"Juno" Soundtrack
Photo: Rhino Records

If you think about it, the soundtrack to "Juno" — the sleeper film that's now been nominated for a Best Picture Oscar — has no business being Billboard's best-selling album. After all, it is a collection of songs from a number of relatively unknown and largely underground artists, musicians like Kimya Dawson, Sonic Youth, Belle and Sebastian and the Moldy Peaches.

"I never looked at charts in my life," Dawson told MTV News earlier this month. "I'm not interested in being with a major label, I just make music and play shows. And I live in Washington State, which I like because there, people play music because they like music. [The attention from 'Juno' is] "All just weird," she continued. "I'm mainly happy about it because I love the movie 'Juno' and I'm happy to be a part of it."

Yet, somehow, the record has managed to surpass a mega-star like Alicia Keys and assume the chart's peak position with a mere 64,800 copies. Released seven weeks ago, the LP failed to chart initially, selling just 4,700 units. But in truth, it was only a matter of time before "Juno" reached the top. Four weeks ago, the soundtrack came from out of nowhere, entering the top 200 for the first time at #8 with sales reported at 38,000. The week after that, it climbed to #3 and then, the following week, to #2. It's been a slow and steady ascension for the soundtrack, which bumps Keys' As I Am, which scanned 59,800 copies, to #2, making "Juno" the nation's new chart-topper, according to the latest SoundScan totals.

And while 13 new releases make their debuts on next week's chart, only one of them cracked the coveted top 10: English songstress Natasha Bedingfield's Pocketful of Sunshine, which opens at #3 with 49,800 copies sold.

Other than that, the chart remained relatively unchanged. Following Bedingfield at #4 with 45,000 copies sold is Mary J. Blige's Growing Pains, just in front of Radiohead's In Rainbows at #5, which sold 35,000 units. Taylor Swift's self-titled debut holds at #6, scanning another 34,600 units, with Chris Brown's Exclusive finishing at #7 after selling another 31,600 copies. Keyshia Cole's Just Like You climbs four spots to #8, scanning 31,000 units, while Garth Brooks' Ultimate Hits follows at #9 with 30,300 sold. Rounding things out at #10 is "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus," selling just under 30,000 copies during its 31st week of commercial release.

Elsewhere on the chart, Cat Power's Jukebox bows at #12, racking up week-one sales of 29,400. Other newcomers to next week's chart include Radio Disney Jams, Vol. 10, a two-disc set boasting contributions from the Jonas Brothers, Aly & AJ, Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff and the Plain White T's, which enters at #18 with 21,000 sold, and alt-country act Drive-By Truckers' Brighter Than Creation's Dark, which claims the chart's #36 opening with 16,000 scans. Matt Costa's Unfamiliar Faces follows at #59, selling 11,000 copies.

Singer/songwriter Kate Voegele's Don't Look Away debuts at #63 with 10,000 copies sold, while Ultra Dance, Vol. 9, a compilation featuring artists like Daft Punk, Rihanna, Ciara and Seal, enters at #77, selling 8,200. Indie rockers Black Mountain's In the Future opens at #101 with 6,500 scans, while Moe's Sticks and Stones follows at #119 with 5,600 sold. Lastly, the Audition's latest, Champion, makes its chart debut at #157, having sold 4,000 and change.

• Kimya Dawson's Life Is Peachy Post-'Juno'

• Alicia Keys
• Mary J. Blige
• Natasha Bedingfield
• Cat Power

Cat Power's <i>Jukebox</i>
Photo: Matador Records

The Northeast and many other parts of the country are locked in the dreary winter blues at the moment, with the denizens nipping at their frostbitten fingertips and gnawing on their chapped lips in anticipation of sunnier days and warmer nights. But lucky for the music fans among them, a magical spring awaits inside your local CD store! Grab a light jacket and a pair of binoculars, and take a stroll with us as we check out this week's New Releases ...

It's 9 a.m., and what better way to start the day than with a Pocketful of Sunshine courtesy Natasha Bedingfield. We trot out the back door, and through the yard as the British songstress — who you know from "The Hills"; the theme song, "Unwritten," was all her doing — coaxes Sean Kingston out of the woods for a rendition of her sophomore effort's first single, "Love Like This." Super-producers J.R. Rotem, Rodney Jerkins and Danjahandz materialize, hammering away on the ones and twos as she continues to perform. "I've been dating, searching for a partner, looking for Mr. Right," she says (um, in a statement). "This album reflects those feelings and that journey."

Our journey continues as we head out the door and see some Unfamiliar Faces in the neighborhood. Matt Costa — who, like Bedingfield, is giddy about his own second album — coaxes us away from the strangers and lulls us with the pop, country, folk and rock sounds of his latest effort for Jack Johnson's Brushfire Records. The 25-year-old troubadour tells us tales of working again with mentor Tom Dumont of No Doubt — "One of the first things he told me to do was to stop practicing and just let it come out — it was like the light went on in my head," he imparts.

Speaking of light, now that it's almost noon, it's pretty bright outside — and with the sun beating mercilessly, it's hard to Watch the Sky, as much as Patty Larkin might want us to. The folk-pop vet plays us her new opus — which she wrote, produced, engineered and edited all on her own — fusing modern technology with acoustic instruments like the "slapsteel," a detuned lap-steel guitar that is played with a drumstick and hand.

The sweet sounds coax a household pet out of a nearby home — a feline who refers to herself as "Cat Power." The critter reveals that she was named Chan Marshall before she was reincarnated, and shares with us a new creation of her own, Jukebox, which sparks memories of her 2000 release, The Covers Record. She regales us with homages to Bob Dylan, Hank Williams and even Billie Holiday, before letting us know that the limited edition of her release has a bonus disc with five bonus covers, and that the iTunes version also has a bunch of extra tunes.

With that, we head through the backyard again — and encounter, naturally, the Backyardigans! As the Nickelodeon sensations burst into song — arena rock, hip-hop, zydeco, what have you — a few of their neighbors join in on the fun. Alicia Keys chimes in on "Almost Everything Is Boinga," while Cyndi Lauper jazzes up "Lady in Pink." Before we go, the Backyardigans remind us that their CD comes in eco-friendly recycled packaging but that, if we want to be even more Earth-friendly, we should ditch the physical release and go for the iTunes one instead — after all, it also has four extra songs.

Soon we find ourselves in a meadow, which just so happens to be inhabited by ... Japanese post-rock experimentalists Mono! "The Sky Remains the Same as Ever," they murmur into our ears, letting us know that their first-ever DVD is a packed two-hour set with 12 concert performances, documentary material and various in-the-"field" clips.

Good thing we remembered to bring our binoculars, because there are a ton of feathered creatures flying around in this meadow. Biirdie — who have a nest in Glendale, California — flutter their wings to the country-infused orchestral sounds of their Catherine Avenue album. Giving us a Hitchcockian scare, the Birds of Prey swoop down. The flock — which includes members of Baroness, Municipal Waste and Alabama Thunderpussy — peck away at us with their metal-icious second album, Sulfur & Semen. Philadelphia's Birds of Maya start biting into us too, with their loud new Holy Mountain release, Vol. 1. "Those Birds Are Bats," our friends Mahjongg tell us, before busting out some dance moves and enigmatically adding, "Kontpab."

Where there are birds, there are bees, and both are as one on Birds by Collections of Colonies of Bees. The flock and the swarm commingle, shooing away their previous bluegrass and folk sounds in favor of all-out, boisterous pop. Is that an analog synthesizer we hear in the distance? Indeed, it is.

Chasing the sound, we enter into the woods and come across some Super Furry Animals. We saw these critters recently — they introduced us to their new album, Hey Venus!, in the summer, although you could only get it if you had a computer. This time around, they present us with the physical version of their eighth album, which has a CD of extra material, as well as some colorful, 'toony new artwork by Japanese artist Keiichi Tanaami.

More furry creatures hop into our lap — a herd of animals who call themselves "Foxy Shazam" and purr to us with voices inflected by soul and rock. Hailing from Cincinnati, the feel-good Foxies tell us they picked up a musical tip or two from Chiodos producer Casey Bates, who put the shine on their Introducing LP. Some "Cuddling Raccoons" try to get some love to — they say they're from a city called "Sex Death Cassette" that was made by Rafter, a psychedelic-disco junkie.

The Foxies and raccoons climb off our lap, and it's time to get some exercise. Luckily we remembered to bring our kites ... Kites for Charity, that is. We borrowed them from moody Swedish pop-sters Jettie, and as we fly them, we fittingly hear songs like "#3 Nest and the Wind," "The Sky Over Santa Rosa" and "Letter Carrier."

As we're looking up in the sky, we see planes crisscrossing overhead. As they go back and forth, Steve Aoki's Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles begins ringing in our ears — the founder of the Dim Mak label blended together everything from Peaches to Bloc Party on his mix CD. If we look hard enough at the airplane, we can even see a few familiar faces singing and rapping along: Spank Rock, Steve Bays of Hot Hot Heat, Santogold, Mickey Avalon, the Faint's Todd Fink and Har Mar Superstar.

Our necks are starting to hurt, so we turn our heads downward and say, "Hello, Blue Roses," to lovely flowers that were grown by Dan Bejar of Destroyer and his girlfriend, Sydney Vermont. Tattooed on the roses is a poetic phrase, The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty ..., and if we listen closely enough, we can hear what sounds like a cross between '60s femme folk and '80s AOR.

We're getting antsy again, so we go deep into the woods, where we trample over small piles of Sticks and Stones. Moe. remind us that if some of the twigs and rocks get lodged in our sneakers, "it's all good" — after all, the jam band can always mellow us out with its endless noodling. The guys tell us that they actually brought the Sticks and Stones from somewhere else: an old church they rented in mountains in New England.

Mountains ... they are indeed within our view. First we trudge up Black Mountain, which looks as scary as it sounds ("Tyrants," "Evil Ways," "Stormy High"). The Mountains are expansive In the Future, filled with folk-pop, and it takes us a whole 17 minutes to traverse one ridge, nicknamed "Bright Lights."

Once we descend that peak, we're faced with another range: Mtn. High. As we scale the cliffs, we're assaulted by a punk-rock onslaught of triple-drumming, quad-guitars and multiple basses — but we, the collective Wicked Wanderer, come out alive. It feels like we've gone Into Abaddon, that sludgy "place of destruction" where you can only be rescued by Saviours.

We're dirty from all the hiking, so we head down to C Unseen Sea — a place our good friend Dillon suggested — for a quick swim. As we splash around, we try to pull off some of our old-school hip-hop dance moves underwater, but soon remember we're just as much into ghetto tech these days.

We swim out a bit into the sea and discover Monster Island. It's inhabited by the Dream Tiger, which uses instruments as varied as the sitar, harmonium and water harp to relay its eclectic ethnic-folk blend. Behind the beast are members of His Name Is Alive, Outrageous Cherry and Destroy All Monsters the latter of which deserve a little attention of their own in light of a reissue of their Live in Tokyo album.

We finish our swim and lay out on the beach, where we draw a Line in the Sand with Zox, a gang of reggae-rockers from Providence, Rhode Island. They whisper sweet nothings into our ears, like "I Miss You," "Goodnight" and "Don't Believe in Love."

As we head home, we spot more Bodies of Water, and our head begins to twitter. Then we remember that a Los Angeles band warned us this would happen — "Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink," the guys told us, and we should have trusted their word, seeing as how they've toured in the past with the Go! Team and Phosphorescent.

While we're distracted, a terrifying Two Ton Sloth suddenly approaches. We've never encountered this beast before, although we do have an instruction manual of the same name that tells us we shouldn't be too afraid — the mash-up behemoth is nothing more than a spoken-word artist (Brad Hamers) and producer (PZ).

But there is more cause for alarm as a storm approaches. Our good pal Liam Finn comes to mind — "I'll Be Lightning," he once told us, adding that the best way to make sure you don't get hit by a bolt is by looping your guitar. Unfortunately, while we have binoculars and swim trunks, we left our axes behind.

As The Evening Descends, we rush home but are stopped midway by a group of Evangelicals, who use glam, synth and pop sounds to try to get us to convert. They talk our ears off about revivalism, insanity, zombies, good and evil and love, and by the time they're done, we want to be in bed.

Finally, after a very long day, we curl up alongside our wife Baby Dee, a worldly singer/songwriter/pianist/harpist, and she tells us all about her day working with Andrew W.K., Bonnie "Prince" Billy, and members of Antony and the Johnsons and Chavez. It's "Safe Inside the Day," she tells us, and after the long, sometimes-perilous outing we've had, it sounds like something we can agree with.

We think about writing a story based on our day called "Of Moons, Birds & Monsters," but as it turns out, a psychedelic-pop duo out of New York, MGMT, have already done that on their new album, Oracular Spectacular. Oh well — guess we'll have to find some other outlet for this story instead.

Song Title of the Week:

"Kiss My Komodo" from Truckee Brothers' Double Happiness

Album Cover of the Week:

The Selmanaires' The Air Salesmen

New Releases:

· Ben Allison & Man Size Safe - Little Things Run the World (Palmetto)
· American Speedway - Ship of Fools (limited-edition; with vinyl; Prophase)
· Steve Aoki - Pillowface and His Airplane Chronicles (Thrive)
· ASG - Win Us Over (Volcom)
· The Audition - Champion (Victory)
· Baby Dee - Safe Inside the Day (Drag City)
· The Backyardigans - Born to Play (Nick)
· Natasha Bedingfield - Pocketful of Sunshine (Epic) [Buy Now]
· Steven Bernstein - Diaspora Suite (Tzadik)
· Big Noyd - Illustrious (Koch)
· Biirdie - Catherine Avenue (Drive-Thru)
· Billy Talent - 666 Live (with DVD; Warner Music Canada)
· Birds of Maya - Vol. 1 (Holy Mountain)
· Birds of Prey - Sulfur & Semen (Relapse)
· Black Mountain - In the Future (Jagjaguwar)
· Blood on the Wall - Liferz (The Social Registry)
· Blues Company - Hot and Ready to Serve (Inakustic)
· Bodies of Water - Ears Will Pop & Eyes Will Blink (Thousand Tongues/ Secretly Canadian)
· Ray Bonneville - Goin' Be Feel (Red House)
· The Breathing Process - In Walking: Divinity (Ferret)
· Buzzcocks - 30 (live; Cooking Vinyl) [Buy Now]
· Byzantine - Oblivion Beckons (Prosthetic)
· Barton Carroll - The Lost One (Skybucket)
· Cat Power - Jukebox (deluxe edition with bonus CD due same day; Matador) [Buy Now]
· Collections of Colonies of Bees - Birds (Table of Elements)
· Matt Costa - Unfamiliar Faces (Brushfire) [Buy Now]
· Daedelus - Live at Low End Theory (Alpha Pup)
· Dengue Fever - Venus on Earth (M80)
· Disfear - Live the Storm (Relapse)
· Drive-By Truckers - Brighter Than Creation's Dark (New West)
· Envy - Abyssal (EP) and All the Footprints You've Ever Left and the Fear Expecting Ahead (Temporary Residence)
· Evangelicals - The Evening Descends (Dead Oceans)
· Ex-Reverie - The Door Into Summer (Drag City)
· Liam Finn - I'll Be Lightning (Yep Roc)
· The Fleshtones - Take a Good Look! (Yep Roc)
· Foxy Shazam - Introducing (Ferret)
· Get Set Go - Get Set Go Presents: Sunshine, Joy, & Happiness (TSR)
· Hello, Blue Roses - The Portrait Is Finished and I Have Failed to Capture Your Beauty ... (Locust)
· Hexlove - Knew Abloom (Life's Hood) (Holy Mountain)
· Hey Willpower - PDA (Tomlab)
· Instruments of Science and Technology - Music From the Films of R. Swift (Secretly Canadian)
· Jettie - Kites for Charity (Eyeball)
· The Kennedys - Better Dreams (Appleseed)
· Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause - The Rustic Contemporary Sounds of Anna Kramer & the Lost Cause (International Hits)
· Patty Larkin - Watch the Sky (Vanguard)
· Love in October - Pontus, the Devil, and Me (The Musik Group)
· Love Is All - Love Is All Mixed Up (Phonica)
· Mahjongg - Kontpab (K)
· The Matinee Club - The Modern LP (Ninthwave)
· MGMT - Oracular Spectacular (Columbia) [Buy Now]
· Moe. - Sticks and Stones (Fat Boy)
· Monster Island - Dream Tiger (Book Beat)
· Mtn. High - Wicked Wanderer (Hot Dog City)
· North Mississippi Allstars - Hernando (Sounds of the South)
· Jack Peñate Matinee (XL Recordings)
· Steve Poltz - Traveling (Thirty Tigers)
· Rafter - Sex Death Cassette (Asthmatic Kitty)
· The Red Death - Godmakers (Ferret)
· The Matt Savage Trio - Hot Ticket: Live in Boston (Savage/Palmetto)
· Saviours - Into Abaddon (Kemado)
· The Selmanaires - The Air Salesmen (International Hits)
· Sam Shalabi - Eid (Alien8)
· Team Robespierre - Everything's Perfect (Impose)
· Times New Viking - Rip It Off (Matador)
· Truckee Brothers - Double Happiness (Populuxe)
· Two Ton Sloth - Two Ton Sloth (Token Recluse)
· The Whigs - Mission Control (ATO)
· The Whitsundays - The Whitsundays (Friendly Fire)
· Zox - Line in the Sand (Side One Dummy)
· Various artists - The Opera Gala: Live From Baden-Baden (Deutsche Grammophon)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Eric Anderson - Avalanche and Eric Anderson (DBK Works)
· Brigitte Bardot - Brigitte Bardot Sings (Lilith)
· Canned Heat - Vintage (Lilith)
· Destroy All Monsters - Live in Tokyo (Book Beat)
· Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Works, Volume 1 and 2 (Shout! Factory)
· Keith Jarrett, Gary Peacock and Jack DeJohnette - Setting Standards (three-CD box set; ECM)
· Sneaky Pete Kleinow - The Shiloh Recordings (Sundazed)
· Lillian Axe - Lillian Axe and Love + War (Metal Mind)
· London After Midnight - Oddities, Psycho Magnet and Selected Scenes From the End of the World (Metropolis)
· Lisa Loeb - The Purple Tape (two CDs; Furious Rose) [Buy Now]
· Mindless Self Indulgence - You'll Rebel to Anything (enhanced; MSI/Metropolis)
· Buck Owens - "Live" in Scandinavia (Sundazed)
· Plastic Crimewave Sound - No Wonder Land (Prophase)
· Jason Ringenberg - Best Tracks and Side Tracks: 1979-2007 (Yep Roc)
· Steel Breeze - Steel Breeze (Renaissance)
· Sugarhill Gang - Sugarhill Gang (DBK Works) [Buy Now]
· Super Furry Animals - Hey Venus! (with bonus CD; Rough Trade)
· Various artists - Putumayo Kids Presents: Hawaiian Playground (Putumayo World Music)
· Various artists - Putumayo Presents: Latin Reggae (Putumayo World Music)

Music DVDs:

· Donovan - "The Donovan Concert: Live in L.A." (Raven)
· James Ian - "Through the Years: A Retrospective" (Rude Girl)
· Mono - "The Sky Remains the Same as Ever" (Temporary Residence)
· Patrick Moraz - "Live in Princeton" (Voiceprint)
· The Osmond Brothers - "Country Rockers" (Quantum Leap)
· Radiohead - "The DVD Box" (two DVDs; Music Video Distributors) [Buy Now]
· The Smiths - "Inside the Smiths" (Mams) [Buy Now]
· Soul Syndicate Band - "Word, Sound and Power" (Focused)
· Various artists - "Cruisin Love Songs, Volume 2" (Quantum Leap)
· Various artists - "Dancing in the Street" (JLT)
· Various artists - "Metal Blade Records: 25th Year in Video" (DVD; Metal Blade)
· Various artists - "Reggae Nashville: Deep Roots Music 2: Bunny Lee Story/ Black Ark" (Screen Edge)

Digital Releases:

· Dillon - C Unseen Sea (available starting Friday; Kitty-Yo)
· AJ Lambert - EP (self-released)
· Yellowcard - Live From Las Vegas at the Palms (iTunes exclusive; Capitol)

Coming Attractions:

January 29:
· Beck - Odelay - Deluxe Edition (two CDs; Geffen/UMe) [Preorder]
· The Mars Volta - The Bedlam in Goliath (Universal) [Preorder]
· Vampire Weekend - Vampire Weekend (XL)

February 5:
· Christina Aguilera - "Back to Basics: Live and Down Under" (two DVDs; RCA) [Preorder]
· Jack Johnson - Sleep Through the Static (Brushfire) [Preorder]
· Lenny Kravitz - It Is Time For A Revolution (Virgin) [Preorder]

February 12:
· Michael Jackson - Thriller 25 (with DVD; Epic/Legacy) [Preorder]
Read: "Michael Jackson, Akon Are 'Startin' Somethin' ' On Thriller 25 Track -- Listen To It Here!" · Metric - "Live at Metropolis" DVD (Last Gang)
· Simple Plan - Simple Plan (Lava/Atlantic) [Preorder]

• Cat Power
• Natasha Bedingfield
• The Mars Volta

T.I.
Photo: Frederick M. Brown/ Getty Images

T.I.'s planned Thanksgiving Day celebration just got a whole lot quieter: The rapper has withdrawn his request to host a holiday bash at his home in suburban Atlanta, The Associated Press reports. The 27-year-old rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris Jr., has been under under house arrest as he awaits his trial on weapons charges. ...

First Britney Spears asked fans to "Gimme More" — now she's asking them, do you want a "Piece of Me"? The singer has announced the latter track as her next Blackout single. Spears might have some good luck on her side, as the song was produced by Bloodshy & Avant, the same team behind her Grammy-winning track "Toxic." ...

Kanye West, Wyclef Jean and Nelly will compete for the Music Award honor at the upcoming J.A.M. Awards, a Jam Master Jay- and Run-DMC-inspired event intended to reflect the positive aspects of rap. Jim Jones, DJ Kay Slay, Bumpy Knuckles, Lord Finesse and EPMD have joined the show's performance roster, which already included Snoop Dogg, Mobb Deep, Papoose, Raekwon, Q-Tip, Marley Marl, DMC and more. Two more categories have also been announced for the event, which is being put on by Hot 97, the Jam Master Jay Foundation for Music and other organizations: Chuck D, Will Smith and esteemed Princeton University professor Dr. Cornel West are up for the Justice Award; while Spike Lee, graffiti artist Lee Quinones and Charlotte Bobcats owner Robert L. Johnson will face off for the Arts Award. The ceremony will be held November 29 at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York. ...

Jay-Z is busy shooting videos for and touring behind his new American Gangster album, but that's not stopping him from making business deals. His joint venture Scion recently acquired Artful Dodger after paying $15 million for the apparel company. "They represent what's next and new in fashion," Jay-Z said in a statement. ... Chris Brown, LeAnn Rimes and Usher have been added to the roster of artists set to perform at Movies Rock, which will take place at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre on December 2 and air December 7 at 9:00 p.m. on CBS. Beyoncé, Mary J. Blige, Jennifer Lopez and others were previously announced as performers. ...

Former "American Idol" Carrie Underwood repeated as Female Vocalist of the Year Wednesday night at the Country Music Association Awards. The singer also took home a trophy for Single of the Year for her hit "Before He Cheats" in a show that featured a performance from surprise Billboard albums chart-toppers the Eagles as well as another "American Idol" alum, Kellie Pickler. She broke down crying while singing "I Wonder," a tune about her estranged mother, who left the family when Pickler was 2 years old. ... Don't expect KT Tunstall to be congratulating Underwood on her new prizes — the Scottish singer/songwriter lashed out at the country star in an interview due to appear in the new issue of Steppin' Out, which hits newsstands Wednesday. Tunstall, whose songs have been used in "Idol," sounded off on Underwood's Grammy win for Best New Artist, saying, "It's pretty weird when the Best New Artist is someone from a reality TV show who sings other people's music. It's also very weird when Carrie Underwood thanks God and Simon Cowell. That's pretty scary! I would hope the Best New Artist is somebody who's writing their own music. Or at least something original." Tunstall didn't mince words about Britney Spears' recent troubles either, saying, "It's frustrating that there's this anti-intellectualism going on with all the magazines who cover her. It's almost like the days of gladiators. The people are begging for death. ... On a spiritual level, I don't want to be part of it. I don't want to feed into it." ...

Lily Allen has signed on to host a new BBC3 entertainment show, according to the U.K.'s Guardian. Assorted celebrities and unsigned bands will join the starlet on "Lily Allen and Friends," and the audience will consist of her online friends. It will air early next year. ... Mya is slated to appear Thursday night at an event benefiting the North Shore Animal League America, an animal-rescue and adoption group. It will be held at the Night Hotel in New York. ... Alchemist is amped to work with Eminem again, according to a new interview he gave to Complex magazine. "If anything, I would bring [a new track] to him, load it into him, let him compute the things that I'm going through, the sounds that I'm finding. Let's interpolate this Eminem style." He added, "I feel like the best out of my connection with Em hasn't happened yet." ...

Joel Madden are Nicole Richie are preparing for their first child, but everything isn't going according to plan in the couple's lives. They have been denied sale of a home in a gated community in Southern California because residents there are concerned about paparazzi swarming in, Us Weekly reports. The magazine also says a baby shower is planned for later this month. ...

More than 100 celebrities — including Kanye West, Coldplay's Chris Martin, Evanescence's Amy Lee, the Beastie Boys, Bright Eyes, Cobra Starship, Reese Witherspoon and Cameron Diaz — have signed on to create personalized lunchboxes for an online auction to benefit a pair of hunger-relief organizations: the Food Bank for New York City and South Africa's Lunchbox Fund. The auction will go live on December 7 at midnight at TheLunchboxAuction.org and run through December 21. Other stars participating in the event include David Bowie, Elton John, Casey Affleck, Eva Mendes, Interpol, Jessica Biel, Cat Power and Courtney Love. ...

Despite Courtney getting involved in a good cause, she's also going off the handle again — and this time, Madonna is in her sights. In a typically incomprehensible, profanity-laden post on her MySpace page, she wrote, "madonna is a great business woma but come on she s weak as an artista nd we akl lknow it — i like madge — but as a relevant musician — its a joke." The exhausting rant is 3,700 words long. ... As for the aforementioned Cat Power, the track list for singer Chan Marshall's upcoming covers album, Jukebox, has been shuffled a bit and will now feature a limited-edition bonus disc with covers of songs by Moby Grape, Nick Cave, Roberta Flack, Patsy Cline and Lil Wayne's all-star squad, Hot Boys. Also slated for inclusion on the January 22 album are covers of songs by Frank Sinatra, Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Billie Holiday and James Brown. ... In related news, Brown's estate is already tangled in a dispute with one of the late rock icon's backup singers who says she is Brown's fourth wife, but now another woman has come forward with a similar claim, AP reports. In court papers recently filed in South Carolina, 73-year-old Velma Warren Brown says she had three children with the late singer and lived with him for 17 years — and that he never served her with divorce papers. ...

The Blood Brothers have finally made an announcement concerning their future. Basically, the band has no future. "After 10 years of making music as the Blood Brothers, we have made the collective decision that our time together has come to an end," the band said in a statement. "We feel extremely fortunate to have spent such a deeply memorable and amazing part of our lives with each other. At this point, however, we feel it's best that our futures move forward on separate paths. We'd like to express our sincerest thanks and gratitude to all the bands we've played with, individuals who have helped us make our records, and fans who have come to our shows and picked up our music throughout the years. Your friendship, support and love hold such a profoundly special place in each of our hearts. We hope that the memories you attach to our music are as fond as those you have given us." ...

Ozzy Osbourne's tour sure is seeing a lot of drama. In addition to a recent pre-show police sting in Fargo, North Dakota, and a flurry of arrests at Ozzy shows, a young fan was tasered and arrested after allegedly fighting with officers during Osbourne's concert in Sioux City, Iowa, on Sunday, according to a report in the Sioux City Journal. The 16-year-old Sioux City boy, who has not been named, was allegedly trying to start a mosh pit near the end of the show when security called Sioux City police to help remove the boy. Three police officers reportedly tried to take hold of the boy, who was allegedly swinging his arms and being aggressive. After police told him to stop resisting, he refused, after which he was tasered. One officer was slightly injured in the incident, for which the boy was charged with misdemeanor counts of interference with official acts, failure to obey a police officer and assault on a police officer. In related news, the Los Angeles Times reports that a Beverly Hills, California, physician who has been accused of over-prescribing addictive drugs to Osbourne and other celebrities has been publicly reprimanded by the Medical Board of California. Three years ago, the board accused Dr. David A. Kipper of gross negligence in the care of eight patients and threatened to take away his medical license. Osbourne has also filed his own complaint with the board and said the pills he'd been prescribed had a negative impact on his life. "I couldn't talk. I couldn't walk," he told the Times. "I could barely stand up. I was lumbering about like the Hunchback of Notre Dame. It got to the point where I was scared to close my eyes at night — afraid I might not wake up." ...

A Perfect Circle mastermind Billy Howerdel has started a new project dubbed Ashes Divide. A song from the band, "Enemies," can be heard on the group's MySpace page. According to the page, the band is signed to Island/Def Jam. ... Bruce Springsteen showcased three songs at a charity event for wounded U.S. troops in New York on Wednesday night, AP reports. The Boss also auctioned off his Harley-Davidson motorcycle for a cool $85,000 at "Stand Up for Heroes," which featured Conan O'Brien as MC and some joke-telling by Robin Williams. Stephen Colbert, James Gandolfini and others were in attendance at the event, which was expected to draw more than $2.5 million for Bob Woodruff's Family Fund, a benefit group started by the ABC newsman who was previously injured in Iraq. ... Many hit songs these days rely on other artists' samples — and now the latter are finally getting their due. Samples that have appeared in songs by Mary J. Blige, 2Pac, Notorious B.I.G., Beastie Boys, Madonna, Dr. Dre and others have been dug up from the archives for the new collection Droppin' Science. The February 12 release will be available as a 10-track CD or 13-song digital album. ...

What do you get when you put Vincent Gallo and Eric Erlandson together? A new band: Rriiccee. Gallo, who wrote and directed "Buffalo 66" and "Brown Bunny," previously released two solo albums, while Erlandson made a name for himself as a guitarist for Hole. Their new abstract project, which may eventually embrace additional members, will formally introduce itself with a tour starting in December — but doesn't plan to record any music or even release anything. "We've chosen not to go into a studio in a traditional way like other bands have done in the past," Gallo said in a statement. "We've chosen to remain open, to grow and change more naturally, and when we play live, the music is often created during the performance." Rriiccee previously played at Japan's Fuji Rock Festival and at a show in San Francisco. ...

"Barfly" actor Mickey Rourke was arrested Thursday in Miami Beach, Florida, on suspicion of driving under the influence — on a scooter, according to AP. He reportedly made a U-turn at a red light and swerved multiple times. "I'm not drunk, I didn't even drink that much," he reportedly said before being taken to police headquarters and failing a breath test. He is being held on $1,000 bond. ...

Are you a "unique" "Star Trek" fan? Not "unique" as in especially devoted, but rather fans who have "long necks, small heads, bug eyes, large foreheads [or] oversized ears"? Then you're in luck. Those are some of the attributes the makers of the J.J. Abrams reboot are requiring as they hunt for extras to appear in the film, according to BBC News. But if you don't match any of those descriptions, fear not — the studio is also looking for "ultra perfect or ultra plain-looking people." Auditions will be held Saturday in Burbank, California. ...

Nobel Peace Prize winner Al Gore's much-talked-about appearance on NBC's "30 Rock" will air on Thursday evening. The former vice president and environmentalist plays himself but also acts as if he can hear troubled whales calling in the episode, which spoofs NBC's "Green Is Universal" campaign. The show has many days of shooting planned for a 10th second-season episode amid the writers' strike, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... In other strike news, West Hollywood, California's Roxy Theatre is allowing Writers Guild of America members to go to shows for free — so long as the concerts in question haven't already sold out, according to Variety. All the members have to do is show their union membership card.

11.07.07

T.I. is under house arrest as he awaits his trial on weapons charges — but he doesn't want that to get in the way of the holidays. The rapper (real name: Clifford Harris) has asked a judge to let him host a Thanksgiving Day celebration at his home in Jonesboro, Georgia, according to The Associated Press. On Tuesday, his attorneys requested that a list of family members be given "approved visitation to have dinner with the defendant" from 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. on November 22. T.I. isn't allowed to have visitors without prior approval and can't have more than three visitors at a time, with minor exceptions. His October 26 release on bond is being supervised by a monitoring service, which would also be present for the Thanksgiving celebration. ...

Lawyers for Britney Spears and Kevin Federline will be in Los Angeles Superior Court on Thursday for an emergency hearing in their ongoing custody dispute, TMZ.com reports. The hearing was reportedly called by Federline's attorney Mark Vincent Kaplan, who is alleging that the singer has not followed drug-testing procedures. Neither Spears nor Federline are expected to show. In other Brit news, her longtime photographer and friend Mark Lidell revealed to "Extra" what went wrong at the notorious OK! magazine photo shoot earlier this year. "Paparazzi absolutely killed and ruined our day ... they were everywhere ... and it made our shoot absolutely impossible." He said Spears later told him, " 'Mark, if you want me to come back afterwards, I'll do my best and get back' ... but she had to go and finish off the music video [for 'Gimme More']." ...

Embattled pop star Amy Winehouse has been granted a visa allowing her to enter the United States but will still not be making any of her previously scheduled appearances, her publicist confirmed to MTV News on Wednesday (November 7). The "Rehab" singer was set to appear at the mtvU Woodie Awards on Thursday and as the musical guest on "Saturday Night Live" (which is now in reruns anyway, due to the writers' strike) this weekend. Some speculated Winehouse's recent visa troubles were thought to have something to do with her recent arrest for marijuana possession in Norway. Winehouse will next visit the States in January to kick off her U.S. tour. ...

Lily Allen doesn't show much skin when she performs — but she's stripping down to model lingerie as part of a new six-figure deal, according to MTV UK. Like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Dita Von Tesse and Kate Moss before her, Allen has signed with risqué clothing company Agent Provocateur. The singer has also recently modeled for a shampoo company and is working on a TV show. ...

Michael Jackson's Neverland nightmare might be coming true — according to TMZ, the estate has gone into foreclosure per a Notice of Default report for California's Santa Barbara County. The singer was reportedly delinquent on a $23 million loan as of October 12. ...

Lil Wayne, Against Me!, Juelz Santana, Arctic Monkeys and Fat Joe, all in the same place? Indeed — you'll find those artists, as well as Ol' Dirty Bastard, Lady Sovereign, Pete Doherty and others, showcased in "The Vice Photo Book," a new volume culling shots from the magazine's 13-year history. The 336-page tome will be sold for $45 at bookstores starting in December. ...

Swizz Beatz and T-Pain took the stage on Tuesday night at the "Women of King" Calendar party held at the Metropolitan Pavilion in New York. Q-Tip, radio personality Wendy Williams and Dres of Black Sheep were all on hand as D-Nice manned the turntables at the shindig, which was sponsored by Remy Martin. ... Talib Kweli, Strong Arm Steady and Jean Grae got together onstage at Belvedere Vodka's Apollo Lounge in New York's Harlem neighborhood on Tuesday night in an effort to draw more young people to the famed Apollo Theatre. Fonzworth Bentley was in attendance. ...

Diddy got a break on Tuesday when a district attorney in New York decided not to charge him with assault in an alleged incident last month. Well, now comes more good news for the music mogul, albeit of a very different variety: His YouTube search for someone to hold his umbrella has ended, he announced on Tuesday on "The Oprah Winfrey Show." He gave the job to Heather Thompson, who remarked, "I understand who the star is in this relationship." Diddy said he's looking for four assistants in total, so his YouTube quest goes on. ...

In what could amount to a case of Jessica Alba mirroring Madonna, the "Fantastic Four" actress, who doesn't have any stage experience, has been approached to star in a new Broadway production of David Mamet's "Speed-the-Plow" in which Madge previously starred, the New York Post reports. According to the Post, James Gandolfini is being considered for one of the male lead roles. ...

My Bloody Valentine fans, the wait is over — that reunion album you've been hoping for is a go, and apparently it's even happening this year. TheDailySwarm.com reports that on Monday VBS.tv will launch an exclusive video interview between My Bloody Valentine mastermind Kevin Shields and Ian Svenonius (Weird War, the Make Up) as part of the online TV channel's "Soft Focus" series. In the conversation, Shields reportedly said a yet-untitled album — which involved the band getting back in the studio for the first time since 1995 — will be dropping this year. "It sounds like what we sounded like — different but not radically different. People will go, 'Yeah, it sounds like My Bloody Valentine,' " he reportedly said. ...

Sub Pop — the record label that boasts "Podfisting our way to your blog. Or whatever" as one of its current slogans — has launched a new digital-download music store. Among the initial 200 offerings in the store, which will eventually incorporate out-of-print material, are releases by the Shins, Sleater-Kinney, David Cross, Low, Band of Horses and Iron and Wine. Customers who purchase files through the store will be able to download them multiple times, which also means that fans will be able to get additional bonus tracks or improved sound quality if and when the releases are enhanced. ...

Radiohead's name-your-own-price album scheme has resulted in only two of five listeners paying for the band's new In Rainbows LP, but the noble pursuit might have landed Radiohead some additional profits. Billboard reports that the band's seven previous albums have sold 35.8 percent more copies since Radiohead made the In Rainbows announcement on September 30. ...

Pete Doherty showed signs of improvement in his ongoing battle with drugs last month when a judge gave him a suspended jail sentence after seeing signs of progress — but now there's more bad news for the Babyshambles frontman. "Peter sadly relapsed last week and is now looking to check himself back into a rehab clinic so that he can try to continue the hitherto excellent attempts he had made to break free of heroin," his record label, EMI, said in a statement, according to AP. The announcement was made after a video of Doherty recently injecting himself with heroin surfaced online. According to EMI, Doherty considers the incident "a stupid, stupid action for which I feel only shame." ...

Cowboy Junkies go to church: The Canadian alt-rockers recently returned to the Church of the Holy Trinity in Toronto, where they recorded 1988's The Trinity Session, to commemorate the album, which many consider to be their most important work. Ryan Adams, Vic Chestnutt, Jeff Bird and Natalie Merchant joined the Junkies for The Trinity Revisited, a reworking of the album that is coming out in the form of a DVD/CD set on February 26, in time for the original effort's 20th anniversary. ...

Actors have been showing their support for the writers' strike in recent days, but former Disney chief Michael Eisner has a much different take on the protest: In a word, it's "stupid," he says. "I've seen stupid strikes, I've seen less stupid strikes. ... This is a stupid strike," he reportedly remarked during a panel discussion at a conference in New York on Wednesday, Reuters reports. "It's a waste of their time," he added. "[The studios] have nothing to give. They don't know what to give." ...

Politically inclined music fans are probably familiar with HeadCount, the voter-registration that teamed with the Dave Matthews Band, the Allman Brothers Band and other artists to register 50,000 people for the 2004 election. Well, the volunteer-run group is coming back for next year's races — and has an even loftier goal in mind: to register 200,000 new voters. HeadCount — which more recently became aligned with O.A.R. as well — is seeking volunteers to join its street teams, which will register people at future concerts. Go to HeadCount.org for more info. ...

Country Music Hall of Fame inductee Hank Thompson died of lung cancer on Tuesday, days after he canceled his tour, AP reports. October 8 — which turned out to be the day of his last show — had been declared "Hank Thompson Day" by Texas Governor Rick Perry and Waco Mayor Virginia DuPuy. Thompson was 82.

• T.I.
• Britney Spears
• Kanye West
• Jay-Z
• Chris Brown

Jessica Simpson (file)
Photo: MJ Kim/ Getty Images

Jessica Simpson gets physical in the new issue of InStyle, breaking out her trainer's plan to "get your best body now!" But she turns inward as well, telling the magazine for its November issue — which hits racks Friday (check out the full cover here) — that, "I was the princess in the fairy tale — then reality came crashing in, and I learned that isn't always how life works." She insisted that "I am in complete control of my life" after going through her divorce with Nick Lachey and, while she didn't call out ex-boyfriend John Mayer by name, she did reveal, "I've had my heart broken since my divorce. That's OK. I believe you fall in love more than once and get your heart broken more than once. Trust me, I have cried myself to sleep." ...

Kanye West isn't exactly the kind of guy who needs an ego boost, but Jennifer Lopez and Pharrell puffed him up a bit anyway in recent interviews with MTV Europe. J. Lo says she finds West "to be a very smart businessman" and that his album faceoff with 50 Cent was "clever." "I think it's fun for publicity. ... It was really about a healthy competition between two amazing artists," said the singer — whose new album, Brave, unfortunately hasn't been faring too well in record stores. Pharrell is cheering West's Graduation — when asked if he's happy for West's success, the super-producer replied, "Absolutely. That album is a classic: flawless production; lyrically, he absolutely, absolutely took himself to another level. ... He is in the clouds with that album." ...

While he was at it, Pharrell also championed an entirely different musical act — Swedish garage-rockers the Hives, who he teamed with for their November 13 release, The Black and White Album. "Those are my guys," he said. "[They're] fun, they're smart, they have a great image, they love music." Pharrell, who knows a thing or two about turning the knobs, said he actually picked up a few tips from Hives frontman Pelle Almqvist. "Forget about it. He knows everything. I'm in the studio learning things from him." ...

While 50 may still be stinging from the aforementioned chart battle, he's reportedly moving on to something else — a new G-Unit project. The group has pegged December 18 as the release date for their sophomore effort, Shoot to Kill, and Funkmaster Flex will premiere the first single, "Wanna Lick" (featuring Lil' Kim), Friday on Hot 97, according to XXL magazine. "Cancel Christmas, it's over," 50 told the mag in regards to the much-anticipated release. ...

Sorry, Mariah fans — looks like her new album isn't coming out this year after all. While her record label confirmed that her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi would be dropping December 4, a label representative now says Carey is still recording and the date has not been solidified. ... Wyclef Jean helped rake in almost $250,000 as part of a charity-poker event he co-hosted Tuesday at the Vail ski resort in Colorado. Jean performed a handful of tunes as well, including renditions of two traditional songs, "La Bamba" (Mexico) and "Guantanamera" (Cuba). Thrice, Joey Fatone, Boyz II Men and others attended the Vail Hold'Em Poker Event for Your Cause, which involved celebrities competing to win money for their charities of choice. ...

Alicia Keys, KT Tunstall, Earth, Wind & Fire, Annie Lennox, Juanes, Junoon and Melissa Etheridge will perform at the 2007 Nobel Peace Prize Concert slated for December 11 in Norway. Al Gore picked Etheridge for the event, which will serve as a salute to him and the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change for their efforts to raise awareness about climate change. Gore and the panel won the Nobel Peace Prize last week. ... Speaking of Lennox, she got an unusual scare at her Tuesday concert in Boulder, Colorado, when a man wearing a gas mask and a cape turned up in the crowd toward the end of her show, according to "Access Hollywood." The singer reportedly dropped the mic and booked it backstage without addressing the crowd, though she returned to the stage after the man was removed. "That was really freakish and disturbing, whatever the hell it was. He owes me and my band a f---ing apology," Lennox lashed out on her blog. The man's name hasn't been released, since he has not been charged with a crime, and it's unclear if he will be, as he didn't actually get onstage. ...

Are Rihanna and Josh Hartnett an item? One would be led to think so after seeing the "30 Days of Night" actor's Thursday appearance on "The Morning Show With Mike and Juliet." When the hosts asked him to address rumors that he's dating Rih Rih, he started smiling and stuttering heavily. "No, no, come on, you guys," he said. "We weren't supposed to talk about these sort of things, were we? I thought we were going to come out here and talk about the movie. ... I can't really respond to things like that, because if I start responding to them, then everybody wants a response on everything." ... Francis Ford Coppola unleashed: The director is ripping into two of his "Godfather" actors, Robert De Niro and Al Pacino, as well as Jack Nicholson, telling GQ that the Oscar-winners have become too apathetic. "They all live off the fat of the land," the esteemed director said, adding that he doesn't know "what any of them want anymore." The interview is featured in GQ's November issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. ...

Radiohead will be chasing Rainbows — well, technically, their new album, In Rainbows — with an international tour next year, Billboard.com reports. The band is reportedly planning to hit the tarmac in May and continue playing sizeable venues through the end of the year. The trek would be unusual given that frontman Thom Yorke has voiced his distaste for international touring in the past, and the band played only select shows in the U.S. and Europe in summer 2006. ... Bruce Springsteen continued to speak out about his political beliefs at his Thursday night show at New York's Madison Square Garden, sounding off about wiretapping and infringements on the Bill of Rights. He also made an elliptical reference before performing the title track to his new Magic LP, saying the song was "not about magic but about tricks." Bono, Jon Stewart, James Gandolfini and R.E.M.'s Mike Mills were in attendance, RollingStone.com reports. ...

Josh Homme says Queens of the Stone Age could "blow through a whole record quick" with their new roster, according to Billboard.com. "Queens sounds better than it ever has live, but we're trying to figure out how to tour and how to [write and record], 'cause I think for everyone right now, the idea of creating something is even more enticing than going on the road," he told the site. In addition to Homme, the QOTSA lineup includes multi-instrumentalist Troy Van Leeuwen and drummer Joey Castillo, who joined the entourage in 2002, and two musicians who hooked up with the band earlier this year — keyboardist Dean Fertita, who has also toured with the Raconteurs, and Wires on Fire bassist Michael Shuman. ...

Johnny Marr, former guitarist for the Smiths and current axeman for Modest Mouse, has a new handle: professor of music. Manchester, England's University of Salford has given Marr the honorary title and tapped him to host workshops on music composition and performance, according to U.K. newspaper The Guardian. ... If you thought the Led Zeppelin roller coaster being constructed for the Hard Rock Park was out there, wait till you hear what else is in store: a mock Mount Rushmore sculpture called "Mount Rockmore" and featuring the likenesses of Jimi Hendrix, John Lennon, Bob Marley and Elvis Presley. The 50-acre park — located in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina — is set to open in the spring. ...

John Goodman left the Promises Malibu Alcohol and Drug Rehab Treatment Facility in Southern California — the rehab center where Britney Spears and Lindsay Lohan also stayed — after being treated there for an undisclosed reason and undisclosed period of time, The Associated Press reports. The actor "took the necessary steps to remain sober the rest of his life," according to a statement issued by his publicist, Stan Rosenfield. Goodman earned an Emmy Award this year for his part in "Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip." ...

Joey Bishop, a comedian who was a member of Frank Sinatra's famed Rat Pack, died Wednesday night in Newport Beach, California, of multiple causes, AP reports. The actor, who appeared in the original "Ocean's Eleven" movie, was 89. ... AP also reports that Deborah Kerr, an actress who appeared in "The King and I" and "From Here to Eternity," died Tuesday in England after battling Parkinson's disease. She was 86.

10.17.07

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.

• Jessica Simpson
• Jennifer Lopez
• Pharrell Williams
• Kanye West
• The Hives

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

Beyonce in "Irreplaceable"
Photo: Columbia

Beyoncé's planned concert in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, has been canned amid protests by local Muslim groups, Billboard reports. The groups are reportedly upset that the singer has refused to obey the country's strict dress code for performers, although the November 1 concert's promoter, Pineapple Concert, did not give a reason for the cancellation in a statement issued Friday (September 28). Female performers are not allowed to show skin from the tops of their chests to their knees. In August, Gwen Stefani's concert in the country was also preceded by protests for the same reason — but she reluctantly abided by the guidelines, saying in a press conference before the show that she had made a "major sacrifice." ...

Ludacris, Yung Joc, Angels & Airwaves, Fabolous, Keyshia Cole, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus and Busta Rhymes will hit the stage October 6 at Radio City Music Hall in New York for the Boost Mobile RockCorps volunteer show, to be hosted by Nick Cannon. The concert will act as a reward to 5,000 Big Apple volunteers who have carried out at least four hours of service in their community. Earlier in the day, Luda, along with pro skateboarder Terry Kennedy and snowboarder Keir Dillon, will join 100 NYC volunteers to revitalize Manhattan's DeWitt Clinton Park. ...

R. Kelly's child-pornography trial, which was to have started September 17 in Chicago, doesn't have a new start date in sight. In a status hearing on Friday, the only thing that was determined, according to the state's attorney's office, is the next status hearing date, for November 2. ... Owen Wilson is "doing really well," Ben Stiller told Ellen DeGeneres on her talk show on Friday. "I sort of like to protect his privacy, 'cause I feel like it's his own thing. But he's a really good friend of mine. He's an incredible guy, and I wish him as everybody does, all the best." The two actors were due to begin shooting "Tropic Thunder" this month, but Wilson dropped out of the flick following a suicide attempt in late August. His role has since been filled by Matthew McConaughey. ...

Nicole Richie has enrolled in an alcohol-education program that will last 18 months, according to People. The socialite, who was arrested for driving under the influence in December, reportedly signed up for the SB 38 Alcohol Program on Wednesday. The program involves 52 hours of group counseling; in-person, biweekly interviews; and 12 hours of alcohol education. ... Richie probably won't be too happy to hear about Think Skateboards' fall line of decks. The line's "Jailbaits" series feature her mug shot — and Lindsay's and Paris' — with a thought bubble hovering over each of their heads: Inside the bubble is the phrase, "If only I could Think." ... Joey Fatone, no stranger to Britney Spears, has some words of advice for the troubled singer. "Britney, call me, come over to my house, come to Orlando [Florida], get way from it all ... it's a good thing to get out of L.A.," he recently told "Extra," adding that Spears needs "some time to really heal." Fatone admitted he hasn't seen her in a while, but all the same, he said, "I'm here for you, sweetheart." ...

With Jamie Foxx's "The Kingdom," a flick about a series of terrorist bombings in the Mideast, hitting theaters this weekend, it seems it was only a matter of time before the outspoken actor piped up with his views about U.S. intervention abroad. While promoting the film, he told MSNBC that he doesn't see an end in sight to the Iraq war — and that President Bush's big problem is that he lacks "charisma." "It's not the way America has handled the war, it's the way George Bush has handled it," the actor said. "I think George Bush and the guys that are there just don't have the charisma to pull off the things that they're trying to do. I can understand if you want to go to war, but how do you go to war? They go to war in a high-risk, high-return or high-risk, no-return ... situation. You'll be in Iraq for another 30 years. You can't get out." Foxx added that he's supporting presidential candidate Senator Barack Obama, but that he'll support whoever wins the Democratic nomination. ...

Uncle Kracker (real name: Matthew Shafer) was given a 60-day suspended sentence, 12 months of probation and a $1,500 fine after pleading guilty to an assault charge in a Wake County, North Carolina, court on Friday, local TV station NBC17 reports. He must also complete a substance-abuse assessment as part of the plea deal. Kracker was arrested in August on a second-degree forcible-sex-offense charge after an alleged incident at a downtown Raleigh nightclub called the Ess Lounge. He wound up facing a lesser charge in light of the plea deal. ... Kiefer Sutherland was formally charged with two misdemeanor drunk-driving counts on Friday in Los Angeles. The actor, who is on probation for a drunk-driving charge in 2004, could face up to a year and a half in jail. Sutherland was arrested Tuesday morning in Hollywood after police pulled him over for making an illegal U-turn. ...

U2's Bono accepted the Liberty Medal for his humanitarian work in Africa on Thursday night in Philadelphia, according to The Associated Press. Bono urged Americans to work toward solving the world's problems and spoke of those who are without freedom. "When you are trapped by poverty, you are not free," he said. "When trade laws prevent you from selling the food you grew, you are not free. When you are a monk in Burma this very week, barred from entering a temple because of your gospel of peace ... well, then none of us are truly free." Bono was presented with the award by last year's co-recipient, President George H.W. Bush, at the National Constitution Center. The award carries a $100,000 prize, which the rocker plans to donate to humanitarian organizations. ...

A new Radiohead Web site has popped up hinting that they might be planning a big announcement this weekend. Radioheadlp7.com is displaying a countdown clock, set to expire Saturday morning. Given that the lads have been leaving several coded messages on their Web site regarding their forthcoming seventh set, which they recently finished, some are speculating the new site will spill all of the beans on the outing. Only time will tell. ... Cat Power is blanketing her fans with cover songs again. The indie starlet has lumped together a sequel to her noted 2000 collection, The Covers Record, according to Billboard. The track list has yet to be revealed for Covers II which is due January 22. ...

Ryan Adams reportedly threw another in-concert tantrum, this time at a show Thursday night in Minneapolis, according to AP. The singer/guitarist was reportedly complaining throughout the evening about the sound monitors, at one point moving two of them and other equipment. About an hour and 10 minutes into the show, Adams said he'd be playing his last song and didn't come back for an encore, spurring concertgoers to boo. Four years ago, Adams gave an even more tumultuous performance, during which he also complained about the sound, at the city's First Avenue venue. ...

Evanescence have tapped Australian rockers Sick Puppies as the support act for their upcoming tour, which is scheduled to launch October 23 in Miami and run through December 4 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. ... The reunited Sex Pistols have booked an invite-only gig in Hollywood. The band will take the stage at the Roxy Theatre on October 25 for a show that's being co-sponsored by Indie.103.1, the radio station Steve Jones DJs for, and "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock," which includes a newly re-recorded version of the Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." ...

Remember EMF? Well, as "Unbelievable" — or "crumbelievable" (so goes the Kraft commercial knockoff of the band's song) — as it may sound, the band will reunite for a London gig set for December 18. It will be the first time in five years the boys have performed together in a public forum. The band announced on its Web site that Pop Will Eat Itself's Richard March will take over on bass for original member Zac Foley, who died in 2002 from a drug overdose. ...

According to former Offenders drummer Pat Doyle, his former bandmate, bassist Mikey Donaldson, died in his sleep on Saturday in Barcelona, Spain. He was 46. An official cause of death has yet to be determined. "Mikey is universally regarded as one of the most innovative and inimitable masters of the bass guitar," Doyle said. "He played his Rickenbacker like it was an outsized rhythm guitar. Mikey pioneered an aggressive speed-picking style and liberal employment of bass chords that few have been able to emulate in the past 20 years. He will be sorely missed."

09.27.07

Word to Mike Seaver and Boner: Mary J. Blige has some Growing Pains of her own. The singer has settled on that as the title for her new album — and has bumped its release by a week, from November 20 to November 27. The first single is called "Just Fine" and will be released to radio on Thursday (September 27). The track was produced by Jazze Pha and Tricky Stewart (Britney Spears, Mya), and is an uptempo party record with a dance/disco sound. On the track, Mary expresses the joy of having high self-esteem. "No time for moping around/ Are you kidding?" she sings. "And no time for negative vibes, 'cause I'm winning ... Got my head on straight, got my vibe right, ain't gonna let you kill it/ See, I wouldn't change, my life's just fine." ...

Is Kanye West the next MLK, Gandhi or Jesus? His mother, Donda West, didn't shy away from such comparisons in a recent interview with the Baltimore Sun — she was in town to promote her recent book, "Raising Kanye." "Kanye keeps it real," she said. "He touches the people. You never know how words can save a person's life, physically or otherwise. People like Martin Luther King or Mahatma Gandhi or, in my view, Barack Obama, or Jesus Christ — people whose job it is to tell the truth — I see that in Kanye. Now, people like you are gonna go, 'Oh, Kanye's mom said he's like Jesus!' but ... when you have a gift, you didn't get it by yourself. ... Your truth is your truth." ...

Amy Winehouse isn't one to hold back either — the troubled U.K. starlet has named her new DVD "I Told You I Was Trouble," according to Uncut magazine. Packed onto the disc is a documentary, a full concert she played in April at London's Shepherds Bush Empire, her "Rehab" performance from the Brit Awards, an early acoustic version of "There Is No Greater Love" and more. "I Told You I Was Trouble" will drop November 13, her publicist confirmed to MTV News. ...

Paul Wall's next album is going to have more of a rock edge, now that Travis Barker is producing it. "Paul usually stays around the same element," Barker told MTV News in Las Vegas while he was in town for the VMAs. "Most of the Houston stuff is slow and real feel-good. This has faster tempos. Still feel-good, but it'll be different for Paul." ... Before he took his wild imagination to the big screen with "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," French director Michel Gondry was best known for his frequent collaborations with Björk, perhaps most memorably on the video for her song "Human Behaviour." Now the two are at it again. Gondry revealed to MTV News that a month from now, he will be directing the music video for "Declare Independence," from the Icelandic singer's latest album, Volta. ... Dave Grohl is getting axed — Gibson Guitar has come up with a new specialized model, the DG-335, for the Foo Fighters frontman. The instrument — which has a rare Pelham blue finish and looks like Grohl's signature guitar — will be available October 4. The price tag for the blue model is $4,468, while the ebony version is a bit cheaper at $3,880. ...

Evan Rachel Wood apparently isn't too afraid of boyfriend Marilyn Manson's fans. "I do feel [some of] his fans like me," she told People for its new issue, which streets Friday. But the actress revealed that she was a little more nervous about Manson seeing her sing onscreen in the new flick "Across the Universe." "I was shy because I didn't want to scare him off," she said. "I'm a singer too! Listen to me! But he's been really supportive, it's great. He's encouraged me about my singing more than anybody." The shock-rocker wasn't the only one who inspired Wood to sing, however — she also name-dropped David Bowie and let it be known that she has a tattoo of his Aladdin Sane lightning bolt. She also has matching tattoos with Manson. "We both got black hearts," she said. "It represents mad love." ...

The Smashing Pumpkins have issued a statement regarding the death of a man at their concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, Monday night, in what police believe was a crowd-surfing accident. "The Smashing Pumpkins were deeply saddened to learn about the passing of a young man who attended their Vancouver show Monday night," read the statement, which was posted on their Web site. "As they and everyone else await news from the investigation into the nature of his passing, the band wants to express their sincerest condolences to his family and friends." ... Vivica A. Fox pleaded not guilty to two misdemeanor counts of drunk driving on Thursday, The Associated Press reports. The actress, who was arrested after being caught speeding in March, could face up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if convicted. ...

Paris in Rwanda: Hilton is making good on her promise to engage in philanthropic efforts by traveling to the impoverished African country, according to "Access Hollywood." The heiress will travel with a member of Playing for Good, a group that connects celebrities with charity organizations, and she is expected to make a financial contribution as well. According to TMZ.com, Hilton will go to Rwanda in November after she finishes filming her horror rock opera "Repo! The Genetic Opera." ... Will Ferrell's charity auction has been won by a Dallas man, and his 10-year-old son will get the chance to play an extra in Ferrell's upcoming "Step Brothers" flick, People reports. The man, who has chosen to remain anonymous, put in a winning bid of $47,000, which will go to the Cancer for College foundation run by Ferrell's friend Craig Pollard. ...

Looks like it's almost Tool time again: The indefatigable heavy-rock band is putting together yet another stretch of dates in support of 10,000 Days, which came out way back in May 2006. Dates have yet to be confirmed, but according to Tool's site, they're stirring up a stretch across the West Coast that will begin in mid-November and last until Christmas. ... Lollapalooza founder Perry Farrell recently told MTV News' Tim Kash that he wants to see the fest travel across the world "before I die," but while those plans haven't come about yet, the dates are in place for next year's annual Chicago installment. Lolla will go down August 1-3, once again at Grant Park. ...

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Magic isn't happening until Tuesday, but they snuck out a vinyl version of the release on Wednesday that will allow it to be considered for the Grammys, according to the Los Angeles Times. ... The Wu-Tang Clan's Killah Priest has been added to several dates on Bury Your Dead's upcoming headlining run. Look for him to take the stage in Richmond, Virginia (October 17); Wilmington, North Carolina (October 18); Jacksonville, Florida (October 19); and Tampa, Florida (October 20). ... Bad news for fans of hardcore hip-hoppers Twiztid: The band's upcoming Toxic Terror Tour, featuring openers Mower, has been nixed following a recent car accident involving Twiztid's Monoxide. He suffered a torn ACL muscle in his knee, which will require he stays off it for the next month or so. ...

While System of a Down's members go off and do their own things — what with the band on hiatus — drummer John Dolmayan has firmed up plans for his new comic book site, TorpedoComics.com. The Internet retail shop goes live November 1 and will boast some 15 million items, including comics, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other related memorabilia. Dolmayan has also teamed with guitarist Daron Malakian for a new project, Scars on Broadway. ... Former Mötley Crüe drummer Tommy Lee, former Anthrax frontman Joey Belladonna, ex-Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson and Sevendust singer Lajon Witherspoon are among the celebrities who'll appear at the Morgan Rose Celebrity Golf Classic, scheduled for November 15-16 at the Heritage Golf Club in Tucker, Georgia. Proceeds from the event will help support the Atlanta Children's Shelter. ...

Mudvayne will release their latest LP, By the People, for the People, on November 27. The disc will boast several live recordings, rarities, demos and two new studio tracks, "Dull Boy" and a cover of the Police's "King of Pain." The album will be entirely fan-generated; the band is asking its fans to participate in creating the album's contents. Fans can visit the band's Web site and MySpace pageMySpace page to help pick the track list, submit fan-generated album artwork and participate in creating the video for "Dull Boy," the first single. ...

Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," which has been shown in some college and high school classrooms, got blowback earlier this year when a Washington school put a moratorium on the global-warming movie. Now a British school governor is taking an even stronger measure by suing the British government for distributing the movie to more than 3,500 secondary schools, according to AP. Paul Downes, a lawyer for Stewart Dimmock, said, "Given the serious inaccuracies in the film and the misrepresentations it contains, the film is irredeemable." The lawyer added that even though the movie has already been shown to some students, the High Court could still rule that the government had acted unlawfully and cease distributing it. ...

There's no stopping the Martin Scorsese rock-doc train. The esteemed director, who has directed films about the Rolling Stones, the Band and Bob Dylan in the past, will focus his lens next on the life of George Harrison, according to Variety. Scorsese will produce the yet-untitled picture with Harrison's widow, Olivia, and the late guitarist's former Beatles bandmates Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr will also participate. The flick will revolve around Harrison's time in the Beatles and his later years, and also touch on his involvement with Eastern spirituality as well. In related news, McCartney and Starr are participating in Liverpool, England's European Capital of Culture celebration. Macca will perform at the Anfield soccer stadium on June 1. Starr will return to the city — where the Beatles hailed from — for a ceremony at St. George's Hall on January 11, and he will also appear at the Echo Arena on January 12.

• R. Kelly's Unstoppable Career

• Beyoncé
• R. Kelly
• Britney Spears
• Evanescence
• Radiohead

Good Charlotte
Photo: Epic

Good Charlotte will help Justin Timberlake spread the "Summer Love" when they open for him on the second U.S. leg of his FutureSex/LoveShow, which launches August 6 in JT's Memphis hometown. In other JT news, his "LoveStoned/ I Think She Knows" video, directed by Robert Hales (Gnarls Barkley, Panic Channel), premieres on Yahoo! Music at 12:01 a.m. Wednesday. Also, according to The Associated Press, Timberlake and former girlfriend/ "Shrek the Third" co-star Cameron Diaz embraced before walking the green carpet at the London premiere of the flick on Monday. "We're friends," Diaz said. "It's good to see him." ...

Everyone knows where Paris Hilton is right now, but questions are still lingering over Sheriff Lee Baca's controversial "reassignment" of the heiress to house arrest before a judge forced her to return to jail. According to a Tuesday (June 12) report in the Los Angeles Times, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors is expected to request that Baca prepare a report to determine whether she was given special treatment. The board's review will focus on Hilton's medical condition and whether she could have been treated at the Lynwood jail she was originally sent to. Baca, who has one week to prepare his report, did not detail Hilton's condition last week, but according to a report on TMZ.com, the heiress takes Adderall for her "extreme" attention-deficit disorder and she is also claustrophobic. Hilton, who is now serving her sentence in the Twin Towers Correctional Facility's medical ward, may not have been receiving all of her medication while in jail, which led to severe panic attacks, according to TMZ. Paparazzi swarmed the Twin Towers facility Tuesday to cover visitation day, when the heiress was permitted to spend free time with her parents, Rick and Kathy. ...

Mary J. Blige tells Hamptons Magazine that recording the follow-up to her Grammy-winning The Breakthrough has taught her the benefits of taking her time in the studio. "It's like the difference between a rotisserie meal and a microwave dinner," she explained. "It takes hours to get right, but it's going to be really good and you won't forget it. I'm a nice rotisserie — caramel-colored and well-seasoned." Blige also confessed a secret desire to design her own fashion line. "I want to show people that I care about consumers and how they'll look in my [line of clothes], not just my name being on the brand," she said. "I love to see people in nice clothing, especially women. You look beautiful and feel confident when you have on the right stuff." ...

Ch-check it out: Beastie Boys have lined up seven August shows to support their June 26 release, The Mix-Up: Philadelphia (August 1); Boston (August 6); NYC (August 8); Brooklyn, New York (August 9); Denver (August 16); Santa Barbara, California (August 23); and Berkeley, California (August 25). While the group's new LP is all-instrumental, fans can expect them to pull out some classics at the aforementioned gigs. ... Korn are set to shoot the video for "Evolution," the first single off of their forthcoming untitled album, on Friday in Los Angeles. The band will be touring Europe at the time of the shoot, which has led to speculation that the Korn crew won't be making an appearance in the clip. The video will be directed by Dave Meyers, who previously worked with the band on their "Twisted Transistor" video. According to the video's casting call, the clip will be "filled with political satire and humor." The producers are seeking mostly male actors to play characters such as "hero scientists, religious politicians, doctors, Greenpeace guys, anthropologists, military men and 'government types.' " ...

Lindsay Lohan is being sued for crashing into a parked van in Beverly Hills, California, in October 2005, according to TMZ.com. Grandeur, Inc. — owner of the van — filed suit in mid-May in Beverly Hills Small Claims Court for $3,624.84. The case is pending. ... DNA evidence is now the focus in testimony in the Phil Spector trial, according to AP. On Monday, Sheriff's criminalist Steve Renteria testified in the trial — which is now in its seventh week — that while the music producer's DNA was not detected on the weapon that killed Lana Clarkson, the DNA may have been hidden under the large amount of the actress' blood on the gun. Renteria also said the many items analyzed by the crime lab only showed Clarkson's DNA. Spector's defense is expected to argue that the missing Spector DNA means he didn't pull the trigger. ...

Winners of the Fulbright-mtvU Fellowships were announced Tuesday. The fellowships, which offer students the opportunity to conduct research around international music culture for one academic year, were awarded to Larnies Bowen of New York University, Phally Chroy of Temple University, James Collins of Harvard University and Aaron Shneyer of Georgetown University. Common, Perry Farrell, Fiona Apple and the Shins' James Mercer reviewed and nominated candidates, with final selections made by Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board. The search for the next Fulbright-mtvU Fellows is already on. Applications will be accepted through October 19. For more information, visit the Fulbright site. ...

Ignoring a smoking ban could come back to bite Velvet Revolver's Slash and Scott Weiland in the butt. The two rockers may face fines for allegedly smoking onstage during the band's Thursday set at the Cardiff International Arena in Cardiff, Wales, according to a report on local news site icWales.co.uk. Slash and Weiland reportedly violated a law, enacted in April, against lighting up in any enclosed space. The Cardiff city council said they hadn't received any formal complaints but are investigating the matter. ...

A ballet inspired by the music of Radiohead will be performed in Scotland August 18-20 as part of the Edinburgh International Festival. The Scottish Ballet production "Ride the Beast," choreographed by Stephen Petronio, features reworkings of five Radiohead tracks — "Fitter Happier," "Creep," "Hunting Bears," "Idioteque" and "National Anthem." "Radiohead's music is a brilliant investigation of achingly modern taste," Petronio said in a Scottish Ballet press release. "They sail through genre and form effortlessly and passionately, and their music demands a physical response from me that bypasses reason." ...

Wendy and Lisa, the psych-funk duo who used to be part of Prince's Revolution, are collaborating with the artist for his July 24 release, Planet Earth. His Purpleness is back on Columbia Records' roster, the label announced Monday, and will issue his new LP — featuring the lead single, "Guitar" — through the label. Tickets for the final six dates of his 21 Nights in London shows at O2 arena go on sale Friday. ... This year's Shortlist Music Prize went to Cat Power for The Greatest album, making singer Chan Marshall the first woman to win the prize. The sixth-annual award was chosen by a panel of nine guest judges, including Franz Ferdinand, Panic! at the Disco and Sufjan Stevens, along with members of Snow Patrol, the Killers and Flaming Lips. ...

Anjelique Kidjo and Joss Stone will shoot a video for their "Gimme Shelter" duet Thursday in New York. The song appears on Kidjo's recent Djin Djin CD. ... Former "You Hear It First" picks Plain White T's and Secondhand Serenade will co-headline mtvU's Summer Concert Series at Six Flags. The bands will hit up Six Flags parks in Agawam, Massachusetts (July 27); Jackson, New Jersey (July 29); St. Louis (August 3); Austell, Georgia (August 10); and Gurnee, Illinois (August 17). ... The Academy Is ... have cobbled together dates for their Sleeping With Giants Tour, which will also feature Armor for Sleep, Sherwood and the Rocket Summer. The pop-punk trek gets poppin' September 5 in Milwaukee and comes to a close in Chicago on November 28. ...

Do you happen to be a fan of OK Go and Electric Light Orchestra? Check out the animated rockers covering the veteran prog band's "Don't Bring Me Down" on the former's Live From SoHo EP, available exclusively on iTunes. The five-song set — which also features "Here It Goes Again" and "Do What You Want" — captures OK Go's recent session at the SoHo Apple store in NYC. ... José González has rolled out a raft of shows to promote his upcoming second album, In Our Nature, due September 25. The brooding singer/songwriter will play a preview show August 21 in New York and kick off the tour in proper form with three more NYC gigs September 27-29. The trek wraps October 13 in Minneapolis. ...

The debut album by Blaqk Audio, the electronic side project featuring AFI members Davey Havok and Jade Puget, will land in stores August 7. Called CexCells, the set features a dozen cuts — including "Between Breaths (An XX Perspective)," "Where Would You Like Them Left?" and "Wake Up, Open the Door, and Escape to the Sea" — and was produced by Dave Bascombe (Depeche Mode, Tears for Fears). ... Former "You Hear It First" rockers Far-Less will issue their next LP, A Toast to Bad Taste, October 23. ...

Happy Mondays have been forced to cancel a pair of New York gigs set for Wednesday and Thursday, due to "temporary visa issues," according to a press release. The band, which recently completed their first album in 15 years, is "gutted" at having to miss the performances. It's the second time this year that the Mondays have had to deal with visa issues. The band's iconic dancer/percussionist Bez had to sit out the band's set at the Coachella fest in Indio, California, two months ago. ... Farm Aid is going to the city this year. The event, launched in 1985 to help raise money to support family farms, will play New York's Randall's Island on September 9 under the banner Farm Aid 2007: A Homegrown Festival, according to its official Web site. So far, only board members Willie Nelson, Dave Matthews, Neil Young and John Mellencamp have been announced as performers for the first-ever Big Apple Farm Aid date, though more acts will be added soon.

06.11.2007

Ryan Seacrest is blaming Simon Cowell for this year's slight "American Idol" ratings decrease, according to a Seacrest interview in Canada's Globe and Mail. "Well, the knee-jerk reaction would be Simon," he said when asked why the ratings slipped. "Clearly there's an oversaturation of his character." He added: "It's still 30 million-plus [U.S.] viewers ... which we're very happy with." Seacrest dismissed as rumor the notion that some "Idol" judges would be replaced. ...

Hundreds of fans — and Michigan Governor Jennifer Granholm to boot — turned up to greet "American Idol" finalist LaKisha Jones and watch her perform two songs at the state Capitol on Monday (June 11), The Associated Press reports. Jones is on a homecoming trip through the state before starting to prep for the American Idols Live Tour. The singer, who performed "And I Am Telling You I'm Not Going" and "God Bless the Child," told reporters, "My life is at a complete 360. God has really blessed me tremendously." ...

Ready to Rock? Dates for the Rock the Bells tour — featuring Nas, Wu-Tang Clan, David Banner and more — have been finalized. In addition to four previously announced shows featuring Rage Against the Machine, there will be additional gigs without them in Mansfield, Massachusetts (July 26); Atlanta (August 2); Charlotte, North Carolina (August 3); Miami (August 4); Dallas (August 7); Houston (August 8); San Diego (August 12); Salt Lake City (August 21); Denver (August 22); Minneapolis (August 25); Chicago (August 26); Detroit (August 29); and Toronto (August 30). Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, Immortal Technique and Jedi Mind Tricks are also on the bill, while Cypress Hill and UGK will appear on select dates. ...

Timbaland was temporarily held in custody and spent an hour in a jail in Cologne, Germany, early Monday morning after putting an unidentified Croatian man in the hospital, according to The San Francisco Chronicle's "Daily Dish." The brawl, which took place Sunday night at the Intercontinental Hotel bar, reportedly began when Timbaland allegedly flirted with the girlfriend of the man, who then spouted a racial slur. The producer's entourage also joined in the fight, which left the man with rib injuries and multiple bruises. Timbaland was released after being held in custody and questioned. ...

Daddy Yankee was released from a Miami hospital Monday afternoon after suffering from a viral infection and dehydration, according to Dr. Javier Perez-Fernandez, who had been treating him. The reggaetón superstar — who has been promoting his recently released album, El Cartel: The Big Boss — checked into the hospital Friday with complaints of fatigue and missed his weekend appearances at New York's Puerto Rican Day Parade and El Spring Bling Blineo festival due to his hospitalization. Daddy Yankee has also canceled all his scheduled activities for the coming week, according to his publicist. "This is a sign from the boss [in reference to God]," Yankee said in a statement upon his release from the hospital. "The boss is telling me to take my time and set my priorities straight. Now I'm going home to rest for a bit." ...

A week after Marilyn Manson revealed that "Mutilation Is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery," one of the tracks on his latest LP, Eat Me, Drink Me, was directed at My Chemical Romance — Manson believes the band has ripped him off — MCR frontman Gerard Way responded to Manson's comments in the British magazine Rock Sound. "We still haven't found someone that has knocked us down that we need to take seriously. If Elvis Costello said we sucked, we would think about it a bit, but usually it is comments from someone with a new record to promote, so the remarks ring hollow." Manson had said in an interview with The London Paper that he was "embarrassed to be me because these people are doing a really sad, pitiful, shallow version of what I've done." ...

Common filmed a clip for "The People" in New York over the weekend with video director Neon. The Kanye West-produced track — which features crooner Dwele — is set to be the official lead single from Common's Finding Forever, due July 31. The street track "The Game" is currently receiving buzz play on both radio and TV. ... Big Tiggerheld his sixth Annual Celebrity Classic over the weekend in Atlanta. Ludacris, Lyfe Jennings, Lil' Mo, DJ Clue and more joined the syndicated radio host to take part in a variety of charity events, which included a basketball game, auction and all-white party. ...

Paris Hilton spoke to Barbara Walters from jail on Sunday and said in the telephone interview that she will no longer "act dumb," explaining that the "act is no longer cute," according to Walters' ABC News report. Hilton, who told the veteran reporter that she decided not to appeal her sentence because she "didn't want to cause any more problems," said spending time in jail has really changed her. "Now, I would like to make a difference," Hilton said. "God has given me this new chance." ...

Linkin Park, Smashing Pumpkins, Disturbed and H.I.M. will be among the artists featured on the July 3 soundtrack to the upcoming "Transformers" film. The disc will also include the "Transformers" theme recorded by Mute Math, as well as tracks from the Used, Taking Back Sunday and Idiot Pilot. ... Snoop Dogg collaborator and Gap Band frontman Charlie Wilson filed suit against EMI Music and Heineken Inc. alleging that the song "Beautiful" — a track from Snoop's 2002 album, Paid Tha Cost to Be Tha Boss, featuring Wilson and Pharrell — is used in a beer commercial without his permission, Reuters reports. In the suit, filed Friday in New York, Wilson also claims that EMI owes him hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits gained from "Beautiful" and another Paid Tha Cost track, "You Got What I Want," featuring Wilson and Ludacris. ...

Former Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro has responded to recent claims by ex-bandmate Perry Farrell that the group's most recent breakup was sparked by Navarro's decision to be a judge on the CBS reality series "Rock Star." According to a post on Navarro's 6767.com blog, "the timeline just doesn't make sense. I didn't even get a call about the idea of 'Rock Star' until [Navarro's new band] the Panic Channel was recording demos. It was four years ago, so I think it's about time to let it go." ... Al Gore says he met backstage with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at the Grammy Awards in February and convinced them to play Live Earth, according to AP. "I was pushing and pushing them that no matter how difficult it was, that it was important," said Gore, who was seen onstage whispering with the Chili Peppers when they accepted their prize for Best Rock Album. ...

The Bled, who are part of this summer's Projekt Revolution Tour with Linkin Park, My Chemical Romance, Taking Back Sunday and more, have finished recording their next LP, The Silent Treatment, produced by Brian McTernan (Hot Water Music, Snapcase). The album is due this fall. ... In related news, another Projekt Revolution act, H.I.M., have set September 18 as the release date for their next album, Venus Doom. Look for the LP to feature "Dead Lovers Lane," "The Kiss of Dawn," "Love in Cold Blood" and "Passion's Killing Floor." ...

Michael Moore's attorney claims discrimination was behind the launch of a federal investigation into the director's trip to Cuba for his "Sicko" documentary, which hits theaters June 29, AP reports. David Boies stated in a letter to the U.S. Treasury Department's Office of Foreign Assets Control that Moore's criticism of the Bush administration may have spurred the probe. The reply was made in response to a letter OFAC Chief of General Investigations and Field Operations Dale Thompson sent to Moore last month, notifying him that he was under investigation for possibly violating the U.S. trade embargo restricting travel to Cuba. In his reply, Boies also requests information regarding "the person or persons who participated in making the decision to send Mr. Thompson's letter," as well as additional information.

• Is Paris Hilton Really A Changed Woman?

• Justin Timberlake
• Good Charlotte
• Mary J. Blige
• Paris Hilton
• Korn

Beyoncé
Photo: Paul Hawthorne/Getty Images

Ben Stiller, Christine Taylor, Kelly Rowland and "TRL" 's Susie Castillo were among those who popped up on the pink carpet for Monday night's premiere of "The Pink Panther" in New York, along with the film's cast, Steve Martin, Jean Reno, Emily Mortimer and Beyoncé, who plays international pop star (and possible suspect) Xania. "The toughest thing about my part was not laughing," Beyoncé said, noting that her scenes only took three weeks to shoot. "I got to wear the most beautiful clothes and a 50-carat pink diamond ring, and I didn't have to do much research [to play a pop star]!" ...

(Check out photos of Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland, Ben Stiller and more at the "Pink Panther" premiere.)

Britney Spears has raised eyebrows yet again thanks to a photo taken by a paparazzo. On Monday, she was photographed with baby Sean Preston in her lap, not a car seat, while driving in Malibu, California. That's against the law in the Golden State, where children under 6 are required to be secured with a child-passenger restraint. Spears told People magazine that she didn't have time to properly secure her baby because she had a "horrifying, frightful encounter with the paparazzi," and was taking measures "to get my baby and me out of harm's way." "I love my child and would do anything to protect him," she said. The photo agency X17, meanwhile, claims that the pictures were taken in a "very peaceful context," with no aggressive behavior from the photographer. The Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department are investigating. ... Alicia Keys is a sexy assassin in her upcoming movie "Smokin' Aces," but she's the first to admit that she doesn't usually see herself as tough or sexy. "I grew up in an area that was pretty rough, so I had to compensate with how I dressed," she told CosmoGirl for its March issue (she's on the cover). "If I came across as too slutty or sexy or showed too much, it would cause lots of problems. That's why I called myself a tomboy ... I was always feminine, but I felt I had to protect myself." She's more comfortable with revealing her sensual side now, she tells the mag, as long as it's subtle. "Sexy to me now is when you leave something to the imagination. ... Sexy to me now is when you show a little bit of your back and that's it." ...

Now that "Laguna Beach" has washed away, Kristin Cavallari has a new show hitting the small screen, called "Get This Party Started." Cavallari's job as co-host is to help distract and deceive the intended recipients of surprise parties, most of whom have suffered a tragedy or hit a milestone in their life. "It's like 'Extreme Home Makeover,' " she said. "It really touches you, seeing the reaction these people have — they're so thankful and grateful. And all the crazy stuff we do for them, it's insane, but it's a lot of fun." The premiere episode, which airs Tuesday (February 7) at 9 p.m. on UPN, features a surprise party for an LSU college student who lost everything in Hurricane Katrina. ... Bono thinks that Brangelina should be taken more seriously, at least for their activist work. The U2 frontman told "Extra" that he works very closely with both Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt and said, "They're really serious people. They're really getting under the skin of their issues." One of Bono's current projects is lobbying President Bush to give more U.S. aid worldwide. "He seems very serious on this stuff," Bono told "Extra." "You know you can't fight the war against terror without fighting the war against poverty, because they feed each other." ...

Contrary to reports that Michael Jackson is in discussions with the Vatican to record music to Pope John Paul II's prayers, the singer's rep says that Jackson is "unaware" of the project. "Michael Jackson has not participated in any discussions, and none of his authorized representatives have contacted either the Vatican or Edizioni Musicali Terzo Millennio [an Italian music label] regarding this proposed project," his rep Raymone Bain said. ... Despite rumors that her marriage is on the rocks, Madonna's proud of herself for having a successful relationship with Guy Ritchie, she told Harper's Bazaar for the mag's March cover story. "I must admit, I have to pat myself on the back," she said. "It's not easy to be married, to have a successful career, to have children, to be with someone who is as strong-willed and as ambitious as I am ... our marriage — the union of us, the things we create together — is bigger than the petty fights we have." One of those petty fights is about where to spend their vacations — so now she's suggesting that they swap with a week each in their desired destinations. The art of compromise, she says, has made her a better person. "You become less impulsive, less reckless, less careless, less selfish," she said. "In those respects, I've changed a lot." ...

Madonna leads the nominees this year for MTV Australia's second Video Music Awards. The Material Mom's got five nods, including Best Female Artist and Album of the Year for Confessions on a Dance Floor. The video for "Hung Up" is a Video of the Year contender. Kanye West will square off against Madonna and James Blunt for the Song of the Year award, and he'll also be vying for the Best Hip-Hop Video prize against 50 Cent, Snoop Dogg and the Black Eyed Peas. West is also in the running for Best Male Artist, as are Blunt and Robbie Williams. The Foo Fighters, Gorillaz, Green Day, U2 and Wolfmother are all Best Group nominees, while the Foos, Green Day, the Darkness and Wolfmother are in the running for Best Rock Video. Meanwhile, Ashlee Simpson's "Boyfriend" and Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" could walk away with the Best Pop Video award, and Mariah Carey's "Shake It Off," Chris Brown's "Run It!," Mario's "Let Me Love You" and the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" are all potential Best R&B Video champs. ...

As expected, Great White's former tour manager Daniel Biechele pleaded guilty to 100 counts of involuntary manslaughter Tuesday (February 7), charges stemming from his alleged role in the deaths of 100 people who perished in the February 2003 blaze that consumed the Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island. Under the previously-announced plea deal, Biechele will serve no more than 10 years behind bars. He had been facing 200 counts; the other 100 will be dismissed. ... Police believe they may have solved the mystery of the disappearing paparazzo in a case tied to Oscar-nominated actress Reese Witherspoon. Cops have been searching for Todd K. Wallace for nearly two months, ever since he allegedly skipped bail after being charged with battery over his aggressive efforts to take pictures of Witherspoon and her children at Disney's California Adventure in September. According to the Los Angeles Times, authorities feared the photographer — known for using aliases — might have left the country. But on Monday, the Los Angeles County coroner's office began examining a decomposed body that was found inside an apartment Sunday evening that sources said could be Wallace's. Authorities said the body of the man they found at an address reportedly used by Wallace had been there for some time. ...

Cat Power's upcoming tour, which was set to kick off in Memphis, Tennessee, on Saturday, has been scratched. Frontwoman Chan Marshall has fallen ill, but her label isn't providing specific details about her condition, "out of respect for Chan's privacy." Ticket-refund information should be forthcoming, and the tour will be rescheduled. ... More bands have been added to this summer's Warped Tour lineup. Valient Thorr and the Riverboat Gamblers have been confirmed for the Volcom Stage on all of the tour's dates, and Gatsby's American Dream will be part of the SmartPunk Stage bill from July 16-30. ...

02.06.2006

Despite reports that Britney Spears' upcoming episode of "Will & Grace" has been canceled after protests from the American Family Association, an organization that, according to its Web site, "exists to motivate and equip citizens to change the culture to reflect Biblical truth," the show will still go on — just not as previously detailed. The description of Spears' character as a conservative Christian who wants to do a segment on cooking called "Cruci-fixins" on Jack's talk show was premature, NBC said Monday (February 6). "Some erroneous information was mistakenly included in a press release," the network clarified, stressing that the April 13 episode has yet to be written. ...

Mariah Carey says that the reason you'll hardly ever see her eating in public is that she likes to do that in bed instead. The singer tells Marie Claire (she's the mag's March cover) that she's not trying to be a "skinny twig," but she's "bad with the weight thing." "I go up and down really quickly, because I am a muscular person. People don't know that I have [well-defined biceps] and these could easily become weird bodybuilder arms," she said. People also don't know that she wears a bib when eating. "I am just like, 'Whatever, nobody is looking at me for once!' That's why I don't really like to eat in public. When people say, 'Mariah never eats in public,' I'm like, 'You're right.' " ... Sheryl Crow's engagement to seven-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong is off. The couple, who'd been dating for more than two years, announced their engagement last fall. "After much thought and consideration, we have made a very tough decision to split up," a statement from the couple reads. "We both have a deep love and respect for each other, and we ask that everyone respect our privacy during this difficult time." ...

Fall Out Boy are returning to "One Tree Hill" this month for sweeps. In an episode called "Just Watch the Fireworks," the band plays a breast-cancer benefit concert at Tric at the request of Peyton (played by former "TRL" VJ Hilarie Burton). The episode airs February 15 at 8 p.m. on the WB. ... A collaboration between Ghostface and Doom and two tracks from Xzibit's group Strong Arm Steady are among the highlights on a new compilation from Brooklyn, New York, indie hip-hop label Nature Sounds, due April 4. Titled Natural Selection, the album also features Raekwon, Chamillionaire, Ras Kass, Pete Rock and Masta Killa. ...

Switchfoot will return to the road for a late-winter club run starting on February 15 in Bakersfield, California. Only seven dates have been confirmed so far, and more are expected to be announced in the coming weeks. The band has planned stops in New Orleans; Orlando, Florida; Las Vegas; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Arizona; and Baltimore. ... New Jersey rockers Thursday are going with A City by the Light Divided as the title of their forthcoming album, which is scheduled for a May 2 release. The record's first single, "Counting 5-4-3-2-1," should hit rock radio airwaves next month. ... The NBA Wives Luncheon is honoring TLC singer Tionne "T-Boz" Watkins for her efforts as the national spokesperson of the Sickle Cell Disease Association of America, along with other philanthropists, at a ceremony on February 18 in Houston. ...

The Yeah Yeah Yeahs are giving fans a little treat to nibble on while they wait for the band's new album, Show Your Bones, due March 28. In addition to unveiling the colorful red, yellow and purple-tinged album art for the follow-up to 2003's Fever to Tell, the New York trio have posted a stream of their new single, "Gold Lion," on their Web site, a day before the track is set to hit the iTunes music store. Two remixes of the single, produced by rapper Diplo and their own guitarist Nick Zinner, are slated for release on February 21 on iTunes ... Moby told a crowd gathered at PETA's fashion-week bash in New York on Friday that he feels like he's a "dilettante," because while he does what he can for animal rights, the activist group does "all the heavy lifting." Moby was one of several feted for their work for the cause, in his case, for promoting vegan recipes during the holidays. Pam Anderson, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Alan Cumming, Le Tigre and Nick Zinner were among those congratulating Moby, as well as Nellie McKay and Al Sharpton, who were also honored for their help in PETA's campaigns. ...

Al Lewis, the man who'll forever be known as "Grandpa Munster," died Friday night at the age of 82, according to New York radio station WBAI-FM, where Lewis hosted a weekly radio show. Lewis, who worked as a circus performer before doing time as a vaudevillian actor, got his start in television during the 1960s, first as Officer Leo Schnauzer on "Car 54, Where Are You?" Between 1964 and 1966, he played Grandpa — the hot-tempered father-in-law to Fred Gwynne's Herman Munster — on "The Munsters." In 1998, Lewis staged a failed bid for the New York governorship — he was the Green Party's candidate, and lost to incumbent George Pataki. ... British prog-rockers Th' Faith Healers will reunite in March for five shows, the first time the influential band will have performed together in 10 years. The brief tour kicks off in Austin, Texas, on March 17. ...

• Beyonce Knowles, Kelly Rowland, Ben Stiller, More At "Pink Panther" Premiere

• Beyoncé
• Britney Spears
• Alicia Keys
• Madonna
• Michael Jackson

Radiohead's Thom Yorke
Photo: Getty Images

In previous years, the Bonnaroo Music and Arts Festival developed a reputation for being the most, um, granola-friendly summer concert out there (with a list of headliners that included Trey Anastasio, Dave Matthews, Widespread Panic and the Dead, it's not hard to see why). This year, however, it looks like all that will change.

That's because Radiohead have been confirmed as a headliner, joining an initial list of more than 50 acts that also includes Beck, Death Cab for Cutie, Bright Eyes, Damian Marley and Matisyahu. Bonnaroo 2006 will be held June 16-18 on a 700-acre farm in Manchester, Tennessee.

Radiohead — in their only confirmed U.S. summer festival appearance — will top the bill on one of the fest's three evenings, with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers penciled in as another headliner; the third, Phil Lesh and Friends (featuring the former Grateful Dead bassist), is more in line with the festival's traditional fanbase. Other acts scheduled to appear include Elvis Costello and the Impostors, My Morning Jacket, Cat Power, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah! and Bela Fleck and the Flecktones.

In 2005, organizers shook things up when they announced Modest Mouse as one of the headliners for Bonnaroo, which had traditionally played host to more jammy bands (see "Modest Mouse, Dave Matthews Band Top Bonnaroo 2005 Bill"). And though some longtime 'Roo supporters were ticked, more than 80,000 still showed up for the festival (see "Bonnaroo Kicks Out The Jams Thanks To Dave Matthews, John Mayer — And Bo Bice").

According to organizers, tickets will go on sale February 11 at 10 a.m. ET via Bonnaroo.com

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• Radiohead
• Beck
• Death Cab For Cutie
• Elvis Costello
• Bright Eyes

Franz Ferdinand's Alex Kapranos
Photo: John Stanton/Getty Images

As in years past, the lineup for this year's Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival features an eclectic mix of artists. Depeche Mode and Tool will serve as Coachella's co-headliners, and more than 80 acts will hit the stage during the 2006 installment of the two-day rock jubilee, which is set to take over Empire Polo Field in the small desert town of Indio, California on April 29 and 30. Tickets for the festival go on sale Saturday at noon (PST).

Depeche Mode, who will close the first night on the main stage, were officially named one of Coachella's headlining acts late last week. But back in December, frontman David Gahan let it slip backstage at KROQ-FM's Almost Acoustic Christmas that the band would be co-headlining the concert (see "Depeche Mode To Co-Headline 2006 Coachella Festival"). The act's presence on the roster preserves Coachella's ritual of booking 1980s icons and pioneers. The Cure, New Order, Bauhaus, Beastie Boys, Kraftwerk, Gang of Four, and a reunited Pixies have appeared on the bill in recent years.

Franz Ferdinand, Daft Punk, Sigur Rós, Common and Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley will also top the first evening's bill. Others scheduled to perform that day include the Eagles of Death Metal, My Morning Jacket, Atmosphere, Carl Cox, Cat Power, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, Ladytron, Tosca, Animal Collective, Devendra Banhart, She Wants Revenge, Lady Sovereign, Deerhoof, Editors, the Zutons, Colette, Imogen Heap, Wolf Mother, Living Things and You Hear It First artists Hard-Fi and the Like.

Tool's headlining set is scheduled to cap off the weekend as the finale to Sunday night's show. The band, which rocked the crowd during the inaugural Coachella back in 1999, has not performed live in the United States since 2002, when it toured with Mike Patton's Tomahawk. At present, the Maynard James Keenan-fronted group is mixing its forthcoming album — Tool's first since 2001's Lateralus. Photos taken during the recording of the LP, which were posted on guitarist Adam Jones' online blog, showed that Queens of the Stone Age's Josh Homme, Melvins guitarist King Buzzo and Isis frontman Aaron Turner had stopped into the studio during the sessions. It's not yet known whether the guests will appear on the album, which will arrive in stores in late April or early May.

Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bloc Party, DJ Paul Oakenfold and Scissor Sisters will warm up the Coachella crowd for Keenan's band. Others taking the stage on April 30 include Hasidic dancehall rapper Matisyahu, James Blunt, Sleater-Kinney, TV on the Radio, Mogwai, Coheed and Cambria, Gnarls Barkley (featuring Danger Mouse and Cee-Lo), Coldcut, Digable Planets, Little Louie Vega, Wolf Parade, the Go! Team, the Dears, the Magic Numbers, the Subways, and Minus the Bear.

Additional bands set to play the two-day festival will be announced Tuesday night (January 31).

For the past few weeks, Coachella's bill was rumored to include a Smashing Pumpkins reunion (see "Billy Corgan Says He Wants To Re-Form Smashing Pumpkins"). But a spokesperson for frontman Billy Corgan's record label shot that speculation down during a recent interview with a California radio station. Melissa Auf Der Maur, formerly of Hole and Smashing Pumpkins, scoffed at the supposed Coachella booking during a recent interview with MTV News.

"I think [that would be] a little too soon," said Auf Der Maur, who worked with Corgan several months ago on a track that will appear on her forthcoming, as-yet-untitled sophomore solo disc. "I think that it's cool that there's interest and rumors running around, but ... that's definitely a hoax."

This story was originally published at 8:42 AM EST on 01.31.2006

• Tool
• Franz Ferdinand
• Depeche Mode
• Common
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Paramore, Lil Wayne, More At Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

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All Points West Festival At New Jersey's Liberty State Park

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• Metric
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MTV.com Exclusive Photos: Coachella 2006

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Cat Power: Live Performance Photos At SXSW

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