Lily Allen
Photo: Ethan Miller/ Getty Images

Sad news surfaced late Thursday as it was revealed that Lily Allen, who had been pregnant with her first child, suffered a miscarriage. The expecting father was boyfriend Ed Simons, who is one-half of the Chemical Brothers.

"We can confirm that Lily Allen has suffered a miscarriage," Murray Chalmers, a U.K. representative for the singer, said in a statement to MTV News. "She and her partner Ed Simons will be making no further comment, and we ask that their privacy be respected during this difficult time."

British tabloid The Sun and blogger Perez Hilton initially reported the news on Thursday. The Sun report said the 22-year-old singer and her boyfriend of four months were in a "state of shock." By early Friday (January 18), fans had flooded Allen's MySpace page with consolatory notes.

In mid-December, a representative for the singer told BBC News that Allen had been dating Simons since September and that they were "obviously both thrilled by the news" about the pregnancy, but that they would not comment any further. "As the pregnancy is at a very, very early stage, the couple ask that you respect their privacy, as the health of Lily and their child is their paramount concern," said the spokesperson, who was not named.

Prior to that announcement, however, Allen — whose Alright, Still LP is up for a Best Alternative Music Album Grammy — had, over the course of 2007, shot down many rumors that she was pregnant.

In a March interview with MTV News, she denied such rumors, saying, "At first I used to read things about me, and I'd get really angry and go on my blog and write a whole reply to it. But now, since there's so much of it, [I'm not] bothered to reply to it all. But some of it is true. [However] I am not a lesbian, I am not pregnant. But yeah. It's really annoying."

[This story was originally published on 1.17.07 at 8:33 p.m. ET]

• Lily Allen
• The Chemical Brothers

Mariah Carey on the cover of <i>Interview</i>
Photo: Bruce Weber

Mariah Carey is "thankful" to ex-husband Tommy Mottola but also felt like she was being controlled by the music executive while they were married, she divulged to Interview for the magazine's September issue, which hits newsstands Tuesday. In the magazine — the cover of which features a Bruce Weber photo of a barely clothed Carey — she says, "I am thankful to [Mottola] in a lot of ways. I try not to vilify him. I have to forgive him for being so restrictive. I understand him not wanting me to go out and hang out all night, but going to a spa with friends every now and then, or doing things on my own would have made a world of difference. And I'd probably still be with him if I had. Maybe it's for my own good that I wasn't 'allowed' to do those things, but that's not how it felt. It felt like suddenly I had a strict father. ... With Tommy it felt like I had this controlling situation where I wasn't allowed to be myself. This conversation that we're having now would never have taken place." Carey also opened up about the catastrophic Glitter collapse that preceded her surprise rebound. "I consider 'the breakdown' a breakthrough — I needed to hit rock bottom, however it happened. I needed to understand the cost of pushing so hard, fighting so hard against the system." ...

Diddy's Labor Day party is going to be a little less explosive than anticipated. Officials in the Hamptons, New York, have nixed the hip-hop mogul's planned $100,000 fireworks show over the Northwest Harbor on September 2 both for safety reasons and because it might have conflicted with another nearby fireworks bash set for the same night. Diddy intended to go with all-white fireworks so they would match the "white party" theme. ...

Beyoncé turned out Tuesday night at her sister Solange's "R&B Live" showcase at Times Square's Spotlight Live club in New York. Tina Knowles, Bow Wow and the Simmons sisters — Angela and Vanessa — also took in the show, which featured other acts on Mathew Knowles' Music World Entertainment, including #1 Crush, Katy Shotter and more. ...

Britney Spears chatted with Life & Style on Sunday night at a club in Los Angeles, revealing her concerns that ex-husband Kevin Federline could gain primary custody of their two children, sons Sean Preston and Jayden James. "My babies are my life. I love them more than anything," said an "emotional" Spears, according to the magazine. But the boys are doing "so good," she added. ...

Ja Rule and Game have joined forces for "Sunset," a track to be featured on Ja's Mirror LP, due November 13. "I don't think people were expecting that," he told RollingStone.com in regards to teaming up with his former rival. Ja also disclosed that another track, "Father Forgive Me," updates the Beatles' "Eleanor Rigby." "Hopefully I make the Beatles proud," he said. "Big shout-out to Paul McCartney and the whole gang, Ringo and everybody!" The rock icons are getting lots of love from the rap set these days, with Wu-Tang Clan covering George Harrison's "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" — with Harrison's son Dhani and Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante in tow — for their upcoming 8 Diagrams LP, also due November 13. ...

Juelz Santana is hammering away at his third LP, Born to Lose; Built to Win, which is due in stores in the winter. "This time around, I'm talking about survival — maintaining my lifestyle and overcoming the obstacles and challenges life brings," he said in a statement. Santana was also set to debut his new RoyElz clothing line but has had to postpone the unveiling until February due to the terminal illness of a family member. ...

Swizz Beatz was a busy man on Tuesday. The multiplatinum producer and rapper celebrated the release of his solo album, One Man Band Man, with a live performance at the Apple store in the SoHo neighborhood of Manhattan in New York during the afternoon. After that he hosted a party at Xchange Loft that drew the likes of Remy Ma, Birdman, Brooke Hogan, G-Unit's Young Hot Rod, Steve Stoute, Kid Capri, Free and singer Mashonda, Swizz's wife. He then capped his long day at Manhattan night spot Sol for another album-release party. ...

Keyshia Cole and Fort Wayne, Indiana's Voices of Unity Youth Choir will get the NFL season under way by performing the national anthem at the New Orleans Saints/ Indianapolis Colts game September 6. The half-hour pre-game show — featuring performances by Kelly Clarkson and others — will air at 8 p.m. ET on NBC. ... Cobra Starship will land again, on October 23, with a new LP called If the World Is Ending, We Are Throwing the Party. The disc will be issued by Fueled by Ramen and follow the band's 2006 disc, When the City Sleeps, We Rule the Streets. ...

Paris Hilton and Zeta Graff settled Graff's lawsuit Wednesday (August 22), the same day jury selection was due to begin in the trial, TMZ.com reports. Graff, an actress/model, filed a $10 million defamation suit against Hilton in 2005 for allegedly planting gossip about her in the tabloids. ... Amy Winehouse fans can get ticket refunds for her postponed U.S. tour at their point of purchase, her publicist said Wednesday. ... A judge halted a lawsuit against Michael Jackson on Tuesday, ruling that it can't continue as filed, AP reports. The singer is being sued — along with the Marian Medical Center in Santa Maria, California — by the family of a woman who died at the hospital after she was moved to make room for Jackson. In the suit, the family claims the woman was kept from critical care after suffering a heart attack on the same day Jackson went to the hospital with flu-like symptoms during his child-molestation trial. Attorneys for Jackson and the hospital have claimed the facts of the case didn't merit the suit. Judge Rodney Melville — who was also the judge in the aforementioned trial — gave the plaintiffs' attorney, James McKiernan, 30 days to redraft the suit. ...

A neuropathologist rejected on Wednesday a previous claim made by Phil Spector's defense that Lana Clarkson might have lived for up to a few minutes after being fatally shot in the music producer's mansion, the Los Angeles Times reports. Dr. John Andrews, who participated in the deceased actress' autopsy, is expected to be the last prosecution rebuttal witness. The defense is expected to present its rebuttal case in the next few days, with closing arguments expected soon after Labor Day. ...

The Chemical Brothers have firmed up their first, albeit brief, U.S. tour in more than five years. The group will bring its visually intensive show to New York's Hammerstein Ballroom (September 21); Brooklyn, New York's McCarren Park Pool (September 22); Chicago's Riviera Theatre (September 24); Denver's Fillmore Auditorium (September 26); San Francisco's Concourse (September 28); and Los Angeles' Nocturnal Bar (September 29). ... In other tour news, Bad Religion will trek through the States from September 29 in Queen Creek, Arizona — where they'll play at Edgefest &38212; through October 20 in Sayreville, New Jersey. Gallows and the Briggs will open most dates. And Cold War Kids will tour from November 17 in San Francisco through December 11 in Boulder, Colorado, after gigging in September and October with the White Stripes. ...

In hard-rock tour news, Down's upcoming U.S. headlining run is finally taking shape, with dates confirmed from September 27 in Reno, Nevada, through November 13 in Houston. The band — which features former Pantera frontman Phil Anselmo — will release its latest, Down III: Over the Under, September 25. The Melvins will tour from September 16 in Sacramento, California, through October 18 in Dallas with Big Business. Prog-rockers Porcupine Tree will be on the road for a headlining run that begins October 3 in Orlando, Florida, and visits 18 other cities through October 29 in Atlanta. And Queens of the Stone Age have tacked seven additional shows onto their current tour. ...

Bill Murray refused to take a breathalyzer test after getting caught speeding in a golf cart in downtown Stockholm, Sweden, early Monday — and he might face a drunk-driving charge as a result, The Associated Press reports. "He refused to blow in the [breath-test] instrument, citing American legislation," Detective-Inspector Christer Holmlund told the wire service Wednesday. "So we applied the old method — a blood test. It will take 14 days before the results are in." Murray signed documentation admitting that he had been driving under the influence and agreed to allow a police officer enter a guilty plea for him if the case goes to court. A very high blood-alcohol level could result in a potential prison sentence, but fines are more likely for the actor. ...

Darren Hayes, former lead singer of Australian pop duo Savage Garden, turned himself in to London police on Friday and was arrested for an alleged racist attack against a waiter in a Thai restaurant in Soho. According to The New Zealand Herald, Hayes is alleged to have verbally abused a staffer at the Busaba Eathai Thai restaurant on July 22. Hayes was released on bail and his lawyer said he is denying the allegations. ... DNA testing carried out after James Brown's death has confirmed a third person is a child of the late rock and roll icon, his adviser Buddy Dallas told Georgia's The Augusta Chronicle on Monday. Roughly a dozen DNA tests have been carried out, and some are still pending. ...

Actress Bridget Moynahan gave birth to her child — a boy — with New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The couple split up late last year. ... Wal-Mart is the latest retail giant to unveil an online music store aimed at challenging Apple's iTunes by offering DRM-free music. The Wall Street Journal reported that Wal-Mart is selling the unfettered tracks from two major labels, Universal Music Group and EMI, for 94 cents a piece and $9.22 an album. The songs can play on almost any portable music device, including iPods and iPhones.

08.21.07

First Amy Winehouse pulled out of shows in Norway and Denmark two weeks ago, then she pulled the plug on her V Festival appearances last week — now the U.K. starlet is shelving her remaining 2007 North American tour dates until next year. "Due to the rigors involved in touring, Amy Winehouse has been advised to postpone her upcoming September U.S. and Canadian tour dates," Winehouse's publicist said in a statement Tuesday (August 21), according to The Associated Press. "Amy's European and U.K. tour dates in October and November remain in place. Plans are being made to reschedule her U.S. tour for early 2008. Until then, Amy has been ordered to rest and is working with medical professionals to address her health." It is unclear whether the change in her North American tour plans will affect Winehouse's previously announced performance at the VMAs on September 9. ...

Forget 50 Cent — Kanye West considers Justin Timberlake his biggest rival. In an interview with XXL magazine for its October issue — which hits stands September 11 — Kanye called Justin his "biggest inspiration and biggest competition," adding that "he's the only other person that gets an across-the-board response and respect level — black radio, white radio. If Justin hadn't come out and killed the game, I can't say that my album, singles and videos would be on the same level that they're on. We push each other. I look at me and Justin like Prince and Michael Jackson in their day." ...

Award-show nominations and #1 records don't seem to be enough for Nelly Furtado this year, so the Canadian beauty decided to add directing to her lengthy list of 2007 accomplishments. Furtado recently made her debut behind the camera shooting a clip for the Loose song "Do It" with co-director Aaron A., her tour documentarian. The video was filmed on location in Detroit during a tour stop and included her dance team, among others. Furtado also announced that she will re-release Loose with bonus material — including her cover of Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" — this fall. ...

Spike Jonze has launched a series of diary-style video interviews through online-broadcast network VBS.TV. The series will capture Jonze interviewing and traveling the world with various artists and entertainers, including the premiere guest, M.I.A. The set kicks off this week with a six-part episode that follows Jonze and M.I.A. around London and at the singer's various enclaves. An interview with Kanye West is scheduled to go live next week. ...

R. Kelly appeared Tuesday in a Chicago court where prosecutors and defense attorneys ironed out a few more details in the R&B singer's child-pornography trial before jury selection starts September 17. After the prosecution tried for a reversal, Judge Vincent Gaughan upheld his ruling that the media and public could view the sex tape that allegedly depicts Kelly having sex with an underage girl and is at the heart of the charges. Gaughan said he wouldn't reconsider his original ruling because the girl who prosecutors say is in the video isn't cooperating with investigators and denies that she's the person on the tape. Had she said she was, the judge would give her victim status and protect her from a public viewing. Instead, he ruled Tuesday that the state can't call her a "victim" but must instead call her an "alleged victim" or the "state's witness." To attempt to prove that she is in fact the girl on the tape, the prosecution wants to call an expert witness to testify that denial is a common issue with victims of child pornography, but the defense argued that the theory is not backed up by science. Judge Gaughan delayed ruling on this, as well as whether an expert could testify that the veins in Kelly's hand are consistent with those in the hand of the man in the video. He is expected to rule on those matters at the next hearing, on September 10. ...

Another day, another problem for Foxy Brown. The troubled rapper is being accused of lying to police during a traffic stop on Wednesday in suburban Mahwah, New Jersey. According to Bergen County's The Record, Brown (born Inga Marchand) was pulled over for talking on a cell phone and failing to stop at a stop sign while driving her SUV. After a check found that the car's registration had been suspended, Brown, 27, reportedly gave officers a different version of her real name and a birth date that was a year off. When the information didn't come up, Brown then gave her correct information, at which point the officers found out that her license was suspended. She was taken to police headquarters and given seven traffic tickets and released. The traffic tussle came one day after Brown was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a New York neighbor with a BlackBerry. But still, Brown has some good news to help take her mind off things — according to the New York Post, she said outside a store in New York earlier this week, "I'm getting married in September. I'm pregnant." ...

With Jane's Addiction on ice and his latest project, the Panic Channel, without a label deal, Dave Navarro has taken up a new side gig: porn-movie director. The guitarist has shot a feature-length adult film titled "Dave Navarro: Broken," the first in a series of flicks to be directed by celebrities. The film for Teravision — owned by adult star Tera Patrick and rocker husband and former Biohazard member Evan Seinfeld — is due September 27 and features an all-star cast of porn actors and actresses (Victoria Sin, Spyder Jonez, etc.). ...

Ben Lee really likes the new Against Me! album, New Wave. In fact, the Australian pop singer likes it so that he has posted a song-for-song cover album on his MySpace page and blog that are available for download or streaming. He's even cooked up his own cover for the effort, Ben Lee Sings Against Me! New Wave — it replaces the fearsome panther on the Florida punk band's original with a less ferocious kitty cat. ...

Devra Robitaille, one of Phil Spector's ex-employees, testified Tuesday that he once threatened her at gunpoint when she attempted to leave his house. The scenario is similar to the ones outlined by four additional women during the music producer's murder trial. After the defense announced it was conditionally resting its case — and that Spector would not be taking the stand during the trial — the prosecution called Robitaille as a rebuttal witness, contrary to the wishes of the defense. She recalled being in Spector's house during a party in which he became heavily intoxicated, after which she said she was going to go home. "He said no and locked the door," testified Robitaille, who added that she had a romantic relationship with Spector. "I remember standing in the lobby with a door in front of me, and when I turned, there was a gun pointed at my temple. ... It was like a long-barreled shotgun." She added that Spector repeated three times, " 'If you leave, I'll blow your f---ing head off.' " Robitaille said he eventually put down the gun and let her leave. ...

Some Lollapalooza footage — of performances by LCD Soundsystem and the Black Keys — finally went up on AT&T's Blue Room site last week, following the revelation that its webcast of the festival featured several edits of anti-President Bush comments made by Pearl Jam singer Eddie Vedder. Clearances are still being sought for Pearl Jam and other artists, while Lupe Fiasco's comments against Bush — which were also reportedly edited — have not been posted. ...

Five people were arrested early Sunday morning at a campground near the Gorge Amphitheatre in George, Washington, following the Warped Tour performance at the venue Saturday night. The Associated Press reported that sheriff's deputies were called out to the campground following reports of a person being injured at another nearby campground. When officials arrived, they reportedly saw a number of campers involved in fights and a comfort station with portable toilets and sinks that had been set on fire. Some of the 400 campers in the area allegedly set additional fires and pelted deputies with beer bottles, cans and rocks, shattering the windshield of a fire truck with debris. Those incidents led to five arrests for obstructing a law-enforcement officer, disorderly conduct and intimidating a public servant. ...

Additional shows for Van Halen's first tour in more than 22 years — with original frontman David Lee Roth — have been added in Philadelphia (October 3); Detroit (October 20); and Washington, D.C. (November 1). Tickets for the previously announced gigs went on sale over the weekend, and fans snatched them up fast — sellouts were reported in at least five markets so far. ...

Pete Doherty — who was arrested on suspicion of drug possession in London early Monday morning — was released Tuesday because authorities didn't get him to court on time. The charge of breaching bail conditions that he was facing has been dropped as a result of the technicality. ...

The Jacksonville, Florida, chapter of the NAACP is protesting an editorial cartoon that criticized the "no snitchin' " street mantra and ran in the Friday edition of The Florida Times-Union. The image shows a black man wearing a "Don't Snitch" T-shirt, holding a smoking gun and standing over a gunshot victim. Behind him are two children, one a girl with dreadlocks who also wears a "Don't Snitch" shirt and says, "I didn't see nuttin'." In the cartoon, the man responds, "Now that's a good little ho." The comic, which is captioned "The new rule of law!," also has a billboard in the background with an image of a rapper holding a gun below the words "rap your life away," with BET and Warner Music Group called out at the bottom of the billboard. According to local TV affiliate NBC12, on Sunday, a Times-Union editorial-page editor apologized for the "bad judgment" in using the word "ho" in the cartoon. "The object of the cartoon was to comment on the rise of a no-snitching culture, something that is widely in the news today," Mike Clark explained.

• Mariah Carey
• Britney Spears
• Ja Rule
• Game
• Keyshia Cole

Gwyneth Paltrow on the cover of <i>W</i> magazine
Photo: Steven Klein

Gwyneth Paltrow wasn't so into the initial idea of singing onstage last year with Jay-Z at London's Royal Albert Hall, she admitted to W magazine for its September issue. "Jay was playing at the Albert Hall on my birthday, and he said, 'Will you sing on this song?' " the actress told the mag. "At first I didn't want to do it!" Paltrow also talked a little about her husband, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who was also onstage for the strange collabo. "When Chris gets home, we're not going to do anything other than what any regular couple does," she said. ...

A day after Amy Winehouse canceled two European festival dates following a trip to a London hospital to deal with what her label termed "severe exhaustion," a spokesperson for the singer said doctors have ordered Winehouse to rest in bed. For now, she's still expected to perform at the Virgin Festival in Toronto on September 8 as well as a string of U.S. dates in September. Winehouse's spokesperson would not comment on British tabloid reports that said the collapse that led to the singer's hospitalization was possibly drug-related. ...

Ciara is making her directorial debut with a video for Paula Campbell's "Ain't Nobody Stupid," and she will premiere the clip Monday at the 20th Century Fox Studio Lot in Century City, California. Los Angeles area fans can go here for details on how to get into the free Nissan Live Sets event. See snaps from the "Ain't Nobody Stupid" photo shoot right here. ...

Jamie Foxx portrayed Ray Charles and Andre 3000 is set to play Sammy Davis Jr., so you'd probably expect another big name to be taking on the lead role in the long-in-the-works Notorious B.I.G. biopic, right? Not necessarily. An open casting call will be held to determine who will play Biggie, and actors and non-actors alike are being allowed to try out for the part. Audition videos can be sent here beginning Sunday at 3 a.m. ET. In 1995, Fox Searchlight Pictures acquired the rights to the movie, which is being produced by Biggie's mother Voletta Wallace and two of his former managers. ...

A woman is peeved that no one from Britney Spears' camp has contacted the woman about her car, which the singer was seen driving into earlier this week in Studio City, California. Kim Robard-Rifkin told CelebTV.com on Wednesday that, "It was simply like my car didn't matter to her, my inconvenience didn't matter to her." Robard-Rifkin, who filed a police report Thursday (August 9), added, "I'm not asking for money. I'm not asking for a new car. ... I simply want my car fixed, the same as I would fix somebody's car if I had done that." ...

Hilary Duff is branching out. The singer/actress has partnered with Michaels stores for Stuff by Hilary Duff, a new fashion-crafts line that includes bracelets, necklaces, charms, patches and more. All Michaels stores will host in-store demonstrations of the products on August 26 from 1-3 p.m. local time. ... An "American Idol" hopeful went into labor during her audition on Monday at Texas Stadium and had contractions as she was singing, People reports. After that, Antoria Gillon, who was taken to a local hospital, gave birth to a healthy son. She will be on the next round of the show. ...

John Mayer has been confirmed for the upcoming season of "Austin City Limits," Pitchfork reports — but the program will be heavily weighed toward indie-rock acts too. Bloc Party, Arcade Fire, Decemberists, Regina Spektor and Wilco have also been booked for the PBS series, which will start airing in October. ... The lineup for the first-ever Monolith Music Festival, to be held September 14-15 at Denver's historic Red Rock Amphitheatre, will include the Flaming Lips, Kings of Leon, the Decemberists, Editors, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Spoon, Cake, Clap Your Hands Say Yeah, the Brian Jonestown Massacre, Das EFX and many more acts. ...

Thrice have pegged October 16 as the release date for The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II - Fire & Water, the first two parts of a four-volume concept effort. The other two chapters, Vols. III & IV - Earth & Air, will be released in the spring. Both sets will be issued by Vagrant, the new label the band calls home after parting ways with Island in June. Earlier this year, frontman Dustin Kensrue called the Alchemy project "daunting" in an interview with MTV News. ... If you've been exchanging MySpace messages with Chris Cornell in recent weeks, chances are you were dealing with an imposter. The real Cornell logged onto his MySpace page on Wednesday to clear up matters. "Over the past several months, several incidents have taken place where others felt the need to engage in activities pretending to be me," he wrote. "I have been wanting to make a clear statement to fans, friends and anyone this may concern." He added the confounding remark, "Under no circumstances, under any name or address, do I or have I ever communicated or corresponded with anyone online or otherwise." ...

Want to get up close and personal with Velvet Revolver? You can get your chance for $250, thanks to meet-and-greet packages being offered for the hard-rock group's Tuesday gig at the Tweeter Center in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The package includes a VIP laminate, personal photograph with the band, exclusive 8x10 color poster and autograph. ... Alice in Chains's Unplugged CD and DVD are being packaged together for a revitalized version of the release due September 18. ...

Expect to catch an eyeful of U2 rehearsing songs from their new album in "Here It Is," a documentary about the band's longtime producer Daniel Lanois that is set to debut at the Toronto International Film Festival in September, RollingStone.com reports. The feature film captures Lanois and the band in a studio in Morocco, with Billy Bob Thornton, Willie Nelson and others making guest appearances. ... Ricky Martin wants to start creating "a family of many colors" this year by adopting "one [child] from each continent," the singer told reporters Wednesday in his Puerto Rico homeland. The 35-year-old Martin is not married. ...

A fifth woman will be allowed to testify that Phil Spector threatened her with a gun, the judge in the music producer's trial ruled Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports. Former Spector employee and girlfriend Devra Robitaille was expected to testify Thursday after jurors returned from a tour of Spector's mansion in Alhambra, California, where he allegedly killed actress Lana Clarkson. The defense — which on Wednesday called to the stand a neuropathologist who said the way Clarkson's body was found was consistent with a suicide — objected strongly to the decision to let Robitaille testify.

08.08.07

Kevin Federline's lawyer filed documents in Los Angeles Superior Court on Wednesday (August 8) for primary physical custody of his two sons with Britney Spears, People reports. Less than two weeks ago, the couple's divorce was finalized, at which point they agreed to joint custody of Sean Preston and Jayden James. Federline, who previously resisted the 50/50 custody agreement, has been worried Spears has been exposing the boys to unnecessary risk, a source told the magazine. ...

Zac Efron may be showing off his assets in his revealing Rolling Stone cover shot, but he's more modest when it comes to talking about his star-making turn in "High School Musical." "I didn't even sing on the first album," he told the magazine. "It wasn't my voice in the movie. Even though I wanted to do it. So what do you do when the entire cast is supposed to accept an award at the Billboard Awards and your voice is only on the album in a select few lines. I felt extremely guilty." He also explained why he refused to go on the "High School Musical" tour: "If I had to hear the 'High School Musical' songs anymore, I probably would have jumped off something very tall," he said. ...

Fresh from her slightly tardy performance at last weekend's Lollapalooza, Amy Winehouse was hospitalized on Wednesday for "exhaustion." According to a press release from the 23-year-old "Rehab" crooner's U.S. label, Universal Republic, "Amy Winehouse was admitted to [University College London Hospital] this morning, suffering from severe exhaustion. Amy was discharged from the hospital this afternoon and has been advised to take complete rest. Scheduled performances in Norway and Denmark this week have been canceled." ...

Jennifer Lopez has a new flick in theaters and an album on the way too, but her purse is getting even heavier thanks to a court decision awarding her almost $545,000 in a lawsuit against her first husband, The Associated Press reports. Lopez had filed the breach-of-contract lawsuit over Ojani Noa's plans to publish a tell-all book in which he was expected to claim the singer/actress had multiple affairs. The court-ordered arbitrator who made the Monday decision also decided that Lopez should be awarded a permanent injunction barring Noa from criticizing or disparaging her. In other J. Lo news, she'll shoot a video for her new single "Do It Well" in Los Angeles on August 16-17. ...

Beyoncé is turning up all over the place — ads for the singer's new Emporio Armani Diamonds fragrance are appearing in September issues of magazines. The scent is available at Macy's exclusively in August and will hit other major department stores next month. ... A 16-year-old French boy was arrested and spent a night in jail for allegedly translating "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" into French and posting it online within days of the book's late July release. The boy was released Tuesday after being questioned and could face charges of violating intellectual property, although prosecutors say he was likely not seeking commercial gain by posting the translated book online. The official French translation of "Deathly Hallows" is due October 26. ...

50 Cent knows Kanye West better than you think. After accepting a challenge on BET's "106 & Park" to debate with West the merits of their respective new albums — which will go head to head in stores when they street on September 11 — Fiddy replied, "Kanye, he's not going to want to show up." During the VMA announcement Tuesday, West made 50's prediction come true, declining the proposed debate and calling it "the stupidest thing." "What am I going to debate about?" he said. "I'm going to go in the studio and make music." But 'Ye, who said he doesn't have beef with anyone, had something positive to say as well: "With 50's album dropping and my album dropping on the same day, everybody wins because you get a lot of good music at the same time." ...

Jack White and his wife, model Karen Elson, welcomed their second child, a boy named Henry Lee White, on Tuesday, according to a spokesperson for the White Stripes frontman. The couple's first child, a daughter named Scarlett Teresa White, was born in 2006. White and Elson were famously married on a canoe by a traditional shaman priest in Brazil in 2005. ... Kate Hudson and Chris Robinson "still talk every day," the actress told Harper's Bazaar for the magazine's September issue, adding that her ex-husband "still cracks me up." Hudson also revealed that she hopes to eventually have four children. ... Tim Burton and Helena Bonham Carter are expecting their second baby, People reports. It's due in December. ... Melanie Brown, who has been speaking out publicly about her child with Eddie Murphy, has been married since June, AP reports. A marriage certificate filed with Nevada's Clark County lists the date of her nuptials with boyfriend Stephen Belafonte as June 6. ...

Sum 41 have a new twist in their tour schedule: more dates on the Warped Tour. In addition to playing the Tuesday show in St. Louis and the Bonner Springs, Kansas, gig the following day, Deryck Whibley and the gang will grace the fest for four additional California dates August 22-25 (Fresno, Sacramento, San Diego and Carson). ... Avenged Sevenfold's forthcoming self-titled LP will be in stores October 16. The disc is the follow-up to 2005's City of Evil and is the band's first self-produced effort. ... Former "American Idol" finalist Gina Glocksen's longtime boyfriend Joe Ruzicka proposed to her onstage during the American Idols Live Tour stop in Rosemont, Illinois, on Tuesday — and she accepted, Illinois' Daily Southtown reports. The rocker, who hails from nearby Naperville, often referenced Ruzicka on the show and dedicated her performance of Heart's "Alone" to him. ...

Rock fans, do your bidding: speakers, cabinets, a Jacuzzi and more items from Jerry Garcia's house in Marin County, California, will be auctioned on eBay beginning Sunday. The house was purchased in 1997 by Henry Koltys, an attorney and software developer, after which he put into storage the items that he's auctioning. Meanwhile, a piano that Bruce Springsteen owned in the late '70s is also up for bidding on eBay, RollingStone.com reports. Bob Dylan and Keith Richards have also played on the piano, which had a starting bid of $10,000. ... The farm that hosted the legendary Woodstock music festival in 1969 is up for sale, AP reports. The asking price is $8 million. ...

Killswitch Engage have pumped out a cover of Dio's "Holy Diver" that will appear on the special-edition version of the band's 2006 effort, As Daylight Days. The reissue, due in stores August 28, will also be bundled with three additional tracks and a DVD featuring a trio of song clips and two rehearsal performances. ... Black Tide, the young metal outfit from Miami that had encountered problems joining Ozzfest's second stage because of age issues, are in luck. Since the band is too young to perform on the fest's Jägermeister-sponsored second stage — its youngest member is only 14 years old — it's hopped onto the main stage instead. Black Tide will be the stage's opening act and will make their fest debut Friday in Tinley Park, Illinois. ...

The Chemical Brothers have sketched out the first three dates for their upcoming U.S. tour. The electronic heroes will play New York's Hammerstein Ballroom on September 21, the Concourse in San Francisco on September 28 and Los Angeles' Nocturnal the following day. ... The lineup for the first-ever Farm Aid show in New York, on September 9, has been set. It will include the Counting Crows, Guster, Matisyahu, Ditty Bops, Derek Trucks Band, Allman Brothers Band, the Supersuckers, Warren Haynes and Montgomery Gentry. Those acts join a bill that already includes Farm Aid board members Willie Nelson, Neil Young, John Mellencamp and Dave Matthews. ... Tom Hanks is suing one of the producers of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding," claiming he is still owed profits from the 2002 flick. The suit — which was also filed by Nia Vardalos, who wrote and starred in the film — seeks unspecified monetary damages.

• Jay-Z
• Hilary Duff
• John Mayer
• Arcade Fire
• Velvet Revolver

Avenged Sevenfold's <i>All Excess</i>
Photo: Warner Bros / Wea

This week's an odd one, with almost too many titles hitting stores to count ... but probably just a few that'll have you reaching for your wallet. Luckily for us, there's enough variety among the litter to have some fun. Let's go.

Video Vipers: Avenged Sevenfold are greasing up a new, self-titled album for an October release, but while that's still in the works, 'Fold fanatics can sink their teeth — or eyes, rather, or ... oh well, never mind — into "All Excess," a new DVD. The title doesn't just allude to the band's hard-partying, c'mon-don't-we-really-look-like-GN'R-now? ways but also hints at what you'll find inside the set: more video bonuses than frontman M. Shadows has tattoos. Piled onto the disc is a documentary, live footage, music videos and segments capturing the making of each of them. "There's footage from some early shows, when we still sucked," Shadows told MTV News' Chris Harris. "[You'll] learn everything about us with this DVD."

Turn the volume knob down a notch or two and you'll be ready for the All-American Rejects, who are teeing up a video set of their own this week. This one's got a funny name too — "Tournado" — but that was actually the band's craftily named trek with Motion City Soundtrack, Gym Class Heroes and others. The resplendently packaged DVD captures the band's gig in the Twin Cities, plus the requisite on-the-road documentary, photo gallery — and a not-so-requisite batch of skits.

Hey guys, wait for us! Underoath are also anteing up with a DVD, the piously titled "777" (well, they are Christians, after all). Frontman Spencer Chamberlain and the crew have dumped onto their disc 75 minutes of unreleased footage from the Warped Tour, Taste of Chaos and other stints, as well as videos and a making-of doc.

So it's Tyson Ritter vs. M. Shadows vs. Spencer Chamberlain. You decide. They all sound like porn stars to us.

Now and Then: Who are we kidding — a quick glance at the listings below will tell you that this week's heaviest hitter is definitely Now That's What I Call Music! 25, and if the set featured more than just previously issued fare, we'd have more to say about it. It doesn't, so we don't.

A Bit of Hip-Hop: With all the rock that's been hitting stores the last two weeks — Smashing Pumpkins, Interpol, Against Me!, etc. — you'd figure rap would want to step up its game on the whole. But that really hasn't been the case (MCs must still be fearing the mighty T.I.) That said, Too Short is plopping a new effort into his massive catalog, and for once the title isn't about chicks or pimps or ego — in a sweet gesture, he's named it I Love the Bay. New York rapper Akir is also stepping up to the plate — well, sorta: His paradoxically named debut, Legacy is back again, thanks to Babygrande, with guest spots by Jean Grae, Immortal Technique and others still intact.

Well, Aren't They Special: When all else fails, there's always the vaults. This week, two ladies and a Guy are back thanks to bonus-track-laden special editions of their noted LPs. Erykah Badu's Baduizm is getting beefed up via B-sides, U.K.-only cuts and more hard-to-find tunes, while sister-in-soul India.Arie's Acoustic Soul is getting similar treatment. Guy's eponymous release is getting a full disc of extras, though ... feeling jealous, ladies? Don't be: As far as reissues go, Garbage have them all beat — the special limited-edition version of their best-of Absolute Garbage boasts a second disc of remixes by Massive Attack, Crystal Method, UNKLE and more.

Chemical Balance: While we're on the subject of electronic music, don't forget the mighty Chemical Brothers. That's right, mighty: While the group's releases have been slipping Stateside — 1997's Dig Your Own Hole peaked at #14 on the Billboard albums chart, followed by 1999's Surrender at #32, 2002's Come With Us also at #32 and 2005's Push the Button at #59 — the group's last five releases have all hit #1 in the U.K. That includes its new one, We Are the Night, which docks at U.S. shores this week. Featured on the effort are legendary Canadian beat poet Bill Bissett, members of Klaxons, Fatlip of the Pharcyde and progressive-rockers Midlake.

Throwing a Changeup: Or maybe we should say "gyro ball" ... either way, if you're looking for something different this week — and happen to like a little rinky-dink team of scrappers called the Boston Red Sox — you'll want to dig your cleats in a little deeper. Music From the Mound is a new compilation curated (supposedly) by Japanese pitching import Daisuke Matsuzaka (a.k.a. Dice-K). Featured on the disc — seriously, don't laugh — is a song called "Gyro Ball" featuring no less than J. Geils harmonica player Magic Dick, onetime Extreme guitarist Nuno Bettencourt and Sox TV announcers Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy. The team's charity, the Red Sox Foundation, will be getting all proceeds from the album, which features other anthems for a nation ... Red Sox Nation, that is.

Song Title of the Week:

"Handicapitation" from Birdflesh's Mongo Musicale

Album Cover of the Week:

Winters' Black Clouds in Twin Galaxies

Other Notables:

Los Campesinos!'s Sticking Fingers Into Sockets
This Welsh band came together thanks to a common affection for Super Furry Animals and the Decemberists — which should give you an indication of its indie-pop goodness. Before heading into the studio to record their proper debut with Broken Social Scene producer David Newfeld, Los Campesinos! are bowing with this enhanced EP. Look out for "We Throw Parties, You Throw Knives," "You! Me! Dancing!" and other timelessly titled tracks.

Eastern Conference Champions' Ameritown
These guys wish they were from Wales, or somewhere in British, even though the solidly American squad named their album the way they did. The group hooked up with Oasis and Verve producer Owen Morris for this LP and just toured with Black Rebel Motorcycle Club too. And while BRMC aren't from overseas either, they're also all about My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3 and other louder-than-thou Brit psych bands. Expect to hear lotsa soaring vocals, heavily distorted psych guitars and big drums on this LP.

Mick Harvey's Two of Diamonds
You might know him from the Bad Seeds or the Birthday Party ... eh, you probably haven't heard of Mick Harvey at all. The longtime (read: decades-long) Nick Cave collaborator has a few things of his own to say, which he details on his follow-up to 2005's One Man's Treasure. Enlisting PJ Harvey pianist/drummer Rob Ellis — oh, and a double-bass, too — Harvey spills his soul on "Slow-Motion Movie Star," "Home Is Far From Here" and "Out of Time Man." So are we!

New Releases:

· A Fine Frenzy - One Cell in the Sea (Virgin)
· Almah - Edu Falaschi (Candlelight)
· Big Shug - Street Champ (Babygrande)
· Birdflesh - Mongo Musicale (Candelight) [Buy Now]
· Bottom of the Hudson - Fantastic Hawk (Absolutely Kosher)
· Colbie Caillat - Coco (Republic)
· The Chemical Brothers - We Are the Night (Astralwerks) [Buy Now]
· The Cribs - Men's Needs, Women's Needs, Whatever (Warner Bros.) [Buy Now]
· Deathspell Omega - Fas (Southern Lord)
· Destroyer Destroyer - Littered With Arrows (Goodfellow)
· Minnie Driver - Seastories (Zoë/Rounder)
· Eastern Conference Champions - Ameritown (Suretone)
· Editors - An End Has a Star (Fader Label) [Buy Now]
· Federation - It's Whateva (Reprise)
· Eliza Gilkyson - Your Town Tonight (Red House)
· Great White - Back to the Rhythm (Shrapnel)
· Emerson Hart - Cigarettes & Gasoline (Manhattan)
· (Hed) p.e. - Insomnia (Suburban Noize)
· Mick Harvey - Two of Diamonds (Mute)
· Ryan James - Directed (High Tail)
· Ben Jelen - Ex-Sensitive (digipak; Custard)
· Eilen Jewell - Letters From Sinners & Strangers (Signature Sounds)
· Lillian Axe - Waters Rising (Locomotive)
· Livin' Out Loud - What About Us (Pyramid)
· Los Angeles Jazz Ensemble - Expectation (with DVD; Kind of Blue)
· Los Campesinos! - Sticking Fingers Into Sockets (enhanced EP; Arts & Crafts)
· The Magic Numbers - Those the Brokes (enhanced; Astralwerks)
· Raul Malo - After Hours (New Door)
· Meat Puppets - Rise to Your Knees (Anodyne)
· Memfis - The Wind Up (Candlelight) [Buy Now]
· MxPx - Secret Weapon (Tooth & Nail) [Buy Now]
· The Rocket Summer - Do You Feel (Island)
· Rooney - Calling the World (Geffen)
· Rose Funeral - Crucify Kill Rot (Candlelight)
· Matt Shulman - So It Goes (Jaggo)
· Slough Feg - Hardworlder (Candlelight)
· Mark Soskin - One Hopeful Day (Kind of Blue)
· Sound the Alarm - Stay Inside (Geffen)
· Strata - Strata Presents the End of the World (Wind-Up) [Buy Now]
· Tech N9ne - Tech N9ne Collabos: Misery Loves Kompany (Strange Music)
· Too Short - I Love the Bay (Up All Nite)
· Suzanne Vega - Beauty & Crime (Blue Note)
· Violent Storm - Storm Warning (Gold Storm)
· Winters - Black Clouds in Twin Galaxies (Candlelight)
· Wise Intelligent - Wise Intelligent Is ... The Talented Timothy Taylor (Intelligent Muzik/ Shaman Work)
· The Phil Woods Quintet - American Songbook II (Kind of Blue)
· Yellowcard - Paper Walls (deluxe edition with DVD due same day; Capitol) [Buy Now]
· Various artists - A Shaman Work Retrospective: Looking Back to Move Forward (Shaman Works)
· Various artists - Daisuke Matsuzaka: Music From the Mound (EMI Catalog Marketing)
· Various artists - FabricLive 34: Krafty Kuts (Fabric)
· Various artists - Now That's What I Call Music! 25 (UTV)
· Various artists - Toolroom Knights, Vol. 1 (two CDs; Toolroom)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· Akir - Immortal Technique Presents: Akir - Legacy (Babygrande)
· Laurie Anderson - Big Science (Nonesuch)
· India.Arie - Acoustic Soul - Special Edition (Motown/Universal)
· Chet Atkins - The Essential Chet Atkins (two CDs; RCA/Legacy)
· Chet Atkins and Les Paul - Chester & Lester (RCA/Legacy)
· Erykah Badu - Baduizm - Special Edition (Motown/Universal)
· Bobby Bare - Bobby Bare Sings Lullabys, Legends and Lies (two CDs; RCA Nashville/ Legacy)
· George Benson - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Grant Lee Buffalo - Fuzzy (Noble Rot)
· Cheech & Chong - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Confederate Road - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Rodney Crowell - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Detente - Recognize No Authority (MVD Audio)
· The Dramatics - The Very Best of the Dramatics (Stax) [Buy Now]
· Holly Dunn - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Einstürzende Neubauten - Palast der Republik (MVD Audio)
· Freddy Fender - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Ella Fitzgerald - The Very Best of the Harold Arlen Song Book and The Very Best of the Irving Berlin Song Book (Verve)
· Eddie Floyd - The Very Best of Eddie Floyd (Stax)
· Garbage - Absolute Garbage (limited-edition two-CD set; Almo Sounds/ Geffen/ UMe) [Buy Now]
· The Groundhogs - The Best of the Groundhogs (Caroline)
· Arlo Guthrie - The Best Of (Rhino)
· Guy - Guy - Special Edition (Motown/Universal) [Buy Now]
· Robyn Hitchcock - Jewels for Sophia (Noble Rot)
· John Lee Hooker - Jealous (Shout! Factory)
· K-os - Collected (Virgin)
· The Knife - Silent Shout - Deluxe Edition (two CDs and one DVD; Mute) [Buy Now]
· Johnny Lee - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Little Milton - The Very Best of Little Milton (Stax)
· Neal McCoy - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Natalie MacMaster - The Collection (Foreign Media)
· Charles Mingus Sextet with Eric Dolphy - Cornell 1964 (live; two CDs; Blue Note)
· Gary Morris - Hits (Rhino)
· Willie Nelson - Live at Billy Bob's Texas (limited edition; with DVD; Smith Music Group)
· Louis Prima - Jump, Jive an' Wail: The Essential Louis Prima (Capitol/EMI)
· Rammstein - Völkerball (available as a standard digipak with one CD and one DVD; a special-edition digipak with one CD and two DVDs; or limited-edition photo book with two CDs and two DVDs; Universal) [Buy Now]
· The Rivingtons - Papa Oom Mow Mow: Rockin' R&B and Boss Ballads (Shout! Factory)
· Saxon - Best of Saxon, The Eagle Has Landed and Power & the Glory (Caroline)
· Seals & Crofts - Greatest Hits (Rhino)
· Keely Smith - The Essential Capitol Collection (Capitol/EMI)
· Johnnie Taylor - The Very Best of Johnnie Taylor (Stax)
· Susan Tedeschi - The Best of Susan Tedeschi: Episode Two (Sheridan Square)
· Rufus Thomas - The Very Best of Rufus Thomas (Stax)
· Teddy Thompson - Up Front & Down Low (Verve Forecast)
· UFO - Lights Out (two CDs), Masters of Rock and Obsession (Caroline)
· Manuel Valera - Vientos (Anzic)
· Warren G - Regulate: G Funk Era (two CDs; Def Jam) [Buy Now]
· Various artists - Crickets: Best of the Fading Captain Series 1999-2007 (two CDs; Recordhead)
· Various artists - Freeway Jam: To Beck and Back (Tone Center)
· Various artists - Seriously Good Music: Bollywood, Burleque, Celtic, Gypsy and Reggae (Petrol/EMI)

Digital Releases:

· Seizure Crypt - Hello, My Name Is ... Madness (available through Interpunk and on SeizureCrypt.com)

Music DVDs:

· Aerosmith - "In Performance" (with book; Hurricane) [Buy Now]
· All-American Rejects - "Tournado" (Interscope) [Buy Now]
· Avenged Sevenfold - "All Excess" (Warner Bros.) [Buy Now]
· James Brown - "Mr. Dynamite" (MVD Visual)
· Johnny Cash - "Music in Review" (with book; Classic Rock Legends) [Buy Now]
· Bob Dylan - "The Golden Years 1962-1978" (Chrome Dreams)
· E-40 - "The Best of E-40: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow - The Videos" (Jive/Legacy)
· Donald Fagen - "The Nightfly Trilogy" (three-MVI box set; Rhino)
· Garbage - "Absolute Garbage" (Almo Sounds/ Geffen/ UMe) [Buy Now]
· Green Day - "In Performance" (with book; Hurricane) [Buy Now]
· Green Day - "Rock Case Studies" (with book; Classic Rock Legends) [Buy Now]
· The Moody Blues - "Videobiography" (Classic Rock Legends)
· Nirvana - "In Performance" (with book; Hurricane) [Buy Now]
· Rolling Stones - "Rock Case Studies" (with book; Classic Rock Legends) [Buy Now]
· Jill Scott - "Live in Paris" (Hidden Beach)
· Sublime - "The Ultimate Bundle for the Sublime Fan" (two DVDs and one DVD; MVD Visual) [Buy Now]
· Tanya Tucker - "Tanya Tucker" (MVD Visual)
· Underoath - "777" (Tooth & Nail) [Buy Now]
· Gene Watson - "Gene Watson ... Sings His Greatest Hits" (MVD Visual)
· The Who - "Videobiography" (Classic Rock Legends) [Buy Now]
· Various artists - "60's Rock 'N' Roll Jukebox" (MVD Visual)
· Various artists - "Reggae Nashville Deep Roots Music 1 - Revival/ Ranking Sounds" (MVD Visual)
· Various artists - "This Ain't Your Mom's Hardcore: Volume Two" (MVD Visual)
· Various artists - "The Undagrind" (MVD Visual)
· Various artists - "We Love Ella! A Tribute to the First Lady of Song" (Verve)

Coming Attractions:

July 24:
· Prince - Planet Earth (Columbia) [Preorder]
· Sum 41 - Underclass Hero (Island) [Preorder]
Read: "Sum 41 Kill President In New Song — Deryck Whibley Says It's 'A Metaphor' "
· Tegan and Sara - Con (deluxe edition with DVD due same day; Vapor/Sanctuary)

July 31:
· Common - Finding Forever (Universal) [Preorder]
Read: "Kanye West, Lily Allen Finding Something In Common"
· DevilDriver - The Last Kind Words (Roadrunner) [Preorder]
· Korn - Untitled (deluxe edition with bonus DVD due same day; Epic) [Preorder]
Read: "Korn Are Cracking Up Over Eighth LP's 'Gothic Feel,' Munky Says"

August 7:
· Constantine Maroulis - Constantine (6th Place)
Read: " 'American Idol' Vets Bo Bice, Constantine Maroulis Can't Stop Rockin' "
· Okkervil River - The Stage Names (Jagjaguwar)
· UGK - Underground Kingz (two CDs; Jive) [Preorder]
Read: "Ex-Con Pimp C Juiced For UGK Album, Says He Has Lessons To Teach"

• Avenged Sevenfold
• The All-American Rejects
• The Chemical Brothers
• Editors
• Yellowcard

Coldplay's Chris Martin performs during the MTV Europe Music Awards on Thursday
Photo: Getty Images

Madonna popped out of a disco ball, the Gorillaz got animated and Green Day and Coldplay dominated the MTV Europe Music Awards, performing live and winning two awards each at Thursday's ceremony in Lisbon, Portugal.

Dressed in a purple leotard and purple leather jacket, Madonna emerged from a giant disco ball to open the show, performing her new single, "Hung Up."

(Click here for images from this year's MTV Europe Music Awards.)

This year's ceremony was hosted by comedian Sacha Baron Cohen's Kazakhstani alter ego, Borat Sagdiyev, who greeted the audience by saying, "Welcome to the 2005 Eurovision song contest!" Poking fun at his pal Madonna, he then said, "It was very courageous of MTV to start the show with a genuine transvestite."

Gorillaz's win for Best Group brought a chuckle when co-founder/cartoonist Jamie Hewlett said, "We are the best group, and we don't even exist." The band "performed" at the show via three-dimensional holograms of their cartoon images projected onto the stage.

Also taking home awards were Robbie Williams (Best Male), Shakira (Best Female), Alicia Keys (Best R&B), Chemical Brothers (Best Video - "Believe") and the Black Eyed Peas (Best Pop).

In addition to performances by Green Day, Coldplay and Gorillaz, the show at Lisbon's Pavilhão Atlântico featured sets from the Foo Fighters, Shakira, System of a Down, the Pussycat Dolls and Robbie Williams.

The event also featured the presentation of the Free Your Mind humanitarian award, which was given to Live Aid and Live 8 founder Sir Bob Geldof by Madonna.

MTV Europe Music Awards winners:

• Best Male: Robbie Williams
• Best Female: Shakira
• Best Group: Gorillaz
• Best Song: Coldplay - "Speed Of Sound"
• Best Album: Green Day - American Idiot
• Best Video: Chemical Brothers - "Believe"
• Best Pop: Black Eyed Peas
• Best Rock: Green Day
• Best Hip-Hop: Snoop Dogg
• Best New Act: James Blunt
• Best Alternative: System of a Down
• Best R&B: Alicia Keys
• Best UK & Ireland Act: Coldplay
• Free Your Mind Award: Sir Bob Geldof

• MTV Europe Music Awards 2005

• Coldplay
• Green Day
• Madonna
• Robbie Williams
• Shakira

Bright Eyes' <I>I'm Wide Awake It's Morning</i>
Photo: Saddle Creek

Nearly three years after the release of Bright Eyes' last studio album, singer Conor Oberst is rewarding patient fans with two discs at once.

The Nebraska-bred emo-folk artist's brainchild, Bright Eyes, will release two albums this week, the traditional I'm Wide Awake It's Morning, and the more experimental Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. Oberst didn't shoulder all the burden for the two albums, though; he brought in a couple of musically inclined friends for support, including Nick Zinner of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who appears on five Digital Ash tracks, Emmylou Harris, members of the Faint and others.

Worlds Apart from Bright Eyes' style is the new ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead album. The album, which kicks off with a grandiose introduction featuring a choir chanting the names of Egyptian gods, was held back by the band's label to keep it from getting buried under a glut of holiday releases by big-name artists.

While he works on his solo debut, Bred to Die, due later this year, Lil Scrappy is tiding fans over with the chopped & screwed edition of his split album with Trillville, The King of Crunk & BME Recordings Present: Lil Scrappy and Trillville, which was released in February 2004.

Also hitting stores this week are albums by the Chemical Brothers (Push the Button), Emma — of Spice Girls fame — (Free Me), Erasure (Nightbird), Ani DiFranco (Knuckle Down), Agnostic Front (Another Voice), Buck 65 (This Right Here Is Buck 65) and LeAnn Rimes (This Woman).

Out Tuesday, January 25:

• 7 Seconds - Take It Back, Take It On, Take It Over! (SideOneDummy)
• Agnostic Front - Another Voice (Combat/Relativity)
• Kelli Ali - Psychic Cat (One Little Indian)
• ... And You Will Know Us by the Trail of Dead - Worlds Apart (Interscope)
  Read: "Trail Of Dead's Plan To Save Rock And Roll Postponed Until January"
  Buy Now: Worlds Apart (Interscope)
• Aqueduct - I Sold Gold (Barsuk)
• Aura Noir - The Merciless (Tyrant Syndicate/Peaceville)
• Lou Barlow - Emoh (Merge)
• Adrian Belew - Side One (Sanctuary)
• Big Business - Head for the Shallow (Hydra Head)
• Big Noyd - On the Grind (Monopolee)
• The Black Maria - Lead Us to Reason (Victory)
• Bluerunners - Honey Slides (Bayou Vista)
• Tim Booth - Bone (Koch)
• Bright Eyes - Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (Saddle Creek)
  Read: "Bright Eyes Slam 'Off-The-Leash Administration'; Give Details On New Albums"
  Buy Now:Digital Ash in a Digital Urn (Saddle Creek)
  
• Bright Eyes - I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (Saddle Creek)
  Buy Now: I'm Wide Awake It's Morning (Saddle Creek)
  
• Buck 65 - This Right Here Is Buck 65 (V2)
• Chemical Brothers - Push the Button (Astralwerks)
• Kenny Chesney - Be as You Are: Songs From an Old Blue Chair (BNA)
• Sean Costello - Sean Costello (Artemis/Tone-Cool)
• Graham Coxon - Happiness in Magazines (Astralwerks)
• Crash Kelly - Penny Pills (Liquor & Poker)
• Cursed - II (Goodfellow)
• Devlins - Waves (Nettwerk)
• Stefano Di Battista - Parker's Mood (Blue Note)
• Ani DiFranco - Knuckle Down (Righteous Babe)
  Buy Now: Knuckle Down (Righteous Babe)
  
• Daz Dillinger - The Dogg Pound Gangsta LP (Gangsta Advisory/Daz Dillinger Music)
  Buy Now: Tha Dogg Pound Gangsta LP (Gangsta Advisory/Daz Dillinger Music)
  
• Dog Fashion Disco - The City Is Alive Tonight: Live in Baltimore (Artemis)
• Dave Douglas & Nomad - Mountain Passages (Greenleaf/Koch)
• Emma - Free Me (19 Recordings)
  Buy Now: Free Me (19 Recordings)
  
• Erasure - Nightbird (Mute)
  Buy Now: Nightbird (Mute)
  
• Marianne Faithfull - Before the Poison (Anti/Epitaph)
• Forever Einstein - Racket Science (Cuneiform)
• Tom Freund Copper Moon (Surf Road)
• Inara George - All Rise (Everloving)
• God Dethroned - Lair of the White Worm (Metal Blade)
• Rosco Gordon - No Dark in America (DualTone)
• John Hammond - In Your Arms Again (Back Porch)
• Ray Wylie Hubbard - Delirium Tremolos (Philo/Rounder)
• Jennifer Gentle - Valende (Sub Pop)
• Jesu - Jesu (Hydra Head)
• Kill Your Idols - From Companionship to Competition (SideOneDummy)
• James King - Bluegrass Storyteller (Rounder)
• Kyau Vs. Albert - Here We Are Now (Varese Sarabande)
• Sonny Landreth - Grant Street (Sugar Hill)
• Blaine Larsen - Off to Join the World (BNA)
• Lemon Jelly - '64-'95 (XL/Beggars Group)
• Lil Scrappy & Trillville - The King of Crunk and BME Records Present: Lil Scrappy Chopped & Screwed (Reprise)
• Lumberjacks - Goodie Mob Presents the Lumberjacks: Livin' Life as Lumberjacks (Koch)
• Low - The Great Destroyer (Sub Pop)
• Sylvain Luc - Ambre (Dreyfus)
• Lucky - Who Shot Me (Thump)
• M83 - Before the Dawn Heals Us (Mute)
• Machine and the Synergetic Nuts - Leap Second Neutral (Cuneiform)
• Pat Metheny Group - The Way Up (Nonesuch)
• Moaners - Dark Snack (Yep Roc)
• Jeff Parker - The Relatives (Thrill Jockey)
• Parker and Lily - The Low Lows (Warm Electronic)
• Pierces - Light of the Moon (Universal)
• Pitty Sing - Pitty Sing (Or Music)
• Pony Up! - Pony Up! (EP, Ten Fingers/Dim Mak)
• Archer Prewitt - Wilderness (Thrill Jockey)
• Alex K. Redfearn and the Eyesores - The Quiet Room (Cuneiform)
• LeAnn Rimes - This Woman (Curb)
  Buy Now: This Woman (Curb)
  
• Pete Rock - Surviving Elements: From Soul Survivor II Sessions (BBE/Rapster)
• Romanowski - Party in My Pants (Future Primitive Sound)
• Mando Saenz - Watertown (Emergent)
• Bettie Serveert - Attagirl (Minty Fresh)
• The Chris Stamey Experience - A Question of Temperature (Yep Roc)
• Stands - All Years Leaving (Echo)
• Stereo Total - Do the Bambi (Kill Rock Stars)
• Street Dogs - Back to the World (Brass Tacks)
• Hubert Sumlin - About Them Shoes (Tone-Cool/Artemis)
• Supersuckers - Live at the Tractor Travern (Mid-Fi)
• Keni Thomas - Flags of Our Fathers - A Soldier's Story (Moraine Music)
• Martha Wainwright - Bloody Mother F---ing A--hole (EP, Rounder)
• Various artists - Come to the Mountain: Old Time Music for Modern Times (Rounder)
• Various artists - Hi Power 2005 (Thump)
• Various artists - Hotel D'Amour (Varèse Sarabande)
• Various artists - "Mulan II" soundtrack (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - "One Tree Hill" soundtrack (Warner Bros.)
• DVD: BeauSoleil - "Live From New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival" (Shout! Factory)
• DVD: Funky Meters - "Live From New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival" (Shout! Factory)
• DVD: Old 97's - "Live" (New West)
• DVD: Pietasters - "Live at the 9:30 Club" (Music Video Distributors)
• DVD: Various artists - "Beyond Warped: The Vans Warped Tour 04" (Trinidad/Aloha Films)
• DVD: Various artists - "Burn to Shine: Washington DC - 01.14.2004" (Trixie)
• DVD: Various artists - "Tension and Release: Springing the Blues 2003" (Music Video Distributors)

February 1:

• Mötley Crüe - Red, White & Crüe (Hip-O)
  Read: "Original Lineup Of Motley Crue Reuniting For World Tour"
• Tina Turner - All the Best (Capitol)
• Various artists - 2005 Grammy Nominees (Capitol)

February 8:

• Sage Francis - Healthy Distrust (Epitaph)
• Brian McKnight - Gemini (Motown)
• 3 Doors Down - Seventeen Days (Universal)

February 15:

• Blue Merle - Burning in the Sun (Island)
• Goldfinger - Disconnection Notice (Maverick)
• They Might Be Giants - Here Come the ABCs (Disney)

• Bright Eyes
• ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
• Lil Scrappy
• The Chemical Brothers
• Kenny Chesney

If you thought all Bad Boy's Da Band did was choke each other on national television, think again. The kids from "Making the Band 2" got an album out of their time together as well. Too Hot for TV features the six scrappers from the series as well as guest star Wyclef Jean and da man behind Da Band, P. Diddy.

We've all heard about Sting's Sacred Love, but this time we're talking about his new album. Mary J. Blige joins him on the ballad "Whenever I Say Your Name," and Sting addresses the war in Iraq on "This War." Also out this week is airy Brit-pop singer Dido's Life for Rent, featuring the first single "White Flag" and "The Eyes of Alice Cooper," on which the rocker finally gives his famous eyeliner-smeared peepers their due.

Paul Oakenfold releases a mix CD — a two-disc set that remixes Madonna and Björk, among others. And Kelly Osbourne gets a bit of a remix herself as her debut album, Shut Up, is rechristened Changes. The disc features five new tracks, including a cover of Black Sabbath's "Changes" co-sung by her famous dad, Ozzy.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale features music by Michelle Branch, Blur and Joey Ramone, plus the Dandy Warhols on the show's theme song. Elsewhere in soundtrack land, the Jack Black movie "School of Rock" is set to classic rock tunes by the Who, the Doors, Queen, Led Zeppelin, Stevie Nicks, the Ramones and, of course, the School of Rock itself.

Finally, "Beef": it's what's on shelves this week. The DVD features 50 Cent, DMX, Ja Rule and other feuding rappers doing what they do best.

Out Tuesday, September 30:

• 22-20s - 0503 (EP, Astralwerks)
• Gary Allan - See If I Care (MCA Nashville)
• Bad Boy's Da Band - Too Hot for TV (Bad Boy)
• Richard Bona - Munia (The Tale) (Verve)
• Chris Botti - A Thousand Kisses Deep (Columbia)
• The Chemical Brothers - Singles 93-03 (Astralwerks)
  Buy Now: Singles 93-03 (Astralwerks)
  
• Alice Cooper - The Eyes Of (Spitfire)
• Billy Currington - Billy Currington (Mercury Nashville)
• Daúde - Neguinha, Te Amo (Real World)
• Neil Diamond - Stages (Sony)
• Dido - Life for Rent (Arista)
  Read: "Dido Won't Let Success Go To Her Head Or Her Songs"
  Buy Now: Life for Rent (Arista)
  
• Lila Downs - La Sandunga (Narada World)
• Dufus - 1:3:1 (ROIR)
• Enigma - Voyageur (Virgin)
• The Federation - The Federation (Virgin)
• Fragma - Embrace (Water Music)
• Paula Frazer - A Place Where I Know (Birdman)
• Grand Champeen - The One That Brought You (Glurp)
• Merle Haggard - Haggard Like Never Before (Compendia)
• Ill Niño - Confession (Roadrunner)
• Jethro Tull - Christmas Album (Fuel 2000)
• Kin Za Za - Number One in Shambala (Narada)
• KJ-52 - It's Pronounced Five Two (UpRok)
• Lo-Pro - Lo-Pro (413/Geffen)
• Lyle Lovett - My Baby Don't Tolerate (Lost Highway)
• Maria - My Soul (DreamWorks)
• Kathy Mattea - Joy for Christmas Day (Narada/Virgin)
• Martina McBride - Martina (RCA)
• Bette Midler - Bette Sings Rosie: The Rosemary Clooney Songbook (Columbia)
• Leslie Mills - Different for Girls (Atlantic)
• Airto Moreira - Life After That (Narada Jazz)
• Geoff Muldaur's Futuristic Ensemble - Private Astronomy — A Vision of the Music of Bix Beiderbecke (edge)
• The Network - Money Money 2020 (Adeline)
• Paul Oakenfold - Perfecto Presents: Great Wall (Sire)
• Oranger - Shutdown the Sun (Jackpine Social Club)
• Kelly Osbourne - Changes (Sanctuary)
  Read: "Kelly Osbourne's Going Through Changes"
  Buy Now: Changes (Sanctuary)
  
• The Red West - The Red West (Atlantic)
• Martin Rev - To Live (File 13)
• Shikari - Dead Men (EP, Level Plane)
• Sting - Sacred Love (A&M)
  Buy Now: Sacred Love (A&M)
  
• Strike Anywhere - Exit English (Jade Tree)
• Donna Summer - The Journey: The Very Best of Donna Summer (UTV)
• Thousand Foot Krutch - Phenomenon (Tooth & Nail)
• Throttlerod - Hell and High Water (Small Stone)
• Tyrades - The Tyrades (Broken Rekids)
• Vexers - Gangland Ballads and the Death Sex Set (Ace Fu)
• Various artists - Blues Story (Shout! Factory)
• Various artists - Buffy the Vampire Slayer: Radio Sunnydale (Virgin)
• Various artists - Johnny Cash — Artist's Choice: Music That Matters to Him (Columbia/Legacy)
• Various artists - "Horatio's Drive" soundtrack (Columbia/Legacy)
• Various artists - "Journey of Lewis and Clark: Journey of Corps of Discovery" soundtrack (Sony)
• Various artists - Lion King Special Edition (Walt Disney)
• Various artists - Livin,' Lovin,' Losin,: The Songs of the Louvin Brothers (Universal South)
• Various artists - "School of Rock" soundtrack (Atlantic)
• Various artists - "SSX 3" soundtrack (Astralwerks)
• DVD: All-American Rejects - Live From Oklahoma: The Too Bad for Hell DVD! (DreamWorks)
• DVD: Various artists - "Beef" (Image Entertainment)

October 7:

• Jin - Almost Famous (Virgin)
  Read: "Ruff Ryders' New Dog: Jin"
  
• Belle and Sebastian - Dear Catastrophe Waitress (Sanctuary)
• Ludacris - Chicken and Beer (Def Jam)
  Read: "Ludacris Reveals Release Date Of Chicken & Beer, Picks Party Single"
  
• Macho Man Randy Savage - Be a Man (Big 3)
  Read: "'Macho Man' Savage Cuts Rap LP, Tells Hulk Hogan To Be A Man"
  

October 14:

• Mariah Carey - Remixes (Sony)
• Clay Aiken - Measure of a Man (RCA)
• Raphael Saadiq - All Hits at the House of Blues (Pookie)

October 21:

• Barenaked Ladies - Everything to Everyone (Warner Bros.)
• Mandy Moore - Coverage (Sony)
• Joe Strummer and the Mescaleros - Streetcore (Epitaph)
• Yo La Tengo - Today Is the Day (EP, Matador)

October 28:

• R.E.M - In Time: The Best of R.E.M 1998 — 2003 (Warner Bros.)
• The Strokes -Room on Fire (RCA)
  Read:
  
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog - Come Poop With Me (Warner Bros.)

November 4:

• Wyclef Jean - The Preacher's Son (J Records)
  Read: "Wyclef Jean Nabs 'All-Ghetto Cast' — Including Tom Jones — For Album"
  
• Stone Temple Pilots - Thank You (Atlantic)
• P.O.D - Payable on Death (Atlantic)
  Read: "P.O.D. Sound So Alive With New Guitarist, New Single"

November 11:

• Pink - Try This (Arista)
  Read: "Pink Didn't Have To Try Too Hard To Make Try This"
• Ruben Studdard - Soulful (J Records)
  Read: "R. Kelly, Missy Elliott Working On Ruben Studdard's Soulful Debut"

November 18:

• Blink-182 - Blink-182 (Universal)
  Read: "Blink-182 Tone Down Pranks, Get Down To Real 'Action' On Next LP"
• Courtney Love - America's Sweetheart (Virgin)
  Read: " 'A Lot Of God And A Lot Of Sex' On Courtney Love Solo Album"

November 28:

• Jay-Z - The Black Album (Roc-a-Fella)
  Read: "Jay-Z Strays From His Blueprint For Black Album"

• Bad Boy's Da' Band
• Dido
• Sting
• Kelly Osbourne
• Paul Oakenfold

2 Many DJ's
Photo: Junkfood Inc.

For many college-radio and music-industry personnel, it's time to break out the fall jackets, earplugs, aspirin and business cards, because the annual CMJ Music Marathon is rolling out in New York again.

From October 30 to November 2, 900 artists will permeate the Big Apple with shows in more than 50 venues as part of the 2002 incarnation of one of the largest and longest-running music festivals. Mash-up maestros 2 Many DJ's, NYC "it"-sters the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Swedish exports the Soundtrack of Our Lives are among the must-see highlights, with Jurassic 5, Box Car Racer, the Chemical Brothers and Sigur Rós also due to turn in performances. Most shows are open to the public.

This year's marathon is not without its sense of humor, as comedic performances by David Cross, supporting his double-disc comedy album Shut Up You F---king Baby!, and puppet pooch Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, perhaps providing a glimpse at his forthcoming Come Poop With Me, are also scheduled.

Concerts are only half of the CMJ Music Marathon. Panel discussions on topics ranging from copyright protection and sampling to Internet radio, label consolidation and the rise of the New York rock scene take place each afternoon at the Hilton New York hotel. A Q&A session with former Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, conducted by rock scribe Dave Marsh, and an intimate discussion with Tori Amos are among the key talks.

Other artists slated to perform include Ben Kweller, the Polyphonic Spree, Radio 4, Medeski Martin and Wood, Bright Eyes, Thursday, the Moldy Peaches, Simian, (International) Noise Conspiracy, Pretty Girls Make Graves and Imperial Teen.

Although the kickoff is more than a week away, the event has already been met with its first flare-up. Ipecac Records, the independent label co-owned by former Faith No More singer and all-around eccentric Mike Patton, was forced to cancel a sold-out party and showcase on October 31 because its venue, the Roxy, was double-booked with a performance by DJ Carl Cox. Attempts to find another home for Skeleton Key, Isis, Tomahawk and Fantômas Melvins Big Band — the latter two groups include Patton — proved fruitless, and the show was called off.

"We started this label three and a half years ago as a way to operate differently than what is the norm in the music industry, to be artist friendly and fan friendly," Patton said in a statement. "This show was a celebration of what we have built in such a short period of time, a vindication of our goals. Now we stand here apologizing, looking like fools, yet we did nothing wrong."

Clear Channel Communications, which originally booked the Ipecac show at Irving Plaza and then moved it to the larger Roxy due to the high level of demand, has filed suit against the venue, seeking reimbursement and unspecified damages, according to an Ipecac spokesperson.

The Carl Cox show, which is not part of the festival, is going ahead as scheduled.

A complete list of performers and panels can be found at the CMJ Web site.

• Tori Amos
• Box Car Racer
• Triumph the Insult Comic Dog
• Jurassic 5
• Yeah Yeah Yeahs

Chemical Brothers
Photo: Astralwerks

Having recently produced songs for New Order and Beth Orton, the Chemical Brothers are ready to man an entire album. Tom Rowlands and Ed Simons are just waiting for the right project to come along.

"We would have to find an artist who we're really excited about so there would be a point to it," Simons said, sitting in his trailer backstage at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival Saturday (see "Review: Bjork's Pit, Beck's Set Among Few Surprises At Risk-Free Coachella"). "People that have good ideas," or, he quipped, "people that haven't got any ideas. I'm very intrigued to hear this Fatboy Slim and Blur thing. I can't imagine what it will sound like."

Unlike their friend Norman Cook (a.k.a. Fatboy Slim), however, the Chemicals are not putting their own recording careers on hiatus to produce. "The next thing we want to do is make an album, but who knows what after," Simons said.

The Chemical Brothers, who just finished an April tour of the States, have only some vague ideas for the follow-up to Come With Us, which was released at the beginning of the year (see "Chemical Brothers Spent Months Refining Formula For Come With Us"). Still, they hope to have a single out by the end of the summer.

"We've got some stuff that we've worked out live that we want to get in the studio and maybe get out for Ibiza," Simons said. Added Rowlands as he adjusted his signature glasses, "Playing live is good because it shows you what people react to, what works. Our music is very energetic. It's made to be listened to by a lot of people. Sometimes it just reminds you of the certain power."

In the meantime the duo have just released the third single from Come With Us, "The Test," which includes guest vocals from Richard Ashcroft. The video for the track features footage of a woman who lives underwater and sees haunting things when on land.

"The song is quite psychedelic and big, so it fits with the woozy video," Rowlands said. "It's just mad. I've never seen a video like it before. That's always a good thing." Dom & Nic, who have directed several of the Chemical Brothers' videos, including "Setting Sun," were chosen for "The Test" thanks to a treatment that pleased the pair.

"Quite twisted and psychedelic is generally what we're aiming for," Simons said.

Dating back to their first album, 1995's Exit Planet Dust, the Chemical Brothers have worked with other artists, particularly Orton. However, the title track on her upcoming Daybreaker album (see "Beth Orton Tours, Breaks Day With Ryan Adams, Chemical Brothers") and the New Order song "Here to Stay" from the "24 Hour Party People" soundtrack mark their first major producing projects outside of their own music.

"Sitting in the studio with Bernard [Sumner] and Peter Hook, these are people whose music we grew up with and worshiped, so it was fun to be in the studio at the same time," Rowlands said. "And the track we did with [Orton] for her record is a really beautiful piece of music. We're really excited about it."

• The Chemical Brothers

Bjork performs at Coachella
Photo: Jay Morel

INDIO, California — To the left, a full moon illuminated a row of palm trees swaying in a mellow breeze as the Beta Band played their melodic pop. To the right, a red sun set over a gorgeous mountain range as Siouxsie and the Banshees wrapped up their first festival performance in more than seven years.

Ahead, DJ Z-Trip captivated a titanic tent overflowing with dancers by marrying Michael Jackson's "Billie Jean" and Rage Against the Machine's "Testify." It was a stereophonic moment of musical bliss. It was Coachella in a nutshell.(click for photos.)

The third annual Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival took over the Empire Polo Fields (with a few horse "droppings" still on the ground) in this upscale desert town over the weekend and celebrated the unavoidable diversity of today's musical climate.

Part rock concert, part rave, the event takes everything fans and artists love about the Europe's summer music festivals and transports them to a Stateside locale known for spa resorts and country clubs. The result, at least this year, was 30,000 sunburned music geeks racing back and forth between four stages.

Interestingly, Coachella 2002 as a whole was far more compelling than any of the performances, which — for a festival that is supposed to be more progressive than the garden variety radio station hooplas — were relatively risk-free.

Headliners Björk and the Chemical Brothers on Saturday and the Prodigy and Oasis on Sunday lived up to their top billing by stocking their sets with hits but did little to differentiate their shows from any other night on a stage.

Björk, beautiful in a white satin dress and olive green belt, and polite in her execution during and in between songs, seemed to the be the festival highlight, judging by the size and energy (mosh pits?!) of the audience during her show, which drew heavily from last year's sonically adventurous Vespertine.

Coachella house band the Chemical Brothers (in their third appearance at the festival) appeased the masses with near-album versions of their glowstick-toting rock anthems, such as "Block Rockin' Beats," opting to let Sasha and John Digweed, who performed simultaneously in the Sahara Tent, get creative with the club cuts.

In their first show on American soil in a half-decade, the Prodigy performed as though five years hadn't passed, urging the crowd to go crazy for "Smack My Bitch Up" and "Breathe." Many did, and for good reason since the fist-pumping tunes still sound ahead of their time, although you couldn't help but yearn for a grander re-entrance. And what about the new music Liam Howlett and the guys have been supposedly recording in recent years?

After hearing Keith Flint's high-pitched screams for the better half of an hour, the tunefully textured voices of Oasis' Gallagher brothers were a warm welcome. In a set that included four new tracks from their soon-to-be-released Heathen Chemistry, the British rockers showcased their penchant for sing-along radio fare, especially on "Go Let It Out" and "Supersonic."

Two of Coachella's best performances were unannounced. On Saturday, at the end of DJ Z-Trip's fascinating show, Beck took the stage to a mix of his own "Where It's At" and sang and breakdanced to it before sitting down for an impromptu three-song acoustic set that featured the classic "A--hole."

On Sunday, Tenacious D introduced their friends the Foo Fighters by performing a few of their most hilarious numbers. Jack Black, flapping around onstage like a drunken peacock, won over the D-Fest (as he called it) crowd with his between-song banter. "Where's the interactive sex tent?" he asked, before closing the set with "Tribute."

Z-Trip and the Foos were highlights, even without their special guests. The former messed with pop culture in dangerous ways (Jacko and Zacko together?) but made everything sound even cooler than before. Dave Grohl was a blast of fire in his day job, busting through most of the Foo Fighters favorites. The band also played a few new tunes, which gave nods to classic rock ditties like the Who's "Baba O'Riley."

In his night job, Grohl played some ferocious drums with Queens of the Stone Age on Saturday. With the former Nirvana drummer providing the beats and former Screaming Trees frontman Mark Lanegan adding vocals, Queens sounded almost like a different band than on 2000's Rated R. Some things never change, though, as they were definitely the loudest group of the weekend. Song-wise, the new material was as crunchy as ever, but with a more melodic twist.

Queens with Grohl was one of Coachella's must-see shows, though not as buzzed-about as the Stokes' performance. Attracting an audience of stars flocking from the VIP area — including Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, Robbie Williams, Linkin Park's Mike Shinoda, Crazy Town's Shifty Shellshock, Kelly Osbourne, Andy Dick and even ex-MTV VJ Jesse Camp — the New York garage rockers busted out a solid set capped off by "Last Nite." It was a mostly between-the-lines set, but the Strokes excited their fans by debuting a few new songs.

Another one of the festival's hotly tipped acts were the Vines from Australia, who rocked the Mojave Tent as Björk played the main stage. Sounding like early Nirvana, the rock trio ripped through several of their rhythmically fluctuating tracks before animated singer Craig Nicholls and crew ripped out a stellar cover of Outkast's "Ms. Jackson."

Some of Saturday's other standouts included Cornershop in jam-band mode, Forest for the Trees' bagpipe pop, and the one-two punch of roots rock from Pete Yorn and Jack Johnson. The former's "Strange Condition" and the latter's "Flake" provided the perfect soundtrack for sprawling across the grass and relaxing.

Sunday was crammed with some memorable ensemble bands, ranging from Mos Def's "ghetto metal" Black Jack Johnson to Latin hip-hoppers Ozomatli. The Sahara Tent was the place to be if you wanted to dance, however, boasting a raver's dream lineup: BT, Paul Oakenfold, Pete Tong, DJ Tiesto, Bad Boy Bill and Sandra Collins in a matter of hours.

And, of course, Coachella veteran Perry Farrell took the decks, delivering a mix of tropicalia and trance perfect for a sunset as stunning as the day before.

It wasn't as magical as the Monterey Pop Festival or the Woodstocks, but the 24 hours of music and more than 50 performances that made up Coachella were far from "droppings."

Read about all of the shows we've recently covered in Tour Reports.

• Björk
• Beck
• The Strokes
• The Prodigy
• Foo Fighters