C-Murder
Photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic

Three days after a Louisiana jury found him guilty of second-degree murder (twice, actually), rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller was sentenced to life in prison on Friday (August 14).

According to The Associated Press, District Judge Hans Liljeberg gave Miller, 38, the mandatory life sentence following the onetime No Limit Records rap star's conviction in the 2002 shooting of 16-year-old fan Steve Thomas at a now-closed nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana.

Miller, who changed his rap name to C. Miller during the trial, was found guilty in the case on Tuesday morning, but Liljeberg made the jury return to deliberations because he suspected they had rushed their verdict to end deliberation. The rapper was convicted in 2003 in the same case but had that conviction overturned on appeal.

Just as it had earlier in the day on Tuesday, the jury voted 10-2 in their second verdict, finding that Miller shot Thomas once in the chest as the teen lay on his back while being beaten by the rapper's friends at the now-shuttered Platinum Club on January 12, 2002.

Thomas was a high school student who idolized Miller and his rapper brothers, No Limit founder Percy "Master P" Miller and Vishonn "Silkk the Shocker" Miller, and had even made some gold fronts out of golden ashtrays he got from work as an homage to the hometown hip-hop heroes. On the night of the shooting, Thomas told his father he was going to a movie but used a fake ID to go to the Platinum Club, knowing Miller would be there for a rap competition, in which Thomas performed, according to testimony.

Prosecutors said on Tuesday that they were confident in the verdict and did not believe an appeal would be filed. On Friday, Liljeberg rejected a request from Miller's attorney for a new trial, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, and the life sentence comes without the possibility of parole. Liljeberg granted a request from Miller's lawyer, who said he had not been paid for his services, to withdraw as the rapper's attorney and not be part of an appeal. The judge said he will appoint a public defender to help Miller, who said he would work on raising money to hire his own lawyer to file the appeal.

Miller has pleaded no contest to separate second-degree attempted-murder charges stemming from a 2001 incident at Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Club Raggs, in which he allegedly pulled a gun on a bouncer. His sentencing in the Club Raggs case is scheduled for August 25.

• C-Murder

C Murder
Photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic

Three hours after a judge rejected their first guilty verdict, the jury in the trial of Corey "C Murder" Miller again found the former No Limit Records rapper guilty of the 2002 slaying of a New Orleans teenager on Tuesday.

The jury initially voted 10-2 to convict Miller on Tuesday morning, but Judge Hans Liljeberg rejected the verdict and ordered the jury to deliberate further, even though the voting margin was enough to convict the defendant of second-degree murder.

Miller's legal team requested a mistrial, but Liljeberg rejected that motion and pressed the jury to go back to deliberations. The New Orleans Times-Picayune vividly described the contentious scene inside the jury room, in which the jurors struggled for 13 hours over two days in deliberations that "degenerated into yelling, crying and 'people getting violently sick and vomiting.' "

In the end, though, the jury again voted 10-2, finding that Miller, 38, shot 16-year-old Steve Thomas once in the chest as the teen lay on his back while being beaten by the rapper's friends at the now-shuttered Platinum Club in Harvey, Louisiana, on January 12, 2002. Miller faces a mandatory life sentence in prison and a date will be set for his sentencing on Friday.

Judge Liljeberg rejected the panel's initial verdict because he said one juror might have changed his or her vote just to end deliberations. Miller was found guilty by a unanimous verdict of the same crime in 2002, but was granted a new trail by the State Supreme Court.

Miller's family criticized the judge for putting too much pressure on the jury to deliberate, saying he should have ended the proceedings by ruling a hung jury, which would have led to a third trial in the case. "It was a corrupted trial," Miller's aunt Marie Miller said, according to the paper. "It's not fair from the beginning. ... The judge was putting too much pressure on the jury."

A juror who asked not to be identified disagreed, saying she thought the judge was fair and that the jury never felt pressure from him. "He did his job; he warned us this is going to be a very difficult process," the juror told the paper. "I can say that on behalf of the entire jury, we never felt pressured, none of us, by the judge, not one."

The juror said that after three days of testimony last week, by the time deliberations began on Monday morning, nine of the 12 jurors thought Miller was guilty, one short of a legal verdict. But once in the jury room, those who believed Miller was guilty began trying to persuade the other three to change their minds, which resulted in the yelling, arguing and vomiting. "It definitely took a toll on us," the juror said.

The jurors unanimously discredited four defense witnesses because they all put Miller in different places in the club and none showed up to testify in person. Most jurors found the state's two key witnesses, who testified that they saw Miller shoot Thomas, to be credible.

Thomas was a high school student who idolized Miller and his rapper brothers, No Limit founder Percy "Master P" Miller and Vishonn "Silkk the Shocker" Miller, and had even made some gold fronts out of golden ashtrays he got from work as an homage to the hometown hip-hop heroes, whose posters he had all over his bedroom. On the night of the shooting, Thomas told his father he was going to a movie, but used a fake I.D. to go to the Platinum Club, knowing Miller would be there for a rap competition, in which Thomas performed, according to testimony. It is unknown what sparked the fight that led to Thomas' death.

Once deliberations began on Monday, the jury was unable to overcome the split vote and on Tuesday, they sent a note to Liljeberg complaining that one juror — who had fallen asleep several times during the trial — had a Bible and was quoting scripture. "She wants off this jury and really doesn't seem to be able to handle this process," the note read. The judge spoke to the three dissenting jurors and explained that Bibles, and other "extraneous factors" were not allowed in court. Less than an hour later, a 10-2 verdict was returned, but one juror wrote that she changed her vote "under duress" to end the deliberations.

Liljeberg then rejected that verdict and sent them back for more deliberations. When the second verdict came back a short time later, Liljeberg said it was a legal one, and Miller was immediately placed in handcuffs.

Thomas' parents were happy to end the ordeal. "Thank God it's all over," Dolores Thomas said according to the paper. "Now we can rest, and my baby, too."

George Thomas added, "My baby can rest. ... I'm not rejoicing over this. I feel sorry. At least they (Miller's family) can see him. All I got is a grave."

Prosecutors said they were confident in the verdict and did not believe an appeal would be filed. Miller, who changed his rap name from C Murder to C Miller during the trial, pleaded no contest to separate second-degree attempted murder charges stemming from a 2001 incident in a Baton Rouge nightclub, in which he allegedly pulled a gun on a bouncer at Club Raggs. His sentencing in that case is scheduled for August 25.

• C-Murder

C-Murder
Photo: Koch Records

Former No Limit rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller was found guilty of murder on Tuesday morning (August 11) — the second time the New Orleans native has been convicted for the 2002 slaying of a local teenager. However, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune, in an unusual twist, the case remains open.

The presiding judge in the matter has rejected the guilty ruling by the jury and ordered the group to continue deliberating the case. The collective reportedly decided the rapper, brother of hip-hop mogul Master P, was guilty by a vote of 10-2. The margin signified enough to convict the defendant of second-degree murder.

Miller's defense team moved for a mistrial, claiming the judge was pressuring the jury.

But Judge Hans Liljeberg denied the motion. The judge then deemed the jury vote invalid, believing a member of the jury switched their vote in order to end deliberations early. According to the report, there had been complaints about a particular jury member who fell asleep during deliberations and asked to be removed from the case, although it is not clear if the judge singled out that particular juror.

The group began their initial deliberations on Monday afternoon and returned to the courtroom 24 hours later to render their verdict.

Miller was on trial for an incident that occurred in 2002 at a nightclub in Harvey, Louisiana. A 16-year-old boy from nearby Avondale, Steve Thomas, was beaten during a melee that took place at Platinum Club. Thomas was then shot in the chest and later died as a result of the wound.

Miller was tried in 2003 for Thomas' killing and a jury convicted him of second-degree murder, which led to a life sentence. However, Judge Martha Sassone threw out the case the following year after it was discovered prosecutors withheld the criminal background information of three key witnesses against Miller.

During the current trial, the jury heard from over 17 witnesses in the case.

In 2006, Miller, who dropped his rap moniker several years ago and changed it to C Miller, was released from prison and put on house arrest after the Louisiana Supreme Court overturned the second-degree murder conviction in the first trial. In May, Miller pleaded no contest to separate second-degree attempted-murder charges stemming from a 2001 incident in Baton Rouge, Louisiana's Club Raggs, in which he allegedly pulled a gun on a bouncer. His sentencing in the Club Raggs case is scheduled for August 25.

• C-Murder

C-Murder
Photo: Soul Brother/FilmMagic

Master P's brother, rapper C-Murder, plead no contest on Wednesday (May 27) to multiple counts of attempted second-degree murder charges stemming from a 2001 incident in a Baton Rouge nightclub, according to a local ABC news affiliate.

WBRZ in Louisiana reported that prosecutors will recommend a 10-year sentence for Miller, who is also facing an unrelated, separate murder charge elsewhere in his home state.

The artist, who later changed his name to C-Miller and was born Corey Miller, was scheduled to go to court for the Baton Rouge case this week. But attorneys representing Miller announced the no contest plea in court today. The rapper will be sentenced to jail in 90 days.

According to police reports, Miller allegedly pulled a gun out on a bouncer and the owner of Club Raggs, a north Baton Rouge establishment. Police said Miller pulled the gun and attempted to shoot the owner, Norman Sparrow, but his weapon jammed. Miller then fled the scene before later being arrested.

According to the New Orleans Time-Picayune, Miller is still slated to face trial for a 2002 incident in Jefferson Parrish where the rapper is accused of killing a 16-year-old boy.

Miller has served time in home confinement for the same case after being convicted in 2003. The Lousiana Supreme Court, however, ordered a new trial after agreeing with a lower court that said the jury in Miller's case should have been made aware of the background of witnesses who testified against the rapper.

Miller's retrial is scheduled to begin August 3 in the Jefferson Parish case and he is set to be sentenced August 25 in the Baton Rogue case. He will remain jailed until his next trial.

MTV News' requests for comment by Master P by MTV News has not been returned as of press time.

• C-Murder
• Master P

Britney Spears look-alikes on the set of the singer's new "Piece of Me" video
Photo: WENN/Newscom

Britney Spears' "Piece of Me" video is in place, even if it won't actually be out until January at earliest — People.com posted a sneak preview of it on Thursday (December 13). In the clip, her second one for Blackout, the singer and her dancers are chased by the paparazzi and duck into a club in an effort to escape. (Check out snaps from the "Piece of Me" video shoot right here.) Don't forget that Britney has reached out to fans to direct a separate "Piece of Me" video for her, with the winning clip to air December 20 on "TRL." For the "Britney Spears Wants a Piece of You" contest, MTV has opened its vaults of the footage shot of the pop singer over the years, and fans can access the goods via the MTV Video Remixer. Pick the shots you like, mash them up and hit "send" — clips can be up to 3:34 in length or shorter. The grand-prize winner also will receive a brand new Haier Ibiza Rhapsody device along with a one-year subscription to Rhapsody, as well as the entire catalog of Spears' CDs and DVDs released in the U.S. ...

Scott Weiland's DUI case will be continued on January 17, according to TMZ.com — the Velvet Revolver frontman was due to be arraigned Thursday (December 13). Maybe it would have helped if the rocker had gotten that news Wednesday night, when he allegedly ranted onstage at Velvet Revolver's show in Hollywood, the site reports. Weiland reportedly said his group is not the "Mormon Tabernacle f---ing Choir" and, a source allegedly told the site, steered clear of his bandmates backstage after the show and didn't have his picture taken. ... Scott Stapp is off the hook — a domestic battery charge against the rocker has been dropped after he completed terms of an agreement, including his required participation in anger management counseling, according to The Associated Press. The original charge was aggravated assault with intent to commit a felony but it was reduced to a misdemeanor on Monday. Stapp was arrested in May after his wife accused him of taking drugs and throwing a bottle at her. As part of his agreement, he also underwent a substance abuse evaluation and agreed not to have any weapons in his possession. ...

So much for Jessica Simpson's "Blonde Ambition" — the actress' flick, inspired by the '80s classic "Working Girl," is going straight to DVD, according to UsMagazine.com. The comedy, which co-stars Luke Wilson, will hit stores January 22. ...

If you think that lock of John Lennon's hair went for a lot of money — it was auctioned for $48,000 on Wednesday — wait till you hear how much a London dealer threw down for a handwritten, illustrated J.K. Rowling book: a cool 1.95 million pounds, the U.S. equivalent of $3.98 million, according to Reuters. The copy of "The Tales of Beedle the Bard" — a book that is referenced in "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows — was auctioned Thursday in London, and the price is the most anyone has ever paid for a modern literary manuscript at auction. All proceeds will go to Rowling's charity the Children's Voice, which helps vulnerable kids across Europe. ...

A Louisiana judge denied a request from C-Murder to travel to Texas for Pimp C's funeral on Thursday (December 13). According to an AP report, the judge would not make an allowance for the trip for Murder (born Corey Miller), who is currently under house arrest awaiting a retrial for the 2002 murder of a teen inside a nightclub. ...

Ne-Yo is heading to Wal-Mart — but not to go holiday shopping. Instead, the R&B singer will be at the retail chain's location in Torrance, California, on Friday to help with a toy drive for inner-city children. ... Coldplay have unearthed their cover of the Pretenders' Christmas-themed "2,000 Miles" and posted it on Coldplay.com. The group recorded the song — which benefited Future Forests and Stop Handgun Violence — in 2003 and made it available for a limited time as a paid download on their site. "We love Christmas songs, but every time we try and write one it's awful," Chris Martin wrote in an accompanying post. "So we often cover them — well, once or twice, actually. In fact, the song I would most like to have written is 'Fairytale of New York' by de bloody Pogues of Ireland." ...

Shakira elbowed her way onto the list of Golden Globe nominees — her "Love in the Time of Cholera" contribution earned a nod for Best Original Song. "I composed 'Despedida' with all my love for [Gabriel] Garcia Márquez, who is for me a true genius and the most eloquent spokesman of my people," she said in a statement, referring to the author who wrote the book on which the film was based. Eddie Vedder's "Guaranteed" from "Into the Wild" also made the cut, as did the "Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story" tune "Walk Hard," which was penned and performed by John C. Reilly, Marshall Crenshaw, Jake Kasdan and Judd Apatow. Similarly, three "Wild" Vedder songs and a trio of "Walk Hard" cuts have made the Oscar committee's list of tracks being considered for Best Original Song, according to a weblog on Variety.com. Fifty-nine tunes — including ones by John Legend, John Mayer, the Flaming Lips, Sondre Lerche, Rufus Wainwright, Sheryl Crow and Fountains of Wayne frontman Adam Schlesinger — are eligible for the award. The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences will screen film clips featuring the tracks on January 15, after which the actual nominees for the Best Original Song category will be determined. ...

R. Kelly's Friday night concert at the Forum in Los Angeles will be protested by black activists calling for action against the singer, who is facing 14 counts of child pornography, the Los Angeles Times reports. "It's like pulling teeth to get people to talk about this," one activist, Jasmyne Cannick, told the Times. "It's a challenge to get the black community to even discuss it. They're acting like he doesn't have 14 counts of child pornography against him. ... We're all acting like we don't have daughters and nieces and little sisters." But Kelly's manager, Derrell McDavid, didn't seem too worried when he spoke to the newspaper. "There's been no protests on this tour," he said. "It's just been a warm embrace and sold-out shows." ... Are the Smashing Pumpkins already working on new material? It seems that way — but this time around, fans won't have to wait nearly as long. Drummer Jimmy Chamberlin wrote in a blog post on their Web site that they're in the midst of tracking, and hinted that the Pumpkins might have new material to release as early as January 1. "We are back in the studio recording some songs for a possible release worldwide," he wrote. "Look for these around the first of the year." ...

Snoop Dogg's Youth Football League is still going strong, and the rapper has plotted a third benefit show to raise funds for the project, which helps kids stay off the streets. "The kids in the league depend on me to keep it going, and giving 100 percent of the sales from this concert is my way of making it happen for all of them," he said in a statement about the show, which will take place Saturday at the House of Blues in West Hollywood, California. All proceeds will go to the league and be used for new uniforms, transportation, lodging and food for the upcoming Snoop Bowl, taking place during Super Bowl weekend in Arizona. ... Linkin Park's ambitious Music for Relief project has taken on another cause: raising money and awareness about the humanitarian crisis that has resulted in Bangladesh in the aftermath of Cyclone Sidr. The outreach organization has launched an eBay auction featuring items by LP, Avril Lavigne, Smashing Pumpkins and Deftones, with all proceeds going to the international relief group Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere. ... George Clooney and Don Cheadle were honored in Rome on Thursday with a peace award for their efforts to raise awareness about the Darfur humanitarian crisis, according to AP. Also Thursday, they urged world leaders to provide helicopters for a peacekeeping force, partially led by the United Nations, that will take over security in the Sudanese area later in December. ...

Look, up in the sky, it's the Spice Girls! The reunited group has revealed the name of its Virgin Atlantic jumbo jet: Spice One. The name was chosen via an online contest, and the winner — who hails from Brazil — recently joined the ladies at their recent ceremony at Los Angeles International Airport. ... Three Thom Yorke remixes that were previously available on his Web site will be issued February 4 in the U.K. in the form of 12-inches. The remixes are by the Field, Four Tet and others. ...

Lupe Fiasco has filled up his calendar with concert dates, promotional appearances in support of his sophomore album, Lupe Fiasco's "The Cool," which drops Tuesday. LupeFiasco.com will be relaunched that day, on which Fiasco will also play a gig at New York's the Fillmore at Irving Plaza. After that, he'll stage a December 20 in-store gig at the Bassment in his Chicago hometown; a "MySpace Presents the Release" show in Hawaii on December 27; and then set out on a tour that starts January 10 in Portland, Oregon, and ends March 25 in Fredricksburg, Virginia. In the meantime, stream The Cool in its entirety on MTV's "The Leak." ...

While less than 20,000 of the reported millions who wanted to see Monday's Led Zeppelin reunion in London were actually able to attend the gig, millions more briefly relived the experience vicariously through bootleg online clips. But, almost as fast as those clips showed up on sites like YouTube, they were reportedly taken down at the request of the band's management. Or perhaps at the request of Warner Bros., which owns the publishing rights to Zeppelin's catalog, according to Portfolio.com, which reported that individual clips began disappearing from YouTube on Tuesday afternoon "due to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group," which, incidentally, has a licensing deal with YouTube for its content. However, the story got even weirder Thursday morning, when the Silicon Alley Insider revealed that a Brooklyn, New York, company called "GrayZone," which bills itself as the "bootbusters of the entertainment industry," took the initiative in sending out the takedown notices. According to the Alley Insider story, GrayZone apologized for erroneously issuing the notices and explained, "The error is ours alone. We acted without authorization from the band or Warner Music Group. Unfortunately, an automated system mistakenly attributed the removal of the content to a copyright claim by Warner Music Group. That was inaccurate. We have informed YouTube of the error and we regret any inconvenience this may have caused." Speculation had surfaced that the reason for the takedown might be tied to an expected DVD release of the event at some point next year. ... In related news, Robert Plant will tour next year, but not necessarily with Zep. He'll make the rounds with Alison Krauss, with whom he collaborated for their October release Raising Sand. The pair will trek through Europe in May. ...

There's a new "Jackass" movie coming, and you won't even have to leave the house to see it. The 64-minute "Jackass 2.5" will stream for free from Wednesday until December 31 at JackassWorld.com with previously unreleased footage and interviews. The movie, touted as the first-ever studio-backed feature streamed entirely online, is available to anyone over 17 who downloads the Microsoft Silverlight media player, which can be found at Blockbuster.JackassWorld.com. ... Janet Jackson has finally settled on a title, release date and lead single for her follow-up to last year's 20 Y.O. Discipline will drop February 26 and be preceded by the first single, the Rodney Jerkins-produced "Feedback," which impacts January 7. Ne-Yo, Jermaine Dupri, Stargate, The-Dream and others also lent their talents to the veteran singer's 10th studio effort, which was executive produced by Antonio "L.A." Reid. ... The Liars have lined up a headlining stint for next year as they continue to support their self-titled release, which came out in August. The band will set sail January 25 in San Francisco and play about a month's worth of gigs that will wind down with a February 22 show in Los Angeles.

12.12.07

More Miley! The "Hannah Montana" star has freshened up her Best of Both Worlds Tour schedule with 14 additional January dates, meaning more of her fans will be thrilled and more opportunities will be had for raging ticket controversies. Instead of capping off her tour January 9 in Albany, New York, Cyrus will hit the following cities: Detroit (January 11); Milwaukee (January 13); Chicago (January 14); St. Louis (January 15); Las Vegas (January 18-19); Glendale, Arizona (January 22); Austin, Texas (January 24); Lafayette, Louisiana (January 25); New Orleans (January 26); Orlando, Florida (January 28-29); Jacksonville, Florida (January 30); and Miami (January 31). The Jonas Brothers have been opening for Cyrus but will be replaced by Aly & AJ from January 11-24, after which a yet-unannounced supporting act will take over for the remaining shows. ...

Shia LaBeouf's criminal trespassing charge has just gone poof. Walgreens Co. and a security company announced via a letter read in a Chicago court Wednesday (December 12) that they will not continue a case involving criminal charges against the actor for refusing to leave one of the chain's stores in early November. The "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" star, who reportedly appeared intoxicated at the time of the incident, was arrested and charged with misdemeanor criminal trespassing. ...

"Fantastic" news for Jessica Alba: The actress is pregnant, People.com reports. According to the site, the "Awake" star's representative said her boyfriend Cash Warren is the father. Alba reportedly met Warren on the set of "Fantastic Four" in 2004, at which point they began dating. The actress was reportedly in talks to go to Broadway for a revival of the David Mamet play "Speed-the-Plow." ... Relatedly, it's hard out here for a ... Broadway star? Terrence Howard has signed on for an all-black version of Tennessee Williams' "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" that will debut March 6 at New York's Broadhurst Theatre. James Earl Jones, Phylicia Rashad and Anika Noni Rose of "Dreamgirls" will also star in the third revival of the production, which marks Howard's stage debut. He will play Brick, the aging alcoholic ex-football player. ...

What do John Legend and Eddie Vedder have in common, besides a great set of pipes? The singers are joining together to provide music for an upcoming documentary miniseries based on Howard Zinn's "A People's History of the United States," a 1980 book that is widely read in high schools and colleges, and its companion piece, "Voices of a People's History of the United States," according to Billboard.com. "The People Speak" will begin production in Boston in January and also involve Viggo Mortensen, Josh Brolin and other actors. Vedder brought Zinn, a Boston University professor, onstage at a Pearl Jam show in Boston three years ago. ...

Nicole Kidman and Russell Crowe have more than their Australian backgrounds in common. Forbes has named the actors as the most overpaid celebrities in Hollywood, according to a complicated formula involving the stars' salaries, budgets and returns for movies in which they have appeared, and more. Jim Carrey, Will Ferrell and Adam Sandler also made the list. ...

Just in time for Christmas comes news that Britney Spears has been offered to play the role of the Virgin Mary in the upcoming film "Sweet Baby Jesus," a humorous retelling of the nativity story, according to Us Weekly. "I had to convince my partners because they were like, 'Oh, no. Britney?' " Philippe Rebboah, the film's French producer, reportedly said. "But I thought it was brilliant. It's a bit ironic that she would play the Virgin Mary, no? ... She likes the idea, that's what I heard." Rebboah added that the singer is reviewing the script and will make a decision soon whether to act in the movie, which will be filmed in March. ... You could say this year's "Idol Gives Back" charity special was a wee bit successful — it only raked in a mere $75 million, for charities in the U.S. and Africa. "American Idol" will give the fundraiser another go on April 9 at 8 p.m. with a two-hour special featuring performances and appearances by yet-unnamed celebrities, according to Variety. The show itself will be back January 15 with a two-hour special. ...

Sigur Rós are plotting a batch of theatrical screenings for "Heima," the new documentary film they released late last month. The movie, which revolves around a series of free shows the band played in its native Iceland last summer, will be shown Tuesday (San Francisco, Denver); December 19 (Boston, Atlanta); and December 20 (Austin, Texas; Seattle). ... A lock of John Lennon's hair that went up for bid Wednesday had been estimated to sell for $4,000 to $6,000 — but an unnamed telephone bidder actually shelled out $48,000 for it in the Beatles memorabilia auction, The Associated Press reports. The items in the auction had been collected by the legendary group's hairdresser, and a photo of the band dedicated to her — it was signed "George 'Dandruff' Harrison" — went for $13,000. ...

Music/social-networking site Mog.com relaunched on Wednesday with some seriously beefed-up content. As the result of a deal with Rhapsody Music Service — a joint venture with MTV — Moggers can now listen to millions of full-length songs on their own pages and on the pages of others, and a new search function provides instant access to specific music anywhere on Mog. Using the "play all" function, users can hear what like-minded people are listening to, while the "play this page" function lets users instantly create a playlist of every song mentioned on another Mogger's page. ... Maybe this is where those Led Zeppelin tour rumors came from: Nashville's WSMT-TV is reporting that Zep frontman Robert Plant and bluegrass star Alison Krauss will take the stage together at the Bonnaroo festival in Manchester, Tennessee, in June to perform songs from their collaborative CD, Raising Sand. The fest will be held June 12-15.

• Britney Spears
• Velvet Revolver
• Scott Stapp
• Creed
• Jessica Simpson

C-Murder
Photo: Priority Records

C-Murder will be tried a second time on a second-degree murder charge, The Associated Press reports. A trial date has been set for February 11. The rapper, who was born Corey Miller, stands accused of the shooting death of 16-year-old Steve Thomas at a Louisiana nightclub on January 12, 2002. His 2003 conviction was tossed in March 2006 after prosecutors withheld criminal background information on witnesses from Miller's attorney. If convicted, he faces a mandatory life sentence without parole. ...

What would a day be like without Britney Spears news? Legal representatives for the singer and her ex-husband, Kevin Federline, were present at an ex-parte hearing called by his lawyer Mark Vincent Kaplan on Wednesday (October 17), according to Us Weekly. Commissioner Scott M. Gordon sealed the courtroom for the one-hour Los Angeles Superior Court meeting, which pertains to the former couple's child-custody dispute. Spears and Federline were not present for the one-hour meeting in Los Angeles Superior Court but are required to be in court for a hearing on October 26. Relatedly, Spears is apparently making no secret of her distaste for Gordon, Us Weekly also reports. The singer was heard griping about Gordon at a department store in Beverly Hills late last week, allegedly ranting to her assistant, "I hate my judge. He is so mean. Just an old fart. He told me I was being catty with him, but he was being catty with me and paid me no respect at all. ... His job is to sit there and tell people what to do. And that's just so sad, because he gets off on it." She was also heard singing Rihanna's "Umbrella" while shopping in the store. The magazine also reports that Spears was seen wearing a zip-up jacket with the phrase "F--- Off Lover Boy" while driving in Malibu on Tuesday. ...

Well, maybe Brit should have listened to Lance Bass. He's speaking up about the troubled singer, telling GQ that he's been trying to get through to her. "I tried. I tried. She's my neighbor in Beverly Hills [California]. She lives next door. I tried to get in touch with her — I wanted to be that friend to help her. I don't think she's having any of her old friends anymore," he told the magazine for its November issue. Equally revealing, Bass said he disclosed to the pop star that he was gay years before he came out in public. He said he reached out to her after her quickie Vegas wedding in January 2004. "I felt bad for her," he said. "I knew she was about to go through a lot of crap. I felt the need to share something. So I sat her on my bed, and I'm like, 'Well, I'm gay!' " ...

"Hannah Montana" fans, get ready to see your hero in a whole new light — she's hitting the big screen ... and in 3-D! The upcoming movie "Hannah Montana/ Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert Tour" will get the 3-D treatment for a theatrical release that will play in theaters from February 1-7, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will be shot during various stops on her 54-city tour, which starts Thursday in St. Louis. ...

Linkin Park's Chester Bennington broke his arm on Sunday during a concert in Melbourne, Australia. The band's Web site features a video showing the frontman's limb in a cast. Despite the injury, Bennington continued to perform with the Park, for their entire set. ... My Chemical Romance have booked a special gig at Maxwell's in Hoboken, New Jersey, for October 24. Tickets for the sold-out show went for $100 apiece, with all proceeds going to charity. In other MCR news, RollingStone.com reports that the band has put the finishing touches on a yet-untitled DVD surrounding its recent tour. The disc, reportedly due out early next year, will feature the group's full performance of The Black Parade in Mexico City. ...

Kanye West gave a surprise performance at a launch event for T-Mobile's Sidekick LX at Griffith Park in Los Angeles on Tuesday night. He played a batch of Graduation songs, after which DJ AM and Steve Aoki did some spinning. A slew of celebs turned out for the event: Nick Cannon, Bow Wow, Shia LaBeouf, Travis Barker and Shanna Moakler, Carmen Electra, Jack Osbourne, Wilmer Valderrama, JC Chasez, Frankie Muniz and, yes, even Chris "Leave Britney alone!" Crocker. ...

Rivers Cuomo has let slip what fans can expect on his just-announced demos compilation release. He told RollingStone.com that the release will have about 18 songs, including his original demo for Weezer's "Buddy Holly" — and, get this, a cover of Ice Cube's "The Bomb." He also said he'll be unveiling songs from an unfinished space-rock concept album. ... Apparently everyone in Kid Rock's camp isn't sharing in his Rock N Roll Jesus SoundScan spoils: His longtime manager, Ed "Punch" Andrews, has decided to retire, according to Billboard.com. Rock has reportedly found a replacement in Vector Management, which handles Bon Jovi, among others. ...

In September, Robert Plant dismissed a potential Led Zeppelin tour that would be held after their reunion gig at the O2 Arena in London on November 26 — but is Jimmy Page leaving the door open? He hinted as such in an interview with Canada's Winnipeg Sun, saying, "Let's do the O2 show, shall we? And then we'll speak to you afterwards." But, he added, "That's what we have on our horizon at this point. I know you want to hear other answers, but I'm afraid that's all I can give you." The guitar god was less vague about the prospect of new Zep material, saying he would be "really surprised" if there wasn't any. "We're musicians ... as we're playing we'll probably be coming up with all manner of things," he said. Bassist John Paul Jones also spoke with the newspaper, saying, "Basically, we are concentrating on this show. That's where all the energy is going. I mean, who knows, but one step at a time." ...

Cat Power, a.k.a. Chan Marshall, will take on Bob Dylan's "I Believe in You," James Brown's "Lost Someone," Creedence Clearwater Revival's "Fortunate Son" and other classics on her second covers album, Jukebox. The January 22 release — which was previously titled Covers II, according to Billboard — also features a pair of originals: "Song to Bobby" and a new version of one of her older cuts, "Metal Heart." One would expect Marshall to perform the Dylan tune when she salutes His Bobness at an upcoming event called "I'm Not There: In Concert a Celebration of Todd Haynes' Film." My Morning Jacket, Calexico and Mason Jennings have also been tapped for the concert, which will take place November 7 at New York's Beacon Theatre. The movie, which stars Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and others, is due in theaters November 21. ...

Ryan Adams can't get enough of "October Road," apparently. The mercurial singer/songwriter's music is featured in the TV drama and its ad bumpers, and now he's ganging up with the cast for his new video. Adams plans to shoot a clip for "Follow the Lights" — a song included on his Tuesday EP of the same name — Sunday in Los Angeles, and it's due to premiere January 7 during the first episode of the show's second season. The collaboration marks the first time the cast of an ABC show has gotten together to take part in an artist's music video. ...

From the "Man, please don't do this" file, it seems George Lucas is entrenched in one of two planned "Star Wars" TV projects, a live-action spinoff, the Los Angeles Times reports. Lucas told the newspaper he has "just begun work" on the series, which, as he previously told MTV News, will be set between "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith" and the original "Star Wars." He reiterated to the Times that the spinoff will focus on minor characters from the series, not Luke Skywalker or Darth Vader. He also joked that the series would be about "the life of robots." ... Bleeding Through singer Brandan Schieppati has teamed with Bad Religion drummer Brooks Wackerman, No Use for a Name guitarist Dave Nassie and ex-Distillers bassist Ryan Sinn to form a new band called the Innocent. The thrash-metal act has been working on material but there's no word yet on when it might record and release an LP. ...

For the second time in a month, Apple Inc. has done something it's not known for: dropped its prices. Effective immediately, the price for songs on iTunes without copy protection will drop from $1.29 to 99 cents. Apple started selling some DRM-free songs in May at a premium price. ...

Elliott Smith's girlfriend, Jennifer Chiba, cannot collect on the deceased indie-rock icon's estate even though he allegedly said he would make sure she was financially set for the rest of her life, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Chiba had sued Smith's estate in 2004, arguing that he had promised her as such and that, because they had lived together — and shared their earnings and property equally — she was entitled to a portion. But a split California appellate court ruled Tuesday that while she did have a "cohabitative agreement" with Smith, Chiba — who had been seeking more than $1 million — also had a recording management agreement and acted as an unlicensed talent agent. If she appeals, a state Supreme Court review could be possible.

10.16.07

Madonna finalized her massive 10-year deal with Live Nation on Tuesday (October 16), although the exact terms have yet to be disclosed. The deal involves her new studio efforts, tours, merchandise, DVD releases, sponsorships, licensing agreements, fan club, Web site, and TV and film projects. "The paradigm in the music business has shifted, and as an artist and a businesswoman, I have to move with that shift," she said in a statement. "For the first time in my career, the way that my music can reach my fans is unlimited. I've never wanted to think in a limited way and with this new partnership, the possibilities are endless. Who knows how my albums will be distributed in the future? That's what's exciting about this deal — everything is possible. Live Nation has offered me a true partnership, and after 25 years in the business, I feel that I deserve that." She did, however, have some kind words to say about former label Warner Bros.: "I appreciate their hard work and value the many relationships I have developed over the years with the label in the U.S. and around the world. I have an album coming out with them next year, and I'm excited about it. We still have work to do together." And Warner Bros. returned the enthusiasm in its own Tuesday statement: "We congratulate Madonna on her future plans. She is one of the most remarkable artists of our time. We are excited to issue her upcoming album next year. We are also honored to own her catalog of recordings from the past 25 years, as well as to manage her library of songs for an extended period of time. From all of us at Warner Music Group, we thank Madonna for a valued and enduring partnership." Live Nation also announced a new Artist Nation arm that will launch with Madonna and have divisions dedicated to dealing with an artist's recorded music, merchandise, concert tickets, sponsorships, marketing and more. ...

Foxy Brown (real name: Inga Marchand) pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to assault charges stemming from the alleged cell phone-throwing incident that took place in July, The Associated Press reports. The rapper, who is serving a one-year jail term at New York's Rikers Island Correctional Facility for violating her probation, entered the plea in a Brooklyn state Supreme Court. On Friday, she refused to get on a correction-department bus twice for a court arraignment. Brown allegedly hit neighbor Arlene Raymond after they got into a fight over Brown blasting her car stereo outside her home in Brooklyn. ...

One of 50 Cent's employees was arraigned in Hartford, Connecticut's Superior Court on Monday on two counts of carrying a pistol without a permit, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of weapons in a motor vehicle, according to The Hartford Courant. Dwayne "Hove" McKenzie, who has been jailed since early Sunday on $1.5 million bail, is expected to be released as early as Monday after the bail amount was cut in half following the arraignment. The charges stem from incidents over the weekend in which McKenzie, who resides at Fif's Farmington mansion, is accused of pistol-whipping a nightclub promoter. Four days later, McKenzie was found with a 9mm Glock and another handgun when police stopped him in downtown Hartford to serve him a warrant on an unrelated weapons charge. Two months ago, McKenzie lost his right to carry a pistol after firing a gun at a man who robbed him. His cases have been continued until November 6. ...

Need another Shakira fix? The singer has slapped together a live DVD/CD, simply called "Oral Fixation Tour," for release on November 13. The disc immortalizes her l40-city, 2006-'07 world tour — which more than 2.5 million people attended, according to her publicist — and features 17 performances, including ones with Wyclef Jean and Alejandro Sanz. Bonus video clips, behind-the-scenes footage and a documentary capturing her trip to Colombia in support of her Pies Descalzos child-education program are also tucked onto the DVD, while the CD has a batch of live songs. The main program will also be screened at select theaters starting November 12. ...

Talk about "girl power" — the Spice Girls are putting a very feminine touch on their upcoming Greatest Hits set by selling it exclusively at Victoria's Secret stores. The November 13 release will be available elsewhere in downloadable form beyond VictoriasSecret.com, but the physical copies will only be at VS stores or via a pre-order on the aforementioned Web site starting midnight Wednesday and ending midnight Thursday. The group is also taking part in the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show, which tapes November 14 in Los Angeles and airs December 4 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on CBS. ...

Last we heard from Weezer, they were planning to hit the studio in July to record album number six and get it out next year. Now comes news — via a post on frontman Rivers Cuomo's blog — that Geffen has agreed to put out a disc of his favorite demos he recorded from 1992-2007. "I hope you enjoy it. I may also be able to put out more demo CDs in the near future," reads the post. RollingStone.com reports that the collection, due December 11, will be called Alone - The Home Recordings of Rivers Cuomo. Cuomo's planned book has been postponed to a later date. ...

The Smashing Pumpkins, Metallica, Linkin Park and Chris Cornell are among the big names who'll be featured on the forthcoming Live Earth - The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis CD/DVD package, due November 20. Recorded July 7 at Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore's Live Earth concerts, which served to raise awareness about the climate crisis, the set will also include performances by the Black Eyed Peas, the Foo Fighters, Kelly Clarkson, Dave Matthews Band, Beastie Boys, Bon Jovi and John Mayer. Net proceeds will benefit the Alliance for Climate Protection, whose mission is to persuade the public about the importance and urgency of adopting and implementing effective and comprehensive solutions for the climate crisis. ...

It looks like the "Hannah Montana" ticket controversy is spurring the government to act on ticket scalpers. On Monday, a federal judge prohibited the use of automated software to buy mass tickets from Ticketmaster, Reuters reports. The move was provoked by a suit Ticketmaster lodged in April against Pittsburgh's RMG Technologies before tickets for the Miley Cyrus tour went on sale. Ticketmaster argued that the company's software allows scalpers to move ahead of other customers in line and purchase mass amounts of tickets that can be resold at higher prices. "They're cheating consumers out of a fair shot at these tickets, and we're not going to stand for it anymore," said Joe Freeman, a lawyer for Ticketmaster. U.S. District Court Judge Audrey Collins has issued a preliminary injunction against RMG that bars the company from "creating, trafficking in, facilitating the use of or using computer programs or other automatic devices to circumvent" the Ticketmaster Web site's copy-protection system. State attorneys general are also figuring out if ticket resellers have broken consumer-protection laws in at least three states: Pennsylvania, Arkansas and Missouri. ...

U2 are planning quite the birthday bash for their classic LP The Joshua Tree. The album will be reissued in multiple configurations — as a single CD, two-CD package, as a collectible box with an additional DVD, and as a double-vinyl set — on November 20, Billboard reports. Rare material including B-sides, demos, alternate takes and more are expected to appear on the updated versions of the album, which originally came out March 9, 1987. The DVD will reportedly featured a July 4 show held that year at the Paris Hippodrome, in addition to the Brian Eno-produced documentary "Outside It's America." The package housing two CDs and a DVD will also have five portfolio prints, and bandmembers have scribbled up new liner notes for the reissues. ...

Let the jokes begin: Clay Aiken is joining the cast of "Monty Python's Spamalot" on Broadway. The "American Idol" runner-up will play one of the lead roles, Sir Robin — which was previously taken on by David Hyde Pierce — from January 18 through May 4 in the production, which was spawned by "Python" member Eric Idle and directed by the esteemed Mike Nichols. "Let's not lie, the chance to work with legendary creative minds like Mike Nichols and Eric Idle is, on its own, a reason to jump at this opportunity," he told The Associated Press. ...

Don Imus is likely to return to radio December 3 on New York City's WABC-AM, the country's biggest talk-radio station, according to Variety. His deal with the station — also home to another inflammatory jock, Rush Limbaugh — is expected to be finalized this week and will also involve a TV element that could allow him to regain his national platform. ... Idlewild guitarist Rod Jones sustained a hairline fracture in his arm in an accident last weekend, according to a post on the band's Web page. Jones tripped and took a tumble down a flight of stairs backstage at the Carling Academy in Liverpool, England. He iced the injury and still took the stage with the band, fumbling his way through its set. A post-show visit to the doctor revealed it was a minor break, and Jones plans to continue playing with the band on its latest tour. ...

Hot Chip will issue their next LP, Made in the Dark, on February 5. Look for the electronic indie-pop group's third effort to feature 13 cuts, including first single "Shake a Fist," "One Pure Thought" and "Wrestlers." ... The Hellacopters have thrown in the towel, according to the band's MySpace page. In a statement, the band revealed that "the reasons behind this very difficult decision are many and too personal to go into here." Still, the band's seventh and last studio album will be released, sometime early next year. "We feel like we wanna say one last goodbye to you and throw in the towel with a bang, so we're aiming to do a farewell tour through Europe and Scandinavia sometime in the spring." ...

YouTube has come up with a new way to fight video piracy and leaks — by employing new technology that would automatically remove copyrighted material from the site, AP reports. Hoping to appease angered movie and TV studios, the site will feature filtering tools crafted to allow the owners of copyrighted videos to block their material from appearing on YouTube. But if the owners want to keep their copyrighted material on the site, the new technology also allows them to sell ads surrounding it. ...

First Angelina Jolie lost her husband in a movie, now she's losing her son. The actress — who recently played the wife of slain reporter Daniel Pearl in "A Mighty Heart" — will star in Clint Eastwood's "The Changeling," an upcoming drama about a woman whose son goes missing in Los Angeles in the 1920s, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film, based on a true story, will also star John Malkovich. ... The Academy Award for Best Screenplay that Orson Welles won in 1941 for "Citizen Kane" — the greatest movie of all time, according to the American Film Institute — is going up on the auction block. The prize will be displayed at Sotheby's in New York on December 7-10 and sold December 11 for an estimated $800,000 to $1.2 million.

• C-Murder
• Linkin Park
• My Chemical Romance
• Kanye West
• Britney Spears

Gwen Stefani appears on the cover of May's <i>Harper's Bazaar</i>
Photo: Peter Lindbergh/ Harper's Bazaar

Gwen Stefani as a brunette? The singer told Harper's Bazaar that she's considered coloring her hair brown — "Then I said, 'Nah, I'm gonna milk this blond as long as I can." The singer also spoke up on the future of her career. "Some days, I think there's no way to get away with this any longer," she said in an interview published in the magazine's May issue, on newsstands April 24. "I still feel like that sometimes, even though it's been 20 years. But then some days, I just feel really inspired and I really believe in everything. It's like the 15 minutes just keep getting longer." ...

Keeping up with the Joneses got that much more difficult Friday (April 13) with news from Steven Spielberg and George Lucas that Shia LaBeouf has officially been cast in the fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" series. "We are excited about bringing Shia into our Indy family," Spielberg said in a post on IndianaJones.com. The announcement ends weeks of "Will he or won't he?" speculation, much of it fueled by LaBeouf himself. The 20-year-old "Disturbia" star had previously denied his involvement when news of the casting first leaked and recently told MTV News, "I haven't been presented with the idea. I haven't been approached." In the Friday post on IndianaJones.com, LaBeouf said, "I was hoping the rumors were true, so I couldn't be more thrilled. To be cast in an Indiana Jones film is like grabbing the brass ring and holding on for the ride. I can't wait to take that giant step in front of the Indy cameras." "Indiana Jones 4" will be released worldwide May 22, 2008. ...

A judge has granted C-Murder permission to attend his first book-signing event to promote his street-lit novel "Death Around the Corner." The rapper, currently under house arrest, will participate in the signing during the New Orleans Jazzfest on May 5 at the one of the city's largest black-owned bookstores, Community Book Center. ... A judge has delayed a custody hearing over Anna Nicole Smith and Larry Birkhead's baby, The Associated Press reports. The decision was made to allow the deceased model's mother, Virgie Arthur, more time to negotiate a private-visitation arrangement with Birkhead. In related news, two Smith diaries will be auctioned as scheduled on Saturday, despite her former partner Howard K. Stern's claim that they are stolen property. ...

Ozzy fans, be on the lookout: Select copies of his Black Rain album will contain a code giving the owners first chance at seats for Ozzfest. The specially marked copies will be available at retail stores May 22 but can be preordered in the meantime. The code is good for two tickets, with supplies limited, and will be effective four days before the general public has access to tickets on June 12. ... James Blunt is in the clear. The singer/songwriter will not be charged for allegedly driving over someone's foot after leaving a party in February, AP reports. ...

Fred Durst misses being the frontman for Limp Bizkit, and according to a blog post, he'd like to head out on the road and stage "a landmark event." Durst said, "I would love to do a tour with the original Limp Bizkit" lineup, which no longer includes guitarist Wes Borland, who left the band to launch his own project, Black Light Burns. Limp haven't toured the States since 2003. "Imagine that me and Wes could work things out together and be a band again, friends again," Durst wrote in the post. "We had so many wonderful times. I am proud to say that I have learned so much from my mistakes and it has taken a long time to evolve to this place where I finally let myself be healed. Without Limp Bizkit, I would have never gotten here. Without Wes, I wouldn't know what it is like to work with the best." ...

Julian Lennon, the eldest son of John Lennon, has sold his stake in his father's compositions for the Beatles, according to The Wall Street Journal. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but a source told the paper that the shares of the catalog were "significant." The deal for the songwriting income generated by the Lennon compositions was made with Primary Wave Music Publishing, which last year paid an estimated $50 million for a 50 percent stake in the music-publishing catalog of late Nirvana frontman Kurt Cobain. ...

Muse frontman Matt Bellamy has spoken out against the Live Earth gigs, saying that it might be hypocritical to stage the event, aimed at raising climate awareness worldwide, when it could have an adverse affect on the climate. "Private jets for climate change, not sure about it, that seems to be a bit on edge really," he told the BBC. Ashok Sinah, a director of Stop Climate Chaos, responded to defend. "They have to reduce carbon emissions, we have to reduce carbon emissions, and in just the same way that we may look at a pop star and say, 'You use more carbon than I do,' people from Africa could look at us and think, 'We don't go flying around everywhere.' I have met people in Africa who haven't even made a phone call, let alone get on a plane." Sinah also noted that the concerts were just the beginning of a larger overall campaign. "We have got to make sure that the people that come to us post-concert are actively engaged and get involved in the campaign." ...

Trey Anastasio pleaded guilty to a felony charge of attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance on Friday, avoiding a possible 14-year prison term. AP reports that Anastasio, 42, accepted a plea deal in his felony drug case that will require the singer to serve 12-15 months in New York's drug court program, during which he'll make weekly court appearances, submit to drug testing and perform community service. The charges stem from a December arrest in which police claim he was found in possession of heroin and an anti-anxiety drug prescribed to someone else and was driving under the influence of drugs and alcohol. ... Heather Locklear's second rock marriage has officially ended. The actress' divorce from Bon Jovi guitarist Richie Sambora was finalized Wednesday, according to an AP report. She filed for divorce from Sambora in February 2006 after 11 years of marriage, citing irreconcilable differences.

04.12.2007

Mary J. Blige knows that her audience has changed in the 15 years since she released her debut album, and she's stepping up to the challenge. "My fans have children now that know me and love me the way my fans do," Blige said in the May issue of Redbook, which hits newsstands Tuesday. The singer, who is a stepmother to husband Kendu Isaac's three children, recalled a young girl who was "so nervous and shaking and she started crying" when she saw Blige. "I met one of my fan's daughters after a show, and her father was like, 'She really, really loves you.' ... And I said, 'Well, you know what that means. That means I have a whole other responsibility.' " ...

DMX was hit with bench warrants by judges in two cities in New York on Wednesday for failing to show up to court for traffic cases. According to The Associated Press, even Murray Richman, the rapper's lawyer, doesn't know where X is — or why he didn't make the trip from his home in Arizona to White Plains and Yonkers to face the charges. "He said he missed a flight," Richman said. "He's always missing flights." DMX had already skipped the Tuesday White Plains date — which was for June charges of speeding, changing lanes dangerously, driving without a seat belt and with a suspended license — but the judge granted him an extra day to show up. He was due in a Yonkers court to face an October charge of driving with a suspended license. ...

Swizz Beatz and Mya headlined a Giant magazine showcase Wednesday night at Cielo in New York. Nina Sky, "Wire" actor Hassan Johnson and Mashonda took in the festivities, which were helmed by DJ S&S. ...

Tom Hanks is in final negotiations to reprise his role as symbologist Robert Langdon in "Angels & Demons," a prequel to the worldwide blockbuster "The Da Vinci Code," according to The Hollywood Reporter. Also written by Dan Brown, "Angels & Demons" centers on Langdon's search for a canister of antimatter hidden by the Illuminati to destroy Vatican City. Director Ron Howard is also in final negotiations to return for the flick, which is set to be released December 19, 2008. ...

Korn's temporary kitman Terry Bozzio has ended his involvement with the band after supplying the drum parts for Korn's upcoming, still-untitled LP. For now, it remains unclear just who'll be handling drum duty during Korn's upcoming tour, with original drummer David Silveria still on "hiatus." ... Marc Anthony is about to write the IRS a huge check. Turns out the Latin singer forgot to file tax returns from 2000 through 2004 on more than $15 million in income, so he's agreed to pay close to $2.5 million in back taxes, interest and penalties to correct the oversight, according to an AP story. The Manhattan District Attorney declined to prosecute Anthony because a professional accountant prepared his tax returns and the singer apparently thought the returns had been filed. Two of Anthony's business associates have pleaded guilty to tax felonies and are facing stiff fines. ...

Static-X canceled their Dallas gig Wednesday night as drummer Nick Oshiro recovers from a broken hand. In a message on the band's MySpace page, frontman Wayne Static said "we'll come back through as soon as we can," adding that "Nick is doing OK, although he's more than a little bummed that he's going to have to take a break from the tour." Static-X will be flying a temporary drummer in for the band's gig Friday in Houston, "with Nick re-joining the tour as soon as his cast comes off." ...

Novelist Kurt Vonnegut, a counterculture icon whose darkly comic novels became American classics, died on Wednesday in Manhattan at age 84 after brain injuries suffered during a fall several weeks ago, The New York Times reported. Vonnegut was best known for his biting 1969 anti-war novel "Slaughterhouse-Five," which detailed his experience as a prisoner of war during the firebombing of Dresden, Germany, in World War II and resonated with many young Americans who were against the Vietnam War. Through countless essays, plays, short fiction and 14 novels such as "Cat's Cradle" and "God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater," Vonnegut used pessimistic humor, science fiction, philosophy, creative punctuation and sentence structure and a treasure trove of made-up religions, alternate human races and metaphysical phenomena to describe and comment on the human condition and our perilous place in the universe. ...

A federal judge has ruled that Collier County sheriff's deputies did not use excessive force in restraining Rush guitarist Alex Lifeson at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida, in 2003, The Naples Daily News reports. The decision deals a blow to civil claims brought against the police by Lifeson and his son, Justin, who allege that deputies violated their civil rights with excessive force as well as "illegal detention." Lifeson and his son were charged with battery, resisting an officer with violence, and disorderly intoxication in connection with the incident, and last year accepted a deal offered by prosecutors, pleading guilty to a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest without violence. They were sentenced to 12 months probation. ...

The Beatles' Apple Corps has settled a long-running $59 million royalty dispute with the EMI Group in a deal that experts predict could pave the way for the Beatles' music to finally be sold online. According to a Reuters report, no terms were announced in the March settlement, which came after the company representing the Beatles announced in December 2005 that it was suing EMI after negotiations over the nearly $60 million in unpaid royalties broke down. The new deal leaves EMI and Apple Corps open to negotiate a new royalty plan that could include download sales. ... Actor Roscoe Lee Browne has died after a long battle with cancer, AP reports. He was 81. Browne won an Emmy Award for his guest role as Professor Foster on "The Cosby Show," and he narrated the movie "Babe."

• Gwen Stefani RAW: The 'Escape' Interview

• In Focus: Shia LaBeouf

• Gwen Stefani
• C-Murder
• The Beatles
• Trey Anastasio

Modest Mouse's <i>We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank</i>
Photo: Sony Music

It's been a slow year for new releases so far, but worry not, all ye muzos — with the first quarter coming to a close, the dams are starting to break wide open. In fact, so many new albums are seeping out this week that we have one for every letter of the alphabet. Well, just about.

· A Northern Chorus' The Millions Too Many: The Canadian shoegazers grow into a six-piece on their fourth effort, welcoming violinist Erin Aurich back to the fold and enlisting drummer Craig Halliday and horn player Ben Bowen while they're at it. Expect plenty of lush, expansive soundscapes to fall asleep to.

· The Bled's Pass the Flask: The Arizona hard rockers' obscure first album is back again, with 11 extra cuts that previously appeared on early EPs or haven't been out yet at all. That includes "My Cyanide Catharsis," featuring Arizona peer Emily Long; "OK, but Here's How It Really Happened"; and the original recording of "Hotel Coral Essex."

· C-Murder's Screamin' 4 Vengeance: A judge recently lifted a gag order against the former inmate, allowing him to publicize his new LP. The peeps at Priority Records must have been just as happy to hear that news — the label that is relaunching with this release. Snoop Dogg helps C-Murder cut the proverbial ribbon by appearing on the lead single, "Posted on Tha Block." Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, LeToya and others also help the rapper howl.

· Devin the Dude's Waiting to Inhale: Houston's underground Dude has a few pals lending him support on his fourth outing, getting some choice verses from Lil Wayne and Bun B on the album's first single, "Little Girl Gone." In the meantime, Devin's Odd Squad collective gets together for another track, "She Want That Money."

· El-P's I'll Sleep When You're Dead: Dig deeper underground and you'll find New York's El-P, who has been hammering away at this opus for four years. The Definitive Jux co-founder's hard work is reflected in the album's breathtaking, indie-rocker-heavy guest list: He roused Trent Reznor, the Mars Volta, Aesop Rock, Cat Power, Yo La Tengo's James McNew and many more for the affair.

· The Funeral Pyre's The Nature of Betrayal reissue: Equal parts death and black metal, the Los Angelinos' second album is being brought back as a straight reissue to coincide with a seven-gig run that begins March 30. Look for "Plague That Leads to Extinction," "Stealing the Air of Life" and "Here the Sun Never Shines."

· Robert Gomez's Brand New Towns: The brokenhearted singer/songwriter from Denton, Texas, studied Cuban guitar under Marc Anthony collaborator Nelson Gonzales and counts Norah Jones among his fans. His 12-track Bella Union debut encompasses "The Same Sad Song," "The Coming," "The Leaving" and more.

· Haste the Day's Pressure the Hinges: The Christian metalcore band from Indianapolis ganged up with producer GGGarth (Rage Against the Machine, Atreyu) for their third album. The standard edition has 13 tracks but the deluxe one comes with three bonuses — the album version of "In Memory" and demos of "Sea of Apathy" and "Chorus of Angels" — plus a DVD.

· I'm From Barcelona's Let Me Introduce My Friends: The Swedish collective don't really need to be more social when they count 29 members among their ranks (and you thought the Book of Knots had a massive combined résumé). The unwaveringly optimistic band — be prepared to participate if you catch 'em live — factor kazoos, banjos and much more into their second LP.

· J Dilla's Ruff Draft: The legendary unsung hip-hop producer passed away last year but left this document behind, with the following message: "Let me explain it. It's Ruff Draft. For my real n---az only. DJs that play that real live shit. You wanna bounce in your whip, sound like it's straight from the mother------' cassette! Ruff Draft. ... Let's do it." The deluxe set features 14 cuts on disc one and 10 instrumentals on the second CD.

· R. Kelly's "Live: The Light It Up Tour" DVD: The singer's first concert video finds him courting a crowd at Oakland, California's Paramount Theatre. If you're looking for hits, you've come to the right place: "Wonderful," "Ignition," "Fiesta" and "I Believe I Can Fly" are featured on the 110-minute DVD, as are the first three "Trapped in the Closet" chapters.

· The Locust's New Erections: The inaccessible art/noise band holed up with producer Alex Newport (Melvins, the Mars Volta) for their third undertaking. But breaking with their own tradition of breaking tradition, the San Diego spazz-outs made longer songs this time — that's right, don't expect "One Manometer Away From Mutually Assured Relocation" or "God Wants Us All to Work in Factories" to last less than a minute.

· Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank: The indie rockers are dishing up their fifth effort this week, but it's more like a sophomore LP in a sense, since they just landed their first verified hit, "Float On," the last time around. With Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr supporting them throughout and Shins singer James Mercer piping up on "Florida," the returns could be even sweeter this time around.

· Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds' The Abbatoir Blues Tour: This is more like a box set, really: The two CDs cull live tracks from various venues on the group's Abattoir Blues tour in 2004, while the two DVDs mine the three sold-out Brixton Academy London shows from said trek. The videos also compile material from a 2003 gig, music videos, behind-the-scenes footage and more.

· Otep's The Ascension: The Los Angeles band has been around for five years, but even veteran acts need help sometimes: Otep tapped Mudvayne's Greg Tribbett to cowrite three songs on their new LP. Recorded last year in New Orleans, it includes a cover of Nirvana's "Breed" (take that, "MLB2K7" TV ad!)

· Daniel Powter's Daniel Powter: The Canadian troubadour milked his debut for three singles, including the ubiquitous "Bad Day," so what better reason to spruce up the LP and milk it again for a re-release? This special edition, which comes with a DVD, encompasses the album's B-sides and videos; a live performance; and a new cut, "Love You Lately."

· Marques Houston's Veteran: Yeah, we had to cheat a little here, but since Omarion's step-brother is one of the few with a Q in his name, he'll have to suffice. The self-described vet — this is only his third release — turned to Yung Joc for some extra verses on "Like This," and Mya and Shawnna to chime in on "Hold N' Back."

· Robert Plant reissues: Rhino is breaking open the mammoth Nine Lives box set it put out last year and releasing some of the discs individually. This week, look for expanded versions of Fate of Nations, Manic Nirvana, Pictures at Eleven, Shaken 'N' Stirred and Mighty Rearranger, the latter with the Strange Sensation.

· Joss Stone's Introducing Joss Stone: No, you're not wrong — the British singer does indeed have two previous full-lengths under her belt. For her new one, she's hoping to reinvent herself with help from producer Raphael Saadiq (Macy Gray, the Roots), as well as Common ("Tell Me What We're Going to Do") and Lauryn Hill ("Music").

· Ted Leo and the Pharmacists' Living With the Living: The animated political rocker called on Fugazi's Brendan Canty to craft his fifth release and first for Touch and Go, which features "Bomb. Repeat. Bomb.," "A Bottle of Buckle" and "Fourth World War." Early-bird alert: Initial copies come with a CD containing five additional new songs.

· Unknown Instructors' The Master's Voice: Mike Watt is plenty busy with the Stooges these days, but another one of the punk bassist's many projects steps up with its second disc this week. The garage band features another Minuteman, George Hurley, and for this release the Instructors also roped in David Thomas of Pere Ubu and Raymond Pettibon, the dude who came up with Black Flag's four bars logo.

· Various artists' "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" soundtrack: Where's Shifty Shellshock when you need him? Oh well — while the Crazy Town singer is in absentia, Gym Class Heroes, Jet and Cobra Starship fill in to roll out the red carpet for everyone's favorite shelled crime-fighters. P.O.D., Meg & Dia and Cute It What We Aim For also help do the honors.

· Clay Walker's Greatest Hits: Rhino cobbles together 14 essential tracks by the longtime country-music singer from Beaumont, Texas. Look for "You're Beginning to Get Over Me," "Only on Days That End in 'Y' " and "Dreaming With My Eyes Open."

· RTX's Western Xterminator: (Two X's, close enough!) Royal Trux's Jennifer Herrema, reborn as RTX (get it?), alternates between butt-rock anthems and lo-fi bedroom recordings on the band's second album, which features "Money Will Roll Right In," "Knightmare & Mane" and "Balls to Pass." The resplendent artwork is worth a look alone.

· Elliott Yamin's Elliott Yamin: The former "American Idol" finalist hopes to follow in the steps of Taylor, Ruben and the gang with his first album, which was partially produced by Limp Bizkit co-conspirator DJ Lethal. The bluesy ballad "Take My Breath Away" was written by John Mayer guitarist David Ryan Harris, while "A Song for You" was previously recorded by Yamin's idol, Donny Hathaway.

· Willowz's Chautauqua: OK, we cheated one more time, but flipping around the Anaheim, California, punks' name works. With a tighter approach than on their previous two albums, the Michel Gondry collaborators — their songs were featured in "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" and "The Science of Sleep" — crank out "Big Knob," "Lonesome Gods" and "Siren Song."

Song Title of the Week:

"Good to Be Bad" from Lordi's Arockalypse

New Releases:

· A Northern Chorus - The Millions Too Many (Sonic Unyon)
· Adult - Why Bother (Thrill Jockey) [Buy Now]
· Alesana - On Frail Wings of Vanity and Wax (enhanced; Fearless)[Buy Now]
· Assemblage 23 - Binary (EP; Metropolis)
· Baby Boy Da Prince - Across the Water (Republic)
· BeatleJazz - All You Need (Lightyear) [Buy Now]
· Benea Reach - Monument Bineothan (Candlelight)
· Big D and the Kids Table - Strictly Rude (Side One Dummy)
· Andrew Bird - Armchair Apocrypha (Fat Possum)
· Bobby Broom - Song and Dance (Origin)
· Jonathan Byrd - This Is the New That (Waterbug)
· The Chinese Stars - Listen to Your Left Brain (Three.One.G)
· Roger Clyne & the Peacemakers - No More Beautiful World (with DVD; Emmajava)
· C-Murder - Screamin' 4 Vengeance (Capitol) [Buy Now]
· Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds - The Abbatoir Blues Tour (two CDs and two DVDs; Mute)
· Crime Mob - Hated on Mostly (Reprise)
· Devin the Dude - Waiting to Inhale (Rap-a-Lot)
· Arthur Dodge - The Perfect Face (Remedy) [Buy Now]
· Drawing Voices - Drawing Voices (Hydra Head)
· Earth - Hibernaculum (with DVD; Southern Lord) [Buy Now]
· El-P - I'll Sleep When You're Dead (Definitive Jux)
· Evidence - The Weatherman LP (Abb) [Buy Now]
· Foreign Islands - Restart Now (digipak; Deaf, Dumb & Blind)
· Robert Glasper - In My Element (Blue Note)
· Robert Gomez - Brand New Towns (Bella Union)
· Groove Junkies - Late Night With Groove Junkies (Swank)
· David Guetta - Guetta Blaster (Ultra)
· Gwendolyn and the Good Time Gang - Get Up and Dance (Whispersquish)
· Hail Social - Modern Love & Death (Polyvinyl)
· Haste the Day - Pressure the Hinges (special edition comes with DVD; Tooth & Nail)
· Marques Houston - Veteran (Universal)
· I'm From Barcelona - Let Me Introduce My Friends (Mute)
· In This Moment - Beautiful Tragedy (enhanced; Century Media) [Buy Now]
· Joseph Israel - Gone Are the Days (New Door)
· J-Direct - Live & J-Direct (RhymeCity)
· Mary Karlzen - The Wanderlust Diaries (Dualtone)
· Land of Talk - Applause Cheer Boo Hiss (digipak; Rebel Group)
· LCD Soundsystem - Sound of Silver (Capitol) [Buy Now]
· Ted Leo and the Pharmacists - Living With the Living (initial copies come with bonus CD; Touch and Go)
· Ligion - External Affairs (Maple Jam) [Buy Now]
· The Little Heroes - Cinematic Americana (Wednesday)
· The Locust - New Erections (Anti)
· Lordi - Arockalypse (special edition with DVD; the End) [Buy Now]
· Lost Eden - Cycle Repeats (Candlelight)
· Lost in the Trees - Time Taunts Me (digipak; Trekky)
· Low - Drums and Guns (Sub Pop) [Buy Now]
· Jesse Malin - Glitter in the Gutter (Adeline)
· Stephen Marley - Mind Control (enhanced; Republic)
· Willy Mason - If the Ocean Gets Rough (Astralwerks)
· Masterplan - MKII (Candlelight) [Buy Now]
· Maylene and the Sons of Disaster - II (Ferret)
· Jimmy McIntosh - Orleans to London (Arizona Cub)
· Miguel Migs - Those Things (Om)
· Modest Mouse - We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank (Epic) [Buy Now]
· Willie Nelson/ Merle Haggard/ Ray Price - Last of the Breed (two CDs; Lost Highway)
· Otep - The Ascension (Capitol)
· Other Men - Wake Up Swimming (Robcore)
· Palomar - All Things, Forests (Misra)
· Panda Bear - Person Pitch (Paw Tracks)
· The Pierces - Thirteen Tales of Love and Revenge (digipak; Lizard King)
· The Poison Arrows - Straight Into the Drift (File 13)
· The Ponys - Turn the Lights Out (digipak; Matador) [Buy Now]
· (((Powerhouse Sound))) - Oslo/Chicago: Breaks (Atavistic)
· Tad Robinson - New Point of View (Severn)
· Radical Face - Ghost (digipak; Morr)
· RTX - Western Xterminator (Drag City)
· Nate Sallie - Ruined for Ordinary (Curb)
· Secretary Bird - Secretary Bird (In De Goot)
· The Snake the Cross the Crown - Cotton Teeth (Equal Vision)
· Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby - Ricky Skaggs & Bruce Hornsby (Legacy)
· Sterling - Cursed (File 13)
· Joss Stone - Introducing Joss Stone (Virgin) [Buy Now]
Read: "Joss Stone Has Lauryn Hill's Mom To Thank For Third Album"
· Tommie Sunshine - Ultra Rock Remixed (Ultra)
· Swallow the Sun - Hope (Candlelight)
· Tracey Thorn - Out of the Woods (Astralwerks)
· The Tossers - Agony (Victory)
· The Turbo A.C.'s - Live to Win (Acetate)
· Unknown Instructors - The Master's Voice (Smog Veil)
· Willowz - Chautauqua (Dim Mak)
· Elliott Yamin - Elliott Yamin (Hickory)
Read: "Idols Now: Elliott Yamin 'Movin' On' With Limp Bizkit's DJ Lethal"
· Various artists - Dlife Presents: Extreme Soca Volume 1 (with DVD; Penalty)
· Various artists - "Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles" soundtrack (Atlantic)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· John Anderson - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· The Bled - Pass the Flask (Vagrant) [Buy Now]
· Colin Blunstone - One Year (Water)
· Cibo Matto - Pom Pom: The Essential Cibo Matto (Rhino)
· Depeche Mode - Black Celebration and Construction Time Again (digipaks; with DVD; Rhino) [Buy Now]
· J Dilla - Ruff Draft (two-CD deluxe set; Stones Throw)
· Electric Light Orchestra -- Balance of Power (Epic/Legacy) [Buy Now]
· Béla Fleck and the Flecktones - Greatest Hits of the 20th Century (Rhino)
· The Funeral Pyre - The Nature of Betrayal (Prosthetic)
· Genesis - Turn It on Again: The Hits (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Alan Lomax - The Alan Lomax Collection: The Spanish Recordings - Mallorca, The Balearic Islands (Rounder)
· The Alan Parsons Project - Eye in the Sky and I Robot (Arista/Legacy)
· Lee "Scratch" Perry - The Upsetter Selection: A Lee Perry Jukebox (two CDs; Trojan)
· Robert Plant - Fate of Nations, Manic Nirvana, Pictures at Eleven and Shaken 'N' Stirred (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Robert Plant and the Strange Sensation - Mighty Rearranger (Rhino)
· Daniel Powter - Daniel Powter (special edition with DVD; Warner Bros.)
· Kenny Rogers - 20 Great Years (Reprise) [Buy Now]
· Little Texas - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Nitty Gritty Dirt Band - Twenty Years of Dirt: Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· They Might Be Giants - A User's Guide to They Might Be Giants (Rhino) [Buy Now]
· Carla Thomas - The Queen Alone (Stax)
· Randy Travis - Greatest #1 Hits (Rhino)
· Violent Femmes - Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent Femmes (Rhino)
· Clay Walker - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Mary Lou Williams - The Circle Recordings (Progressive)
· Various artists - Deep and Sexy 4: Compiled and Mixed by King Britt (Wave Music)

Music DVDs: · Dierks Bentley - "Live & Loud at the Fillmore" (Capitol)
· The Decemberists - "A Practical Handbook" DVD (Kill Rock Stars) [Buy Now]
· R. Kelly - "Live: The Light It Up Tour" (Image) [Buy Now]
· Yes - "Live at Montreux 2003" (Eagle Vision)

Coming Attractions:

March 27: · Good Charlotte - Good Morning Revival (Epic) [Preorder]
Read: "Good Charlotte Don Their Dance Shoes For Feel-Good Revival"
· Jennifer Lopez - Como Ama Una Mujer (Epic) [Preorder]
Read: "Jennifer Lopez Says New Single Came From Marc Anthony's Dream"
· Tha Dogg Pound - Dogg Ch-- (Koch)
· Young Buck - Buck the World (Interscope) [Preorder]

April 3: · The Academy Is ... - Santi (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: "The Academy Is ... Say New Album Sounds Nothing Like Fall Out Boy"
· Beyoncé - B-Day - Deluxe Edition (with bonus CD; Columbia)[Preorder]
Read: "Beyonce Turns Heads With Sports Illustrated Cover, Shakira Duet"
· Hilary Duff - Dignity (Hollywood) [Preorder]
· Paul Wall - Get Money - Stay True (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: " 'Mature' Paul Wall Still Raps About Girls, Grills With Mariah, T.I."
· Shadows Fall - Threads of Life (Atlantic) [Preorder]
Read: "Dave Grohl's Party Calls Can't Distract Shadows Fall From Recording LP"

April 10: · Bright Eyes - Cassadaga (Saddle Creek) [Preorder]
Read: "Bright Eyes Slim Down With Single LP, Fatten Up With Loads Of Collabos"
· Hellyeah - Hellyeah (Epic) [Preorder]
Read: "Vinnie Paul Returns To Make 'Hellacious' Magic With Hellyeah"
· Various artists - Aqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters Colon the Soundtrack (William Street)

• Modest Mouse
• R. Kelly
• Joss Stone
• C-Murder
• El-P

Foxy Brown
Photo: Fernando Leon/ Getty Images

Foxy Brown was sentenced Tuesday (October 24) to three years of probation pertaining to a fight at a nail salon in 2004, The Associated Press reports. New York Judge Melissa C. Jackson rejected Brown's last-minute appeals for a two-week extension and new arguments. "The purpose of a reargument is not to let the parties go over issues that have already been decided," she said. If Brown breaks her probation, she could face up to one year in jail. ... The news was more positive for Busta Rhymes on Tuesday, after a New York judge ruled that prosecutors could not charge him with an additional charge of possessing a weapon following his arrest this summer, AP reports. On August 12, he was busted for assault, and a machete was found inside a sports-utility vehicle Rhymes was riding in. ...

Justin Timberlake has planted a handful of new tracks on iTunes in the form of SexyTracks: The SexyBack Remix EP and two versions of "My Love." Also available on iTunes is the JC Chasez tune "Until Yesterday," which was co-written and produced by JT. ... Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes have set a date. The couple, who were engaged in June 2005 and welcomed baby Suri in April, will marry November 18 in Italy, Cruise's representative confirmed to AP on Tuesday. The bride will wear Giorgio Armani. ...

Shakira will perform at the Latin Grammy Awards on November 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York. Alejandro Sanz is also among the many performers. ... Rihanna, John Legend, Lionel Richie and others are slated to perform at the Nobel Peace Prize Concert December 11 in Oslo, Norway. Sharon Stone and Anjelica Huston are hosting. ... The Essence Music Festival is returning to New Orleans on July 5-7, organizers announced Tuesday. Artists have yet to be announced for the 13th installment of the festival, considered to be the nation's biggest annual black-culture celebration. ...

Veteran H-Town rappers Bun B and Pimp C have set December 19 as the release date for their seventh UGK album, Underground Kingz. The double CD will feature production from Jazze Pha, Lil Jon, Swizz Beatz, Scarface, Marley Marl and Pimp C himself. Rappers Rick Ross, Slim Thug, Sleepy Brown and Three 6 Mafia also make cameos on the album. Underground Kingz will be UGK's first album since Pimp C was released from prison in December after serving a four-year sentence for assault. ...

It's not that Jessica Simpson doesn't want to date — she's afraid to. "My fear is that I won't ever date anybody," she said in Jane magazine's November issue, "because they'll think I'm going to ruin their career. That they'll be on the cover of every tabloid and it will automatically take away their credibility, to be bluntly honest with you." Nick Lachey's ex insists that she is the real deal, and she really likes classic rock. "People think pop artists are phony ... whatever. My favorite band is Led Zeppelin. ... The way they do blues — I'm obsessed. My other favorite is Pink Floyd, 'Wish You Were Here.' That's such an amazing song." ...

When we last left the guys in Plus-44, they were postponing the first leg of their North American tour thanks to drummer Travis Barker's broken right arm. But they promised to reschedule the shows, and lo and behold, they have. Beginning November 28 in Chicago, Plus will make up all the lost gigs, zig-zagging their way across the country before wrapping with a December 17 show in Sacramento, California. The tour will still kick off November 8 in Tampa, Florida. The full itinerary can be found on Plus-44's MySpace page. ... Outkast's Andre 3000 will co-star with Charlize Theron, Woody Harrelson and Ray Liotta in "The Battle in Seattle," a drama set against 1999's World Trade Organization meeting, Variety reports. Actor Stuart Townsend ("Queen of the Damned") will write and direct the film, which is expected to start shooting in November. ...

A Louisiana judge ruled that rapper Corey "C-Murder" Miller, brother of No Limit founder Master P, will not be able to conduct interviews to promote his new album while under house arrest. Miller is awaiting retrial for murder charges stemming from a 2002 incident outside a New Orleans nightclub. According to the Times-Picayune, State District Judge Martha Sassone granted Miller the right to take part in photo shoots from his home, but explained that any contact with the press would violate a gag order imposed to keep pre-trial publicity to a minimum. The rapper was convicted in the shooting death of a 16-year-old boy, but was granted a retrial after Judge Sassone affirmed prosecutors withheld criminal background information of witnesses who testified against Miller. ...

On Monday, a New York federal jury ruled in favor of a former editor of The Source who alleged that she was fired from her post at the hip-hop magazine after complaining about the office's sexually charged atmosphere. The Source and its founders, Ray "Benzino" Scott and David Mays, were ordered to pay former Editor in Chief Kimberly Osorio $15.5 million after four hours of deliberation, according to a press release from Osorio's attorney Ken Thompson. In a statement released Tuesday, Mays and Benzino said, "We are confident that our appeal will be successful on the secondary charges of retaliation and defamation." ... A Malawian official dismissed Yohane Banda's claim that the adoption process wasn't explained to him before he allowed Madonna to adopt his son, Reuters reports. "We explained every detail," Penson Kilembe, director of child welfare in Malawi's Ministry of Women and Child Development, told the wire service. "Madonna herself explained her intentions in the face of the judge and in Banda's presence. [Banda] was asked several times in court if he understood what was going on, and he said he did." Madonna is scheduled to discuss the adoption on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," to air Wednesday. ...

"High School Musical" is taking the show on the road. Stars of the TV movie — including Vanessa Hudgens, Monique Coleman, Lucas Grabeel, Ashley Tisdale and Corbin Bleu — will hit the stage to sing songs from the hit soundtrack in 40 cities across the country. The tour is scheduled to kick off November 30 in San Diego and end January 28 in Las Vegas. Zac Efron, who is currently filming "Hairspray," will not take part in the tour. ... Even with a track record like Peter Jackson's, some budgets are just too high. The Los Angeles Times reported that Universal Pictures and 20th Century Fox recently pulled out of backing the big-screen adaptation of the video game "Halo," executive produced by the "Lord of the Rings" director, because of spiraling budget concerns. While Microsoft Corporation said it will move forward with the movie, the studios reportedly balked at the preliminary budget of $145 million and the software company's refusal to take a pay cut on its $5 million upfront fee and revenue deal. The movie is scheduled for a summer 2008 release.

10.23.2006

Foxy Brown missed her court date Monday (October 23), prompting a New York judge to warn her lawyer that Brown will be arrested and jailed if she doesn't show up at her assault-charges sentencing on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press. Brown's attorney said Brown was at home after a dental procedure, but Judge Melissa C. Jackson replied, "I don't take this kindly. I don't believe she is incapable of being here." Jackson also rejected Brown's motion to withdraw her guilty plea pertaining to a fight at a salon in 2004. ...

California authorities are considering pressing charges against Snoop Dogg after a late September incident in which the rapper was found to be carrying a collapsible baton in his laptop case at an airport. The rapper has said the baton was a prop for a movie he was filming in New York, where his flight was headed, but a sheriff's spokesman told AP that the baton is considered a dangerous weapon. ...

The Madonna adoption controversy rolls on. Just days after the singer was reunited with the 13-month-old Malawian boy she adopted while visiting the country, the boy's father has said he didn't realize he was giving up his son "for good." Yohane Banda, the boy's 32-year-old father, has said adoption services in Malawi never told him that the adoption meant that David wouldn't be his son anymore. "I was never told that adoption means that David will no longer be my son. ... If I was told this, I would not have allowed the adoption," Yohane Banda said, according to BBC News. ... I would prefer that David goes back to the orphanage where I can see him any time I want, rather than send him away for good." Banda said he was under the impression that Madonna would just educate and take care of David until he was old enough to return to his home. ... In the wake of this latest controversy, the singer will appear on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" to discuss the adoption of David Banda. Madonna will tape the show on Tuesday, and the interview is scheduled to air Wednesday. ...

"American Idol" winner Taylor Hicks is working with producer Matt Serletic (Courtney Love, Aerosmith) on his major-label debut. "The whole recording process with Matt has been flawless so far," Hicks raved in a statement. "He truly gets where I am coming from, and I completely respect his smarts in the studio and as a real song person." Hicks' LP is due December 5. ...

He's done the clothing line thing, the DJ thing and now Tommy Lee's doing the punk'd thing. The Mötley Crüe/ Rock Star: Supernova drummer is lending his name to a new service called Crankpranks, which sends pre-recorded $1.99 prank calls to cell phones. Among the phony messages are official-sounding warnings from the FAA about joining the mile-high club, as well as pranks with the titles "Gonorrhea," "Psycho Girlfriend" and "Credit Stoppage."... Lee's Web site reports that Rock Star: Supernova bassist Jason Newsted will not be joining the band when it hits the road for its first tour, which is scheduled to kick off on New Year's Eve. Newsted is scheduled for emergency surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff, torn anterior labrum in his left shoulder and a bicep tear in his right arm, injuries he suffered when he was trying to catch a 90-pound bass amp that had fallen from atop his amp stack. The surgery and rehab could keep Newsted sidelined for up to nine months. "I'm freaking out," Newsted said about the injury. "My heart was set on finally getting on the road with these guys, but my main focus now is to build myself back to 100 percent. The stage is set for the band, I wish them the best of luck." Rock Star: Supernova's debut album is slated for release on November 21. No replacement has been named yet. ...

Arctic Monkeys are releasing a single on Tuesday featuring two new tracks: "Leave Before the Lights Come On" and "Put Your Dukes Up, John." A cover of Van McCoy's "Baby, I'm Yours" rounds out the release. ... Jack's Mannequin are re-releasing Everything in Transit on November 7 with a DVD featuring live footage, videos and interviews. Several tracks are culled from singer Andrew McMahon's first concert as a cancer survivor. ... Natasha Bedingfield will release a live DVD on November 21 simply called "Live in New York City." The video was filmed at the British singer/songwriter's June 8 concert at the Nokia Theatre and includes a cover of Coldplay's "The Scientist." ...

CKY have booked several gigs for later this year. The band will perform in Towson, Maryland (December 16); Richmond, Virginia (December 17); Northampton, Massachusetts (December 19); New Haven, Connecticut (December 20); and Philadelphia (December 22-23). ... Sandy West, the drummer in the influential 1970s all-girl rock band the Runaways, died Saturday after a long struggle with lung cancer, according to the group's site. She was 47. West, who kept the beat for the band that included Joan Jett, Lita Ford and Cherie Currie, and performed on such landmark hits as "Cherry Bomb," formed the Sandy West Band after the Runaways broke up in 1979. Former Runaways singer Currie said of her friend, "Sandy West was by far, the greatest female drummer in the history of rock and roll. No one could compete or even come close to her, but the most important was her heart." ...

Just as Courtney Love's "Dirty Blonde" journals are about to hit bookstores, the singer opened up to Billboard about her album-in-progress, which she plans to release on producer Linda Perry's Custard imprint. Love said that when she started writing songs in rehab, "my hand-eye coordination was so bad, I didn't even know chords anymore. It was like my fingers were frozen." Love said she also felt like she had been frozen out of the biz, which only inspired her to try harder. "I'd sit there and try to quietly write and struggle," she said. "I always thought I'd be that girl that lives with no regrets. I've written so many amends letters, I can't even count them. It's still not enough." ... Meanwhile, Courtney's estranged mother, Linda Carroll, has been attempting to use her daughter's chaotic childhood to help other parents. The psychotherapist conducted two workshops Friday in Fairview Heights, Illinois, for a conference called "Piecing It All Together," and said Love was troubled from a young age. "Courtney had come into the world with a biology that created internal torment," Carroll told the Belleville News Democrat. ...

Reprise act Men, Women and Children found their van, trailer and gear stolen during an MTV $2 Bill Tour stop in Detroit on Sunday. In addition to those things, the band also lost Moog synthesizers, Fender and Rickenbacker guitars and a vintage Ludwig drum kit. Still, MWAC plan to stay on the tour, and fans looking to help out can go to the band's Web site, MenWomenAndChildren.com. ... Former Head Automatica drummer Larry Gorman has spoken out about his departure from the band. In a statement issued late last week, he said, "I would just like to make it clear to you all that in no way did I leave this band. I was told by [frontman Daryl Palumbo] through management not to come back. This is due mostly to the fact that the relationship between Daryl and I has slowly been deteriorating over the last couple of years. We simply have lost faith in each other. These things happen and with Daryl it seems to be more often than not. I wish things could have ended differently being that I stood by his side for so many years, in and out of hospitals, on tour, but I guess I just couldn't handle it emotionally anymore. That much I am guilty of. With that being said, once again I would like to thank everyone for their support and words of kindness. Please know that I am fine and it is time for me to move on and put this all behind me."

• Jessica Simpson
• (+44)
• OutKast
• C-Murder
• Madonna

Diddy's <I>Press Play</I>
Photo: Bad Boy Records

Mo' Diddy: It's been five years since we last heard a batch of new material from Diddy — even though he's been doing just about everything else in the meantime, between the clothing lines, record-label signings and humanitarian efforts. The mogul/artist/fill-in-the-blank is re-entering in style, getting big names to help with the Press Play festivities: Christina Aguilera ("Tell Me"), Nas and Cee-Lo ("Everything I Love"), Mary J. Blige ("Making It Hard"), Jamie Foxx ("Partners for Life"), Mario Winans ("Through the Pain (She Told Me)"), Brandy ("Thought You Said"), and Pussycat Doll Nicole Scherzinger. Plus, behind the boards he's got Kanye West, Will.I.Am, Big Boi, Mobb Deep's Havoc, Timbaland and the Neptunes. Now there's a guy with a few friends.

This week's second most impressive guest list belongs to Hi-Tek, who roped in Nas, Busta Rhymes, Common, Talib Kweli, Jadakiss, Papoose, Bun B and Ghostface Killah for Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip. Going above and beyond the call of duty, he tapped Snoop Dogg, Mos Def, Slim Thug and Raphael Saadiq for three tunes that appear on a special edition only available at Best Buy stores. That set also comes with a bonus DVD loaded with videos, a documentary and more.

JoJo's Mojo: Expect to see a lot of JoJo this week — on MTV, "The Today Show" and beyond — as she hops back from the big screen to the music world for The High Road. Her "Too Little Too Late" single is skittering up the charts, but — shocker! — there are other tracks on the album as well: "Let It Rain," "Good Ol' " and "Note to God," among others. Oh, and there's a bonus DVD with plenty of JoJo fruits as well.

Circling Around: Xzibit has some mighty hip-hop competition this week in the form of Diddy, but his fans should be coming around for Full Circle. Too Short ("Movin' in Your Chucks"), Kurupt ("Say It to My Face," "Movin' "), DJ Quik ("Poppin' Off") and T-Pain ("On Ball") have all hopped onto the affair, which furthers Xzibit's pattern of releasing an album every two years since he burst onto the scene in '96.

Murder Is the Case: Also in the rap mix is C-Murder, the criminally prone younger brother of Master P who is reservicing his LP The Truest Sh-- I Ever Said with five additional cuts he laid down after getting out of prison: "I Want It," "I Live in the Ghetto," "Calliope," "On My Block" (featuring Bootleg of the Dayton Family) and "Die for Mine" (featuring B.G.). There's also a bonus DVD with a 60-minute documentary hosted by B.G., plus behind-the-scenes material and videos to boot.

			MTV News RAW: Diddy The rapper/producer tells MTV why listeners have no choice but to 'Press Play', and explains why there's a bed in his studio.

Studly Efforts: He's won "Idol," Grammy-nomination honors and sold more than 3 million albums, but Ruben Studdard clearly has an appetite for more. On The Return, he redoes "If Only for One Night" — Rube's version has more in common with Luther Vandross', as opposed to original singer Brenda Russell's — as well as three songs he co-wrote: "I'm Not Happy," "Blow Ya Mind" and "To Tha Crib." The velvet teddy bear gets some production boosts from Scott Storch, Ne-Yo, Bryan-Michael Cox and Dre & Vidal. As it turns out, Ne-Yo and Cox also lend support to Latin R&B prince Frankie J with his Priceless album, which is peppered with guests Chamillionaire, 112's Slim and Bone Thugs-N-Harmony.

Weird Stuff: This week's crop of new releases is a strange one indeed:

When it comes to being odd, no band does it better than Primus, and they don't fall short this week with their Primus Singles: They Can't All Be Zingers CD and "Blame It on the Fish" DVD releases. On the DVD is a 30-minute documentary in which leader Les Claypool, playing a 102-year-old, talks about what life has been like for Primus into the year 2065.

Badly Drawn Boy is also pretty batty, and to coincide with the release of his Born in the U.K. LP this week, he's put up a contest on his Web site that asks viewers to choose their favorite fish-and-chips restaurant in England. Or, more specifically, "the chance to vote for your favourite local 'Batterie' and gamble the fishy reputation of your regular chish 'n fip shop." The contest prize? Nothing.

It Dies Today haven't exactly made a reputation for themselves as a family-friendly band, after touring as part of Ozzfest and with Trivium, Machinehead and other brutal bands. But as it turns out, "Sacre Coeur" — a song featured on their new release, Sirens — is actually named after a Parisian church where singer Nick Brooks says, in a press release, "I hopefully plan on proposing to someone there someday."

A mishmash of "Whatever Happened To ... ?" musicians — including members of Jellyfish, the Candy Butchers, Self, Semisonic and Papas Fritas — have joined forces for L.E.O. It isn't exactly a cover band but tries its best to channel prog-rock legends ELO all the same with Alpacas Orgling. It's doubtful that when those guys headed to the studio they limited themselves to ingesting only bread, water, eggs, coffee and whiskey, but that's exactly what Denison Witmer did for Safe Away, which is being reissued this week with a bonus EP.

To close out a 30-year career that has seen way too much hair and too many half-hearted reunions, Twisted Sister are regrouping one last time for ... a Christmas album? Yes, it's true: With singer Dee Snider leading the pack, the band bizarrely runs through "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus," "Heavy Metal Christmas (The Twelve Days of Christmas)" and other selections that will lead fans to say, "Uh ... OK." Can you take it?

Toronto quartet the Sadies have crafted the soundtrack to "Tales of the Rat Fink," a film that lives up to its odd mantle: It revolves around cartoonist/custom-car designer Ed "Big Daddy" Roth and his anti-Mickey Mouse character, Rat Fink. The soundtrack is heavy on instrumental surf music, while the film features vocal contributions from "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Smothers Brothers, John Goodman, ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons and other people you wouldn't expect.

Also getting back together — a whopping 27 years after issuing their last studio LP — are all-women punks the Slits, with frontwoman Ari Up leading the pack. Equally surprising is that they've only come up with enough new material for an EP, Revenge of the Killer Slits, although it does feature appearances from such question-mark contributors as Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook and Adam and the Ants axeman Marco Pirroni. Oh, three daughters also help out: Cook's child Holly, Mike Jones' daughter Lauren, and Phoebe, who calls Slits guitarist Tessa Pollitt mom. Even if it's just an EP the Slits are putting out, it'll give them a good excuse to tour with Dmonstrations next month. That San Diego band has a CD of its own coming out this week — Night Trrors. Shock! Songs include "Hair Pretzel," "Polyp" and "Coelcanth Shower" and, according to the press release, lyrics revolve around "food, sexual politics and international playgirls."

On the subject of unusual lyrical subject matter, Houston trio the Scattered Pages invoke children's authors Lewis Carroll and J.M. Barrie on Lazy Are the Skeletons, which features "Alice to Wonderland" and the less whimsical "Annie Get Yer Gun" and "You Were Depressing Me." And Sharam — one-half of Grammy-winning electronic duo Deep Dish — spends his double-disc Sharam GU29 - Dubai focusing on a country that usually comes up in a conversation about port security, not dance music. Paul van Dyk, Felix Da Housecat and Armin van Buuren lend him a hand. And Doleful Lions obsess over pro wrestler Terry Gordy on "Oriental Spike," featured on their album Song Cyclops Volume Two, which also features Beach Boys and Misfits covers.

Other strange highlights: KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza finds the singer/songwriter covering Beck's "Golden Age," of all things; Jack White has called neoclassical musician Dexter Romweber a major influence, and Romweber's 13-track Piano was produced by Le Tigre collaborator Chris Stamey; clothing designer Todd Oldham is really into the Changes, who drop their debut LP, Today Is Tonight, this week; and Anticon one-man-band Dosh — who courted Andrew Bird and members of Tapes 'N Tapes for his LP The Lost Take — was raised by a onetime priest and mother who almost became a nun. And last but not least there's the imitable Glenn Danzig, whose Black Aria II is a classical operatic piece based on the mythological first wife of Adam. Why bother being normal?

Song Title of the Week:

"Gutrot Hogfrenzy" from Regurgitate's Sickening Bliss

Other Notables:

Bert Jansch's The Black Swan: The towering British folk musician has made the surprising leap to Chicago indie label Drag City for his first album in four years. But a cadre of luminaries are helping brighten the set all the same, including Beth Orton and Devendra Banhart. Tracks include "Maddalina's Dance," "Texas Cowboy Blues" and "Bring Your Religion."

Jeremy Enigk's World Waits: Rumors of another Sunny Day Real Estate reunion are floating around again, but in the meantime, fans will have to be satisfied with the second solo effort by the angel-voiced frontman. "Been Here Before," "Wayward Love" and "Dare a Smile" bulk up the disc, although some were written more than 10 years ago, shortly after the release of his solo debut.

Elanors' Movements: Chicago spouses Noah and Adriel Harris have been doing the orchestral-pop thing for a couple of years now, but for this outing, they convinced Judah Johnson drummer Daniel Johnson and bassist Rodrigo Palma to join the fun. Using pre-1960s music as their guide, this political-protest LP features "Counsel of Bodies," "Thieving Kings" and "Drifters."

New Releases:

• Alrights - High School (City Canyons)
• Annuals - Be He Me (Ace Fu)
• Avalon - Faith: A Hymns Collection (Sparrow)
• DJ Baby Anne - Baby Anne Rocks! (System)
• Badly Drawn Boy - Born in the U.K. (Astralwerks)
• Barzin - My Life in Rooms (Monotreme)
• Dierks Bentley - Long Trip Alone (limited-edition version with bonus DVD also available; Capitol)
• Blut Aus Nord - Mort (Candlelight)
• Ayla Brown - Forward (CBUJ)
• Cage9 - El Motivo (Long Live Crime)
• Barton Carroll - Love & War (Skybucket)
• Changes - Today Is Tonight (Drama Club)
• Cradle of Filth - Thornography (Roadrunner)
• Glenn Danzig - Black Aria II (Megaforce)
• Kevin Devine - Put Your Ghost to Rest (Capitol)
• Diddy - Press Play (Bad Boy)>
• Dmonstrations - Night Trrors. Shock! (GSL)
• Doleful Lions - Song Cyclops Volume Two (Parasol)
• Dosh - The Lost Take (Anticon)
• Earl Greyhound - Soft Targets (Some)
• Elanors - Movements (Parasol)
• Jeremy Enigk - World Waits (Reincarnate)
• The Esoteric - Subverter (Prosthetic)
• Victor Fields - Thinking of You (Regina)
• Renée Fleming - Homage: The Age of the Diva (Decca)
• Frankie J - Priceless (Columbia)
• Vince Gill - These Days (four-CD box set; MCA Nashville)
• Michael Hall - The Song He Was Listening to When He Died (Freedom)
• Hi-Tek - Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip (Best Buy limited edition features bonus tracks and DVD; Babygrande)
• Imitation Electric Piano - Blow It Up, Burn It Down, Kick It 'Til It Bleeds (Drag City)
• Insomnium - Above the Weeping World (Candlelight)
• It Dies Today - Sirens (Trustkill)
• Bert Jansch - The Black Swan (Drag City)
• JoJo - The High Road (with DVD; Blackground)
• George Jones and Friends - God's Country (Category 5)
• Eartha Kitt - Live From the Café Carlyle (DRG)
• Klaxons - Xan Valleys (enhanced EP; Modular/Interscope)
• L.E.O. - Alpacas Orgling (Cheap Lullaby)
• Layzie Bone - Cleveland (Koch)
• Little Ones - Sing Song (EP; Astralwerks)
• Lonestar - Mountains (BNA)
• Matt Mays + El Torpedo - Matt Mays + El Torpedo (Reincarnate)
• Maria McKee - Maria McKee Live: Acoustic Tour 2006 (Cooking Vinyl)
• Sarah McLachlan - Wintersong (Arista)
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes - Love Their Country (Fat Wreck Chords)
• Doug Moreland - Doug Moreland (Double Xxposure)
• Regurgitate - Sickening Bliss (Relapse)
• Dexter Romweber - Piano (Orange Sound)
• Sadies - "Tales of the Rat Fink" soundtrack (Yep Roc)
• Scattered Pages - Lazy Are the Skeletons (Three Ring)
• Sharam - Sharam GU29 - Dubai (two CDs; Global Underground)
• Shimmers - The Way You Shine (Transit of Venus)
• Shiny Toy Guns - We Are Pilots (Universal)
• Slits - Revenge of the Killer Slits (EP; SAF)
• Squarepusher - Hello Everything (Warp)
• Ruben Studdard - The Return (J)
• Thunderball - Cinescope (Eighteenth Street Lounge Music)
• Tribaljazz - Tribaljazz (Hidden Beach)
• Trucks - The Trucks (Clickpop)
• KT Tunstall - KT Tunstall's Acoustic Extravaganza (with DVD; Virgin)
• Twisted Sister - A Twisted Christmas (Razor & Tie)
• Unwed Sailor - The White Ox (Burnt Toast)
• Rhonda Vincent - Beautiful Star: The Christmas Collection (Rounder)
• Michael "5000" Watts - The Day Hell Broke Loose 3 (Swishahouse)
  
• Xzibit - Full Circle (Koch)
• Youngblood Brass Band - Is That a Riot? (Layered Music)
• Your Black Star - Sound From the Ground (Wonka Vision)
• Various artists - Infamy: Music Inspired by the Film (Image)
• Various artists - She Was Country When Country Wasn't Cool: A Tribute to Barbara Mandrell (BNA)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

• Aerosmith - Devil's Got a New Disguise: The Very Best of Aerosmith (Columbia)
• Davie Allan & the Arrows - Cycle Breed (Sundazed)
• Black Oak Arkansas - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Blind Melon - Live at the Palace - Hollywood, CA, October 1995 (Capitol/EMI)
• Billy Bragg - Don't Try This at Home, England, Half English (with the Blokes; enhanced) Volume II (box set with eight CDs and one DVD), William Bloke and Workers Playtime (Yep Roc)
• C-Murder - The Tru Story ... Continued (limited-edition version with DVD and bonus tracks; Koch)
• Dick Dale and His Del-Tones - Surfers' Choice (Sundazed)
• Dokken - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Esteban - Best of Esteban (Strip City)
• Everly Brothers - 36 Unreleased Recordings From the Late '50s and Early '60s (Varèse Sarabande)
• Fat Jon & Styrofoam - The Same Channel (Morr)
• Feathers - Synchromy (Hometapes)
• Foghat - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Lowell Fulsom - In a Heavy Bag (Sundazed)
• Goldfrapp - We Are Glitter (Mute)
• Gomez - Five Men in a Hut (A's, B's & Rarities: 1998-2004) (two CDs; Virgin/EMI)
• Charlie Gracie - The Best of Charlie Gracie: Cameo Parkway 1956-1958 (ABKCO)
• Earl Hooker - The Genius of ... (Sundazed)
• Love - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Willie Nelson - 54 Songs: Songwriter Sessions (three-CD box set; DBK)
• Primus - Primus Singles: They Can't All Be Zingers (Interscope)
• Todd Rundgren - The Definitive Rock Collection (Rhino)
• Jimmy Smith - Bluesmith (Lilith)
• Sweet - Sweet Chronology (Friday)
• Frank Tovey - Fad Gadget by Frank Tovey (box set with two CDs and two DVDs; Mute)
• Denison Witmer - Safe Away (original CD plus the Are You a Sleeper? EP; Militia Group)
• Link Wray and His Ray Men - White Lightnin': Lost Cadence Sessions '58 (Sundazed)
• Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs, Etc., Etc. (two CDs; Rhino)
• Various artists - Cameo Parkway: The Greatest Hits (ABKCO)
• Various artists - The Ultimate James Bond Film Music Collection (four-CD box set; Silva America)

Music DVDs:

• Cars - "The Cars Unlocked - The Live Performances" (with bonus CD; New Video Group)
• Diplomats - "The Diplomats Present: 140th & Lenox, Vol. 1" (Koch Vision)
• Face to Face - "Shoot the Moon (The Essential Collection)" (two DVDs; Image)
• Kinks - "One for the Road" (Velvel)
• Primus - "Blame It on the Fish" (Frizzle Fry)
• Rolling Stones - "Rock Files: Truth and Lies" (Eagle Vision)
• Neil Sedaka - "The Show Goes On: Live at the Royal Albert Hall" (Eagle Vision)
• Various artists - "Carlos Santana Presents Blues at Montreux 2004" (three DVDs; Eagle Vision)

Coming Attractions:

October 24:

• My Chemical Romance - The Black Parade (Reprise)
• Sparta - Threes (Hollywood)
• Various artists - "The Nightmare Before Christmas" soundtrack (special two-CD edition; Disney)

October 31:

• Deftones - Saturday Night Wrist (Maverick)
• Lady Sovereign - Public Warning (Def Jam)
• Kevin Federline - Playing With Fire (Reincarnate)

November 7:

• James Blunt - Back to Bedlam (limited-edition version with bonus CD; Atlantic)
• Foo Fighters - Skin and Bones (RCA)
• Jim Jones - Hustler's P.O.M.E. (Product of My Environment) (Koch)
• Dave Matthews Band - The Best of What's Around, Vol. 1 (two CDs; RCA)
• Ol' Dirty Bastard - A Son Unique (Def Jam)

• Diddy
• JoJo
• Xzibit
• C-Murder
• Ruben Studdard

• C-Murder