Lindsay Lohan on the cover of <i>New York</i> magazine
Photo: Bert Stern

Lindsay Lohan has done some racy photo shoots in the past, but she takes it to a whole new level in New York magazine to pay tribute to her idol. The recently rehabbed actress re-created Marilyn Monroe's famous "Last Sitting" nude pictorial for the mag's spring fashion issue with the shoot's original photographer, Bert Stein. So was she nervous about getting in front of the camera wearing nothing but a chiffon scarf? "I was comfortable with it," she told New York, though she admitted to doing "250 crunches" the previous night. On set for Lohan's revealing re-creation was a small entourage of her manager; her security guard; a makeup artist and assistant; a hairstylist and assistant; a stylist; a manicurist; a sentry posted to guard the on-loan diamonds; the photographer and his manager; two photo assistants; and the actress' younger sister, Ali. (By comparison, Stern's original shoot with Monroe was just him and his subject). "Here's a woman who is giving herself to the public," Lohan said of the original photos. "She's saying, 'Look, you've taken a lot from me, so why don't I give it to you myself.' She's taking control back." ...

After taking home five Grammys at least week's awards, Amy Winehouse will appear at the Brit Awards in London Wednesday night, her publicist confirmed. The performance will be Winehouse's first appearance on a British television program since she left a London rehab clinic two weeks ago. ...

Indie powerhouse TVT Records, home to rap stars Lil Jon and the Ying Yang Twins, will file for bankruptcy protection, label head Steve Gottleib announced Tuesday. According to Billboard, the New York company will continue to operate, but a number of staff members have been let go, and several acts, though not confirmed as of press time, will become free agents. The Gottleib-founded TVT rose to prominence in the '80s after releasing rock albums by Nine Inch Nails and made larger strides beginning in the '90s with its roster of hip-hop acts. Recent legal battles with Def Jam Records and Slip-N-Slide over projects by Ja Rule and Pitbull before each gained notoriety zapped TVT of millions of dollars. ... "Dancing With the Stars" typically appeals to an older demographic, but Mario hopes to bring his young fans to the competition. The R&B crooner will join "American Pie" star Shannon Elizabeth, Miami Dolphins defensive end Jason Taylor, Olympic gold medalist Kristy Yamaguchi and more on the reality show's new season, which kicks off March 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC. ...

The producers of "American Idol" have teamed up with Apple's iTunes Store, giving "Idol" fans the chance to purchase music by their favorite contestants before the show's winner is crowned. Starting this week, iTunes will offer downloads of every performance from the top 24 semifinalists, for 99 cents; full videos of the final 12 contestants will be offered for $1.99 beginning March 12. iTunes will also allow customers to pre-order tracks from a given contestant for automatic download the day after "Idol" airs. One-click access to the store is being made available from the show's official Web site. ... "American Idol" victor Jordin Sparks will be the opening act on Alicia Keys' upcoming North American tour, which kicks off April 19 in Hampton, Virginia. The tour concludes June 18 with a performance at New York's Madison Square Garden. ...

They haven't even been born yet, but Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony's twins might already be earning some cash. People magazine reportedly shelled out up to $6 million for the first crack at photos of the babies, while OK! struck an exclusive deal for international rights to the pictures, according to AdAge magazine. However, People and the stars' reps denied that these deals are final. ... Heidi Klum to the rescue! According to an AP report, the model and "Project Runway" host wants to help Britney Spears and said she'd be willing to open her home to the troubled pop star while she tries to put her life back together. "She can call me and come live in our house with us for a couple of months," Klum said. "I would help set her straight. I am sorry when a young person gets thrown so off-track. She has, of course, lived an extremely wild life." No word on whether Spears will take her up on the offer. ...

According to The Associated Press, the Spice Girls' tour-bus driver assisted police in the arrest of a Michigan man, who is the chief suspect in a carjacking. Police told the wire service that the bus driver called 911 to report a possible drunk driver weaving in and out of traffic on Interstate 75, just outside of Detroit, on Saturday. (The Spice Girls were performing that night in nearby Auburn Hills.) The motorist was arrested and turned over to police in the town of Burton in connection with a carjacking at a gas station. Police did not identify the Spice Girls' bus driver or the man who was arrested. ...

Pink's marriage might be ending, but her movie career is still moving forward. She shot "Catacombs" several years ago, and now the horror film will finally see the light of day — or, at least, the DVD shelf — when it is released in video stores Tuesday (February 19). "It takes place in Paris," Pink told MTV News when she first shot the movie. "I'm an expatriate who moved to Paris to study at the Sorbonne, but I dropped out, because I like to party, and my friends run all these underground parties in the Paris tunnels, where they have all these ancient remains of people. And people actually do party underground there. It's all true. It's pretty amazing and intricate, actually." Pink's character then invites her younger sister (played by Shannyn Sossamon) to come and visit, and because her sib is "very high-anxiety, an annoying nervous wreck," Pink decides to invite her to the catacomb parties to "mess with her a little bit. It's all about family ties and how evil we can be to our siblings and what we get for doing that," Pink said. Despite the film's locale, she only shot in the City of Lights for four days, and the rest of "Catacombs" was actually shot in Bucharest, Romania. "It's cheaper," she shrugged. ...

My Chemical Romance have revealed details of their upcoming tour. The trek will feature openers Billy Talent and Drive By, and get under way March 28 in Tempe, Arizona. Dates are scheduled through May 6 in Philadelphia. ... Green Jellÿ, that long-forgotten mock-metal outfit behind the infectious "Three Little Pigs," have reformed and are in the process of booking a national tour for this summer. The band will also re-release 1991's Cereal Killer and 1994's 333 LPs, along with a DVD of all their videos. For now, Green Jellÿ are scheduled to play the new Milwaukee Metalfest on June 7 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. ...

Camp Freddy, the cover band featuring Jane's Addiction guitarist Dave Navarro, ex-Cult bassist Billy Morrison and Velvet Revolver's Matt Sorum and Scott Weiland, will be taking over Los Angeles' Roxy Theatre "every Thursday night during the month of May for our very first residency," the band reports. "Each week we will perform a different set list, and the evening's performance will culminate with two or three songs featuring our very special guests of the night. We will not be advertising these guests in advance. The band will be joined each week by our good friend and longtime Camp Freddy cohort [Sugar Ray's] Mark McGrath." ...

On Saturday, Bury Your Dead guitarist Eric Ellis was attacked by six individuals following the band's performance at the Rave in Milwaukee. Ellis was held at gunpoint while the men hit him multiple times with a baseball bat and hammer. Local police have characterized the incident as a "gang initiation." Despite his injuries, Ellis and the rest of the band will continue on with their tour alongside Hellyeah. "It will take more than this to stop Bury Your Dead," the band said in a statement. ...

Ska-punk act Goldfinger will return April 22 with Hello Destiny, which will be issued by Side One Dummy Records. The album follows 2005's Disconnect Notice and will feature founding guitarist Charlie Paulsen, who parted ways with the band in 1997. ... Portland, Maine, rockers 6Gig will be reuniting for two hometown gigs. The shows are set for April 25 and April 26, at the Big Easy. ... Foxy Shazam will be hitting the road with Portugal. the Man starting March 17 in El Paso, Texas. The trek runs through March 27 in San Francisco. ...

Underoath have tapped Matt Goldman and Killswitch Engage's Adam Dutkiewicz to produce their forthcoming album, which they've written eight songs for so far and will begin recording in about a month. Meanwhile, the band's "Live" CD/DVD set will hit stores May 13.

2.15.08

Alicia Keys took home four trophies from the NAACP Image Awards, held at Los Angeles' Shrine Auditorium Thursday night. She won the Outstanding Album and Outstanding Female Artist prizes, as well as the top video and song awards. Other honorees included Chris Brown, Jordin Sparks, Denzel Washington and Janet Jackson. Washington and his "Great Debaters" co-star Jurnee Smollett won the Best Actor and Actress prizes for film, while Jackson received the Best Supporting Actress honor for her work in "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" ...

As Britney Spears' father extended control over her affairs in Los Angeles on Thursday, a New York attorney attempted to undo them by taking the conservatorship to federal court. Claiming he represents the singer — despite a judge already deciding she's unable to retain counsel of her own just yet — attorney Jon Eardley filed a claim that the singer's conservatorship deprives her of her civil liberties, since she's been denied the right to meet freely with whom she chooses (as her father has the power to restrict visitors); make and receive phone calls (since a restraining order prevents manager Sam Lutfi from contacting her); drive a car (since her father hired security to do that for her); and gain access to money or credit cards (since her finances are being handled by her trust). "She is being confined ... to the private person of her own home," the suit reads. Eardley is represented by Lutfi's publicist, Michael Sands, who claims that the motion moves jurisdiction from Los Angeles Superior Court to the U.S. District Court, and voids the conservatorship: "Britney Spears has no conservatorship!" he said in a press release. However, the Los Angeles Superior Court responded, "This is an issue that will have to be litigated by the parties." ...

Paramore and Jimmy Eat World have rolled out dates for their much-anticipated co-headlining tour. The 20-date outing will take them from San Antonio on April 1 to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on May 2, with stops in California, Iowa, New York and elsewhere along the way. ...

Eddie Vedder has sketched out the itinerary for his first-ever solo tour, which he will stage in support of his Grammy-nominated "Into the Wild" soundtrack, according to Billboard.com. The Pearl Jam frontman will swing through Vancouver, British Columbia, on April 2, after which he'll play a smattering of shows in various California cities: Santa Cruz (April 5), Berkeley (April 7), Santa Barbara (April 10), Los Angeles (April 12-13) and San Diego (April 15). ... The Raconteurs are wrapping up their yet-untitled sophomore effort in Nashville, according to a recent post on their MySpace page. The post wasn't forthcoming with more details, although it did say, "They promise to release [the LP] as soon as they can." ...

U2 frontman Bono and British artist Damien Hirst raised $42 million for HIV/AIDS programs in Africa at a Sotheby's auction in New York on Thursday, according to The Associated Press. The (Red) Auction, co-organized by the Gagosian Gallery, sold pieces from some of the world's top contemporary artists. Sotheby's said model Christy Turlington bought a piece for $170,500. "We got serious about love, and not just the love of art, but the love of our brothers and sisters suffering from AIDS in the poorest places on the planet," Bono said, according to BBC News. ...

Coheed and Cambria, Incubus and Disturbed have been added to the roster for this year's Download Festival in England (June 13-15). They join a lineup that already features Kiss, Judas Priest, the Offspring, Motörhead, H.I.M, Children of Bodom, Rise Against, Lostprophets, Alter Bridge and In Flames. ... Aerosmith are starring in a new edition of "Guitar Hero" called, er, "Guitar Hero: Aerosmith." Due in the summer, the game will feature 30 or so songs by the Boston legends, as well as ones by bands that have opened for Steven Tyler's crew. ...

Chan Marshall — better known as Cat Power — has bulked up her tour schedule in support of her recently released album, Jukebox, according to Pitchfork. Following an April 10 show in Vancouver, British Columbia, she will hit up Seattle the following day and continue playing gigs through an April 20 show at Austin, Texas' South by Southwest fest. Two days later, she'll perform in Houston, after which she'll journey down to Mexico City for an April 23 performance. ... The National — whose last album, Boxer, made many critics' top 10 lists last year — have slipped out a live EP through Rhapsody, Pitchfork reports. The release, called Rhapsody Rocks NYC, contains four songs recorded at New York's CMJ Music Marathon last year. ...

Butch Walker has slapped together a new live album, but in case you're running low on funds these days, don't worry — he's posted the 24-track effort for free download at FriendsorEnemies.com. Devout fans can get the release with bonus tracks for $5.99. ... Portishead have firmed up their first album in 10 years. Third will drop April 29 and feature 11 songs, including "Nylon Smile," "Magic Doors" and "The Rip." ...

Yoko Ono has denied reports that she was planning legal action against singer Lennon Murphy, who has sought to trademark the name of her band, Lennon. In a letter to the technology blog BoingBoing, Ono explained that several years ago, Lennon Murphy sought Ono's permission to perform under her birth name, Lennon Murphy, which Ono did not object to. But later, without Ono's knowledge, the singer reportedly filed an application in the U.S. Trademark Office requesting the exclusive right to utilize the name "Lennon" for musical performances. Ono's attorneys asked Murphy's lawyers and manager to withdraw the registration, offering to cover all costs Murphy had incurred in filing for the trademark. When Murphy went ahead with the registration anyway, Ono said she did not sue Murphy, but had her attorneys notify the trademark office that Ono did not believe it was fair that Murphy be granted the exclusive right to the Lennon trademark for musical and entertainment services. Ono wrote, "I am really hurt if people thought that I told a young artist to not use her own name in her performances and had sought to sue her. I did no such thing. I hope this allegation will be cleared." ...

Borders Books is trying a new method to appeal to music downloaders. According to a press release, the retailer will roll out 14 new concept stores this year featuring "digital centers" that will allow customers to burn CDs and download music and books to most MP3 players, though not to iPods.

• Lindsay Lohan
• Amy Winehouse
• Britney Spears
• Spice Girls
• My Chemical Romance

Fergie on the January/February cover of <i>Blender</i> magazine
Photo: Wayne Maser

Fergie is Blender magazine's Woman of the Year — but don't get too excited, guys, she's "practically married" to actor Josh Duhamel. "I'm madly in love with him," the Black Eyed Pea said in the cover-story interview, during which she dropped more than a few F-bombs. "He understands how to treat a woman and give me respect. And I'm gonna miss him on tour." Fergie reportedly started to cry after making that comment, as she did at the top of the chat, when she was told she had earned the Woman of the Year honor. "It feels like such an accomplishment. ... And — I can't believe you made me cry. I'm so embarrassed. And I'm f---ing up my eyeliner." ...

Ashley Tisdale is saying sorry to fans for scratching two shows over the weekend because of her recent nose job. "When my surgery was scheduled, we didn't think it would be necessary to cancel the shows because my doctor thought I would heal in time," she wrote on her Web site. "Unfortunately, the deviated septum was more significant than we originally thought so the healing process is taking longer." The "High School Musical" star, who missed her gigs in Miami and Philadelphia, was also absent at New York's Jingle Ball on Friday. ...

50 Cent played for thousands of fans at a soccer stadium in Pristina, the capital of the Serbian province of Kosovo, on Monday, The Associated Press reports. Twenty-five thousand tickets were reportedly sold for the show, which featured fireworks, according to AP. ...

Hawthorne Heights frontman JT Woodruff will participate in a conversation at an event being staged in memory of fallen bandmate Casey Calvert. The late guitarist's favorite charity, To Write Love on Her Arms — a group aimed at helping teens at risk for suicide — will put on "Heavy and Light: An Evening of Songs, Conversation and Hope" on December 29 in Orlando, Florida. The event will also feature acoustic performances by Red Jumpsuit Apparatus singer Ronnie Winter; Aaron Gillespie (Underoath, the Almost); Josh Moore; and Bayside frontman Anthony Ranieri. In related news, Ranieri has mapped out a series of 10 additional solo acoustic shows that will happen before and after the TWLOHA benefit. He will play Wednesday in San Francisco; Friday in Anaheim, California; and then perform a handful of more shows from January 11 in Edinboro, Pennsylvania, through January 19 in Troy, New York. ...

Stephen Stills, best known for his work with David Crosby, Graham Nash and Neil Young, has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Reuters reports. According to the news service, Nash disclosed the news to Larry King in a telephone interview late Monday. Stills is scheduled to have an operation on January 3, which, as it turns out, also marks his 63rd birthday. Referring to folk singer Dan Fogelberg, who was afflicted with prostate cancer and passed away Sunday, Nash reportedly said on "Larry King Live," "Unlike Danny, who left it too long to be seriously checked, Stephen found his at an early stage" and might have potentially saved his own life by getting an early diagnosis. ...

Did you hear that one about Remy Ma's supposed sexual encounter with another woman? Well, surprise — it's not true. According to TMZ.com, the rapper has responded to an online video of a woman "confessing" to having had a sexual experience with Remy Ma. "The fraudulent video hoax that has surfaced of an alleged female lover of Remy Ma is completely false, and reps for Remy Ma emphatically deny these claims," the statement reportedly read. "Remy Ma has not, nor has she ever been, involved in a same-sex relationship with the accuser or any other woman, however Remy is respectful of those who choose the alternative lifestyle." ...

Foo Fighters are thinking big for their next tour — the band is planning to break out two stages for it, according to Billboard.com. The trek, which starts January 16 in Sunrise, Florida, will feature a main stage and an acoustic stage, with the eight-piece band that supported the Foos on their acoustic tour last year returning to supplement Dave Grohl's group on select songs. In other Foo news, Grohl told TheRockRadio.com that the band, which supported Senator John Kerry's presidential bid in 2004, hasn't picked a candidate to back in next year's election. "If a candidate that we all believed in asked us to give them some support, then we would do it," he said. "It wouldn't necessarily be as the Foo Fighters, it would be as four American citizens." ...

AFI frontman Davey Havok has declined an offer to return to his old side project, Son of Sam, but the band will carry on nonetheless. "We asked Davey [to participate], but he declined, which is a bummer, but we understand and he gave us his full blessing with looking for a new singer," the band said in a statement. ... Circus Diablo, the band featuring the Cult's Billy Duffy, Camp Freddy guitarist Billy Morrison and others, has lost a member. Bassist Brett Scallions, who was once the frontman for Fuel and is the current singer for Riders on the Storm, is out, according to the band. "Brett is deeply involved in being a new dad ... and has plans with Riders on the Storm, so with much love and respect, we will be moving forward with Patrick Cornell playing bass," reads a statement from the band. ...

Jimmy Kimmel will tag along with Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien when the late-night talk-show hosts return to TV on January 2 — albeit without writers. "Though it makes me sick to do so without my writers, there are more than a hundred people whose financial well-being depends on our show," Kimmel said in a statement issued by ABC, according to AP. "It is time to go back to work." David Letterman is also planning a return, with a union representing the striking writers reportedly talking about negotiating a deal with Letterman's Worldwide Pants and other indie production companies. ...

Minor Threat were a force to be reckoned with, having paved the way for the U.S. hardcore straightedge movement in the early '80s. But a new hot sauce that bites the band's name is actually pretty mild — according to maker Wheelhouse Pickles, its Minor Threat Sauce is "made from a rare, mild breed of habanero [pepper] grown specifically for us [and] mysteriously privileges the pepper's fruitiness over its notoriously overwhelming heat." Wheelhouse boss Jon Orren has 'fessed up to copping the hardcore band's name for the product, according to Gothamist.com, and the band's former frontman, Ian MacKaye, reportedly doesn't mind the unconventional tribute. "I don't have an occasion to eat a lot of hot sauce, but I also thought the Minor Threat stuff was nice," he reportedly told the site. ...

Jason Bonham, current member of Led Zeppelin and son of deceased original drummer John Bonham, says "only time will tell" if the band chooses to do a full-fledged reunion tour following its widely hailed comeback gig last week. "I'm still the new guy, and I wouldn't know," the drummer told Billboard.com about potential tour plans. "There's been no talks except to Jimmy [Page] and Robert [Plant] and John Paul [Jones], just to say thanks for the best Christmas present I could ask for. It really meant a lot to me. ... If they do it again, of course I would love to. But that's up to them." ... Rob Zombie has piled more solo-show off-dates during his North American tour with Ozzy Osbourne. The metal monster will play additional gigs Wednesday (Indianapolis); Friday (Rochester, New York); January 4 (Poughkeepsie, New York); January 6 (Norfolk, Virginia); January 11 (Scranton, Pennsylvania); January 13 (South Burlington, Vermont); January 18 (Kitchener, Ontario); January 22 (Buffalo, New York); January 23 (Columbus, Ohio); January 24 (Grand Rapids, Michigan); and January 28 (Albuquerque, New Mexico). ...

Legendary singer Burt Bacharach, classic-rock group the Band, iconic jazz drummer Max Roach and others will be honored with Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Awards on February 9, during Grammy week. The recipients — which also include Doris Day, Cab Calloway, Itzhak Perlman and Earl Scruggs — will also be recognized during the Grammy telecast, which airs at 8 p.m. ET/PT on CBS the following day. ...

British Sea Power, Panther and Holy F--- have planted themselves on the bill for next year's Noise Pop festival, which will go down February 26-March 2 in San Francisco. Badges for the fest are currently on sale. BSP's Do You Like Rock Music? streets February 12. ... Expect another installment next year of True Colors Tour, the Cyndi Lauper-created jaunt that featured Rufus Wainwright, the Gossip and others as part of its inaugural run this year. Dates and artists for next year's stretch have yet to be announced. ...

Joel Dorn, a veteran jazz and R&B producer who won multiple Grammy Awards and was part of Atlantic Records' in-house production staff, died Monday from a heart attack. He was 65 years old. The prolific producer, along with Roberta Flack, earned Record of the Year honors in 1972 and 1973 for the singer's "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face" and "Killing Me Softly With His Song," respectively. He also led Rhino's reissue campaign when it began in 1993, taking the reins for the campaign, production and annotation of almost two dozen releases. "The recording industry has lost a true music lover and respected professional, and our deepest sympathies go out to his family, his friends and all who have benefited from his gift," Recording Academy President Neil Portnow said in a statement issued Tuesday.

12.17.07

Never ones to steer clear of grisly details, the folks at TMZ have posted the eight-minute 911 call made in the wake of Donda West's collapse last month. The disturbing recording consists primarily of a dispatcher attempting to coach a panicked, unidentified caller on how to perform CPR. The post has garnered a heated reaction, with TMZ users calling it "tasteless," "insensitive," "sick," "morbid" and "worse than grave-robbing." Users also called the site's staffers "pigs." ...

On Monday (December 17), Killers frontman Brandon Flowers was cross-examined for a second day in front of the California Labor Commissioner by lawyers for the band's ex-manager, according to TMZ.com. Braden Merrick is suing the group for $3 million in unpaid commissions, while the Killers are trying to void their management contract, arguing that the manager booked employment without a license. ...

Fall Out Boy guitarist Joe Trohman is ticked about a recent report in New York's Daily News suggesting the band is blaming Ashlee Simpson, bassist Pete Wentz's girlfriend, for its lack of Grammy nominations. In a blog post on FriendsorEnemies.com, Trohman said the story "just irked me. ... We don't have any 'pals' that gossip to the tabloids over our business. We also don't blame a certain someone (Ashlee) for our lack of a Grammy nod. Don't believe the gossip columns out there. This 'poisonous' person that was mentioned is nothing short of awesome, and we fully back her. Everything in Camp FOB is all good." ...

Timbaland played the new Justin Timberlake and Madonna collaboration, "4 Minutes to Save the World," at the Jingle Ball concert in Philadelphia on Sunday night, according to RollingStone.com. The song is supposed to be the first single from Madge's yet-untitled new album, which is due in 2008. ... Mark Vincent Kaplan, lawyer for Kevin Federline, will go to court Tuesday to ask Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon to delay a January hearing in which Britney Spears was going to try to gain back some of her child-custody rights, according to TMZ.com. The site reports that a Spears lawyer will try to oppose Kaplan's request, and that if Federline's lawyer gets his wish, the singer won't have a chance of getting some custody rights back until April. ...

Singer/songwriter Dan Fogelberg, whose hits include "Leader of the Band," Longer" and "Same Old Lang Syne," passed away Sunday in his Maine home, following a lengthy battle with prostate cancer. He was 56. A statement from Fogelberg's family that appears on his Web site reads: "Dan left us this morning at 6:00 a.m. He fought a brave battle with cancer and died peacefully at home in Maine with his wife Jean at his side. His strength, dignity and grace in the face of the daunting challenges of this disease were an inspiration to all who knew him." Fogelberg was diagnosed with cancer in 2004. ...

Pam Anderson's husband, Rick Salomon, was on the verge of joining Kid Rock and Tommy Lee as the celeb's latest divorcé, but apparently there was a change of heart. According to TMZ.com, she recently filed divorce papers from the sex-tape king, with whom she married on October 6 — but divorce is now reportedly off, with Anderson writing in a post on her Web page, "P.S.: We're working things out ... ." ... Actress Helena Bonham Carter and her beau, Tim Burton, have welcomed their second child, a girl, in London, AP reports. The couple — the star and director, respectively, of the upcoming film "Sweeney Todd" — are said to be "absolutely delighted." The couple also have a 4-year-old boy, Billy. ...

Jay Leno and Conan O'Brien are returning to TV on January 2, but brace yourselves — they won't have their writers supplying them with any jokes. According to AP, David Letterman is planning to make a similar return, but without the same hitch. A union representing the striking writers is reportedly willing to negotiate deals with Letterman's Worldwide Pants and other production companies on an individual basis. ...

Some Led Zeppelin fans are paying a fortune for stubs from the band's recent reunion gig at London's 02 arena. In online auctions, the stubs are going for as much as $252. Wrote one seller: "I was one of the lucky ones. This is the ticket from the show 20 million wanted to see." ... Remember the Presidents of the United States of America? Well, on March 11 they return with These Are the Good Times People, the band's first album in three years. The set will feature 14 tracks, including "Mixed Up S.O.B.," "Sharpen Up Those Fangs" and "Rot in the Sun." The band will tour the U.S. beginning March 14 in Portland, Oregon, and concluding March 27 in Boston. ...

Former Blood Brothers members Jordan Blilie, Mark Gajadhar, Devin Welch and Morgan Henderson have started a new band called Past Lives. The Blood Brothers split in early November, citing creative differences. The group is in the midst of writing material for its forthcoming debut LP. ... Franz Ferdinand have revealed the lyrics to one of the songs from their upcoming album. The lyrics to "Lucid Dreams," from the band's third LP, appear in the latest edition of FF's official fan-club magazine as notes handwritten by frontman Alex Kapranos. The band has yet to release any new music from the yet-unnamed outing.

• Fergie
• Ashley Tisdale
• 50 Cent
• Hawthorne Heights
• Foo Fighters

The Cult's Ian Astbury
Photo: Frank Micelotta/ Getty Images

CINCINNATI — It was one of those moments where all you can do is look at the guy next to you and wonder, "Did he really just say that?"

Is it possible that Ian Astbury, lead singer of '80s rock powerhouse the Cult, spilled the beans on the biggest secret in rock — during a club show in Cincinnati?

"We'll be back next year," a breathless Astbury said midway through the band's gig at Bogart's nightclub Saturday night. "Because we're opening for a band you may have heard of ... the name starts with an 'L' and has a 'Z' in it." Stunned looks bounced around the room until one sweat-drenched superfan shouted out the obvious: "Led Zeppelin!" Astbury, his eyes hidden behind dark shades, nodded affirmatively and stuck his hand in the air triumphantly before plowing into one of the band's signature Zeppelinesque rockers.

When asked about Astbury's seeming confirmation of the world tour, spokespeople for the Cult and Zeppelin both declined to comment. Zeppelin's spokesperson added that no decision has been made on any Led Zeppelin tour and the band is focusing on its appearance at the Ahmet Ertegun tribute concert in London on December 10; a Cult spokesperson declined to answer questions about Astbury's comment.

It's no secret that the three living members of Zeppelin — singer Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page and long-estranged bassist John Paul Jones — will be performing together for the first time in many years at the December 10 show, which celebrates their mentor, late Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. But so far, despite breathless speculation, the one-off gig — which was recently rescheduled from its original November 26 date after Page injured his finger — is the only official reunion show the trio has planned.

Spokespeople for the legendary group, who will perform with Jason Bonham, the son of late drummer John Bonham, have batted down rumors of a full-blown world tour — and as recently as last month, Plant said it was not in the cards. But Page suggested in an recent Guitar World magazine article that playing just one show would be foolish. "It's a bit silly not to because there is such massive demand," Page told the magazine. "It's a bit selfish to do just one show. If that's it, we probably shouldn't have taken the genie out of the bottle."

The group originally disbanded after John Bonham's death from alcohol poisoning in 1980. Plant, Page and Jones performed at Live Aid in 1985 (with Phil Collins and Chic's Tony Thompson tag-teaming on drums) and at the Atlantic Records 40th anniversary show in 1988 with Jason Bonham; they also performed at Jason's wedding. Page and Plant joined forces for two albums and a world tour in the mid-'90s and have performed together sporadically over the years.

Whether or not Astbury was speaking out of turn, the choice of the Cult as a potential opening act would make sense stylistically — given the huge debt the British band owes to Zeppelin — but perhaps less so given the band's lower profile in recent years.

It has been a hectic time in Zeppelinland lately, with a new two-disc best-of collection, Mothership, in stores last week, a recently launched all-Zeppelin XM satellite radio channel and the digital release of the band's catalog earlier this month, as well as the launch on Tuesday of the official ledzeppelin.com website.

Additionally, Page revealed in a recent Reuters interview that the group has plans to uncork a never-before-performed live song during the O2 show, though he would not specify what the "really intense" track would be. He also recently told the BBC that the group met in private for some practice sessions before committing to the reunion gig to make sure they were on the same page. "We wanted to see how well we'd be playing together, and once we played it was without doubt we wanted to do it," he said.

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports.

• Led Zeppelin
• The Cult

Dashboard Confessional's <i>The Shade of Poison Trees</i> album cover
Photo: Vagrant Records

With Amazon's new DRM-free digital-music store up and running — and the first flurry of holiday releases descending on stores — we thought we'd pull together our own virtual record warehouse for all the music lovers out there. Happy hunting!

Rock:

Dashboard Confessional, a.k.a. Chris Carrabba, is already 16 songs into his next LP, but first he has his fifth album, The Shade of Poison Trees, to worry about. The effort finds him returning to his earlier acoustic sound and was recorded over the course of 10 days in Florida with producer Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park).

But it's doubtful DC will have much on Bruce Springsteen, who is kicking it with the E Street Band on disc for the first time with Magic. The Boss slipped out a vinyl version of his 15th studio outing last week, presumably so it would get Grammy Award consideration, however he made another last-minute adjustment by tacking "Terry's Song," a tune dedicated to recently deceased longtime assistant Terry Magovern, onto the CD.

Matchbox Twenty are hoping their hits collection Exile on Mainstream can climb into a decent spot on the Billboard albums chart — to give it some extra oomph, Rob Thomas and the crew have tacked six new Steve Lillywhite-produced tracks onto the set in the form of a bonus EP. Still, it's fair to say that some music fans are happy now that one of the most ubiquitous bands of the last 10 years has finally been "exiled."

And do the Cult still have appeal? They're about to find out as their first album in six years, Born Into This, hits stores. Don't be scared off by the "Savage Edition" of the disc — it has five bonus cuts ... and a sticker!

Rap:

It's hardly Kanye West vs. 50 Cent, but given the dearth of rap releases this week, we'll settle for a lesser hip-hop face-off. Boyz N Da Hood — whose self-titled debut made a big splash upon its release in 2005 — are counting on Yung Joc to help their new one equal those heights. The Atlanta squad's Back Up N Da Chevy has a couple of guest spots by Joc, and Rick Ross and Ice Cube also rear their heads.

Meanwhile, Soulja Boy is shooting for strong numbers with his solo debut, the clunky-titled Souljaboytellem.com. The rap/dance sensation — who managed to slip a performance of his red-hot "Crank That" tune into the VMAs — also features "Soulja Girl," "Bapes" and "Yahhh" on his first disc.

R&B:

Another rookie is stepping out this week: J. Holiday, who has already been riding two singles: "Be With Me" and "Bed." The crooner is also trying to make the ladies swoon with "Laa Laa" and "Betcha Never Had" — could Tuesday (October 2) turn out to be his new holiday?

Trey Songz is hoping to have his own Trey Day at record stores as his second LP drops. The singer gets help from some friends in high places, including Jim Jones, Danjahandz, Bryan-Michael Cox, Dre & Vidal and R. Kelly, who helps Trey get his "Grub On" by producing the hilariously named track.

Last but not least, Sharon Jones has a few years on her R&B peers — she's 51! — but the Georgia singer is finding herself in the limelight thanks to her Dap-Kings backing band recently lending its skills to Amy Winehouse and Kanye West. Their 100 Days, 100 Nights album is saddled with an hourlong bonus disc playfully titled Binky Griptite's GhettoFunkPowerHour.

Indie Rock:

PJ Harvey has been on a major label, Island, for almost her entire career, but she's nevertheless regarded as one of the most revered queens in indie rock. She takes a turn on her first studio outing since 2004's Uh Huh Her, forgoing electric guitar altogether and writing the entire album on piano. Harvey is shadowed by Eric Drew Feldman (Frank Black, the Polyphonic Spree) and Dirty Three drummer Jim White over the course of the 11 songs, which include "Dear Darkness," "When Under Ether" and "Grow Grow Grow."

While Harvey is deep into her career, Chicago psych-pop squad the 1900s are only getting started — they're stepping up with their Cold & Kind debut this week. Oddly enough, the septet's violin player, Andra Kulans, is also a part of the Quartet Parapluie, who have performed with everyone from Kanye West to Clay Aiken. The Fleetwood Mac-esque band features keys, piano, strings and more.

But if you're starving for some throwback indie rock, look no further than Hungry Beat, a compilation surrounding '80s Scottish post-punks Fire Engines. Listed by Franz Ferdinand as one of their biggest influences, the short-lived but recently reunited band's entire output can be found on the 16-track set, which encompasses their short LP, three singles and alternate takes.

Metal:

Rhino has put together one of the most symbolic metal releases ever: The Heavy Metal Box, a limited-edition set that has four CDs but, better yet, comes in a faux amplifier box with a Marshall knob that turns up to 11. Fitting for the nod to Spinal Tap, the package also features a song by the band, in addition to a litany of classics by Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden and Slayer.

While its packaging pales in comparison, Megadeth's Warchest is even more extensive, as it too has four CDs but tosses in a DVD as well. With more than six hours of tuneage by Dave Mustane's band of ever-revolving bros, the set — adorned by a 3-D ammunition belt on the front — boasts 33 unreleased cuts.

On the new-metal front, Om put on the brakes with Pilgrimage, its latest slice of doom. Recorded by Steve Albini and mastered by his Shellac bandmate Bob Weston, the album features just four songs — the fourth is actually a reprise of the first! — and enough chanting to make you think you've been transported to Tibet.

Soundtracks:

There's something in store for everyone this week, even fans who love listening to movie music. The "Dan in Real Life" soundtrack has 11 new compositions by Norwegian folk/pop luminary Sondre Lerche, including seven cue cuts from the Steve Carell comedy, as well as a collabo between Lerche and Regina Spektor ("Hell No") and a song by A Fine Frenzy ("Fever").

And hard-core muzos are frothing over the re-release of David Bowie's very rare 1993 effort, The Buddha of Suburbia, which he made as a complement to the BBC-produced miniseries based on the novel of the same name. While only the title song — featuring Lenny Kravitz on guitar — was used in the miniseries, Bowie said in a recent press release, "This album may well have been one of the most enjoyable projects that I've been involved with."

Holiday Music:

Tempting as Carnie Wilson's Christmas With Carnie and Vickie Winans' Happy Holidays From Vickie Winans may sound, if you're in the market for holiday music, look no further than Oh Santa!: New and Used Holiday Classics From Yep Roc Records. Tracks by the Apples in Stereo, Cities and Minus 5 will keep your indie cred in check as you're slapping bows onto gift bags.

Here are few more tips to keep in mind while you're stocking up on new discs:

Don't Count Your Vines Before They Hatch
· Remember "Get Free"? How about warbling Vines frontman Craig Nicholls? If you do, you probably recall critics dubbing them "the next Nirvana" — well, it looks like "the next Strokes" would have been more appropriate, as their former label Capitol has assembled the portentous The Best of the Vines.

Ungdomskulen Aren't as Scary as They Sound
· Sure, the Norwegian band is raucous and has a new album that sounds equally threatening — Cry-Baby — but its name actually means "middle school" in Norwegian.

Don't Mix Up Siouxsie and Mariee Sioux
· Siouxsie, who has collaborated in the past with the Banshees and Creatures, is dropping her first full-fledged solo release, Mantaray. Mariee Sioux is a folk singer/songwriter whose Faces in the Rocks is coming out through Grass Roots.

Don't Judge an LP by Its Cover
For the Kids Three! looks like a soft children's album, but it's actually loaded with some choice artists. Of Montreal, O.A.R., Moby, Blitzen Trapper and Rogue Wave also contribute to the disc, which is helping benefit the VH1 Save the Music Foundation.

Song Title of the Week:

"Don't Bore Us, Get to the Chorus" from Emery's I'm Only a Man

Album Cover of the Week:

Sunburned Hand of the Man's Fire Escape

Other Notables:

The Most Serene Republic's Population
The Canadian collective started making a name for itself by touring with Feist and Broken Social Scene, and the band is teeing up its next release on the Arts & Crafts label that is also home to those other acts. Produced by the band and inspired by its hometown of Milton, Ontario, the album features 13 tracks that seem to have a colorful story behind each, like "Sherry and Her Butterfly Net," "The Men Who Live Upstairs" and "Humble Peasants."

Ryan Bingham's Mescalito
The 25-year-old Texas singer/songwriter has found himself rubbing elbows with Ryan Adams and Willie Nelson as part of the Lost Highway roster, and now he's hoping to measure up to some high expectations with his first-ever album. Produced by and featuring guitar work by former Black Crowes member Marc Ford, the LP features "Ghost of Travelin' Jones," "Take It Easy Mama" and "Southside of Heaven" — not to be mistaken with Slayer's "South of Heaven," of course.

Demander's The Unkindness of Ravens
The Hold Steady tourmates hail from New York and have already made their mark with a five-song EP and an intriguing animated video, for their song "Hollis." Now it's time for the requisite debut album, The Unkindness of Ravens, which sounds like a proggier version of Sleater-Kinney or Fugazi. Tracks include "GMT," "Baixo," "Elijah" and "TKO Ravens."

New Releases:

· The 1900s - Cold & Kind (Parasol)
· The 5 Browns - Browns in Blue (Sony Classics)
· Amplified Heat - How Do You Like the Sound of That (Arclight)
· Apollo Heights - White Music for Black People (Manimal Vinyl)
· Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti - Scared Famous (Hall of Records)
· Ryan Bingham - Mescalito (Lost Highway)
· Boyz N Da Hood - Back Up N Da Chevy (Bad Boy)
· The Brian Jonestown Massacre - Bringing It All Back Home Again (The Committee to Keep Music Evil)
· Bring Back the Guns - Dry Futures (Feow!)
· Brooks & Dunn - Cowboy Town (Arista)
· Peabo Bryson - Missing You (Peak)
· Care Bears on Fire - I Stole Your Animal (available on iTunes and CDBaby.com; Daisy Explosion)
· Cross Canadian Ragweed - Mission California (Universal South)
· The Cult - Born Into This ("Savage Edition" comes with five bonus tracks and a sticker; Roadrunner/ New Wilderness)
· Will Dailey - Back Flipping Forward (CBS)
· Dashboard Confessional - The Shade of Poison Trees (digipak; Vagrant) [Buy Now]
Read: "Dashboard Confessional's Chris Carrabba Is Back To His Old, Prolific Self"
· Demander - The Unkindness of Ravens (self-release)
· Division Day - Beartrap Island (Eenie Meenie)
· Emery - I'm Only a Man (Tooth & Nail)
· Erasure - Storm Chaser (EP; Mute)
· Falling Up - Captiva (BEC)
· Felix Da Housecat - Virgo Blaktro and the Movie Disco (Nettwerk)
· Five O'Clock Heroes - Bend to the Breaks (High Wire)
· John Fogerty - Revival (Fantasy)
· Ari Gold - Transport Systems (Gold 18)
· Merle Haggard - The Bluegrass Sessions (McCoury Music)
· PJ Harvey - White Chalk (Island) [Buy Now]
· Richard Hawley - Lady's Bridge (Mute)
· J. Holiday - Back of My Lac (Capitol)
· Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings - 100 Days, 100 Nights (with bonus CD; Daptone) [Buy Now]
Read: "Sharon Jones Is Finally In The Spotlight — Thanks To Amy Winehouse Stealing Her Band"
· Junius - Junius (Radar/S.A.F.)
· Rob Kendt - I'm Not Sentimental (Ruby)
· Stacey Kent - Breakfast on the Morning Tram (Blue Note)
· Annie Lennox - Songs of Mass Destruction (Arista)
· Darlene Love - It's Christmas. Of Course (Shout! Factory)
· Kevin Michael - Kevin Michael (Atlantic)
· Mobius Band - Heaven (Misra)
· The Most Serene Republic - Population (Arts & Crafts)
· Nightwish - Dark Passion Play (Roadrunner)
· Om - Pilgrimage (Southern Lord)
· Over the Rhine - Snow Angels (Great Speckled Dog)
· The Pipettes - We Are the Pipettes (Cherry Tree)
· Prong - Power of the Damager (13th Planet)
· Chuck Prophet - Soap and Water (Yep Roc)
· Raccoon - Another Day (Another Label)
· John Ralston - Sorry Vampire (Vagrant)
· Rosetta - Wake/Lift (digipak; Nocturnal)
· The Sadies - New Seasons (Yep Roc)
· Saint Bernadette - In the Ballroom (Exotic)
· Mariee Sioux - Faces in the Rocks (Grass Roots)
· Siouxsie - Mantaray (Decca)
· Skeletonwitch - Beyond the Permafrost (Prosthetic)
· Soldiers - End of Days (Trustkill)
· Soulja Boy - Souljaboytellem.com (Interscope)
· The Spill Canvas - No Really, I'm Fine (Sire)
· Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - Magic (Columbia)
· Sunburned Hand of the Man - Fire Escape (Smalltown Supersound)
· Take - Earthtones & Concrete (Inner Current)
· Chip Taylor & Carrie Rodriguez - Live From the Ruhr Triennale - October 2005 (Train Wreck)
· Trey Songz - Trey Day (Atlantic) [Buy Now]
· Trolleyvox - Your Secret Safe/ Luzerne (two CDs; Transit of Venus)
· Ungdomskulen - Cry-Baby (Ever)
· Nico Vega - No Child Left Behind (EP; MySpace)
· Frankie Valli - Romancing the '60s (Motown)
· We Are Wolves - Total Magique (Dare to Care)
· We the Kings - We the Kings (S-Curve)
· Phil Wickham - Cannons (INO/Columbia)
· Tim Williams - When Work Is Done (Dovecote)
· Carnie Wilson - Christmas With Carnie (B3E)
· Vickie Winans - Happy Holidays From Vickie Winans (Destiny Joy)
· Zimbabwe Legit - House of Stone (pH Music/ Pro Se)
· Various artists - For the Kids Three! (Nettwerk)
· Various artists - Global Drum Project (Shout! Factory)
· Various artists - Oh Santa!: New and Used Holiday Classics From Yep Roc Records (Yep Roc)
· Various artists - "Dan in Real Life" soundtrack (Capitol)
· Various artists - "The Heartbreak Kid" soundtrack (Plan R)
· Various artists - "Tyler Perry's Why Did I Get Married?" soundtrack (Atlantic)

Notable Reissues and Archival Material:

· David Bowie - "The Buddha of Suburbia" soundtrack (Capitol/EMI)
· David Byrne - Live From Austin TX (New West)
· Cake - B-Sides and Rarities (Upbeat)
· J.J. Cale - Rewind: Unreleased Recordings (Time Life)
· Chicago - The Best of Chicago: 40th Anniversary Edition (limited-edition two-CD set; Rhino)
· Charlotte Church - The Charlotte Church Collection (three CDs; Sony Classics)
· Depeche Mode - Exciter and Ultra (each set comes with DVD; Rhino)
· Celine Dion - These Are Special Times: Collector's Edition (with DVD; Columbia/Legacy)
· Bob Dylan - Dylan (also available as a three-CD box set and a limited-edition three-CD box set with red cloth; Columbia/Legacy)
· Fire Engines - Hungry Beat (Acute)
· Eliza Gilkyson - Live From Austin TX (New West)
· Amy Grant - Greatest Hits (special edition comes with DVD; Sparrow/ EMI America)
· Faith Hill - The Hits (special edition comes with DVD; Warner Bros. Nashville)
· Mick Jagger - The Very Best of Mick Jagger (deluxe edition comes with DVD; Rhino)
· Matchbox Twenty - Exile on Mainstream (with bonus EP; Atlantic)
· Martina McBride - White Christmas (RCA)
· Megadeth - Warchest (box set with four CDs and one DVD; Capitol/EMI)
· Buddy Rich - Time Out (Lightyear)
· Robin Trower - Bridge of Sighs (Capitol/EMI)
· Ike & Tina Turner - The Ike & Tina Turner Story: 1960-1975 (three-CD box set; Time Life)
· The Vines - The Best of the Vines (Capitol)
· Various artists - The Heavy Metal Box (limited-edition four-CD box set; Rhino)
· Various artists - Welcome to Miami: 30 Sizzling Dance Tracks (two CDs; Water Music)

Music DVDs:

· Trace Adkins - "Greatest Video Hits" (Capitol)
· Asia - "Fantasia: Live in Tokyo" (Eagle Vision)
· The Beatles - "The Unseen Beatles" (BBC Warner)
· Dierks Bentley - "Video Hits" (Capitol)
· David Byrne - "Live From Austin TX" (New West)
· Glen Campbell - "Good Times Again" (Time Life)
· Celtic Woman - "A Christmas Celebration: Live From Dublin" (Manhattan)
· Elton John - "Elton 60: Live at Madison Square Garden" (two DVDs; Island/Mercury)
· Mahavishnu Orchestra - "Live at Montreux 1974-184" (Eagle Eye)
· Ramones - "It's Alive: 1974-1996" (two CDs; Rhino)
· Various artists - "Respect Yourself: The Stax Records Story" (Stax)
· Various artists - "Stax/Volt Revue: Live in Norway" (Stax)

Digital Releases:

· Scott Walker - And Who Shall Go To The Ball? And What Shall Go To The Ball? (limited-edition CD hits stores October 9; 4AD)

Coming Attractions:

October 9:
· Kid Rock - Rock N Roll Jesus (Atlantic)
· Jennifer Lopez - Brave (Epic) [Preorder]
· She Wants Revenge - This Is Forever (Geffen)

October 16:
· Eve - Here I Am (Geffen)
Read: "Eve Fulfills Her 'Fantasy' With Robin Thicke, Says She's Still Cool With Dr. Dre"
· Jimmy Eat World - Chase This Light (Interscope)
· Thrice - The Alchemy Index: Vols. I & II: Fire & Water (Vagrant)

October 23:
· Seether - Finding Beauty in Negative Spaces (Wind-Up)
Read: "Seether Frontman Won't Respond To Amy Lee's Attack: 'I Just Refuse To Lower Myself To That Level' "
· Serj Tankian - Elect the Dead (Serjical Strike/ Reprise)
Read: "System Of A Down Frontman Serj Tankian On Intimate Solo LP: 'I Believe In It' "
· Carrie Underwood - Carnival Ride (Arista)

• Dashboard Confessional
• Soulja Boy Tell'em
• Bruce Springsteen
• PJ Harvey
• Trey Songz

Mariah Carey
Photo: Mariah Carey/Getty Images

Mariah Carey got a win in court last week when a federal judge decided that a copyright-infringement case against her had no merit. Singer Rachele Chafir had sued Carey in April 2006, claiming that Carey's hit "It's Like That" was copied from her song "Sexy" and lifted key pieces, including the music, for the chorus. Chafir, who copyrighted the song in 2004, claimed Carey had access to "Sexy" since it was available on a Web site, but U.S. District Court Judge Kimba Wood decided that wasn't proof Carey or her collaborators had gone to the Web site or lifted the material, which wasn't "strikingly similar" enough to be considered infringement. With "no genuine issues of material fact," Wood closed the case. "It was the right decision," Carey's lawyer Ilene Farkas told MTV News. "The record was clear in this case." Meanwhile, Carey is moving on with her yet-untitled follow-up to The Emancipation of Mimi, which her record label confirmed is now due December 4. ...

Going, going ... to Cooperstown. And with an asterisk on it. Baseball star Barry Bonds' record-breaking home-run ball, which was purchased two weeks ago in an online auction by hip-hop fashion mogul Marc Ecko, will be heading to the National Baseball Hall of Fame & Museum after all. Ecko bought the ball and launched a Web site giving fans the chance to vote on the ball's final destination: outer space or to Cooperstown, with or without an asterisk signifying Bonds' alleged steroid use in helping him become the all-time home-run king. The announcement was made Wednesday morning (September 26) on the "Today" show after a week of voting. According to Vote756.com, over 10 million votes were cast, of which 47 percent chose to send the tagged ball to the famed baseball museum. ...

The twisted saga of the investigation into the unsolved 1997 murder of the Notorious B.I.G. took another turn this week when Waymond Anderson, an inmate serving life for murder, recanted testimony in which he had implicated the Los Angeles Police Department in the rapper's murder. The Los Angeles Times reports that Anderson said in a recent deposition that he lied about LAPD involvement as part of a "scam" cooked up with two other convicts to get a big monetary settlement from the city of Los Angeles. Most shockingly, Anderson accused the rapper's family — which has filed a wrongful-death suit seeking damages from the city — and its lawyer of taking part in the scheme and offering to pay him a percentage of the settlement for false testimony against the LAPD. In the August 20 testimony, Anderson said he had never met the officers he implicated, despite earlier statements in which he described conversations with the two disgraced ex-LAPD cops. A lawyer for Biggie's family, Perry Sanders, called Anderson's allegations "100 percent, demonstrably false," adding yet another twist to the already-knotted-up story by saying that Anderson appeared to be changing his story at the behest of Chuck Philips, a Times reporter who has written extensively about the murder investigation and has questioned the theory of LAPD involvement. Phillips and the Times dismissed the allegations. ...

In other Biggie news, the recently released documentary "The Notorious B.I.G.: Bigger Than Life" follows the rapper's life from his early days to his death with interviews from many of the behind-the-scenes music-industry figures and friends who watched the rapper rise from a street-corner hustler to one of the biggest rap stars in the world. The film also features several minutes of previously unreleased footage shot by a bystander of the scene on the night Biggie was gunned down. The fan's video — which director Peter Spirer ("Beef," "Tupac Shakur: Thug Angel") said has been reviewed by authorities — doesn't capture the moment Biggie's car was shot at, but it does have audio of the shots and shaky footage of the chaotic aftermath. ...

Embattled football player Michael Vick is facing stricter release conditions after testing positive for marijuana earlier this month, The Associated Press reports. On Wednesday, U.S. District Judge Henry Hudson imposed the new conditions, which include restricting Vick to his home between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. with electronic monitoring and making him submit to random drug tests. He was ordered to continue participating in substance-abuse and mental-health counseling. Vick was put under pretrial release supervision in July, and the restrictions included refraining from the use of narcotic drugs or other controlled substances. The Atlanta Falcons quarterback, who pleaded guilty in August to federal dogfighting charges, is awaiting sentencing December 10 — and Vick's violation of the conditions of his release could be taken into consideration by the judge. He faces up to five years in prison for the federal charges, and has been indicted on additional state charges in Virginia as well. ...

A second woman has filed a lawsuit against Lil Wayne over a melee that broke out during one of his shows at Morgan State University in Baltimore in October. According to an AP story, Carlisa Dixon said she was impaled on a metal pole after the crowd surged to snatch up money that was being tossed from the stage. Dixon is seeking $1 million from Wayne's record label and touring companies, and another $1 million from the university, claiming she underwent surgery for a puncture wound as a result of the crowd surge. A lawsuit was filed in August by another woman who claimed she was trampled in the same money-throwing incident. A spokesperson for Wayne could not be reached for comment at press time. ...

A man died at a Smashing Pumpkins concert in Vancouver, British Columbia, on Monday night in what police think may have been a crowd-surfing or moshing accident. The Canadian Press reports that Vancouver police say the man was unconscious when he was dragged out of the crowd at the Pacific National Exhibition Forum during the show and worked on by first-aid personnel on site before being transported to a local hospital, where he was pronounced dead. Police have ruled out foul play. ... The Voodoo Music Experience is shifting locations, but just slightly. The fest, to take place October 26-28, has a new site in New Orleans City Park to accommodate ongoing restoration and improvement of the park. The shift brings the fest closer to Tad Gormley Stadium, where Voodoo was first held in 1999. ...

Do you march to Nelly's beat? The rapper is cobbling together a marching band for his performance at the BET Hip-Hop Awards on October 13. Auditions will be held Sunday starting at 11 a.m. in New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis, and Nelly is looking for girls who can play drums, tri-toms, bass drum, tuba or trumpet. Prospective players need to know how to perform his song "Grillz" and move to the beat of the song while playing their instruments. Final auditions will be held October 8 in Atlanta, and those who can't make the auditions in person can post a one-minute video clip on Nelly's drum-line-audition site. ... If you've been doubting Swizz Beatz's fashion sense, think again — Gap has tapped the hugely popular producer for its spring ad campaign. ...

VH1 Rock Docs picked up its first Emmy win on Monday as "DMC: My Adoption Journey" earned the award for News & Documentary Emmy for Outstanding Arts & Culture Programming. The program, which revolves around the Run-DMC member's search for his birth mother, premiered in February 2006 and will re-air on VH1 on Saturday at 10 p.m. ... Have you already imported Babyface's Playlist into your own playlist? Then mark you calendar — the singer is putting together a tour in support of his recently released LP. Babyface will play a gig in the Philippines on October 13, followed by a stretch in Japan; after that he'll hit Oakland, California, on November 23, and Sparks, Nevada, the following day. ...

During a recent visit to "The Howard Stern Show," Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx spoke out about drummer Tommy Lee and his apparent departure from the band. He told Stern that Lee quit, and Sixx blamed the current legal problems the band is having with one of its former managers for the turmoil. Sixx said that, since Lee isn't the Crüe's frontman or chief songwriter, the band should be fine without him. He added that he harbors no ill will toward Lee. ... Snow Patrol keyboardist Tom Simpson was expected to appear in court in Glasgow, Scotland, on Tuesday to answer to drug-possession charges filed against him this summer. While the charges weren't dropped, the prosecution doesn't intend on taking "further action," meaning the charges will either have to be re-raised again or dropped altogether. ...

Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard's side project Brad are getting back together for a one-night-only show on October 17 at New York's Webster Hall. The benefit event will also feature Billy Bragg and be hosted by Tim Robbins. It is being held to support Woody and Marjorie Guthrie, and the 40th anniversary of the Huntington's Disease Society of America, which was founded by Marjorie. ... Puddle of Mudd aren't ones for Southern hospitality, apparently. Frontman Wesley Scantlin has been banned from Memphis' Graceland after hopping in the pool in Elvis Presley's mansion during a tour on Monday. ...

The Eagles will perform on an awards show for the first time when they take the stage at the Country Music Awards, which will air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. Carrie Underwood is also slated to perform. ... The Rolling Stones' recent tour didn't just carry the band to the top of Forbes' list of biggest-earning music acts — it landed them in the Guinness World Records, according to Reuters. The classic-rockers' A Bigger Bang tour took $437 million dollars to give them a new record, for the world's most successful music tour. ...

Killswitch Engage and Lamb of God will be teaming up for a late-fall co-headlining tour, which is set to kick off November 28 in Lowell, Massachusetts, with dates booked through December 17 in Rio Rancho, New Mexico. DevilDriver and Soilwork will open on all dates. ... Chris Cornell has added another round of dates to his North American tour, which began in the spring. He has booked another 28 gigs, meaning the trek will continue through November 23, when he's expected to perform at the Pearl Concert Theater at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas. ...

A photo from Elton John's collection has been pulled from a British gallery where it was to be displayed over concerns by police that it might be child pornography. The photo — which was taken by award-winning American photographer Nan Goldin — shows two young girls, one with her legs spread apart, and was to be displayed at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in northern England before it was seized by police, according to London's Times Online. John released a statement, explaining, "The photograph entitled 'Klara and Edda belly-dancing' (1998) is one of 149 images comprising the 'Thanksgiving' installation by renowned U.S. photographer Nan Goldin ... The photograph exists as part of the installation as a whole and has been widely published and exhibited throughout the world [and] has been offered for sale at Sotheby's New York in 2002 and 2004, and has previously been exhibited in Houston, London, Madrid [Spain], New York, Portugal, Warsaw [Poland] and Zürich [Switzerland] without any objections of which we are aware."

09.25.07

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

• Mariah Carey
• Notorious B.I.G.
• Lil Wayne
• The Smashing Pumpkins
• Killswitch Engage

Fergie
Photo: Interscope

While her fellow Black Eyed Pea Will.I.Am is hyping his new project, Songs About Girls, Fergie isn't slowing down with her own solo affair, last year's The Dutchess. The singer just shot a clip for the song "Clumsy" with directors Marc Webb (Diddy, the Pussycat Dolls) and Rich Lee (Chamillionaire, Dashboard Confessional). The surreal, humorous clip features Fergie falling head over heels — get it? — for love in various scenarios. ...

A House panel cast a congressional light on hip-hop lyrics on Tuesday (September 25), with David Banner and Master P giving sharply different views. The Associated Press reports that the latter rapper (real name: Percy Miller) told the Energy and Commerce subcommittee that he is determined to create clean lyrics. "I want to apologize to all the women out there. I was honestly wrong," he said of his prior material. Banner (real name: Levell Crump), on the other hand, defended his profane lyrics, saying, "Change the situation in my neighborhood, and maybe I'll get better." But while P and Banner didn't see eye to eye in terms of who is responsible for derogatory language in hip-hop, they agreed that the government shouldn't censor lyrics. "If by some stroke of the pen hip-hop was silenced, the issues would still be present in our communities. Drugs, violence, sexism and the criminal element were around long before hip-hop existed," Banner said. According to AP, the hearing was similar to the 1985 event in which late rocker Frank Zappa made a feisty appearance also railing against censorship. ...

Like the sound of the "Rocawear Arena" instead of the "Continental Airlines Arena"? Yeah, so does Jay-Z. The ambitious hip-hop mogul is bidding for the arena's naming rights, according to New Jersey's Star-Ledger. Although he is the co-owner of the New Jersey Nets and his Rocawar is a sponsor of the NBA team — which currently plays at Continental — sportswear maker Southpole has made the highest bid so far, $2 million. But there's a catch: The reason the name is up for grabs is because Continental is backing out of its deal with the arena, and both the Nets and hockey team the New Jersey Devils are planning to move to other venues. ...

Life isn't getting any easier for Britney Spears. Kim Robard-Rifkin, the reported woman whose car the singer hit in August — for which she was charged with two misdemeanors on Friday — has spoken out to CelebTV.com. "I was not surprised with the criminal charges — this is what happens when somebody hits your car and runs — especially when it is all caught on video," she said in a statement. Spears' former bodyguard Tony Barretto also spoke out on Monday, telling "Today" show host Matt Lauer that he had witnessed her using drugs on two occasions. While Barretto did not specify which drugs he supposedly saw her taking, he said both incidents occurred at a nightclub in Los Angeles, one at the table she was sitting at and the other in a private restroom. When Lauer asked him about a third incident in which he alleges to have seen her strung out in a Los Angeles hotel room, Barretto replied, "I did." ...

Sarah Silverman was surprised by the reaction that met her controversial VMA monologue, in which she flung derogatory insults at Britney Spears, among others, she told Us Weekly. Regarding one of her saltiest remarks — that Spears' kids "are the most adorable mistakes you will ever see" — Silverman replied, "The joke that everyone was upset about ... was the most innocuous joke. It never occurred to me that [it] would be deemed hurtful or over the line." She also told the magazine for its new issue, which streets Friday, "I don't want to get into feuds with girls half my age. I'm in it to be funny and not for the drama. It's embarrassing." ...

Look, up in the sky, it's a new Gnarls Barkley album! And as Cee-Lo recently told MTV News of the follow-up to St. Elsewhere, "It sounds otherwordly. ... It sounds like an original, if I do say so myself. The theme is progression and how there's a first time for everything. You just have to go for it." Beyond that, though, Cee-Lo didn't want to give up too much. Asked about collaborators, he demurred: "Danger Mouse is my special guest. He's my counterpart in the enigma of Gnarls Barkley." No duh — we meant, anyone else? "Let me continue to surprise you," Cee-Lo smiled. For those who caught Cee-Lo's take on Prince's "Darling Nikki" with the Foo Fighters at the VMAs, he wants fans to know that his performance at the show was supposed to be a surprise appearance with Amy Winehouse, "believe it or not." But since she had to bail from the show, he's saving that collaboration for a future appearance. ...

The Sex Pistols — who just tacked two more gigs onto their upcoming November reunion in London, according to BBC News — have another trick up their collective sleeve: A newly recorded rendition of their punk staple, "Anarchy in the U.K." The band entered the studio for the first time in 30 years to record the track, which will surface on "Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock." ... As I Lay Dying clearly have more than a few gasps left — the metal band edged out Switchfoot, Jason Mraz and others to win the San Diego Music Award for Artist of the Year. AILD nabbed the same honor in 2005. ... Canadian singer/songwriter Patrick Watson and his band have pulled off an arguably more impressive feat: The Montreal quartet have nudged by Arcade Fire and Feist to land the Polaris Music Prize for Best Album. ...

Despite the recent head injuries sustained by guitarist Brent Hinds, Mastodon have booked a gig, opening for the Queens of the Stone Age on October 29 in Los Angeles. The band is also scheduled to appear at the Vegoose festival on October 27 in Las Vegas, where Hinds was jumped following Mastodon's performance at the 2007 MTV Video Music Awards. Police claim Hinds was attacked outside the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino on September 10 during an encounter with System of a Down bassist Shavo Odadjian and his friend William Hudson. According to police, Hudson assaulted Hinds, and Odadjian witnessed the incident. ... While at the VMAs, Mastodon told MTV News that they wrote their best song ever — even though it's not quite finished yet — while on the way to the big show. "It's pretty much the best record we've yet to write," guitarist Bill Kelliher said before singing a couple of the riffs with Hinds. "That's how it goes — du-duh-du-duh na-nah-nah. We wrote it in the car on the way over here, at least the intro of it. Part one. We're at the really beginning stages. It's going to be awesome, though. Everything we do is amazing." ...

The Game entered his expected not-guilty plea on Tuesday to three felony counts stemming from a pickup basketball game in Los Angeles in February. The rapper (real name: Jayceon Taylor) is free on $50,000 bail and has a pretrial hearing set for October 30. ... Jack Bauer might not be such a hero after all: Kiefer Sutherland was arrested early Tuesday morning for drunken driving in Hollywood, Reuters reports. The actor was pulled over after making an illegal U-turn and blew more than the .08 legal limit upon taking a breathalyzer test. He posted $25,000 bail at a Hollywood police station and is due in court on October 16. ...

The Phil Spector murder trial is in the hands of the jury now, but that hasn't stopped more bizarre developments from emerging in the case. According to AP, over the weekend, a threatening post appeared on a MySpace page possibly belonging to the music producer's wife, Rachelle. "I love Phil Spector!!! The Evil Judge Should Die!!!! Xoxo Chelle," read the post, a police spokesperson told the news outlet. The page, which features an image of Rachelle wearing a "Team Spector" tee, was referred to a sheriff's department unit that investigates such threats. The post has since been removed. ...

Amazon's new digital-music store is up and running, with songs going for 89 to 99 cents and albums selling for around $6-$10. The songs, which don't have copyright protections, can be burned onto CDs and copied to multiple computers. Record-label giants Universal and EMI, in addition to a flood of indie labels, are selling their songs through the site. ... A former trustee in James Brown's estate might have misappropriated up to $7 million of the late music legend's money, special administrators told a South Carolina judge on Monday. State Circuit Judge Jack Early told David Cannon, the former co-executor of Brown's will, to pay $400,000 and produce additional documents. Early also said Brown's family could pursue the claims. ...

The Cult will headline the fall installment of the Jägermeister Music Tour, which is set to launch October 17 in Pala, California, and run through mid-December, with the full list of dates coming soon. Rounding out the bill will be Vietnam, the Cliks and Action Action. ... Former L7 leader Donita Sparks is going out on her own with her debut solo effort, Transmiticate, due January 22. The effort, which will feature her new backing band, the Stellar Moments, shifts away from the grunge and metal sounds that defined L7 and tinkers with more pop and dance elements. ...

Fans of Los Angeles ska act Hepcat are mourning the passing of bassist Dave Fuentes, 36. While details are scarce, the band did issue a statement, saying, "We are sad to announce that our brother, beloved bandmate and amazing friend, David Fuentes, is no longer with us. He will be missed by everyone but especially everyone in the Hepcat family." He leaves a wife, Yohanna, and two sons, Andrew, 7, and Darren, 3. A memorial fund has been established to help his family. ... A special-effects technician working on the set of the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" was killed when a truck carrying a camera platform rammed into a tree on Monday in London, AP reports. Filming was not taking place at the time of the accident, which is under investigation.

09.25.07

Could what went around come back around again for Justin Timberlake? The singer will look to replicate his VMA success overseas at the MTV Europe Music Awards, as he leads the list of nominees. JT is up for four awards: Ultimate Urban, Headliner, Video Star and Solo Artist of 2007. Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Fall Out Boy, Avril Lavigne, My Chemical Romance, Rihanna, Linkin Park and Nelly Furtado also grabbed three noms for the event, which will take place November 1 in Munich, Germany. Kanye West was noticed twice and will again face off against Justice, for Video Star — he threw an onstage tantrum after losing to the group in the Best Video category last year. Snoop Dogg will host the ceremony. ...

Britney Spears' new lawyer, Sorrell Trope, and her ex-husband Kevin Federline's lawyer, Mark Vincent Kaplan, met privately with Los Angeles Superior Court Commissioner Scott Gordon in the judge's chambers on Monday (September 24). They discussed how to "refine" the court order issued last week that imposed random drug testing, counseling and parenting classes on Spears, who has until November to sort out some of her child-custody-dispute issues. According to a source close to the situation, Spears' misdemeanor charges of hit and run, causing property damage and driving without a valid license have no bearing on the custody discussion, though there's no word yet if any new decision or arrangements have been made. Spears is due in court October 10 for her arraignment on the criminal charges. ...

A week after calling it off, 50 Cent has rescheduled his U.K. tour, scotching suggestions that he had made good on his promise to (kind of, maybe) retire if Kanye West debuted higher than him on last week's record charts. According to BBC News, the rapper, who was soundly thrashed by 'Ye last week on the charts, has announced eight arena gigs in November, though 50's reps did not return calls seeking confirmation. ...

Chalk up another first for Beyoncé: She's joining the ranks of Shaun White and Larry David with her own American Express "Are You a Cardmember?" commercial, which is set to debut on airwaves Monday night. The singer is the first recording artist to be featured in a 60-second spot for the company. In Beyoncé's clip, directed by music-video veteran Paul Hunter (Justin Timberlake, Mary J. Blige), she's seen traveling on tour and going from a photo shoot to a dance rehearsal to a press conference — all in one day. Her parents pop up for quick cameos as well. The singer will also be featured in AmEx print ads. ...

By now, you've probably heard about — and maybe also seen — the apparent Meg White sex tape, but we've got some news for you: It's not real. That's according to the White Stripes' publicist, Chloe Walsh, who told MTV News in an e-mail that "the tape circulating on the Internet as featuring Meg White is fake." Earlier this month, the Stripes canceled all their remaining tour dates for 2007, citing White's "acute anxiety," and when news of the sex tape broke over the weekend, conspiracy buffs began circulating the idea that it was the cause of said anxiety. But, as Walsh said, "it's definitely not Meg." ...

There could be a glimmer of hope for a Hot Boys reunion after all, although fans might not want to count their chickens just yet. Footage from a Lil Wayne concert has popped up online, and in the clip, the Rapper Eater tells spectators he's back with his one-time group and that a project is in the works for next year. That said, the date of the clip has not been authenticated as of yet, and a spokesperson for Wayne told MTV News that there are no plans for an album. Moreover, as fans well know, Hot Boy Turk is still in jail on murder charges, and Juvenile and B.G. have denounced Wayne and Cash Money Records since they left the fold years ago. ...

Though the exact cause of death has not yet been determined, authorities investigating the remains of two dogs found buried at an Arizona home belonging to DMX said that one had serious bite wounds and another had signs of trauma to its abdomen. The Associated Press reports that investigators, looking into allegations of animal neglect, also found a third dog carcass, which had been burned so badly an exam was inconclusive. The remains were dug up on August 24 when investigators looking into the allegations raided the rapper's home and seized 12 pit bulls, a number of weapons and a quarter-ounce of marijuana. No charges have been filed against the rapper (born Earl Simmons), who has said that caretakers were looking after the animals in his absence. ...

Carrie Underwood will try to snag a second Female Vocalist of the Year trophy at the Country Music Awards, which air November 7 at 8 p.m. ET on CBS. The singer is up for the same award she won last year, and her "Before He Cheats" single earned her two additional noms, for Music Video of the Year and Female Vocalist, Single. She'll perform at the show, as will Keith Urban, Kenny Chesney and others. ... And speaking of award shows, Jimmy Kimmel will return to host the American Music Awards, which will air November 18 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on ABC. Nominees, select performers and new online-voting procedures will be unveiled October 9 in Beverly Hills, California. ...

Phil Spector's defense filed a motion in court on Monday asking Los Angeles Superior Court Judge Larry Paul Fidler for help in clarifying the controversial new instructions he gave the jury last week, AP reports. In a hearing, for which the jury wasn't present, Fidler listened to arguments regarding the motion but didn't specify how he would rule. Also on Monday, jurors requested use of a VCR, although it's not known what they wanted to watch. ... If the Rolling Stones are touring, it's a fair bet they're going to top Forbes magazine's list of biggest-earning music acts. From June 2006 to June 2007, the sexagenarian rockers earned an estimated $88 million, with Jay-Z biting at their heels with $83 million — he bested Madonna, who raked in a paltry-by-comparison $72 mil. Jersey's finest, Bon Jovi, landed at #4 with $67 million, while Elton John bagged $53 million. Celine Dion came in sixth with $45 million, out-earning country star Tim McGraw at $37 million, with 50 Cent breaking in at #8 with $33 million, followed by U2 ($39 mil) and Diddy, who closed out the top 10 with $23 million. Justin Timberlake just missed the top 10 with a nice showing of $20 million. ...

Snoop Dogg, Lil Wayne and Cee-Lo are among the many guests who'll appear on season two of "The Boondocks," which kicks off October 8 on the Cartoon Network's Adult Swim block. Busta Rhymes and Ghostface are two other musical guests slated to make cameos on the animated series, while actors Donald Faison, Terry Crews and Marion Ross will also make guest appearances. Mos Def and MTV News' own Sway will reprise their guest spots from last season. ... The Killers' much-ballyhooed B-sides album will be called Sawdust and will hit stores on November 13, according to their label, Island Records. There's no firm track list for the record, but we know that it'll include at least one new track, a duet with Lou Reed called "Tranquilize." ... As if coffee-crazed music fans needed another reason to go to Starbucks, the chain is vowing to give away 50 million tracks October 2-7 to promote its new hookup with the iTunes wireless service. Starbucks chains in the U.S. will dole out 1.5 million "song of the day" cards each day for redemption on iTunes. The first track is Bob Dylan's "Joker Man," which will be followed by songs from Paul McCartney, Joni Mitchell and 37 other acts, including Dave Matthews, Joss Stone, John Mayer and Band of Horses. ...

Radiohead have spent much of the past year updating fans on the progress of their seventh album via a series of mysterious, sometimes incomprehensible blog posts. So now that they've finished the record, why should anything be different? Over the weekend, the band posted a series of bizarre hieroglyphics on its blog, featuring a sorta-smiley-faced character some fans recognized from a Radiohead T-shirt. (The shirt in question has a hand-drawn figure with stick arms and a frown, and the phrase "Hello My Name Is Worm Buffet.") Fans then got to work creating a Rosetta stone to decode the so-called "Worm Buffet" glyphs, and by Monday morning, they had succeeded. So far the five messages the band has posted ("Yes we are still alive," "Might not operate properly," etc.) are about as obtuse as frontman Thom Yorke's lyrics, leading some fans to presuppose that the messages actually are snippets of Yorke's lyrics from the upcoming album. Chatter on the band's forum speculates the band is slowly revealing the words to the song "Bodysnatchers," though a spokesperson for the band would only tell MTV News that while Radiohead are definitely posting coded messages, the content of them is not known. ...

Prince closed out his 21-date residency at London's O2 arena in style Friday night, busting out a truckload of hits including "Controversy," "U Got the Look," "Diamonds and Pearls," "Little Red Corvette," "I Would Die 4 U" and "Delirious." According to British reports, his customary afterparty included a guest spot from his avowed musical crush of the moment, troubled British singer Amy Winehouse, who took the stage at O2's intimate Indigo venue to sing her song "Love Is a Losing Game" with his Purpleness. ... Sean Paul and Talib Kweli also took to the stage over the weekend, at Steiner Studios in Brooklyn, New York. The two were joined on Saturday night by Mark Ronson, who DJ'd a set at the Bacardi-sponsored show, B-Live, which donated $20,000 to the Brooklyn Academy of Music. ... Alice in Chains plan to continue their revival with a spate of unplugged shows this fall after the conclusion of their current tour with Velvet Revolver. The band's 10-gig run begins Saturday in Austin, Texas, and continues through October 21 in Kansas City, Missouri. ... The first dates for Hellyeah's upcoming Balls Volume Strength Tour, with openers Otep and Bloodsimple, have been revealed. Only nine gigs have been announced, the first on October 30 in Detroit and the last on November 10 in El Paso, Texas. ...

Richie Ramone was only in the Ramones for four years, but he figures the songs he wrote during his tenure are worth a million bucks. Richie (born Richard Reinhardt) filed a federal lawsuit on Friday, claiming he's owed almost $1 million in royalties for a handful of songs he wrote while in the group from 1983-'87, according to AP. Reinhardt's suit names Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Apple Inc., RealNetworks Inc., the Ramones' management and the estate of late lead guitarist Johnny Ramone, claiming that he never fully signed over the rights to digitally sell six songs he wrote for the group, including "Smash You," "Somebody Put Something in My Drink" and "I'm Not Jesus." Richie Ramone claims he's owed $900,000 in royalties and has asked the court to issue an injunction preventing further use of his songs without permission. ...

Christian metallers Norma Jean have parted ways with drummer Daniel Davison. In a statement, Davison said the decision was personal and effective starting November 8. "Recently, I have come to the point in my life where I no longer see Norma Jean as a ministry, and for me to continue in the band, saying that it is, would in my opinion be wrong," he said. "I am not leaving the band on bad terms with any of the guys, but there are differences between us, both personal and spiritual, that I felt were too great for me continue on with or ignore any longer." The band will search for a new drummer and plans to begin writing material for its next album this winter. ... Mogwai drummer Martin Bulloch underwent heart surgery last week to have his pacemaker replaced, and now his old one could be yours. Bulloch plans to auction it off to raise money for a heart foundation. The pacemaker will be up for grabs on eBay, and the sale of the item will benefit the British Heart Association.

• Fergie
• Jay-Z
• Britney Spears
• Gnarls Barkley
• Mastodon

Ja Rule, Ashanti, Fat Joe, Musiq and the Roots are bolstering the roster of LIFEbeat's Urban Aid 2 benefit show, set for April 9 at New York City's Beacon Theater. Jay-Z, P. Diddy, Alicia Keys and host Jamie Foxx were previously announced for the event, which aims to raise funds and awareness for HIV prevention initiatives. ... Hardcore fans of the Cult — or of odd musical ephemera in general — should note that a 5-CD, 67-track box set of their demos is in the works. Rare Cult: The Demo Sessions will be issued in an edition of 5,000 and initially offered through the Beggars Banquet Web site (www.beggars.com). ...

Bob Dylan, Elvis Costello, Tom Waits, Brian Wilson and Nick Lowe have all written new songs for an upcoming album by soul legend Solomon Burke. Burke, who wrote hits such as "Everybody Needs Somebody to Love," "Cry to Me" and "Down in the Valley" and was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame last year, has influenced each of these artists. ... Boston rockers Buffalo Tom have compiled Besides, a collection of, yes, B-sides (and a companion to 2000's Asides) for release on May 21. The album features covers of the Velvet Underground's "All Tomorrow's Parties," Bob Dylan's "She Belongs to Me," Teenage Fanclub's "Guiding Star" and George Harrison's "Wah Wah." ...

In a natural extension of its annual Warped Tour, Vans sportswear is launching its own indie label, Vans Records, with Pennywise frontman Jim Lindberg at the helm. The company plans to make the most of relationships built during Warped outings to help amplify its ranks. ... Congratulations to Offspring bassist Greg K and his wife, Jane, on the birth of their second son, Matthew David. Their first offspring, Michael, was born in 1999. ... Video auteur and "All About the Benjamins" director Kevin Bray, who's helmed clips for Whitney Houston ("It's Not Right, But It's Okay"), Brandy ("Almost Doesn't Count"), Savage Garden ("I Knew I Loved You") and Ben Folds Five ("Brick"), will develop and direct a remake of the French actioner "Taxi," according to the Hollywood Reporter. Its producer, Luc Besson ("The Fifth Element"), wrote the 1998 original. ...

03.12.02

Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl will return to his place behind the drumkit when he backs up portly powerhouses Tenacious D on an episode of "Mad TV" that is set to air on April 27. Grohl and the D performed the dynamic duo's latest single, "Tribute," with a full band at Friday's taping, just hours before the busy bee played session drummer for another of his favorite bands, Queens of the Stone Age, while they previewed tracks from their upcoming Songs for the Deaf during a one-off showcase at L.A.'s Troubadour. ... Ja Rule, Mary J. Blige and Brandy are among the artists who have contributed items to an auction to raise money for BET's AIDS awareness campaign, Rap-It-Up. The auction, at www.bet.com/rapitup, begins March 18, the same day public service announcements from Ja Rule begin airing on the network. (MTV's parent company, Viacom, also owns BET.) ...

Love Songs for New York, a compilation of previously unreleased tracks about the Big Apple from Moby ("Memory Gospel"), Cornershop ("Returning From the Wreckage"), Afrikaa Bambaataa (a cover of Melanie's "Lay Down [Candles in the Rain]"), the Mekons ("I Heart an Apple") and 14 others, is being offered by Village Voice Media (www.villagevoice.com). All proceeds will benefit the September 11 fund. ... In other Moby news, he will compete against Madonna, Pink, Jennifer Lopez and Kim English for the Best Chart Act at the DanceStar USA Awards on March 24 at the Winter Music Conference in Miami. The Crystal Method, Basement Jaxx, Fatboy Slim, Daft Punk, BT, Chemical Brothers and Paul Oakenfold are nominated in other categories. ...

The Big Tymers — Cash Money CEO Brian "Baby" Williams and producer Mannie Fresh — will release their fourth album, Hood Rich, on April 30. "Still Fly," described by their spokesperson as "a celebration of ghetto fabulous," will be the first single. ... Korn and Limp Bizkit producer Ross Robinson and his I Am Recordings imprint have moved from Virgin Records to Artistdirect Records. Robinson will continue to handle A&R activity, talent development and studio production for the imprint, which was housed with Roadrunner Records before it went to Virgin. ... Come late summer, Ozzfest vets Taproot plan to have a new Gift for their fans. They're in the studio working on the follow-up to their 2000 breakthrough, which is tentatively titled Welcome. ...

British electronic outfit Zero 7 will kick off their first North American tour April 15 in Philadelphia. The month-long outing, which will feature an 11-piece band, ends May 5 in Portland. ... Australian neo-grunge band Silverchair canceled a March 16 appearance at the Gone South festival in Hobart, Australia, since frontman Daniel Johns contracted a rare virus that attacked his joints and caused severe swelling to his knees. While the singer has suffered from the condition since Christmas, doctors expect him to make a full recovery. ... Nappy Roots and Course of Nature will join Jamie Kennedy and other stars of the WB Network on a 10-show tour to promote the station's programming. WB on Tour kicks off April 1 in Los Angeles and wraps up April 18 in Atlanta. ... Lo-fi faves Elf Power will release their fifth album, Creatures, on May 7 through SpinART. ... New Yorkers can usher in St. Patrick's Day with the help of the inimitable Shane McGowan and the Popes on March 16 at the Roseland Ballroom. The group's Across the Broad Atlantic, which captures their 2001 St. Paddy's gigs in New York and Dublin, was released last month.

• Ja Rule
• Ashanti
• The Cult
• Tenacious D
• Buffalo Tom

Marilyn Manson
Photo: Scott Gries/Image Direct

READING, England — The Cult's Ian Astbury is insane. We know he is because he told us so. Still, he had at least one interesting point to make from the stage of the Reading Festival — an annual summer-end celebration of mud, mud and music — on Sunday afternoon: The Cult were the only English band playing the main stage.

Since its 1971 inception at this Thames-side town, the three-day Reading Festival has been the traditional August stomping ground of the cream of English rock, from the hairy-faced days of Ten Years After to last year's headlining set by Oasis. This year it was the Americans' turn to pack the lineup with nü-metallers and headline grabbers such as Marilyn Manson and Eminem. Anticipation ran high for Friday's coming-out party for New York's the Strokes, the English music press' current cause célèbre. And although the group didn't play this year, every other T-shirt in the 50,000-strong crowd mysteriously advertised Cali punks NOFX.

So on Friday, the Strokes emerged blinking into that most unexpected of English meteorological phenomena, the sun. Reading traditionally forces most rock fans to carry their lighters aloft in a torrential downpour, but the unexpected solar rays dispelled the Strokes' Alphabet City cool. After exhausting their Velvet Underground tribute cum debut album, Is This It, in about half an hour, their guitarist flipped the bird to whoever threw a bottle at him and they were history.

Friday turned out to be the Americans' Waterloo, however, with the Eels performing hara-kiri on "Beautiful Freak" and Iggy Pop slicing himself with a razor as though to atone for his band rendering "Search and Destroy" unrecognizable. Instead, the night belonged first to P.J. Harvey, who teased the audience in a black bra and bin-liner skirt cut up to here and completed the seduction with an intense one-woman version of "Man-Sized," and then Travis, the Scottish popsters whose dedication to grinning through sturdy acoustic ditties such as "Why Does It Always Rain on Me?" has made them the Bay City Rollers it's OK to like.

Away from the main stage in the Radio One Evening Session tent, however, a quieter resurrection was under way as Evan Dando led a master class in who the Lemonheads used to be. The sparse crowd gathered to hear chestnuts such as "Rudderless" and a clutch of estimable new songs was indicative of a strange trend in which yesterday's indie heroes — who once could have headlined — faced dwindling constituencies. Dando's mob left grinning at the man's retiring greatness.

Teenage Fanclub bear old heads on old shoulders and have stayed true to jangle-pop wrought as classically as a Cellini goblet since 1991's epochal Bandwagonesque. Saturday night, their career retrospective, from "Everything Flows" to "What You Do to Me" to "My Uptight Life," provided a soundtrack to the kind of high summer during which Scotland wins the World Cup. Mogwai, representing the next generation of Glaswegian noisemakers, were more action painting than Renaissance silversmiths, ripping open the instrumentals from this year's Rock Action with sudden blasts of tent-shaking noise. By the time leader Stuart Braithwaite cried the Hebrew spiritual "My Father, My Kingdom" over a wailing wall of feedback, eardrums were bleeding and the audience was weeping.

Clannish sing-alongs and post-rock weren't much use against the big guns wheeled out by the Yankee contingent Sunday. First up on the main stage were Staind, who rock as hard as anybody at the festival but do so with much intense staring at the stage that could be easily confused with indifference. Less shy and retiring, (hed) p.e. declared themselves the greatest band in the world while demonstrating that even the greatest sometimes sounds like the angst-metallers next door.

Back in the Evening Session tent, Alien Ant Farm found a better way to deal with the my-mommy-won't-buy-me-a-PlayStation blues by adding a little Blink-182 laughing gas and a bruising assault on Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" to their frat-metal euphoric rush. It's an entertaining combination, but it doesn't quite approach the veteran absurdity of the Cult. Seven years since Bradford's finest last played the festival, Astbury's still a fool, guitarist Billy Duffy's still cool and who cares who the other guys are as long as they play "Love Removal Machine"? Astbury's serial leaps into the crowd were only the black polish on the Doc Marten.

Yes, it can get better, although probably nobody reading this would imagine that it would be Queens of the Stone Age who made it so. That's because nobody in the United States seems to know who these California stoner-rockers and English-press cover stars (call them last year's Strokes) are. But guitarist Josh Homme and the totally naked bassist Nick Oliveri deserve bigger based on a set that resurrects the drug anthem ("Feel Good Hit of the Summer"), ZZ Top (Mark Lanegan came onstage to perform "Precious and Grace"), the guitar wank ("You Can't Quit Me Baby") and the instrument smash 'n' burn.

Although his brand of outrage has blended into America's cultural landscape, Marilyn Manson is still a potent curiosity in Europe and feeds on the attention like a blood-starved Nosferatu (Klaus Kinski model). Arriving onstage to a choral "God Bless America" and several exploding flame pots, Manson's set was a glam-rock spectacle whose satirical breadth contrasted sharply with the past hour of Papa Roach's roaring pain (which was loud enough to render poor Cat Power's performance in a nearby tent inaudible). Manson became a stilted spaz for "The Nobodies," rose 40 feet above the stage for "Cruci-Fiction in Space" (dressed as a bishop) and showed us his arse. A lot.

How better to emerge from Manson's nightmare than blinking into the paradise lit by Mercury Rev? With "The Funny Bird" as their opener, the beatific Catskill band filled the Evening Session with an epic sound of tinkling pianos and symphonic crescendos. Alternating selections from their 1998 magnum opus, Deserter's Songs, with material from the new All Is Dream, singer/guitarist Jonathan Donahue seemed to elevate the entire crowd until, at the end of "The Dark Is Rising," he was reaching for the heavens like some William Blake allegory.

Eminem might have been on the main stage at the other end of this spit of green and pleasant land seeking relief with "Purple Pills" — and bewildering the Slim Shady posse with his cartoon interludes, D12-centric set and a "Forgot About Dre" that lacked the crucial element of the good doctor himself. But Rev delivered an even rarer kind of high, the kind that rendered national boundaries and musical fashion obsolete.

• Eminem
• Marilyn Manson
• The Strokes
• Mercury Rev
• The Cult

The Cult's Ian Astbury
Photo: Andrew MacPherson

NEW YORK — It was 7:30 p.m on a Friday, and Ian Astbury, frontman for the Cult, was weary and more than a tad grumpy. As he spoke, he sounded groggy and disoriented, as if he'd just been woken up in the middle of the night. He'd been doing interviews all day, and he still had a show to play that evening. And the next night, and the night after that.

Astbury really hadn't had a significant break in two years, he said, between time on the road promoting his band's return, hours spent in the studio working on the new Cult record, Beyond Good and Evil, and more long nights logged on tour with Monster Magnet (see "Cult Line Up Tour With Monster Magnet, Stabbing Westward"). But that's not what was dampening his spirits. He was in a foul mood because he'd been trying to schedule the Cult — which now consists of original members Astbury and guitarist Billy Duffy, longtime drummer Matt Sorum and bassist Billy Morrison — for the lineup of the next Tibetan Freedom Concert and still hadn't been confirmed for the bill.

"I still think a lot of people perceive of the Cult as some sort of crass hard rock band," Astbury muttered. "We already played the Tibetan Freedom Festival a couple years ago, and initially the board of directors didn't want us on that bill because they felt the kind of music we made wouldn't be in harmony with the image they were trying to portray for Tibet. I had to kick the f---ing door down and say, 'Your piousness and illuminati perspective is totally opposed to Buddhist philosophies and altruism in general.' " A quick listen to the new Cult album, and you can kind of understand why the board might still be on the fence. The Bob Rock-produced Beyond Good and Evil screams to be heard, lashing out with more blazing guitars, pounding beats and cathartic yowls than the Cult have ever expelled. Within just a few ringing arpeggios and slashed power chords on the album's opener, "War (The Process)," the band reaffirms its position near the top of the alt-hard rock hierarchy, where it reigned between 1985, with the gothic bluster of Love, and 1989, with the melodic firepower of Sonic Temple. The Cult's ammo had run low for Ceremony in 1991 and The Cult in 1994, but now they're back, all guns firing. While Beyond Good and Evil is sonically turbulent, Astbury insists its intensity isn't any sort of attempt to compete with the throng of voluble nü-metal acts. It's more a reflection of the world he sees swimming outside his grasp.

"Any musician worth his salt is gonna be aware of what's going on around him," Astbury explained. "We knew that we were going to make a heavier record because we're spiritually in a very dark place right now, and it's very troubling." What's troubling him? "Where do you want to start?" he asked, grimacing. "Global warming, the lack of the father in the home, the increase in violence among white males. Things like Columbine and Woodstock. It's rampant right now. There's mass consumerism and corporate oppression. Look at the WTO conference in Seattle. That all upsets me, because I lost both of my parents to cancer in Hamilton, Ontario, because of the steel works there. They died directly because of an industrial society. So I've been aware of the damage that industrialization can cause ever since I was young." There's no disguising the anger and frustration burning through the combustive riffs of songs like "The Saint," "American Gothic" and "Take the Power." But there's a message to the mayhem in Astbury's lyrics. "It's about trying to provide solutions, not just empty rants like 'F--- you, I'm not gonna do what you told me,' " Astbury said. "I think there are signposts on the record toward ideas that are going to potentially elevate your perception of living. For example, 'Breathe' talks about taking a step back. It's a simple Buddhist philosophy, and just a recognition that a lot of neurotic behavior comes from the mind. If you take a deep breath and realize the actual moment you're in, you find that you're not so caught up in your thoughts about the future or the past or by peripheral stimulus, whether it's television or magazines or emotional things that just build up, and you can actually make wiser decisions." The video for "Rise," the first single from Beyond Good and Evil, was shot by Gregory Dark and is loosely based on the plot of the film "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon." The song itself is about a couple who sneak off into the forest and achieve transcendence by gazing at the moon and getting metaphysical while their peers indulge in chemical pursuits. "There's something really powerful and stimulating and erotic and dangerous about that," Astbury enthused. "When we find people like that, we tend to treat them like the witches of the old days. We bring them back to the village and burn them. But those are the ones who rise above the pedestrian and the commercial." He took a deep breath to refocus, then continued. "A lot of people are inherently unhappy, because they feel like they're never gonna get the girl in the billboard. They're never gonna get to drive the big, red sports car. They're never gonna have the kind of wealth that movie stars have, so they never reach their true potential as people. I think that's really sad. When you have different role models like the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, and other Eastern teachers and you simplify your life and develop your mind and your spirit, you can definitely elevate yourself far beyond anything that money could ever do for you."

• The Cult

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus
Photo: MCA

Blink-182, Papa Roach and Staind will join rock vets Jane's Addiction and the Cult at the ninth annual KROQ Weenie Roast on June 23 in Irvine, California.

The daylong radio fest, to be held at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, will also feature Coldplay, Crazy Town, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Stabbing Westward and 311 on the main stage.

Pennywise, Sum41, New Found Glory and the Living End will rock a punkified second stage.

KROQ-FM will announce ticket information on Monday.

• blink-182
• Jane's Addiction
• Staind
• Coldplay
• Linkin Park

The Cult Live Phots

• The Cult