 6-30, with the addition of shows in San Diego and Las Vegas on as-yet-unannounced dates. Tickets for canceled dates will be honored at the rescheduled shows. ... Musicians planning to spend their Monday (June 12) in New Jersey trying out for a place in Beyoncé's all-female backing band will now have to get to New York if they want to be heard. Auditions have been moved to Sony Music Studios in Manhattan, and will be held Monday from noon to 9 p.m. For more information on the auditions, which will also be held in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Burbank, California, visit Beyonce.com. ...

Velvet Revolver, who continue to work on their forthcoming second album, will take a break from the studio in late July for a pair of live appearances. Look for the Revolver to rock Kelseyville, California, on July 29 and Paso Robles, California on July 30. ... Mötley Crüe frontman Vince Neil will be opening a tattoo shop inside the Flamingo Casino and Resort in Las Vegas; construction on the shop begins next week. Neil told the Las Vegas Review-Journal that, as you might expect, his tattoo shop will have a "rock and roll vibe." A late summer opening is planned. ... Shinedown have been tapped as the opening act for the upcoming Godsmack and Rob Zombie tour, which kicks off on August 25 in Dallas, Texas, and runs through October 1 in Concord, California. ...

It's been about a decade since the release of Violent Demise: Last Days, Body Count's third and supposedly final release. But on August 1, Ice-T and his reunited band will issue a 12-track LP called Murder 4 Hire, which promises to be just as controversial as the band's 1992's self-titled debut — the record that originally featured the infamous "Cop Killer" track. Ice-T, who plays a detective on "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit," kicks off Murder with "Invincible Gangsta," which contains the line, "F--- the cops." Look for the record to feature "In My Head," "Dirty Bomb" and "Down in the Bayou." ...

The son of late N.W.A rapper Eazy-E, Eric Wright Jr. — better known as Lil' Eazy-E — was arrested in Compton, California, Saturday night and charged with possession of a firearm, according to The Los Angeles Times. Lil' Eazy, 22, who released his first album, Prince of Compton, earlier this year, was driving a car that was pulled over for a traffic violation when police allegedly found a pistol on him. Two other unidentified people in the car were also arrested, one for possession of a handgun, the other for a probation violation. ... Dance-music artist Kevin Aviance, 38, was in stable condition in a New York City hospital over the weekend after being attacked by four people in what police are calling a hate crime. According to a Reuters report, Aviance, who has scored #1 hits on the Billboard dance chart with songs including "Da Da Din" and "Alive," was kicked and beaten early Saturday morning as he left a gay bar, attacked by four youths who called him "f----t." The singer suffered head trauma in the incident, which resulted in charges of hate crime assault and hate crime harassment for the four attackers, aged 16-20.

• On The Set Of Ashlee Simpson's "Invisible" Video
• In Focus: Jessica Simpson

• Jessica Simpson
• Ashlee Simpson
• Korn
• C-Murder
• Jack Black

Justin Timberlake wins the burp-off at the Kids' Choice Awards on Saturday
Photo: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

LOS ANGELES — There was a burp-off, a slime-off and a "Walk This Way"-inspired sing/rap-off, but the hottest competition at Saturday's Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards was over the best advice.

First up was Will Smith, who in accepting the Favorite Movie Actor blimp trophy said, "You are who you hang with, so if you hang with someone really dumb who does dumb stuff, you're going to be a really dumb person doing dumb stuff."

Then there was Green Day's Billie Joe Armstrong, who in accepting the Favorite Music Group and Favorite Song (for "Wake Me Up When September Ends") prizes said, "Don't believe everything you see on television. And stick it to the man."

Finally Chris Rock, winner of Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie ("Madagascar") and the Wannabe Award, weighed in. "I know everyone's taking steroids and they taste good," he said, "but just say no."

Unfortunately, there was no text-in voting for these words of wisdom, nor were there crowned winners in host Jack Black and Robin Williams' show-ending slime fight or Chris Brown and Bow Wow's medley, which featured the latter busting through a wall a la Aerosmith's Steven Tyler in Run-DMC's "Walk This Way" video.

There was, however, a clear victor in the Burping with the Stars competition, featuring former Kids' Choice burping champs "Memphis Monsoon" Justin Timberlake and "Aussie Airhorn" Hugh Jackman facing off live. The judging panel, featuring "Benchwarmers" stars Jon Heder, David Spade and Rob Schneider was no help (although Heder may have coined a new term: mouth fart), so viewers stepped in and voted for Timberlake, who in turn thanked his butt "for not letting it come out the other end."

Winners of equally prestigious awards included Lindsay Lohan for Favorite Movie Actress ("This is for my little sister Ali, because she's 12 and she voted online with all her friends," she said), Kelly Clarkson for Favorite Female Singer and Jesse McCartney for Favorite Male Singer (a category featuring three rappers and McCartney).

"This is the best award show because you guys get it," the singer said, catching his breath after sprinting around the Pauley Pavilion in excitement.

Aside from Green Day and Chris Rock, other multiple winners included "Madagascar," which won Favorite Animated Movie and Favorite Video Game ("Madagascar: Operation Penguin"); Harry Potter, which won Favorite Movie ("Goblet of Fire") and Favorite Book (the series); and Drake Bell, who scored prizes for Favorite TV Actor and Favorite TV Show ("Josh & Drake").

Click for photos from the orange carpet.) Will Smith made sure to hit the press line so he could visit his 12-year-old son Trey, who was guest reporting for "Access Hollywood." "I just kissed him on the lips on camera, so he's a little embarrassed," Smith said, laughing. A blond Avril Lavigne hit the carpet with "Over the Hedge" co-star Bruce Willis, while a Mohawked and blinged-out Nick Cannon ("I'm like a skinny Mr. T," he said) arrived with a massive posse in matching camouflage. "I've grown up on this show so it's good to keep coming back and showing different sides of me," Cannon said. Good Charlotte came out to support Joel Madden's girlfriend, Hilary Duff, who lost to Lohan for Favorite Movie Actress. "This is the only award show you can go to where you know you won't get shot or stabbed," Benji Madden joked. But you're never safe from slime. Related Photos JoJo, Bow Wow, Pink, Nelly, Jesse And More On The 2006 Kids' Choice Orange Carpet Related Artists Will Smith Justin Timberlake Jack Black Billie Joe Armstrong Chris Brown ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1527638/20060403/smith_will.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1527638/20060403/smith_will.jhtml 3 Apr 2006 08:32:00 EDT Lohan discusses first onscreen love scene; 'Idol' pre-show debuts Tuesday night; Jackson gets 24-hour extension. By MTV News staff report Lindsay Lohan in the April issue of <I>Cosmopolitan</I> Photo: Cliff Watts for Cosmopolitan A dark-haired Lindsay Lohan graces the April cover of Cosmopolitan, and within its pages the singer/actress gets personal about family problems, body-image issues and guys. Lohan talks about her first onscreen love scene — with Elijah Wood in the upcoming "Bobby" — and says she hopes she'll have time for a real boyfriend when she's done shooting "Chapter 27" in New York. (Successful candidates need to be confident, loyal and have a good sense of humor, "because I come with a lot of baggage.") The 19-year-old, who says sleeping around doesn't appeal to her, admits she's harboring her fair share of crushes. And in a multiple-choice questionnaire, she skips over Orlando Bloom, Jude Law and Brad Pitt to write in votes for favorite heartthrobs Johnny Depp and scruffy indie-rocker Devendra Banhart. ... California authorities have granted Michael Jackson a 24-hour extension to settle an unpaid-wages dispute at his Neverland Valley Ranch. A spokesperson for the California Department of Industrial Relations said the singer's representatives have been in touch with the office and they are "trying to get the money together" to pay the more than $500,000 in fines Jackson was ordered to shell out by Tuesday (March 14). Authorities shut down Neverland March 9, alleging that Jackson failed to pay his employees and maintain workers'-compensation insurance. Jackson owes $69,000 for allowing his insurance policy to lapse two months ago, as well as $306,000 in back wages and $100,000 in fines. If he does not pay up by the end of Wednesday, department spokesperson Renee Bacchini said her office will file a civil action in court seeking the funds and the singer could face contempt charges. A spokesperson for Jackson did not return calls for comment. ... Banking on the massive appeal of "American Idol," the TV Guide Channel is launching a live pre-show called "Idol Tonight" that will take viewers behind the scenes of each week's competition until this season's winner is announced in May. The one-hour show premieres Tuesday at 7 p.m. and will be hosted by former-"Idol"-finalist-turned-entertainment-correspondent Kimberly Caldwell. ... Yellowcard, Simple Plan and "X-Men" Iceman Shawn Ashmore are just some of the celebrity gamers who have customized Xbox 360 faceplates for charity. Starting Friday fans will be able to bid on the faceplates over at eBay.ca/XboxCelebrityFaces, with all proceeds going to the Children's Miracle Network of Canada. ... Sorry ladies: Jack Black is reportedly off the market. The Tenacious D frontman and "Nacho Libre" actor eloped with his girlfriend, musician Tanya Haden, according to People magazine. The pair met at a private high school in Santa Monica, California, but only began dating recently. "They love each other very much. We're thrilled," the bride's father, noted jazz saxophonist Charlie Haden, told the mag of his daughter's recent nuptials. Black's publicist would neither confirm nor deny the story. ... The Dave Matthews Band will perform two nights at Boston's historic home of the Red Sox, Fenway Park, as part of their summer tour. Sheryl Crow will open up both gigs, scheduled for July 7 and 8. ... On Tuesday morning Superior Court Judge Francis J. Darigan Jr. set a trial date for one of the two owners of the Station — the Warwick, Rhode Island, nightclub where 100 people died in a 2003 blaze during a Great White concert. According to The Associated Press, Michael Derderian's case will begin July 31 in Rhode Island's Kent County. Derderian and his brother, Jeffrey, are facing 200 counts of involuntary manslaughter — two for each of the 100 lives lost in the fire, which was sparked when Great White's pyrotechnics ignited flammable soundproofing foam inside the venue. Jeffrey Derderian will be tried following the conclusion of his brother's trial. ... British rockers Hard-Fi are crashing the U.S. in style. To celebrate the Stateside release of their debut album, Stars of CCTV, the band will play a free show at Tower Records in Sherman Oaks, California, Tuesday at 7 p.m. for fans who buy the LP that same day. The gig marks the beginning of the quartet's North American headlining tour, which will include four more back-to-back in-store appearances in San Francisco, San Diego, Portland and Seattle. ... Seventeen years after their last tour, the members of pioneering new-wave band the Cars — well, a couple of them anyway — are gearing up for a major U.S. summer tour with fellow new wavers Blondie. The New Cars, featuring original members Elliot Easton (guitar) and Greg Hawkes (keyboards), will be joined on the Road Rage Tour 2006 by singer/guitarist Todd Rundgren and his old Utopia bandmate, bassist Kasim Sulton, as well as former Tubes drummer Prairie Prince. Each online ticket purchase for the tour will come with a free download of a disc with five songs each from the New Cars and Blondie. The tour kicks off May 12 at the Grand Casino Tunica Event Center in Robinsonville, Mississippi, and is slated to wrap July 1 at the Saratoga Performing Arts Center in Saratoga Springs, New York. ... OK Go frontman Damian Kulash was booked on resisting-arrest charges by police in Orlando, Florida, after ignoring an officer's orders to head inside the local House of Blues where the band was performing. Instead Kulash insisted on loitering outside with several of the group's fans. According to the band's Web site, Kulash was "locked up for about nine hours, during which time he ate corn flakes and made friends with a couple of guys." He was released Tuesday morning — which means OK Go's gig Tuesday night in Jacksonville, Florida, will go on as scheduled. ... Also in trouble is Less Than Jake frontman Chris Demakes, who was arrested last week while the Gainesville, Florida, ska band was filming a video in Los Angeles for the track "Overrated" — the first single off In With the Out Crowd, due May 23. According to a label spokesperson, the band was in the Topanga Plaza shopping mall, performing for people chowing down in the food court. Security guards asked the band to hit the bricks, and when that took a little too long Demakes was hauled off by police for trespassing. 03.13.2006 Master P and younger brother Silkk the Shocker have struck a plea deal with prosecutors, resolving the felony gun charges stemming from their arrests more than a year ago at the University of California at Los Angeles, according to Reuters. On Monday (March 13) they were each sentenced to 40 hours of community service and ordered to pay a $700 fine as part of the deal. P (real name Percy Miller) pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor charge of carrying a loaded and unregistered weapon while Silkk (real name Vyshonne Miller) pleaded guilty to a felony charge of carrying an unregistered and loaded firearm. Silkk was also sentenced to three years of supervised probation. ... Maybe Natalie Portman really is as straight-laced as she seems. In the April issue of Vanity Fair, on newsstands Tuesday, the 24-year-old "V for Vendetta" star admits she prefers reading to partying, Converse to Manolos and a style that's classily demure to scantily clad — but that doesn't stop the starlet from letting loose once in a while. "Granted, I'm not super scandalous, but I've had drunken nights out, you know?" Portman admitted to the mag. She also reveals she still remains very close with her folks, who haven't hesitated to speak their minds on her roles. "[During 'The Professional'] my dad had stipulations on how many drags on a cigarette I could take, how many times I could curse," she recalled of her 1994 breakthrough role. "I wasn't actually allowed to inhale. My dad would have people standing behind me, blowing the smoke out." ... Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne appeared Friday on "The Howard Stern Show" to discuss Black Sabbath's induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sharon also addressed the egging incident targeting Iron Maiden that took place back during the band's final performance on last summer's Ozzfest. Sharon admitted that she orchestrated the fiasco, paying "200 Hispanic kids" to carry out the attack. She also commented that Maiden frontman Bruce Dickinson's performance was diminished because of the "eggshells in his mouth." ... Phil Anselmo, former Pantera frontman and current Superjoint Ritual singer, joined the reunited Alice in Chains Friday night for the taping of VH1 Classic's "Decades Rock Live!" tribute to Heart. At the concert, which took place at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Anselmo actually took the microphone for two Alice tracks, "Them Bones" and "Would?" ... Tool's forthcoming 10,000 Days will hit stores May 2. The LP will feature 11 tracks, including "Vicarious," "Lipan Conjuring" and "Viginti Tres." ... Those adorable faux new-wave moppets Devo 2.0 will take their show on the road later this month to support their debut CD/DVD, which will be released Tuesday. The tweens, who play their own instruments, will perform their peppy covers of Devo songs during an 11-date tour of U.S. junior high and high schools that kicks off March 27 in Boston. The tour — which will hit schools in New York, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago and Minneapolis — will help raise support and awareness of music education in schools. ... Nine Inch Nails will release a single for "Every Day Is Exactly the Same" April 4. The track, taken from the Nails' latest disc, With Teeth, will be accompanied by remixes, including a Sam Fog and Carlos D (Interpol) take on the title track, two reworkings of "The Hand That Feeds" (one provided by Death From Above 1979) and a couple of new interpretations of the song "Only." ... Due that same day is Thrice's Red Sky EP, which will feature four live tracks and two previously unreleased B-sides: "Flags of Dawn" and "Weight of Glory." ... One more April 4 treat for good measure: the Goo Goo Dolls' ninth studio album, Let Love In. The record will include the hit single "Better Days," but according to singer Johnny Rzeznik, that's the only ballad on the disc. ... Sonic Youth may be without fifth member Jim O'Rourke for their newest outing, but the band is apparently still buff — their newest album will be titled Rather Ripped. Due June 13 and produced by the band, SY's 20th effort was recorded at Sear Sound in New York, where they tracked Sister and Experimental Jet Set, Trash and No Star. Songs on Rather Ripped include "Pink Steam," "Incinerate," "Rapture" and "The Neutral." A summer tour is being planned, as is a stop at this summer's Lollapalooza. ... Offspring singer Dexter Holland is set to run the Los Angeles Marathon on March 19 to raise money for the Innocence Project, a nonprofit legal clinic that handles cases where post-conviction DNA testing of evidence can yield conclusive proof of innocence. "All I want to do is beat Oprah," the singer said in a statement. Oprah's previous marathon time is 4 hours, 29 minutes and 30 seconds. ... Adema have found a frontman in Bobby Reeves, formerly of Los Angeles rockers Level. According to an online post from bassist Dave DeRoo, Reeves possesses "the attitude, the voice and the vocal range to bust out anything from our catalog, and we've never sounded better." He replaces Luke Caraccioli, who left the band last fall. ... Emo rockers Emanuel were involved in a car accident in San Antonio, Texas, over the weekend. No one in the band was seriously injured, but the group's van, trailer and equipment weren't as fortunate. With their mode of transportation and instruments mangled, Emanuel have been forced to drop off their current tour with 30 Seconds to Mars and Aiden. The trek was scheduled to run through the end of the month. Related Photos Lindsay Lohan In The April 2006 Issue Of 'Cosmopolitan' Related Artists Lindsay Lohan Michael Jackson Yellowcard Jack Black Nine Inch Nails ]]> http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1526130/20060314/lohan_lindsay.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/1526130/20060314/lohan_lindsay.jhtml 14 Mar 2006 06:34:00 EST Jodie Foster, Leonardo DiCaprio, Matthew Perry also on hand. By Corey Moss Michael Moore at the "Fahrenheit 9/11" premiere Tuesday (June 8) Photo: MTV News BEVERLY HILLS, California — Michael Moore is convinced "Fahrenheit 9/11" is the perfect summer movie for the MTV audience to check out. "The film is full of Butt-heads," the director boasted Tuesday outside the premiere of the controversial documentary. "It's like invasion of the Butt-heads. They all go to D.C. and then another Butt-head, me, comes to try and save the day. And there's a tender love story somewhere in the midst of that." That tender love story turned out to be a farce, but the film community, which turned out in droves for back-to-back screenings, was more than satisfied with the Butt-heads — Moore received standing ovations for the film, which is intensely critical of President Bush and his administration. A staggering number of celebrities came out to support the Oscar-winning director, including the Osbournes (minus Ozzy), Drew Barrymore, Ellen DeGeneres, Larry David, Jodie Foster, Viggo Mortensen, Diane Lane, Spike Jonze, John Singleton, Michael Bay and David Duchovny and Téa Leoni, who attended the early screening and reception at the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Some (presumably those with Lakers tickets), including Ashton Kutcher and Demi Moore, Matthew Perry, Jack Black, Leonardo DiCaprio, Chris Rock, Jessica Alba, Sharon Stone and Billy Crystal, caught a later screening at the Laemmle Music Hall across the street. "I like his stuff, and a chance to see it early and see it for free? Count me in," said director Kevin Smith ("Mallrats," "Clerks"), one of the few who talked to reporters, adding that the film is being released at a bad time for Bush. "It seems like so many people are waiting to see an administration change that you don't even need this film to push it over the edge." Marisa Tomei, who attended the early screening, said she hopes the film will impact the election, an opinion seemingly shared by many of her peers. Moore, however, said that was never his intention. "I'm hoping I'll have an impact on people going out and voting, but that's not why I made the movie," he said. "I made the movie because I want people to go to the movie and have a good time. If they decide to see my movie, I want them to leave going, 'Holy moly, that was something!' " Part of the entertainment of "Fahrenheit 9/11," of course, is in the ridiculing of Bush. "This film displaces all authority," Moore said, laughing. "So if you're one of those people with a healthy disrespect for authority, this is your movie." Moore would be more than happy, though, if the documentary did change the minds of Bush supporters or those on the fence. "I read one review where a critic said any swing voter who enters the theater swinging will leave the theater having swung," he said. "I kind of like that." Before both screenings, Miramax co-founder Harvey Weinstein introduced the movie and commented on Disney backing out of releasing the film, joking that by putting it out themselves, he and brother Bob Weinstein could be looking for new jobs soon (see "Disney Blocks Michael Moore's Anti-Bush Flick"). After the long ovation that followed the film, Moore told the audience he was optimistic about the election in the wake of a recent book tour that took him to several dozen cities. "There has been a shift in this country. The average American is finally beginning to figure it out. We were duped [into supporting the invasion of Iraq]," he said. "Fahrenheit 9/11" opens in theaters June 25 and is expected to reach 500 to 1,000 theatres nationwide, a high number for a documentary (see "Michael Moore's Embattled 'Fahrenheit 9/11' To Be Released In June"). Get all the info you need on the 2004 MTV Movie Awards over at MTV.com. Check out MTV Movies for more from Hollywood, including news, interviews, trailers and more. Related Photos Leo, Alba, More At 'Fahrenheit 9/11' Premiere Related Artists Chris Rock Tenacious D Jack Black ]]> http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1488275/20040609/story.jhtml News Article http://www.mtv.com/movies/news/articles/1488275/20040609/story.jhtml 9 Jun 2004 04:03:00 EDT Unforgettable 2009 VMA Arrivals Related Artists Pink Jack Black Taylor Swift ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1621387 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1621387 13 Sep 2009 12:00:00 EDT Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, Nelly At Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards 2007 Related Artists Justin Timberlake Gwen Stefani Jack Black Paula Abdul Randy Jackson ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1556086 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1556086 2 Apr 2007 12:00:00 EDT Jack Black, Lil' Kim, OK Go, Paris Hilton And More Highlight The Big Show Related Artists Justin Timberlake Jack Black Lil' Kim 50 Cent LL Cool J ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1539556 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1539556 28 Aug 2006 12:00:00 EDT Outrageous Moments Related Artists Kelly Clarkson Madonna Britney Spears blink-182 Michael Jackson ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1535729 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1535729 6 Jul 2006 12:00:00 EDT Spankin' New Sounds of Summer Photo Highlights 2006 Related Artists Jack Black T.I. P!nk Chamillionaire Cheyenne Kimball ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1533222 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1533222 30 May 2006 12:00:00 EDT Spankin' New Sounds of Summer '06: Featured Artist Photos Related Artists Cheyenne Kimball T.I. Busta Rhymes Sean Paul Jack Black ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1532057 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1532057 18 May 2006 12:00:00 EDT In Focus: Jack Black Related Artists Jack Black Tenacious D ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1516741 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1516741 30 Nov 2005 12:00:00 EST Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Fiona Apple, More At Tenacious D Hurricane Katrina Benefit Related Artists Jack Black Queens of the Stone Age Foo Fighters Eagles Fiona Apple ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1510252 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1510252 23 Sep 2005 12:00:00 EDT "Tenacious D In 'The Pick Of Destiny' " Related Artists Tenacious D Jack Black ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1510189 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1510189 22 Sep 2005 12:00:00 EDT "Envy" Photos Related Artists Jack Black Tenacious D ]]> Photos http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1485739 http://www.mtv.com/photos/?fid=1485739 15 Mar 2004 12:00:00 EST